Valentine Themed Discovery Basket for Baby

Create a valentine themed discovery basket for baby. Discovery baskets are a wonderful sensory experience. They allow baby to explore different objects and make observations using all of their senses. Science is all about exploring, investigating, and making observations. That’s what babies do every day! I get commissions for purchases made through the affiliate links in this post.

 

Valentine Themed Discovery Basket for Baby

A valentine themed discovery basket for baby is simple to make. Start with a valentine themed board book that baby will love. We included Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton.

My kids love listening to me or my husband read and sing the Snuggle Puppy book. It’s a fun way to sing, “I love you!”

I filled the discovery basket with toys from around the house that are safe for baby to explore under supervision. I chose toys that were red, pink, or heart-shaped – perfect for a Valentine’s Day theme.

I included toys of different sizes and textures. Some of the toys make sounds – some rattle or squeak. The birds sing real bird songs. Get the Northern Cardinal and Painted Bunting on Amazon.

You’ll notice there are a few textured balls in the basket. Babies love these for mouthing and exploring. We have the set of 10 from Infantino. You can get the same ones in a set of 6 textured balls on Amazon.

As your baby explores the basket, talk to him about the items he’s touching. Give the object a name. Say it’s color or shape. Ask him what it feels like. Is it soft or bumpy? Is it smooth? Show him how the objects make noise. Push the button on the birds, shake the rattle, or squeak the egg.

I made this discovery basket for my son, Elon. He’s 9 months old. Toddler Lily (she’ll be 3 soon!) couldn’t resist joining in on the play. She examined the toys in the basket and took them out to play, too. It was a great activity for them to play together. The basket was large enough that they both could sit by it and reach the items easily.

What will you add to your valentine themed discovery basket for baby?

If you like this discovery basket, check out another simple baby discovery box we’ve made. We like to play the game “What’s in the Box?” with this one.

You’ll also love this Goodnight Moon Storytelling Basket.

Subscribe to the Inspiration Laboratories newsletter. Each issue has exclusive hands-on science explorations for children, a recap of our latest activities, and special resources selected just for you!

This post was originally published on January 20, 2017 on Read Science.