Playing outside is an essential part of a child's development. From making mud kitchens, to getting to know nature, learning and playing outside will help little learners form key developmental skills such as physical health & self-confidence!
How do you keep little minds thinking mathematically during time at home? There are plenty of options sitting right there in your kitchen, craft box, junk drawer, or recycling bin, all ready for learning opportunities.
The mathematical concept of sorting is a part of people’s everyday lives, no matter the age. “When a child has early interactions and experiences with sorting things into groups, they can better observe how things are alike and how things are different,” explains teacher, Mary Becker. “The more a child sorts, the easier we see them cope with information in our busy world.”
Here are five activities – most with items you have around the house – to practice sorting.
The Bean SortAn alternative use for dried beans. This was a bag of several varieties, but feel free to keep it as simple (sorting, say, three types) or challenging (10 types).
The Rainbow SortGrab any rainbow-inspired objects from around the house. Here we incorporated the Learning Resources’ Three Bear Family Basic Six Colour Rainbow Counter Set. Using a piece of paper or wipe clean board, draw a rainbow arc. Encourage children to first sort the items together by group, then place them in spectrum colour within the rainbow shape.
The Playing Card SortLearning how to sort is aces! Get out a deck of playing cards. In mathematical terms, a “set” is a collection of things that share a particular property. Within a deck of cards, there are lots of sets, as well as subsets. First, sort by suit. What about grouping them by the same face amount or numerical order? No matter what you decide, when it comes to playing cards, sorting is the name of the game.
The Jellybean SortLet’s take our sorting one step further. Grab a bag of jellybeans or Smarties - any kind of multi-coloured food. Using masking tape, create a graph on the table or floor. Give kids a handful of the food of choice and have them place it in labelled columns. A graph is a visual display of quantitative information and learning how to read them leads to a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
The Colour and Reading Sort Suited more for early years, have your child place Post-it Notes (no mark!) under the correct column on your wall. Simply write out the colours of the Post-it colours you have and hand your toddler the sticky notes. Reading, sorting, and critical thinking skills all at once!
How do you keep little minds thinking mathematically during time at home? There are plenty of options sitting right there in your kitchen, craft box, junk drawer, or recycling bin, all ready for learning opportunities.
The mathematical concept of sorting is a part of people’s everyday lives, no matter the age. “When a child has early interactions and experiences with sorting things into groups, they can better observe how things are alike and how things are different,” explains teacher, Mary Becker. “The more a child sorts, the easier we see them cope with information in our busy world.”
Here are five activities – most with items you have around the house – to practice sorting.
The Bean SortAn alternative use for dried beans. This was a bag of several varieties, but feel free to keep it as simple (sorting, say, three types) or challenging (10 types).
The Rainbow SortGrab any rainbow-inspired objects from around the house. Here we incorporated the Learning Resources’ Three Bear Family Basic Six Colour Rainbow Counter Set. Using a piece of paper or wipe clean board, draw a rainbow arc. Encourage children to first sort the items together by group, then place them in spectrum colour within the rainbow shape.
The Playing Card SortLearning how to sort is aces! Get out a deck of playing cards. In mathematical terms, a “set” is a collection of things that share a particular property. Within a deck of cards, there are lots of sets, as well as subsets. First, sort by suit. What about grouping them by the same face amount or numerical order? No matter what you decide, when it comes to playing cards, sorting is the name of the game.
The Jellybean SortLet’s take our sorting one step further. Grab a bag of jellybeans or Smarties - any kind of multi-coloured food. Using masking tape, create a graph on the table or floor. Give kids a handful of the food of choice and have them place it in labelled columns. A graph is a visual display of quantitative information and learning how to read them leads to a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
The Colour and Reading Sort Suited more for early years, have your child place Post-it Notes (no mark!) under the correct column on your wall. Simply write out the colours of the Post-it colours you have and hand your toddler the sticky notes. Reading, sorting, and critical thinking skills all at once!
Change is stressful for everyone, especially children. If you are new to home education, you might feel overwhelmed and confused as you look for options and information. Having a routine in place will bring a sense of security, comfort and consistency to you and your child’s life.
Why is routine important?
A routine is the way families organise themselves to get things done, spend time together, learn and have fun.
Children thrive in a predictable environment where they know what to expect. It makes them feel safe, secure and looked after, especially in stressful times like this. If you build a routine around having fun and spending time together, it will also strengthen family relationships. Having an important job to do in the family routine (like setting the table) helps children develop a sense of responsibility which is an important life skill.
