The importance of names – use names in activities to help young children boost their cognitive development.

Making a photo album helps young children to:

• Feel valued
• Learn that you value things that are important to them
• Recognise different people’s names
• Make connections between real people and pictures of those people

Collect photos of your child, the family, friends, favourite toys or pets and put them into an album. Write your child’s name on the front and add the date so that they can look at the album in the future and remind themselves of things which were important to them when they were one. Look at the album together and point at familiar things and people, using their names.

If you don’t have access to photographs in this time of lockdown, why not create a digital album on phones or tablets? The important thing is having conversations about people that are special to them – a good reminder when not being able to see family who do not live with you.

Why not use singing and incorporate your child’s and family member’s names!