My baby is nine months old today! Where does the time go?!
She’s old enough now that I think she deserves to have a few posts dedicated to her playtime.
I don’t want her feeling left out!
When little Mia needs something new to discover (or, honestly, I just need a break from playing!), I like to make a treasure basket to keep her busy.
I would recommend this activity for babies who can sit up and pick up objects. That’s all the skill you really need for this!
I get that you need to keep your kids busy because you feel stressed about all the stuff you need to get done today. That’s why my mission is to…
1. Find fun, quality kids’ activities and show you step by step how to do them.
2. Save you time and energy by using supplies from around the house or show you where to easily get them.
3. Inspire you to be creative and play with your kids in new and exciting ways.
What’s a Treasure Basket?
A treasure basket is a basket of things for babies to explore. Many Montessori infant programs use treasure baskets. They’re awesome because they’re made up of simple things you already have at home, and it’s so easy to put one together.
Babies need time for independent play. A treasure basket is the perfect independent play activity. Just set the basket in front of baby and watch him take things out and investigate them!
When baby starts getting bored of the things in the basket, change out the items and you’ll have a whole new treasure basket ready for him to explore.
Treasure baskets are also great opportunities for heuristic play. Loosely defined, heuristic play is when you give some kids a bunch of stuff to play with without telling them how to play with it.
Sounds pretty vague, right?
Don’t worry about whether you’re “doing it right.” There’s no right or wrong way to make a treasure basket. Just put stuff in and put the basket in front of your baby. She’ll know what to do.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
How My Baby Plays with a treasure basket
Whenever I have a treasure basket ready for Mia, she pretty much does the same thing with it.
She’ll scan the basket before touching anything.
Sometimes she’ll keep her hands up, as if to say, “I’m NOT touching that until I know what it is!”
Next, she takes the most interesting-looking thing out of the basket.
She looks at it, then tastes it, then tries to bang it on the floor or with another object. Then she goes back to tasting.
Seriously, when does the mouthing end?
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What Can I Put in a Treasure Basket for Babies?
True Montessori purists advise only natural materials. So no plastic.
I’m not a purist, so I put whatever I think my baby will enjoy in the basket.
- smooth wood blocks
- rattly toys
- plastic bottles with beans or rice inside
- crinkle paper
- balls
- kitchen utensils like measuring cups, spatulas, and whisks
- natural sponges
- baby mirror
- bangles
- muslin washcloths or other baby-safe fabrics
- smooth seashells and stones
- egg shakers
- decorative wicker balls
Use your imagination. Grab a basket, wander around the house, and see what you find.
This basket has a rock, two different wicker balls, a wooden rice paddle, and a fake succulent (photo is before I cut the stem off…. oops).
Themed Treasure Baskets
It’s fun to create a treasure basket based around a theme. I’m not all that creative with my treasure baskets, to be honest. I usually do a type of material, like all fabrics, all wooden objects, all squeaky blocks, etc. Or I’ll do a shape or color.
This basket has all colorful shape blocks from our oldest daughter’s shape sorter.
I just love this simple circles treasure basket from The Imagination Tree. In it are food lids, cardboard tubes, bracelets, napkin rings, and more, all circles.
So easy, right?!
Safety Concerns
Please play safely and always supervise!
When choosing things to put in the basket, make sure they
- are not choking hazards,
- have no sharp edges,
- do not have small pieces that could come off,
- do not have loose threads,
- cannot be harmful if mouthed,
- have colorfast dyes.
I enjoy watching my baby explore her treasure baskets. It’s exciting to see how much she’s learning and growing from these little activities.
I love having the opportunity to be the one who gets to teach her and encourage her. These are exploration moments that make my mama heart so proud!
Your Turn to Make a Treasure Basket for Baby
What kinds of stuff will you put in your treasure basket? Leave a comment and let me know how your baby activity went!