PerseveranceKeep going, kindly

You need: A soft ball or a favourite soft toy, and a clear floor

1. Place the ball or toy a little way from your toddler on a clear, safe floor.
2. Wait and watch. Say, “You want it. Reach!” and cheer any attempt.
3. If they get frustrated, move it a little closer, then cheer again.
4. Finish with a cuddle and say, “You did it, or we did it together.”

“You are trying so hard. Almost there!”

You need: Empty plastic cups or soft blocks (nothing small; stay close)

1. Stack two or three cups together on the floor.
2. Let your toddler knock them down and laugh.
3. Say, “Again?” and help them start a new stack.
4. Stop when they want to stop, and tell them, “You stacked and you stopped. Good listening to your body.”

“Up and down. Shall we do it again, or have a rest?”

You need: A blanket or cushions

1. After some busy play, make a small cosy nest with a blanket.
2. Sit your toddler in it with a drink of water or a quiet song.
3. Say, “Busy body, rest time.” Rock gently or sing.
4. When they are ready, say, “Shall we play again?”

“You worked hard. Now we rest. Then we play again.”

You need: Three bits of paper and a crayon

1. Draw one simple picture on each paper: one finger for ‘one more try’, a tiny step for ‘a smaller step’, and an arrow turning for ‘a different way’.
2. Choose a small puzzle or building task together.
3. When it gets tricky, ask your child to pick a trick card and try it.
4. Praise the trying, whether or not the task is finished.

“Which trick shall we try? One more try, a smaller step or a different way?”

You need: A clear space and a cushion or two

1. Make a low ‘mountain’ from cushions on a clear floor, with an adult beside it.
2. Let your child climb it slowly, step by step, saying, “One step, two steps.”
3. If they slip, say, “Oops, try again,” and help them find a new way up.
4. At the top, cheer together and sit for a rest.

“One step at a time. Look how high you are!”

You need: Paper and a crayon

1. Ask your child to draw a picture of something they can do now that was hard once, such as pouring or hopping.
2. Ask, “How did you learn it? Who helped you?”
3. Write their words beside the drawing.
4. Put it somewhere you will see it, and add a new one next week.

“You kept trying and now you can. What helped you?”

You need: Paper and a pencil

1. Choose a big job, such as tidying a bedroom, making a poster or learning a short poem.
2. Draw three boxes. In each, write or draw one small step.
3. Do the first step now, set a time of 5 minutes if you like, and tick the box.
4. Look at the box and say, “One step done.” Plan when to do the next.

“What is the smallest first step?”

You need: A tricky puzzle or construction task, a timer or clock

1. Work on the task for five minutes, saying out loud what you are trying.
2. Take a two-minute rest: stretch, sip water, look out of the window.
3. Come back and try again, or try it a different way.
4. Afterwards, ask: “Did the rest help? What did you notice?”

“Rest is part of the plan. Ready to try again?”

You need: Paper, pencil

1. Pick a small challenge, such as building a paper bridge that holds a toy.
2. Draw plan A. Try it.
3. If it does not work, draw plan B with one change. Try that.
4. Celebrate each plan: “Every plan tells us something.”

“Plan A did not work. What is plan B?”

You need: Paper and pens

1. Draw a staircase with five steps. At the top, write something you want to do or learn.
2. At the bottom, write where you are now.
3. On each step in between, write one small action, getting harder as you climb.
4. Mark the step you are on. Choose a day to check again.

“What is the next small step? When will you try it?”

You need: Paper and pens

1. Write down something you have been working on that feels stuck.
2. Make three headings: Keep going, Change the plan, Take a rest.
3. Under each, write what that would look like for this task.
4. Choose one for the next three days, and notice how it goes.

“Do I keep going, change the plan or rest? What does my body say?”

You need: A notebook

1. Pick one thing you are practising, such as a skill, a hobby or a subject.
2. Each day, write one line: what I did, how it felt, one thing I noticed.
3. At the end of the week, read it back and underline any progress, even tiny.
4. Share one line with a friend or adult.

“What is one thing that is better than last week?”

You need: Paper and pens, or a notes app

1. Choose a big task or goal for the next month.
2. Break it into weekly chunks, then into 25- or 30-minute sessions.
3. Add rests, a treat and a catch-up day to the plan.
4. Share it with someone and ask how they would adjust it.

“What does a sustainable pace look like for this?”

You need: Paper and pens

1. Pick something you have been working on for a while.
2. Write: What is going well? What is hard? What have I tried? What do I need?
3. Circle one thing to change (the method, the pace, the support or the goal).
4. Decide what you will do in the next week, and when you will review again.

“What is working? What needs to change?”

You need: Pairs

1. Think of one thing you are stuck on and who could help (a teacher, coach or friend).
2. In pairs, practise how you would ask: “I am stuck on… I have tried… Could you…?”
3. Swap roles. Notice what makes asking easier.
4. Choose a time this week to ask for real.

“I am stuck on this. I have tried this. Can you help me with the next step?”