By Verity's mum ·

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The quick answer

The EYFS has seven areas of learning, and ocean play can touch all of them: talking about sea creatures (communication and language), taking turns at a fishing game (personal, social and emotional), counting shells (maths), rock pooling (understanding the world) and ocean crafts (expressive arts and design).

If your little one is starting reception soon, you'll hear a lot about the EYFS. Here's the short version, and how ocean play at home fits in. No worksheets required.

A quick note: this isn't a teaching guide and I'm not your child's teacher. It's just ideas for play at home that line up with what nurseries and reception classes work on.

What is the EYFS?

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) sets the standards for how children from birth to 5 are looked after and how they learn and develop in England. Nurseries, preschools, childminders and reception classes all follow it. According to GOV.UK, children are mostly taught through games and play. Good news for us.

There are seven areas of learning:

Scotland and Wales have their own early years standards, so check yours if you're not in England.

Ocean ideas for each area

Communication and language

Talk, talk, talk. Ask "what do you think lives in there?" at a rock pool. Name creatures properly: anemone, hermit crab, jellyfish. Read an ocean story and ask what might happen next. Our ocean picture books guide has good ones.

Personal, social and emotional development

Take turns at a magnetic fishing game. Play rescue games where the toy turtle needs help and they decide what to do. Talk about feelings: how might the crab feel if we don't put it back?

Physical development

Big movements: crab walks, dolphin jumps, swimming. Small movements: peeling stickers, cutting paper seaweed with child-safe scissors, using tweezers to "catch" pom-pom fish. Tiny fingers need practice for pencils later.

Literacy

Share ocean books every day. Point to words as you read. Make a label for their shell collection together. Play "I spy something beginning with sss... starfish".

Mathematics

This one's easy with ocean stuff:

Understanding the world

Go rock pooling, visit an aquarium or a beach, look at real photos in a fact book. Talk about tides, seasons and weather at the seaside. Our rock pooling guide covers what to take and the seashore code.

Expressive arts and design

Paint, glue, build. A paper plate octopus, a loo roll jellyfish, a junk-model submarine. Sing ocean songs. Pretend to be a diver. Ideas in our easy ocean crafts guide.

How much should we do?

Not much. Little and often, following what they're into. If they only want to talk about sharks this week, go with sharks. The learning happens in the chat and the play, not in getting through a list.

Keep an eye out

We're working on ocean-themed "getting ready for reception" maths activities to download from this site. They're not ready yet. Follow @veritys.ocean.world to hear when they are.

Questions parents ask

What are the seven areas of learning in the EYFS?

Communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; physical development; literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design.

How can I support EYFS maths at home?

Count shells, sort sea animals by size or colour, make shell-and-pebble patterns and talk about bigger and smaller. Keep it playful.

Does the EYFS apply in Scotland and Wales?

No. The EYFS applies in England. Scotland and Wales have their own early years standards.