îKTB Kids Let’s Early Years Curriculum ï parents · • ‘Let’s perform’ – movement activities that include yoga, role play, physical team games, ring games, interactive

‘KTB Kids Let’s Early Years Curriculum’

A guide for educators and parents

Introducing the KTB Kids approach

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to fulfil their potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their life

chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and it provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and

talents as they grow up. When parents choose to use early years’ services they want to know that provision will keep their children safe and help them to

thrive. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework that provides that assurance. The overarching aim of the EYFS is to help young children

achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving

economic well-being. This document has been produced to support parents and educators in understanding how our nursery, KTB Kids, meets the

requirements of the EYFS.

The child focussed ethos of KTB Kids believes that an aesthetically lovely place communicates a respect for childhood and for education. Great emphasis is

placed on the caring, family environment within the nursery and feedback from parents supports this. The physical space is designed to be as homelike as

possible, with the scale of the space not overwhelming the children. The design of the nursery ensures that the building meets the needs of all the children

attending. The nursery has up to 60 children per session and the nursery is divided into an upper and lower nursery. In each large room there are there are

two spaces. Lower nursery has a space for 3-months to 18-month olds and another for 18-months to 30-month olds. Upper nursery has a space for children

30-months – 4 years old and a separate dedicated classroom for the eldest children in the nursery to freely access throughout the day. Both lower and

upper nursery have a quiet and calm sleep room and the nursery has a dedicated nursery kitchen and housekeeper. As the setting does not have a

dedicated garden the children enjoy daily trips with their friends into the community by foot, 6 seater buggy or by public transport.

Children’s choice is embedded throughout the nursery through nursery design, routines and practices. The furniture is non-prescriptive so that it can be set

up to meet the changing interests, and to fit the nursery themes and topics. Toys are predominantly made of natural materials and are deliberately crafted

to be relatively unrefined to allow maximum scope for imaginative use as props in children’s play. Resources include wooden unit blocks, large hollow

blocks, logs, play silks, shells and pinecones. Skilled, creative nursery educators enhance open ended play by consistently using open ended questioning to

children to encourage and develop their imaginative thinking.

Communication is exceptionally well supported throughout all areas of the nursery with an emphasis on the enjoyment of books and stories. Literacy is

influenced by the letters and sounds programme that teaches the principles and practice of high-quality phonics in an age appropriate way through from

lower nursery into upper. Throughout the day the children will choose between a range of adult led and child-initiated activities that are inspired by the

children’s interests on any day. Educators have a deep knowledge of the children and their individual needs ensuring that learning is planned and delivered

in ways that enable children to be challenged. As a result, the children have a genuine interest in learning and show a desire to be challenged.

Children in the setting have a strong foundation in emotional literacy and develop good communication skills, this means that they tolerate frustration

better, are less impulsive, more focussed, less lonely and are healthier than children who do not have this strong foundation. Children are able to recognise

their emotions and know how to behave, mature, make and keep friendships and ultimately be happy. They are confident and secure with positive

attitudes to the nursery. They make significant progress and are respectful of each other. The nursery has clear rules so that the children understand the

behaviour that is expected of them. This alleviates any confusion and encourages good behaviour through positive role modelling.

KTB Kids ‘Let’s’ Curriculum

At KTB Kids there is an enabling approach to providing early years education that is built around the individual child focussing on their unique strengths

building confidence, problem solving ability and resilience whilst ensuring that each child meets their own potential for learning. This bespoke curriculum

links practice at KTB Kids to the child centred ethos inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. Throughout the nursery the way in which these areas of

learning take place is influenced by age related expectations of young children and the key milestones that children are expected to achieve. It is a creative

play-based curriculum that offers both adult directed and child-initiated activity. The enabling open plan environment at KTB Kids is inspired by a uniquely

developed ‘Let’s’ philosophy. ‘Let’s Play’ represents the continuous and enhanced provision throughout the setting which is designed carefully for

optimising child-initiated activity. Considered ‘zones’ throughout the nursery have certain activities and furniture that are always available; this supports

children to feel safe and secure. These areas are given the ‘wow factor’ to enhance engagement through the addition of inspiring enhanced provision. Adult

directed activities also inspired by the ‘Let’s’ programme are broken into categories and include ‘Let’s adventure’ which are the organised daily trips. Other

adult directed activities at KTB Kids include yoga, baking, handwork, multimedia projects and science experiments.

Educator directed activities inspired by the KTB Kids ‘Lets’ programme • ‘Let’s create’ – creative activities including process art, mixed media projects & handcraft in upper nursery.

• ‘Let’s investigate’ – science or sensory experiments, technology and messy play

• ‘Let’s plan’ - activities which involve an element of prediction or planning.

• ‘Let’s sort’ - activities which involve sorting objects including by colour, shape, size and texture

incorporating loose parts play in upper nursery.

• ‘Let’s perform’ – movement activities that include yoga, role play, physical team games, ring games,

interactive stories & dance.

• ‘Let’s adventure’ – daily outings into the community to explore nature, the local area and learn through

experience about road safety & public transport

Child initiated activity – ‘Let’s Play’

• ‘Imagination zone’ – role play areas enhanced by themes and real resources and block play enhanced by loose parts &

natural resources

• ‘Creative zone’ – freely accessible mark making enhanced by painting, sticking & modelling

• ‘Discovery zone’ – stacking, posting, sorting and puzzles in lower nursery moving into numerals & letters enhanced by

technology & loose parts

• ‘Interactive zone’ – fiction and non-fiction books, language, poems and song sheet laminates enhanced by magazines,

brochures & created books

• ‘Active zone’ – our ‘Movimento’ space with soft play, tyres, ramps & beams enhanced by tunnels, hoops, music & balls

• ‘Relaxation zone’ – protected quieter areas with comfortable seating, soft toys and familiar faces enhanced by stress

balls & objects for comfort.

