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The Toolkit will be useful for people working with children and young people across all age ranges, in many types of setting including schools, health and early learning and childcare settings, and for the many organizations that seek to engage children and families.

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This article talks about what sort of items can be used as loose parts and how it could capture a child's imagination. Also talks about how the children learn more about there world through loose parts.

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This resource is the focus of development of four developmental domains: social-emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual for preschool aged children. It shows diagrams of how these children learn and how they do not separate their learning into categories.

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This is an article on how to incorporate loose parts into the classroom. It is also about how loose parts play is about more than just the parts

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In 1971, architect Simon Nicholson wrote an article for a magazine called Landscape Architecture entitled "How Not to Cheat Children: The Theory of Loose Parts Play." A key aspect of Nicholson's thinking was that "all children love to interact with variables, such as materials and shapes; smells and other physical phenomena, such as electricity, magnetism, and gravity; media such as gases and fluids; sounds, music, and motion; chemical interactions, cooking, and fire; and other people, and animals, plants, words, concepts, and ideas. With all these things all children love to play, experiment, discover, and invent and have fun."

In the nearly 50 years since this article was published, the idea has grown, and more and more early childhood educators have made Nicholson's theory a centerpiece of their play-based programs.

That the theory emerged from architecture is fascinating: It echoes, in a way, the work of Reggio Emilia founder Loris Malaguzzi, who postulated that children have three teachers: adults, other children, and the environment-the realm of architecture. As Nicholson wrote, "In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it."

He wasn't talking exclusively about early childhood, but about educational environments in general. He included playgrounds and classrooms, but also places for all ages, like museums and libraries. His big idea was that we are most inventive and creative when we're allowed to construct, manipulate, and otherwise play with our environments, arguing that when we leave the design of spaces to professionals, we are, in effect, excluding children (and adults) from the most important, and fun, part of the process. We are, to use his word, "stealing" it from the children.

Loose Parts Play Is About More Than the Parts

Even if we haven't consciously adopted the theory of loose parts play, every early childhood professional, even those working in highly structured environments, knows this point about inventiveness and creativity to be true. None of us would, for instance, build a block structure for the children and expect them to learn anything by merely looking at it and listening to us lecture. We know the children must take those blocks in hand, must both construct and deconstruct, must experiment, test, and manipulate. We also know that their play, and therefore their learning, is expanded as we add more and varied materials to their environment.

The theory of loose parts applies that principle of building blocks to the entire environment, encouraging us to let go of our ideas of how a learning environment is supposed to be and to instead fill it with variables-things that can be moved, manipulated, and transported.

It's important to remember that Nicholson's theory continues to be a radical one, even as aspects of it become more mainstream. This is about more than toilet paper tubes and clothespins. It's about more than old tires, shipping pallets, and wood planks. At its core, the theory of loose parts is a theory about democracy, about self-governance and the rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups to come together to shape their world according to their own vision.

The world is always ours to shape, and when we're not shaping it, it's shaping us. Nicholson's insight was that our environment is too often a kind of dictator, one that is restricting rather than expanding our possibilities. As educators work with the "third teacher," it's important that we keep this in mind and always ask ourselves, "Is this stealing the fun from the children?" As loose parts play has entered the mainstream of early childhood education, we do need to remember to ask this core question.

I'm happy the concept of loose parts play has taken the early childhood world by storm these past few years. It seems like not a day goes by that I don't discover a website dedicated to loose parts play, or a loose parts workshop for teachers, or a new book that will help us better understand it. Of course, it's an idea that predates Nicholson, having been around since the advent of children, one that was once just implied in our standard understanding of play: When left to their own devices, kids tend to pick up whatever is at hand and goof around with it. But in the modern era, we have mainly used toys manufactured specifically for children as the hub around which play revolved.

Children continued to play with loose parts-some of which were these toys, broken, modified, or otherwise-but we adults lost sight of that. And as toys became cheaper, our homes and classrooms have come to be overwhelmed with them. But even now, children continue their loose parts play, often ignoring the actual toys. Who among us hasn't joked that kids prefer the boxes the toys came in over the toys themselves?

Loose Parts Are Everywhere, and Free

So yes, I'm pleased that there is a renewed focus on the open-endedness of things like rocks and sticks and pine cones, of toilet paper tubes and mint tins and yoghurt containers, of old tires and planks of wood and house gutters. But I worry that in our embrace of loose parts play, we're concentrating too much on the loose parts and not enough on the play. I worry when I hear teachers fussing about their loose parts collection, hovering over the children lest they damage or misuse or lose the precious loose parts.

The children I've taught have always been engaged in loose parts play, but I rarely use the term-I usually just call it junk or maybe debris. Whatever it's called, the key element is that we don't pay for it and have no concerns that it will be damaged, misused, or lost. Most of what you'll find on our playground came either from the earth or from the garages, attics, and recycling bins of the families who have enrolled their children. I often say that one of the functions of preschools isn't to use stuff, but to finish using it. We still have toys around, but most of them are broken in some way-the cars have lost wheels, the dolls have lost their heads, and the balls have lost their shape. These items lend themselves to "inventiveness and creativity," as Nicholson noted.

We don't need to go shopping for these things, and we don't need to "teach" children how to play with them. Our world is already abundant with loose parts. Recycling bins are full of them, families' cellars are chockablock. A broken toy is often much better than a new one. We can simply make junk available and step out of the way. This is how we ensure we're not stealing the fun, and therefore the opportunity to learn, from the kids.

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Integrating Loose Parts Play in a Preschool Program

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In 1971, architect Simon Nicholson wrote an article for a magazine called Landscape Architecture entitled "How Not to Cheat Children: The Theory of Loose Parts Play."

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It goes over the meaning of loose parts, gives examples, where the term came from. It does summarize with detail about loose parts it is a very good read.

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Early Learning Professionals (Better Kid Care)

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Loose parts

is a wonderful term coined by architect Simon Nicholson, who carefully considered landscapes and environments that form connections. Nicholson believed that we are all creative and that "loose parts" in an environment will empower our creativity. Many play experts and early childhood educators adapted the theory of loose parts.

How can I provide loose parts?

Loose parts can be natural or synthetic. It is helpful to think of loose parts as something that will help children inspire imagination and creativity on their own terms and in their own unique way.

Giving meaning to loose parts

Giving meaning to loose parts requires us to think about the possibilities of how a child learns and consider the materials and environments she uses. Loose parts create endless possibilities and invite creativity. For example, if a child picks up a rock and starts to play, most likely that rock can become anything the child wants it to be. Imagination, creativity, curiosity, desire, and need are the motivation of loose parts.

Loose parts are materials that can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in multiple ways. Loose parts can be used alone or combined with other materials. There is no set of specific directions for materials that are considered loose parts. The child is the direction.

Loose parts encourage open-ended learning

A term strongly connected to loose parts is open-ended. Open ended materials, environments, and experiences encourage problem solving and are child centered. Children involve themselves in concrete experiences using loose parts, which lead to explorations that occur naturally, as opposed to adult directed. However, adults do play important, intentional roles in preparing, guiding, and documenting open ended learning experiences.

Consider how often children enjoy bringing materials from one area to another and making connections, such as the child who brings pretend food from the dramatic play area into the block area or the child who offers a plate of rocks and grass and shares his recipe for spaghetti; how creative! When children are encouraged to integrate play materials and areas in their own creative ways, they are experiencing open ended learning.

Examples of loose parts in...

*When working with loose parts, be sure not to disturb living things.

a natural play area:*

water * sand * dirt * sticks * branches * logs * driftwood * grasses * moss * leaves * flowers * pinecones * pine needles * seeds * shells * bark * feathers * boulders * rocks * pebbles * stones

a playground

balls * hoops * jump ropes * tires * sand * water * dirt * straw * boulders * rocks * stones * pebbles * buckets * cups * containers * digging tools * chalk * scarves * ribbons * fabric

an indoor environment

blocks * building materials * manipulatives * measuring * pouring devices (cups, spoons, buckets, funnels) * dramatic play props * play cars, animals, and people * blankets * materials * floor samples * water * sand * sensory materials * recycled materials (paper tubes, papers, ribbons, caps, lids, wood scraps, wire, foam, cardboard) * plastic gutters * small plungers * tools * art materials (buttons, spools, natural and colored popsicle sticks, beads, straws, paints, brushes)

Children choose creative, loose parts over fancy toys

During a holiday gathering, two young children were fortunate enough to receive holiday gifts and toys. The parents noticed that the children spent the most time doing three things: eating, playing with their aunt's long necklace of large beads, and pouring water from cup to cup and floating carrots in the water. Yes, the toys were played with, but the most time and joy came from the eating, playing with the beads, and experimenting with the water.

It is in this free exploration and creation from the children that adults can see their concrete ways of thinking and doing, or as the famous psychologist Eric Erickson put it, adults can see their "natural genius of childhood and their spirit of place." The cleverness and connections to formal learning that unfold from loose parts is amazing and is a motivation to make sure practitioners include loose parts in early childhood environments, whether it is home care, center care, or group home care.

Choking Cautions

Young children can choke on small objects and toy parts. All items used for children under three years of age and any children who put toys in their mouths should be at least 1¼ inch in diameter and between 1 inch and 2¼ inches in length. Oval balls and toys should be at least 1¾ inch in diameter. Toys should meet federal small parts standards. Any toys or games labeled as unsuitable for children under three should not be used.

Other items that pose a safety risk and should not be accessible to children under three include, but are not limited to: button batteries, magnets, plastic bags, styrofoam objects, coins, balloons, latex gloves, and glitter.
Also available in Spanish (PDF).
Tips 1107
Download PDF Version

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Loose parts: What does this mean? (Early Learning Professionals)

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Ideas for adding and using loose parts for activities in a child care program.

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This is a simple and direct way for teachers to help children follow schedules and routines. It also as short descriptions to remember these a lot better.

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This shows you how to make an age appropriate schedule. It also has a few examples at the end.

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This was a poem about how playing is not just playing for a child. It talks about how each child could potential be the thing they are playing as they get older (I really enjoyed it).

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This talks about the importance of routines. It also has links to crafts to help create routines fun.

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Consistent routines provide comfort and a sense of safety to young children. Here are ideas, charts, and tips for getting into a good daily routine with your family.

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Teaching students what to do during daily routines will help them be successful and can minimize disruptions in the classroom. The beginning of class, in between lessons, and the end of the school day are all critical times when having clear routines can help maximize instruction time.

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First, using a poster board, butcher paper, or some other easily displayable medium, put together a display with the routine written out step by step.

Keep each step of the routine as concise as possible.

Ensure that the steps are developmentally appropriate. Using pictures and large print is a great way to communicate classroom expectations for young children who may not be able to read the labels.

Try to keep routines to as few steps as possible.

Next, identify an area of the classroom to post the routines. Ensure that the area can be easily viewed by the entire class without causing disruption. Placing it in proximity to where the routine happens can be a helpful reminder to students (e.g. posting the line-up routine next to the classroom door).

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Teaching Classroom Routines | Classroom Check-Up

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First, using a poster board, butcher paper, or some other easily displayable medium, put together a display with the routine written out step by step. Keep each step of the routine as concise as possible. Ensure that the steps are developmentally appropriate.

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It is a child's point of view of when they are doing things such as painting and playing with water. It has listed things they could be seeing when they are doing these things

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Talks about how toddler and infant spaces should be set up to be welcoming and comfortable. Should also be set up so the teacher can have an easier time to stimulate the children

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Infant Toddler Spaces Design For A Quality Classroom

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Carefully designed environments feature

structures, objects and props that engage children in authentic choices, problem

solving, investigating and discovering. The creation of an inviting learning

environment supports children’s social, emotional, physical, intellectual and

spiritual growth and development.

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Safe, responsive, and nurturing environments are an important part of supporting the learning and development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Such environments also help to prevent challenging behaviors and serve as a core component of interventions for infants and young children with identified disabilities.

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Page 1: Early Childhood Environments

Safe, responsive, and nurturing environments are an important part of supporting the learning and development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Such environments also help to prevent challenging behaviors and serve as a core component of interventions for infants and young children with identified disabilities. According to the Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices (DEC-RP):

"Environmental practices refer to aspects of the space, materials, equipment, routines, and activities that practitioners and families can intentionally alter to support each child's learning across developmental domains."

Unfortunately, many practitioners are unsure how to create environments that support their children's learning across different age groups (e.g., infants, toddlers, preschoolers) and developmental domains (e.g., social, communication, cognitive, motor). Well-designed classroom* environments:

Support responsive caregiving

Foster independence and feelings of competence in young children

Encourage staff efficiency

Promote children's engagement

Decrease challenging behavior

Facilitate appropriate social interactions among children

Provide structure and predictability

Research Shows

Changes in classroom environmental arrangement, such as rearranging furniture, implementing activity schedules, and altering ways of providing instructions around routines, have been found to increase the probability of appropriate behaviors and effectively decrease the probability of challenging behaviors.

(Chandler et al., 1999; Dooley, Wilczenski, & Torem, 2001; Martens, Eckert, Bradley, & Ardoin, 1999)

The table below describes three interdependent components of early childhood environments.

