Key Takeaways

• Your child’s brain forms over one million new neural connections every second in the first five years of life. That window doesn’t stay open forever.
• Brain activation exercises for kids don’t require special equipment or structured lessons. The best neuroplasticity exercises look exactly like play.
• The right activity depends on the age. A sensory bin works brilliantly for a toddler and does almost nothing for a seven-year-old.
• Repetition matters more than variety. Returning to the same activities builds stronger neural connections than constantly introducing new ones.

Most parents searching for brain activation exercises for kids already do three of them before breakfast. They just don’t know it.

Shichida has spent 15 years helping Australian families understand what builds a child’s brain during the golden period, birth to age nine, and the answer is almost never what parents expect.

This guide shares the neuroplasticity exercises that genuinely work, organised by your child’s age, so you can stop guessing and start growing together.

What are brain activation exercises?

Brain activation exercises are activities that stimulate the formation and strengthening of neural pathways. They include movement, sensory play, pattern recognition, language games, and music. Any experience that asks the brain to process, respond, and adapt counts.

The science behind them is neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to physically change and grow in response to experience. According to Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, a child’s brain forms over one million new neural connections every second in the early years. That rate never happens again.

Why early childhood is the critical window

Shichida calls the period from birth to age three the golden period, when the brain is most flexible and most receptive to the kind of stimulation that builds lasting capacity. Starting early doesn’t mean pushing harder. It means choosing the right activities at the right time.

Photo by Shichida Australia: Babies playing games during a Shichida Baby Class – stimulating brain developmnet through play alongside a parent.

What brain activation exercises work best for babies and toddlers?

At this age, the brain grows faster than at any other point in life. Activities need to be sensory, repetitive, and parent-led. Toddlers don’t need an exercise program. They need texture, movement, and your voice.

• Sensory bins: Fill a container with rice, sand, or water and hide small objects inside. Tactile input builds neural pathways for motor planning and sensory processing.
• High-contrast visual play: Bold patterns and Shichida-style flashcards stimulate the visual cortex during its most sensitive developmental window. Brief, high-speed sequences are more effective than slow ones.
• Animal walks: Crawling like a bear or waddling like a duck activates both brain hemispheres simultaneously. Cross-body movement is one of the most well-evidenced early brain activation exercises.
• Rhythm and music: Clapping games, nursery rhymes, and simple percussion build neural pathways through repetitive auditory and motor input.
• Back-and-forth conversation: Research from the University of Washington found that conversational turn-taking at five months old predicts stronger language development later. Even before your child has words, they’re practising the neural circuits for communication.

Explore how we use these brain activation activities in our baby classes and toddler classes.

Photo by Shichida Australia: Toddlers having fun – sorting and category matching games are powerful neuroplasticity exercises for kids, enhancing memory, problem-solving, vocabulary and pattern recognition through fun, brain-building play!

What brain activation exercises work best for preschoolers?

Preschoolers can handle more structured challenges. This is when pattern recognition, language games, and imaginative play produce the strongest neural development.

• Puzzle games and shape sorting: Matching and sequencing build pattern recognition and cognitive flexibility. The brain is learning to predict, think critically and problem-solve.
• Memory matching games: Simple pairs games build working memory, the capacity that most strongly predicts later academic performance. Memory training is one of Shichida’s core program techniques for exactly this reason.
• Storytelling and word games: Rhyming, making up stories, and reading aloud build neural connections in speech and comprehension areas.
• Music and rhythm: A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that music-based activities significantly improved attention control in preschool children. Clapping patterns and echo songs are enough.
• High-speed flashcards: Brief, fast-paced visual sequences build processing speed and right-brain activation, the Shichida flashcard techniques parents see used in every class.

Activity	Brain area	Best age
Sensory bins	Motor cortex, sensory processing	0 to 3
High-speed flashcards	Visual cortex, right brain	0 to 9
Memory matching games	Working memory	3 to 7
Music and rhythm	Both hemispheres	All ages
Animal walks	Cerebellum, attention	1 to 5

See how these activities are structured for preschoolers at our Shichida kinder classes.

Photo by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers playing a phonics matching game during a Shichida Kinder Class.

What brain activation exercises work best for school-age children?

By school age, the brain is ready for cognitively layered challenges. Activities that combine planning, sequencing, and working memory at the same time produce the strongest results.

• Strategy games and logic puzzles: Chess, tangrams, and sequencing games build executive function and cognitive flexibility.
• Learning a musical instrument: The strongest single evidence base for neuroplasticity in school-age children. Playing an instrument engages motor, auditory, and visual brain regions simultaneously.
• Speed reading and visual chunking: Shichida’s speed reading technique builds eye tracking, processing speed, and reading fluency at the same time.
• Mindfulness and deep breathing: Brief structured mindfulness strengthens prefrontal cortex connections. Two to three minutes before school or before bed is enough.

Explore how we develop these skills at Pre-Primary classes (ages 5 to 7) and Primary classes (ages 7 to 9).

Photo by Shichida Australia: Tangram puzzle challenges are great learning fun for kids!

How does Shichida use neuroplasticity principles in every class?

Shichida delivers these activities in the right sequence, at the right age, with the right repetition. And you’re in the room for every session, experiencing your child’s joy while they learn!

Classes are capped at six children, combining flashcard work, memory training, and right-brain activation techniques built around the golden period. This window, birth to age three, is when the brain is most receptive. It won’t come around again.

Book a free trial class at your nearest centre.

Key Takeaways

• Most babies take their baby’s first steps between 9 and 18 months, and this wide range is completely normal.
• The journey to baby walking is more important than the age it happens. Pulling up, cruising, standing and balancing all build the skills needed for walking.
• The safest way to support your baby as they learn to walk is to let your baby hold your finger at shoulder height rather than lifting both arms overhead.
• Sit-in baby walkers are not recommended. A sturdy push toy provides a safer way to practise walking.
• Barefoot indoor play gives your baby valuable sensory feedback that supports balance and coordination.
• Walking develops through everyday play, exploration and repetition, not through pressure or formal practice.
• Speak with your Maternal and Child Health nurse or GP if your baby is not walking by 18 months or shows other developmental concerns.

“Should my baby be walking by now?”

It’s a question many parents ask, especially when other children seem to be reaching milestones sooner or your little one is happily cruising along the furniture but not taking independent steps yet.
The truth is that babies learn to walk at different ages. While many take their first steps around their first birthday, it’s completely normal for healthy babies to start walking anytime between 9 and 18 months.
Walking isn’t just about that first step. Before it happens, your baby develops the strength, balance and coordination needed through milestones like sitting, crawling, pulling up and cruising.
Understanding these milestones can help you recognise your baby’s progress, support their development with confidence, avoid common mistakes, and know when it may be worth speaking with a health professional.

Quick Answer

Most babies take their first independent steps between 9 and 18 months, with the average around 12 months. Before walking, babies usually pull themselves up, cruise along furniture and briefly stand without support. You can encourage healthy walking by providing plenty of floor time, creating opportunities for balance-building play, letting your baby hold your finger rather than lifting both hands overhead, and allowing them to practise at their own pace.

When Do Babies Take Their First Steps?

One of the biggest concerns parents have is whether their baby is “on time” for walking. Fortunately, there isn’t a single age that’s considered normal.
Most babies begin baby walking sometime between 9 and 18 months, with many taking their first independent steps around 12 months. This broad range reflects the fact that every child develops differently.
Your baby’s walking timeline isn’t a race or a prediction of future abilities. It’s simply one part of their unique developmental journey.

The Typical Age Range for First Steps

Although many milestone charts mention the first birthday as a common age for walking, it’s important to remember that this is only an average.
Some babies confidently walk at 10 months. Others are perfectly content crawling until 16 or 17 months before suddenly taking off. As long as your baby continues making progress with other gross motor milestones for babies, this variation is usually nothing to worry about.
Even babies who skip crawling altogether can develop normal walking skills. Rather than following one exact sequence, babies often find their own way to becoming mobile.

Why Walking Timing Varies So Much

Several everyday factors influence when babies take their first steps.
Some babies are naturally adventurous and eager to explore. Others are more cautious and prefer to perfect one skill before trying the next.
Other influences include:

• opportunities for floor play
• body proportions and muscle strength
• spending time barefoot indoors
• having older siblings to copy
• home environments that encourage movement and exploration

These differences are completely normal and don’t reflect parenting quality.

First Steps Don’t Predict Future Skill

It’s easy to compare your baby with friends, cousins or children on social media.
However, early walkers are not necessarily more intelligent, more coordinated or more athletic later in life. Likewise, a baby who starts walking at 16 or 17 months isn’t automatically behind.
Walking is simply one milestone among many. Your baby’s language, social development, curiosity and confidence all continue to grow alongside their physical skills.
Instead of comparing timelines, celebrate your child’s own progress. Each new movement is another step towards greater independence.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies playing drums during a Shichida baby class, building coordination, sensory awareness and confidence through music and movement.

Signs Your Baby Is Getting Ready to Walk

Parents often focus on the magical moment of those first independent steps, but there’s actually a whole series of pre-walking milestones that happen beforehand.
These smaller achievements build the strength, coordination and confidence needed for walking. The order isn’t always identical for every baby, but each stage supports the next.

Pulling Up to Stand

Around 8 to 10 months, many babies begin pulling themselves upright using furniture, your legs or the side of the cot.
This is an exciting milestone because it strengthens the hips, legs and core muscles while helping your baby learn how to shift their weight into a standing position.

Cruising Along Furniture

A cruising baby moves sideways while holding onto furniture.
Usually seen between 9 and 12 months, cruising teaches balance, side-to-side weight shifting and foot placement. Although it may look like simple shuffling, it’s actually an important stage that prepares babies for independent walking.
Many babies spend several weeks or even months happily cruising before they feel ready to let go.

Standing Independently for a Few Seconds

Before walking independently, your baby may suddenly let go of the furniture without realising it.
They might stand for two or three seconds, grin proudly, then quickly sit back down.
These brief moments show that your baby is beginning to trust their balance. Expect plenty of wobbling, arm waving and dramatic sitting down. It’s all part of learning.

Walking with Push Toys or Holding a Finger

Between 10 and 14 months, many babies begin walking with light support.
A sturdy push toy allows your baby to control their own movement while practising stepping. Likewise, gently holding your finger gives them just enough confidence without taking over their balance.
The goal isn’t to hold your baby’s weight but to let them gradually learn how to control it themselves.

First Independent Steps

Finally comes the milestone every parent remembers.
Your baby’s first steps are usually:

• wide-legged
• slow and wobbly
• arms held high for balance
• followed by plenty of falls

These early attempts rarely look graceful, and that’s exactly how they’re supposed to look.
Each wobble helps your baby’s brain develop better balance, coordination and body awareness. With practice, those uncertain little steps gradually become confident walking.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies completing knob puzzles in a Shichida baby class, developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving and concentration.

How to Support Your Baby While They Learn to Walk

As your little one becomes more adventurous, it’s natural to want to help. However, one of the most common mistakes parents make is also one of the least talked about.
Many parents instinctively hold both of their baby’s hands above their head and walk them around the room. While well intended, this isn’t the safest or most effective way to be walking while holding your baby’s hand.

Why Overhead Hand-Holding Isn’t Ideal

Your baby’s shoulder joints and ligaments are still developing. Holding both hands high overhead places unnecessary strain on these joints, especially if your child stumbles or suddenly pulls away.
A sharp upward tug can sometimes contribute to nursemaid’s elbow, an injury where the elbow joint partially slips out of place. Although treatable, it’s something parents can often avoid by changing how they provide support.
Walking with both arms raised also changes your baby’s posture. Instead of learning to balance over their own feet, they tend to lean backwards into your support, making it harder to develop natural balance.

The Better Way: Let Your Baby Hold Your Finger

Rather than gripping both of their hands, offer a single finger or thumb at about shoulder height or slightly lower. Your baby naturally holds on while keeping one arm free to help with balance.
This simple adjustment:

• keeps the shoulder in a more natural position
• reduces unnecessary pulling on the joints
• encourages better posture
• allows your baby to practise balancing independently

Remember, your finger is there for reassurance rather than support.

Supporting from the Hips or Torso

Another helpful option is to squat behind your baby and gently steady them around the hips or torso.
Supporting from behind encourages your baby to shift their weight forward, which is exactly what happens during natural walking. It also allows them to decide when to step, pause or sit down.
Avoid lifting under the arms for long periods, as this can prevent your baby from learning how to control their own balance.

When to Step Back Entirely

Once your baby can confidently take two or three independent steps, try to resist offering constant support.
Those tiny wobbles are where learning happens.
Each time your baby catches themselves after losing balance, their brain is strengthening the pathways responsible for coordination, posture and movement planning.
Sometimes the best way to help is simply to stay close, smile and let them keep trying.
Key takeaway: If you’re holding your baby’s hands above their head while walking, try offering one finger at shoulder height instead. It protects developing joints while encouraging healthier balance and movement.

Image by Shichida Australia: Baby’s first steps begin long before walking. Through music, sensory play and parent-child interaction, babies build the balance, coordination and confidence that prepare them for independent movement.

Balance and Coordination Activities to Support Walking

Walking is not simply about building stronger legs. It also depends on balance, body awareness, core strength and confidence.
The good news is that you can help your baby develop these skills naturally through play.
Before your baby begins pulling themselves up and moving around furniture, make sure the area is safe. Cover sharp edges with soft corner protectors and secure any furniture or objects that could tip over or fall onto them.

Cruising Practice Along Low Furniture

Arrange sturdy furniture such as a sofa, coffee table and ottoman to create a safe cruising path.
Place favourite toys a short distance apart so your baby is motivated to move sideways while holding on.

Push-Toy Walking

A sturdy weighted push toy gives your baby the opportunity to practise walking while staying in control.
Unlike sit-in baby walkers, push toys allow children to stop, steer and balance independently.

Barefoot Floor Time

One of the easiest balance and coordination activities is simply allowing your baby to play barefoot indoors.
Bare feet help your baby feel the floor beneath them, giving valuable sensory information that supports balance and foot strength.

Squat and Stand Play

Place toys on the floor and others on a low table or couch.
Moving between squatting and standing strengthens the hips, legs and core while improving balance.

Stepping Over Soft Obstacles

Once your baby begins walking confidently, lay rolled towels or pool noodles on the floor.
Stepping over them encourages coordination, balance and careful foot placement.

Standing While Playing

Encourage your baby to stand at a child-sized activity table or low couch while exploring books, puzzles or blocks.
Standing for play naturally strengthens the postural muscles needed for walking.

Music and Movement

Hold your baby gently around the hips and sway together while listening to music.
These playful movements stimulate the vestibular system inside the inner ear, which plays an important role in balance.

Explore Different Surfaces

As your baby’s confidence grows, let them walk across grass, rugs, wooden floors and playground surfaces.
Experiencing different textures helps develop balance, coordination and body awareness.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies following a puppet during a Shichida baby class, supporting field of vision, visual tracking, attention and sensory development.

What to Avoid: Baby Walkers and Other Common Mistakes

Sometimes knowing what not to do is also valuable.

Why Sit-In Baby Walkers Aren’t Recommended

Despite their popularity, sit-in baby walkers are discouraged by Kidsafe Australia and the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
Research has linked them with falls, especially down stairs, and they can encourage babies to walk on their toes while placing them in positions they’re not developmentally ready to manage.
A sturdy push toy is a much safer alternative.

Avoid Overhead Hand-Holding

Remember that holding both hands above your baby’s head can strain developing shoulder joints and interfere with natural balance.
A single finger at shoulder height is the better option.

