Projects and Provocations – Deepening Children’s Meaningful Learning

Accompanying Episode 9 of the Atelier Podcast

At Atelier Nursery, our pedagogy is grounded in the belief that children are capable, curious learners with their own theories about the world. In this podcast episode, we explore how project-led learning and daily provocations underpin our curriculum.

In this blog, we share:

• What we mean by projects: long-term investigations driven by children’s interests, questions, and fascinations. Projects might emerge from a child noticing shadows on a sunny day, or from a group’s curiosity about caterpillars spotted outdoors. Our role is to listen deeply, document thinking, and guide these investigations further.

• The power of provocations: intentional setups that invite inquiry, such as clay alongside autumn leaves, a mirror under a light table, or tools placed near large blocks to inspire design thinking. Provocations are not activities with fixed outcomes but invitations to wonder, explore, and create.

• How project learning links to the EYFS: supporting all seven areas of learning through real-life contexts, sustained shared thinking, and meaningful language development.

We discuss practical examples from our nursery, the planning and reflection that go into project work, and why this approach nurtures lifelong learners who think deeply and critically about their world.

Listen to the full podcast for a behind-the-scenes insight into our project journeys, and how you can embed this approach in your setting.