Do parents know how to play?

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For the last 60 years many theories have been trying to answer the question as to why children play. But many of these theories are in agreement that children’s play is fundamental in developing much needed skills for their future lives. While being taken care of by their parents, children have the opportunity to “master” skills they will need later on in adulthood.

During a recent interview with BBC Radio Leeds, the Head of Early YearsCaroline Wright tried to explain why play is important and not a waste of time for many parents. Today’s emphasis on children achieving from an early age puts parents in a challenging role.

As Caroline explains, “It’s important for parents to understand that play is very crucial in a child’s development. At kidsunlimited we support our parents in their approach to play by sharing our values. For example we offer hints and tips in our newsletter or regular Stay and Play sessions. Our parents value our advice and how we support them in helping their children to learn through play.”

Nowadays many parents “battle” with a constant lack of time. Working long hours and juggling busy jobs can sometimes bring the feeling of guilt that they can not give enough focus to their children. “We all try to do the right things,” says Caroline, “that’s why at kidsunlimited we try to arrangeForestSchool activities for our children with parents at weekends. These activities embrace taking risks (safely!) and engagement with the outdoor environment.”

And what does Caroline suggest to parents if they feel they struggle to play with their children? “It can feel embarrassing to admit this as they feel they should know what to do. I say, try to tap in to those cherished childhood memories and try to remember what it was it like to be a 3 year old. Then just take the lead from the child.”

“Playing with your child is not just about crawling on the floor and putting on silly voices,” explains Caroline, “there is also more structured play as well as games with rules. Children often don’t realise they’re learning and part of the adult role is to support learning as well as play because these two go hand in hand.

The last tip from Caroline is: “Don’t worry too much and enjoy your children! Their childhood is very special and goes so quickly. There is lots of information available, so take what you can and disregard what you don’t need as an individual. Being a parent is supposed to be fun!”

 

Listen to the radio interview here

 

Temper tantrums

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tantrums

Advice on how to deal with your toddler’s temper tantrums

 

Every parent can expect to witness some temper tantrums in children from age 1–4 years. On average, temper tantrums are equally common in boys and girls, and more than half of young children will have one or more per week.

At home, there are predictable situations that can be expected to trigger temper tantrums, such as bedtime, suppertime, getting up, getting dressed, bath time, watching TV. They can also be triggered by a parent talking on the phone, visitors at the house, family visiting another house, car rides, public places, family activities involving siblings, interactions with peers, and playtime. Almost any situation that means that the child’s own agenda is not ‘top of the list’ can lead to a temper tantrum.

Characteristics of Temper Tantrums

Temper tantrums, although normal, can become upsetting to parents because they are embarrassing, challenging, and difficult to manage.

One-and-a-half to 2 years old.

Children during this stage will test the limits. They want to see how far they can go before a parent stops their behaviour. At age 2 children are very egocentric and cannot see another person’s point of view. They want independence and self-control to explore their environment. When children cannot reach a goal, they show frustration by crying, arguing, yelling, or hitting. When children’s need for independence collides with the parents’ needs for safety and conformity, the conditions are perfect for a power struggle and a temper tantrum. The temper tantrum is designed to get the parent to give up in their demands or give them whatever they want. Many times children stop the temper tantrum only when they get what is desired. What is most upsetting to caregivers is that it is virtually impossible to reason with children who are having a temper tantrum, and arguing and cajoling in response to a temper tantrum appears to escalate the problem.

Three-year-olds

By age 3 many children are less impulsive and can use language to express their needs. Tantrums at this age are often less frequent and less severe. Nevertheless, some preschoolers have learned that a temper tantrum is a good way to get what they want.

Four-year-olds

Most children have the necessary physical skills to meet many of their own needs without relying so much on an adult. At this age, children also have better language that allows them to express their anger and to problem-solve and compromise. Despite these improved skills, even school-age children can still have temper tantrums when they are faced with demanding tasks and new situations in school.

