Playing with ICT

Add to My Folder

By Jean Evans — early years consultant and author

Let the children create their own resources to enhance their awareness of ICT during role-play

Designing and making area for ICT resources

Choose a suitable area where the children can design and make resources to extend their understanding of the uses of ICT in the world around them. Make sure there is enough room for the children to work comfortably. Focus on providing them with a stimulus display and suitable materials relating to one role-play scenario at a time.

Begin with a familiar scenario, such as a home kitchen. Involve the children in searching for pictures of kitchen appliances and create a montage of these on a display board in the chosen area, along with posters and photographs. Move on to less familiar scenarios, such as using technology in supermarkets, and finally, using technology in specific circumstances, such as taking cameras, video cameras and mobile phones on expeditions. Stack large boxes to one side of the area and arrange other resources in separate containers on tables or on the floor so they are easily accessible to the children. Provide a range of tools and joining materials for children to experiment with.

Suggested resources

Pictures of ICT resources, for example, kitchen appliances such as ovens and fridges; supermarket technology such as tills and swipe machines; resources for expeditions such as cameras, video cameras and mobile phones; recyclable materials such as cardboard boxes, tubes, bottles, cartons, buttons and corks; card; felt-tipped pens; child scissors; PVA glue; sticky tape; string; elastic bands; aprons.