Physical environment
The overall design and layout of a room, including its learning centers, materials, and furnishings

Social environment
The interactions that occur within the classroom between peers, teachers, and family members

Temporal environment
The timing, sequence, and length of routines and activities that take place throughout the day

In order to create an environment conducive to the learning and development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, these three components must be carefully designed and implemented. Indeed, every aspect of a classroom environment's design should reflect its program's priorities and philosophy. For example, a program that concentrates on improving children's math skills is likely to emphasize the availability of materials related to numeracy, as well as to learning shapes and patterns. Additionally, if this program's philosophy was Montessori-inspired-that is, it helped students to learn concepts through hands-on work with materials, rather than by traditional direct instruction-you might expect to see bead chains to support the teaching of mathematical concepts.

The following pages address these physical, social, and temporal components in more detail.

Listen as Ilene Schwartz discusses how the three components of the environment are intertwined to help children succeed (time: 2:47).

Transcript: Ilene Schwartz, PhD

The environment both sets children up for success and supports that success when it occurs. Children learn by doing, and so they need environments that have the appropriate kinds of materials available for them to demonstrate the wonderful skills that they have, and to learn the skills that they need to learn to be successful in future environments. Environments consist of the things in the environments, the people in the environment, and the tone of the environment. So we can have an environment that is supportive because children feel safe to explore and to try things that they're not sure of because they know there's going to be a supportive adult there to help them if they need the help.

The three discrete components of a well-designed early childhood environment-the temporal, social, and physical environments-really do not stand alone. They're like ingredients in a well-designed recipe. You don't want too much of one, but the absence of another could potentially ruin the whole recipe. You want to make sure that children have access to a well-designed and challenging physical environment. Things are in the environment that the child with the most challenges in your classroom can do independently, and your highest-achieving child is still challenged by something in the environment. But at the same time, that environment without the warm support of a teacher is limited. You want a social environment in which children have positive regard from their teacher and high-quality interactions with their peers. But that in isolation is also not enough. The same goes for a well-designed temporal environment. You want to make sure that children have the opportunity every day to play outside, to be active, and at the same time to have opportunities to practice skills such as writing and coloring and cutting that will help them be successful in future environments.

These three kinds of environments are intertwined in a way that you really can't take apart. And you don't want to take apart. They complement each other and they help children learn to explore and to achieve and to succeed. And that's really all we can ask from any high-quality early learning environment.

Including Children with Disabilities

A well-designed, safe, and responsive environment is an essential first step in including young children with disabilities in early childhood settings such as inclusive preschool, Head Start, and childcare programs. If, however, the learning environment does not provide the support necessary to help children with disabilities to succeed, teachers must make changes to maximize their participation in planned activities, interactions, and routines. These intentional changes can be small and are often easy to implement, yet they can yield immediate improvement in the level of child participation and learning.

*In this module, the term "classroom" refers to any out-of-home setting in which group care is provided to infants, toddlers, or preschoolers.

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IRIS | Page 1: Early Childhood Environments

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Safe, responsive, and nurturing environments are an important part of supporting the learning and development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Such environments also help to prevent challenging behaviors and serve as a core component of interventions for infants and young children with identified disabilities.

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The following features of the classroom environment all influence the teaching and learning process:

Use of space

Furnishings

Materials

The daily schedule

How adults communicate rules and expectations

This site also contains videos from using a visual schedule to rearranging your classroom there quite a few.

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Scroll

Young children are affected by their surroundings. The following features of the classroom environment all influence the teaching and learning process:

Use of space

Furnishings

Materials

The daily schedule

How adults communicate rules and expectations

The videos and resources below provide ideas and guidance on intentionally preparing the learning environment to help support healthy development.

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Young children are affected by their surroundings. The use of space, furnishings, materials, the daily schedule, and how adults communicate rules and expectations are all important features that influence the teaching and learning process. The learning environment is a critical factor and can be intentionally prepared to help support healthy development.

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Nature-based early childhood education is an approach to

teaching that integrates the practices of two disciplines—early childhood and

environmental education.  While it is impractical to transform all preschools into nature-based ones, it is reasonable

for early childhood providers to consider the fundamental principles of nature-based

preschools and integrate them into their teaching practice.

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Using Principles of Nature-Based Preschools to Transform Your Classroom _ NAEYC

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This is an assessment for children's play areas both indoor and outdoor. Can help figure out where changes need to be made if needed

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The outdoor area provides young children with one of the best possible environments in which to learn. Any adult who has watched children playing in a well planned and well resourced outdoor area with involved adults will have observed the joy and excitement they experience as they learn new skills and make fresh discoveries

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Welcoming spaces encourage children’s natural responses of curiosity, exploration

and communication. Carefully designed environments feature structures,

objects and props that engage children in authentic choices, problem solving,

investigating and discovering.

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In a community, everybody pitches in. If children are to feel competent and valued, they need to do real work every day: put away blocks, wash the paint brushes, fetch a washcloth for an injured friend. It’s equally important to match families with tasks that are satisfying for them and genuinely important to the functioning of your program.

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It's and article about different ways to make learning areas and items inviting. Each little section has an idea about what to do to help with this.

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This is an online book with activities on each page to help with learning. There is everything from literacy and shapes to numbers and math

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An Invitation toPlay 1Aberdeenshire Early Learning and ChildcareEarly Years TeamMarch 2020

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Trays can help simplify your activity. They also have everything in reach and can solve most their problems on their own.

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The idea to play on a tray was first introduced to me at our former Montessori preschool in New Zealand. The first time I entered the classroom I expected play corners but was greeted with neatly organised shelves with ... trays and ... things? How little did I know that first day and how much do I love trays today!

This article about ideas to play on a tray is hardly Montessori focused, but I do want to tell you about the many benefits about playing on a tray we've discovered over the years.

Here's what I've learned over the years:

1. On a tray, children can keep an oversight. Sometimes, when play is scattered all over the room, children lose focus and interest. Simplifying your activity so it fits on a tray may help certain children to focus and keep their heads wrapped around what they're doing.

2. On a tray, there is a better chance of containing the mess. Well, at least it's what I always hope for, but the odds are most definitely in your favour.

3. When working on a tray, the activity is organised or set up in a way that children can work it all out on their own. They have everything they need within reach and can solve (most of) their own problems. (This is a Montessori principle by the way, though they have a prettier way of explaining.)

4. When activities contain themselves to a tray, they are easier to put away and get back out at a later time. A lot of children will play with a sensory small world for instance, on and off over the course of a week. Sprawled out in the living room, it won't even last a day. And there will be tantrums.

5. Which leads me to mentioning that play on a tray is very sibling friendly. The boundaries are clear, it's easy to move out of reach of babies or take it to your room or the kitchen. Don't want to share? Fine, everyone gets their own tray. True story.

I could go on and on and tell you story after story of play tray successes and epic fails but let me just share with you the best play on a tray ideas I found to this date. I am confident there will be something for everyone. Enjoy.

1. Explore Dirt through Simple Play by Weaving Ideas

2. Invitation to Create with Craft Supplies by Mama Miss

3. Mini Magnetic Fishing Game by Little Worlds

4. Invitation to Cut Fresh Flowers by Crafty Kids at Home

5. Edible Farm Yard Small World Play by Messy Little Monster

6. Invitation to Create a Mini Ocean World by Little Worlds

7. Winter Wonderland Small World Play by Buggy and Buddy

8. Coin Sorting Montessori Inspired Sensory Activity by Rhythms of Play

9. Find the Gold in the Rainbow Sensory Play by Little Worlds

10. Edible Sensory Play Balls by Kids Craft Room

11. Sticky Cutting Tray Invitation to Play by Picklebums

12. Three Billy Goats Gruff Invitation to Tell the Story by Little Worlds

13. Diamond and Jewel Art by Emma Owl

14. Investigating Flowers Science and Art Activity by The Imagination Tree

15. Invitation to Build a Bird Nest by Little Worlds

16. Simple Craft Stick Activities for Kids by Powerful Mothering

17. Creating Art with Spring Colors by Buggy and Buddy

18. Helping Bambi Search for Food Sensory Tray by Little Worlds

19. Play Dough Jungle by Messy Little Monster

20. Australian Outback Small World by The Pinay Homeschooler

21. Invitation to Create a Mini Play Dough Flower Garden by Little Worlds

22. Numbered Nature Tray by Cutting Tiny Bites

23. Rainbow Rice Sensory Tray by Crafty Kids at Home

24. Loose Parts from random Toys 'n Things Small World by Little Worlds

25. Autumn Nature Tray by Messy Little Monster

26. Apple Color Mixing Science Experiment by Powerful Mothering

27. Invitation to Create a Mini Dinosaur World by Little Worlds

28. Make your own Nature Paint Brushes by Messy Little Monster

29. Using Loose Parts to make Pretend Play Cookies by Little Worlds

30. Easy Zoo Sensory Play by Simple at Home

31. Invitation to Create a Play Dough Fairy World by Little Worlds

32. Montessori Inspired Rhyming Fun by Living Montessori Now

33. Frozen Oobleck Sensory Play by Messy Little Monster

34. Day at the Beach Small World by Little Worlds

35. Flower Arranging Montessori Practical Life Activity by Rhythms of Play

Well, there's only one thing you need really: trays. I will admit today that I have way more than I actually use in real life but there's is something about a gorgeous tray at the dollar shop that I just can't refuse. So yes, I get most of my trays from the dollar shop or the thrift store but now and again I grab one at IKEA or come across a great bargain randomly. Be inspired but what's available around you.

Then you get playing. Try out a couple of ideas, see what works for your kids and most of all have fun.

Hope you enjoyed this bombshell of play on a tray ideas, feel free to click away for a while and you're always welcome to reach out and contact me with questions, feedback or share your own play on a tray stories.

Love,

Ann*
Want to pin this post? You can do that here.

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35 Ideas to Play on a Tray, Simple Invitations to Play, Create and Explore - Little Worlds

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The idea to play on a tray was first introduced to me at our former Montessori preschool in New Zealand. The first time I entered the classroom I expected play corners but was greeted with neatly organised shelves with ... trays and ... things?

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It's about a teacher who set up materials with a particular focus in mind the help the child become interested. Invitations to help children learn new skills and multiple

uses for tools and materials that are a part of the daily

environment.

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An invitation to learn is a display

of materials, carefully selected and

arranged, that draws children’s

attention and engages them in a

world of wonder, exploration, and

discovery. The invitation to learn

is purposefully and intentionally

designed with curriculum

outcomes in mind.

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This a recipe for gelatin by Bev Boss. It suggests when adding color to allow the children to do it.

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This collection of light table activities is full of hands-on exploration that build a variety of skills. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers

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Inside: This collection of light table activities is full of hands-on exploration that build a variety of skills. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers!
The first time I saw a light table in a preschool classroom, I was drawn to the display on top of it. I knew I wanted one for our classroom! I immediately started searching for fun light table activities that would work well with young children. I never dreamed how many different fun light table activities existed!

If you have a light table, you know what I am talking about.

But, you might not have one. Yet. If it's because of the cost, there is good news! You can make your own for a fraction of the cost. As you scroll down this page, you will find a link.

We have ours tucked in our reading and writing area and it's a perfect spot for one or two children to explore color, as well as other concepts. We usually change what we have on our light table each week, so this allows for a nice variety.

No matter what time of year, what season we are enjoying, there is a nice variety of activities that can be used at the light table. I've put together a collection of fun light table activities that our preschoolers have enjoyed in our classroom.
Edited to add: I'm often asked what light table we currently use. It is a light box by Excellerations and you can find it here. I also share some others, as well as homemade versions, towards the bottom of this post.
Ultimate Collection of Light Table Activities

Today I'm sharing activities that we have done in our classroom, tested by many young children. Please note that the activities with small pieces should not be used by toddlers or for preschoolers that are still putting things in their mouths.

Light Table Activities: Exploring Nature
Magnifying Blocks and Greenery
After cutting some greenery outside, I brought it to the light table to be explored using magnification blocks.

During our beach theme I set up a shell exploration area on top of the light table. I was pretty resourceful and laminated our tan colored paper towels to look like sand, along with some ocean waves printables that were already in our theme box.
Magnifying Blocks and Shells
Every fall we ask our preschoolers to bring in a leaf they found at home or on a walk with family. When they bring them to school, we place them on the light table for more exploration.

Light Table Activities: Fitting Pieces Together

The light table is a nice spot for manipulative toys! Here are some of our favorites:

Light Table Activities: Colors

The light table is a great surface for teaching young children about colors.

Place a few different colored translucent pieces on top of the table and find out what happens when one is placed in front of the other.

These transparent light and color blocks are not only fun for color mixing, but also for stacking and building.
Color Mixing
Every so often we will feature one particular color at the light table. As the children find objects of this color in our classroom, they will add it to the collection.

At this light table we pulled yellow pieces from the following sets:
Featured Color
I laminated sheets of yellow tissue paper and placed the light table materials on top.
Rainbow Blocks Shimmering Water Blocks Magna-Tiles
When we studied the color green I added green pieces from these collections:

I also added the book Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. This book showcases beautiful die cut pages with everything that is green.
Crystal Bricks Window Blocks
When we first purchased this beautiful rainbow stacker , we had no idea how fun it would be on the light table. They can be used as houses, tunnels, and caves. Whatever the imagination wants!

Light Table Activities: Color Sorting

These activities are a fun way of working on color recognition, matching objects by color.

This is as simple as it looks. Find feathers that match your choice of colored acrylic boxes.

Explore the colors of the rainbow!

