TinyStepper
Parent and child clapping hands together mid-nursery-rhyme on a rug

First Word Treasure Basket

Five familiar objects in a basket — baby picks one, you name it three times.

Activity details

12m–20m8 minslowindoorBasket or Bin

Instructions

Tiny Steps

Get ready
  • Fill a small basket with 5 familiar household objects
  • Sit on the floor with baby and place the basket between you
  1. Fill a small basket with 5 familiar household objects
  2. Sit on the floor with baby and place the basket between you
  3. Let baby reach in and choose — don't guide their hand
  4. Name what they pick up: 'Cup! You found the cup! Blue cup!'
  5. Let them explore it — mouth it, bang it, turn it over
  6. When they reach for the next one, name that too
  7. Use the same basket daily — add one new object each week

Parent tip

Set out basket or bin before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.

Parent and child sitting face-to-face laughing together in a warm shared moment

What success looks like

Back-and-forth between you — words, gestures, shared pretend. Connection is the real outcome here.

Put 5 everyday objects that baby already recognises into a small basket: a spoon, a sock, a ball, a cup, a book. Let baby reach in and choose one. Name it three times as they explore it: 'Spoon! That's a spoon! Shiny spoon!' When they drop it and pick another, name that one too. No pressure to repeat — just pure exposure to words connected to things they can touch.

Why it helps

Treasure baskets are a Montessori staple adapted here for language. By choosing what to explore, baby is directing the interaction — you're following their lead, which Speech and Language UK identify as the most effective approach. Naming the same object three times in quick succession ('spoon, that's a spoon, shiny spoon') gives the brain multiple exposures in context.

Variations

  • Theme the basket: 'bathroom basket' (flannel, duck, soap), 'kitchen basket' (spoon, cup, sponge).
  • Add one new object each week — keep the rest familiar.
  • For older babies, name and hide one object — 'Where did the spoon go?'

Safety tips

  • All objects must be too large to fit in baby's mouth entirely.
  • Check for sharp edges, loose parts, or breakable items.
  • Supervise throughout — mouths will explore these objects.