Connecting Schema: Schema Play in Toddlers, Learning Through Play, Educational Toys – Shumee

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Do you often find your toddler or preschooler building blocks and knocking them down? Or maybe they enjoy connecting things and pulling them apart. If so, they may be exploring the connecting schema.

Schemas are basic behavioural patterns that young children repeat until they master it. When they explore the connecting schema, they learn how things can be taken apart and fixed back together. This builds skill like cause and effect, spatial awareness, estimation and prediction, grip, and movement.

Toys such as puzzles are excellent for helping your child develop the connecting schema. Children will love the feel of our chunky wooden puzzles, which come in the shapes of rockets, planes, dinos, and snails. Once they are done fixing the 3D wooden puzzle, they can build stories around it or even use it as room decor.

We also have wonderful magnetic toys such as cute robots and colourful wooden ice cream sets that any little one can play with for hours. The magic of magnets will keep them happily joining pieces, taking them apart, and trying out different combos over and over again!

Toys such as blocks or shumee's NinjaKi set are other fantastic picks for children who like to build things. The fun part about these toys is that they can easily fall apart, which will give your preschooler a chance to get connecting from scratch all over again!

How do you support a connecting schema?
If your toddler or preschooler is exploring the connecting schema, they will want chances to put things together and take them apart. Toys like puzzles or blocks will be huge hits. You could also encourage craft activities such as making collages or paper chains to let them get creative while they learn!

At what age to children go through schemas?
Children begin exploring different behavioural patterns or schemas from the time they are 1 year old until 5 or 6 years.

Why is schema play important?
A schema is your child exploring and mastering a particular set of interconnected actions. If you know which schema your child is currently exploring, you will be able to make their playtime much more engaging and valuable with the right toys, games, and activities.