Unlock the secret to strong writing in early years
By Sophie Hixson | Thursday, 20 November 2025
Think of writing in the early years, and the picture that often comes to mind is pencils, paper, and children carefully practising their letters. But this is only the surface. The real story of early writing begins long before children ever hold a pencil. It begins in play.
To be a good writer in early years, you first need to be good at playing
Play is where children build the foundations of literacy, communication, and creativity. It is in play that they explore their world, stretch their imagination, and try out the social and physical skills that later shape them into confident writers.
A child stacking blocks is not just building a tower. They are exploring balance, order, and cause and effect. They are learning how ideas connect and how sequences unfold, essential lessons for structuring a story. A child running a pretend shop is not just serving invisible customers. They are experimenting with language, practising turn-taking, and weaving little narratives that strengthen vocabulary and storytelling skills. And when hands are plunged into clay or sand, the muscles that one day control a pencil are quietly being strengthened.
Play gives children the confidence to take risks, the freedom to experiment, and the joy of discovering their own voice. The courage it takes to knock down a tower and start again is the same courage it takes to invent a new spelling or to try out a daring idea in a story. Through play, children learn that mistakes are part of the journey, and that is the heart of good writing.
The characteristics of effective learning
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) reminds us that the way children learn is as important as what they learn. The characteristics of effective learning – playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically – describe exactly why play and writing are inseparable.
- Playing and exploring: When children experiment with mark-making, tracing letters in sand, painting on easels, or scribbling with chalk, they are investigating and experiencing writing as an extension of play. In role-play, when they become chefs writing menus or doctors taking notes, they begin to see writing as purposeful and alive.
- Active learning: Concentration, persistence, and pride in achievement all emerge through play. A child labouring over a Lego model is developing the same determination they will need when writing their first sentences. When writing flows from what interests them, such as a treasure map for a pirate game or instructions for a race, motivation and meaning go hand in hand.
- Creating and thinking critically: Play is where children link ideas and solve problems creatively. In building a model village, they may write signs, maps, or rules. In inventing a new game, they may draft instructions. These activities call for planning, sequencing, and clear communication, all vital skills for writing.
Weaving writing into play
When we value play, writing opportunities appear everywhere. A few simple examples:
- Role-play areas: Cafés, post offices, or space stations invite children to write menus, letters, and signs.
- Mark-making everywhere: Chalk on pavements, sticks in mud, crayons on paper. When materials are at hand, children will choose them.
- Storytelling props: Puppets, small-world toys, or loose parts inspire children to narrate, draw, or record their stories.
- Outdoor adventures: Maps, clues, or chalk messages make writing part of the wider world.
- Working together: Group books or shared stories help children see writing as a collective, joyful act.
In every case, writing is not a task set apart but a thread woven through play.
The role of adults
Adults hold the key to making the most of these moments. By observing children’s play closely, we can notice the spark of an idea and gently fan it into writing. We can model writing naturally, jotting down a recipe in the role-play kitchen or helping record a score in a playground game. Open questions and encouragement help children connect their play with words on a page.
It is tempting to rush children into formal writing too soon. But when writing becomes overly structured too early, creativity can shrink. In the early years, writing should remain playful, meaningful, and joyful. By honouring play, we give children not only the skills but also the confidence and desire to become writers.
A foundation for life
Play is the soil in which writing takes root. It develops fine motor control, problem-solving, imagination, and resilience that writing requires. Children who are curious explorers, who stick with challenges, and who think creatively about problems are the ones who flourish as writers.
Before handing out pencils and paper, let us first give children the time, space, and freedom to play. Every block tower, every pretend café, every treasure map scribbled in chalk is not “just play.” It is the beginning of a child’s journey to becoming a capable, confident, and creative writer.
“To be a good writer in early years, you first need to be good at playing.”
