The not-quite-schemas: Repetitive patterns that make sense of play
You've seen them before - the quiet rituals of childhood. The stacking. The scattering. The careful line of pebbles on a wall. These aren't random patterns - they're purposeful explorations. This guide helps you recognise what your child is really working on.
You've seen them before - the quiet rituals of childhood. The stacking. The scattering. The careful line of pebbles on a wall. These aren't random patterns - they're purposeful explorations. This guide helps you recognise what your child is really working on.
I'm two years old and I'm walking along the edge of the kerb.
My arms are out to the side and I'm wobbling. But I haven't fallen yet! I can still break my record.
Will I make it to the corner? I hope so.
All I really know is that this is fun.
The walking-along-the-edge-of-the-kerb schema hasn't made it into the textbooks but it's a good one. I've done it, you've done it and your child loves it.
There's something about walking a tightrope, kerb or painted line on the ground that's magnetic. We are all born with the urge to explore it, to master it.
But is it a schema? And does it matter?
Schemas are the invisible frameworks of understanding that your child builds through play. Think of them as mental maps that help make sense of how the world works. When your child repeats an action over and over - dropping spoons from a highchair, stacking blocks, or rolling cars down a ramp - she isn't just playing. She's a scientist, testing her ideas about what things are and how they behave.
Read more about schema play
The big schemas - the famous ones - are easy to spot. If your child is exploring trajectory, your home will be a mess of balls, trains and cars.
Other patterns are less obviously schemas.
Why focus on unofficial schemas?
We could call every repeated action a schema - and we'd probably be right. But with endless categories, the concept loses its power. These eleven patterns bridge the gap between formal theory and what we actually observe at home. They give you language for behaviours that might otherwise feel random or frustrating. When you can name the pattern, you can support it.
Why pay attention to these patterns?
This post introduces a collection of what we might call unofficial schemas - play patterns that are deeply familiar, but not always formally recognised in the literature.
These patterns give you a language for what you’re already noticing. They help you tune in more closely to your child’s inner world. Most importantly, they shift your perspective from seeing mess to seeing purpose.
When you notice these behaviours - and respond to them - you begin to understand your child on a deeper level. You can meet your child where she is. You can offer the materials she needs to go further, or step back when she needs space to explore.
For your child, this means more satisfying, purposeful play. For you, it means fewer battles, more confidence, and the quiet reassurance that she’s doing exactly what she needs to do.
