I've removed ALL the toys ...

[rosebud]

and replaced them with open ended natural objects for heuristic play! I don't have a playroom and my living room contains a variety of wicker baskets which contain different toys which I rotate on a weekly basis. I haven't been working this afternoon so I've taken out all the toys. So far I have:

A large basket full of fabric pieces, all different sizes, colours and textures
A basket of wooden bowls, plates, wooden spoons, spatulas, whisks and an old fashioned silver teapot
A box of bricks (natural wood)
A basket of bags, lots of different sizes and shapes, paper & fabric
A box of bricks with the coloured windows
A big silver mixing bowl full of coloured stones and
big glass marbles
A basket of seashells
A box of wooden & metal curtain rings
A treasure basket collection of natural random items such as sponges, conkers, pumice stones, corks, large nuts, etc
3 large bunches of keys

I also have a basket of wooden dolls house people and a collection of ragdolls and soft animals to be added when they start to get bored.

I have left the book box but taken everything else, I CAN'T WAIT for monday morning to see what they do. Still looking for ideas if anybody wants to contribute.

[QualityCare]

Wow that's amazing l love heuristic play, how many baskets are you going to put out at one time, bricks with coloured windows where did you get them.

[Mouse]

How about some light up toys?

I have small battery operated fibre optic lamps, battery operated fairy lights, light up bouncy balls, light up ducks, glow sticks etc etc. I know it sounds as if you are trying to move away from plastic & battery toys, but light up ones are nice.

Also, what about wooden instruments, and the little wooden kaleidoscopes you can buy?

[Helen79]

I'm going to try to do this soon as I'm sick of them all fighting over certain toys.
We've got small rainbow and the waves from here (http://www.myriadonline.co.uk/wooden-stacking-toys.php) which are lovely and used for loads of different kinds of play.

[Mollymop]

Sounds like a lovely idea x

[sharonmanc]

Sounds fantastic, going to jot down some of these ideas :thumbsup:

[rosebud]

Bricks with coloured windows were from Hope Education (on the offer before xmas that caused all the drama!)

Wooden instruments an excellent idea - I will be checking my music box to see what I've got.

Helen79 - STOP trying to make me spend more money and clutter up my house even more!!! Those toys are beautiful and I've picked out about 6 already! I know my toy library has the "All in one house" so I'll go and borrow that on monday.

I was avoiding batteries but I do have a box of torches that I might add when they start to get bored.

Thanks for all the ideas.

[Wendybird]

I cant wait to hear how this goes. I have some beautiful toys, but am really feeling overwhelmed with the stuff in our small house! As for ideas - I have some agate slices that the kids love and was eyeing up some glass tiles as well :thumbsup:

[miffy]

If you want to avoid batteries you could have some of those torches that you squeeze to make them work

Miffy xx

[rosebud]

I've got wind up ones actually - I forgot about those. Would love some agate slices, I have lots of nice "stones" - quartz and other bits that my mum picks up for me. Where would you get glass tiles from - are they nice and strong?

[miffy]

Just out of interest what have you done with all your toys? Are you keeping them all or getting rid?

Miffy xx

[Penny1959]

I often have out heuristic play - the children love it - what about adding some bags sometimes - I use small paper gift bags and little cloth bags - some of which I have made my self.

Also although not natural material I find collections of used washed milk tops go down well and bracelets.


Enjoy

Penny :)

[green puppy]

and replaced them with open ended natural objects for heuristic play! I don't have a playroom and my living room contains a variety of wicker baskets which contain different toys which I rotate on a weekly basis. I haven't been working this afternoon so I've taken out all the toys. So far I have:

A large basket full of fabric pieces, all different sizes, colours and textures
A basket of wooden bowls, plates, wooden spoons, spatulas, whisks and an old fashioned silver teapot
A box of bricks (natural wood)
A basket of bags, lots of different sizes and shapes, paper & fabric
A box of bricks with the coloured windows
A big silver mixing bowl full of coloured stones and
big glass marbles
A basket of seashells
A box of wooden & metal curtain rings
A treasure basket collection of natural random items such as sponges, conkers, pumice stones, corks, large nuts, etc
3 large bunches of keys

I also have a basket of wooden dolls house people and a collection of ragdolls and soft animals to be added when they start to get bored.

