Infant Play & Discovery Baskets in the Sitting Stage

The world of infant play is so full of wonder, curiosity and discovery. Sometimes, when we think of "playing" we instantly visualize older children and this incredible and important stage of play development can be kind of left in the dust. When S was an infant, we honestly had very few actual "toys." I was still teaching and away from home for half the day, I didn't yet drive, and we were a young family on a tight budget. Much of what he played with were household objects or toys I made and stashed in discovery baskets for him to explore.

When Y came along, the playroom had expanded in more ways than one. Interestingly, I was so focused in those early months on S and his play needs, that many times, I almost forgot about little Y and his play needs. Discovery baskets often came to the rescue again! Y, however, had the benefit of not only seeing what the adults around the house did all day, but also seeing what his older brother did all day. He was eager to explore every bit of it.

C is totally enthralled with her brothers. She has always been happiest when they are around and is still most pleased if she is playing alongside them. With multiple children of multiple ages, it can feel like a struggle to set up play spaces that meet everyone's interests and needs. In addition, safety is also something to consider with children who are in the early stages of mobility or mouthing toys or exploring the schema of trajectory... How do you make it work?

In those very early months, before infants are even sitting up, they spend a good amount of time on their backs and tummies, visually exploring objects and tracking them, perhaps entering the earlier stages of grasping things. Open spaces and opportunities are vital and really encourage those next steps of gross and fine motor development while also stimulating the brain for cognitive growth. The sitting stage for all three of my little ones has been later than their typically developing peers. Most infants begin to be able to support themselves in a seated position around the age of 6 months, give or take. With three children now who have low muscle tone, that has been the first point at which they display a delay and we are very grateful for the assistance of our favorite physical therapist through our county's Early Intervention program. And even though the road to mobility is a slightly longer and more challenging one for my kids, the point at which they can sit independently is always a point at which I let out a sigh of relief! They are so much happier and more engaged once they reach this milestone. C in particular is so very eager to join in with her brothers at play and being able to sit and explore has also brought on a plethora of other developmental milestones including language, passing toys from hand to hand, picking things up with a pincer grasp, clanking objects together or against a surface, crossing the mid-line and so much more.

One of her very favorite things is searching through her discovery baskets. I always keep at least one bowl or basket of items more specifically geared toward her. It's OK for the boys to play with these things as well (and they do). I also keep things for her to safely explore and play with along with their toys and play setups. In this sitting stage, play for babies is a full body experience. They are mouthing things, watching things, touching things, listening to things, smelling things... I like for the items I put in discovery baskets to appeal to as many of the senses as possible, including texture, color, sound, scent, different shapes and sizes, different materials and things that are both nature and man made. I am not a rigid person when it comes to what constitutes a "toy." I am more interested in what is done with it. So sometimes my children play with "traditional toys" and sometimes they play with authentic objects.

C is very interested these days in "cooking." She is learning to love eating different foods. She is thrilled if she is playing with pots, pans, spoons and bowls. She sees her brothers play in their kitchen set and her parents in the actual kitchen and she wants to join in! In this discovery basket, I set her up with some authentic silver toned bowls, metal spoons in different sizes, tea set dishes, wooden coasters, wooden bowls in different sizes, a honey dipper, a painted wooden tea cup and saucer, some wooden mixing utensils, a couple of spice jars with flower petals and cinnamon sticks for scent and sound when shaken*, and a cloth napkin for a softer texture.
*You may have noticed that the spice jars here are glass. They are a very hard and sturdy glass, however, if your little one is in the stage of exploring trajectory or banging objects together with great force, it may not be a good time to use these. You may prefer to use a plastic version instead! 

I think every baby needs a GIANT bowl. I
especially love the mirror quality of this
metal bowl C is using to explore flour and
kitchen tools and utensils.

When I am setting up discovery baskets, I keep in mind that sometimes the basket itself is just as interesting! I try to offer a variety of sizes and styles of container. Baskets that are wide, some that are tall and narrow, bowls made from wood, some made from metal, containers with and without handles, and so forth. I've found that so many adults have a tendency to take the "basket" away when children begin to play with it because "that's not the thing they're supposed to be playing with," but I actually really like to remember that this is a child-led experience and if they are playing with it, that is what they are supposed to be playing with.

There are some things I do keep in mind when setting up a discovery basket:

• Safety first: The mouthing stage often coincides with the sitting stage. To make sure that nothing within baby's reach is a choking hazard, you may want to purchase a choke-tube or test objects in question through a toilet paper tube. If the object fits through, it is too small.

  

  For those times we can join in and even for those
  times we cannot, pots and pans are always a big hit!

• I also think it is important to join in when baby is first meeting the objects in a new discovery basket. You'll want to see how she plays, identify anything that may be a safety risk, and get to know what interests her and how. This will also help you to navigate what to add in, swap out and build dialogue around the experience for language development. I would suggest making sure you introduce a new discovery basket or play set up when you have the time to get down on the floor and play together. 

  

  On this afternoon, the boys and I were at the table
  making yarn bowls. C is a bit young for the glue end of
  the activity, but she is enjoying exploring the textures
  and colors of the yarn as we worked alongside her.