Inspiration from the seasons at KTB Kids

At KTB Kids the seasons are used as a base from which topics and themes are developed to inspire the ‘in the moment’ planning that occurs throughout the

setting. Learning about the seasons helps children understand the passage of time and teaches them about change. While some seasonal changes are more

obvious (like changes in the weather), there are many important subtle differences related to each season, like changes in the type of food that is available.

For example, in some parts of the world, winter means shorter days, cooler temperatures, and little or no plant growth. In contrast, spring is full of new life

with flowers budding and gardens beginning to grow. Natural resources form essential play accessories throughout the entire nursery, and heavily influence

the creative projects. The nursery also has seasonal forest school guides which enable the children to really explore the seasonal variations and gain a

knowledge and respect for nature from an early age.

Themes and topics that inspire activities at KTB Kids

Each month the children will participate in mind map planning to share their ideas around the topic coming up. From these ideas they will research ideas for

multimedia projects and to inspire role play. Educators work together in their teams to explore and share the most engaging, varied and appropriate craft,

handwork, sensory and focussed activities based on the children’s voice and their research. This ensures that play is varied, and that children are engaged

and reaching their potential to learn.

Month Topic Core book

September All about me

Handra’s Surprise

October Autumn

Room on the broom

November Space and planets

Smartest Giant in Town

December Winter Stick Man

January Circus

Tiger who came for tea

February Fairy tales and story books

Monkey Puzzle

March Mini beasts and spring

Going on a bear hunt

April Animals

Hungry Caterpillar

May Woodlands, forests/ plants and flowers

Squash and a Squeeze

June Dinosaurs

The Gruffalo

July Seaside and summer Giraffes can’t dance

August People who help us & superhero’s Hairy Maclary

Promoting British Values

In 2014 the British government called on schools and nurseries to actively promote fundamental British values (FBVs), seeing this as an effective way to prevent the

radicalisation of young people. The government considers these values to include democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and respect for people of different

backgrounds and religions. Although the labelling of these values is ‘fundamentally British’ we believe that they are values underpinning all democracies and are thus not

unique to Britain. In our practice supporting these universal values is about considering how adults treat the children, how adults treat other adults, and how we all

behave towards one another. The fundamental British values are embedded within our everyday practice, as explained below:

Democracy: Democracy within the early years is all about teaching children that their opinions are important. Each child’s thoughts and feelings should be listened to

and valued. Democracy is also about teaching children that sometimes we are given the power to choose and make decisions as individuals and as a group. Democracy

includes turn taking and sharing. Much of democracy is promoted through personal, social and emotional development within the EYFS.

Promoting rule of law: Understanding Rules Matter: It is important that nursery rules are consistently referred to when managing feelings and behaviour

and educators will ensure that children understand their own and others’ behaviour and its consequences and learn to distinguish right from wrong.

Promoting individual liberty: freedom for all: Children should develop a positive sense of themselves. Educators will provide opportunities for children to

develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and increase their confidence in their own abilities, for example through allowing children to take risks on an obstacle course,

mixing colours, talking about their experiences and learning. Educators will also encourage a range of experiences that allow children to explore the language of feelings

and responsibility, reflect on their differences and understand we are free to have different opinions.

Promoting mutual respect & tolerance: treat others as you want to be treated: Children should gain an appreciation of respect for their own

and other cultures; know about similarities and differences between themselves and others and among families, faiths, communities, cultures and traditions, share and

discuss celebrations and experiences. Educators will encourage and explain the importance of tolerant behaviours such as sharing and respecting other’s opinions and will

always promote diverse attitudes and challenge stereotypes, for example, sharing stories that reflect and value the diversity of children’s experiences and providing

resources and activities that challenge gender, cultural and racial stereotyping.

Letters & Sounds Phonics Programme

Throughout the nursery phase one of the letters and sounds phonics programme is followed which predominantly supports linking sounds and letters in the

order in which they occur in words, and naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet. The aim at KTB Kids is to embed the Phase One activities in a

language-rich provision that serves the best interests of the children. We offer a rich and varied environment with high quality play activities to offer lots of

opportunities to enrich children’s language across the six areas of learning that we work with in early years. Importantly it is recognised that the ways in

which educators model speaking and listening, interact and talk with children are critical to promoting children’s speaking and listening skills.

Phase One activities are arranged under the following seven aspects.

• Aspect 1: General sound discrimination – environmental sounds

• Aspect 2: General sound discrimination – instrumental sounds

• Aspect 3: General sound discrimination – body percussion

• Aspect 4: Rhythm and rhyme

• Aspect 5: Alliteration

• Aspect 6: Voice sounds

• Aspect 7: Oral blending and segmenting

Oral blending and segmenting the sounds in words are an integral part of the later stages of Phase One. Whilst recognising alliteration (words that begin

with the same sound) is important as children develop their ability to tune into speech sounds, the main objective is segmenting words into their

component sounds, and especially blending the component sounds all through a word. Exploring the sounds in words will occur as opportunities arise

throughout the course of the day’s activities, as well as in planned adult-led sessions. Children’s curiosity in letter shapes and written words is fostered

throughout Phase One to help children make a smooth transition to Phase Two, when grapheme–phoneme correspondences are introduced in a school

environment.

