BOX 4.3 Remembering Where Big Bird Is For a group of 18- and 24-month-old children, an attractive toy, Big Bird, was hidden in a variety of locations in a playroom, such as behind a pillow, on a couch, or under a chair. The children were told that "Big Bird is going to hide, and when the bell rings, you can find him." While waiting to retrieve the toy, even though they were engaged by an adult in play and conversation, the children did not wait passively. Instead, they often interrupted their play with a variety of activities that showed they were still preoccupied with the memory task. They talked about the toy, saying, "Big Bird"; the fact that it was hidden, "Big Bird hiding"; where it was hidden, "Big Bird, chair"; or about their plan to retrieve it later, "Me find Big Bird." Other rehearsal-like behaviors included looking or pointing at the hiding place, hovering near it, and attempting to peek at the toy. Although less systematic and well formed than an older person's rehearsal strategies, the young children's activities similarly function to keep alive the information to be remembered, the hidden toy and its location (DeLoache et al., 1985a).