Treasure Baskets
What are they?
In post-war Europe, Elinor Goldschmied observed that babies had very few toys and those they had held little interest. Elinor noted that they were more interested in real objects, e.g. a wooden spoon or grabbing at glasses or necklaces.
Elinor set about gathering interesting, everyday items from home and putting them in a basket to present to the babies. The basket selected was readily available, easy to store and had a flat bottom for stability. She called it a ‘Treasure Basket’.
Key messages and ways we can do this:
Presenting a Treasure Basket: The baby should be barefoot, with the basket placed to the side of them so that they have to cross their body to reach into the basket. The basket itself is important and should be sturdy enough not to fall over as the baby leans or reaches in.
There can be more than one child positioned around a basket, thereby offering opportunities for social interaction – looks, glances and maybe even a bit of grabbing.
The items in the Treasure Basket are chosen to offer rich sensory experiences through touch, smell, taste, sound and sight and the sixth sense, bodily movement.
In choosing, mouthing, sucking, waving, handling and banging these objects, infants will concentrate their attention for considerable periods, often up to an hour. Then, they will initiate their own explorations by themselves and for themselves without any need for encouragement or intervention on the part of the adult.
There should be no plastic as this offers minimal sensory experience, nor should the items be called toys. The variety of materials enriches the baby’s experience as many of the items a baby may have seen without the experience of direct handling.
All the items are washable or wipe-able and should be risk checked and changed regularly to maintain the baby’s interest.
Role of the Adult:
Creating the Basket: A collection of items for the treasure basket is personal and calls for the adult to find pleasure and interest in its creation and maintenance. Make it as attractive as possible. Experiment with different objects. Remember, all babies are different and will be fascinated by different things.
Planning for Space and Time: Treasure baskets should be designed for – you need to plan time and space with minimum distractions. They do not form part of continuous provision.
Emotional Anchor: Be attentive to the baby, calm and encouraging when it is needed. The child might be feeling anxious and not know what to do. Be a reassuring presence when they do not need you to be actively involved.
Be Quiet: Don’t chatter too much and keep interruptions to a minimum.
Observe: Tune in to what the baby is interested in: What can you source more of for the next basket use? What interactions are happening between the babies?
Support language and communication: Know the children involved and narrate or comment on aspects of the objects when required.
Maintenance of baskets and resources: Contents of the baskets should be cleaned daily in warm soapy water. As the baby will put many objects into his mouth, try to avoid spray disinfectants as they can build up in the child’s system over time. Cover the basket with a tea towel and store it out of the way until the next time.
For more inspiration about potential treasure basket contents, please see this page on the Imagination Tree website.
