Tabla de contenidos para Summer 2023 en Creative Steps

Some of our subscribers have been with us since we launched Creative Steps in 2006 (thank you!) and will have seen our sons as models in the earlier issues – cherubic faces and pageboy haircuts! Time passes and they are now in their twenties – one studying hard at university and the other, post-degree, now making his way in the music industry. Currently on a sold-out UK tour, performing at festivals this summer and has recently had a number 1 album… Proud Dad moments indeed! With the coming summer months, many of you will be bidding fond(?) farewells to some of the children in your care or settings and will, no doubt, be feeling similar ‘proud parent’ emotions as they head off to new adventures. The kids may not realise…

LEARNING ZONES: Expressive Arts & Design ★ Understanding the World ★ Physical Development 3D Flower Card STORE CUPBOARD ■ A4 white card ■ Purple, yellow & green card ■ Purple tissue paper ■ Green paper straws ■ Sticky tape ■ White Paper ■ Felt tip pens ■ Glue ■ Scissors ■ Pencil or pen 1 Fold the A4 white card in half and put to one side. 2 Draw 4 small hearts onto the purple card. Cut out the hearts and glue them together so they look like a flower. 3 Take the yellow card and cut out a small circle. Make small cuts around the outside of the circle to give a feathered effect and glue onto your flower. Stick a small tissue paper ball in the middle and…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Cardboard tube ■ Thin white card ■ Orange card ■ Paints ■ Paint brushes ■ Pencil ■ Scissors ■ Glue stick ■ Black marker pen ■ Wiggly eyes ■ Strong glue 1 Paint the cardboard tube white and leave to dry. 2 Draw on the puffin shape with a pencil. 3 Paint the black areas black and leave to dry. 4 Cut out a beak, 2 feet, a tail and 2 wings from card. 5 Paint the beak with blue, yellow and orange paint and leave to dry. 6 Paint the wings and tail black and leave to dry. 7 Paint on black toes to the feet and leave to dry. 8 Cut a slot in the beak and a slot in the cardboard tube. Slide the…

Crisp Tube Owl STORE CUPBOARD: ■ Long crisp tube or 2 x gravy pots ■ Coloured paper – dark brown, light brown, orange & yellow ■ 2 bottle tops ■ Sticky gems or wiggly eyes ■ Straw or wooden skewer ■ Scissors ■ Glue or double-sided tape 1 Cut your crisp tube 3/4 of the way along the tube. Ask an adult to help. The longer part should be open at both ends, this will form the owl's body. 2 Cover your tube with yellow card (you could paint the tube if you prefer). 3 Take the dark brown card and cut a strip approximately 8cm deep and long enough to wrap all the way around your tube. Then cut into the strip from one of the long edges in…

STORE CUPBOARD: ■ Wax crayons ■ Black poster paint ■ Paint brush ■ Cocktail stick ■ Card - yellow, orange, bright pink and pale green ■ Scissors ■ Glue stick ■ Strong glue 1 Take a sheet of yellow card and rub it with various colour wax crayons. Make the wax as thick as you can. 2 Paint over the wax crayon with black poster paint and leave to dry. 3 Take a cocktail stick and scrape away the black paint, to create a rainbow design. Doodles 1 Make the base as before and scrape away flowers, hearts and 'hello'... or whatever you wish to doodle! 2 Glue to a pale green card. Dragonfly 1 Make a dragonfly with wax paint and scratches. 2 Make 2 flowers. 3 Cut out…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Pencil ■ Scissors ■ Paper ■ Magazines or newspapers ■ Coloured card ■ Glue stick 1 Write your message on a piece of paper to show which letters you need. Cut out individual letters from old magazines, newspapers or comics for the message on your card. Larger letters from headings, titles and advertisements are ideal. 2 Arrange the letters on a folded background card, check they’re in the right order then stick them down. 3 Cut or tear magazines into strips to make borders then stick them onto the card. HINTS & TIPS ■ A cut out banner helps the lettering stand out clearly. Cut out the finished message with a border around the letters then stick it onto a folded background card. OTHER IDEAS ■ For…

SQUIRRELS GET READY! Everyone’s favourite big lovable dog HEY DUGGEE is currently TOURING THEATRES across the UK! Come and see Hey Duggee The Live Theatre Show, crowned BEST FAMILY SHOW at the 2023 Olivier Awards, earn your theatre badge and recreate your own stage show at home. Cut, fold and glue the characters together, then make up a play to perform for your family and friends! Want to get even more creative? You could sing them a show tune! Betty wants to make costumes, Happy wants to sing, Tag wants to make music, Norrie wants to dance, Roly wants jelly and they all want you to join them at the Clubhouse. There is so much to do, but luckily Duggee has his theatre badge. Will you get yours too? A-Woof!…

