The First Steps

It has been almost a month since my last post.  I promise to find some more time soon. I really miss my blog!!!

Today I want to share something from my favourite book on childcare People Under Three by Goldschmied and Jackson.

I get really cross when I go around different nurseries and I see on the wall ‘lovely’ pictures created by adults or cut-outs or Disney characters, which have no meaning for children!!!!

I know people may argue, but I just really don’t like them.

Authors of the book already in 1994 pointed out: “all too often we find nurseries decorated with crude cut-outs of Disney cartoon characters which add nothing to the appearance of the room and little interest for children after the first pleasure of recognition. Reproductions of good paintings are rarely seen in British nurseries of child care centres, though in other countries this is regarded as an aspect of introducing children to cultural heritage”.

Britain has a fantastic collection of great pieces of art. I love spending my free time in galleries and me and my son enjoy many free tours or exhibitions. Displaying reproductions off good paintings may be very appealing to children and offer much scope for conversation. Children tend to be eclectic in their tastes and are also intrigued by non-representational art, for example:

Any more?

Recent visit to Whitechapel Gallery

The exhibition of Mel Bochner is great to enhance children’s interest in problem solving by looking at colours, numbers, letters, shapes on many artworks. Just for £1 donation you can pick up an activity pack, in which your child can measure different things, work out the grid diagrams based on finding the painting first in the gallery! Your child can aslo draw own shapes, do wordsearch and own sculpure. We had a fantastic time !!!

More – Heuristic Play

At heuristic play children are developing their learning from picking up objects and wondering: “What can I do with it?”. 

The learning depends on the objects you provide, so watch your child and observe what repeated actions she/he is doing.

Does she/he:

– putting objects in containers such as tins, boxes, tubes
– emptying objects out of containers (as above)
– rolling objects
– lining up objects
– shaking or banging objects
– throwing or dropping objects
– looking inside or through objects
– piling objects into towers and knocking them down
– making collections of similar object
– transporting objects in containers or bags ?

Let your child explore on its own, do not disturb, as heuristic play demands concentration and focus, which social interaction would interrupt.
It’s good to turn off the phone, music, tv and  put other toys away.
Heuristic play offer open-ended resources and you would not believe what children can do with them.

Here is a video I found with example how the session may look like:

More examples of objects you can use at the heuristic play:

Remember to encourage your child in putting object away on the end of the play. It is important part of the heuristic play session and good opportunity to communicate with your child. Give clear instruction to demonstrate what is expected and where the object belong.

Have fun collecting the objects!