—9 minArtBath timeMealtime
Swipe, Watch, Again
A short mark-making play that helps your child notice ‘my movement makes a mark’ by repeating simple strokes (swipe, dot, back-and-forth) and watching what appears, with you keeping the surface big and the tools easy to hold.
What you'll need
Essentials
- big paper/cardboard on the floor (or a wipe-clean tray)
- a chunky crayon (or a washable marker if appropriate)
Nice to have
- a little yoghurt/puree on a tray (for smearing)
- bath foam on tiles (for swiping)
- wet cloth for quick clean-up
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 3-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
What it practices
- Makes connections between their movement and the marks they make.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Holds pen or crayon using a whole hand (palmar) grasp and makes random marks with different strokes.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Enjoys the sensory experience of making marks in damp sand, paste or paint.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE) — construct-derived activity authored from enriched DM2012 construct