The 7 areas of learning in the EYFS help children grow academically, socially, and emotionally through play, curiosity, and real-world experiences.
The 7 areas of learning in the EYFS help children grow academically, socially, and emotionally through play, curiosity, and real-world experiences.
Author
Mhairi
Published
October 2025
Key takeaways
Children’s early years are packed full of curiosity and big discoveries – it’s such an exciting time for them and for their adults! There’s a lot to learn from birth to age five, but thankfully, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework sets out the expectations for learning and development during this period.
There are 7 areas of learning EYFS kiddos will cover. These areas aim to help kiddos build their confidence and independence. Not only does learning across these areas help prepare them for more formal education in primary school and beyond, but it also gives kiddos the opportunity to build their confidence and independence!
Below, we’ve broken down each of the 7 areas of learning that EYFS children will undertake, exploring the aims of each and the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) that they’re working towards.
Language is the foundation for all 7 areas of learning EYFS, and within this area, kiddos will develop their listening, speaking, and comprehension skills.
Opportunities to listen to stories, sing songs, and regularly take part in conversations are key to developing their language skills and building their vocabularies.
By the end of the EYFS, learners should:
Being physically active from an early age has so many benefits for our little ones, and that’s what this area of learning is all about! Developing fine motor and gross motor skills is a key focus of the EYFS curriculum.
This means developing their abilities to make small movements (like holding a pencil, using scissors, and doing up zips on coats), and bigger movements (like running, jumping, climbing, and balancing).
By the end of the EYFS, they should be able to:
Fine Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills
This area is about teaching learners to understand themselves and others. It will build their ability to manage their feelings, help them form and maintain friendships, and show them how to look after their bodies.
A lot of the learning here takes place through daily routines and play, such as encouraging turn-taking when playing, or supporting kiddos to put on their own coats and shoes before going outside.
By the end of this stage, they’ll:
Another of the 7 areas of learning EYFS kiddos are introduced to is literacy, where they’ll hopefully develop a life-long love of reading! EYFS literacy covers three key areas: word recognition, language comprehension, and writing.
Before they move on from the EYFS stage, kiddos will be able to:
Word recognition
Language comprehension
Writing
Maths in the early years is all about play and discovery! Kiddos are aiming to develop a strong foundation in number and numerical patterns, and will be introduced to aspects of shape and measure.
Encouraging a ‘have a go’ mentality in maths helps to build their resilience and encourages them to be confident, even in the face of something that could be challenging for them!
By the end of EYFS maths, learners will:
Number
Numerical Patterns
This area encourages kiddos to make discoveries about nature, people, places, and technology. They’ll learn about different cultures, notice changes in the weather or seasons, or learn the basics of some technology!
By the end of the EYFS, they’ll be able to:
Children should have the opportunity to be imaginative and creative throughout the EYFS curriculum. Through expressive arts and design, they’ll have the chance to get hands-on with lots of different materials and activities where they can express themselves!
By the end of the EYFS, kiddos should be confident to:
Did you know that our DoodleLearning apps are suitable for learners in their final year of the EYFS? The games and activities on our maths app, English app, and spelling app are all fully aligned with the EYFS National Curriculum, and are a great way to get kiddos excited for learning!
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