This Sheet Has Been Written to Support Your Practice with Children Aged 3 and Under

This sheet has been written to support your practice with children aged 3 and under.

Why have an arts and craft area?

·  Art and Crafts provide opportunities for using and introducing a variety of resources which help children to explore and develop their knowledge and understanding using objects, textures and a range of materials

·  These activities provide opportunities for developing language and communication, movement, hand-eye coordination, independence, gross and fine motor skills, concentration and problem solving

·  It provides opportunities for observations

·  It encourages children to discover and use their imaginations

·  It offers opportunities for social interactions and experiences with others

·  Children can develop their creative thinking by working out things for themselves and having the opportunity to choose how long they are engaged in play

·  There are opportunities for introducing basic maths and science concepts such as counting and colour mixing

How you can support arts and crafts

·  Provide areas for painting, drawing, mark making, gluing and cutting

·  Include an area for messy play(see separate sheet)

·  Support children to choose how long they are engaged with an activity

·  Offer support and encouragement by joining in with the art and craft activities

·  Avoid telling children how to create art- let them do what feels right to them, children will just enjoy the experience

·  Focus on the process, not the end product. If an end product is required, take photos and use them as a finished product, e.g. Mothers/Fathers day card

·  Have a designated area set up and resources set out that are accessible for children to make choices

·  Provide opportunities to enjoy experiences over and over again as children learn through repetitiveness

·  Involve children in the tidying up process; have designated areas for each item so everything has its own place.

·  Children should be appropriately supervised at all times

Practical Ideas and solutions

·  Use art mats/newspaper for easy clean up

·  Supplies should be easily accessed by all the children

·  Use low open storage units to display art and craft options so children can choose for themselves

·  Drawing areas can be taped to the floor for babies to make marks with crayons

·  Sellotape large sheets of paper to the floor/easel/tables/wall- old wallpaper works well

·  Paint areas at the child`s level for hand printing and finger painting

·  Use large picture frames with the glass removed as flat easels which take up less space in smaller rooms

·  Set up the area close to the sink to make clearing up and hand washing accessible for all the children

Recommended Resources

Paint and paper, different sized paper, paint brushes, scissors, crayons, pencils, pens, markers and chalk. A selection of cardboard boxes and containers to paint and glue. A range of gluing materials- lollipop sticks, lids, shells, leaves, twigs, buttons, paper, cardboard, fabric, wool.

The list is endless!

Storage solutions

·  Use low accessible shelves

·  Use labels with pictures and drawings

·  Use Clear tray units so children can see the contents

·  Use low hooks for aprons

·  Use recycled pots for pencils, paintbrushes, glue spreaders, scissors etc

·  Use resources from each area in the room

·  Scrap paper buckets for easy access

For further ideas and information go to:

Pre –birth to three- positive outcomes for Scotland`s Children and Families National Guidance

Growing Confidence – Thinking it feeling it, doing it- Promoting Emotional Well-being in the Early years

Bruce, T (2004) Developing Learning in Early Education

Roberts, Rosemary (2010) Wellbeing from Birth, London SAGE Publications Ltd

Play@home- www.wellscotland.info/guidance/casestudies/playhome/index.aspx