Prevention Tips for Parents

It is much easier to prevent temper tantrums than it is to manage them once they have erupted. Here are some tips for preventing temper tantrums and some things you can say:

  • Reward children for positive attention rather than for negative attention. During situations when they are prone to temper tantrums, catch them when they are being good and say such things as, “Well done look at you sharing with your friend.”
  • Give children control over little things whenever possible by giving choices. A little bit of power given to the child can stave off the big power struggles later. “Which do you want to do first, brush your teeth or put on your pyjamas?”
  • Distract children by redirection to another activity when they throw a tantrum over something they should not do or cannot have. Say, “Let’s read a book together.”
  • Change environments, thus removing the child from the source of the temper tantrum. Say, “Let’s go for a walk.”
  • Choose your battles. Teach children how to make a request without a temper tantrum and then honour the request. Say, “Try asking for that toy nicely and I’ll get it for you.”
  • Make sure that children are well rested and fed in situations in which a temper tantrum is a likely possibility. Say, “Supper is almost ready, here’s a cracker for now.”
  • Avoid boredom. Say, “You have been working for a long time. Let’s take a break and do something fun.”
  • Create a safe environment that children can explore without getting into trouble.
  • Increase your tolerance level. Are you available to meet the child’s reasonable needs? Evaluate how many times you say, “No.”
  • Signal children before you reach the end of an activity so that they can get prepared for the transition. Say, “When the timer goes off 5 minutes from now it will be time to turn off the TV and go to bed.”
  • When visiting new places or unfamiliar people explain to the child beforehand what to expect.
  • Provide pre-school, behavioural, and social challenges that are at the child’s developmental level so that she does not become frustrated.
  • Keep a sense of humour to divert the child’s attention and surprise the child out of the tantrum.

Intervention Tips for Parents

There are a number of ways to handle a temper tantrum. Strategies include the following:

  • Remain calm and do not argue with the child. Before you manage the child, you must manage your own behaviour.
  • Think before you act. Count to 10 and then think about the source of the child’s frustration, this child’s characteristic temperamental response to stress (hyperactivity, distractibility, moodiness), and the predictable steps in the escalation of the temper tantrum.
  • Try to intervene before the child is out of control.
  • You can positively distract the child by getting the child focused on something else that is an acceptable activity.
  • You can ignore the tantrum if it is being thrown to get your attention. Once the child calms down, give the attention that is desired.
  • Talk with the child after she has calmed down. When she stops crying, talk about the frustration she has experienced. Try to help solve the problem if possible. For the future, teach the child new skills to help avoid temper tantrums such as how to ask appropriately for help and how to get your attention in an acceptable way.
  • Teach the child that anger is a feeling that we all have and then teach her ways to express anger constructively

 

 

 

Introducing Cooking to Children

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Helping my mother cook is one of my early memories from my preschool years. She was exceedingly patient! Small children are often keen to do what you are doing. Involve children in the preparation of their food, make this involvement fun and you will be fostering the development of the following positive outcomes:

  • Providing them the opportunity to begin accepting responsibility for their own eating habits
  • Providing them with a wonderful sense of achievement 
  • Perhaps even enticing them to try foods they have previously rejected.

Cooking activities are the perfect combination of fun and creativity and are a great way to teach children about the food they eat as well as introduce them to new foods from around the world.

Children will eagerly tuck into something they have prepared themselves and take great pride in watching someone else enjoy their food.

Cooking brings plenty of opportunities for introducing new vocabulary, asking questions and mark making as well as allowing children to acquire and hone skills such as counting, measuring, weighing and understanding time and fractions.  Make sure the activities you ask of your child are age appropriate, below is a quick guide but you know your child best and what would be most suitable for them.

