Hiding Game Helps Develop Observational Skills
Playing a Game With Children can Aid Their Learning Abilities
Oct 29, 2009
Developing a child’s observational skills early on can be a huge benefit to him or her; however, it involves much more than simply teaching. It also needs to be about interacting and sometimes even learning along with the child. Aiding a child in the development of visual-spatial skills can easily be done with a game that both teacher or parent and child can enjoy.
The Hiding Game
To play this game, parents or teachers will need
- A dark piece of paper or cloth
- Objects familiar to the child, such as toys, a remote control or household objects
- Objects unfamiliar to the child
- A place for both parent or teacher and child to sit
Cover all of the items with the paper or cloth at the table, and explain to the child that he or she is going to have to figure out what an object is without seeing it – instead he or she must use their other senses. This game is best played with children ages 5 and older, since before that stage, children usually cannot identify an object without seeing it.
How to Play the Hiding Game
Start by giving the child a familiar object to touch. Slowly uncover parts of the object as the child touches it, listens to any sounds it makes and encourage him or her to try to figure out what the item is, using only senses and observation.
Move on to unfamiliar objects after going through some easily recognizable things; help the child guess what object it is using sight, touch, hearing and smell. Encourage the child through each item, explaining how to use observation skills on each item, and offer hints or help if he or she gets stuck.
Once the child guesses at the item that has been covered, uncover it and discuss how he or she used observational skills to figure out what things were.
Making the Hiding Game More Advanced
Blindfold the child and repeat the game with the same objects. Removing the sense of sight will help a child develop his or her other senses and not rely entirely on seeing the object that is being identified. Again, after playing the game, spend time discussion how the child figured out what each item was.
Another way to play the game is with outdoor objects like seashells, pinecones, rocks and twigs that may be unfamiliar to a child. The game can be modified to make objects more or less difficult to identify depending on the age of the child. Discussing observational skills after playing the game will help children be cognitively aware of what tools they used to identify objects.
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