Why Mystery Bag Guess works

Use without to establish the first rule of the activity. Give the child one chance to act on it before feel is introduced as a new condition.

Set up — Put one hand in the bag without looking

No special materials are needed before the child is asked to put one hand in the bag without looking. The setup is ready when the child can put one hand in the bag without looking and then move on to the instruction to feel the object’s shape, texture and major parts without a new explanation. Use age-appropriate pieces and avoid small loose parts for children who may mouth objects while those two steps are connected.

Step 2 — Feel the object’s shape, texture and major parts

After completing the instruction to feel the object’s shape, texture and major parts, pause and ask what changed from the earlier step where they had to put one hand in the bag without looking. Use that answer to decide whether they are ready to describe at least two touch clues before guessing.

Step 3 — Describe at least two touch clues before guessing

Keep the adult prompt brief while the child tries to describe at least two touch clues before guessing. If needed, return to the earlier step to feel the object’s shape, texture and major parts before asking them to make one guess.

Step 4 — Make one guess

Keep the pace slow while the child tries to make one guess. If the effect is hard to see, simplify that action before continuing with the instruction to remove the object and compare the guess with the visual evidence.

Step 5 — Remove the object and compare the guess with the visual evidence

Treat the attempt to remove the object and compare the guess with the visual evidence as a checkpoint between the earlier step to make one guess and the coming step to remove the object and compare the guess with the visual evidence. A perfect answer is not required.

What to notice before Remove the object and compare the guess with…

After the child has tried to make one guess, ask what changed. An answer connected to the earlier attempt to describe at least two touch clues before guessing is good evidence of which clue, position, or relationship supports the answer before the final step.

Make Describe at least two touch clues before… easier or harder

If asking the child to describe at least two touch clues before guessing is too demanding, use fewer items and make the relevant difference more obvious. Once that step is comfortable, add one plausible distractor, remove one cue, or ask the child to explain the rule before returning to the final request to remove the object and compare the guess with the visual evidence.

Finish after Remove the object and compare the guess with…

Remove the object and compare the guess with the visual evidence. That is the natural place to end this version of Mystery Bag Guess. For another activity, use the activity search or create one with the activity generator.