A treasure basket is a Montessori baby's best friend. These little baskets are filled with any number of interesting things to mouth, to touch, to shake, and to explore. They beauty of a good treasure basket is that it doesn't have to be complicated and can be filled with everyday objects that are attractive and interesting to a baby.
Recently, I've observed an interest in metal in Teddy. While the thought of putting a variety of metal in my mouth sends shivers up my spine, he seems to really enjoy the sensation lately. And, I'm sure it feels great as he starts to cut new teeth.
Montessori Baby Activity - Metal Treasure Basket
So following that interest, I put together a small basket of objects that contain at least some metal. They included:
- a small whisk {similar}
- one of his baby spoons
- a metal measuring spoon {similar}
- a small metal appetizer bowl
- a metal and plastic lid for a jar
- jingle bells
The actual objects don't really matter as long as they are safe for your baby. You don't want to include things that will be easily broken and eaten, or that are too small to mouth, or otherwise not safe for a baby. The number of things that I include varies based on what I can find for my basket's theme. But, I limit the number to what I actually want to clean up!
I loved watching Teddy explore this basket over the last couple of days. He's been very into the whisk and the spoons. He loves banging those on the floor and on to the different objects in the basket. Or sticking the jingle bells on his legs or arms. Or just dumping and scattering the objects everywhere.
The beauty with treasure baskets is that there really isn't just one way to play with them. Or one way to explore.
I'll share some more treasure basket ideas soon! I typically rotate the contents of the baskets after several days or when my baby's interest in the basket is passing.
Have you tried a treasure basket with your baby?
---
