# 16 · Pattern maker

**Ten minutes · making / noticing order.** **You need:** Four large socks,
cups or blocks in two visibly or tactilely different kinds. More are
optional. Use things safe for the children nearby.

**Play:** Start a little sequence, such as soft–hard–soft or cup–block–cup.
Ask the child what might come next, then invite them to make a different
sequence or a deliberate surprise. Patterns can be arranged, tapped gently
or acted out.

**Adult says:** “What do you notice?” “What should come next in your
version?” “Can you change the rule?” Accept a new rule and ask about it.

**Child chooses:** Objects, order, rhythm, or no repeating rule at all.
They may direct an adult to move items.

**Notice:** Did they repeat an idea, alter it or explain a surprising
choice? Do not demand a particular pattern length.

**Access and safety:** Use texture as well as appearance; say the sequence
aloud for a listening route, or let the child feel it. Use soft items for a
quiet route. Avoid small beads and choking hazards. No screen is needed.

**Reuse:** © NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026 · [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) · Original; note changes if adapted.