Related: Coronavirus forum, discuss everything related to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
Related: Coronavirus forum, discuss everything related to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
Ideas for keeping primary school-age children entertained at home
112
soniamumsnet · 19/03/2020 15:33
If you have primary-aged kids at home demanding lots of your time, look no further.
We've shared some of our best ideas here, along with a few of yours - from craft activities, made-up family games, useful online resources to baking ideas (and how to make it even easier with cake mixes).
So go grab the glitter and the laptop (but not together). You got this.
1. Get baking
Why not make some wonderful creations in the kitchen together? And, what's more, you can teach them basic food science while you do it.
Buy Betty Crocker products here
2. Make live art
Take inspiration from The National Gallery itself and help bring art to life - by recreating famous artworks using household items.
See creative live art examples here
3. Garden bug safari
Collect bugs in pots, identify them indoors, observe their bug-like behaviours and then release them back into the wild.
4. Make pet rocks
Collect pebbles from the garden (if you have one) and then go mad with the glue, glitter and felt tips. Googly eyes not necessary but to be encouraged.
Buy googly eyes here
5. Try a balloon game
Got any balloons left over from party bags? Then you have a noisy but busy hour ahead of you. There are plenty of balloon game ideas online.
See balloon game ideas
6. Make theme park
"Spend a few days making your own 'theme park' in the garden using materials available in your home." - Antiopa12
7. Make a beach
Can’t get to the beach? Try to recreate the experience at home with the paddling pool, beach mats, ice creams.
Buy a paddling pool here
Related: The best garden games for kids
8. Host a dog show
"We had a lot of fun creating an agility course for the very bemused dog, Olympics-style. You can have a family competition with different events and an opening ceremony and awards.” - Antiopa12
9. Watch storytime online
Watch Stay at Home Storytime with children’s author and all-round kids’ book genius Oliver Jeffers, who wrote Stuck!, The Day The Crayons Quit, The Incredible Book Eating Boy and many more.
10. Virtual musical statues
For any primary-age kids sad to be missing out on birthday parties over the coming months, Nutty’s Children’s Parties (based in London) is taking the party to Facebook with Boredom Busting videos every day. Let the virtual musical statues commence!
11. Superhero activities
Try out the Superhero activities online at Super Hero Parties. Spidey is even doing personalised videos and video chats for isolation special occasions.
12. Do some yoga
Bring some zen to their day Dahl-style with this Cosmic Kids Yoga take on . Help them paint the ceiling with their feet from a downward dog position and jump like the monkeys who finally fix The Twits. Worm spaghetti at the ready.
13. Make secret codes
Bring out the Alan Turing in them and try Lego Secret Codes at Frugal Fun for Boys (we think it looks like frugal fun for girls, too, but we’re not splitting hairs now). Create a code using different Lego bricks for each letter of the alphabet and then write secret messages to each other.
14. Draw pigeons
Fans of Mo Willems (his Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus’ is a Mumsnet favourite) will love Lunch Doodles on YouTube. Join in as Mo teaches you how to draw his signature pidgies and more.
15. Customise a t-shirt
Got fabric pens? Missing being able to buy them cool T-shirts for summer? Then you got 99 problems but a lack of new T-shirts ain’t one. Pick out some plain-ish garments (tote bags and T-shirts work well) and let them upcycle them with fabric pens. Don’t worry - no one’s going to see them, remember? You can sneak them out in bin liners once this is all over. They’ll be too distracted by soft play and McDonald’s being open again to notice.
Buy fabric pens here
16. Make a map
Pretend ones, dragony ones, ones of the moon, ones of places you’ve been on holiday, one of your local area with all their friends’ houses marked on, one of the inside of your house. Kids love maps. We love maps, too. Try it.
17. Have a dance party and learn some maths
Get them bopping along to some seriously ear-wormy tunes (sorry) on Supermovers. The good news is they’ll be learning their times tables, grammar rules and much more at the same time. The bad news? You’ll be humming ‘Capital Letters and Full Stops’ by The Hip Hop Granny until isolation is over.
18. Go stargazing
You don’t even need a garden (though hot chocolate and hats and gloves do make it more fun). Dig out your telescope and download SkyMap or another constellations app on your phone to help you tell your Orions from your Ophichuses. Or visit the CBeebies Stargazing page.
View telescopes here
19. Host a debate
Teach them the art of debating with battles such as Monkeys vs Sharks and Chocolate vs Chips on the podcast Smash Boom Best.
20. Go on a virtual art tour
The Musee D’Orsay, as well as lots of other galleries, has a virtual tour with plenty of Van Goghs and Monets for kids this age to spot.
21. Try some engineering activities
The Leaders Awards are there to encourage a love of engineering in the young. They’re going to have lots of online activities and competitions running over the coming months.
22. Do Harry Potter-themed yoga
Cosmic Yoga for Kids has a special for Hogwarts fans. Lumos!
23. Write some fan fiction
“Make up some fan fiction eg when captain underpants visited our school.” - EllieQuinn
24. Start a nerf gun war
In the garden, ideally.
25. See a West End Show
You can now watch a streamed version of the 2017 West End production of The Wind in the Willows, starring Rufus Hound, for £4.99. POOP POOP to that, we say!
