The “find it” game is a fun game for times when you don’t have a lot of attention to give but you want to help stimulate your child’s mind and have fun together even while you’re busy at other tasks.
This game can be modified for ages 1-7. For the youngest kids you can ask your child to find something familiar like his favorite stuffed animal or blanket. Then, you can ask your child to put it in an unusual place (like in the dry bathtub) and then go find it again. The ability to remember where something is and go retrieve it even when it’s out of sight is a useful skill for young children as it requires memory and visualization.
As your child grows older and needs a more complex “find it” game, you can ask her to find a blue crayon, a red triangle, or a specific item from a specific drawer.
So let’s say you’re busy cooking and your child seems bored. You can offer, “Hey, do you want to play the ‘find it’ game?” You’ll usually hear an enthusiastic yes from your child. “Great! Can you go into the bathroom and look in the far right drawer and find me a brown hair tie?” When they’ve brought it, “Thanks! Now let’s see, can you find your baby brother’s favorite book? The one about the white mitten?”
Another tack is to ask something like, “Can you find something on the living room floor that doesn’t belong there?” and when they bring it, “I wonder where that belongs…”
If you have letter or number magnets on the refrigerator, “Do you see a blue letter R?” and if you don’t, “Can you find a butterfly magnet?”
When your kids are even older, “Can you find the ¾” wrench? I think it’s in the tool box in the garage” or “Can you help me find the oregano?” or even, “Can you find a toy mammal with hooves?”
When kids play the “find it” game, they feel joyful because they’re able to contribute in some way. They also often feel proud because they were able to find the specific object you’ve asked for or because they figured out a puzzle (in the case of “find an orange circle” or a similar task).
I would love to hear about the find it games at your house. Is this something you already play with your child or is it a new idea for you? Please share your thoughts below.
Have a fantastic day, Shelly
I like this, I’ll have to try it next time I’m on hold with the insurance company!
Yes! That’s a perfect time for this game 🙂 Have fun.
.-= Shelly´s last blog ..An easy game for busy times: The “find it” game =-.
What a great idea. This is sure to be a hit with my almost 4 year old. There are times when I’m trying to get work done where it would be great to have this kind of game for her to play.
.-= Jackie´s last blog ..Are You Having an “If You Give a Cat a Cupcake” Day? =-.