The treasure basket is an exploration game that offers a wide variety of stimuli to your baby to enhance the development of their senses.
It is indicated from the moment the child is able to remain seated, around six months, until one year. It is about preparing a basket with everyday objects, different from traditional toys, and offering them to the baby so that they can play freely always under your supervision.
Benefits of playing with the treasure basket
Your baby can enjoy experimenting with objects other than the plastic toys that we find in stores. And also do it safely and in an orderly manner.
This game will enhance their attention span and concentration, coordination and structure of thoughto. It is also a way to promote their autonomy by following their own pace.
How to prepare your basket of treasures
Material:
- Wicker basket without handles with a flat base, about 40 centimeters in diameter and about 8 centimeters high.
- About 40 objects of different materials (wood, natural, metal, leather, clothing, cardboard, cork, etc.), weights and textures.
Here are some object ideas that you can place in the basket: tennis ball, detergent caps of different sizes, hair rollers, leather wallet, shells, stones, natural sponge, necklace of wooden beads, shaving brush, pineapple, corks, mirror small, scourer, metal flan, etc.
Some tips to keep in mind
- It is very important that the materials be clean since your baby will put them in his mouth which is his first exploration route. Also make sure that the objects you choose are not dangerous or break easily and, above all, that there is no danger of choking.
- You will have to renew the material as it deteriorates and wash the objects when necessary.
- You can also add new material and remove objects that you see that do not arouse your baby's interest.
- An interesting option is to create different baskets of treasures of different themes that you can combine depending on the day. Some ideas could be: the music basket, the smells basket, the laundry bag, the ball basket, etc. You can be as creative as you like, the goal is to awaken your little one's senses.
The fun begins
Before you start playing, be sure to remove things that might grab your child's attention and distract him.
Show him the basket enthusiastically but stay out of the game, don't interfere with him. Sit close, your presence is important as a point of reference since it gives him security and favors his concentration during the process of exploration and experimentation.
At first you will see that your baby chooses the closest objects or those that seem most attractive. Little by little he will pick up other objects and bite them, throw them, shake them, put them in and take them out, etc.
When you see that your baby is losing interest, it will be time to end the game and move on to something else.
What do you think? Are you up for it? You will tell us about your experience.