Play and learning

The best baby activities are simple: play on the floor together several times a day, put your baby on their tummy while awake, talk, read and sing. Everyday objects are often all you need. No screens before age 1. And if your baby turns their head away, squirms or cries, it is time for a quiet break.

Doing Montessori at home is not about buying materials: it means setting up a space at your child's height, letting them move and do things for themselves, and giving them real everyday tasks. Observe them, remove what gets in their way, offer a few simple, real objects. Studies, carried out in schools, show moderate positive effects.

Playing outside every day helps children move, let off steam and learn to judge risks. The WHO recommends at least 3 hours of physical activity a day from age 1: the park, the beach or the courtyard are the perfect playground. Let them climb and run, but make no compromise on sun, water, helmets and roads.

Before age 2, the WHO and Canadian paediatricians recommend no screen time at all, with the Canadians making an exception for video calls with loved ones. From 2 to 5, aim for one hour a day at most, and less is better. France goes further: no screens before 3, then occasional use alongside an adult.

Growing up with several languages does not delay speech or cause any disorder: a bilingual child says their first words around 12 months, like other children, and their vocabulary is counted by adding up all their languages. Mixing languages is normal. Above all, speak the language you know best, often and with pleasure.

Singing songs for babies from birth is one of the things the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends every day, along with reading and talking. A singing voice captures a baby's attention, and rhyme and repetition may support early language. Lullabies for sleep, action rhymes for play: sing in whichever language feels natural to you.

The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends reading, talking and singing with your baby every day from birth. Shared reading builds vocabulary, prepares children for school and strengthens your bond. Before age 1, babies look at, touch and chew the book; after that, you chat about the pictures. The best language is the one spoken at home.

Crafts for kids do not need expensive supplies: paper, crayons, glue, cardboard and homemade play dough are enough from age 2 to 6. Crafting builds fine motor skills, language and perseverance. Choose an activity your child can manage, let them do it their own way, and watch out for small objects before age 3.

To keep a child busy at home without screens, alternate active games (cushion obstacle course, skittles, hide-and-seek), quiet games (puzzles, simple board games, pretend play) and free time. The WHO recommends at least 3 hours of physical activity a day before age 5, even indoors. A bit of boredom is fine: it sparks invention.

When teaching Arabic to kids, you can let them hear Modern Standard Arabic from birth through stories and songs, even if you speak Darija at home. Letters come next through play, around age 3 or 4, when the child shows interest. Reading is mostly learned at school. Before age 6, enjoyment matters more than exercises.