Requesting ideas for activities when caring for key worker's children in school.

[ScarlettDarling]

I'm starting to really struggle to come up with ideas to fill the days when I'm in on rota which are suitable for all ages and can be completed whilst trying to maintain a distance in the classroom!

We usually have about 6-8 children, aged from 4-11. We've written letters to people in care homes, made tons of rainbow collages,made a thank you frieze for our local Asda, painted pebbles, done water colour painting and sketching outside. We've done loads of playing outside (thank goodness for good weather!) But I'm really struggling.

Any suggestions?

Can they not do some of their school work?

Ours are doing the work the ones at home are doing.

I'm a secondary teacher and we're mainly just getting them to do the online work that their teachers have set. We have 11-16 year olds from 3 schools so a wide range of work, although I understand they're more independent than 4 year olds. I still think it's probably the easiest option though.

Do you have access to enough netbooks/tablets for the pupils? They could do online work, or go to BBC Bitesize and whatever sites your school has a subscription to, eg Education City, Purple Mash.

If you're school has decided key worker/vulnerable children musn't be taught:

DH has been doing 'PE' with our DC outside. There are lots of no contact options, eg sprinting, circuit training, kicking a ball against a wall.

Planting flowers or vegetables

Can you get any budget to order things from eg Baker Ross? There are loads of different craft ideas on there.

Making comic books/graphic novels/stories

Learn something a bit off-curriculum. Beaver/Cub badges might give ideas, eg www.scouts.org.uk/beavers/activity-badges/communicator/

*your school

I can write when I'm teaching, just not on Mumsnet!

I’m going in for the first time next week (new job) and I’m thinking drama games. There are lots in a book I have that allow for social distancing ! I’ll post a link...

Drama Games for Classrooms and Workshops by Jessica Swale

But I’m sure you could find some online .

Thanks for the quick replies.

Yes, the ks2 pupils could crack on with the tasks they have on their Google classrooms. It's a lot more difficult with the little ones though.

I'll have a look at that book @Trebormints74 . Thanks for the suggestion. Good luck with starting your new job in these weird circumstances!

@WyfOfBathe thanks for the cubs/ scouts site, I'll have a look, good idea.

Project about countries of the world.

My little ones have been enjoying cosmic yoga can you access this?

Musical statues / bumps.

Sports day games.

Junk modelling. My little ones have made things out of toilet rolls and cereal boxes lots of ideas on Pinterest.

Make play doh.

Have you access to any kitchen equipment for small cooking projects.

Quiz's? Mini challenges?
Research topics.

Last time I was in it was the holidays, so I didn't really want to do any work. We got all the gymnastics equipment out, then I gave them the run of the PE shed.

Next time I'm in it's due to rain, so probably a bit of the same.

Ours have mainly been watching films.

Freeze flowers in ice and let them smash it up then make soup with the flowers. Our KS1 boys loved this!

We also did boccia which they enjoyed.

We don't do any lessons/school work. For us it's all about care.

We do craft, games, bikes and scooters, films, iPads, we water the plants and veg in our poly tunnel and around school. We aim to be outside as much as possible.

This is what I did last week. Masking tape and chalk. It actually ended up bigger than that as we added more to it.

We do a balance as don’t want them disadvantaged work wise from those at home with a 1:1 parent helping so often have activities out and then help children from same year group with activities. We also use iPads to let them go on mathletics, bug club etc - numbots is free at the moment if you don’t subscribe to anything .
We also have plenty of PE - rounders is good! Last week we did St. George’s day activities when I was in, another teacher made fruit smoothies and then did adverts and packaging for them.

I’d choose a topic- a country is a great way in and ks2 can do research which ks1 find images and you can support them more. Each child could have a topic to produce a poster or report about.

Plenty of art activities or science challenges That can be done independently and make the most of resources you have in school parents might not have

Could you make use of some of the resources online for parents, I know schools aren't really teaching but some of these things are quite fun e.g. Joe Wicks, David Walliams story time

They could do some of their work, even the ks1 ones because they’ll be at a disadvantage otherwise. Just basics like timetables, arithmetic etc.

They could also do project work which is curriculum based and age appropriate eg plant life cycles can be varied across the ages (ask the relevant teachers for advice as I assume they’re planning and providing work already)?

We’re doing a tiny bit of work with them from what is being provided by teachers - we’ve changed what we’re sending home a bit now so might give more of the day over to them working on that.

A lot of art / craft. Facebook is quite good for ideas, those videos of different crafts. Paper folding type stuff.

Linking to picture books is good so we read a story then do activities around that.

Clay modelling, sewing (tho threading needles makes this a bit harder to distance with).

Outdoor stuff too - scavenger hunts, natural art, making bug hotels.

They’ve loved Kim’s game - pictures on a PowerPoint.

Cosmic yoga & go noodle.

Thanks! It’s v weird!

Have a look at the crest challenges. I teach STEM and was doing these with a few of my classes - P2 and P5 - before we closed. They do 8 challenges and achieve a certificate and badge

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Such weird times eh?

A radio show

Re the scouting website, they have a section for 'stay indoors' with a variety of activities. Some are for all ages, some for younger or older ages. Whilst they are obviously aimed at those in scouting, they have been useful in getting my children to do other things - the blackout poet for example, or the roll a dice story.