Encourage children to make their mark
Activities and training
| Activity | Training |
|---|---|
| Children love to be able to make their mark. Mark-making helps children think about what they want to communicate, and recognise that this can be done both in written form and by talking. For younger children, the 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five, activity 04, Make Your Mark, provides suggestions for mark-making opportunities and ideas for materials to use. For example, creating lines, prints, and other marks, playing with sand, mud, or playdough. It can be as simple as pushing fingers through yoghurt at the dinner table or making footprints with paint. For preschool and reception-aged children, try activity 37, Postie. For children, having a purpose while making marks can be really fun, and they will love creating these marks and posting them to friends, family, or even toys. Writing letters or cards also helps children think about the letters and sounds in words and names. | ‘Enhancing early writing and improving outcomes in the EYFS’ is designed to take your support for early writing further:
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Sustainable ways to encourage mark-making in EYFS
Providing opportunities for children to mark make does not have to mean buying new paper. Recycled and repurposed materials are not only cost-effective but also teach children about sustainability. Here are some ideas:
- Used boxes and packaging – Flatten cardboard boxes or cut them into smaller pieces for drawing and writing.
- Office envelopes – Old envelopes make great surfaces for mark-making and can spark imaginative play.
- Old exercise books – Pages with unused space can be reused for drawing or writing.
- Scrap paper from printers – Single-sided prints can be turned into sketch pads.
- Paper bags – Grocery or gift bags can be cut open for large-scale mark making.
- Wallpaper offcuts – Perfect for big creative projects and textured backgrounds.
- Card from cereal boxes – Great for sturdier surfaces and craft activities.
- Fabric scraps – Children can explore mark-making with chalk or fabric pens.
Encouraging children to use these materials not only reduces waste but also promotes creativity and environmental awareness.
Understanding the world and how this links to sustainable practice
By Kristen Mitchell | Thursday, 16 Octomber 2025
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” – Native American proverb.
Published in April 2022, the Department for Education released their ‘Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems.’ This intends to help tackle environmental changes and introduce sustainability into the education system.
The policy paper states: “By 2025, all education settings will have nominated a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan.” This includes early years settings, schools, multi-academy trusts, colleges, and universities.
The Sustainability leadership and climate action plans in education is broken down into four categories: Biodiversity, Climate Education, Adaptation and Resilience and Decarbonisation. This might sound a little scary, but when we break it down, this is all just understanding the world, caring for our world, and respecting the world around us.
Polar bears or bees please
Alistair Bryce-Clegg advocates for child-led, meaningful learning experiences that reflect children's interests and developmental needs. – Play is power! Expert Alistair Bryce-Clegg shares why - Back to the garden childcare, 2025.
At the ‘Greener Beginnings Sustainable Futures Virtual Conference’, keynote speaker Alistair Bryce-Clegg informed us to “find ways to teach children what is relevant.” Alistair explained that as soon as we bring ‘climate change’ into our curriculum, we think of polar bears and rainforests. They went on to pose the question, “Where is the relevance in a Tuff tray filled with sand and pretend sea, plastic turtles, tweezers and plastic bags, where children are then encouraged to use the tweezers to remove the bags, and save the turtles?” Hurray! Climate Change ticked.
This type of activity, as much as it is a lovely idea and well planned, is not especially relevant to a child’s thinking processes and development about climate and animals. I am sure the children would play with it and enjoy it for a while, but they will not have got the concept of the intention of the activity, as they are more than likely to have not even seen a real turtle, and some may not have seen the sea. Therefore, how can they learn from it? What have they learnt about?
In the early years of a child’s life, the frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and understanding complex concepts, is still in the process of developing. This means that young children are naturally more focused on what is immediate, tangible, and relevant to their everyday experiences.
Because of this, when we introduce abstract or global topics, such as climate change, ecosystems, biodiversity, or sustainability, it can be overwhelming and difficult for them to grasp. Their brains are not yet equipped to process such large-scale, conceptual information.
Instead, we should anchor these ideas in their lived experiences. Talk about our homes, our communities, and what they can see and touch: the garden outside, the walk to school, the birds in the trees, or the litter on the pavement. Differentiating our approach based on children’s prior experiences and developmental stages ensures that sustainability concepts are meaningful and accessible to all. By making learning relevant and relatable, we support their cognitive development and help them build meaningful connections with the world around them.
Learning through sensory experiences
Even as adults, we find we can relate and learn through personal experiences, by simplifying the language, using our senses, enabling us to remember an event or place with all those visual and touchable resources. How many times have we gone back in time to something, just by a song, an object or a smell? A child’s and an adult’s brain will work through making connections from experiences, so the more memorable they are through sensory approaches, the better. Sensory activities not only help children develop fine motor skills and enhance their memories, but they also help to calm their feelings, reduce anxiety. So, where can we find the most sensory experiences? Well, outside of course.
“Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives.” – Thomas Berry.
The words and terminology you use are equally important. Using the correct words during activities in nature ensures children don’t feel scared, and they can connect and remember. So, for example, let’s consider the word ‘dirt’. A simple word that in the Cambridge English dictionary means, ‘dust, soil, or any substance that makes a surface not clean.’ – Cambridge English Dictionary, 2025. This denotes that the word ‘dirt’ has two alternative meanings, and to a child can be generally misinterpreted as something negative. How many of us use the words ‘dirty nappy’, ‘dirty hands’, ‘dirty feet’, creating a negative notion that the word ‘dirt’ is bad? Subsequently, when we are next outside planting lavender for its beautiful fragrance, its attraction to bees and butterflies and asking children to “put your hands in the dirt and dig a hole”, a child may suddenly shudder and pull away, because they have always considered dirt as ‘dirty’. Therefore, we then need to consider alternative words, like soil, mud, compost and earth and consider how to explain to children and support children’s thinking around these words. We can enable them to bring these new words into their vocabulary and begin to help children understand the natural world. Using plant names and finding names for the trees is also helpful. This benefits children’s knowledge and understanding, which ultimately leads to a commitment to care for all living things.
Remember when planning for children’s learning on climate change, to keep messages and stories relevant and simple and not scary. We still shouldn't have a ‘Disney ending’ as that's not real, but keep our discussions as realistic and as positive as possible, and so children can begin to gain that understanding in a way that they can process and connect with.
We sometimes need to consider the ‘Why’ before the ‘What’
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – The Lorax, Dr Seuss.
When contemplating a suitable activity for a child, we use the three ‘I’s – Intent, Implementation, and Impact. What’s the intention, and what do we want to achieve from this activity? If you want to introduce children to biodiversity, then you may think of an activity around planting and caring for nature. So, the intention here is ultimately ‘learning to respect our natural world’, the ‘what’ is the implementation, therefore, this is the plants, plant pots, water, soil, in the garden or in a pot. Then we move onto the impact, and this would be ‘children learnt how to pot a plant, and water it, with knowledge around the planting and weather to help it grow and care. However, do you mention the ‘why’? Why are you setting up this activity? Why does a plant need to grow? Why is it important that we care for plants? Why are plants there? Returning to the quote from Dr Seuss, unless we learn to care, nothing is going to change. So, in this case, it is equally important for children to learn to know the ‘why’ and why they need to care. Why is that plant so important to the bees, and why are the bees so important to our garden and our natural world? This leads us to reflect on the earlier reference to the turtle tuff tray, and to consider ‘why’ you would want children to save the turtles? Then maybe think about an alternative tuff tray on saving the worms from drought and heat, as they are so important to our ecosystems, and children can see worms, hold them, touch them and learn to recognise the importance of why they need to be considered.
Having an open approach to your space and environment will help the children to become aware of their surroundings and learn about them. For example, in spring, we discuss new life, daffodils, snowdrops, and the weather, but the message of ecology exists all year round. So, this is why it is important to have those opportunities all year round and continuous outdoor access, allowing children to create memorable experiences. When you are immersed in it, you notice it. What's hiding in the cracks? Where did that wildflower come from? What is living under the logs? Why is there ice in the watering can? You’re ultimately creating a space and sense of awe and wonder, as well as bundles of opportunities to be curious for the child throughout the whole year. Consequently, you are providing an environment of learning that is not just about expensive resources, but something that is all there in front of them, to play and learn within nature.
Playing with nature
Soham Kacker, 2025 article ‘Playing with Plants’, states, “through play I became naturalised. I learned my place amongst the trees and flowers and birds and beetles.” “In life, I would come to recognise this playfulness many times, connecting me to playmates in space and time.” Have we forgotten how to play as nature or with nature? And now we only play in nature, if that?
This suggestion that we only play in nature resonated with me, as this is how we have grown into thinking that if we send children to ‘play outside’, then that is fine, they are playing with nature. Consequently, this is why he explains how we should play ‘with’ nature. He is explaining that even as a child, he would consider nature as his ‘playmates’, and nature became part of the play. Jean Piaget breaks down the way children play into three sections: practice play, symbolic play and games with rules. Symbolic play is a way of representing one object to be another, imaginative play, embedding that communication and language development. Unless told otherwise, children will play with anything and create their own world of imagination and excitement. Therefore, outdoors amongst the plants, the trees and the grass, what a place to find this world and play with nature, and to create new ‘playmates’.
