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What's in the Bag is a really classic development activity that you can do with children of any age.
Playing this game with your baby when they're around 6 months old is a really fun way to develop their language skills.
You don't even need a bag. You could use pillowcase and fill it with household objects, toys, socks, vegetables - anything!
Why not watch the short video below for inspiration? And to find out why this game is so important?
Look what Daddy' has in the bag.
There's the cat.
We stroke the cat, right?
What noise does the cat made? Meow.
Daddy's also got a brush, want to try?
Look what Daddy's got. Teddy, Teddy.
Mr. Teddie from the woods. Teddy goes roar! Roar!
That's what sound teddy makes.
Why is what's in the bag so great for language development?
- This game develops sharing and turn-taking skills.
- Engaging lots of your baby's senses helps them make links between the words they are hearing and the objects.
- Talking about the toys your baby focusses on helps them pick up words quicker.
- Building anticipation before pulling the toy out, encourages your child to listen and respond.
- Putting new objects in the bag each time you play introduces new vocabulary.
How to play what's in the bag
Bring together some fun, safe objects for your child to play with. These could be toys or household objects, like kitchen spoons or a hairbrush.
Put these into a bag or pillow case that they can’t see into.
Now, get your child’s attention and ask them "what's in the bag?". You could shake the bag or sing a song too.
Put your hand in the bag and choose an object at random to pull out.
Let your child look at it and describe what you see. What colour is it? Is it big or small? Soft or hard? Does it make a sound?
When you pull the object out of the bag, hold it up near your face. This way your baby can watch your mouth movements when you say the words.
Use simple language to describe the toy. For example, if they take a car out of the bag, you could say “car”, “blue car”. You can build on the language you use as they get older.
If your baby is not sure how to play with the toy, you can model how. If you're playing with a hairbrush, you can use the brush to brush your hair.
Keep pulling toys out as and when your child is ready. They might just want to play with one object and that's OK.
What's in the bag object ideas
Sometimes our parent brains don't work to full capacity, and we struggle to think up simple things like what we could put in a bag.
Here's a little list to get you started if you need some inspiration:
| Teddy bears | Hairbrush | A cup |
| Clothes | A wooden spoon | A bowl |
| A book | A ball | Some fruit |
| Keys | A crayon | A toothbrush |
For more ideas about how to use household objects in everyday play, check out our Baby Club collection.
What's in the bag around Tiny Happy People
Click on the below links to find out more about why what's in the bag is one of our favourite activities for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.
- You can play what's in the bag with your baby even when they are a newborn.
- Age up your what's in the bag game by expanding vocabulary and building longer sentences.
- As your child gets older, use sensory bags to help boost their vocabulary.
- Giovanna and Nigel from The Baby Club explain why they love to play what's in the bag on their programme.
