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Signs at the Mall

Look for restroom symbols and arrows during a mall visit, then follow what the signs show.

  • 2 years
  • Quick prep
  • Shopping mall
  • About 15 minutes
Focus
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Developmental benefits

  • Language：Looking at signs during a real errand helps your child connect everyday symbols with the places and meanings they represent.
  • Movement：Walking in the direction of an arrow helps your child connect the symbol’s orientation with a physical action.

Preparation

What You’ll Need

Step 1

Where Is the Restroom Sign?

When your child says they need the restroom, respond first, then search together for the restroom sign. Once you find it, point it out and give your child time to study the symbol.

What to notice

  • Tells you when they need to use the restroom Relationships with Adults
  • Looks at the restroom sign with you while you explain it Attending and Understanding

Tips

  • Repeated searches help your child move from simply following an adult toward noticing a sign that shows where to go.
  • There is no need to turn the trip into a sign lesson. Notice the symbols while you are already looking for the restroom.

Step 2

Follow the Arrow

After finding the sign, look at the arrow together. Say, “The arrow points this way, so we’ll walk this way,” and follow its direction.

What to notice

  • Looks at an arrow sign with you Emergent Literacy
  • Walks with you in the direction of the arrow Perception

Tips

  • Use direction words such as “straight ahead” and “turn” while your child is making the matching movement.
  • A sign may be high above your child’s usual line of sight. Crouch beside them and point from where they are looking.

Step 3

Notice the Sign’s Main Feature

At the restroom door, look at the sign again and name its clearest visual feature. Respond when your child notices a shape or figure. Repeated encounters can help them recognize a similar restroom sign later.

What to notice

  • Points when they see the restroom sign again Emergent Literacy
  • Points out a clear feature of the restroom sign, such as the person symbol Imitation and Symbolic Representation and Play

Tips

  • Keep the explanation focused on one visible feature: “There is a person symbol on this door. This is the restroom.”
  • If your child urgently needs the restroom, go first. Look at the sign together on the way out.
  • Recognition grows through repeated encounters. When you see a similar sign on another outing, point it out again.

Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026