Table of contents for Winter 2025 in Creative Steps

As all of you in early years settings, nursery and primary schools get to grip with the recently implemented new Ofsted inspection framework, it is clear there is an increased focus on inclusion and safeguarding. Those in special schools or with SEND provision will hopefully see a fairer recognition of performance, one that values SEND expertise and holistic progress as much as academic outcomes. Creative Steps has long been recognised by practitioners as a valuable additional resource in supporting the development of children and most of the craft activities in each issue can be easily adapted depending on the ages and abilities of the children in your care. This issue includes dozens of fun, adaptable craft projects and activity ideas for you to enjoy with your cohort over the coming…

REINDEER DECORATION STORE CUPBOARD 4 lolly sticks Plain white paper Pencil & scissors Brown paint & brush Red pompom PVA glue & sticky tape Wiggly eyes Pipe cleaner Red wool or string A favourite photo 1 Draw the head and tail of your reindeer on the plain paper and cut out. 2 Paint all four lolly sticks, the pipe cleaner and the head and tail brown, then leave to dry. 3 Use the glue to stick the lolly sticks together to make a frame. Using the picture on the right for guidance, stick Rudolph’s face and tail in place. Then add wiggly eyes and red pompom nose. 4 Take the pipe cleaner and fold it in half. Then cut approx. 6cm from each end. Twist these separate pieces around the…

ENCOURAGES: Exploration of Materials Co-ordination STORE CUPBOARD A variety of fruit e.g. lemons, oranges, limes, pears & apples Paint in a variety of colours Plastic trays or plates Kitchen roll White paper Coloured card Scissors Glue stick 1 Before you begin make sure children are wearing aprons or old shirts to protect their clothes. Then pour a small amount of paint onto a tray or plate using a different one for each colour. Spread the paint across the tray or plate and then lay a piece of kitchen roll over the top of the paint. 2 Gather all the fruit together and have a discussion with the children about each one. See how many the children can identify and which ones they like the best. 3 Cut each piece of…

STORE CUPBOARD 6 light coloured LEGO bricks (2x4) - for months of the year 7 LEGO bricks (2x1 or 2x2) - a set of 3 in one colour and a set of 4 in another colour - for the dates Extra LEGO bricks based on your favourite character or theme Brick separator (Orange LEGO tool) Sticky tape Sharpie marker Craft knife or paper cutter Small craft scissors Cutting mat For the Months: 1 Stack the 6 LEGO 2x4 bricks together and add sticky tape to both sides. 2 Carefully cut the tape between the bricks using a craft knife or paper cutter on the cutting mat. 3 Write the 12 months on either side of the bricks. HINTS & TIPS ■ Abstract characters or Mini figures with environment elements add instant…

STORE CUPBOARD Light Blue, Peach and White foam Silver glittery card Brown, Red and Pink marker pens Black fine liner pen Glittery letter stickers Ruler Pencil Strong glue Scissors 1 Cut a 22 x 8.5cm rectangle from blue foam. 2 Draw on and cut out a curved shape for the door handle to sit on, as shown. 3 Cut out a fairy from peach foam. 4 Using marker pens, colour the fairy's hair brown, her top and shoes red. Colour her skirt in pink and add red lips and a black dot for the eye. 5 Cut out silver wings and a white tooth. 6 Glue the fairy, wings and tooth to the door hanger. 7 Stick on glittery letters to spell: "Come in" "Tooth Fairy". OTHER IDEAS ■ Use…

STORE CUPBOARD 1 litre cardboard carton Pencil Scissors Paints Glue LED tea light 1 Cut off a 4 to 5cm section from the base of a carton. Tip out any left-over liquid then wipe inside both sections with paper towel. 2 Draw tall windows on 3 sides of the carton then cut them out. 3 Glue around the corners on the base section. Push the top section inside the base. Leave to dry. 4 Paint the lantern all over and leave to dry. Decorate with painted patterns or glue paper cut outs around the sides. Leave to dry. 5 Place an LED tea light inside then stand the lantern on a table or windowsill. To hang a lantern, punch a hole near the top then thread with ribbon. FUN FACTS!…

