Inside: My go-to supplies for putting together toddler morning baskets. I’m sharing my favorite supplies from Amazon + what you can use around your house!
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Morning Baskets have become one of my absolute favorite mom hacks to share with you.
When used as part of a predictable morning routine, it can really take things from all over the place to calm and peaceful.
If mornings have you feeling frazzled and like you don’t know what to do with your toddler (or you’re tired of TV making them cranky), a morning basket may be just the thing to turn your day around.
Whether you are doing homeschool or just looking for a different routine, a morning basket can help provide:
- Structure and predictability
- Differentiated learning for kids of various ages
- The foundation for independent play
What is a Charlotte Mason Morning Basket?
If you’ve been searching for more information on morning baskets you’ve probably come across the name Charlotte Mason!
You could say she was the OG homeschooler 😀
- The original purpose of the morning basket was to serve the family during their homeschool morning routine
- The basket typically included something faith-based, like a Bible verse to study, plus books to read aloud, and other materials for art, nature, and other subjects that don’t get as much attention in the homeschool day
Before I was a stay at home mom I was a teacher!
I have my Master’s in Curriculum Development, so it is fun for me to dive into the details with you!
Of course we’ve really adapted morning baskets to just be something functional that works for us in our homes.
You don’t have to homeschool in order for this routine to work for you!
What to include in a morning basket for toddlers
Before you go out and buy anything new (except maybe a basket if you need one), look around your house for the following items…
What goes in a morning basket:
- Board books
- Learning activity materials (think small items that are good for counting, matching, or patterns)
- Hands-on activities (such as puzzles, scissor practice, playdough, building blocks, etc.)
- Coloring (crayons, highlighter tracing, Color Wonder, etc)
If you are doing preschool at home, it makes sense to include a lesson from your weekly unit, or to create a themed basket (such as outer space, shapes, five senses, STEM, etc.)
And if you want to include a faith-based component as originally intended – do what works for you!
One “original” purpose was to highlight subject areas that did not receive as much attention in the homeschool curriculum, such as nature and the arts.
Of course we are heavily adapting this concept to create morning baskets for toddlers, but if you are planning to homeschool in the future – it’s something to think about!
Related: Toddler Morning Activities (Screen-Free)
How long should a morning basket take?
This is the million dollar question, isn’t it?
- How long should my toddler sit?
- What if they only sit for 2 minutes?
- What if they dump everything out of the basket?
- How long should a morning basket be?
Not to oversimplify it, but all toddlers are different (with varying temperaments!)
Some toddlers or preschoolers may sit for 10 minutes and then go off to play, while others may sit for a minute or 2 and then whine for your attention 🙂
As with anything, new routines take time.
But it’s also important to be realistic with yourself and what you expect from your toddler.
- Try sitting with your toddler every morning for a week or so to practice the routine.
- Work through the basket with them. Read the books, do the activity, etc. This helps set the tone for the routine.
- Use a toddler table (I’ve had this one for years!) and set the morning basket on their table.
- If your toddler likes to move, include movement-type activities such as a color hunt, puzzle piece hunt, or a build-a-road.
What to Include in a Toddler Morning Basket
My go-to supplies for creating a morning basket
Below you’ll find some of my favorite materials to use in my toddler & preschool morning baskets!
And if you’re wondering how to store all of your activity supplies, here’s how I do it: How to Organize & Store Activity Supplies
A basket
First thing’s first: you’ll need a basket 😉
I have a few different ones that I use, but my favorite pink one is from Five Below.
I also have a Y-weave style one from Target and here is a similar option on Amazon.
If you are doing morning baskets with more than one child, I recommend having a basket for each.
We cover this more in depth in the Morning Basket Startup Guide.
Books
Reading is a major component of morning baskets.
- Include age-appropriate books (board books for toddlers or beginning chapter books for older kids).
- Try to include a variety of books such as lift-the-flap, touch-and-feel, social stories (like Lovevery books), and books with favorite characters (like Pete the Cat or Sesame Street!)
- I just go to the bookshelf in our playroom and grab a few books! If I’m doing a themed morning basket (like farm theme), I’ll grab all the farm books I can find around the house.
- Sometimes my toddler likes to flip through the books herself and sometimes we sit and read together.
- If you are homeschooling, a morning read aloud is a great way to kick off a learning session, especially by reading any themed books to go along with your weekly unit.
Depending on your needs (baby, older children, school, schedules, etc.) you may prefer a morning basket routine where your toddler “works” independently.
This is definitely possible with consistency and the understanding that some days your toddler will be more into it than others!
On the other hand, you might be looking for more structure and a way to start the day together.
Maybe you are homeschooling an older child, and this is your way of including everyone.
This is all to say, do what works for you and adapt these ideas as needed.
Shop my go-to toddler books
Learning Activities
The learning activity you include really depends on your child’s skill level, abilities, and what you’re trying to work on with them.
I use the curriculum in The Preschool Playbook to help structure our learning activities. I love that the curriculum is flexible and the activities can be adapted for different skill levels.
My go-to learning activity supplies:
- Dot stickers (label stickers)
- Do-a-dot markers
- Counting bears
- Dry erase sleeves (great for protecting printables or making playdough mats)
- ABC letters
- Pom poms
- Colored tape
- Animal stamps
- Construction paper & crayons
- Plastic scissors
Shop learning activity supplies
Hands-On Activity Supplies
One “category” you’ll want to include in each morning basket is something hands-on.
This is especially helpful if your toddler likes to tinker and build.
Some of my favorite hands-on supplies come from the Lovevery play kits, but if you don’t get their subscription boxes, there are plenty of items you can use that you probably already have!
Top activity supplies for hands-on play:
- Puzzles (regular puzzles and stacking puzzles)
- Play-dough
- Kinetic sand
- Plastic scissors (for cutting activities)
- Tongs
- Beads & string
- Touch-and-feel book or toy
- Magnetic tiles
- Building blocks
Shop my preschool supply list, here.
Coloring
You don’t have to include a coloring activity, but I think this is what toddler’s gravitate towards the most!
Of course coloring isn’t just fun, it’s great fine motor practice!
I like to include mini colored pencils or mini Color Wonder markers (usually sold with the travel packs), which are both great for little hands.
Here are some simple coloring ideas to include:
- Crayons and/or Markers and favorite coloring book
- Crayola Color Wonder
- Dry erase board and markers
- Dry erase activity book
- Highlighter trace activity
Shop my go-to coloring activities on Amazon
To recap:
In your toddler morning basket, you’ll want to include:
- Board books (read aloud or independently – looking through the books)
- Learning activity materials + preschool curriculum lessons (items that are good for counting, matching, or patterns)
- Hands-on activities (puzzles, scissor practice, magnetic tiles or playdough)
- Coloring (crayons, highlighter tracing, Color Wonder, etc.)
- You may also choose to include a Bible study or faith-based lesson
Remember that new routines take time and each day might look different. Either way, you’re doing a fantastic job! DM me on Instagram anytime with questions!
What to Read Next:
- How to Make Morning Busy Boxes
- How to Make a Toddler Morning Basket
- Themed Morning Baskets for Preschoolers
- 3 Year Old Preschool Activities at Home
- Homeschool Routine for a 4 Year Old (Pre-K at Home)
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