Case study: Zoe

Zoe is a three-year-old attending Cottingley Primary School nursery for a daily three-hour session. In the setting she shows a keen interest in water play and also spends much time imitating adults in 'home' play. Her mother says that these enthusiasms are mirrored at home and that some of Zoe's favourite activities are helping to wash up the pots after a meal, bathing her dolls, making drinks and sandwiches for tea.

At nursery, having noted from observations Zoe's fascination with 'wet and dry', the team decided to provide for further scientific investigation of 'wet and dry' through home play activities. They provided a large, shallow tray containing dry sand and added cups, saucers, plates, bowls, spoons, pans and a jug of water.

Zoe was delighted with the tools and 'ingredients' and immediately began to 'make dinner', mixing the sand and adding water carefully until she had produced a sloppy mixture. As the mixture dried out, she added more water, talking about her observations, predicting what would happen when the water was added.

This activity was available all week and Zoe returned every day to continue her investigations and present other children with her culinary masterpieces. Staff also built a 'home' den with children in the outside area and hung a washing line in the 'garden'. The provision of a washing-up bowl filled with water, some dolls' clothes and a pile of clothes pegs attracted many children, including Zoe. She spent quite a few minutes soaking the clothes with water, squeezing them out and watching the water drip into the bowl before hanging them on the line. Throughout the session she checked the clothes by feeling them to see if they were dry. Practitioners in the setting helped to challenge Zoe's thinking by asking questions such as 'What will happen if it rains?' and 'Do you think the clothes will dry before you go home?'