Two-year-olds and their use of art and craft materials

The quality of interventions in two different nursery schools forms the overarching theme of this thesis. In this context, the study examines the extent to which the characteristics of art and craft materials and the behaviour of the intervention leader (IL) can support the development and learning of two-year-old children. Drawing on theoretical foundations such as the developmental aspect of 'autonomous action' and the learning aspect of 'perception through all the senses', the study examines the developmental appropriateness and richness of learning stimulation offered by these characteristics and behaviours. This is achieved using theory-guided observation criteria, which are applied when describing child-material interactions and child-facilitator interactions in selected video sequences. The study has shown that the creative art materials clay and paint open up opportunities for autonomous action and sensory perception for two-year-olds under certain conditions.