Fetch the Ball

What you need

• a soft ball

How to do it

1. In the garden or the park, roll a ball a little way off.
2. Say their name, then: 'pick up the ball and bring it to me'.
3. Stay where you are and wait while they go and get it.
4. Roll it somewhere different each time.

Why it matters

Outside, with more to look at, holding onto the second half of an instruction takes more effort, which makes a simple errand good practice in listening through distraction.

What they're learning

Holding two things in mind

Remembering 'bring it back' while running after a ball is genuinely hard.

Listening through distraction

Outdoors there's always something more interesting than what you just said.

Running and stopping

Getting there, bending to pick it up and turning round is good movement work.

What to look for

Watch for them bringing it back rather than keeping it. That's the second step remembered.

A tip

If they often don't seem to follow even simple things, it's worth mentioning to your health visitor. Sometimes it's about hearing rather than listening, and that's easily checked.

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