Mystery Bag Guessing Game

An opaque cloth bag or pillowcase

5-6 familiar household objects: a ball, a spoon, a sock, a toy car, a block, a banana

Choose 5-6 objects easy to identify by touch and place them in an opaque bag.

Sit together and build excitement: "Surprises in the bag! Let's feel and guess!"

Let toddler reach in without looking and grab one object.

Ask: "What does it feel like? Is it round? Is it soft?"

Give clues if needed: "It's round and bouncy... we play with it outside..."

When they pull it out, name it together: "A ball! You found the ball!"

Talk about it: "The ball is round and smooth. Can you bounce it?"

Continue until all objects are found. Then reload and play again.

This game builds two types of vocabulary at once: object names (ball, spoon, sock) and descriptive words (round, soft, bumpy, hard). The tactile element makes both kinds of words more memorable.

For younger toddlers (12-18 months), use just 3 objects they already know well. For older toddlers, add trickier items and more detailed descriptions.

If reaching in without looking is too hard, let them peek a little. The naming and describing is what matters most.

Switch up the objects regularly. The element of surprise is what makes this game endlessly replayable.