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Our Coronavirus Time Capsule Activity is a stay-at-home project for families to keep children busy and help them make sense of this historic event. The coronavirus lockdown has been a tough time for everyone and almost overnight our lives changed dramatically. It’s been a big deal for our children, and they’ve had to adjust to learning at home, being isolated from friends and family, and not able to do normal kids’ stuff.
We created this Time Capsule Activity to help families and we'd love to see what your children put in their time capsules! Leave a comment at the end of this post and tell us more, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more fun home learning ideas.
To get your children thinking about their time capsules, download our Coronavirus Time Capsule Activity Book. With spaces to write information such as “My height is…”, “My favourite book is…” and “When I grow up, I’d like to be a…” it’s a bit of maths, a bit of writing, and lots of fun. Imagine the memories when they read it in a few years’ time!
Now for more fun! Gather up some items to include in a real time capsule. Whether you choose to make a joint family one or each child makes their own, you’ll need a container for storage. We used jars and shoe boxes but anything you can seal and store safely for a long time will do. You’ll need a durable and weatherproof container if you’re planning to bury your time capsule outside.
Next, collect pieces of memorabilia. What about:
Place everything including your activity book in your family’s coronavirus time capsules. It’s a good chance to engage your children and talk about the objects as you’re all packing them. Then seal everything up securely, wrap it snugly in a durable plastic bag, and store it somewhere safe. Oh, and then wait 10 years. Or maybe just a year. Who knows what life will be like then?
At Learning Resources, we’re here to help you make the best of this challenging time. Why not read our tips on how to stay positive during the coronavirus lockdown?
Have you made a time capsule using our activity book? Tag us in a photo or comment below and tell us what was in yours. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for other ideas.
Our Coronavirus Time Capsule Activity is a stay-at-home project for families to keep children busy and help them make sense of this historic event. The coronavirus lockdown has been a tough time for everyone and almost overnight our lives changed dramatically. It’s been a big deal for our children, and they’ve had to adjust to learning at home, being isolated from friends and family, and not able to do normal kids’ stuff.
We created this Time Capsule Activity to help families and we'd love to see what your children put in their time capsules! Leave a comment at the end of this post and tell us more, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more fun home learning ideas.
To get your children thinking about their time capsules, download our Coronavirus Time Capsule Activity Book. With spaces to write information such as “My height is…”, “My favourite book is…” and “When I grow up, I’d like to be a…” it’s a bit of maths, a bit of writing, and lots of fun. Imagine the memories when they read it in a few years’ time!
Now for more fun! Gather up some items to include in a real time capsule. Whether you choose to make a joint family one or each child makes their own, you’ll need a container for storage. We used jars and shoe boxes but anything you can seal and store safely for a long time will do. You’ll need a durable and weatherproof container if you’re planning to bury your time capsule outside.
Next, collect pieces of memorabilia. What about:
Place everything including your activity book in your family’s coronavirus time capsules. It’s a good chance to engage your children and talk about the objects as you’re all packing them. Then seal everything up securely, wrap it snugly in a durable plastic bag, and store it somewhere safe. Oh, and then wait 10 years. Or maybe just a year. Who knows what life will be like then?
At Learning Resources, we’re here to help you make the best of this challenging time. Why not read our tips on how to stay positive during the coronavirus lockdown?
Have you made a time capsule using our activity book? Tag us in a photo or comment below and tell us what was in yours. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for other ideas.
READ MORE
For the first time in recent history, most parents across the UK have had to step into the role of being home educators during this season of school closures. For the majority, this wasn’t a choice and they perhaps feel overwhelmed with how to balance home learning expectations.
Some face added pressures including being furloughed, possibly being made redundant (or not earning an income as freelancer/self-employed) and others continue to try and juggle teaching their children with working from home.
Many parents feel ill-equipped to suddenly fill this new role. With the lockdown deadline extended and uncertainty as to when UK schools will open again, families have mixed feelings about what they should achieve during this time.
In this guest blog, Becca Tooth, an experienced primary teacher, home educator, parent and blogger at Pears and Chocolate Sauce shares some advice to help you and your family work through this time and keep your head above water.
