This half term, our enquiry focus has been “How does it change?” The direction of learning has been shaped by the children’s own questions, fascinations, and real-life experiences. Staff have carefully observed these interests and used them to plan meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities that deepen understanding across the EYFS curriculum.
Through high-quality interactions, stories, investigations, and play, the children have explored how living things, people, animals, and the natural world change over time. Their curiosity has led learning into a range of areas, including plant growth, animal development, seasonal change, and special celebrations within their families and communities.
Children have been encouraged to ask questions, make predictions, share ideas, and reflect on what they notice. This has supported the development of communication and language, curiosity, critical thinking, teamwork, and early scientific understanding. 🌱
This half term, our enquiry focus is “How does it change?.” The children will explore how living things, people, animals, and the natural world change over time. Through stories, discussions, and hands-on experiences, they will observe how seeds grow into plants, how families care for one another, and how animals develop and grow. They will also explore special celebrations such as Mother’s Day, Eid, and Easter, and notice the seasonal changes that happen in spring.
The children will ask questions, make observations, and share their ideas about how and why things change. These experiences will help them develop their Understanding of the World, while also building important skills such as language, curiosity, teamwork, and problem-solving. 🌱
Week 1: How do living things grow and change?
At the start of the enquiry, the children showed a strong interest in plants, growth, and what living things need to survive. Following this curiosity, learning was developed through the story The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle, which the children used to explore the life cycle of a plant.
The children’s questions about what seeds need to grow led to a scientific investigation. They decided to test seeds in different conditions by planting cress seeds in three cups: one with water and light, one without water, and one kept in the dark. The children made their own predictions and were excited to observe and discuss changes over time, developing early scientific enquiry skills.
The children’s interest in new life and growth also led into RE learning about Easter. They explored how eggs can symbolise new beginnings and were keen to look for signs of new life in their environment. During an outdoor exploration, children independently discovered buds and flowers beginning to grow, making meaningful links between their learning and the natural world. 🌱🌼
In continuous provision, children followed their interests in plants and seeds through a range of child-initiated activities. They used playdough to create parts of a flower, explored colour and texture through flower artwork, and independently investigated a variety of seeds, comparing size, shape, and structure. These experiences supported curiosity, discussion, and early scientific language.
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Week 2: How do we grow and change?
Building on the children’s fascination with growth, the enquiry developed into exploring how humans change over time. This was further enriched through British Science Week, where children became “curiosity scientists,” asking their own questions about how their bodies, minds, and abilities develop.
The children’s ideas and questions shaped the direction of learning as they explored how people grow and change from babies into children and adults. They were encouraged to think, talk, and investigate like scientists, using their own experiences as a starting point for discussion. 🔬✨
The children were particularly interested in themselves and how they will change in the future. This led to the creation of time capsules. Children independently chose what to include about themselves, such as their favourite things, friendships, and personal interests. They also drew self-portraits and carefully placed their work into jars to be revisited in Year 1, encouraging reflection on change over time. 🫙
Following discussions about family and care, children’s interest in special people in their lives led to learning about Mother’s Day. Children shared ideas about how families show love and care, which inspired them to create thoughtful cards, bracelets, and flower artwork for their chosen family members. 💐💗
Children also explored imagination and future thinking by dressing up as older versions of themselves. This led to rich discussions about how they might look, feel, and change as they grow older.
Week 3: How do animals grow and change?
Children’s ongoing fascination with animals led to a rich learning experience at Hall Hill Farm. This visit was directly linked to their interest in baby animals and how they grow and are cared for.
The children showed excitement and curiosity as they held and observed smaller animals such as chicks, rabbits, and guinea pigs. They developed confidence in handling animals gently and used descriptive language to talk about how the animals felt.
Children’s questions about animal care led to exploration of larger farm animals, including Highland cows, alpacas, goats, and sheep. They compared animals, discussed what they eat, and asked thoughtful questions about how they are looked after.
A key moment of interest was feeding the lambs, where children carefully observed how young animals are fed and cared for. This deepened their understanding of animal life cycles and care.
The visit also supported physical development and wellbeing, as children explored the outdoor adventure play area and engaged in active play with peers. 🚜 Back in provision, children continued to develop their farm interests through child-led learning. In maths, they explored counting and number through farm-themed activities. In creative areas, children designed farm animals using a variety of materials and constructed farm environments using small world resources. Role play areas became farms, where children acted out stories, used new vocabulary, and collaborated in imaginative play.
Week 4: How do animals grow and change?
This week, the children’s interest in animals continued to deepen as they explored animal life cycles. Through stories, discussion, and hands-on experiences, children learned how animals change from eggs into adults, using key vocabulary such as hatch, chick, grow, change, and adult.
A highlight of the week was the opportunity to observe and hold ducklings from Year 1. The children were highly engaged, using descriptive language such as soft, fluffy, and warm. They confidently discussed the ducklings’ stage in their life cycle and made links to previous learning about eggs and growth. 🐣🦆
Children’s wider curiosity also led to learning about Eid, following discussions with peers. Staff responded to these interests by exploring how Eid is celebrated and what it means to different families.
Children took part in decorating cookies, creating Eid cards, and joining in celebratory music and dance. These experiences supported cultural understanding, kindness, and respect for diversity, while strengthening children’s sense of belonging and community.
Curriculum Impact
Throughout this enquiry, learning has been strongly shaped by the children’s own interests, questions, and experiences. Staff have skilfully observed and responded to these, ensuring provision is responsive, inclusive, and ambitious.
Children have:
- Developed early scientific understanding of change over time
- Strengthened communication and language through discussion and explanation
- Built confidence in asking questions and sharing ideas
- Developed curiosity, resilience, and independence in learning
- Explored the natural world, families, and cultures with growing understanding and respect
Children have been active participants in their learning, with staff supporting and extending thinking through purposeful interactions, enabling deep engagement and sustained curiosity across all areas of the EYFS curriculum.
