by Valerie
Jackson
Discovery
or heuristic play is a vital ingredient in the overall development
of the young child. A while ago, I mentioned Jean Piaget as
an influential name in observing and acknowledging the importance
of childhood and the prime concern to allow children opportunities
to grow, develop skills and build up a bank of knowledge and
experiences that will support them through to adulthood. His
theory of the stages of play is linked very closely to the development
of cognition or mental awareness and the ability to think independently.
Piaget
theorised that young children up to two years of age are programmed
to explore their environment and the articles in it. During
this period in their life, the child acquires the ability to
move from one space to another. They do this by developing a
crawl or shuffle, then eventually stand, step and walk. This
means the child can explore their world and take further steps
towards independence.
Elinor
Goldschmied (People Under Three Routledge 1993) understood
the value of every day objects to assist children in their learning
and understanding. She developed the idea of a treasure basket
- a box filled with objects and items that can be found in the
home or in the outer environment. There should be no plastic
items.
Consider
what a young child can achieve in the first two years of their
lives :
- the ability to become mobile;
- the understanding of and reproduction of their native language;
- their developing independence towards making decisions about
which foods they like or dislike;
- their skill in discriminating between people they trust and
who are familiar compared to those who are strangers and therefore
untrustworthy.
We cannot be surprised that in all this time, through their
five senses, they are also beginning to understand the matter
of what their world is about.
If
we provide a safe, secure opportunity to discover the properties
of familiar objects, then their use or application also becomes
more easily understood. More children than ever are now spending
time away from home and family, being cared for by professionals
who sometimes take their work too seriously and actually forget
about the important aspects of child care, that of real discovery
and adventure for the child.
We
are trained and warned about the importance of hygienic surroundings
and clean play materials. We have been brainwashed to provide
safety for children by excluding all potentially perceived dangers.
It is time that we took stock of this and actually offered children
what they need and deserve.
In
the home, most children will eventually find their way to the
cupboards, especially in the kitchen, where they can pull out
and play with a variety of saucepans, lids, wooden spoons, rolling
pins, whisks and so on. This is, in part, what a treasure basket
will also provide. Plastic may be much easier to keep clean,
but what does it actually offer to a child driven to explore?
It is usually taste-free, apart from the plastic flavour. It
is smooth, until it is chewed beyond recognition. It takes on
the temperature of the immediate environment, it is usually
coloured in bright poster paints which bear no relevance to
natural materials.
Household
objects, including glass lemon squeezers, pans, and spoons,
all have their own temperature and taste. The addition of fresh
citrus fruit offers a smorgasbord of flavour, colour, texture
and sound. Fir cones, sea shells, large pebbles all add to the
rich tapestry of experiences that the young child will relish
and explore for much longer than the time they take to play
with a plastic, synthetic play object.
The
adult adds the safety; they stay close to the child, not interfering
or speaking, but smiling in a reassuring way, checking that
the materials are free from breaks or tears that could cause
injury. It is fascinating to see how each child approaches this
treasure trove. Freed from adult-led direction, they make choices,
develop their methods of exploration and even communicate with
their peers. The articles can be washed or replaced at very
little cost, leaving the child and adult lots of scope for new
adventures.
Every
nursery should offer this invaluable resource for learning.
Every parent should become familiar and confident with the use
of non-synthetic play materials. The young child’s life
will be much richer as a consequence.
Valerie
Jackson is an independent consultant and adviser for nurseries
and parents. She is a published author with a book and several
articles to her name.