I have left the book box but taken everything else, I CAN'T WAIT for monday morning to see what they do. Still looking for ideas if anybody wants to contribute.

I have baskets with these kind of things too. I have them on my shelves so they are always out and then I bring down some other toys that they are interested in aswell. I also have a tub of buttons, tweezers, basket of threading stuff, basket of old bangles/watches/necklaces.... basket of small different styles of boxes, wooden animals...... My mindees are always using these things to make up their own play. Also the sillicone cup cake holders are good, these get filled with buttons/marbles and sold in the "baker's" shop!

[rickysmiths]

What a lovely web site so tempting.

[jadavi]

i love this forum
heuristic only toys
what a fab idea
gonna follow this thread....

[jadavi]

here's a definition...Helen Huleatt

Heuristic play is rooted in young children’s natural curiosity. As babies grow, they move beyond being content to simply feel and ponder objects, to wanting to find out what can be done with them. Toddlers have an urge to handle things: to gather, fill, dump, stack, knock down, select and manipulate in other ways. Household or kitchen utensils offer this kind of activity as every parent knows, and can occupy a child for surprising stretches of time. When toddlers make an enjoyable discovery – for instance when one item fits into another, or an interesting sound is produced – they often repeat the action several times to test the result, which strengthens cognitive development as well as fine muscle control and hand/eye coordination.

In their book, People under Three, Elinor Goldschmied and Sonia Jackson coined the term heuristic play, to explain how to provide a more structured opportunity for this kind of activity. 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’. 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. According to the Oxford Dictionary, ‘heuristic’ means helping to find out or discover; proceeding by trial and error. It stems from the same root as Eureka – ‘I found it!’ Clare Crowther of Bridgwater College describes heuristic play as ‘an activity we use with one-year-olds, two-year-olds, and young threes, giving them the opportunity to experiment spontaneously with a wide range of non-commercial objects. Whilst the heuristic play session is in process, adults need to remain seated and quiet. This supports children in making their own choices and discoveries.’

Heuristic play with objects is not a novel idea. Consider children’s age-old fascination with mother’s sewing basket: while mum is mending, her child enjoys its contents in various combinations – reels of thread, bits of colourful tape, scraps of yarn and cloth, a pincushion full of pins, a measuring tape, small tins of snaps to shake (or match up and hitch together), and buttons in all shapes, sizes and colours to sort and arrange. Heuristic play represents the same concept, but takes place with groups of children and large quantities of each item.

To provide for heuristic play, practitioners collect natural materials like fir cones, conkers, seashells, and pebbles, as well as ribbons, short lengths of chain, and ‘found’ objects like curtain rings, jar lids, sturdy cardboard tubes, the circles from inside sellotape, and empty cotton reels. (I’ve noticed that the rings from empty sellotape rolls are particularly popular. Some are slightly sticky from the tape, so children enjoy attaching and detaching them. They are easier to pick up than curtain rings, are small enough to fit into other items, and have a centre through which fingers or objects can be poked.) Between sessions staff maintain the supplies, checking for cleanliness and safety, discarding unsuitable items and collecting new ones.

For the heuristic play session, a large floor area is freed for a specified period; an hour is good, allowing time for children to help pack up. One staff member makes heaps of the objects for play and distributes tins (at least three per child). It is important to provide large numbers of each item, so that children do not feel compelled to protect ‘their’ things from each other. Goldschmied and Jackson point out that it is premature to expect children to share at this age (page 132).

