“When we finish watching a Lyfta film together, we don’t move straight on to the next lesson. We have planned activities, which match the Lyfta stories, so the children can concrete their learning through play. That’s when the real learning happens.” – Emma Rickman
Why Lyfta in EYFS?
Emma Rickman, EYFS teacher and Lyfta Champion at St Augustine's Academy (Dunstable), has been embedding Storyworlds into her weekly planning with her EYFS classes. She has shown how Lyfta can be adapted for very young learners while still delivering meaningful outcomes in empathy, curiosity, and global awareness.
This article aims to provide practical tips, advice, and a bank of activities linked to storyworlds that Emma and her team have tried and tested.
Finding the right fit for EYFS
For Emma, bringing Lyfta into her early years classroom felt like a natural extension of what she was already doing. “Learning through play is central to our early years approach, leading to significant learning outcomes,” she explained. Lyfta films and environments gave her children a window into the wider world - and plenty of inspiration for play.
To adapt the films for her youngest learners there are different strategies and scaffolds applied. “Sometimes we’ll watch a film with no sound, or with the sound very low and I’ll narrate for them,” she said. Longer films are broken into short bursts across the week, always followed by time to explore through free-flow play.
From storyworlds to the classroom floor
Emma keeps a floorbook filled with photos, questions, and reflections from each Storyworld. “The children, now in Year 1, can still recall details about stories from a year ago, which is one of the most impressive bits” she noted, showing how much sticks when it’s linked to play.
The Lyfta books stay with the class as they move up through year groups, so they can always revisit and deepen their learning.
We will provide a comprehensive list of Emma’s key questions, activities, and floorbook pictures for different storyworlds at the end of this article, however there are some questions which students are always encouraged to discuss:
“What’s special about him/her?”
“What’s their story?”
“What can we learn from this?”
A global classroom in early years
Maps have become an important part of Emma’s practice. “We started with a little table map and now we have a bigger one for the whole school,” she said. Every time a new Storyworld is explored, children locate it on the map. Cultural celebrations have followed naturally too, from cooking apple strudel to making Hanukkah cards.
Many of Emma’s children haven’t travelled far, but through Lyfta they have begun to “gain a broader understanding of different countries, cultures, and languages, fostering respect and empathy for others.”
Emma’s top advice for other EYFS teachers
Preview films and adapt them - always pre-watch the film and plan your pause points for discussion. Split them into chunks, add narration, and tailor to your group.
Anchor Storyworlds in play - always plan hands-on or role-play follow-ups.
Keep it child-led - use open questions and let discussions flow naturally.
Celebrate culture and community - use maps, food, music, and festivals to make connections. Where possible, relate the stories to your local area/community.
Document it - Emma’s floorbook captures key questions, photos, and activities, making learning visible and shareable.
What teachers have noticed
The impact of using Lyfta in EYFS has been clear:
Listening skills have improved – “Lyfta stories have significantly impacted students’ listening skills and ability to retell information.”
Children remember – Storyworlds are recalled months later.
Empathy grows – conversations about fairness, loneliness, and kindness come naturally.
Families get involved – from lamp-making with recycled bottles to collecting food for local animal rescues.
Key questions and activities from Emma’s class floorbook
Questions for all storyworlds:
What’s special about him/her?
What’s their story?
What can we learn from this?
What questions do I want to ask them?
What things do I notice?
Images from Emma's floorbook can be viewed here.
Lyfta Time | Storyworld | Key Questions | Activities/Play |
1 | Rob – Beachcomber (Cornwall) | How long does plastic take to break down in the ocean? | Made binoculars from toilet rolls; parents stay & play with plastic bottle lamps; Forest School litter-picking. |
2 | Michal – Ballet Dancer (Finland) | What did Michal want to be when he was a child? Do you think he is proud of his job now? | Ballet role-play; watched ballet performance and copied. Made ballet skirts from crepe paper |
3 | Enaney – Sustainability (Ethiopia) | Why did the people of Awra Amba reject food aid? How did they rebuild their community? | Apple picking; making apple crumble with discussions around sustainability & teamwork. |
4 | Erkan – Animal Carer (Turkey) | How does Erkan care for stray dogs and cats? How does it make him feel? | Collected animal food & donated to charity; World Animal Day discussions. |
5 | Flora – Grub Farmer (Peru) | Why does Flora enjoy cooking for everyone? | Linked to trying our favourite treats (maltesers!) and comparing/ contrasting |
6 | Anna – Footballer (Norway) | What can we learn from Anna about teamwork? | Played football; teamwork practice (listening, sharing, taking turns);Celebrating Diwali - cooperating, working together, making rangoli patterns. |