Lower nursery curriculum

Important milestones within lower nursery

Personal social and emotional

Communication Physical Thinking

6 months

• Holds eye contact briefly for 5 seconds or more

• Recognises and is most responsive to main carer; face brightens, activity increases when familiar carer appears

• Shows emotional response to other people’s emotions – e.g. smiles when smiled at and becomes distressed if hears another child crying

• Turns eyes and / or head towards you when you speak

• Reacts by smiling, looking and moving when you interact

• Vocalises back when talked to (making own sounds) especially to familiar adult and when a smiling face is used

• Makes smooth movements with arms and legs, which gradually become more controlled

• Explores hands and fingers – for example watches them, presses hands together clasps and unclasps hands

• Picks up and explores objects – for example holding to mouth

• Shows interest in new experiences – for example when you show a new toy

• Repeats actions that have an effect – for example kicking or batting a mobile to create movement including actions to make a sound again, for example shaking a rattle

• Shows anticipation and enjoyment of familiar caring routines and simple games – for example, sucks or licks lips in response to sounds of preparation for feeding or gets excited upon seeing a familiar toy

12 months

• Shows attachment to special people – for example by being distressed when they are separated, staying close and showing affection

• Begins to babble by repeating a series of the same sounds – for example ‘ba ba’ or ‘ma ma’

• When sitting, can lean forward to pick up small toys

• Actively cooperates with nappy changing – for

• Watches toy being hidden and tries to find it

• Struggles to get objects that are out of reach and pulls a mat towards them

• Follows with gaze when an adult directs attention to an object by looking and pointing – for example, when an adult points to a bus and says, “look at the bus” and the child looks at the bus

• Points to objects and people using index finger

example, lies still, helps hold legs up

to make a toy or object come closer

18 months

• Uses other person to help achieve a goal - for example, to get an object that’s out of reach or activate a wind-up toy

• Is aware of other people’s feelings – for example, looks concerned if hears crying, or looks excited if hears a familiar happy voice

• Uses approximately five different words without any help

• Recognises and will identify many objects and pictures (by pointing) when asked questions – for example “where is the ball?”

• Takes first few steps; feet wide apart, uneven steps, arms raised for balance

• Signals wet or soiled nappy or pants

• Engages in simple pretend play with soft toys – for example hugs and kisses teddy or pretends to be asleep by covering self with a blanket and closing eyes

• Matches shape of piece to hole – for example in shape sorter

30 months

• Uses a familiar adult as a secure base from which to explore independently in new environments – for example, goes away to play and interact with others, but returns for a cuddle if becomes anxious

• Demonstrates sense of self as an individual – for example, wants to do things independently, says “no” to adult and so on

• Shows understanding of some rules and routines

• Says 2 words together – for example teddy sleeping, more juice. Recognises and joins in with songs and actions – for example ‘the wheels on the bus’

• Says 3 words together for example ‘go park today’ ‘big red bus’

• Starts to help with dress and hygiene routines

• Holds pencil between thumb and 2 fingers no longer using whole hand grasp

• Shows control in holding and using hammers, books and mark making tools

• Can organise and categorise objects – for example, putting all red things and all blue things in separate piles

• Operates mechanical toys – for example turns the knob on a wind-up toy, pulls back on a friction car, pushes button to open flap

• Completes simple puzzle board

Let’s Curriculum in Lower nursery Optimising teachable moments

‘Let’s play’

Creating an enabling environment for child-initiated play 6 – 18 months 18 – 30 months

Continuous provision

Enhanced provision


Enhanced provision

Imagination zone (role play & block play)

• Mirror for self-exploration

• Fibre optic lights

• Paint bags

• Sensory bags

• Sensory bottles

Home corner

• Oven & sink

• Rocking chair

• Drawers with cushions

• Dolls highchair & crib

• Dolls and doll clothes

• Plates, cups, spoons, pots, pans & bowls

• Wooden toy food

• Phones

• Hollow block table & cloth

• Story cards- tiger who came to tea, hungry caterpillar etc.

• Real foods- apples, potatoes, carrots

• Real food packets

• Sensory blocks

• Soft blocks

• Mega blocks

• Large animals (jungle, pets)

Block area

• Unit blocks

• Mega blocks

• Animals (jungle, pets, farm, under the sea, minibeast, dinosaur)

• People (wooden spoon people / villagers)

• Village vehicles

• Train set

• Ramp / boat

• Hollow blocks

• Ramps

• Materials

• Natural resources

Creative zone • Egg chalks

• Egg crayons

• Paper

• Easel

• Egg chalks

• Egg crayons

• Paper

Discovery zone • Moon arch

• Wind chimes, mobiles, materials

• Activity panel

• Posting balls, CD’s

• Bells & chimes

• Bubble tube

• Stacking toys

• Posting toys

• Peg puzzles

• Containers

• Shape sorters

• Colour sorters

• Texture boards

• Stacking toys

• Posting toys

• Puzzles • Shape sorters

• Colour sorters

• Texture boards

• Loose parts- curtain rings, eggs, egg cups, wooden spoons, containers, Bamboo rings

Interactive zone • Basket of board books

• Sound books

• Cushions and soft floor

• Musical instruments

• Puppets

• Soft toys

• Cushions and soft floor

• Book basket

• Sound books


• Puppets

Active zone (Movimento)

• Tyres

• Boat/ ramp

• Soft play blocks

• Soft play rockers

• Balls

• Bean bags

• Music player

• Hollow blocks

• Tunnel

• Parachute

• Tyres

• Boat/ ramp

• Soft play equipment


• Balls

• Bean bags

• Music player

• Ramps

• Balance beams

• Hollow blocks

• Tunnel

• Hoops

• Parachute

Relaxation zone • Cushions

• Blankets

• Coracle

• Familiar faces cards

• Tepee • Hedgehog house

• Cushions

• Blankets

• Familiar faces cards

Engaging through adult directed activities 6 – 18 months 18 – 30 months

Activity Resources Activity Resources

Let’s create

• Body painting

• Mark making

• Process art

• Natural resource art

• Mixed media projects o Sticking o Gluing o Junk modelling

• Edible glue & paint

• Paint

• Glue

• Large paint brushes

• Sponges

• Junk modelling

• Tissue paper

• Tin foil

• Paper, card & cardboard

• Themed resources

• All in one suits & aprons

• Mark making

• Process art


• Mixed media projects o Sticking o Gluing o Junk modelling

• Paint

• Glue

• Large paint brushes

• Sponges

• Junk modelling

• Tissue paper

• Tin foil

• Paper, card & cardboard


• Glue sticks

• Aprons

Let’s investigate

• Messy play

• Play dough

• Sensory cause & effect

o Tickly feather

o Bubble power

o Musical instruments o Midnight light

o Exploring the elements e.g. wind, water

• Food based messy play- custard, beans, soup, oats, cereals, cream, cooked pasta, spaghetti, noddle’s

