Category: Learn through play

Let’s go shopping!

~ bumps2bairns

It really can be fun going shopping with your child, particularly when you don’t even need to leave your house! 

Setting up a shop using things around your home can while away the hours (or several minutes at least!) and help your child to understand about the different kinds of shops and how money is used.

You can bring in children of different ages to play too – the children will develop the ideas themselves

It is also a great game for just being together, learning new words and having a laugh, as you sell and buy things – but don’t think you can out-haggle a young child!

Happy shopping! 😊

Click here for ideas how to playDownload

Sharing our Stories

~ bumps2bairns

Every family has its ups and downs, but most have some happy or funny stories that children love to hear

Today is all about helping your child learn about the past, to practise asking questions. They will learn about how stories work too, and develop their understanding of sequences – great for later literacy and maths

But it is really all about feeling close and safe and cosy together. All you need are a few photos – about you, the family, your child when they were smaller – anything you’d like to tell your child about

This is a great thing to try during video chat with grandparents, family, friends – anyone your child might be missing who can show them a photo from the past and tell them about it

Or, make a photo diary of the day with your child to tell everyone about later!

Click here for ideas how to play!Download

Treasure Hunt!

~ bumps2bairns

Today’s idea is to turn your home into an island full of treasure that children can hunt for

You can send them off to look for items, and while they burn off excess energy they will be learning all about attention and searching, and developing their memories.

You can make the searches as easy or as tricky as suits your child. How many blue things can they find? Can they bring you two things at a time?

Or you can play online with family, friends or anyone your child might be missing seeing or playing with

Make a walk a treasure hunt – can you spot a traffic light? A bird? A cloud?

Click here for ideas how to play!Download

Spot the Difference!

~ bumps2bairns

Adults have two really important skills that we almost never think about. But they underlie nearly every decision we make.

Think about how we choose where to go on holiday – we compare different options (sunshine or shopping?) To do this we have to put things into categories and compare them.

The other skill is seeing things from more than one perspective. This is all about understanding other people, and situations. It’s also a really important part of maths and problem solving

So how do we learn these skills? Through playing and talking of course!

Today’s idea is all about spotting the difference between any objects you have in the home. You can play it online too once your child has got the idea of it

Click here for how to playDownload

Copy Cats!

~ bumps2bairns

Children learn a lot from copying us – more than we think, and sometimes more than we’d like them to!

A very simple game today. All you do is some simple actions, say what you are doing, and see if your child or children can copy you.

It may not sound much, but it is great for building a bond, developing attention and growing your child’s vocabulary. And they are also developing executive function – the ability to choose and control actions

This is a good game to play on video calls with anyone your child is missing – grandparents, a brother or sister or a parent who is away.

Click here for how to play & how to take it furtherDownload

Safety note: make sure you avoid actions that involve touching the face so we all follow the current public health guidance

A space of my own!

~ bumps2bairns

Even in the most loving homes, we get on top of each other from time to time. Today’s idea is all about making a den, a place to feel safe and secure

At the same time, we learn all about what it is like to feel good, and how to manage if we feel stressed

And about personal space and why it matters, about being in control of things – and there is no limit to the stories and games we can make up in a well made den!

You can use a blanket, behind the sofa – anything you have to hand. Or take it outside (following health advice always) if you have a garden or balcony

You can download some ideas hereDownload

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

Plop Bucket

~ bumps2bairns

Today’s idea is very simple – all you need is a bucket of water and some cleaned coins

But from this play, children can learn about taking turns, can develop their hand-eye coordination (really useful for writing later on, not to mention sports)

And they can count out their winnings, learn about different coin values – all the while doing some science as they watch the way coins float and fall in water!

All the family can play – you can even challenge the grandparents over a video-call …

Click here for how to play & extendDownload

I’m forever blowing bubbles!

~ bumps2bairns ~ Leave a comment

Blowing bubble pictures is a quick, easy and fun way to create fantastic masterpieces – and your children can even have a go as well!

Using items that you will hopefully have to hand, this craft activity can help children to develop their language – naming colours and shapes and describing patterns.

It is also a wonderful opportunity for children to express themselves through art, producing beautiful pictures without having to feel anxious about how skilled they are with pencils or paint brushes.

Anyone can have a go, and you could even do an art show to display your pictures

Click here for a guide to how to playDownload

Tiny Treasure Chest

~ bumps2bairns ~ Leave a comment

Who would have thought your home was full of treasure!

And treasure that can help your child learn all about exploring, how to be curious, how to count and categorise and how to learn about stories and history

This is a really simple game that all the family can play, and that grandparents or others can join in on Skype or FaceTime or similar

The trick is you have to use a really, really, really small treasure chest

Click here for how to play!Download

Question Mark Muncher!

~ bumps2bairns ~ Leave a comment

What if there was a way, by just playing and having fun, we could help children learn more words, build concentration and develop more ideas and concepts? A way that involves no effort at all?

There is! And this is where the Question Mark Muncher can help.

Children get asked so many questions! But they don’t actually learn that much from them.

Instead, if we make comments and say what we see – and then wait for and build on their responses – then they learn a lot and the play is even more fun for everyone.

So today’s idea is just to play. But to be careful with questions. This can be very tricky for adults as we are often in the habit of asking lots of them.

But help is at hand …

Click here to meet the Question Mark Muncher!Download

For more information about the ideas behind this, click for Words Up posters

Awful Orchestra

~ bumps2bairns

You don’t need expensive equipment to make music. Any household object has a playful tune in it if only we look or listen hard enough.

Music can express our deepest feelings and draw us together as families and communities

It is also an excuse to make a racket and have fun!

Today’s idea is all about children playing with rhythm and different sounds. Without even realising, this will develop their coordination and attention skills

It is also a great way to feel close, take turns and enjoy being together

Almost anything can be a musical instrument – some ideas in the sheet below. Make sure you keep an eye on your child so they are playing safely!

Click here for some ideas (earplugs not included)Download

Snakes and Ladders

~ bumps2bairns ~ Leave a comment

As we all know at the moment, life has its ups and downs. Do you ever wonder how we learned to cope with them?

Schools are on holiday in Highland, so this week’s ideas are all about playing and fun.

But Snakes and Ladders is also a great way to understand numbers and how to count. At the same time, we learn how to cope with setbacks (even funny ones). And the whole family can play and feel together at this time.

Already know how to play? You’ll find some ideas here to make it more fun (and amuse your child for longer) by making your own board – or taking it outside and being “living pieces”!

Click here for a printable guideDownload