DIY Toys for Baby: How to Make a Container Full of Playing & Learning! by Teacher Karen

My grandbub is too young to assemble a puzzle, and he’s still too young for shape sorters. Those activities will come later. He is ready for something new though: container play! You don't need to invest in “fill-n-spill” toys. Instead, use items from around the house. Babies will want to dump out first, and maybe for a long time, before they pick up on the concept of putting in! Accept the fact you will need to restock the container over and over – and over again!

I temporarily re-purposed a decorative basket into a container for soft blocks. The basket had a large opening so my grandbub could easily see how I put the blocks in – and easily get them out!

The next step is to get a container with a smaller opening, and then ultimately one that would require the blocks to be turned to fit into the opening. Babies will practice doing this, learning through trial and error. These skills are important and are called object manipulation and orientation skills. They form the basis for children's visual motor skills when their visual and motor systems need to communicate well with each other.