Can You Find the Hidden Treasure?
Prep: 10 Minutes | Activity Time: 10-15 Minutes聽
Children love surprises! Hide an everyday item and it becomes a treasure to find.
- Plastic bin or container
- Sand, rice or cornmeal
- Small toys or household items (plastic animals, balls, keys, large size nuts and bolts, letter/number magnets, plastic spoons, etc.)
Step 1: Place a tablecloth or other protective covering on the floor.
Step 2: Put sand, rice or cornmeal in a plastic bin and hide small toys or items.
Step 3: Invite your child to dig through the sand (or rice or cornmeal) to find the hidden treasures.
Step 4: Ask your child to tell you what he finds. You can add more language to the conversation by adding details.
For example, you might say:
鈥淵ou found the yellow ball. Can you point to the blue stripes on the ball? The ball is round, and look: it bounces!鈥
Or you might say:
鈥淭here鈥檚 your purple truck! How many wheels are on the truck? Look at the windshield. It鈥檚 just like the windshield on my truck. But my truck is red. It鈥檚 not purple.鈥
Or you might say:
鈥淵ou found the key. Daddy uses the key to open the door to the house. What else does Daddy use a key for? That鈥檚 right 鈥 to start the truck.鈥
Label the items for your child and ask him to repeat.
Ask your child to feel in the sand to locate a certain item. For example, you might say:
鈥淩each into the sand without peeking and see if you can find the house key! It鈥檚 flat and it has bumps on one edge.鈥