First, I gathered 6 clear jars. I wrapped colored tape around each one.
Feathers and Acrylic Boxes
During our hibernation theme, I added some colored caves and bear counters to the light table.

I laminated rows of crepe paper in rainbow colors and then added some color blocks .

Seasonal

I filled a gallon size freezer bag with water and clear hair gel, and then added some leaves and sequins. (Next time I'm added this leaf confetti!) I sealed the bag and taped it to the light table.
Rainbow Color Sorting
While exploring the color white, we put loose parts with different textures on our light table.
Fall Colors
Try using loose parts on the light table! For this winter scene we found odds and ends in our storage room that were the colors of white and blue, along with paper doilies. Notice all the textures?

Materials used:
Winter Snow
This activity encouraged the children to build a winter scene using tree blocks. We had some leftover fiber fill from a previous activity that was added to the scene to look like snow.
Winter Loose Parts
Add Contact (sticky) paper to the top of your light table along with flowers!

Read more about this activity here: Spring Light Table for the Gardening Theme
Wicker rattan balls Paper doilies
Light Table Activities: Holidays

Many times I am inspired by pieces that have been in our storage room for years, such as these small snowmen. I added coordinating small boxes, red and white pom poms, and small containers to put the pieces into.
Winter Scene with Tree Blocks
I found this translucent plastic tree and also a stocking at our local dollar store and added green and red jingle bells as a sorting activity.
Spring
I took some heart-shaped boxes and numbered them 1-10. Our children were then invited to put that many small foam hearts into each container.

I also put together a Valentines loose parts activity using a variety of heart containers we had in our storage room, along with heart doilies and heart gems.

It was all about the color green when I set up this activity! I pulled out our green Magna-Tiles and added some other green building pieces.
Christmas
I found some bunny egg trays and the dollar store along with plastic eggs. I then took the color cups that come with egg dying kits and added some bug tongs for fine motor fun.

(Speaking of bug tongs, it's hard to find quality ones. I just found and ordered this set! I've had really good luck with other toys made by this brand.)

Another fun idea using the bunny egg trays! While at the dollar store I found some cute bunny plastic eggs and used those instead of regular ones.

Felt is another fun material to use on the light table. I cut some pumpkin shapes out of orange felt and then cut the features from black felt. This is a fun way to work on emotions, too!
St. Patrick's Day
Years ago I worked in a clothing shop as a side-gig while teaching. When they changed their signage my manager, knowing I was a resourceful teacher, asked if I'd have any use for them. Well, of course!

These rectangles are super sturdy and we have a box full of them. They are used not only on the light table, but with our blocks as well. I make sure to add other magnetic pieces as well as magnifying wands.
Easter
And, as I've mentioned many times already, Magna-Tiles are always a favorite.

During our transportation theme I decided to add Gears to our light table. It took quite a bit of work for our younger preschoolers to figure out how to make them move, but it was a great challenge!

During our bug theme I added a bug collection to explore.
Halloween
Our butterfly theme activities included matching butterflies at the light table.

You can find the free butterfly matching printable activity in this post.

Light Table Activities: Fine Motor

Stacking blocks is a fun way to strengthen fine motor skills, plus our preschoolers love the challenge of creating tall buildings.

During our community helpers theme we made flames at the light table. I taped my free flames printable onto the surface. I then added a sealed gallon freezer bag that contained red and yellow paint, which I taped on top of the printable. As the children pressed on top of the bag, they mixed the 2 colors.

Gears
Exploring the alphabet on the light table adds some letter recognition. We not only use these letter stones, but also magnetic letters and foam letters.

Another way to add literacy to your light table is with this letter construction kit. Since they are translucent, they are even more fun on the light table!

The light table is also a fun place to feature a book. This winter display is based from the book Penguins Love Colors. I found some adorable rubber penguins and after reading the book, the children enjoyed playing with this activity.
Bugs
Light Table Activities: Math

Toys work well on top of the light table, too! During our farm theme I put our nesting and sorting barns and animals on the table, inviting our toddlers and preschoolers to match the numbers on the animals to the numbers on the barn.

Light Table Activities: Shapes

Just as we do with colors, we often like to feature a specific shape at the light table. We started our school year making circles out of our window blocks. (You can find the circle printable in my free circle packet.)
Butterflies
Exploring shapes and color is always fun on the light table, but these geometric solids allow us to do so in 3D.

Store-Bought Light Tables
Blocks
Want to make your own light table? Allison from No Time for Flashcards shares an easy tutorial on her blog.

Check out our favorite light table activities materials:

More Light Table Activities
Sensory Color-Mixing Bag
All About Me Photo Puzzles (Where Imagination Grows)

Exploring Snow (Lemon Lime Adventures)

Scooping Water Beads (Still Playing School)

Sticky Flowers (Happily Ever Mom)

Dot to Dot Shaving Cream (And Next Comes L)

Fizzing Colors (Artful Parent)

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Ultimate Collection of Light Table Activities

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Inside: This collection of light table activities is full of hands-on exploration that build a variety of skills. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers! The first time I saw a light table in a preschool classroom, I was drawn to the display on top of it. I knew I wanted one for our classroom!

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This is through the Grand Rapids Children's Museum it talks about sensory play. Also in this website it talks about sensory bins and gives examples.

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Sensory play is play that engages or stimulates the senses - touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Sensory play supports cognitive development in early childhood with physical, language, creativity, emotional, social, and mathematical development.

A sensory bin is a container that holds different materials for children to explore sensory play. Sensory bins don't need to have a theme, but themes can be a great way to continue exploring a subject or introduce a new concept. According to a report from the Official Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics, children should be allowed to have unstructured time to play and educators are also being encouraged to recognize playful learning as an important complement to didactic learning.

Have multiple children at different ages? Younger children can explore touch and sound in an open-ended way, while older children can explore sorting, counting, number and letter recognition, creating a story with the materials, and work on fine motor skills. Playing alongside one another is a great opportunity for cooperative play and can help children learn social skills as they practice how to be patient, take turns, and share.

No! Sensory play can happen anywhere! For example, babies are experiencing sensory play when they are introduced to their first foods. Washing hands, washing dishes, and bathtime can be sensory play. Helping in the garden, playing at the beach, and building forts in the snow can be sensory play. The opportunities are endless!

We hear you, but we think it's so worth it!

Want to contain the messy play? Place an old sheet on the ground under the tray. When play is finished, you can wash the sheet and keep your floor clean! Depending on the weather, the outdoors are a great place for sensory play, especially for those learning how to pour water or other liquids. A picnic blanket, towel, or tarp also work great for containing sensory bin materials. The bathtub is another great place to have sensory bin play!

Is your child in the pick it up and dump it out phase? Consider using a larger bin that is more difficult for them to pick up by themselves (maybe a large tote or tub? maybe a container within a container?), and provide lots of different sizes and shapes of scoops and bowls within the container for filling and dumping exploration. A small plastic kiddie pool is another great idea to contain messy play!

It's okay to have rules to set clear boundaries regarding sensory bin play. Rules might be that the contents must stay inside the bin, no throwing, and the materials always get put away when play is finished. Children are great helpers, and learning to use a broom and dustpan is great for fine motor skill development.

There are mess-free options for sensory play as well. Sensory bottles are a great alternative. Simply add rice and small objects to a clear bottle and observe the sound the rice makes as you manipulate the bottle. Sensory bags are a great sensory play idea for babies as an introduction to color mixing and different textures. Simply add different colored liquid materials (try shaving cream + paint, or oil, water, + food coloring!) to a ziploc bag and tape to the floor (pro-tip: tape the bag closed, all the edges of the bag, AND tape it to the floor). This is great for tummy time!

Keep in mind the age of your child for choosing which objects to place in your bin. If your child is in the stage of life where they explore the world by tasting or mouthing objects, make sure to stick to taste-safe recipes, supervise play (or even better, play alongside!), and monitor the size and shape of objects to prevent choking hazards. As a friendly reminder, always make sure to check the ingredients of sensory bin materials to make sure they are non-toxic and safe for play.

Many recipes for sensory play contain food coloring. If this is a concern, consider using natural dyes as an alternative coloring agent. Beet powder, turmeric powder, freeze dried strawberries, various teas, spinach, cinnamon, cocoa powder, hibiscus, and purple cabbage are all vibrant edible options to add some color to sensory play recipes. There are also conventional natural food coloring sets available on the market.

Sensory bins present an opportunity for independent play. New to independent play? Sometimes the best way to encourage the growth of independent child-led open-ended play is to just be present and observe. After observing, you might be surprised and learn something new about your child! Some children may crave more direction to get started - and that is okay, too! Maybe you can try modeling play by scooping and pouring alongside them. If you notice that your child doesn't want to get messy, that is okay, too! If they are experiencing a tactile aversion to something, don't be afraid to take it slow and don't force them to touch anything they don't want to. You know your child best! At GRCM, we love to ask open-ended questions to let the child take the lead in play. Here are some ideas to get you started!

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Sensory play is play that engages or stimulates the senses - touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Sensory play supports cognitive development in early childhood with physical, language, creativity, emotional, social, and mathematical development. A sensory bin is a container that holds different materials for children to explore sensory play.

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Infants and toddlers love to explore with their senses. They delight in the process of exploring art materials and other sensory activities even though they are typically unconcerned with the end result.

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"What's the harm if I paint my arm?": A Toddler's Guide to Sensory Activities in the Home

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Just as infants and toddlers need experience crawling or scooting to learn to walk and babbling and crying to learn to talk, they need to practice using their hands to control art supplies and practice using their minds to figure out how art supplies work

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This is a list of simple sensory items that need little to no preparation. I really liked the moon sand recipe it looks so simple and fun.

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Talks about what schemas are and give examples or ideas. Incorporating schemas into open ended play or in the classroom is a good idea

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Young children may express their interests in subtle, often misunderstood ways. By

understanding that all children have unique learning styles and emerging interests, adults can support children’s exploration by providing developmentally appropriate play

opportunities.

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This article has information on the history of schemas and what they are. It also has a long list of schema activities to help children develop.

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Learn about the history of play schemas, why they are important, how they align with the Montessori philosophy and get fun activity ideas.

Transporting, positioning, connection, transforming, orientation, trajectory, rotation, enveloping, and enclosure are all covered in this article.

What Are Play Schemas?

In layman's terms, play schemas are repeated behaviors that children demonstrate through play, which facilitate development.

There are many different definitions of schema, each varying in context. Merriam-Webster defines schemas as " mental codification of experience that includes a particular organized way of perceiving cognitively and responding to a complex situation or set of stimuli. "

Dictionary.com has a simpler definition: " an underlying organizational pattern or structure; conceptual framework." In this article, we will refer to them as play schemas.

In child development, Swiss Psychologist Jean Piaget (1952) defined schema as: "a cohesive, repeatable action sequence possessing component actions that are tightly interconnected and governed by a core meaning."

History of Schemas of Play

Jean Piaget was one of the first to use the term " schema" or " schemata " in 1923. Piaget was one of the most important child development Theorists and his Theory of Cognitive Development was and still is incredibly influential.

He was one of the first who believed children think differently than adults and that they have an innate desire to learn, and do so by constantly taking in information from the world around them.

A major piece of his Theory of Cognitive Development was schemata. He theorized that children have three schemata: Symbolic Schemata, Operational Schemata, and Behavioral Schemata.

We will be focusing on what he defined as Behavioral Schemata, and what people refer to today as Play Schema, as those are the ones we see in action.

Over the last 90-100 years, the theory of schemas has been further studied and developed by numerous professionals.

Along with Piaget, British Psychologist Frederic Bartlett was one of the first to discuss schema.

He studied and wrote about schemata in his 1932 book "Remembering," wherein he discussed schemas as they related to memory.

His research had an integral part of today's understanding of schemas and how our brains work.

Richard Anderson, an Educational Psychologist, was one of the first people to express that understanding children's schema could help educators.

In his 1977 paper " The Notion of Schemata and the Educational Enterprise: General Discussion of the Conference," he discussed the importance of play schemas in education.

Chris Athey, a Constructivist Educator, further developed Piaget's theories and the need for understanding play schemas in education.

She was the director of the Froebel Early Education Project in the 70s which was an important study in understanding the way young children think.

One aspect of this study involved discussing play schemas with parents and observing what behaviors they exhibited at home.

Why Are Play Schemas Important?

It's important that Psychologists understand schemas to understand the brain, and for educators to understand their students and for adapting curriculum, but it's also incredibly useful for parents.

Understanding that a particular behavior is really an uncontrollable urge and that they are learning while doing it can be helpful in more ways than one.

Sometimes your child may be exhibiting an undesired behavior that may be frustrating, but really they are in a particular play schema.

For example, one very common behavior in the toddler age is throwing food, plate, or silverware off their high chair or the table.

Understandably, it's frustrating and we want to correct them.

However, they are experimenting while in the trajectory schema.

Believe it or not, they're learning with every drop or throw.

Not only are they learning cause and effect, but they are discovering how different things fall at different speeds, how they all make different sounds, how they can drop or throw things, and that changes the result, even how it feels different in their hands as they're dropped.

Once you have an understanding of why they are doing a particular behavior, and that they aren't simply misbehaving, it makes it easier to cope.

Then you can give them other outlets to safely explore with a more appropriate activity.

By fulfilling that urge in another way, it will hopefully curb the unwanted behaviors.

