Problem-solving
A young infant is encouraged to reach for and grasp a toy that can be partially hidden in a caregiver’s hand.
[Invite a young infant to sit securely on your lap. Hold the small duck toy about 12 inches from his/her chest. Move the toy duck slightly and add a little quacking sound for fun.]
Would you like to get the little duck? I will hold it a little closer so you can get ahold of it.
[Place the toy on your palm within the infant’s reach. Encourage the infant to get the little duck.]
[Position the toy to allow the infant to get a good hold on it. Encourage the infant’s efforts in coordinating his/her hands and eyes to get the toy duck. Example: “You can see the little duck. Now you are reaching for the toy.”
Hold out your hand and encourage the infant to give you the toy. If the infant places the toy in your hand (or drops it so you can have it), partially cover the toy in the palm of your hand. Leave part of the toy visible to the infant. Use facial expressions and your voice to ask where the toy went. Open your hand to show the toy if the infant does not reach for the hand partially hiding the toy.
If the infant does not want to return the toy to you, describe the infant’s actions with the toy.]
[Even though a young infant does not understand most specific words, offer a short description of what took place. Example: “Jayden, you got ahold of the little duck. Then you found the little duck hiding in my hand!”]
Getting ahold of a toy represents an important cognitive and motor achievement for an infant. The activity supports the infant’s emerging skills in visually tracking an item. There also is an opportunity to practice remembering where an item is located (partially hidden in the palm of your hand). Look carefully at the infant’s reaching and grasping skills, which are central to the activity, and provide assistance as needed. Moving the toy closer for the infant to reach is an important way to be supportive without eliminating the challenges of reaching and grasping. Avoid putting the toy in the infant’s hands unless necessary, as described in an Extra Support tip. Generally, an infant will move the toy directly to his/her mouth for exploration. You may wish to offer a teething toy.
Extra support
Enrichment
Problem-solving
An older infant is encouraged to creep or crawl around a barrier to obtain a toy.
Be Prepared: Identify an existing low barrier to separate you from an infant for a few moments. A low toy storage unit or shelf may be a possibility. Keep the two toys with you.
Invite an infant who has mastered crawling to play a game with you. Position yourself on one side of the barrier, opposite the infant. Sit so the infant can see you clearly. Place the duck puppet on your hand to animate it. Use the puppet to say the infant’s name and ask him/her to come around the barrier. Infants may enjoy seeing the duck puppet sing and move.
Encourage infant’s efforts to creep or crawl around the barrier. Example: “You’re getting here. You are working hard to get here.” Recognize the infant’s awareness of how to get around the barrier. Example: “Ayanna, you figured out how to get the duck! You crawled around the shelf.”
Lay the puppet and rubber duck on the floor and invite the infant to select one to play with. Use simple phrases and explain there is one duck toy and one duck puppet. Point to each. Describe the infant’s reaction to the toys. Do not immediately put a toy in the infant’s hands. Wait for the infant to grasp or go near one of the toys. Encourage the infant to explore the toys.
Determine the best distance between you and the infant to create an achievable creeping or crawling challenge. You may see an infant attempt to reach you and the toys by moving toward the center of the barrier. If an infant crawls up to the barrier, encourage him/her to crawl or creep around the end of the barrier. Show the infant a route around the barrier by pointing.
An infant may want to sit on your lap or very close to you upon reaching you. Welcome the infant and describe his/her actions. Example: “I think you want to sit on my lap. We can look at the toys together.” The puppet is likely to intrigue the infant but also may be intimidating to hold or play with. This is the main reason for offering a second toy.
The activity may be used with 2–3 creeping or crawling infants. Adjust the number of play materials so each infant has one to explore after reaching the destination. Provide individualized comments about each infant’s efforts.
Extra support
Enrichment
Problem-solving
An older infant is encouraged to find a toy hidden behind a caregiver’s back and then behind an existing barrier.
Be Prepared: Identify an existing low barrier to use for briefly hiding the puppet. A low toy storage unit or shelf may be a possibility.
Invite a mobile infant to play with you and a puppet. Sit on the floor facing the infant and show him/her the puppet. Show how the puppet fits on your hand. Move the puppet and use it to speak if the child seems comfortable. Example: “Hi, Robert. Quack quack. Would you like to touch my fuzzy head?” Pause for the infant to react.
Play with the infant and puppet for a few moments. The infant may or may not want to touch the puppet. Then put the puppet behind your back and repeat the quacking sound. Ask the infant “Where is our duck?” Act happily surprised when the infant finds the duck behind your back!
Next tell the infant that the duck is going to hide. Get up and move behind an existing barrier. Maintain communication with the infant so he/she can visually track your movement. Sit down and hold the duck puppet so the infant can see that you have it. Quickly lower the duck puppet so it cannot be seen from the opposite side of the barrier.
Wait and observe the infant’s reactions. If the infant comes toward the barrier, make a quacking sound again as encouragement to continue searching. Tell the infant “You hear the duck.” If the infant does not begin looking for the duck puppet, give verbal encouragement. Keep the duck low so the infant can only see it if he/she goes around the barrier.
Enthusiastically recognize the infant’s accomplishment in figuring out how to get around the barrier to find the puppet. Example: “Robert, you really wanted to find the duck puppet. You figured out how to go around the shelf.”
Offer the puppet to the infant as soon as he travels around the barrier. If the infant does not want to play with the puppet, offer the other duck toy.
An infant who can walk may opt to crawl around the barrier. Many infants use both crawling and walking after they walk independently. Crawling may provide more security than walking and greater confidence in regulating the pace and direction of movement around a barrier. The current option provides more challenge than Option 2 by including two consecutive instances of hiding the puppet and a more focused opportunity to play with the puppet. Be especially attentive to the infant’s reactions to the puppet and make adjustments accordingly, as suggested in the activity description and scaffolding tips.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials needed: books, small toys, muffin pan, cups, rubber ducks, infant-sized shopping carts
Open books with bright illustrations and stand them where infants can see them. Provide toys that are soft, firm, and fuzzy for non-mobile infants to feel and explore.
Place a small toy in a transparent cup for an infant to discover. Put small toys into a muffin pan. Older infants may enjoy removing the toys and putting them back into the muffin pan.
Place small toys on low surfaces with cups or containers covering them to encourage looking for hidden items. For infants who have mastered walking, place duck toys in infant-sized shopping carts for infants to transport to other parts of the room. If possible, provide big and little rubber ducks for infants to hold.
Materials needed: peek-a-boo books, toy, container, craft materials
Supplement the activity options with peek-a-boo books that you can share with infants and toddlers. Toddlers and preschool-age children enjoy finding games that involve going around a barrier. Add challenge by placing the desired toy in a container the children must open. Consider having the children make “treasures” using craft materials and hide them indoors or outside behind a barrier. For school-age children, consider making a map of the yard or indoor play space. Add letters of children’s first names to the hidden treasure. Sam looks only for treasure marked with S, Anya looks for treasure marked with letter A, etc.
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