Drop and roll

From the house

• A big soft ball
• A rolled-up pair of socks
• A plastic cup
• A soft toy
• A tray and a cushion for a slope

How to play

1. Sit on the floor and drop each thing from up high: “Down it goes.”
2. Watch together: does it bounce, roll away or flop?
3. Roll the ball to them and wait for them to push it back.
4. Lean the tray on the cushion and let them let go of the ball at the top.

Fit it to your child

• Easier: Sit them on your lap and drop things into a big empty box so they can hear each one land.
• Harder: Ask “Will it bounce?” before each drop and let them answer with a nod or a word.

Words to use

• drop
• down
• roll
• bounce
• again

Why it helps

Dropping the same things again and again is how they find out that everything falls down and that round things roll, their first experiments in how things move.