PART 3-How to best present Treasure Baskets and heuristic Play
Both of these types of play take place on the floor. Practitioners will need to find an appropriate place for this types of play. Treasure baskets items should be placed in a low basket, most settings use wicker baskets as they give that natural feel. Ideally the basket should be lower enough for the child to reach into the basket to choose an object.
If you find you don’t have an ideal basket you could just place them on the floor in an inviting and attracting manner. Treasure baskets can be for both babies who need support to sit up or for those that can sit unaided. For the babies that need support ensure that that are supported in a safe manner and that there are no corners or places to fall into.
When arranging the items either in the basket or on the floor think about how you are presenting, ask your self whether you would want to play with them? Don’t over load the baskets, some settings offer children the choice of a couple of different treasure baskets at the same time, this can have its benefits as children may choose items from each basket to explore further.
Heuristic play requires more space than treasure basket play, this allows children to further explore the resources. Look at how you arrange the objects, ensure you are offering duplicate objects as children always love to repeat their actions.Groups objects together and present them in an attractive manner, children will be attracted to this type of play if they see something that intrigues them.
Heuristic play can take place indoors and outdoors, therefore don’t forget to add this onto your outdoor planning and find an ideal place outdoors to set this up.
PART 4 – Getting the most out of treasure baskets