Table of contents for Spring 2024 in Creative Steps

The early years sector in the UK plays a pivotal role in laying the foundation for a child's development and future success. However, it has long been plagued by issues such as accessibility, affordability, and quality of care. The latest government initiative to offer “free” (funded) childcare aims to alleviate some of these concerns, particularly by extending the provision to include two-year-olds. Expanding free childcare to two-year-olds is a significant step forward in addressing the needs of families facing financial constraints. It can potentially ease the burden on parents, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, by allowing them to return to work or pursue educational opportunities without the overwhelming cost of childcare. Moreover, early exposure to structured learning environments can have profound benefits for children's cognitive, social, and emotional development. Access…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Two white paper plates■ White and pink card■ Pink foam■ Black marker pen■ Two eye stickers■ 50cm of wire edged ribbon■ Strong glue■ Scissors 1 Remove the tops of two paper plates. 2 Cut out ears from white and pink card. Glue together and stick behind the paper plates. 3 Cut out a heart nose from pink foam. 4 Stick the nose to the front plate. Stick on two eye stickers. 5 Draw on a mouth, teeth and eyebrows. 6 Glue the two plates together around the edges, leaving the top free. 7 Glue on 50cm of ribbon. Glue the ends to the back of the bag. To make the Chick Bag 1 Paint two plates yellow and leave to dry. 2 Cut the bottom off the…

Join us to Do Something Funny for Money on Friday 15 March. Do something silly. Do something daft. Raise a smile, a laugh and a whole load of cash. We think teachers are brilliant and when you come together, you’re unstoppable. It’s you who make Red Nose Day into a nationwide fun filled day that turns funny into desperately needed money that changes lives. Every year, you raise laughs, smiles and a huge amount of cash for people who really need it. And this year, we need you again. Whatever you do this Red Nose Day, the money you raise could help put food on plates and roofs over heads, keep littles ones safe and support families affected by conflict and climate change. What will your school do? Stuck for…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ A4 coloured card■ Pencil■ Sticky tape■ Glue stick■ Ruler■ Scissors■ Coloured tissue paper■ Sticky tack / blu tack 1 Fold a piece of A4 card in half, draw half an egg shape, cut it out then open the card. Use this shape for making egg, bunny and chick decorations. 2 Place the template onto A4 coloured card, draw around the edge then cut out the egg. Cut about 2cm in from the edge then carefully cut all the way round the egg to make a frame. Stick a piece of tape over the join. 3 To make an Easter egg, cut out coloured card strips or shapes, add some glue on the side of the frame then stick the cut outs on top. To make a bunny,…

Recycled Bottle Plant Pots With Earth Day and British Science Week just around the corner, it’s time to stop and think about how we can make a difference. It’s never been more important to learn and think about how we can help with recycling, upcycling and sustainability. The SuperQuesters in The Case of the Angry Sea explore ways to stop garbage pollution in the sea helping to save endangered marine life and its habitat in Questland. They use this knowledge to devise a machine to remove rubbish from their local river. This fun activity links directly to Earth Day’s Plastic vs Planet focus for 2024 and is a great way to think about reusing and recycling while also developing essential STEM skills. STORE CUPBOARD ■ Plastic bottle■ Paint in various…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Yellow card■ Green paper■ Brown foam■ Two eye stickers■ Black marker pen■ Farfalle pasta (‘bow tie’ shaped)■ Red and white paints■ Paintbrushes■ White felt■ White pom-pom■ Glue stick■ Strong glue■ Scissors To Make the Brown Bunny 1 Make a yellow card by folding A4 card in half and cutting along the fold. Then fold in half again to create your cards. 2 Cut a section of grass from green paper and stick it to the front of the card. 3 Cut out a rabbit from brown foam. Cut out ears from white felt. 4 Paint a piece of pasta red and leave to dry. Paint on white spots. 5 Draw on a muzzle with a black marker pen. 6 Stick on the eyes. 7 Glue all the…

