What babies love about socks! (And the washing basket)

Socks that wobble and shake and spin

Socks that stretch and flop and flap

Rolled up socks as snowballs, safe to throw, roll on, squish… squash…..

Socks on arms, socks on legs, waving about, being pulled off with a pop

Socks on parents head - concentrating to pull them off, socks on parents head falling with a plop onto babies tummies

Sock rain - falling from high in the sky and plopping on carpets, heads, the sofa.

Throwing socks, socks in containers, socks inside babygros, patting sock tummies.

Sock monsters - balancing socks all over the body, socks piled so high on heads we wonder why our heads are so heavy…

Jumbles of sock, sock swirls, swirling babies, where’s the baby? Underneath the socks!

Socks that dance, socks that stop…. babies laughing, shaking, whizzing, legs wiggling

Sock stamping - bouncy baby legs with bare feet on sock piles

Rolled up socks as massage balls - sensory, soothing and sumptuous.

Making a boat out of the washing basket, socks as soft seating

Babies inside the washing basket - socks as water, frothing like bubbles, rubbing like soft soap

Washing basket flying (carefully and gently) being lifted into the air - sinking into socks, sucking thumbs.

Washing basket slide, even possible on carpet - back and forth, eyes looking into eyes…

Washing basket joys - items hanging around the side - which one will baby choose, selecting, using eyes and gaze to show interest, followed by reaching, grabbing, handling, moving.

Sock squishing, wrapping, hugging.

Liz Clark is lead artist for Talent 25, a research project at De Montfort University, Leicester.