Our approach
at Puddleducks
We are super excited to have joined the Curiosity Approach Accreditation in February 2023.
Much of what we already did at Puddleducks links into the Curiosity Approach. It fully supports our ethos and
values on what we want children to experience during their early years and how we want them to experience it.
We are using the accreditation to continue to reflect on our current practice and environment and make changes
to further support the children. To encourage them to grow their self-esteem, embrace their uniqueness and
value themselves and others as individuals.
We have created a homely environment brimming with treasures that promote awe and wonder whilst having the familiar feel of home where they can snuggle up in a cosy corner. It guides the children to be curious, have fun and make a difference, to not just see an everyday item, but to understand that it is an object of curiosity, with its own mystery and story potential, which is bound only by the children’s imagination.
As such we have a wealth of authentic materials and loose parts for the children to explore, from doorknobs to wood slices, china tea sets, ornaments, wheels, instruments and measuring scales to name only a few!
The biggest thing parents/carers notice is we have very little plastic or traditional ‘toys’, this is a deliberate choice of ours. We live in a fast-paced world where technology does everything for us, one push of a button and the task is complete. Manufacturers of toys now produce toys and equipment for children to entertain themselves. Children are able to push a button and become entertained by the flashing lights and sounds giving them immediate satisfaction. This leaves little room for active engagement, problem solving, critical thinking or curiousness.
Many traditional toys have only one use, for example a plastic rocket is likely to only ever be exactly that....a rocket, this limits the children’s imagination, curbs their curiosity and allows for very little awe and wonder. Instead, we provide a vast range of loose parts for them to embrace their imagination and curiosity. They will use all different resources to make a rocket instead, or maybe they will make a pizza, or a house or even a submarine. For us the value of this type of play and learning is so much more valuable, they use a much wider array of vocabulary, it opens up so many more opportunities for learning, encourages team work and so much more. It truly is amazing to watch.
Plastic tends to all feel very similar to each other and when you drop/throw it, it tends to bounce with very little consequence, which doesn’t teach the children about precious materials. With plastic their play tends to be more heavy handed, as naturally they don’t need to be careful as it rarely breaks. When the children are playing with a pink plastic tea set (as many are still unfortunately very stereotypically pink) and play food once they are finished with it, it is dropped on the floor, left and they move on to the next toy. Like the plastic rocket mentioned above play food is very similar, a fried egg is normally only ever a fried egg, a bunch of grapes, is a bunch of grapes, this limits children's imagination and therefore the way they play.
So at Puddleducks we do things a little differently, we provide authentic materials such as china tea sets, the children realise how heavy things are, build up different muscles (the muscles they will later use to do things such as writing), learn the consequences of what happens when you drop something or throw it.... it breaks. The children’s play very quickly becomes far more meaningful, respectful, caring and they feel trusted and empowered as we have allowed and trusted them to play with something they consider precious. By adding loose parts, such as a small carpet slice, it can become toast, or a wrap, or pizza, or Idli. A fir cone becomes a bag of chips, a wooden ring turns into a pineapple slice, a crisp, a noodle!! The conversations suddenly flourish, and they are learning different vocabulary than if they were playingwith a plastic tea set. We all know how tricky it can be to pour from a tea pot without the lid falling off, it’s a skill and one many of our children learn independently through their play.
Have you ever been surprised at how many hours children can play with a simple item such as a cardboard box. Been astonished that when you've given them a present they seem more enthralled with the box it came in than the toy itself! This is because children usually prefer things that stimulates their curiosity and gives them freedom to be creative and let their imaginative minds run free. Puddleducks is brimming with loose parts in every area of the setting from the woodlands to the home corner, to let the children do just that. Loose parts can be used on their own where they can be moved, lined up, carried, redesigned, created into a master piece or combined with other items as mentioned above. Loose parts come with no set rule or instruction
so they can be turned into whatever the children desire. They become a great opportunity for conversations, interactions and encourage the children to work together with endless possibilities.
You may have noticed that when children play with modern toys, once the sole purpose has been achieved, children often tire of playing with it and are ready to move on. The challenge is no longer there however with loose parts it provides infinite play opportunities. A stick can be a walking stick, a spoon to stir delights in the mud kitchen, a magic wand, a horn on a rhino, an implement to measure, a fishing rod, something to jump over, a useful tool for plants to grown on, the list is endless.
We also fully embrace nature, not only in our wonderful outside environment. We bring the outside in, this is done in many different ways, from branches hang from the ceiling to lots of house plants which the children learn to explore and care for. All of which provide a soft and calming feel.
Puddleducks is not only about the setting and the environment. Our amazing dedicated team has a very important role to play knowing the right times to become more involved in the children's play and when its right to stand back and allow the children to engage and develop their fundamental skills.
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The Curiosity Approach have a wonderful Facebook page and Instagram account… ‘The Curiosity Approach’ which you can see lots of ideas and theories behind the approach.