• Homemade play dough

• Gloop

• Oat dough

• Water

• Feathers

• Bubbles

• Light box

• Fan

• Messy play

• Play dough

• Dry messy play o Cling film painting o Gel bags

• Sensory experiments

o Water

o Wind tunnel

o Sound

o Taste

o Smell

• Food based messy play

• Homemade play dough

• Cling film

• Gel

• Sandwich bags

• Sellotape

• Fan

• Bubbles

• Feathers

• Topical resources for experiments

Let’s sort • Loose parts

o Natural resources

o Heuristic basket

o Sensory basket

• Treasure baskets • Loose parts

o Natural resources

o Heuristic basket

o Sensory basket

• Treasure baskets

• Patterns

• By colour

• By size

Let’s perform

• Makaton songs

• Action songs

• Puppet show

• Interactive story telling

• Music and movement

• Makaton song sheets

• Story sacks

• Puppets

• Dancing silks

• Core books

• Makaton songs

• Action songs

• Puppet show

• Interactive story telling


• Yoga

• Role play

• Makaton song sheets

• Story sacks

• Puppets

• Dancing silks

• Core books

• Yoga sheets

• Yoga mats

Let’s adventure

• Nature investigation

• Mud kitchen

• Natural messy play

• Mark making and creative activities

• Movement and games

• Stories and music

• Block play

• Blankets & groundsheet

• Magnifying glasses & bug pots

• Spades, buckets & sieve

• Mark making resources

• Creative resources

• Physical play resources

• Books and instruments

• Blocks

• Walkodile surveys


• Mud kitchen





• Block play


• Laminated surveys







• Blocks

Upper nursery curriculum

Important milestones within upper nursery

Personal social & emotional

Communication Physical Thinking

3 ½ years

• Recognises self in mirror or photo – for example, if looks in mirror and sees dirt or food on face, tries to wipe it off, or points to self in photo when asked

• Shows independence in selecting and carrying out activities

• Listens eagerly to short stories, is able to talk about particular parts of them and requests favourites over and over again

• Uses a range of tenses – for example ‘play’, ‘playing’, ‘will play’ and ‘played’

• Catches a large ball

• Washes and dries hands

• Is more organised, gathering together the toys they want to play with before starting play – for example, getting the doll and the tea set before starting to play tea parties ort getting the train and tracks before playing trains

• Draws person with head and one or two other features or parts

5 years • Is curious about others and can adapt behaviour to fit in with different events and social situations – for example, removing shoes and socks before going on slide after seeing others doing this

• Works as part of a group or class, taking turns and sharing fairly, understanding that there needs to be agreed values and codes of behaviour for groups of people, including adults and children, to work together harmoniously

• Uses longer sentences to link more than one idea, for example, “we walked to the park and we watched the ducks”

• Can pick out the first sound in a word

• Reliably dry and clean during the day

• Dresses and undresses independently

• Concentrates and listens for more than 10 minutes in adult led activities that they enjoy

• Shows flexibility in trying different ways of tackling problems

Implementing the Let’s Curriculum in Upper nursery

‘Let’s play’

Creating an enabling environment for child-initiated play Development zone Preschool classroom


Enhanced provision Continuous provision

Enhanced provision

Imagination zone (role play & block play)

Home corner

• Sink, oven, welsh dresser and washing machine

• Rocker chair

• Plates, cups, teapot, cutlery, cooking utensils

• Soft toy food

• Screen & phone

• Table, cloth and chairs

• Dolls & dolls clothes Drama centre

• Coloured cloths and silks Shop

• Table and chairs

• Till and phone

• Containers

• Real food packaging

• Real food

• Real flowers

• Clipboards and pencils

• Books

• Magazines / newspaper

• Fancy dress e.g. hats / tabard’s

• Supporting resources for themed role play

o Homemade products o Real objects o Toy resources o Signage

• Sofa

• Material basket

• Supporting resources for themed role play o Homemade products o Real objects o Toy resources

Block area

• Hollow blocks

• Duplo

• Unit blocks

• Picture inspiration

• Spirit levels and rulers


• People (dolly pegs / pictures / villagers)

• Small world table & chairs

• Material

• Small and big trucks

• Detachable cars

• Train set

• Shapes & blocks laminated sheets

• Seasonal loose parts – leaves, twigs, shells, pressed flowers

• Reference books

• Clipboards and pencils

• Train tickets

• Timetables

Block area

• Planks

• Tyres

• Hollow blocks

• Rainbow people

• Cultural families

• Train set

• Duplo

• Unit blocks

• Small trucks

• Detachable cars


Creative zone

• Paper

• Pencils

• Crayons

• Chalks

• Whiteboard pens

• Paint & paint brushes

• Glue & glue sticks

• Coloured paper

• Junk modelling

• Playdoh & accessories

• Paper

• Mini white boards

• Pencils

• Crayons

• Chalks

• Junk modelling

• Tissue paper

• Glue & glue sticks

• Paint and brushes

• Scissors

• Toothbrushes

• Whiteboard pens

Discovery zone Tuff spot with mat insert

• Technology activities o Spirit levels o Fans o Torches

• Threading activities

• Pincer activities

• Maths activities o Calculators o Shape sorting o Colour sorting

• Loose parts activities o Curtain rings o Bamboo o Buttons o Ribbons & materials o Spools o Natural resources

