Children benefit from the open ended nature of sand play - things can be built and rebuilt or found and hidden again endlessly.

Open ended questions challenge children’s thinking and creativity

Children benefit from access to quieter areas for communication and quieter play

Opportunities for Mark Making and writing can be included in a variety of ways in play

Children benefit from play reflecting familiar, real-life experiences

Children benefit from opportunities to re-enact familiar scenarios in the home corner

Children benefit from open ended play experiences where they can explore their own creativity.

Stories, books and early literacy opportunities can be included in all areas of play

Play naturally provides a wealth of opportunities to talk about numbers in context

Natural materials, like herbs or spices, can be used to add scent to dough

Children’s gross and fine motor skills can benefit from play with malleable materials

Play naturally provides a wealth of opportunities to develop children’s mathematical language

Children’s current interests can be followed in play

Tabletop play can included puzzles of different types e.g. number puzzles as well as jigsaws

The learning environment should be welcoming and create a stimulating atmosphere for learning

Children take great pride in having their work displayed for others, including parents, to see.

Small world play encourages children to develop their own narratives and stories in play.

In play children can explore the world around them, including seasonal changes.

Children benefit from including real objects in play, including food items where possible.

Children can explore cause and effect in play with digital technology resources.

Snack is an ideal time to promote communication and early maths skills

Pouring between containers of different shapes sizes promotes understanding of capacity

Displaying artwork promotes self-esteem

Playing with 3d resources as well as 2d provides different experiences

playing with puzzles helps develop wider problem solving skills

Children can reenact familiar experiences through small world play

Dough can be used for printing, stamping as well as rolling and moulding

Observing and discussing real life objects can help develop children representational paintings

Manipulating dough builds gross and fine motor skills as well as creativity.

Resources other than sand can provide similar sensory experiences

Children benefit from using a range of esources made from different materials

Early mathematical experiences can be naturally incorporated into all areas of play

Children should have opportunities to explore with all their senses

Provision of open ended art resources allow children to create, following their own creativity

Following children’s interests and building on them

Simple resources allow for investigation and discovery

Careful Organisation promotes children’s self selection and independence

Children’s individuality is shown through their creative responses

Construction play allows for endless creativity

Neutral backgrounds allow for children’s work to stand out

Outdoor construction can often take place on a bigger scale, involving a larger group of children than when indoors

Children’s gross motor skills, thinking skills and self esteem can benefit from opportunities to climb

Small world play helps children develop their own imaginations.

Children should be encouraged to follow a rule of “choose, use and put away”

Children can be involved in simple gardening activities, helping develop their understanding of the world

Working with tools, real child-sized or pretend helps develop fine motor skills as well as creativity as they build and make

Outdoor environments provide multiple opportunities for imaginative play

Children should be encouraged to make choices in their play where possible

Role Play outdoors can reflect children’s real life outdoor experiences like camping or having a bbq.

Outdoor play allows children to create, build and play on a larger scale than indoors

Using real objects in play helps children relate their play to their life experiences easily

Natural environments can be enhanced with small world items to create mini-worlds

Opportunities to pour, mix, stir and create at a potion lab benefits children’s understanding of capacity as well as involving their senses in children’s learning.

Water Play outdoors should be different to water play indoors

Children should be allowed to move items from one area of play to another if possible

Children will not always use resources in the way adults intend, bringing their own creativity to their play and activity.

Outdoor Play has many benefits for children including health and well-being benefits

Natural loose parts allow children to explore their creativity as well as the natural world

Cutting real vegetables in play can help develop fine motor skills and independence

Bug Hotels allow children to begin to take responsibility for their environment

More space outdoors facilitates larger scale construction projects

No matter what space is available time outdoors is important for children

Child sized gardening tools allow children to take on responsibility for caring for their environment

Small world environments can also be created outdoors

Larger toys and resources can be played with more freely outdoors with more space

Children can be given opportunities to grow plants and herbs on small or large scales

Children benefit from spending time outdoors in nature, seeing how food grows helps them understand where our food comes from

Outdoor sand often allows children to get into the sand pit rather than just playing in on a small scale

Growing vegetables allows children to develop understanding of where their food comes from and how it grows

Wheeled vehicles for more than one child allow for different experiences to how children can play at home.

Photos of real builders at work, along with helmets/hi vis vests help children feel part of a real construction site.

Quieter spaces outdoors are as important for children as the wide open spaces

Children can explore minibeasts naturally outdoors, developing their understanding of the world

Opportunities to chop vegetables help children develop motor control

Children can be creative with temporary art materials e.g. chalk outside

Children can perform or watch their friends perform with more freedom outdoors

Children can develop understanding of the seasons by spending time in nature, observing the trees

Children can be encouraged to observe the natural world around them when spending time outdoors

Children can experiment with potion making or role play cooking in an outdoor mud kitchen

Safe opportunities for climbing encourage growth motor skill development