Schematic Play in the Early Years and How to Support It

Schematic play is the repeated actions and patterns of behaviour, such as throwing, carrying, spinning or hiding, that young children use to explore an idea that interests them and make sense of the world around them. In nurseries and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) settings, good outdoor play gives children the time, space and freedom to follow these patterns.

To an adult, schematic play can look repetitive. To the child, the repetition is the point: it is how they test and understand an idea. Below we explain the main schemas, the levels children move through, how practitioners can support them and how early years playground markings can help.

What is schematic play in the early years?

Schematic play in the early years is the way young children explore ideas through repeated actions, returning to the same movement or game again and again until they understand it, and the EYFS years are the best time to support it.

The patterns, called schemas, vary from child to child and are shaped by both biology and the child's social and cultural world. One child might spend every playtime throwing things, while another lines up, carries or wraps everything in reach. Each is learning about the world in their own way, and children learn a great deal when they are allowed to follow these patterns freely.

What are the most common schemas in children's play?

The most common schemas in children's play are trajectory, transporting, containing, enveloping and rotating, and each one shows up as a recognisable kind of repeated action that practitioners can spot and plan for.

• Trajectory schema: moving things, or themselves, through space, such as throwing, dropping, running back and forth or following lines. Target games, throwing lines and trails give this a purpose.
• Transporting schema: carrying objects from one place to another, often in bags, buckets or other containers. Roadways and trails give children routes to carry things along.
• Containing schema: putting things inside containers, or getting inside enclosed spaces themselves. Mazes, circles and grids give clear spaces to be inside or outside of.
• Enveloping schema: covering or wrapping themselves or objects, for example in blankets, tents or dens.
• Rotating schema: spinning, turning and rolling, both their bodies and objects. Spirals, circular designs, clock markings and roundabouts on roadways suit this schema well.

What are the four levels of schematic play?

The four levels of schematic play are sensorimotor, symbolic, functional dependency and abstract thought, a sequence described by the early years researcher Chris Athey that shows how children move from exploring through movement to explaining ideas in words.

• Level 1, sensorimotor: children learn through actions, movement and their senses. These multi-sensory experiences teach them about their environment and about themselves.
• Level 2, symbolic: children use one thing to stand for another. This is pretend play or make-believe, and young children often use the markings around them as part of their imaginative games.
• Level 3, functional dependency: children apply what they have learned to new situations. They begin to understand that an object can be used in several ways, and they start to grasp cause and effect between different objects.
• Level 4, abstract thought: children show their understanding by talking about and describing events and experiences. They use their knowledge to develop their own ideas and use language to share their thoughts and feelings.

Outdoor play gives children chances to work at every level, and the same playground marking can support a child moving, pretending, experimenting or explaining depending on where they are.

How can early years practitioners support schematic play?

Early years practitioners support schematic play best by observing children without interfering, giving them enough time and freedom to repeat their play, offering support when it is needed and providing open-ended resources that match the schemas they see.

• Observe first. Watch what a child keeps returning to before stepping in. The repetition tells you which schema they are exploring.
• Give time and freedom. Children need long enough periods of play to repeat an action until they are satisfied, without being moved on.
• Offer support when asked. Help with a problem or extend an idea, but let the child lead.
• Create a nurturing environment. Children need to feel safe and confident to explore their own thoughts and ideas.
• Provide open-ended, inspiring spaces. Games and spaces that capture children's attention and can be used in many ways encourage them to spend longer outdoors in both group and independent play.

Parents can use the same approach at home, and sharing what you notice with families helps them understand why their child keeps doing the same thing.

How do early years playground markings support schematic play?

Early years playground markings support schematic play by giving children an open-ended outdoor resource that encourages spontaneous activity, leaves plenty of space to move and invites them to come back to the same repetitive games day after day.

The markings we install for nurseries and EYFS classes include clock markings, traditional playground games, maze playground markings, number grids, targets, trails, mile tracks, roadways and phonics. Our wider range of educational playground markings adds counting, letters and shapes that children can explore on their own. For children who learn best through their senses, our sensory playground markings add colour, pattern and texture.

Bright colours and friendly characters draw young children in and encourage them to spend more time playing outside. Our thermoplastic markings are non-toxic and non-slip, so they are suitable for small children even in wet weather, and they can be laid on tarmac, asphalt, concrete and macadam. For more on planning the whole space, see our guide to EYFS playground design.

How do we plan a schematic play area for a nursery or school?

Our team plans a schematic play area for a nursery or school through a free consultation, in-house design and installation, working with you to choose markings that suit your children, your space, your curriculum and your budget.

Our DBS-checked team will visit you anywhere in the UK to look at your playground and talk through your ideas, and we can show you previous nursery projects for inspiration. Our in-house graphics team designs every marking and can add your own logo and colours or create thermoplastic playground markings around your curriculum. We work on both large and small playgrounds and plan each one to make the most of the space.

• We provide detailed quotes to help you plan and can suggest the most cost-effective layout for a set budget.
• We can guide you through playground funding and grants if you need help paying for a new playground.
• We can remove and replace old or faded markings.
• Markings carry a manufacturer's warranty of up to 4 years, subject to ground condition, and we have seen them last over 10 years.
• All our thermoplastic markings are ready to use within 30 minutes of application.

To talk about supporting schematic play in your setting, call 0333 321 6699 or email [email protected] and we will be in touch as soon as possible.