Words & communication

Where did it go?

Hide part of a familiar toy behind an adult-held sturdy book cover and narrate the search.

5 minutes

What you'll need

Adult-held sturdy board book · One large one-piece toy labelled suitable for children under 3

Before you start

Can attend to a shared object briefly

Best fit: either · calm energy · low caregiver effort · low mess

How to play

  1. Hold the book upright at floor level and hide only part of the toy behind it.
  2. Ask where it went.
  3. Reveal it together and name its position.
Make it easier

Leave most of the object visible.

Standard

Hide part of a familiar toy behind an adult-held sturdy book cover and narrate the search.

Extend it

Use two hiding places and position words such as under and beside.

What you might notice

Search strategies, gestures and position words understood.

Keep it safe

The adult holds the intact book and keeps the toy and child's face fully visible. Use no cloth or loose covering; stay within arm's reach, stop mouthing or throwing, and store both items afterward.

Why it may be useful

This activity creates an easy moment for back-and-forth communication, shared attention and hearing useful words in context.

strong

Applies to caregiver-led language opportunities; it does not predict an individual child's language trajectory.

Jeong et al. (2021) — Parenting interventions to promote early child development in the first three years of life: A global systematic review and meta-analysis

Dowdall et al. (2025) — Home-based shared book reading and developmental outcomes in young children: a systematic review with meta-analyses

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