This project outlines ideas and activities designed to help children develop and follow through their thoughts and interests surrounding the functions and properties of wheels, and may link in with a theme such as transport or fairgrounds.
The adult-led activities are designed to encourage children to make their own decisions and extend their thinking skills, enabling them to take an active role in their learning rather than sitting passively taking instruction.
The activities are also designed to tap into children's real-life experiences, so helping the project to come alive for them, sustaining their interest and building on and extending what they already know.
Approach
The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (page 11) emphasises the importance of providing children with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning opportunities. This project, therefore:
* identifies adult-led activities, to introduce or develop children's understanding of the topic through stimulating meaningful experiences which offer challenge
* suggests ways to enhance areas of core provision, to consolidate children's learning about the theme. It is the practitioners' role to make daily observations of children's learning which inform individual child profiles and future planning. Children should be encouraged to use resources to support their learning, so possible learning outcomes will be wide-ranging and varied
* advocates that settings should be organised and resourced using a 'workshop' approach, so children can access resources autonomously and independently.
Adult-led Close attention Bring a real bicycle into the setting and schedule time for the children to look at it, talk about it and use it as a basis for observational drawing.
Key learning intentions
To link statements and stick to a main theme or intention
To begin to talk about the shapes of everyday objects
To engage in activities requiring hand-eye co-ordination
To use lines to enclose a space, then begin to use these shapes to represent objects
Adult:child ratio 1:1
Resources
* A small child's two-wheeled bicycle * A3 or A4 paper * pencils * A3 or A4 mounting paper
Activity content
* Stand the bicycle against a wall a little way from a table where the children will draw. Or, set up the activity outdoors.
* Discuss with the children the bicycle and their experiences of riding one. They might still be riding a tricycle or bicycle with stabilisers, and their parents/carers or siblings might have bicycles.
* Discuss the features of the bicycle - the saddle, pedals, handlebars, wheels, spokes, brakes, mudguards and bell.
* Talk about the shapes of the different features - the circular wheels, rectangular pedals, triangular saddle, for example.
* Invite the children to make observational pencil drawings of the bicycle.
Turn the paper landscape - if you don't already talk about portrait and landscape with the children, start now!
* Encourage the children to talk about their drawings. Are they familiar with the names of the different features? Record any knowledge of specific language - a child might understand that the wheels go round, for example, or that the brakes must be applied to stop the bicycle.
* Decide whether you are going to write any labels or any of the children's comments on their drawings with a view to creating a display. Such drawings look stunning simply mounted alongside a picture or poster of a child's bicycle. Comments can be recorded elsewhere or used as display labels.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Bicycle, tricycle, bike, cycle, wheels, spokes, saddle, pedals, handlebars, brakes, stop, start, ride, travel, bell, stabilisers
Key questions
Do you have a bicycle at home? What is it like? What colour is your bicycle? Is it the same as your brother's/sister's? How is it different?Where do you ride your bicycle? Do you ride a bicycle at nursery? Which bicycle do you like to ride best? Why? What can you tell me about the bicycle at nursery? Why do you think it has a bell? How does a bicycle work?
Extension ideas
* Sort wheels from different construction kits into pairs. Order them from the smallest to the biggest. How many pairs of wheels are there ?
* Sing 'The Wheels on the Bike go Round and Round'. Include verses such 'The pedals on the bike go up and down' and 'The bell on the bike goes dingalingaling'.
* Read Mrs Armitage on Wheels by Quentin Blake (Red Fox) with the children.
At the wheel
Go outside in small groups to try riding different types of pedal bicycles and sit-on vehicles.
Key learning intentions
To show an interest in why things happen and how things work
To persevere in repeating some actions/attempts when developing a new skill
To show awareness of space, of themselves and of others
Adult:child ratio 1: up to 6
Resources
* Variety of two- and three-wheeled bikes and sit-on vehicles Activity content
* Invite the children to choose a bicycle or sit-on vehicle they would like to ride.
* Encourage them to have a go at riding the vehicle they have chosen, making sure you talk to them first about riding safely in the outdoor area, about space and about watching out for others who might be playing outside.
* Take the opportunity to make assessments - have the children chosen an appropriate bicycle to ride, for example? Encourage them to try various options.
* Spend time with the children who need more support - learning to pedal, for example, or moving from a sit-on vehicle to a tricycle.
* Take photographs of the children enjoying the vehicles to add to the observational drawing display.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Bicycle, tricycle, pedal, care, carefully, balance, room, manoeuvre, negotiate
Key questions
Which bicycle/wheeled toy are you going to choose? Why would you like to ride that one? How could you make your bicycle/vehicle move forwards? How many wheels does your bicycle have? Why do you think you need two pedals?
Extension ideas
* Talk with the children indoors about everything they need to know to ride a bicycle. Make a list together.
* Talk about safety issues when riding a bicycle, such as the importance of wearing a helmet and using reflective clothing and lights in the dark.
* Have a sponsored bike ride to raise money for your setting. Create a simple circuit in the outdoors area that the children have to complete, say, five or ten times. Invite parents/carers to watch.
