Using simple tools with simple rules will reward children with a wealth of learning and skills development, says early years consultant Linda Pound.

Human resourcefulness and inventiveness means that we have created a world that is filled with objects that have been designed and made - buildings, clothes, vehicles, books, toys, even the food we eat and the natural spaces we create. The well-known inventor, James Dyson, has suggested that 'design and technology is about making things that people want and that work well. Creating these things is hugely exciting; it is an inventive, fun activity.'

Addressing design and technology in the early years can enable children to make sense of the 'made world' in which they live. By making, changing and modifying (or designing) things for themselves, children can come not simply to a greater understanding of their world, but to a sense of agency - of being able to change and modify their environment. Design and technology enables children to gain knowledge and understanding of their world.

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