Early years activity ideas

HomeEarly childhood education resourcesEarly years activity ideas
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Early childhood
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Early years activity ideas

HomeEarly childhood education resourcesEarly years activity ideas

Topic summary

We have collated a range of engaging activities that can be easily undertaken in an early childhood centre or at home. Each activity is designed to promote a range of learning outcomes and can be modified to cater for children of different ages or to provide opportunities for extension.

Research reviews

How cooking together supports your child’s learning

Make the most of everyday family cooking for learning opportunities for your child

Activities

Get creative with plastic and paint

Combine plastic film with paint for some interesting sensory play!

Search and reveal drawings

Two cool ideas for your drawing inspiration, which involve “hiding” and “searching” a scene of your own imagination

Story time! Great stories available as audiobooks for your children – week 5

A list of stories that are available as audiobooks that we think make for great listening

Make ice cream in a bag!

A sure favourite for all ages: a quick and easy recipe for making ice cream in a plastic bag!

Create a monster and make it talk!

Have fun with modelling materials to create a monster, and then use Chatterpix Kids to make it talk!

Build an unsinkable boat

Use whatever you have to hand at home to build a boat, and see if it can carry different objects across the water

Shadow drawing

An exciting provocations to get your child drawing, which can tempt even the most reluctant artists

Story time! Great stories available as audiobooks for your children – week 4

A list of stories that are available as audiobooks that we think make for great listening

Observational drawing match game

Get outside to collect objects for a match game, and develop your child’s skills in observing and recording

Kitchen science with red cabbage

A fun experiment using red cabbage water as a pH indicator to test the acidity or alkalinity of liquids, with surprising results.

Reading dens

Emphasise the adventure of books by creating a reading den!

Magic reveal drawings – simply with water!

A “magic” drawing trick which will appeal to reluctant and keen artists alike, and which can be adapted for a range of creative and imaginative purposes.
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