The Preschooler

What’s in the Box?

One of the local radio stations where I live plays a game each day called, “Mystery Box.”  In this game, the DJs will shake a box with an object in it, allowing listeners to hear the sound the object makes.  The DJs will also give two or three clues about the mystery object.  Listeners then call in to the station to announce their guess.

I have come up with a game you can play with your child that is similar to this game, but a bit more involved for your child.  Instead of simply listening to the object being shaken around, your child will attempt to identify traits, or “clues”, about the object based on what she hears and feels as she shakes the box.

Begin by finding a shoe box or similar box through which you are not able to see.  Collect several objects from around your home that fit into the box.  Make sure you find objects that make a variety of sounds and have different traits, such as soft, hard, small, big, light, heavy, etc.

While your child is not looking, place an object in the box.  (You may want a rubber-band around the box so the lid does not come off.) Now let your child shake the box.  Ask your child what she can identify about the object.  Is it heavy or light?  Does it make a loud or soft noise?  Do you think it is soft or hard? …

Once she has named several traits, ask her if she can identify the object?  Shake the box again if she needs more information. Let her lift the lid to see if she is correct.  Whether she is right or wrong, go over some of the traits of the object she was right about when she couldn’t see it.  Were there any traits she did not identify correctly?  Either way, excitedly discuss what she named correctly and incorrectly.  “Wow! The object is soft, and not hard like you thought!” 

Continue the activity with other objects.  The more times your child plays, the more easily she will be able to identify certain traits.  Not only does this activity get your child to focus on the sounds, but she will also gain a lot of practice using identifying vocabulary words, such as soft, hard, heavy, light, etc.

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Written by Laura on June 15, 2011