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Can your child make the  different sounds of the various jungle animals? Can you find other animals that live in the jungle?
Can your child find the jungle animal you ask for?
Can your child name different jungle animals?  Can you describe them? For example ask “can you find the black and orange stripy tiger?”

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Walking Through The Jungle by Julie Lacome - Signed Story - British Sign Language (BSL)/SSE

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Jungle Animals Names and Sounds for Kids to Learn | Jungle Animals Video for Children

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Jungle Animals Names and Sounds for Kids to Learn | Jungle Animals Video for Children

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Can you make various sensory trays for your child to feel with their feet and hands. They could walk through them bare foot and describe how they feel? Grown ups could join in? Or if your child is a little nervous they could sit on the floor and just dip their feet inside? How does it feel? (Rough, squidgy, wet or squelchy?)

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Can your child use mark making materials to draw their favourite jungle animal? Can they draw a circle for its face?

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Walking Through The Jungle

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Walking In The Jungle | Kids Song | Super Simple Songs

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What animals will be in your jungle?

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Can your child group the same animals together?

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Can your child make an animal mask with you using card or a paper plate?

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Yoga Time! Jungle Safari: Kids Yoga and Nursery Rhymes | Cosmic Kids

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Boil spaghetti and let it cool down. This activity allows your child to practice their cutting skills without having to produce an end product.

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Animal masks using paper plates.

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Can you group the animals into pairs? Or into their families. For example, all the lions together. Or 2 elephants together?

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You can draw a spiral on a paper plate and then cut along the lines. (The grown up will need to do this part or maybe an older sibling can help?) The snake is then ready to decorate.

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I can wash my hands by myself

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Make handwashing part of your routine

There are two types of kids: ones who hate washing their hands and ones who love it. The ones who love it waste some soap, but at least their hands are clean.

Kristin Marshall, whose youngest son is five, admits: "I have not always been super-vigilant about handwashing." After attending nursing school, though, Marshall put a new priority on the handwashing aspect of hygiene. She got concerned when her son's daycare reported that he strongly resisted washing his hands there - to the point where he would avoid the bathroom and have accidents as a result.

If you think it's tough getting one child to wash his hands, spare a little sympathy for Julie Larose, who runs a home daycare and has five little ones to supervise in the bathroom! To develop a handwashing routine, Larose and other preschool parents have found several approaches to be effective:

Explain the benefits It may help to tell your child that handwashing keeps him healthy and "sends the germies down the sink." Just be cautious if you have a preschooler who tends to be anxious, or he might want to wash up 20 times a day.

Just do it - together Marshall says she tackled her son's handwashing resistance by joining him: "I go into the bathroom with my little guy and we wash our hands together. I don't talk about it; we just do it."

Make it routine Sarah Dufton, mother of four, also requires that hands be washed before mealtimes and says, "It's just part of the routine. No discussion."

Make it easy and accessible At Larose's daycare, she has a step to bring the preschoolers up to the level of the bathroom sink, taps that are easy for little hands to turn on and off, and a foamy soap dispenser that is easy to push.

Teach technique Larose also has a series of pictures on the wall above the sink showing how to wet hands, add soap, scrub, rinse and dry. You may not want handwashing instructions on your bathroom wall, but you can teach your child these steps. And one way to get them scrubbing and rinsing a bit longer is to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or the alphabet song with them as they wash up.

Personalize the tools Sarah Dufton gives her children liquid hand soap in their stockings every year at Christmas. "They put their initials on the caps and are pleased as punch when it is their soap's turn to be used in the bathroom," she says. Larose has a towel in a different colour for each child at her daycare, and says the children take special pleasure in making sure they always use their own.

Bring cleansers with you Washing at home may have become routine, but what about when you're out - especially if there are no handy washrooms? Marshall always carries hand sanitizer with her. "If the sanitizer is more than 70 percent alcohol, it will kill almost anything. It can be hard on some people's skin, though." Dufton doesn't like the sanitizers, but brings baby wipes along to clean mucky hands. "I also have a couple of peri-bottles (water bottles could work too) that I bought at a medical supply pharmacy," Dufton adds. "They don't leak, and you can use them to squirt a little cleanser over a child's hands. I keep one in the van and one in my bag, filled with water with a little soap added."

Larose admits that maybe her strategies are working too well. "Getting them to wash isn't hard - it's getting them to stop that's tough. They'll gladly let the water run for five minutes or more, just playing in the suds, if I don't go in and remind them to turn it off." Still, she likes being confident that the youngsters she's caring for have clean hands before she hands out a snack or invites them to play together.

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How to get kids to wash their hands - Today's Parent

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Make handwashing part of your routine There are two types of kids: ones who hate washing their hands and ones who love it. The ones who love it waste some soap, but at least their hands are clean. Kristin Marshall, whose youngest son is five, admits: "I have not always been super-vigilant about handwashing."

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You could make a bath time swamp with your animals? Gelli Baff can be brought on the link below.

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Take off my shoes and put them on. (Velcro trainers)

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This blog post focuses on appropriate communications and interactions with young children, explaining how to aid and develop language by use of questions, when not to question, how to 'give language' to babies and toddlers and when to seek further help.

