Enabling environments resources for under-threes: Pick and mix

Babies' brains are growing fast, developing in response to their surroundings through their five senses. Babies learn through touch and every experience a baby has stimulates connections in the brain. A treasure basket is one way of giving babies rich sensory experiences that help the brain to make connections and develop.

A treasure basket is a collection of everyday household and natural objects chosen to stimulate the five senses: touch, taste, sight, smell and sound.

They were devised by Elinor Goldschmied, more than 60 years ago, for babies who can sit up comfortably but are not yet mobile. They provide babies with a safe way to explore natural objects.

Play with treasure baskets provides an excellent means for babies to explore, make choices and express their preferences at their own pace. This is important in helping babies understand themselves and other people.

Babies will explore the treasure basket by looking, touching, grasping, mouthing, sucking, shaking, holding, banging and picking up and dropping the objects.

Adults are there to sit alongside the babies. A supportive key person can help develop a sense of security for the baby as they explore new objects. When a child feels safe, they are more likely to explore more.

The combination of the treasure basket experience and the way the practitioner is emotionally supportive of the baby as they engage with the treasure basket may help babies develop curiosity as well as confidence in themselves.

Treasure baskets allow very young infants to begin to control their environment through showing interest and communicating when they have finished their explorations.

CREATING A TREASURE BASKET

Start putting your treasure basket together by collecting objects such as a metal whisk, a bunch of keys, a wooden egg cup, a loofah, a powder puff, a tin lid, a marble egg, a wicker ball, a leather coaster, a sponge, a seashell, a nail brush and a pumice stone - all excellent items to add to the sturdy wicker basket.

ADULT ROLE

- Ensure the area is free from distractions and interruptions.

- Set aside enough time so that the experience is not rushed. It is important that you notice the subtle signs a baby gives when they have finished exploring. Do they reach out to you? Are they showing signs of tiredness? Have they disengaged with the treasure basket?

- Sit close enough to maintain eye contact. This closeness offers emotional security, reassurance and encouragement as the baby explores and experiments with unfamiliar objects.

- Position the basket alongside the baby to enable them to select objects independently.

- Remember the baby is the one to initiate interaction with you once you have given them the treasure basket.

- Unless a baby is distressed or in danger, keep physical intervention and/or verbal communication to a minimum, responding only by giving reassuring smiles and plenty of eye contact. You are not there to lead the play.

- Share the value of treasure basket play with parents. This could be through photographs, videos, displays or written observations. Once involved, parents can actively contribute to the development of treasure basket resources, and/or supporting children's learning by offering similar opportunities at home.

IN PRACTICE

Treasure baskets encourage subtle interaction rather than adult intervention. It is important that practitioners follow the baby's lead, interacting with them on the baby's terms. Many practitioners in the Northamptonshire Baby Room Project commented that they found the lack of intervention difficult, but treasure basket play provides an ideal opportunity to observe babies making choices and decisions and demonstrating preferences.

It is also a time to build on secure attachments. In one setting where treasure baskets were recently introduced, practitioners commented on the calmness of the babies' play. As they observed the play, they were amazed at the length of time the babies spent exploring with an intense concentration. Practitioners using treasure baskets are often surprised that play can last up to 45 minutes and sometimes longer. This is remarkable for a young infant - and often very tiring!

DISCOVERY BOXES

Discovery boxes, filled with a variety of interesting materials, are an excellent resource that encourages fine and gross motor skills to develop. Fine motor skills use smaller muscles and involve the precise use of hands and fingers.

Children will be developing these skills through reaching out, grasping and releasing objects. They begin to use a pincer grasp with thumb and index finger and can transfer objects from one hand to the other.

A range of materials in varying textures, weights, lengths and widths are ideal for helping small hands to practise and consolidate their physical skills as well as attributes such as concentration and perseverance.

Babies' core muscles are also developing stability and control as, for example, they lift their arm to pull a long length of ribbon out from the discovery box. While exploring the discovery box, babies may improve their skills of movement, co-ordination, control, and manipulation.

MAKING DISCOVERY BOXES

Empty tissue boxes come in handy for this simple resource. Collect ribbons, tinsel, material strips, strings of beads and lengths of chain to fill the box. Try to add items in varying lengths, widths, weights and textures to make it more interesting for babies. To strengthen the boxes, cover them in sticky-backed plastic.

ADULT ROLE

- Create eye-catching discovery boxes to capture the babies' attention.

- Set the experience out attractively using voiles or fabric to draw children in to play.

- Sit near to the baby as they explore and use descriptive language to support the efforts they make.

- Allow plentiful time for babies to investigate the boxes.

- Observe the babies as they play. Which items do the babies prefer? How do you know? Use this information to adapt the boxes to meet their current interests and fascination.

- Always check the contents for safety.

IN PRACTICE

Simple resources will enhance your provision and promote babies' learning and development. Practitioners who were inspired by the discovery boxes during the Northamptonshire Baby Room Project found them simple to put together, and a rich experience for the babies in their care.

In one baby room the boxes have been so well used by the babies that they have extended the idea as the babies have grown, and their discovery boxes are now much larger.

Staff commented that the babies quickly became familiar with the boxes, and as their confidence developed staff decided to increase the size of the box to build on their current interest. Babies were eager to reach into the box to see what was hiding inside, and practitioners supported them and extended their learning and development by talking about babies' discoveries.

In another setting, one baby played with a discovery box for over 20 minutes. Staff noted her deep levels of concentration and perseverance as she grasped a string of beads and used all her core stability to pull them from the box. She then spent time rolling the beads through her fingers and was fully immersed in her exploration.

REFERENCES

- Goldschmied, E and Jackson, S (1994) People Under Three - Young Children in Daycare. London: Routledge

- Hughes, A (2006) Developing Play for Under-threes - The Treasure Basket and Heuristic Play. London: David Fulton

LINKS TO EYFS GUIDANCE

- EE 3.1 Observation, Assessment and Planning

- L&D 4.1 Play and Exploration

- L&D 4.2 Active Learning

LINKS TO EYFS GUIDANCE

- PR 2.3 Supporting Learning

- EE 3.2 Supporting Every Child

- L&D 4.1 Play and Exploration

INFORMATION

Lindon, J (2006) Helping Babies and Toddlers Learn - A Guide to Good Practice with Under-threes. London: National Children's Bureau