We’ve been so lucky with the weather while we’ve been on lockdown. So much so we’ve even put the tent up in the garden, enjoyed a couple of BBQ’s and dabbled in a spot of gardening. There have been plenty of activities on offer for kids. We’ve taken full advantage of the great experiences and homeschool resources on offer. But what else can the kids be doing indoors while the schools are closed? Here are a few more ideas to keep those inquisitive brains occupied.
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Outdoor activities
Go camping
If you have a garden and a tent, why not put it up in the garden? We did the other day and its been a fabulous addition – even more so when we got to enjoy the Camp Bestival sleepover! You can still check out the Silly Science Workshops, Aardman Model Making and Lizzie’s Mud Pie Workshop (and more!) on the Camp Bestival YouTube Channel.
Create a scavenger hunt
There are many scavenger hunts you can enjoy in the garden whether they are based on the season, nature, birds or insects for example. How about creating a checklist with photos and tick boxes?
Get creative
With springtime upon us, there’s a great opportunity to collect flowers from the garden and press them. Alternatively, why not use flowers and leaves from the garden and paint a collage?
Grow wildflowers
Why not check out the Eden Project at Home to see what activities you can do. Making a wildflower meadow or garden is easy to do or you could make your own den or grow tomatoes.
Build a bee hotel
The RHS, the UK’s leading gardening charity, is providing daily Grow At Home tips and tasks for those looking to grow fruit, veg or herbs. Whatever your experience, and whatever your space, use this time to grow!has a range of activities for families to participate in like making a bee hotel.
50 things to do before you’re 11¾
We love the National Trust’s 50 things to do before you’re 11¾ and while we’re at home, there’s plenty to do in the back garden. Check out the list to see what you can tick off.
Hunt for mini beasts
Always a firm favourite and with this warmer weather its just a case of picking up a log or digging in the soil to find interesting insects to watch.
Plant some sunflowers
Now is a great time to plant some sunflowers or seeds and watch them grow. Failing that, with it being so nice, it’s the perfect time to help out in the garden. Getting those weeds out and turning over the soil makes such a difference and smells divine!
Look after wildlife
The Wildlife Trusts have a number of activities for children which help us look after wildlife (and ourselves). From making a hedgehog house to a mini pond to a butterfly feeder. Check out their website for more ideas.
Try rock painting
There is an abundance of arts and crafts to try at home – both indoors and out. We’ve loved rock painting from a pack we were given and adding characters to the rocks (photos to come another time!).
Indoor activities
Think like a scientist
Explorify is a free resource with engaging, creative science activities designed to spark curiosity, discussion and debate. With video, high-quality images and hands-on activities, its designed to get children thinking like scientists.
Expand that knowledge!
DK find out! provides a resource for children to search, learn and explore almost everything on a safe and secure site. With quizzes, videos and animations there’s plenty to engage and fascinate young minds while supporting their education. Subjects covered include animals & nature, computer coding, dinosaurs, earth, the human body, music, space and sport and along with history, science, maths and english. Each of which includes a wide range of topics.
Learn about history
With Kids Rule! from English Heritage, children can learn about England’s history. With various guides, competitions and posters, it’s jam packed with information with things to make, do and bake too.
Watch life on the farm
Bocketts Farm runs regular live videos on its Facebook page which is a great way to see life on the farm and those wonderful newborn lambs! For KS1 children, there’s Bocketts Farmyard Classroom which is a series of short videos posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am. There’s a booklet and accompanying worksheets too available to download from the Bocketts Farm website.
Discover the British Museum
Take a look inside the British Museum with virtual tours, digital resources or the museum podcast. Or check out the Curator’s Corner videos on YouTube!
Find out about the UK’s capital
The Museum of London has some fun activities for children under 5, aged 5-7 and 7-11. Whether its a hunter-gatherer quiz, becoming a prehistoric explorer or a puppeteer!
Do some baking
With more time at home, it’s the perfect time to practice those baking skills! The smell of freshly baked cakes is the best and what’s more, it lingers for a while.
Watch a play
The National Theatre is currently showing free theatre performances every Thursday on their YouTube channel. There’s also a how you can make it series of videos to learn new skills and many more for those budding theatre lovers.
Learn a language
Duolingo is a great way to learn a new language with over 30 courses available including Spanish, French, German and Italian. Duolingo is free language education with no hidden fees or premium content. Just bite-sized lessons that are fun focusing on what learners want to do with a language.
Try programming
Scratch is a free programming language and online community where children can create interactive stories, games, and animations. A bit of fun for those rainy days.
Complete a jigsaw
We’d totally forgotten how much fun it is to complete a jigsaw! Having finished the ones in the house, it’s now time to up our skills and increase the number of pieces!
