British Science Week is an annual 10-day celebration of all things science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and it kicks off from the 9th March. Not just for schools, of all ages can enjoy and celebrate this event ; and EYFS is no different!
When you think of it, there are no greater natural scientists and engineers than young children. By grabbing their attentions and building on their inclination to explore, build and question, they are natural inquisitive learners.
Getting children interested in STEM from a young age is incredibly beneficial. Early exposed to age-appropriate STEM activities through play helps supports critical thinking and reasoning skills as well as their future academic growth.
Being ‘The Outdoor Play Experts’ here at Creative Play, we have come up with 4 fun, play-led activities ideal for celebrating British Science Week with EYFS children. With this year’s focus on Exploration & Discovery, this is definitely the perfect theme to focus on outdoors in your play garden.
ACTIVITY ONE
Escape the Ice
Freeze small toys inside ice cube trays & let children break them free inside one of our Water Play units. Experiment with different methods, such as a hairdryer, warm water or sticks, and see how quickly they can melt/shatter the ice & release the toys inside.
Click here to view our Water Play range
HERE’S AN IDEA : Provide a visual sensory experience as well as a tactile one and add different food colourings to your water prior to freezing. As the ice melts, children can mix the melted colours together and create vibrant patterns.
ACTIVITY TWO
Fossil Finder
Hide plaster cast fossils, or even toy dinosaurs, inside our Timber Sandbox and let children excavate! Use different digging toys, such as spades or small brushes, and let children develop their fine motor skills during play.
HERE’S AN IDEA : Get children to draw their findings on a piece of paper and create their own archaeologist-inspired field notes.
ACTIVITY THREE
Grow your Own
Get children’s fingers green and let them plant flowers, vegetables or herbs outside in our rustic timber planters. Over time, little ones can observe their plant’s process as they continue to water and care for them.
Click here to view our range of Planters
HERE’S AN IDEA : Plant herbs or easy to grow vegetables and incorporate them into the children’s lunches or snacks. It’s a great way to encourage healthy eating as children are more likely to eat them if they have been involved in the growing process.
ACTIVITY FOUR
Bug Hotel
Children will love observing how critters behave outside with our contained Wormery. With a large viewing window, children can discover & document how many worms they see each day. NOTE: Worms & soil not included
HERE’S AN IDEA : Conduct observation sessions throughout the year and see how the worms’ behaviours differ over the months. How many can you see? Are they moving a lot? Write down your findings and see if they are different next season.