Don’t Rush Shoes

Inside the home, barefoot is usually best.
Once your baby is walking outdoors, choose lightweight, flexible shoes that protect their feet without restricting natural movement.

Don’t Compare Babies

One baby may walk at 10 months while another waits until 17 months. Both can be completely healthy. Remember that development is not a competition.

When to Speak to Your Child Health Nurse or GP

Although variation is normal, it’s worth seeking advice if your baby:

• isn’t pulling to stand by around 12 months
• isn’t bearing weight through their legs by 12 months
• isn’t walking independently by 18 months
• shows a noticeable difference between one side of the body and the other
• continues persistent toe walking after walking becomes established
• loses skills they had previously gained

Your Maternal and Child Health nurse or GP can assess your child’s development and recommend further support if needed.

Image from Pexels: Baby’s first steps are easier to master when your child takes the lead. Offering a finger for support, rather than lifting both hands overhead, encourages natural balance and healthy walking development.

First Steps Safety: Childproofing for a New Walker

Walking opens an exciting new world, but it also introduces new safety risks.
Before your baby becomes fully mobile:

• anchor tall furniture and televisions to the wall
• install safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs
• cushion sharp furniture corners
• keep medications, cleaning products and small objects out of reach
• check baby gates regularly to ensure they’re securely latched
• supervise closely around kitchens, bathrooms and water

A few simple adjustments help create a safe environment for confident exploration.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies watching an oversized abacus during a counting song in a Shichida baby class, supporting early number awareness, visual attention and listening skills.

Supporting Your Baby’s Whole Development with Shichida

Your baby’s first steps are part of a much bigger developmental journey. During the first 1,000 days, movement, sensory awareness, communication, memory, emotional connection and curiosity all develop alongside one another.
Shichida Australia’s early learning classes take a whole-child approach, using engaging, age-appropriate activities to support these important areas of development. Whether your baby is beginning to pull themselves up, cruising along furniture or confidently walking, each new stage creates opportunities to learn, connect and build confidence.
Support your baby’s early development through weekly parent-and-child classes at Shichida Australia. Book a trial class at your nearest centre.

Learning begins long before school. Shichida Australia was recently featured in the Daily Telegraph in an article examining why more families are choosing learning programs for their children before they start school.

The article, titled “Genius in nappies: The parents who start education lessons for their babies as early as nine months old” follows families attending Shichida classes and examines the growing interest in early childhood learning.

But what actually happens in a Shichida class, and why do some families begin when their child is still a baby?

Learning begins long before school

A child’s early years are an important period of growth. Before children can read, write or complete formal schoolwork, they are already developing their memory, concentration, language, coordination, confidence and ability to solve problems.

Shichida classes are designed to support this stage through short, fast-paced and age-appropriate activities completed together by a child and their parent.

Rather than recreating a school classroom for babies, the program introduces children to a wide range of learning experiences through play, repetition, music and parent interaction.

Activities may include:

• Songs and rhythm
• Flashcards and visual activities
• Memory games
• Puzzles and problem-solving tasks
• Numbers, letters, shapes and patterns
• Fine motor activities
• Imagination and creative thinking exercises
• Concepts such as size, colour, position and sequence

Each class includes a variety of activities to keep young children interested and actively involved.

It is not traditional tutoring for babies

The Daily Telegraph article notes that Shichida is not focused on formal academics or placing pressure on babies to perform.

Instead, the aim is to give children regular exposure to different concepts and learning experiences during a stage when their brains are developing rapidly.

Shichida Training and Quality Manager Marcelle Coetzee explained in the article that the program supports skills including memory, curiosity, confidence and problem-solving.

“For the babies especially, we are looking to expose them to as many topics and activities as we can,” she said.

The focus is not on testing children or expecting immediate results. Activities are introduced in a positive environment where children can participate at their own pace.

Parents take part in every class

One of the key differences between Shichida and many other learning programs is that parents attend and participate alongside their child.

This allows parents to see how their child responds to different activities and learn simple techniques they can continue at home.

For babies and toddlers, this shared experience is especially important. The parent provides reassurance and connection, while the teacher guides the activities and demonstrates how learning can be incorporated into everyday routines.

The classes are also an opportunity for families to spend focused time together without the distractions of work, household tasks or screens.

A full-circle Shichida family

The article features Melbourne parents Marie Kitano and Yoshi Saito, who both attended Shichida classes themselves while growing up in Japan.

When they became parents, choosing Shichida for their own child felt natural.

Yoshi attended Shichida between the ages of three and five. Although he does not remember every individual activity, he believes the experience supported his cognitive abilities and had a positive influence on his later life.

Marie now attends classes with their child, taking part in songs, flashcards, puzzles, number and alphabet activities, and exercises that introduce concepts such as big and small.

Their story represents a special full-circle moment: former Shichida students now returning to the program as parents.

Supporting skills children use beyond the classroom

Shichida is designed to work alongside childcare, preschool and school rather than replace them.

Schools must naturally focus on curriculum requirements and the needs of an entire class. Shichida provides additional opportunities to practise broader skills such as:

• Thinking flexibly
• Remembering and recalling information
• Concentrating on short activities
• Working through challenges
• Expressing ideas
• Using imagination
• Building confidence when trying something new

These are skills children can use across many areas of learning and daily life.

Building a positive relationship with learning

For many Shichida families, the goal is not to push children ahead or prepare them for a particular test.

It is to help children associate learning with enjoyment, connection and curiosity from an early age.

The article also shares the story of Lejla Sinanovic, who began Shichida before turning one and continued into primary school. Her father, Amir, said he wanted her to love learning, meet other children and grow in confidence.

Now a teenager, Lejla is involved in the NSW Education Minister’s Student Council and volunteers with different organisations. Her family credits her early experiences with helping to build a strong and positive attitude towards learning.

Is starting early necessary?

Every child and family is different, and parents should choose activities that suit their child’s personality, routine and wellbeing.

Starting early does not mean filling every day with structured lessons. Young children still need rest, free play, family time and opportunities to develop naturally.

A well-designed early learning program should feel engaging and age-appropriate rather than demanding. It should support the child’s confidence and independence, not create pressure or reliance.

At Shichida, the aim is to provide a warm environment where parents and children can learn together while building skills that may support them throughout childhood.

Read the Daily Telegraph article

Read the full Daily Telegraph feature to learn more about the families attending Shichida and the growing interest in early learning programs for babies and young children.

Searching for a preschool in Melbourne often starts with one simple question: which option is right for my child?

One provider talks about kindergarten, another calls itself an Early Learning Centre, and then there are long day care services and enrichment programs like Shichida. After comparing a few websites, it’s easy to wonder what each option actually offers and which one is the right fit for your child.

That’s exactly what this guide is here to help with.

You’ll learn how preschool works in Melbourne, what to look for when comparing different programs, and where Shichida fits into your child’s early learning journey.

Before going any further, it is worth clarifying that Shichida Australia offers a different model of early education from preschool, kindergarten and childcare. It provides a structured weekly program supporting cognitive, emotional, social, sensory and physical development. For some families, it is their child’s main structured early learning experience before school. For others, it works alongside kindergarten, childcare or home learning.

Quick Answer

Preschools in Melbourne typically refer to government-funded 3-Year-Old and 4-Year-Old Kindergarten, private Early Learning Centres (ELCs), and kindergarten programs delivered within long day care. Shichida Australia offers a distinct early learning model through structured weekly classes supporting sensory, cognitive, emotional and physical development. Children can begin from six months of age and must start before age five to continue through the Primary School Program up to age nine.

When comparing preschools in Melbourne, parents should consider the teaching approach, class size, schedule, parent involvement and the type of learning environment offered.

Understanding Preschool in Melbourne: Terminology Made Simple

If you’ve been comparing different providers, you’ve probably noticed that the words preschool, kindergarten, ELC, and childcare are often used interchangeably.

That can make choosing the right program surprisingly confusing.

In Victoria, though, these services aren’t exactly the same. Understanding the difference will help you compare your options more confidently and avoid choosing a program based on its name alone.

Most early childhood services also follow the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), which recognises that young children learn best through play, relationships, and everyday experiences.

3-Year-Old Kindergarten (3YO Kinder)

If your child is approaching their third birthday, 3-Year-Old Kindergarten is likely to be one of the first options you’ll consider.

These government-supported programs usually run for between five and fifteen hours each week, depending on the provider. Rather than introducing formal lessons, your child learns through play while building confidence, communication skills, independence, and friendships.

For many children, it’s also their first chance to become part of a group learning environment.

4-Year-Old Kindergarten (4YO Kinder)

The year before your child starts Prep, they’ll usually move into 4-Year-Old Kindergarten.

Although learning is still play-based, there’s a stronger focus on helping your child develop the skills they’ll need for school, including communication, self-regulation and confidence.

Early Learning Centres (ELCs)

If your family needs longer hours, an Early Learning Centre may be a better fit.

Many ELCs care for children from infancy through the preschool years while also offering funded kindergarten programs. That means your child can enjoy both early learning and extended care in one place.

As you visit different centres, ask how children spend their day and what learning looks like in practice. Every provider has its own philosophy, so no two ELCs are exactly alike.

Long Day Care with Kinder Programs

If you’re balancing work and family life, long day care with a kindergarten program can offer extra flexibility.

Your child receives their kindergarten education while also benefiting from longer opening hours before and after the learning session.

When comparing providers, it’s worth checking theirNational Quality Standard (NQS) rating alongside factors such as educator stability, daily routines, and how they support children’s individual development.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschools in Melbourne can vary significantly, from sessional kindergarten and long day care programs to private Early Learning Centres. Here a preschooler and his dad completing a numeracy-based matching game in a Shichida class, building number recognition, problem-solving and confidence through parent–child learning.

Enrichment Programs

You may also come across enrichment programs while researching early learning options for your child.

Unlike childcare or kindergarten, these programs do not provide full-day care. Instead, they offer focused learning experiences designed to support important areas of development through structured, age-appropriate activities.

This is where Shichida fits.

Shichida Australia provides a comprehensive early learning program for children from six months of age, supporting cognitive, emotional, social, sensory and physical development.

Weekly parent-and-child classes include activities such as language, music, memory, numeracy, problem-solving, fine motor development and sensory learning.

For some families, Shichida is their child’s main structured early education experience before school. For others, it works alongside childcare or kindergarten. Either way, the program provides a purposeful learning environment where children build strong foundations and parents gain practical insight into how their child learns.

How Melbourne Parents Should Compare Preschool Options

Once you’ve narrowed your search to a few providers, the next question is usually, “How do I know which one is right for my child?”

Curriculum and Philosophy

Every preschool has its own approach to helping children learn.

You might come across play-based learning, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Steiner, or the Shichida Method. Each philosophy is built on different ideas about how children develop, so there’s no single “best” approach.

Rather than asking which philosophy is the most popular, ask yourself:

• Does this approach suit my child’s personality?
• Will my child enjoy learning in this environment?
• Does it reflect the values that are important to our family?

Some children thrive in highly independent environments, while others benefit from more guided or collaborative experiences. The goal is to find a learning approach that feels like a good fit for your child, not simply the one with the biggest reputation.

Educator Ratios

The people supporting your child’s learning are just as important as the program itself.

It’s worth asking about educator-to-child ratios. While all regulated services must meet the national minimum requirements, some providers choose to keep smaller groups or have additional educators available. More individual attention can make a meaningful difference, particularly for younger children or those who need a little more support settling into a new environment.

NQS Rating (for Regulated Services)

If you’re comparing kindergartens or childcare services, check their National Quality Standard (NQS) rating.

You’ll usually see ratings such as:

• Exceeding National Quality Standard, meaning the service performs above the expected benchmark.
• Meeting National Quality Standard, meaning it meets Australia’s required quality standards.
• Significant Improvement Required, indicating that important improvements are needed.

These ratings provide a useful starting point, but they don’t tell the whole story. Visiting the centre, meeting the educators, and seeing how children interact can give you valuable insight that a rating alone can’t provide.

It’s also important to know that enrichment programs, including Shichida, aren’t assessed under the National Quality Standard because they aren’t childcare or kindergarten services. Instead, they’re best evaluated by looking at their teaching approach, lesson structure, and whether the program aligns with your family’s goals.

Hours, Days, and Schedule Flexibility

A program might sound perfect on paper, but will it fit comfortably into your week?

Government-funded kindergarten programs often run for set hours that may not line up with a typical working day. If both parents work, you may need before and after care or choose a long day care service that includes a kindergarten program.

As you’re comparing providers, consider questions like:

• Do the session times fit around work and family commitments?
• How much travel is involved?
• Will my child usually arrive well rested and ready to participate?

Choosing a schedule that works for your family is just as important as choosing the right educational approach.

Group Size and Mixed-Age Considerations

Every child learns differently, so it’s worth asking about class sizes and how children are grouped.

Smaller groups often allow educators to give children more individual attention and build stronger relationships with each family.

Some services also offer mixed-age groups. These can encourage younger children to learn from older peers while giving older children opportunities to build confidence and leadership skills. On the other hand, age-specific groups may provide activities that are more closely matched to children’s developmental stages.

Neither approach is better in every situation. It comes down to what suits your child.

Parent Involvement

Another important question to ask is how involved you’ll be in your child’s learning.

In most preschools and kindergartens, children attend independently while parents drop them off and collect them later.

Other programs take a different approach.

Shichida, for example, is built around parent-and-child learning. In Shichida’s Baby, Toddler and Preschool/Kinder classes, a parent or trusted caregiver participates alongside the child. Pre-Primary and Primary School Program students attend independently, with parents invited to scheduled observation sessions.

For some families, this shared experience becomes one of the program’s biggest strengths. Others may prefer a program where children learn independently. Neither option is right or wrong. It’s simply a matter of choosing what fits your family!

Cost and Funding

Cost is naturally part of the decision.

Victoria’s Free Kinder initiative has made 3-Year-Old and 4-Year-Old Kindergarten more affordable for many eligible families. Long day care and enrichment programs may involve private fees.

Instead of comparing prices alone, look at what’s included. Consider the length of the program, educator expertise, learning experiences, long-term outcomes and how well the service supports your child’s development.

Choosing the lowest-cost option isn’t always the best value if it doesn’t meet your family’s needs.

What an Enrichment Program Actually Is (and Isn’t)

Image by Shichida Australia: Families researching preschools in Melbourne may also consider structured early learning programs such as Shichida, either as their child’s main learning experience or alongside kindergarten and childcare. Shichida offers a fun and unique structured enrichment experience that supports children alongside a parent each.

How Enrichment Differs from Preschool

Preschool and enrichment programs offer different types of early learning experiences.

Preschool usually provides longer sessions focused on play, social interaction, routines and growing independence in a group environment.

A structured enrichment program provides a more concentrated learning experience. Sessions may be shorter and held weekly, but they can intentionally support a broad range of skills, including memory, language, numeracy, creativity, concentration, problem-solving and emotional development.

Shichida Australia is a comprehensive early learning program rather than simply an optional activity. For some children, it is their main structured learning experience before school. For others, it is used alongside childcare or kindergarten.

The right choice depends on your child, your family’s needs and the type of learning experience you value.

What Enrichment Programs Typically Include

Every enrichment provider has its own approach, but programs often include activities such as:

• sensory play
• cognitive games
• music and rhythm
• language exposure
• memory activities
• fine motor development
• social and emotional learning

Some programs place greater emphasis on creativity, while others focus more on cognitive development or parent-child interaction.

