What’s on our shelf at 12 months.

A working shelf for the just-toddling year. Six things, low, mostly wooden.

At 12 months the world is mouths and palms. The shelf is low. Six things, no more, spaced so each invites its own gesture.

• A Grimm’s rainbow stacker (small) — arches to nest, never frustrating
• One wooden grasper — pull, mouth, drop, repeat
• A simple object permanence box
• A board book turned face-out
• A basket of natural objects — pine cones, smooth shells
• Sarah’s Silks playsilk, draped over a stool

This is the shape we use. Your child will tell you what to swap. The point of the shelf is the noticing.