Exploring Materials and Enclosures through Movement Play in an Early
Years Setting
Using some ideas from ‘Hopping Home Backwards’ by Penny Greenland
The aim of these activities is for children to explore materials through movement, this may
enable them to make more informed choices when selecting and using materials to create
dens. The role of the adult during the initial activities is to observe and reflect back the
children’s movement, without directing the exploration.
During the first week and indoor and outdoor movement area should be set up, if possible,
with some rules and boundaries set in place [for safety reasons] and with an adult closely
involved and observing at all times. If possible, have music available – different styles and
moods, for the children to select, or that may subtly guide the activity.
Have some paper and interesting drawing materials available for after the movement
activity, so that children have a visual way of responding to the movement if they wish.
Outdoor movement area:

Umbrellas = coats, wellies, sheets of plastic and water pistols

Bubbles

Large pieces of net and lycra and bubble wrap

Chiffon scarves and koosh balls

Piles of autumn leaves, or polystyrene chunks, shredded paper
Indoor movement area:

A dark area under a table, with torches

Chiffon/silk scarves

Lycra squares and netting

Large/small elastic circles

Child size lycra tubes
Adults observing could begin to move or play with the materials to initiate exploration, but
without guiding it. Reflect back, or copy with variation to show that you are valuing what
they are doing, or tell them what you can see – don’t interpret their movement for them.
During the second week, these areas should still be available, but initiate some guided
movement sessions:

Playing with a parachute – experiment with bouncing a soft ball on it, running under
it, rippling it while children run across it or under it, sitting under it with torches

Sitting in a circle and inviting individuals to dance/move in the middle, using some
of the materials from the movement areas. Invite those in the circle to comment on what
they saw, imagined or felt. Give children in the middle some help to negotiate an ending,
if they are taking a long time.

Play with body contact. Invite children to sit back to back on the floor, close their
eyes and see how much they can feel through their backs, can they pick up tiny
movements that their partner makes? Can they push their partner or make their partner
move in some way, using their backs?

Make bridges for a partner to crawl under, over, around

Children work in pairs, putting the palms of their hands together, and without their
hands parting at all, seeing where they can move, first without moving the feet. Also, with
their eyes shut. Encourage children to negotiate an ending – give them some warning, and
end with complete stillness

Play with netting and lycra as a large group – roll, slither, crawl under it. Curl up,
stretch out, discuss what you see, what you feel, what you imagine
Different ways of recording observations:
SAY WHAT YOU SEE
Record exactly what you see the child doing, do not interpret it. Over time you may notice
patterns of behaviour
THREE QUESTIONS
When observing a group of children, note :
What is happening
What isn’t happening
What is trying to happen – this may give guidance for future provision
I SAW…I FELT…I IMAGINED…
Record and reflect back at children comments under these headings;
I saw
I felt
I imagined
You can also record what you thought, but don’t reflect that back at the child
Areas and aspects of learning for the
foundation stage
There are six areas of learning in the curriculum for the foundation stage. Each area
includes several
aspects of learning. These are listed below and numbered for ease of reference.
Personal, social and emotional development (PSED)
1 Dispositions and attitudes
2 Self-confidence and self-esteem
3 Making relationships
4 Behaviour and self-control
5 Self-care
6 Sense of community
Communication, language and literacy (CLL)
1 Language for communication
2 Language for thinking
3 Linking sounds and letters
4 Reading
5 Writing
6 Handwriting
Mathematical development (MD)
1 Numbers as labels and for counting
2 Calculating
3 Shape, space and measures
Knowledge and understanding of the world (KUW)
1 Exploration and investigation
2 Designing and making skills
3 Information and communication technology
4 A sense of time
5 A sense of place
6 Cultures and beliefs
Physical development (PD)
1 Movement
2 A sense of space
3 Health and bodily awareness
4 Using equipment
5 Using tools and materials
Creative development (CD)
1 Exploring media and materials
2 Music
3 Imagination
4 Responding to experiences and expressing and commu
Activity

Explore moving with bubbles outside, creating, chasing and catching bubbles

Explore moving with water outside, responding to rain, or simulation of rain
with water pistols or a hose, explore moving with protective equipment and materials

Explore moving with large pieces of net, lycra and bubble wrap, explore the
texture and properties

Explore moving with chiffon scarves and pieces of silk

Create a dark area under a table, containing some torches and a cd player, allow
children to explore the way they move and the way the light moves in the dark
enclosed space

Explore moving in, and creating shapes with, lycra tubes

Explore the properties of elastic, and how it can make you move, and take
weight

Explore the properties of piles of light materials, useful for nesting, throwing,
shuffling, piling, spreading [encourage children to move, and also take responsibility
for the mess]
Adult’s role
Adult observing, and responding to children’s movements with words and own
movements
The adult may need to begin by playing with, and exploring the materials themselves –
without talking to the children
Creating opportunities to discuss and draw what they saw how they felt and what they
imagined
Learning intentions
CLL - Uses language to imagine and recreate roles
and experiences
Initiates communication with others, displaying
greater confidence in more
informal contexts..
PD- Moves spontaneously, showing some control
and coordination.
Moves with confidence in a variety of ways,
showing some awareness of space.
Handles tools, objects, construction and malleable
materials safely and with basic control.
CD -Explores different media and responds to a
variety of sensory experiences.
Explores colour, texture, shape, form and space in
two or three dimensions.
PSE - Continues to be interested, motivated and
excited to learn.
Selects and uses activities and resources
independently
Is confident to try new activities, initiate ideas and
speak in a familiar group.
Questions/vocabulary
‘I can see you doing ……’
‘Watching you do that makes me
feel…..’
‘when I am watching you I
imagine……’
‘I can see your arms
stretching/wirling/reaching…’
‘I van see you moving very
carefully/fast/slowly…’
‘I wonder what will happen if…’
Resources

Bubble tray, Various bubble wands, Small hoops and rings, Large paper and
coloured drawing utensils

Umbrellas, Plastic sheeting , Water pistols, Rain coats, Wellies, Large paper and
drawing utensils

Large pieces of net, lycra and bubble wrap

CD player and variety of music

Chiffon scarves and squares of silk

Table space, blackout cloth, selection of small torches, batteries, cd player +
music

Selection of child size lycra tubes

Selection of covered elastic circles, in differing sizes

Piles of autumn leaves, or plystyrene chunks, or shredded paper
Notes
Set some ground rules about safety and respect for people – no water in people’s
faces, be careful of the space around you with the umbrellas
If you make a mess we will have to clear it up later – look at this as a movement
activity too
Examine an umbrella as a group first, to point out the spikes