Decorating provides an enjoyable and meaningful way for children to explore the concepts of size, shape, area and estimation. Denise Bailey gets stuck in

For staff and children alike, one of the most enjoyable mini topics we have undertaken was on home decorating.

The work stemmed from children's discussions about decorating at home, especially their own bedrooms, and our wish to develop their understanding of concepts of size, shape and pattern in a meaningful way.

We asked parents and carers to contribute leftover rolls of wallpaper and to lend us old paintbrushes, rollers and trays. We also acquired wallpaper pattern books from local shops.

We cleared a corner of the nursery so that we could have a large area of wall with a window to work in. Our caretaker was horrified at the thought of the children plastering wallpaper and paint on the walls and windows, so we covered the area with a thin plastic dustsheet.

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