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

Oh Bubble, that does sound an imaginative assortment. I have seen those bottles before and I am never sure how I feel about them because they are almost entirely visual. I am coming to the conclusion that babies experience things in a much less visual way than adults do - I think we miss a lot tbh. It's great that they are so popular, though. What kind of activity do you tend to see with them?

Franny I'd love the 'document' DS loves wooden spoons and such but I'm a bit stuck for ideas as to what to put in. Do I have your permission to e-mail you so you could send it to me?

Just wanted to say thanks for The Document which I've read properly now. Inspired a lovely afternoon in the park with pinecones, pine needles & sticks yesterday afternoon, and much fun with lots of corks in the paddling pool today.

Am going to start collecting multiple 'things' next week

And sorry for suggesting you 'ruin' groups ...

Oh yes yes, anyone can email, that's why I put it on here

I am chugging through them

LOL funnyp (funnyp asked "whereabouts do you ruin groups" )

And cheeky qu F&Z - how would you feel about me putting an edited version of The Document (to be referred to from now on as T.D.) into our local NCT magazine - I help edit it & our next edition is on 'The first year'. Obviously would credit you, & very very happy to put in details of your ruinous classes ... but as we're surrey based, likely to be of no value to you!

Understand that T.D. is output of many years dedicated work & research, so feel free to tell me to put a pine-cone in it

Franny. They are deffo for the 'beyond chewing everything' age group.

We have very few structured activities for our babies as OFSTED requires us to recreate a home setting as much as possible.

We sing at least once a day. We get messy twice a day. And we eat (another messy activity?) and sleep. We also use the garden. Most of the time we potter and get cuddles.

Oh I beg your pardon, I meant what kind of activity do you see the babies doing with the bottles?

Pottering sounds lovely

Erm funnyp I would think we could work something out but can you email me about it again please? Thank you

and at "T.D" and "dedicated research"

cheeky mare

Dedicated research was meant it all seriousness.

TD, I give you, was most disrespectful.

Will email you

Dedicated research = sitting on my arse watching other people's children suck bark

and they PAY ME to do this

Ok email me

with bribes

Ah, but F&Z, sitting still watching babies is one of those things few of us do. We interfer/mn/go & do the washing/insert plastic beepy-thing (delete as applicable)

Off to think of suitable bribes

oops

foiled again

ok email me with person-centred non-competitive statements

Feck.
Pine cones would be easier.

(you can etch them on pine cones and send them to me. Just don't tell Avi)

F&Z - plastic botles with pasta etc in.if made right they can be visual, auditory and tactile. only part fill and use the kind of bottle with ridges or mouldings.

Our sure start run sessions generaly have a table with net or other fabric draped over it. sometimes it becomes a den sometimes not. We have differnt floor textures , sheepkin, fun fur, dimpled rubber.a tufted plastic bath mat. Most of the kids play bare foot.
They can become very noisey sesions if one child finds a sound they like to make and others join in. spoons on metal bowls or tins seem to be a favourite.
Other things we use I've not seen mentioned here yet. Old records ( bigger than CDS) thick short plaits of wool , pom poms made of strips of fabric. short lenghts of shower hose, large cardboard tubes, plastic foil ribbons.
As you might guess we are in an inner city area & our local scrap store has lots of indutrial off cuts.

No I am ok for pine cones really, just being greedy

Erm we do singing and dancing and heuristic play, parachute games, playdough, drawing etc

did you see my thread about the pub garden job? I do the same kind of things as on there, plus a few more

UniSarah I love those suggestions. I did collect floor coverings at one stage and then ran out of oomph and forgot about it - I have no way of securing them down and thought people would just trip on them

I do use cardboard tubes - they are fab for posting ping pong balls down

Yes I see the bottles can be auditory too. I was thinking all the ones Bubble mentioned had water in, but that was just the ones I have been shown by HV before I think