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Activity packs are being sent to Argentina so parents can aid the cognitive development of their children, as part of a university research project.

Oxford's universities have been working with The Hospital Aleman in Buenos Aires and the Inter-American Development Bank on the scheme.

Each package contains a book, craft materials, and suggestions for ways to use them.

Packs were previously distributed in Oxfordshire.

Since then a team led by Dr Nayeli Gonzalez-Gomez, reader in psychology at Oxford Brookes University, have been looking at how they could be used more widely.

The project then secured £12,690 from the university's Small Knowledge Exchange Awards for the Argentina trial.

Dr Gonzalez-Gomez said: “We are collaborating with the hospital and the bank to conduct two knowledge exchange workshops for parents and early years practitioners, as well as an event for the general public.

"We also aim to distribute our three activity packs among 100 families with children identified by hospital screenings as being at risk of developmental delays."

Covid impact

She added: "Our project seeks to work with organisations in Argentina to provide resources and support directly to those in greatest need.

"Through this initiative, we aim to evaluate and quantify the impact of these activity packs on children's cognitive development."

Dr Gonzalez-Gomez initially developed The Little Explorer Pack, the Colourful Walk and Talk Pack, and the Not Too Messy Animal Pack, with Alexandra Hendry from the University of Oxford.

It was part of a research project into the impact of Covid and lockdowns on the cognitive development of babies and toddlers.

The packs have since been translated into eight different languages.

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