Theme: Playful Patterns & Construction | Toddler Project Planner (18–36 Months)

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Playful Patterns & Construction

Toddler Project Planner (18–36 Months)

A professional project planner supporting mathematical thinking, problem-solving and collaborative construction through play.

EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Membership (Professional)

[View additional Toddler Project Planners]

(This pathway component will be available for download by: March 31st 2026)

What this document is

This document is a 3–4 week toddler project planner designed to support learning through construction, patterning and spatial exploration for children aged 18–36 months.

It provides a play-led, schema-responsive framework that helps practitioners intentionally support early mathematical thinking, physical development and problem-solving without introducing formal teaching or expected outcomes.

The planner supports practitioners to:

• recognise how pattern, shape and construction naturally emerge in toddler play

• extend learning through environment design and adult interaction, not instruction

• articulate the value of construction play within an EYFS-aligned curriculum

This document is intended to support professional judgement, not replace statutory guidance or prescribe activities.

Who this document is for

This project planner is designed for:

• Toddler room practitioners (18–36 months)

• EYFS teachers and key persons working with toddlers

• Nursery managers and curriculum leads

• Childminders supporting toddler development

• Settings preparing evidence for the Progress Check at Age Two

What this document helps you do

This document supports you to:

• Confidently support early maths concepts (pattern, shape, size, comparison) through play

• Understand how construction play builds thinking, resilience and collaboration

• Use schema-responsive provision to support transporting, connecting and positioning behaviours

• Extend children’s language through spatial and comparison vocabulary

• Plan with intent without over-directing play

• Explain the learning value of block play and construction to parents, leaders and inspectors

What’s included in this project planner

This project planner provides a clear, practitioner-focused framework for supporting toddler learning through construction and pattern play, while remaining fully child-led and responsive.

Inside the document, you’ll find:

• A clear project intent, outlining why pattern and construction play matter developmentally in toddlerhood

• EYFS-aligned intended learning focuses, prioritising prime areas with carefully chosen maths and literacy seeds

• A flexible 3–4 week project overview, designed to adapt to children’s interests and schematic drives

• A targeted vocabulary set, supporting spatial language, comparison words and early mathematical concepts

• Environment enhancement ideas for large construction, fine motor patterning and mark making

• Adult interaction prompts to support sustained shared thinking without directing outcomes

• Schema-rich opportunities, particularly for transporting, connecting and positioning play

• Week-by-week practitioner guidance, offering suggested experiences and focus points (not lesson plans)

• Optional short adult-led learning bursts (2–5 minutes), used only when appropriate

• Inclusion and differentiation guidance for EAL, sensory needs and SEND

• Family engagement ideas to extend pattern and construction language into home play

• An evaluation and reflection section to support professional dialogue and next-step planning

The planner is designed to support intentional adult thinking and confident curriculum articulation, not to be followed rigidly or used as a checklist for children.

How this fits within our Toddler curriculum framework

This document forms part of our wider Toddler Curriculum & Pedagogy framework (18–36 months) and should be used alongside:

• How Projects Work in Toddler Rooms (Guidance)

• Year-Long Toddler Project / Theme Curriculum Map

• Schema Coverage & Support Map

• Continuous Provision Setup Guides – Toddler Room

• Toddler Pedagogy Position Statement: How Toddlers Learn

Together, these documents ensure that projects provide context, not content, and that play, schemas and relationships remain at the centre of toddler practice.

Additional Project Planners

Main Project Planners (3-4 Weeks)

• All About Me & My World

• People Who Help Us

• Autumn - Senses, Colours & Change

• Light, Dark & Celebrations

• Winter-Weather, Warmth & Cosy Spaces

• Transport & Journeys

• Growing & Changing

• Animals & Their Homes

• Food & Nutrition

• Minibeasts & Nature Explorers

• Summer - Sand, Sea & Sun

• Playful Patterns & Construction

Mini-Project Planners (1 Week)

• Big Machines & Building

• Cooking & Food Play

• Teddy Bears’ Picnic

• Colours Everywhere

• Water Play Week

• My Favourite Things

• Rhyme Time Week

• Weather Wonders

This document is part of our EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Membership (Professional), which provides full access to age-specific curriculum frameworks, planning guidance, assessment tools and leadership support.