  • 2 years  Scrubbing, tearing, dipping
  • 3 years  Pouring, mixing, spreading, shaking
  • 4 years  Wiping, washing, peeling, cutting, rolling, mashing, grating

Cooking with children is not something for the spur of the moment; it requires a little planning. Think ahead about the recipe, start simple, something like scrambled egg, or pikelets, or maybe something that doesn’t require cooking, like fruit salad.

Early childhood centres that run cooking sessions with children regularly, often write out the recipes so that the children can follow the method without reading, pictures are used for each step.

Cooking is a bit like reading and if you learn the basics first, the rest should fall into place. These are some of the most frequently used techniques, the best ones to aim to teach your child:

  1. Peeling vegetables with a vegetable peeler.
  2. Chopping onions leaving the root intact so that it doesn’t fall apart.
  3. Crushing garlic – crush it first and the skin will peel off easily.
  4. Mashing potatoes with a potato masher.
  5. Grating cheese.
  6. Squeezing citrus fruit.
  7. Cracking eggs by tapping the centre of the shell over the rim of a small bowl.
  8. Using a sieve.
  9. Whisking egg whites.
  10. Using a hand held blender to make things like smoothies.
  11. Rubbing in butter and flour for crumble.
  12. Kneading dough.
  13. Rolling out dough using a floured rolling pin and cutting out shapes using cookie cutters.
  14. Greasing and lining cake tins.
  15. How to tell if a cake is cooked by seeing if a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Most importantly have fun and don’t worry too much about the mess.

Miriam Brown, Early Years Manager, kidsunlimited

The children’s forest adventure

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Staff from kidsunlimited Woodstock Road organised a trip to a localforest park for the nursery children and their parents.

On a cold, frosty Saturday around 30 families headed off towards a new adventure. This very special trip was specifically designed by the staff team to show the children new exciting opportunities while exploring and connecting with nature. “We built beautiful houses for the whole fairy community after the nasty, fat bottomed dragon arrived,” explained the Nursery Manager Beverley Capewell.

The event was inspired by the Forest School philosophy which is being introduced to all kidsunlimited staff across the UK. The original concept of this teaching comes from Denmark and is aimed at children under the age of seven. It has been introduced to kidsunlimited by Sara Knight from Anglia Ruskin University, who sits on kidsunlimited Education Advisory Board and the company’s new Head of Early Years and Education, Caroline Wright. Their main focus is linked to recent research into the value of Forest School in England and Wales.

Forest School

The main benefit of Forest Schoolhas a profound effect on the children’s behaviour, by giving them the opportunity to learn about and positively contribute to their environment.

Amongst other amazing activities the children from the Woodstock Road nursery got involved in structure building activity and a “human camera” task which focused on their social skills, communication, self-confidence and concentrations.

They were also joined by two friendly Labradors to support and promote positive contact with animals. Bev summarised this inspiration event, by saying “Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the day. The staff were happy to put their recent training into practice and our parents have already been asking when the next event is.”

Forest School
Labrador
 

What are the benefits of having pets?

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Children often have a very impulsive natural love for animals, and the relationship can often forge some of their most fond childhood memories.  Some kidsunlimited nurseries have pets, and they are included as part of their educational programme.

What are the advantages of having a pet in a childcare setting?

Having a pet teaches toddlers the essential skill of empathy with other people and with animals. At this age, children should be developing a sense of compassion and emotional intimacy with others. This is how they learn to make friends and to avoid doing things that hurt others. Caring  for a pet is the perfect opportunity for toddlers to learn kindness and tolerance.

    • Independence – exercising choice, within reason.
    • Responsibility – grooming, feeding and exercising.
    • Creativity and imagination – make believe and role plays.
    • Disposition and attitudes – develop a kind, caring attitude towards both animals and people, helping children to build a strong and significant bond.
    • Bereavement – as sad as it sounds, the loss of a pet is a less distressing way for a child to learn how to cope with, manage and experience grief and helps to set a basic understanding of what a death means.
    • Cognitive Development – babies enjoy the sensory aspects of animals. They see the pretty bird, hear the cat’s meow, and pet the soft dog. Toddlers can also learn the names and shapes of different animals, and the noises each one makes.

dog

       

Are you considering getting family pet?

