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Child Development & Early Education vocabulary · Play and Learning

Heuristic play

Meaning in child development & early education, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In child development & early education, heuristic play means: Play in which babies and toddlers freely explore everyday objects and natural materials, such as wooden spoons, chains, tins and pine cones, without adult direction.

In Turkish: keşif oyunu, heuristik oyun

How it is used

Developed by Elinor Goldschmied, who also created the treasure basket for babies who can sit. Used in UK training and planning. Staff collect safe objects, set them out and watch quietly.

Example sentences

  1. During heuristic play, the toddlers spent ages putting chains into tins.

  2. We check every heuristic play object for size and sharp edges.

Common collocations

  • treasure basket
  • everyday objects
  • natural materials
  • heuristic play session
  • sensory playPlay that encourages children to use their senses, especially touch, through materials such as sand, water, playdough, rice or foam.
  • schemaA repeated pattern of play that children use to explore an idea, such as carrying, wrapping or throwing things; in Piaget's theory, a mental structure that organises knowledge.
  • playActivity that children choose freely and enjoy for its own sake, such as building, pretending, running or exploring; it is seen as a key way young children learn.
  • infantA baby, usually a child in the first year of life; some services use the word for children up to about 18 months or two years.

More terms: Play and Learning

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