We spoke to Charlotte Allan and Amy Hall-Gibson about how creative experiences can support emotional wellbeing and literacy in early years children.
"Once upon a time there was a little girl called..." Tell your child about themselves, focussing on their successes: how they tried and tried until they learned to roll over, how they used to pull themselves up on the side of their cot to build their muscles, etc.
Space blankets are a cheap resource, but are great for inspiring movement - just listen to how they crinkle, explore the way they feel and watch the way light reflects off them!
Use a big cardboard box, with both ends open, to make a tunnel. Tape, coloured pens or chalk, more boxes or some fabric would be handy extras for extending or decorating inside or out.
Tape on a hard floor is great for creating boundaries and different spaces. Let your wee one be in charge with where the tape goes, helping them with sticking it down.
Big paper is great for wee ones - they can still engage with mark-making while using their whole bodies! Old wallpaper or parcel paper works well, on the floor or stuck to the wall.
Get down on their level! Clear a space and get down on the floor: crawl, travel and move across the floor. Top tip: taking your shoes off together helps their mobility and gets you ready to play!
Rough and tumble is full of rich learning opportunities, and creating a specific space for it can help create boundaries and let wee ones clearly show when they want to be involved.
You might think you can't do a handstand - but we're here to help! Try putting your hands on the floor and "walking" your feet up the wall or furniture. Or play wheelbarrows, where you hold your wee ones legs and they walk on their hands.
Draw a simple remote control with different emoji type faces (or put stickers on an old remote) and pretend it controls your face - when you press 'happy' you smile, and so on …
Fill balloons with lentils, rice, sand or quinoa, tie securely & draw faces with different emotions on the front. Bonus creativity points for hiding them around the room and letting your wee one spot them, making the objects instantly more exciting!
Teddy wants to brush her teeth! Teddy is running upstairs to get dressed! I think Teddy might be sad too - do you think he'd like a cuddle? Soft toys can be a great way to make stressful situations fun, or talk about feelings.
With a little imagination a mark on a tree can turn into an eye, nose or mouth! Next time you see a 'face' when out and about, show your wee one - you'll soon be chatting about the happy tree, the shocked house or the grumpy drain.
