I first came across treasure baskets when my eldest was several months old and thinking about sitting up.
I'd ventured out to a local baby café for a cup of tea and a little bit of adult company to keep me sane.
When I walked into the small room at the back of the church, I was surprised to find just a huge blanket with a basket in the middle.
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I saw how everyone had placed their babies on the blanket and sat next to them, so I tentatively did the same.
I was surprised to find that the "toys" left out for the babies weren't toys at all. Not how I normally thought of toys for babies - colourful plastic or wooden things with a set purpose.
Inside the basket was the following:
Wooden brushes
Black and white pictures of babies
Scarves in bold patterns and colours
Recycled drinks bottle filled with pulses and taped shut
Various spoons
Gift wrap bows
One of the ladies running the session told me this was a treasure basket and handed me a bow - it made a lovely crinkly sound which delighted my eldest. He then enjoyed holding one of the bottles with his hands and his feet whilst lying on his back.
He must have found the whole thing very stimulating as after about an hour of play he fell asleep on the mat. I was amazed as he'd never fallen asleep on his own before!
I was so inspired that when we got home I started reading up on treasure baskets, raiding the cupboards for pulses to put in bottles, and searching the house for interesting objects!
What I didn't realise at the time is that we had experienced our first heuristic play session.
We now love heuristic play and all three of my boys have now enjoyed treasure baskets as babies.
But what are treasure baskets? And what is heuristic play?
'Treasure baskets' are a form of heuristic play where babies are given a selection of objects in an open basket. They are free to explore using all of their senses whilst being closely observed by a parent or caregiver.
'Heuristic play' is a term that was coined in the 1980s by Elinor Goldschmied, a pioneer in early education from England. It's the idea of presenting children under three with real world, natural and recycled objects to explore; playing freely and without adult intervention.
Children are naturally curious, and treasure baskets are the perfect way to build on that curiosity by exploring a wide variety of textures and material properties.
The benefits of treasure baskets
Treasure baskets help babies to learn through play. They provide lots of opportunities to experiment and understand the world around them.
Open-ended
Treasure baskets invite curiosity and experimentation. Where a toy car is designed to be pushed, a whisk is just something shiny, slightly bendy and cool to the touch. It makes a great sound when you hit it against other objects, but it's not designed for that. A gift bag is meant to put gifts in, but baby might just like to look at the way the light dances on its shiny surface! Objects such as these, without a defined way to play, are known as open-ended.
Motor skills
When a baby reaches for and handles objects, they are developing their grasping skills and improving their hand-eye coordination. The variety of shapes and textures of objects in a treasure basket means that they are given many different ways of doing this. It helps them learn how to manipulate and handle different objects ready for feeding themselves and later on stacking blocks, turning pages in books (etc) and eventually drawing and writing.
Sensory
Treasure baskets are the perfect opportunity to offer your baby objects that use all 5 senses. Baby toys are often plastic and use bold colours to excite vision but offer just one smooth texture and no smell. However a small bag of lavender or a lemon also has scent, a brush has a rough texture, and a large bell or jar with beads in has sound. Think about how objects can excite your baby's senses to get the most out of their treasure basket.
Cause and effect
Giving baby a broad range of materials will provide them with opportunities to learn about cause and effect - how their actions impact the world around them. They will see how hitting objects together can make different sounds, how ribbons are slippery through their fingers and drop to the floor, how some things can be scrunched up and will spring back.
Confidence
Goldschmied explains how, when giving baby a treasure basket, the parent or caregiver should look on but not direct play in any way. You are there purely to ensure the safety of your baby . This early opportunity to play independently with the safety of an adult nearby helps to develop confidence. It provides the foundations for creative thought and risk-taking as they grow.
Getting started with your baby
If you want to give treasure baskets a try at home, the best time to introduce them is when your baby can sit unaided, which is usually around 5 - 10 months old.
This first thing you will need is a solid open basket like this one:
It's important to have something that's sturdy enough for baby to lean on, but is nice and open so that they can see and choose objects.
Start building up your collection from things around the home and any nature 'treasures' you can find. Avoid anything that has sharp edges, is a chokeable size or is painted, and avoid plastic as this is a material they already see a lot in everyday toys.
Here are some ideas for what to include in your treasure basket...
Natural treasure basket items:
Large shells
Pinecones
Coconuts
Sea beans
Natural sponge
Driftwood
Citrus fruit
Feathers
Large smooth pebbles
Muslin herb bags (e.g. lavender)
Household treasure basket items:
Brushes (hair, pastry, paint, mushroom, nail)
Wooden bangles
Egg cups
Spoons
Bean bags
Silk scarves
Honey drizzler
Measuring spoons
Whisk
Mini sieve
Mirror (compact)
Embroidery hoops
Ribbon
Doilies
Brillo pads
Recycled treasure basket items:
Egg boxes
Cardboard tubes
Plastic bottles filled with pulses
Small gift bags
Used tape / ribbon centres
Old CDs
Leather scraps
Jar lids
Small boxes
For more ideas, check out my treasure basket list on my Amazon store.
Tips for getting the most out of your play
Time it carefully
When baby is hungry or tired is probably not the best time to introduce a treasure basket! Choose a moment when baby is happy and alert and you can sit quietly together for a while.
Don't limit things
As important as choosing the right time is not limiting how long baby is given to explore the basket. If you have to stop in the middle of a session for whatever reason (dirty nappy, phone call etc.) leave things as they are and then return to it after.
Mix it up!
Regularly refreshing the contents of baby's treasure basket will help keep their interest piqued. You can also observe what items are the most played with and add variations of it, for example they might love a mirror, so you can find other things with reflective surfaces and include them, such as jam jar lids, foil containers and metal spoons.
Finally a note on safety - heuristic play and treasure baskets should always be used under CLOSE SUPERVISION. Babies should never be left alone with them, even for a minute. You should also avoid any objects which are a potential choking hazard or have sharp edges.
Have you tried treasure baskets for the first time? Leave me a comment!
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