Routines for children with development delays or disabilities are even more important because they find it hard to understand or cope with change. It takes a while for children to get used to a routine. But when they do, you can give fewer instructions as they get better at following a schedule.
Having a routine is beneficial for parents too even though it takes some effort to create a good one. However, when you have one in place, it helps you get through your daily tasks and free up time for other things. A routine can help you feel organised and in control and this is very important for reducing stress levels. You will also feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day because you followed a certain structure.
Home education and nursery routines
In early education the entire home education routine should be based on creating opportunities for your child to learn through play. The most natural way is to start with observation. Take a day and spend it casually with your child. Observe what they play with the most, what interests them, and notice where there is something they need help with such as speech or vocabulary.
When you know what your child enjoys and gravitates towards, you can build on that and make learning more fun and efficient. For example, if your child loves dinosaurs, use that interest and incorporate dinosaurs into literacy, maths, science and art. Our dinosaur counters are perfect for exploring number and maths concepts as well as positional language and literacy activities. Dinosaurs are always a favourite with children and you’ll find many activities and resources to help your child learn faster, while they have fun.
What is a good home school schedule?
It’s important that you make your routine work for your family. Here is an example of a home education routine you can use as a base and then adjust according to your needs.
07:00 - Wake up/Get dressed/Breakfast
08:00 -Storytime
Sit on the floor in a relaxing atmosphere. Talk about what day it is, what the weather is like that day, and then let your child choose a story for you to read. Spend some time talking about the story. Prompt them to talk about what you’ve read with questions like what was their favourite part and characters? What was the story about? If they like the story and you have the materials such as relevant figurines, try re-enacting the story together. Encourage them to try on their own by drawing characters from the story, or if everyone is feeling creative, try junk modelling. If they engage in free play, grab your chance to tidy up and plan the next activity.
09:00 - Songs/ Dance/Movement
After playing quietly for a while, get things moving! Try a loud activity such as singing nursery rhymes, dancing to kids’ songs or some fun yoga moves.
09:30 -Literacy or Maths
After some exercise, everyone will be feeling fresh and awake. Move on to short activities involving letters, shapes, numbers or measurements. You can use our free printable worksheets, activity pads, or play a game like letter hunt, sorting by size or working on patterns.
10:00 -Snack time (fruit and nuts for healthy body and mind)
10:30 -Free Play
It is important to provide time for them to learn through independent play. All you need to do is offer open-ended toys and resources like old boxes, animal figurines, play food, building blocks and similar.
A lunch comprising of a mixture of snacks, a few pieces of cut up fruit, a small chunk of cheese, a small sandwich ham or chicken and a healthy yoghurt will fuel your child for the afternoon’s activities.
13:00 - Outdoor Play (garden or patio)
It’s good to spend some timeoutside, even if it’s raining. Not for long, but just long enough to get somefresh air. Let your child come up with an idea such as playing with a ball.
14:00 -Art/Science
In the afternoon focus on activities where your child needs to move or stand such as painting on a big art easel or do science experiments. Rope them in to help you to prepare materials and clean up later. See our activity sheets taken from the Primary Science Lab set on how to do your own Volcano experiment at home.
14:30 -Snack Time
15:00 –Free Play
Most of the time kids arevery good at finding opportunities to learn on their own but if you see theyneed a bit of direction, you can encourage some dramatic play. Give them some bandagesand let them be doctors and heal their dolls or maybe set up a grocery shopfrom an old cardboard box and food containers.
Change is stressful for everyone, especially children. If you are new to home education, you might feel overwhelmed and confused as you look for options and information. Having a routine in place will bring a sense of security, comfort and consistency to you and your child’s life.
Why is routine important?
A routine is the way families organise themselves to get things done, spend time together, learn and have fun.
Children thrive in a predictable environment where they know what to expect. It makes them feel safe, secure and looked after, especially in stressful times like this. If you build a routine around having fun and spending time together, it will also strengthen family relationships. Having an important job to do in the family routine (like setting the table) helps children develop a sense of responsibility which is an important life skill.
Routines for children with development delays or disabilities are even more important because they find it hard to understand or cope with change. It takes a while for children to get used to a routine. But when they do, you can give fewer instructions as they get better at following a schedule.
Having a routine is beneficial for parents too even though it takes some effort to create a good one. However, when you have one in place, it helps you get through your daily tasks and free up time for other things. A routine can help you feel organised and in control and this is very important for reducing stress levels. You will also feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day because you followed a certain structure.
Home education and nursery routines
In early education the entire home education routine should be based on creating opportunities for your child to learn through play. The most natural way is to start with observation. Take a day and spend it casually with your child. Observe what they play with the most, what interests them, and notice where there is something they need help with such as speech or vocabulary.
