8mo–20mo9 minFree playFamily time
What Did Your Action Do?
A short cause-and-effect chat where you narrates your child’s actions and the results while they investigate safe household objects.
What you'll need
Essentials
- 2–3 safe, sturdy objects with clear effects (e.g., lidded plastic container, board book with flaps, large push-button toy)
- a soft cloth or scarf
Nice to have
- a small ball or soft toy
- a towel or cushion (to change surfaces safely)
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneExperiments with object actionsMind· 8mo–20mo· stretch
- MilestoneRepeats actions that have an effect, e.g. kicking or hitting a mobile or shaking a rattle.Mind· 0mo–11mo· core· Step 1
- MilestoneAnticipates repeated sounds, sights and actions, e.g. when an adult demonstrates an action toy several times.Mind· 8mo–20mo· core· Step 2
- MilestoneOperates mechanical toys, e.g. turns the knob on a wind-up toy or pulls back on a friction car.Mind· 16mo–2.2y· core· Steps 1, 4
- MilestoneShows interest in toys with buttons, flaps and simple mechanisms and beginning to learn to operate them.Mind· 8mo–20mo· core· Step 4
- MilestoneExplores objects by linking together different approaches: shaking, hitting, looking, feeling, tasting, mouthing, pulling, turning and poking.Body· 8mo–20mo· core
- MilestoneLooks for a dropped objectMind· 6mo–9mo· core· Step 4
What it practices
- Shows interest in toys with buttons, flaps and simple mechanisms and beginning to learn to operate them.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Anticipates repeated sounds, sights and actions, e.g. when an adult demonstrates an action toy several times.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Looks for dropped objects.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Talk about the effect of children’s actions, as they investigate what things can do.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)