Sensory baskets for babies

You can read about sensory (or "discovery") baskets all over the Internet - when D was little I never made him one as we went to a lot more organised baby groups etc but now having 2 children, it's nice to have something special for Iz which she can explore at her own pace, but helps stimulate her senses and keep her attention and focus.

The point is to have a collection of objects that are safe for your baby to explore/play with on their own and this is brilliant for self-directed play. Iz will happily sit in front of her box for 20 minutes, playing with one thing, then choosing another etc. Perfect for when I'm trying to make the lunch or sort some washing :)

This is what is in her discovery basket:

Reflective ball

Floaty scarf

Silicone cupcake cases

Plastic whisk

Spoon

Baby hairbrush

Stacking cups

Black/white book

Light up ball

Mirror

Bell shaker

Emergency blanket

Squeaky toy

A few rattles

All the objects are stored in a wicker box and then each time she's going to play with it I'll put about 10-12 objects in this 'half-sized' canvas storage box - it is the perfect size as it's easy for her to reach into and if she stretches then she can reach all the way across it.

Hmmmm where's that toy I want...

Yay found it!!

It's really interesting seeing what takes her fancy as she often has a particular object in mind and will carefully move other objects out of the way until she has what she wants...

Need. To. Empty. Everything.

A few of her favourites are:

The plastic whisk

The reflective ball

The spiky ball

The mirror

The emergency blanket

As time has gone on (mainly thanks to my super helpful toddler!) a few other random things have been added to the box so it also now houses a selection of about 4 teethers, some plastic animals and often a muslin or two....

Sometimes even her age blocks end up in there too!

Over time I'll change what goes in the basket - firstly as Iz gets accustomed to the objects currently in the basket, and also as she gets older and starts exploring things differently. I love this concept though and it is so nice for her to have her own special toy box that is always on hand.

Self-entertaining children - living the dream!!

Have you ever made a discovery box? What have you put in it? I'd love to hear any other suggestions or if you decide to make one after reading this :)