Home learning can be enhanced with the array of educational programmes and games available online and on TV right now. There are so many great choices for parents trying to manage homeschooling to mix into the school day or pop on after school as a quality indoor lockdown activity. We’ve put together a list of online learning activities that are made in colourful, fun, creative ways, that we hope will help lockdown family life! Take a look…
Greek Myths Puppet Theatre
Watermans art centre presents Myths and Adventures from Ancient Greece, a series of four online children’s theatre shows written by Hannah Khalil. Children will enter a miniature world full of exciting adventures, with the battered insect Hope as their guide. Hope journeys into the world of Ancient Greece to escape Pandora’s Box, warn King Midas of his greed, seek Persephone in the Underworld and help Theseus to defeat the Minotaur.
Age guidance: 3-8 year olds
Home Learning Films with Learning Resources
To support pupils home learning, Into Film have put together a list of titles for a range of age groups, that are available to watch at home for free on BBC iPlayer and All4. You’ll also find each title with associated learning materials for further study. Into Film is an organisation that aims to inspire dynamic ways of learning with film and connecting with cinema that reach the widest possible young audience across the UK.
Natural History Museum Homework Club
The Natural History Museum’s educators will be sharing fun activities for you to do with children at home, join the NHM Homework Club and get involved! Each week there will be a different theme for the activities. Follow on Twitter @NHM_Learn or check this page to see the daily challenges. You can learn along with us or do the activities in your own time. On Fridays we will have an awesome live quiz to test what you have learned over the week. The first theme is dinosaurs which ends on 22 Jan with a live quiz at 10.30 GMT.
Unknown Warrior Family Day
Explore the story of the Unknown Warrior in a special online event for families, delivered by the National Army Museum in collaboration with Westminster Abbey. Explore the tale in an interactive Makaton storytelling workshop, and discover how one simple idea became a reality. Then create your own unique wreath to honour the Unknown Warrior, or someone important in your life, just like the many wreaths that have been laid at this special grave in Westminster Abbey for 100 years.
When: 23 January, 11.00am – 12.00pm
Age guidance: This is a family event for children (aged 8+) and adults to attend together over Zoom.
Booking: Free. Advanced booking required. Please only book one ticket per family.
More info: website
Tails from the Zoo
Zookeepers at ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos are reading weekend bedtime stories online. They’ll be reading near animal enclosures in a bid to keep their beloved animals in touch with their youngest fans during the nationwide lockdown. A different animal-inspired story told from the two zoos’ most popular exhibits will be read every weekend. Featuring children’s classics such as The Tiger who came to Tea, told in the company of Sumatran tigers Asim and Gaysha.
When: Every Saturday and Sunday evening until Sunday 21 February
Half Moon Theatre Winter Warmer Festival
Half Moon Theatre has an assortment of seasonal themed online activities for everyone to take part in at home. Storyteller Amari Harris conjures up two seasonal stories with a sprinkle of magic and an energetic snowball fight. Musician Toby Davies teaches body percussion and helps everyone create the sounds of a frosty winter; before music and drama combine for a festive finale. Plus, Beccy Allen, Half Moon’s Head of Creative Learning, gets crafty and shows us how to make a paper penguin, winter lantern and snowman bookmark.
Age guidance: 3-9