As it sinks in that most schools probably won’t re-open until September, many parents of young children are scrabbling around in the dark trying to work out the best way to cope.
If your children are at home with you and you’re concerned that they keep up with their school work, education expert and former primary school teacher Becky Cranham – of PlanBee – has some great ways to embed learning in fun activities.
1. What’s cooking?
Working through a simple recipe with your child will help develop measuring skills (maths), following instructions (English) and can help them understand reversible and irreversible changes (science). Photo: Alena Ozerova
2. Code with confidence
This is much easier than it may sound. One of our favourites is Scratch. Children can program their own interactive stories, games and animations while learning a bunch of key skills along the way. Photo: AlesiaKan - stock.adobe.com
3. Make them an expert
Are they crazy about LEGO? Challenge them to find out when it was invented, by who and how it became so popular. Do they love singing and dancing? Challenge them to write and perform their own songs, or even create a music video. Crazy about science? Challenge them to put together a demonstration or presentation about their favourite scientist. Photo: .
4. Nurture nature
Planting seeds and watching them sprout and grow is always rewarding. And you don’t need a garden. Pop some multi-purpose compost in a plant pot, plastic cup or old yogurt pot, sprinkle the seeds in and cover with compost. Encourage your child to take responsibility for making sure the plant has enough water and sunlight, and challenge them to record what happens to the seed each day. Photo: mahony - stock.adobe.com