Best for this moment
for calmer, lower-pressure moments, especially when you need an indoor option.
Greeting Practice at the Door
At a glance: Practise saying hello, waving, and making eye contact when someone arrives — building social confidence at home first. A 5-minute, low-energy indoor activity for ages 12m–3y. No prep needed.
When a family member comes home or a visitor arrives, practise the greeting together before they enter: 'When Daddy opens the door, let's say hello and wave!' Start with just a wave, then add words: 'Hello!' Then eye contact. Build it up gradually over weeks. Practising at home with familiar people creates a safe rehearsal space for the greetings toddlers will need in the wider world — at nursery, in shops, with relatives.
Parent tip
Start before you overthink it. No-prep activities work best when you begin while the moment is still recoverable.
What success looks like
A good outcome is a few minutes of engaged play, some back-and-forth with you, and a small sign of progress in emotional regulation.
More help for this situation
Transitions and separation
Transitions
Support the switch from one thing to the next with steadier routines and simple bridges.
Read the transitions guideInstructions
- Before someone arrives, prepare together: 'Daddy's coming home soon — shall we say hello?'
- Stand by the door together and practise: 'When the door opens — big wave!'
- When the person enters, model the greeting: 'Hello! We're so happy to see you!'
- Encourage your toddler: 'Can you wave? Can you say hello?'
- Accept any attempt — a shy smile counts as much as a loud 'hello'
- The arriving person responds warmly: 'What a lovely hello! Thank you!'
- Gradually build complexity: wave → 'hello' → eye contact → 'hello, Grandma'
Why it helps
Social greetings are a learned skill, not an innate behaviour — toddlers need explicit teaching and repeated practice. Greeting scripts reduce the social anxiety of encounters with others by making the expected behaviour predictable. Practising at home with safe, familiar people builds the procedural memory and social confidence that toddlers can then draw on in less familiar settings like nursery or the shops.
Variations
- Use a doorbell sound as the 'cue' — when the bell rings, it is greeting time.
- Practise with stuffed animals first: 'Teddy is at the door — can you say hello to him?'
- Extend to goodbyes: practise 'bye-bye' and waving when people leave.
Safety tips
- Never force a greeting if your toddler is genuinely anxious — a wave from behind your legs is a perfectly valid start.
- Avoid putting them on the spot in front of strangers — practise only with familiar people first.
- Praise any attempt at all — even hiding and then peeking out is engagement.
When to pause and seek extra support
Stop if your child becomes distressed, unsafe, or consistently frustrated by the activity. If play, behaviour, or development worries keep showing up across settings, check in with a qualified professional.
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