Big One, Little One
What you need
- two of the same thing in different sizes: cups, balls, toy cars
How to do it
- Put a big one and a little one of the same thing in front of your toddler.
- Ask for one of them: 'can I have the big cup?'
- Take whichever they hand you and say what it is: 'big cup, thank you'.
- Swap round and do it again with the little one.
Why it matters
Two things that are the same except for size give a toddler a reason to use a describing word, because without it there's no way to say which one they mean.
What they're learning
- Two words together
- A describing word plus a thing is a pair, and size is the easiest description to see.
- Big and little
- Comparing two things is early maths, done with objects rather than numbers.
- Handing over
- Giving you the one you asked for shows they understood before they can say it.
What to look for
Watch for them picking the right one before they can say which it is. Understanding comes first.
A tip
If you're ever worried about your child's talking, your health visitor is the person to ask. Children arrive at words at very different times, and there's no deadline in it.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: make the difference in size obvious
Harder: add a third size in the middle
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Fine motor activities · Activities for 18 month olds · Activities for 2 year olds · Toddler activities with cups · Toddler activities with a ball