22mo–3y12 minOutdoorFree playActive play
Wind Watchers Outside
A quick outdoor investigation using simple items (scarf/ribbon, leaves, bubbles) to help your child notice small changes in the natural world—especially how wind affects movement, direction, and sound.
What you'll need
Essentials
- a lightweight scarf/ribbon (or a strip of tissue/paper)
- a few leaves (or small pieces of paper)
- bubble solution (store-bought OR a little dish soap + water) and something to blow with (bubble wand, whisk, or slotted spoon)
Nice to have
- a short string with a few keys (adult-held) to make a simple ‘chime’ sound
- chalk to mark a ‘windy spot’ on the ground
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
What it practices
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Make use of outdoor areas to give opportunities for investigations of the natural world, for example, provide chimes, streamers, windmills and bubbles to investigate the effects of wind.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)