GO ALL IN: National Year of Reading 2026 (EYFS)
In 2026, the UK is celebrating the National Year of Reading, and Bigfoot Arts Education is inviting Early Years settings to Go All In with a joyful, imaginative literacy workshop created especially for EYFS.
This playful, story-led experience supports young children at the very start of their reading journey, using drama, movement and talk to help them build confidence, communication skills and a positive relationship with books.
Because in Early Years, reading begins with listening, speaking, pretending, sharing stories and discovering that books are exciting, comforting and full of possibility.
Meet Professor Page Turner… and the Read-O-Tron 3000
Children are welcomed into the world of Professor Paige Turner, a wildly enthusiastic inventor with a very big problem.
The Professor has created the Read-O-Tron 3000, a magical machine that holds every book ever written. But it has jammed. The Read-O-Tron runs on reading, and when people stop reading, the world starts to lose important things, talking and listening, feeling calm and happy, and being kind to one another.
Through gentle storytelling, clear actions and playful repetition, children are invited to help the Professor fix the machine. They copy sounds and movements, build the machine together with their bodies, and take part in simple drama games that bring the story to life in a way that feels exciting but safe for young learners.
Everything is delivered at EYFS pace, with clear routines and plenty of opportunities for children to join in at their own comfort level.
A literacy workshop designed for how young children learn
GO ALL IN for EYFS is delivered as a 45-minute, whole-class workshop, with children seated together in a circle-time style set-up. Activities are carefully structured to support attention, turn-taking and listening, while allowing children to move, imagine and express themselves.
The session is particularly supportive for children who are still developing confidence with speech, including EAL learners and quieter children, as it uses repetition, physical actions, shared responses and modelling to ensure everyone can take part successfully.
There is no pressure to “perform”. Joining in looks different for every child, watching, copying, speaking, moving or smiling along all count.
Helping children discover that books are for them
EYFS children already have strong interests, animals, dinosaurs, cars, unicorns, superheroes, space, fairies, families and feelings. GO ALL IN uses these interests as the doorway into reading.
Children explore the simple idea of real books and imaginary books, discovering that stories help us learn about the world and also imagine new ones. They begin to understand that stories give us superheroes, fairies and adventures, and that books help us make sense of real things too.
The workshop reinforces the idea that reading isn’t just about words on a page. It’s about pictures, listening to stories, sharing books together and talking about what we see and feel.
Building communication, wellbeing and kindness through story
When the Read-O-Tron stops working, children gently explore what a world without reading might feel like. Through age-appropriate role-play and movement games, they imagine people feeling lonely, confused or unable to help one another.
This creates a natural, meaningful link between reading and empathy, wellbeing and classroom kindness, helping children understand that stories teach us how to care about others and how to talk about our own feelings.
Teachers often use this part of the workshop as a starting point for follow-up circle-time conversations, story corners and continuous provision activities.
A perfect one-off EYFS workshop with year-long options available
GO ALL IN can be booked as a one-off EYFS workshop day, ideal for launching a school’s National Year of Reading celebrations or strengthening reading culture in Early Years.
For schools planning a broader approach, Bigfoot also offers a full programme of National Year of Reading experiences across 2026, allowing pupils to revisit and deepen their relationship with reading throughout the year.
You can explore the full programme HERE
