The trajectory schema: Which way will you go?

Here is a girl.

She launches a paper aeroplane across the living room and it is fun.

It dips, it swerves, it flies.

It cuts through the air. Delighted, the girl chases along behind.

At last, it lands gently on the rug.

But the game doesn't stop there.

Back to the start she goes and the plane takes off on another flight.

How many times does she do this? Who knows? Who cares?

It's all so interesting. The clock stops. Time stands still.

This is the trajectory schema. For many under 5s, it can become a fascination, an obsession - or even a compulsion.

Discovering the trajectory schema

The trajectory schema focuses on understanding how objects move through space. It encompasses vertical movements (dropping, throwing upward), horizontal movements (rolling, sliding), and more complex paths like arcs and spirals. What might seem like simple play is actually your child's exploration of sophisticated concepts like gravity, momentum, and friction. Each repetition refines her mental model, helping her predict with greater accuracy how objects will behave.

From observer to master: the developmental journey

Infants (4-12 months)
Your baby begins by watching. A mobile spinning above the cot, a ball rolling across the floor - all movement captivates her. Her eyes track objects, building neural pathways that process motion. She's developing the foundations for later physical skills and spatial understanding.

Research spotlight

Even very young infants show an intuitive understanding of how objects should move. When a ball rolls behind an obstacle and doesn't reappear as expected, babies will stare longer at this "impossible" event, demonstrating their early grasp of trajectory prediction.

Toddlers (1-2 years)
Now the hands-on exploration begins. Your toddler drops food from the highchair, throws toys, and pushes objects off surfaces - all to answer the question: "What happens if...?" Each experiment provides valuable data about how things move through space. This is why repetition is so important; she's confirming her predictions and refining her understanding.

Preschoolers (3-5 years)
Your child now anticipates trajectories. She can aim when throwing, build ramps at specific angles, and predict where a rolling ball will stop. This stage brings excitement as she gains mastery over movement and applies it in increasingly complex ways.

School age (5+ years)
The trajectory schema knowledge transfers to practical skills. Handwriting, sports, using tools, and solving spatial problems all draw on this deep well of understanding built through years of trajectory play.

What's happening in the brain

When your child engages with trajectories, she's developing far more than just play skills. Her brain is creating connections between visual-spatial processing centres, predictive cognitive functions, and coordination pathways. The pleasure she experiences during this play comes from dopamine releases when predictions are confirmed - nature's way of rewarding learning. These neural connections form the foundation for later academic skills including handwriting, mathematics, and physical education. Each throw, roll, or drop shapes her brain's architecture.

Connected schemas

The trajectory schema rarely exists in isolation. You might notice your child combining it with:

• Transporting schema. Moving objects from place to place
• Positioning schema. Arranging objects in specific locations
• Rotation schema. Understanding turning and spinning movements
• Connecting schema. Joining things together to create movement paths

Common challenges

You might find trajectory play challenging when it involves throwing inappropriate objects, repetitive dropping of items, or creating noise and mess. Rather than discouraging these explorations, try channelling them into appropriate activities with clear boundaries. Set up designated throwing areas, provide safe objects for dropping experiments, and recognise that this seemingly chaotic play is actually sophisticated learning in action.

My son used to drive us crazy every Christmas. Each year, he would stand under the Christmas Tree, throwing anything he could find into its branches. As a toddler and then preschooler with a wooden railway obsession, what he typically threw were trains, barriers and sections of track. We couldn't stop him! Year after year he broke bauble after bauble. Too late I realised it was the trajectory schema in action. The train track was simply the most 'throwable' material to hand and the decorations were simply targets to hone his understanding of the trajectory schema. Either that or he was a sociopath... With a toddler, you're never sure!

Activities to explore the trajectory schema

Simple starters (suitable from 12 months)

• Dropping games. Drop scarves, feathers, or soft toys into baskets from different heights
• Ball rolling. Roll balls back and forth across the floor, seeing how far they travel
• Water play. Pour water between containers in the bath

Next steps (2-4 years)

• Target practice. Throw bean bags into hoops or buckets at varying distances
• Ramp experiments. Use cardboard or plastic trays propped at different angles to roll cars or marbles
• Bubble chasing. Blow bubbles and observe their floating trajectories

Advanced play (4+ years)

• Marble runs. Build pathways with cardboard tubes or commercial marble run sets
• Paper aeroplane designs. Test different folding techniques to see how they affect flight
• DIY ball games. Create simple mini-golf courses or bowling alleys using household items

Best toys for exploring trajectory

• Balls of different sizes and weights. Tennis balls, beach balls, sensory balls
• Ramps and tracks. Commercial or homemade from cardboard
• Projectile toys. Bean bags, soft foam balls, safe dart games
• Pouring tools. Funnels, containers, and tubes for water or sand play
• Construction materials. Building blocks, cardboard tubes, and other materials for creating paths

A child transformed

Remember our girl at the beginning, mesmerised by the paper aeroplane soaring across the room? These early experiences profoundly shape her development. As she grows, the hours spent in trajectory play translate into smooth handwriting, confident ball skills during PE, and an intuitive understanding of physics concepts.

The trajectory schema, once just a form of play, becomes an integrated part of how she navigates the world - a hidden superpower developed through the simple joy of watching things move.

Final word

The paper aeroplane lands on a high shelf for the hundredth time.

Daddy! Can you get it down for me?

Grrr!

I don't know about you, but I rely on these brief moments when my children are absorbed in play to catch my breath and have a quick cup of tea.

Why can't they just leave me alone for five minutes?

But your child is possessed. She can't help it. She is driven to act. Her schema must be tested.

And so your heart softens.

This isn't just play. It's science and maths, it's physical education and self-regulation.

Her mind expands with every throw, drop, and roll.

My tea sits cold on the counter.

But it's OK. We did something better.

We had fun.