Children had fun making their mark in Stevenage town centre last week as part of an initiative by family support charity Home-Start Herts.
Children were invited to head to Town Square last Tuesday to have a go at scribbling on the pavement, drawing activities and face painting in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of ‘mark making’ - creating scribbles, squiggles and patterns - for young children.
The charity says its work with families has raised an awareness that some children have limited experience of mark making, which not only helps children develop their imagination and creativity, but also helps with expressing feelings and communication and is an important stepping stone to reading and writing.
The event, which was supported by volunteers from BT, was attended by Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland and mayor and mayoress John and Joan Lloyd.
Home-Start Herts’ strategic manager Suzy Moody said: “The children really enjoyed having the freedom to draw anything anywhere and make mess. It was fantastic to see the parents and grandparents getting involved too - they couldn’t resist.”
Home-Start Herts will be putting on activity days throughout the year to raise awareness of fun ways to support children’s development, as part of a new project - Big Hopes Big Future - which provides support to families to make sure children are prepared for nursery or school.
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