TinyStepper
Child mid-throw aiming a colourful ball at a laundry basket in the garden

Picture Pointing Race

Spread picture cards on the floor and race to find the one you name — fast-paced vocabulary practice disguised as a game.

Activity details

19m–3y10 minshighbothOld MagazinesScissors (Child-Safe)

Instructions

Get ready
  • Cut or tear 8-10 simple pictures from old magazines, or draw quick sketches on paper: a dog, a car, a tree, a ball, a cup, a baby, a house, a flower.
  • Spread them face-up on the floor in a large space.
  1. Cut or tear 8-10 simple pictures from old magazines, or draw quick sketches on paper: a dog, a car, a tree, a ball, a cup, a baby, a house, a flower.
  2. Spread them face-up on the floor in a large space.
  3. Stand at one end of the room with your child: 'Ready? Find the... DOG!'
  4. Race together to find the dog picture. Let your child win — slap it with their hand: 'You found the dog! Well done!'
  5. Return to the start. 'Next one — find the... FLOWER!'
  6. After a few rounds, add clues instead of names: 'Find something you can drink from!' (cup) or 'Find something with four legs!' (dog).
  7. Swap roles: 'Your turn to call one! Tell me what to find!'
  8. Wind down by collecting all the pictures together: 'Can you bring me the tree? And the car? Let us pile them all up!'

Parent tip

Set out old magazines and scissors (child-safe) before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.

Child smiling on a cushion after active play with a ball and scattered cushions nearby

What success looks like

Flushed cheeks, big smiles, and a calmer child afterwards. If they want to do it again, you’ve found a winner.

Lay 6-8 picture cards (from a book, magazine, or hand-drawn) face-up on the floor. Call out a word and watch your child race to find and slap the matching picture. The urgency of racing makes the word recognition feel exciting rather than educational, and the physical element of running and slapping keeps high-energy toddlers engaged. As they improve, add more cards and use descriptive clues instead of direct names.

Why it helps

Receptive vocabulary — understanding words before being able to say them — develops months ahead of expressive vocabulary. This game tests and strengthens receptive language by requiring the child to match a heard word to a visual referent under time pressure. The physical movement element engages the motor cortex alongside the language centres, creating a richer neural pathway for word retrieval. Research from Speech and Language UK shows that active vocabulary games outperform passive exposure for building word recognition speed.

Variations

  • Use real objects instead of pictures for younger children — a shoe, a spoon, a toy car — spread around the room.
  • Play in pairs with a sibling: who can find it first? Add a 'gentle hands' rule to keep it cooperative.
  • Make themed sets: all animals, all foods, all vehicles — then mix two sets together for a harder challenge.

Safety tips

  • Clear the running area of obstacles, sharp furniture edges, and slippery rugs before starting.
  • If playing with siblings, enforce a 'no pushing' rule — the first one to point rather than grab keeps things safe.
  • Use paper pictures rather than laminated cards on hard floors — laminated cards can slip underfoot.

Want to try another?

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