ABSTRACT
Heuristic play with objects, there can be no effective and satisfactory work without play; there can be no sound and wholesome thought without play. Heuristic play has become an important part of Elinor's legacy to early year's practitioners. Heuristic learning is defined in Oxford Dictionary as system of education under which the pupil is trained to find out things for himself. The word heuristic means allowing or assisting to discover or proceeding to a solution by trial and error. Heuristic play is an approach and not a prescription. It is important that staff understand the purpose and thinking behind this type of play, that it is intended to enrich and not to replace the work that they are already doing. Children need time to consider how they will play with the material. The role of the adult is to give unobtrusive attention, and, as with the Treasure Basket, the concentration that the children show makes talking superfluous.
