TinyStepper
Parent and curly-haired toddler clapping hands on cushions with musical notes floating

Narration Without Questions

Sit beside your toddler while they play and narrate what you see — 'You picked the red one. You're stacking it carefully.' Pure description, no questions, no instructions.

Activity details

2y–4y10 minslowindoorNo prep

Instructions

Get ready
  • Wait until your child is already playing with something — blocks, cars, dolls.
  • Sit nearby at their level. Don't interrupt the play.
  1. Wait until your child is already playing with something — blocks, cars, dolls.
  2. Sit nearby at their level. Don't interrupt the play.
  3. In a slow, quiet voice, say what you see: 'You're holding the blue car.'
  4. Pause. Wait for your child to do the next thing.
  5. Narrate the next thing: 'You're rolling it down the ramp.'
  6. Keep going. No questions, no praise, no suggestions.
  7. If your child speaks to you, respond at the same slow pace, then return to narrating.
  8. End naturally after about ten minutes. Don't make a big deal of stopping.

Parent tip

Start before you overthink it. No-prep activities work best when you begin while the moment is still recoverable.

Parent and child sitting face-to-face laughing together in a warm shared moment

What success looks like

Back-and-forth between you — words, gestures, shared pretend. Connection is the real outcome here.

Pull up next to your toddler while they play and start narrating what you see in the calmest voice you have. 'You picked the red block. You're putting it on top. The tower is getting tall.' That's it. No questions, no praise, no instructions. Just slow, gentle running commentary on what your child is doing. Sportscasting your child's play in an unhurried voice gives them rich language input with zero pressure to respond — exactly the opposite of the high-pressure conversational moments that worsen disfluency.

Why it helps

The Stuttering Foundation's core message to parents is: 'Above all, convey that you accept your child as he is. The most powerful force will be your support of him, whether he stutters or not.' Narration without questions is the most concentrated form of that acceptance — you are giving rich language input, deep attention, and zero performance demand all at once. The NHS stammering guidance reinforces that the most helpful thing parents can do is create an environment where the child feels relaxed and confident about talking.

Variations

  • Try it during a meal — narrate the food on the plate as your child eats.
  • Try it in the bath when your child is calm and absorbed in water play.
  • Try whisper-narration if your child seems overstimulated by your normal voice.

Safety tips

  • Resist the urge to slip in a teaching comment — narration only, not instruction.
  • Don't narrate so much that you crowd out your child's own voice; pause often.
  • If your child asks you to stop, stop immediately and just sit with them quietly.

Want to try another?

Slow Mum Slow Dad Game

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