Where Did It Go? A Tiny Game That Builds Big Communication Skills

By Nurche Team · 27 August 2026

For toddlers, some of the most useful conversations happen in very small moments.

Hide a familiar toy under a cloth. Pause. Look curious.

“Where did the ball go?”

Your toddler might point, search, laugh, make a sound, say “there,” or pull the cloth away with a proud smile.

You don't need a perfect word or a correct answer. The fun is in the little back-and-forth between you.

What does this game practise?

At 2–3, communication can happen in lots of ways: words, sounds, gestures, pointing, looking, and taking turns with another person.

A simple hide-and-find game gives your child a reason to:

- Listen to a familiar question
- Look for something they know
- Notice words such as “under,” “in,” or “behind”
- Point or gesture to share an answer
- Try words such as “there,” “gone,” “ball,” or “again”
- Take another turn with you

It also gives you something to talk about together.

And there is a small storytelling connection here, too. Something is there. Something changes. Then you discover what happened. For a toddler, that can be an early, playful experience of noticing and talking about events.

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How to play “Where Did It Go?”

You only need one familiar object—a soft toy, cup, ball, or favourite sock—and somewhere simple to hide it.

1. Show your child the object. Say, “Here’s the teddy!”
2. Let them explore it. They can look at it, hold it, or play with it.
3. Hide it somewhere easy to find. Try under a cloth, behind your back, or inside a box.
4. Ask with curiosity: “Oh! Where did teddy go?”
5. Wait. Give your child time to look, point, move, make a sound, or answer.
6. Find it together: “There it is! Teddy was under the cloth!”
7. Try again. Change the hiding place just a little.

Keep your language short and natural. You can repeat a few useful words as you play: “gone,” “there,” “under,” “in,” “behind,” and “again.”

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Follow your child's lead

There doesn't need to be one right way to respond.

If your child points, you might say, “Yes, you found it!”

If they make a sound, you can echo it and add a word:

“Ba! Ball!”

If they pull the cloth away without saying anything, you can narrate what happened:

“You found the ball. It was hiding!”

The aim isn't to test your child. You're simply creating a small reason for them to notice, respond, and take another turn with you.

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Let the game grow with your child

Once your toddler knows the game, you can make tiny changes.

Hide the object in a new place.

Pause a little longer before revealing it.

Let your child hide something for you.

Or, after you find it, talk briefly about what happened:

“Teddy was here. Then Teddy disappeared. Where did Teddy go?”

You don't need to turn this into a lesson. A few words, repeated often and in the context of something your child enjoys, are enough to keep the conversation moving.

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Why these little moments matter

It can be tempting to think of communication as something to measure: How many words does my child say? Can they answer this question? Can they name that object?

But everyday communication is also about the exchange itself.

You look at something together. You say something. Your child responds. You notice their response and respond back.

That rhythm happens during play, bath time, meals, walks, getting dressed, and bedtime. “Where did it go?” simply gives you an easy reason to create another one.

From little exchanges to little stories

Toddlers don't need to tell a beginning-middle-end story for storytelling to be useful.

At this age, storytelling can start very simply: noticing what happened, remembering a small event, naming what changed, and sharing an idea with another person.

“Where Did It Go?” gives you a tiny version of that experience.

The toy was here.

Then it was hidden.

Then your child found it.

As your child grows, those small exchanges can become longer descriptions, pretend stories, and eventually stories about things they remember or imagine.

Try it today

Choose one familiar object.

Hide it somewhere easy to find.

Ask:

“Where did it go?”

Then wait.

Your child's answer might be a word, a point, a sound, a smile, or an enthusiastic search.

Follow their lead, find the object together, and have another turn.

That's all you need.

How Nurche can help you keep practising

If your child enjoys little games like this, storytelling can give them more opportunities to notice what happens, remember it, imagine what could happen next, and share ideas with you.

Nurche provides simple, age-appropriate story experiences that make this kind of practice easier to return to as your child grows.

If your child enjoyed “Where Did It Go?”, explore more simple ways to turn everyday moments into storytelling practice with Nurche.

Children develop communication skills at different rates. If you have concerns about your child's development, speak with your paediatrician or another qualified professional.

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