Why is this important?
Being able to relate two objects together demonstrates the beginnings of cause and effect (e.g. if children bang two bricks together, they make a noise). The noise provides the reward and they will do it again.
What to do
- Sit your child on the floor (supported if necessary).
- Put out a variety of easy-to-hold things – such as stacking pots, empty plastic bottles and tubs, bricks.
- Encourage your child to hold two things (objects) – one in each hand.
- At first, the two things might come together quite by chance – give lots of praise!
- Your reaction and the satisfying clunk are rewarding and the bringing together of the two things will become intentional.
Step up
- Introduce things that sound different or have different textures (e.g. softballs).
- Try using a drum and a spoon – your child is then learning to relate two different objects together.
- Encourage your child to choose what to pick and start banging them independently.
Step down
- Put your hands over your child’s and bang the objects together.
- Bang your own set of objects and encourage your child to copy.
- Use toys that are attached using wrist bands, such as mini-cymbals –children’s hair ties can be useful for this too!
