Understanding play schemas

2. Objectives:
• Describe typical toddler Behaviors.
• Define play schemas and their
connection to toddler behavior.
• Create a toddler “yes” space to
support toddlers

3. A Toddler’s Job is to:
• Make sense of the world
• Understand how everything
works

4. Background
1923 – Piaget used the term schema and schemata in The Theory of
Cognitive Development to describe how children gather, analyze and
store information about the world
symbolic
Operational
Behavioral (this is the play)
1932 Frederick Bartlett referred to ‘schemas’ in his study of memory
and storing information
1970’s Chris Athey (f) developed Piaget’s theories into what we
understand as play schemas.

6. Play Schemas
• There are dozens of schema behaviors, but most can be sorted
into 9 categories.
• Repetitive play behaviors
• Natural, uncontrollable, and necessary
• Forge connections in the brain-building brain architecture
• Link to STEM
• Cannot be replaced with instruction
• Often viewed as testing, but it is important work being done by the
child.

8. Orientation
•The urge to hang upside down,
climb, or view a different vantage
point.
Behaviors:
Climbing on furniture
Getting under tables
• Safe, large blocks or stools
to climb on
• Outdoors- logs, climbing
equipment, low boulders
• Binoculars, telescopes,
magnifying glasses, things
to look through

9. Positioning
• Lining things up and ordering.
• Alphabet blocks
• Pegboards
• Nesting cups/boxes
• Stacking rings
• Loose parts/collections

10. Trajectory
• Throwing objects, exploring how
things move through space.
Behaviors:
Throwing everything,
Jumping off things and running.
• Soft balls, for throwing and kicking
• Beach balls
• Scarves
• Bean bags
• Chasing bubbles

11. Connection
• Joining things together and
taking them apart.
• Large Lego blocks
• Trains
• Snap blocks
• Sticking paper to contact
paper
• Tearing paper
• Building towers and knocking
them down

12. Transporting
•Carrying things with hands or
buckets and moving them about.
• Baskets with handles for
moving objects
• Purses, small-handled bags
• Large jugs filled with sand or
water to move
• Pushing toys
• Small wagons, shopping
carts, doll strollers
• Loose parts for moving

13. Enclosure/ Containing
• Filling and emptying containers.
Getting themselves into tight
spaces.
• Loose parts for filling
containers
• Baskets and boxes
• Large boxes, Baskets to climb
into
• Tunnel to crawl into
• Sensory play- filling cups and
containers, pouring

14. Rotation
• Spinning, playing with
circular objects, anything
that moves around.
• Unscrewing lids
• Water wheels in water play
• Stirring
• Tires on the playground
• Hula hoops
• Turning keys and locks
• Train tracks in circles
• Moving in circles

15. Enveloping
•Wrapping objects in fabric or
covering self with a blanket.
• Scarves
• Fabric
• Small blankets
• Build forts
• Parachute play
• Peek A Boo
• Hiding objects under fabric

16. Transformation
• Mixing materials together, such
as flour and water, mixing food
with food.
Behaviors:
Spitting out chewed food
Dipping food into their water cup
Mixing paints and art materials
rather than using them to paint
• Sand, mud, and soil for
mixing
• Investigate how substances
such as mud and water
interact
• Create potions
• Stir, whisk, and pour

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