• Magnetic building blocks

• Puzzles

• Stacking activities

• Board games

Technology activities

• Torches

• Computer o Word o Paint o Calculator o Calendar o Photo slide show

Threading activities

• Ribbons & reels

• Laces Pincer activities

• Tweezers & chop sticks Loose parts activities


• Cotton reels & spools

• Buttons

• Nuts and bolts

• Pegs

• Corks

• Keys and locks Literacy activities

• Phonic bean bags

• Pattern & letter cards

• Name cards

• Sand paper letters Maths activities

• Numerals

• Abacus

• Compare bears

• Dice

• Calculators

• Ruler

• Shape bean bags

• Scales

• Tape measures

• Salt tray

• Letter game

• Board games

Interactive zone • Reference books

• Picture books

• Story books

• Poems

• Nursery rhyme cards

• Language cards

• Song sheets

• Cushions

• Comfortable floor

• Core books

• Puppets

• Emotional literacy books

• Yoga sheet

• Magazines

• Newspapers

• Brochures

• Reference books

• Picture books

• Story books

• Poems

• Homemade books

• Language cards

• Song sheets

• Comfortable seating

• Core books

• Emotional literacy books

• Yoga sheet

Active zone (Movimento)

• Tyres

• Boat/ ramp



• Bean bags

• Rings

• Balls

• Music player

• Balance beams

• Ramps

• Hollow blocks

• Tunnel

• Hoops

• Parachute

• Tyres

• Boat/ ramp



• Music player

• Rings

• Bean bags

• Balls

• Ramps

• Balance beams

• Hollow blocks

• Tunnel

• Hoops

• Parachute

Relaxation zone • Soft toys


• Soft seating

• Family photos

• Sensory bottles

• Stress balls

• Sofa

• Cushions

• Soft toys

Engaging through adult directed activities Development zone Preschool classroom

Activity Resources Activity Resources

Let’s create

• Mark making

• Mixed media projects

• Salt dough

• Papier Mache

• Salt paint

• Process art

• Transient art

• Observational art


• Themed art

• Playdough

• Clay

• Newspaper

• Balloons

• Salt

• Loose parts o Pompoms o Sequins o Feathers o Buttons

• Natural resources for brushes

• Homemade playdough


• Mark making

• Mixed media projects o Salt dough / paint o Papier Mache o Woodwork

• Process art

• Transient art

• Observational art


• Themed art

• Playdough

• Handcraft o Woodwork o Finger knitting o Origami o Felting o Clay

• Loose parts o Pompoms o Sequins o Feathers o Buttons

• Wool

• Felt

• Clay

• Newspaper

• Balloons

• Salt

• Natural resources for brushes

• Homemade playdough

• Woodwork box kit


Let’s investigate

• Messy play

• Technology o Pulleys and levers o Cause and effect o Microwave

experiments

• Nature investigation o Life cycles o Seasons

• Baking

• Sensory experiments

• Water and food colouring

• Seasonal natural resources (green leaves, brown leaves, shells, flowers, grass, straw, hay)

• Food messy play (custard, baked beans, spaghetti, pasta, soup, oats, cereal)

• Shaving foam

• Messy play

• Technology o Computer coding o IT games o Circuit kit o Microwave

• Nature investigation o Life cycles o Seasons

• Baking

• Science experiments

• Water and food colouring

• Seasonal natural resources (green leaves, brown leaves, shells, flowers, grass, straw, hay)

• Food messy play (custard, baked beans, spaghetti, pasta, soup, oats, cereal)

• Shaving foam and gel

• Gloop

• Mud

o Water o Wind tunnel o Sound o Taste o Smell

• Gloop

• Pouring resources

• Digging resources

• Baking ingredients

• Sand

• Pouring resources

• Digging resources

• Baking ingredients

• Accessory bar

Let’s plan

• Predicting

• Exploring

• Project planning (& producing resources)

• Treasure & scavenger hunts

• I see, I think, I wonder

• Tally chart recording

• Shopping lists and recipes

• Mapping

• Resources for projects

• Printer

• Camera

• Predicting

• Exploring

• Project planning

• Scavenger hunts & geocaching

• I see, I think, I wonder

• Tally chart recording

• Shopping lists & recipes

• Mapping

• Story writing

• Computer

• Printer

• Camera

• Resources for topic

Let’s sort

• Patterns

• Numerals to quantities

• Nature links

• By material

• By colour

• By measures

• Tuff tray

• Loose parts

• Blocks

• Board games

• Flash cards

• Laminated sorting sheets


• Patterns

• Numerals to quantities

• Nature links

• By material

• By colour

• By measures

• Tuff tray

• Loose parts

• Blocks

• Board games

• Flash cards

• Laminated sorting sheets


Let’s perform

• Puppet shows

• Role play

• Show and tell

• Interactive stories

• Ring games

• Emotion games & activities

• Turn taking games

• Parachute games

• Ball games

• Yoga


• Action songs

• Puppets

• Role play props

• Core books

• Story sacks

• Story trays

• Conversation cards

• Story sequencing cards

• Listening bags

• Dancing ribbons / silks

• Yoga mats

• Parachute

• Balls, hoops & bean bags

• Puppet shows

• Role play

• Show and tell

• Interactive stories

• Ring games

• Emotion games & activities

• Turn taking games

• Parachute

• Ball games

• Yoga


• Action songs

• Puppets

• Role play props

• Core books

• Story sacks

• Story trays

• Conversation cards

• Story sequencing cards

• Listening bags

• Dancing ribbons / silks

• Yoga mats

• Parachute

• Balls, hoops & bean bags

Let’s adventure

• Forest school inspired activities



• Den building

• Mud kitchen




• Stories and sound

• Block play

• Seasonal forest school resources




• Torches

• Compass


• Tape measure

• Stop watch

• Den making kit




• Books

• Blocks

• Forest school inspired activities



• Den building

• Mud kitchen





• Block play

• Seasonal forest school resources




• Torches

• Compass


• Tape measure

• Stop watch





• Blocks

The EYFS: Principles into practice

Children are born ready, able and eager to learn. They actively reach out to interact with other people, and in the world around them. Development is not

an automatic process, however. It depends on each unique child having opportunities to interact in positive relationships and enabling environments.