It’s important to start with some initial investigating to decide which animal will be best suited to your family. There are some serious considerations to be taken into account when considering adopting a pet into your family. All pets come with responsibilities:

  • Finance
  • Time
  • Commitment
  • Holidays
  • Space
  • Handling – ensure your chosen pet will be comfortable with being handled
  • Ease of care

Amongst child-friendly pets are dogs and cats, because they tend to be very loving and playful, and can provide your child with companionship and entertainment. However, not all dog breeds are ideal. Not ready for puppies and kittens?  Fish, rabbits and hamsters and guinea pigs are easy to keep and even quite young children can learn to handle them.

 Things that should be avoided and explained to your child(ren).

  • Allowing children to handle pets by themselves.
  • Allowing your child to shout at or hit your pet – they must learn to show consideration for the pet by imitating your behaviour.
  • Bother your pet when it is resting, sleeping, eating or playing alone with a toy – explain that pets need ‘private’ time too.
  • Let animals lick faces – it might be nice to have ‘kisses’, but when you consider what animals keep clean by licking, it is not a good idea to let them lick your face as well.

Following these few simple rules will enable your child to build a lasting, loving relationship with their pet.  A child who learns to care for an animal, and treat it kindly and patiently, gets invaluable training in learning to treat people the same way.

How to choose the right nursery

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    • Official guidance to help you make the right childcare decision.
    • Lifestyle needs – Location, Opening Hours, Meals and Snacks, Dietary requirements.
    • Questions to ask
    • Remember you are the customer

welcome, nursery, childcare, nursery nurse, parent, child

Official guidance to help you make the right child care decision

      Ofsted inspections are carried out at all nurseries and the reports are available on-line for any interested party to see.  The individual nurseries should also be able to provide you with a copy if you haven’t had the opportunity to view your own. 

www.ofsted.gov.uk

Be aware of what areas the nursery received their lowest gradings in and ask them what they’re doing to improve on these areas.  If the Ofsted report was more than 12 months ago then all the changes should have been implemented, a lack of responses to Ofsted’s suggestions demonstrates that the nursery is not improving fast enough.


Lifestyle needs:
Location
The location of the nursery can be more important for some parents than others.  For working parents you may want to consider whether a nursery closer to home or work better matches your requirements, for example if you know you have to work late and the nursery shuts at 6 pm you might be better selecting one nearer work so that you will always be able to pick your child up on time.  If your child is going to be attending nursery for their social and development needs as opposed to your work requirements one nearer home or that feeds into their infant school may be more appropriate as they will see familiar faces and start to make friends with the other children helping their transfer into school.


Opening times
Most nurseries offer the core hours of 8 am – 6 pm but some may open earlier in the morning and stay open later in the evening. Consider what best suits your lifestyle, whether you only want half day or full day sessions. 

What flexibility is there to increase or decrease the number of sessions? Do they offer ‘emergency’ extra sessions, for example if you have to stay late for a meeting or if you’re feeling unwell and think that your child will have a better day in nursery than at home with you.
Meals and snacks
Check what meals and snacks are provided; would it be easier to extend your child’s session slightly so that they have an additional snack if you’ll be rushed when you get them home?  Do they offer breakfast so that you don’t have to wake your child up earlier to fit it in before you leave for work if you have an early start?

Dietary requirements
Does your child have any religious, cultural or medical requirements that need to be taken into account?  Will the nursery be able to cater for them?  Can they demonstrate how they ensure that children are not offered the wrong food by mistake?  If it’s a medical reason what training do staff have for dealing with medical emergencies such as nut allergies?

Essential questions to ask (and don’t be afraid to take the list in!)