An intriguing aspect of heuristic play is its social quality. Although each child is engrossed in his or her own investigation, they are very aware of each other. In one session I observed, a child began tooting on a cardboard tube; then others started tooting on tubes or reels, and one child even held a tube to other children’s mouths. In another session, I made three heaps of objects in three corners, although there were only four children. All four gravitated to one heap where they played harmoniously, although they were practically – and sometimes literally – on top of each other. (The only squabble occurred over a jar lid: although there were many lids, only one had strawberries pictured on it!) Only after half an hour of playing in this close proximity did one, and then two, of the children wander off to other heaps.

The heuristic play session offers staff an opportunity to observe. Carers sit quietly nearby, where children take assurance from their presence. So much can be learned about each child when one removes oneself slightly from the action!

It’s exciting to witness the thought processes children display. I watched James slide a thin tube through a wider one, repeat the action, and then try to slide a larger object through the tube. He tried several times before rejecting the large object to try something else. Another child dropped a cork into a cone-shaped reel, tried unsuccessfully to reach it with her hand, shook the cone, and when the cork (to her surprise) flew out, repeated the procedure.

Discerning sound is part of heuristic play. Children often notice noises accidentally produced by some action (rubbing two rough items together, sliding a chain across a tin, treading on lids…) and purposely repeat the action, sometimes over and over again. The adults need to resist the urge to move them on to something else.

At the end of the session, children help pick up the objects. A two-year-old may manage to put items in the correct bag. Younger children do not seem to grasp this concept, and bring any item to pop into the bag. They enjoy the clean-up process as much as the play time – after all, dropping an item in a bag is as much fun as dropping it in a tin!

‘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, page 130). I have seen heuristic play materials stored in homemade drawstring bags, in wicker baskets, and in browser boxes. Exactly how we provide this kind of activity does not matter, so long as we recognise the significance of spontaneous exploratory play for children’s development and offer them plentiful opportunities. Enjoy it!

To learn more, read:
People under Three, Young Children in Day Care (2nd editon), Elinor Goldschmied & Sonia Jackson, Routledge, London & New York, 2004






Check out these nature baskets from student enterprise Link2Nature. Excellent heuristic play resource.

[Vickster]

Fab idea! You have inspired me!

[sarah707]

I totally admire your philosophy and I use both treasure baskets and heuristic play with the children...

However I am curious about how it will work as a total transformation.

For example if you have children who like to play with lego, blocks, cars and train tracks. Would you risk taking away their interests if you removed their favourite toys?

When children arrive excited to play a game of whatever they need to find the resources to play it - paper and pencils for school teachers, food and plates etc for feeding teddies or a picnic etc.

If you take all this away are you meeting their needs?

Just curious how it will work not saying you are wrong! :D

[rosebud]

I haven't got rid of the toys completely - just put them in a cupboard for a while. I do have these kind of things out alongside the toys most of the time but I'm curious to see what will happen with no toys available, whether it will change the way they play. My original thought was that the children I'm working with at the moment are very young so it should suit them, however my own 7 and 12 year old have had a lovely time tonight playing with it all, its kept them entertained for hours!!
In answer to your question Sarah if a child is insistent that they need a particular toy out then I think I will still get it out. My setting is very child-led and quite often my role is simply to provide the required resources - sometimes I feel a bit like a spare part!

[Helen79]

There's an article here (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/the-nursery-that-took-all-the-childrens-toys-away-1125048.html) on a nursery that went totally toy free

[NicoleW]

What about lids from old baby jars?

I'm actually doing this tonight for my own children tomorrow :)

[rosebud]

There's an article here (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/the-nursery-that-took-all-the-childrens-toys-away-1125048.html) on a nursery that went totally toy free

I love this article! Not sure about taking away the art materials too, I've left them available in the kitchen, I'll have to think about that one. I agree though that it wouldn't happen in a nursery here.

[jane5]

I have a treasure basket, foil blankets, material and lots of wooden toys which my lo's do play with.

However the favourites here at the moment are several Buzz Lightyears, which are different sizes for example baby buzz, daddy buzz, big buzz. Baby nee nors (small fire engines), Ben and Holly and Pepper Pig house, castle and cars ect... Kota the ride on dinosaur, the twin buggy and doll that crys and the dinosaur land.

