Walk down any street and you will see a variety of structures from lamp posts to post boxes, as well as larger structures such as flats, offices or shops. In some areas, you may come across a water fountain, play park or even a statue. This built environment is all the result of human activity – a desire to create 3D structures for practical but also creative purposes. As with many things, early experiences can be formative for the engineers, architects and sculptors and of the future. Given this, it is perhaps not surprising that exploring materials in 3D is within the scope of the newly revised education programme for Expressive Arts and Design (EAD).
A good starting point is to consider what type of things the umbrella term ‘3D structures’ encompasses. While junk modelling often springs to mind, I would argue that it should be any activity or resource that allows children to create or observe structures and forms. This would mean that everything from block play through to going for a walk and noticing man-made features would be included. This is an area which has many developmental opportunities for children and as well as being part of EAD can support other areas of learning and development within the EYFS.
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Play and activities that involve children in building 3D structures can support personal, social and emotional development. When done alongside other children and adults, it can help children learn to collaborate and so develop skills such as turn taking, listening to others and expressing own views. Children may also encounter setbacks which if they can navigate their way through can help them learn about perseverance.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
Observing and creating 3D structures can create opportunities for children and adults to talk about what they can see and what they are doing. A walk to a nearby building site may spark conversations about scaffolding or the window openings that have been made. When looking at and creating 3D structures, children can be exposed to a wide range of specific vocabulary such as ‘corner’ or ‘height’ in context. While creating 3D structures, children may want to explain what they are trying to achieve and afterwards proudly talk about what they have made. ‘Being able to explain the processes they have used’ forms part of the early learning goal for EAD.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
A wide range of physical skills, especially hand-eye co-ordination, are needed when children of all ages make 3D forms, some of which may include the use of tools such as scissors and staplers. If larger scale resources are used, such as soft play blocks, fabrics and frames, children can also develop gross motor movements alongside finer ones.
SPECIFIC AREAS OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Drawing children’s attention to 3D structures and also encouraging them to create them can support the specific areas of learning and development. In particular, it is worth focusing on the links between mathematics and understanding of the world.
MATHEMATICS
There are a lot of opportunities to incorporate mathematics when looking at and making structures. This includes an exploration of shapes, but also size including height and width, as well as proportion. In order for children to connect what they are doing and seeing to these mathematical concepts, adults need to draw their attention by making comments and asking questions.
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD
3D structures will form the backdrop to where children live and regularly visit. This means that we can build children’s awareness of not just who is in their local community but some of the structures within it. This might be anything from a statue in a park through to a passing double-decker or the dome of a mosque. If we support children’s vocabulary, they will be able to identify and remember different features of structures. This in turn can feed into their own creations.
BABIES AND TODDLERS
We can see early on how babies and toddlers are interested in structures. A simple game of stacking beakers is often greeted with glee as a baby knocks them down or a toddler tentatively puts one cake tin on top of another. Babies and toddlers love to explore structure by climbing on them, so wherever possible, low steps or blocks should be incorporated into a play area.
Resources
Most of the activities and resources for this age group involve touching, climbing and experimenting by putting things on top of each other. Babies and toddlers will also enjoy getting inside structures such as tents and fabric dens. Here are some resources worth considering:
- Stacking beakers and stacking boxes.
- Soft play bricks for large-scale stacking.
- Large cardboard boxes for getting inside as well as smaller ones for building with.
- Fabrics.
- Climbing frames or structures that allow children to explore height and breadth.
- Wooden cubes.
- Block play.
Treasure basket and heuristic play
It is also worth using treasure basket play for babies, leading later to heuristic play for toddlers. By exploring and manipulating objects, babies and toddlers can learn about 3D shapes and how they relate to each other.
Treasure basket play (a collection of objects made from natural materials presented in a basket):
- Use only natural materials, e.g. shell, wood, cotton, metal.
- Aim for 30-50 objects, e.g. a wooden spoon, a pastry brush.
- Ideally, put the objects in a low-sided basket, or if not, a box.
- Stay close for reassurance and safety, but do not be tempted to lead the play.
- Add in and take out a few objects.
- Heuristic play (a collection of objects from man-made and natural objects grouped on the floor):
- On the floor, put out a mixture of small objects such as dolly pegs, corks, shells, wooden bracelets, alongside different sized tubes, boxes, tins, plastic bottles and other container-type objects.
- Look out for some containers such as tins that have a flat top to make stacking easier.
- Stay close and be interested, but do not lead the exploration.
CHILDREN 3-5 YEARS
In this age range, children often enjoy modelling and making things. Their representations may be drawn from a range of sources including books, screen time or small-world toys. While these may be good starting points, it is also important for children to have first-hand experiences of seeing man-made structures – anything from an electric pylon to a train station.
Empowering children to use tools and techniques
It can be frustrating for children to find that they do not have the skills or techniques needed to transform their ideas into reality. Coming alongside children and making things or inviting visitors to do so can be a powerful yet low-key way of helping them to acquire skills and techniques. With some children, it might also be possible to set up an adult-guided activity, such as making paper windmills, which includes techniques or resources that later on children can incorporate into their own creations.
Children can also learn skills and techniques on a ‘need to know’ basis. They may be struggling, for example to attach two plastic bottles together to make a rocket, and we can ask if they would like to be shown how.
- Building, e.g. with wooden blocks.
- Joining, e.g. stitching, gluing, stapling and screwing.
- Folding, e.g. making flaps and hinges.
- Cutting, e.g. using scissors, tearing.
We can also help children learn about structures by pointing out how things are made. This might be flattening down a cardboard box and then re-making it, or even putting together an object that is flat-packed.
We also need to make sure that children are inspired and enjoy making things. Think about:
- Do we have sufficient and varied resources, e.g. clay, junk modelling, frames for dens, block play?
- Is enough time available for children to make something that is meaningful for them?
- Are adults on hand to facilitate or if appropriate teach children techniques or to use tools?
- How do we record and celebrate creations if not permanent?
- Do we plan for visits and visitors so that children can learn more about structures?
