Five to Thrive is based on five key activities that are the building blocks of healthy communication and brain development:
Just like when playing with building blocks, if your tower falls, you need to rebuild. So if you’re trying to talk to your child and they get frustrated or upset, you need to respond to how they’re feeling and address this first.
When your child, (whether they’re an infant, child, or emerging adult), enjoys these five simple activities every day it helps them:
The Five to Thrive activities are important at all ages and stages of your child’s life, so it’s never too late to start. They build baby and toddler brains and support healthy brains for:
It is amazing that by enjoying five key daily activities with your child, you’re helping your child’s brain grow. You will also be supporting their healthy development.
By being responsive and nurturing, you can reduce fear and anxiety in your child. This will supply the best conditions for their healthy brain growth.
Did you know your baby’s brain doubles in size in the first year of their life?
Your baby starts life with around one hundred billion brain cells. But by the time they’re a year old, their brain will already be two-thirds the size of an adult brain.
Your baby is born helpless so they need you to be there for them. Babies show us how they’re feeling, often through crying. When you meet your baby’s emotional needs, you help them to feel safe, positively affecting their lifelong well-being. You cannot give your
It’s important to respond, cuddle, relax, play, and talk with your child from the day they’re born. They need opportunities to explore their physical world from a safe and nurturing environment.
At 12 months, your toddler’s brain will be making trillions of connections. It’s in an exciting but demanding stage of growth.
But your toddler still needs you when something is tricky, or they want to celebrate what they can do!
This means your toddler will sometimes get frustrated. This can be with anyone or anything that stops them having what they need or want.