Sustainable benefits of heuristic play


At Tops, sustainability is embedded in everyday practice, and heuristic play provides an excellent example of how meaningful learning does not require expensive resources.


Many of the most engaging play experiences can be created using recycled materials, natural treasures collected during walks, fabric offcuts or household items that might otherwise be discarded. When children discover that a cardboard tube can become a telescope, a microphone or part of an imaginative world, they begin to understand that creativity is not limited by what we buy, it grows through what we imagine. This not only reduces waste but also encourages children to value the resources around them and develop environmentally responsible attitudes from an early age.


TOp Tips from Tops - how


to embody heuristic play in your seTing


Follow the child’s lead - There is no right or wrong way to use heuristic resources. Allow children to explore freely and resist the urge to show them what to do.


Less is more - Offer a small selection of objects rather than overwhelming children with too many choices. Rotate resources regularly to maintain interest.


Pause before stepping in - Give children time to think, problem-solve and test their own ideas before offering support.


Ask, don’t tell - Encourage deeper thinking through open-ended questions rather than providing answers.


Think sustainably - Collect natural materials, cardboard tubes, fabric offcuts, wooden spoons, shells and other everyday objects that might otherwise be thrown away such as old kitchen appliances, household phones or old plates and cups.


Observe the learning - Watching how children use resources can help inspire future invitations to play and support meaningful planning.


Creating curious learners


Children learn best when they are actively involved in their own discoveries. Heuristic play encourages children to explore, question, test ideas and learn through trial and error without fear of getting something wrong.


It also reminds us that meaningful learning often happens in the simplest moments. As early years expert Tina Bruce highlighted, children need time to revisit experiences, follow their interests and become deeply engaged in play. When we provide open-ended resources and uninterrupted time to explore them, children return with new ideas, greater confidence and increasingly complex thinking.


Top Talks - The podcast


Discover more practical ideas and evidence- informed discussions by listening to the Tops Talks podcast, where the team explore early years topics with experts from across the sector.


Episodes are available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Audible.


Sophie Scan to


learn more!


Shop Little Learners products and more at ypo.co.uk/earlyyears


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