The methods may vary, but the goal is similar: to give children guided opportunities to learn through engaging, age-appropriate experiences.

Why Melbourne Families Choose Enrichment

Every family has different reasons for adding an enrichment program to their week.

Some parents are looking for a consistent, structured learning experience beyond what everyday life provides. Others want to support specific developmental milestones or enjoy having dedicated learning time together.

For many families, it’s also a chance to strengthen the parent-child relationship through shared activities that can continue long after the class has finished.

Structured early learning can work alongside everyday play by giving children focused opportunities to practise a broad range of skills.

Where Shichida Fits in the Melbourne Preschool Landscape

Image by Shichida Australia: Children playing a group phonics game in a Shichida class, matching objects to their starting sounds while building letter recognition, vocabulary and cooperation.

Shichida offers a different model of early education from kindergarten, a general Early Learning Centre or long day care.

Rather than providing full-day care, Shichida delivers a structured once-a-week program designed to support cognitive, emotional, social, sensory and fine motor development through a broad range of age-appropriate activities.

For some families, Shichida is their child’s main structured early learning experience before school. For others, it forms part of a broader routine that may also include kindergarten, childcare or learning at home.

What makes Shichida distinct is its whole-child approach, fast-paced variety and strong parent involvement. Each class gives children focused opportunities to develop memory, language, numeracy, creativity, concentration, problem-solving and confidence while parents learn how to support these skills at home.

What Shichida Is

Shichida Australia is a structured early learning program based on the internationally recognised Shichida Method, which was developed in Japan over 65 years ago.

Each lesson is designed to engage young children through a variety of carefully planned activities that encourage cognitive development, sensory learning, language exposure, memory, music, creativity, and emotional connection. Rather than focusing on one skill, each class introduces multiple short activities to suit the way young children naturally learn.

The Shichida early childhood classes run for 50 minutes once a week. The concentrated format allows children to experience a broad range of carefully planned activities within each lesson.

What Shichida Is Not

Understanding what Shichida isn’t is just as important.

It isn’t a daily preschool. It isn’t a government kindergarten program. It isn’t a childcare service.

Children don’t attend for full days, and parents don’t drop them off before returning later.

In the early childhood program, each lesson is attended by both the child and a parent or trusted caregiver. Primary School Program students attend independently.

Shichida’s Melbourne Presence

If you’re looking for Shichida Melbourne, you’ll find centres across metropolitan Melbourne, making the program accessible to families in different parts of the city.

Children can begin the Shichida program from six months of age and must enrol before turning five. Those who begin earlier may continue through the Primary School Program up to age nine.

Activities are tailored to what children are ready to learn at each age, whether they’re babies just beginning to explore the world or primary school students developing more advanced thinking skills.

As locations and class availability can change, it’s worth checking the Shichida Australia website to find your nearest Melbourne centre.

The Shichida Method in Brief

The Shichida Method was developed by Professor Makoto Shichida after decades of research and practical experience in early childhood education.

Today, the method is taught in multiple countries around the world and is built around the idea that children’s early years provide valuable opportunities for learning through meaningful experiences.

Lessons combine sensory stimulation, memory activities, language exposure, music, visualisation, and parent-child interaction within a structured program that progresses as children grow.

Rather than encouraging children to memorise facts or learn academic content early, the method focuses on nurturing curiosity, confidence, concentration, communication, and a lifelong enjoyment of learning.

This makes Shichida a distinct early education pathway that can form a central part of a child’s learning routine or work alongside kindergarten, childcare or home learning.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers playing a category-matching game with their parents in a Shichida class, building vocabulary, critical thinking, communication and parent–child connection.

How Shichida Compares Across the Criteria That Matter

Curriculum Philosophy

The Shichida Method combines sensory activities, right-brain learning principles, memory exercises, language exposure, music, imagination, and parent-child interaction within a structured lesson. Activities are carefully sequenced according to children’s developmental stages, allowing learning to build over time.

Session Format and Hours

Most kindergarten programs involve children attending for several hours across multiple days each week.

Shichida early childhood classes run once a week for 50 minutes, while Primary School Program classes extend to 90 minutes.

Educator Qualifications

Shichida instructors complete specialised training in the Shichida Method, enabling them to deliver the program consistently across different age groups.

Parent Involvement

This is one of Shichida’s biggest points of difference.

At preschool, your child usually learns independently with educators while you drop them off and collect them later.

At Shichida, you attend every lesson together up to age 5.

That shared experience allows you to observe your child’s progress, understand the activities, and continue many of them at home. For many families, those everyday moments outside the classroom become just as valuable as the lesson itself.

Age Range

Most preschool programs finish once children begin primary school.

Shichida continues from infancy through to 9 years of age, allowing children to keep building on the skills they’ve developed during their early years.

For families looking for continuity beyond preschool, this can be an appealing advantage.

Group Size

Shichida lessons are delivered in small, age-grouped classes of six kids per class, allowing instructors to engage with each child while maintaining an interactive learning environment.

Smaller groups also make it easier for children and parents to participate actively throughout the session.

Cost Model

Unlike government-funded kindergarten programs, Shichida operates as a private, term-based enrichment program.

Rather than paying for daily education or childcare, families invest in a weekly structured learning experience.

Comparison at a Glance

How to Combine Preschool and Shichida in Your Week

One of the most common questions parents ask is, “How would this fit into our week?”

With one structured class each week, Shichida can form a consistent part of your child’s early learning routine without adding another full-day commitment. Many Melbourne families find it’s easy to schedule as part of the weekly family routine.

The key is choosing a time when your child is well rested, alert, and ready to participate.

For Families with a Child in 3YO Kinder

If your child attends 3-Year-Old Kindergarten two or three days a week, Shichida can fit comfortably on a non-kinder day.

For example:

• Monday:Home activities
• Tuesday:3YO Kinder
• Wednesday:Outing to a local park
• Thursday:3YO Kinder
• Friday:Shichida morning class, followed by grocery run
• Saturday:Family time
• Sunday:Family time

This balance gives your child plenty of opportunities to learn while still leaving room for rest and unstructured play.

For Families with a Child in Long Day Care

If your child attends long day care during the week, a Saturday Shichida class may be the most practical option.

Saturday classes are often in high demand, so families are encouraged to join the waitlist early to improve their chances of securing a suitable time.

Some families also choose to have a grandparent, aunt, uncle or another trusted family member attend class with their child. This can become valuable bonding time and, for many extended family members, a much-loved part of the week.

For Families with a Child at Home Full-Time

Shichida can provide a consistent and comprehensive early learning experience within your weekly routine.

Each structured class introduces your child to a wide range of activities supporting language, memory, numeracy, creativity, concentration, problem-solving, sensory development and fine motor skills.

Because parents participate in class, they also have the opportunity to observe how each activity is introduced, how the teacher responds to the child and how learning is guided in a positive, age-appropriate way. This makes it easier to repeat similar techniques, language and activities at home with greater confidence.

Families can build on this learning through everyday conversations, reading, sensory play, visits to the park or library and community activities. This creates a flexible early education approach that combines purposeful weekly instruction with the valuable learning that happens naturally at home.

For Families with Multiple Children

Managing activities for more than one child can be challenging.

Because Shichida offers age-grouped classes, many families enrol siblings on the same day where schedules allow. This can make weekly planning simpler while giving each child access to a program designed for their stage of development.

There is also a sibling discount on enrolment fees when enrolling more than one child at Shichida.

Try this today: If you’re curious about how Shichida could fit into your family’s routine, consider booking a trial class. Seeing a lesson in person is often the easiest way to decide whether the program is right for your child and family.

Image by Shichida Australia: Shichida provides a structured weekly learning program that grows with children from infancy through the primary years.

Shichida Beyond Preschool: The Primary Enrichment Program

Many parents think about enrichment during the preschool years but aren’t sure whether it still has a place once their child starts school.

Shichida is designed to continue beyond preschool, supporting children as they move into primary school and face new learning challenges.

When Children Move from Preschool to Primary School

Starting school is an exciting milestone, but it’s also a big adjustment.

As classroom routines become more structured, children are expected to concentrate for longer, follow instructions, solve problems independently, and build stronger literacy and numeracy skills.

Shichida’s Pre-Primary and Primary School Programs build on the skills developed during the early years while introducing more advanced learning experiences.

What Changes in the Primary School Program?

As children grow, the Shichida program grows with them.

The Primary School Program places greater emphasis on memory and recall, language development, mathematical thinking, creative problem-solving and higher-level cognitive skills. Lessons continue to build curiosity, confidence, independence and a positive attitude towards learning.

Classes extend to 90 minutes and include up to eight students. Children attend independently, while parents are invited to observe during scheduled observation weeks.

The program also introduces more advanced activities, including speed reading, speed listening, debating, research, public speaking, creative writing, science experiments and complex memory challenges.

Activities become more age-appropriate and academically challenging, while still maintaining the creativity, variety and whole-child approach that children experienced in the earlier program.

At the end of the program there is a graduation ceremony, and many Shichida kids have gone on to do amazing things!

Look at some of the Shichida kids success stories here.

Image by Shichida Australia: Nine-year-old graduates celebrating the completion of the Shichida program after years of building memory, confidence, creativity and independent learning skills.

Getting Started with Shichida in Melbourne

If you are considering Shichida Australia, you can begin by finding your nearest centre and booking a trial class.

Find Your Nearest Centre

Visit the Shichida Australia website or find your nearest Melbourne centre.

What to Expect at a Trial Class

During a trial class, you’ll attend alongside your child and experience a typical lesson with already enrolled families. You’ll see how the activities are delivered, learn more about the Shichida Method, and have the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.

Enrolment and Term Structure

Shichida classes operate across four 10-week terms each year, with children placed in age-appropriate groups.

Families can enrol at any point during the term, subject to class availability. This means you do not need to wait until the beginning of a new term to get started.

Ready to experience the Shichida Method?

Key Takeaways

• Hand-eye coordination and crossing the midline are twin developmental foundations that support everyday learning.
• Both skills develop naturally from birth through play and everyday experiences.
• Crossing the midline is a brain skill that supports reading, writing, attention, and hand dominance.
• The best activities match your child’s developmental stage rather than their age.
• Visual tracking, visual discrimination, spatial perception, and object permanence all work together as children learn.
• Persistent difficulty, particularly avoiding the midline after age three, is worth discussing with your GP, child health nurse, or paediatric occupational therapist.
• Structured, multi-sensory learning environments such as Shichida Australia’s programs provide regular opportunities to strengthen these skills through engaging activities.

Introduction to Hand-Eye Coordination

Have you noticed your baby watching a toy but not quite reaching for it? Perhaps your toddler enjoys throwing a ball but struggles to catch one, or your preschooler swaps hands halfway across a page while drawing. These are common moments that often lead parents to wonder whether their child is developing as expected.
Hand-eye coordination activities and crossing the midline skills develop gradually through everyday play. Together, they support everything from feeding and dressing to handwriting, reading, sport, and confidence at school.
This guide explains how these important skills develop, why they matter, practical activities for every age, signs to look out for, and when it may be helpful to seek professional advice.
At Shichida Australia, we often see these skills developing in small but meaningful ways during class. A baby may begin by simply tracking a flashcard or watching a teacher’s hand movement. A toddler may start reaching across their body during a rhythm activity or matching game. A preschooler may show growing confidence when completing puzzles, mazes, memory activities or fine motor tasks. These moments are part of the foundation for later learning, attention and school readiness.

Quick Answer

Hand-eye coordination is the ability to coordinate what the eyes see with what the hands do. Crossing the midline is the ability to reach one hand across the centre of the body to the opposite side. Both skills develop naturally through everyday play from birth and can be strengthened with age-appropriate activities such as reaching games, threading, ball play, drawing, and pretend play.

What Is Hand-Eye Coordination?

Hand-eye coordination is the brain’s ability to use visual information to guide hand movements. As your child watches, reaches, grasps, catches, or writes, their eyes and hands work together while the brain constantly processes information and adjusts movement.
This skill develops through thousands of everyday experiences. Whether your child is picking up finger food, stacking blocks, fastening buttons, sorting toy cars or catching a ball at the local park, they are strengthening eye-hand coordination.
Australian child development resources highlight hand-eye coordination as an important foundation for independence, learning, and school readiness because it supports many everyday tasks children perform at home and in the classroom.

Why Hand-Eye Coordination Matters

Strong hand-eye coordination supports:

• self-feeding and dressing
• drawing and handwriting
• turning book pages
• building with blocks and puzzles
• reading through smooth eye movements across a page
• ball sports and playground games
• confidence when trying new activities

Children build these abilities gradually, so progress often appears slowly over time.
In a Shichida class, hand-eye coordination is not treated as a separate activity. It appears naturally across many activities, including flashcards, matching games, peg activities, puzzles, rhythm work, drawing, memory games and hands-on problem-solving tasks.
Teachers often notice that as children become more confident with these activities, they also become more willing to attempt new tasks, stay focused for longer and participate with greater independence.

How It Develops from Birth

Development follows a natural progression.
Newborns begin by visually tracking faces and high-contrast objects. Around three to five months, babies start reaching intentionally. By six months, grasping becomes more controlled, followed by manipulating objects during the second half of the first year.
Toddlers learn to use simple tools like spoons and crayons, while preschoolers refine precision through cutting, drawing, puzzles, and construction toys. School-age children continue developing these skills through handwriting, and more complex fine motor tasks.

Image by Shichida Australia: A preschooler completes a maze activity, building hand-eye coordination, visual tracking, pencil control and problem-solving skills.

What Is Crossing the Midline?

Imagine an invisible line running from the top of your child’s head down through the centre of their body. This is the body’s midline.
Crossing the midline means using one hand, foot, or eye on the opposite side of the body. For example, reaching the right hand across to pick up a toy on the left side requires crossing the midline.
Although it looks like a simple movement, it is actually an important brain skill. Both sides of the brain must communicate efficiently through the corpus callosum, the bundle of nerve fibres connecting the two hemispheres.
This communication supports hand dominance, smoother handwriting, coordinated movement, reading across a page, and many aspects of learning.

The Link Between Crossing the Midline and Hand-Eye Coordination

Hand-eye coordination and midline crossing in child development are closely connected because both depend on strong visual-motor integration.
Children who avoid crossing the midline may also experience challenges with catching balls, drawing, cutting, or manipulating small objects. Likewise, children with weaker hand-eye coordination sometimes find midline crossing more difficult because both skills rely on the brain integrating vision and movement efficiently.
In the classroom, this can show up in subtle ways. A child may reach only with the hand closest to an object, swap hands during a drawing activity, or move their whole body instead of reaching across. Teachers observe this, take note, and gently create more opportunities for the child to cross the body through songs, rhythm activities, matching games, movement, drawing and hands-on tasks.

Why It’s a Brain Skill, Not Just a Body Skill

Crossing the midline strengthens communication between both sides of the brain. This supports more than physical movement.
Efficient communication between the brain’s hemispheres also contributes to attention, sequencing, bilateral coordination, reading fluency, and problem-solving. As children practise movements that naturally cross the body, they strengthen these important neural connections through play.
Key Insight: If your child consistently switches hands halfway across a page when drawing or rotates their whole body instead of reaching across, they may be avoiding the midline.

Image by Shichida Australia: A toddler practises cutting a curved circle shape with support from his mum and teacher, building hand-eye coordination, fine motor control and early visual-motor skills.

Other Visual and Spatial Skills That Work Together

Hand-eye coordination develops alongside several other important visual and cognitive skills.