I say OH, You say NO John Kane RRP £7.99 (PB) www.bonnierbooks.co.uk Would you like to meet OH? Are you sure? He's no ordinary bear . . . you see, he's a bear with a BARE BEAR BUTT! And bare butt bears like to dance. The trouble is, he'd like someone to dance with. I don't suppose you know anyone? Age 1 years + We say… A hilarious story that will be sure to get kids wanting you to read together again and again. Marvellous Margot Lou Peacock & Ingela P Arrhenius RRP £ 7.99 (PB) www.nosycrow.com Have you met Margot? She is cheerful, helpful and kind - the very best kind of friend! It's a marvellous day in the big city. The sky is blue, the sun is shining,…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Large and small cupcake cases in assorted colours ■ Pom poms ■ Pipe cleaner ■ Paint ■ Wiggly eyes ■ Strong glue ■ Scissors 1 Turn the large cupcake case inside out. 2 Cut it to give it a wing shape, as shown in the examples above. 3 Turn the small cupcake case inside out and cut it into wing shapes too. 4 Dip a pom pom into paint, press it down on the large cupcake case, to create a pattern, and leave the paint to dry. 5 Take a pipe cleaner and wrap it round the centre of the cupcake cases. Twist at the top to secure. 6 Cut the ends of the pipe cleaner off and bend to form antennae. 7 Glue a pom pom…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Coloured paper and card ■ Scissors ■ Glue or double-sided tape ■ Pencil ■ Black marker pen ■ Ruler 1 Draw around the jellyfish body pattern onto card and cut it out. 2 Cut lots of strips of paper about 7cm long by 1.5cm wide. Use a ruler to keep them nice and neat! 3 Bend a strip of paper into a loop and glue it into place. Thread a second strip of paper through it and glue the ends together too. Keep doing this to make one of the tentacles, as long as you like. 4 Repeat step three until you have enough tentacles, and glue them onto the back of the body. 5 Draw around the eye template twice onto white card and cut them…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Plastic bags ■ Elastic bands ■ Corrugated card strips ■ Scissors ■ Paints ■ Paintbrushes ■ Paint mixing tray ■ Wobbly eyes ■ Coloured card ■ Glue 1 Tightly scrunch up a plastic bag to make a printing pad. Pull the plastic to make it smooth on one side then tie the other end with an elastic band. 2 Brush some paint onto the bag then press it onto white paper. Twist the bag to make a swirly circle. Print more circles in the same way. Leave to dry. Make a new printing pad if you change colour, or cover the first one with a new piece of plastic bag tied over the top. 3 Brush some paint onto a short strip of corrugated card then press…

LEARNING ZONES: Art & Design ★ Science ★ Mathematics STORE CUPBOARD: ■ Pencil ■ Cardboard plate ■ Pipe cleaners ■ Masking tape ■ Scissors ■ PVA Glue ■ Glue brush ■ Drinking straws ■ Paint ■ Paintbrushes ■ Tissue paper 1 Place a cardboard plate face down, mark the middle in pencil then draw a spiral from the middle to the edge of the plate. Draw some short lines to divide the spiral into sections. 2 Join 3 pipe cleaners together by twisting the ends into a 50-60cm length. Wrap 3 more pipe cleaners along the length to make it thicker then twist tightly together. Add 1or 2 more pipe cleaners to make one end thicker. 3 Roughly shape the pipe cleaners into a spiral with the thinner end in…

The Selfish Giant Oscar Wilde & Ritva Voutila RRP £7.99 (PB) www.allenandunwin.com The children always played in the Giant's garden, but when he returned after years away, he said, 'What are you doing here?' and the children fled. 'My own garden is my own garden,' said the Giant; 'anyone can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.' Age 6 years + We say… Illustrated with large intricate oil paintings, this is a book to be re-read and treasured. Rhinoceros Can’t Draw, But You Can! Luke Newell & Mr Griff RRP £9.99 (HB) www.noodle-juice.com With step-by-step instructions and colourful illustrations, this practical fill-in art activity book gives you the skills to unleash your inner artist. This book starts with how to draw a straight line…

heyduggeelive.com @heyduggeelive @heyduggeelive @heyduggeelive FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THESE TEMPLATES VISIT www.creativesteps.co.uk…

WIN! ORCHARD TOYS Hungry Little Penguins - RRP £12.00 Collect colourful fish, but watch out for the seal who wants to steal them! A fun penguin themed game with 2 exciting ways to play for even more fun. Can either be played as a collaborative game where children play together against the seal; or as an individual lotto game where players must race to fill their board first! My First Snakes & Ladders – RRP £12.00 A perfect introduction to board games for younger players! Featuring chunky and durable playing pieces, ideal for little hands, whilst the spaces are large and visible for children of all abilities. This classic family board game helps to develop counting and gameplay skills. Little Bug Bingo – RRP 6.00 This colourful mini beast bingo…

