The Natural World
Reception · Geography
Explore hot and cold places, the seaside and the countryside.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Hot and cold places
Camels or penguins? Sort animals and landscapes into hot and cold places in this free Reception geography game.
Play Hot and cold placesSeaside or countryside?
Crabs or cows? Sort what you might see at the seaside and in the countryside in this free Reception geography game.
Play Seaside or countryside?
Learning about the natural world
These Reception Geography games practise Hot and cold places, Seaside or countryside?. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Look at picture books and photos of different places. Read the cards aloud and talk about what you would see, hear and wear there.
Ask: “Would you need a coat there?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
Hot and cold places
Some places in the world are very hot and some are very cold. Animals and plants there are suited to the weather.
Try an example: 🐪 Camels in the desert
Deserts are hot and dry.
Show the answer
Hot place
What to look out for
Thinking all of a country is hot Some countries have hot and cold parts.
Seaside or countryside?
The seaside and the countryside are two different places in the UK. Each has its own animals, plants and things to see.
Try an example: 🦀 A crab in a rock pool
Rock pools are at the seaside.
Show the answer
Seaside
What to look out for
Thinking sheep live at the beach Sheep live in fields in the countryside.
Practise away from the screen
- Look at a globe and find the hot and cold parts.
- Look at holiday photos and talk about where they were taken.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to the The Natural World early learning goal in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework for England. The goals describe what children are expected to know and do by the end of Reception. A game offers a few playful examples; it does not assess a goal.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with the natural world?
Start with Hot and cold places. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. These games give short, playful practice. Reception learning is mostly hands-on play, talk and stories, so use the games alongside those, not instead of them.