This new challenge resource is aimed at building partnership with parents while exploring the benefits of outdoor learning with your children and families.

What is the challenge?

The premise of the challenge is really simple. Over the summer you and your families have to try and do a garden based activity for every letter of the alphabet. At the end of summer you can review how many letters you managed to cover and give each child that took part a special certificate.

What are the aims of the challenge?

The challenge has five main aims:

1) To make the benefits of outdoor learning accessible to everyone. You do not need special training or expensive equipment to take part in the challenge.

2) To encourage families and childcare settings to have fun, learn and grow together, inspiring curiosity, creativity and a sense of responsibility towards the natural world and our own place in it.

3) To encourage families and childcare settings to take part in a journey of discovery in the green spaces available right on their doorstep, reminding us that we do not need to travel far or take part in extravagant events to engage with nature.

4) To help build relationships between childcare settings and families in a fun and healthy way, sharing creative and enjoyable learning activities.

5) To help build healthy habits such as spending time outside learning about sustainable practises like learning about the natural world and where our food comes from.

What if either my families or I do not have access to a garden?

It is not a problem if you do not have a garden of your own. Most of the suggested challenges in the pack can be completed in other green spaces like parks or by using small outside spaces such as balconies or yards. You can also come up with your own challenges if necessary - as long as you base them on the letters of the alphabet.

How does the challenge fit in with the EYFS?

Characteristics of Effective Learning: Taking part in the challenges helps foster children's Characteristics of Effective Learning as they explore and learn about the natural world. 

Personal, Social and Emotional Development: The challenge is designed to be a team effort, helping develop and strengthen relationships between children and parents as well as between families and settings. Their are also challenges based on learning about things like growing food, all of which help children understand about how to keep their bodies and minds healthy.

Communication and Language: Children taking part will learn lots of new vocabulary to help them talk about what they have done and learned.

Physical Development: There are a range of challenges designed to help children develop both fine motor and gross motor skills. From using fine motor skills to create garden based artwork to practising gross motor skills such as throwing and catching a ball.

Literacy: There are challenges involving things like learning new rhymes and children and families are encouraged to use further resources such as websites and books to find out more about the challenge topic they have chosen to complete. Older children who have started to recognise and learn about letters will enjoy trying a new challenge for each letter of the alphabet.

Maths: Lots of the challenges involve maths skills, such as counting, sorting and comparing.

Understanding the World: Taking part in this challenge is especially good for helping children learn about the natural world and processes such as growing food. Taking part in this challenge will help children gain skills and experiences which will later help them reach the 'Natural world' Early Learning Goal:

'ELG: The Natural World Children at the expected level of development will: 

• Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants.

• Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.

• Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.' 

EYFS For Childminders September 2025

Expressive Art and Design: The challenge contains lots of opportunities to flex those creative muscles with activities designed to help children practise skills such as painting and weaving.

What is included in the Challenge Pack?

• Instructions about how to run your challenge.

• Letter to families, explaining what the challenge is and how you will be taking part.

• Printable poster for you to display, advertising that you are taking part in the challenge as a setting.

• Motivational challenge record chart to display and help show how much you have achieved together each week.

• Printable certificates to award to the children at the end of the challenge.

• Tips for organizing your challenge.

• 26 Printable Garden A-Z Challenge sheets to share with your families. Each sheet contains the main challenge for that letter of the alphabet, along with lots of other ideas you can try.

Pack Length: 38 Pages 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ

N.B This pack is supplied as a downloadable PDF document. If you cannot find your download links please check your junk box first in case it has gone there. If you have any problems contact me at jennifer@wellywren.co.uk and I will help. 

Products ARE NOT sent out by post.

Copyright/Fair Usage Statement

Please support my small business by using this pack in a fair way.

By purchasing this pack, you agree that it is for use only in your individual use. You may make as many copies as you need for the children and families in your setting BUT MUST NOT share, copy or distribute any of the materials in any way, to anyone else. If you are part of a larger group, for example, a childminding group, or a chain of settings, please purchase one pack per setting. 

The contents of this pack remain the copyright of Welly Wren Ltd.