EYFS Adult Input Plan

Topic Theme: Elmer Activity Title: Elmer’s Day Listening Game

Inside table or carpet based activity suitable

Date: Organisation:
for small groups of about 6 children.

Learning Intention: Maintains attention, concentrates and sits quietly during appropriate activity. (C&L: L&A 40-60)

Key Questions: Key Vocabulary:

Which elephant was being described? Elmer, elephant, herd, colours, patterns, spots, dots, stripes,
Can you find an elephant that has …? lines, wavy, straight, zigzag, circles, squares, stars, hearts,
Is that the correct elephant? shapes, listen, find, describe.
What colours can you see?
What patterns can you see?
What shapes can you see?
How are these elephants different?
How are these elephants similar?
Can you describe an elephant for your friend to find?
How did you know that was the correct elephant?
Can you tell me about this elephant?
Which elephant do you like best? Why?

Resources: ‘Elmer’s Special Day’ by David McKee, Elmer’s Day Picture Cards.

Adult Role(s):
 Begin by reading or reviewing the story of ‘Elmer’s Special Day’ by David McKee. Encourage the children to listen
carefully to the story and look at the illustrations.
 Look back at the illustration of Elmer’s Day, with all the colourful elephants and Elmer as a grey elephant.
 Encourage the children to talk about the different colours and patterns they can see and about which elephant they like
the best and why.
 Then show the children the Picture Cards and again discuss the different colours and patterns. Can they identify Elmer
with grey skin for Elmer’s Day?
 Spread the cards out so the children can see all the different elephants.
 Tell the children that they need to listen carefully as you describe one of the elephants. Once you have described it, the
children have to identify the elephant and pick up the picture card showing the elephant described. If they are correct,
they can keep the card. If they are incorrect, the card is returned to the middle of the playing area.
 An example would be, “I can see an elephant that has blue and red stripes.” Children could all try to identify the
elephant described, or just the next player in the group could guess.
 Once children are familiar with the game, they can describe an elephant for the others to identify.
 Continue describing and identifying the elephants until all the cards have been collected.
 After the game, encourage the children to look at their elephant cards and talk about which ones they like best and
why.

Differentiation/Opportunities for Challenge:

 When starting the game, elephants of just one colour could be used, to secure understanding of different colour names.
Other patterns could then be discussed and introduced.
 Challenge children to decorate their own elephant picture card to add to the game. Can they think of a colour or
pattern that is different from the other picture cards?
 A different challenge could be to choose an elephant but keep it a secret from the other players. The other players then
take it in turns to identify the chosen elephant by asking simple questions, e.g. “Does your elephant have stripes?”
Ideas for Extension into Continuous Provision:
 Once children are familiar with the game, it can be placed into continuous provision.
 Children may like to decorate their own elephant for Elmer’s Day. These Design an Elephant Activity Sheets could
be used.
 Provide copies of the book and some small-world toys or stick puppets for children to retell the story in their own
words.

Opportunities for Observation and Assessment:

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 PS&ED: Making Relationships
(30-50) Demonstrates friendly behaviour, initiating conversations and forming good relationships with peers and familiar
adults.
(40-60) Initiates conversations, attends to and takes account of what others say.
(ELG) Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others.
PS&ED: Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness
(22-36) Expresses own preferences and interests.
(30-50) Can select and use activities and resources with help.
PS&ED: Managing Feelings and Behaviour
(30-50) Begins to accept the needs of others and can take turns and share resources, sometimes with support from others.
C&L: Listening and Attention
(30-50) Listens to others one to one or in small groups, when conversation interests them.
(30-50) Listens to stories with increasing attention and recall.
(30-50) Is able to follow directions (if not intently focused on own choice of activity).
C&L: Understanding
(30-50) Responds to simple instructions, e.g. to get or put away an object.
(40-60) Listens and responds to ideas expressed by others in conversation or discussion.
C&L: Speaking
(30-50) Uses talk to connect ideas, explain what is happening and anticipate what might happen next, recall and relive past
experiences.
(30-50) Questions why things happen and gives explanations. Asks e.g. who, what, when, how.
(30-50) Builds up vocabulary that reflects the breadth of their experiences.
(40-60) Uses talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events.
L: Reading
(30-50) Describes main story settings, events and principal characters.
(30-50) Shows interest in illustrations and print in books and print in the environment.
M: Shape, Space and Measure
(22-36) Notices simple shapes and patterns in pictures.
UtW: The World
(40-60) Looks closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change.
Activity Adaption:
**Insert here how you will differentiate the activity to meet the specific needs of your children.**

Next Steps:
**Insert here details of next steps relevant to specific children.**
Evaluation to Inform Future Planning:

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