We talked a few days ago about how it is possible to prepare young children for a creative math learning. The first activity will be, of course, of pure free discovery. It is very creative and fun for them to start with the game of Treasure Box.
The ideal age to start it is between 6 and 12 months, which is when they acquire enough mobility to enjoy sitting and get excited about any novelty they can explore with their senses and especially with their hands or mouth. On the one hand, the pure free discovery of objects, textures and sizes lays the groundwork for children to be able to create categories and organize different elements as we will see in successive themes. This game not only stimulates your intelligence but also your psychomotor skills.
To perform the activity of the Treasure Box The materials are extremely simple and available to everyone. You need a basket or a box large enough to fit enough things. It should be shallow and free of hard edges or anything that could harm the little ones. Inside you have to put many treasures.
And for a child of this age, anything new is a treasure. Therefore we will not need objects that we buy, but simple things that we have at home with only one condition: they should not pose danger to the child. You can spend quietly half an hour searching, sucking, touching and shaking the things that we have introduced every day for your enjoyment.
We will serve any everyday object. To choose them we should only think of those that would be more stimulating to provide new experiences to children. They will use their five senses, they will move and exercise eye-hand-mouth coordination to get them and investigate them. Keep in mind that at this age they will be seated and that the mouth is still an exploratory organ, so we must opt for objects that can suck. The idea is not to be banning or directing your free exploration.
The child will take each time a thing and give it a hundred laps, it will smell, suck, touch, shake and throw. He is discovering for himself. He is learning while wondering what this object is. The adult should be close, but without interfering or guiding the child's choice, he should simply be available and attentive to give him security with his gaze and presence.
You have to change the objects and we can do it according to the interests of the child, being attentive to their preferences. Obviously you have to clean them and take care that they are in good condition.
Inside we can put many things, from stones to stories, from balls of cloth to spoons. My son loved colanders of different sizes, scarves and big keys. A purse, a piece of wood, a pineapple, a notebook, some boxes, a rattle, pieces of cloth, a flute, a mat, a chain, shells, apples, lemons, shells, boats ... everything goes and everything will be a novelty What to discover and enjoy with the five senses. The ideal is to use natural materials and everyday objects other than the usual toys.
The world is a new place full of fascinating things for our little explorers. With the Treasure Box We can give them the opportunity to play and learn at the same time.
