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