* Make a display of items bought with the money raised from the sponsored bike ride, so parents/carers can see how the money was spent.
Child-initiated learning
Malleable materials
Additional resources and adult support
* Provide play dough, rolling pins, round cutters and a selection of wheels of various sizes for the children to use to experiment and investigate.
* Fill a large tray with wet sand and add small-world wheeled vehicles and wheels of various sizes. Include wheels with axles that the children can use to experiment with making tyre tracks.
* Model using a rolling pin to roll out a ball of play dough using language as appropriate. For example, 'I am going to roll my ball of play dough out so it is flat'.
* Encourage the children to talk about the imprints the wheels make as they investigate rolling and pushing them into the play dough and sand.
* Make bicycle wheel biscuits. Cut out round shapes from biscuit dough and use writing icing to add the spokes once they are baked. Ask open-ended questions about what the children think will happen to the dough as it bakes.
Play possibilities
* Developing hand-eye co-ordination through imitating the rolling action of wheels when using a rolling pin to roll out a ball of play dough.
* Experiencing mark-making on play dough using small-world vehicles and wheels to make tyre patterns.
* Comparing the texture of imprinted play dough to the flat, rolled out surface, using touch and descriptive vocabulary.
* Developing pattern in printmaking.
* Investigating some of the properties of wet sand through mark-making using the small-world vehicles and wheels.
* Understanding that tyre patterns are not permanent in sand or play dough.
Possible learning outcomes Uses a widening range of words to express or elaborate ideas Uses one-handed tools and equipment Shows an interest in shape by playing with shapes Shows curiosity, observes and manipulates objects Creative area Additional resources and adult support
* Provide paper, paint and wheels of various sizes, and support the children in making prints of bicycle tracks. Pretend to be Mrs Armitage, from the story Mrs Armitage on Wheels (see p17) with all the items she tried to carry on her bike and make a wobbly track of her journey.
* Provide junk modelling resources, including wheels. Support designing and making skills, as the children make wheeled vehicles in 3Djunk modelling.
Play possibilities
* Investigating the properties of wheels and circles through printing bicycle tracks and creating 2D wheel prints.
* Developing the use of directional language through following their dry, printed tyre patterns with their fingers.
* Developing hand-eye co-ordination and designing and making skills through creating 3D wheeled vehicles.
Possible learning outcomes
Describes a simple journey
Chooses suitable components to make a particular model Makes three-dimensional structures
Water area
Additional resources and adult support
* Add a variety of water wheels and jugs to the core provision in the water area.
* Ask open-ended questions about how the water wheels work.
* Support the children's conversations and encourage them to talk about what they are doing and why.
* Provide information books and posters describing the functions of water wheels - for example, mills.
* Add a selection of large, plastic, wheeled vehicles such as diggers and trucks. Support children's fantasy play.
Play possibilities
* Experimenting with water wheels.
* Being able to play alongside others.
* Using language in fantasy play.
* Creating an imaginative role.
Possible learning outcomes
Uses talk to connect ideas, explains what is happening and anticipates what might happen next
Begins to use talk in imaginary situations
Knows information can be retrieved from books
Engages in activities requiring hand-eye co-ordination
Exploration and Investigation
Additional resources and adult support
* Go outside in small groups and have fun rolling old car tyres along the ground.
* Decide on rules of behaviour. The idea is to roll the tyres, so the children need to appreciate they must not roll the tyres into each other or into plants or flowers.
* Decide beforehand where it is going to be safe to roll the tyres. Go outside and experiment with rolling the tyres yourself.
* Alternatively (or in addition) try rolling hoops along the ground.
Play possibilities
* Understanding the concept of rolling.
* Understanding the properties of, and using the language surrounding, circle shapes such as 'round', 'roll', 'rolling', 'curved edges', etc.
* Being able to play safely and happily with peers.
Possible learning outcomes
Shows care and concern for others, for living things and for the environment
Uses language, such as 'circle', to describe flat shapes
Explores objects
Perseveres in repeating some actions/attempts when developing a new skill
Role play
Additional resources and adult support
* Create a bicycle repair shop outdoors using a shed or covered area where the children can take their bicycles and other wheeled vehicles to be repaired.
* Provide tools for the children to use.
* Add some old bicycle pumps.
* Model pumping up tyres and use of the tools with the children so they understand their functions.
* Repair bicycles and vehicles with the children, modelling appropriate vocabulary.
Play possibilities
* Being able to interact with peers.
* Creating a more complex play situation with developing language structures.
* Exploring the meaning of new words.
* Playing in an imaginative way with resources and equipment.
Possible learning outcomes
Forms good relationships with adults and peers
Selects and uses activities and resources independently
Investigates objects by using all their senses as appropriate
Understands that equipment and tools have to be used safely
Resources to support the theme
* Mrs Armitage on Wheels by Quentin Blake (Red Fox)
* Wheels by Shirley Hughes (Walker Books)
* Wheels and Cogs by Caroline Rush and Mike Gordon (Hodder & Stoughton)
* Read and Learn: Wheels, Wings and Water Bicycles/ Cars/Buses/Trains (Heinemann Educational Books)
