Delivering the EYFS curriculum through games and play

Providing the best possible experiences for little ones in their early years education includes everything from delivery high quality planned activities to responding to day-to-day events.
How children progress and learn is influenced in many ways including changes to their environment, interactions with people around them and setting and rearranging routines.
Games and play form the basis of learning for children.
So while early years practitioners use their extensive skills and knowledge helping youngsters to achieve their potential, we’ve applied ours to developing tools and equipment they can rely on.

The EYFS framework focuses on seven areas of learning with early years settings deciding how to implement the curriculum so children develop their knowledge and abilities.
The Government has now issued a new inspection handbook offering guidance to leaders on how it evaluates an outstanding early years setting.
Having access to a “highly ambitious, broad and rich curriculum” which meets the education quality criteria is what inspectors are looking for, while the choice of teaching methods is a decision for providers.
At Hand Made Places we’ve taken the core areas of learning and developed play equipment which explores the themes in inspiring new ways.
Each piece is designed and manufactured specially for the under-fives so the equipment can be safely used in planned or child-initiated play.

Engaging in activities which tap into children’s unique interests has been shown as the best way to support their learning.
Our range of EYFS play equipment is packed with variety to meet different needs and encourage exploration.
Learning new words in a hands-on way is a great way to help children remember them and understand their meaning.
That’s why we all still remember the nursery rhymes and stories we heard as children.
Creating a storytelling area, away from other distractions, is a great way to deliver communication and language activities.
Our iconic Storyteller’s Chair is always popular, with a great choice in Playground Furniture available to ensure the audience is sitting comfortably.
We also offer an extensive collection of Outdoor Musical Instruments which can be used in a fun way to explore sounds and word patterns and encourage creativity.
Imaginative play, acting out stories with small toys or taking part in role play, is also linked to improved communication and language skills.
Our Mini Micro World Tables and Puppet Theatre Screen are great pieces of outdoor play equipment to consider.

All round physical development takes into account strength and conditioning, gross motor skills and fine motor skills.
At Hand Made Places we are big advocates of physical activity for health as well as development – and most of all for fun.
Our physical play equipment is designed to help children build confidence, to challenge themselves and take risks in a safe environment.
Our playgrounds let children move freely so they can become more flexible, coordinated and agile.
Leaf, Sprig and Sprout are just three play units within our extensive range of products which have been designed to encourage movements such as crawling, climbing and pulling.
They are ideal for EYFS settings, while our Play Blocks are a freestanding collection of mini physical challenges which can be arranged in any formation like an obstacle course to continually test, expand and refine ability.
Holey Poles are great for den building, encouraging children to lift, transport and organise the materials they need.
And of course mixing up a potion in the Play Kitchen is a great example of how children can develop fine control skills.

Expressing emotions can sometimes be made easier for children through signs, actions or pictures. Our Whiteboard and Chalkboard range includes panels, easels and tables where youngsters can use drawings to reflect their feelings.
The Buddy Bus Stop bench is a good tool in playgrounds, offering children a safe place to sit if they need a friend.
Outdoor Mirror panels are also an engaging way for children to develop self-awareness and visual identity.

Sharing stories includes talking about the themes and ideas they conjure up. Play Sculptures help to bring stories to life in this way.
They can support questions and lessons around different subjects while our Totems are also designed to encourage children to talk and explore words by linking them to pictures.
Our Play Boats and Ships, and Play Cars, Trains and Tractors are also a hands-on way to discuss stories in further depth and extend knowledge and understanding through role play.

In early years settings activities linked to mathematics can include playing shop or going outdoors to explore different shapes and sizes such as comparing leaves.
Playground Markings can help little ones to recognise numbers, link pictures and symbols and explore subjects such as time.
Our Play Den or Forest Story House are flexible outdoor play and learning spaces that can be transformed into a café or shop where children can count out products.
Sand and Water Play is also a popular choice for explaining amounts and simple methods of addition and subtraction.   

Gardening and eco play are great ways to help children explore material and observe the natural world.
As well as Planters, our range of outdoor play equipment includes the Compost Cottage and Minibeast HQ which open up new words and events for children.
Imaginative play, whether it be acting out a police chase or steering a boat across the sea, celebrates different experiences and occasions to enrich their understanding of the world.
Creating themed areas or playgrounds which explore areas such as woodlands or oceans helps to create an understanding of a diverse world.
Our Exploration Table and Discovery Tables are perfect for sorting materials and going through the finds from a nature walk.

Imagination and creativity can be supported in many different ways using products from our early years play equipment collection.
Our Stages provide purposeful outdoor space for dance, movement and music and our Play Units such as Toddlers’ Tower can be anything from a king’s castle to a princess’s hideout.
As well as self-expression, imaginative play helps children to communicate through arts.
We also provide products for specific activities such as our Weaving Panel and Coloured Archways, taking children on a journey of development every day.

Our teams are experienced in transforming EYFS playgrounds into spaces which support learning and development through fun. Talk to us about your playground ambitions.