WIN A Wake Up The Beast! GAME AND BOOK Looking for a fun game for the whole family? Weldon Owen Children's Books has the solution. Wake Up The Beast! is a new card game (RRP £14.99) that challenges the whole family to test their dinosaur knowledge against one another. A fabulously fun game of learning and laughter, players answer intriguing questions about a wide range of dinosaurs or complete hilarious dinosaur-inspired challenges. Can you walk like a T-Rex? Do you know how many teeth a Nigersaurus had? Do you know where a Ankylosaurus's weak spot is? The game has 80 cards and comes with a mini book with extra facts. Alongside the game, we’re giving away a copy of My First Dinosaur Atlas (RRP £14.99). Travel the world in prehistoric…

Learning Through Drama Children aged four to seven years are naturally good at drama. They have wonderful imaginations, few inhibitions, and an eagerness to play! Drama teaches children in an interactive way about listening, talking, talking turns, using their bodies, awareness, different characters, and story. Much of the drama class is organised play, and as we know, younger children learn well through play. Many years ago, when I was a pre-school assistant, I saw the drama games I played with the children spill over into their playtime too. This younger age group tend to love the drama class more so than any other age group I teach! Warm-up Game – Elbow to Elbow Ask students to find a space in the room. Explain that they are going to walk around…

Medal Card STORE CUPBOARD ■ Square (15 x 15cm), white greeting card■ Turquoise patterned card■ Coloured card – in green & yellow■ Pink corrugated card■ Gold line stickers■ Stick-on clear gems■ 3D mount pads■ Large pink glittery foam heart■ 2 blue small foam stars■ Scissors■ Glue 1 Cut out a square of turquoise patterned card to measure 14cm x 14cm. Glue it onto the front of the greeting card, in a central position. 2 Next, cut out a rectangle of green card (approx. 5cm x 10cm) - this will become the ‘ribbon’ on your medal. Add gold line stickers along each of the longest sides, to create a border. Now, cut out a band of pink corrugated card to measure 3cm x 10cm. Stick it onto the centre of the…

Laced Carrots STORE CUPBOARD ■ Brown card■ Orange yarn■ Green card■ Sticky tape■ Hole punch■ Pencil■ Scissors 1 Use a pencil to sketch the outline of a large carrot on the sheet of brown card. Neatly cut it out with scissors. 2 Take the hole punch and punch evenly spaced holes around the edges of the carrot. 3 Cut a long length of orange yarn for the lacing task. Wrap a small piece of sticky tape around one end to strengthen it for lacing. 4 Tape the loose end of the yarn to the back of the carrot to secure. The child can now have fun lacing through the holes. When the design is complete, tape down the yarn end on the back. 5 Now, take the green card and…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ White card■ Pen/pencil■ Paints – blues & yellows■ Scissors■ String or ribbon to hang your mobile■ Sticky tape 1 Draw a few stars of different sizes and a crescent moon on your card. Templates are provided in the back of the magazine. 2 Drop small blobs of the paints onto the card next to your shapes and use a piece of thick card to drag the paint across your stars and moon. Wipe off any excess paint and repeat to fill each shape. 3 When the paint has dried, carefully cut out each of the stars and the moon. (You may wish to paint both sides before cutting out the shapes.) 4 Cut a length of string or ribbon and attach each of the stars and the…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Empty milk bottle■ Scissors■ Assorted colour tissue paper■ PVA glue■ Paintbrush■ Paper plates■ Googly eyes 1 Wash and dry your empty milk bottle – ours is a 2 litre bottle, but any size will do. 2 Carefully cut the bottle in half and cut the handle to create a trunk. Create the legs by cutting away a portion on both sides and between the two front legs. 3 Cut small 1cm squares from an assortment of coloured tissue paper and spread these out on a paper plate. 4 Pour a small amount of PVA glue onto another plate and brush the glue over the milk bottle. 5 Pick up a square of tissue paper using the tip of the paintbrush and place it on your elephant’s body.…

STORE CUPBOARD: ■ 2 paper plates■ Glue■ Scissors■ Pencil■ Thin twigs■ Sticky tape■ Magazines or newspapers■ Paint■ Paintbrush■ Glue■ Card■ Ribbon 1 Use 2 paper plates for the background and frame. Paint the first plate facing up for the sky background. Turn the second plate over facing down then paint around the edge for the border. Leave the plates to dry. 2 Cut out a circle from the middle of the border plate leaving a 5cm frame. It’s easier to do this by cutting in from the edge of the plate, cut out the circle then tape the ends together. 3 Cut thin twigs to fit across the background then fix the ends with sticky tape near the edge of the plate. Glue the frame onto the background so the…

