Children love playing with water, whether it’s splashing in puddles or in the bath. Not only is it great fun but they can learn so much through ‘skiddling’!
Todays ‘daily tip’ helps children learn about floating, sinking and so much more using everyday items.
Have fun!
The dark can be scary, and it can also be exciting! If we can give children fun experiences with darkness, where they feel in control, the easier they will feel about it and their fears will gradually fade
Judge this activity according to your child – it does not need total darkness. They may be happy just spending the time experimenting with drawing the curtains during the day to see the changes in a room. Or they may want the full pitch dark experience!
It is a fun version of a treasure hunt, where children try to find shiny things in a darkened room by using a torch or the light on your phone. This can lead to explorations about shiny and dull things, reflections and brightness – or just to gradually more and more difficult searches as your child challenges you to find things.
You can do this indoors or out, but make sure you are in a safe place like your own garden if going outdoors in the dark
There’s still quite a bit of ice around, and it is great stuff to explore and play with
Take care out and about – it can be slippery! But children can get so much from exploring the texture, the feel, the slidey surfaces
If you don’t want to venture out, or don’t have any ice nearby you can safely get to, then there is lots you can do indoors with a freezer or freezer compartment – try making some ice with your child, or taking some out and seeing how it slides across the table. What does it feel like to hold?
All the time, your child will be learning a lot of science, as well as about their senses and how to describe temperature and other experiences. They will be exploring water and how it can change – be warned, they may want to know how the freezer works!
Some mornings we just want to hide under the bedclothes, and it is no different for children
Building a den, or a fort, or a spaceship to be in can be a great help if children are worried or stressed.
And anyway, it is a fun way to develop planning and action skills, and end up with a place where it is nice to be cosy and have stories or play
It can be inside or outside, big or small. Your child might want to make it themselves, or for you to help (or do most of the work …). You might help them find materials like boxes, sheets, branches, etc
And think how to decorate it and make it a good place to be. Older children can help too to make it a family space, or everyone might want their own.
This kind of space can be very helpful for children who have sensory issues or who get over-stressed quite easily. Click here for some more ideas that might help them
It may be a bit grey and cold outside, but there is a whole world of learning and fun out there for young children (even if the weather is so bad you can only look at it through the window!)
Learning about seasons and the changes that happen is not just about science (important as that is). It also gives children a sense of stability in how the world works and makes life more predictable.
We could all do with a little of that right now, maybe.
So today’s idea is very simple. You may be going out anyway for a walk, to go to the shops, or just to get rid of cabin fever and away from the chores
It is a way to help your child learn to notice things, to see and feel what winter is like – and chat about it for as long as they are interested
Making a mess and getting all messy can be great fun. Clearing it up, less so! Sometimes parents worry about messy play – is it really worthwhile, what about the carpet or the dog?
But there is so much learning that happens through mess and exploring different textures and effects. Foam is also great for developing mark making and understanding shapes – all of which is part of getting ready to write
Today’s idea is very clean messy play as it involve soapy foam. Make sure you use a source for the foam that is OK for your child’s skin – if they have a favourite bubble bath, that is ideal
Children love being nosy and taking things out and putting them back, so today’s idea is all about exploring cupboards to learn about different kinds of foods
Depending on your kitchen you may prefer to fill up a box for them to explore safely on the floor or table top – or you may have a ground level cupboard they can access more independently
As they find things, or take them out of the box, chat about what kind of food they are, where it comes from and what we can do with it
You never know, they may end up making the dinner “with” you!
Another game today that can be played outside at a safe distance of 2 metres with family or friends – or at home just with your child
It is an old favourite that is usually a lot of laughs, but there is a lot of learning too
Your child will be developing the key skill of “not doing” something – stopping ourselves doing or saying something is really hard and games like this help build your child’s control over their actions
Plus, dancing around and laughing at people (safely) falling over is really good for our wellbeing …
Today a lovely story by Nadia Shireen about a little cow who goes travelling in space!
It is a great story just to enjoy, and it also has learning about what makes groups of people different and how we can all get along (Moon cows are a bit like us, but also not … Woo Woo!)
And to make your child curious about different languages and how they sound. Or if today is a more active day, you can show your child how to slow down by playing counting down games
Or dig out some photos of places you have been and chat about how the people were different there
When everyone is tired, there is always the chance to hear the story again, or do some drawing and mark making all about it.
The weather forecast for the weekend is good so a play idea today that can be done safely when meeting up with family or friends and following public health guidance
But it is also fun at home too
It is all about helping your child do the same actions in different ways. This will help build coordination and self-control. It is as simple as starting off jumping quickly, and then jumping slowly … Or pretending to brush your teeth as though you are happy, and then as though you are grumpy.
Along the way, they will learn lots of words to describe actions and they may also have fun challenging you or others
Some homes have more cardboard boxes around than usual at the moment as we have to get more things delivered
This may be a nuisance, but cardboard boxes are also one of the most useful resources for play and learning. They can be anything your child wants to imagine them to be – a castle, a boat, a hat, or even just a box to put things in!
Today the idea is simply to give your child some boxes and some decorating materials and see what they do with them. If they are stuck you can help with ideas, but the best learning will come from them taking the lead and you following
Remember to chat about what they are doing – say what you see (try not to ask too many questions!) and wait for a response.
Remember trying to learn the difference between a rectangle and a square, or the different kinds of triangles?
Shapes can be much more interesting and fun than this, and they come in many different sizes too!
We have two games to try today. The first is a matching game where you draw round a few things and see if your child can match object to shape
Or you can help your child draw round lots of different items and compare them – if you get onto drawing round everyone’s hands and feet this could last all day …
We often think of reading and writing as learning how to read words and spell them
But there is also a whole lot of learning about how texts work and what they are for. An email is something totally different to a recipe, for example – we use different words and structures
This body of learning is called “concepts of print” and it is just as important for school and for life as learning to turn letters into sounds.
And it is easy to learn about – our whole world is FULL of text and signs, from laundry labels to TV remotes to street signs and shop opening times
Today’s idea is all about spotting those signs in the home and outdoors and chatting with your child about them. You might even make some of your own too
Today’s idea is to make a hot air balloon! Or a small one, at any rate
You can either use a black bin bag, or there is a version for ordinary small balloons. Instructions are on the downloadable sheet – please take care with safety and supervise children at all points.
This can be lots of fun – you can involve older children and family and even have balloon races
Meanwhile your child will learn lots of science, coordination skills and language – and we have some stories to look at too, or make your own
Now we are in Phase 1 of lockdown in Scotland, there is more scope for being with friends and family outdoors – as long as we all follow the advice carefully
There is lots of fun and learning we can share even when 2 metres apart. Today’s idea develops listening and attention, language and self-control.
We offered it a few weeks ago for playing during video chats – still good for this, but can also be played outdoors from a distance. Or just at home with your child can be fun too.
Make an action – can your child copy you? Gradually make it more complicated. Label what you are doing with words.
If that goes well, then “Simon says” is a great way to take it further
bumps to bairns 