Activity Packs for for Pearson (Level 3) AAQ BTEC National in Early Childhood Development
30–47 ready-to-use activities fully aligned to the specification and assessment criteria, covering all of Unit 1: Children’s Development and Unit 3: Play and Learning.
Essential Teacher Support!
Structure saves teachers significant planning time, making it a practical, valuable resource
- Flexible scheme of work – mix-and-match activities to suit your lessons
- Detailed teacher notes – includes timings and answers for effortless delivery
Versatile!
Worksheets perfect for class, group, individual, or homework tasks!
Engaging & Effective Learning
- Diverse activity range – caters to all learning styles
- Clear learning aims and instructions – keep students focused
- Case studies and YouTube prompts – apply theory to real-life examples, building essential exam skills
Excellent! It is well-structured and accessible, benefiting both experienced and newly qualified teachers.
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What do teachers say about this resource? (12842)
I think this resource is amazing. It will really support students to understand each aspect of the course and provide a great deal of resources to support revision. I like the variety of activities and the teacher's explanation of how to deliver the activity. The guidance is really useful to support busy teachers, with the answers readily available to support teachers' delivery. Time saver for teachers, which is fantastic, especially with a new course. The activities are varied, which ensures lessons are engaging and interactive for students, promoting learning. The worksheets and the activities planned also support students to collate a bank of revision materials, which is fantastic and will really support positive outcomes for their exams. The layout is fantastic, as with all ZigZag resources.
The specification is matched perfectly. It aligns with all criteria, ensuring there are activities for every single piece of the criteria. The use of terms is perfect throughout. I have no suggestions for this resource. It is fantastic.
Really liked the resource and think it has been well thought out. Worksheet 8 is really useful and would be received well by learners. Activity 15 is a really good, concise independent task.
The volume and variety of activities is better than previous resources I’ve used from other companies. There’s a good range of individual, paired, and small group tasks, which is valuable. I also liked that some activities are linked to videos, which supports engagement.
The case study tasks are good and students find them more engaging. Activity 32 is likely to be popular as it’s fun and interesting. Activity 33 is excellent for testing students’ knowledge of key theories and can be done independently or in pairs, and used as a starter or plenary. Activity 35 is excellent and helps focus on the different studies necessary for this unit. I liked how it looks at one study in depth—this should be repeated for each theory on the spec. Same for Activities 36 and 37.
This resource enhances learning by assisting teaching staff in providing a varied diet of activities. Some are quick and suitable as starters or TOE tasks, while others take 20–30 minutes and prompt good discussion, reflection, and evaluation. It’s definitely suitable for Level 3 learners and offers good challenge. It also engages students in seeing the value of video clips used purposefully.
Many of these resources could be repeated to check retention of knowledge and understanding over time. I also like that it’s suitable for groups with a broad range of abilities and doesn’t rely on students having studied childcare at Level 2.
The resource matches the different learning aims and content of the spec well. There’s a good balance of tasks for each learning aim, and the activities aren’t too repetitive or overly focused on one area. Activity 9 is very engaging and interactive.
I thought this was an excellent resource that supports delivery and assessment of learners on the new Pearson BTEC Nationals (AAQ): Early Childhood Development (Unit 1). It is well-structured and accessible, benefiting both experienced and newly qualified teachers. The activity packs provide valuable guidance and engaging materials that enhance teaching and learning. I particularly liked the scheme of work, which supports planning and delivery of the unit. The varied, engaging activities are thoughtfully sequenced to align with learning outcomes. This structure saves teachers significant planning time, making it a practical, valuable resource.
The resource enhances learning through a scaffolded structure, starting with defining key terminology and progressing to advanced tasks where learners apply knowledge and evaluate theorists. This progression supports confidence and deeper understanding. I liked the range of activities linking theory to practice, engaging learners and reinforcing concepts. The video links in Activity 4, focused on gross and fine motor skills, were especially useful in bringing content to life. The resource is versatile—usable in lessons, plenaries, and for independent study or revision.
It aligns well with the Pearson BTEC Nationals (AAQ) specification. Content is clearly mapped to learning aims and assessment criteria, and activities are appropriately pitched for Level 3 learners. The inclusion of key terminology, knowledge application, and tasks encouraging analysis and evaluation reflect the required depth and breadth. It effectively integrates theory with practice, helping learners make meaningful connections and prepare for assessments.
