Why Your Child Keeps Throwing Things: Understanding Schemas in Play
Does your child do any of the following…
- Line up all their toys just so?
- Repeatedly throw their cup on the floor?
- Wrap everything in a blanket — including themselves?
If so, you’re not alone — and they’re not misbehaving.
They’re likely exploring something deeply important to their development: schemas in play.
Schemas aren’t just “odd habits.” They’re how young children (and many neurodivergent learners) make sense of the world. Once we understand them, everything clicks — and we can stop correcting, and start supporting.
So What Is a Schema?
A schema is a repeated pattern of behaviour that helps children learn about physical experiences and abstract ideas. It’s like a mental blueprint — built through play.
Think of schemas as your child’s experiments with the world:
- What happens if I drop this again?
- Can I make this fit inside that?
- How far can I move this from A to B?
They’re not trying to make a mess, get attention, or be difficult. They’re testing theories — and they do it again and again until their brain says “yes, I get this now.”
10 Common Play Schemas (and What They Might Look Like)
Your child might be:
🟣 Trajectory schema – Throwing toys, jumping off furniture, watching objects fly
🟢 Transporting schema – Carrying items from one side of the room to another
🔵 Enveloping schema – Wrapping things (or themselves) in blankets or boxes
🟡 Enclosing schema – Making fences or walls around toys
🟠 Positioning schema – Lining up toys, arranging objects symmetrically
🟤 Rotation schema – Spinning, turning taps, watching washing machines
🟣 Posting schema – Dropping items into containers, letterboxes, or tight spaces
🟢 Transformation schema – Mixing, pouring, changing materials (e.g., paint, mud, playdough)
🔵 Connecting schema – Tying, sticking, taping, building
🟡 Orientation schema – Hanging upside down, climbing, changing body position
And yes — many children explore multiple schemas at once!
Why It Matters for Neurodivergent and Early Development Learners
Schemas are especially important for:
- Autistic children
- Learners with developmental delays
- Non-speaking or sensory-seeking individuals
These learners may engage in schematic play for longer — and in more intense or creative ways. When misunderstood, it can be labelled as “disruptive” or “obsessive.”
But when understood?
You realise — this is how they learn best. And by offering safe, sensory-rich alternatives, we help them regulate and engage more meaningfully.
What Can You Do?
Here are some quick tips to start supporting schemas in your setting:
✅ Observe first – What schema(s) do you notice?
✅ Stop correcting – Is it unsafe or just messy?
✅ Offer “yes spaces” – Safe ways to repeat that pattern
✅ Match the schema to learning – Use transporting for maths, or trajectory for sensory stories
✅ Share with your team – Understanding schemas helps everyone respond more calmly
💡Example: If a child is deep in a trajectory schema, set up a water tray with droppers and sponges — not just rules about "don’t throw."
Ready to Support Schema Play Confidently?
👉 The full Schemas in Play Training Course includes:
✔️ Theory behind schema learning
✔️ Visual examples of all 10 common schemas
✔️ Practical ideas for play, toys, and classroom setups
✔️ Tips for redirecting safely without shutting it down
✔️ Downloadable links and product suggestions for home/school
This guide helps you recognise schematic behaviours before they become behaviour concerns — and instead use them to support regulation, curiosity, and connection.
Final Thought:
The next time your child is throwing, wrapping, lining up, or spinning — don’t ask “How do I stop this?”
Ask:
🔄 What are they trying to understand?
🧠 What is this teaching me about how they learn?
And from there — you’ll know what to offer next.
Athey, C. (2007). Extending Thought in Young Children: A Parent–Teacher Partnership. Paul Chapman Publishing.
Foundational text that introduced and defined schematic behaviour in young children through longitudinal observation, forming the basis of schema theory in early years practice.
Athey, C. (1990). Extending Thought in Young Children: A Parent–Teacher Partnership. Paul Chapman Publishing.
Original publication of Athey’s schema research, widely cited in early childhood education literature.
Nutbrown, C. (1999). Threads of Thinking: Young Children Learning and the Role of Early Education. Paul Chapman Publishing.
Explores schemas as repeated patterns of thought and action, linking play schemas to cognitive development and learning trajectories.
Nutbrown, C. (2011). Foundations for Quality: The Independent Review of Early Education and Childcare Qualifications. Department for Education.
Includes discussion of schematic learning and the importance of recognising repeated play patterns as learning, not behaviour problems.
Arnold, C. (2017). Understanding Schemas and Emotions in Early Childhood. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Connects schemas with emotional development, regulation, and attachment, particularly relevant for children with additional needs.
Meade, A., & Cubey, P. (2008). Thinking Children: Learning About Schemas. Early Childhood Development.
Practical exploration of schemas in early learning environments, frequently cited in early years training and pedagogy.
Bruce, T. (2011). Learning Through Play: For Babies, Toddlers and Young Children (2nd ed.). Hodder Education.
Frames schematic play as a core mechanism for learning through play in the early years.
DfE (Department for Education). (2021). Development Matters: Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
UK statutory guidance referencing repeated patterns of play and behaviour as part of typical development, often linked to schema theory in practice.
Baranek, G. T., et al. (2006). Sensory experiences questionnaire: Discriminating sensory features in young children with autism, developmental delays, and typical development. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(6), 591–601.
Provides evidence that repetitive sensory-motor behaviours are common and meaningful in autistic and developmentally delayed children, offering a parallel framework to schemas.
Leekam, S. R., Prior, M. R., & Uljarevic, M. (2011). Restricted and repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders: A review of research in the last decade. Psychological Bulletin, 137(4), 562–593.
Reviews repetitive behaviours through a neurodevelopmental lens, supporting the idea that repeated actions can serve regulatory and learning functions.
Trevarthen, C., & Delafield-Butt, J. T. (2013). Biology of shared meaning and language development: Regulating the life of narratives. Frontiers in Psychology.
Links repetitive movement and interaction patterns to early meaning-making and communication development.
Fleer, M. (2010). Early Learning and Development: Cultural-Historical Concepts in Play. Cambridge University Press.
Explores play patterns, repetition, and meaning-making from a developmental and cultural-historical perspective.
Howard, J., & McInnes, K. (2013). The impact of children’s perception of an activity as play on learning outcomes. British Journal of Educational Psychology.
Supports play-based learning approaches where repetition and self-chosen actions underpin deep learning.
Agostine, S., et al. (2022). Sensory experiences and children with severe disabilities. Frontiers in Education.
Explores how repeated sensory experiences support engagement and learning in children with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
Jordan, R. (2001). Autism with Severe Learning Difficulties. Souvenir Press.
Discusses repetitive behaviours in autistic children as meaningful, purposeful, and developmentally relevant rather than problematic.