Heuristic Play
What is it?
Heuristic play is a progression from Treasure Baskets, for when the infant is on the move, from 10 months onwards. According to the Oxford Dictionary, ‘heuristic’ means “helping to find out or discover; proceeding by trial and error.”
Heuristic play, “consists of offering a group of children, for a defined period of time in a controlled environment, a large number of different kinds of objects and receptacles with which they play freely without adult intervention.”
(People under Three, Goldschmied and Jackson, 2004)
Key messages:
- Heuristic play respects the increasing mobility of the child and there is no right or wrong way to play with an object.
- Everything the toddler undertakes is successful. It is intended to enrich not replace other loose part experiences.
- We all know that once a child becomes mobile, they become an explorer and practitioners should provide an opportunity for the youngest children to explore in a space that is safe, organised, resourced.
- Exploring objects supports the child’s curiosity, independence and creativity as they focus on what interests them while using their senses to gather information.
- It is particularly useful for children in their second year who often seem unwilling to engage in any activity for more than a few minutes.
- Heuristic play is a planned for experience in which specific children are invited to participate and all other distractions are removed.
- With our youngest children, there are times when we need to plan specific experiences that will enhance their learning and development. When planning, it is important to consider the number of children that will be involved, as a plentiful supply of objects is vital. The learning should be focused on exploration rather than sharing which may not be developmentally appropriate for this age group of children.
- Encouragement to participate in heuristic play could be through the invitation to child with a smile, putting a hand out to be held, and telling them that we have some exciting things for them to play with.
‘Heuristic play is an approach and not a prescription. There is no right way to do it and people in different settings will have their own ideas and collect their own materials.’
(People under Three, Goldschmied and Jackson, 2004, p. 130)
Ways we can do this:
A large area should be provided for heuristic play, with space for movement and limited distractions.
Time should be planned for play and include an opportunity to be involved in gathering up the resources, to develop concept of responsibility and respect.
The storage of heuristic materials should be organised into labelled containers, aiding the tidying up process and facilitating children’s independence.
Emphasis should be on the child’s choice, with the role of the adult focused on supporting exploration and not on directing their play. Instead the practitioner should be observing the children in their play to inform planning for the next session. What resources engaged the children’s attention most? What were they doing with particular objects? What can you provide to extend or develop this interest?
Children must be given time to ‘wallow’ in their play and not rush their exploration, deciding themselves when they are ready to move on to something else.
It is vital that between sessions of use, heuristic play objects are checked for cleanliness and safety. Any broken items are discarded and new ones are collected.