Overall, this is a good-quality resource, clearly aligned with the specification and well-structured to support learners. I would consider purchasing it. It offers a variety of activities supporting delivery and assessment. The scaffolded approach benefits learners, and the theory-to-practice activities make it valuable. This resource has strong potential to support teaching and learning. The thoughtful sequencing and clear alignment with the specification make it useful for Level 3 learners. It’s clear much effort went into creating a practical, accessible resource.
What do teachers say about this resource? (12976)
Really liked the resource and think it has been well thought out. I like the layout and the number of card-based activities, as well as those that use observation and creativity skills.
The volume of activities is good. I like the match-up activities—great for TOE, starter, or plenary tasks. Tasks 4, 5, 11, and 17 are good video-based activities that focus attention and support students who cannot easily observe this age group.
I like that some activities link to other learning resources, like the Unit 1 activity pack (see Activity 26). Activity 28 is excellent—hands-on, tactile, fun, and links to national curriculum subjects like maths. Activity 6 is really well planned and interactive. Activity Sheet 10 is good for encouraging abstract and creative learning. Activity 12 is good, as students enjoy practical tasks and not feeling like everything is writing-focused.
Activity 14 is excellent—I love how it can be carried out in multiple ways, same as Activity 20. Activity 19 is good for higher-level skills like compare, contrast, and evaluate.
The variety of activities is better than previous resources I’ve used from other companies. There’s a good range of individual, paired, and small group tasks, which is valuable. I also really liked that some activities are linked to videos, which supports engagement. The case study tasks are good and students find them more engaging.
The resource matches the different learning aims and content of the spec well. There’s a good balance of tasks for each learning aim, and the activities aren’t too repetitive or overly focused on one or two areas.
Overall, I think this is an excellent resource. It offers valuable insights and practical information, making it a great asset for learners. I particularly liked Activity 2, which was a very novel approach, especially the task of matching written observations to the correct developmental stages. As a teacher, I can really appreciate this as it saves time and effort in generating multiple case studies. The resource also presents some innovative work, particularly with the individual themes for heuristic play. I was impressed, as it introduced ideas I hadn't considered before.
This resource significantly enhances learning by encouraging a more holistic approach rather than focusing solely on teaching to criteria. It clearly outlines the relevant areas of the specification at the top of each activity sheet, helping teachers align their teaching with broader learning outcomes. I also appreciate how the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has been seamlessly integrated into the Unit 3 content, effectively replacing some aspects of Unit 11. This integration adds depth and relevance, offering a more comprehensive approach to early childhood development.
The variety in presentation and layout is excellent, making the resource engaging and easy to navigate. I believe it provides comprehensive coverage of the specification, addressing all four learning aims effectively. The activities help students apply professional skills to real-life play and learning experiences within early years settings—for example, the circle time activity.
The activities also align well with the transferable skills outlined in the specification. For instance, 'Interpersonal Skills' is supported through discussion-based tasks, such as Activity 26. Yes, I would consider purchasing this resource, particularly because of the comprehensive teacher notes included. These notes provide valuable guidance and support, making it easier to plan and deliver effective lessons.
I think this resource is really helpful. There are a range of activities to support knowledge acquisition. They are also differentiated activities and being able to adapt to classroom or homework use is really useful for teachers. Overall fantastic resource.
... I really like the activities for the theories as these are often a challenge for students. They are really engaging and interactive but also support the knowledge retention for future exams.
... The educational value is phenomenal. The activities will support students with knowledge retention but also application of knowledge. The pedagogies used throughout these resources is so varied it will really support students. The persona dolls using flipped learning is fantastic, which leads into a classroom activity and the design of a circle time activity... knowledge, application and real work skills all in one activity.
... I think this resource meets the specification really well and it does make some of the challenging content more interesting which will support engagement.
... I have absolutely no recommendations. It is a fantastic resource.
Keywords
- Transferable skills
- Digital skills
- Internal Assessment
- Gifted and Talented
- Early Childhood Development Activity Packs
- BTEC Nationals activities
- Health and Social Care Activity Packs
- Activity Packs for AAQ
- BTEC Nationals Activity Packs
- Unit 1: Children’s Development
- Level 3 Course Companions
- 610/3966/4
- Pearson (Level 3) Alternative Academic Qualification BTEC National in Early Childhood Development (Extended Certificate)
- Unit 3: Play and Learning