Some useful information about Heuristic Play

1. Heuristic Play
History of Heuristic Play
According to the Oxford Dictionary,
‘heuristic’ means helping to find out
or discover; proceeding by trial and
error. Elinor Goldschmied and Sonia
Jackson coined the term heuristic
play, they explained this was more of
a structured opportunity for chil-
dren.
Heuristic play ’ provides exploratory
play for children and offers plentiful
opportunities.
Things to think about when offering Heuristic play
 Think about your resources wisely
 Display resources in an inviting way
 As children are reluctant to share, have duplicate items
 Don’t offer to many objects at one time
 Support children and ask open opened questions
 Make observations
 Use language to support the play
 Follow child’s lead
 Help children to develop their problem solving skills