Daily free ideas and activities for families at home
Stuck for ideas or overwhelmed by everything that's out there? We've got tried and tested daily (yes daily!) ideas for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and schoolchildren that are fun, educational and easy to do
Activities for Day 19-22
Live Zoo Day - with lions, Komodo dragons and tree kangaroos at Chester Zoo!
Chester Zoo is back with another virtual zoo day taking you around its grounds and showing you some of the fascinating animals that they look after.
You can catch different animals across the day on Chester Zoo's Facebook page or YouTube channel starting at 10am:
- 10:00 - 10:20 Tree kangaroos
- 11:00 - 11:20 Asiatic lions
- 12:00 - 12:20 Komodo dragons
- 13:00 - 13:20 Lemurs of Madagascar
- 14:00 - 14:20 Mr Parsons the chameleon (star of The Secret Life of the Zoo)
- 15:00 - 15:20 Penguin chicks
We're particularly excited to see Mr Parsons as well as the penguin chicks who have just recently hatched!
Craft for toddlers: how to make paper plate animals
For toddlers and pre-schoolers are just starting to identify different animals, a great activity is to make paper plate animals.
Pick from a lion, tiger, zebra, pig, dog, elephant or rabbit and follow this YouTube video tutorial to see how to create them using a paper plate, coloured paper, paint and other craft materials you have handy.
No need to camp outdoors - go indoor camping!
If you don't have a tent handy to put up outside, it's just as much fun to do indoor camping - building your own 'tent'. Not sure how? Then check out this brilliant YouTube video on how to build an indoor den.
All you need are some chairs, cushions, blankets or sheets and some heavy books, pegs or bulldog clips to hold the blankets/sheets in place. If you have fairy lights, even better! And if you want to know how to make your camp even bigger keep watching right until the end of the video to see how to extend it.
EASTER SUNDAY
New Harry Potter At Home activities launched!
Bring the magic of Hogwarts to your home and have a Harry Potter day full of wizarding activities with the new Harry Potter at Home games on the official HP site Wizarding World. You'll find hatfuls of fun suitable for those who know every last Remembrall and those who are just starting to discover Quidditch and Muggles.
The first step is to find out what your kid's wizarding name is using the Harry Potter name generator and then let the Sorting Hat decide which House you're in.
Then it's quiz time - and there are a LOT of quizzes. From beginners to experts, there's a quiz for everyone - here's just a taster...
There are also some brilliant drawing tutorials taking you through how to draw some of the magical creatures like the Niffler and Occamy. These videos are sped up so make to them easier to follow we suggest slowing down the playback speed in the video settings.
Plus if your kids are new to Harry Potter, there are some fantastic resources on the site for first-time readers including a guide for 10 words you need to know.
Make your own super-simple talking puppets for a 3 Little Pigs Show
If your children are inspired to put on their own puppet show, these simple talky puppets are very quick to make if you follow this video tutorial inspired by the 3 Little Pigs.
You'll just need coloured paper, coloured pens or pencils, glue and you'll be ready to make your little pig and wolf puppets!
Activities for Day 18
1. Learn brilliant magic tricks with free daily lessons from World Record holding magician
Learn the secrets behind some incredible magic tricks as magician and Guinness World Record holder, Kevin Quantum, hosts daily lessons on his YouTube channel.
Kevin is teaching children the tricks of the trade direct from his magic lab everyday at midday. There's already around 2 hours worth of tutorials for your kids to get stuck into like this super simple disappearing pencil illusion and some which require a bit more practice like this trick that puts torn up paper back together.
And it's not just magic tricks your kids will be learning - Kevin also incorporates science and maths into his magic tutorials like this disappearing coin trick which looks at the geometry of a circle.
And once your children have learnt a set of new tricks, why not get them to put on a magic show for the rest of the family to show off their new skills!
2. Join a live kids’ drumming class – no instruments required!
Music school, This Charming House, has taken its music lessons online and best of all you don't need to have an instruments to take part!
Today's workshop is all about drumming, so grab some pots and pans or pillows if you want to keep the noise down, and tune into Facebook live at 11am.
The drumming session has been designed for all ages and skill levels so your kids don't need music experience to join in - even parents are welcome to take part!
Friday's workshop is all about the learning the basics of the keyboard. For your own makeshift keyboard, there's plenty of apps available to download including this one from the Apple App Store.
Make a guitar using an old cereal box
Add to your homemade musical instrument collection with this guitar made from a cereal box.
Grab an empty cereal box, some string and a long cardboard tube (you can always slot some carboard loo roll tubes together if you don't have a long one) and follow this CBeebies tutorial with your kids. Younger kids may need help with some of the tricky bits like cutting the hole in the box and threading the strings through the holes.
Colour in your favourite book characters
There are so many free colouring sheets available to print and download for your kids, and we love the look of these featuring Dr Seuss characters from the classic stories including:
Activities for Day 17
How to make a game of Stingray racing
The National Marine Aquarium also has a whole host of simple craft ideas for toddlers and pre-schoolers, including this simple and inspired game of stingray races. All you need is some paper, a pen and some scissors - and away you go.
Other craft videos include: How to make hand jellyfish and How to make an eel mobile.
For older children, print out this free colouring-in sheet from the National Marine Aquarium. You can help your child research all the different sea animals on the sheet to learn about their unique features.
