Location: indoor

Materials: an opaque bag with a simple object inside (ie: a seashell, a stuffed animal, a turkey baster, a whisk, etc.)

Children of all ages love surprises, especially your toddlers. This is an activity you can do as a group at circle time or small group time. As you gather children at circle or at the table you can say, "I have a surprise for you." Then pull the object out of the bag and invite children to take turns exploring it. Depending on the verbal abilities of your children, you can take the lead on describing what it is and what it is used for, or you can ask questions for your children to answer.

Questions you might ask:

• What is it?
• What do you do with it?
• What does it feel like?
• How big is it?
• Do you have one at home?