ECEFS PEDAGOGICAL TOOLKIT – ACTIVITY RESOURCE PACK

Undertake discussions with children about who they are sharing their outdoor play space with such as

birds, insects, butterflies and what type of environments these animals and creatures need to live.

Go on a “Safari” at your setting or to a nearby park. Take some binoculars to spot birds and use magnify-

ing glasses to observe small creatures and plants.

Observe and discuss the life cycles of different animals such as tadpoles—frogs.

Use a flower press to dry flowers and identify different types of flowers and ones which are native to

England and to the U.K.

Work together to create habitat for different animals and mini-beasts such as making nest boxes. Discuss

why we need to protect our plants and animals and create homes for them.

Talk about a range of homes for insects/animals/birds and play a matching game—Who Lives Where?

Make up a song or rap about an animal or plant and perform for parents.

Align activities with national and international events—see dates for your diary.

Investigate opportunities to bring other wildlife experiences to your setting such as hiring a butterfly

house, or bee hive, organising a visit from a zoo.

Do You Know?

There are millions of different living things that exist and inhabit planet Earth. This wide variety of living things is called Biodiversity.

The mixture of animals, plants, microorganisms, as well as the variety of ecosystems such as deserts, coral reefs and rainforests all add to the biological diversity that exists on Earth.

All living things depend on each other to survive, and some species have a BIG impact on the food that we eat.

Did you know that one third of ALL of our fruit and vegetables would not exist without all of the pollinators that visit flowers (CNN, 2000).

Bees are pollinators, and they are responsible for the existence of over 130,000 plants that live on our planet (Leidig, 2007).

Facts and Figures

Coral reefs have the most diversity of all ecosystems on planet Earth.

About 0.1% species are lost EVERY year.

98% of all living organisms in Madagascar cannot survive anywhere else on Earth. Madagascar is known as a biodiversity hotspot.

If the biodiversity in an ecosystem is high then the ecosystem will be able to recover quickly from any disasters.

Scientists estimate that species extinctions are happening 100—1000 times faster than what they would without human influence.

Why is Biodiversity Important?

Biodiversity is extremely important and ensures the continuation of life within an environment.

Every living thing on planet Earth is connected in some way to other living things, as if a giant spider web exists between them. If one species becomes endangered or extinct for example, it will effect all of the other species, including humans. For example, if fishermen started hunting all of the whales, then the killer whales would run out of prey to catch. They would then hunt seals and otters. Without seals and otters, sea urchins would increase and would destroy all of the kelp. Fish use kelp as protection for their young, and without protection the fish population would decrease. This means that the fishermen would have no fish to catch, so people would have less food to eat and the oceans would start to become unhealthy.

Biodiversity ensures that there is a healthy balance in the web of life.

10 Easy Ways To Increase Biodiversity

1) Create ‘green areas’ by planting different types of flowers and trees

2) Make bug and bee houses in gardens and open spaces

3) Buy and eat organic food

4) Reduce your use of harmful cleaning prod-ucts

5) Compost any left over food waste

6) Buy sustainably sourced seafood

7) Reduce, reuse and recycle

8) Reduce your use of pesticides and fertilisers used for any garden or green space

9) Volunteer with local conservation projects

10) Educate others on the importance of Bio-diversity

LEADING A NATURE TRAIL

A nature trail is a brilliant way to introduce children to the variety of plant and animal life that exists in the environment around them.

This could take place in any area, regardless of size as micro-trails can be a fun activity for children to see how many different types of leaves, creatures, and plants they can see in any given space.

This can then be extended to larger areas if the space is available with questions being asked such as ‘What do you see?’, ‘What do you hear?’, ‘How are they the same?’, ‘How are they different?’, ‘Why are they here?’.

There are limitless questions that children can be asked in a nature walk, and anything from colours, shapes, sounds, textures and numbers can be incorporated.

Resources Required

Magnifying glasses

Identification cards

Activity

Many children love the outdoors, and leading a nature trail is an excellent opportunity to increase their understanding of the world around them. Outfit children in suitable clothing to undertake a fun walk in nature. Bring along identification cards and magnifying glasses, and point out any and all species along the way that the children can get close to and observe. Questions can be asked, and drawing or story telling can be carried out that links the walk together once the children are indoors.

EYFS PRIME AREAS:-

Communication and Language

Physical Development

Physical, social and emotional development

USEFUL LINKS

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/

naturedetectives/

http://www.walkswithbuggies.com/

https://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-

7lsehw

0—2 SUGGESTIONS

Whilst on a nature trail with younger

children, allow them sensorial opportunities

for smelling, touching, hearing outdoors. Try

to have prams front facing to promote

communication and shared experiences. The

use of slings should be promoted in order to

allow younger children to take part in nature

walks.

BENEFITS OF SENSORIAL EXPERIENCES FOR

YOUNGER CHILDREN

From birth, babies learn about their world

using their 5 senses: seeing, smelling, hear-

ing, feeling & tasting. As they grow, children’s

senses are their most familiar and most basic

way to explore and process new information.

Sensory play enhances learning through

hands-on activities that stimulate the child’s

senses. This is a great way for children to ex-

plore the world they live in.

EYFS PRIME AREAS:-

Communication and Language

Physical Development

Physical, social and emotional development

A nature trail is a brilliant way to introduce children to

the variety of plant and animal life that exists in the environment around them.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

With such a young age group it is important to

involve parents, carers, extended family and

local community.

A community nature walk is a fun way to

encourage exercise as well as an opportunity for

families to spend time together in the natural

environment.

Time spent outside of settings will help foster

good relationships between key workers and

families.