26. Learn some art history
Do they know their Monet from their Manet? More importantly, do they like to get drippy, splashy, smudgy and swirly while enjoying a bit of art history? Sign them up here.
27. Listen to the radio
Gather round the Wireless and tune into the BBC’s School Radio for music, drama and more.
28. Try some mindfulness exercises
Music and mindfulness for slightly older kids at Go Noodle.
29. Brush up their classical music education with David Walliams
The Marvellous Musical Podcast, courtesy of Classic FM is excellent. Very interesting and very silly.
30. Host the trampoline championships
Just don’t break any wrists.
What are your suggestions for keeping primary school kids entertained? Let us know by posting on the thread.
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WorriedAboutMom · 19/03/2020 16:17
-Kinetic sand in a large plastic container with moulds & spades.
-blackboard & chalk, whiteboards with markers, painting (all can be done on Ikea Mala easel)
-colouring/sticker books
-educational apps on IPad
- outdoor games such as ball games, water table, riding bikes/scooters
-making indoor/outdoor dens
-Baking e.g. gingerbread men
-Helping with gardening
-Making Mother's Day cards!
TantieTowie · 19/03/2020 18:33
Skype/Face Time play dates with their friends
Help with lunch/dinner
Planting seeds (order online if don't have?)
BertandQueenieforever · 19/03/2020 18:34
Cosmic kids yoga on you tube.
ILikePaperHats · 19/03/2020 20:42
Joe Wicks is doing daily workouts for kids on his YouTube channel at 9am weekdays I think
EllieQuinn · 19/03/2020 23:34
We’re on lockdown this week. So far, aside from tantrums and being bored, we have
Had a nerf gun battle in the garden
Brought ALL the cuddlies downstairs and made a zoo, made a poster, brochure, map of the zoo, set up a gift shop, and recorded an advert for the zoo
Ninja training
Made pipe cleaner superheroes and a shoe box spaceship for them
Disco
Card game
Board game
Making our own comics
Recorded a video to amuse toddler cousin
Science experiments from Pinterest
Baked a cake
Harry Potter cosmic yoga on YouTube- a big hit!
Jumping on the bed -not usually allowed
Puppet show
Made a blanket fort
On my list still to go are:
Plant seeds
Bug hunt in the garden
Make a gingerbread house
Lego secret code (google it)
Balloon tennis
Ladle hockey (we invented this, it requires one or more plastic balls like from a ball pit, plus one ladle per player- can use a sieve at a push) more fun as an indoor game.
Making a mega marble run using duplo, cardboard tubes, eg. Etc
Make musical instruments & dress up as rock stars, video the performance & send to grandma
Get the fabric pens out and embellish a t shirt or vest
Make pizza
Am going to get some worksheets from Big Life Journal, they look nice
Collage
Making Easter decorations
Long baths
Painting the garden fence (???)
Lego challenges
We might get in the car and have a driving lesson (without turning it on!!) go on an imaginary journey
Draw a basic map of the local area and get them to draw in the landmarks, themselves, friends etc
Getting the toy swords out for a fencing lesson
Treasure hunt with clues
Make shadow puppets
Salt dough
Write a story- each person adds a line and it gets really silly
Make up some fan fiction eg when captain underpants visited our school
Cuddly toy skittles
Antiopa12 · 20/03/2020 06:13
We had very limited horizons because of the extreme nature of my son’s didability. From experience you need to use your imagination and decide if you cannot go out then you can recreate the experience in your back garden (if you have one). So...
Spend a few days making your own “theme park” in the garden using materials available in your home.
Can’t get to the beach? Try to recreate the experience at home with the paddling pool, beach mats, ice creams
Dog show? We had a lot of fun creating an agility course for the very bemused dog
The Olympics? You can have a family competition on some unusual events with an opening ceremony and awards
Nature reserve? Go bug hunting and learn about the specimens you find
In short, Whatever your family likes to do outside try to bring elements of that experience home
Cherrypi · 20/03/2020 06:17
Salt on a tray to make marks in.
Cornflour and water.
Library ebooks and audiobooks. Borrowbox has loads of Disney content.
twinkledag · 20/03/2020 12:01
YogaBugs in Youtube.
twinkledag · 20/03/2020 12:02
*on
horseymum · 20/03/2020 12:12
Learn an instrument- buy a decent ie aulos or Yamaha recorder ( about £10-12 online) not the £2 toy ones if you can afford it. twinkl has a very basic course. It can sound lovely honestly!
Ukuleles are a bit more, about £20, loads of play a long videos on YouTube and you can slow them down too.
Rompertupper · 20/03/2020 17:02
Mine will be plugged in to their devices. Maybe a walk at lunchtime/in the evening. Some of us have to work full time, even if it is from home.
Aragog · 20/03/2020 17:40
Cosmic Kids yoga
Go Noodle
Super Movers on CBeebies
All screen based websites for keeping active
mummmy2017 · 21/03/2020 08:00
Mesclun Mix Salad.
Cress. Grows in days.
Carrots take 50 days.
Bean Sprouts.
