CHILD DEVELOPMENT FEATURE
HEURISTIC PLAY AND LOOSE PARTS By Ella Diprose When it comes to play, what do children truly need? What does play look like and what types of play provide greater outcomes for our children?
HEURISTIC
literally a basket of treasures and a basket of potential! They don’t have a purpose and that is the catch! The possibilities of what your child can do with them are limitless. Offer these items to your baby or child and respectfully observe their play.
This means enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves.
With loose parts your child can create, construct, manipulate, explore, investigate, express, imagine and analyse.
HEURISTIC PLAY
WHY USE LOOSE PARTS?
An activity children engage in to explore the properties of objects from the real world.
LOOSE PARTS
Objects and materials that children can move, manipulate, control, and change within their play. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to play with them. They are ‘open-ended’.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
Having heuristic, loose parts play items is
“Loose part, heuristic play encourages investigation and curiosity! Together, these materials and philosophies are the key to it all. They are open. Open to interpretation from your capable, inquisitive baby! Your baby can’t fail, your baby can’t become frustrated, your baby doesn’t need you to show them how to do it, or fix it. There is no right or wrong way to interact with them and that is the beauty. Let your child be the actor, director and script writer in their own play.” - Navy Baby Company
WHERE DO I FIND THEM?
The exciting thing about loose parts is that you can collect them from almost anywhere. Your kitchen cupboards can be a great place to search for spare baby friendly utensils, wooden spoons, jar lids, metal tins, measuring cups. You can collect loose parts from outside and have a nature theme with sticks, leaves, flowers, and small stones. You can use ribbons, scarves, different textured materials, and cloths. There are also some New Zealand based companies who you can buy loose parts and open ended play items from who sell affordable, quality products that meet toy safety standards.
WHAT AGE IS THIS FOR?
There is no set age or age limit that loose parts can be played with. The Navy Baby company suggests you can start “as young as 8 weeks old by placing an item close by for observation.” The great thing about loose parts is that they can fit into your child’s stage 22 PALMY PARENT . PALMERSTON NORTH PARENTS CENTRE MAGAZINE