Select energy monitors that are responsible for identifying lights that have been left on as well as proper

use of heating and cooling appliances. Energy monitors are recognised by way of a special tag or poster

Encourage discussions with children about climate change and how to save energy at the setting

Make up a story with the children about saving energy using photos or drawings of the children

participating in energy saving actions. Alternatively make up a song about saving energy

Run activities in conjunction with annual Earth Hour event

Use small, fold up laundry racks so that children can hang out smaller items while staff hang out bigger

items. Talk about best days for drying the laundry outdoors or where to place the rack indoors

Practice reading a thermometer with children.

Learn about static energy—children rub a balloon on their hair and use the charged energy to pick up

Source solar energy kits such as lights, fans or solar powered toys

Make kites and fly them as a tool to discuss wind energy

Do you Know?

Many people consider climate change and global

warming the greatest environmental challenges facing

the world today. These issues affect everyone in the

world but the good news is that everyone in the world

can be a part of the solution if they so desire.

What is Climate Change and Global Warming?

Changes in a given area’s average temperatures, wind patterns and amounts of rainfall could be classed as Climate Change. One of the results of climate change is that temperatures are rising all over the world, which is known as global warming. In fact, the ten hottest years ever recorded have all occurred since 1990, and experts predict that in the next century average tem-peratures around the world could rise as much as an average of 5.8oC.

Causes of Climate Change and Global Warming

While politicians around the world wrangle about the causes of

climate change and global warming, scientists know that when

greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are

released into the atmosphere they contribute to the problem.

The United Nations has attempted to limit these harmful gases

with the Kyoto Protocol, a set of guidelines that asks countries

to meet a target of reduce greenhouse gases to a level that will

not interfere with the climate or cause further change. Since

signing the Kyoto Protocol, the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions

have indeed been reduced, but there is still a long way to go.

Climate change and global warming are serious issues affecting

everyone on Earth. Educate yourself about climate change and

global warming, and the ways in which you can reduce your own

contributions, and then pass along all that you have learned.

Why do we need energy?

Energy is an essential part of our daily lives. We use energy to heat and cool our homes, schools and businesses. We use energy for lights and appliances. Energy makes our vehicles go, planes fly, boats sail, and machines run.

All living things need energy too. Plants use the light from the sun to grow. Animals and people eat the plants and use the energy that was stored. Food is fuel for our bodies' energy needs like muscle power.

We also use our own bodies to make heat energy. When you have been running or working really hard, your body produces heat energy. When you wear clothing like a jacket in the winter, it holds in that heat energy and keeps you warm.

10 Easy Ways To Save Energy

1. Turn off lights when leaving a room

2. Turn appliances off standby

3. Adjust the thermostat during winter

4. Don’t leave the fridge door open

5. Use energy saving light bulbs

6. Turn temperature down on washing ma-chine

7. Take a shower instead of a long bath

8. Insulate loft

9. Wear the right clothes

10. Use your fridge efficiently

MAKING A WINDSOCK

Understanding the weather and wind energy can be

made into fun activities. This is a simple wind sock that

young children will enjoy making. Once it's complete

they can take it outside to see how windy it is and which

way the wind is blowing.

EYFS PRIME AREAS:-

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Resources Required

Paper

Felt tip

pens

Tissue paper

Sticky tape

String

Activity

Decorate a piece of A4 paper, you could use felt tip

pens, paint a design or use recycled pieces of coloured

paper

Tape some strips of tissue paper onto the non decorated

and long side of the paper. It's easier to cut strips part

way but not all the way to the top.

Roll the paper into a tube and tape shut.

Puncture a couple of holes at the end without tissue

paper.

Feed through some string and tie the ends together.

Take the wind sock outside.

USEFUL LINKS

https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/outdoor-

toddler-activities/

https://families.naeyc.org/learning-and-

development/music-math-more/explore-

great-outdoors-your-child

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/

outdoor_play.html

MAKING A WINDSOCK

Understanding the weather and wind energy can be

made into fun activities. This is a simple wind sock that

young children will enjoy making. Once it's complete

they can take it outside to see how windy it is and which

way the wind is blowing.

EYFS PRIME AREAS:-

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

0—2 SUGGESTIONS

Allow younger children to experience wind by

taking them outside. Whilst outside, use

scarves, ribbons, parachutes etc to mimic the

feel of the wind on their face. Talk to them

about the sound of the wind, making wind

noises. Read stories about wind to them

whilst outside.

FAMILY AND COMMUNTY INVOLVEMENT

This is an very good activity to carry out when

holding a stay and play session. Stay and play

sessions are an excellent way for settings to

support parental involvement in a child’s

learning and development through

observation and collaborative discussion

about their unique child

Ideas, activities and opportunities

presented in stay and play sessions can

be replicated in the home environment.

Ofsted are now inspecting childminders – and all early years providers – on how well we ‘actively pro-

mote’ British values

For childminders and early years providers, teaching British values will probably encompass 2 different

parts of the curriculum:

• Promoting British values as defined by DfE – which are already embedded in our day-to-day work with

children

• Teaching children more about the world in which they live and developing their understanding of life in

modern Britain.

Britain has undergone rapid economic and social change in the last few decades and we live in an in-

creasingly diverse society. We need to teach our children that it is possible to live together peacefully,

each of them a valuable part of our multicultural world.

Look at Valentine’s Day cards in the local shops, making links in the local community

Design your own cards to give to family and friends - giving children the opportunity to value family

Talk about how children across the world will be sending cards to their family and friends - teach children

that we live in a multicultural and diverse world

Let parents know that you are making cards and provide some resources so they can help their child

learn more about hearts, flowers, colours etc at home - EYFS = working with parents

Whilst out on a walk, look at flowers, trees, ducks etc - children can learn about the world in which we

live and be proud of what we see around us

Have a picnic, pick up litter after the picnic this allows children to learn to respect the natural world and

teach children to respect the law, learn right from wrong and to have social responsibility

What is Global Citizenship?

