The ability of 2-year-olds to carry out a forward search strategy was examined in a study of performance on platform rotation problems. One group of children was tested successively on two analogous versions of a task. The two versions shared the same underlying principle but had different surface characteristics. A control group was given an unrelated problem, and was then tested on the platform rotation tasks. Findings showed that 2-year-olds were able to use a sophisticated forward search strategy in which simple methods were attempted first and more complex methods later. Children rejected inappropriate methods from further consideration. The ability to inhibit errors was related to the type of method which had been attempted. The problems were solved in one trial, and there was direct transfer across the different types of platform rotation tasks. Four figures are attached. (RH)