Puddle Ducks

The room provides children with opportunities to explore and understand themselves as individuals. The children are developing and practising their communication skills with their peers and carers. They are encouraged to use their large and fine motor skills to engage in activities set up for them in indoor and outdoor environments.

The children have direct access to the garden where they can dig in the sand or float and sink boats in the water tray.

The children have opportunities to grow plants from seeds, investigate bugs or race around the garden.

The daily routine supports the children’s personal care such as nappy and toilet training, mealtimes, and sleep times. The environment is rich in resources that are inviting and stimulating, the children can sit to read stories, build, paint and engage in role-playing. At this age, the children start to form individual and small friendship groups. As they develop friendships they start to understand how to share, take turns and play co-operatively.

The daily activities provide opportunities for the children to explore their environments freely and incorporate the Prime Areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), staff will also start to introduce activities that support the Specific Areas of learning:

Prime Areas of Learning:

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

Specific Areas of Learning:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding of the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

Activities such as malleable play, music and movement, singing and stories, art and craft, group games, role play, outdoor learning, running and climbing in the garden are provided. These are planned by the staff and give opportunities for children to play and explore, be active in learning, be creative and think critically, enabling the children to become confident and successful learners.