Had Enough of Home School? We’re Here to Help
As the initial excitement and supermum-like juggling wore off, it became clear to many parents across the country that home schooling during lockdown was going to be a challenge to say the least. Unless your kids go to a school where the teacher is desperate to Zoom them for six hours a day you’ve been left struggling to find resources, and afford printer paper, for the last three weeks at least.
School provisions vary greatly, and while most of us have accepted that BBC Bitesize is better than gin at 9am (or at least more acceptable), you can’t keep kids plonked in front of a telly all day long. They need stimulation, fun and guidance. And that’s not easy to give when you are struggling to juggle them with siblings, work, and staying sane.
Older children tend to be more able to occupy themselves, and have more demanding shcedules from schools, but what of the Primary pupils?
Belle has come up with a few alternatives to tech and printouts that we hope will take younger kids away from wherever you want to be for an hour or more once a day, and enable some sane time, or calm time, for parents too.
- Times Tables Heroes is a super imaginative superheroes board game from the experts at Orchard who always manage to make learning fun for young kids. Practise their times tables from two to 12 with two games in one – Hero City board game and Multiplication Bingo. Suitable for younger kids with assistance and older ones to play by themselves. £10.50 from Orchard Toys.
2. The LeapStart® 3D Learning System si suitable for ages 2-7 and is an all-in-one interactive learning system for active minds. Enhance learning and get kids excited about everything from counting to reading through touch-and-talk games and 3D-like animations. £49.99 from the LeapFrog store.
3. The Primary Science Lab Set from Learning Resources has been designed specifically with young children in mind. It’s the ideal introduction to STEM subjects for children aged 3 and up. The bright colours will keep them engaged while chunky sized real-life tools are perfectly sized for little hands to hold, helping to encourage a love of science from an early age. This set includes ten activity cards illustrating step-by-step, hands-on science experiments that can be easily carried out with additional everyday items from around the home. £27.99 from John Lewis.
4. National Geographic’s Dinosaur Dig is an exciting hands-on adventure that encourages kids to become real paleontologists as they explore fossils that are millions of years old. The kit includes a full-colour learning guide and it’s something they’ll love to do on their own once it’s all explained. £10 from John Lewis, Amazaon, and most good toy stores.
5. From Glitter Slime Factories (pictured) to bath bomb kits and more creative activities for children, Canal Toys offer an explosion of colour with their build-it-yourself toys that double up as art and science lessons, and assist physical development and hand eye coordination. See the full range here.
6. EUGY is an eco-friendly arts and crafts product for children aged 6 upwards. Beautiful 3D animals and creatures are created using numerically sequenced sustainable card. They’re absorbing, and something to keep as a memory of lockdown. RRP £7.49 each from www.smythstoys.com.
7. Sight Wrd Swat is an easy-to-play activity perfect for reinforcing what children have been learning during home school lessons. It’s ideal for an end of lesson activity to allow them to let off some steam! The game play reinforces basic vocabulary skills, word reading and phonics. £15.50 from Learning Resources.
8. Aquabeads never fail as a way to distract and occupy children aged around three and above. With themes from Star Wars and Frozen to animals and cartoon characters, extra beads can be ordered online and once they get the aquabead bug they will be at it for hours. Great for hand-eye co-ordination and developing concentration skills too. Kits start from around £6 at all good toy stores.
9. The HEXBUG nano Space Discovery Station allows kids to use their imaginations as they travel to another galaxy. Created to inspire children’s interest in space, this deluxe set highlights elements of an epic space odyssey. Dress the nano in a space suit, watch as it drives a rover and accesses the air lock passage. Playset comes with ion cannon and positionable satellite. £29.99 from www.hexbug.com.
10. Magic Spelling gives the chance to race against the timer to spell KS1 words of varying levels. Self-checking word cards feature a rub and reveal coating to magically check the answers. Once you’ve correctly spelled a word, add a yucky ingredient to your spell book – will you choose a monster’s eyeball or the witch’s fingers?! The first player to collect all their ingredients and cast their spell wins the game. £12.95 from Orchard Toys.
Tips To Create a Fun and Engaging School at Home
We spoke with the experts at toy giants Melissa & Doug about the health benefits of open-ended play and how important play is for both parents and kids. Here were their tips:
Nurture a Love of Nature
Take a walk in a nearby park, around the block, or stare out the window. Notice the smallest things — which trees have buds? What colour are they? Which ones seem to be coming out first? Spending time in nature can be restorative for the whole family. Try growing your own sustainable garden, it’s easier than you might think.
Use Play as a Way to Process Big Feelings
Kids pick up on our emotions, tense conversations, and nonverbal signs of stress — which can increase their stress too. Think of ways your child could safely channel some of those feelings into rough-and-tumble play (chasing you or wrestling with you); imaginative play or role playing to help them feel in charge. Stress can make us feel powerless, so use play to give back some of that feeling of power to your kids.
Set Realistic Tech Time Limits
When tech time is over, schedule something interesting right after so they have an easier time transitioning. If they can turn off the TV or tablet themselves without whining, praise them for amazing tech self-control!
Reading Zones
If you have a toddler or preschool-aged child who isn’t reading independently yet, then set up a little “reading zone” in your home – add a few pillows or stuffed animals and encourage kids to pretend to run their own library or school.
Give Kids a Mission
Challenge your children to invent their own little world! Have them create a bookstore, veterinarian office, beauty salon, or space station in their bedroom. Make guidelines for what materials can be used and encourage creative uses of blankets, stuffed animals, or construction paper. Then have them give you a tour!
Provide Play Prompters
One of the appealing things about simple apps and digital games is that they often tell the child what to do next (so parents don’t have to!). This keeps the child’s attention but doesn’t challenge them to figure out their own play plan.
To create “just enough” structure to give your child freedom to do what they want, try this. Set up your child’s room so there are different baskets, buckets, or areas featuring different play themes: a dress-up box, a building zone, a creativity corner with art supplies, and so on. Explain to your child that they are in charge or deciding when, what, and how they want to play — without needing a parent (or app) to prompt them every time!
Get Silly and Embrace the Nonsense
Sometimes creating ideas out of nothing — even when the ideas seem like nonsense — is the best way to cope! For example, my family took a walk in a city park last weekend, and as my husband and I talked about how we will plan if schools are closed, my kids were running ahead. Suddenly a game of throwing someone’s balled-up jacket started. It was amazing how letting go of control, using our bodies, and laughing instantly relieved the tension in my head!
Make Chores Fun
Working from home, you will still need to do household chores. Many children will resist helping out if we use “demand language” (“It’s time do this . . .” “You have to do that…”) and are more receptive if you make it playful. For example, pretend to be on your favorite cooking show, talking about your ingredients or your family’s heritage while you cook. Write out the recipe, and have your child get the ingredients and decide what’s next — after washing their hands! A little mess is OK in exchange for the pride your child feels for making something.
For housework, play upon their competitive spirit (“Let’s see how many socks you can match in 2 minutes!” “I bet you can’t sweep that whole hallway!”) Young children often love to be “helpers,” so act like you’re training them and accept their imperfect, messy help.
Older kids might like the challenge of being in charge of making lunch for the whole family, writing out a menu of options, and taking orders. Just be accepting if the end product is a little sloppy.
Build on What Absorbs Your Child’s Attention
Some children love pretending to sweep, some love taking apart old electronics, some will draw and scribble for an hour. Try to identify what types of hands-on activities keep your child’s attention for 20 minutes or more, and give them opportunities to do those things near you while you work.
