Treasure Baskets

What is a treasure basket?
A treasure basket contains a collection of carefully selected and safe objects that offer maximum interest to babies.

The best objects to include in a treasure basket are everyday objects, if possible, not plastics.  The items have no sharp edges, they are easy for little hands to grasp and they have no small pieces that might come off when sucked, tugged or pulled.  Babies are carefully observed and supervised when playing with a treasure basket.

What does a baby learn from a treasure basket?
To make choices – They select and test objects as they rummage through the treasure basket, they gain reassurance from being able to select, reject and return objects independently.

Concentration – They absorb and define the texture, shape, scent and sound of objects. They learn to search the treasure basket for a particular item.

Problem Solving – They pick up and drop the objects again and again to test the sound that they make.

Observing and Communicating – They watch each others reactions to objects; they swap objects with each other, using verbal and non verbal communication.

Logical thoughts & Mathematical learning – They fit objects inside each other, they look at their reflection in shiny objects, and they test the weight of objects and test their density.

Suitable items to be included in a treasure basket are:
Large shells, shoe box, ring box, leather purse, small tins, wooden egg cup, metal or wooden curtain rings, large pine cone, pastry brush, marble egg, wicker ball, loofah, natural sponge, metal bangles, bunch of keys, length of chunky chain, metal whisk, pieces of fabric.

The list is endless!