Find fun and creative activities to add a bit of colour and imagination to the day
Online resources with lessons and ideas of how to keep children active in the home and garden
Pages with ideas to help children keep up singing and music at home
Given that no parent is going to win the screen battle over the weeks ahead, we might as well try to make the time productive! Links to help children develop computer science skills.
Sometimes activities don't need a purpose. In this section you'll find lots of ideas to keep kids occupied for fun.
A selection of a few good YouTube channels that are well worth looking at along with more traditional resources
A few more practical ideas for activities around the home and garden
Resources to help children and parents navigate uncertainty and change
And finally, a short collection of other resources which are definitely not to be missed!
A fun, vibrant channel hosted by a family with a very enthusiastic love for art! Great tutorials to help kids develop creative ideas and fun drawing skills. https://www.youtube.com/user/ArtforKidsHub
Lots of creative ideas and projects for young children and advice on how to encourage creativity and confidence. Over 500 arts and crafts arranged by activity including painting, printing, drawing, sculpture, collage and suncatchers. https://artfulparent.com/
Fun and easy crafts for everyone! Making crafting accessible to all, whether as a carer you “love” or “hate” crafts, the ideas on this site are designed to be enjoyable, easy and do-able with great results for all, use simple materials, help build skills and confidence. https://www.redtedart.com/
Follow World Book Day Illustrator Rob Biddulph on Instagram to join in with his #DrawWithRob videos at 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. https://www.instagram.com/rbiddulph/?hl=en
Wide range of video art classes with helpful printables for each activity for drawing, painting, printmaking, collage and crafts so that it's easier for you and your kids to learn new art activities and techniques. Currently offering free-trial for 14 days then subscription based, includes a holiday art camp! https://www.kidsartspot.com/
Wonderful local art teacher and tutor Laura has taken her fabulous arts and crafts lessons online during COVID-19 with online tutorials and projects that can be accessed by a very reasonable family subscription. Check out her website for a huge variety of colourful and creative ideas that can be used to learn new skills and techniques. http://www.dinkydoodlers.co.uk/art-clubs.html
Kids art education provider run by a wonderfully creative and enthusiastic team who are supporting families through school closures with some great materials. Resources include an expanding collection of free original art lesson plans to inspire kids to create their own work in the style or famous artists, as well as ten minute craft activity tutorials and colouring templates in addition to weekly art classes which are now being run online for members. https://www.dibdabartclub.com/home-school
A lovely collection of play and craft ideas for younger and school age children, as well as a really practical and helpful stay at home survival guide for parents to use while their children are at home. https://theimaginationtree.com/
Subscription based access to thousands of award-winning video classes taught by top designers and artists with downloadable patterns, templates and recipes. https://www.creativebug.com/
No list of arts and crafts resources would be complete without a link to Pinterest for one of the widest ranges of creative ideas and inspiration on the internet. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/
Hugely popular free daily PE lessons by Joe Wicks (aka The Body Coach) live on his YouTube Channel are back on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in 2021. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ
Phenomenal set of videos to get children (and parents) up, moving, dancing and having fun. Superlatives intended. Engages 14 million kids every month with free movement, yoga and mindfulness videos created by child development experts. Includes downloadable curricular activities and recommended off-screen home activities. The Kids Zumba series deserves a special mention for easy to follow zumba routines to upbeat songs! Available via the app or on https://www.gonoodle.com/good-energy-at-home-kids-games-and-videos/
Brilliantly presented yoga, mindfulness and relaxation videos for kids. Interactive adventures which build strength, balance and confidence, and get kids into yoga and mindfulness early. Also available on YouTube. https://www.cosmickids.com/
Partnership to develop activities that help get children moving before, during and after school hours. https://www.activekidsdobetter.co.uk/
Outstanding collection of free drama games ideas (some of which look great fun to play around the table after dinner, no props necessary) and ideas for creating your own drama lessons as well as full lesson plans and resources. https://dramaresource.com/
Access to over 9,000 karaoke songs that can be streamed instantly to iPhones or iPads for the "ultimate home entertainment" https://www.luckyvoicekaraoke.com/
A section of the popular site dedicated to making music, learning music, musical genres and famous musicians. https://www.brainpop.com/artsandmusic/
Award-winning site which helps children learn about classical music in a fun and interactive way. Also features some nice games for children learning to play music as well as a fun composer tool. https://www.classicsforkids.com/
Huge range of free, downloadable PDF resources for teachers, students, researchers or anyone else interested in discovering more about the productions and plays staged by the National Theatre. Resources dedicated to primary schools are in development. https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/learning/schools/secondary-and-fe/resources
Hundreds of colorful, animated music games that teach essential theory and aural skills for music teachers and students. http://www.musiclearningcommunity.com/FreePreview.htm
Selection of music themed games for younger children. https://pbskids.org/games/music/
Selection of introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators. Free and subscription based content https://www.musictheory.net/
Subscription based suite of music education tools that support efficient practice, helping musicians to develop and grow. https://www.smartmusic.com/
A range of story-rich video tutorials and fun make up these online programming courses for beginner, intermediate and advanced coders. Micro-lessons are designed to break down complex computer science concepts into fun and engaging exercises, and include java-script programming, game development, web development and data science. https://educode.org/
Popular app which teaches kids to code at home with fun games, also used by over 50% of US schools. Users can learn about drag and drop programming, creating characters, building levels and transitioning into real code. https://www.kodable.com
Non-profit organisation dedicated to expanding computer science with excellent online tutorials and videos. Includes a set of resources to help students learn computer science at home. https://studio.code.org/courses
"Everything needed to learn computer programming the fun way". Includes easy to learn, visual programming courses for children to learn to code and mod Minecraft. Ages 5+ with free access to premium coding courses during school closures. https://www.tynker.com/
Free exercises, tests and games to help children develop their typing skills. https://www.typing.com/
Fun and interactive educational games for kids aged 3–11 on a huge range of subjects. Many schools offering free access throughout 2021 closures, free trial currently being provided for 7 days. https://www.busythings.co.uk/
Hundreds of fun and free games, books, comics, and videos that develop skills in math, reading, problem-solving and literacy. https://www.funbrain.com/
Wealth of ideas and activities for children of all ages to play games and discover new jokes, surveys, answers to science questions, and fun crafts and recipes. https://www.highlightskids.com/
Hugely popular platform that let you make your own free learning tools such as flashcards, games and learning tools to study anything you like. https://quizlet.com/en-gb
Huge selection of games for younger children featuring popular and well known characters. https://pbskids.org/games/ or download the app.
