Treasure Basket
A basket of ordinary objects. Babies will work through it for twenty minutes.
- Ages
- 6–20 months
- Play
- 10–30 min
- Prep
- 5 min
- Mess
- barely any
- Energy
- calm
- Where
- on the floor
You’ll need
Things you probably have at home.
- a shallow basketGet it on Amazon
Optional
- wooden spoons and cupsGet it on Amazon
- fabric with different textures
- a small mirrorGet it on Amazon
How to play
Before you start: Fill a shallow basket with eight or ten ordinary objects that are all bigger than a fist: a wooden spoon, a metal cup, a washcloth, a pastry brush, a small mirror, a scrunched ball of fabric.
Sit your baby up with the basket in front of them and sit behind or beside them.
Say nothing and hand them nothing. This is the hard part and it is the whole method.
Let them choose, mouth, bang and discard each object in their own time.
When interest drops, swap two or three objects for new ones rather than refilling the whole basket.
Name the object they are holding only if they look up at you.
What it helps with
Keep it safe
- Every object must be bigger than a toilet paper tube — if it fits through, it is a choking hazard and comes out.
- Nothing with batteries, sharp edges, loose parts, or anything that could splinter.
- Stay within arm's reach the entire time. This is a supervised activity, not a way to get ten minutes.
Make it different next time
- Make it all one material: only wooden things, then only metal.
- Keep a lid on the basket and make opening it part of the ritual.
Cleanup: Wipe anything that got mouthed and put the lid back on.
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