When you know what your child enjoys and gravitates towards, you can build on that and make learning more fun and efficient. For example, if your child loves dinosaurs, use that interest and incorporate dinosaurs into literacy, maths, science and art. Our dinosaur counters are perfect for exploring number and maths concepts as well as positional language and literacy activities. Dinosaurs are always a favourite with children and you’ll find many activities and resources to help your child learn faster, while they have fun.
What is a good home school schedule?
It’s important that you make your routine work for your family. Here is an example of a home education routine you can use as a base and then adjust according to your needs.
07:00 - Wake up/Get dressed/Breakfast
08:00 -Storytime
Sit on the floor in a relaxing atmosphere. Talk about what day it is, what the weather is like that day, and then let your child choose a story for you to read. Spend some time talking about the story. Prompt them to talk about what you’ve read with questions like what was their favourite part and characters? What was the story about? If they like the story and you have the materials such as relevant figurines, try re-enacting the story together. Encourage them to try on their own by drawing characters from the story, or if everyone is feeling creative, try junk modelling. If they engage in free play, grab your chance to tidy up and plan the next activity.
09:00 - Songs/ Dance/Movement
After playing quietly for a while, get things moving! Try a loud activity such as singing nursery rhymes, dancing to kids’ songs or some fun yoga moves.
09:30 -Literacy or Maths
After some exercise, everyone will be feeling fresh and awake. Move on to short activities involving letters, shapes, numbers or measurements. You can use our free printable worksheets, activity pads, or play a game like letter hunt, sorting by size or working on patterns.
10:00 -Snack time (fruit and nuts for healthy body and mind)
10:30 -Free Play
It is important to provide time for them to learn through independent play. All you need to do is offer open-ended toys and resources like old boxes, animal figurines, play food, building blocks and similar.
A lunch comprising of a mixture of snacks, a few pieces of cut up fruit, a small chunk of cheese, a small sandwich ham or chicken and a healthy yoghurt will fuel your child for the afternoon’s activities.
13:00 - Outdoor Play (garden or patio)
It’s good to spend some timeoutside, even if it’s raining. Not for long, but just long enough to get somefresh air. Let your child come up with an idea such as playing with a ball.
14:00 -Art/Science
In the afternoon focus on activities where your child needs to move or stand such as painting on a big art easel or do science experiments. Rope them in to help you to prepare materials and clean up later. See our activity sheets taken from the Primary Science Lab set on how to do your own Volcano experiment at home.
14:30 -Snack Time
15:00 –Free Play
Most of the time kids arevery good at finding opportunities to learn on their own but if you see theyneed a bit of direction, you can encourage some dramatic play. Give them some bandagesand let them be doctors and heal their dolls or maybe set up a grocery shopfrom an old cardboard box and food containers.
During these difficult times, it helps to know that you aren’t alone in feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. The way we’re living is unprecedented. People are sick, we’re isolated from our friends and family, children are learning at home again, and our lives have been upended for months. Many people are looking for ways to keep a healthy mind and make life feel more normal.
Below you’ll find 6 ways to stay positive during COVID-19 lockdown while dealing with this challenging experience. We hope these small tips will go a long way to help you and your family cope. Let us know how you’re staying upbeat. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and share your tips and ways to keep your mind healthy during COVID-19.
6 Ways to Stay Positive During COVID-19
Stick to a Schedule
Even when you’re working and learning from home, maintaining a regular schedule will be a sanity-saver for everyone. That means waking up and going to bed at your regular times, getting dressed in normal clothes, and starting and finishing work and home school at the regular times.
Remember to honour break and mealtimes as well. Predictability helps this unfamiliar situation feel a little less disorienting and will help you and your children maintain the good behaviours you’ve developed at work and school. Here is an example of how you could frame your child’s school day amid COVID-19 to keep that sense of normality.
Image: eclipse_images/Getty Images
Plan & Celebrate Special Occasions
Keep celebrating special occasions, and make up new ones. It’ll be something extra to look forward to. It could be a highlight as simple as your favourite home-cooked meal or family games night (here are some fun educational games ideas). Or you could make up a special day to celebrate (National Pizza and Pyjama Day sounds good to us!). Whatever you decide, these small treats will help you and your family during this difficult time. Looking for ideas? Head over to Awareness Days or read more on fun free ways to keep your family entertained at home.
