Nursery World - Home Learning: Activities for Parents

Penny Tassoni shows how routine mealtimes can be a rich source of learning

It may come as a surprise, but mealtimes play an important part in children's development. While it is natural, as a parent, to focus on the 'food' element, the reality is that these occasions are opportunities for children to learn - about the feel of different textures, hand-eye co-ordination, new vocabulary, and a range of social and emotional skills.

Most parents find mealtimes a source of frustration, but it is worth investing a little time and effort. Here are some simple activities that you might like to try to enhance your child's development at mealtimes.

Wash hands

From eight months

Babies are notoriously messy eaters. The pleasure of food for them lies as much in the hands as it does the mouth.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included