Food and Play Brain Builders
Vroom
July 15, 2025
Crunch! Slurp! Snap! The sounds of summer (and our favorite treats) are all around us. From counting spoonfuls to cleaning up messes, these moments build memories and young brains.
We know summer is a busy time for families and caregivers. Good news is that brain building doesn’t require any extra time, money, or stuff. It fits into what you already do. Mealtime is a great time to teach children skills like listening, problem solving, focus, and more! Our partners at Vroom have some great food and play brain builders for you to use.
The Hand Wash
Suggested Age: 12 months – 18 months
Let your child be your partner as you wash up before a meal. Say, “It’s time to wash our hands, yours and mine.” Put soap on both your hands and lather up. Be silly as you dry your hands off together. Do you shake dry? Toss the towel back and forth? Make a hand jumble? What else?
Silly Suds
Suggested Age: 12 months – 3 years
Get silly while getting clean! Tell your child, “Let’s wash your hands!” but start washing their feet. What do they do? Then say: “Oh! Those are your feet! Where are your hands?” As they get older, have them lead, using other parts of their body like elbows, wrists, and ankles.
Kitchen Music
Suggested Age: 3-5years
Let your child create an instrument using a plastic container with measuring spoons or keys inside. Clap a rhythm or tap your toes. Ask them to try and copy your beat with their homemade instrument. Then, have them take a turn at leading and you follow their beat.
How Many?
Suggested Age: 3-5 years
Cut an apple and ask your child to guess how many seeds they think will be inside. Or how many pieces of orange there will be after you peel it. Count the seeds or segments together and compare that number with their guess. What other foods can you use for this game?
Eye-to-Eye
Suggested Age: 0-6 months
You can talk to your child about anything! Use their name as you make eye contact and chat. Your attention is like a hug from the inside that helps them feel focused, calm, and settled. Pay attention to what is happening around them and talk about it.
Daily Favorite
Suggested Age: 2.5-5 years
In the evening, ask your child what their favorite part of the day was. Make sure you follow up with questions. “Why did you like that? Was it more fun than the last time you did that? Why?” You can make this a regular part of your day!
Stress Busters
Suggested Age: 2.5-5 years
During a calm moment, invite your child to come up with their own ideas for managing stressed feelings. You can make suggestions, such as using words to explain their feelings, hitting something that can’t be hurt, or counting numbers. Try out the ideas and brainstorm others.
Sock Puppets
Suggested Age: 2-3 years
Sorting the laundry? Encourage your child to help you fi nd all of the socks and make a pile of them. Pick a sock and pretend it is a puppet looking for its matching friend. Celebrate when you fi nd a match. Then let them take a turn as the puppet.
Rhyme Zone
Suggested Age: 3-5 years
You can play this rhyming game anywhere, anytime. Think of a fun word, then let your child think of another word that rhymes with it. Take turns and keep going back and forth as long as you can! Plan? Fan? Ran?
Colorful World
Suggested Age: 3-4 years
When you’re out with your child, team up with them to fi nd colors. Have them point to something and name the color. Then you name all of the things you can think of that are the same color. Take turns playing this game.
For even more brain builders for different age groups, check out Vroom’s Food and Play Tip Sheet It’s also available in Spanish!