EYFS Activities - Outdoor resource box…bird watching

ON THE LIST

Range of fiction and non-fiction texts

Fabric

Tarpaulins

String

Pegs

Paper, pencils and clipboard

Masking tape

Binoculars

Materials to make own binoculars

Image cards as visual prompts

Camera

THEME

We decided to create a bird-watching resource box because one of the children in class started to talk about all of the different types of birds that she had seen on her way to nursery. Through discussion and as her interest grew, we extended our planning using a PLOD (Possible Lines of Development) to enrich the curriculum with varied learning opportunities – both indoors and outdoors.

CHOICE

We provided the children with a varied assortment of resources including fabric, tarpaulins, string, tape and pegs so that they could physically construct their own den/bird hide. The provision of both fictional and non-fiction texts, books and stories promoted discussion between the adults and children and enabled practitioners to model subject-specific language and vocabulary to support and extend children’s subject knowledge.

AVAILABILITY

I initially introduced this resource box to my key worker group, but as children’s interest and engagement developed, the resource box very quickly became part and parcel of our outdoor continuous provision.

The resource box is now stored in one of our outdoor containers, but it can be accessed at any time by any member of our staff team in order to enrich the curriculum and provision.

OBSERVATIONS

A small number of children fully engaged with the resource box from the very start. However, this number quickly grew as the interest developed. The child who first spoke about the different birds that she had seen on her way to nursery demonstrated wonderful confidence in being able to discuss and share her ideas of how best to create binoculars, stating, ‘I made them in my Auntie Jane’s house to look at my Uncle Keith!’

Many children demonstrated high levels of involvement in designing, creating and building dens, which acted as bird hides, so they could then use their binoculars to look out for the different types of birds.

The children were also fascinated by the wide variety of birdhouses that they could find – some being very big and elaborate, whereas others were rather discreet and hidden.

INDOORS

Key-worker times provided my group and me with lots of quality time to discuss and think about our bird-watching resource box, and how we could use the contents of the box in lots of different locations all around the school.

Story times also provided me with opportunities to share a range of books and stories about birds – sometimes thinking about whether birds always fly or whether birds can swim.

We created our own bird feeders indoors and used the internet to engage in our own research. We created displays that showcased our learning and shared our discussions and learning with parents and carers.

LEARNING

Wonderful cross-curricular learning opportunities developed from such a simple idea as creating a resource box to extend a child’s interest. However, it was noted that children’s problem-solving skills, language and knowledge improved significantly through having lots of opportunities to plan and create dens and hides.

Children’s knowledge and application of positional and comparative language also improved because they could discuss the best place for a bird hide, as well as describe the birds.

Lyndsey Gardner is a senior early childhood educator and room leader at Everton Nursery School and Family Centre in Liverpool.

MORE INFORMATION

Everton Nursery School and Family Centre, www.evertonnurseryschoolandfamilycentre.org

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, www.rspb.org.uk

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