22mo–3y12 minFree playArtDevelopmental play
Materials Safari: Touch, Try, Choose
A playful exploration where you introduces your child to a small variety of safe household materials, using ‘touch-try-name’ steps to build confidence, curiosity, and simple choice-making.
What you'll need
Essentials
- 3 safe household materials with different textures (e.g., a clean sponge, a piece of fabric, a piece of cardboard)
- a towel or tray to keep materials contained
- 1–2 small toys (optional for ‘wrap/cover/hide’ play)
Nice to have
- a small bowl of water and cloth for simple wipe-up (supervised)
- a paper bag or box for ‘find it’ play
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
- Beginning to recognise danger and seeks support of significant adults for help.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Drinks well without spilling.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Feeds self competently with spoon.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Helps with clothing, e.g. puts on hat, unzips zipper on jacket, takes off unbuttoned shirt.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Clearly communicates their need for potty or toilet.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Vary activities so that children are introduced to different materials.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)