Global Citizenship encompasses a range of values and elements that individuals are encouraged to adopt into their everyday lives.

These values include an awareness for the world around them and the issues that are of concern, a high level of respect for diversity, a commitment to social justice and equality, and a willingness to contribute to the community at local as well as global levels. This may seem a daunting prospect to undertake in an educational setting, but many of us incorporate elements of Global Citizenship without realising.

Becoming a Global Citizen allows societies across the world to become part of an interconnected community that strives to achieve quality and sustainability for nature and for each other.

Are Different Elements Included?

Yes! Global Citizenship is an umbrella term that encompasses elements of all areas of society, from environmental, political, and economical.

These elements can and should be accessible to children of all ages to ensure that from a young age their voices are being heard and they are able to explore and understand the complexity of global issues.

Due to the wide area that this term covers, it can be adapted throughout all areas of learning and development. This can be through questions to and from children about differences and similarities of countries, gender, ethnicity and cultures, in addition to ensuring that children are able to access learning resources such as reading books that challenge social stereotypes.

Why Should we be Global Citizens?

Every year the increase in technological advancement means that we are becoming more and more able to connect to the world around us.

This development provides many opportunities for our children to gain a desire to understand, explore and contribute to the health and wellbe-ing of present and future generations, as a society and as environmental advocates; becoming ‘agents of change’.

Allowing children to develop into globally aware and responsible adults will enable them to make positive connections between cultures and societies and create a global community that allows equality and opportunities for all.

Simple Steps to Global Citizenship

Encourage curiosity toward the world

Join local community groups

Allow opportunities for children to explore

issues that affect other children

Initiate and take part in local and global

initiatives

Teach others what you have learned

Promote connections between social groups

Allow access to a wide range of inclusive and

diverse learning resources

WONDERFUL WORLD WEEK

Wonderful World Week can be introduced to children to encourage their natural curiosity about the world around them.

Activities can include engagement in local community projects, connecting to early years providers in a different part of the world, and having themed meals and activities that incorporate a range of cultures.

Encouraging role play that allows children to develop an understanding of money and currency will also allow opportunities for critical thinking, creativity and communication development.

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Resources Required

Paper

Felt Tip Pens & Pencil Crayons

Story Books

Themed Foods

Activity

Introduce children to their own cultures, as well as cultures that differ from their through story books.

Encourage children to notice similarities between countries and people, and allow for exploration for the differences and similarities to be understood.

Themed lunches can be introduced each day which would allow children to understand where the food has come from, how it has been grown, why it grows there. Children can be encouraged to explore textures, colours, similarities and differences between different food sources and will develop an understanding of where in the world their food comes from and why the people there grow it instead of growing the same food as they grow in their own gardens.

USEFUL LINKS

See festival calendar and dates for your diary

in the pedagogical toolkit

http://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/

learning-library/articles/cultural-diversity-in-

the-early-years

https://www.daynurseries.co.uk/news/

article.cfm/id/1558297/nurseries-need-to-

teach-children-about-different-cultures-and-

to-embrace-and-not-fear-difference

https://www.pacey.org.uk/news-and-views/

pacey-blog/december-2015/supporting-

cultural-diversity-in-early-years-setti/

WONDERFUL WORLD WEEK

Wonderful World Week can be introduced to children to encourage their natural curiosity about the world around them.

Activities can include engagement in local community projects, connecting to early years providers in a different part of the world, and having themed meals and activities that incorporate a range of cultures.

Encouraging role play that allows children to develop an understanding of money and currency will also allow opportunities for critical thinking, creativity and communication development.

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development

0—2 Suggestions

Promote movement and rhyme, and singing

songs related to the environment. Introduce

music from around the world. Promote themed

meals and encourage smaller children to try

food products from around the world. Introduce

culture through a wide range of story books.

Allow small children to be immersed in a setting

rich in diversity by encouraging community

participation through open days, celebration of

festivals from around the world.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT—SHARING A MEAL

TOGETHER

Parents are the prime educators until the

child attends an early years setting and

remain a major influence on their children’s

learning throughout their educational

journey. Parents also have a large influence

on the cultural beliefs and values of a child.

Demonstrate how your setting embraces

diversity by inviting parents in to share a

meal with children and encourage children

and families to try food products from

around the world. This activity could coincide

with a celebration from the festival calendar

(located in the pedagogical toolkit).

Provide reusable shopping bags for dramatic play

Adopt a healthy eating policy

Provide opportunities for the children to put away groceries

Discuss where your grocery items have come from using a world map and local maps to compare the dis-

tance travelled by different items

Involve children in simple green cleaning activities

Provide a “Take it apart” box, for children to tinker away and create new items using parts of broken or

unwanted items. Discuss why it is better for the environment to make and repair items rather than buy

Involve children in growing and preparing food and discuss the benefits of growing your own food

Organise a visit from health visitors/dentists/opticians to discuss how children look after themselves

Involve parents in informing children about how they can live healthier lives

Do You Know?

T h e N a t i o n a l P h y s i c a l A c t i v i t y Recommendations for Children 0-5 years advise that:

Physical activity should be encouraged from birth. Toddlers and pre-schoolers should be physically active every day for at least 3 hours, spread throughout the day.

Children aged 2 to 5 years should spend less than one hour per day watching television and using other electronic media.

Children younger than 2 years should not spend any time watching television or using electronic media. Infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers should not be sedentary, or inactive for more than 1 hour at a time, apart from sleeping.

