Heuristic Play For Babies and Toddlers.

Salam to all. This is the first time ever I'm going to share something that I've seen in Peachgrove playcentre which is suitable for babies and toddlers. I've gained so much by observing babies and toddlers playing on their own and we had been using this "Heuristic Play" approach in enriching babies and toddlers experiences in playing.


 Before I tell more aboout Heuristic Play, do you know what is a toy that's attach to babies, never leave their side, can calm them and also provide so much fun? Can you guess? ..........
If you say.....................their hands, then you are absolutely right. Thus, based on that, Elinor Goldschmeid came out with the concept of Heuristic Play about 30 years ago. "Heuristic" comes from the Greek word Eurisko. Eurisko means to discover opportunities, to use skills learnt at an early age or to discover or understand. 


Are you still confuse about this play concept? All right, don't worry because here's some simple explanation from parent-forum.org site:
 
Heuristic play is a planned activity which offers children the opportunity to explore various items using and developing their senses; touch, smell, hearing, sight and taste.

The children explore a wide variety of objects which include natural objects eg. fir cones, shells, pebbles; objects made of natural materials e.g. wooden pegs, wooden nail brush, wood off-cuts; metal objects eg. keys, chains, jar tops.

You can find lots of interesting objects for children to explore in your home. Look in your cupboards and drawers. You might find pots & pans, string, sink plugs, scented candles, soaps, sponges, beads, etc.
Treasure Baskets
Treasure baskets are designed for babies who are less mobile, mainly under the age of 1 year. It is a very similar activity to Heuristic Play. The only difference is the quantity and type of objects set out for the activity. When providing the activity for babies, a basket is used to encourage them to reach in and take out the item they want to investigate. Fewer items are provided because if there is too much choice, they may feel overwhelmed and not be able to concentrate on exploring individual items


A photo of a treasure backet-taken from google.


Now, to help you more, I also found some videos on you.tube.com. I reckon this might help you to understand more:

Based on my experiences playing with other babies and toddlers (and also Hafizah) at the playcentre, this kind of play would be beneficial to babies and toddlers. Even a big girl like Fathini sometimes finds the treasure baskets as something that can amuse her! LOL....But seriously, if you start collecting some stuffs like stainless bowls, wooden spoons, palstic rollers, knitted toys, small bean bags and so much more. (click here if you want to get more ideas for the treasure baskets) 


All you need to start this kind of adventure for your baby is a basket and couple of items from your kitchen cupboards and drawers. Some reminders about the treasure basket:

• make sure the items don't have any sharp edges, no items made from pvc and heavy metals.
• give a warm soapy water wash before and after the play.
• always check for any broken items.
• add more items from time to time.

Give this a try and I'm sure you and your baby will have great bonding time together. HAVE FUN!