In addition, knowing your child's interests can be helpful in planning activities that they will enjoy and that will further assist in brain development.

Not every child enjoys the same types of activities, and understanding play schemas will allow you to tailor activities to interests that may otherwise not be obvious.

Some children may not enjoy arts and crafts, but once you discover their play schema, you can plan art that will really pique their interest.

How do Play Schemas align With Montessori?

While Maria Montessori didn't discuss schemas specifically in her teachings, she believed in child-centered learning, and that it is best to "follow the child".

What she meant was it's important to observe the child for their interests, skill level, and needs and plan their environment and activities accordingly.

Therefore, recognizing play schemas complement and align with the Montessori Method.

Being able to do so will assist in creating your prepared environment customized to your child.

You can also introduce different Montessori Practical Life Activities that support their schema interests.
(This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links costs you nothing extra, but sends a few cents our way for website upkeep.)
Different Schemas in Play

Children start showing play schema somewhere before or around their first birthday. Some children have strong, clear schemas, others are more subtle.

Schemas can overlap, interconnect and combine over time as well. They are constantly changing and developing.

There are nine most common play schemas: Connection, Enclosure, Enveloping, Orientation, Positioning, Rotation, Trajectory, Transforming, and Transporting.

Below I explain each one and provide activities and ideas for toys/supplies for all ages.

I will also discuss what areas of learning are possible in each play schema but keep in mind it is not limited to the ones listed.

All offer opportunities for learning new vocabulary, building self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and just overall cognitive development.

What is a Connection Schema?

Joining things together, connecting objects, tying things together, opening and closing things.

This can and often includes destruction/disconnection of what they've connected such as knocking over blocks they've put together.

Real-life Example: A child finds a piece of string and starts tying or wrapping it around knobs in the kitchen, connecting all the doors together.

What Are They Learning?: Examining how things come together and apart, fine motor skills, cause and effect, spatial awareness, and pre-science and math skills, such as predicting and estimating.

Connection Schema Activities

DIY Weaving Activity: 1. Take a baking cooling rack or something similar. 2. Tie fabric, yarn, or ribbon to the outside frame. 3. Have the child weave the ribbon through the slots.

Contact Paper Suncatchers:

1. Cut two pieces of contact paper into any shape you'd like (flower, sun, heart, etc.).

2. Make a construction paper frame & attach it to one piece.

3. Have the child stick a small piece of tissue paper on the sticky side of the contact paper.

4. When finished, have the child stick the other piece of contact paper, sticky side down, onto the finished suncatcher.

Tape Activities:

1. Give your child pieces of tape to simply stick on a piece of paper, or attach two pieces of cut paper with the tape.

2. Paint Resist Art - attach the tape to paper to create a pattern or shape and paint over. Then remove.

3. Have them help anytime you need to use tape, like wrapping presents.

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: Dressing boards, tying shoes, locks and keys, nuts and bolts, containers with lids, and lacing/weaving.

What is an Enclosure/Containing Schema?

Containing things, creating borders or lines to form enclosures, building fences/walls around objects, borders around art, lining up food around their plate, filling up cups with water.

Also includes enclosing themselves: climbing into boxes or cabinets.

Real-Life Example: A child takes all of the pots and pans out of a kitchen cabinet, then climbs in and sits down inside the cabinet. He is discovering how to enclose or contain himself.

What Are They Learning?: Building pre-math skills while planning their enclosures (measuring, predicting), fine and gross motor skills, object permanence.

Enclosure Schema Activities

Tents/Forts made from sheets and blankets

Cardboard box house

Coloring inside a cardboard box

Clay caves/homes for animals

Bear cave made from brown packing paper

Shoe Box Habitats

Hide and Seek

Coin drop box

Putting Groceries away

Putting Dishes away

Building Blocks for border building

Containers with lids

Moats and sandcastles

Making Eggs in a Basket recipe here

Bubble Wrap Mitten Painting:
1. Take a small piece of bubble wrap that will fit over the child's hand.

2. Tape bubble wrap on like mittens.

3. Child paints or stamps with hands!
Framed Art:
1. Child cuts up cardboard or card stock into strips OR uses wood craft sticks.

2. Child frames their artwork.

Body Forms With Blocks:

1. Have another child or yourself lay down on the ground.

2. Child lines up blocks around the edge of the body.

3. Person gets up and you can now see the shape of the body.

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: Putting groceries or dishes away, containers with lids, making sandwiches, Eggs in a Basket.

What is an Enveloping Schema?

Covering objects or themselves, hiding things in discrete places.

They may enjoy dressing up, playing peekaboo, or even painting their entire paper or hand.

Similar to Enclosure, except with Enveloping they are covering the entire item so it cannot be seen.

Because they are similar, there are many activities listed in each that can be used for either. Enveloping may be done for comfort or safety as well.

What Are They Learning?: Object permanence, fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving, visual tracking, and spatial awareness.

Real-Life Example: If there's laundry laying around, my daughter will take whatever is there and will wrap it around her and/or put it over her head.

She will take it off and put it back on, continuing to envelop herself.

Enveloping Schema Activities

DIY Box Activity:

1. Take several different-sized boxes.

2. Child tries to put as many boxes inside one another as possible. This activity is great for concentration, problem-solving, and keeping them busy for a while!
Papier-mâché:
1. Cut strips of newspaper or brown packing paper.

2. Make your base shape (you can use a balloon, chicken wire, aluminum foil, or cardboard boxes).

3. Make your papier-mache paste (See recipes below).

4. Dip strips of paper in the paste and start layering on your shape.

5. Allow drying.

Paste recipes:

1. 2 parts flour, 1 part water, then boil and stir until thick.

2. 2 parts Elmer's Glue and 1 part water (or to desired consistency).

3. Or buy pre-made Elmer's Art Paste.

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: Tablecloth on the table, dressing, wrapping presents, baking pastries, making wontons.

See also enveloping schema toys.

What is an Orientation Schema?

Experimenting with different viewpoints: hanging upside down or views from on top or under things.

What Are They Learning?: Body and spatial awareness, gross motor skills, sensory and vestibular system stimulation.

Real-life Example: A child loves hanging upside down from the couch, or bending over and looking through their legs.

Orientation Schema Activities
Art Activity:
1. Tape a piece of paper underneath a child-height table or coffee table.

2. Allow the child to lay on their back and draw while laying down.

Allowing risky play is super important for this play schema.

Allowing them to get outside and explore different viewpoints by doing things like climbing things, hanging upside down from trees, and walking along rock walls can really support this play schema.

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: Kitchen Tower, yoga.

What is a Positioning Schema?

Arranging objects or themselves. Lining up items a particular way, by size, color, etc.

They might like tidying or placing things in unusual places.

Sometimes these behaviors are mistaken for a sign of OCD, but it is a normal part of development; a play schema.

What Are They Learning?: Recognizing differences and similarities, concentration, visual discrimination, and pre-math and science skills such as problem-solving, exploring patterns, classifying, and planning.

Real-life Example: While I'm getting ready, my daughter likes to take out my nail polishes from a drawer in our bathroom and she lines them up on the step to our bathtub.

Since she hasn't yet explored this with any other items or her toys, I let her do this under my supervision.

Positioning Schema Activities

Stacking blocks

Grimm's Rainbow

Balancing objects

Peg boards (create patterns)

3D art (buttons, beads, shells, etc.)

Lite Brite

Symmetrical patterns with nature materials

Dominoes

Pom Pom sorting or lining up

Sorting activities: by color, shape, size, category

Button sorting activity here

Flower arranging

Matching games - like the musical instrument card game here

Animal Parade

Placing stickers on lines, shapes, or letters

Trace shapes of toys and have child match toys to shape

Knobbed cylinders

Lining up toys and tracing their shadows

DIY Table Placemat:

1. Buy a cheap or dollar store placemat.

2. Place plate, silverware, and cup on mat and trace with permanent marker.

3. Have the child use for setting their place at the table (or make them for the whole family).

Letter or Number Activity:

1. Make large cards with letters or numbers.

2. Have the child line up small items on letters or numbers (tiny pompoms, beads, buttons, etc.).

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: Setting table, flower arranging, cleaning/tidying.

What is a Rotation Schema?

Interest in things that spin or turn. They may like spinning themselves in circles, twisting things, or drawing circles.

What Are They Learning?: How things move, fine and gross motor, cause and effect.

Real-life Example: A friend's child, R. loves wheels and spinning things. R. was visiting my house and discovered the crank of our casement windows. He enjoyed spinning them and figuring out how and where they turned.

Rotation Schema Activities

Rotation Art Activities:

1. Taping markers to the backs of toy cars and driving them on paper.

2. Putting balls in tray or bucket with paper and paint, then rolling balls around in the paint.

3. Bubble wrap on rolling pin and rolling in paint.

4. Stamping circle shapes (paper towel rolls, lids, cups, corks).

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: Rolling dough, washing machine, clocks, mixing/stirring, salad spinner, screwdrivers, locks, and keys.

See also our list of rotation schema toys.

What is a Trajectory Schema?

Interest in moving objects by throwing, dropping, or rolling. May include the trajectory of own body by jumping off things or bumping into things.

Interacting with things that are already moving, like putting hands under running water.

What Are They Learning? Cause and effect, gross motor skills, visual tracking, body awareness, observing, and predicting.

Real-life Example: Like most infants and toddlers, my daughter experiments with throwing food and dishes off the table.

She will also do it with toys we have given her while she is standing in her learning tower.

With those things, she will watch how it lands.

Trajectory Schema Activities

You may also be interested in reading about throwing toys for toddlers.

Dropping or Rolling Experiment: Experiment by safely dropping items from different heights.

You can use different-sized balls, seeing how they bounce differently. Or just a mix of hard/soft, heavy/light objects to see how things fall at different speeds.

You can do a similar experiment with a ramp and things that roll (cars, balls, bottles, round toys).
Paint Activities:
1. Throw water balloons filled with paint on a canvas or large poster paper (best to do outside).

2. Splatter paint by snapping paintbrushes or rubber bands over a tray.

3. Spray bottle filled with watered-down paint.

4. Fill eggshells with paint and throw at a canvas or larger poster paper.

5. Drop paint as part of your experiment above.

DIY Tube and Ball Drop: Use paper towel rolls for tubes and tape them on walls at different heights and lengths.

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: Hammering nails, chopping food.

See also our list of trajectory schema toys.

What is a Transforming Schema?

Combining or changing materials. They may experiment with mixing all their food and water at meals or enjoy mixing all the paint colors during art activities.

What Are They Learning?: Cause and effect, fine motor skills, pre-science skills such as observing and predicting.

Real-life Example: My daughter loves mixing all her food together in her water cup.

She adds things and looks at them, mixes them with her utensil, and adds more.

We've started having her help with cooking more, specifically mixing ingredients, and I've noticed she mixes her meals less and less.

She also now pretends to mix things in any cup or bowl she can find.

Transforming Schema Activities

Coffee Filter Art:

1. Using waterproof markers, the child draws on the coffee filter.

2. Child sprays water on the coffee filter with a spray bottle or squirts water on using pipettes.

3. Watch colors run and change.

Sensory Bottles: Have the child join you in creating different sensory bottles. One of my favorites is water and oil.

Use food coloring to color water, and oil-based/candy dye for the oil.

When the bottle is shaken, the colors will combine, but then will separate again once settled.

They can continually see how the contents are transformed.

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: Dough/baking, tie-dye, making juice.

What is a Transporting Schema?

Carrying objects in pockets, hands, bags. May also enjoy transporting oneself.

What Are They Learning?: Object permanence, fine and gross motor skills, spatial awareness, planning, and measuring (how much will fit?).

Real-life Example: Several months ago, my daughter started carrying small items around the house in her hands.

When she discovered that things can go inside of other things, she started carrying things around that way.

She would use anything she could find including the drawer of her coin dropbox, a gift bag that was laying around, and containers from the kitchen cabinet.

I started leaving a reusable shopping bag around for her and an old purse.

Since then we have bought her a toy shopping cart which she loves.

Heavy work can be a big help for a child in this play schema. Read about what it is and its benefits here.

Transporting Schema Activities

Diggers and trucks to transport dirt/sand

Chalk map outside for trucks, etc.

Pipettes to fill and transfer water

Transferring activities - like the marble activity here

Wagons to transport friends or toys

Cooking: Taking ingredients out for recipes/putting in oven

Toy shopping cart

Reusable shopping bags

Levers and pulleys

Baskets

Purses

Helpful Activity: Have them help you carry anything around the house! They can carry laundry baskets, groceries in from the car, or supplies for arts and crafts to the table.

Gardening: Gardening is a great opportunity for transporting things! You can start by planting seeds in pots, where the dirt will be transported into the pot.

Once you have seedlings, have the child transport supplies to the garden and help plant them. Use a child-sized wheelbarrow to transport dirt to the garden area.

Montessori Practical Life Activities for this Schema: cooking, gardening, groceries.

See also transporting schema toys.

Children learn best when they're able to experiment, make mistakes and problem solve. With play schemas, they have a natural urge to do these things.

By freely allowing them to explore their early childhood schemas of play, you're supporting their cognitive development.

I hope you can now easily recognize play schemas in your child and are able to fully support their schema behaviors.

Do you have any fun activities to add to any of these play schemas? How does your child exhibit their schemas?

