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What is heuristic play?
Heuristic play is an early learning technique aimed at promoting children’s natural sense of curiosity and there are numerous benefits of heuristic play.
The term was originally coined in the book “People Under Three” by Sonia Jackson and Elinor Goldschmied. It involves providing children with a range of everyday objects for them to interact with, instead of toys specifically designed to be played with.
The key point about heuristic play is that there is no ‘set’ way to play with everyday objects. In heuristic play, it is up to the children to interact with the items however they want to.
Elizabeth Jarman, who trains nurseries and schools in developing good learning environments, is an advocate of heuristic play. She believes:
“The more toys do, the less the child does. The more the child does, and plays and engages, the more their brain develops and the more potential they will have as they grow up.”
By definition, heuristic means “to find out or discover; proceeding by trial and error”. Heuristic play should be experimental and unstructured – that means there is no correct way for it to be carried out. Children should be safe and supervised and allowed to freely explore a range of items at their own pace.
What are the benefits of heuristic play?
There are many benefits to heuristic play, which make it a popular technique used in early years settings.
Some of the these benefits include:
Encourages children’s creativity
It is because there is no decided method for ‘playing’ with everyday objects, children are therefore encouraged to use their imaginations. With most toys marketed for children, there is a pre-determined use and in most cases an objective to meet. Whilst this is great in many ways, heuristic play removes any expectation and allows children to play freely in whatever way they choose, allowing them to be more creative.
Helps to develop gross motor skills
Through heuristic play, children are able to move themselves completely freely. This promotes further development of gross motor skills like walking, standing, etc, all on their own terms.
Aids cognitive development
Having the freedom to decide how they play gives children the opportunity to practice skills such as decision making, patience and sharing, as well as allowing them to explore their own interests. It also helps to develop real world skills as children learn about which ideas work and which don’t, encouraging them to problem solve in order to find alternative ways to meet their ‘objective’.
Promotes critical thinking
As above, heuristic play allows children to play in a more conscious way as they are free to make their own decisions. They are able to see the outcomes of their decisions too, which enhances their ability to make more rational judgements and draw conclusions from their actions.
Helps to build confidence
Without the restrictions of traditional toys, children are free to explore on their own terms, this encourages them to make their own decisions and in turn, gives them confidence in their own abilities.
Encourages independence
Without a guide as to what to do or how to do it, children are in full control of their play time. This promotes independent thinking without the reliance on an adult or another child to guide the experience which teaches them how to do things in a certain way, rather than letting them find their own way to do something.
What does EYFS say about heuristic play?
The Early Years Foundation Stage provides a guide for the learning and development of children up to five years old. Within this framework, there are three Characteristics of Effective Learning:
- Playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
- Active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements
- Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things
Heuristic play contributes to all three of these characteristics. For this reason, many early years providers choose to include a dedicated heuristic area in their setting.
What is an example of a heuristic play activity?
An effective way to introduce heuristic play is to provide a box of items for children to dig around in and select what they want to play with.
Examples of items you can use for heuristic play include:
- Assorted household items, such as pegs, hair rollers, or door stops
- A variety of containers, such as egg cups, bowls, and plastic containers
- Throwaway cardboard, such as egg cartons, cereal boxes or toilet roll tubes
- Assorted paper, such as notebooks, tissue paper, or greaseproof paper
- Furry objects, such as pompoms, soft toys, or fluffy socks
- Scented objects, such as bags of herbs, lavender, or empty perfume bottles
- Natural items, such as lemons, avocados, acorns, or leaves
- Rough or coarse items, such as sponges, a nail brush or pumice stone
- Soft objects, such as makeup brushes, flannels, cotton buds, or a velvet ring box
- Rubbery objects, such as bathtub plugs, rug grippers, or hot water bottles
Is heuristic play safe?
Even though heuristic play is child-led, it still needs to be set up and supervised by an adult.
Heuristic play safety tips:
- When choosing objects consider potential risks, such as choking or injury.
- Ensure that children are not left alone at any point.
- Potential distractions should also be removed if possible. For example, if parents are introducing heuristic play at home, they should ensure the TV is off, to prevent children’s attention being drawn away.
- Make sure items are sanitised before children play with them.
- Try to avoid items which pose a chemical risk, such as perfume bottles, keys/coins, etc.
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