Connection & feelings

Pause and respond

During play, pause and wait for your child's signal before continuing.

5 minutes

What you'll need

A favourite social game

Before you start

Comfortable interacting with a familiar caregiver

Best fit: either · calm energy · low caregiver effort · low mess

How to play

  1. Begin a familiar game.
  2. Pause at an exciting moment.
  3. Respond to any look, movement, sound or word asking for more.
Make it easier

Use a very familiar hand song or peekaboo game.

Standard

During play, pause and wait for your child's signal before continuing.

Extend it

Offer two ways the game could continue.

What you might notice

The subtle signals your child uses to continue or stop.

Keep it safe

Choose a gentle floor-level social game with no lifting, bouncing, spinning or shaking. Stay within arm's reach, pause for your child's cue, and stop when they turn away, become tired or distressed.

Why it may be useful

Following your child's lead and responding to their signals may support warm, reciprocal interaction.

strong

Supports responsive interaction as a broad mechanism, not a claim that a single activity changes development.

Jeong et al. (2021) — Parenting interventions to promote early child development in the first three years of life: A global systematic review and meta-analysis

Pitchik et al. (2024) — A meta-analytic review of the implementation characteristics in parenting interventions to promote early child development

Leijten et al. (2021) — Teaching Parents to Be Responsive: A Network Meta-analysis

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