We all love being outdoors; it has a positive effect on our emotional and mental wellbeing – great benefits for both children and the adults who care for them. Children love music; research shows us the incredible benefits of regular music-making opportunities for the development of children and adults and their wellbeing – so combining the two means we can harness more benefits, for everyone involved! PACEY has partnered with Boogie Mites to bring you some ideas and inspiration all around outside musical play. Music Circle Time Circle time music activities can be for big pre-school or nursery groups or small home learning groups. Indoor, circle time musical activities are a perfect way to boost attention, listening, following a leader, language, self-expression and groups skills – such as prosocial behaviour…

BEACH COLLAGE STORE CUPBOARD ■ Paper plate ■ Paints in yellow & blue & brushes ■ Play sand ■ Scraps of foam ■ Brown paper ■ Green tissue or crepe paper ■ Small paper ball ■ Red felt-tip pen ■ Cocktail umbrella ■ Scissors & PVA glue ■ Small stones & shells 1 Paint one half of the paper plate yellow and the other half blue. Before the yellow paint dries, sprinkle some play sand onto the wet paint to make the beach. 2 Make the beach towel by cutting a rectangle from foam, snipping into the ends to make a fringe. Stick contrasting coloured strips of foam onto the towel to make stripes. 3 The beach ball is a small white paper ball with stripes made with a red…

SUPER QUESTERS STORE CUPBOARD ■ Paper plate(s) ■ Sturdy cardboard cut into 15cm lengths ■ Sunflower seeds, dried black lentils or any other seed. ■ Yellow paint ■ Green paint ■ Paintbrush ■ Glue ■ Split pins ■ Staple gun 1 Start by showing your child a sunflower. If you have some growing nearby, that’s perfect, but looking at images is excellent too. Discuss what they notice about the plant's size, shape, height and colour. 2 Take your paper plate(s) and paint it sunny yellow. Your child may like to experiment a little by creating different shades of yellow. 3 Next paint your lengths of cardboard green. These will make the stem. You may need several coats of paint to cover the cardboard. Your child can choose how many they…

STORE CUPBOARD ■ Medium paper plates ■ White paper ■ Pink & yellow tissue paper ■ Paints - green, yellow and pink ■ Medium sized paint brush ■ Glue stick ■ Pencil ■ Scissors 1 Cut out a curved triangle from a paper plate. 2 Paint the plate green and leave to dry. 3 Cut out 2 sets of large petals from white paper. 4 Cut out small petals from white paper. 5 Paint the large petals with a small amount of yellow paint. 6 Paint the inside of the small petals pink. 7 Make a ball of tissue paper. 8 Stick the lily together, with the smallest part in the centre. 9 Glue on the ball of tissue paper. 10 Glue the lily to the pad. FUN FACTS! ■…

Muffin ingredients 25g butter50g runny honey, plus a tablespoon for glazing½ teaspoon vanilla extract175g self-raising flour½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda¼ teaspoon salt2 large, very ripe bananas You will need a 12-hole muffin tin and 12 muffin paper cases. ALLERGIES Wheat, gluten, dairy Method 1 Heat the oven to 170°C / 375°F or gas mark 5. Line the muffin tin with paper cases. 2 Put the butter and honey into a small pan and heat gently on the hob, until the butter has melted. Take off the heat and let cool slightly before adding the vanilla extract. 3 Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl. Mash the bananas in another bowl. Add the honey mixture to the bananas and stir together. 4 Add the banana mixture to…

Little Explorers: Let’s Go! Hospital & Building Site RRP £10.99 (BB) www.bonnierbooks.co.uk Hands-on fun finding out about what goes on inside a hospital or at the building site. Young readers will love opening doors, seeing what's in each room/equipment and finding out what all the different people do. Meet a surgeon, a radiologist and a triage nurse, or excavator driver, a crane operator and a bricklayer. Each book features over 30 sturdy flaps to lift, along with charming artwork that introduces new concepts and vocabulary in a simple and accessible way. Age 3 years + We say… Packed with fascinating facts and sturdy flaps, readers will love these informative books. Rory’s Room of Rectangles Ian Eagleton & Jessica Knight RRP £ 7.99 (PB) www.owletpress.com Rory loves his Dad, but he…

WOVEN PLACEMAT 1 Cut out the front and back panels from a large cereal box. Turn the panels over so the plain cardboard sides are face-up. Using a pencil and ruler, draw horizontal strips on one piece and vertical strips on the other, each strip measuring 2.5cm wide. Cut out the strips with scissors, placing them in two piles. 2 Lay the horizontal strips above each other in the correct picture order on a flat surface. Then take a vertical strip, again in the correct order, and weave it under and over all the horizontal strips. When you have finished weaving that strip, put some sticky tape on the back to hold the strips together. Repeat with the other vertical strips. 3 Finish by using glue to stick the whole…