International Day for Biological Diversity | EYFS & KS1 Activity Ideas

**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with International Day for Biological Diversity. For official information, themes, and resources, please visit the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) website: www.cbd.int/idb/.

Friday 22nd May 2026

22nd May every year

• 🤔 What is International Day for Biological Diversity?

  International Day for Biological Diversity highlights the incredible variety of life on Earth — including plants, animals, insects and habitats — and the importance of protecting them.

• 🌍 Understanding Biodiversity in EYFS & KS1

  Biodiversity means all living things and the environments they live in.

  This theme provides rich opportunities to explore:

  • animals and plants

  • habitats and environments

  • life cycles and growth

  • conservation and care for the planet

  This supports:

  EYFS:

  • Understanding the World (natural world, environments)

  • Communication & Language (describing, questioning)

  • PSED (care, empathy, responsibility)

  KS1 (National Curriculum):

  • Science (living things and their habitats, animals, plants)

  • Geography (contrasting environments, environmental responsibility)

  • Citizenship/PSHE (caring for living things and the wider world)

• 🌱 A Developmentally Appropriate Approach in the Early Years

  In the EYFS, understanding of and appreciation for biodiversity is developed through:

  • exploration of the natural world

  • real-life experiences

  • observation and curiosity

  • meaningful adult interaction

  👉 Find out more about developmentally appropriate practice in EYFS by exploring our ‘Curriculum & Pedagogy Suite’.

  Pathways available for:

  ↪ Babies | birth-18 months

  ↪ Toddlers | 18-36 months

  ↪ Preschool | 3-4 years

  ↪ Reception | 4-5 years

  ↪ Childminder | Mixed-Age Care

• 💛 Why This Theme Matters

  Exploring biodiversity supports:

  🦋 Appreciation for Nature

  Children develop awe and interest in the natural world.

  🌿 Understanding Interconnection

  Children begin to recognise that living things depend on each other.

  🐾 Empathy & Respect

  Children learn to care for living things.

  🌍 Environmental Awareness

  Children begin to understand how to protect the world around them.

  🔍 Observation & Inquiry

  Children explore, notice and question what they see.

🌿 EYFS: Provision & Child-Led Ideas (0–5 Years)

These ideas are not activities to be planned or completed. They support learning through exploration, play and real-world experience.

• 👶 Babies (0–18 months)

  Exploration is sensory and relational.

  Babies may:

  • observe movement (e.g. leaves, insects)

  • explore natural materials

  • respond to sounds and textures

  Adults can:

  • provide sensory-rich natural experiences

  • narrate simple observations

  • support calm, shared exploration

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Babies (0–18 Months)’ hub page.

• 🚶 Toddlers (18–36 months)

  Toddlers explore through movement and curiosity.

  Children may:

  • notice insects, plants and animals

  • explore outdoor environments

  • repeat actions and observations

  Adults can:

  • follow children’s interests

  • model simple language

  • allow time for repeated exploration

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Toddlers (18–36 Months)’ hub page.

• 🧒 Preschool (3–4 years)

  Children begin to explore patterns and relationships.

  Children may:

  • ask questions about animals and plants

  • explore habitats through play

  • sort and group living things

  Adults can:

  • support curiosity through conversation

  • introduce simple concepts (e.g. habitats, growth)

  • extend thinking through play

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Preschool (3–4 Years)’ hub page.

• 🎓 Reception (4–5 years)

  Children deepen understanding of the natural world.

  Children may:

  • make connections between living things

  • explore cause and effect

  • use more complex vocabulary

  Adults can:

  • support reasoning and explanation

  • introduce simple scientific ideas

  • extend learning through provision

  👉 Additional curriculum & planning support for this age group may be found on our ‘EYFS Planning for Reception (4–5 Years)’ hub page.

• 🧠 Key Principle Across EYFS

  Understanding biodiversity develops through:

  • exploration

  • observation

  • interaction

  • real experiences

🌱 Environment Enhancements & Invitations (EYFS)

These are optional enhancements that may be added to provision if they align with children’s interests in nature and living things.

• 🐾 Exploring Living Things Through Play

  You might enhance provision by:

  • adding animals, insects and natural materials to play

  • offering small world environments

  • allowing children to explore living things through imagination

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Animals resources

  • Minibeasts resources

• 🌿 Plants, Growth & Natural Materials

  You might enhance provision by:

  • including plants, flowers or natural objects

  • providing opportunities to observe growth

  • allowing children to interact with natural materials

  Resources:

  • Plants

  • Gardening

  • Life Cycles

• 🌍 Habitats & Environments

  You might enhance provision by:

  • introducing small world habitats (forest, ocean, etc.)

  • offering materials to create environments

  • supporting children to explore where animals live

  Resources:

  • Habitats

  • Ocean

  • Woodland (Temperate)

  • Wetlands

  • Polar

• 🔍 Outdoor Exploration & Observation

  You might enhance provision by:

  • encouraging outdoor exploration

  • observing insects, plants and wildlife

  • allowing children to revisit familiar environments

  Resources that may support this include:

  • Minibeast Hunt resources

  • Birdwatch resources

• 💛 Care, Respect & Environmental Awareness

  You might enhance provision by:

  • modelling gentle behaviour towards living things

  • supporting children to care for nature

  • encouraging respect for environments

  Resources:

  • The Environment

  • Recycling

  • Wildlife

• 🎨 Creative & Representational Play

  You might enhance provision by:

  • offering materials to represent animals and environments

  • supporting drawing, modelling and construction

  • valuing children’s interpretations

• ✨ Key Reminder

  Understanding biodiversity develops through:

  • exploration

  • curiosity

  • real experiences

  • meaningful interaction

📘 KS1 Learning Activities for Biological Diversity

In Key Stage 1, this theme can support more structured learning about ecosystems, habitats and conservation.

• 🐾 Exploring Animals & Species

  Children can:

  • learn about different types of animals

  • explore characteristics and differences

  You may use our:

  • Animals of the World resources

  • Endangered Animal packs (Barn Owl, Elephant, Tiger, etc.)

  • Body parts posters and worksheets

• 🦋 Habitats & Ecosystems

  Children can:

  • explore where animals live

  • understand simple ecosystems

  Resources:

  • Habitats

  • Ocean

  • Woodland

  • Wetlands

  • Polar

• 🌼 Interconnection & Nature

  Children can:

  • explore how living things depend on each other

  • link to pollination and plants

  Resources:

  • World Bee Day

  • Plants

  • Life Cycles

• 🌱 Life Cycles & Growth

  Children can:

  • explore how living things grow and change

  You may use our:

  • Life cycle puzzles

  • Gardening resources

• 🌍 Conservation & Responsibility

  Children can:

  • explore how to care for the environment

  • understand simple conservation ideas

  Resources:

  • Recycling

  • The Environment

• 🎨 Creative & Scientific Exploration

  Children can:

  • represent animals and environments

  • engage in simple STEM challenges

  You may use our:

  • STEM Challenge Cards

  • Nature-themed creative resources

  • Counting and classification activities

• 🌍 Explore More Resources | EYFS Enhanced Provision & KS1 Activities

  You may wish to explore:

  • Animals

  • Minibeasts

  • Plants

  • Habitats

  • Life Cycles

  • Wildlife

  • The Environment

  • Recycling

  • Woodland (Temperate)

  • Ocean

  • Wetlands

  • Polar

• 🧠 Using Special Dates Thoughtfully

  A helpful question: “Does this deepen children’s connection to the natural world?”

  If it supports:

  • curiosity

  • care

  • understanding

  → it is meaningful

• 🌍 In Summary

  International Day for Biological Diversity supports children to:

  • explore the natural world

  • understand living things and environments

  • develop empathy and care

  • build early environmental awareness

  In the EYFS, this is most effective when it is:

  • play-based

  • exploration-led

  • rooted in real experiences

  In KS1, it can be:

  • supported through structured learning

  • extended through investigation and discussion

• 🔓 How to Access Resources

  We offer a range of resources to support practitioners across EYFS and KS1, including printable materials and in-depth curriculum and pedagogy guidance.

  🟢 Free Membership

  You can access a selection of free resources by creating a free account.

  This includes:

  • selected printable resources

  • sample materials

  • weekly support emails for those who opt-in

  👉 [Create a free account]

  🟡 Premium Membership (Printables)

  Our Premium Membership provides access to our full library of printable teaching and provision resources.

  This includes:

  • themed resources (e.g. Gardening, Emotions, Seasons)

  • continuous provision materials

  • activity cards, displays and printable packs

  These resources can be used flexibly to support:

  • provision enhancements

  • small group work

  • classroom organisation

  👉 [View Premium Membership]

  🟣 Professional Membership (Curriculum & Pedagogy)

  Our Professional Membership provides access to our full Curriculum & Pedagogy Suite (Birth–5).

  ~ In addition to Premium Printable Provision access.~

  This includes:

  • age-specific pathways (Babies, Toddlers, Preschool, Reception)

  • planning guidance and templates

  • observation and assessment support

  • SEND and inclusion guidance

  • inspection-ready documentation

  These documents are designed to support:

  • confident decision-making

  • consistent practice across teams

  • clear articulation of EYFS pedagogy

  (KS1 curriculum coming soon!)

  👉 Visit EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Suite

  👉 [View Professional Membership]

  🧠 Choosing What Works for You

  You do not need to use everything at once.

  Many practitioners:

  • start with free resources

  • build their printable provision over time

  • use pedagogy documents to support team understanding and leadership

  Choose what best fits your setting, role and stage of development.

👉 To explore more early years events, visit our Special Dates Calendar.

Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘International Day for Biological Diversity’

Free Wildlife & Biodiversity printable activities and ideas for EYFS & KS1 (Scroll through to browse):

‘Endangered Animals’ printable activities and ideas for EYFS & KS1:

Wildlife & Biodiversity printable activities and ideas for EYFS & KS1:

Please visit the following pages to browse our entire collection of ‘Wildlife’ educational materials:

More Early Years Event Pages for May

Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children

Browse our ‘Special Dates Calendar’ page using the link below. You’ll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!

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Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'International Day for Biological Diversity'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the United Nations, which proclaimed this international observance, nor the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information, themes, and how to get involved, please visit the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) website: www.cbd.int/idb/.