PONCHO STORE CUPBOARD ■ Blue corduroy fabric - 1.5m x 0.75m■ Green pom pom trim■ Fabric scissors■ Sewing machine■ Dressmaker’s pins 1 Cut a piece of blue corduroy fabric to measure 1.5m x 0.75m. Use a sewing machine to hem around all sides. 2 To make the poncho, fold the fabric in half (on its longest side). Find the centre point and carefully cut out a neck hole using fabric scissors. Check that the neck hole is big enough by trying the poncho on the child. Widen as necessary. Top-stitch around the neck hole to neaten. 3 Finally, cut two strips of pom pom trim to go along the bottom edges of the poncho. Hold in position with dressmaker’s pins. Stitch down the trim, removing pins as you sew. MUSICAL…

The Creation Station help unleash the wonder within, through fun and educational arts and crafts, classes, parties, events and products. As a multi-award-winning, five-star rated company, they inspire over 14,500 children and families every week with creative arts and crafts experiences across the UK. Creating journeys of discovery, exploration and development to unlock ideas through fun, hands-on activities, here are a few creative ideas, taken from the www.thecreationstation.co.uk website. How To Make a Mexican Alebrijes STORE CUPBOARD ■ White paper■ Pencil■ Newspaper■ Scissors■ Masking Tape■ Paint Sticks■ Felt Tip Pens These brightly colored creatures come from Mexican folk art, often taking elements from different animals and a splash of imagination to create a new magical being! 1 Think of two animals, merge them together, draw and colour in your design.…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Paper plates■ Assorted colour tissue paper (cut into squares)■ PVA glue■ Googly eyes■ Scissors■ Stiff green card (or green paint)■ Paintbrush■ Double-sided tape■ Black marker 1 Spread PVA glue over the bottom of the paper plate with a paintbrush. 2 Cover the paper plate with assorted colourful tissue paper squares. When you get to the edge of the plate, fold the tissue paper underneath. 3 Cut out the turtle head, flippers and tail templates from stiff green card, or paint card green. 4 Glue 2 googly eyes to the turtle’s head, then draw a nose and mouth on the turtle’s face with the black marker. 5 Secure the turtle’s head, flippers, and tail to the underside of the paper plate with double-sided tape. Fold the flippers where…

Cardboard Tube Ladybird STORE CUPBOARD ■ Cardboard tube■ Black card■ Red card■ Pair of googly eyes■ Metal split pin■ Hole punch■ Pen■ Scissors■ Glue 1 Cut the cardboard tube down to the desired length for your ladybird. Neatly cover the tube with black card. Trim off any overhanging card with scissors to neaten. 2 Cut out a handle for your ladybird model from the leftover black card. Glue it in position. 3 Take the sheet of red card and cut out two semi-circles (approx. 10cm in diameter). These will become the ladybird wings. Now, cut out six small circles of black card for the ladybird spots. Glue the spots in position on the wings. 4 Use a hole punch to make a hole in the top of each ladybird wing.…

Great books for growing minds KEY: HB HARDBACK ★ PB PAPERBACK ★ BB BOARD BOOK Is That Paras’ Kara? Sukhbinder Kaur and Rajpal Singh RRP £10.99 (BB) www.sharecharityuk.com Let’s go on another sensory journey with Paras and his friend Pete as they search for Paras’ Kara (his Sikh iron bangle). They will observe different types of wrist wear but in the end recognise the huge significance of the Sikh Kara, the fact that it is not an item of jewellery but has been gifted to Paras by the Guru of his Sikh faith. Age 1 year + We say… Simple illustrations and tactile elements will help children understand the importance of the Kara. Supported by EYFS lesson plans and resources. Animals Brag About Their Bottoms Maki Saito RRP…