3. Free coding lesson today - with special guest... Ashton Kutcher
Tech experts from the site Code.org are hosting amazing weekly live sessions where children aged 6 to 12 years can learn about coding and computer science.
Each week a member of the team hosts a session with a special guest and this week is actor Ashton Kutcher! They'll take you through different activities to help understand coding as well as sharing their screen so your kids can see the coding in action.
The next session is taking place this evening at 6pm where you can tune in via the video conferencing service, Zoom. Just make sure you've downloaded it beforehand and you'll be ready to go.
Code a dance party or build Minecraft worlds
After their coding lesson, your kids can practise their new skills using lots of the fantastic resources on Code.org.
For example there are 1-hour tutorials where you can code a dance party or learn about coding in Minecraft.
Activities for Day 16
1. Get a personal Shout Out from Andy and the Odd Socks band!
Andy Day of Andy's Wild Adventures and the band Andy and the Odd Socks has announced on his Facebook page and Twitter that he and the band are looking to "spread a little cheer" by organising personal shout outs.
"If you’ve got a birthday party that’s been cancelled, or you want to say well done to someone in your family or you just want to cheer someone up then how about a Shout Out from Andy and the Odd Socks!" Andy explains. "We’ve decided to try and spread a bit of happiness over the next couple of months with our brand new Shout Outs. All you have to do is email the details to us at shoutout@andyandtheoddsocks.com and we’ll send you back a video message from Rio, Moxy, Blu, Cousin Mac or me."
You'll need to know the name and the age of your child and what the Shout Out is for - to cheer them up, wish Happy Birthday or something else.
You can check out lots of the band's videos on YouTube - they're really good fun to sing along to.
Download Andy's fantastic free activity pack!
Don't miss Andy's brilliant activity pack which includes a word search, spot the difference and lyrics to some of the band's biggest songs so you can all sing along.
More singing fun for babies and toddlers
Another favourite to get toddlers singing and babies clapping is Mr Tumble!
No-mess finger painting
Yes, there really is such a thing as no-mess finger painting! Check out this ingenious hack on YouTube by Kids Activities using a plastic zip file - and watch your little one have artsy fun without getting paint absolutely everywhere...
3. Step-by-step video on how to draw fluffy chicks in time for Easter
We are in love with this step-by-step art tutorial from illustrator Lizzie Martell.
Lizzie uses watercolours to produce these gorgeous chicks - which are so great to do in time for Easter.
The video is around 16 minutes long - so short enough to keep your child's attention and easy to follow.
Activities for Day 15
1. The brand new Trolls World Tour movie is released - and you can watch it at home!
The highly anticipated sequel to the Trolls movie was set to be a big Easter hit in the cinemas. But, of course, the cinemas are closed and so today Trolls World Tour hits the small screen instead.
Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick return as Branch and Poppy, while Ozzy Osborne is King Thrash, and you'll be able to watch the brand new film from the comfort of your living room.
You can rent Trolls World Tour for 48 hours for £15.99 from most of the major streaming platforms including:
- Amazon Prime Video - get 30 days free sign-up
- Sky Store
- BT TV Store
- iTunes
- Google Play
It's not cheap especially if you only have one Trolls fan in the home, but it could be a popular Easter treat. BAnd if you want to catch the original Trolls movie before watching the sequel, you can buy or rent it on Amazon Prime and Sky Store along with other streaming services.
Free Trolls colouring sheets and singalong video
Print lots of free colouring sheets from Supercolouring and Crayola featuring Trolls characters including Poppy, Branch, Biggie and Mr Dinkles.
Sing and dance along to Can't Stop The Feeling on YouTube from the original Trolls movie, sung by Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. Just expect to hear it on repeat!
2. Play music with Myleene Klass and her kids this morning
Your kids can now have music lessons from a popstar with live online classes hosted by singer and broadcaster, Myleene Klass.
With her daughters, Ava and Hero, Myleene hosts her 'Music Klass' on Instagram live and YouTube at 10am on Mondays and Fridays.
So far, music lessons from the Hear'Say singer and classical cellist have taught us about rhythms, the difference between major and minor keys, how to turn TV music themes into lullabies and how to 'colour' music. Your kids can catch up with them all on Myleene's 'Music Klass' YouTube channel.
You don't even need a musical instrument to join. Children can simply bang along with a wooden spoon on some cooking pots as a makeshift drum (ear plugs may be required).
Make an instrument for babies and toddlers
Create your own colourful homemade maracas for your toddler using this simple video tutorial from Today's Parent. All you need is a plastic bottle, cardboard toilet roll (or just cardboard) and something to fill the shakers with such as buttons, beads or paper clips. Rice and pasta will do just as well - although you may be taking care of these store cupboard essentials!
Fill the bottle a third of the way up, glue the lid on securely and stick on the cardboard handle. Your little music maker will love shaking the maraca and exploring not just sounds but also movement.
3. Brilliant craft you can eat - Create painted toast
Take your toast to the next level with this super simple craft idea shared by mum, Lizzie Amy, in the Facebook group Family Lockdown Tips & Ideas.
Chances are you've already got everything you need at home - just grab a cupcake tin (or any small pots you have handy), pour in a dash of milk, add a couple drops of food colouring and mix to create your edible paints.
Your child then gets to paint their slice of bread using the different colours. Then pop it in the toaster and ta-da, there's the most brilliantly coloured toast that your child has helped to create!
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