Little Detective: Find Mom

1. 1

   Your child is becoming familiar with your home. Invite one parent to hide in a familiar place and see whether your child can find them.

2. 2

   Tell your child, “Mom is going to hide!” Dad can gently cover your child’s eyes while Mom slips into another room and hides, perhaps inside the bedroom closet.

3. 3

   Once your child can see again, they may look around or check behind Dad to see whether Mom is there.

4. 4

   Dad can begin with a broad clue: “I think Mom is hiding in the bedroom.”

5. 5

   Your child may hurry toward that room. If they go the wrong way, offer another location clue: “The bedroom is on the other side.”

6. 6

   As they move closer, make the clue more specific: “Look near the closet!”

7. 7

   Celebrate together when your little detective finds Mom.

What to notice

• Changes direction after hearing that they entered the wrong room Attending and Understanding
• Hugs you excitedly after finding you Relationships with Adults

Tips

• If your child wants another round, Mom can choose a new hiding place or Dad can take a turn hiding. Keep offering small location clues during each search.

Developmental benefits

• Language: Following clues about where Mom is hiding helps your child connect location words with a real search and build early language understanding.