  • How many of the staff are qualified, and what qualifications do they have?  The more staff that have an NVQ Level 3 the better.
  • Is there a qualified teacher in charge of the education provision?  For many of the larger nursery groups this may be done at Central Level as opposed to individual nurseries but still check whether a qualified teacher has had direct input into the education provision.
  • Medical Training and First Aid – Ask how many staff have received medical and first aid training and to what level.  Government requirements are for the room supervisor to have completed certain first aid courses as well as the nursery manager and a dedicated team member trained to a higher level available at all times within the nursery. 
  • What is staff turnover like?  How long do staff tend to stay with the company?  Consistency in staff and familiar faces will help your child to settle in quicker so its important that staff turnover is low.
  • Check whether staff get regular time away from the children for curriculum planning, management supervision, feedback on their performance, discussing the children’s welfare, etc, etc.  How much time are they given and are the ratios maintained while they have this time?
  • Will your child have a key person?  How many children will that key person look after? 
  • What happens when the carer is off sick or on holiday?
  • How often do the children get chance to play outside? 
  • What about the babies who can’t walk yet?
  • It’s a requirement for all members of staff to have a Criminal Record Bureau check, confirm how many have been completed and ask them if they can prove this.
  • Find out when their last health and safety inspection was and ask what rating the nursery received.

Remember you are the customer!
Once you’ve selected your nursery there are certain things you can do to help your child settle in, for full details see our settling into nursery guide. 

If at any point you’re unhappy with the care your child is receiving or the information that you’re being given ask to speak to the child’s key person, the room supervisor or the nursery manager if the first two can not resolve the issue.  Remember this will be an anxious time for you, probably more than for your child and its important that you feel reassured about the care that your child is receiving, especially if they are very young and not able to communicate themselves.

As a parent you will often have to make decisions that balance what is best for your child, yourself and the rest of your family, such as whether to return to work, and which nursery to select.  You can only make what you believe is to be the right decision, although you need to look through all the factual information, ask for references, speak to friends and family with children in nurseries, etc, etc ultimately the decision is yours and you have to trust your instinct as well.  What feeling did you get when you first walked into the nursery, did the staff greet you well, did the children look happy and engaged in what they were doing, were there the right ratios in the rooms?

Preparing for your child’s first day at nursery

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You have made your big decision and chosen the nursery that suits your family’s needs, so what’s next?

Although you may view your child’s first day at nursery as a daunting experience be assured that our nursery nurses are experienced at helping you and your child settle in. There are some tips below on how to make this an enjoyable time and as easy as possible for both you and your child.

In the run up

  • We will contact you to arrange a few short visits to the nursery. These visits will enable you both to establish a positive relationship with the nursery team.
  • During your settling-in session, you will meet your child’s Key Person. This is the individual who will guide you through the settling in process, they will also be responsible for your child’s development and welfare and will be your main point of contact at the nursery.
  • In the weeks prior to the ‘big day’ talk to them about the new journey they are about to embark on, mentioning all the new and exciting things they will be doing. Even babies will pick up on the positive messages you give about this transition.
  • We will ensure there is a two-way communication between you and the nursery. We request that you provide us with details of your child’s requirements and preferences prior to their first visit. This means that their Key Person will then be equipped with the knowledge to ensure they can welcome and settle your child into nursery life with all the information you have offered. No question is ever a silly question and we encourage families to take an active role in nursery life.
  • kidsunlimited have an open door policy and should you wish to come and spend some time in nursery with your child, you are always welcome.
  • Read books about ‘the first day’ with your child to prepare them for the experience. ‘My First Day at Nursery’ by Becky Edwards and Anthony Flintoff and ‘Maisy Goes to Playschool’ are two that have been tried and tested by some of our parents.
  • If this is the first time your child is going to be separated from you, you could help them prepare by spending short periods of time apart in the run up to their first day.