Visual Tracking

Visual tracking is the ability to smoothly follow a moving object with the eyes. Babies begin developing this skill from birth by following faces and high-contrast objects held about 20 to 30 centimetres away. Strong visual tracking activities later support reading, catching balls, and copying from a whiteboard.

Visual Discrimination

Visual discrimination is the ability to notice similarities and differences between shapes, letters, colours, and patterns. It becomes particularly important during the preschool years as children prepare for reading, writing, and early maths. Many visual discrimination activities for preschoolers involve matching, sorting, and identifying differences through play.

Spatial Perception

Spatial perception helps children understand where objects are in relation to themselves and to other objects. It allows them to judge distances, fit puzzle pieces together, navigate playground equipment, and organise objects on a page.

Object Permanence

Object permanence is the understanding that something still exists even when it cannot be seen. Most babies develop this between six and nine months. Simple object permanence activities, such as peekaboo and hiding toys under a cloth, strengthen early memory, attention, and problem-solving.

Image by Shichida Australia: Sorting activities help children build hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, visual discrimination, critical thinking and vocabulary through hands-on play.

Shichida Teacher Observations

One thing we see clearly in Shichida classes is that children do not build coordination through one activity alone. They build it through repeated, varied experiences. A child may practise visual tracking during flashcards, fine motor control during a matching task, rhythm and bilateral movement during songs, and concentration during a memory game. The variety is important because young children learn best when the same foundation skill is revisited in many different ways.

Hand-Eye Coordination Activities by Age

Children develop at different rates, so focus on activities that match your child’s current abilities rather than comparing them with others.

0-6 Months: Tracking and Reaching

• Hold high-contrast cards or toys about 20 to 30 centimetres from your baby’s face and slowly move them from side to side to encourage visual tracking.
• Hang a lightweight mobile or soft dangling toy within reach so your baby begins making intentional reaching movements.
• Shake a rattle gently on either side to encourage your baby to follow the sound and movement before attempting to swipe or grasp.
• During tummy time, place your baby in front of an unbreakable mirror so they can practise lifting their head while tracking facial expressions. These activities pair naturally with tummy time and help build the early foundations for reaching and coordination.

In Shichida baby classes, these early skills are also supported through high-contrast images, gentle songs, teacher-led visual tracking and parent-child activities that encourage babies to watch, reach and respond.

6-12 Months: Grasping and Object Permanence

• Play peekaboo or hide favourite toys beneath a tea towel to encourage object permanence and early memory skills.
• Offer soft blocks to stack and knock down, helping your baby practise grasping, releasing, and visual judgement.
• Provide safe posting activities by dropping large balls or blocks into a container, encouraging visual motor integration.
• Encourage self-feeding with soft finger foods such as ripe banana or pear, allowing your baby to coordinate vision with grasping and hand-to-mouth movements.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies place small items into narrow jars, practising hand-eye coordination, grasping, visual judgement and early problem-solving through hands-on play.

1-2 Years: Manipulating and Bilateral Play

• Roll a soft ball back and forth across the floor to encourage tracking, reaching, and timing.
• Introduce simple shape sorters that encourage matching and problem-solving.
• Offer chunky crayons for early scribbling on large sheets of paper.
• Play with pop beads that pull apart and push together to strengthen finger muscles.
• Enjoy drumming games using both hands to build early bilateral coordination activities while developing rhythm and body awareness.

This is also why rhythm and song activities are used so often in Shichida classes: they help young children coordinate both sides of the body while listening, watching and moving at the same time.

Image by Shichida Australia: Toddlers post colour cards into matching slots, building hand-eye coordination, colour recognition, visual discrimination and fine motor control.

2-3 Years: Tool Use and Pretend Play

• Thread large beads onto thick string to strengthen coordination and concentration.
• Play with playdough by rolling, pinching, squeezing, and using child-safe cutters.
• Practise pouring water between cups during bath time or outside on warm days.
• Throw beanbags into a bucket at different distances to improve aiming and depth perception.
• Sticker activities are another excellent way to build fine motor control while encouraging visual planning.

Image by Shichida Australia: A toddler matches numbered carrot cutouts to rabbits with the same numbers, building hand-eye coordination, number recognition, visual discrimination and early problem-solving skills.

3-5 Years: Precision and School Readiness

As children prepare for school, they begin refining the precision needed for writing, drawing, and independent self-care.

• Practise cutting along thick lines with child-safe scissors to strengthen control and bilateral coordination.
• Build towers, vehicles, or simple structures with lego or duplo to encourage planning, visual motor integration, and problem-solving.
• Play catching games, beginning with a large soft ball before progressing to smaller balls as coordination improves.
• Encourage drawing simple shapes such as circles, crosses, squares, and triangles before moving on to copying letters and numbers.
• Pegboards and simple jigsaw puzzles also provide excellent opportunities to develop visual discrimination, spatial awareness, and fine motor control.

For preschool and kinder children, Shichida activities often combine coordination with memory, observation, speed, sequencing and problem-solving, so children are not only using their hands but also strengthening the thinking skills behind the movement.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers solve a tangram puzzle challenge, building hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, visual discrimination and problem-solving skills.

5+ Years: Refinement and School Skills

School-age children continue refining coordination through increasingly complex activities.

• Skipping, hopscotch, and ball-bouncing patterns challenge rhythm, balance, and coordination.
• Mazes, dot-to-dot activities, and handwriting practice improve pencil control and visual planning.

These playful experiences continue building the confidence children need both inside and outside the classroom.
Need resources like flashcards and worksheets? Shichida has plenty! Explore our free resources here.

Crossing the Midline Activities

Crossing the midline exercises can fit naturally into everyday play and family routines.

Activities for Babies and Toddlers

• Offer toys slightly across your baby’s body so they naturally reach with one hand across the centre line.
• Sing action songs such as Pat-a-Cake or clap along to nursery rhymes, encouraging both hands to work together.
• Sit on the floor and roll a ball back and forth, allowing your toddler to reach across their body as they play.

Activities for Preschoolers

• Draw large figure eights or rainbow arcs on butcher’s paper taped to the floor or wall. Encourage your child to use one hand to complete the entire movement.
• Ask your child to wipe a table using one hand in long side-to-side motions.
• Play Twister or similar movement games that naturally encourage reaching across the body.
• Try cross-crawl marching by touching the right elbow to the left knee, then alternating sides.

Activities for School-Age Children

• Practise drawing large infinity loops on a whiteboard or outside with chalk.
• Include stretching activities and yoga poses such as Thread the Needle that encourage gentle rotational movement across the body.

Key Insight: Many crossing midline activities also strengthen core stability, balance, and attention, helping children sit comfortably and concentrate during learning.

Image from Shichida Australia: At Shichida Australia, children explore hand eye coordination activities through hands-on matching games that support visual discrimination, coordination, and whole-brain development.

Visual Tracking and Visual Discrimination Activities for Preschoolers

These skills become increasingly important as children prepare for reading and writing.

Visual Tracking Activities

• Blow bubbles and encourage your child to follow each one with their eyes before popping it.
• Play balloon volleyball, allowing extra time for visual tracking before making contact.
• During story time, run your finger beneath each line of text to demonstrate smooth left-to-right eye movements.

In Shichida classes, visual tracking and field of vision activities are part of every lesson because children need strong visual awareness before they can confidently read, write, copy, remember and process information quickly. Parents often see these activities in class and then repeat simple versions at home.

Visual Discrimination Activities

• Play “spot the difference” games together.
• Sort buttons, pasta, beads, or blocks by colour, shape, or size.
• Use matching card games to strengthen memory and visual recognition.
• Enjoy I Spy games, simple pattern puzzles, and shape matching.

High-speed flashcards, a well-known feature of The Shichida Method, also strengthen visual attention, recognition, and rapid information processing through enjoyable, age-appropriate learning experiences.

Image from Shichida Australia: In a Shichida baby class, colourful flashcards introduce colours, shapes and emotions while supporting visual tracking, attention and early learning foundations.

What We Notice in Shichida Classes

In Shichida classes, coordination skills often develop quietly in the background. Parents may come in focused on reading, memory, maths or concentration, but many of the activities also require children to watch carefully, use both hands, cross the body, copy patterns, match images, turn cards, place objects, draw, gesture, clap, tap and move with rhythm.
Teachers often notice progress in small changes. A child who once needed help placing pieces into a puzzle may begin doing it independently. A toddler who watched quietly may start joining in with actions. A preschooler who avoided drawing may become more willing to try mazes, shapes or writing preparation tasks.
These changes matter because early learning is not only about what a child knows. It is also about how confidently they can use their body, eyes, hands, attention and memory together.

Everyday Ways to Build Coordination in Children

Everyday routines provide countless opportunities to practise activities to improve hand-eye coordination.
Invite your child to pour cereal, stir pancake batter, knead dough, or help wash fruit and vegetables. Encourage them to hang washing with pegs, thread shoelaces, sweep with a child-sized broom, wash the car with a sponge, or fold tea towels. Each task strengthens fine motor skills while naturally encouraging visual planning, coordination, and midline crossing.

Signs Your Child May Need Extra Support

Every child develops at their own pace, and variation is completely normal. However, some patterns are worth mentioning to a health professional.

In Babies (0-12 Months)

Speak with your GP or child health nurse if your baby is not visually tracking objects by around three months, is not reaching for toys by around five months, or consistently favours one hand before twelve months.

In Toddlers (1-3 Years)

You may wish to seek advice if your toddler remains significantly clumsier than peers, avoids self-feeding or using simple tools, or shows little interest in stacking, posting, or scribbling activities.

In Preschoolers (3-5 Years)

Watch for frequent hand switching while drawing, avoiding crossing the body’s midline, difficulty catching a large ball from close range, or reluctance to participate in puzzles, colouring, scissors, or construction activities.

Who to Talk To

If you have concerns, begin by speaking with your GP, child health nurse, or a paediatric occupational therapist. Early support is widely available throughout Australia, and seeking advice does not necessarily mean something is wrong. Sometimes parents simply benefit from personalised strategies that fit their child’s stage of development.

Image from Shichida Australia: A teacher helps toddlers use chopsticks to pick up small objects, building hand-eye coordination, fine motor control, concentration and visual-motor skills.

Supporting Whole-Brain Development with Shichida

The activities in this guide show that children develop hand-eye coordination and crossing the midline through repeated, meaningful experiences rather than isolated exercises.
This is also how these skills are supported in Shichida classes. Within one lesson, children may move from flashcards to rhythm, memory activities, fine motor tasks, matching games, drawing, songs, puzzles and image-based learning. Each activity is short, engaging and purposeful, giving children many chances to connect what they see, hear, feel and do.
Every child develops at their own pace, and the right support can make all the difference. Book a trial class at Shichida Australia to experience how The Shichida Method helps children build the confidence, coordination, and learning foundations that support success both in school and beyond.

Key Takeaways

• Cooperative learning teaches your child to work towards a shared goal instead of competing.
• Learning games for kids help strengthen communication, empathy, problem-solving and self-regulation.
• Matching games for kids are one of the easiest ways to introduce teamwork from an early age.
• Cooperative board games encourage children to think, talk and solve challenges together.
• Your encouragement and guidance play a big role in helping your child learn to cooperate.

Are the Games Your Child Plays Really Helping Them Learn?

If you’ve ever watched your child building blocks, matching cards or playing pretend, you may have wondered whether they’re just having fun or actually learning.
The answer is both!
Play is one of the most effective ways children learn, but some types of play develop more than creativity. Cooperative learning encourages children to work together, solve problems, share ideas and celebrate success as a team, helping build important social, emotional and thinking skills.
This article explores what cooperative learning is, why it matters, and simple games that encourage teamwork from the toddler years through early primary school.

Quick Answer

Cooperative learning is a play and learning approach where children work together towards a shared goal rather than competing against each other. Cooperative games for preschoolers, including matching games, storytelling activities and team-based board games, support brain development by strengthening communication, empathy, problem-solving and turn-taking. Many children begin simple cooperative play from around two years of age.

What Is Cooperative Learning (and Why It Matters for Young Kids)

Cooperative learning happens when your child works with someone else to achieve a shared goal.
You might see this when your child builds a tower with a sibling, completes a puzzle with a friend or works together to find matching cards. These shared experiences help develop communication, self-control and confidence while making learning enjoyable.
As children move through the preschool years, they naturally become more interested in playing with others. During this stage, language, empathy, problem-solving and self-regulation begin working together, helping prepare them for school and everyday relationships.

Cooperative Play vs Competitive Play vs Parallel Play

Your child will experience different types of play as they grow.
Parallel play is common in toddlers, where children play beside each other without really interacting.
Competitive play introduces winning and losing, helping children learn resilience and sportsmanship.
Cooperative play focuses on working together towards a shared goal. All three types of play are valuable, but cooperative play becomes especially important as your child approaches preschool and school age.

The Brain Science Behind Playing Together

When your child plays with others, their brain works differently than when they play alone.
Listening, taking turns and solving problems together strengthen communication, flexible thinking and self-control. Children also learn by watching others, copying ideas and practising new language during play. These everyday experiences help build executive function, which includes the mental skills needed to focus, plan, remember and manage emotions.

When Cooperative Play Starts to Develop

Every child develops at their own pace, but most children begin showing simple cooperative play between 2 and 3 years.
By 3 to 5 years, many children can share ideas, take turns and enjoy simple team games.
Between 5 and 7 years, children often become more confident working together to solve problems, create stories and complete challenges with less adult support.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers playing a category-matching game with their parents in a Shichida class, building vocabulary, critical thinking, communication and cooperation.

Benefits of Cooperative Learning Games for Kids

If you’re wondering whether cooperative play is worth the effort, the answer is yes. Cooperative games for preschoolers support many of the skills children need for learning and everyday life.
They can help strengthen:

• Social and emotional skills
• Communication and language
• Problem-solving
• Executive function
• Memory and attention
• Empathy
• School readiness

Builds Social-Emotional Skills

Every time your child shares, takes turns or works through a disagreement during play, they’re learning valuable social skills. These experiences help them manage emotions, build friendships and become more confident in group settings.

Strengthens Communication and Language

Cooperative games naturally encourage conversation. Your child learns to ask questions, explain ideas, listen and respond to others, all of which support language development.

Develops Problem-Solving and Executive Function

Working towards a shared goal encourages your child to plan, stay flexible and keep trying when something doesn’t go as expected. These are important executive function skills that support learning at school.

Encourages Empathy and Perspective-Taking

When children play together, they begin to understand that other people have different thoughts, ideas and feelings. This helps your child become more thoughtful, patient and supportive of others.

Boosts Memory, Focus and Cognitive Flexibility

Many brain development games for kids, especially matching and memory games, encourage your child to remember information, stay focused and adapt their thinking while working with someone else.

Image by Shichida Australia: Toddlers playing a number-matching game with their parents during a Shichida class, supporting early numeracy, concentration, communication and cooperative learning.

How Matching Games Help Kids Learn Through Cooperation

If you’re looking for a simple place to start, matching games for kids are an excellent choice. They’re easy to learn, quick to set up and support memory, attention, pattern recognition and visual discrimination.
Even better, they’re easy to turn into cooperative games by changing the goal from “Who can find the most pairs?” to “Can we find all the pairs together?”

Matching Games for Toddlers (2-3 Years)

Start with six to eight large picture cards featuring familiar objects such as animals, colours or family members. Celebrate every successful match together to build confidence and encourage teamwork.

Matching Games for Preschoolers (3-5 Years)

As your child’s memory develops, increase the number of cards and introduce themes such as transport, food or shapes. Encourage your child to talk about why each pair belongs together.

