22mo–3y10 minFree playArt
Marks Around Us Basket
A playful exploration of everyday print and symbols from a cultural spread, helping children notice familiar marks and compare different kinds of writing and patterns before making their own marks.
What you'll need
Essentials
- 3–6 everyday items with print or symbols (shopping bag, food packet, envelope, leaflet, newspaper page)
- paper (any scrap paper is fine)
- crayons or pencil
Nice to have
- a small basket or tray
- tape or sticky notes
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
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Provide materials which reflect a cultural spread, so that children see symbols and marks with which they are familiar, e.g. Chinese script on a shopping bag.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)