Laundry games

Involving toddlers in everyday activities is an excellent technique to help them understand how words and objects are related, especially in language learning. Laundry can provide a practical and creative opportunity for toddlers to learn a new language. By helping with household chores, they can connect what they hear to what they see and feel.

Here are some helpful tips:

• Label various pieces of clothing in the target language with their names. Repeat the names of shirts, pants, socks, and so on. This allows the child to identify specific words with specific items.
• Use laundry items to teach children about different colours in the target language.
• Count as you sort or fold clothes to improve your child’s counting in the target language.
• If they say a word or phrase, repeat it back to them correctly and expand on it.
• To facilitate understanding, you can ask simple questions such as ‘What is this?’ or ‘Where does that belong?’ and allow them to provide options for where to place things.

Naming different items will help your child understand possession, and they can also practice following instructions.