The children in Baby Plus got creative this morning using a variety of tools to make marks and to mix colours. The practitioners provided the children with tools that were easier for them to use as they had large handles which enabled the children to move the tools around with ease.
This activity allowed children to freely expressive themselves whilst developing hand eye-coordination. They had great fun using gross motor movements and tiny fine motor movements to create their pictures. They were able to access all the tools and a variety of colours to create whatever pictures they liked. The practitioners were close by during the activity to offer support in their explorations and give praise as the pictures were created. Giving praise and recognising each child’s individual achievements is very important in creating confidence and high self esteem. One boy shared with the practitioners pointing at his picture and said ‘car’ this was a big milestone for him to meet and everyone was very impressed.Mark making is highly emphasised in the Early Years Foundation Stage especially with the younger children as this lays the foundations for early literacy skills. As children draw large circular movements this helps children develop the skills to form letters later on in their development.