Laying the Foundations for our Future Health

With good food habits and daily physical activity you will be well on your way to a healthy life. Easy to say, but sometimes not so easy to do!

Our busy lifestyles can be hard on our health. Rushing to and from school and work can make it hard to find time to be physically active. We can also slip into the habit of choosing unhealthy snacks and take-away foods or spending our free time watching TV or in front of the computer.

However, these choices can be dangerous for our health and our children’s health – both now and in the long-term. That’s why it’s so important to stop, take stock and make a conscious decision to follow a healthy lifestyle.

Top Tips For Adults

You can help children develop healthy habits early in life that will bring lifelong benefits. As a parent, you can encourage your children to evaluate their food choice and physical activity habits by:-

Being a good role model

Keep things positive

Get everyone moving

Go shopping together

Discover where food comes from

Walk rather than drive

Litterless Lunches

Be realistic

Encourage physical activities

Stay involved

Please see Department For Health guidelines:-

http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/userfiles/Documents/factsheetearlyyearsnotwalking.pdf

http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/userfiles/Documents/factsheetearlyyearswalking.pdf

10 Easy Ways To Live a Healthier Life

Food is Fun… Enjoy your food

Breakfast is a very important meal

Eat different foods every day, variety is the recipe for health

Gimme five! Eat fruits and vegetables with each meal and as tasty snacks!

Fat facts. Too much fat is not good for your health

Snack attack! Eat regularly and choose a

variety of snacks

Quench your thirst. Drink plenty of water or sugar free drinks

Care for those teeth! Brush your teeth at least twice a day

Get moving! Be active every day

PLANT AND GROW

Getting out and about in the garden is a really fun way of helping your child to learn more about the world around them. Growing and tending to plants and flowers or even just examining leaves and soil helps little ones start to understand about life cycles and where food comes from.

You don't even need to have an outdoor space to enjoy gardening with children.

A great way to introduce children to gardening and the outdoors is by simply planting a little packet of seeds or some herbs and growing them in a pot or window box. If you do have a garden, why not give the children their own section to plant in and tend to? Ensure their plot gets plenty of sunshine, keep an eye on their seedlings and choose a few different seeds to plant to try to avoid disappointment if seeds don’t flourish or some easily perish.

Resources Required

Various beans

Plastic containers, such as yogurt pots.

Soil

Watering cans

Activity

Give each child a container, which they could label or decorate

to personalise. Allow each child to half fill their container with

soil, and dig a small hole in the middle. Each child should pick a

bean, and place it in the hole. Cover the bean, and water it twice

a day. Create ‘Plant’ journals, to document the growth of the

bean. You could record this by encouraging children to mark

make and articulate the process to you. Drawing a picture could

also be carried out. If you have a nursery garden, you could al-

low the children to choose which vegetables and plants to grow

there, and take them out in groups to tend to the garden. Buy a

range of gardening equipment, and show the children how to

use each one to prepare the soil, plant the seeds and help the

seeds grow. The children will love watching their garden grow!

You could send some vegetables home with each child at the

end of the project, or sell the vegetables to parents to recoup

any money spent on the garden. Engage with the local commu-

nity allotment association, invite gardeners in to talk to the

children. EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development

0—2 SUGGESTIONS

Settings should give smaller children plenty of

sensorial opportunities for physical

experiences. For example outdoor tummy time.

Allow younger children to feel, touch, and

smell mud or water. Taste tests on different

fruit and vegetable will also be beneficial.

Children observe and learn from the behaviour

of others, therefore healthy eating should be

promoted throughout the setting.

PLANT AND GROW

Getting out and about in the garden is a really fun way of helping your child to learn more about the world around them. Growing and tending to plants and flowers or even just examining leaves and soil helps little ones start to understand about life cycles and where food comes from.

You don't even need to have an outdoor space to enjoy gardening with children.

A great way to introduce children to gardening and the outdoors is by simply planting a little packet of seeds or some herbs and growing them in a pot or window box. If you do have a garden, why not give the children their own section to plant in and tend to? Ensure their plot gets plenty of sunshine, keep an eye on their seedlings and choose a few different seeds to plant to try to avoid disappointment if seeds don’t flourish or some easily perish.

0—2 SUGGESTIONS

Settings should give smaller children plenty of

sensorial opportunities for physical

experiences. For example outdoor tummy time.

Allow younger children to feel, touch, and smell

mud or water. Taste tests on different fruit and

vegetable will also be beneficial. Children ob-

serve and learn from the behaviour of others,

therefore healthy eating should be promoted

throughout the setting.

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT

An excellent opportunity to include

parents and families to lead healthier

lives is by organising a family picnic.

At the picnic you can introduce fruit and

vegetables that are in season, offering

tasters to parents and families.

Involvement from the local greengrocer

or garden centre would be very

beneficial.

Provide recycling bins and allow children to recycle and observe good recycling habits

Adopt a litter free snack policy—encourage parents to provide fruit only at snack times

Carry out a community litter pick

Discuss with children where rubbish goes and why we should recycle

Involve children in the recycling process of the setting

Read recycling stories and make up recycling songs and raps

Take part in national , international and local events to encourage litter free environments

(see diary for dates)

Organise a visit from local authority waste collection services or visit a waste disposal centre

Involve parents and encourage parents to adopt positive recycling practices

Do You Know?

Keeping our earth clean is the responsibility of every individual. Each of us must be aware of our own behaviour and how it affects the environment.

We must also develop a sense of caring and ownership for the world in which we live – its air, water, land and all of its inhabitants. We need to teach this to our children, too.

Even children, who often feel that what they do has little or no affect, can have a positive influence on the environment by helping to reduce the amount of litter and pollution.

Litter is anything (wrappers, packaging, paper, bottles, cans, etc.) that is left on the ground or where it does not belong.