Turning Solo Matching Games into Cooperative Play

Instead of competing, work as a team.
Take turns flipping cards, help each other remember where pictures are hiding and celebrate every pair you find together. You can even create a short story about each matching pair to encourage language and imagination.
Key Insight: Matching games are cooperative gold. They’re simple enough for toddlers, engaging enough for preschoolers, and become even more powerful when you replace “me” with “we.”

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers completing puzzles with their parents during a Shichida class, developing problem-solving, concentration, communication and cooperative learning.

Best Cooperative Learning Games for Kids by Age

The best learning games for kids are the ones your child enjoys and wants to play again. Choosing activities that match their age helps them build confidence while learning to cooperate.

Ages 2 to 3

At this stage, keep games simple and focus on playing together.
Try:

• Matching animal or colour cards.
• Building one block tower as a team.
• A simple treasure hunt around the house.
• Mirror games where you copy each other’s movements.
• Building simple puzzles together.

These toddler learning games encourage turn-taking, listening and shared attention.

Ages 3 to 5

As your child grows, they’re ready for games with simple rules and shared goals.
Try:

• Memory and matching games.
• Cooperative simple board games.
• Storytelling games using picture cards.
• Completing puzzles together.
• Pretend play, such as running a café or supermarket.

These cooperative games for preschoolers help your child communicate, learn turn taking and solve problems through play.

Ages 5 to 7

Older children enjoy more complex teamwork.
Try:

• Cooperative strategy board games.
• Team-based logic puzzles.
• Collaborative drawing games.
• Simple science experiments.
• Shared reading games where you predict what happens next together, or make turns reading.

These group games for kids encourage planning, creativity and flexible thinking.

Image by Shichida Australia: A preschooler completing a maths-based challenge alongside her mum in a Shichida class, building problem-solving, concentration, confidence and cooperative learning.

Cooperative Learning Board Games Worth Knowing About

Image by Shichida Australia: Guided learning games for kids encourage children to ask questions, share ideas and solve challenges together, building the communication and cooperation skills they’ll use at school and beyond.

What Makes a Board Game Cooperative?

Not all learning board games are cooperative. Some focus on individual winners, while cooperative games encourage everyone to work towards the same goal.
Instead of asking, “Who won?”, your child learns to ask, “How can we solve this together?” This helps develop teamwork, communication and resilience.

Categories to Look For

When choosing educational games for kids, look for games that encourage collaboration, such as:

• Memory and matching games
• Storytelling games
• Puzzle-solving games
• Building games
• “Beat the timer” games

These activities encourage children to share ideas and celebrate success together.

Where to Find Cooperative Learning Games in Australia

You don’t need an overflowing toy cupboard to support cooperative learning.
Many Australian libraries and toy libraries lend educational games, making it easy to try different options before buying. Educational toy retailers also stock a wide range of preschool learning games suitable for different ages and interests.
Young Shichida Australia students enjoy a shape puzzle game called Time Shock.

Free Online Children’s Games That Support Cooperative Learning

Digital games can also support your child’s learning when used thoughtfully.

What to Look For in Online Cooperative Games

Choose games that are:

• Age appropriate
• Educational
• Free from advertising
• Easy to play together
• Child safe – strangers can not engage with your child
• Focused on problem-solving rather than fast rewards

The best games encourage conversation rather than simply keeping your child busy.

High-Quality Free Platforms for Australian Families

If you’re looking for trusted resources from across the globe, consider:

• ABC Kids Games
• PBS Kids Games
• National Geographic Kids

These platforms offer a variety of educational games for kids covering literacy, numeracy, science and problem-solving in fun, engaging ways.
If you are looking for something more structured, and not just random games, SHICHIDA at Home offers a free 30-day trial, and is suitable for kids aged 1 to 5 years. This learning platform is 100% child-safe and ad-free. It includes songs, flashcards, educational videos hosted by a Shichida teacher, and printable workbooks.
SHICHIDA at Home can be used at home, offering fun, flexible learning on the go!

Image by Shichida Australia: SHICHIDA at Home learning platform.

Setting Up Cooperative Play at Home

Choose the Right Games

Pick activities that match your child’s age and interests. When a game feels achievable, they’re more likely to stay engaged and enjoy working with others.

Model Teamwork

Your child learns by watching you. Use phrases like “Let’s work together,” “That’s a great idea,” and “We solved it!” to show what cooperation looks like.

Make It Part of Your Routine

You don’t need hours of structured play. Even 15 minutes of cooperative play after dinner or on weekends can help your child build important social and thinking skills.
Need some more ideas and resources? Shichida Australia has plenty!

Common Cooperative Play Challenges (and What to Do)

“My Child Always Wants to Win”

This is completely normal. Choose games where everyone works towards the same goal so your child learns that teamwork can be just as rewarding as winning.

“Siblings Keep Arguing”

Start with short activities that encourage success together. Praise cooperation rather than focusing on the final result.

“My Child Is Shy”

Begin with one-on-one games before introducing siblings or friends. As your child’s confidence grows, they’ll feel more comfortable joining larger groups.

“My Child Only Wants Screen Time”

Instead of banning screens completely, make screen time interactive and gradually reduce passive viewing. Choose educational content, sit alongside your child, ask questions and play together. Follow with a hands-on game – children enjoy time with their caregivers, so create ample opportunities to engage and spend meaningful time together.

Image by Shichida Australia: Group learning games for kids help children strengthen memory, language and listening skills while learning to cooperate, encourage one another and celebrate success as a team.

How Shichida Australia Builds Cooperative Learning into Early Childhood Programs

The games you play at home provide a wonderful foundation, but your child also benefits from learning alongside other children in a structured environment.
At Shichida Australia, cooperative learning is woven into every class through partner activities, memory games, sensory experiences and guided group learning. Children are encouraged to listen, communicate and solve problems while developing confidence.
These shared experiences complement what you’re already doing at home, giving your child regular opportunities to strengthen the social, emotional and cognitive skills they’ll use throughout school and beyond.
If you’re looking for a supportive learning environment where your child can develop these skills through meaningful play, consider booking a trial class at your nearest Shichida Australia centre.

Key Takeaways

• A mindful pregnancy is about making intentional choices that support your physical health, emotional wellbeing, and connection with your baby.
• Prenatal nutrition plays an important role in supporting both your health and your baby’s growth.
• Key nutrients, including folate, iron, iodine, calcium, choline, and omega-3, help support healthy fetal development throughout pregnancy.
• Eating well looks different in each trimester as your body’s needs continue to change.
• Simple mindfulness practices can help you manage stress, improve emotional wellbeing, and prepare for birth.
• Your baby begins hearing your voice before birth, making pregnancy a wonderful time to start building your bond.
• Pregnancy education and antenatal classes can help you feel more confident about birth and early parenting.
• If you’re struggling with persistent anxiety, low mood, or physical concerns, speaking with your GP, midwife, or obstetrician is an important part of caring for yourself and your baby.
• Your baby’s early development begins during pregnancy and continues long after birth.

What Is a Mindful Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is filled with decisions. You might be wondering whether you’re eating the right foods, taking the right supplements, preparing enough for birth, or doing everything you can to support your baby’s development.
If you’re feeling that way, you’re certainly not alone.

Quick Answer

A mindful pregnancy is an intentional approach to pregnancy that combines balanced prenatal nutrition, emotional wellbeing, and meaningful connection with your baby. Rather than striving for perfection, it encourages small, consistent choices that help support your health, your baby’s development, and your confidence as you prepare for parenthood.
Looking for simple ways to connect with your baby during pregnancy?

About Mindful Pregnancy

A mindful pregnancy is about paying attention to what your body needs, caring for your mental wellbeing, and building a relationship with your baby long before they’re born.
Some days that might mean preparing a nutritious meal. Other days, it could simply mean taking time to rest, asking for help, or enjoying a quiet moment while feeling your baby move.
Every pregnancy looks different. Whether this is your first baby or you’re growing your family, practising mindfulness means responding to your own circumstances with kindness rather than pressure.
Australian pregnancy guidelines encourage looking after both physical and emotional health throughout pregnancy, recognising that they work together to support you and your growing baby.

The Four Pillars of a Mindful Pregnancy

A mindful pregnancy is built around four connected areas.

• Nutrition: The food you eat provides the nutrients your body needs while supporting your baby’s rapid growth and development.
• Mindfulness: Simple daily habits can help regulate your nervous system, manage everyday stress, and create moments of calm during pregnancy.
• Bonding: Your relationship with your baby begins before birth. Talking, singing, reading, and gentle touch all help nurture that connection.
• Education: Learning about pregnancy, birth, newborn care, and early childhood development can help you feel more prepared and confident for what’s ahead.

Why It Matters

Pregnancy is more than physical growth. Your nutritional choices, emotional wellbeing, sleep, movement, and support network all contribute to your overall pregnancy experience.
Looking after yourself isn’t selfish. It’s one of the most important ways you can care for your growing baby while also preparing yourself for birth and early parenthood.

Prenatal Nutrition: What Your Body and Baby Need

One of the most common questions during pregnancy is, “Am I eating the right foods?”
Instead of focusing on individual meals, aim to build healthy habits over time.
A balanced pregnancy diet includes a variety of vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, lean proteins, dairy or suitable alternatives, and healthy fats. Together, these foods provide the vitamins and minerals that support both your health and your baby’s development.
Rather than eating for two, think about nourishing two. As your pregnancy progresses, your nutritional needs gradually increase, but quality remains just as important as quantity.
If you have questions about supplements, food intolerances, or special dietary requirements, your GP, midwife, or obstetrician can provide personalised advice.

Key Nutrients for a Healthy Pregnancy

Your baby depends on you for every nutrient needed to grow. While many nutrients work together, several deserve particular attention throughout pregnancy.

• Folate: Folate supports early brain and spinal cord development. Good food sources include leafy green vegetables, legumes, and fortified cereals. Folic acid supplements are also recommended before conception and during early pregnancy as advised by your healthcare provider.
• Iron: Your body produces significantly more blood during pregnancy, increasing your iron requirements. Lean red meat, beans, lentils, spinach, and iron-fortified cereals are all valuable sources.
• Iodine: Iodine helps support healthy thyroid function and your baby’s brain development. Dairy foods, seafood, and iodised salt contribute to your intake, while iodine supplements are routinely recommended during pregnancy in Australia.
• Calcium: Calcium supports healthy bones and teeth while also helping maintain your own bone health. Dairy products, calcium-fortified plant milks, tofu, and canned salmon with bones are excellent choices.
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D works alongside calcium to support healthy bone development and immune function. Safe sun exposure, eggs, and oily fish can all contribute.
• Choline: Choline plays an important role in brain development throughout pregnancy. Eggs are one of the richest natural sources, alongside lean meats and dairy products.

Key Insight: A balanced diet can provide many of the nutrients needed during pregnancy, but folic acid and iodine supplements are commonly recommended in Australia. Individual needs may vary, so discuss supplements with your healthcare provider.

The Role of Omega-3 in Fetal Brain Development

When people talk about omega-3 during pregnancy, they’re usually referring to DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that plays an important role in your baby’s brain and eye development.
During the third trimester, your baby’s brain grows at an incredible rate. DHA helps support this period of rapid development, making it an important nutrient for fetal brain and eye development.
The best dietary sources include:

• Salmon
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• DHA-enriched eggs

Plant foods such as walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds also provide omega-3 fats, although your body converts only a small amount into DHA.
If you’re considering an omega-3 supplement, speak with your healthcare provider first. They can recommend whether supplementation is appropriate based on your individual needs.
When choosing seafood, continue following Australian food safety advice by selecting lower-mercury fish and limiting species known to contain higher mercury levels.

Foods That Support Fetal Development

Rather than chasing individual “superfoods”, focus on building balanced meals from a wide variety of nutritious foods.
Try including:

• Leafy green vegetables for folate and iron
• Berries and citrus fruits for vitamin C
• Eggs for choline and protein
• Salmon or sardines for omega-3
• Lentils, chickpeas, and beans for fibre and iron
• Dairy or fortified alternatives for calcium and iodine
• Wholegrain breads and cereals for sustained energy
• Nuts and seeds for healthy fats
• Lean red meat for iron, zinc, and vitamin B12

Small changes made consistently often have a greater impact than trying to overhaul your entire diet overnight.

Foods to Limit or Avoid

Food safety becomes especially important during pregnancy because your immune system naturally changes.
To help reduce the risk of foodborne illness, it’s generally recommended to avoid:

• Soft cheeses made from unpasteurised milk
• Deli meats unless thoroughly heated
• Pre-prepared salads
• Raw seafood
• Raw or undercooked eggs
• Undercooked meat

Pregnancy food-safety recommendations can be detailed and may change, so check current Australian guidance for advice on soft cheeses, deli meats, pre-prepared salads, raw seafood, eggs and other higher-risk foods.
You should also avoid alcohol throughout pregnancy, as there is no known safe amount.
If you enjoy coffee, aim to keep your caffeine intake below 200 mg each day, which is roughly one to two cups of brewed coffee depending on the strength.
Follow current Australian guidance on fish choices and serving frequency, particularly for higher-mercury species such as shark or flake, swordfish and marlin.

Pregnancy Diet Tips: Trimester by Trimester

Your nutritional needs don’t stay exactly the same throughout pregnancy. As your baby grows, your body adapts too.
Instead of worrying about eating perfectly every day, focus on what feels manageable during each stage.

First Trimester (Weeks 1 to 12)

During the first trimester, you may not need many extra calories, but your nutrient needs increase significantly.
If nausea or food aversions make eating difficult, remember that this stage is often about doing the best you can.
Helpful strategies include:

• Eating small, frequent meals
• Keeping dry crackers nearby
• Drinking water regularly
• Trying ginger if it helps settle your stomach
• Choosing foods you can tolerate rather than forcing meals

Folate, iron, and hydration should remain priorities throughout these early weeks.

Second Trimester (Weeks 13 to 27)

Many parents find that energy levels improve during the second trimester.
As your appetite returns, this is a great opportunity to establish balanced eating habits that will support the months ahead.
Focus on including:

• Lean protein with each meal
• Calcium-rich foods
• Iron-rich foods
• Healthy fats, including omega-3

This is also a good time to experiment with simple meal routines that will still feel manageable once the third trimester becomes more physically demanding.

Third Trimester (Weeks 28 to Birth)

As you move into the final trimester, your baby’s growth accelerates and your body continues working hard to prepare for birth. While you only need a small increase in energy, your nutrient needs remain high.
Continue focusing on:

• Omega-3 (DHA) to support your baby’s brain and eye development
• Iron to help meet increased blood volume demands
• Calcium for healthy bone development
• Fibre to help reduce constipation

You may also find that your growing baby leaves less room in your stomach, making heartburn or reflux more common. Instead of eating three large meals, try having smaller meals and snacks throughout the day. Staying well hydrated can also help you feel more comfortable as your due date approaches.

Hydration, Cravings, and Common Challenges

Alongside healthy eating during pregnancy, don’t forget about hydration. Australian guidelines recommend aiming for around 2.3 litres of fluids each day, although your needs may increase during warmer weather or if you’re physically active.
Drink water regularly throughout the day and increase your fluid intake during hot weather or physical activity. Your healthcare provider can advise you if you have particular hydration needs.
Cravings are another normal part of pregnancy. They aren’t always a sign that your body is lacking a particular nutrient. Hormones, emotions, habits, and even certain smells can all influence what you feel like eating. Instead of feeling guilty about occasional treats, focus on your overall eating pattern across the week.
If you’re dealing with constipation, increasing your fibre intake, drinking more water, and staying active can often help. For reflux, smaller meals and avoiding lying down straight after eating may make you more comfortable. If symptoms become severe or persistent, speak with your healthcare provider.

