One simple way to nurture cognitive development, such as vocabulary skills, is to talk to your children. The more you talk to your children, the more vocabulary they learn. Their ability to convey facts and procedures is associated with the size of their vocabulary. Talk to them, even if they are not old enough to talk back; they will learn how to use facial expressions and how to take turns talking. Encourage them to interact with other children while establishing a balance between individual and collaborative activities.
Critical thinking aids children in evaluating the validity of ideas and judging issues and situations. It helps them make good decisions and see the reality of an issue, rather than naively accepting whatever is put before them. Children have to be taught how to think critically by slowing down and asking the right questions, such as what is being evaluated, how they feel about it, and how accurate the claimant's information is.
Children who want to learn have a distinct advantage over children who do not have that desire. You can establish a positive learning environment in the home by providing opportunities to learn -- such as playing educational games during family game night -- and nurturing your children's attitude toward learning by providing stimulating materials, such as books, writing tools, or computers with educational software. Ask your children questions about what they learned in school, and nurture their curiosity by encouraging them to ask questions.
Because children get bored easily, it is imperative that you provide diverse experiences for them. Expose your children to a wide range of topics, people and experiences, and allow them to see the correlations among the various stimuli. Take your children to a variety of locales, such as zoos, museums and libraries to enhance their cognitive development. Variety increases the possibility they will become passionate about something, and they will increase their brain power at the same time.