2.5y–4.2y10 minSocial playFamily timeFree play
Where Is It? Positional Play
Coach you to play quick positional games where your child places themselves and a toy inside/behind/on top/under/next to everyday objects, building strong positional language through movement and repetition.
What you'll need
Essentials
- a small toy (teddy/doll/animal) to ‘hide’ and ‘move’
- 3–5 safe household ‘landmarks’ (chair, sofa cushion, cardboard box, blanket, table)
- a clear, safe floor space
Nice to have
- masking tape (to make a ‘start line’)
- a basket (to be ‘inside’ and ‘next to’)
- a phone to take a picture of funny positions (optional)
Movement level: mild
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneReceptive spatial-word understandingMind· 2.7y–3.2y· core
- MilestoneNegotiates space while movingBody· 3.3y–5y· core· Step 2
- MilestoneFollows instructions with several steps or actionsMind· 3.3y–4y· core· Step 3
- MilestoneFollows ordered multi-step directionsMind· 4y–5.6y· core· Step 3
- MilestoneExpressive spatial descriptionMind· 2.5y–3y· stretch· Step 1
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
- “Play games involving children positioning themselves inside, behind, on top and so on.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)