2.5y–4.2y12 minOutdoorActive playFree play
Pathway Words Adventure
Coach you to encourage your child to use everyday positional words while following a simple pathway and playing movement games (over/under/through/behind/next to) indoors or outdoors.
What you'll need
Essentials
- 2 cushions OR 2 chairs (to create ‘over/under/through’ spots)
- masking tape OR chalk (to mark a simple path)
- a small toy to ‘travel’ the path (teddy/car)
Nice to have
- a ball (optional, to roll ‘through’ or ‘around’ obstacles)
- a stroller/scooter (optional, if you already use one outside)
- phone camera (optional)
Movement level: mild
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneExpresses own preferences and interests.Heart· 22mo–3y· core· Step 4
- MilestoneExpressive spatial descriptionMind· 2.5y–3y· core
- MilestoneReceptive spatial-word understandingMind· 2.7y–3.2y· core· Step 1
- MilestoneAnswers simple open questionsMind· 2.3y–3.3y· stretch· Step 2
- MilestoneNegotiates space while movingBody· 3.3y–5y· stretch
What it practices
- Shows an interest in shape and space by playing with shapes or making arrangements with objects.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows awareness of similarities of shapes in the environment.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Uses positional language.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows interest in shape by sustained construction activity or by talking about shapes or arrangements.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows interest in shapes in the environment.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Encourage children to use everyday words to describe position, e.g. when following pathways or playing with outdoor apparatus.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)