(This pathway component will be available for download by: March 31st 2026)

Recommended next read Selection

Or read our ‘Little Owls Resources’ Curriculum Intent Statement’

Additional Documents | Professional Membership Contents (Toddler 18-36 Months)

Navigate our Curriculum & Pedagogy guidance documents here.

Pedagogical identity:
Relationship-led, sensory-rich toddler practice grounded in schemas, play, and responsive adult interaction.

• 1. Welcome to the Toddler Room (Start Here)

  👉 This section prevents over-planning and aligns practice.

  • Toddler Pedagogy Position Statement – How Toddlers Learn (18–36 Months) [Free Orienting Sample]

  • Toddler Curriculum Overview & Rationale[Free Orienting Sample]

  • How Our Toddler Curriculum Works

  • The Role of Schemas in Toddler Practice

  • Curriculum Intent in Toddler Rooms (What It Means — and What It Doesn’t)

  • FAQs: Toddler Planning & Pedagogy

• 2. Toddler Curriculum & Developmental Progression

  👉 Adult understanding, not child targets.

  • Toddler Curriculum Maps

    • Progression across 6-month bands (18–24 | 24–30 | 30–36 months)

  • Intent → Progression Grids (Practitioner Reference)

  • Area of Learning Progression Maps

• 3. Observation-Led Practice & In-the-Moment Planning

  👉 Observation is the driver of planning.

  • In-the-Moment Planning Prompt Sheets (Toddlers)

  • Weekly Planning Template

  • Toddler Narrative Observation & Analysis Template

  • Focused Observation Templates

    • Communication & Language

    • PSED

    • Physical Development

    • Maths Seeds

    • Characteristics of Effective Learning

    • Behaviour & Emotional Regulation

    • Schema Observation & Analysis

• 4. Continuous Provision in the Toddler Room

  👉 The environment does the teaching.

  Universal Continuous Provision

  • Continuous Provision Setup Guides | Toddler Room

    • Small World

    • Messy / Wet Play

    • Dry Sensory & Loose Parts

    • Construction

    • Role Play / Home Corner

    • Mark Making

    • Book Area / Reading Nook

    • Music & Sound

    • Outdoor

  • Continuous Provision Maps (18–36 Months)

    • C&L

    • PSED

    • PD

    • Maths Seeds

    • Literacy Seeds

    • UW

    • EAD

  • Continuous Provision Audit & Resourcing List

  • Continuous Provision Rotation Planner Toolkit

  • Toddler Visual Support Labelling Pack | 18–36 Months

• 5. Outdoor Learning

  👉 Movement, regulation and sensory experience.

  • Outdoor Continuous Provision Pack

    • Outdoor Zone-by-Zone Setup Guide (Gross Motor, Sensory/Nature, Creative/Mark Making, Small World Outside, Water/Mud)

    • Seasonal Adjustments Planner

    • Outdoor Risk–Benefit Assessment Template + examples

    • Nature-Based Learning & Schema Guide

    • Outdoor Mark Making & Literacy Opportunities Sheet

    • Outdoor Maths Seeds Sheet

  • Why We Learn Outdoors in All Weathers (Parent Handout)

• 6. Projects, Themes & Schema-Responsive Contexts

  👉 Projects are optional contexts, not directives.

  • Year-Long Project / Theme Curriculum Map (52 Weeks)

  • How Projects Work in Toddler Rooms (Guidance)

  • Schema Coverage & Support Map

  Project/Theme Planners:

  • 12 × Main Project Planners (3–4 Weeks)

    • All About Me & My World

    • People Who Help Us

    • Autumn - Senses, Colours & Change

    • Light, Dark & Celebrations

    • Winter-Weather, Warmth & Cosy Spaces

    • Transport & Journeys

    • Growing & Changing

    • Animals & Their Homes

    • Food & Nutrition

    • Minibeasts & Nature Explorers

    • Summer - Sand, Sea & Sun

    • Playful Patterns & Construction

  • 8 × Mini-Project Planners (1 Week)

    • Big Machines & Building

    • Cooking & Food Play

    • Teddy Bears’ Picnic

    • Colours Everywhere

    • Water Play Week

    • My Favourite Things

    • Rhyme Time Week

    • Weather Wonders

• 7. Adult-Focused Invitations & Activity Resources

  👉 Invitations, provocations and shared experiences.

