15 minNothing at all
Twenty Questions
One of you thinks of something. The other has twenty yes-or-no questions.
👜
Feely Bag
Reach in, feel one object, and describe it without naming it.
Two minutes to set up and it works from age two right up to nine.
What you need
- a pillowcase or cloth bag
- six household objects
How to do it
- Put six objects with clearly different textures into a bag.
- They reach in without looking and feel one.
- Before guessing, they must describe three things about it.
- Then guess, and pull it out to check.
- Let them fill the bag for you next.
Why this is good for them
Identifying an object by touch alone forces a child to attend to properties they usually ignore because sight does the work. Requiring three descriptions before the guess is what turns it from a quiz into genuine vocabulary building.
Adapting by age
2 to 3 yearsThree very familiar objects and no description requirement.
7 to 9 yearsUse unfamiliar kitchen tools and have them describe function as well as shape.
Keep it safe
Nothing sharp, hot or breakable in the bag.
Cleanup tip
Objects go back where they came from.
More like this
10 minNothing at all
Name That Sound
Close your eyes. What made that noise?
20 min
Draw With Your Eyes Closed
You describe. They draw. Nobody looks.
30 min
Origami Jumping Frog
Fold it in five minutes, then race it across the table for half an hour.
15 minNothing at all
The Memory Tray
Ten objects on a tray, thirty seconds to look, then one disappears.
15 minNothing at all
Sort the Laundry
Darks here, lights there, and a two year old who takes it very seriously.