What To Do In Lock Down? Keeping your children entertained can be difficult enough
without a lockdown on the whole of the UK. With lockdown, many nurseries are
closed which has resulted in millions of young children across the country remaining
at home.
At Parkfield
Nursery in Carlisle, we are offering advice to parents who may be stuck or
struggling with keeping their children entertained in lockdown. Ensuring your
children still maintain some form of education at home is very important for
when they return to normality. This is why we are providing some guidance with
the help of Twinkl and BBC Bitesize , two highly recognised educational
services that have plenty of home learning activities for you and your children
to enjoy together during the lockdown.
Incorporate Learning With Fun Learning doesn’t always have to be boring. In fact, there
are plenty of activities you can do that will be fun for your little ones as
well as educational. Science
experiments are always fun for children, and plenty of experiments are only
likely to require ingredients you already have in the kitchen. These types of
activities are great for Early Years children as it introduces them to
scientific investigation using everyday objects, and allows for development of
their observational and analytical skills. Twinkl has a large range of free
home science activities to choose from. Just remember to put a protective sheet
down.
If your child is not so keen on science, or you’d like to
spare your worktops, BBC Bitesize has some great music lessons and activities
while staying at home. One particular lesson involves creating a xylophone out
of old jars .
The kitchen is a great place to make music; there are so many objects you can
use. Encourage your little one to get creative!
Take Learning Outside As it gets warmer, nobody wants to stay indoors all day.
Outdoor learning is great for young children as it enables them to interact
with nature. If you have a garden, get your children involved in planting. With
supermarkets selling little potted plants and garden centres gradually opening
their doors, you are spoilt for choice. Getting your children involved with gardening
not only allows them to get messy, but also teaches them that taking care of
things is important in order for them to develop.
How many of you can say that your children leave things
alone when you are out on a walk? That’s why a scavenger hunt is a perfect
outdoor learning activity. Twinkl has a range of free, printable outdoor
activity sheets especially for scavenger hunts, so whether your little one
is interested in mini beasts or flowers, there is something for everyone.
Scavenger hunts not only stimulate your child’s mind as they search, but also
their sense of touch. Print out a sheet and get going on your next venture
outdoors!
Check Up On Their Mental Wellbeing Lockdown is not easy for children of any age. Just as your
child has grown used to being surrounded by familiar faces, they have been
taken away which can be difficult. It is important to discuss with your child
how they are feeling. Sometimes it’s not as simple as that, which is why Twinkl
has a brilliant selection of Weekly
Wellbeing Journal Packs . Filling these out together will promote conversation,
helping you understand how your child may be feeling during lockdown.
Contact Us Our highly-trained members of staff are always available to
offer you advice and guidance during these difficult and unfamiliar times in
lockdown. We understand it will be tough on parents as well as their children,
which is why we highly recommend Twinkl and BBC Bitesize to combine education
and entertainment. For more information, contact Parkfield Nursery in Carlisle
on 01228 543034 .