Maintain good mental well-being at home (and keep learning…)
It is really important we keep our minds active during this time by accessing a range of learning opportunities, as well as ensuring our mental well-being is looked after by taking the time to do the things we love and enjoy:
Keep active - go for walks, do YouTube yoga...
Get creative - make models, bake cakes…
Keep in touch - write letters to your friends, send your teacher messages on Seesaw…
Grow your brain - research the things that you’ve always wanted to know, read a book that you’ve always wanted to read…
Enjoy this time with your family and have fun… :)
Mindfulness
Don’t forget to continue practising your mindfulness at home too! What is mindfulness again? It is the ability to be fully present in the moment, which can have numerous benefits from keeping yourself calm to increasing your focus.
Mindfulness links
https://app.gonoodle.com/channels/flow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn65ltyntp4
https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities/
https://diaryofajournalplanner.com/free-mindfulness-colouring-sheets/
Reception and KS1 ideas
New Beginnings
This module focuses on developing children’s ability to recognise and celebrate their strengths, whilst creating simple yet challenging goals. It also allows children to explore and understand the values of respect, passion, honesty, responsibility and aspiration.
Activity ideas:
Create a ‘Reach for the Stars’ poster by drawing/writing about what you are proud of.
In a rocket, write/draw what you aspire to achieve over the next year/ when you grow up. In stars/planets/aliens around your rocket, say how you will achieve these by thinking about our values.
Create a paper chain of all the strengths you have eg: good at maths, kind, helpful, remember finger spaces etc.
Act out with your family members what these values mean and also how they can be shown.
Create a song or poem about the values.
Social and Emotional
This module focuses on developing children’s awareness of how to keep themselves and their friends safe and look after eachother. This includes what it means to be kind and unkind, fair and unfair and also the difference between right and wrong.
Activity ideas:
Celebrate being different by listening to the story: It’s OKAY to Be Different by Todd Parr (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrm4dC3Poe0).
Create a pair of empathy glasses...when you look through them you can see how others might feel.
Listen to different scenarios (given to you by a family member) and act out how you would want to be treated if it were you in this situation. Think about how you might feel and how you could handle these feelings.
Create a thank you poster...include what you appreciate and what you are grateful for.
Have a go at watching the following:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/pshe-ks1-ks2-what-is-fair/zh98qp3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAo4-2UzgPo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aEUjlxOK-Y
RSE
This module is all about relationships. Please see the link below to some stories and real life situations which could bring about some great conversations at home.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/znddmp3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-sls-CzzlQ
KS2 ideas
New Beginnings
This module focuses on developing children’s ability to recognise and celebrate their strengths, whilst creating challenging goals. It also enables children to discover how and why we have rules and laws and what this means to them and others around them.
Activity ideas:
Draw and write about your achievements and the values you used to get there (resilience, team work, respect, growth mindset etc).
Create a solar system and in the middle have a rocket with your aspirations. Around this describe how you will reach this goal.
Research, discuss and discover rules and make a poster. Make sure you include how these rules help you personally and also others around you. What does this look like in the wider world?
Act out different scenarios with friends and families.
Social and Emotional
This module focuses on developing the children’s ability to understand that each person has their own rights and how these change as they get older. They also learn about how they can ask for help in different situations, including bullying, resisting pressure to do something that is unsafe, dangerous or unhealthy for them. This module also touches upon making informed choices about healthy living.
Activity ideas:
Research the rights of an individual as they grow up and create a timeline of rules and laws.
Think about all the feelings we could have - create a rainbow of unpleasant words in rain clouds and draw/write what you could do to wash away these feelings. Create one for a friend and describe what you could do to help them feel better.
Create a healthy living project about exercise, diets, tracking screen time or sleep patterns. Research and record over a period of time and then discuss your findings.
Create a circle of trust - put yourself in the middle and as you work your way out make bigger circles of who you can trust and talk to if you are unsure about something.
Act out scenarios that may be unsafe, dangerous or unhealthy and show how you could react.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/pshe-ks1-ks2-what-is-fair/zh98qp3
RSE
This module is all about relationships. Please see the link below to some stories and real life situations which could bring about some great conversations at home.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zfqqtfr
Exchange of views
Debating and respecting others' views is incredibly important. Why not look at one of the questions below and start a debate in your household? If there is no one opposing, ask someone to think of it from another angle or you could even be the opposing person :)
Are computer games good for you?
Do you think it is possible for two people to be exactly the same?
Is it easier to help people if you are rich?
Is it OK to keep animals in zoos?
How do we know the difference between right and wrong?
Does having more things make you happier?
Would you rather live under water or in space? Why?