A great puzzle generation tool offered as part of the Discovery Educatio site. Create and print customised word-search, criss-cross, maths puzzles and more using your own word lists. http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/
A collection of interactive educational games for young children. All are free and designed to work on computers, tablets and mobile devices. https://toytheater.com/
Friendly channel designed to expose children to famous art, classical music, children's literature and natural science in an age-appropriate and kid-accessible way. https://www.youtube.com/user/watchfreeschool
Educates kids through music and animation in a fun and unique approach to learning. Wide list of science and geography based videos to browse. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7EFWpvc1wYuUwrtZ_BLi9A
A UK based Kids YouTube channel featuring lots of entertainment, learning, activities, songs and lots more for children aged 0-8 with on and off-screen activities you can do at home. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtwMZCvNwCEL2zeaSHtcjAw/about
Inspired by Richard Louv's highly acclaimed book "Vitamin N" (recommended by the National Science Teacher's Association) which documents over 500 ways for people to share nature with their children and communities, the Wildlife Trust has some lovely practical ideas to help families maintain their connection with the natural world. Look out for #VitaminN on social media. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/looking-after-yourself-and-nature
A great selection of easy recipes to make with kids using simple ingredients https://www.jamieoliver.com/features/category/get-kids-cooking/
Recorded cooking classes and kids lockdown cookbook with chef and food writer Theo Michaels https://www.theocooks.com/kids-cookalong-live/ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvmZHFliIjw
A great selection of fun activities intended for parents and children to get more enjoyment from life including active games, cooking and crafts. Don't miss the fun tongue twister section for kids to practise their drama skills at home. https://www.mykidstime.com/
A digital book for primary school age children, free for anyone to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it. https://axelscheffler.com/books-for-older-children/coronavirus
Our kids love these bright and easy to write daily journals, in which they write the best things that happened in their day and choose (or draw) an emoji to show how they feel. Designed to promote happiness, develop positive habits and nurture enquiring minds, with an age-appropriate motivational quote each day which can be a good talking point! Don't miss the free podcast for parents to help children prepare the emotional skills they need for the future. https://happyselfjournal.com
A wonderful free selection of breathing, mindfulness and meditation practises for families as well as clear information and tools from Goldie Hawn's highly acclaimed school-based Social Emotional Learning programme. MindUP aims to help children develop the critical knowledge and skills they need to strengthen their mental health and emotional wellbeing through increased self-awareness, self-regulation and social and emotional competencies. https://mindup.org.uk/families/
Collection of meditation, sleep and movement exercises to support people through this time of crisis, however they're feeling. Free section called "Weathering the storm" available without subscription. Download the app or visit: https://www.headspace.com/
5 things you need to know about anxiety and how to recognise it in children. https://www.barnardos.org.uk/blog/5-things-you-need-know-about-anxiety
Comprehensive website of tools and resources on coping with anxiety, including sections dedicated to corona virus and anxiety in young people. https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
Important collection of resources to help children who are struggling with anxiety. https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-guide-to-support-a-z/parents-guide-to-support-anxiety/
A very fun site which sends subscribers a "wonder" to discover each day on weird and wonderful questions like "Who invented time?", "Who was the first person to catch corona virus?". Currently hosting 229,161 questions and counting! https://wonderopolis.org/
There are some superb free resources that have been made available by museums and exhibitions around the world to make their content accessible and engaging to children. Here are just a few:
Virtual Museum Tours: A clever list of 12 museums which offer virtual tours that kids can take from the comfort of their own sofa. https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours
London Zoo: Free activity sheets and resources for children interested in the life and habitats of animals at London Zoo. https://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/zsl-london-zoo-online-resources
An amazing collection of wide-ranging videos and animations where experts collaborate to make Ted_ed Lessons. Compiled for TED's youth and education initiative to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. To support the millions of students, parents and teachers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, TED-Ed is working with expert educators and TED speakers throughout the world to create and share high-quality, interactive, video-based lessons on a daily basis, for free. https://ed.ted.com/
Other sites who have put together some super resource lists:
https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-emergencies/coronavirus-school-closures/solutions
https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/135609/list-of-education-companies-offering-free-subscriptions/
https://www.chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/resources-list-for-home-learning
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