Arthur doing the actions for 'incy wincy spider'

How many times have you looked at a baby and thought " I wish I knew what they were thinking?!"

I do it all the time! I am absolutely fascinated by the ability that babies and young children have to communicate in a variety of ways from such an early age...

There is absolutely no doubt that children learn the most about communication by watching and communicating with us. We can have a huge impact on their communication and language in our interactions with them - just by knowing how to do this appropriately (depending on their age, ability, need - more on this later) when we question and respond.

I have previously writt en a blog post all about 'sensory play' and how this can be used to build language with children in the Early Years. The post gives some useful examples of the type of language you can use with babies and young children and the way in which you should ( and should not!) help them to develop this skill.

(If you would like to read this post click here for post on building language with sensory play)

In these blog posts I will expanding upon the topic of developing language, what speech, language and communication actually is, the difficulties some children can face and how we can help!

(NB: Usually, children with speech and language difficulties will rely more on non-verbal communication, past the age/stage that most of their peers would. Children who may be on the Autistic Spectrum usually can have difficulties with both verbal and non-verbal communication - usually communication when and how they choose.) Here is a table from the National Strategies outlining (in general) what you can expect your child to be doing depending on their age. (A full size pdf version can be downloaded
here)

Have you noticed how much babies enjoy action songs and rhymes? Perhaps they are even starting to join in!

For babies - it is usually the non verbal signs of communication that they will use first:

This is because babies have the ability to understand and attempt to communicate using signs and gestures long before they have the ability to say words and form sentences themselves ( although they will babble and try!)

Because they are taking it all in - try to use real words with your baby ('dog' rather than 'woof woof' for example) from the start.

You can help your baby to develop their understanding of what objects are called by naming them frequently.

Playing games where you touch name body parts such as the nose/mouth etc.

Wave hello and goodbye to mummy/daddy/the house when you/they leave or return.

Switch lights on and point saying 'lights'

sing action songs which your baby will eventually learn ( we love Incy Wincy Spider and also Wind the bobbin up!)

Actually, 'milk' is the most used sign, but I don't have a picture! Squeeze your fist together as if you are milking a cow and say "milk".

Often, difficulties are picked up once your child in is Nursery or Reception class at school.

Speech and language issues are not just an inability to say certain words or sounds, it also includes attention and listening skills, understanding of spoken language and the ability to turn thoughts into language.

Below are some examples of some possible difficulties and suggestions of solutions to try.

(NB: this does not replace professional advice and observations of an individual child. I am not writing as a speech and language therapist or professional - simply in my role and experience as a Primary school Teacher specialising in Early Years - and as a mummy!)

When you are speaking to or communicating with a child - in order to give you their attention they need switch off, or ignore their other channels of attention and focus only on the auditory signals from you. some children find this hard simply because they may be distracted by the following:

1. Auditory - other children, TV, computer, other adults

2. Personal - tiredness, hunger/thirst, overly excited

3. kinaesthetic - other people, pictures/displays, toys, clothing such as shoes (especially those with velcro!), fluff or bits on the carpet/table/floor

4. visual - windows, other people, phones, TV, computer, patterns, toys, screen savers

Before deciding on a speech and language issue, try to remove other potential distractions mentioned above before attempting to communicate, facing away from windows and screens may help and giving the child something to hold may help them to stay focused.

1. Make your language simple so it is easier to process

2. Repeat yourself, activities, key words

3. Give information or instructions in smaller chunks

4. Exaggerate intonations or certain words and facial expressions

5. Speak slower

6. Use the child's name to keep their attention

7. Use visual clues (pictures, signs, objects, expressions)

8. Maintain eye contact

Speech immaturities, incorrect use of words or tenses:

These are really common in the Early Years and the best way to deal with them is to 'model' (demonstrate) correct use of language by repeating back and modeling NOT pointing out the mistake and correcting.

Child: "You rided a bike didn't you?"

Adult: " yes, I rode a bike!"

Child: "him want to play"

Adult: " he wants to play? ...

Child: " The pen runned out of ink!"

Adult: " oh no! The pen has ran out of ink??"

Child: " me got a car" ( this is trickier as you are trying to model the correct use of the pronoun "I" so you can't just recast and say ' you've got a car have you?') solution:

adult: " I've got a car too"

In general there is an order that most children and babies learn to use certain speech sounds, most not reaching the final stage until the age of 5-6 yrs old. Here is a general order:

Did you enjoy this blog post or find it helpful? Id really appreciate it if you could give this a share using the link in the address bar or the social share buttons on this screen.

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Developing Speech and Language in the Early Years - helping babies and children to communicate

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Information to help parents and Teachers with speaking and language development in the Early years for babies and toddlers, helping them to communicate effectively, explaining how to aid and develop language by use of questions, when not to question, how to 'give language' to babies and toddlers and when to seek further help for speech delay.

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Browse Little Discoveries Sensory Collection for babies and toddlers. Perfect for creating a stimulating and sensory enriching pay experience at home.

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Put my coat on by myself.

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Teach Kids to Put On Their Own Coat (Tips from a Preschool Teacher)

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We've been working hard to create engaging content for your pre-schoolers!

