Digging and Planting Outdoors

To develop gross motor skills through digging, filling and emptying in the outdoor garden area.

• Framework: EYFS
• Unit: EYFS Seed to Table
• Learning area: Physical Development
• Level: EYFS Birth-2

Objectives

• Develop upper body strength through digging
• Practise filling and emptying containers
• Explore outdoor environment safely
• Develop early coordination skills

Materials

• Designated digging area with loose soil
• Child-sized spades and trowels
• Buckets and containers of different sizes
• Wheelbarrows
• Watering cans
• Outdoor clothing and wellingtons

Instructions

Position yourself at the child's level and model digging actions. Narrate their movements and celebrate physical achievements. Ensure the digging area is safe and free from hazards.

Educator tip

Add hidden treasure (plastic vegetables) in the soil for children to discover—this adds excitement and extends the narrative of growing food.

Assessment

Observe and note: sustained engagement, sensory responses, physical coordination, and developing strength. Document using the Characteristics of Effective Learning framework.

More from EYFS Seed to Table

• Our Garden Journal
• Sharing Our Harvest Feast
• Exploring Fruit and Vegetables
• Oats and Beans and Barley Grow
• Planting Our Seeds
• From Garden to Kitchen
• The Enormous Turnip Retelling
• Counting and Sorting the Harvest