STORE CUPBOARD Watercolour paints – various colours Saucer Paintbrushes Watercolour paper A4 card Foam sticky pads Silver card Scissors 1 Put watercolour paints on a saucer. 2 Wet watercolour paper with a large paintbrush. 3 Paint washes of blue, orange, yellow and red in patches. Leave to dry. 4 Paint designs, such as lines and dots, on to the washes. Leave to dry. 5 Cut out the hearts in varying sizes from the watercolour paper. 6 Cut out a silver heart from card. 7 Make a card by folding an A4 sheet of red card in half. 8 Stick on the hearts with sticky pads. (You might need to cut the pads into small squares.) Orange Card Make 3 larger hearts from paper and paint. Draw a face on one,…

STORE CUPBOARD A4 Coloured paper  Paper or Cellophane paper ribbons  Clear sticky tape  Hole punch  Thread  Stapler  Pencil  Ruler 1 Fold an A4 sheet of card in half lengthwise. Use a pencil and ruler to measure and mark two points on the folded edge at equal distances every 10cm. 2 Bend both corners at one end down to form a heart-like shape at the first measured point and staple to hold. 3 Add another staple near the second point to strengthen the kite structure. 4 Stick a small piece of clear tape at the centre where both sides meet. Punch a hole through the tape and tie a thread — this becomes your flying line. 5 Attach colourful paper or cellophane ribbons at the base (near the third point) to…

Mini Christmas Trees STORE CUPBOARD Green pipe cleaners  Dowel or stick  Shiny Pony Beads  Scissors  Cork 1 Cut your green pipe cleaners into assorted lengths, from approx. 12cm to 4cm to create the branches for your tree 2 Starting 3cm from the bottom of your dowel, wrap the middle of the longest length of pipe cleaner around the dowel. 3 Work your way up to the tip using progressively shorter lengths to create the branches of your mini tree. 4 Add shiny pony beads to your branches as baubles. 5 Using the point of the scissors, make a hole in one end of the cork to enable your dowel to be inserted to help your tree stand up. HINTS & TIPS ■ You may need to cut the dowel if…

STORE CUPBOARD Watercolour paper Food colouring or water colour paints Ice tray Lolly sticks Water White candle or oil pastel Tissue or a towel Hole punch Ribbon Clear tape White tray or plate 1 Add a few drops of your child's favourite water colours or food colouring into each section of the ice tray filled with water. 2 Cut the wooden lolly sticks in half and add to each colour in the ice tray and freeze to make your ice block paints. 3 Cut watercolour paper into equal bunting cards. Draw simple winter shapes or funny doodles using a white candle or oil pastel — these will create hidden “magic” lines. 4 Once your ice blocks have frozen, remove and glide them across the paper to reveal the surprise drawings…

STORE CUPBOARD Battery operated tea lights Twigs Coaster or a small plate with depth to hold the bonfire and sticks together Yellow and red cellophane paper Clear Sticky tape Some pebbles or marbles or environment elements (optional) 1 Cut yellow and red cellophane paper into flame-shaped strips and attach them to the tea light with clear tape, layer by layer. 2 Break the twigs into roughly even pieces and arrange them around the tea light to resemble firewood logs. Use a coaster to help support the twigs and build your campfire base. 3 Switch on the tea light and enjoy warm ‘campfire’ story time with your little ones. HINTS & TIPS ■ Add a fun twist by using real mini marshmallows or tiny festive snacks to turn your bonfire into…

STORE CUPBOARD Coloured cardboard plates Ruler Thin card Pencil Scissors Glue Thick corrugated card Paints Ribbon Sticky tape 1 Cut 3 x squares from thin card -10cm x 10cm, 15cm x 15cm and 20cm x 20cm. Fold each piece in half, draw half a heart (draw up to the edges), cut it out then open. 2 Place the smallest heart in the middle of a cardboard plate then draw around the edge. (Hint: Draw on the reverse side if there’s a shiny surface on the plate.) 3 Place the middle-sized heart on a cardboard plate, in another colour, draw around the edge then do the same with the biggest heart. 4 Paint patterns on the hearts with a sponge dabber, a brush or fingerprints. Leave to dry. 5 Cut a…

