1. You set the tone and pace

Parents, we know your world just got flipped upside down as well, but our children are looking to us for reassurance that they are safe.
If you are stressed, overwhelmed and in a bad mood, your children will be too. If you make the effort to be calm, happy and peaceful, your home will be as well. 

2. Keep a routine

Setting a routine will help you and your kids feel like there is still structure, especially at a time like this when it seems like there is none.
However, a routine is meant to be flexible. So a schedule with every minute planned out just sets you up for failure. What may take place from 9:00am to 9:30am today, could just as well happen from 10:00am to 10:15am tomorrow. 
Don't get too hung up on a routine either. One day your children may want to spend all day exploring nature in your garden (life sciences), or spend the next week building a treehouse (that's STEM - science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Let them discover and love learning. Keep in mind that your family's routine will look different to any other family's and that's great. Do what works best for yours because no two families are the same. 

3. Don't try to replicate school at home 

Doing schoolwork at home does not take as long as a full school day. Classrooms have many children and transition times, lunches, breaks etc. that take up so much of the day. Many teachers are working through ways to deliver instruction online or via packets sent home. If this is not the case for your child's school, there are loads of free activities online. So many that it is completely overwhelming.
So take a step back and maybe just try one or two new things and see how your children react to them. This is a great time to get to know more about how your child learns best.

4. Get outside if you can

Bike rides, hikes, playing in the garden and letting your children use their imaginations for long periods of time are so good for them, and for you! There have been so many studies that prove the benefits of children being outdoors and playing in the dirt.

5. Teach them life skills

This is the perfect opportunity to start teaching your children new life skills. Remember, learning is not just about academic subjects.
Teach them to help out around the house. Doing the washing up, helping with the gardening, making lunch or setting the table for dinner every night are all really important skills that every child should learn. Ask them what they would like to help with or learn.

6. Quiet time

It doesn't matter how old your children are, everyone needs some quiet time. This may be being in their room reading, working on hobbies or playing the guitar (with their headphones on). Younger children can work on crafts or playing alone. This gives parents time to get some work done without interruption. It's the secret to keeping your sanity. 

7. Have fun

This is the perfect time to do fun science experiments, craft, cook and play with your children. We sometimes forget how much learning takes place just by living life and playing games. With how stressful the world is right now, it's important to remember to enjoy each other as much as possible.
 

All topics

  • Twinkl has EVERYTHING you'll need to continue studies in the home with every key stage covered, plenty of resources, powerpoints, worksheets and printables. Ideal if you’re looking to create a routine or study plan ahead of time. There’s even some online games.
  • Classroom Secrets has put together free work packs for parents to download. These include years 1 to 6 and have a wide variety of topics in each pack, as well as answers to mark with. There are also some fantastic practical ideas in the pack to keep active too.
  • This primary resources website comes with lots of subjects and worksheets for up to 10 years old. You’ll find plenty to keep children occupied through workbooks, PDFs, printables and more.
  • BBC Bitesize is a brilliant free resource that’s been around for years and is adapting in the current crisis. From primary to post sixteen, you’ll find a wide range of resources for EVERY lesson, topic and key stage across the UK including Ireland and beyond. They are also adding three new lessons each day for each year group.
  • Kahoot is a  fantastic website which offers apps and activities to bring the fun back into learning. No matter the age or requirement, there’s loads on here and they have also offered free options during the outbreak. Give this a look to see whether you can use this through your education provider, home or work.
  • Bear Grylls and Scouts have joined together to offer a whole range of indoor activities. There’s over 100 of them here and they are fantastic for using imagination, creativity and things around the home!
  • Cosmic Kids Yoga. Need a moment of calm in the house? Maybe just to keep active in doors when it’s raining? Cosmic Yoga is a very popular YouTube channel aimed towards kids and schools and has been used in schools for breaks and PE lessons. This is perfect for parents to get involved with too!

Maths / Numeracy

  • TT Rock Stars. Don’t worry if you can’t remember your times tables off by heart, TT Rockstars has opened it’s resources up to all schools (please check with your school first) and you can make sure your children are getting their multiplication and division lessons in. You may even learn a thing or to yourself!
  • Maths and English Practice / IXL. Don’t miss out on testing and practice by using IXL which has interactive tests, questions, games and activities up to Year 13 for all students to practice their skills and knowledge.

Literacy / English

  • Spelling Shed. Apps aren’t all bad when it comes to learning as Spelling Shed offers a fantastic change to help learn through games and activities. Whilst there is a cost, you can download a 14 day free trial so may be worth testing it out to see if it’s of interest to your little learners!
  • World Book Reader. Fancy making a project or learning about specific animals, places or topics. The World Book Reader offers educational books with easy access online. All with plenty of information just like textbooks.
  • Phonics Play. Don’t miss out on all the phonics as this wonderful website has opened up it’s site to everyone during the Covid-19 outbreak. Login using their details supplied and help your little ones learn their phonics.

History

  • Oversimplified. Whilst it’s got an American voice over, these little animations are perfect for a quick history lesson! You can always pop these on a smart TV then create a Q&A to answer after!

IT / Computers

  • Codecademy. If your kids are into IT / computers and coding – this is a great place to learn all things code, websites and tech! Easy to follow tutorials with examples!