2.5y–4.2y10 minFree playChore timeFamily time
Picture-Labelled Brick Homes
Set up simple picture labels on containers so your child can match building pieces to their 'homes', supporting early shape awareness, sorting, and positional language during play and tidy-up.
What you'll need
Essentials
- 2–4 small containers or shoe boxes
- paper and pen/pencil
- a handful of building bricks/blocks with at least 2 different shapes
Nice to have
- tape or reusable sticky putty
- phone camera (to take quick photos for labels)
- a small bag or bowl for 'mystery pieces'
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
- MilestoneHelps with simple household tasksHeart· 18mo–3y· core· Step 2
- MilestoneGroups category membersMind· 2y–3y· core· Step 2
- MilestoneSorts Objects by AttributeMind· 2.3y–3.2y· core
- MilestoneExpressive spatial descriptionMind· 2.5y–3y· core· Step 3
- MilestoneReceptive spatial-word understandingMind· 2.7y–3.2y· core· Step 3
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
- “Organise the environment to foster shape matching, e.g. pictures of different bricks on containers to show where they are kept.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)