Home learning
It is important to ensure sustainability is not only a part of your everyday activities, but also that it continues when the children go home. We know that starting good routines early can last a lifetime, and we also know that children learn a lot by watching others and from positive role modelling. There are lots of great books and activities to share with families, and some lovely ideas, such as going to visit local areas like libraries, parks, and gardens. Share good practice together on exploring nature, having fun and learning about the environment. Teaching children the importance of sustainability both at the setting and at home will ensure they are provided with the knowledge and values to make choices that will positively impact their future. Inspiring others, you can create a love and wonder for nature and green spaces and continue to teach children and parents how they can respect it. We want everyone to take responsibility for ‘planting the seeds’ of caring for our world.
As well as our 50 Things to Do Before You're Five, the National Trust have created a list of 50 things to do before you're 11¾ to encourage families to play in nature together and build on a connection with the natural world. Enabling children to explore, care and reflect.
Next steps
A good way to include your school or setting is through an accreditation, such as the Early Years - Eco Schools Green Flag, or the OMEP-UK Early Childhood Education for Sustainable Citizenship Award to help showcase your sustainability practice to others and to the parents who may be less involved in the subject. It should be your responsibility to not only educate children to understand and care about the world around us, but also to ensure we educate parents about it too.
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” – Native American proverb.
Our Best World
Activities and training
| Activity | Training |
|---|---|
The following 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five activities can support you in settings, and families at home to explore nature and help children better understand the world we live in:
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‘Understanding the world – Embedding into practice.’ Tuesday, 11 November 2025, from 9.30 am to 10.30 am, and Wednesday, 22 April 2026, from 6 pm to 7 pm online via Microsoft Teams. ‘Let’s make a story to make a difference.’ Tuesday, 17 March 2026 from 9.30 am to 1 pm at Sunley House, Papworth Everard. ‘Working as a sustainable lead and embedding a climate action plan.’ Wednesday, 24 February 2026, from 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm, and Thursday, 7 May 2026, from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm online via Microsoft Teams. ‘My world and me – connecting and caring for the environment.’ Wednesday, 3 June 2026 from 1 pm to 3.30 pm at Sunley House, Papworth Everard. More information can be found at Our best world. |
For more information on climate action planning, sustainability toolkits, support, book titles and resources, go to the Our Best World section on the Learn Together website. Alternatively, there are also ‘Our Best World’ ideas and resources in the Cambridgeshire County Council Early Years Leaders (PVI) - Knowledge Hub library.
Working with the EYFS nutrition guidance
By Rachel Purdie | Thursday, 25 September 2025
In May 2025, the Department for Education (DfE) published its early years foundation stage (EYFS) nutrition guidance for group and school-based providers and childminders in England. From September 2025, settings must have regard for this guidance in accordance with the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the EYFS. This means that settings “must take this guidance into account and should follow it unless there is a good reason not to.” – DfE, 2025.
Setting the standards
The production of this guidance demonstrates a commitment by the DfE in supporting settings to give children the best start in life through sound nutrition guidance, research and practice ideas and states that “the Early Years are a crucial time to reduce health inequalities and set the foundations for a lifetime of good health.” – DfE, 2025. The guidance will not only support practice in setting but also provide reliable information sources which can be shared with families during discussions about children’s health and development. The information will also align with information that health practitioners may use when speaking to families about children’s health. Relevant sources of reliable information are available from the NHS, NHS Start for Life, The Food Standards Agency and the DfE Help for Early Years Providers website. So, let’s explore what the guidance covers and what this means for settings.
For those of you working with children under the age of one, key information is provided, including that about breast and bottle feeding as well as introducing solid foods. Point 3.66 of the EYFS statutory framework states that “providers must have ongoing discussions with parents and/or carers about the stage their child is at regarding introducing solid foods.” – DfE, 2025. Using the links within the nutrition guidance can support key persons in having conversations with families about children's readiness for starting solids, as well as how and when to progress children according to their individual development. 3.67 of the EYFS statutory framework, additionally states that “providers must prepare food in a way to prevent choking.” – DfE, 2025. Helpful guidance on how providers should prepare food for babies to avoid choking is available. A list of foods to avoid is also provided and can be useful to share with families when their child is ready to start exploring solid foods.
