Basin Boat Bob

from 14 months · 5-10 min · Sensory

What you need

Fill a basin with a few inches of water and set it on a towel.
Drop in a couple of chunky toys and let them float and bob. Anything that fits through a toilet roll tube is too small.
Encourage pushing, chasing and scooping the toys as they drift.

Chasing a bobbing toy across water gives a gentle sensory game that also holds their attention.

tracking movement: following a drifting toy with their eyes and hand builds the tracking used later for catching a ball.
gentle touch: pushing toys without splashing everywhere is early practice at controlling their own strength.
sustained attention: staying with the floating game for a few minutes builds the focus needed for longer play later on.

Notice if they start predicting where a toy will drift and reach ahead of it.

Keep it to a supervised inch or two of water and stay within arm's reach throughout.

Easier: use just one floating toy to keep the game simple

Harder: ask them to push each toy to a spot you point to on the far side