References and further reading:

England, L. (2018). Schemas: a practical handbook. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

McLeod, S. A. (2018, June 06). Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Simply psychology [Blog post] Retrieved from: https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

Arnold, C. (2005, October 19). Early years pioneers: Chris Athey. Nursery World [Blog post]. Retrieved from: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/features/article/early-years-pioneers-chris-athey

Cherry, K. (2019, September 23). The role of schema in psychology [Blog post]. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-schema-2795873

Unknown. Learning Theory, Schema Theory [Blog post]. Retrieved from: https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2175/Learning-Theory-SCHEMA-THEORY.html
*Correction: In the original post, regrettably we mistakenly referred to Psychologist Jean Piaget as British, but he was in fact, Swiss. We have updated the post as of 3/2/21.
Frequently asked questions

What are play schemas?

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What are Play Schemas? The Answer and 150+ Fun Schema Activities

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Learn about play schemas and get activity ideas for each of the 9 play schemas. Transporting, positioning, connection, transforming...

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This is an article that talks about what schemas are and some of origins of schemas. As well as what to try and what toys would work for specific schemas.

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What is a schema?

A schema is like a set of instructions. As adults we use them all the time, and we don't really notice we're doing it. Switch on a light or make a sandwich and you are using a schema to do it; a mental model you've created through a process of trial and error to find the best and most efficient way of completing your task.

Our schemas aren't always right. What's special about them is that they represent the current state of our knowledge. Over time, and as we explore further, we come to realise that there were gaps in our understanding. We can then modify our schema to reflect this new information. I drop a football. It bounces back up. I drop a tennis ball. It bounces back up. I have a schema that balls bounce. But one day I drop a ball of play dough and it doesn't bounce. I update my schema: balls that spring back into shape after you've squeezed them will bounce. Balls that don't, won't. Which works until I try dropping a golf ball...

Schema play is especially noticeable in toddlers. Bashing, banging, pushing, pulling: destruction testing is a key feature of this kind of activity. What does this thing do? What happens if I drop it? Will it break if I hit it? What if I hit it again? Your child wants the answers to all these questions and will persevere until she has them. She is trying to make sense of the world, one action at a time.

Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget, noticed that children of a similar age all make the same kinds of mistakes. This led him to speculate that learning happens in stages and that as children grow they progress to higher levels. Part of his theory considered how schema play enabled this transition. You can read more about it here.

How many schemas are there?

It depends. For our purposes we'll focus on eight, although in theory the number is limitless. Jump straight to the schema that interests you via the following links, or read on for more information about schema play and why it matters.

Why do schemas matter?

Once a child has understood a schema's physical manifestation, they are able to consider more abstract applications. For example, the concept of emailing a photo to Grandma becomes easier to understand once we have had the chance to practise moving objects from one place to another, whether that's rolling a toy car across the floor or taking a doll out of her box and putting her into the doll's house.

Children also learn by using their own bodies in schema play. The simple act of walking from one point to another helps them understand the idea of trajectory, of moving from A to B.

At what age does schema play happen?

While you see it most in toddlers, schema play is something we all indulge in when we encounter something for the first time. When you try to assemble an IKEA bookcase without reading the instructions, you are using a schema. You've built this kind of thing before, you know what to do and a little trial and error is OK. And if there's a new kind of fixing, you'll work it out. It all started when you were small, building with Lego, sticking with tape and glue. You understand how things connect.

What you won't do is repeatedly spin round like a windmill, twist doorhandles or watch the washing machine go round. Toddlers haven't yet fully grasped the idea of rotation so they have to practise in order to understand the schema. Their schema play is visible. You, on the other hand, know all about it so you just pick up the screwdriver and fix the parts together.

It follows that your child's interest in a given schema diminishes over time. What seemed like an obsession is quickly forgotten once the concept has been mastered.

What are the main types of schemas?

It's incredibly satisfying to identify the schema your child is interested in. You are then able to offer toys and activities that help them get the most from their investigations.

Here are some of the most commonly recognised schemas in toddlers. They're mostly based around movement, though in principle a schema can be about anything.

Trajectory

Does your baby like to repeatedly drop their food from the highchair, or throw things out of their buggy? Or does your toddler enjoy watching things swing from side to side (like a pendulum on a clock), blowing bubbles, playing catch or making paper airplanes? Then they are exploring their trajectory schema; studying the movement of an object, or their own body, through the air.

For the adult serving dinner, a baby's joy in hurling their food on the floor is sometimes hard to share, but comfort can be found in the knowledge that your child is involved in important scientific exploration. Will it smash, will it splat? How long will it take to reach the ground? These early attempts at understanding and manipulating trajectory develop into the more familiar skills of throwing, catching and kicking, and eventually to driving, tennis and sending rockets to the moon.

TRY THIS:

throwing at a target

chasing games like tag

pushing a toy off the table and seeing where it lands

roll cars down a ramp

RECOMMENDED TOYS:

Connecting

Joining train tracks, building towers with Lego or wooden blocks, sticking things together with tape - these are all signs of the connecting schema. Perhaps your child likes to join arms with you or other people, to be physically connected somehow.

Connecting also includes disconnecting, which is why a child might build a tower of blocks, only to knock it down afterwards - or knock down someone else's.

In exploring the idea of connection your child is beginning to understand how certains things come together and others fall apart, ideas of strength and magnetic force, stickiness, purchase and slippiness are all understood through connecting.

Understanding that this is a normal urge and allowing it to happen in a safe environment will give your child many happy hours of play.

TRY THIS:

holding hands

paper chains

collage and junk-modelling

RECOMMENDED TOYS:

threading beads

lego, duplo, octons, connecta straws

sellotape, glue, stapler (under supervision!), blu-tack

wooden railway

Transporting

Is your child often very busy carrying goods from one place to another? Is the walker always full of bricks or the basket full of teddies? If this sounds familiar then your child is exploring their transportation schema. In transportation, children like to move items from A to B - simple as that. Transporting is very rewarding for the young child since they gain a lot of pleasure from completing a task and seeing something happen as a result of their hard work.

You can support the transportation urge by having plenty of useful transport tools around: pushchairs, walkers, baskets and bags are all great. Transporters can be very helpful people, so if you are unpacking the shopping and need someone to put all the apples in the fruit bowl or take the toilet rolls upstairs, here's your labour. Gardening and water play are also great opportunities to explore transporting - wheelbarrows and buckets will always be played with. To add an element of fine motor development to the transporting urge, focus on moving smaller items which require picking up with fingers such as conkers, acorns or pebbles.

Enclosing

Closely related to the enveloping schema, but with its own distinct character, the enclosing schema is about creating boundaries.

Does your daughter like to create enclosures for her toys? A farm fence made from blocks or string? Perhaps your son enjoys drawing circles, looping the line around smaller marks already on the page. At first glance, the enclosing schema seems very similar to enveloping (no. 83 in the 100). Both involve closing around something, but that's where the similarity ends. Whereas enveloping wraps an object, often removing it from sight, enclosing simply contains it. It's the difference between a doll bundled up in blankets and a horse in a paddock.

Enclosers likes to draw faces, placing the eyes and mouth inside, hair and ears outside. An enveloper's drawings, on the other hand, focus on making things disappear. They might draw a pretty scene only to obliterate it completely with paint, covering the entire page with a single colour. Nothing of the original remains.

When children enclose, they are learning that objects - or ideas - can be contained in a discrete space. And that anything outside this is a separate entity.

Eventually, enclosing leads to letter-formation. The balled fist that first holds a crayon, making endless spirals on the page eventually becomes the dextrous hand drawing circles for 'o' and 'p' and 'd'. It's also central to drawing faces and bodies. Leave a gap and there's a space for the colouring-in to leak out.

Like all schema play, development of the enclosing schema happens naturally. But if you know to look out for it, you can provide opportunities to practice and improve.

Positioning

Does your child like to arrange her toys just-so? Does he spend hours lining his cars up in a row or find pleasure in creating scenes or displays? Then your child is exploring their positioning schema. Positioning provides early foundations for many key skills and activities, from laying the table and placing shoes under pegs, to creating patterns in maths and maintaining neat work in school books.

To support a blossoming positioning schema try collecting shells and pebbles on the beach, or sticks in the garden, and see if you can create a symmetrical pattern with them. You could gather friends or family and arrange yourselves as an imaginary bus, and play games like rounders that involve positioning. For fine motor development, balancing games like Jenga and connect 4 are great, as is creating patterns with threading beads and simple stacking and construction with blocks or Lego.

Enveloping

Does your child love to make dens, climb into boxes or dress up in layers of clothing such as multiple necklaces or lots of hats? Or do they enjoy filling empty boxes with bits and pieces, wrapping dolls up in blankets or creating homes for their toys? If so, then they may be exploring their enveloping schema.

In this schema your child is trying to work out what happens if they wrap or hide an object. Can I still see it? Can I feel it? What if I wrap it in translucent fabric? Or paper? Or put it in a cupboard? Is it still there when I open or unwrap?

A child investigating the idea of enveloping may repeatedly drop your keys behind the radiator or open the bin and look inside.

If you think your child is an enveloper, here are some activities to support their investigations:

Use posting toys, Russian dolls, nesting toys and shape sorters

Wrap up baby dolls in blankets

Play doctors or vets with plenty of bandages

Make sock or glove puppets

Wrap up parcels (Christmas is great for envelopers!) and use paper, newspaper, string, sellotape, ribbons

Rotation

When children twirl around, roll down a hill or just wind their hair around a pencil, they're exploring their rotation schema. Anything circular - wheels, twirly straws, being swung around by a grown-up, watching the washing machine, ring-a-roses: these are all experiences of rotation.

This exploration and understanding of the infinity inherent in circles lays the foundations for everything from rotational symmetry in mathematics and rotating magnetic fields in secondary school science, to dancing at the disco or passing parcels at the party. It It all started at six months when you dropped a ball and watched it roll away.

Some good rotation-supporting activities include:

Connect nuts and bolts

Wheels on cars, trains and bicycles

Twirl streamers

Use screwdrivers and spanners (under supervision!)

Make pinwheels

Turn keys in locks and padlocks

Draw spirals in sand or with finger paint

Mix and whisk cake ingredients

Orientation

If your child likes to swing upside down from the monkey bars, lie along the top of the sofa or sit in the trolley facing the wrong way at the supermarket, then they are exploring their orientation schema. In orientation, your child is discovering how to see things from a different point of view. This important schema builds confidence in many physical activities and games, when it becomes useful to anticipate how another player might move.

To support orientation schema play, try walking along walls, rolling down hills, climbing up steps and any kind of movement that requires them to find different heights or positions. Gymnastics, games like Twister, soft play, or a simple trip to the park, are also great for exploring different points of views. And of course, there is always climbing trees.

TRY THIS:

hang upside down from monkey bars

lie flat on the floor when playing with toy vehicles

see the world from atop an adult's shoulders

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A guide to schema play in toddlers - One Hundred Toys

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Step inside the world of schemas, the repetitive behaviours young children use to understand the world around them. On the journey of discovery that is childhood, toddlers and babies are continually predicting, testing and re-testing theories about how the world works.

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The importance of schemas in children’s self-initiated and spontaneous play has become a valued and embedded part of early childhood practice. Schemas are those repeated patterns seen in  children’s behavior, and they link directly to the development and strengthening of cognitive structures in the brain.

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Help parents understand and enjoy their children with Schemas for parents, published as part of a project 'Twos Count Here,' creating quality places for vulnerable two year olds in Suffolk county.
The importance of schemas in children's self-initiated and spontaneous play has become a valued and embedded part of early childhood practice. Schemas are those repeated patterns seen in children's behaviour, and they link directly to the development and strengthening of cognitive structures in the brain. The revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, 2012) requires practitioners to look, listen and note down children's interests as a starting point to becoming familiar with each new learner. Subsequently, many practitioners have become very skilled at spotting schemas. However, once these are identified, practitioners do not always know how to ensure that a child's schematic interest is directly reflected in their planning.

It is important to point out that schemas operate at four distinct levels in children's development: Level 1 - Sensorimotor, Level 2 - Symbolic Representation, Level 3 - Functional Dependency and Level 4 - Abstract Thought. To aid understanding, this article will illustrate the 'Transporting Schema' at each of the levels noted above.

The Transporting Schema is defined as: 'an interest in moving themselves around, and in transporting objects'. Once they are mobile, babies and children begin to move objects and themselves from one place to another, using bags, bikes and trucks etc.

Level 1 - Sensorimotor

In early childhood practice, it is well established that children learn through their senses, absorbing information through what they see, taste, touch, hear and smell. Their complex multisensory interconnections act as the main source of information from the brain, and these, in turn, strengthen their cognitive structures (schemas).

Observation

For some time, Jack, aged 18 months, has shown an interest in moving things from one place to another. On a recent visit to B&Q, he persisted in transporting a range of objects. He was first observed trying to move several pots of paint. However, after many attempts, he discovered that these were too difficult for him to lift or carry. He then found a pot of Rosemary that he could manage; rather than using a basket, he chose to transport this with his hands, all the way to the checkout. On the way out of the store, Jack found a large plastic 'wet floor' sign that he also attempted to move.

Jack's interest is in moving things and with his hands. He is learning through his movement and feelings, that some things are heavy and others are light and big things can be light too.

