Play Time: Sensory Baskets

Today's 'Play Time' is a blast from the past so before you're wondering,  No, Freddie hasn't been hammering the Oil of Olay, he's only 8 months in the photograph! 

We are talking about Treasure Baskets or Sensory Baskets or even Baskets of Crap as Mr C refers to them. 

They are quite simply, baskets of 'treasure' for your baby. Although before you rush to empty your family heirlooms, let me explain. They are full of items that your baby can use their sense to explore.

We first discovered the idea at our locals Children's Centre where we learnt about the Monteserri Education Theory that children learn using all 5 senses rather than just listening. It makes lots of sense if you think about it.

You can put a range of objects in a sensory box and you can even adapt them to particular themes such as nature, seaside, colours, kitchen items etc. 

Or you can do what we did and throw bits of everything in. As long as things are safe & non toxic then there's is no reason to not chuck them in. Things with different textures to touch, are ideal as they stimulate the senses. Items such as loofahs, sponge, silky material and pine cones are wonderful.

Take care to ensure that there objects aren't sharp or choking hazards to baby. Items that make different sounds provide great entertaiment and keep them amused for a long time. I'd recommend objects such as sets of measuring spoons, keys, rain sticks (homemade with a sealed beaker & rice) and hand bells.

I used one basket with around ten items in which I changed every few days as Freddie got older. I found that changing the items was like giving him a new toy every few days without the cost and inconvenience of having to shop for them.

Being a first child and grandchild, he had lots of toys but treasure baskets were by far the best.

This Article provides lots of useful information and an extensive list of items to include.

I'd really recommend making a treasure basket for your baby. It's cheap & cheerful, provides hours of entertainment as well as stimulating baby and aiding their development. 

Play Time: Nature Treasure Hunt

This week's 'Play Time' feature is a lovely activity that we did yesterday; Treasure Hunting. It was one of the best days weather wise, we'd had for a while so we made the most of the situation with a trip to the park. 

Even though I had the pram Freddie loves to walk now he reckons he's an independent toddler so he was running off left, right and centre in a bid for freedom. I decided to embrace his energy boost (in a bid to tire him out for an extra long nap on our return)by enticing him with a Treasure Hunt. 

We used our carrier bag to collect all sorts of nature items such as leaves and twigs. Unfortunately some people lack any level of courtesy and respect for others so Freddie attempted to collect a range of litter and dog dirt! Honestly, clean up after your god damn poo machine if you have one! 

He really enjoyed collecting things although somewhat bewildered as to why I was allowing him to pick up muddy leaves. Of course, it goes without saying that full parental supervision is a must here to make sure that nothing sharp or dangerous is collected and we were armed with a pack of baby wipes and anti bacterial gel to be on the safe side.

Whilst we collected our nature items, I told Freddie all about what was what and colours,  textures etc. At 17 months he doesn't entirely understand but I love to engage him in conversation and he particularly liked pretending to be a dog when he collected his sticks. 

The good old blighty weather didn't stay fine for long so we ventured home where we made a nature picture.

I emptied all our findings out onto the mess mat and we had a look at them all over again. I dried them off the best I could and we picked out our favourites. 

We used Pritt Stick to stick them down onto foam card and then used our Early Learning Centre paints to paint over them. Freddie got confused at this point and thought we were Bath Painting again so quickly decided to paint his feet! 

Of course activities like this don't last very long when it's with toddlers. Freddie doesn't have the greatest of concentration spans but the Treasure Hunt itself was a great way in which to keep him entertained and get him out of the house.  It was also free which is always a bonus.

For older children, you could set up a Scavenger Hunt where you provide them with a checklist of things to find. 

For babies, I'd recommend a nature inspired Treasure Basket although it may be advisable to use clean things from around the home rather than objects collected from the park.

I hope you've enjoyed this week's 'Play Time'. Where do you get your play ideas from?