Home educating in a pandemic
If your child is usually educated in school, then what you’re experiencing now isn’t a typical example of home educating. You’ve been thrown in at the deep end, and for many of you home educating may never have crossed your mind.
In addition, many of the resources those of us who do home educate would usually access - libraries, museums, home school groups, and so on - are currently unavailable. We are all having to find our new normal, considering both our children’s and our own wellbeing.
Image: AleksandarNakic/Getty Images
Have realistic expectations
Image: MartinPrescott/Getty Images
Keeping up with school expectations
Some families are finding it hard to keep up with the sheer volume of work that has come in from the schools. If this is the case, speak to your child’s teacher to clarify what their expectations are. Some families will want to be given more to do than others, and so schools will be trying to cater for those parents who want lots for their child to do, but they probably don’t expect everyone to do everything.
Let them know what you’re struggling with and ask for advice. In these difficult times, the priority is your child’s wellbeing. If it’s causing friction at home trying to get everything done, then take a step back. Do what feels manageable - that might just be some reading and a craft activity some days.
Remember that your children will be learning as they play, and there’s lot to be learned from day-to-day activities such as cooking, gardening, and helping around the house. Alternatively, you may find it works better to choose a topic that your child is particularly interested in and do your own thing.
Managing younger children
If you have younger children, it can be difficult to find time to work with older ones, do your own work, or get jobs done around the house. Firstly, try and find a routine that works for you. No two sets of circumstances are the same, so nor will our routines be.
I am constantly tweaking our routine to try and make it work best for the family at any given time. I shared some pointers a few weeks ago on how to create a routine that works for your family - it can be as strict or as loose as you want; whatever suits you.
Secondly, have some things in mind that your child can do fairly independently - something that really engages them. For example, one of my children loves using scissors. He will sit quite happily cutting up a piece of paper or an empty cereal box for quite a while.
Playdough [Ed’s note: try our Playfoam for non-drying, non-sticky, squishing, sculpting fun] is another one which goes down very well with my kids, or a tub of containers and scoops with some pompoms, beads, oats or lentils. Don’t feel bad about putting the TV on, either, if that’s what works for you.
Image: gradyreese/Getty Images
What if the schools only reopen in September?
While we’d all love to get back to normal sooner, we have a responsibility to stay at home for as long as necessary. When schools do reopen, there is going to have to be a huge focus on children’s wellbeing and coming to terms with all that has happened over the past however many months.
Teachers will also need to assess where children are at, so I hope the DfE are supportive in enabling schools to make meaningful assessments which prioritise the children’s wellbeing.
Have a healthy perspective on success
Try not to compare yourself to others - easier said than done, I know. I’ve seen a quote going around that says something like, “We’re all in the same storm, but not in the same boat”. Everyone’s circumstances are different. The variables include our workloads; number of children; financial situations; physical or mental health; and access to outdoor space amongst other things.
We don’t all have the same input and we cannot all have the same output. I find it helpful to have a rough plan in my mind of what I want to have done by the end of the day - not only what I want to have done with the children, but what else needs to happen for it to be a good day.
There will be some days when you get loads done and some days where it feels like nothing productive has happened. I think the key thing is wellbeing. If we all go to bed happy, the day has been a success.
 | About the author: Becca Tooth is a mum of three from London. She has taught across the primary age range over the last twelve years and is currently having a break from teaching while she cares for her children, including home educating her eldest, who is aged six. Becca is a big believer in the power of play as a tool for learning, and writes at Pears and Chocolate Sauce sharing practical ideas and insights to help parents and educators use play to nurture children’s natural curiosity and inspire a love of learning. |
Looking for more? Read about ways to stay feeling positive while staying at home. And keep visiting our blog, Facebook and Instagram pages to stay in touch - we're all in this together.
Main image: gradyreese/Getty Images
For the first time in recent history, most parents across the UK have had to step into the role of being home educators during this season of school closures. For the majority, this wasn’t a choice and they perhaps feel overwhelmed with how to balance home learning expectations.
Some face added pressures including being furloughed, possibly being made redundant (or not earning an income as freelancer/self-employed) and others continue to try and juggle teaching their children with working from home.
