Spring Discovery Walk

Overview

Introduce nursery children (3-4 years) to the season of spring through an engaging outdoor exploration. This lesson connects to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework as referenced in the Development Matters (2021) guidance, supporting Understanding the World and Communication and Language development. Children will enhance observational skills, develop vocabulary related to spring, and foster curiosity about the natural world.

---

National Curriculum Links and EYFS Development Matters

• EYFS Early Learning Goals (Understanding the World):

  • Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things.
  • Children talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another.

• EYFS Areas of Learning:

  • Understanding the World – The Natural World: Explore the natural environment and seasonal changes, beginning to understand growth and change in plants and animals.
  • Communication and Language: Listening carefully to the teacher’s explanations and using new vocabulary about seasons and nature.
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Learning to share and work collaboratively with peers during outdoor activity.

• Development Matters Statements:

  • Shows interest in different occupations and ways of life.
  • Explores the natural world around them.
  • Understands the key features of the life cycle of a plant and an animal.
  • Uses talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events.

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this 20-minute lesson, children will be able to:

1. Recognise and name some typical signs of spring (e.g. buds, birds, flowers).
2. Use simple descriptive language to talk about what they see during the spring walk.
3. Develop observation and listening skills while participating in an outdoor activity.
4. Engage socially by working alongside classmates and sharing discoveries.

---

Resources

• Spring checklist (with pictures) showing:
  • Growing plants/buds on trees
  • Flowers (e.g. daffodils, crocuses)
  • Signs of animals/birds (nests, birdsong)
  • Sunshine/warm weather signs
• Clipboards and pencils for each child
• Small containers or bags (optional) for collecting natural items (e.g. leaves, petals)
• Visual vocabulary cards of key spring words to review at the end

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather children in a circle outside or near a window with a view of nature.
• Show spring vocabulary cards: explain each picture (e.g. "This is a daffodil, a flower we see in spring.")
• Ask questions to activate prior knowledge: "What happens in spring? What kind of weather do we feel?" Encourage simple responses.
• Explain to children that they will go on a spring walk and find things on their checklist.

2. Spring Walk and Exploration (12 minutes)

• Hand out clipboards, checklists, and pencils.
• Walk slowly around the school grounds, pausing to observe bushes, flower beds, trees, and grass.
• Help children identify spring features from the checklist: encourage pointing, naming, and ticking.
• Prompt children with questions such as:
  • "Can you see buds on the trees?"
  • "Do you hear any birds singing?"
  • "What colours can you see on the flowers?"
• Encourage children to share what they notice with their partners or the group.
• (Optional) Collect small natural items safely for further exploration back indoors.

3. Reflection and Sharing (3 minutes)

• Return to the meeting area.
• Invite children to show their checklist and talk about what they found.
• Use vocabulary cards to reinforce new words.
• Praise their careful observations and teamwork.
• Briefly discuss how spring helps plants and animals grow.

---

Assessment Opportunities

• Teacher observes children’s ability to follow the checklist and engage in discussion.
• Note vocabulary use related to spring during sharing.
• Assess social interaction and turn-taking during the walk.
• Collect checklists for evidence of completed tasks.

---

Extension Ideas

• Create a spring nature collage using collected items.
• Sing a simple spring-themed song or rhyme (e.g. “In Spring the Flowers Grow”).
• Provide magnifying glasses for another outdoor exploration focusing on insects.

---

Notes for Teachers

• Weather permitting, this outdoor activity enhances physical development (gross motor skills) as children walk and explore.
• Use simple, clear language and model pronunciation of new vocabulary.
• Ensure safety by keeping the group together and discussing boundaries before the walk.
• Differentiation: Support children who might find writing hard by encouraging them to simply point or draw a smile next to found items.

---

This lesson provides a multisensory experience aligned to early scientific enquiry and language development, setting a foundation for curiosity about the natural world consistent with the national curriculum’s aims for the Early Years.