BOOKS 0-5 YRS FOLD-OUT + PLAY: DOLL'S HOUSE This fantastic fold-out book effortlessly transforms into a stylish 3D doll’s house that children can explore and play with! There are stand-up characters to bring to life, pieces of press-out furniture to build and colourful stickers to decorate the house with. Enjoy hours of play in your customised doll’s house “Great value for money and more robust than we anticipated. Little ones needed help building the furniture but loved playing with it and had hours of fun. The book itself, the rooms it makes and the storage compartment are gorgeous and such a good idea.” Nosy Crow £20.00 nosycrow.com IT’S OK TO SAY NO From PSHE expert and bestselling author Molly Potter comes a reassuring picture book about consent. With child-friendly explanations…

STORE CUPBOARD Paper cup White and Black paints Medium paintbrush Pink felt Black foam White pom-pom Two large wiggly eyes Black and Pink felt tip pens Orange card Strong glue Scissors Bobble Hat Penguin 1 Paint a paper cup white. When dry, draw the shape of a head and body onto the paper cup. 2 Paint around the head and body shape with black paint and leave to dry. 3 Fold orange card in half. Draw a triangle about 2cm tall for the beak along the fold and cut out. Cut out two feet about 3cm long. Glue on the beak and feet using strong glue. 4 Cut out a semi-circle, about 8cm wide, from pink felt. Fold the bottom 1cm of the hat over and stick down to create…

STORE CUPBOARD Red, white and gold thin paper Red, gold card Pencil Plate Scissors Ruler Glue Glue brush Ribbon Sticky tape 1 Draw around a small (20cm) plate onto a piece of red A4 card. Cut out the circle. 2 Cut a 3-4cm wide strip from the left-over card. Cut the strip into 2 shorter pieces. Glue one strip at the top of the circle and one at the bottom to make a lantern shape. 3 Draw around the same plate onto a piece of white A4 paper. Cut out the circle then fold in half, in half again and again. Draw some small shapes along the folds and at the top, cut them out then carefully open the paper. 4 Place the paper cut circle on a piece of…

STORE CUPBOARD 10 screw-top bottle tops Paints - Light Blue & Pale Pink Medium paintbrush Red felt Foam X's Cerise Pink foam Lilac foam Scissors Strong glue To Make the Game Board & Pieces 1 Paint 5 bottle tops light blue and paint 5 bottle tops pale pink. Leave to dry. 2 Cut out 5 small red felt hearts and glue to the top of the blue bottle tops. 3 Stick X's on top of the pink bottle tops. 4 Cut a 12 x 12cm square from cerise foam and cut 4 strips of lilac foam, 12cm long and about 5mm wide. 5 Glue the strips of lilac foam to the square to make a grid. To Make the Score Card Cut an oblong of white card. Glue a strip…

Make Your Own 3D Rainforest Lilli, Leo and Bea’s Questland amulets whisk them away to a raft rushing down a raging river. Rescued by Jamac, the talking jaguar, he explains he needs their help to find a cure for his friend, Puddle Waddle the capybara who is mysteriously ill. To save their new friend, the SuperQuesters must combine science and the magic of the rainforest. A rainforest is a hot, wet, tall, dense forest found near the equator that receives a lot of rain throughout the year. Rainforests are home to a rich variety of plants, animals, and insects, meaning they are full of biodiversity. Make your own rainforest by following these simple instructions and discover more about this incredible habitat with the SuperQuesters. STORE CUPBOARD Shoebox (A4 or letter…

KEY: HB HARDBACK ★ PB PAPERBACK ★ BB BOARD BOOK Persian Mythology: Epic Stories of Gods, Heroes, and Monsters Ryan Bani Tahmaseb & Reza Dalvand £16.99 (HB) www.runningpresskids.com In this engrossing anthology of twenty stories, readers will be introduced to the strongest heroes, most legendary creatures, and most vicious demons of Persian mythology. From Atar, the god of fire, going head-to-head with the three-headed demon-dragon Azhi Dahaka, to Anahita, the goddess of war and water, rescuing mortals from monstrous divs. Age 8 years + We say… Exciting tales from lesser-known Persian mythology Murder at Christmas Fleur Hitchcock £7.99 (PB) www.nosycrow.com After another dreary term away at school, Grace is desperate to see her mum and brother again. Excited to spend Christmas with them, she arrives in Bath full of expectation…

