Recommended Age: 3 years and onwards Purpose: to involve the child in creative experiences and to further develop their fine motor control and coordination Level of Parent Involvement: Low, once modelled the child may work independently Prerequisites None Materials An empty toilet roll Sticky tape or masking tape A small ball of […]
Wool painting
Recommended Age: 3 years and onwards Purpose: to expose the child to a variety of artistic skills using paints Level of Parent Involvement: Low, mainly modelling and supervision Prerequisites None Materials A3 paper (paper which has a higher GSM rating work better for painting to allow for the heaviness of wet paint) […]
Salt dough handprints
Recommended Age: 3 years and onwards Purpose: for the child to be involved in the creative process of making salt dough Level of Parent Involvement: Medium, the adult must help the child to make the dough and use the oven Prerequisites None Materials 1 cup of flour ½ cup of salt ½ […]
Toilet paper roll painting
Recommended Age: 2 and ½ years and onwards Purpose: for the child to explore different mediums used for painting and pattern making Level of Parent Involvement: Low, mainly supervision and setting up the materials Prerequisites None Materials A4 paper A selection of washable paints (around 3 colours) Empty toilet paper rolls A […]
Chalk pastels
Recommended Age: 3 to 5 years Purpose: to expose the child to a variety of artistic skills and mediums Level of Parent Involvement: None, the child may explore the medium of pastels independently (provide assistance with cleaning up if necessary) Prerequisites None Materials Dark paper (blue or black card works well) Chalk […]
Chalk paint
Recommended Age: 3 years and onwards Purpose: for the child to explore different painting mediums Level of Parent Involvement: Low, mainly supervision Prerequisites None Materials Coloured chalk Mortar and pestle Water Small jug Paint brush Small cups for the different coloured paints made Preparation None Steps Invite the child letting them […]
Snail craft activity
Recommended Age: 4 to 5 years Purpose: This exercise builds on the child pattern making skills and engages them in creative processes through using a rage of materials Level of Parent Involvement: Low, mainly modelling and supervision Prerequisites The child should have had experience in making patterns and following a sequence The child […]
Octopus cutting activity
Recommended Age: 3 and ½ to 5 years Purpose: for the child to build on their scissor skills, further developing their fine and gross motor control and coordination and to engage in creative processes Level of Parent Involvement: Low, the adult must give the child instructions then the child may make the octopus independently […]
Phillip Island Nature Park Activities
Phillip Island Nature Parks have published a series of storybooks with accompanying teaching and learning resources. These books explore little penguins, Australian fur seals, and biodiversity. Little Penguin Teaching and Learning Resource What Animal am I storybook (Penguine)?: ‘What Animal am I?’ storybook What Animal am I storybook (Seal) ?: ‘What Animal am I?’ storybook […]
Cutting strips
Recommended Age: 2 and 1/5 years and onwards Purpose: building manual dexterity in the child’s fingers and wrist. Through progressing through cutting strips as they increase in complexity, the child also builds their cutting skills, working towards being able to cut accurately. Level of Parent Involvement: Medium during initial presentation and setting up the activity then low […]
Snow pasting using crushed egg shells
Recommended Age: 3 to 5 years Level of Parent Involvement: Medium to present the exercise to the child, then low once the child works independently, providing assistance with cleaning up if necessary Prerequisites None Materials 3-4 egg shells (ensure there is no egg left in the shells, wipe them out prior to the child using […]
Torn paper collage
Recommended Age: 3 years and onwards Level of Parent Involvement: Medium, the adult must present the exercise to the child the first time, once the child has been shown the child may revisit the activity independently with low supervision Prerequisites Materials Work mat (can use easy-to-clean placemat) A tray Plain paper (A4) Construction paper – two […]
Weaving on cardboard
Recommended Age: 3 and ½ years and onwards Level of Parent Involvement: Medium, the adult must present the activity for the first time, modelling to the child what to do, once the child has been shown and can work independently the child may require some assistance and low supervision Prerequisites The child must have some level […]
Marble painting
Recommended Age: 2 years and onwards Level of Parent Involvement: Low, mainly supervision Prerequisites None Materials 3 different coloured washable paints 3 paint pots 3 spoons 3 marbles A small bowl A rectangular container with a lid (large enough to fit a piece of A4 paper on the bottom, or you can cut the paper […]
Tracing and labelling hands
Recommended Age: 2 and ½ to 5 years When doing this exercise with a younger child you may write the names of the fingers and hands on the child’s paper, an older child can write their own labels Level of Parent Involvement: Medium for a younger child as they require you to trace around their […]
Elastic painting
Recommended Age: 3 years and onwards Level of Parent Involvement: Low, some preparation is required to set the activity up, once the child has been shown they make work independently, providing assistance with cleaning up if necessary Prerequisites None Materials A shallow rectangular container (approximately 1 inch deep and 30cm long and 30cm wide, ideally […]
Celery experiment
Recommended Age: 4 years and onwards Level of Parent Involvement: Medium during the initial set up then low once the child monitors the celery experiment and writes/draws her own observations Prerequisites The child must be able to carry out a task with a sequence of steps in The child must have an interest in science experiments […]
Painting with a palette
Recommended Age: 2 and ½ years and onwards Level of Parent Involvement: Medium during initial presentation then low when the child works independently Prerequisites The child must have some form of fine motor control in their fingers and wrist to manipulate the paintbrush Materials A tray A palette with paints (only 2 colours for the […]
Finger painting
Recommended Age: 18 months and onwards Level of Parent Involvement: High for younger children (12months to 3 years) as they require close supervision and may try to mouth the paint, low for older children, 3 years and onwards after the initial presentation Prerequisites None Materials Finger paint (consistency of mud) Shallow bowl to place paint in […]
Pasting
Recommended Age: 2 and ½ and onwards Level of Parent Involvement: Medium to set up the materials then, low when the child works independently (assisting with spills/pack up if necessary) Prerequisites None Materials Tray Small container to put pieces of paper Small glass jar with a small amount of PVA or clear gum glue Thin […]