What is the Enveloping Schema?
Last week, we talked about the enclosing schema, where kids love building boundaries and hiding in enclosed spaces. This week, we’ll dive into the third schema: enveloping then give you some tips on how to encourage this play style.
Enveloping is all about covering something up completely, like wrapping up a teddy bear in a blanket or creating a special nest for toys. Some key characteristics of enveloping schema play include covering up toys or themselves with blankets or other materials, creating special spaces for toys to be put in, and exploring different kinds of materials to wrap with.
The main difference between enveloping and enclosing is that enclosing is about creating boundaries around something whereas enclosing is about covering something up completely.
You can spot this schema by noticing when kids wrap and cover toys e.g. putting their teddy bear in a blanket, covering themselves with a blanket, creating “nests” or special places for their toys to sit in
How it helps Development
Play in the enveloping schema offers many benefits for kids for instance:
• Encourages their nurturing side by providing security and comfort to their toys
• Develops imagination through role-playing and using different materials for wrapping
• Offers a sense of comfort and security as a source of emotional regulation
Ways to Encourage Enveloping Schema
Have fun with pretend play by wrapping toilet paper around your bodies (avoiding the face and neck, of course)
Give them lots of different materials to use for wrapping such as scarves, tea towels or old t-shirts, and fabric scraps
Praise their wrapping skills and comment on how nice and comfy their toys look
Join in the imaginative play with them! Maybe pretend to be birds building a nest
Ask them to help you put the cutlery away, explaining that the cutlery needs to be put back into bed (make sure they can easily reach and their hands aren’t near any sharp objects)
By supporting play with enveloping schema you can help your kiddo develop sensory exploration, imagination, and creativity PLUS emotional regulation.
Let us know in the comments below if your child enjoys the enveloping schema, and how you support their play.
Up next: Orientation Schema
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