This week, Elise has been exploring a treasure basket with objects from nature. Our outside world has been under snow for the majority of Elise's life (crazy, right?), so it's been exciting for her to discover that under all that fluffy white stuff, some seriously interesting things were hiding. A few of our natural finds have come home with us to become Elise's newest treasure basket.
Clockwise from the top left: agate, driftwood, fossil, coral (not from Montana, but a gift from a friend's recent trip to Mexico), pine branch cutting, and pine cone.
A thoughtfully put together treasure basket can stimulate all of Elise's senses and hold her interest for up to a half an hour, or more! Elise has been enjoying treasure baskets since she was between 4 and 5 months old (she's 9 months now), and I really appreciate the way they've given her an opportunity to experience the fascinating objects of her environment in a safe way. OH, and did I mention? Putting together a basket full of curiosities from your house and yard is FREE! Now that's a treasure, right?
Some treasure basket inspiration:
- How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin
- Counting Coconuts
- How We Montessori
- Montessori ici
- Sew Liberated
How does she not eat everything? My guy would have consumed the pine cone and branch as a pre-lunch snack!! I always have to be careful with my treasure baskets because he is such a taster/eater!
ReplyDeleteHa, ha - good question! They are the most fragile things I've ever put in a treasure basket. I thought they would maybe last the morning, and that I would spend the whole time picking pine needles out of E's mouth! She takes them out of the basket, but she's way more interested in chewing on the agate, fossil, and coral - which I'm sure is probably not the best thing for her new teeth!
ReplyDelete