QT30

QT 30 It stands for spending 30 minutes of Quality Time every day with a child in your life. This is one of the best things adults can do to help children grow up to be their best! Quality time is easy to understand. It means attention is 100% on your child. They can look into your eyes, and you into theirs. You are doing something together. You are touching, playing, interacting. Quality time is simple to give. It’s cuddling. It’s talking and smiling together. It’s pat-a-cake and other simple games. It’s breastfeeding, and singing and a whole lot more. This Guide shares 160 daily quality time activities. There are some for infants and toddlers, and some for older kids. Do one each day for three months, and then start over. You’ve got a full year of fun ahead! QUALITY TIME MAKES THE DIFFERENCE When an adult spends thirty minutes of quality time with a baby or toddler child each and every day, they are giving them a great head start in life. The child will have better health, do better in school and get along better in life. Its super-simple…and, it works! ACTIVITIES! Some activities in this book are marked with a gold star. They are some of the evidence-based early learning foundations set by the Delaware Department of Education. All children are learners and all children learn through play. These activities give your child a head start on their education! WHY ARE YOUR CHILD’S EARLY YEARS SO IMPORTANT? Happy and healthy lives start early. How your children do in school, how they behave, even how they do in life takes shape in the earliest years. Thankfully, it is easy to give your child a healthy start with quality time! THE FIRST THREE YEARS The first three years (1000 days) of a child’s life are a period of super-fast changes in their bodies, their brains, and their emotions. In that time, children go from at rest, non-speaking babies to walking, talking toddlers. A child’s growth in this short period of time is amazing. Their bodies, minds, and feelings are getting ready for the life they will live. Even before they walk or talk, babies learn by what they see, hear, and feel. That’s where quality time comes in! AGES FOUR TO EIGHT These are the wonder years when children’s personalities take shape and they become more independent. The quality time you spend helps them to do better in school, get along with others, and have confidence in themselves as they grow up. 30 MINUTES OF QUALITY TIME EACH DAY ADDS UP TO A LIFETIME OF WELL-BEING FOR CHILDREN You are your child’s first teacher. You give them things to look at. You give them things to touch. You show them to play simple games. You help them to feel love. Every time you do things with your child, they are growing. Even little things count. Just 30 minutes each day is like magic, when the time you spend is quality time. Quality time is easy to understand. It means attention is 100% on your child. They can look into your eyes, and you into theirs. You are doing something together. You are touching, playing, interacting. Quality time is simple to give. It’s breastfeeding and cuddling. It’s pat-a-cake and simple games. Its reading, singing and playing together. GIVE THE GIFT OF QUALITY TIME TO A CHILD No matter who you are, you can help children get the quality time they deserve. If you are a parent or caregiver, try out some of the many activities on this website and in the QT 30 Activity Book. There’s lot to choose from, for every day and every time of the year. If you are a day care provider, make sure quality time is part of your program, and share your quality time activities with families. If you are an employer, create work schedules that ensure working parents have time with their children.