5 of Our Favourite Arts and Crafts Supplies Your Preschooler Will Love

If you have heard that the rules around mobile phones and electronic devices in early childhood settings have changed, you are right. If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, these changes are already in effect.

Here is a plain-English breakdown of what changed, why it happened, and what it means for your family.

Why Did the Laws Change?

The changes were introduced as a child safety measure. In 2025, Australia’s Education Ministers agreed to amend the Education and Care Services National Law to address concerns about the potential for personal devices to be used to capture, store, or transmit images of children in care without authorisation.

The intent is straightforward: children in early learning settings deserve an environment where their privacy and safety are actively protected.

What Changed Nationally

From 27 February 2026, amendments to the national Education and Care Services National Law took effect across Australia. Under these changes, educators and staff who work directly with children are restricted from using personal electronic devices in care settings.

Before this, from 1 September 2025, all early childhood education and care services nationwide were required to have written policies in place addressing the use of digital devices.

What Changed in NSW

NSW moved ahead of the national timeline. The Education and Care Services (Supply, Authorisation and Use of Devices) Order 2025 took effect on 6 November 2025, applying across NSW’s 6,000 or more early learning services, including long day care centres, preschools, and family day care.

Under this order, educators and staff must use service-issued or service-authorised devices rather than their own personal devices when working directly with children.

What Counts as a Personal Device?

The definition is broad. A personal device is any device owned by an individual (not the approved provider) that is capable of capturing, storing, or transmitting an image. This includes:

Mobile phones
Smartwatches
Cameras and tablets
iPads and laptops
Hard drives, USB drives, and memory cards
Wearables such as camera glasses

Who Does the Ban Apply To?

The restrictions apply to anyone working directly with children at a service, including permanent and casual educators, students on placement, volunteers, contractors, and allied health professionals delivering programs on-site.

Parents, carers, and other visitors are not covered by the ban. In NSW, parents and carers remain free to use their personal devices during drop-off, pick-up, centre visits, and events involving their own children. There are also authorised exceptions for essential purposes, including emergencies and health or disability support needs.

What About Screen Time for Children?

These new laws specifically address staff device use, not children’s screen time. Screen time limits for young children are not mandated within childcare regulation at a national level.

The relevant guidance comes from the federal Department of Health and Aged Care’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, which recommend no screen time for children under 2 years, and no more than 1 hour per day for children aged 2 to 5 years. These are health guidelines, not regulatory requirements.

What This Means for Your Family

If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, their service is already required to operate under these rules. Any educator or staff member working directly with your child should not be using a personal device to take photos or videos. Only service-authorised devices should be used for that purpose.

If you have questions about how your centre handles digital devices or image capture, you are well within your rights to ask. Most services will have a written policy in place that covers exactly this.

At Clovel, the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is at the heart of everything we do. If you would like to know more about how we support your child across our centres, we would love to have that conversation with you.

Odds are high that crafting is an integral part of your preschool memories. Be truthful…how many macaroni necklaces did you make in your youth? As it turns out, crafting is not just an ingenious idea drummed up by teachers to keep wiggly preschoolers occupied until it’s time to go home. There are very real benefits to engaging in the crafting process.

What’s so great about crafting?

Lots, actually. Just the very act of picking up and holding paper in one while using scissors with another improves a child’s fine motor skills, as does gripping crayons or markers, gluing beads, and stringing dried macaroni for that classic necklace we all remember.

Crafting also helps children learn colors, numbers, and to recognize patterns. And there’s something to be said for the critical thinking that must take place while crafting as children work through the steps to get their final product to match the example created by the teacher.

Through crafting, children also get to explore their own artistic individuality, thereby building positive self-esteem.

We can’t overstate the importance of crafting in early childhood development but having a well-stocked craft closet (or even basket) doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are 5 of our favourite arts and crafts supplies to keep on hand for your preschooler…and some of them may surprise you.

1. Drawing Utensils

This is likely a no-brainer, but any good crafting kit should include a variety of drawing utensils: regular and colored pencils, crayons, markers (you may want to opt for the washable variety), and pens.

2. Construction Paper

Construction paper in a variety of colors can be used for so many activities! Use it to make a paper chain. Cut out shapes to glue on another piece of paper. Make a pinwheel or paper tube animal. If you need more inspiration for construction paper projects, a quick Google search will offer an endless supply of options. We love this list from the folks over at Fatherly.

3. Paint

Some parents cringe at the thought of giving their preschooler paints, but it is such a wonderful medium for creation that we strongly encourage you to give it a try. Keep a variety of paints on hand including poster paint, watercolor paint, tempera paint sticks, and oil pastels. Once again, the internet is where you’ll find plenty of paint inspiration, but if you’re not interested in hunting down a list on your own, check out this list of painting activities from the Artful Parent.

4. Playdough and Modeling Clay

Doughs and clays are excellent for strengthening the fine muscles found in the wrists, hands, and fingers, muscles children will use later in their educational careers as they learn to properly hold writing instruments.

One of our favourite things about playdough is the fact that it is surprisingly easy to make at home. We love this recipe from the Artful Parent since it requires no baking (some do). If you’d rather not take the time to make the dough at home, classic Play-Doh is available at most stores selling children’s toys or online.

Modeling clay is usually oil-based, so care should be taken as it can stain fabric. But children love sculpting their own unique creations, and some clay hardens when left exposed to air, allowing children to create their own pottery dishes, vases, and sculptures.

5. Pre-packaged Craft Kit

If you want your child to enjoy the benefits of crafting but just don’t have the room to store tons of craft supplies, fear not. There are plenty of online sites offering pre-packaged craft kits that come with all the crafting supplies your child will need. Kidz Inc. has an amazing collection of craft kits available for children of all ages. We love this set that allows children to make their very own space-themed refrigerator magnets and badges using plaster and paint…and everything you need is right in the box!

Tips for Making Arts and Crafts Fun

When it comes to your budding artist, encouragement is key. Don’t focus on how much your child’s version of the project looks like the example. Instead, celebrate their creativity and explore what makes your child’s art so uniquely wonderful.
Put finished art pieces on display. Reserve a space of honor centrally located in your home where your child’s projects can be displayed for a time. Some parents opt to hang art cabinet frames like this one that allow the artwork to be swapped out easily.
Take time to discuss your child’s finished project with them. What did they love about the creation process? What inspired them? What was challenging about the experience and what made them persevere? Asking questions opens the door for real bonding to happen.

And so…

Encouraging your child to embrace arts and crafts can lead to an appreciation of the arts that will follow your child throughout their educational career and well into adulthood. Here’s to allowing little crafters to express themselves in their own artful way!

Thanks for reading,
Clovel Childcare
1300 863 986

Lyn Connolly

Founder and Company Director

Lyn Connolly is the Founder and Company Director of Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres, a family‑owned group of eight centres across Western Sydney established from her first service at Merrylands. Active in early childhood education since 1977, she also serves as President of the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW, representing providers in state and federal consultations, media, and public hearings.

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