2.5y–4.2y11 minFree playArtSocial play
Map-Make Mini World
Support you to offer play maps and simple small-world materials so your child can create their own environment, talk about places, and experiment with layouts, routes, and changes they choose.
What you'll need
Essentials
- paper or cardboard (a ‘map base’)
- crayons/markers
- small toys (e.g., cars, animals, people figures) OR household ‘markers’ (bottle tops, blocks)
Nice to have
- tape to hold the map down
- blocks/boxes for buildings
- fabric scraps for ‘water/grass’
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
- MilestoneCreate simple representations of events, people and objects.Mind· 3.3y–5y· stretch
- MilestoneExpressive spatial descriptionMind· 2.5y–3y· core· Step 2
- MilestoneCreates pretend small world stories with toysMind· 3y–4y· core
- MilestoneGives meaning to own drawings or marksMind· 2.8y–3.8y· core· Step 4
- MilestoneSelects appropriate resources and adapts work where necessary.Mind· 3.3y–5y· stretch· Step 4
- MilestoneTalks about own interests and ideasMind· 4y–5y· core· Step 4
- MilestoneUses mark-making toolsBody· 22mo–2.8y· stretch· Step 1
- MilestoneShows object-function knowledgeMind· 2.7y–5y· stretch· Step 1
What it practices
- Comments and asks questions about aspects of their familiar world such as the place where they live or the natural world.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Talks about why things happen and how things work.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows care and concern for living things and the environment.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Provide play maps and small world equipment for children to create their own environments.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)