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Activities for Babies: Exploring Sound Treasure Basket

Following on from the playful success of the Shiny & Reflective Treasure Basket I decided to create another purposeful collection of objects to encourage AJ’s hands-on exploration of a fascination I have recently observed – at fourteen months she loves exploring everyday objects to see what sounds and noises they make.

Childhood 101 | Baby Play Ideas-Exploring Sound Treasure Basket

Into our basket went…

Items to shake to make noise:

  • Two small, clear juice bottles – one with a small collection of buttons, the other a small amount of macaroni. The lids are fastened securely. If you are worried that your baby or toddler might be able to remove a lid be sure to glue it into place or to chose items that do not constitute a choking hazard.
  • A wooden curtain ring with four bells securely attached with short lengths of ribbon (see below)
  • A wooden curtain ring with four plastic shower curtain rings attached (see below)
  • Two small plastic canisters with lids – one with a small amount of rice and the other with sand

Childhood 101 | Baby Play Activities -Exploring Sounds Treasure Basket

Items to tap and bang:

  • A soup spoon
  • A wooden tapping stick from a commercial instrument
  • Two pot lids from toy pots – one metal, one plastic
  • One metal toy pot
  • Two flat stones (AJ likes to tap stones together)
  • One seashell

Childhood 101 | Activities for Babies -Exploring Sound Treasure Basket

First to capture her interest were the juice bottles. AJ would shake one and then the other, then return to the first. As she continued to explore the other objects in the basket she would return again and again to shaking the bottles. They have quickly become much loved ‘toys’ and I will definitely be adding more with different objects inside that generate a range of different sounds when shaken.

Childhood 101 | Activities for Babies -Exploring Sounds Treasure Basket

The curtain ring shakers are carefully examined.

Childhood 101 | Play Activity Ideas for Babies -Exploring Sounds Treasure Basket

The spoon is used to bang the pot and the juice bottles. The wooden tapping stick is enthusiastically banged on many of the objects in the basket.

Childhood 101 | Play Activities for Babies -Exploring Sounds Treasure Basket

It’s wonderful to watch her compare the noises made as she bangs on one object and then another.

One thing I have enjoyed with this basket is watching Immy come along later to explore the basket herself, interacting with AJ and exposing her to even more ways to combine the objects to make noise (for example, banging the pot lids together). This basket has been lots of shaky, bangy, tappy, noisy fun!

Tell me what fascinates your baby or toddler right now.

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Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.

Read more of Christie's adventures at https://childhood101.com.

Read the comments or scroll down to add your own:

  1. Melissa and Doug Australia says

    June 24, 2013 at 1:57 PM

    My daughter loves to eat coco pops and I usually hide a few inside/under some of her toys which makes her so surprised and happy when she finds them. Then she goes searching for them around all the toys she has near her twisting and turning them around thinking she would find more inside any of them. I love to see that little surprisingly happy face of my sweet daughter!

  2. Margaret Elvis says

    June 24, 2013 at 5:47 PM

    Once again it proves that one doesn't have to spend a fortune on expensive toys but there are items in the home that can entertain babies and toddlers for hours. A wonderful post Christie. xx

  3. Christine says

    June 25, 2013 at 4:11 AM

    My kiddos bang on the usual pots/pans using my vast array of wooden utensils. The 2.5yo is more interested in creating a rhythm, but my 1yo just listens to the sounds. I have very old bread pans and vintage pie tins that are especially appreciated. I have a fancy can opener that leaves a smooth edge, and I used that to clear out a collection of different sizes/shapes of cans. My 2.5yo and I covered them in paper and glued the tops back on after pouring in different amounts of dried beans, salt and rice. Now we use those for our band, with drumsticks, and for stacking. My 1yo loves to shake each one and see how different they are. It's been great, and they're pretty, too!

  7. Jody at Six Little Hearts says

    June 30, 2013 at 10:29 AM

    I used to make the bottles filled with small, noisy and colourful things when my first was born. In fact we still have one of the bottles as all my babies loved playing with it! Your daughter is a cutie! My little girl also has the tiny fluff hair and will look the same when she's around the age of your girl! :)

  9. Kate Lloyd says

    June 30, 2013 at 8:07 PM

    What an adorable little girl you have. I absolutely love this post and hope lots of other parents see it and do it at home themselves. Pinned.

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