Play, Be, C
How to use the resource
Overview
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.
Play, Be, C was developed with English settings and is linked to the statutory guidance for England, but it can be used by educators from other places. For example, the units would cover many of the Experiences and Outcomes in Sciences and Technologies in the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland.
To help you find your way around the resource, we’ve created an overview of each unit, detailing the attributes, the story and links to each of the six activities. You can find it here: Play, Be, C Overview
Characteristics of effective learning
Children will have opportunity to learn and develop by:
- Playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’
- Active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements
- Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage
Progression documents
The activities in each unit can be tackled by children of all ages. We have mapped the different sorts of things that children might do at different ages (babies and toddlers, 3 – 4 year olds, 5 – 6 year olds), and also linked them to the Early Learning Goals in England.
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 career, 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.
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.