• On the other end of that spectrum, for those times you don't have an opportunity to join in, like when you're getting household tasks done, there are some go-to options that are quick, easy and safe to help you along. In the kitchen, pots and pans and metal spoons are great for baby play. In the laundry room, some clean rags or towels can be fun to explore. And even many times when you are doing activities with older children, there are parts of the activity that can be explored by the youngest set of hands.
• When possible, allow for play to happen in unenclosed open spaces. There are for sure times that baby needs to be in a high chair or a stroller or worn/carried, a car seat, etc. And these times do not have to be devoid of all play. Nonetheless, those opportunities for open space are so wonderful even before the mobile stage. Within open spaces, baby has room to move and roll and eventually begin getting himself from place to place. This is also possible outdoors! Remember--babies are also washable. They can go in the grass and in the dirt and in the sand. You can also bring out a blanket or mat. Mouthing things happens outside just as it does inside, so be prepared for baby to explore grass and dirt and sand and make sure you are there for support and supervision as needed.

Outdoor play with a modified "mud kitchen"

Exploring the sandbox at our botanical garden center...

• Sometimes we automatically go to a place in our heads that babies play with different things than older children, that they need separate spaces, separate toys and separate experiences. Sometimes that is true and other times, they can share the same spaces, some of the same toys and modified experiences. 

  

  C's brothers are playing at the sensory table with flour and kitchen tools. She is playing alongside them with a giant bowl of flour and some kitchen tools of her own. Later, her brothers each take turns joining her with the giant bowl!
  

C loves babies! Here she is washing one of
our baby dolls with soapy, warm water. She has
a little wash cloth to work with and a cozy blanket
to wrap baby in alongside for when bath time
is done and baby is ready to dry off.

• We know how important sensory and messy play is for children, however we often leave our littlest explorers out of this. It's true that messy play and sensory exploration is different with infants and very young toddlers. We need to consider the potential for mouthing and tasting materials. We also need to accommodate for the fact that at this stage they are not yet tall enough if they are standing to reach many sensory tables. We tend to compensate by offering sealed versions of the real deal--like sensory bottles and squish bags, and these are great as well. There are ways for the littlest players to still dig in and get messy for sensory play! Of course, you'll need adequate support and supervision. You can place a sensory bin or large bowl on the ground with sitters for them to explore water play, dried oats, pasta, beans, flour, and more. Again, know your little one and the play schemas being explored. That makes a huge difference when it comes to what is safe and practical to put in the bin!
• Besides space, consider pace. As a huge advocate for open-ended, child led play experiences, I often say that the most important thing you can provide in a play space is time. Resist the urge to rush baby's play and to direct it. Resist the urge (even if just for a short moment) to narrate the experience from your end:(i.e.: Let's wash the baby? This is a spoon, let's mix!") Perhaps try narrating it from their end: (That makes such an interesting sound when you tap it on the table, do you hear that?) If baby wants to spend ten minutes exploring one wooden peg doll, great! If baby wants to pick up and put down 20 different objects in ten minutes, also great! Adequate time and observation will also tell you how much and what to put in discovery baskets or play setups.
• Parallel play opportunities are the earliest forms of socialization for infants. I really struggled with this when Y was an infant and S was busy at play. It was so easy to just focus on my mobile player and just hold or carry or wear my yet-to-be-mobile player. In fact, the yet-to-be-mobile parallel play stage is honestly the easiest one you will have. Grasp it. Cling to it. Savor it. Soon, baby will be on the go, toppling towers, disturbing dinosaurs and causing chaos.

A beautiful playscape of parallel play! Same space,
same materials, three unique play experiences.

• Shared space and shared materials can pose a challenge for multi-aged players, particularly if siblings are involved. One thing I have navigated with both of the younger two is how to respond when an older sibling wants the exact object the baby is holding. So here's the deal: there's no right answer. Early on, there's rarely a reaction from the baby when a toy is taken away and in that sense, it can be easier to allow for it and avoid the reaction from the very vocal toddler at hand. I am, however, going to remind you that at some point, the baby will develop an opinion and vocalize it in one way or another. To help everyone prepare for this next social stage, I often provide the language around the exchange for both parties involved and to the toddler, I often ask to pick something that can be given to the baby to play with. Know that this is normal. Know that it is an assertion of control and ownership and a desire for connection on the older child's part as much as it is a desire for a particular toy and sometimes even more than a desire for a particular toy (like when C has only one magnatile in her hand out of 978 of them and Y just neeeds to have it).
• Equity versus equality is always something I keep in mind. Play looks different at every age and stage and for every child within that age and stage. Equality means that everyone gets the same thing regardless of what he/she needs. Equity occurs when everyone gets the same opportunity to have their individualized needs met. Be on the lookout for play! See it when it is happening, even if it looks different than what you imagine it should. Play serves a purpose. I try to find a way to get to yes when I can--the day is already so full of "no's." In these early stages of infant play, I feel that I learn as much about play from C as she does from engaging in it! Play is different for her than it is for Y or S, but infancy does not need to be a stage of only watching the rest of the world at play. She can--and does--join in the fun!

Happy Playing!