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Imagine the scene. It is a windy day. A young child runs furiously into the wind, coat adrift, waving their hands and pretending to fly. Interest in flight, air and wind seems to be commonplace in young children. Planning experiences that centre on young children’s interest in wind and flight can, therefore, provide a wide range of learning opportunities.
BENEFITS
Learning about wind and things that fly can provide a range of leaning opportunities for young children. There is a variety of possibilities, from blowing bubbles to making a simple kite.
Self-regulation Falling within the EYFS Characteristics of Effective Learning, self-regulation is about perseverance, but also putting in effort. Making kites or waiting for the wind to blow to turn a paper windmill can support children’s self-regulation skills. They learn that not everything is instant and that patience and perseverance will bring rewards.
Sustained shared thinking An important characteristic of learning, sustained shared thinking is about the interactions and dialogues that we have with children when we are exploring a topic together. Looking at how the air and also how and why things fly can create wonderful opportunities for shared thinking. They may use their language to make connections and even create their own hypotheses. Children may also make comments and ask questions. As it is likely that you may not have all the answers, such interactions can be the springboard to looking things up in books or online.
Physical development Making a kite, windmill or decorating a balloon can encourage children’s fine motor movements. Using these items to run with or throw in the air can help children’s general co-ordination as well as gross motor movements.
Understanding the world Many experiences that help are based on early science and observation, which fit well into this EYFS area of learning. Watching things move through the air, blowing bubbles or making kites help children learn more about their immediate world.
PLANNING A PROGRAMME
It can be worth long-term planning a series of activities that focus children’s attention on different aspects of wind and flight. A good starting point is to sit down as a team and think about what simple experiences could be planned over a period of time. Focus on resources and first-hand experiences, as well as possible outings, and then construct a long-term plan. Ideas that might be worth exploring while doing this planning include:
Bubbles This is a great starting point for the youngest children. Think about making or buying bubble mixture and then taking it outdoors, as well as creating giant bubbles with hoops by adding some liquid glycerine into a mixture of water and washing-up liquid.
Kites Look out for a range of different kites, including some pocket ones that are the simplest for children to fly. Think also about making kites either for display or for actually flying. As some children will never have flown a kite, plan also a time, using the weather forecast, when children can go to fly a kite with the help of an adult.
Aircraft and balloons Think about looking out for cheap paper glider kits for children to make and fly outside, along with decorating and taking balloons outdoors. If you are near an airfield or airport, consider making an outing there. Look out also for local flying clubs. Think too about whether you could invite someone in to talk about any aspect of flying, such as an air traffic controller, pilot or an enthusiast for flying model planes.
Building on children’s learning
There are many ways of building on from children’s first-hand experiences of wind and flight. You could start off by making books with children based on photographs taken during activities and outings. You could also create a kite or balloon shop in the role-play area, or even a pretend airplane. You could also look at a range of books with children to develop their knowledge and interest in different aspect of flight that might also include birds.
HOME LEARNING
There are many ways in which parents can build on children’s experiences of wind and flight. For some families, there will be a history of kite-flying. Kites are popular in many countries such as China, Pakistan and India where there are often kite-flying festivals.
Many parents may not realise that flying a kite with a child can have many learning benefits. Parents who enjoy technology may also like to look out for flight-tracking apps so that when their child spots a plane flying overhead, they can together look up to find out where it is going. For other parents, simply blowing up a balloon with their child and tapping it up in the air will provide plenty of interaction and also fun.
