Tag: fun

Old MacDonald

~ bumps2bairns ~ Leave a comment

You might be an opera singer or an undiscovered Rod Stewart, or have a voice like a rusty door – your child will still love to sing with you!

Rhymes and songs are great for learning. They make us feel good and forget our worries for a bit. But also, they help children understand about patterns, words and sounds

Every story has a pattern to it, so you will be preparing your child for a lifetime of successful reading and writing. As well as having a laugh and some fun

Not sure of the tune or the words? Click here for a funny version by the BBC

Don’t like farm animals? Pick any – the more the better!

Here’s how to play if you are not sureDownload

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

Rainbow Snow!

~ bumps2bairns

Today we have a way to unleash the creativity of the whole family, and for young children it is a chance to try out mark-making, creating works of art and experimenting with shapes

Snow can be lovely at first, but it can quickly get a bit patchy and tired.

By using coloured water to draw on the snow, children are also playing with ideas about “how much”, “how far” and also practising making plans

It will probably also be quite a laugh – try not to mind if it gets rather silly too.

Click here for how to play!Download

Or if you’ve still got lots of fresh snow, why not make a snowman, a snow dog, a nice snow-anything!

Water wall

~ bumps2bairns

Something for outdoors today – or inside if you have a suitable space that can get a bit wet!

It is all-day fun, and great for developing concentration, movement skills, vocabulary, understanding of cause and effect, science …

Use empty bottles, cartons or anything else you have around the house to build a water wall. Attach them to something static like a fence using screws, cable ties or garden wire. A basin at the bottom means you can collect the water and refill the containers on the wall. If you keep the lids of the containers you can pop them on and collect rain water to use next time. 

Click here for how to play!Download

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

Old MacDonald

~ bumps2bairns ~ 3 Comments

You might be an opera singer or an undiscovered Rod Stewart, or have a voice like a rusty door – your child will still love to sing with you!

Rhymes and songs are great for learning. They make us feel good and forget our worries for a bit. But also, they help children understand about patterns, words and sounds

Every story has a pattern to it, so you will be preparing your child for a lifetime of successful reading and writing. As well as having a laugh and some fun

Not sure of the tune or the words? Click here for a funny version by the BBC

Don’t like farm animals? Pick any – the more the better!

Here’s how to play if you are not sureDownload

Play and Talk is all you need!

~ bumps2bairns ~ Leave a comment

Early learning at home is all about ways to play, learn and have fun.  Follow your child’s leads and interests and have a variety of things to do and places to go safely. Make sure you follow the Government advice on social distancing

Children need a mix of things and plenty of physical activities.  Screens and apps etc are fine but make sure they’re not used for too long and children’s experiences with them are as interactive as possible. 

We will soon be posting an idea everyday for how you can play and talk together with your child to promote their learning – literacy, maths, you name it! 

What about being ready for school in August?

You might have all kinds of worries about the future. If your child is due for school soon you might also worry about whether they will be ready and if they are missing out on early learning and childcare.

That’s natural and P1 teachers will be aware of this and adapt as they would with any new class.  This year will be a bit different, but the schools will be ready for it

And anyway, children are like sponges learning what they need from shared experiences of fun with you. Your child will still grow and develop at home with you