Healthy Kids Bright Futures

Healthy Kids Bright Futures focuses on activities and education to increase young children’s positive development and school readiness. With a coordinated community effort and Healthy Kids’ broad network of partners, children will be more ready to meet age-appropriate skills and behaviour expectations through participation in activities related to each of five domains: physical health and well-being, social competency, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development and communication skills and general knowledge.  

Did you know that talking to your baby helps build their brain for speech and vocabulary?

Talking to a baby, even when they can't talk back, is one of the most powerful things a parent can do. Think of your baby's brain like a house under construction. When you talk to them, you are laying the electrical wiring for language. Here are five things to try:

• Narrate everything you do. Talk out loud about what you are seeing, doing, and thinking throughout the day.
• Ask open-ended questions. Instead of questions with a simple "yes" or "no" answer, ask questions that require a longer response.
• Expand on what they say. When your child says something, repeat it back to them using a more detailed or correct sentence.
• Discuss new words. When you encounter a new word (in a book, on TV, or in a conversation), stop and explain what it means in simple terms. Then, use it again later.
• Sing songs and recite rhymes. Singing and using simple rhymes exposes children to the rhythm and patterns of language, which builds early literacy skills, like knowing that words are made of smaller sounds.

The more words a baby hears in their first three years, the stronger their thinking skills will be.

Did you know that reading to your child for just 15-20 minutes a day dramatically boosts their vocabulary and listening skills?

Spending a short time reading every day has a huge, positive impact on your child's future. It's not just about looking at the pictures, it's about building strong brain muscles. Make reading a habit by:

• Setting a time. Create a routine, read before bedtime or after dinner, and stick to it.
• Let them choose. Allow your child to pick the books. When they choose the story, they are more excited and engaged in reading.
• Make it cozy. Designate a comfy spot—a special chair, a pile of pillows, or snuggling on the couch—to make reading time enjoyable.

A small amount of reading each day has a huge, long-lasting impact on their learning and development.

Did you know that when children make a mess with things like mud, sand or water that they are experimenting with science?  

This type of play, often called sensory play, is how young children naturally engage in scientific inquiry. When children manipulate these materials, they are conducting hands-on experiments.

Here are the scientific concepts they explore:

• Properties of matter. How materials change state (e.g., dry sand becomes wet mud).
• Cause and effect. Every action (like pouring water) has a predictable reaction (the water flows).
• Volume and measurement. Scooping and filling containers teaches them about capacity.
• Buoyancy. Dropping objects into water helps them test what sinks and what floats.

Messy play is an essential way for children to develop problem-solving skills and understand the world around them.

Did you know that walking outside and talking about what you see like animals, the weather and plants is a fun way to boost your child’s early learning?

A simple walk can be a real-world classroom that significantly builds your child's brain and vocabulary.  It can serve as:

• Vocabulary builder. Naming things like a squirrel, dewdrop, or spiky pinecone rapidly expands their word bank.
• Science and observation. Asking questions such as, "why is the grass wet?" or "where does that bird live?" encourages early scientific thinking and observation skills.
• Cognitive concepts. Introduces the idea of size, comparison (taller/shorter), and pattern recognition (stripes, cloud shapes).
• Sensory input. Variety of outdoor sights, sounds, and smells provides crucial sensory stimulation for brain development.

The next time you walk, remember you are giving your child a rich and essential learning experience.

Did you know that when children ask “why”, it helps them become better thinkers and understand the world around them?

The why phase is a crucial stage of cognitive development. Every question is a sign of a curious mind actively trying to understand cause and effect.  Some of the skills developed by asking why include:

• Cause and effect. Learning how things are related (e.g., "why does it rain?").
• Critical thinking. Developing the ability to reason and make connections between ideas.
• Problem-solving. Asking your child, "what do you think?", encourages them to form their own hypotheses.

By being patient and giving simple answers, you are nurturing curiosity, which is a foundation for lifelong learning.

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Additional resources to support healthy kids

• Caring for Kids New to Canada 
  
• Brant County Health Unit 
  
• Child and Youth Health 
  
• Raising Healthy Kids 
  
• Healthy Living Children and Adolescents