Q: Is Anything Wrong With Using Stencils As Part Of Children's Art and Craft Experiences

A: While stencils can sometimes support fine motor skills and tracing practice, the EYLF and NQS place a strong emphasis on child‑directed, open‑ended experiences that nurture creativity, agency, and authentic expression. This means the real issue isn’t whether stencils are “wrong,” but how their use aligns with our responsibility to prioritise process art and ensure children’s voices remain at the centre of their learning.

What the Frameworks Say

EYLF & NQS don’t explicitly ban stencils. You won’t find a line that says “stencils are not allowed.”
However, the Guide to the NQS (Element 1.2.3 – Child Directed Learning) does highlight that assessors may look for open‑ended resources rather than templates or stencils “that limit the children’s capacity to create” (p.119).
The emphasis is on child agency, creativity, and authentic expression—values central to both EYLF and NQS.

Potential Benefits of Stencils

When used intentionally, stencils can:

Support fine motor development (grip, control, coordination).
Build confidence with pencils and tracing, laying foundations for writing.
Offer structure for children who enjoy pattern, repetition, or need scaffolding.
Be integrated into playful contexts (e.g., tracing shapes for a treasure map, decorating a collaborative mural).

Risks or Limitations

Over‑reliance on stencils can:

Restrict creativity and imagination by predetermining the outcome.
Undermine process art, where the focus is on exploration rather than the product.
Reduce opportunities for problem‑solving, decision‑making, and self‑expression.
Signal to assessors that practice is more adult‑directed than child‑led.

Balanced Practice

So, is anything “wrong” with stencils?

Not inherently. They can be valuable tools when used sparingly and purposefully.
The issue arises if they replace open‑ended, process‑driven art experiences.
Best practice in Australian early childhood settings is to prioritize process art and use stencils only as one of many resources, ensuring children’s creativity and agency remain central.

How Stencils Can Align With Process Art

Choice and agency: Place stencils among a variety of materials (paints, collage, loose parts, and markers). Children decide whether to use them, ignore them, or transform them.
Experimentation: A stencil can be traced, painted over, cut out, layered, or combined with other textures. The stencil becomes a starting point, not the end product.
Provocation: Educators can present stencils as an invitation (“What happens if you trace this shape and then paint over it?”) rather than a directive.
Integration: Stencils can be part of mixed‑media exploration; for example, tracing a shape and then turning it into something imaginative through collage or paint.

When Stencils Conflict With Process Art

If every child is expected to produce the same stencil‑based picture.
If the stencil dictates the “correct” outcome (colouring inside the lines, uniform products).
If they replace opportunities for open‑ended mark‑making, imaginative drawing, and self‑expression.

Stencils aren’t prohibited, but the EYLF/NQS lean strongly toward open‑ended, child‑directed art. Using stencils occasionally, with clear developmental purpose, is fine. Making them the mainstay of art experiences, however, would conflict with the spirit of the frameworks.

Yes, stencils can be used within process art, but only if they’re offered in ways that support exploration rather than restrict it.

Stencils aren’t prohibited, but they are limited. Our role is to champion process art as the foundation of creative practice, ensuring children’s voices, ideas, and agency remain central. This approach not only meets EYLF/NQS expectations but also nurtures the kind of rich, joyful learning experiences we want for every child.