Baby Play: Dough Tools Treasure Basket

Over the last few weeks

I have been making treasure baskets for Edie

And exploring heuristic play

treasure basket

Treasure Basket and Heuristic Play support personal, social and emotional development

Treasure Baskets give babies and children a chance to

Enjoy the exploration of very carefully chosen objects with all their senses

They delight in exploring familiar and new objects

Often items from around the home

treasure tools

Treasure Basket and Heuristic Play helps children to develop their

Communication, language and literacy skills

They make sounds, expressions and gestures as they play

Sharing their findings with those they are playing with

babbling treasure

Edie babbles away to herself and anyone who will listen as she plays

She pulls all manner of facial expressions

As she studies and scrutinises

As she discovers and explores

As she tries and tests things out

play with me

It is an utter joy to watch her play

A total privilege to see her learn

To witness the awe and wonder she experiences

In the every day

awe and wonder

Treasure Baskets and Heuristic Play help small children to develop their

Problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy skills

Though Edie cannot verbalise what she is thinking

We can see her thinking about size and shape

in out

We can watch her putting things in

Taking things out

Seeing if things roll

Bashing things together top see if they make sounds

bish bash bosh

Trying hard and soft movements

Learning about loud and quiet

Rough and smooth

Edie learns all these things through her senses

Touch

Taste

Smell

See

Hear

taste

Using these senses she is developing her understanding

Of the world around her

Through play she learns about cause and effect

cause and effect

Treasure Baskets and Heuristic Play help babies to develop

Their gross and fine motor skills

Grabbing

Grasping

Passing from hand to hand

Banging

Bashing

Shaking

Mouthing and chewing

mouth

All these things help babies learn to control their movements

While also developing their hand-eye coordination

fine motor

So much to be gained from so little

Treasure Baskets are so easy to set up

The treasure is easy to source from your own home

The key element for successful happy baby Treasure Basket play

Is you!

explore

Be there with your baby

Talk to them

Play with them

Explore and investigate alongside them

Model for them

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At the moment we change our Treasure Basket each week

And I do not leave the basket out

We use it for a short period each day

Either at home

Or out and about

When I have time to play too

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I try to make sure Edie has time with the basket

And the treasure

Before her older siblings get involved

Our first basket

I filled with wooden dough tools

dough tools

These are safe for Edie to explore with all her senses

Safe for her to mouth and chew

Safe for her to bash together

They are different sizes, shapes and textures

They are fun and interesting for her to examine and explore

They make interesting sounds

Edie has loved discovering them and what they can do

play matters

We will get these out again for Treasure Basket play

They can also be used with playdough

And for painting

treasure basket

What would you use these for?

Have you tried Treasure Basket play?

What is your favourite treasure?

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