Quick Insight:
Mommy and Daddy, if you've noticed how much I enjoy hiding under a blanket or putting toys in areas where they can't be seen, you've witnessed the enveloping schema in action. Because I'm fascinated in how things appear and change, this section of my play depicts how I explore the environment by hiding and finding objects.
How to Understand Enveloping Schemas
The enveloping schema is different from the enclosing schema because it focuses on hiding things from view completely. This gives me a new way to interact with my surroundings. It helps me improve my thinking and spatial awareness and feeds my interest in mysteries and the magic of "disappearance and reappearance."
Five Things to Do to Help with the Enveloping Schema
Toddler Hide-and-Seek: Play hide-and- seek easily using a light scarf or blanket. Covering my head and then displaying myself, or covering my head and then finding myself, helps me to understand object permanence and the delight of discovery.
Posting and Discovering Toys: Use toys that are made for putting things in and getting them out, like a puzzle coin box from tinyvers. Seeing things disappear and then reappear helps me understand cause and effect and improves my fine motor skills at the same time.
Unwrapping Mystery Objects: Get me to take things out of their paper or fabric wrapping. This not only makes me happy when I find familiar things by surprise, but it also lets me explore by touching things.
Hidden Treasures in Laundry Baskets: In a washing basket, hide small toys by putting clothes or tissue on top of them. I like digging into the basket for this project because it makes me learn about the properties of different materials and find hidden things.
Sensory Bin Adventures: Put little items for me to cover and locate in a sensory container loaded with sand, dried lentils, or something else. This engaging game simultaneously helps me explore my senses and sharpens my fine motor skills.
Why Embracing Schema Play is a Good Idea
The games that fill my schema are more than just hide-and-seek fun for me. They also help me grow in big ways. I get a better sense of space and my senses, and these things make me more creative. They also help me understand the idea of object permanence. Thanks for letting me play this way. It helps my natural interest and lets me learn in a fun, active way.