A Unique

Child

Enabling

Environments

Positive

Relationships

Learning and

Development = + + EYFS principle 1

Every child is a competent

learner from birth who can

be resilient, capable,

confident and self-assured.

The commitments are

focused around:

- Development

- Inclusion

- Safety

- Health & well-being

EYFS principle 2

Children learn to be strong

and independent from a

base of loving and secure

relationships with parents

and/or a key person.

The commitments are

focused around:

- Respect

- Parent partnership

- Supporting learning

- The role of the key

person

EYFS principle: 3

The environment plays a

key role in supporting and

extending children’s

development and learning.

The commitments are

focused around:

- observation, - assessment & planning - support for every child - the learning

environment - the wider context - transitions - continuity - multi-agency working

EYFS principle: 4

Children develop and learn in

different ways and at different

rates, and all areas of learning

& development are equally

important & inter-connected.

Educators teach children by

ensuring challenging, playful

opportunities across the prime

& specific areas of learning &

development. They foster the

characteristics of effective

early learning:

1. Playing and exploring

2. Active learning

3. Creating and thinking

critically

Characteristics of Effective Learning

A Unique Child: observing how a child is learning

Positive Relationships: what adults could do

Enabling Environments: what adults could provide

Playing and Exploring Engagement

Finding out and exploring

- Showing curiosity about objects, events

and people

- Using senses to explore the world around

them

- Engaging in open-ended activity

- Showing particular interests

- Play with children. Encourage them to explore

and show your own interest in discovering new

things.

- Help children as needed to do what they are

trying to do, without taking over or directing.

- Join in play sensitively, fitting in with children’s

ideas.

- Model pretending an object is something else and

help develop roles and stories.

- Encourage children to try new activities and to

judge risks for themselves. Be sure to support

children’s confidence with words and body

language.

- Pay attention to how children engage in activities

-- the challenges faced, the effort, thought,

learning and enjoyment. Talk more about the

process than products.

- Talk about how you and the children get better at

things through effort and practice, & what we all

can learn when things go wrong.

- Provide stimulating resources

which are accessible and open-

ended, so they can be used,

moved and combined in a variety

of ways.

- Make sure resources are relevant

to children’s interests.

- Arrange flexible indoor and

outdoor space and resources

where children can explore,

build, move and role play.

- Help children concentrate by

limiting noise and making spaces

visually calm and orderly.

- Plan first-hand experiences and

challenges appropriate to the

development of the children.

- Ensure children have

uninterrupted time to play and

explore.

Playing with what they know

- Pretending objects are things from their

experience

- Representing their experiences in play

- Taking on a role in their play

- Acting out experiences with other people

Being willing to ‘have a go’

- Initiating activities

- Seeking challenge

- Showing a ‘can do’ attitude

- Taking a risk, engaging in new

experiences, and learning by trial and

error


A Unique Child: observing how a child is learning

Positive Relationships: what adults could do

Enabling Environments: what adults could provide

Active Learning Motivation

Being involved and concentrating

- Maintaining focus on their activity for a

period

- Showing high levels of energy, fascination

- Not easily distracted

- Paying attention to details

- Support children to choose their activities –

what they want to do and how they will do it.

- Stimulate children’s interest through shared

attention, and calm over-stimulated children.

- Help children to become aware of their own

goals, make plans, and to review their own

progress and successes. Describe what you see

them trying to do and encourage children to

talk about their own processes and successes.

- Be specific when you praise, especially noting

effort such as how the child concentrates,

tries different approaches, persists, solves

problems, and has new ideas.

- Encourage children to learn together and from

each other.

- Children develop their own motivations when

you give reasons and talk about learning,

rather than just directing.

- Children will become more deeply

involved when you provide something

that is new and unusual for them to

explore, especially when it is linked to

their interests.

- Notice what arouses children’s curiosity,

looking for signs of deep involvement to

identify learning that is intrinsically

motivated.

- Ensure children have time and freedom

to become deeply involved in activities.

- Children can maintain focus on things

that interest them over a period. Help

them to keep ideas in mind by talking

over photographs of their previous

activities.

- Keep significant activities out instead of

routinely tidying them away.

- Make space and time for all children to

contribute.

Keeping on trying

- Persisting with activity when challenges

occur

- Showing a belief that more effort or a

different approach will pay off

- Bouncing back after difficulties

Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

- Showing satisfaction in meeting their own

goals

- Being proud of how they accomplished

something – not just the result

- Enjoying meeting challenges for their own

sake rather than external rewards or praise

Characteristics of effective learning A Unique Child: observing

how a child is learning Positive Relationships: what adults could do Enabling Environments: what

adults could provide

Creating & Thinking Critically Thinking

Having their own ideas

- Thinking of ideas

- Finding ways to solve

problems

Finding new ways to do things

- Use the language of thinking and learning: Think, know, remember, forget, idea, makes sense, plan, learn, find out, confused, figure out, trying to do.

- Model being a thinker, showing that you don’t always know, are curious and sometimes puzzled, and can think and find out.

- Encourage open-ended thinking by not settling on the first ideas: What else is possible?

- Always respect children’s efforts and ideas, so they feel safe to take a risk with a new idea.

- Talking aloud helps children to think and control what they do. Model self-talk, describing your actions in play.

- Give children time to talk and think. - Value questions, talk, and many possible responses, without

rushing toward answers too quickly. - Support children’s interests over time, reminding them of

previous approaches and encouraging them to make connections between their experiences.

- Model the creative process, showing your thinking about some of the many possible ways forward.

- Sustained shared thinking helps children to explore ideas and make links. Follow children’s lead in conversation and think about things together.

