2.5y–4.2y14 minFree playDevelopmental playFamily time
Build & Talk Shapes
Coach you to encourage your child to talk about shapes they see and use during construction play, including how shapes are arranged (on top/next to) and why particular shapes help a build work.
What you'll need
Essentials
- a set of building materials (blocks, Duplo-style bricks, recycled boxes, or stacked food containers)
- a flat building surface (floor, table, or a tray)
- 2 small toys to include in the build (e.g., car + animal, doll + cup)
Nice to have
- paper and pen to draw a quick ‘plan’ or label shapes
- masking tape (to mark a base outline like a square/rectangle)
- phone/camera to take a photo of the build for a ‘shape tour’
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
What it practices
- Shows an interest in shape and space by playing with shapes or making arrangements with objects.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows awareness of similarities of shapes in the environment.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Uses positional language.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows interest in shape by sustained construction activity or by talking about shapes or arrangements.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows interest in shapes in the environment.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Encourage children to talk about the shapes they see and use and how they are arranged and used in constructions.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)