Learning at home resources and ideas for children aged birth to four years
Children learn a lot in the first few years of life. Learning happens when babies and children feel safe and secure. Talking, playing and reading to your child are great things to do.
No-one knows your child better than you, so choose and/or adapt ideas here to best suit you and your child. Remember it’s the talking and time spent together that matter the most.
Resources and ideas for learning at home
Outside and active play
- Painting with food colouring (PDF, 677KB)
- Spray bottle painting (PDF, 682KB)
- Threading with leaves (PDF, 698KB)
- Herbal potions (PDF, 725KB)
- Painting outside with water (PDF, 687KB)
- Build a fairy house (PDF, 628KB)
- Playing with shadows and light (PDF, 662KB)
- Making shelters (PDF, 651KB)
- Nature colour match (PDF, 672KB)
- Garden potions (PDF, 624KB)
- Pouring fun (PDF, 633KB)-
- Making the bed (PDF, 717KB)
- 10 things to do in nature (PDF, 647KB)
- Coloured foam fun (PDF, 628)
- Follow the beat (PDF, 630)
- Find the teddy (PDF, 655KB)
- Gloop! (PDF, 643KB)
- Colour treasure hunt (PDF, 670KB)
- 5 things to do on a walk (PDF, 705KB)
- The wobble game (PDF, 737KB)
- Hanging the washing (PDF, 654KB)
- Finger paint (PDF, 679KB)
- Backyard obstacle course (PDF, 672KB)
- Going on a bear hunt in your community (PDF, 615KB)
- Floating and sinking (PDF, 311KB)
- Natural confetti (PDF, 279KB)
- Balloon fun (PDF, 675KB)
- Wash the toys (PDF, 716KB)
- Dancing to music (PDF, 709KB)
Quiet play
- Becoming a butterfly (PDF, 626KB)
- Fun with pasta (PDF, 707KB)
- Finding calm (PDF, 630KB)
- Still life painting or drawing (PDF, 643KB)
- Face time fun (PDF, 710KB)
- My special people (PDF, 681KB)
- Sorting small things (PDF, 624KB)-
- Our family (PDF, 655KB)-
- Making a treasure map (PDF, 717KB)
- Button sorting (PDF, 660KB)
- Writing a shopping list (PDF, 660KB)
- Going on a bear hunt (PDF, 619)
- Spoon it in (PDF, 645)
- Sorting cutlery (PDF, 682KB)
- Post a letter (PDF, 655KB)
- Memory game (PDF, 675KB)
- Make a book (PDF, 680KB)
- Letters and words (PDF, 731KB)
- Goldilocks and the three bears (PDF, 726KB)
- Feely bag (PDF, 704KB)
- Beside, under and between (PDF, 665KB)
- Bath time (PDF, 307KB)
Creative play
- Making music in the kitchen (PDF, 678KB)
- Five in the bed (PDF, 704KB)
- Printing (PDF, 700KB)
- Marble Art (PDF, 718KB)
- Crayon and dye wash (PDF, 345KB)
- Painting with cotton buds (PDF, 314KB)
- Symmetrical painting (PDF, 330 KB)
- Tell a story (PDF, 690KB)
- Painting on a mirror (PDF, 676KB)
- Water xylophone (PDF, 706KB)
- Recycle your old textas (PDF, 688KB)
- Making and creating (PDF, 682KB)
- Collage from loose parts and junk (PDF, 690KB)
- Shadow puppets (PDF, 718KB)
- Going to the movies (PDF, 685KB)
- Emotions (PDF, 633KB)-
- Animal adventures (PDF, 660KB)
- Teddies bus trip (PDF, 652KB)
- Puppet theatre (PDF, 649KB)
- Stick puppets (PDF, 671KB)
- Guess the sound (PDF, 826KB)
- Dress up box (PDF, 743KB)
- Celebrations – have a picnic or tea party (PDF, 354KB)
- Play dough (PDF, 701KB)
- Making a ramp (PDF, 310KB)
- Make a farm (PDF, 682KB)
- Drawing and making marks (PDF, 699KB)
- Build a road (PDF, 320KB)
- Build a cubby (PDF, 733KB)
Especially for babies
- Make a treasure box for baby (PDF, 700KB)
- Babies talk without words (PDF, 631KB)
- Reading with babies (PDF, 630KB)
- Babies love music (PDF, 648)
The resources and activities on this page have been informed by the Early Years Learning Framework: Belonging, Being and Becoming.