An invitiation to play doesn’t get much better than this! I had been collecting boxes for a wrapping station, but when this opportunity presented itself, I knew we couldn’t miss it. Finn was excited enough that he was allowed near a sleeping baby, never mind that he was meant to wrap Cian up. His face says it all.
Note: The wrapping took place after a health and safety briefing about never covering anyone’s face.
Resources
- Wrapping paper
- Scissors
- Sticky tape
- Gift tags
- Pens
- Boxes to wrap
Optional Extras
- Baby!
- Glittery sticky tape
- Ribbon
- Bows
Step 1: Set up the wrapping station with ‘presents’ to wrap, wrapping paper, scissors, sticky tape, gift tags and pens.
Step 2: Support the child while wrapping the presents. This is a good opportunity to teach scissor skills and reinforce scissor safety.
Step 3: Practice letter formation by writing names on the gift tags.
Extension
If wrapping independently, I would start off with boxes that are easy to wrap and then you can always add trickier, irregular shapes for a challenge.
You can make this as complex as you like, with tying bows and adding decorations.
DfES Early Learning Goals (2017)
Physical development
ELG 04 – Moving and handling:
Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
Literacy
ELG 10 – Writing:
Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.
