Teaching and learning

10 EYFS Literacy Activities to Make Development More Fun

For when pen and paper just aren’t enough
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Teaching and learning

10 EYFS Literacy Activities to Make Development More Fun

July 26, 2017

For when pen and paper just aren’t enough

For when pen and paper just aren’t enough
and
Zuzanna Stańczewska
July 26, 2017
July 26, 2017
Reading time:
min.

setting

s

children

With Famly since

Maybe the most fundamental aspect of education, literacy should be something every child can genuinely enjoy learning. We reckon it’s time to ditch the pen and paper for a while and intertwine this crucial skill into the way kids absorb without really trying. When they play.

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A cosy corner with books and pillows

1. Reading Nook

The activityReading Nook by Teach Mama

In a nutshell – Making up a cosy spot just for book time is a great trick to create positive reading connections even for the most resistant little ones. It doesn’t have to be a big deal, just gather some fluffy pillows, pile up some books and separate your snuggly corner with a cardboard wall.

What you need

  • Pillows
  • Books
  • Light
  • Cosy Accessories

2. Song Sticks

The activitySong Sticks by Pre-K Pages

In a nutshell – Glue some simple symbols from your favourite nursery rhymes and songs to create the sticks. Then let kids choose one and guess what it stands for before they sing. Rhymes are not only a great way of developing listening and speaking skills but also work as a great social exercise. Perfect for quick interludes too!

What you need

  • Wide Craft Sticks (or just ice cream ones)
  • Labels (free printables available)
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Pen
  • Small Cup

A kid tracing letter B with small stones.

3. Tracing Letters

The activityAlphabet Learning with Chalk Rocks by And Next Comes L

In a nutshell – Why not try some creative alternatives to those printed worksheets? Take the learning outside and draw letters with chalk on the pavement so that kids can fill the spaces with pebbles or erase them carefully with a fizzy mixture. It’s immersive and makes children focus on each letter for a longer time.

What you need

  • Chalk
  • Pebbles
  • Fizzy Mixture (check out the ingredients here)

A child colouring white piece of paper with paint.

4. Secret Letters

The activitySecret Letters by Busy Toddler

In a nutshell – Sprinkle a little bit of magic into your children’s day. Take a white crayon and write some letters or short words on a white piece of paper. Hand kids some watercolour paints and watch their amazement when they discover secret marks coming up out of nowhere…

What you need

  • White Crayons
  • Watercolour Paint
  • Paper
  • Paintbrush

A path of words on cards laying on the floor.

5. Follow the Word Path

The activitySight Word Floor Game by Your Teacher’s Aide

In a nutshell – Make a trail of cards with words that your kids have just learnt and turn them into a game. Let’s see who can get the furthest with spelling out all the words correctly!

To mix this activity up, you can use dice or get them to jump from one step to another on one leg to work on the gross motor skills.

What you need

  • Colourful Cards
  • Pens
  • Dice

Wooden train tracks on the floor.

6. Train Track

The activityTrain Track Word Building by Paper and Glue

In a nutshell – A nifty way to sneak in some EYFS teaching to pure fun. Write letters on the toy train track parts and let kids’ imagination go wild with building the paths and connecting different letters to make up some familiar words. Later, encourage children to say the letters out loud when their vehicles drive over the writings.

What you need

  • Wooden Tracks
  • Pens
  • Glue
  • Paper

Kids playing Guess Who I Am.

7. Who Am I?

The activityWho Am I? by Ice Breaker Ideas

In a nutshell – It’s a classic, adjusted to our EYFS literacy needs. Tell each kid to first write down a word they have learnt recently and then stick it to their friend’s forehead so that they can guess what the word is without looking at it. Feel free to play around with the questioning rules to make sure that all the little participants can get involved!

What you need

  • Sticky Notes
  • Pens

Colourful shelves with letters and some items.

8. Alphabet Museum

The activityAlphabet Museum by Parents.com

In a nutshell – Create a DIY showcase with some cardboard boxes and write a big letter in the middle of each one of them. Have kids look for various, small items in the nursery and place them in a box corresponding to the letter they begin with. This activity can be a long lasting game if you change the ‘exhibition’ every now and then or move the boxes around.

What you need

  • Cardboard boxes
  • Colourful papers
  • Pens
  • Tape
  • Small items

A girl with a paper plate in her hands.

9. Letter Hunt

The activityLearning Letters On The Go by No Time For Flash Cards

In a nutshell – Write letters around the edge of a paper plate and cut in between each letter. Next time you are somewhere outdoors, give the kids the plates and have them fold down the letters as they spot them in their surroundings. You can create groups and turn this activity into a playful competition.

What you need

  • Paper Plates
  • Markers
  • Scissors

LEGO blocks with words written on them.

10. Spelling with LEGO

The activitySpelling With Lego by Twinkl

In a nutshell – Good, old LEGO comes to the rescue yet again. Write two to four-letter words on the long blocks and see if the little ones can recognise the marks and find single, corresponding blocks to stick on top of them.

What you need

  • LEGO
  • A Marker

The big ideas

download pdf
graphical user interface, text, application
Official Danish Government Reopening Advice

Guidance from the Danish Health Ministry, translated in full to English.

Picture of a Guidance document
UK Nursery Covid-19 Response Group Recommendations

The full recommendations from a working group of over 70 nursery chains in the UK.

Please note: here at Famly we love sharing creative activities for you to try with the children at your setting, but you know them best. Take the time to consider adaptions you might need to make so these activities are accessible and developmentally appropriate for the children you work with. Just as you ordinarily would, conduct risk assessments for your children and your setting before undertaking new activities, and ensure you and your staff are following your own health and safety guidelines.

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Find out below how Famly helped Tenderlinks in recording child development, and see what we can do for you in a personal demo.

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Find out below how Famly helped Tenderlinks in recording child development, and see what we can do for you in a personal demo.

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Learn more about Famly

Find out below how Famly helped Tenderlinks in recording child development, and see what we can do for you in a personal demo.