Finn loves magna-tiles, so this invitation to play was perfect for him. It gave him chance to develop his construction skills through the process of trial and error.

Resources

  • Magna-tiles (or any other magnetic tiles)
  • Gruffalo book and toy

Method

Finn ‘read’ the story to Cian, before starting building.

I love the process of trial and error. At first Finn only made a 1×1 square, but it was too small so the Gruffalo broke it.

He quickly set to building a larger cave, complete with turrets and a window. He was very happy with his finished design. I love seeing him take pride in his work!

When he came back to this activity later, he decided to build upwards. With the roof being made of multiple tiles, the whole thing collapsed. Undeterred, he swapped the large pink panel from the side wall, to make a solid roof that would hold the weight.

DfES Early Learning Goals (2017)

Communication and language

ELG 01 – Listening and attention:

Children listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity.

ELG 02 – Understanding:

Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events.

ELG 03 – Speaking:

Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.

Physical development

ELG 04 – Moving and handling:

Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements.

Personal, social and emotional development

ELG 06 – Self-confidence and self-awareness:

Children are confident to try new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. They say when they do or don’t need help.

Mathematics

ELG12 – Shape, space and measures:

Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, and position to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems.