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EYLF weekly planning with a worked example
EYLF weekly planning is an ongoing, five-stage cycle—observing, assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating—used by early childhood educators to design play-based learning experiences linked to the five Early Years Learning Framework outcomes. Rather than filling rigid timetables, effective weekly planning documents children’s emerging ideas, scaffolds group and individual investigations, and reflects on children’s progress in partnership with families.
At a glance
The EYLF hub outlines national curriculum principles and practices across Australian early education and care settings. Approved under the National Quality Framework, the framework guides educators to develop holistic learning programmes responsive to each child’s strengths, culture, and interests.
| Dimension | Details |
|---|---|
| Framework | Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia V2.0 (2022) |
| Publishing authority | Australian Government Department of Education, for the Ministerial Council |
| Age range | Birth to 5 years and through the transition to school |
| Vision | Belonging, Being and Becoming |
| Principles | Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships; Partnerships; Respect for diversity; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives; Equity, inclusion and high expectations; Sustainability; Critical reflection and ongoing professional learning; Collaborative leadership and teamwork |
| Practices | Holistic, integrated and interconnected approaches; Responsiveness to children; Play-based learning and intentionality; Learning environments; Cultural responsiveness; Continuity of learning and transitions; Assessment and evaluation for learning, development and wellbeing |
| Learning Outcomes | Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity; Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world; Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing; Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners; Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators |
| Australian early childhood settings | Long day care, occasional care, family day care, Multi-purpose Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Services, preschools and kindergartens, playgroups, creches and early intervention settings |
What the framework asks of your planning
The official curriculum document, Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia V2.0 (2022), defines planning as a dynamic, continuous cycle rather than a static document. The framework outlines five interconnected components within the planning cycle: observing, assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating. Educators follow this process across the whole curriculum throughout the day, drawing on observations gathered during daily routines, spontaneous play, and planned learning experiences. Documentation occurs at every stage of the planning cycle to make learning visible.
Observation and assessment require educators to collect rich, meaningful information from multiple sources about children’s learning, development, and wellbeing. The framework identifies three distinct forms of assessment: assessment for children’s learning (formative assessment to inform curriculum design), assessment of children’s learning (summative reviews of capabilities over time), and assessment as learning (inviting children to reflect on their own discoveries). Assessment strategies must remain culturally responsive, inclusive, and attuned to children’s diverse funds of knowledge.
In the planning phase, educators thoughtfully analyse documented observations to design experiences that consolidate, enrich, and extend children’s thinking. Educators exercise intentionality across their choice of teaching strategies, learning resources, physical environments, and the rhythm of time. Rather than operating in isolation, planning centres on relational and place-based pedagogies, jointly constructed in collaboration with children and in genuine partnership with families.
Implementation turns these plans into responsive action across indoor and outdoor spaces, structured adult-led sessions, and child-led exploration. Finally, evaluation prompts critical reflection through questions such as what worked well and why, what educators will do differently next time, and how to further extend children’s learning. Through collaborative review with colleagues and families, educators evaluate the effectiveness of their curriculum decisions and identify future pathways for learning.
A worked example
To see how weekly planning connects to classroom practice, consider this sample week for Nursery (ages 3–4) centred on small creatures. Drawn from the Nursery Week 17 — Insects, Bugs and Worms lesson plan, the week integrates environmental science, creative arts, early phonics, and numeracy. The complete unit is available in the Nursery Week 17 combined week package.
