Childhood Map

Discover the amazing things 5-year-olds are learning — from climbing and jumping to friendships, feelings, and first words on a page. Each skill comes with fun activities you can try together.

Physical & Motor 8 › Sensory 8 › Executive 7 › Cognitive 6 › Language 5 › Communication 5 › Emotional 5 › Social 6 › Self-Care 7 › Literacy 4 › Math 5 › Creative & Artistic 5 › World & Science 5 ›
by Robert Pankowecki
Creative & Artistic Expression

Expressing ideas, emotions, and experiences through visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and imaginative thinking.

Sources (8)
  • UK EYFS (Expressive Arts & Design)
  • Reggio Emilia (100 Languages)
  • Waldorf/Steiner
  • Montessori (Cultural Studies)
  • Gardner (Musical, Spatial Intelligence)
  • Singapore NEL (Aesthetics & Creative Expression)
  • Finland ECEC (Diverse Forms of Expression)
  • E.D. Hirsch
5 Subdomains
Visual Arts › Music & Rhythm › Dance & Expressive Movement › Dramatic Play & Imagination › Creative Thinking & Innovation ›
Dramatic Play & Imagination

Engaging in pretend play, role-playing, puppetry, and imaginative scenarios that develop narrative and social skills.

Examples & Achievements

  • Engages in elaborate pretend play scenarios (restaurant, hospital, spaceship)
  • Takes on and sustains a role during dramatic play
  • Uses objects symbolically (block as phone, box as car)
  • Collaborates with peers to develop a shared pretend scenario
  • Creates and performs simple puppet shows or skits
  • Distinguishes between real and pretend

How to Measure

  • Sustains a pretend play role for 10+ minutes
  • Engages in collaborative pretend play with 2+ peers
  • Uses 3+ object substitutions in a single play episode
  • Teaching Strategies GOLD Objective 14 (symbolic thought in play)
  • Smilansky Scale of Dramatic and Sociodramatic Play
Sources (5)
  • Vygotsky
  • Waldorf
  • Reggio Emilia
  • EYFS
  • OT Practice Framework

Childhood Map › Creative & Artistic Expression

Dramatic Play & Imagination

Engaging in pretend play, role-playing, puppetry, and imaginative scenarios that develop narrative and social skills.

Examples & Achievements

How to Measure

Sources