Litter does not look nice and it can harm plants and animals living in nature.

What is Litter?

Litter is nothing but a piece of waste or rubbish that has been disposed improperly, without consent and at the wrong location. Littering simply means throwing away objects on the ground or leaving them lying on the ground instead of disposing them at garbage can, recycling bin or trash container.

The waste that originates from houses, industries and factories should be placed either in a recycling bin, used for compost or placed at a waste disposal centre.

Dropping litter shows a lack of respect for your friends and neighbours, and spoils the community for everybody else.

As well as making places look messy, litter can attract rats and insects, which can spread diseases!

Facts and Figures

9 billion tons of litter ends up in the ocean every year.

75% of people admitted that they have littered in the past 5 years.

The most common object found during a litter clean-up is fast food waste

Litter can hurt your pets – over 70,000 pets and wild animals are hurt in Britain every year because of litter.

Litter costs us money – littering means it

costs tax payers £858 million a year, just to clean the streets of England!

Littering harms the seas too, only about

20% of ocean pollution comes from activities at sea. Activities on land contribute most of the remaining 80%

Easy Ways To Prevent Litter

1. Set an example

2. Pick up one piece of litter every day od have a designated litter day each week

3. Stop buying bottled water and drink tap water

4. Recycle waste

5. Make children aware of the importance of not leaving rubbish behind and throwing things away

6. Get children involved

7. Reuse items or donate to charity

8. Purchase items with recycled packaging

LEADING A LITTER PATROL

Find an area nearby that is littered, or for learning purposes, you can temporarily place litter on the playground to show children what litter looks like.

Take the children outside and ask them to observe

the area.

Ask: What do you see? Do you see anything

that does not belong here? How do you think litter

looks? How does seeing litter make you feel?

This is an opportunity to talk about litter being not

nice to look at, unsafe, unhealthy and dangerous

for plants and animals.

Resources Required

Risk Assessment

Garbage bags

Heavy gloves

Newspapers

Activity

Picking up litter can be a lot of fun. Make your litter hunt a big adventure. Outfit a small group of children with gloves and special litter-hunting hats. (Help the children make these hats from folded newspaper.) Create special litter bags from paper or plastic grocery bags to hold litter that they capture.

Get excited about hunting for and capturing litter. Ask your children where they think litter may be hiding. Take them outside.

Talk about good “hunting” techniques, like looking under, behind and around things. Sneak up on the litter and cap-ture it. Make sure that glass and metal are carefully han-dled with gloves. Put the captured litter in the litter bag and bring it back to your classroom.

Afterwards, empty the litter bags onto a newspaper cov-ered floor to see what was collected and talk about the rubbish. What is it? What was it used for? Who may have used it? Why might someone have left it? Where should it have gone? Can it be recycled?

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language, Physical Development,

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Family and Community Involvement

Invite family, friends and the community to recycle their litter and your setting can benefit.

Make use of stamps, bottle tops, milk cartons for imaginative play.

Offer a recycling facility for batteries, ink cartridges.

Involve all members of staff in recycling activities in order for them to set a good example allowing young children to observe good practice.

ITEMS THAT ARE OF USE:-

Milk Cartons

Cardboard boxes

Egg Boxes

Stamps

Bottle Tops

Batteries

Ink Cartridges

REPAIR WORKSHIOP

Another exciting recycling activity to involve the whole setting and families is a repair workshop. Invite family and friends into the setting , asking them to bring any old or ripped toys/dolls etc.

Provide sewing materials and basic tools and watch as the toys and dolls are brought back to life!

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language, Physical Development,

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

0—2 CONSIDERATION

Children need to observe good practice from staff

and older children in order to develop good litter

habits. Food that causes minimal litter should be

promoted.

For example, consider fruit only snack time in order

to reduce litter production.

Settings should promote breastfeeding to reduce

litter produced from powdered milk cartons.

Creating a recycling centre, a composting area or a raised bed that children can plant with

their own fruit and vegetable plants

Simple changes such as making a mosaic or painting plant pots can be done on a shoe-

string budget

Involving children in the design and creation of new features in your setting can help to

develop new skills and new ways of thinking, as well as instilling a new sense of respect

for children’s surroundings.

Create a bug hotel in your school grounds and watch who comes to stay

Create a compost bin

Getting the most out of the school grounds by having an area with seating or an activity

zone that can be used to work with children in either in small groups or in full classes

Explore the natural environment surrounding your setting using binoculars, magnifying

glasses

Encourage children to value the school grounds as a place to play, explore and make a

connection with the natural world

Encourage children to explore and understand biodiversity in their locality and to

appreciate the need for environmental care on a global level

Do You Know?

Utilise a diverse range of different spaces for different things. Some flat spaces can be used for playing games, building things, planting gardens and some that have shelter can even be used to house campfires or wildlife homes!

The use of outdoor space has been found to enhance the value of learning and development for children. Elements can include quieter gathering spaces to develop social and communication skills, mud kitchens to increase physical activity and development, and activities such as campfire building, cooking, and gardening to enhance movement and critical thinking skills. It is important that we look at the shape, size and surroundings of the environment around us because then it can be used in the most efficient way so that everybody can enjoy it.

Analyse your indoor space—do you have adequate ventilation, fresh air and natural light? All extremely important for the health and wellbeing of children.

Outdoor Tips for Adults

You can set a positive example for your children to en-gage with the outdoors and nature just by being enthusi-astic and enjoying activities outside.

Being confident and comfortable in nature will allow chil-dren to develop a healthy relationship with the environ-ment that will continue to develop as they grow. Provide opportunities for crawling, tumbling to stimulate outer senses.

