Our last SUPERbaby post was about all the wonderful play items you can find around the home and use to make a treasure basket for your baby to explore. As you can see from these picture our SUPERbaby poster girl has discovered something else which makes a fabulous, frugal and fun toy for little ones: shoe boxes!
Sturdy enough for some baby-handling, they make great discovery boxes. Take some of your treasures and hide them inside for your baby to find.
Pop the lids on and let your baby begin to understand the concept of object permanence – that even if they can’t see teddy, he is still in the box. Once your baby has played with this idea for a while you could sneak teddy out and watch their surprise when they discover he’s relocated behind your back.
Offer your baby a pile of goodies and let them put things in and take things out to their heart’s content.
How about stacking the boxes to make a tower? As you baby begins to shuffle or crawl you can place the tower a little out of reach to entice them over to know it down.
And as your baby grows, shoes boxes can transform into trains or cots or houses.
Have shoe boxes? Go play!
Our SUPERbaby play series focuses on simple, playful ideas you can use with the youngest of children to have fun and encourage them to develop important early learning skills. The emphasis is on ideas you can easily fit into a busy week, using materials you’ll have around your home. View all our SUPERbaby ideas here.
happily shared with Sunday Best and Fridays Nature Table and For the kids Friday and Frugal Friday and It’s Playtime and Upcycled Awesome and We Play
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[...] Have Shoeboxes? Go play! [...]
I love shoe boxes! They are great for all ages and the start of much imagination!
Hi Pip. I think you’re right – when you’re using un-toys all ages can join in and play with them in a way that suits them and their age/stage.
Love untoys….and shoe boxes are da bomb.
Hi Kelly B – go shoe boxes!
Aahh. It’s a breath of fresh air when children find toys in the unconventional. It seems like they have more fun with those toys too!
I agree My Oatmeal Kisses, my two certainly seem to prefer ‘un-toys’ to store bought toys.
Thank you for linking up to Ucycled Awesome at http://www.thetshirtdiaries.com.
It’s always fun to join in Robin
You know I agree with you on this one! Lovely and a great explanation too.
Thanks Anna.
JDaniel always loved the boxes his toys came in.
Hi JDaniel4′s Mom – mine are always pleased when a new box arrives!
Shoe boxes are fun at any age – even I love collecting treasures in them
That’s true Christie, I have a few myself.
How refreshing! I love to see posts like this. I love when simple is better. Maybe I’m simplistic, or a minimalist, or even an idealist, but I love the idea that you don’t have to buy out the toy store to educate and entertain your child! Thanks for putting that out there to remind us and give us fresh ideas!
Hi Amy – I think we think alike. I sometimes wonder, if I was having my babies over again, whether I would buy them any store bougth toys at all.
[...] had a great response to our posts about treasure baskets for babies and shoebox play, so I thought I’d look at another everyday item that makes a great un-toy: clothes pegs. [...]
Love this – It requires no batteries and uses imagination instead!
Hi ChiMomWriter – a good toy blueprint, I think!
[...] the house and garden for your children to play with? My girls love playing with clothes pegs, shoe boxes, fircones, pebbles and other un-toys… Zero airmiles, zero packaging, free and full of [...]
[...] the house and garden for your children to play with? My girls love playing with clothes pegs, shoe boxes, fircones, pebbles and other un-toys… Zero airmiles, zero packaging, free and full of [...]
I love your SUPERbaby series! Thanks for linking this up to It’s Playtime last week. I’m featuring a variety of baby/toddler ideas to get the littlest ones involved and included this post.
Jamie @ hands on : as we grow
Thanks for the feature Jamie
[...] = '';} } The treasure basket (heuristic play)heuristic play for babies #header {text-align: center } #description { clear:both;text-align: center; [...]
Glad I’m not the only one who’s child plays with boxes, lol. My boy isn’t into toys that much but he loves boxes and plastic bottles so I clean them up and give him to play with and he’s happy.
This is great! My baby loves boxes and I have a couple of shoe boxes in my wardrobe which I’m going to dig out now for her to play with!
[...] playtime posts are getting me inspired to get the little one involved, too!Un-Toys for Babies[Nuture Store]Pudding Fingerpaint [The SEEDS Network]Homemade Fingerpaint [Girl in [...]