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With the UK on lockdown currently, schools are closed to the majority of children and they’re continuing their learning at home. Without a routine many children really struggle so it’s wise to keep them as busy as possible to avoid them getting bored. Here are 5 ways to continue their learning during this period of lockdown.
Plan out a new routine
Most children hate change and really thrive when they know the structure of their day. With this in mind, plan out a routine to include time for structured learning, time for crafts and creativity, time for screens, time for fresh air in the garden and time to get hands on with life skills such as making their beds, preparing food in the kitchen and even baking a cake or a different sweet treat for the whole family to enjoy. Review the new routine every two to four weeks to keep them interested and engaged in the learning from home activities.
Research a new topic
There is always so much more to learn about our everyday lives. There are so many topics you could learn about outside of the school curriculum that learning can be really fun at home. Perhaps you could look at the topic of Space and introduce your children to the planets and the Solar System. We have enjoyed looking at the NASA and ESA websites which have lots of educational resources and activities for children to enjoy.
There are so many ways to build upon what children have already learnt in school and to take this learning further with extra reading, writing and maths related activities.
Get creative with junk modelling
Save the household recycling and let children get creative with junk modelling. Save the egg cartons, the cereal boxes and the milk cartons and you could turn something that would normally get recycled into something fun. Perhaps you could turn the plastic milk bottles into a bird feeder for the garden (with thanks to Deb from Family Days Tried and Tested for the idea) or perhaps build a racing car out of cardboard boxes.
Work with an online tutor
Whilst learning at home is fun, it can get frustrating for both parent and child. Working with an online tutor can give the child someone new to learn from and it can give the parent some time out to refocus (or have a well deserved cup of tea and a biscuit) Children learning with an online tutor can benefit from a professional’s expertise, discover a new way of learning and maybe motivated to learn more in their own free time.
Utilise the free resources online
There has been a huge increase in the availability of free resources online as well as Facebook groups popping up for parents to share their knowledge and skills. My friend Lucy has created the Corona Lockdown Parents Activity Support Group on Facebook which is brilliant. Many national and international museums have offered virtual tours of their exhibitions, several zoos are offering live feeding experiences as well as unique insight into how a zoo runs and illustrators, artists and authors are all offering ‘create with me’ / ‘draw with me’ / ‘listen to me read’ style videos to encourage children to develop their passions and continue their learning.
Whilst it’s a scary world outside the home right now, there is a wealth of learning opportunities for our children inside their own homes. There’s never been a better time to explore something new and develop new hobbies surrounded by love and support in the home.
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