Topsy-Turvy Orders — First, Then, Last

A silly-instructions game in which the order words do the work. You give the child a brand-new, slightly ridiculous three-part instruction — and sometimes you say the parts in a different order from the one they must be done in ("Before you sit down, quack like a duck"). The child has to understand the sentence, not just copy the order they heard.

  1. Warm up with first–then–last. Say the whole instruction once, at a normal pace, with no pointing: “First touch the door, then hop twice, and last, put a sock on your hand.” The child waits for your “Go!” and then does all three.
  2. Keep every instruction new. Use unrelated, funny actions so the child cannot guess from habit — routines like “coat, shoes, door” can be done without really listening.
  3. Add “after.” “After you clap, spin around.” The order you say it is the order to do it, so this is the easy one.
  4. Add “before.” “Before you clap, spin around.” Now the thing said first is done second. Expect mistakes — this is the heart of the game. Laugh, repeat the sentence, and act it out together.
  5. Swap roles. The child gives you a topsy-turvy order. Get one wrong on purpose now and then so they can catch you.
  6. Play 5–8 instructions and stop while it is still fun.

Variation: play with a toy instead of the body (“Before teddy goes to bed, he brushes his teeth — show me”), or use the order words about the real day at bedtime: “What did we do before dinner? What happens after your bath?”

Requirements

  • Space: A small clear area in any room
  • Surface: Any
  • Materials: None; a few household objects (sock, spoon, cushion) make the instructions funnier
  • Participants: 1 adult + 1 child; siblings can take turns as the order-giver
  • Supervision: Full — the adult gives the instructions and plays along

Rationale & Objective

Following a novel three-step instruction without repetition or gestures is a standard marker of receptive language at this age — the ASQ-3 asks whether a child can follow three unrelated directions with no pointing or repeating, and the CELF Preschool-3 samples the same skill with directions of growing length. The game adds temporal words. Eve Clark’s classic study showed that young children first treat “before” and “after” sentences as if the order of mention were the order of events, and only gradually learn to let the word itself decide, so sentences that reverse the order are the hard ones. ASHA’s 4–5-year communication milestones include following simple directions and rules to play games and using more words for time correctly, and order words fill classroom talk (“before you line up, put your book away”). Practising them in a playful, low-stakes way builds toward the EYFS goal of listening attentively and responding with relevant actions.

Progress Indicators

  • Early: does one or two of the three steps and needs the instruction repeated; treats “before” and “after” the same — always does things in the order heard
  • Developing: completes familiar-sounding three-step orders; gets “after” sentences right; reversed “before” sentences are hit-and-miss
  • Proficient: follows a brand-new three-step instruction on the first telling; handles “before” and “after” in either position most of the time
  • Advanced: copes with four steps or two order words in one sentence; invents correct topsy-turvy orders for you and notices when you carry them out wrongly

Safety Notes

  • Keep the actions gentle and the floor clear — excited children rush, so avoid instructions that involve running near furniture or stairs
  • Say each instruction once at a natural pace; if the child is lost, shorten it rather than repeating it louder
  • A child who is tired or wound up will look as if they “can’t follow directions” — judge listening on a good moment, not a bad one
  • If a 5-year-old regularly cannot follow two-step instructions without gestures, or often seems not to hear, ask your paediatrician about a hearing check and a speech-language assessment

Hints

  • Playfulness: the sillier the better — “before you bark, put the spoon on your head.” Be a forgetful king or queen whose orders must be obeyed exactly
  • Sustain interest: let the child draw “action cards” from a bowl and build the order from whatever comes out; keep a running joke action that returns every time
  • Common mistake: giving clues with your eyes or hands. Look at the child, not at the door or the sock, and keep your hands still
  • Limited space: play sitting down with hand actions only (tap your nose, wiggle your fingers, cover your eyes) — ideal for a car journey or waiting room
  • Cross-domain: the waiting-for-Go rule trains impulse control; holding three steps in mind exercises working memory; acting them out adds movement
  • Progression: two steps → three steps with first/then/last → “after” sentences → “before” sentences → mixing both → four steps → child gives the orders

Sources

  • ASQ-3 Communication domain — following three unrelated directions without pointing or repetition
  • Clark, E.V. (1971), “On the acquisition of the meaning of before and after,” Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior
  • ASHA communication milestones (4 to 5 years) — follows simple directions and rules to play games; uses more words for time correctly
  • CELF Preschool-3 — following directions and basic concepts tasks
  • UK EYFS Early Learning Goal — Listening, Attention and Understanding
  • Boehm Test of Basic Concepts — time and sequence concepts (before, after, first, last)