Encourage outdoor exploration by:

Including children in gardening projects

Building outdoor dens and forts

Visiting local parks and woodlands

Finding nearby community groups to join

Why Do We Need Outdoor Space?

Being outdoors in the sunshine allows our body to generate Vitamin D, which is essential to keep our bones healthy and strong.

Research also suggests that being outdoors and in natural environments has many other benefits too:

Improves memory, attention and cognition

Reduces stress and anxiety levels

Increases creativity output

Enhances children’s confidence, fitness and de-velopment

Boosts your immune system

Read the following report from Plymouth University on the benefits to a child’s learning when outside:

https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/englands-largest-outdoor-learning-project-reveals-children-more-motivated-to-learn-when-outside

So what are you waiting for? Get yourselves and your children out enjoying nature and its green spaces!

Simple Ways To Increase Outdoor Time

1) Create a nature space to enjoy

2) Add a daily walk into your routine

3) Use cue cards to learn about the environment

4) Play games with the children outside

5) Go for weekly family picnics

6) See how many senses you can stimulate outside

7) Volunteer with a local conservation group

8) Join or create an outdoor community group

CAMPFIRE CREATIONS

Creating a community campfire area for the children and practitioners to use can be a great foundation in providing empowering environments for children to thrive in.

Not only that, but the voice of the child can be implemented throughout the design and building process, as this will enable the children to be involved and feel a sense of ownership with the space.

By creating a safe campfire space, children are able to develop a sense understanding with their environment, improve their communication and language skills, and increase critical thinking skills, all whilst learning about the safe use of campfires and campfire cooking.

Resources Required

Risk Assessment

Toasting sticks

Brioche/Marshmallows/Vegetables

Heatproof gloves

Fire-pit

Fire blanket/bucket of clean cold water

Wood/Cotton Wool/Fire Light

Activity

Create a safe gathering space around the fire for children to sit, and introduce this space as a boundary. (Bucket of cold water to be kept at hand)

Show the children how to collect fire wood (dry, and dead wood) and allow them to observe the texture, smell, sound of the wood collected.

Demonstrate through stories and practical skills how the fire is ignited and kept alight.

Gather around the campfire, with one child at a time being invited to help cook their chosen food item with the fire officer (adult).

Pose questions and allow for drawing and story telling after the activity. Recognise the sensorial aspect of the fire, smell, change of colours, all pose opportunities for discussion.

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language, Physical

Development, Personal, Social and Emotional

Development

0—2 SUGGESTIONS

Young children need many opportunities

for heuristic play and development of a

sensorial outdoor space should be

considered, for example creating a noise

wall, water wall and water features. Use

wind chimes, wind socks and weather

vanes for the children to observe and use.

Mini tools should be made available for

Discuss the impact that travel has on our environment and health using stories, poems

and making up songs

Encourage parents and children to lead healthier, more active lifestyles

Staff and managers should be positive role models for parents and children and demon-

strate active lifestyles by walking or cycling to setting at least once a week

Encourage parents and children to walk to setting at least once a week

Promote car share schemes and leave your car at home schemes

Invite a wide variety of transport operators to setting including buses, fire engines,

ambulances

Invite a cycling club to visit the setting and demonstrate safe cycling using equipment

Take children on a bus journey discussing the impact travelling by bus has on the

environment

Discuss the wide variety of transport involved in food production such as tractors

What is Transport?

Transport or transportation refers to the movement of materials, animals and people from one place to another.

There are many modes of transport that can be used. These include road, air, rail, water and space.

Within each mode of transport there are different vehicles that can be used. These include tractors, cars, helicopters, speed boats, bicycles, lorries, and even your own feet!

More vehicles are being used on the roads, in the sea, and across the skies than ever before. This causes pollution and damage to the environment, so it is important that we understand what these modes of transport are and how they impact the world that we live in.

Do You Know?

The bicycle is considered to be the most energy efficient vehicle to have ever been invented.

In some parts of the world people still travel mostly by riding animals such as camels and donkeys, or by walking.

Flying is one of the most popular ways of travelling to far away destinations, and at any one time there are more than half a million people in the air!

Thousands of years ago sea traders set out in their boats to buy and sell from people that lived in other towns and countries. Big ships are still used today to transport materials between countries.

There are approximately 1 billion bicycles being used around the world, which is more than double than the amount of motor vehicles!

Why Should We Walk and Bike More?

By choosing to walk, jog or bike more often than using motorised transport we are reducing our harmful impact on the environment AND we are becoming healthier at the same time!

This is particularly important for young children, as gross motor skills begin to develop from birth, and between the ages of 3 and 6 children develop fundamental movement skills. By allowing opportunities to develop these skills, children are able to:

Move confidently in and around their environment

Control body movements whilst balancing, jumping, throwing or running

Support co-operative experiences in play

Enhance perceptual development and language

Research also suggests that the provision of these skills in early childhood lead to physical activity in later life.

10 Easy Ways To Reduce Transport Use

1) Choose to walk to the shops or on short journeys

2) Use your own bicycle or borrow a friend’s

3) Start a car share scheme with co-workers

4) Take in turns with friends to take the children to nursery or childcare each day

5) Challenge yourself to walk 2000 steps a day

6) Explore the local area on foot or by bike instead of using a car

7) Choose locally sourced food and materials

8) Join a local family walking group

9) Help children create enviro-friendly transport

10) Educate those around you on transport use

BIKE EXPLORERS

Learning about transport can be a fun and engaging activity for young children and can be introduced by activities such as ‘bike explorers’.

Children can be introduced to different shapes such as cubes and wheels, and can play with such shapes in order to begin their understanding of movement.

This can progress into physical activity involving balance bikes or tricycles in an outdoor space using a variety of ground conditions. To promote sustainability and responsibility from a young age, children can be encouraged to use a sponge and water to wipe down their transport after they have finished playing.

