Puddleducks Day Nursery

This was stolen from one of their website's blogs.
The Curiosity Approach supports teaching kids how to handle and play with breakable objects. The bright plastic child-sized teapots and tea sets that we have all used for years have been replaced by ceramic versions.
Early childhood settings have historically employed tea sets that are kid-sized and brightly coloured. Most nursery home corners are decorated with cups and saucers in the colours red, yellow, green, and blue. Each was bought to promote colour awareness, give kids the chance to match things, and add something useful and safe to the play kitchens found in the homey nooks of our nurseries or educational settings.
Plastic tea sets are utilised in sand pits and water play areas across the nation and persist for years despite being dropped and thrown. They are occasionally coloured on, written on, scraped, and even bitten. Without any consideration or care, they are thrown across the room or dumped.
Children are aware of this both instinctively and cognitively, but they mistakenly believe that because these resources are so durable, they can be used whatever they like. Is this a good thing, then?
It doesn't matter at all if a tea cup is flung over the house corner. Or a flying saucer transforms into a missile that flies from one side of the sand pit to the other!
These materials are strong and rigid, and as nursery equipment, they can resist any manhandling, abuse, or complete neglect from a youngster.
What messages are we sending our kids if we only let them play with PRETEND resources that won't break?
Visit www.thecuriosityapproach.com to learn much more, and have a look around.