  • Activity Cards Pack

    Supports Child-led learning and responsive provision

  • Area of Learning Progression Maps & Adult Focus Sessions

    (Organised by Age Band: 18–24 months | 24–30 months | 30–36 months)

    Supports intentional teaching, vocabulary development and staff confidence

    • Communication & Language

    • PSED

    • Physical Development

    • Maths Seeds

    • Literacy Seeds

    • Understanding the World – Experience Progression Pack

    • Expressive Arts & Design – Creative Media & Expression Toolkit

• 8. Language, Interaction & Emotional Development

  👉 Interaction is the curriculum.

  • Toddler Room Poster – Five Sentence Stems For Toddler Practitioners

  • Supporting Emotional Regulation Through Language

  • Language-First Approaches in Toddler Rooms

  • Toddler Behaviour & Regulation: A Quick Guide

• 9. Assessment, Statutory Requirements & Leadership

  👉 Proportionate, meaningful assessment.

  • Progress Check at Age 2

    • Report Template

    • Practitioner Guidance

  • OFSTED Questions We’re Ready For

• 10. SEND & Inclusion

  👉 Early identification, gentle support.

  • SEND Inclusion Strategy Pack (18–36 Months)

    • Practical SEND & inclusion strategies for toddlers aged 18–36 months

    • Six quick-reference strategy sheets covering communication, sensory needs, anxiety and behaviour

    • Aligned with the EYFS Framework and the Assess–Plan–Do–Review approach

    • Inclusive, diagnosis-free guidance ready to use in everyday practice

    • Ideal for observations, provision planning, team use and Ofsted evidence

• 11. Transition & Parent Partnership

  👉 Strong partnerships, realistic expectations.

  Transition

  • Toddler → Preschool Transition Pack

  Home–Setting Communication

  • Toddler Room Parent Update & Home Learning Sheet

  • Letter Templates Pack

  Parent Information Pages

  • Why Mark Making Matters (Before Writing)

  • Supporting Speech & Language at Home (0–3 Years)

  • How To Build Language Through Play

  • Why We Learn Outdoors in All Weathers

Additional Whole-Setting Guidance | for Professional Members

Explore our whole-setting guidance below, including overarching curriculum and pedagogy documents, early years schemas and EYFS setting policies.

• Curriculum & Pedagogy

  • Little Owls Resources’ Curriculum Intent Statement

  • EYFS from Birth to 5: Curriculum Coherence & Pedagogical Throughline

  • Whole-Setting Curriculum Map (Birth-5): Curriculum Intent & Progression

  • Pedagogy Guidance Document

  • Speech & Language Development - Setting Statement

  • EYFS Inspection-Facing Summaries

• Early Years Schemas

  Early Years Schemas - Practitioner Toolkit | EYFS Birth-5

  ↪ Schema Cards (definition, behaviours, age-related examples, enabling resources)

  ↪ Schema Observation & Responsive Provision Planning Template

• EYFS Setting Policies

  • EYFS Group Setting Policies Pack

    ↪ x 22 Policy Documents

    ↪ Policy Sign-Off and Confirmation Document

    ↪ EYFS Setting Policy Folder Contents List

  • Childminder Setting Policies Pack

    ↪ x 22 Policy Documents

    ↪ Childminder Assistant or Volunteer Policy Sign-Off and Confirmation Document

    ↪ Childminder Policy Folder Contents List

• EYFS Glossary

  EYFS Glossary

  ↪ Clear, practitioner-friendly explanations of key curriculum and pedagogy terms used throughout our guidance.

Looking for a different age group pathway?

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What is Professional Membership?

Find our more about our Professional guidance for confident, reflective EYFS practice (Birth–5)

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Content within the EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Membership is provided as professional guidance and support. It reflects current understanding of the EYFS statutory framework, Development Matters and inspection expectations at the time of writing. Practitioners are responsible for applying professional judgement and ensuring practice aligns with current statutory requirements and their specific context. All resources, experiences and environment arrangements must be risk assessed by the setting and used in accordance with individual children’s developmental stages, needs and supervision requirements.

Safeguarding content does not replace a setting’s safeguarding and child protection policy or the statutory role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). All concerns must be managed in line with current statutory guidance and local safeguarding procedures.

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