Mindfulness During Pregnancy

When you hear the word mindfulness, you might picture long meditation sessions or perfectly peaceful mornings.
In reality, mindfulness during pregnancy can be much simpler than that.
It’s about paying attention to what you’re experiencing without judging yourself. Some days you’ll feel excited and connected. Other days you might feel worried, exhausted, or overwhelmed. Both experiences can exist at the same time.
Looking after your emotional wellbeing is just as important as looking after your physical health. Pregnancy is a major life transition, and it’s completely normal to experience a wide range of emotions along the way.

Why Mindfulness Matters in Pregnancy

Your mental wellbeing plays an important role throughout pregnancy. While everyday stress is a normal part of life, ongoing stress, anxiety, or low mood can make pregnancy feel much more challenging.
Mindfulness doesn’t eliminate difficult emotions, but it can help you slow down, recognise what you’re feeling, and respond with greater self-compassion.
Taking even a few minutes each day to pause can help you feel more connected to both yourself and your growing baby.

Simple Daily Mindfulness Practices

Mindfulness doesn’t need to take hours out of your day. Small moments can be just as meaningful.
You might like to try:

• Three-breath check-ins. Pause a few times each day and take three slow, deep breaths before continuing with what you’re doing.
• Body scans. Spend five quiet minutes noticing how your body feels without trying to change anything.
• Mindful walks. Pay attention to the sounds, sights, and sensations around you while walking.
• Gratitude journalling. Write down three things you’re grateful for each day, no matter how small.
• Deep breathing. Place your hands on your belly, breathe slowly and deeply, and take a quiet moment to connect with your baby.
• Prenatal yoga or stretching. Gentle movement can help ease physical tension while supporting relaxation.

These practices aren’t about doing them perfectly. They’re simply opportunities to pause and care for yourself.

Managing Anxiety, Mood, and Sleep

If this is your first pregnancy, it’s natural to have questions and worries about what’s ahead. Even if you’ve been pregnant before, every pregnancy is different.
Try to be selective about where you get your information. Reading every online opinion can sometimes leave you feeling more anxious rather than more informed.
Good sleep habits can also make a difference. Creating a calming bedtime routine, using supportive pillows, and reducing screen time before bed may help improve sleep quality.
Most importantly, don’t feel like you have to manage everything on your own. Your partner, family, friends, GP, and midwife are all valuable sources of support.

When to Seek Support

Feeling emotional during pregnancy is common, but persistent anxiety or low mood deserves attention.
Speak with your GP, midwife, or obstetrician if you notice:

• Ongoing sadness that doesn’t lift
• Constant worry or panic
• Intrusive or distressing thoughts
• Withdrawing from people you care about
• Difficulty sleeping even when you’re exhausted
• Feeling unable to enjoy things you normally would

Seeking support isn’t a sign that you’re failing. It’s one of the most important ways you can care for yourself and your baby. Organisations such as Beyond Blue and PANDA also provide valuable support for Australian parents during pregnancy.
Key Insight: Mindfulness during pregnancy isn’t about feeling calm every moment of the day. It’s about noticing what you’re experiencing and responding with kindness instead of pressure.

Bonding With Your Baby Before Birth

One of the most beautiful parts of pregnancy is that your relationship with your baby has already begun.
Long before you hold them in your arms, your baby is learning about the world through the sounds, movements, and rhythms they experience in the womb.
Bonding doesn’t require expensive equipment or special techniques. It’s simply about creating moments of connection that feel natural to you.

Talking and Reading to Your Baby

Around the middle of pregnancy, your baby begins responding to sounds. By the third trimester, they’re becoming familiar with voices they hear regularly.
Talking to your baby while you’re driving, folding laundry, or preparing dinner may feel a little unusual at first, but it’s a lovely way to begin building your connection.
You could also read a favourite children’s book aloud or simply tell your baby about your day. There’s no right script. What matters most is hearing your familiar voice.
Partners can join in too. Hearing both parents’ voices before birth may help strengthen those early bonds after your baby arrives.

Music and Sound

Music can also become part of your daily routine.
Whether you enjoy classical music, acoustic songs, gentle lullabies, or your favourite playlist, your baby is exposed to rhythm and sound while in the womb.
There’s no evidence that one style of music makes babies smarter than another. The important thing is choosing music that helps you feel calm and relaxed.
Avoid prolonged exposure to very loud environments whenever possible.

Touch and Movement

As your baby grows, you may notice them responding when you gently place your hands on your belly.
Soft touch, gentle massage, or simply resting your hands where you feel movement can create quiet moments of connection.
Many partners also enjoy joining these moments, helping build a sense of family before birth.

Partner and Family Bonding

Pregnancy is something your whole family can experience together.
Encourage your partner to talk, sing, or read to your baby. If you already have children, inviting them to say hello to the baby or gently feel kicks can help them begin adjusting to their new role as an older sibling.
These simple moments create shared memories while helping everyone feel included.

The Shichida Perspective on Prenatal Bonding

At Shichida Australia, early learning begins with connection.
The Shichida Method recognises that the prenatal period is the beginning of your child’s lifelong learning journey. Talking, reading, singing, and responding to your baby during pregnancy all help nurture emotional security and strengthen your relationship before birth.
After your baby arrives, these same connection-focused experiences continue through Shichida Baby Classes, where sensory experiences, parent-child bonding, and whole-brain learning continue to develop in a supportive environment.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies having fun in a Shichida baby class through music and sensory activities that support early learning, connection and whole-child development.

Pregnancy Education

The more informed you feel, the easier it can be to make decisions that suit your family.

Antenatal Classes

If you’re wondering what to do during pregnancy to prepare for birth, attending antenatal classes is a great place to start.
These classes often cover:

• Labour and birth
• Pain relief options
• Breastfeeding basics
• Newborn care
• Recovery after birth
• Looking after your own wellbeing

In Australia, you can access antenatal classes through public hospitals, private hospitals, independent childbirth educators, or online programs. Many parents attend during the second or early third trimester.

Birth Preparation

While it’s impossible to predict exactly how your birth will unfold, preparing can help you feel more confident.
During the final months of pregnancy, you might choose to:

• Discuss your birth preferences with your healthcare provider.
• Learn about different pain management options.
• Pack your hospital bag.
• Decide who you’d like as your support person.
• Familiarise yourself with your hospital or birth centre.

Think of your birth plan as a guide rather than a fixed script. Birth sometimes takes unexpected turns, and being flexible can help you feel more prepared for different possibilities.

Early Parenting Knowledge

Your learning journey doesn’t stop once your baby is born.
Understanding newborn sleep, feeding cues, settling techniques, and early development can help ease the transition into parenthood.
As your baby grows, you’ll also begin discovering how they learn through movement, sensory experiences, and everyday interactions. Many families continue building on these early experiences through programs such as Shichida Australia, which focuses on supporting children’s cognitive, emotional, and sensory development from infancy.

What to Do During Pregnancy: A Trimester Checklist

Every pregnancy is different, but having a simple checklist can help you feel organised without becoming overwhelmed.

First Trimester (Weeks 1 to 12)

• Book your first antenatal appointment with your GP or midwife.
• Begin folic acid and iodine supplements if recommended.
• Review any medications with your healthcare provider.
• Learn about pregnancy food safety.
• Rest whenever your body asks for it.
• Find gentle ways to manage nausea.
• Share your pregnancy news when you feel ready.

Second Trimester (Weeks 13 to 27)

• Attend your morphology ultrasound.
• Continue building balanced eating habits.
• Stay active with pregnancy-safe exercise if approved by your healthcare provider.
• Research and book antenatal classes.
• Spend time talking, reading, or singing to your baby.
• Begin planning parental leave and practical preparations.

Third Trimester (Weeks 28 to Birth)

• Attend your antenatal classes.
• Finalise your birth preferences.
• Pack your hospital bag around 36 weeks.
• Prepare your baby’s sleep space.
• Organise support for the weeks after birth.
• Prioritise rest, hydration, and nourishing meals.
• Continue focusing on iron, calcium, and omega-3 for fetal brain development.

Remember, this checklist is designed to support your pregnancy journey alongside the advice of your healthcare team, not replace it.

Common Concerns and When to Speak With Your Healthcare Provider

Pregnancy comes with plenty of questions, and no concern is too small to discuss with your healthcare provider.
It’s important to seek medical advice if you experience:

• Persistent nausea or vomiting that makes it difficult to eat or drink.
• A noticeable change in your baby’s movements during the third trimester.
• Ongoing anxiety, persistent low mood, or intrusive thoughts.
• Severe headaches, vision changes, or sudden swelling.
• Bleeding, leaking fluid, or regular painful contractions before term.
• Anything that simply doesn’t feel right.

You know your body better than anyone else. If something is worrying you, trust your instincts and contact your GP, midwife, or obstetrician.
Remember that this article provides general guidance only. Your pregnancy is unique, and your healthcare team can offer personalised advice based on your individual circumstances.

Image by Shichida Australia: A mindful pregnancy nurtures your baby’s earliest development through love and connection. At Shichida Australia, those same foundations continue to grow through engaging parent-child learning experiences.

Continuing the Journey: From Pregnancy to Early Childhood

Your pregnancy is much more than nine months of preparation. It’s the beginning of your relationship with your child.
After birth, those same moments of connection continue through cuddles, eye contact, songs, stories, play, and shared experiences.
At Shichida Australia, this philosophy continues through The Shichida Method, which encourages parents to nurture children’s cognitive, emotional, and sensory development from their earliest months. Rather than focusing solely on academic learning, the program supports the whole child through meaningful parent-child interaction and age-appropriate activities.
If you’re already embracing a mindful pregnancy, exploring early childhood programs can be a natural next step as your baby grows.
A mindful pregnancy lays the foundation. Discover how Shichida Australia’s early childhood classes can help support your baby’s sensory, cognitive, and emotional development from their very first months of life.

When should children begin learning to write alphabet letters? Is it better to introduce pencils early, or wait until later?

Before children can form recognisable letters, they develop the skills they need through scribbling, drawing, cutting, building and everyday play.

Strong handwriting starts with these early foundations. In this guide, you’ll learn when children are typically ready to begin writing letters, the pre-writing skills that matter most, simple age-appropriate activities, practical letter formation tips, and how to support your child’s progress with confidence.

Quick Answer

Most children begin learning to write the letters of the alphabet between ages 4 and 6, after building foundational skills like mark making, pencil control and hand strength. Start with the letters in their own name, use hands-on, multi-sensory activities before introducing worksheets, and let progress happen gradually rather than according to a fixed timeline.

When Are Children Ready to Start Writing Alphabet Letters?

It’s natural to wonder whether your child is ready to start writing letters, especially before preschool or the first year of school.

Many parents are surprised to learn that age is not the best measure of writing readiness. Some children love letters early, while others focus on climbing, building or imaginative play first. Both are perfectly normal.

Rather than asking whether your child should be writing yet, focus on whether they’ve developed the skills that make writing easier, such as hand strength, coordination, fine motor skills, concentration and confidence.

Signs Your Child Is Ready

You might notice your child is ready to begin learning to write letters of the alphabet if they:

• Can hold a pencilor crayon with reasonable control
• Recognise some letters, especially the ones in their own name
• Enjoy pretending to write through scribbles or attempting to copy letters they see
• Can draw simple shapes like circles, crosses and lines – even if not straight lined
• Stay engaged in a seated activity for around three to five minutes

You don’t need to tick every box before introducing letters. These are simply signs that your child is becoming more confident with the skills writing requires.

Signs to Wait a Little Longer

It may be worth focusing on pre-writing activities first if your child:

• Gets tired quickly when drawing or colouring
• Becomes frustrated every time they hold a crayon or pencil
• Finds it difficult to control their grip or struggles to apply the right pressure for mark making
• Shows little interest in letters just yet

That doesn’t mean they’re behind.

It simply means their hands and muscles are still developing. Giving them more opportunities to play, create, explore and strengthen their hand muscles will go a long way.

Key Insight: Don’t let age become your measuring stick. A child who has spent months scribbling, cutting, squeezing playdough and building hand strength will often learn letter formation much more easily than a child who was pushed into worksheets before they were ready.

The Pre-Writing Skills That Make Alphabet Writing Possible

Every time your child paints, builds, cuts, strings beads or scribbles, they’re developing the skills they’ll eventually use to write confidently.

Think of these as the building blocks of handwriting. The stronger the foundation, the easier letter writing becomes.

Image by Shichida Australia: Fine motor play and line drawing activities like completing mazes helps children build the skills needed for learning to write alphabet letters.

Mark Making

Before children write letters, they make thousands of marks. Scribbles, drawings, circles and zigzags are early writing practice that helps develop pencil control and confidence.

Encourage mark making through simple activities like drawing, painting, finger painting, drawing with chalk, scribbling on large paper, making patterns in sand or shaving foam, or painting with water outdoors. These simple activities help children enjoy expressing themselves on paper and strengthens hand and finger control.

Pencil Control

As your child’s confidence grows, encourage the small movements that form the basis of letter writing before introducing the alphabet.

Simple activities like tracing dotted lines, drawing straight and curved lines, completing mazes, connecting dots, colouring large shapes, and drawing circles, crosses and squares help build pencil control and make writing easier later on.

Scissor Control

Cutting helps strengthen the same muscles used for handwriting while improving coordination. Start with tearing paper, snipping playdough, cutting straight lines, then progress to curves and simple shapes. Keep it fun rather than focused on practice.

Image by Shichida Australia: A child cutting along a curved line with safety scissors alongside his mum, guided by a Shichida instructor, building hand strength, coordination and fine motor control for learning to write alphabet letters.

Hand and Finger Strength

Strong hands and fingers make it easier for children to hold and control a pencil. Simple activities such as squeezing playdough, using tweezers to pick up small objects, threading beads, clipping pegs, peeling and sticking down stickers, squeezing pipettes and tearing paper can all help build the strength needed for writing.

When these muscles are still developing, children may tire quickly once they begin writing. This can make handwriting feel uncomfortable or frustrating and may cause them to avoid writing activities. Building hand strength through play can help writing feel easier and more enjoyable.

Writing Readiness Activities by Age

Every child learns at their own pace, so try not to compare your child with friends, siblings or children you see online. Instead, focus on what they’re ready for right now.

The activities below will help you match your expectations to your child’s stage of development, making learning to write alphabet letters feel achievable rather than overwhelming.

2 to 3 Years: The Mark Making Stage

At this age, writing is all about exploration. Through scribbling, drawing and mark making, your child is developing the skills needed for writing later on.

Encourage activities like drawing with chunky crayons or chalk, finger painting, making patterns in sand or shaving foam, tearing paper for collages, and painting with water outdoors. The focus is on building confidence, coordination and creativity, not writing letters yet.

3 to 4 Years: Building Pencil Control

At this age, children begin making more purposeful shapes and drawings. Focus on pencil control through tracing lines, drawing simple shapes, dot-to-dot activities, cutting with child-safe scissors, threading beads, and playful letter recognition.

4 to 5 Years: From Letter Recognition to Letter Formation

Many children are ready to start writing, beginning with their own name. Try tracing letters in sand, making letters with playdough, drawing them in the air, and short writing activities of five minutes or less. Keep it fun and pressure-free.

