This is a great cognitive development focused activity to help your baby learn about object permanence and can also be easily adapted to add more of a challenge for little ones that already have a firm grasp on object permanence.
Materials
- Baskets or boxes of similar size, shape, and color
- Favorite toy or stuffed animal (We used Riley’s small Squishmallow that she absolutely loves)
Directions
- Clear the area of all distractions except for the materials listed above.
- Show your child the toy and have them watch you place it underneath a basket/box. For little ones still understanding object permeance (an object is still there even if I can’t see it), use only one basket/box for this activity. For little ones who understand object permeance, then use multiple baskets/boxes.
- Ask your child Where is (fill in object name)?
- Have your child find the object. Encourage them to lift the box. If they aren’t sure, help them by giving them a sneak peek under the box and then put the box back down. Use hand over hand modeling to help your little one lift the box if they need it.
- Give lots of praise and encouragement.
- Repeat. If you are using multiple boxes, be sure to change up which box you hide the toy under.
- As your child becomes more successful with this, start to mix it up by hiding the toy under one box and then quickly changing the toy to the other box all while your child watches. See what your child does. Do they go for the first box still or do they go for the second box where they saw you switch the toy too?
- Continue to ask your child Where is …? each time. You can also hide the toy under a box and then while the they are watching slowly change the positions of the boxes by sliding them along the ground to switch places. Again, ask your child Where is…? Do they look under the box that was in the location of the original basket? Or do they look under the basket/box that has now been moved to the other side?
Note: For little ones who are still figuring out object permanence, you may choose to use a small blanket, towel, or wash cloth to hide the toy under instead of a basket/box. This may be easier for your child to lift and look under than a basket/box.
Riley’s experience
Riley was very excited about this activity for multiple reasons. She loves her Squishmallows so much! Also, she has been really into moving furniture and heavy objects lately. I often find her pushing the dining room chairs all over the hard floors. She drags and attempts to pick up her toy crates and walk them all over the play area. She absolutely loves to climb into her toy baskets and fill/empty them. So, this activity was great for Riley as she got to lift the baskets and underneath would find her favorite stuffed animal! Riley understands object permanence and knew that she would find her stuffed animal under the basket she saw me place it under, so we started this activity out with two baskets. I wondered how she would do when I started to mix it up by switching the basket on her or changing the places of the baskets. Each time she correctly chose the basket with the Squishmallow underneath which told me that she was not only watching carefully, but processing and understanding what she was seeing. This is great for focus and attention as well as memory and processing.
Benefits
- Cognitive development
- Object Permeance: An object still exists even if you can’t see it
- Memory: Remembering where the toy was last seen
- Visual Processing: Being able to understand what you are seeing
- Focus and Attentions Skills: Your child is being asked to focus and pay attention to what you are doing the whole time.
- Gross Motor Skills: Lifting up the baskets is takes strength and coordination
- Language Development: Since this is a favorite toy, they should be very familiar with its name. By naming the object each time your ask your child Where is…?, you are asking your child to demonstrate their understanding of your words and rely on their listening vocabulary to know what you mean and what toy you are referring too.
