Laundry Basket Stand

What you need

• a sturdy laundry basket, no taller than your toddler's chest (fill a taller one nearly to the rim)
• a full load of folded laundry
• two or three chunky toys

How to do it

1. Pack the basket tight with folded laundry, and push it against the sofa or into a corner.
2. Pull hard on the rim yourself. If the basket moves or lifts at all, add more laundry before you go on.
3. Lay two or three chunky toys on top of the laundry.
4. Kneel on the open side with a hand ready, and let them pull up on the rim to fish the toys out.

Why it matters

Toys sitting inside the basket give them a reason to pull up, and a rim they can grip with both hands is a steady thing to pull on.

What they're learning

Pulling up

Both hands on the rim, and up on to their feet to see inside.

Grip

Wrapping their fingers round the rim takes a strong, steady hold.

In and out

Fishing toys out and dropping them back in is a game all of its own.

What to look for

Watch for them standing with one hand on the rim while the other hand reaches in.

A tip

Pull on the rim yourself every time you set up, kneel on the open side with a hand ready, and never let them climb in or stand on the edge. Anything that fits through a toilet roll tube is too small for the toys.

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