Level 2 - Symbolic Representation

Symbolic Representation is when children use one thing to stand for something else. For example a child might use a leaf to represent money symbolically in a pretend game of going shopping.

Observation

Isobel, aged 24 months, was observed moving single pieces of a train track. She spent ten minutes trying to carry them from inside her classroom into the garden, each time placing pieces into her buggy. Once the buggy was fully loaded, she told her practitioner: 'Me go shopping.' The practitioner asked her if she had any money; Isobel replied 'yes', pointing to her pocket.

From this observation one can tell that Isobel is interested in journeys, and with moving objects. Her pretend play, of going shopping, helps her to act out and connect her experiences. She pretends that the pieces of train track are her shopping, and that she has money in her pocket. It is clear that she is deeply engaged in developing her understanding about moving and classifying things that are the same.

Level 3 - Functional Dependency

Functional Dependency is a child's use of prior knowledge; it is when children are able to draw on knowledge that they have already absorbed and assimilated into their cognitive structures.

Observation

Oliver, aged 40 months, was observed playing with some guttering in the garden. The scenario that follows shows how he uses the Transporting Schema at this level of Functional Dependency.

After leaning the guttering up against the garden wall, Oliver goes inside and returns with three cars. Though he is able to lift each length of guttering up onto the wall, he cannot reach the end to put his car down it. He therefore goes back inside and returns with a crate, which he places next to the guttering. He stands on the crate, but is still not high enough. His next solution is to return with a hollow block; this is placed on top of the crate. He then lowers the guttering, slightly, so that he can reach the end. Problem solved, he puts the cars in the guttering, jumps off the crate, and waits for them to come out the other end. He then collects his cars and repeats this over and over again. Oliver is applying his prior knowledge about height and gravity to aid his play.

Level 4 - Abstract Thought

Abstract Thought is when children use talk to describe events, objects or experiences - sometimes repeating information that has been given to them, in the absence of concrete cues. In this way, children demonstrate that they have taken in knowledge, adapted and assimilated it, later using this to reproduce their own new ideas, whilst talking about things that interest them.

Observation

Max, aged 46 months, was very interested in holding and moving a pot, which contained a caterpillar, around the garden. When one of the practitioners mentioned the caterpillar's chrysalis, Max said: 'it's getting bigger, and bigger and bigger. It's like when we grow up and we have a new house and we get a boyfriend, and then we get a baby'. The practitioner asked him who had told him that. Pointing to his head, he said, 'no-one, I just know it in my mind'. Max is observed using his memory and his ability to immediately recall bringing his real-life knowledge into his explorations, showing his ability to think abstractly.

Observing, assessing and planning for schema

The observational examples above demonstrate ways in which the same schema may be repeated in many different forms, and how schemas can be used to explore a range of physical movements, symbolic representations, and technical understandings about cause and effect, and abstract thought. In this case the transporting schema has also enabled Max to have an understanding on the passing of time.

Schematic play enables children to act out experiences and take risks, testing out and talking about what they already know and can do. Furthermore, when children are playing with a concept or an idea that they know well, they are also building upon knowledge that they can then apply to a range of new experiences and activities. In this way, schemas (cognitive structures) are constantly being strengthened through active exploration, engagement, thinking and investigation. It is the opportunities for children go on visits and combine resources and materials, in real and relevant contexts, which makes that crucial difference in the enrichment of a child's learning.

The revised EYFS (2012) acknowledges that schemas are an intrinsic part of child development, stating that practitioners should 'encourage independence as young children explore particular patterns of movement, sometimes referred to as schemas'. This is further reinforced by this document's outline on the characteristics of effective learning; for example, Exploring Learning - playing with ideas with which children are already familiar - focuses hugely on Symbolic Representation. Creating and Thinking Critically highlights the importance of children testing out their ideas through experimentation, and of practitioners providing opportunities for children to practise and refine skills in meaningful and relevant contexts.

The emphasis, herein, is that assessment must be based on an understanding of what is being observed. Therefore, practitioner knowledge of child development is vital throughout the assessment process, if there is to be recognition of, and an appropriate response to, the diverse forms of schematic play. Equally, a thorough knowledge about schematic levels provides practitioners with a framework which can be used to analyse where individual children are in their learning, thereby helping them to plan experiences that the child is most likely to be interested in.

With its emphasis on beginning observations with a good knowledge about how children are learning, the hope is that the revised EYFS planning stipulations will now prove more practically effective. If it helps practitioners to feel better supported in their endeavours to advance child-initiated learning, in ways that are relevant to each and every child, the benefits of early education will follow individuals far beyond this stage of learning.

The original version of this article first appeared in Early Education magazine.

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The importance of schemas in every child's learning

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Help parents understand and enjoy their children with Schemas for parents, published as part of a project 'Twos Count Here,' creating quality places for vulnerable two year olds in Suffolk county. The importance of schemas in children's self-initiated and spontaneous play has become a valued and embedded part of early childhood practice.

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When you find the core of an interest, a big idea, you can use the curriculum to challenge children’s intellectual development and support their curiosity. For instance, a group’s interest in dinosaurs could be about power, extinction, friendship, aggression, or many other big ideas.

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Art at the Heart_ Creating a Meaningful Art Curriculum for Young Children _ NAEYC

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This article starts out with a story about some pretend time in the classroom and moves on to talk about the importance of make-believe or pretend play. There is also an interesting chart on the five stages of a child's make-believe play.

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The space Opal School children refer to as a Small World is more than space for them to find and tell stories. Small worlds offer children the possibility to take on new perspectives, challenge their assumptions, and invent new ways to be together.

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The space Opal School children refer to as a Small World is more than space for them to find and tell stories. Small worlds offer children the possibility to take on new perspectives, challenge their assumptions, and invent new ways to be together.

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Setting the Table: Small World - Opal School

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The space Opal School children refer to as a Small World is more than space for them to find and tell stories. Small worlds offer...

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This has a bunch of different types of play; small world play, reflective world play, schemas, sensory are some examples. Used in settings for over a decade, Active World Tuff Spot Trays offer a flexible contained space for open-ended play.

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Over 70 Tuff Spot Tray ideas - all in one place!

Small World Play

Small world themes created within the Active World Tuff Spot Tray are ideal for sparking imagination and play. Add a themed mat to the base to give you a great start to creating your own small world. Mats help spark the children's imagination; with a few extra props, children love recreating stories they have heard before or making up their own. Simply transferring your farm to your Tuff Spot Tray and adding a few natural materials like logs, sticks and stones from the outdoors will help make your small world play truly magical. Below is a beautiful fairy and elf small world village in a tuff spot. With felt fairies, Mushrooms, wooden accessories, blue shimmer materials for water and hessian. Metallic fairy houses, plastic ivy and flowers and glass pebbles.

Get really creative and create scenes from a Magical Fairy and Elf Wonderland - by the wonderfully talented Clare Wilson as featured on her Tuff Spot and Sensory Play Facebook page.

Dinosaur Parks

This wonderful jurassic park themed dinosaur land, also by Clare Wilson, has artificial grass, plastic plants, a lovely handmade walkway and volcano, water beads, split peas and lentils to make a real sensory tray. You can add your own dinosaurs too.

This simple tray just includes mud and stones - the children can then add their dinosaurs and get stuck in! Add water to make a real messy land! Why not build mountains and valleys with the mud?

Food

The easiest way to start is to look through your cupboards at home or in your setting and find what needs using up! Cereal and pasta (cooked or uncooked) can be a fantastic play resource for babies (as long as it is well supervised). Mixing different types of cereal and pasta allows babies to explore a range of textures with their hands. Cooked spaghetti can be used to hide objects for children to find. You could also add food colouring to the water while cooking your spaghetti to change the colour. Be careful to avoid pulses as these can be toxic if consumed when they are uncooked.

Reflective Play

Children are fascinated by mirrors and their reflections. Try a plastic mirror insert in the bottom of your tray - could it be a magical lake? There are many resources available to complement your reflective scene - you could try Mirror Pebbles, Metallic Boulder Blocks and Jewels.

Children love to use other reflective resources such as pans, spoons and foil blankets and materials - they instantly grab their attention. The mirror inserts make a lovely base for collections - experiment and explore with shiny and wooden spoons and wooden accessories. Add marvellous metallic construction blocks and pebbles to create a real reflective world.

Ball Play

A simple and popular use for the tray in settings is to fill the tray with play balls. Children as young as 8 months love to sit in the Tuff Spot Tray amongst all the colourful balls. The balls will often end up all over the room but toddlers can help fill the tray again and often enjoy hiding objects for each other to find.

Schematic Play

Active World Tuff Spot Trays can be filled with resources that will support and enhance a child's schematic interests. Fill the tray with items that are aligned to the rotation schema such as rolling pins, balls, vehicles, items with lids and spinning tops. Add building bricks and construction sets to allow children to create structures, containing them in the tray, without being knocked over or damaged. If your child is interested in transporting, enveloping and containing, make collections of interesting and varied items for them to explore and place in the Tuff Spot Tray. Why not try a chalkboard mat in your tray? This open ended and versatile mat encourage children to create their own scene. Simply roll up when finished and the design can stay intact for its next use.

Use to create small world environment or use for mark making activities

Sensory play

Try adding different sensory materials such as crazy soap, soap flakes and cornflour mixtures. Children can mix, swirl and make marks including letter and number formations.

Children love exploring jelly. They can explore it from inside the tray or outside depending on their confidence level with sensory materials. Hiding toys in the jelly helps to keep children's attention - include objects to support the different themes you may be covering on different days. Always ensure children are well supervised at all times. Try adding different textured materials for sensory play and bury items underneath for children to hide.

Try mark making in glitter too! Add snowflakes and white confetti for a wintry feel.

Cut up white packaging to create a white tray liner and then cut tiny scraps as confetti. Instant Snow is also fab for tuff trays!

Sand and Water

The trays are perfect for holding Sand and water. Take them outside and use on the ground or on height adjustable stands for some messy and sensory play, using bubbles and boats in the water, and buried treasure and metal detectors in the sand to incorporate ICT into the play!

Fill the tuff spot tray with sand and add Squidgy Sparkle Letters or Number or shapes to the sand - which letters can the children find - can they identify each one - can they find enough letters to make a word?

Create a turtle tuff spot with our talking turtles. Fill a tuff spot tray or similar with a water and bubble solution and place a laminated copy of the song inside. Immerse the turtles in the soapy water and sing the rhyme together.

The Turtle Song

I know a little turtle
His name is Tiny Tim
I put him in the bathtub
To see if he could swim
He drank up all the water
He ate up all the soap
Now he's got bubbles
Deep down in his throat
Bwwww bwww!

Painting

Active World Tuff Spot Tray are great for keeping paint in one area. Filling the tray with a selection of different colours and allowing children to use this for foot painting is a fantastic activity, simply make sure you hold their hands so they do not slip. Alternatively using their hands children can make their own marks in the paint and then print their drawings using paper to take home or display. You could incorporate some big art tools to pattern and mark make.

Discovery

Fill the tray with a variety of items linked to a theme such as Sea creatures or mini beasts and encourage the children to explore and identify what they can see. It is also a lovely idea to fill the tray with items found on the beach, in the woods or in the back garden. Provide magnifying glasses so that the children can look at the patterns and details. These discoveries can help draw out new vocabulary or observations which the children will love to share.

Fine Motor Skills

Use the tray for focused activities such as developing fine motor skills. Place cup cake tins in the tray for threading items to be placed into. Select a range of threading resources such as chunky beads, pasta, giant buttons. Provide colourful shoes laces, ribbons and string for the children to choose from.

Fill the tray with items like pom poms and tweezers for picking out and sorting exercises, or scissors and a selection of leaves for cutting.

Circle time

Active World Tuff Spot Trays work well as an area for children to focus. Create themed locations within the tray and place it in the middle of your small group with items to tell a story and enable the children to select which item will come up next in your story, or fill it with items of interest for the group to discuss.

Pirates and treasure!

Engage the boys (and girls!) in your setting with a pirate-themed tuff tray incorporating our beautiful potion bottles to make pirate potions and grog! Digging for treasure in sand enables children to count and sort their findings. Try the TTS Metal detectors to search under sand. Use Encourage them to get creative by designing their own treasure maps. Combine this with dressing up and the children will have a fantastic pirate-themed play session!

ICT in the Tuff Spot

Why not use the tuff spot tray as a track for Bee-Bots, Blue-Bots, or Clever Cats - it will help to contain them whilst the children programme them.

Planting seeds

Contain everything that you need for a small group of children in one tray as a group activity. Children can handle all items such as compost and seeds and even create small tags - writing the label themselves.

Inspire and engage with each of our 22 mats. Place them in your tray and stand and watch imaginations soar. Children can add all the small world accessories they like. Watch them make towns, jungles, fairy tale landscapes, dinosaur worlds, space scenes and pirate and watery worlds. A fantastic resource.

Top Tip: Make your own Tuff Tray mats by cutting patterned fabric or PVC table cloths (from Dunelm or The Range in the UK) to fit the shape. You can get a grass effect, flowers, under the sea, fruit and many more depending on the store.

Use a range of Tuff Spot stand from height adjustable stands to more robust wooden stands with either storage underneath or seating so that children can sit down around the Tuff Spot Tray.

Do you use Active World Tuff Spot Trays in your setting? We would love to hear about some of your children's favourite activity ideas or maybe you have a suggestion on additional resources we could offer.

