Parent tip
Set out construction paper and crayons before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.
Invisible String Drawing
Draw a picture of parent and child connected by a string that stretches everywhere.
Activity details
Instructions
- Set out paper and crayons or markers
- Draw a simple picture of yourself on one side of the paper
- Draw your toddler on the other side (let them help)
- Connect the two figures with a long, looping line: 'This is our invisible string'
- Explain: 'This string connects our hearts. It stretches really far'
- Draw the string going around obstacles: over mountains, through the clouds
- Say: 'Even when I'm at work and you're at nursery, the string is still there'
- Hang the drawing somewhere they can see it
What success looks like
Messy hands and a child who doesn’t want to stop. The artwork doesn’t need to look like anything — the process is the point.
Draw a picture of yourself and your child, then connect you with a long, winding line — the 'invisible string.' 'This string connects us wherever we go. Even at nursery, the string is still there.' Inspired by the picture book 'The Invisible String,' this activity gives children a powerful visual metaphor for continued connection during separation.
Why it helps
The EYFS framework identifies building children's confidence and self-esteem through achievable challenges as central to personal, social and emotional development. Abstract concepts like 'I still love you when I'm away' are difficult for toddlers to grasp. The invisible string provides a concrete, visual metaphor they can understand and recall. Drawing it together creates shared ownership of the concept, and the physical artwork serves as a reminder they can look at during moments of missing you.
Variations
- Use actual string or yarn glued to the paper for a tactile version.
- Draw other family members connected by their own strings.
- For older toddlers, let them draw where the string goes — to nursery, to the shops, to Grandma's house.
Safety tips
- Use child-safe crayons or markers.
- If using real string for a tactile version, supervise to prevent wrapping around fingers or neck.
- Keep the conversation positive — focus on connection, not the sadness of being apart.
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