On the day
We will spend quality time getting to know your child on their first day, providing relaxed opportunities for them to choose what they play with, observing what makes them tick, their personality, likes and dislikes. This information is invaluable to your Key Person and helps them to plan experiences, activities, opportunities and games for your child.

Try not to be too anxious about leaving your child if he or she is crying. Our staff are experienced in dealing with these situations and have strategies to help them. We are always happy to arrange extra settling-in sessions if either you or we feel they would be beneficial. With a smile clearly explain that you will see them later. Aim not to prolong the goodbye, as hard as this maybe, trust us, it is better for your child, they can then focus on getting on with their day.

The big steps of your first day…….

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baby with carer

At kidsunlimited we understand the importance of settling both you and your child, while taking the first steps into nursery life. Our aim is to give your child unlimited opportunities to learn and develop through imagination, creativity and play by providing a safe, supportive, stimulating and fun environment. Acknowledging parents as the child’s first and continuing educators, our relationship with both you and your child are fundamental to the smooth transition into kidsunlimited. We ask for all the necessary documentation prior to your child’s first day, ensuring that your child’s Key Person is fully informed of all your child’s requirements.

This will mark the beginning their friendship and help welcome your child into nursery life. Developing these important friendships will rely on the support from home, positive language about nursery life and discussing the events of their nursery day, with their pictures and photographs. 

 

You will find a visual timetable in your child’s room, which represents the day in images so children can track where they are up to in their day, what has happened and what is coming next. It is your child’s interests and happiness which are most important to us and we will take their lead facilitating their routine and supporting the choices they make through the day.

Building trusted meaningful and professional relationships with you and your child will primarily be the Key Persons priority. Quality time will be spent getting to know your child, providing unhurried opportunities for your child to self select in their play, observing what makes them tick, their personality, likes and dislikes. This information will be invaluable to your Key Person and informs them with regards to which experiences, activities, opportunities and or games to plan. With the understanding of the value of one to one interaction, we will ensure all their individual needs are met. These positive interactions enhance and encourage their sense of belonging, independence, self esteem and confidence during this important time, building fulfilled and happy children. They will be gradually introduced to their new environment, familiarising them with all the resources and activities they can freely access, other staff members, and their new friends.

We will daily communicate the achievements your child has made. These are the prime opportunities for families to communicate their questions and to discuss the child’s developments. No questions are ever too silly to ask as effective communication is the key to settling into nursery life. We have an open door policy and should you wish to come and spend some time in nursery with your little one, don’t wait to be asked, you’re always welcome. Most of all enjoy and embrace nursery life, these precious days are memories in the making….

Why go to Nursery?

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is not just a play

kidsunlimited nursery

Parents, through a wide range of media, are now very familiar with thinking that young children learn through their play and that this ‘play’ provides a strong foundation on which children may build their future skills.  It is also true that parents often have the feeling they may be letting their children down by not caring for them at home prior to starting at ‘big school’. 

However, a well managed day nursery will provide a positive transition from home to a more formal learning environment in many unseen ways.  It is no longer the case that children are just ‘minded’ at nursery.  On the contrary children’s play and learning activities are guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage and led by them.  This guidance document is used by all early years settings and assists staff in providing a stimulating and exciting environment where children are able to develop at their own pace.

All of the rooms within a nursery offer the six main areas of learning as identified in the guidance.  In a baby room it is unlikely that you will differentiate between these although resources and activities throughout the week will reflect each of them.  As children grow and develop they move rooms within the nursery.  Each one is slightly more structured than the previous until reaching thePreSchoolwhere areas of learning are clearly defined and children take a very active role in planning their play and learning.  This gradual introduction offers children the opportunity to experiment and discover not just about various resources, but about themselves.  It enables them to grow confidence in their own abilities within a secure and caring environment, thus equipping them for the move to a more structured learning environment at school.