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. Aurora Borealis on Black Paper STORE CUPBOARD Black paper Soft pastels Cotton swabs Tree silhouette stencil (or cut your own from paper) Tape 1 Tape your black paper to the table so it won’t move. 2 Place your tree stencil along the bottom and tape it in place. 3 Draw sky colours above the trees using soft pastels. Use light strokes:…

STORE CUPBOARD Newspaper Sticky tape or masking tape Thin coloured paper, tissue paper or magazines Thin card Felt pen Scissors Glue Glue brush Pipe cleaners 1 Scrunch a sheet of newspaper into a ball. Wrap another 3 or 4 layers of newspaper over the top, adding one sheet at a time. Press the newspaper into a tight ball for the robin’s body. Squash the paper at one end to make a flat tail then wrap masking tape or sticky tape over the top. 2 Roll a small strip of card (3cm x 6cm) into a cone for a beak, stick with tape to hold the shape then trim off the ends. Tape the beak onto the body. 3 Use a felt pen to roughly mark the different sections on the…

KEY: HB HARDBACK ★ PB PAPERBACK ★ BB BOARD BOOK Slide and Peek Santa Hector Dexet £7.99 (BB) www.postwavepublishing.com Santa’s been busier than ever and has loaded his sleigh with presents for all the animals. Reveal the perfect gifts he’s brought with a pull-tab on every page – cosy socks for the spider, snug pyjamas for the crocodile, a speedy sled for the penguin and a charming hat for the ladybird! Did he forget anyone? Age 1 year + We say… Little ones will enjoy pulling the sturdy tabs to reveal the many gifts. Every Body Move! Jenna Elyse Johnson & Ananya Rao-Middleton £7.99 (PB) www.barefootbooks.com An original singalong celebrating kids with disabilities and the tools that help them access our world! What helps your mobility? How do you groove?…

This is the time of year when I always think, with great fondness, of my time working in a nursery that was attached to an Infant and Junior School. The lead up to Christmas was a very busy time, but was also one of my favourites. I was responsible for developing all the activities for the children; many of these were then used for the displays around the nursery. Although I always loved developing the activities and the displays, the Christmas ones were, somehow more exciting, more ambitious and certainly great fun to be involved in. And of course, the children’s anticipatory excitement was infectious. The post-Christmas period sometimes felt quite flat after the frenetic build up and I recall sometimes wondering what activities I could create that would be…

STORE CUPBOARD Colour paper strips, Quilling paper or thin ribbon Thick card paper Cutter Cutting mat Glue stick or sticky tape Pencil Metal Rule 1 Cut a piece of card into a long rectangle and fold it into half to make your bookmark. 2 Make 4 even vertical cuts on one half, up to the fold in the paper, to create warp strips. 3 Cut thin strips of coloured card to weave horizontal strips (weft) through the vertical strips (warp), alternating over and under to form a tartan pattern. 4 Once complete, secure the ends at the back with glue or tape and cover with the other half of card for a neat finish. 5 Add a small ribbon tag or tassel to complete your handmade tartan bookmark. HINTS &…

KEY: HB HARDBACK ★ PB PAPERBACK ★ BB BOARD BOOK Backpack Explorer: Winter Walk £12.99 (PB) www.storey.com Search for frost on the grass, snowflakes in the air, animal tracks, birds, and signs of insects. Learn how icicles form, which animals hibernate and which stay active, and why we have a winter solstice. Build snow creatures and ice sculptures and enjoy the magic of winter! Age 4 years+ We say… Packed with fun activities to encourage you to get outside and explore this winter. Moon Song Michaela Goade £14.99 (HB) www.lbyr.com On an island at the edge of a silvery sea, when the moon rises and night falls, a girl spins a story for her worried cousin to help him find comfort in the wintery dark. She invites him to see…