Resources Required

Balance Bikes/Trikes

Scooters/Wheelbarrows

Mud and/or concrete ground space

Sponges

Activity

Walk with the children to an open area that can be used as a ‘transport track’. Children can then choose the type of vehicle that they would like to play on, and can be encouraged to play in the space available.

Questions such as ‘How does this move?’, ‘Is it fast or slow on mud?’, ‘How many of you can fit in this space on bikes?’, ‘Do you see bikes outside?’, ‘What sounds can you hear?’, ‘What shapes do they use?’.

This activity can be progressed in the classroom to using recycled materials to make their own transport, and to make stories or pictures that explore the good and bad parts about types of transport and why we need them.

This activities would consolidate going on a walk where you can highlight different types of transport. Invite visitors to come into the setting to show their modes of transport i.e. police, fire engine.

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional development

0—2 SUGGESTIONS

Undertake walks with smaller children in front

facing prams or slings to promote

communication. This will also develop social skills

and experiences. Settings should promote and

encourage the reduction of the community

carbon footprint, by encouraging families to walk

to nursery or car share. Read stories discussing

the impact transport has on the earth

(see reading list).

Talk about where paper comes from and why it’s important to recycle

Make recycled paper from used paper

Supply recycled materials for art projects and play activities

Create a worm farm and allow children to participate

Get involved in local community initiatives with parents and children

Encourage discussions about waste, make up stories and poems about waste

Create a compost bin and allow children to collect waste and deposit in the bin

Create a compost treasure hunt

Allow children to feed scraps to wild birds and animals

Do You Know?

Every year we produce about 3% more waste than the year before. This might not sound much but, if we carry on at this rate, it means that we will double the amount of waste we produce every 25 years.

The average UK family throws away 6 trees worth of paper in their household bin a year.

We get through nearly 3 billion disposable nappies each year in the UK. Disposable nappies take 500 years to decompose.

Most plastic shopping bags are used only once and a plastic bag can take more than 100 years to decompose!

Alternatives To Throwing Away Rubbish?

There are lot of items that we use everyday and then get rid of them by throwing them in the bin. Unfortunately, this results in piles of rubbish as we throw old items, as well as packaging of new items. Reducing solid waste is reducing the amount of rubbish that goes to landfills. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are most common methods to reduce landfill waste. Landfill waste poses a huge problem as it has economic and environmental impact.

UK households produced 30.5 million tonnes of waste in 2003/04, of which 17% was collected for recycling (defra.gov.uk). This figure is still quite low compared to some of our neighbouring EU countries, some recycling over 50% of their waste. There is still a great deal of waste which could be recycled that ends up in landfill sites which is harmful to the environment.

By changing the way we buy products, by reusing products, and recycling we can drastically reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill.

What Can We Recycle?

Plastic & Polystyrene

Wood & Chipboard

Soil & Rubble

Metals

Glass Bottles & Plate Glass

Batteries

Green Waste

Paper & Cardboard

Books

Clothes

Electrical Appliances

Plasterboard

Cans

Fluorescent tubes

Ink Cartridges

Carpet

Mattresses

10 Easy Ways To Reduce Landfill Waste

1) Recycle

2) Donate clothes

3) Reuse

4) Reduce food waste

5) Eat healthy, organic foods

6) Composting left-over food waste

7) Purchase items made from recycled prod-

ucts

8) Clean Smarter

MAKING A BIRD FEEDER

Many containers that we throw away each day can provide endless amounts of fun for children if we use them creatively!

In this activity, we turn a container into a bird feeder.

When reusing any food container, please ensure they are completely clean them before using.

Each bird feeder attracts different sizes and types of birds so it would be worthwhile to research where to locate each bird feeder. Consider what types of bird feed to put into the container,

Birds have very particular diets and are very particular about what they eat!

Resources Required

Knife, spoon, bowl, hammer, nails, sticks, string, assortment of clean containers, lard, seeds, fruit.

This activity will enable children to show care and concern for all living things. For younger children it will help to develop fine motor skills filling and refilling bird feeder. More able children could use the internet to investigate what birds eat. Use a simple photograph key card to identify species of bird.

ACTIVITY

Safety talk, discussion of appropriate tools. Collect ingredients and containers. Clean container and punch holes in the bottom to let water out.

Cut two or three holes in the middle of the jug between two and four inches wide depending on the type of birds you want to attract. Then make smaller holes below the feeding holes for the dwelling rod.

Take each rod and insert it into the smaller hole for a perch. Attach string to secure it to the tree then mix the chosen ingredients and fill the feeder. Let the mixture harden in the container then hang in your chosen tree.

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development

0—2 Suggestions

Consider the impact of the use of disposable

nappies in the setting and parents should be

encouraged to consider alternatives.

Through community and parent partnership

the setting should adopt a cloth nappy phi-

losophy taking a transformative approach.

Use old bottles, pots, and pans in your

setting to demonstrate to children that

items can be reused and have alternative

purposes.

MAKING A BIRD FEEDER

Many containers that we throw away each day can provide endless amounts of fun for children if we use them creatively!

In this activity, we turn a container into a bird feeder.

When reusing any food container, please ensure they are completely clean them before using.

Each bird feeder attracts different sizes and types of birds so it would be worthwhile to research where to locate each bird feeder. Consider what types of bird feed to put into the container,

Birds have very particular diets and are very particular about what they eat!

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

A community litter pick is a fantastic opportunity to involve parents and the community. Remembering

to recycle as you go!

Stress to those involved the importance of disposing of waste correctly and the benefits of recycling.