If I rotate any of these toys I get complaints until I get them out again. No peace and quiet in my house :rolleyes:

[Mouse]

I totally admire your philosophy and I use both treasure baskets and heuristic play with the children...

However I am curious about how it will work as a total transformation.

For example if you have children who like to play with lego, blocks, cars and train tracks. Would you risk taking away their interests if you removed their favourite toys?

When children arrive excited to play a game of whatever they need to find the resources to play it - paper and pencils for school teachers, food and plates etc for feeding teddies or a picnic etc.

If you take all this away are you meeting their needs?

Just curious how it will work not saying you are wrong! :D

That is a very valid point Sarah. A while ago I stripped my playroom back to the bare bones & filled it with wooden toys & natural products, moving out plastic & battery operated toys. The children of all ages loved it & played really well. They adapted the equipment to suit their needs. Items from the treasure basket were used in all sorts of games & I definitely think they used their imagination a lot better. We did have wooden cars, wooden blocks, train tracks etc, so it wasn't totally open ended play.

But, when I reintroduced the Happyland & Little People toys & V-Tech toys, the children loved them as well. So now I have, what I think, is a good balance between natural products, heuristic play & plastic/battery toys :thumbsup:

[NicoleW]

I think I have too many plastic and battery operated toys.

So I've asked my neighbour and my friend to save *a list* of household items for me :)

Actually... looking around... about 1 or two wooden toys... OH naughty me :(


What about bags of fresh herbs for the smell? And how would you make them so they are safe?

[maluvsya89]

just read that article below and it got me thinking that me and my parents do this once every two weeks or so with my siblings (twins aged 2) so one afternoon on the weekend we dont get no toys out and just leave them be, we have a massive bean bag and a few blankets lying about and they play boo with the blankets, jump up and down on the bean bags or sofas etc but most of the time they chase each other around the house or do their own little dance and spin each other round. its surprising with what they do when there are no toys around but because this is a norm to us i never really thought about it maybe i could ease it into one of my mindees routine see how it will work out then hmmmm?? but cause they are twins they have eachother to keep entertained, will be really interesting to see how this works out with other children to...

[Andrea08]

hi, what age children are you working with?... if i did that i dont think all of my mindees would be happy LO's... i have quite a collection of treasure baskets for my babies and weetotts, but my older LO's would look at me as if i was mad and why i had taken their play things away...

i think its a gr8 idea and would love to see how the LO's played in an environment of no toys... although the mixed age group i have i now it would not go down very well and i even think someof my parents would not be pleased,

to house a continual provision of all the gr8 ideas we see and read about we would need a nursery size extension to our homes... so to loose our plastic toys now n then is a good idea

would be interesting to find out how the LO's played and enjoyed your planning xxx

[roro1]

Hmm, this is interesting. I would like to try and mix up the resources a bit.

I have some heuristic resources but thank you for the ideas as will now add some more.

Definitely be interesting to hear what happens and what the children do. I think most of my mindees would enjoy this change but 1/ or 2 would find this challenging and possibly unsettling (?).

Thanks for the post.

[Penny1959]

That is a very valid point Sarah. A while ago I stripped my playroom back to the bare bones & filled it with wooden toys & natural products, moving out plastic & battery operated toys. The children of all ages loved it & played really well. They adapted the equipment to suit their needs. Items from the treasure basket were used in all sorts of games & I definitely think they used their imagination a lot better. We did have wooden cars, wooden blocks, train tracks etc, so it wasn't totally open ended play.