Many parents feel ill-equipped to suddenly fill this new role. With the lockdown deadline extended and uncertainty as to when UK schools will open again, families have mixed feelings about what they should achieve during this time.
In this guest blog, Becca Tooth, an experienced primary teacher, home educator, parent and blogger at Pears and Chocolate Sauce shares some advice to help you and your family work through this time and keep your head above water.
Home educating in a pandemic
If your child is usually educated in school, then what you’re experiencing now isn’t a typical example of home educating. You’ve been thrown in at the deep end, and for many of you home educating may never have crossed your mind.
In addition, many of the resources those of us who do home educate would usually access - libraries, museums, home school groups, and so on - are currently unavailable. We are all having to find our new normal, considering both our children’s and our own wellbeing.
Image: AleksandarNakic/Getty Images
Have realistic expectations
Image: MartinPrescott/Getty Images
Keeping up with school expectations
Some families are finding it hard to keep up with the sheer volume of work that has come in from the schools. If this is the case, speak to your child’s teacher to clarify what their expectations are. Some families will want to be given more to do than others, and so schools will be trying to cater for those parents who want lots for their child to do, but they probably don’t expect everyone to do everything.
Let them know what you’re struggling with and ask for advice. In these difficult times, the priority is your child’s wellbeing. If it’s causing friction at home trying to get everything done, then take a step back. Do what feels manageable - that might just be some reading and a craft activity some days.
Remember that your children will be learning as they play, and there’s lot to be learned from day-to-day activities such as cooking, gardening, and helping around the house. Alternatively, you may find it works better to choose a topic that your child is particularly interested in and do your own thing.
Managing younger children
If you have younger children, it can be difficult to find time to work with older ones, do your own work, or get jobs done around the house. Firstly, try and find a routine that works for you. No two sets of circumstances are the same, so nor will our routines be.
I am constantly tweaking our routine to try and make it work best for the family at any given time. I shared some pointers a few weeks ago on how to create a routine that works for your family - it can be as strict or as loose as you want; whatever suits you.
Secondly, have some things in mind that your child can do fairly independently - something that really engages them. For example, one of my children loves using scissors. He will sit quite happily cutting up a piece of paper or an empty cereal box for quite a while.
Playdough [Ed’s note: try our Playfoam for non-drying, non-sticky, squishing, sculpting fun] is another one which goes down very well with my kids, or a tub of containers and scoops with some pompoms, beads, oats or lentils. Don’t feel bad about putting the TV on, either, if that’s what works for you.
Image: gradyreese/Getty Images
What if the schools only reopen in September?
While we’d all love to get back to normal sooner, we have a responsibility to stay at home for as long as necessary. When schools do reopen, there is going to have to be a huge focus on children’s wellbeing and coming to terms with all that has happened over the past however many months.
Teachers will also need to assess where children are at, so I hope the DfE are supportive in enabling schools to make meaningful assessments which prioritise the children’s wellbeing.
Have a healthy perspective on success
Try not to compare yourself to others - easier said than done, I know. I’ve seen a quote going around that says something like, “We’re all in the same storm, but not in the same boat”. Everyone’s circumstances are different. The variables include our workloads; number of children; financial situations; physical or mental health; and access to outdoor space amongst other things.
We don’t all have the same input and we cannot all have the same output. I find it helpful to have a rough plan in my mind of what I want to have done by the end of the day - not only what I want to have done with the children, but what else needs to happen for it to be a good day.
There will be some days when you get loads done and some days where it feels like nothing productive has happened. I think the key thing is wellbeing. If we all go to bed happy, the day has been a success.
| About the author: Becca Tooth is a mum of three from London. She has taught across the primary age range over the last twelve years and is currently having a break from teaching while she cares for her children, including home educating her eldest, who is aged six. Becca is a big believer in the power of play as a tool for learning, and writes at Pears and Chocolate Sauce sharing practical ideas and insights to help parents and educators use play to nurture children’s natural curiosity and inspire a love of learning. |
Looking for more? Read about ways to stay feeling positive while staying at home. And keep visiting our blog, Facebook and Instagram pages to stay in touch - we're all in this together.
Main image: gradyreese/Getty Images
READ MORE