The guidance moves on to look at the nutritional needs of children aged between one and five years and includes details of a balanced diet linked to four food groups and the Eatwell Guide. Guidance on what foods and drinks should be provided, limited and avoided is highlighted in a useful table. The traffic light food labels system is used within this table. Supplementary information about the traffic light system is provided, which can also be useful to reflect upon when supporting families through discussions about healthy food choices. Portion sizes guidance as well as practices to use and avoid in setting have been given on page 17. For those providers within a maintained school where compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory, information and guidance have been made available, as well as relevant links.
For those settings that provide meals for children, the menu planning section will be useful in ensuring you consider balance, variety, purchasing, food preparation and substitutions to meet children’s individual needs. This is followed by a recipes section with example meals and snacks. In addition, the DfE have guided providing healthy food, which is cost-effective, pages 29 - 30. This includes growing food with children in settings, which provides a wealth of learning experiences supporting many of the seven areas of learning, including PSED, communication and language and understanding the world. Planning food activities, page 30, is also featured within the guidance, and the help for providers website has further information about this, which is linked within the guidance.
Information about, and links related to food allergies, are embedded to help you find the right and relevant information. Points 3.64 and 3.65 of the EYFS statutory framework highlight what settings must do when working with children who have allergies and intolerances. Specific details about food allergies, intolerances, as well as preferences chosen by families due to religion or beliefs, can be explored within the guidance from page 31.
It is helpful for providers to know what Ofsted will be looking for during inspection within settings, related to the nutrition guidance. It is understood that if Ofsted focuses on this area, they will be looking to see that settings are doing what is right for the children in their care. They acknowledge that food brought in from home, which is briefly covered on page 27, may not always follow the EYFS nutrition guidance. However, they may enquire with providers what steps have been taken with families to help make healthy choices in relation to children’s food and where insufficient action has been taken by the setting, a relevant action may be set by Ofsted. When considering children with emerging needs or SEND, Ofsted will consider the context of the situation, the needs of individual children and choices made for individual children. To understand more about Ofsted’s approach to inspection, including how they look at the nutrition guidance, this vodcast Nurturing Nutrition: Building Healthy Foundations in the Early Years Vodcast - Foundation Years is useful. It also includes an overview from the DfE.
Following this article, it may be useful to consider what actions you need to take in setting. These could include:
- Reviewing the document and highlighting changes you may need to make within your provision.
- Making sure all staff are aware of the guidance and what they need to do to deliver the requirements of the EYFS.
- Reviewing the food you offer in settings, making sure you are following the guidance.
- Considering what advice, support and guidance you may need to offer families.
- Considering implementation of, or updating, a food and nutrition policy using the prompts within the guidance (pages 26 - 27).
- Ensuring staff have accessed relevant training to enable them to follow the guidance.
- Reflecting on how children celebrate special events and how these align with the nutrition guidance (page 28).
- Planning how you involve children in food activities within the setting.
- Reflecting on how you meet the unique nutritional needs of all the children attending your provision.
To further supplement information within the EYFS nutrition guidance, the Early Years, Childcare and School Readiness Service have produced a Physical Development in the EYFS Learn Together webpage. Here, providers will find tabs related to nutrition in the early years and nutrition for wraparound and holiday provision.
“The Early Years are a crucial time to reduce health inequalities and set the foundations for a lifetime of good health.” – DfE, 2025
Physical Development in the EYFS
Activities and training
| Activity | Training |
|---|---|
| Great Eastern Baking, activity 47, available on 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five can support you in settings, and families at home to explore foods in a fun way whilst learning about how to keep our bodies healthy through what we eat and drink. | You can learn more about the EYFS 2025 nutrition guidance at our training ‘Working with the EYFS nutrition guidance.’ This course will take place online via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm and Thursday, 5 February 2026, from 10 am to 11 am. More information can be found at Curriculum, pedagogy, and practice. |
The ‘Our Best World’ resources include information about food waste and growing your own food. Why not try growing your own food in setting from seed or from food waste with children to help them learn about looking after the planet whilst trying new and different foods they have harvested. More information can be found at Curriculum, and resources.
