Teaching and Learning
Water Play: Learning Opportunities in EYFS
Guttering, pipettes and a well-timed question can turn everyday water play into learning you can see, extend and assess.
- 20 minutes
- 7 modules
- 0.5 CPD hours
- Certificate
Members
14 days free, then £70 a year or £7 a month.
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What you'll learn
- Set up water play indoors and outdoors with everyday resources
- Join children's play and model the vocabulary of water and movement
- Ask open questions that extend children's problem solving
- Link what you observe to EYFS areas such as maths and understanding the world
- Spot the characteristics of effective learning during water play
About this course
Children head straight for water. It's cheap, it's always there and it holds their attention, which makes it one of the most useful things in an early years setting, as long as you know what to look for.
You'll get set-ups for inside and out: see-through guttering and watering cans on a grand scale, or a small tray of pipettes and glittery water for fine motor practice. You'll see how to join the play and model language, and which open questions move thinking on, such as "what would happen if we put people in the boat?"
Then there's assessment. A child who swaps a spoon for a ladle is solving a problem, and one who bathes a doll step by step is organising their speech. You'll learn where water play gives you evidence for maths, communication and language, and understanding the world in the EYFS.
- For early career teachers, support staff and 2 other roles. Early years.
7 modules
Open in order
- 2 min
Introduction – What is is Water Play?
- 2 min
Why is Water Play important in Early Years?
- 3 min
What behaviour and learning can you expect from children?
- 5 min
What resources can be used for Water Play?
- 3 min
How can adults challenge children’s learning?
- 6 min
What assessments be made using EYFS Framework?
- 2 min
Wrap up