Story Basket

What you need

• a basket
• a soft toy
• a hat and a scarf that fit the toy
• a sock rolled into a snowball
• a few cushions

How to do it

1. Sit together on cushions with the basket on your lap and use a quiet voice.
2. Tell a little story, taking out each thing as it comes in: "Once upon a time, Teddy went out in the snow."
3. "Brrr, Teddy was cold. What does Teddy need?" Let your toddler find the hat and the scarf and put them on Teddy.
4. "Teddy made a snowball!" Roll the sock snowball gently between you, then Teddy goes back inside, warm and sleepy.
5. Put everything back in the basket one at a time, whispering "bye bye" to each.

Why it matters

Real things to hold make a story easy to follow, and helping Teddy get warm lets them join in with the telling.

What they're learning

Following a story

Holding the real hat while you tell the story helps them follow along.

Pretend play

Dressing Teddy for the cold is them stepping into the story.

Settling

A quiet voice and a slow story slow everything down.

What to look for

Watch for them reaching for the next thing in the basket before you say it.

A tip

Keep the same basket and story for a few days: toddlers love knowing what comes next.

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