How to start a morning basket could be the question you have that landed you on this blog post!
Morning baskets has become a common term in our home and in our community. In this season of life the morning basket we have has offered many moments of joy, learning, and connection. Over the past year or two of consistently incorporating morning baskets in to our morning rhythm, I have discovered just how important those morning learning moment can be.
What is a Morning Basket
In our home a morning basket is a basket filled with things that help us learn, memorize scripture, and connect. First I suppose we should talk about what Morning Time is. We gather around the dining room table pulling items from our morning basket for a time we call Morning Time. I read in the book Morning Time, a Liturgy of Love by Cindy Rollins, that morning time “…is capturing the hours of your day before they flit away. It is making sure the most beautiful things happen first. It is impossible to regret that.”
During that set aside time, Morning Time, we use a morning basket which holds various items that help us learn. Our morning basket often rotates, but things you can currently find in our basket is a bucket of markers for coloring sheets, scissors for activities, the Jesus Storybook Bible, a Bible verse to memorize, and a couple worksheets about our current learning them, Easter.
Why I Choose Morning Baskets
I choose to have a morning basket as a confined place to keep all of the things we many need for morning time together. It is an uncluttered way for me to keep books we are reading, our Jesus Storybook Bible, and our supplies in once place. Each evening before bed I set it on the table and set up any activities that pertain to our learning. In the afternoon when we clean up for dinner, it goes in to it’s designated spot on a bookshelf in the living room.
Setting up a morning basket and activities keeps my 4 year old busy just long enough to cook breakfast and get it on the table. Some mornings I am even blessed with some extra time to empty the dishwasher or fold a load of laundry. We then sit together and eat our breakfast. When I am done, I will read him a story from the bible, book, or a chapter of a book. We go over a memory verse (currently John 3:16) and we talk about our day.
Morning time really is a way for us to get the most important things of the day done. Pouring in to my son and connecting with him, instead of letting the business of the day sweep me away.
How to Start a Morning Basket
A morning basket is not intended to be a complicated thing. In fact, everyones morning basket looks different depending on age, lifestyle, and daily rhythm. There are some basics though that I think every morning basket would benefit from having. From there, it is easy to build upon following your child’s interests and lead.
Here are some step by step things you will need for starting a morning basket.
1. Pick a container – a basket, a storage tote, a crate
Our morning basket came as a bonus when I picked up some vintage napkins I had found for sale on Offer Up. Offer Up and Facebook Marketplace are a great place to search for pre-loved baskets. Check your local thrift stores or the clearance section at Target the next time you go. Ideally, your morning basket should be sold without any holes that markers or crayons could slip through. You may also want to consider the size, too small and you may not be able to books in it. If it is too large, it will become a burden storing after each use.
2. Choose Basic Supplies
Basic supplies for our morning basket include a little bucket that has markers, scissors, and a pencil. You could offer crayons or colored pencils if that is your child’s preference. Our Morning Basket always has some type of fidget thing for my son to do while we are reading. Currently it is a container of thinking putty, but play dough, a pop-it or mini puzzle would work well.
3. A Children’s Bible
Should there not be anything else planned for the day, at the very least we read from the Bible. We have had many Children’s Bibles and so far my favorite is The Jesus Storybook Bible because it always links every story back to God’s Rescue Plan. Any Bible will do. A great place to look for Children’s Bibles is your library’s second-hand store.
4. What Will We Work On
In our current season my son is learning how to write his name and learning his alphabet. So I often include a name tracing page or activity. Flashcards are another great addition to your Morning Basket or Brainquest cards as they are age specific.
5. Special Interests
In our morning basket we keep books that are pertaining to the current topic we are leaning about. Spring often includes a general book on gardening or flowers. Summer includes a book about the ocean. I love Julia Rothman’s series of anatomy books such as Ocean Anatomy, Nature Anatomy, or Farm Anatomy. The books offer beautiful illustrations and an incredible amount of information for curious minds.
Places to Find Morning Basket Supplies
Our Morning Basket has several items that remain the same like a bucket of art supplies or our Jesus Storybook Bible. Several other things are often rotated out to keep interest. So where can you find inexpensive things to put inside your morning basket?
- Check your local thrift store for secondhand art supplies or kits, workbooks, or new books.
- Check out museum books or books of interest from your local library.
- The Dollar Tree has some inexpensive things to pick up like workbooks, flash cards, or art supplies.
- Ask your friends.
The Gift of a Morning Basket
Our morning basket has gifted our family so much over the last couple years. It has become our routine each morning to sit down, eat breakfast together, and go through our morning basket and the contents it holds. Some mornings our time together is short because of other commitments, but nonetheless, we start our morning together and focusing on God’s Word!
I hope you find this post helpful when starting your own morning basket with your family. I think so often we can become preoccupied with the details and particulars that we easily make things too complicated. Just begin where you are. If that is just setting up a Bible and coloring sheet for your child each evening before going to bed, then so be it. Start where you are and your morning basket and morning time will become a habit and evolve with time.
If you are searching for a way to better plan and organize your morning learning time, grab a copy of my free learning planning sheets!
Tagged homeschool preschool, morning basket, preschool activities, preschool at home