STORE CUPBOARD For the buns: ■ 140g soft butter■ 140g golden caster sugar■ 3 medium eggs■ 100g self-raising flour■ 25g cocoa, sifted For the frosting: ■ 85g milk chocolate, broken■ 85g soft butter■ 140g icing sugar, sifted■ Chocolate eggs■ Easter decorations 1 Before you begin, make sure hands are clean and clothes are protected. Preheat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and put 12 to 14 cake cases into a fairy-cake tin. 2 Put all the ingredients for the buns into a large mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes with an electric hand-whisk until smooth. Divide the mixture between the cases so they are two-thirds filled, then pop them in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until risen. Cool on a wire rack. 3 For the frosting, microwave the…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ A3 coloured thick card - red,yellow, green■ Scissors■ Glue■ Dice■ Printed numbers or a felt pen 1 Using the template, cut out the box shape and the nine 'hatches ' from the A3 card. 2 Score along the fold lines with the blunt side of the scissors and fold up into the box shape. Glue the sides in place. 3 Carefully draw or stick the numbers in place on the 'hatches'. 4 Have fun adding stripes and a little submarine or boat made with the coloured card - stick these in place. FUN FACTS! ■ There are many variations of this game - known as canoga,shut the box and trick-track. ■ The concept for the game possibly dates from around the 12th Century a time of Knights…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Green, lilac and yellow foam■ Coloured pipe cleaner■ Eye sticker■ Black marker pen■ Lolly stick■ Paint - green & orange■ Thick paintbrush■ Strong glue■ Scissors 1 Cut out an egg shape from green foam. 2 Cut out a dinosaur baby from lilac foam. 3 Cut out three yellow circles. 4 Paint a lolly stick green and leave to dry. 5 Cut a strip of foam 1cm by 4cm. 6 With a marker pen, colour in the dinosaur’s spikes. Give it a nostril and a mouth. 7 Cut an eye sticker down to size and stick on the face. 8 Glue the egg top to the dinosaur’s head. 9 Glue the lolly stick to the back of the dinosaur. 10 Stick the strip of foam to either side…

Flying High Cao Xenxuan & Yu Rong RRP £ 8.99 (PB) www.uclanpublishing.com Have you ever felt small and low? Can Wawa the bird find a way to help her friend see that being different can be a strength, giving a child the courage to fly a kite at the town’s festival? Join the pair on an extraordinary and inspiring journey through the wonders of the world, helping to grow understanding and confidence. Age 5 years + We say… Stunningly illustrated, and translated from the original Chinese, this inspiring story shows we are all different and find our own place in the world. What Rosa Brought Jacob Sager Weinstein and Eliza Wheeler RRP £ 12.99 (HB) www.harpercollinschildrens.com Vienna, Austria, is the only home Rosa knows. While her…

STORE CUPBOARD: ■ Coloured paper■ Card■ Glue■ A pencil■ Scissors■ Drinking straws■ Sticky tape■ Felt pens■ Empty paper cup■ Tissue paper 1 To make the daffodil petals, draw 2 flower shapes onto yellow paper then cut them out. Use a pencil to carefully make a hole big enough for a straw through the middle of each piece. Push the petals onto the straw, leaving about 2cm sticking out. For the daffodil middle, cut out an orange circle 8-10cm then cut it in half. Curl the paper semi-circle into a cone shape, glue the edge, cut off the pointed end then push it over the straw with a blob of glue or tape to hold it in place. Bend the straw at the back so the flower faces forwards. 2 To…

Hide and Seek: A Bletchley Park Mystery Rhian Tracey RRP £7.99 (PB) www.bonnierbooks.co.uk/piccadillypress Before the war starts, Ned is resigned to a future working in the family funeral parlour. Then the covert operations at Bletchley Park begin and his life is transformed. Ned and his mother leave Bletchley Park on a vital wartime mission into the remote Welsh countryside. Their task: to protect the priceless artwork that is being stored in a slate mine in the village of Manod. As long as its whereabouts are secret, they'll keep the national treasures out of the hands of the enemy. Age 9 years + We say… The latest gripping Bletchley Park mystery, based on real historical events, perfectly written for YA readers. This Book Will Make You An Artist Ruth…

PRINTING STAMPS 1 Collect some cardboard tubes (we used the tubes from the inside of some paper towels but any tube will do) and cut them into manageable lengths for the children to hold. 2 We made a variety of different patterned stamps by using scissors to snip into the cardboard tubes and then bending back the cut pieces. We also made a heart-shaped stamp by gently squeezing a tube together. 3 Lay out some plain paper and paper plates. Put a variety of different coloured paints onto the paper plates. The children can then either place their chosen cardboard tube stamp into the paint or add paint to it using a brush. Making sure the stamp is well covered with paint, press it down onto the paper to make…