Early Years and Creative Play: EYFS Teaching Strategies and Resources

The EYFS Framework and Characteristics of Effective Learning

playing and exploring, active learning, creating and thinking critically, and learning and development (DfE, 2021). These characteristics strongly influence a learner's attitude and ability. According to Wood (1998), play supports knowledge building. Vygotsky (1978) highlighted social interaction's role in learner development. Bruner (1966) suggested learners construct new ideas through past knowledge.

1. Playing and Exploring: Learners engage with the environment, investigate materials, try things out, and take risks in a safe space
2. Active Learning: Learners persist through challenges, concentrate, have confidence to try new things, and show pride in achievements
3. Creating and Thinking Critically: Learners have ideas, manipulate objects, plan and make decisions, test ideas, and reflect on learning

Researchers observe these three learner characteristics; they do not test them. The focus is on learner traits like curiosity and resilience. A learner asking "What happens if...?" demonstrates creative, critical thought and gives adults useful evidence about how the child is approaching learning.

Blair and Razza (2007) found that ages 3–5 are key for executive function. This includes working memory, self-regulation, and attention in the learner. These skills predict academic success better than literacy or maths.

Play and language in early years create strong foundations. A curriculum-heavy early years risks narrowing learning. This reduces motivation, impacting learner success (Whitebread, 2017; Weisberg et al, 2016).

Play-Based Pedagogy: Why Play Matters

What is Play in the EYFS Context?

Research by Vygotsky (1978) and Piaget (1951) shows play builds understanding. Learners practise language and social skills through it. Play is vital, say Bruner (1972) and Smith & Pellegrini (2008).

Parten's research (1932) identified types of play that develop in sequence:

• Solitary play (age 2–3): Playing alone, investigating materials independently
• Parallel play (age 2–4): Playing alongside peers without direct interaction
• Associative play (age 3–5): Playing in loose groups, learning turn-taking and cooperation
• Cooperative play (age 4+): Coordinated play with shared goals, role-play, and social negotiation

Consider the broader implications for future learning. This early learning prepares the learner, laying groundwork for complex understanding (Piaget, 1936). Vygotsky (1978) showed how social interaction aids learning. Engaging well with others also builds key skills (Bruner, 1960).

Types of Play That Develop Thinking

Research (Singer & Singer, 1990) shows pretend play helps learners create scenarios. Youngsters use objects symbolically, such as saying a block is a phone. Role play lets learners explore situations and social skills (Vygotsky, 1978). Studies link pretend play to later creativity (Russ, 2016).

Pretend play uses abstract thought. Symbolic reasoning is needed, supporting literacy and maths. Russ & Fiorelli (2010) found learners with better pretend play do better on creativity tests.

Rough-and-Tumble Play: Physical play involving movement, chasing, climbing, and risk-taking (in safe environments).

Body-based learning develops gross motor skills, balance and spatial awareness. It can build learners' confidence in their bodies. Safe risk-taking releases stress and builds resilience (White, 2011; Brussoni et al., 2015), while movement and outdoor play can support attention when it is planned with safety and inclusion in mind.

Exploratory Play: Investigating materials, pouring sand, mixing paint, building with blocks, experimenting with water.

Why it works: Teaches cause-and-effect, develops scientific thinking ("What happens when I...?"), and builds schema about the physical world.

Constructive Play: Building, creating, making with purpose (blocks, art materials, natural materials).

Block play assists learners with planning and spatial reasoning. It also develops problem-solving skills and fine motor control. Even struggling learners use engineering thinking when building towers.

Key Approaches to EYFS Teaching

Dialogic Reading

Dialogic reading is shared book reading where the adult asks open-ended questions and follows the learner's lead, rather than simply reading the text.

What happens: Adult reads a picture book with a small group. Instead of reading straight through, the adult pauses frequently: "What do you think happens next?" "Why do you think the character feels sad?" "Have you ever...?" Learners' ideas shape the discussion.

Dialogic reading builds learners' language skills for comprehension. It improves listening and inferential thinking too. Whitehurst et al. (1994) found greater language gains versus shared reading.

Key technique, Use PEER questions:

• Prompt: "What's happening here?"
• Evaluate: "That's right, the rabbit is hiding."
• Expand: "Yes, and I think he's hiding because he's scared."
• Repeat: "Can you say that again? 'The rabbit is hiding because he's scared.'"

Sustained Shared Thinking (SST)

Sustained Shared Thinking occurs when an adult and child (or peers) work together to develop understanding. The adult doesn't direct; instead, they join in the child's thinking and deepen it through gentle questioning.

What happens: A child is building a tower of blocks. It keeps falling. An adult sits nearby and asks, "Why do you think it's falling? What if we made the bottom wider? Let's try together." The adult is not teaching the child how to build, the adult is thinking aloud alongside the child, co-investigating the problem.

Sustained Shared Thinking helps learners think without lowering challenge. Adults support learners but don't dominate, say researchers. This builds problem-solving skills and resilience (Siraj-Blatchford et al., 2002).

Characteristics of SST:

• Both adult and child are engaged
• There's a shared focus (both looking at/thinking about the same thing)
• The interaction extends over time (not just a quick comment)
• Thinking is made explicit through talk
• Open-ended questions are used, not leading questions

Helicopter Stories

This approach can build confidence and agency when adults record and perform children's own stories with care. Paley (1990) remains the clearest source for this practice, and the classroom value comes from treating each learner's narrative as worthy of attention.

