What is a treasure basket?
Treasure baskets are a collection of day-to-day materials that are natural and offer stimulation to the five senses – hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch.
Treasure baskets aid exploration, curiosity and concentration, as well as enabling brain development during interaction with the treasures.
Developed by Elinor Goldschmied, the idea of a treasure basket is for babies aged between 6-9 months or babies able to sit up by themselves, unable to crawl yet.
Top tips:
- Fill your baby’s basket to the brim to encourage them to search and discover
- The objects in your baby’s basket should provide a range of textures, weights, tastes, smells and appearances – such as wooden items, metal, fur, leather, large shells etc.
- Your should feel confident and happy with the contents of your baby’s basket – if in doubt, take it out
- Find a quiet area with your baby away from other distractions
- Seat your baby comfortably in front of the basket
- Sit close by your baby, but not too close that you become directly involved
- Only become directly involved if invited by your baby (watch and respond)
- Sitting with your baby while they explore means you are able to add words for the items they are discovering
- Allow your baby to explore, handle and manipulate the items in their own way
- Change the objects regularly to add variety and maintain your baby’s interest
