Find the Stuffed Animal
Parent hides stuffed animals under blankets and invites toddler to find them, then engages in simple pretend play with each discovered animal. The agent coaches the parent to observe object permanence understanding, imaginative play initiation, and attention maintenance during this hide-and-seek game — building early cognitive skills through playful discovery.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Two or three blankets/towels spread out on floor. Three to five stuffed animals available. Parent and child sitting or kneeling on floor together. Space should be free of major distractions.
How it works
- 1~30s
Let's start by hiding one stuffed animal under a blanket. Make sure your child sees you hide it. Then say, 'Oh no! Where did the teddy go? Can you help me find them?' Watch how your child approaches this problem. Does they immediately lift the blanket? Does they look at you for clues or try other blankets first? Tell me what you notice.
Watch for: Toddler successfully finds object hidden under one of several covers, demonstrating understanding that objects exist even when not visible.
- 2~40s
Now that you've found the first animal, let's try some simple pretend play. Hold up the stuffed animal and say, 'Look, your child! The bear is hungry. Can you give them some pretend food?' You might pretend to feed it with an imaginary spoon or offer a pretend apple. Watch your child's response. Does they imitate your pretend actions? Does they add their own pretend ideas?
Watch for: Toddler engages in or initiates simple pretend play actions, like feeding a stuffed animal or putting it to sleep.
- 3~45s
Let's make it more challenging. Hide two animals under different blankets this time. After your child finds them both, see if they will engage in a longer pretend sequence. Maybe the animals are friends having a picnic, or one is putting the other to bed. Notice how long your child stays engaged with the pretend scenario. Does they maintain attention through multiple steps? Does they resist distractions to continue the play?
Watch for: Toddler maintains attention through a multi-step play sequence, showing ability to focus on self-directed imaginative activity.