Learn why early interactions between young children and their parents or caregivers are essential to promoting healthy brain development, and how these positive experiences help to build fundamental brain architecture in children. Serve and return occurs when a parent or caregiver is responsive to a child’s verbal cues and actions. By providing positive feedback via eye contact, sound, words and physical interaction, the adult helps spark the child’s interest and enthusiasm in practicing things like speech, language and social learning. Without active serve and return engagement, children can lose interest in these activities, potentially undermining the development of fundamental brain architecture.