Heuristic play and loose parts (part 2)

The role of the adult

The role of the adult in a Heuristic Play session is to observe closely, watching how different children interact with the resources. Take note of which things different children are interest in, how they manipulate them. Observe how they set themselves challenges, solve problems, express their creative ideas and engage in critical thinking. Occasionally a toddler might invite an adult to join in with a particular activity, but largely speaking the adult should not interfere in the Heuristic Play session  - remember there is no right or wrong way to do things when manipulating open ended materials.

During the session is may be necessary to discreetly rearrange some of the materials if it appears they are becoming too muddled up, thereby limiting children’s opportunities for creative exploration.

The last ten minutes of the session should be used to involve the toddlers in clearing up and storing the resources for use the following day. This is an ideal opportunity to talk with the toddlers about the different resources  - what they are and what they can do. Store the collection of objects in the drawstring bag provided. So they are easy to access. The bag is large enough for you to add additional heuristic play resources.