* Use photos taken of the young child in a variety of situations and use them to decorate a shoe box or small basket to create a personal space for the child.
* Use this box for the child to store a few favourite things they might want to explore.
* If you have more than one child you could put a small amount of construction blocks or a small notepad and some mark makers in each of their personal boxes. If the box is suitable you could perhaps place a small amount of sand or a doll and blanket in each.
* After a while talk about how useful it is to have your own space.
* Suggest one child swaps the contents of their box with those of the child next to them and stress the word 'sharing'.
Tickle trunk
* Gather together a range of items that are soft, like a feather duster, pom-pom or large feather. Place them on the floor beside a blanket.
* Smile and say 'happy', then droop your mouth and say 'sad'.
* Make a funny face and say 'funny', then stick your tongue out and say 'cheeky'.
* Use one of the tickling items gently on your cheeks - giggle and smile.
Do the same to the child.
Face up
* Using thick black and red felt-tip pens draw faces with different expressions, such as happy, sad, surprised and angry, on some white paper plates.
* Use thick card to create sticks and attach them to the faces with sticky tape.
* Use the plates as puppets to create stories that incorporate the emotions that the puppets are showing.
* Ask which face is happy, sad and so on.
* Make the puppets available to the children to use in their free play.
Crazy animals
* Draw a variety of animals on A4 card making all their necks the same width and a little longer than they should be.
* Choose a range of animals that the children in your setting will recognise.
* Once you have completed a set of five or six and coloured them in, cut them at the neck to create a set of heads and a set of bodies.
* Play a matching game with a difference by piecing together two halves that don't match, so creating a 'crazy animal'. Enjoy the children's laughs and giggles.
* Encourage turn-taking and sharing.
Other ideas
* Create an art gallery of children's photos and display them at the children's eye level.
* Introduce a few sharing baskets. Large baskets with two handles will encourage the children to help each other carry the baskets and choose the toys or games that are inside.
* Introduce a range of 'friends' who have personal stories and short adventures to tell to encourage the children to express their emotions. The friends can be, for example, multicultural dolls and teddies. Create books recording their adventures.
