Learning objective
- To investigate the mixture needed to build a sandcastle.
EYFS outcomes
Development matters
Understanding the world
Children in reception will be learning to:
- Explore the natural world around them.
- Describe what they see, hear and feel whilst outside.
- Understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world around them.
Characteristics of effective learning
- Playing and exploring.
- Creating and thinking critically.
See Development Matters (non-statutory curriculum guidance) – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Understanding the world
ELG: The Natural World
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants.
- Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.
See Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, 2021.
Support and challenge
Adults can use the opportunity to:
- Support the children in packing the sand into their cups, ensuring they firmly pat it down before turning it over.
- Challenge the children to use sticky notes to record the number of cups of water they predict will be needed for the perfect mixture.
- Ask open-ended questions to promote problem-solving, such as ‘Why do you think it did not work?’ or ‘What would happen if there was less sand?’
Key vocabulary
-
mixture
-
season
-
summer
