Ever hear of an Object Permanence Box? No? Not surprising. Until I worked at a Montessori school, neither had I.
If you haven’t seen one before, here’s a cutie patootie shot of Charlotte using ours.
The Object Permanence Box is quite simply, a box, with a hole in it and a bottom that is slightly tilted. It comes with a ball. The baby puts the ball in the hole, and it rolls out onto the tray. Then they do it again. And again. And again. It is endlessly fascinating and quite amazing.
The Object Permanence Box is fabulous for helping your child develop their hand-eye coordination and strengthening chubby little baby fingers. And it’s great for concentration. It also indirectly introduces the idea of object permanence (clever name, right?). Object permanence is how your baby knows that you still exist even if you leave the room (and also that you’ll return).
Things to know:
This work is best introduced when a baby is between 8 and 12 months old. Though I promise you, your one year old will still find it enthralling, annnnnnd there are more complicated versions for once they get older. It’s best if the baby can sit up or stand (if you put it on a table before introducing it.
You can DIY this pretty easily from what I’ve read, but they aren’t that expensive, and the simple wooden ones are just beautiful (simple toys draw a child in so naturally).
Okay, so now that I’ve sold you on it, how do you use it? Simple! Sit with your baby and place the box in front of them. Hold the ball out, say “ball” as you do it. Point to the box and say, “box.” Then point to the hole, and say, you guessed it, “hole.” Then show your baby how to put the ball in the hole, how to retrieve it when it comes out, and how to do it again. Then just hand the ball to them and let them explore.
(Side note: Charlotte always puts the ball in her mouth at least once. I try to redirect her gently to putting it into the hole, but I don’t stress when she does. Your choice. Personally, I think that since it’s our item, and she’s still at the stage where most things go into the mouth (which is developmentally appropriate), I don’t worry so much. )