Heuristic Play

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kidsunlimited heuristic play

At kidsunlimited, our vision is to create environments for the long term in which all of our children can flourish and we aim to achieve this through providing ‘naturally inspiring childcare’.  In all of our nurseries, we aim to help children discover life beyond only using plastic toys (which can offer limited sensory experiences and will often have a single or correct way of playing with them), and embrace the natural world where everything can be a source of awe and wonder.

 

What is Heuristic Play?

Heuristic play is an approach that was devised over 30 years ago by Educational Psychologist Elinor Goldschmied.  Goldschmied was as Principal Education Social Worker for the Inner London Education Authority, but arguably her greatest contributions to early years practice came after her retirement when she continued to work as a Consultant to Childcare Services inEngland,Scotland,ItalyandSpain.  She made a huge contribution in the Early Years sector to thoughtful, child-focused practice, and always placed babies and young children at the centre of any experience.

A heuristic approach is one that enables a person to discover or learn something for themselves, and so heuristic play is an approach deeply routed in young children’s natural curiosity where the adult plays the role of the facilitator and observer but the play is entirely child led.  These play experiences are very much open-ended; items and objects can be used and played with in any imaginative way that the child chooses and so there is no ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ way to play.

 

What Does Heuristic Play Look Like?

 

When heuristic play session is to take place, a large floor area is freed for a specified period; this must be long enough to allow children to fully explore the materials and to allow time for them to help pack up (usually about an hour).

 

The adult makes heaps of the objects for play and distributes numerous tins (at least three) for each child. The adult must ensure they provide large numbers of each item, so that children do not feel compelled to protect ‘their’ things from each other.   These objects and materials might include items such as: fir cones; conkers; shells; ribbons; short lengths of chain; and household objects like curtain rings; jar lid;, sturdy cardboard tubes; the circles from inside sellotape; and empty cotton reels.

 

During the session offers adults have an opportunity to observe; sitting quietly nearby, where children take assurance from their presence, but not close enough so as to interfere with the children’s exploration and play. A lot can be discovered about each individual child when the observer is slightly removed from the action. 

 

At the end of the session, children help pick up and pack away the objects. Toddlers may manage to put items in the correct bag whereas younger children and babies may bring any item to pop into the bag.

As with any play opportunity, heuristic play must be planned; health and safety issues must be taken into consideration; and appropriate resources selected.  However, it is a very simple approach to helping babies and young children learn and one that can easily be used at home.  The best materials are every day things that you can come across or collect with older children (as illustrated above) and, otherwise, all you need is space and time.

 

Which Children Can Take Part in Heuristic Play?

 

Heuristic play is relevant to children of all ages.  For babies, it is initially about exploring what an object is and what is like (what does it smell/feel/taste like?).  As the child grows and develops and they have a good understanding of the characteristics of objects, they begin to think about how they can use them (e.g. holding a tube up to their mouths and making noise through it to amplify the sound).  As their language develops, children will begin to engage in representative play; using the objects to represent something else (e.g. a chain could be a necklace or a stick could be a magic wand).  This representative play becomes stronger and more elaborate in children of pre school age who will begin to use objects as part of their own story telling (e.g. building cages for dinosaurs out of twigs and leaves).

 

What are the Benefits of Heuristic Play for Children?

The open-ended and exploratory experiences heuristic play provides benefits children’s cognitive, social and emotional development:

  • Learning how to maintain attention and focus on an activity is an important skill for children to develop; and when children are particularly fascinated and engaged by they are doing, as they are during a heuristic play session, their concentration levels are considerably higher. 
  • Heuristic play strongly encourages children to begin to explore using trial and error methods.  In this way, they learn about the properties of materials and experience, first hand, concepts such as size, shape, capacity and mobility.
  • It encourages older children to extend their imaginative and creative thinking and use their language skills to begin to use one object as being representative of another (e.g. pebbles as money).
  • One of the biggest benefits of this kind of play is the ample opportunities for independent decision making.  It allows children to feel that they have the chance to control their environment and learning, and to be able play independently of adults.