| Day | What children do | Framework area or outcome it supports |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1: Knowing Physical Features of Insects | Children dance like caterpillars, grasshoppers, and butterflies, inspect garden insects outdoors using magnifying glasses, draw observations on paper, build a paper mosaic over letter Mm, and find single objects to explore the number 1. | Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners (inquiry, curiosity, and outdoor inspection) and Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators (early mark-making and symbol awareness) |
| Day 2: Discovering Worms | Children practise insect yoga poses, observe an earthworm to explore soil health, drag paint-dipped yarn to represent underground burrows, assemble a letter Mm mouse craft, and count single fruits and loose parts for number 1. | Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world (care for living things and natural systems) and Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing (gross-motor balance and physical play) |
| Day 3: Investigating Lives of Ants | Children crawl like marching worker ants, discuss anthills, construct a 3D model ant using craft spoons and pipe cleaners, present home items for letter Mm show-and-tell, and create a number 1 paper collage. | Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity (sharing home connections with peers) and Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners (manipulating materials to construct models) |
| Day 4: Exploring Busy Bees | Children imitate bee waggle dances, explore flower pollination, craft a paper-plate honeybee, practise fine-motor control on the Tracing Letter Mm Symbols worksheet, and trace number 1 on textured materials. | Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world (understanding ecological connections) and Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators (non-verbal dance communication and mark-making) |
| Day 5: Recapitulating Information on Insects | Children enjoy an active freeze dance, review insect body parts on a nature walk, create fingerprint bugs, roll paint-covered marbles in a ziplock bag to trace letter Mm, and complete the Exploring Number Value tasksheet, followed by Colouring a Beehive with Vegetable Printing. | Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners (consolidating learning across contexts) and Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators (expressing ideas through expressive arts) |
Because loose parts such as pebbles and buttons present a choking hazard for young children, active adult supervision is required throughout these sensory and numeracy activities. In addition, marbles used during painting activities pose a choking hazard and must be sealed securely inside bags under direct adult supervision. If fresh fruit is handled during numeracy sorting, check dietary requirements and allergies with families before the session.
Planning template
| Day | Focus area | Activity | Resources | What to observe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | ||||
| Tuesday | ||||
| Wednesday | ||||
| Thursday | ||||
| Friday |
To use this template, select two or three learning outcomes that reflect children’s current inquiries rather than attempting to cover all five areas every day. Record intentional teaching strategies alongside spontaneous opportunities for child-led play, noting specific loose parts, craft supplies, and books needed. In the observation column, document how children interact with peers, express new ideas, and demonstrate emerging capabilities.
Questions teachers ask
How often should educators document an EYLF weekly plan?
Educators should maintain an active plan that reflects ongoing daily observations, but the framework does not mandate rigid daily overhauls. Instead, effective planning is cyclical and responsive. Many services update an overarching weekly planning web or floorbook continuously, adding spontaneous inquiries, reflections, and intentional adjustments as children explore. Focus on capturing meaningful learning pathways rather than completing excessive paperwork.
Do educators need to link every weekly experience to an outcome?
No, educators do not need to tag every single routine or experience to all five framework outcomes. The Early Years Learning Framework promotes holistic learning, meaning a single rich inquiry naturally supports multiple outcomes across identity, wellbeing, and communication. Highlighting one or two focal outcomes per planned experience ensures clarity while keeping documentation purposeful and manageable for teaching teams.
How does EYLF V2.0 change weekly early childhood planning?
EYLF V2.0 includes sustainability, cultural responsiveness, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives within the planning cycle. It also describes assessment for, of and as learning, and suggests involving children through portfolios or talking and thinking floorbooks. Weekly plans should deliberately incorporate children’s voices, authentic community connections, and regular critical reflection among colleagues.
Sources and printables
Official curriculum framework:
- Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia V2.0 (2022) — Australian Government Department of Education, for the Ministerial Council
Superbuddy curriculum planning resources:
- EYLF hub — comprehensive overview of framework outcomes, principles, and pedagogical practices
- Nursery Week 17 — Insects, Bugs and Worms lesson plan — complete five-day curriculum notes with daily learning sequences
- Nursery · Insects · Week 17 — Combined week package — printable tasksheets, craft templates, and teaching guide
- Bug and worm activities for preschool: a 5-day plan — practical activity ideas and classroom adaptations
- Browse the library — printable early childhood lesson plans, worksheets, and thematic packages