Family activities and resources

Whether you’re self isolating as a precautionary measure or your childcare facility or school is closed, the prospect of keeping children busy at home can be a daunting one.

Staying self-isolated is an uncommon experience for many of us. It is an unsettling time for families, and especially for children – even if they don’t understand what is happening. Trying to give children a ‘new normal’ can be hard.

Here’s a list of some of the best practical ideas for activities and resources that may be useful for your family or a friend or neighbour, because childhood can’t wait.

 

BBC Tiny Happy People

This page has activity ideas to try at home with children from pre-birth to age 4-5. They are divided up into age ranges. There are also videos and transcripts for nursery rhymes and songs – perhaps you can learn a new one with your children and FaceTime family and friends to show them what you’ve learnt.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/activities/zjh8hbk

 

The Literacy Trust

In response to school closures, The Literacy Trust have produced activities divided up into different age ranges to benefit children’s writing, reading and language development.

https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/

 

The Imagination Tree’s stay at home survival guide

A variety of different activities all requiring different levels of planning and resources. From writing to family and friends to designing a Lego contest, there is something here for everyone.

https://theimaginationtree.com/stay-at-home-survival-guide/

 

BBC Bitesize

These resources are split into ages and then topics, and also nations, recognising our different curricula around the UK. There are educational online games too! This site is more about activities completed online, as opposed to things you can do together as a family, but it may be useful if a family is particularly concerned about schooling.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/primary