Are you a new parent with a young baby looking for ways to stimulate their learning and development? Look no further than heuristic play! Heuristic play is a form of play that involves providing babies with a range of natural and everyday objects to explore and discover. It's a great way to promote their curiosity, sensory awareness, and problem-solving skills. In this blog, we'll guide you through the steps to set up a heuristic play space in your home.

Step 1: Choose the Right Space

First things first, choose a quiet space in your home that is free from "traffic" - a space where people and animals won't need to step over to get past. This creates a safe and secure environment for your little one to explore. A corner in your living space is ideal. Make sure the space is easily supervised, away from potential hazards such as furniture that may fall on your child, and comfortable for both you and your baby.

Step 2: Create a Comfortable Play Space

Once you've found the perfect spot, it's time to create a comfortable play space for your little one. Place a soft blanket or rug on the floor to give warmth and comfort while also defining the space intended for play. This will let your child know that this is their "yes" space, where they are free to explore and discover. A nice soft blanket works well on carpet, or a rug if you have wooden floors.

Step 3: Gather Loose Parts

Now it's time to gather some loose parts for your baby to explore. Loose parts are everyday objects that can be found around your home or outdoors, such as wooden spoons, metal cups, pinecones, and seashells. You can either leave them in the cotton bag they came in or place them in a low, sturdy basket made from a natural material, with a flat bottom. This makes it easy for your baby to access and explore them.

Step 4: Invite Your Baby to Explore

With your play space set up and your loose parts gathered, it's time to invite your baby to explore. For a baby who is sitting, simply having the bag or basket available is enough to spark their curiosity. Sit beside them and discover alongside your child as they explore the contents. Let your baby lead the play, while you observe and are present and available to them. Use descriptive language to describe what they are experiencing - soft, smooth, rough, shiny, hard, bumpy, flat, round, squishy.

For a non-mobile baby, place a few objects on either side of their upper body, close enough for them to reach out and grab, but far enough away to encourage them to move their head from side to side, kick their legs and stretch their arms. You can also sit beside your baby and offer different objects to them to hold.

Step 5: Enjoy the Learning

Most importantly, enjoy this time with your little one! Take it slow and soak up the wonder that is their learning. Always supervise your baby while they are exploring with their heuristic set, especially if they like to mouth objects. Remember, this is all part of their learning, but safety always comes first.

Heuristic play is an excellent way to promote your little ones curiosity, sensory awareness, and problem-solving skills. By following these simple steps, you can create a safe and comfortable space for your baby to explore, learn, and grow. So what are you waiting for? Grab some loose parts, set up a play space, and watch your little one's creativity and imagination come to life! You can even create your own bespoke heuristic set here or purchase one of our curated sets here.

Happy playing! x