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Find Dad with Clues

Play hide-and-seek while Mom helps your child look for Dad. After the big find, talk together about where they looked and what helped.

  • 18 months
  • No prep needed
  • At home
  • About 5 minutes
Focus
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Developmental benefits

  • Language：Using simple words to talk through the search gives your child practice understanding and expressing ideas in a shared conversation.
  • Cognitive：Following clues, changing where they look, and continuing after an unsuccessful guess gives your child practice remembering information and trying a new approach.

Preparation

What You’ll Need

  1. 1

    Explain the rules of hide-and-seek beforehand

Step 1

Wait for Dad to Hide

Play hide-and-seek and invite your child to find Dad. While Dad hides, Mom stays with your child and starts a small game. Count, sing a song, dance, or play with a toy while you wait.

What to notice

  • Waits with you while Dad finishes hiding Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)
  • Begins looking for Dad after hearing your cue Attending and Understanding

Tips

  • While Dad hides, Mom can hold your child or stay close and ask with excitement, “Where did Dad go?” Turn the wait into part of the game.
  • Mom can cover her face with her hands or a small towel for a quick round of peekaboo while Dad finishes hiding.
  • An 18-month-old may focus only briefly, but your company and a simple waiting game can help them stay involved.

Step 2

Follow the Clues

At first, watch where your child chooses to look. If they become discouraged after checking a few places, offer a new clue such as, “Could Dad be behind the curtain?” Then watch how they respond.

What to notice

  • Uses a location clue to look for Dad Attending and Understanding
  • Returns to the search after you remind them of the task Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)

Tips

  • If something else catches your child’s attention, remind them of the search: “Is Dad here?” or “I think Dad is near the stuffed animals.”
  • If your child wants you to come along, check the place together. Smile and say, “Not here. Let’s look by the curtain!”
  • Use position words as you search: “Is Dad under the sofa?” “What about behind the door?”
  • If your child follows a clue to the wrong place, go there together anyway. This still helps them connect a word such as curtain with the object it names.

Step 3

Talk About the Search

After finding Dad, remember the search together. Use key words such as door and curtain to talk about what just happened. If your child tries to copy a word or sound, repeat it naturally and give them another chance to join in.

What to notice

  • Talks with you about how they found Dad Communicating and Speaking
  • Remembers a place where they looked for Dad Memory

Tips

  • Ask simple questions about the search, such as, “Was Dad behind the sofa?” or “Was he behind the door?”
  • If your child points somewhere, ask, “We looked behind the door. Did you see Dad there?” and give them time to respond.
  • Expand a one-word clue into a short sentence. If your child says “foot,” respond, “You saw Dad’s foot, and then you found him!”
  • If your child wants another round, play again—or let Mom hide while Dad and your child search.

Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026