For months, my morning routine with my son has been to do an on-the-go breakfast and get outside for a walk and some fresh air. But with the triple digit heat, that just hasn’t been an option.
Instead, for the summer months, I’ve been introducing the concept of a morning basket. As a former teacher, I’ve been eager to start doing some basic learning activities with my son and the morning basket has been that perfect opportunity.
What Is a Morning Basket?
A morning basket is a collection of learning toys, books, activities, and crafts that are designed to be used together at the start of the day. I’ve found that it sets a tone of calm, focus, and fun, while teaching some basic skills.
My Favorite Summer Morning Basket Picks:
Here are some must-have learning toys and activities that I have been including in my 3-year-old’s summer morning basket:
This sensory favorite is perfect for tactile learners. It never dries out, making it reusable all summer long. Use it to practice letters, shapes, or simple sculpting.
From play ovens to pretend food sets, this collection encourages imaginative role-playing and helps children develop essential life skills while having fun cooking up their own creations!
For little builders, this set features building tools and materials, including foam wood pieces, safety goggles, measuring tape, a power circular saw, a claw hammer, and more.
These thoughtfully curated boxes provide themed learning experiences with everything you need already portioned out and delivered right to your door! There’s also a day-by-day activity guide to walk you through each activity making it super easy to implement.
Complete a puzzle to spell a word! This wooden puzzle set helps children gain familiarity with the letters of the alphabet and their sounds as they develop a sight-reading vocabulary.
The Beginner Pattern Blocks provides kids with opportunities to practice color and shape recognition, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and creative expression as they match shapes to design templates.
These Montessori-inspired play kits are tailored to your child’s developmental stage and come with a play guide filled with activity ideas. The kits have been some of my son’s absolute favorite toys from baby days to toddlerhood.
This phonics-based program is designed to help children develop reading skills through engaging games and activities. It includes includes interactive games, confidence-building books, and resources for you to support your child’s reading journey.
Pop together these fun popsicles to match uppercase and lowercase letters. Great for fine motor skills and imaginative play! 13 each of upper and lowercase letters, double-sided to include all 26 letters.
Five colors and 25 pieces of produce gives toddlers a bushel full of knowledge as they identify and name the objects or group and sort by kind or color. Designed for children ages 18 months and up.
Tips for Creating Your Own Morning Basket
- Rotate Often: Change up materials every week or two.
- Mix Structured & Open-Ended: Include guided activities (like spelling cards) alongside open-ended ones (like sand play or construction).
- Include a Storytime Element: Add a couple of books that match the weekly theme or your child’s current interests.
- Keep It Accessible: Place your basket where your child can reach for independent exploration.
- Make It a Ritual: Build it into your routine. For us, it’s in the morning either while I cook breakfast or after we’re done eating.
A summer morning basket is the perfect combination of learning and play, so your child can stay cool, creative, and curious all summer long.
Happy learning (and playing)!
