Do all of you have treasure baskets ....

[helendee]

and are they a requirement by Ofsted? Just when I think that I am getting myself together something else seems to come along!!!!:confused:

[Kelly]

They are not a requirement by Ofsted, but I wouldn't be without mine. It really depends on the age of your children I suppose as my LO get older they do not play with the 'traditional' treasure basket, but I have made up baskets of hats/shoes etc that the 2 yo's love

[grindal]

I have a basket of bits and pieces. It is not strictly a treasure basket - but I can usually find a few things in it to fit a theme, and it keeps mindee and my DS1 and 2 entertained!

[PixiePetal]

I don't have one but with a new mindee starting who is 6 months, I am going to start one - off to get the basket this week if I can get out with the snow!

Looking forward to hunting out treasures to put in it :)

[Mouse]

I have 2 treasure baskets - one for babies & one for older children. I love them & I'm forever on the look out for bits to add to them.

It always amazes me how interested the children are in them & how engrossed they get.

[sarah707]

The little ones love my treasure baskets... one has just started with a trajectory schema so it's a bit spoiled as he just wangs the contents across the room :rolleyes:

The other baby still sits and plays for ages :D

[Ripeberry]

I found my treasure basket great for settling in my then 12 month old. By the third visit he was actively looking for his basket and enjoyed pulling out all the objects.
He does not use it so much now (15 months old), but he still comes back to it and I change the contents every now and again, so there is always something new in there :thumbsup:

[Cazz]

Sorry if I being a bit daft but what sort of things do you put in your treasure baskets?

I currently have two 9 month old mindees and an almost 4 year old mindee (not forgetting my own 2 year old dd).

I've had people mention them before and would like to do some but need inspiration!!

[Ripeberry]

Anything really, that is safe for babies to mouth, wooden objects, pieces of cloth, rattles, fir cones, small boxes with lids, plastic measuring spoons...that kind of thing.

[Cazz]

Anything really, that is safe for babies to mouth, wooden objects, pieces of cloth, rattles, fir cones, small boxes with lids, plastic measuring spoons...that kind of thing.

So it can be a mixture of things in one basket - doesn't have to be a basket per theme or anything. I.e. materials, kitchen items, noisy items etc.

And is it actually a basket that you put them in? Sorry for asking silly questions!

[Polly2]

Thsi is a good article on treasure baskets http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/inDepth/897027/Learning---Development-Treasure-baskets---heuristic-play---First-choice/

[singingcactus]

I have a drawer in my unit filled with 'things'. My kids call it the 'interesting box'. Because my kids are not babies I also have magnifying glasses in my drawer and the kids love looking up close and looking for clues with them.
But I guess it is essentially a treasure basket - without the basket.

[Polly2]

another thread on treasure baskets here http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=45768