Read books with your child. Choose a variety of stories with different types of narration, such as prose or poetry, and different styles of illustration. Reading with your child helps build his vocabulary, as he begins to understand that letters form words and words form stories.
Play with your child as often as possible. Children learn a great deal by playing. Sorting and counting games build cognition in math skills, stacking blocks teaches basic physics, and water games introduce science skills. Comparing objects is an important skill when children reach the school years. Playing a variety of games exposes your child to a diverse range of cognitive skills in different areas of learning.
Do art projects together. Allowing your child to create art out of a variety of mediums builds his cognition in many ways. He learns colors, shapes and texture, as well as to represent his experiences in different ways. Keep a supply of paint, crayons, markers, paper, coloring books, stickers and recycled items -- such as egg cartons and bottle tops -- where your child can get to them, and allow creative expression as often as possible.
Talk to your child. Children learn a great deal from listening to those around them. Sing songs, repeat rhymes, ask questions and listen to music with your child. These simple activities build speaking, language and social aspects of cognition.
Go on outings together. A variety of experiences helps your child's brain develop. Grocery shopping, mailing letters at the post office and walking the dog are simple options. Museums, zoos, garden centers and amusement parks are other ideas that introduce a wide variety of exposure to different experiences.
Nurture your child. Feeling safe allows your child to focus his cognition on learning the skills he needs as he develops. Snuggle, hold hands, make eye contact and spend time doing the things your child enjoys.