Playing with objects from the real world is a winner when it comes to finding an activity that will appeal to different ages of children. Babies, toddlers and older children have a drive to explore and make connections, which is why this type of play is great at holding children’s attention.
MAKING IT HAPPEN
How you support children to play with real-world objects will depend on the number of children you have and also their age and stage of play. A good starting point is to make sure that all objects that you put out are safe in case a baby or toddler picks up something that was destined for an older child. It is also worth having plenty of the items that work well for babies and toddlers because older children may also want to weave them into their play if they are not directly playing with the younger children. If you are able to go outdoors, choose larger objects for toddlers and older children.
For babies:
- Look for a wide range of objects that are made from natural materials and that can be easily picked up (for inspiration, search ‘treasure basket play’ online).
- Make sure that objects are safe for babies to put in their mouths.
- Sort the objects that are safe for babies into a low container that they can reach into.
For toddlers:
Toddlers like to put small objects on, inside or through larger objects, for example, dropping a shell into a tube or hanging a bracelet on a mug tree. Once they have found something to do of interest, they will repeat and experiment around it. They also like stacking and moving objects.
- Look for different types and sizes of containers, including boxes, tins and plastic bottles.
- Think about plenty of smaller objects, such as corks or screw-top lids that can be used to drop down tubes, into bottles or tins.
- Consider grouping types of items together, as this helps toddlers with the repetitive nature of their play; for example, ten pipe cleaners together so that one by one they can be dropped down into a plastic bottle.
- For ideas about what type of objects will work well, search ‘heuristic play’ online.
For children 3 years plus:
While these children will enjoy playing with bits and pieces that you have left out for the others, they will also enjoy having a few ‘unexpected objects’ to find for themselves, such as a long strip of fabric, a tool from a vacuum cleaner or a plunger. These objects are often woven into their imaginative play or used as a starting point to make something. Some children will also combine them with other resources and toys.
DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS
It is always useful to be able to identify the benefits of any type of play or activity that we have planned and ideally share them with parents. Here are examples of how this play may support development at all ages:
- Fine manipulative skills.
- Gross motor movements.
- Sensory stimulation.
- Creativity and trial by error.
- Concentration and perseverance.
- Language.
- Sense of achievement.
In addition, children may also develop their social skills as they take an interest in what other children are doing or collaborate with each other.
Observation
While supervision is essential, one of the key roles of adults during this type of play is to quietly observe the connections that children are making. This might mean noticing that a honey spoon is fascinating a baby or how a toddler is persevering with stacking tins and boxes. Commenting on what a baby or toddler is doing can support language development, but it is important that a child’s flow of play is not interrupted. You may also at times need to support a child or to support play between children who have different aims.
Older children may want you to acknowledge what they have found and to find other resources to support their use of found objects within their play.
