More Bricks, More Bubbles

What you need

• a box of bricks, or a pot of bubbles

How to do it

1. Keep the bricks in the box beside you rather than tipping them all out.
2. Hand over two or three at a time and carry on building together.
3. When they run out, wait. Don't ask anything, just look interested.
4. Whatever they say, say it back with one more word: they say 'more', you say 'more bricks'.

Why it matters

Two words arrive first where they're genuinely useful, and wanting more of something they're enjoying is about the most useful moment a toddler has.

What they're learning

Two words together

'More bricks' is one of the first pairs most children put side by side, because they mean it.

Asking for what they want

A word that gets them something is worth far more than a word they were asked to perform.

Hearing it back

You saying their word plus one more is the clearest model there is, and it needs no correcting.

What to look for

Watch for a word arriving before the reach does.

A tip

Say it back rather than asking them to repeat it. Being told to 'say more bricks' turns a conversation into a test, and toddlers talk less when they're being tested.

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