7 | Giuseppe & Joeleen – Fisherfolk (USA) | How do Giuseppe and Joeleen work as a team? What invention did they create? | Role-play- Made a boat out of plastic crates - cargo net used as fishing nets, plastic boats; BSL awareness, learned 1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive - signing |
8 | Lini – Prompter (Finland) | What was Lini’s job? Where would Lini sit in the Opera Theatre? | Created a prompt box; turn-taking; musical performances with tambourines; singing/acting. |
9 | Malte – Urban Beekeeper (Germany) | What does living sustainably mean? How can we be more sustainable? | Learned about bees; tasted honey; made feeders; winter bird feeding. |
10 | Andrea – Recycling Waste (Argentina) | Do you recycle as much as you could? Where do things go when you throw them away? | Set up recycling bins (shoes, uniforms, toys, bottles, tins); recycling discussions. |
11 | Erika – Costume Designer (Finland) | What is Erika’s main job? Where does she get inspiration? | EYFS disco breaks (linking to performance); costume-making discussions. |
12 | Asmir – Faith & Fun (Denmark) | How does Asmir practise his faith? How do Christians practise theirs? | School worship; singing, praying; |
13 | Etagegn – Awra Amba Community (Ethiopia) | How else can we raise money for our community? | Fundraising for Comic Relief, Harvest, Children in Need; planting bulbs. |
14 | Tony – Saves Phone Boxes (UK) | Who saves old phone boxes? | Reused phone boxes as libraries; recycled cameras/phones; EYFS role-play recycled pram - sand play. |
15 | Anni – Weightlifter (Finland) | What hobbies did Anni have? Why is she good at weightlifting? | PE activities (jumping, climbing, teamwork); cycling; name writing; drawing practice. |
16 | Ilonka & Erzsebet – Sisters (Hungary) | Do you have brothers and sisters? Why do the girls love singing? | Made apple strudel together; singing; globe work locating Hungary. |
20 | Emmaculate – Fashion Designer (Kenya) | What made Emmaculate want to be a fashion photographer? | Red carpet role-play; dressing up; photo shoots. Boys and girls chose what side of the camera they wanted to role play -Filming or dressing up |
21 | Hossein – Elderly Care (Ethiopia) | What do you feel about elderly returning home after day care? | Performed plays; invited care home residents; Christmas show for elderly visitors. |
22 | Najibullah – Baker (Afghanistan) | Why did the baker weigh the dough? Would you like to work in a bakery? | Baked bread rolls; kneaded dough; role-play bakery. |
25 | Merkab – Weaving Workshop (Ethiopia) | What does gender equality mean? | Boys and girls tried all activities equally; equality and fairness discussions. |
28 | Zumra – Founder of Awra Amba (Ethiopia) | What can we learn from the community of Awra Amba? | Visited library & to Awra Amba library; reflection on good actions. |
29 | Nay Elaine – Protects Eagles (Philippines) | What does Nay mean by ‘lead like a mother’? | Outdoor reflections about birds; spotting birds in playground/field. Red Kites in Playground |
30 | Deenpal – Sikh Footballer (Denmark) | How does Deenpal overcome fear? How does he show his faith? | Martial arts play; prayer/gurdwara learning; community service projects. |
31 | Ivan – Cossack Horseman (Russia) | What does Ivan mean by ‘I am proud of my ancestors’? | Explored martial arts on horseback (Dzhigitovka); |
33 | Romy – Circus Family (Belgium) | How many generations are in Romy’s family circus? | Circus role-play: juggling, balancing, plate spinning. |
35 | Simon – Sustainable Farmer (Tanzania) | What is Kihamba farming? What did Simon do before? | Composted fruit waste; linked farming discussions. |
41 | Pedra – Volcanologist (Spain) | What is Pedra’s job? What damage do volcanoes cause? | Made volcano with the children. Volcano experiment with vinegar and bicarbonate soda; eruption models. |
42 | Marcelo – YouTuber (Brazil) | Why did Marcelo become a YouTuber? | Pretend YouTube videos; mobile phone role play. |
53 | Hanna – Emotional Wellbeing (Finland) | What does Hanna do to look after her wellbeing? | Breathing techniques; dancing; singing; reflection with scripture cards. |
60 | Donya – Space Scientist (USA) | What materials worked best for your rocket? | Built and launched model rockets; tested materials. |
64 | Shahnaz – Reader/Writer (Iran) | How does Shahnaz show resilience and perseverance? | Learning phonic sounds, practising daily and reading their reading book daily at home. |
67 | Izandra – Violinist (Brazil) | Why does representation matter? How can we make sure everyone feels included? | Listened to Spiegel im Spiegel; cultural exploration through music. |
68 | Sylvain – People Greeter (England) | What words describe Sylvain? How does he deal with being lonely? | Discussed kindness, friendship, community; reflection on small actions. |
72 | Wei Wei – LEGO Planner (China) | Can you only be creative by following instructions? | Built large LEGO mandalas; design and construction play. |
74 | Mackie – Hanukkah (USA) | Why is Hanukkah important? | Made Hanukkah cards; cooked latkes. |
76 | Mono – Street Artist (Chile) | What kind of art does Mono create? Have you seen street art? | Painted large murals; explored primary colours. |