And you can eat these, sunny window
would work.
And if you research it online you can use as a home school exercise.
Judy1967 · 21/03/2020 17:50
ALL resources on //www.connect-kids.org are now FREE! Use the lesson plans and the stories to teach your children to embrace the gift of diversity, learn tolerance, and to love themselves and each other more, and so make this world a better place for us all. Please SHARE THE LOVE by sharing this message with everyone you think could benefit. Consider using online hook ups like ZOOM to meet up with your friends, wherever they may be, the more diverse the better, and together go through the material with your kids. Let’s use this opportunity to teach our children to BUILD BRIDGES WHILE BEHIND WALLS.
Enjoy. Keep well and keep safe.
Judy and the Connect Kids team
zowiewowie · 21/03/2020 22:29
My little boy made an online Random Idea Generator programmed with around 200 ideas and growing. You click the button and it gives you an activity idea at random! He would LOVE it if you send him your ideas via his website too- it’s keeping him busy!
It's really fun for kids to use and I love it because it's one less decision for me to make!
It has everything from baking to ice excavating to radio garden to malign mixtures and potions to pirate day and more 😂www.whatshallwedo.co.uk
museummumblog · 22/03/2020 00:14
Hope it's ok to post - I've spent the last few days pulling together some of the best museum games, activities and downloads for families isolated at home. All FREE, easy to follow and fun. Here's the link museummum.com/2020/03/21/covid-culture/
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 22/03/2020 20:45
My DC are a bit older but skipping ropes have gone down well. They are both sporty and want to keep up their fitness. (They are boys)
AutumnIrene · 23/03/2020 20:07
The Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities
GoNoodle® engages 14 million kids every month with movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. Available for free at school, home, and everywhere kids are!
World Book Online have just made their fabulous collection of over 3,000 ebooks and audiobooks available for free for children to access at home. They have books suitable for all ages. You need to sign up but hopefully it works.
25 Nature Webcams for Science Learning at a Distance
With a combination of independent and collaborative learning activities, the home learning books provide a great opportunity for parents to learn with their children.
The Wind in the Willows West End production is available to stream online for free
Scholastic is offering free online courses so your kids can keep learning while schools are closed
Stuck at home? 17 Museum Virtual Tours to Take from your Sofa
Our Favorite Virtual P.E. Resources to Keep Kids Moving at Home
A Big List of Podcasts for Little Kids
Bestselling Children’s Author Mo Willems Is Teaching Kids Drawing On YouTube
Join Joe Wicks for live PE lesson following UK school closures
UntamedShrew · 23/03/2020 22:47
I got my son to interview his grandparents via FaceTime then write up their biographies and fact files. Was a hit on both sides, kids and the olds all loved it.
My daughter I got to make a school with her teddies and she has to teach them the maths from her school book (only way she will do maths!)
They also made rainbows for our windows to cheer up our street. And swept and packed a bag of leaves from the back yard.
This makes it sound an easy fun day. It wasn’t - working with kids around means you just do two jobs, badly. Great idea to share any tips. I love that Zowie’s son made a website, wowie indeed!
AutumnIrene · 24/03/2020 13:17
Amazon Unlocks Batch of Kids’ Shows Free to Stream for All Customers
Corbettmaths Primary. Videos, Worksheets and 5-a-day math problems
30+ Virtual Field Trips for Kids
The Hidden World of National Parks
Edinburgh Zoo Webcams
Mystery Science has free, easy science for remote learning
Audible is streaming hundreds of children’s books for free
#DrawWithRob video for you and your kids.
25 Foods You Can Re-Grow Yourself from Kitchen Scraps
The James Dyson Foundation Science Challenge cards Lots of science projects you can try at home.
Knitting for Kids
Twinkl Parents Hub - As a parent, you want to do all you can to support your child's learning, but finding the time and knowing where to start can be a challenge - and that's why we're here to help.
National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, can be toured virtually.
10 Instagram accounts to follow for crafts and activities while schools are closed
Gre8scott · 24/03/2020 19:42
Oti Mabuse doing a kids dance class every day at 11.30
Hobbycraft giving ideas for crafts at 11am gladgow science centre doing a science experiment at 10am every day
Royal scottish national orchestra doing a music lesson every Wednesday
Gre8scott · 24/03/2020 19:43
David walliams releasing a new audio story every day
Aubile app doing free stories for kids
LarryDuff · 25/03/2020 08:21
thanks for the zoo idea, big hit with my 5 year old yesterday :)
stayingaliveisawayoflife · 25/03/2020 09:32
This has some good ideas.
AutumnIrene · 25/03/2020 11:49
Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
Math Learning Center free Lessons & Publications
Tissue Paper Stained Glass Craft for Kids
Disney Dance-Alongs
NHS Change 4 Life: Indoor activities for kids
Mighty Maths is designed for teachers by teachers. Be Mighty... Exercise your mind!
10 delicious and kid-friendly mug cake recipes
Activity: Write Your Name in Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Draw Every Day with Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Live youtube streams:
Story Time from Space
How to make Sugar Crystals on a Stick
Crash Course is one of the best ways to educate yourself, your classmates, and your family on YouTube!
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