PSED Circle Time Activities | EYFS

A practical collection of over 20 circle time stimulus activities designed to support Personal, Social and Emotional Development in Nursery and Reception settings. Created by an experienced Early Years teacher and linked to key points in the PSED curriculum, these activities give you a bank of ready-to-use, easily adaptable ideas to support children’s understanding of emotions, relationships and self-awareness through purposeful, structured group time.

What’s Included?

• Over 20 circle time stimulus activities linked to the PSED curriculum
• Easy-to-follow activity overviews for each session
• Emotion photo cards for use during activities
• Scenario cards to support children’s understanding of feelings and responses
• Linked text suggestions to extend learning through story
• Activities covering emotions, self-regulation, mirrors and perspective-taking

Why Teachers Love It

• Saves time with a ready-to-use bank of circle time ideas
• Easily adaptable to suit the needs and interests of your cohort
• Supports children to explore and understand a range of emotions in a safe, structured context
• Linked to key PSED curriculum points for confident curriculum coverage
• Practical and low-preparation — easy to pick up and use straight away

How Can I Use This Resource?

• Deliver as short, focused circle time sessions during the school day
• Dip in and out of the activity bank to respond to children’s current needs and experiences
• Use the photo and scenario cards to spark discussion and develop emotional vocabulary
• Link activities to stories and texts to deepen children’s understanding of emotions
• Use as a starting point for wider PSED provision and enhanced provision planning

💡 This resource is also available inside the Is it Time to Play? Membership, giving members access to hundreds of planning tools, resources and professional development materials for no additional cost.