There is a vast world of opportunity for learning and development during a child's first seven years. Yet, despite enormous investment in early childhood education, there is little robust discussion about what learning should mean for this age group (apart from 'play', which has always been part and parcel of child-centered early learning from the time of Rousseau, Piaget, and Froebel). Nowadays, for many children, play refers to computer games designed for entertainment with specified outcomes, often oriented toward a virtual quest for survival. It is painfully clear, as I work with children, that the modern world is full of technological distractions designed to entertain and to draw children's attention away from stimulating and engaging hands-on activities. That's why, for me, the phrase "going back to basics" always means returning to nature itself—providing sensory experiences that are hands-on, engaging, and most of all—natural and alive.
Analyzing 'Loose Parts'
I believe that infants and children should engage in real exploration of what can be done with 'loose parts' such as, shells, rubber balls, pinecones, cotton reels, and cardboard tubes. Although they were much more common a generation ago, today these objects can be found on beaches and in woods, backyards, and playgrounds; these objects can be used in a multitude of open-ended ways. 'Loose parts' encourage the use of the senses and a wide range of natural materials, providing subtle colors, textures, and shapes of natural objects. These objects redress the balance with the bright colors, manmade materials, and technology found in today's educational settings.
What better way to learn than from what is 'child-chosen' and free? A heuristic experience gives the child free rein to explore and discover what all children do naturally. Neuroscience tells us that time to explore natural materials encourages brain growth and helps children prepare for and consolidate learning. My observations are that heuristic experiences help to train concentration and engagement and divert attention away from the instant gratification provided by computer games.
Stepping Back
Goldschmied & Jackson (2003) outline principles for heuristic play where the adult is an organizer and observer. Whether working with infants, toddlers, or elementary-age students; the objects, timing, and organization of a heuristic play activity are clearly defined and adult-led, leaving the rest to the child's creativity and imagination. The adult role is confined to preparing the activity, selecting the resources, and then sitting near the child, showing interest, but not intervening, unless the child is distressed or requires verbal or visual cues to remain engaged in play. These principles mean that during play, my attention is on the infant or child's depth of concentration and engagement. The aim of heuristic play is to enable children to explore objects, and their own responses to objects, in great depth (Featherstone, 2013).
At first, I felt uncomfortable with my role as observer during heuristic play activities. I was used to being proactive in intervening, initiating, and extending play. With time and practice, however, heuristic play became a valuable addition to my teaching repertoire. I became more adept at setting parameters for play – adjusting timing, organizational complexity, and object selection based on a child's development level. For example, I found that children ages 6 and 7 worked best with a balance of open-ended materials (loose parts) and objects with more structure and limited uses. With these older children, it was especially refreshing to observe that technology genuinely can take a back seat when children are engaged in heuristic play.
Building Treasure Baskets
One particular heuristic play activity stands out as a way to stimulate imagination, thinking skills, manipulative skills, communication, and language development: building 'treasure baskets' (Featherstone, 2013). Treasure baskets are a collection of everyday objects that are either designed for loose exploration of their contents, or a specifically curated selection of items meant to engage young children in play for a specific purpose. In my experience, treasure baskets of loose parts can make a valuable contribution to children's learning because they provide flexible, open-ended resources that can be studied for a variety of purposes, like revisiting significant learning experiences or initiating child-led learning experiences. For example, a basket of items from nature might recall a walk in the woods, or a table setting might spark a child's discussion of preparing and serving a meal.
The materials for these 'treasure baskets' are everywhere. Recycling is a certainty for anyone involved in these creations. In my home, I am conscious that nothing goes to waste before it has been considered for a treasure basket. Here are some of my go-to sources for arranging this type of heuristic learning activity.
The Everything and Anything Basket: When I am pushed for time, I have created two minute baskets made up solely of objects from my desk, taking only a couple of minutes to complete. On my desk right now, I have a fluffy rabbit, a butterfly sticker, a flower, a clay figure, a red bottle, and an envelope. Of course, as I create one of these, I have to be aware of safety and age-appropriateness.The Pantry Basket: As parents know, often toddlers pull out everything from the kitchen cupboards and drawers, seemingly leaving nothing intact, apart from the kitchen sink. There is nothing more fascinating to a young child than a basket made of kitchen utensils: a pastry brush, soft spoon, ladle, old pan, wooden spatula, whisk, and dish cloth. I have also, at times, added spaghetti, raisins, or beans to the basket, which can be used to fill the utensils or make shakers to create interesting sounds.The Make-a-Meal Basket: A basket filled with objects that require something to be made or done is particularly exciting for toddlers. Simulating meal preparation is an easy way to achieve this premise for play. A plastic teapot filled with water can be used to 'pour tea' into cups. Plastic knives and forks can be used to 'set the table,' and a mini saucepan and bowls can be used to 'make dinner'. Preparing 'the dinner' changes all the time dependent on the season and mood, so no one basket remains the same.The Nature Basket: Walking around in the countryside has been perfect to creature nature-themed baskets. In the UK, on Sundays during walks in the woods, I collected cones, bark, leaves (contrasting in color and texture), grass, rocks, seashells, pebbles, stones, logs, acorns, and seeds, which are some of nature's best. I now live in a desert environment in the UAE, so a collection of palm fronds, sand, pebbles, shells, weeds, and desert plants have been the norm. Nature baskets have become a marvelous teaching tool for children to increase their understanding of the world around them. For 2- to 5-year-olds, heuristic play can be set up on a much larger scale, both indoors and outdoors, to reflect a child's developing agility in running, climbing, carrying, and transporting equipment. An outdoor treasure basket becomes a playground filled with opportunities for gross motor exploration.
All children can learn through touch, imagination, and experiential play. Treasure baskets made of loose parts are one of many tools to invoke multisensory, open-ended, heuristic learning. I have used treasure baskets for story recall and storytelling, and to explore individual child interests. I have created treasure baskets to span the ages from 4 months to 5 years. Whatever the age of my students, as a teacher, it is a joy to watch learning come alive as they make their way through a basket, transforming everyday objects with their analysis of different sounds, sights, scents, textures, and purposes.