- Encourage children to describe problems they encounter, and to suggest ways to solve the problem.

- Show and talk about strategies – how to do things – including problem-solving, thinking and learning.

- Give feedback and help children to review their own progress and learning. Talk with children about what they are doing, how they plan to do it, what worked well and what they would change next time.

- Model the plan-do-review process yourself

- In planning activities, ask yourself: Is this an opportunity for children to find their own ways to represent and develop their own ideas? Avoid children just reproducing someone else’s ideas.

- Build in opportunities for children to play with materials before using them in planned tasks.

- Play is a key opportunity for children to think creatively and flexibly, solve problems and link ideas. Establish the enabling conditions for rich play: space, time, flexible resources, choice, control, warm and supportive relationships.

- Recognisable and predictable routines help children to predict and make connections in their experiences.

- Routines can be flexible, while still basically orderly.

- Plan linked experiences that follow the ideas children are really thinking about.

- Use mind-maps to represent thinking together.

- Develop a learning community which focuses on how and not just what we are learning.

Making links

- Making links and noticing

patterns in their experience

- Making predictions

- Testing their ideas

Developing ideas of setting, sequences,

cause and effect

Choosing ways to do things

- Planning, making decisions

about how to approach a

task, solve a problem and

reach a goal

- Checking how well their

activities are going

- Changing strategy as needed.

- Reviewing how well the

approach worked.

The Characteristics of Effective Learning and the prime and specific Areas of Learning and Development are all interconnected.

• The ways in which the child engages with other

people and their environment – playing and

exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking

critically – underpin learning and development across

all areas and support the child to remain an effective

and motivated learner.

• The prime areas begin to develop quickly in

response to relationships and experiences and run

through and support learning in all other areas. The

prime areas continue to be fundamental throughout

the EYFS.

• The specific areas include essential skills and

knowledge. They grow out of the prime areas and

provide important contexts for learning.

Prime areas are fundamental, work

together, and move through to

support development in all other

areas.

• Personal, Social and Emotional

Development

• Communication and Language

• Physical Development

The Unique Child reaches out to relate to

people and things through the

Characteristics of Effective Learning,

which move through all areas of learning.

• Playing and exploring

• Active learning

• Creating and thinking critically

Children develop in the context of

relationships and the environment

around them. This is unique to

each family and reflects individual

communities and cultures.

Specific areas include essential

skills and knowledge for children to

participate successfully in society.

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the World

• Expressive Arts and Design

The Child Centred Planning at KTB Kids

On-going formative assessment is at the heart of effective early years practice.

Educators at KTB Kids will:

• Observe children as they act and interact in their play, everyday activities and planned

activities, and learn from parents about what the child does at home (observation).

• Consider the examples of development in the columns headed ‘Unique Child: observing

what children can do’ to help identify where the child may be in their own developmental

pathway (assessment).

• Consider ways to support the child to strengthen and deepen their current learning and

development, reflecting on guidance in columns headed ‘Positive Relationships’ and

‘Enabling Environments’ (planning). These columns contain some examples of what

educators might do to support learning. Educators will develop many other approaches in

response to the children with whom they work.

• Where appropriate, use the development statements to identify possible areas in which

to challenge and extend the child’s current learning and development (planning).

Summative assessment The EYFS requires early year’s educators to review children’s progress and share a summary with parents at two points:

• In the prime areas between the ages of 24 and 36 months

• At the end of the EYFS in the EYFS Profile.

The document Development Matters is used within KTB Kids as a guide to make best-fit judgements about whether a child is showing typical development for their

age, may be at risk of delay or is ahead for their age. Summative assessment supports information sharing with parents, colleagues and other settings.

Area of Learning & Development Aspects

Prime Areas Personal, Social & Emotional Development

Children are provided with experiences and support which will help them to develop a positive

sense of themselves and of others; respect for others; social skills; and a positive disposition to

learn. Educators ensure support for children’s emotional well-being to help them to know

themselves and what they can do.

1. Making relationships

2. Self-confidence and self-

awareness

3. Managing feelings &

behaviour

Physical Development

The physical development of babies and young children must be encouraged through the provision

of opportunities for them to be active and interactive and to improve their skills of coordination,

control, manipulation and movement. They must be supported in using all their senses to learn

about the world around them and to make connections between new information and what they

already know. They must be supported in developing an understanding of the importance of

physical activity and making healthy choices in relation to food.

1. Moving and handling

2. Health and self-care

Communication & Language

Children’s learning and competence in communicating, speaking and listening, being read to and

beginning to read and write must be supported and extended. They are provided with opportunity

and encouragement to use their skills in a range of situations and for a range of purposes and be

supported in developing the confidence and disposition to do so.

1. Listening and attention

2. Understanding

3. Speaking

Specific areas Literacy

Children’s learning and competence in communicating, speaking and listening, being read to

and beginning to read and write must be supported and extended. They are provided with

opportunity and encouragement to use their skills in a range of situations and for a range of

purposes and be supported in developing the confidence and disposition to do so.

1. Reading

2. Writing

Mathematics Children must be supported in developing their understanding of Problem Solving, Reasoning

and Numeracy in a broad range of contexts in which they can explore, enjoy, learn, practise and

talk about their developing understanding. They must be provided with opportunities to

practise and extend their skills in these areas and to gain confidence and competence in their

use.

1. Numbers

2. Shape, space and measure

Understanding the World

Children must be supported in developing the knowledge, skills and understanding that help

them to make sense of the world. Their learning must be supported through offering

opportunities for them to use a range of tools safely; encounter creatures, people, plants and

objects in their natural environments and in real-life situations; undertake practical

‘experiments’; and work with a range of materials.

