ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on children's early years and how design and technology (D&T) is part of their everyday lives, helping to build a foundation on which to develop their understanding of the designed and made world. While the range of teaching approaches could be used with children and pupils of different ages, the examples given are specific to the early years. Examples of activities, including a case study, provide practical ideas to support teaching D&T creatively. The idea of a holistic curriculum is promoted not only in England but in the majority of early years curricula worldwide. Certainly, many teachers reported that the children's questioning skills had developed and not only with those who already had well-developed language skills. Many early years settings do have space both inside and outside the setting, and it is important that the environments are set up to offer opportunities for the child to explore, for example, materials, mechanisms, structures and products.
