I've heard about heuristic (sp?) play, does anyone know about it please?

[saythatagain]

For the life of me I can't even remember where I heard it being discussed, or maybe I was just ear-wigging! It sounded very interesting so first port of call for advice is, of course, mumsnet. TIA

Message withdrawn

I think it involves pine cones iirc

norty olive

get a basket (a wanky basket is best ) and put lots of normal every day things in..like errr...pine cones...and a wooden spoon, and a little whisk, some measuring cups etc etc. the idea is to get lots of different textured things, nothing plastic, but wood, fabric, metal, natural things to give your baby a different experience to playing with plastic toys the whole time. then you leave them to play with the basket of interesting things. you don't interfere, they just get on with it and explore it. as they get older you change the basket for big things like cereal boxes/ping pong balls/cardboard tubes/lots of bangles, and again let them figure out what to do with them. it's more imaginative than playing with 'proper' toys.

does that make sense. google it, there are comapnies selling ready made heuristic baskets (treasure baskets).

I used to play with pan lids and wooden spoons but I think in those days it was called Get Out From Under My Feet FGS Play

It means letting them play in the garden, I think.

i used to sew buttons onto old zips with a blunt bodkin

DD's nursery mentions this on a signpost they have outside and for months I've been working up the courage to ask as I haven't had a clue what it is. Oh the relief of knowing. I think it also explains why the pot of kitchen utensils is such a draw to DD - lots of metal & wood (though also plastic, tut, tut) of all different shapes and sharpness!

yes dd's nursery has a heuristic area. it is a pile of tat but the kids love it.

DD does one of these groups, she started going when she was 5mths and still loves playing with the baskets now (although she plays with them differently then how she did when she was a baby)

It's what ruddynorah said and they all seem to love it.

I did try to do one at home but needed all the things that I put in the basket back again to do stuff with

If you can find a group that does it do that, we're very lucky cause the group that DD goes to is very good and not too expensive, it is very interesting watching them play with the bits and bobs.

favourite toys so far for my two have been:

dry rice
dry pasta shapes
buttons
glass beads
marbles

(obv all of the above not for babies re choking)

they make piles with them, sprinkle them everywhere , sort out colours etc etc

have tons of other 'proper' toys, but play with the above the most

(and the buttons and beads are the ones I used to play with as a child, ahhhhhhhh)

limes and lemons seem to be the most popular at DD's group

Boy and I did a hueristic play group last term and tresure baskets for a term when he was smaller. I've really enoyed watching him explore objects he wouldn't get at home and also enjoyed teh interaction between teh babies, even at 7/8 months old they are very social little criters, now at 16m/o they occasionally play co-operatively, making up games with balls and tubes.

Hello, can I help? Would you like to know anything special or just stuff in general? Would you like my document? There is also a great book going cheap on eBay at the moment - here.

F&Z, I'd like your document, please

Anyone who wants it, just email me at

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there is an heuristic play area at the nursery where DS goes
seems to involve rubber gloves, sieves and wooden spoons
he likes it

ooh RUBBER GLOVES

superb idea

It's a pile of crap from around the house that they play with instead of the lovely gifts that you spend hours finding and which cost you a fortune but which were guaranteed to turn your baby into the next Einstein however your baby barely looked at them before getting into the box, eating the wrapping paper and using the remote as a play telephone while you pour yourself a very large one and pace the floor muttering hundred and sixty quid, hundred and sixty bleedin' quid..mutter mutter....eating paper....mutter mutter....next year...mutter...just the paper...kids....ship em to the moon.....

DS loves rubber gloves
he is always in the heuristic area at nursery

LGJ runs in.....................

Has anyone mentioned the word Wanky ???

I ask only in the interests of science, you understand.

you make it sound faintly sordid

think it might be
either that or DS is going to be a clean freak

LOL cross posts I meant Ruby made it sound sordid

LGJ get it right, it is wnaky

emailed you F&Z
Thanks

wnaky...............even.