Struggling to keep the kids entertained while stuck inside because of the Coronavirus? Here’s some resources and ideas for homeschooling and helping to maintain a happy home
Background
I have been working as a Science teacher at a U.K. secondary school for 15 years. I don’t claim to be an expert on primary teaching, but have a good understanding of the overall fundamentals of learning. Having 3 small children aged 5 and under has also helped to grow my understanding of early years education.
8 months ago I made the decision, along with my family, to take a break from teaching to pursue our dream of travelling full time for a year in our vintage motorhome. We could never have dreamt that our year would come to such an abrupt halt with the arrival of the global Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.
After so long on the road, we’re no strangers to homeschooling, with our eldest, at 5, being just of school age and her younger sister (3), also keen to learn. However, homeschooling while travelling is very different to home schooling while on Coronavirus lock-down. We’ve had to look for new ways to achieve mental and physical stimulation, while staying at home.
Those from the U.K. should be watching the latest news of upcoming school closures and getting yourselves prepared now with what you need before the almost inevitable full country lock-down arrives, such as has already come into force in many other European countries. Don’t delay if wanting to order things from online. Who knows how long the major distribution networks will be able to remain open and fully functioning. Be sure to remember things like paper and ink if wanting to take advantage of printable website resources.
We are currently in Spain and have been on full lock-down for a week. We’re pretty much under house arrest, after having had very little time to prepare as things progressed very quickly here. There were no buildup stages of social distancing like back in the U.K. Fortunately, I already had a decent supply of workbooks and activities at the ready.
Schooling in any location should never just be about the core academic subjects. It should involve much more, including physical activity, creativity and social development. While travelling, our daily pattern has been to be out and about during the day whenever we can, world schooling on the go while visiting cultural sites, parks and historical places of interest. Being on lock-down for Coronavirus, this is no longer possible. We are now only permitted to leave the house under very limited and essential circumstances.
Top tips for home schooling
There are a plethora of resources available and I’m sure that lots of schools will also be providing content of their own. At the end of this post, in addition to my own thoughts, I have added links to loads of other articles and valuable resources created elsewhere. This article is intended for younger children. Those with older children might like some of these suggestions for how to motivate teen studies at home.
Having waded through a lot of what is currently on offer, here are some of my top suggestions:
#1 Workbooks
Collins have excellent books and resources including flash cards. I usually order them from Amazon as they can be cheaper and easier to search for. You will need to know what level your child is at, as it’s important to find tasks that are suitable. If the task is too difficult it can discourage the child and if it’s too easy will not be challenging for them or worthwhile. Some examples are:
- Year 5 Maths Targeted Practice Workbook (Collins KS2 Practice)
- Comprehension Ages 5-7: New Edition: easy reading comprehensive activities for year 1 and year 2 (Collins Easy Learning KS1)
- Times Tables Flashcards: fun games and activity ideas for times tables (Collins Easy Learning KS2)
Galt Toys do some workbooks that my girls have loved as they have reward stickers (kids love stickers!). There is only a limited range of these though and only up to age 5/6. An example for a preschool child is Educational Home Learning Colour Shapes and Sizes Sticker Books.
#2 Online Academic Resources
- https://www.twinkl.co.uk – An excellent resource for primary and core secondary subjects. They are currently offering a month free access too. Use the code UKTWINKLHELPS
- https://www.education.com/worksheets/ – These are a free alternative to workbooks, with printable worksheets that can be downloaded, covering lots of different subjects and levels. Use the filter button to find suitable resources.
#3 Smartphone apps
There are no shortage of learning apps available. The following are a few examples that we’ve come across but there are countless more:
- Reading eggs is a useful resource for children aged 2-13.
- Tappity have some great Science apps.
- Our children have this week enjoyed an early years Geography app, called Kidlo Grade 1 Geography, with activities suitable even for very small children.
We’ve also produced a more detailed round-up of our 5 Favourite Apps for Early Years Home Schooling.
#4 Get Creative
A chance to get creative is an essential part of learning. When you’re bored of the usual colouring, Play Doh, kinetic sand etc. you could try some more adventurous activities from the following websites:
I would suggest that you make sure you have got some craft resources, like paint, beads, clay etc in the house. Take a look at what you might need and get an order in now for anything you’re missing.
Another great activity for creativity is baking. Check recipes and have basic ingredients ready. There are recipes everywhere online, including some ideas in the websites listed above.
#5 Puzzles and games
Fun, but also mentally stimulating. We love the games from Orchard Toys. These are four favourite Orchard Toys Games. They’re great fun and often educational, while being suitable for younger children. An example is the Orchard Toys Magic Maths Game.
Some suggestions for older children are:
- Drumond Park Articulate! For Kids – Family Kids Board Game | The Fast Talking Description Game – good for quick thinking and mental agility, as well as boosting general knowledge.
