About Enclosing Schema

Enclosing schema involves creating enclosed spaces for objects or filling enclosed spaces with objects. According to Laura England in Schemas: A Practical Handbook, “Children exploring an enclosing schema will often create enclosures around other objects, themselves or during mark making. Children will explore enclosure by building structures, creating dens and by barricading themselves into spaces.”¹

While exploring enclosing schema, kids, “order, combine, place and bridge things to form enclosed spaces.” Those spaces may be left empty or filled with objects like plastic cows or pine cones. They may also explore how those cows or pine cones will get in and out of the enclosure.²

Suggested Loose Parts

Here’s an incomplete list of loose parts that support this play schema:

Have an idea I should add to the list? Share it in the comments or contact me.

Examples

Some examples of this play schema in action:

It seems the exploration of enclosures and enclosing schema play have been around for quite some time. In about 1915, these kids enclosed themselves in a termite mound someplace in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia.

Cardboard boxes, baskets, purses, and other containers are examples of things kids will use to enclose items–or themselves.

Some children exploring enclosing schema may display interest in play revolving around jail or being locked up or trapped.

These four creations exemplifying a paper-based interest in enclosing schema were all made by the same little girl.

It’s important to assure kids have access to both things to enclose and enclose with as they explore enclosing schema.

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1. England, Laura. Schemas: A Practical Handbook. Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.
2. Louis, Stella; Beswick, Clare; Featherstone, Sally. Understanding Schemas in Young Children (Featherstone Professional Development) (p. 30). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.