But, when I reintroduced the Happyland & Little People toys & V-Tech toys, the children loved them as well. So now I have, what I think, is a good balance between natural products, heuristic play & plastic/battery toys :thumbsup:

Mouse this is what I have - so the children can choose - some days I will put out just heuristic things ready to play (rather then in storage baskets) and other times I will set up other toys (at the moment mine are into Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam / fire engines)

Penny

[rosebud]

So how did it go? It was fabulous, We didn't have a single toy out for 2 days, I had a 10 month old, 14 month old, 2 year old, 4year old, 5 year old, 7 year old and (own) 12 year old and they had a brilliant time. It was lovely to see them being so creative and imaginative. We did play a couple of games and did some baking and art activities but other than that I didn't get out anything extra. Yesterday my own two (7 and 12) got every cushion, beanbag and blanket in the house and made the most amazing dens which the babies loved. Today they've asked for the builders stuff so we have added the tool boxes, mega blocks and bob the builder toys but I have different children tomorrow so I'm going to put those away again. It just goes to show that sometimes less is more! I'll definitely do it again.

[flowerpots]

Are you going to keep it like it hun?

[rosebud]

Just until the end of this week and then will bring toys back next week. I rotate toys anyway so will just add it into my rotation and do it every few weeks. Definitely recommend it for a change and freshening things up.

[ORKSIE]

I like this idea... think I will give it a go too.

Thanks for the idea:thumbsup:

xx

[Polly2]

This is vey interesting and I love that article! I have gone completely natural in the garden - no plastic at all but have not tried it indoors.

I think its a fantastic idea and it will also help me declutter all the plastic that is taking up room but not played with :thumbsup:

[NicoleW]

Sorry I'm still a bit confused.

You're saying everything is out of your playing space and you only have heurisitc toys?



I've designed a box, it has some metal measuring cups in, wooden spoons an old SMA tin with lid, and some cardboard tubes. Is this heurisitc?

[catminder]

So how did it go? It was fabulous, We didn't have a single toy out for 2 days, I had a 10 month old, 14 month old, 2 year old, 4year old, 5 year old, 7 year old and (own) 12 year old and they had a brilliant time. It was lovely to see them being so creative and imaginative. We did play a couple of games and did some baking and art activities but other than that I didn't get out anything extra. Yesterday my own two (7 and 12) got every cushion, beanbag and blanket in the house and made the most amazing dens which the babies loved. Today they've asked for the builders stuff so we have added the tool boxes, mega blocks and bob the builder toys but I have different children tomorrow so I'm going to put those away again. It just goes to show that sometimes less is more! I'll definitely do it again.

I'm in the process of putting together discovery/sensory resources as I've got far too many plastic toys that don't really do much at all. Heuristic resources are far more 'open ended' for play and learning. It's great to hear that your resources have been a success, thanks for the update.
Alison x

[joanne1977]

hi I made a treasure basket for my baby (ok so the basket broke and its now a treasure washing up bowl:blush:) but I came across this website www.littleacornstomightyoaks.co.uk in the articles it has an article about heuristic play and some really good ideas for your treasurebaskets! :)
hope this helps sorry I dont know how to put a direct link and as it saved on my iphone I cant see the full adress so I hope its right

Joanne x

[rosebud]

Sorry I'm still a bit confused.

You're saying everything is out of your playing space and you only have heurisitc toys?



I've designed a box, it has some metal measuring cups in, wooden spoons an old SMA tin with lid, and some cardboard tubes. Is this heurisitc?

Yes this is heuristic play. Try googling heuristic play or treasure baskets for more information. The idea is that the resources are natural (as opposed to plastic toys) and that the children are able to play with them in an open ended way with no specific purpose in mind. It can be really surprising when you observe them in this kind of play how creative and imaginative they become.

[lesley]

I like Nicole W idea ask friends and neighbours. Also you could ask your parents and visit the local charity shop.

Lesley

[lyla's mum]

i would love to do this! i have always tried to select my resources carefully to avoid the plastic overload, but seem to be drowning under the stuff at the moment! and i love the myriad site, grimms to lots of lovely (but expensive) wooden toys that i am totally in love with, so far we just have the medium rainbow though, i really want the large one after playing with it in the museum in manchester so that is next on my wishlist!