- Zygomatic Rory’s Story Cubes Game – good to encourage creative and storytelling skills.
#6 Physical Activity
It’s essential to keep moving throughout the day. Slumping in one place all day will not help anyone’s mood. We’re really lucky to have a garden where we’re stuck in Spain, so have been going on small nature walks and having scavenger hunts. We took walkie-talkies and cameras around with us for added fun. If you’ve not got a garden, indoor treasure hunts would be a great alternative.
If space allows, activities like riding bikes or scooters, or playing football are good ways to get active outside. If stuck inside, Youtube videos are a good way of keeping moving in a tight space. Some examples are:
- Children’s 9 minute basic fitness
- Children’s beginner workout
- Children’s circuit training
- Children’s yoga
In the U.K., if you’re looking for some more outside space to roam around in, with enough room to remain in relative isolation, the National Trust are currently opening all of their parks and gardens free of charge.
#7 Free Play
Not all time has to be structured. Free play is great too for allowing children to roll play and be creative. It is a style of learning and development that shouldn’t be discounted, especially in younger children.
#8 Social contact
Another essential aspect of a child’s development that they could be missing out on when stuck inside. Be sure to keep contact with friends and relatives. Stories from China of people who have been in extended isolation have shown the importance of maintaining these social connections. This could form a regular part of your day. Video calling technology using platforms such as Apple FaceTime or Whats App have made this easier than ever before.
There are some interesting ideas popping up online all the time to help with maintaining this social contact. A nice example of this is the instagram account @postcardstogranny, a venture from @worldattheweekend, that provides inspiration for writing to a grandparent.
#9 Quiet Time
This is so important for both you and your child. Reading is a great option, especially if your child is capable of reading on their own. Ours are not yet so we allow them to have some alone time watching a film, while our youngest 1 year old sleeps. I wouldn’t encourage too much screen time though – there are better ways to stimulate a young mind, but a little bit helps to calm ours down when they need it. Don’t forget it is possible to watch educational programs, such as Alpha Blocks or Number Blocks for younger children. Ours love a David Attenborough style nature program too.
There are also online resources to help children deal with any stress or anxiety that they could be feeling, such as this video on guided relaxation.
Important things to remember when home schooling
- Don’t judge yourself – You shouldn’t stress about how much they are learning. Remember, any progress is better than none. More important is making sure you are keeping them busy and happy.
- Routine – Studies have consistently shown that most children like routine and thrive when they have structure. While we’re travelling we still have our little routine – a ‘learning zone’ in the mornings (when they can concentrate best) before we go out for the day, and in the evening, we try to have some creative time while dinner is cooking. Being on lock-down is different. You need to fill the whole day, not just school hours. There are no play dates, swimming, or after school clubs etc. so you’ll have to find ways to entertain all day and evening too. This infogram helpfully explains ways to try to keep things as normal as possible during this time. A key recommendation is routine.
- Timetable – With routine in mind, I suggest producing a timetable. This website has a downloadable version.
For some excellent practical examples for how to construct a timetable for home schooling, check out these Home School Timetable Ideas for Primary School Kids.
- Breaks – Regular breaks are essential. A break should always be taken if the child loses concentration. There is no point trying to continue if they are not focused. Additional physical activity breaks in the day can often help with regaining mental alertness.
- Good Learning Environment – Where possible, try to create a calm and quiet environment. Turn off the TV and put phones and other distractions away. Having a noisy 1 year old, this is something we struggle with. We’ve found it works well to feed him some snacks at the same time as the others learn, to keep him quiet and occupied.
- Food and hydration – Both essential considerations. We all know how difficult a hungry child can be so make sure they are having suitable snacks throughout the day.
- Reinforce Learning – Don’t keep rushing onto new topics. Reinforce learning by completing a variety of activities on the same topic. You can explain and discuss new ideas, complete worksheets, watch online videos etc. Be sure to return to the topic a few days later to see if it has been remembered.
- Mutiple ages – It can be quite tricky teaching children of different ages at the same time. Mine are 3 & 5 so they both need quite a lot of support. Try to find tasks that one can do independently while you help the other.
Links to other useful resources
For other great resources and ideas, check out:
- Travel and multicultural education activities for children
- 14 inspiring ways to entertain your kids at home
- Top homeschooling resources
- Coronavirus school closure activities
- Travel activities for kids to do within the house
- Awesome homeschool advice from World schooling families
- 25+ perfect indoor activities for babies and toddlers during the Coronavirus lockdown
Also, for more from families with a love of travel, check out these inspirational instagram and blog accounts:
- @rowenasteachandtravel
- @twins.and.travel
- @zenasuitcase
- @worldattheweekend
- @mudpiefridays
- @twinstantrumsandcoldcoffee
- @amomentwithfranca
- @ladybirdadventures
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