Image: Wundervisuals/Getty Images
Start a Family Project
With everyone home for an extended period, families have a unique opportunity to turn this downtime into something memorable. Maybe everyone gets hands-on with a scrapbook, photo album, journal, or art project.
Over the last year, it’s become apparent that connecting with nature and our outdoor spaces is more important than ever. This is great opportunity for that new veggie garden you’ve always wanted to start. Maybe it’s something as simple as quick daily vlogs that capture your lives in the moment. Whatever the case, these family-level projects give you the chance to build new skills, engage with your children, and create something you can look back on in the years to come.
Make Time for Me Time
Even for the happiest of families, togetherness can be stressful under normal circumstances. With everyone under the same roof for an extended period, it’s even more important to carve out some alone time for every member of the family.
That can take many different forms: maybe you can designate a room in your house that family members reserve for solo activities. If that isn’t doable, designate a quiet hour every day where everyone works on their own independent projects. Whatever form your me time takes it’ll help you stay refreshed and maintain your sense of self and independence while everyone’s together.
Get Outside
Spring is coming, which means that nature is getting ready to put on a green, flower-filled show. That’s why it’s so vital to remember your outdoor options as you pass your time at home. As the weeks go by, your outdoor space will likely become a wonderland of birds, bugs and new plant life that’s worth exploring (or just viewing with a cup of coffee).
Don’t have a back garden? Take a walk through your neighbourhood. As long as you follow government guidelines, these little trips outside your home will enourage a healthy mind, reconnect you all with the world and help you take in some bright springtime life all at the same time.
During these difficult times, it helps to know that you aren’t alone in feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. The way we’re living is unprecedented. People are sick, we’re isolated from our friends and family, children are learning at home again, and our lives have been upended for months. Many people are looking for ways to keep a healthy mind and make life feel more normal.
Below you’ll find 6 ways to stay positive during COVID-19 lockdown while dealing with this challenging experience. We hope these small tips will go a long way to help you and your family cope. Let us know how you’re staying upbeat. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and share your tips and ways to keep your mind healthy during COVID-19.
6 Ways to Stay Positive During COVID-19
Stick to a Schedule
Even when you’re working and learning from home, maintaining a regular schedule will be a sanity-saver for everyone. That means waking up and going to bed at your regular times, getting dressed in normal clothes, and starting and finishing work and home school at the regular times.
Remember to honour break and mealtimes as well. Predictability helps this unfamiliar situation feel a little less disorienting and will help you and your children maintain the good behaviours you’ve developed at work and school. Here is an example of how you could frame your child’s school day amid COVID-19 to keep that sense of normality.
Image: eclipse_images/Getty Images
Plan & Celebrate Special Occasions
Keep celebrating special occasions, and make up new ones. It’ll be something extra to look forward to. It could be a highlight as simple as your favourite home-cooked meal or family games night (here are some fun educational games ideas). Or you could make up a special day to celebrate (National Pizza and Pyjama Day sounds good to us!). Whatever you decide, these small treats will help you and your family during this difficult time. Looking for ideas? Head over to Awareness Days or read more on fun free ways to keep your family entertained at home.
Image: Wundervisuals/Getty Images
Start a Family Project
With everyone home for an extended period, families have a unique opportunity to turn this downtime into something memorable. Maybe everyone gets hands-on with a scrapbook, photo album, journal, or art project.
Over the last year, it’s become apparent that connecting with nature and our outdoor spaces is more important than ever. This is great opportunity for that new veggie garden you’ve always wanted to start. Maybe it’s something as simple as quick daily vlogs that capture your lives in the moment. Whatever the case, these family-level projects give you the chance to build new skills, engage with your children, and create something you can look back on in the years to come.
Make Time for Me Time
Even for the happiest of families, togetherness can be stressful under normal circumstances. With everyone under the same roof for an extended period, it’s even more important to carve out some alone time for every member of the family.
That can take many different forms: maybe you can designate a room in your house that family members reserve for solo activities. If that isn’t doable, designate a quiet hour every day where everyone works on their own independent projects. Whatever form your me time takes it’ll help you stay refreshed and maintain your sense of self and independence while everyone’s together.
Get Outside
Spring is coming, which means that nature is getting ready to put on a green, flower-filled show. That’s why it’s so vital to remember your outdoor options as you pass your time at home. As the weeks go by, your outdoor space will likely become a wonderland of birds, bugs and new plant life that’s worth exploring (or just viewing with a cup of coffee).
Don’t have a back garden? Take a walk through your neighbourhood. As long as you follow government guidelines, these little trips outside your home will enourage a healthy mind, reconnect you all with the world and help you take in some bright springtime life all at the same time.