5 to 6 Years: Building Confident Writers

As children prepare for or begin school, they’re usually ready to practise writing their name, both capital and lowercase letters, simple words, and handwriting on ruled lines. Progress takes time, so celebrate steady improvement rather than perfect handwriting.

How to Teach Letter Formation

Once your child is ready to start writing letters, it is tempting to work through the alphabet from A to Z. In reality, there is a more natural and motivating way to begin.

Before children can write letters confidently, they first need to become familiar with them. Recognising letters, hearing their sounds and noticing them in meaningful words all help prepare children for letter formation. The more meaningful writing feels, the more likely your child is to stay engaged.

Begin with Letter Recognition

Before expecting your child to write letters, spend time helping them notice and identify them. This might include singing the alphabet song, matching letters, learning letter sounds, spotting letters in books or recognising the letters in their own name.

These early literacy experiences help children become familiar with letter shapes and build confidence before they are asked to form them with a pencil.

Image by Shichida Australia: Preschoolers playing a phonics matching game, building letter recognition, sound awareness, vocabulary and early literacy skills.

Start With the Letters in Their Name

If you could only teach your child one set of letters first, make it the ones in their own name.

Children often recognise their names long before they can read. Seeing those familiar letters on lunchboxes, artwork and labels gives them an immediate connection to writing.

Start with the first capital letter in your child’s first name, then introduce the remaining letters one by one before moving on to family names, favourite words or the rest of the alphabet. Children often make faster progress when the letters already have personal meaning.

Capitals First, Then Lowercase

Many parents wonder whether they should teach uppercase or lowercase letters first. Capital letters can be easier for some children to form because many are made with simple straight lines and basic curves.

Once your child feels confident with capitals, you can gradually introduce lowercase letters, especially as they prepare for Prep or Foundation.

Australian Handwriting Styles by State

Australia doesn’t have one national handwriting font, so worksheets from overseas or interstate may teach letter formations that differ from what your child will learn at school.

Handwriting styles vary between Australian states, school systems and individual schools. For example, Victorian schools commonly use Victorian Modern Cursive, while NSW public schools use NSW Foundation Style.

Generally, schools use:

• New South Wales: NSW Foundation Style
• Victoria, Tasmania, ACT and Northern Territory:Victorian Modern Cursive
• Queensland: Queensland Beginner’s Alphabet (Beginner’s Script)
• South Australia and Western Australia: SA/WA Modern Cursive

If you’re unsure, don’t worry.

Simple printed letters are perfectly suitable for home learning until your child’s school recommends a specific handwriting style.

Free Resource: Download Shichida Australia’s Alphabet Writing Worksheet Stage 1 for simple letter tracing practice to help your child build pencil control and writing confidence.

Looking for more early learning resources? Shichida has plenty!

Common Letter Formation Mistakes to Watch For

As your child learns to write, you will probably notice a few letters that do not look quite right. This is completely normal.

Common challenges include:

• forming a letter using several unnecessary strokes
• reversing letters such as b, d, p and q
• making letters different sizes on the same page

Try not to correct every mistake at once. Instead, focus on one letter or one small correction during each attempt.

It can help to sit beside your child and slowly model how to form the letter before inviting them to try. Guided learning is an important part of the Shichida Method. In class, the teacher first demonstrates the letter, then gives the child an opportunity to copy it with gentle guidance and encouragement.

Practice remains fun and pressure-free. The same letter may be revisited across several days using different experiences, such as flashcards, songs, sensory materials and writing activities. This allows the child to see the letter, hear its sound, observe how it is formed and then have a go themselves.

Letter reversals are common while children are learning to write and often become less frequent with practice.

Key insight: Show more than you explain. Watching you slowly form a letter gives your child a clear visual model that is often easier to copy than verbal instructions alone.

ABC Writing Activities Kids Actually Enjoy

If writing practice has started to feel like a battle, take a step back and make it fun again.

The best ABC writing activities don’t always involve sitting at a table with a pencil. In fact, children often learn letter formation more quickly when they can see, touch and move their bodies while learning.

Here are some simple activities you can try at home.

Tactile and Sensory Activities

Young children learn best when they use more than one sense at a time. Sensory activities make letters feel less intimidating and encourage children to experiment without worrying about mistakes.

Some favourites include:

• Sand or salt tray writing
  Pour a thin layer of sand, salt or rice into a tray and invite your child to draw letters with their finger. If they make a mistake, simply shake the tray and start again.
• Shaving cream letters
  Spread shaving cream on a tray or outdoor table and let your child practise forming letters with their finger. It’s messy, memorable and a great way to reduce the pressure of getting everything right.
• Playdough letters
  Roll the playdough into long “snakes” and shape them into letters together. This strengthens little hands while reinforcing letter shapes.
• Sandpaper letter tracing
  Cut large letters from sandpaper and encourage your child to slowly trace each one with their finger. The textured surface helps them remember how each letter feels as well as how it looks.
• Salt dough alphabet
  Make homemade salt dough and shape individual letters together before baking them. Afterwards, your child can paint and use them for letter games.

Outdoor and Big-Body Activities

Large arm movements help children understand the direction and sequence of each letter before they’re expected to write it on paper.

Try activities like:

• Chalk letters on the driveway
  Draw large letters outside and encourage your child to trace over them or copy them. Bigger movements are often easier than tiny pencil strokes.
• Water painting
  Give your child a bucket of water and a paintbrush, then let them “write” letters on fences, pavers or concrete. They’ll love watching the letters disappear as they dry.
• Stick writing
  At the beach or park, use a stick to draw letters in the sand or dirt. It’s a wonderful way to combine outdoor play with early literacy.
• Body letters
  Challenge your child to use their whole body to make different letters. You can join in too, turning it into a fun family game.

Pencil and Paper Activities

Once your child has developed stronger pencil control, you can gradually introduce more structured activities. Keep them short and enjoyable.

Ideas include:

• Trace, then copy
  Begin by tracing a letter before encouraging your child to copy it independently.
• Letter hunts
  Choose one letter and see how many times your child can find it in a book, catalogue or magazine.
• Rainbow writing
  Trace the same letter several times using different coloured pencils or crayons. Repetition feels much more exciting when colours are involved.
• Highlight and trace
  Write a letter with a yellow highlighter, then ask your child to trace over it with a pencil or marker. This provides a clear visual guide without feeling like a formal worksheet.

Movement and Air Writing

Movement helps many children remember how letters are formed. These activities are especially helpful if your child enjoys being active.

• Sky writing
  Ask your child to stretch out their arm and draw giant letters in the air using one finger. You can even turn off the lights and use a torch for extra excitement.
• Letter walking
  Draw large letters on the driveway with chalk and encourage your child to carefully walk along each line. They’re learning letter formation using their whole body.

Image by Shichida Australia: A mum sitting beside her child as she traces letters, providing gentle guidance while building letter formation, pencil control and writing confidence.

Using Alphabet Practice Worksheets Effectively

Worksheets can absolutely play a role in learning to write alphabet letters, but they shouldn’t be the starting point or the only letter writing activity your child does.

Think of worksheets as one tool in a much bigger toolbox.

When to Introduce Worksheets

Most children are ready for learning to write with worksheets around four to five years of age, once they’ve developed reasonable pencil control and are showing genuine interest in writing.

If worksheets are introduced too early, they often become frustrating rather than helpful. Instead of building confidence, they can make writing feel like a chore.

What Good Practice Letter Writing Sheets Include

Not all worksheets are created equally! When choosing practice letter writing sheets, look for ones that include:

• Clear starting dots and directional arrows
• Large letters that are easy for small hands to trace
• A progression from tracing to independent copying

How to Avoid Worksheet Overload

If your child enjoys worksheets, that’s wonderful! Just remember that more isn’t always better.

A few simple habits can keep writing practice positive:

• Keep sessions brief – often five to ten minutes is enough for a preschooler – and stop earlier if your child becomes tired or frustrated.
• Finish while your child is still enjoying the activity.
• Pair worksheets with hands-on experiences like playdough, chalk or sand writing.
• Focus on one letter at a time instead of introducing several new ones at once.
• Celebrate effort, persistence and improvement rather than perfectly formed letters.

Key Insight: Worksheets are a helpful tool, not the whole learning journey. A child who happily practises one letter in shaving cream or playdough often gains more confidence than a child who reluctantly completes several pages of handwriting practice.

Common Writing Challenges (and What to Do)

Almost every child experiences a few bumps along the way when learning to write.

The good news is that most handwriting challenges are a normal part of development and improve with time, practice and encouragement.

My Child Holds the Pencil Awkwardly

You don’t need to panic if your child’s pencil grip doesn’t look perfect.

The mature tripod grip develops gradually. In the meantime, offer shorter pencils or broken crayons, which naturally encourage a more comfortable and controlled grip, and continue building finger strength through everyday play.

My Child Reverses Letters

If your child writes b instead of d, or mixes up p and q, you’re certainly not alone.

Letter reversals are very common and are considered a typical part of development. Rather than pointing out every mistake, gently model the correct formation and keep practising in fun, low-pressure ways.

My Child Refuses to Write

If writing ends in tears every time, it may be a sign that your child isn’t quite ready for formal handwriting.

Take a break from pencils and return to playful activities like painting, chalk drawing, playdough and sensory letter games. Once writing feels enjoyable again, you can gradually reintroduce letters.

My Child Presses Too Hard or Too Lightly

Some children grip the pencil tightly enough to snap the lead, while others barely leave a mark on the page. This usually reflects developing hand control, which controls writing pressure.

Experiment with different tools such as chunky crayons, markers, coloured pencils or whiteboard pens to discover what feels most comfortable for your child.

When Should You Ask for Extra Support?

Every child develops differently, but if your child reaches the end of Prep or Foundation and is still experiencing significant difficulty with pencil grip, severe letter reversals, persistent refusal to write or intense frustration during handwriting activities, it’s worth speaking with their classroom teacher.

Together, you can decide whether additional support, such as an assessment with a paediatric occupational therapist, would be helpful.

Photo by Shichida Australia: A parent and young child completing an activity together in a Shichida class.

Supporting Your Child’s Writing Journey with Shichida

Learning to write alphabet letters begins long before a child picks up a pencil. From infancy, activities involving movement, sensory play, hand–eye coordination, visual attention, language and fine motor control all help build the foundations needed for later handwriting.

Shichida Australia’s early learning classes begin from six months of age and support children through each stage of development. As children grow, activities become more advanced, helping build skills such as concentration, memory, letter recognition, language, pencil control and confidence.

Because parents participate in the early childhood classes, they can observe how activities are introduced and continue using similar ideas at home.

Book a trial class to see how Shichida helps build the developmental foundations that support handwriting, literacy and a lifelong enjoyment of learning.

Your toddler just threw themselves onto the supermarket floor because you chose the wrong cup. Rather than a behaviour problem, it’s a developing nervous system doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.

Shichida has helped Australian families build emotional intelligence for over 15 years, and one thing is always true: emotional regulation activities for kids can genuinely help. Read on to find the best activities for each age group.

Key Takeaways

• Development is a journey: Emotional regulation develops in distinct stages: what calms a toddler won’t work for a school-age child.
• Vary your strategies: Combine body-based activities like sensory play with cognitively layered tools like role play and emotion naming.
• Your calm comes first: Kids can’t self-regulate without co-regulation. Your steady presence is the most powerful tool you have.
• Visual systems help: The Zones of Regulation gives children a simple colour-coded language for their feelings, accessible from around age three.

What is emotional regulation in children (and why does it look different at every age)?

Emotional regulation is a child’s ability to manage their emotional states and physical reactions to match their environment. It’s the skill that lets them calm down after getting upset and handle frustration without lashing out.

It’s hard for young children because the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for logic and self-control, doesn’t fully mature until early adulthood. A two-year-old’s meltdown and a six-year-old’s outburst are completely different problems.

Why co-regulation comes first

Young children don’t have the neural wiring to calm down from high distress alone. When your child is dysregulated, matching their anger with your own makes things worse. Stay calm, lower your voice, and name what they’re feeling: “I can see you’re really angry right now.” That single phrase helps them feel safe enough to start settling.

Children with developing regulation skills handle daily challenges like this:

• A child loses a board game, takes a breath, and says they’re sad but had fun playing.
• A child’s block tower gets knocked over and they use words instead of lashing out.
• A cancelled playdate gets talked through with a parent, then redirected to a solo activity.

Signs your child may be struggling with emotional regulation

These behaviours aren’t signs of a difficult child. They’re signs of a skill still developing.

• Intense meltdowns: Tantrums that regularly last more than 20 minutes and are hard to de-escalate.
• Physical aggression: Hitting, kicking, or biting when frustrated. Normal in toddlers, but should ease as language grows.
• Transition anxiety: Real distress when switching activities, especially common in preschoolers.
• Emotional avoidance: Shutting down or refusing anything that feels slightly hard.
• Can’t self-soothe: Needs an adult to calm down from even minor disappointments.

Knowing what you’re seeing makes it easier to respond with empathy rather than frustration

Photo from Shichida: In Shichida classes, emotional regulation starts with connection – every activity strengthens the bond between parent and child.

Emotional regulation activities for toddlers (1–3 years)

Forget reasoning with a dysregulated toddler. At this age, the brain simply isn’t wired for it. Sensory play and physical connection are what actually work.

• Playdough and sensory play: Squeezing and pulling releases physical tension. Dry rice or water play shifts the brain’s focus naturally.
• Animal walks: Crawling like a bear or waddling like a duck discharges built-up stress safely.
• Balloon breathing: Breathe in with arms wide, breathe out and bring them in. Model it first, toddlers copy, they don’t follow instructions.
• Calm-down corner: A low-stimulation space with soft pillows and books. A retreat, never a punishment.
• Feelings books: Naming emotions through characters reduces the overwhelm of a nameless feeling. The Colour Monster and The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Little Book of Feelings are both easy to find in Australia.
• Consistent routines: Predictability reduces anxiety. Transitions are the highest-risk moments, so structure around them.

To see how these sensory connections are built in a social setting, explore our Shichida toddler classes.

Photo from Shichida: Toddler classes focus on fine motor skills using hands-on learning experiences, alongside a parent. Classes are fast paced and fun!

Emotional regulation activities for pre-schoolers (3–5 years)

Preschoolers can start using simple visual tools, making this the right window for activities for emotional regulation that include visual frameworks like the Zones of Regulation.

• Two-zone introduction: Start with just Green (calm) and Red (very upset) before adding yellow and blue. Simple is better at this age.
• Emotion charades: Act out feelings and guess them together. Builds emotional vocabulary and body-awareness at the same time.
• Star breathing: Trace a star with a finger, breathing in on the way up and out on the way down. The visual keeps them focused.
• Puppet role play: Replay a situation that went wrong using stuffed toys. Gives children safe distance to process and problem-solve.
• Mandala colouring: Repetitive colouring is calming after dysregulation. Don’t force it mid-outburst.
• Feelings wheel: An emotion chart with 8–10 faces works well for daily check-ins before dinner or bed.
• Countdown timers: Show how long is left before a transition. Knowing when play ends reduces anxiety significantly.

To see how these activities are structured for preschoolers, check out our kinder classes.

Photo from Shichida: Kinder classes focus on developing memory and critical thinking skills, alongside early literacy and numeracy skills.

Emotional regulation activities for school-age children (5–9 years)

By school age, kids can think about what they’re feeling, identify it physically, and choose a strategy. The activities get more cognitively layered.

