We all want our education in early years to help our children develop a broad sense of the world around them, but we can sometimes worry about how to turn everyday life experiences into meaningful lessons.
Without the right ideas, building your youngster’s knowledge and skills in the natural world can feel overwhelming, especially when you see other young children thriving in the early years foundation stage.
We’re here to guide you through the statutory framework and offer practical insights for helping children explore the world around them with confidence.
Key Takeaways
- Hands-on lessons boost understanding of the world in a nurturing, engaging and meaningful way.
- Everyday routine, from brushing teeth to visiting parks, can foster children’s curiosity.
- Encouraging children to learn about different types of people and places broadens their horizons.
- Drawing on personal experiences increases motivation and helps them make sense of their physical world.
- Connecting songs and rhymes to real-life objects builds deeper knowledge and understanding.
- Parents can provide opportunities for children to care for living things, enhancing their sense of responsibility.
- Exploring festivals and celebrations encourages children to learn about different cultures and traditions.
The Importance of Understanding of the World
We often say that real-life exposure is vital for early years children. In the EYFS, understanding of the world is an area of learning that involves guiding children to make sense of places, people, and environments.
When children begin to observe similarities and differences, they naturally become aware of how things change and how they can interact socially with others.
Whether they meet nurses and firefighters or watch a bug crawl across the pavement, these early moments spark curiosity.
This world involves guiding children to connect their personal interests—like discussing a favourite dinosaur— to broader topics like geography.
If you want to delve deeper into how teachers and parents establish these links, check out Sustained Shared Thinking in Early Years Education.
Sustained shared thinking can foster a sense of responsibility by recognising each child’s unique viewpoint of the environment.
How the EYFS Framework Supports Knowledge and Skills
Under the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, practitioners help children explore the physical world and their communities.
This might look like creating a mini-garden in the classroom to watch cress grow or scheduling a trip to a local museum.
The framework also emphasises that in order to understand and celebrate different cultures, we must explore different traditions, landmarks, and even languages.
For more on supporting development across the entire curriculum, be sure to read about Building Strong Foundations: The Early Years Curriculum.
When children see and hear new things—like how a clock works or why the seasons change—they develop a deeper sense of their physical world and their community.
A Quick Comparison of Key Focuses in Understanding of the World
Here’s a concise table that outlines how teachers or parents might nurture young children in different ways.
Notice how all the approaches encourage children to learn at their own pace while maintaining a positive sense of the world around them.
| Focus Area | Practical Activity | Outcome |
| Living Things | Growing cress or caring for a class pet | Boosting nurturing skills and sense of responsibility |
| Different People | Meeting nurses and firefighters | Encouraging gratitude and broad social awareness |
| Festivals and Celebrations | Hosting a Diwali display or Christmas crafts | Understanding similarities and differences in cultures |
| Real-Life Problem Solving | Fixing a broken toy or exploring how a clock works | Teaching how things work and building resilience |
These simple activities help early years learners engage with the knowledge and understanding they gain.
Including a broad selection of tasks—like reading non-fiction science books—can further their awareness of how to make sense of the world at home and in the classroom.
Expert Insights and Advice: Making Learning Meaningful
Seasoned practitioners often stress that children’s personal experiences increase both engagement and retention.
If a toddler enjoys playing in the park, integrate that into your next science experiment by talking about how things change in nature with the seasons.
Another idea is to sing rhymes that link real objects, like “Five Little Ducks,” and then watch ducks at the local pond.
You can also weave these creative methods into your daily routines. For more approaches that balance safety and discovery, read Healthy and Safety in an Early Years Setting.
Educators often champion the frequency and range of children’s personal experiences as a cornerstone for deeper learning.
This can look like an outdoor walk to investigate bug life under leaves or a trip to the supermarket to see and hear how different foods come from various cultures.
If you’d like to dive deeper into beneficial, hands-on ways to spur curiosity, explore Benefits of Sensory Play for Children. It’s no secret that messy play with sand or water triggers children’s natural urge to explore.
Practical Tips: Bringing the World to Your Child
Here is a quick bullet-point list to help you support a child’s understanding of the world around them in everyday life:
- Incorporate songs and rhymes during mealtime or play time, so they can see how entertainment and real life connect.
- Invite children to help with cooking or decorating buns for example, noticing similarities and differences in ingredients which can include a fun mini-geography lesson about where items originate.
- Visiting parks or nature reserves, allows children to spot changes in the environment and discuss ways to keep it sustainable.
- Have short craft sessions based on festivals and celebrations from different people or a range of cultures (like making simple lanterns for Diwali).
- Let them “tinker” with safe objects, showing how things work—from opening door latches to observing the gears of a clock.
Creating a Caring Community of Children
Remember, practitioners can provide a variety of experiences, however parents are a child’s first mentor.
Building a community of children who support each other often begins with parents warmly sharing their own personal experiences at home.
By designing your curriculum—even if it’s an informal one—around your learner’s interests, you open the door to purposeful learning.
You can find more advice on early years training courses in our guide to: Everything You Need to Know About Early Years Training Courses in the UK.
Additionally, we all know daily life doesn’t always go to plan—toddlers can be unpredictable! A sense of humour helps you remain patient when life’s little hiccups happen.
Sometimes, stepping outside for a 10-minute bug-hunt is exactly the “curriculum” your child needs that day.
We’re Here to Help
From celebrating daily “aha!” moments to supporting more formal milestones, we believe children shine brightest when they learn from experienced and well trained early years practitioners.
If you’re looking for a partner to train your staff in early years education, look no further than Eden Training Solutions.
