Sally Featherstone has a wealth of experience as a teacher, head teacher and a local authority advisor and inspector. In recent years, alongside her activities in publishing, Sally has continued to build a national reputation as a trainer and consultant in the Primary and Early Years field.

Heuristic Play is a tightly described, but freely accessed activity, using a specific range of 'found' or everyday objects, and, in its pure sense, is only really applicable to a specific age range (from 12 months to about two and a half).

However, there is now plenty of evidence that heuristic play has continuing value for children throughout the Foundation Stage and well into the primary years. Collections of objects, carefully selected and offered in both adult-led and child-initiated sessions, indoors and outside, can build on the experience of treasure baskets

In this informative and helpful book you will find further information on the process of using both treasure baskets and heuristic play with babies and young children. You will also find chapters which explore the benefits of heuristic play with objects for children throughout the early years from six months to seven years. Of course, the materials, the provision and the adult role will develop and change as children mature, so this book also gives guidance on how heuristic play itself should change to meet the needs of children at different stages of development.

This is a useful resource for those wanting to introduce heuristic play and for those who are alredy familiar with is and want to expand its use in their setting.

This is a comprehensive guide to the theory behind treasure baskets as an approach and offers lots of information linking theory to practice. This would be a good read for anyone studying childcare in search of a more in-depth look at the approach.

Whether you are looking to further develop heuristic play in your setting, introduce it for the first time or explore the theory underlying this intriguing play activity, this book would make an invaluable addition to your reference library.

Is it time we stopped seeing boys as losers, with later development and a consequent certainty of failing in the current curriculum? This book will explore what boys are good at, and how we can help them to become more resilient and successful at school and in their future lives.