• Full Zones of Regulation: All four colours. Encourage your child to name their zone and suggest their own way back to green.
• Feelings journal: Drawing or writing about an upsetting event externalises the emotion and reduces its intensity.
• Body scan: Ask where they feel the emotion: tight chest, clenched jaw, butterflies. This builds interoception: reading internal signals before a meltdown hits.
• Problem-solving talk-through: Once calm, talk through what happened. Not a lecture. “What do you think set you off, and what could we try next time?”
• Mindfulness scavenger hunt: Five things they can see, four they can touch, three they can hear, two they can smell, one they can taste. Fast grounding for spiralling thoughts.

To see how we develop these skills with older children, explore our Pre-Primary classes (ages 5–7) and Primary classes (ages 7–9).

Photo from Shichida: Pre-primary classes develop a range of early learning skills, including speed listening, memory, reading, writing, mental math and more!

Zones of Regulation: a practical guide for parents

The Zones framework works because it gives emotions a visual, colour-coded language children can use even when they’re too upset to find the right words.

The Zones of Regulation help children recognise different emotional states, from low-energy feelings like tiredness or sadness, to calm and focused states, through to heightened emotions such as frustration, worry, anger or overwhelm. Understanding these zones can support emotional regulation, self-awareness and early childhood social-emotional development.

How to use Zones of Regulation at home

All four zones are normal. The goal isn’t to stay green permanently. It’s to recognise which zone you’re in and have a strategy to return to green.

Introduce it at home using a stuffed toy: “Teddy is in the Yellow Zone because his tower fell over. What can Teddy do to get back to Green?” Then try these:

• Zone sort: Sort facial expression pictures into coloured cups.
• Guess the zone: Act out an emotion and ask your child to name the zone.
• Zone jars: Place a coloured marble in a jar at the end of each day to reflect on feelings.

What not to do when teaching emotional regulation

The instinct to stop a tantrum is natural. It’s also often what makes learning emotional regulation strategies for kids harder, not easier.

• Don’t punish emotional expression: Punishing crying or yelling teaches suppression, not regulation. Correct the behaviour (hitting), but validate the feeling underneath.
• Don’t skip co-regulation: Sending a young child to their room before they’re calm creates anxiety. They need your presence first.
• Be patient with progress: Regression is normal. Tiredness, illness, and big life changes all cause setbacks. That’s development, not failure.

Photo by Shichida Australia: A parent and young child completing an activity together in a Shichida class.

How Shichida builds emotional intelligence and cognitive skills

Emotional regulation grows through consistent, structured practice over years. That’s exactly what Shichida’s EQ and IQ development is built around.

Parents are in the room for every session, which creates the emotional security children need to take risks. Classes are capped at six children, and EQ development runs alongside cognitive activities in every session.

That balance matters most during the golden period, birth to age 3, when the brain is most receptive to both.

When to seek professional support

While all children developed at their own unique pace, some children need more than home strategies. Speak to a paediatrician or child health professional if you notice:

• Daily meltdowns lasting more than 20 minutes or involving violence
• Aggression directed at themselves, others, or property
• No improvement despite several months of consistent effort
• Struggles across multiple environments – home, childcare, school

Three professionals who can help:

• Occupational Therapists work on sensory processing and self-regulation through physical activity.
• Child Psychologists use play therapy and behavioural strategies.
• Parent Coaches provide practical co-regulation techniques tailored to your family.

Photo by Shichida Australia: Flashcards are a favourite during each Shichida lesson – touching on a variety of topics at a fast pace.

Download DIY emotions flashcards for use at home.

Ready to see emotional intelligence in action?

The activities in this guide work because they’re built around how a child’s brain actually develops. Once you shift from trying to fix a tantrum to guiding your child’s nervous system, everything else gets easier.

Shichida’s trial class gives you 50 minutes inside our program with no commitment. Book a trial at your nearest centre.

What Is Object Permanence in Babies?

Object permanence refers to the understanding that something continues to exist even when it is no longer visible. Before developing this skill, a baby may act as though an object has vanished completely when it disappears from sight. As cognitive abilities mature, babies begin to realise that hidden objects still exist and can be found.

Why It Matters for Cognitive Development

Object permanence is far more than a simple game of finding hidden toys. It forms the foundation for several important developmental skills:

• Memory and recall
• Early problem-solving
• Language development
• Emotional regulation
• Understanding relationships and routines

For example, when your child hears the word “ball,” they eventually understand that the ball still exists even when it is stored away in a cupboard. This ability to mentally represent objects is a major step in both baby cognitive development and later toddler cognitive development.

Object Permanence and Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget identified object permanence as one of the key achievements of the Piaget sensorimotor stage, which spans birth to approximately two years.

Piaget observed that young infants often lose interest in an object as soon as it disappears. Older babies, however, actively search for hidden items. This shift signals that they are beginning to build mental representations of the world around them.

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies practise early problem-solving as they match coloured objects to cups, building attention, memory, coordination, and the understanding that objects can move, disappear, and be found again.

When Does Object Permanence Develop in Babies?

Every child develops at their own pace, but object permanence generally emerges gradually throughout the first two years of life.

0-4 Months: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

During the earliest months, babies can track moving objects with their eyes for short periods. However, if a toy disappears behind a blanket, they typically stop searching and quickly move on to something else.

At this stage, their understanding of the world is based primarily on what they can directly see and experience.

This is a good time to introduce high contrast flashcards or pictures to your baby.

4-8 Months: The First Signs

Between four and eight months, many babies begin showing the earliest signs of object permanence.

They may:

• Look briefly toward where an object disappeared
• Anticipate something reappearing
• Become fascinated by peek-a-boo

This growing sense of expectation shows that babies are beginning to understand that things continue to exist beyond their immediate view.

8-12 Months: Active Searching

This is often when parents notice significant changes.

Your baby may:

• Lift a cloth to uncover a toy
• Search for a dropped object
• Follow where an object has gone
• Anticipate hidden objects reappearing

Around nine months, many babies can pass Piaget’s classic hidden-object test by uncovering a toy hidden beneath a blanket.

This period is also closely connected to separation anxiety and object permanence. Your baby now understands that you still exist when you leave the room, but they do not yet fully understand that you will return.

12-18 Months: Visible Displacement

Toddlers become better at tracking objects that move from one visible location to another.

For example, if they watch you move a toy from under one cup to another, they can usually follow the movement with their eyes and locate the correct cup.

This demonstrates growing memory and problem-solving abilities.

18-24 Months: Full Mastery and Mental Representation

By around two years of age, most toddlers have developed strong object permanence skills.

They can often find objects even when the hiding process occurs out of sight. This reflects the emergence of mental representation in toddlers, the ability to hold an image, person, or idea in mind without directly seeing it.

This milestone supports imagination, language development, pretend play, and more advanced problem-solving.

Signs Your Baby Is Developing Object Permanence

You may notice several everyday behaviours that signal growing object permanence:

• Watches the spot where a dropped toy fell
• Lifts a blanket to find a partially hidden object
• Enjoys peek-a-boo and anticipates the reveal
• Looks toward the door when you leave
• Searches for a toy hidden under a cup
• Becomes upset when you leave the room
• Starts playing simple hiding games
• Retrieves toys hidden in containers

Key Insight

Separation anxiety isn’t a setback. It’s a sign your baby’s cognitive understanding is growing. They now know you exist even when you’re not there. The next step is learning that you’ll always come back.

Image by Shichida Australia: Knob puzzles help babies practise memory, focus, fine motor control, and early problem-solving as they work out where each piece belongs. As babies lift, move, and replace puzzle pieces, they begin to understand that objects can change position while still existing – an important step in object permanence and early cognitive development.

Understanding the Cognitive Learning Stages in Babies and Toddlers

To understand where object permanence fits, it helps to look at the broader cognitive learning stage your child is moving through.

Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 Years)
Children learn about the world through their senses, movement, and direct interactions with their environment. During this stage, they begin to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 Years)
Language develops rapidly, and children begin using symbols, images, and pretend play to represent ideas. Their thinking becomes more imaginative, although it is still largely centred on their own perspective.

Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 Years)
Children start to think logically about real-life situations and can understand concepts such as cause and effect, conservation, and classification. Problem-solving skills become more organised and systematic.

Formal Operational Stage (11 Years and Older)
Abstract reasoning develops, allowing children and adolescents to think about hypothetical situations, future possibilities, and complex concepts that are not directly tied to concrete experiences.

Object permanence develops during the Sensorimotor stage, making it one of the earliest and most important cognitive achievements in early childhood development.

The Six Substages of the Sensorimotor Period

Piaget divided the sensorimotor period into six substages that show how babies gradually build their understanding of the world:

1. Reflexes (0-1 month): Learning through automatic responses such as sucking and grasping.
2. Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months): Repeating actions centred on their own body, such as sucking their thumb.
3. Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months): Repeating actions that create interesting effects in the environment.
4. Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months): Beginning intentional actions and searching for hidden objects.
5. Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months): Experimenting and exploring different ways to achieve results.
6. Mental Representation (18-24 months): Thinking about objects and events without directly seeing them.

Object permanence develops gradually across these stages and reaches its most advanced form during the final stage.

From Cognitive Understanding to Skilled Action

Once babies understand that objects continue to exist, they spend months practising that knowledge through play. Games of peek-a-boo and finding hidden toys helps strengthen memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.

This is why simple play experiences are so powerful for early learning!

Image by Shichida Australia: Babies practise visual tracking as they follow the puppet with their eyes, helping strengthen focus, attention, and field of vision during early development. Following a moving puppet helps babies practise visual tracking, attention, and anticipation – early skills that support object permanence as babies learn to notice where people and objects move.

Object Permanence Activities for Babies (0-12 Months)

The best object permanence activities are simple, playful, and easy to repeat throughout the day.

Classic Peek-a-Boo

Peek-a-boo is one of the earliest and most effective object permanence games. Start by covering your face with your hands. As your baby grows, hide behind a cloth or around furniture before reappearing.

Play peek-a-boo during nappy changes or tummy time for a quick cognitive boost!

Hiding a Toy Under a Cloth

Place a favourite toy under a lightweight scarf while your baby watches. Around 7-9 months, many babies will begin lifting the cloth to retrieve it.

Pop-Up Toys

Simple pop-up toys help babies experience the exciting pattern of “gone” and “back again”. This strengthens their understanding that objects continue to exist even when temporarily hidden.

Lift-the-Flap Books

Books with flaps provide built-in object permanence practice. Your baby learns that something hidden behind the flap is still there waiting to be discovered.

Rolling a Ball Behind a Cushion

Slowly roll a ball behind a cushion or small obstacle. Encourage your baby to look for where it went. Use a brightly coloured ball and exaggerate your movements to keep your baby engaged.

Object Container Play

Place toys into a container and tip them back out. This simple activity helps babies understand that objects can move between locations while continuing to exist.

Calling From Another Room

Briefly step just out of sight and call your baby’s name before returning with a smile. This gentle game helps build trust alongside cognitive understanding.

Mirror Disappearance Play

Cover and uncover your baby’s reflection with a cloth. Many babies find this fascinating and entertaining.

Image by Shichida Australia: Familiar songs and flashcard routines help babies build memory and anticipation as they learn to expect what comes next.

Object Permanence Activities for 1-Year-Olds

By age one, object permanence is becoming well established. Activities can now focus on memory, problem-solving, and exploration.

Object Permanence Boxes

These simple boxes allow toddlers to drop a ball into a hole and retrieve it from a drawer below. They encourage prediction, memory, and persistence.

Container and Lid Matching

Offer several containers and matching lids. Toddlers enjoy hiding objects, finding them again, and experimenting with different combinations.

Hide and Seek with People

Hide behind a doorway or curtain and encourage your toddler to come looking for you.

Stacking and Knocking Down

Building towers and knocking them down helps toddlers explore cause and effect while strengthening attention and coordination.

Simple Shape Sorters

Shape sorters encourage problem-solving while reinforcing the idea that objects continue to exist when placed inside a container.

Pointing and Naming Games

Ask questions such as “Where’s Daddy’s shoe?” or “Where’s your teddy?” Finding absent objects demonstrates growing mental representation skills.

Brain Development Toys for 1-Year-Olds

Image by Shichida Australia: Posting games help toddlers practise colour matching, fine motor control, memory, and problem-solving as they work out where each piece belongs and where it goes once posted inside the box

When choosing brain development toys for 1 year old children, focus on open-ended play rather than flashing lights or complicated features.

Helpful options include:

• Object permanence boxes
• Lift-the-flap books
• Push-button pop-up toys
• Soft balls and containers
• Wooden shape sorters
• Stacking rings
• Treasure baskets filled with safe household objects

Key Insight

The best brain development toys aren’t expensive or screen-based. They’re simple, open-ended, and allow your child to repeat the same actions many times. Repetition is how learning becomes lasting understanding.

Image by Shichida Australia: Quick hidden-object intuition games help children practise decision-making as they tune into their first response, build confidence in their choices, and strengthen focus through playful learning.

Object Permanence and Memory Activities for 2-Year-Olds

By age two, the focus shifts beyond object permanence toward memory, language, sequencing, and symbolic thinking.

Memory Matching Games

Start with just two to four pairs of picture cards. Matching games strengthen attention and working memory.

Three-Cup Hide Game

Hide a toy under one of three cups while your toddler watches. Encourage them to track and locate the toy.

Imaginative Object Play

Ask questions such as “Where does teddy sleep?” or “Can you put teddy to bed?” Symbolic play shows increasingly sophisticated thinking.

Sequencing Daily Routines

Use picture cards or simple instructions such as “First we wash hands, then we eat lunch.” This helps toddlers understand events across time.

Hide and Seek with Time Delay

Hide an object, briefly leave the room, then return and encourage your child to find it. This strengthens memory retention.

Posting and Sorting Games

Posting boxes, coin banks, and sorting activities encourage toddlers to predict where objects have gone and retrieve them later.

Language Games for Absent Objects

Ask your toddler about a grandparent, favourite toy, or recent outing that is not currently present. Talking about absent people and events demonstrates strong mental representation skills.

Object Permanence, Separation Anxiety, and Emotional Development

Many parents first encounter object permanence through separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety often begins between 8 and 14 months and may peak between 14 and 18 months. While it can be challenging, it is usually a sign of healthy development.

Your baby now understands that you continue to exist when you’re not visible. What they have not yet fully mastered is the understanding that you will reliably return.

Helpful strategies include:

• Keeping goodbyes short and predictable
• Using comfort objects during separations
• Playing hide-and-seek games
• Following consistent daily routines
• Practising brief separations and reunions

Key Insight

Object permanence can contribute to separation anxiety because your baby understands that you still exist when you leave. Over time, consistent routines and repeated reunions help your child feel more secure and learn that you come back.

When to Speak to a Child Health Professional

Developmental milestones vary widely, and every child develops at their own pace.

However, it may be worth speaking with your Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurse or GP if:

• By 12 months, your baby shows no interest in hidden objects
• Your child never searches for toys that disappear
• By 18 months, there are no signs of pretend or symbolic play
• Previously acquired skills are lost
• You have concerns about eye contact, response to name, or social engagement

These are conversation starters, not diagnoses. A health professional can provide reassurance or recommend further assessment if needed.

Supporting Your Baby’s Cognitive Development with Shichida

Object permanence is just one of many important milestones that develop during the first two years of life. During this time, babies are building memory, attention, language, emotional awareness, and problem-solving skills.

The Shichida Method supports early development through structured, multi-sensory learning experiences. Shichida Australia’s infant and toddler programs combine sensory activities, language exposure, music, movement, memory games, and parent-child interaction to complement learning at home.

Ready to continue your child’s learning journey? Book a trial class or find your nearest Shichida centre today!