Play, Be, C
Building career awareness in EYFS
Overview
Play, Be, C is a free online resource, to help early years educators deliver high-quality STEM provision for children between 3 and 5 years old. Watch the video for a quick overview.
The resource is a set of ten units. Each unit is themed around a STEM career, chosen to reflect the world which surrounds your children.
For each career theme, we suggest a related story book, three adult-led activities, and three child-led provocation. Where appropriate there are at-home activities, and we’ve included notes about the science ideas children are likely to discuss and question.
Flexibility
Developed and tested in collaboration with early years practitioners, Play, Be, C is highly flexible: dip into the Units for quick activity ideas, or explore a Unit in detail over several weeks: whatever works for your setting.
Doing ‘the science’
Each Unit includes guides for practitioners to go with each activity, which offers simple but correct explanations of key concepts. We’ve also included vocabulary lists and prompts for further play. Using the resources will help develop consistency in approach across all adults in the Early Years setting.
Attributes
Each Unit incorporates a selection of five attributes: curious, collaborative, creative, observant, resilient.
These are attributes which are important for workers in the STEM sector, and also for children in early years. Through the activities children can identify or develop these attributes, and see how they already have some of the attributes needed for STEM careers.
You can read more about NUSTEM’s approach to and thinking about attributes.
Including adults
There are many adults other than the teacher working in EYFS settings who will all be key influencers, but may not have STEM qualifications or training. Play, Be, C provides an opportunity to include these adults, along with children’s families, in promoting STEM and STEM careers in EYFS and to ensure that gender (and all other) stereotyping is avoided during STEM interactions with children.
Free
Did we mention it’s free? The full resource is available through the Units links below and at the side of each page. You’re very welcome to explore, use everything you find useful, and return as often as you wish for further ideas.
Play, Be, C is a product of the NUSTEM outreach and research group at Northumbria University.
Units
Link to: Arborist
Arborist
Arborists look after trees and make sure they are healthy. Arborists are sometimes called Tree Surgeons.
Observe and find out about the trees in your setting with activities for each season.
Link to: Civil Engineer
Civil Engineer
Civil engineers plan, build and manage big structures such as buildings, railways and bridges.
Develop and extend construction play with a focus on planning and problem solving.
Link to: Fluid scientist
Fluid Scientist
Fluid scientists are interested in what liquids and gases are like and how they move and behave.
Investigate bubbles by making them in different quantities and sizes.
Link to: Glaciologist
Glaciologist
Glaciologists study glaciers – huge areas of ice found on mountains or near the North and South poles.
Investigate freezing and melting in a variety of ways.
Link to: Lighting technician
Lighting Technician
Lighting technicians design the way lights are used in films, concerts and theatre, or to light up buildings, statues and bridges.
Make, use and explore resources to create light and shadow.
Link to: Magnet engineer
Magnet Engineer
Magnet engineers design magnets or machines that use magnets.
Discover more about magnetism and how magnets can be used to push and pull.
Link to: Marine engineer
Marine Engineer
Marine engineers make and fix boats and ships, submarines, oil rigs and drilling equipment.
Explore floating, sinking and water displacement.
Link to: Meteorologist
Meteorologist
Meteorologists use measuring equipment and make forecasts of what the weather is going to be like.
Make and use equipment to observe, measure and record the weather.
Link to: Pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists prepare and give medicines to people who have a prescription.
Count, measure, sort and create patterns while making pills and medicines to dispense to customers.
Link to: Robotics engineer
Robotics Engineer
Robotics engineers design, build and program machines to do jobs more easily than a human could.
Program simple robots and learn about giving and following directions.
Tell us how you’re using it!
We’d love to hear about your experiences with the Play, Be, C resource.
Used it? Loved it? Have suggestions for improvements? Drop us a line: nustem@northumbria.ac.uk.
Play, Be, C won the STEM initiative Award at the Educate North Awards 2024.
