What if I was to tell you that a game of peekaboo could change the world? Sounds impossible, right? Well, I'm here today to prove it's not. Hi, I'm Molly.
And I'm Seven. And this is my little friend Ari. Say hi, Ari.
Hi. Oh, and this is my neighbour, Almajot. He has to take Ari away now to get ready for our experiment.
But don't worry, they'll be back. My talk today is about some powerful things you grown-ups can do that shape us as children and the adults we become. How do I know? Because my parents and people around me did them, early and often.
I know not all kids are as lucky. Some of my friends, some kids at my school and many around the world. And I would really like to help change that. Thanks to scientists, we now know just how important the first five years are for our health and development, especially our brains. Ari started learning long before he was even born from inside his mummy's tummy.
When Ari Warring was what? He was tiny and he cried all the time. He was always hungry and he pooped a lot. Now he laughs and giggles and makes fun of me. funny noises. But those are just the changes we hear and see.
There's way more going on inside. So let's talk more about our brains. The blue bag is the rough size and weight of a healthy baby's brain at birth.
The red one is a baby's brain after the first year. It almost doubles in volume. And by my age, it's almost 90%. The volume is 90%. of an adult brain.
Our brains develop faster in our early years than at any other time in our lives. It can create up to 1 million neural connections every second but we need your help. Our healthy development depends on these top five things. One, connecting. Two, talking.
Three, playing. 4. A healthy home. 5. Community.
All of this helps our brains and does reach our full potential. So what's something you can do that can really make a difference? Scientists call it serve and return.
That's just a grown-up way of saying connect, talk and play with us. And here's the really big news. Amidjat, Ari, you ready?
Copycat games build imagination and empathy. Naming games build vocabulary and attention. And games like peekaboo, yep, peekaboo, actually build memory and trust. Each time you talk to us, play with us, make us laugh.
It not only builds and strengthens our relationships and mental health, it actually teaches us some of the most important life skills. From making friends, to taking a test, to getting a job, to one day, maybe even starting a family of our own. Interactions only and often matter. Take it from me, the seven-year-old up here, talking about brain science. Okay, now, let's see what happens when the connection is taken away.
So now he's trying to get his dad's attention again. He's reaching out like, That was fun, why have you stopped? I know it's important for adults to use their devices sometimes, but kids are hardwired to seek out meaningful connections.
Not receiving them causes... This is confusion and stress. Okay, Amatjot, please re-engage. I did re-engage.
Now, what if a whole childhood was like that last 30 seconds? How hard it would be for a child to feel calm, to feel safe. To learn to trust anyone and the lifelong impact that would have, that makes me feel sad. Ari only reacted the way he did and recovered so quickly because the connection between him and his dad is usually so strong.
The positive relationships with the grown-ups in our lives gives kids the confidence we need to try new things, to explore and be a kid. So please try and remember, the most special period for our development is the first five years. Starting from inside mummy's tummy. What's something really impactful you can do? Serve and return.
And when? Early and often. Please give it up for Amichat and Ari! Every moment together is an opportunity to connect, talk and play. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone everywhere did this.
To us, to children, it's so much more than just a game. It's our future. Thank you.
See? We can change the world!