An upcycling workshop is an excellent idea to allow parents and staff to dispose of unloved or unwanted items that are not ready for the recycling! You may

uncover some hidden gems!

0—2 Suggestions

Consider the impact of the use of disposable

nappies in the setting and parents should be

encouraged to consider alternatives.

Through community and parent partnership

the setting should adopt a cloth nappy phi-

losophy taking a transformative approach.

Use old bottles, pots, and pans in your

setting to demonstrate to children that

items can be reused and have alternative

purposes.

Provide watering cans for the children to assist with watering the garden

Encourage children to collect and measure water in containers using a range of different container sizes,

funnels, plastic tubes

Encourage children to undertake floating and sinking experiments

Encourage general water play activities including fishing and washing up using a water play

Discuss the different uses of water for plants, animals and growing food

Discuss water saving strategies and ask questions about why we need to save water

Read and make up stories, poems and songs about saving water

Collect leftover water from drinks and water play to water the garden

Create a water wall with recycled materials and use buckets to collect water at the end so it can be

reused

Do You Know?

Of all the water in the world, only 3% is fresh. Less than one third of 1% of this fresh water is available for human use. The rest is frozen in glaciers or polar ice caps, or is deep within the earth, beyond our reach.

To put it another way, if 100 litres represents the world's water, about half a tablespoon of it is fresh water available for our use.

The UK has less available water per person than most other European countries. London is drier than Istanbul, and the South East of England has less water available per person than the Sudan and Syria. Surprised? As our population grows, more and more people are sharing this limited resource. Also, the more water consumed the less there is available for the environment, so it is important that we use water wisely.

The Benefits of Saving Water

Reducing the amount of water that goes to waste at home helps protect the wildlife that lives in rivers and wetlands, while cutting the energy needed for treating and pumping water for domestic use.

Better still, saving water by installing a meter may reduce your household water bill as well.

In times of drought, it is particularly important to know how to save water at home.

Everyone uses water each day, whether it be at home, school or work. There are LOTS of really small changes that you could make which all add up to make a BIG difference – especially to your pocket and the environment!

How Do We Use Water?

Everyone uses water everyday for drinking, bath-ing, having fun, swimming and paddling. Farmers use it to water their crops so that we can get food, it is the home for fish, and water can even be used to turn the lights on in your house? Yes. it’s true.

Water can even be used to make electricity!

The more you learn about water, the more you will see that it affects just about everything we do and that is why water should not be wasted.

10 Easy Ways To Save Water

1. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth – this can save

6 litres of water per minute.

2. Place a cistern displacement device in your toilet cistern to

reduce the volume of water used in each flush.

3. Take a shorter shower. Shower can use anything between

6 and 45 litres per minute.

4. Always use full loads in your washing machine and

dishwasher

5. Fix a dripping tap. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of

water per day, or 5,500 litres of water per year.

6. Install a water butt to your drainpipe and use the water

collected to water your plants, clean your car and wash your windows.

7. Water your garden with a watering can rather than a

hosepipe. A hosepipe uses 1,000 litres of water an hour.

8. Fill a jug with tap water and place this in your fridge. This

will mean you do not have to leave the cold tap running for the water to run cold before you fill your glass.

9. Install a water meter. When you're paying your utility

provider for exactly how much water you use, laid out in an itemised bill, there's an incentive to waste less of the stuff.

10. Invest in water-efficient goods when you need to replace

household products.

MUD-PIT MAKING

There is evidence suggesting that mud play is a basic biological need, and this type of play has many physical, psychological and emotional benefits for children.

MUD PLAY BUILDS CREATIVITY – The open-ended nature of mud play is perfect for the developing brain. There is no end to the creations, ideas and games children will invent. During this type of unstructured, outdoor play, children are not only exercising but are building their ability to form ideas, problem solve, and think critically, as well being innovative and inventive.

KEY MILESTONE DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVED THROUGH MUD PLAY— As children grow through their formative years, mud play will help them achieve many key developmental milestones, such as fine and gross motor skills, sensory awareness, balance and coordination. Mud play will also create opportunities to practice social skills and help children to make sense of the world.

Resources Required

Soil

Heavy duty tarpaulin

Washing up bowls

Large tubs

Old plant pots

Pots and pans

Cups

Activity

Make sure the soil you use or buy has no additives, like fertilisers. Children have the uncanny ability to eat dirt, even when they are not trying. Somewhere with shade is highly recommended as kids can play for hours in these pits. Also, somewhere where there is a lot of moisture is good. Lay a heavy duty tarp somewhere appropriate and place your soil on top. The tarp will reduce the spread of mess. Make sure your tarp is large enough to extend at least 1 metre diameter beyond your mud pile. This will more likely contain the mud and make removing the soil easy once play time is over (which can also be spread in your garden somewhere).

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development

0—2 SUGGESTIONS

Encourage the use of water play, both

indoors and outdoors, using bubbles,

water wall, pots and pans. Lay a

ground sheet outside for babies and

young children to sit or lie on,

providing experiential and sensorial

opportunities. Use empty containers

during water play.

Useful items for Water Play

Nature – rain, puddles, dew, frost, snow, etc.

Umbrellas

Wellington boots

Decorator’s painting brushes, sponges, rollers

Rain barrel with a tap / outside tap

Pots and pans

Buckets

Splash suits/overalls

Guttering, drainpipes

EYFS PRIME AREAS

Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT

Invite familes and the community in to

take part in a World Water Day or hold

a fundraising event for Water Aid.

0—2 SUGGESTIONS

Encourage the use of water play, both

indoors and outdoors, using bubbles,

water wall, pots and pans. Lay a

ground sheet outside for babies and

young children to sit or lie on,

providing experiential and sensorial

opportunities. Use empty containers

during water play.