My little guy (10 months) has just discovered the sheer joy and power of pushing things around. Forget the fancy push walker, his current obsession is the laundry basket – empty or full, doesn’t matter. He’ll grab an edge and just determinedly shunt it across the living room, often giggling to himself.
It’s been fascinating to watch. I think he’s really figuring out how his body works with objects, the effort needed, and the immediate cause and effect. He’s also started trying to pull things towards him, like a small stool, to get at a toy. It’s not always graceful, and sometimes he gets stuck, but he keeps at it.
Beyond the laundry basket, we’ve got some blocks in a small cloth bin that he loves to push, and he’s even tried to push my foot when I’m sitting down! I’m trying to embrace the mess a bit more because I can see how much he’s learning about movement, force, and even a bit of problem-solving.
What are your babies’ favorite ‘push and pull’ items right now? And what have you noticed them learning from this kind of play?
Our go-to is a small plastic storage bin. It’s light enough for him to move around empty, and sometimes we load it with soft blocks. He’s learning to ‘steer’ it around corners.
The laundry basket! Yes, oh my goodness. My little guy (he’s 10.5 months) is completely fixated on pushing things around right now too, and it’s almost always something unexpected. His absolute favorite ‘vehicle’ is this big, soft laundry basket we have – empty, thankfully, because he just gets so much speed with it! He’ll push it until it bumps into something, then turn it around and push it the other way. He gets so intent, like he’s on a serious mission.
I’ve also noticed him using his little activity cube as a push-toy, which is not what it was designed for, but hey, it works! And the pulling is just starting for us too. He’ll try to pull his blanket towards him to get his pacifier, or he’ll try to drag one of our soft ottomans a few inches to reach something on the coffee table. It’s not graceful at all, and he usually ends up pulling himself over, but he’s so determined.
I totally agree about the learning aspect; it feels like he’s doing a mini physics lesson every day! I’m noticing a lot more spatial awareness too, like how much force he needs to get something across the rug versus the hardwood. I wonder if anyone else’s little ones have a preference for certain textures or weights when they’re pushing? Like, does a lighter toy make them more confident, or do they like the challenge of something heavy?