While our website focuses on learning resources for school-aged children, we know that pre-school little ones all over can benefit from educational fun at home. So to get you started, we've put together this guide of Early years content across Bitesize, BBC Teach and CBeebies.

Not a teacher? Not to worry - it's all made in collaboration with learning experts to make learning with your child as simple and engaging as possible. And for more inspiration, you can also download the CBeebies Go Explore app to access games and videos featuring CBeebies favourites, from phonics with the Alphablocks to shapes with Hey Duggee. We've got you!

Early years maths - Our dedicated Early years page covers counting, adding and subtracting and also provides practical tips for doing maths with your child.

Bud's Number Garden - Join Bud the bee to explore his magical garden and practise recognising numbers, counting, sequencing and much more. This game is great for children in their first year of school or for pre-school children who want a taste of what they'll be learning when they start.

Counting - A collection of musical films on counting one to 10, 10 to 20, sets and ordinal numbers.

Measuring - Songs for learning the vocab of measuring as well as how to counting time and money.

Space and shape - A collection of musical films on 2D and 3D shapes, movements, shapes and patterns.

Numberblocks - An animated series full of number tricks, available to watch on iPlayer.

Bitz and Bob - Join Bitz and her little brother Bob in their animated engineering adventures. Available to watch on iPlayer.

Bitz and Bob game - Help Bitz and Bob solve fun engineering problems and earn rewards along the way. A great way to explore maths and puzzles.

Literacy, Language and Communication

On our Early years English page, you can practise phonics, blending words and forming letters with our newly created content! There are also tips on how to support your child at home.

School Radio: Nursery rhymes collection - A collection of well-known nursery rhymes and counting songs designed to promote joining in with singing and actions.

School Radio: Playtime - Ideal for shared listening to get kids moving. Presented by Andy Day and Steven Kynman of CBeebies.

School Radio: Listening Skills - A collection of 14 audio episodes inviting children to listen carefully to sounds and identify them. An easy way to promote listening skills and sustained focus.

Welsh language - Learn the names of colours, the days of the week and how to count from one to 100 in Welsh.

Tiny Happy People - A huge collection of activities and advice to help build your child's early communication skills, arranged by age from newborn up to 5 years and designed to fit in and around your daily routines.

CBeebies Storytime App - Read over 40 interactive stories including fairy tales, nursery rhymes and stories with CBeebies favourites like Peter Rabbit and the Octonauts.

Alphablocks - Play to learn phonics with the Alphablocks.

Word waves - Watch the wave while you listen to a story. Key words from the story appear alongside the animated wave to reinforce listening.

School Radio: Listen and Play - A collection of 50+ audio episodes that include a story, a song to join in with and simple movement activities, ideal for learning at home. Presented by CBeebee's Cat Sandion.

Maddie's Do you Know - Learn new things with Maddie as she explores the world around us and discovers how stuff works. Available to watch on iPlayer.

Go Jetters - Funky Facts from Ubercorn and the Go Jetters crew to help explore places all around the world help with Geography.

Kit and Pup - Explore the wonderful world around us with Kit and Pup as they learn about everything from bubbles to trees.

Expressive Arts and Design

CBeebies Get Creative app - Get your kids painting, making music, creating stories, inventing toys and building blocks with their favourite CBeebies friends. Perfect indoor activities to inspire creativity.

Bring the Noise - The campaign to inspire music learning and make every child in the UK a musician. Includes songs, quizzes, musical exercises and more!

Ten Pieces - Resources to help your little ones get creative with classical music.

Wellbeing and development

Personal Development and mutual understanding (PDMU) - A collection of 17 films featuring puppets Pip and Declan to help children understand their feelings and emotions and how they can keep healthy and safe.

My first day at school - A great game to play with your child and walk them through their first day at school.

Starting Primary School - Support and resources for parents to help prepare your little ones take the first big step into Primary School.

Teach: feeling better - A collection of clips presented by Dr Radha Moghil that explore feelings and emotions, as well as providing talking points and tools to feel better.

Physical Education and Development

Super Movers - Resources across the curriculum to help get your little ones learning whilst staying fit and healthy! With subjects spanning from maths to Modern Foreign Languages, these musical videos encourage movement whilst engaging the brain.

See Bring the Noise for more songs with actions to improve rhythm, timing and counting.

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Early years resources to use at home - BBC Bitesize

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Early years learning content to help engage your little ones at home.

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Guess the Animal Sound Game | Jungle Animal Sounds Quiz

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Guess the Animal Sound Game | Jungle Animal Sounds Quiz

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I see a Zebra Crossing, What do you see? 

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I see a Zebra Crossing, What do you see? 

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Please take a few photo’s of your child on their journey to school. 

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Please take a few photo’s of your child on their journey to school. 

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Oh My Genius - Nursery Rhymes And Kids Songs

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CBeebies Songs | Something Special | Three Little Ducks

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CBeebies Songs | Something Special | Three Little Ducks

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5 currant buns | counting song for toddlers and preschoolers | nursery rhymes

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5 currant buns | counting song for toddlers and preschoolers | nursery rhymes