1. People and communities

2. The world

3. Technology

Expressive Arts and Design

Children’s creativity must be extended by the provision of support for their curiosity,

exploration and play. They must be provided with opportunities to explore and share their

thoughts, ideas and feelings, for example, through a variety of art, music, movement, dance,

imaginative and role-play activities, mathematics, and design and technology

1. Exploring and using media

and materials

2. Being imaginative


Playing and exploring – engagement Finding out and exploring

Playing with what they know

Being willing to ‘have a go’

Active learning – motivation

Being involved and concentrating

Keeping trying

Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

Creating & thinking critically – thinking Having their own ideas

Making links

Choosing ways to do things

Early learning goals as identified in the EYFS Statutory Framework

The KTB Kids ‘Lets’ curriculum is a broad and balanced curriculum aimed to provide the child with a breadth of knowledge skills and abilities for which to

excel in school and in life. Children are prepared to reach the government set Early Years Goals (EYG) which are assessed at the end of Reception (the

Foundation Stage), not as the child leaves nursery. It is important that focus is not placed solely on one area of the National early year’s curriculum, for

example literacy or numeracy. What is far more important is that the child is well rounded, balanced and able to participate in all school has to offer being

able to integrate socially, communicate emotions and ask questions. It has been recognised that if children have a solid, broad early years’ experience they

are more likely to do well throughout school and in life.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

By the end of the EYFS most children are expected to:

Continue to be interested, excited and motivated to learn.

Be confident to try new activities, initiate ideas and speak in a familiar setting.

Maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly when appropriate.

Respond to significant experiences, showing a range of feelings when appropriate.

Have a developing awareness of their own needs, views and feelings, and be sensitive to the needs, views and feelings of others.

Have a developing respect for their own culture and beliefs and those of other people.

Form good relationships with adults and peers.

Work as part of a setting or a class, taking turns and sharing fairly, understanding that there needs to be agreed values and codes of behaviour for settings of people, including adults and children, to work together harmoniously.

Understand what is right, what is wrong, and why.

Consider the consequences of their words and actions for themselves and others.

Dress and undress independently and manage their personal hygiene.

Select and use activities and resources independently.

Understand that people have different needs, views, cultures and beliefs that need to be treated with respect.

Understand that they can expect others to treat their needs, views, cultures and beliefs with respect.

Communication, Language and Literacy


Interact with others, negotiating plans and activities and taking turns in conversation.

Enjoy listening to and using spoken and written language, and readily turn to it in their play and learning.

Sustain attentive listening, responding to what they have heard with relevant comments, questions or actions.

Listen with enjoyment, and respond to stories, songs and other music, rhymes and poems and make up their own stories, songs, rhymes and poems.

Extend their vocabulary, exploring the meanings and sounds of new words.

Speak clearly and audibly with confidence and control, and show awareness of the listener.

Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences.

Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events.

Hear and say sounds in words in the order in which they occur.

Link sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.

Use their phonic knowledge to write simple regular words and make phonetically plausible attempts at more complex words.

Explore and experiment with sounds, words, and text.

Retell narratives in the correct sequence, drawing on the language patterns of stories.

Read a range of familiar and common words and simple sentences independently.

Know that print carries meaning and, in English, is read from left to right and top to bottom.

Show understanding of elements of stories, such as main character, sequence of events and openings, and how information can be found in non-fiction texts to answer questions about where, who, why and how.

Attempt writing for different purposes, using features of different forms such as lists, stories and instructions. Write their own names and other things such as labels and captions, and begin to form simple sentences, sometimes using punctuation.

Use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed.

Physical Development


Move with confidence, imagination and in safety.

Move with control and coordination.

Travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment.

Show awareness of space, of themselves and of others.

Recognise the importance of keeping healthy and those things that contribute to this.

Recognise the changes that happen to their bodies when they are active.

Use a range of small and large equipment.

Handle tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control.

Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy


Say and use number names in order in familiar contexts.

Count reliably up to ten everyday objects.

Recognise numerals 1 to 9.

Use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems.

In practical activities and discussions, begin to use the vocabulary involved in adding and subtracting.

Use language such as ‘more’ or ‘less’ to compare two numbers.

Find one more or one less than a number from one to ten.

Begin to relate addition to combining two settings of objects and subtraction to ‘taking away’.

Use language such as ‘greater’, ‘smaller’, ‘heavier’, or ‘lighter’ to compare quantities.

Use language such as ‘circle’ or ‘bigger’ to describe the shape and size of solids and flat shapes. Use everyday words to describe position.

Use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems.

Talk about, recognise and recreate simple patterns.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World By the end of the EYFS most children are expected to:

Investigate objects and materials by using all of their senses as appropriate.

Find out about, and identify, some features of living things, objects and events they observe.

Look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change.

Ask questions about why things happen and how things work.

Build and construct with a wide range of objects, selecting appropriate resources, and adapting their work where necessary.

Select the tools and techniques they need to shape, assemble and join materials they are using.

Find out about and identify the uses of everyday technology and use information and communication technology and programmable toys to support their learning.

Find out about past and present events in their lives and in those of their families and other people they know.

Observe, find out about and identify features in the place they live and the natural world.

Find out about their environment and talk about those features they like and dislike.

Begin to know about their own culture and beliefs and those of other people.

Creative Development


Respond in a variety of ways to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel.

Express and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings by using a widening range of materials, suitable tools, imaginative and role-play, movement, designing and making, and a variety of songs and musical instruments.

Explore colour, texture, shape, form and space in two and three dimensions.

Recognise and explore how sounds can be changed, sing simple songs from memory, recognise repeated sounds and sound patterns and match movements to music.

Use their imagination in art and design, music, dance, imaginative role-play and stories.

For further guidance on any aspect of this document please speak with anyone from

the management team at KTB Kids.

Reviewed and updated May 2019

Documents

îKTB Kids Let’s Early Years Curriculum ï parents · • ‘Let’s perform’ – movement activities that include yoga, role play, physical team games, ring games, interactive