What happens: A child draws a picture or describes a scenario. The adult asks, "Tell me about your picture. What's happening?" The child narrates the story. The adult writes it down, reading it back as the child watches. Later, the child and peers act out the story using props or role-play.

This validates children's experiences and perspectives. Learners develop language and narrative skills with Helicopter Stories when adults turn spoken stories into shared performance and discussion. The method helps with literacy because children see their spoken ideas treated as meaningful written language.

Philosophy for Children (P4C) in the EYFS

P4C principles, like enquiry, reasoning and community, can suit young learners when they are adapted carefully. Use picture books, simple dilemmas and short talk routines that invite children to give reasons, listen to others and wonder together.

What happens: After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the adult asks, "Why do you think the caterpillar ate all that food?" or "Do you think the butterfly is happy now?" Young learners share ideas, listen to each other, and learn that different people can have different ideas, and that's okay.

Why it works: P4C develops thinking skills, listening, and respect for diverse perspectives. It's not formal; it's building a culture where questions and thinking are valued.

Creative Arts in Early Years

Art, music, and movement are not "extras" in the EYFS, they are primary learning channels for young brains.

Art and Crafts: Emphasise the process, not the product. Don't show a model and ask learners to recreate it. Instead, provide open-ended materials and let learners explore.

Process art supports learners' creativity, fine motor skills and problem-solving because children make choices and revise ideas. Product art, where every child copies the same model, can narrow creative decision-making and may make learners feel their own ideas are incorrect.

Singing and movement build learners' language, memory, coordination and social skills. Songs aid memory because rhythm and melody give children repeatable patterns for words and actions. For related guidance, see our article on Circle of Friends peer support.

Dance and movement can be valuable for learners. They build gross motor skills, body awareness and coordination, while also supporting creative expression and emotional regulation when activities are playful, inclusive and not performance-driven.

Creating a Language-Rich Environment

This then underpins access to the wider curriculum as learners progress. Oral language, vocabulary and shared reading need active teaching across the early years. The EEF early years communication and language evidence store, Whitehurst et al. (1994) and Dickinson & Tabors (2001) are stronger sources for this point than the previous vague citation cluster.

Strategies for Language Development

• Narrate what learners are doing: "You're pouring the sand. It's flowing down. The sand is smooth." This vocabulary input is effortless for learners and builds receptive language.
• Use talk-to-learn, not learn-to-talk: The goal is not perfect speech. The goal is using talk to think and explore. Accept approximations: "duck" for "duckling" is progress.
• Sing frequently: Songs are memory aids. Learners who struggle with conversation often learn words through songs.
• Read repeatedly: Young learners benefit from hearing the same stories many times. Each reading deepens understanding and vocabulary.
• Small group time: Allocate dedicated time (10–15 minutes daily) for small group conversations. This is where quieter learners feel safe to participate.

Transition from EYFS to Key Stage 1

This approach can elevate learning. Research by Wood (2013) and Weisberg et al. (2016) delves into how play fosters crucial cognitive skills. A holistic approach recognises play's importance for social and emotional growth too. Play isn't just fun; it optimises development and creates a more dynamic learning environment. Others champion disruptive teaching. They argue formal methods deliver better results. Reconciling these views requires synergy. Schools should adapt their approach to learner needs. This promotes a smooth transition. Rewritten paragraph: Moving learners from EYFS to KS1 can be hard. Good schools keep play while adding structure. Wood (2013) and Weisberg et al. (2016) show play builds skills. Play helps social and emotional growth. Adapt teaching to learner needs for a smooth change.

How to ease transition:

• Maintain shorter, whole-group carpet sessions (10–15 minutes max)
• Continue outdoor learning and exploratory play daily
• Use guided group work (small group with adult support) rather than independent worksheets
• Embed learning in play contexts ("Count the dinosaurs in the sand" rather than abstract counting)
• Celebrate thinking and effort, not right answers

Easing learners' transitions preserves their natural curiosity and enjoyment of learning. Sudden moves to formal Year 1 with many worksheets can lessen the enthusiasm seen in strong EYFS learners. (Dockett & Perry, 2007; Dunlop & Fabian, 2007).

Key Resources and Linked Articles

Key Research References

Blair and Razza (2007) found executive function skills link strongly to later maths and literacy. Their 2007 study in Child Development shows this in kindergarten learners; see the DOI record at 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01019.x. Executive function had more impact than existing skills.

Whitehurst et al. (1994) studied shared reading with low-income learners. They used picture books in day care and at home. The study appeared in Developmental Psychology, 30(5), 679–689.

Siraj, Kingston, and Sylva (2015) found "sustained shared thinking" drives learning. Their large study, Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years, proved this. The earlier REPEY report is available through UCL's Digital Education Resource Archive: Researching effective pedagogy in the early years.

Russ and Fiorelli (2010) found that pretend play links to future creativity. Their research in *Psihologijske teme* explored this link further. The study suggests play builds a learner's divergent thinking skills.

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Key Takeaways

1. Play is not optional, it's the primary learning mechanism in the EYFS. Through play, children develop executive function (working memory, self-regulation, planning), language, and social-emotional skills that predict later academic success.
2. Sustained Shared Thinking is more powerful than direct teaching. Adults who join children's thinking, asking open-ended questions and co-investigating, develop deeper understanding and resilience than adults who "teach" from the front.
3. Language-rich environments are foundational. Vocabulary gaps at age 3 predict reading comprehension gaps at age 7. Prioritise oral language development, dialogic reading, and singing in the EYFS.
4. Process over product in art and creative play. Focus on open-ended exploration and creative expression, not copying templates. This protects children's creativity and confidence.