With thanks to Adele Crozier, a nursery manager and blogger from Playful Learners; childminder Gini Hancock, from Giraffy's Daycare, Charlotte Parry and Clare Wilson, for their imaginative contributions to this article.
Shop our range of Active World Tuff Spot resources here Shop our range of small world play toys and resources here
For more Inspiration please visit our Active World Tuff Spot Tray Pinterest Board.

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Over 150 ideas for using your Active World Tuff Spot Tray

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Used in settings for over a decade, Active World Tuff Spot Trays offer a flexible contained space for open-ended play. The large size (1m in diameter) and 8 sides encourage group play - there's room for up to 6 children to play comfortably together.

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Talks about what creative movement is and the importance of it.  It also discusses things like physical and social emotional development.

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Introducing clay to young children provides multiple outlets for their individual ideas, feelings, and developmental skills. For young children, clay holds no preconceived ideas as to what it is or how it is supposed to be used.

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Play with clay — Better Kid Care — Penn State Extension.html

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Clay has a different smell, consistency, and texture than playdough giving a different experience. Also discusses the exploration strand where kids gain confidence and control their own bodies.

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we live and perform in a

three-dimensional world, yet the

vast majority of art experiences en-

gaged in by school children are of a

two-dimensional nature. Many reasons

have been given for this, especially in

relation to working with clay.

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When you think about clay, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably not related to writing. Yet the importance of using clay in early childhood is deeply rooted in the strengthening of finger muscles used to properly grip and hold pencils.

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When you think about clay, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably not related to writing. Yet the importance of using clay in early childhood is deeply rooted in the strengthening of finger muscles used to properly grip and hold pencils. Clay is also a medium where children can express their thoughts in a tangible and thoughtful manner without having to use verbal abilities they may not possess. Clay can be used in both 2 and 3-dimensional creation. It is a vital tool that needs to be frequently used in early childhood. While working with clay, children are building skills in language development, problem-solving, fine and gross motor development, social skills, mathematical concepts (i.e. size and weight), and praxis development (the ability to practice and process theories).

Even very young children benefit from exposure to clay. Use of clay with infants and toddlers allows for discovery of body awareness. My daughter, at around the age of six months, would start the exploration with her very curious fingers, but her exploration would quickly expand to elbows, tummy, cheeks, toes, knees- her whole body became involved in the use of the clay. We used this as an opportunity to supply her with language both about her body and about the actions each body part was engaged with - i.e. your elbows are poking into the clay and your knees are pressing the clay down and making it flat. As she has gotten older, she is now able to start describing her clay adventures with simple language such as "pinch," "pat," and "rip." As she explores, I am confident that her little fingers are building up strength and dexterity, and I know that when she is ready for strenuous fine motor tasks, she will be ready because the strength and endurance have been cultivated for a long time already.

Another benefit of using clay is that it is all-natural, straight from the river bed! While many commercial playdough companies use some less than desirable ingredients, you never have to worry about toxins while using clay. Since space is limited in New York City apartments, I recommend trying out a 5 lb block of red clay, which can easily be found on Amazon.com. Plus, if your clay starts to dry out you can simply soak it in water and bring it back to life, so you can save it for quite some time.

In terms of clay set up, I recommend just allowing children to explore the entire block of clay for the first few times. I use a canvas mat for the clay because it will not stick and makes clean up really easy. I place the mat on the floor and let my daughter go for it in whatever way she chooses. Clay is interesting and compelling all on its own, and if you are going for motor development, you want to encourage your child to use their hands to explore the clay. I find that if tools are given, children usually jump straight into manipulating the tools and do a lot less with their fingers. As they build confidence and interest, you can add wooden clay tools, a little bowl of water, and other natural elements such as pinecones and leaves.

Manipulating (squishing, squeezing, pulling, pushing, etc.) a piece of clay helps develops the child's large and small muscles - improving dexterity

Fosters eye-hand coordination.

Builds a child's ability to focus/builds attention span

Mathematical Understandings:

Fosters beginning pattern making

Builds an experiential understanding of 3-dimensional shapes

Tactical experience of size and weight differences

Builds vocabulary - pound, pinch, roll, flatten, poke, tear squeeze, coil, stretch, squash, twist, and bend

Creative storytelling with clay pieces

ADDITIONAL IDEAS FOR DEVELOPMENTAL PLAY

| Rachel McMinn is an early childhood educator at Buckle My School Preschool in Tribeca, who has taught the young 2-year-olds for almost ten years. She holds a Masters in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College and a Writing degree from Pratt Institute. She lives in Brooklyn with her infant daughter, post-production & screenwriting husband, and two attention-seeking cats.
Buckle My Shoe Facebook | Instagram

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The Importance of Clay Play | Macaroni KID Lower Manhattan - Downtown

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When you think about clay, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably not related to writing. Yet the importance of using clay in early childhood is...

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There are a number of benefits of learning art for children. Some of them include good memory skills along with emotional and mental development through self expression

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However, technology, engineering, and the arts can all take place within science (biology, physics, etc.) content and mathematics (algebra, geometry, etc.) content. For example, when a child builds a high tower during block play, she uses engineering principles that directly lead to understanding the scientific concept of gravity.

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A brochure on how to support children during block play. It also shows all the different things they are learning during block play

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This article covers a lot of interesting stuff, it has a brief history of block play, the benefits of block play, stages, and what they are learning. Some of these are brief descriptions, but they give you a good idea of the importance of block play

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Participants copy of Iowa AEYC Block Presentation 2017

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Young Albert Einstein spent a lot of time playing with blocks. It sparked his imagination and helped develop his scientific mind. Now, more than a century after his revolutionary theories of relativity were published, there’s growing evidence that playing with blocks helps young kids develop the skills needed for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

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Young Albert Einstein spent a lot of time playing with blocks. It sparked his imagination and helped develop his scientific mind.

Now, more than a century after his revolutionary theories of relativity were published, there's growing evidence that playing with blocks helps young kids develop the skills needed for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

You could buy Einstein's very own blocks, (price: $180,000 plus $3 shipping), but any ordinary set will do. Either way, your child will get the same developmental benefits.

How do blocks build STEM skills in early childhood?

There's no guarantee your little one will grow up to be a world-famous physicist, but it's not just a theory that playing with building blocks helps kids learn about things like shape, size, location, distance and direction.

Young children learn about these concepts - known as spatial awareness - through movement, exploration and play.

Block play is especially good for spatial learning because it provides opportunities for kids to move and arrange objects and see what happens. Each tower that rises and falls is an experiment in how things in the physical world relate to each other.

But it may be the language shared between children and their adult caregivers during block play that's the key. Researchers are finding that understanding spatial vocabulary - words like "above," "below," "next to," "inside," "over" and "through" - could be what fuels kid's abilities and interest in math and science later on in school. And studies show that children learn to use more spatial language when playing with blocks than when not.

Does early math matter?

Some recent studies show that spatial learning developed in block play relates to math learning as early as age 3. Could that really matter in the long run? Statistically, yes, because students who start kindergarten with stronger math skills go on to do better in elementary school math. And kids who do better in elementary school math are much more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Albert Einstein

What does all this mean for parents?

While the evidence about spatial skills and early math learning is powerful, keep in mind how young kids learn best - through play.

Yes, it's a great idea to get out the blocks and play with your little one, but don't be concerned with trying to teach. Make it fun. Talk together. Follow your child's imagination.

As Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Dan Puglisi is senior director of marketing + strategic initiatives at First Things First. Reach him at dan@firstthingsfirst.org.

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Not just a theory: Block play builds STEM skills in early childhood

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Young Albert Einstein spent a lot of time playing with blocks. It sparked his imagination and helped develop his scientific mind. Now, more than a century after his revolutionary theories of relativity were published, there's growing evidence that playing with blocks helps young kids develop the skills needed for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

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You might be surprised to learn that building blocks have been scientifically proven to build important skills. Research has shown that block play supports the development of social skills, abstract thinking, creativity, mathematical thinking, literacy and more.

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4 Essential Skills Kids Learn Playing with Blocks | Our Children

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Research has shown that block play supports the development of social skills, abstract thinking, creativity, mathematical thinking, literacy and more.

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This curriculum is designed for preschoolers, specifically 4-5 year olds. It covers all domains of development, but

focuses teaching and learning activities through a STEM lens

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Collections A STEM Focused Curriculum, Implementation Guide

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One afternoon, when my children were younger, I heard them out in the garden talking what seemed to be complete

rubbish to each other. It wasn't of course

—

they were cloud watching, and explaining what they could see.

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STEM is an acronym. It was used originally by the US government to describe fields of study that helped immigrants get work visas: science, technology, engineering, and math. Today, educators

are linking these areas together in what is called STEM curriculum.

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The aim of all preschools is to provide children with a learning experience during their early years.  In this article we will share with you a comprehensive guide to inquiry-based learning preschool lessons.

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The aim of all preschools is to provide children with a learning experience during their early years. However, the kind of learning experience and focus differ between schools. In this article we will share with you a comprehensive guide to inquiry-based learning preschool lessons

Today, most preschools are moving away from traditional learning and leaning towards child-centred learning. With this, learning methods that encourage children to think, explore and wonder have gained popularity - and these are based on inquiry-based learning.

But what exactly do learning methods that use elements of inquiry-based learning entail, and does your child's preschool practise this method?

In order to find out, we had a chat with Ms Janice Lim, Deputy Director of Curriculum & Training (Early Childhood) at MindChamps PreSchool for her professional view on inquiry-based learning and to better understand the Enquiry Teaching & Learning™ approach used at MindChamps.

Traditional Approach Vs Inquiry-Based Learning Approach in Preschools in Singapore

With a traditional approach of teaching and learning, children are made to memorise and learn by heart. The approach is teacher-centred as the teacher dispenses information while the child passively receives knowledge. Most times, there is only one right answer to the questions raised.

On the other hand, the elements of the inquiry learning approach that is applied increasingly in preschools in Singapore such as MindChamps PreSchool focuses on the child. Instead of being made to listen and absorb information one-way, the child is actively involved in the process, which helps them to develop information processing and problem-solving skills. The teacher takes on the role of a facilitator and director, allowing children to question and explore the many possibilities to one question.
Looking for the best for your child? Find out what makes a good preschool curriculum!
Is there a difference between 'Inquiry-Based Learning' and 'Enquiry Teaching and Learning™'?

The term 'Inquiry-Based Learning' is used by many preschools and childcare centres in Singapore. The word 'inquire' is usually reserved for the definition of making a formal investigation, whereas the word 'enquiry' refers to general asking.

'Enquiry Teaching and Learning™' is a unique approach that MindChamps PreSchool has developed to emphasise the focus on getting children to be curious about subject topics and ask questions that lead to an enquiry exploration.

How are lessons that use Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ conducted?

The process of lessons conducted using the Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ approach that is unique to MindChamps PreSchool take on this fashion:

1. The teachers ask questions and listen for questions from children in order to lead them into an enquiry teaching and learning process.

2. Afterwards, the teachers observe the children to find out their interests.

3. The teachers plan provocations to develop the children's thinking skills, inventiveness and reflectiveness after the children explore the ideas in the lessons. Provocations can be materials, objects, books, photos, drawings, nature specimens, questions that develop a sense of curiosity in children and stimulate ideas, imagination and initiative.

4. Then, the teachers conduct a brainstorming session to find out what children already know as well as what they want to know.

5. Next, the teachers plan activities for the children's integrated enquiry teaching and learning experiences that are integrated with the sensory, motor, intellectual, linguistic, emotional and social elements for holistic learning and development.

More on lessons conducted using the Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ A pproach

Ms Lim shares more on how teachers at MindChamps PreSchool plan the learning activities for children.

"Our teachers plan the learning activities to be carried out on a weekly basis. They will see that the planned activities that include the S.M.I.L.E.S.™ elements (Sensory, Motor, Intellectual, Linguistic, Emotional and Social) meet the interests and learning needs of different children. These activities will involve hands-on experiential and experimental exploration for children to investigate and discover".
Are bigger childcare centres really better? Find out now!
Examples of lessons conducted in MindChamps PreSchool that use the Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ Approach:

Sensorial Play: exploring with paints, playdough, sensory bin, colour squeezy bag, texture exploration with rice, coloured sand, etc.

Fine-motor Activities: feather tip salt tray writing, letter formation using shaving foam, etc.

Exploration of a science concept: balloon race cars, discovery bottles, mixing colours, cornstarch slime, etc.

Hands-on Math Activities: counting bears, sorting jelly beans, shape wheel, graphing transportation, estimating with water, dice and number game, sorting number stickers, etc.

Language and Literacy Activities: letter hunt, alphabet rocks, recycled scrabble play, word families with a ping-pong ball, mini alphabet sensory bins, crocodile circle, show-and-tell, etc.

Art & Craft Activities: exploration using different art mediums and techniques

Social-Emotional Activities: feelings identification, Emoji feeling faces, emotion matching game, puppet play, social skills building games, etc.

How Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ results in continuous learning

At the end of the experience, teachers will lead a class discussion and reflection based on the children's interest, curiosity and questions posed as well as what they have discovered. They discuss the investigation process, share findings and make comparisons from previous knowledge and theories. A comparison is made to reflect the information known before and after investigation.

Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ lessons are conducted in small groups which means that teachers can address the questions that result from learning. These questions can then be further investigated and even led to another process. In addition, as children are given the opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced along the way as well as how they resolved them, the importance of problem-solving and collaboration will become second nature to them.
"My kindergartener is memorising books instead of reading them. Should I be worried?"
Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ is an active learning approach where children are responsible for their own learning. The approach promotes collaborative learning and takes into account the perspective of others, teaching them to be mindful of their peers while learning and discovering at their own pace.

Ms Lim adds that "Learning is fun and meaningful. It encourages lifelong learning and equips children with the skills to ask purposeful questions and problem solve using various strategies."
Written by Jamie Koh
Want to find out what our preschoolers get up to during lessons at MindChamps PreSchool?
Book a centre visit now!

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The Ultimate Guide to Preschool Lessons That Are Inspired By Inquiry-Based Learning

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The aim of all preschools is to provide children with a learning experience during their early years. However, the kind of learning experience and focus differ between schools. In this article we will share with you a comprehensive guide to inquiry-based learning preschool lessons Today, most preschools are moving away from traditional learning and leaning towards child-centred learning.

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Inquiry-based learning is not a new technique—in fact, it goes back to education philosopher John Dewey—but it does stand in contrast to the more structured, curriculum-centered framework of today’s schools.

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This study of balls will offer children opportunities to investigate objects

from many different perspectives. They will explore important concepts

of physical science and social studies as they observe, gather data, explore

their community, and meet interesting people.

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This article has projects that have to do with things involving trees such as leaves, twigs, etc and how to expand on these projects. It also discusses what sort of learning objectives could be reached.

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in early childhood settings, teachers may not listen for them, seize upon them, and build on them. When teachers do pay attention, these authentic events can spark emergent curriculum that builds on children’s interests.

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The Plan Building on Children's Interests

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Children are natural explorers, ready to touch, taste, smell, look at, and listen to all the things around them. Everywhere that children go, they are curious about what they see and do.

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Investigation & Discovery (3 - 5 yrs.)
Before Watching
Children are natural explorers, ready to touch, taste, smell, look at, and listen to all the things around them. Everywhere that children go, they are curious about what they see and do. This curiosity leads to questions that can spark important exploration and learning, especially in math and science.

Science is the study of the natural world and the process of finding out about the world and how everything in it works. Math includes exploring numbers, quantity, space, patterns, and relationships. Math is a problem-solving process.

Opportunities for science and math learning are all around us; for example, when a child wants to investigate the water coming out of the faucet, the snow tracked in on her winter boots, or the cereal floating in her bowl. Routine occurrences like these are natural opportunities for parents and caregivers to help their children to discover and explore with all of their senses.

By showing your child how math and science are part of everyday experiences, you convey that math and science are important and exciting. By supporting your child's curiosity and helping her to ask questions, look for answers, make observations, and explore with all her senses, you show your child that that she can think like a mathematician and scientist. You also help her to develop important skills for future learning. Children who are confident questioners, explorers, and problem-solvers will arrive at school with many of the tools necessary to thrive.

In this video you'll meet children from four families:

Kendra (age 3) as she takes a walk with her family.

Cora (age 4) and her sister Pepper (age 2) as they explore ramps.

Joaquin (age 4) and his older brother Tariq (age 12) as they build block structures.

Marli (age 3) as she cooks with her mom.

Watch as these children explore math and science at home and on-the-go.
After Watching
A World of Science and Math. In the video, you saw children building math and science skills through hands-on experiences. Kendra explored leaves during a walk outside, Tariq and Joaquin investigated balance as they built with blocks, and Marli and her mother made math a part of their meal preparation.

You also saw Cora and Pepper's mother further engage them in their ramp explorations by asking questions such as "What do you think will happen when we roll this ball down the ramp?"

Where else in the video did the parents use questions to help spark investigation?

What are some questions that have encouraged your child to investigate?

Try This. Pose a daily math or science question that you and your child can investigate as you are out and about. You might ask, "What do you think would happen to our shadows if we stand under that tree?" Or, "Which object do you think will roll fastest down this slide? Why do you think that? Let's find out!"

Sparking Science. In the video, parents used their children's interests to spark science investigation. Kendra's parents know she loves being outside, so they went on a walk to explore leaves. Your child will be most excited to explore what she is interested in. By building science investigations out of her interests you encourage deep and lasting learning.

Try This. Give your child an investigation kit. In a box or bag put string, a plastic bag, a magnifying glass, paper, a ruler, and crayons. Demonstrate how to use any tools that your child is unfamiliar with. Encourage your child to use these tools to investigate something that interests her indoors or outdoors. She might measure the trunk of a tree with the string, dig in the dirt, use the magnifying glass to inspect a leaf, and then draw pictures that illustrate her investigations.

Making Math Meaningful. In the video, Marli explores numbers, shapes, and measurement as she makes a pizza with her mom. Through this experience she learns that math is a part of mealtime. When math is connected to children's real world experiences, it takes on far more meaning to them. Children are eager to learn more about math when they see just how important it is.

Try This. Use math words or "math talk" as you are out and about with your child. Math talk includes words that describe size and weight, words that describe shape, and words that describe how many or how much. At the post office you might discuss the size and shape of a stamp, on a walk you might count your steps or discuss which building is the tallest. At home you might ask your child to tell you how many crackers are on his plate. Hearing and using math words will help your child understand the math that happens in school and in real life.

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Before Watching Children are natural explorers, ready to touch, taste, smell, look at, and listen to all the things around them. Everywhere that children go, they are curious about what they see and do. This curiosity leads to questions that can spark important exploration and learning, especially in math and science.

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These are fun activities for preschool age children to keep them interested in learning all while having fun. This also is a great way to introduce them to world of science.

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Every day is a new opportunity for toddlers to ask "Why?" over and over. Tap into that curiosity with these fun and engaging preschool science experiments and activities. They are easy to set up since most require little more than items you likely already have at home. These experiments incorporate many young children's favorite activities like playing with bubbles or water, making arts and crafts, and, of course, making a mess!

(We Are Teachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Try this "The Floor Is Lava" STEM challenge

While you might not want pre-K kids climbing all over the classroom furniture to play "The Floor Is Lava," they can do the same thing with their toys in this cute STEM challenge!

Learn more: Forward With Fun

2. Surround kids with an oversized bubble

Kids (and let's face it, adults too) will definitely get a kick out of this fun science experiment. While you'll only need a hard-shell kiddie pool, some dish soap, and a Hula-Hoop to make this a reality, the payoff will be big. If you're doing this inside, we recommend a step stool too so kids can avoid getting covered in bubble solution!

Learn more: Make and Takes

3. Watch rice dance in water

There are lots of cool baking-soda-and-vinegar experiments out there ( ever made your own volcano?), but this one is always a favorite with little ones. The acid-base reaction causes the rice to dance and jump around in the water for an effect that is just so cool!

Learn more: Green Kid Crafts

4. Reveal colors with chemical reactions

Preschool science experiments often include a combination of baking-soda-and-vinegar like this one. Fill muffin tins with a drop of food coloring, then top it with baking soda. Finally, let kids squirt in vinegar to reveal fabulous foamy hues!

Learn more: Busy Toddler

5. Build a catapult

Challenge students to build a catapult using just three items: Popsicle sticks, elastics, and a plastic spoon. You'll definitely want to have an extra set of adult hands available as this can prove challenging for pre-K kids. Finally, bring plenty of marshmallows or pom-poms to launch!

Learn more: Education.com

6. Discover strength in shapes

Learn shapes while also practicing some basic science. Fold paper into various shapes to form columns and ask kids to predict which will be able to support the most books.

Learn more: All for the Boys

7. See what sinks and what floats

We love this experiment since kids always enjoy playing around in water. This preschool science activity helps them learn to construct a hypothesis, conduct a simple experiment, and then sort their findings by property.

Learn more: Fun With Mama

8. Grow grass in an eggshell

What's more fun than a preschool science experiment that doubles as a craft? You'll need eggs, soil, grass seeds, water, and a permanent marker to bring this project to life. Kids will especially love personalizing their eggshell. Finally, let kids check on their egg friends every day to see the progress their hair is making!

Learn more: Mother Natured

9. Learn what dissolves in water

Engage in more water play by having kids predict which items will dissolve in water and which ones won't. Have kids keep track of the results so they can see if they have anything in common.

Learn more: Hands On as We Grow

10. Build an aluminum foil boat

Teach kids about buoyancy and physics while having fun in the process. First, give your students some tinfoil and challenge them to build a sturdy boat. Then, challenge them to fill the boat with as many pennies as they can without it sinking.

Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands

11. Watch hot water rise and cold water sink

This early exploration into the concept of density is always impressive to see in action. Have kids discover how hot water rises and cold water sinks. Explain that the same applies to air, and see if kids can think of a way to observe that in action too.

Learn more: Mombrite

12. Grow a paper towel rainbow

"Capillary action" might be a real mouthful for preschool science students, but they don't need to remember the term to be impressed by this experiment! All you need are markers, a paper towel, and two glasses of water.

Learn more: Mombrite

13. Show why sunscreen is important

This experiment would be best suited for summer, although it could still work other times of the year. First, have your students make four construction-paper people each with varying conditions. Have one wrapped in plastic wrap, another covered in sunscreen, put a hat on one and a set of sunglasses on another. Finally, have students hypothesize what will happen when they are left in the sun.

Learn more: 123Homeschool4me

14. Engage in some shadow science

Despite the cold temperatures, kids will still enjoy getting outside to experiment with shadows. These adorable animal puppets are so cute, and the kids will have a blast putting on a shadow puppet show.

Learn more: Little Bin for Little Hands

15. Mix up some "magic" milk

A drop or two of dish soap will make food coloring dance and swirl across the surface of a shallow bowl of milk. Preschool science experiments often seem like magic, but this one is all about surface tension and chemical reactions.

Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn

16. See how easily germs spread

We love a preschool science experiment that reminds little ones of the importance of good handwashing. Help them see why it's so important with this simple experiment that uses glitter to stand in for germs.

17. Experiment with wax paper

You'll need wax paper, glossy white paper, a spray bottle filled with food coloring, a plastic bin, and also an iron and ironing board to complete this experiment. Equally engaging from an art or science perspective, kids will have fun seeing the ways in which the wax paper creates a pattern when sprayed with color.

Learn more: Housing a Forest

18. Predict and observe what will melt in the sun

You'll need a hot sunny day for this preschool science experiment. Help students choose a variety of items to place into a muffin tin and have them predict which ones will melt. Set the tin out in the sun for an hour or two, then bring it in and record your results.

Learn more: Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls

19. Build an apple toothpick tower

Put a healthy spin on a classic STEM challenge by substituting apple pieces for marshmallows. Kids will have a tasty snack when they're done!

Learn more: Preschool Powol Packets

20. Make shaving cream rain clouds

This is a classic science activity every kid should try at least once. It helps them understand how clouds become so saturated with water that they must release it in the form of rain.

Learn more: One Little Project

21. Drop balls to introduce friction

Gravity can be a complicated subject, but all pre-K kids need to understand the basics. Drop balls of all sizes to discover that they all fall in the exact same way.

Learn more: Inspiration Laboratories

22. Head to the playground to explore gravity and friction

What goes up must come down! A playground slide is the perfect place to help kids understand gravity. This is a good chance to learn about friction too.

Learn more: Buggy and Buddy

23. Test objects with magnets

Magnets are undeniably a source of fascination for kids. At this stage, you can worry less about explaining how magnets work and instead just let kids explore which items are attracted to magnets and which aren't. Have them sort the items into categories, then see if the items have anything in common.

Learn more: PreKinders

24. See sound waves in action

This series of simple experiments lets kids see sound waves at work. Start by making waves with a Slinky, then move on to tuning forks and bouncing confetti.

Learn more: Hands On Teaching Ideas

25. Make an orange volcano

Since making erupting volcanoes is a staple of any childhood, we would be remiss not to include this fun and simple one made from an orange. In addition to the orange, you'll also need baking soda and vinegar.

Learn more: The Art Kit Blog

26. Grow delicious rock candy crystals

While crystal experiments are a hit with kids of any age, this one is perfect for the pre-K crowd. It requires a little patience, but kids get to eat the yummy results!

Learn more: Growing a Jeweled Rose

27. Move pom-poms with air pressure

Understanding the idea that air can have enough force to move objects can be a little challenging, but this simple experiment brings that concept to life. We love that this experiment is affordable since most people (especially teachers) have these materials at home.

Learn more: Kids Activities Blog

28. Blow bubble towers

There are lots of fun science activities you can do with bubbles to explore concepts like surface tension. Or you can just have a blast seeing who can make the tallest tower with bubbles and straws!

Learn more: Happy Hooligans

29. Make a balance scale

This simple balance scale is so easy to make yet provides endless opportunities for weighing all kinds of objects. Have kids assemble a scale from a plastic hanger, a few paper cups, and some string, then let them hypothesize which items will be heavier and which will be lighter.

Learn more: Go Science Kids

30. Make pretend snow

Since there are multiple ways to make fake snow, choose the one that best fits what's in your cabinet. This is an especially fun experiment to do with young kids during the winter months.

Learn more: Elf on the Shelf

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30 Simple and Fun Preschool Science Experiments and Activities

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Tap into the curiosity of young minds with these preschool science experiments and activities. Make rice dance, build apple towers, and more!