Humpty Dumpty | Invitation to Play
Build. Explore. Imagine. Retell.
Bring a much loved nursery rhyme to life with Humpty Dumpty, a beautifully illustrated, hands on play invitation designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, problem solving and meaningful learning through play.
Inspired by the traditional nursery rhyme, this engaging activity invites children to become little builders as they construct walls, explore balance, investigate different materials and discover what happens when Humpty Dumpty takes a tumble!
Using building bricks, blocks, small world figures and everyday loose parts, children can experiment with construction, develop their imagination and bring the familiar story to life.
From building a strong wall for Humpty to discovering why structures fall and finding ways to rebuild them, every little interaction offers opportunities for exploration, perseverance and discovery.
There is no perfect wall to build and no expected outcome. Just simple, open ended opportunities for children to investigate, problem solve and follow their curiosity.
What's included?
A beautifully illustrated Humpty Dumpty play invitation
Suggested resources, including affordable everyday materials and loose parts
Simple, practical setup guidance
Key vocabulary to support communication and language
Observation prompts to help practitioners recognise children's interests and development
Ideas for extending the experience through construction, small world play and storytelling
Inspiration for exploring balance, stability, movement and problem solving
Learning through play
This invitation supports children's physical development and coordination as they stack, balance, position and manipulate different building materials.
It also encourages early mathematical understanding through exploring height, size, position, balance and spatial awareness.
Children can develop their communication and language skills as they retell the familiar nursery rhyme, describe their constructions, share ideas and create their own imaginative stories.
The experience provides wonderful opportunities to develop perseverance, resilience and problem solving, as children discover that walls sometimes fall and that trying again is all part of learning.
With opportunities to introduce words such as build, wall, strong, weak, balance, fall, break, fix and together, children can make meaningful connections between language and real experiences.
Practitioners are encouraged to set less, notice more and follow the child's lead, allowing children to experiment, revisit their ideas and discover new possibilities through play.
Perfect for: Childminders, nurseries, preschools, EYFS settings, nursery rhyme activities, construction areas and home learning.
A wonderful addition to small world provision, construction play, storytelling, problem solving activities and nursery rhyme inspired invitations to play.
Digital Download: Two page printable PDF resource featuring the illustrated play invitation, suggested resources, setup guidance, observation prompts, key vocabulary and extension ideas. No physical resources are included.
The Early Years Edit | The Play Library
Little hands. Big discoveries.
