The Purpose of Open-ended Materials

In the High/Scope curriculum, we speak a great deal about using open-ended materials with the children.  But why?  Open ended materials are any objects whose use is not predetermined or narrowly defined, rather, they can be used in many different ways.  A set of blocks, for example, is an open-ended material because they can be used for many different purposes -- to stack and/or topple, to build an endless variety of structures, as tools to help accomplish a task (such as pounding or climbing), to bang together to make noise, to represent another object in pretend play, just to name a few.  Open-ended materials encourage young children to come up with new uses for familiar objects, to use imagination and ingenuity, to solve problems, and to engage in more in-depth and meaningful play.

One small group we did in the Duck Room this week illustrates these uses, purposes, and benefits of open-ended materials.  We offered the children a variety of cardboard boxes of different shapes and sizes -- some big, some small, some rectangular, some square, some long, and some short -- and simply encouraged them to explore.  The resulting play was rich, varied, interesting, and productive.  Gross motor skills were developed as the children pushed, pulled, lifted, turned, and carried the boxes around the room.  Other children engaged both building and balance skills as they stacked boxes atop boxes, as high as they could reach (and of course, enjoyed knocking them over after!)  Some children explored the concept of space by putting different boxes inside one another, and by figuring out how to climb into and sit in the boxes, and which boxes were shaped and sized to fit a child inside.  Children also discovered the various sounds they could make by banging on the boxes with hands and feet, or knocking the boxes against the floor or other boxes.  Finally, problem solving skills were practiced as children focused on figuring out how to open and close the interlocking flaps on the boxes.

People often joke that you can buy a child the most expensive toy on the market and all that child wants to play with is the box it came in.  As we can see, however, not only is that box tons of fun, but full of engaging and fulfilling learning experiences as well!

For more information on the High/Scope philosophy, visit www.highscope.org