Your Child Will Learn
Using positional words to understand the location of an object
Here’s What to Do
- Bring a small toy to the playground.
- Ask your child to cover their eyes. Hide the toy somewhere on the playground.
- Help your child find the toy using positional words. (examples: above/below, in front/behind, between, next to, inside/outside, over/under, near/far, top/bottom).
- Repeat!
Put PEER Into Action
PAUSE
- Face your child and stretch your arms slowly up and down together. Now you’re ready to begin!
ENGAGE
- “My first hint is: the truck is behind the climbing wall. Can you look behind the climbing wall?”
- “Here’s another clue: the doll is in between the two slides. Can you look between the slides?”
ENCOURAGE
- “Hmmm… my hint was that the block is above the bridge, but you’re looking below the bridge. Can you try looking above the bridge?”
- “Let me show you. Right now I’m behind the sandbox. And now I’m in front of the sandbox. Try looking for the ball behind the sandbox.”
REFLECT
- What was the trickiest hiding spot? What hints do you think I could have given to make it easier for you to find the toy?
Not Quite Ready
Try easier hiding places with more simple positional words, like top/bottom and over/under
Ready for More
Have your child hide the toy and tell you how to find it
As Your Child Masters This Skill
They will understand and use positional words more easily
Time to Complete
15 minutes
Materials Needed
A small toy