Explorify for Inclusion: Choosing which Explorify activities to use

Our top tips

1. A consistent approach combined with regular use of particular activity types can reduce anxiety for children. It establishes routine and builds confidence. ​

2. If your children respond well to visuals, the high-quality photographs without text in the Zoom In, Zoom Out activities are a good introduction to Explorify. One of our experts helps children focus and notice details by using repetition. After zooming out, they zoom back in and then back out again! Hear their story and read the case study.

3. Odd One Out activities are designed to have more than one answer which reduces stress and promotes thinking and sharing ideas. One of our experts used concrete materials to help children access the Odd One Out activities. Hear their story and read the case study.

Note that case studies 4,6,7,8,and 9 all feature Odd One Out activities. Return to the Explorify for Inclusion hub and check them out if you want to know more.

4. Have you ever? questions promote inclusion by providing a starting point that all children can relate to. One of our experts describes how beginning lessons with these activities allows every child to have a voice. Hear their story and read the case study.​

5. When children are familiar with Explorify they may be ready to try other activities. Each type have different strengths, for example:​

• The high-quality distraction free films in our What’s Going On? and What Just Happened? help children focus on a topic. They can be useful to help prepare children for practical work by introducing ideas and vocabulary. Try Woodlice exploring or Slugs galore before minibeast hunting, What’s in the pond? before pond dipping or Melting moments before exploring changes in state.

• Listen! What Can You Hear? activities are easy to access and encourage children to listen carefully as they try to identify sounds. They can also be used to provide sensory experiences for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).

• What if? activities are perfect for starting open ended discussions. When working with children with SEND, they can be used without using the PMI technique. This is explored in case study 5.

• Using a Who is? activity is a good way to review a topic and provides an opportunity for some children to consolidate key concepts whilst others deepen their knowledge. For example, one of our experts used Who is Many Anning? and set up a ‘museum’ using images of Mary Anning, fossils to explore, written text and key questions on flipchart paper. They said “there was a sense of curiosity and a buzz in the room as children were making links to prior learning and their own knowledge.”