Basketry for Children

Toys and cradles and baby-sized bowls: Native American children have long lived with basketry made especially for them.

Babies rode everywhere in cradles. Mothers wove larger and larger ones as their infants grew. Grandmothers made toys for their grandchildren: fragrant rattles for infants, and durable basketry dolls. Pint-sized berry baskets made by adults let children join in food gathering.

In the past, youngsters learned to weave by watching their relatives. They helped pick and prepare bark and grasses, and wove small baskets of their own. Today, children still learn to weave from their relatives. In some families, there are four generations of living basket makers.

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