TinyStepper
Child with hands buried in a tray of colourful rice, scooping with a cup

Treasure Basket Discovery

A sensory exploration basket filled with safe household objects.

Activity details

12m–2y15 minslowindoorBasket or BinSpongesWooden Spoons

Instructions

Tiny Steps

Get ready
  • Choose a low, sturdy basket your child can reach into easily
  • Fill it with 8-10 safe household items: wooden spoon, metal whisk, silk scarf, rubber ball, pine cone, large shell, fabric scraps, clean sponge
  1. Choose a low, sturdy basket your child can reach into easily
  2. Fill it with 8-10 safe household items: wooden spoon, metal whisk, silk scarf, rubber ball, pine cone, large shell, fabric scraps, clean sponge
  3. Place the basket on the floor near your child
  4. Let them explore freely without directing their play
  5. Name objects and describe textures as they pick things up: 'That spoon is smooth and cold!'
  6. Watch what catches their interest and follow their lead
  7. Rotate items every few days to keep it fresh
  8. Always supervise to ensure nothing goes into the mouth that shouldn't

Parent tip

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

Toddler sitting back from a sensory tray looking calm and satisfied after focused play

What success looks like

Watch for focused exploration — fingers digging in, pouring back and forth, or sorting by feel. Even a few minutes of this builds concentration.

A classic Montessori-inspired activity where you fill a low basket with 8 to 10 safe, interesting household objects for your baby to explore freely. Items with different textures, weights, and temperatures give early walkers rich sensory input that builds neural connections. This activity supports the natural drive to mouth, shake, bang, and examine objects, which is exactly how children this age learn about the world around them.

Why it helps

Free exploration of objects with different textures, weights, and temperatures builds rich neural connections in early walkers. Mouthing, shaking, and banging is exactly how children this age learn, and the variety of sensory input supports cognitive and fine motor development. Development Matters emphasises that multi-sensory experiences — touching, smelling, hearing, seeing — help children build a richer, deeper understanding of the world around them.

Variations

  • Create themed baskets: a kitchen basket, a nature basket, or a fabric basket.
  • Add items that make different sounds when shaken or tapped.
  • Include items with interesting temperatures — a cold metal spoon and a warm wooden block.

Safety tips

  • Check every item for choking hazards — nothing that fits through a toilet roll tube.
  • Supervise closely as babies this age mouth everything.
  • Rotate items regularly and inspect for wear, cracks, or loose parts.