Since schools in the UK and across other parts of the world are currently closed, parents are now home schooling or ‘crisis schooling’ and help their children with their learning at home. This has proven to be quite the challenge for many; juggling home life, working and helping children with their education isn’t particularly easy. To help those who are after a few tips, I have teamed up with an independent primary school in Hertfordshire. Read on for five learning activities you can do with your child at home.
Plant Some Seeds
If you’re lucky enough to have an outside space, why not consider planting some vegetables with your child. Watching your plants grow is such a rewarding activity and it teaches your child patience and responsibility, as well as how to care for plants. You don’t necessarily even need a big garden, you could just clean out a few empty yogurt pots or a plastic cup and sprinkle some seeds in with some compost.
Bake a Cake
Kids love baking, which probably has something to do with the tasty treats they get to eat at the end of it. Believe it or not, baking provides many opportunities to learn, including English, Science and Maths. Your child will have to follow instructions, measure out the ingredients and even comprehend some reversible and irreversible changes. It’s also a fun way to spend some quality time together and get creative with the decorations.
Observe Some Wildlife
Whether you’re watching from the window or taking a stroll through the park, encourage your child to look out for different birds and other wildlife. You could even suggest that they keep a little diary so they can write down what animals and insects they have seen, and which ones seem most common. You could also teach them about different trees and plants and how the different seasons affect the rest of the outside world.
This might seem like a strange activity, but anything that encourages our children to eat more fruit is a bonus, right? Chop up a selection of different apples, blindfold your child and see if they can figure out which type of apple it is. Encourage them to use adventurous vocabulary to describe the taste of each chunk. If your child doesn’t like apples, you could try another type of food. The trick is to engage their senses and encourage use of various adjectives.
Perform a Science Experiment
You might not realise it but your kitchen cupboards are probably filled with different things you can use as part of a science experiment. Washing up liquid, food colouring, bicarbonate of soda and other regular household items can be used to explore how combine different things leads to a chemical reaction. You could also use bath time to experiment with different objects, determining which ones float and which ones sink.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. You’ll probably find that once you try one or two, your imagination will lead you to some new alternatives. Don’t be too hard on yourself; there will be days when you don’t feel like entertaining the kids or finding educational activities for them, and that’s ok. As long as they have plenty to keep them occupied and stimulate their minds, they will be fine!