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from Families Thames Valley West Leaving Lockdown Summer 2020

by Families Magazine

Online classes

Secret Summer Learning Activities Our best ideas to keep your child’s brain ticking over all summer long.

Make a Video Develops creativity, promotes physical activity and communication skills.

Charades Develops imagination and non-verbal communication skills.

Learn Chess Encourages critical thinking, planning ahead and reasoning.

Make a Miniature Book Encourages creativity and an interest in literature.

Bake a Cake Develops maths and coordination.

Word Games for Families Improves listening, vocabulary, memory and attention.

Make a Soap Carving Develops fine motor skills and creativity.

Game of 50 Develops addition/ subtraction, logical thinking, strategy, perseverance. Fruit & Vegetable Guessing Game Develops memory and logical thinking.

School Work During the Holidays? By Murray Morrison Supporting Secret Learning By Dr Amanda Gummer

When the whole of the summer term has felt like a halfway house between school and holidays, many families are beginning to wonder whether they should continue some element of school work through the summer break. So, what should the plan be?

READ MORE We’ve all mashed up veggies and hidden them in pasta sauce. Well, the same can be done with learning! Hiding learning within play is a much less stressful way of helping children to keep learning whilst they are not at school, especially for reluctant students. READ MORE

Sourcing Children’s Books over Summer Our guide to finding the right books for your child at the right price.

Book Trust Great Books Guide 100 best new books for children.

The Libby App Free ebooks and audiobooks with your library membership.

National Shelf Service Daily book recommendations from professional librarians.

Library E-Lending All libraries have e-lending services. Join remotely and enjoy.

Love Reading4Kids UK’s number 1 book recommendation site for children’s books.

BorrowBox App Borrow ebooks and audiobooks free from your library.

Hive.co.uk Free delivery. Commission paid to your local independent bookshop.

Oxfam Online Book Shop 1000s of new/pre-loved books and audiobooks available online.

World of Books UK’s largest seller of pre-loved books online.

Preparing your Child to Start School By Gabrielle Lawrence

Starting school for the first time is exciting - despite the pandemic. Remember that children starting school for the first time will not know that school routines are different to the past! So how can you best prepare your little one to start school?

Summer Reading Challenge 2020: Let’s Get Silly Over summer, there is often a dip in children’s reading levels. The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children aged 4-11 to read for pleasure and maintain their literacy levels. This year’s ‘Silly Squad’ theme places an emphasis on funny books. Return to School: How to Support your Child By Kairen Cullen

Throughout the long, strange months of lockdown parents have provided continuity and a sense of reality for their children. Soon it will be time to get them back to school and parents can help their children through this transition in numerous ways.

What will School/Nursery be Like in September

By Beth Cadman READ MORE

While some nurseries and schools have already opened their doors post-lockdown, September is when it seems that we can expect all children to return. So what will the ‘new normal’ look like for parents and their children come the autumn? READ MORE

Best Printable Early Years Activity Sheets

Free printables to help your little one’s pre-school learning.

Learn About Numbers

Big Bird Number 6 Colouring

Alphablocks A to Z Colouring

Family Card Game

Counting Sheet

Paint by Numbers

Bing Big Surprise Activities

Tracing Ace Learn to Draw

Maisy Dinner Doodle Mat

S U P E R C A L L I F A M I L I E S N G A L L

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Nursery at Home

Activities for under 5s that are easy to do at home and mirror the range of play experiences offered at nursery.

Make a Mermaid Tail

Make Sparkly Playdough

Make a Magic Garden

Make Crab Handprints

Car Name Game

Make Tractor Tyre Printing Pictures

Enjoy Songs and Action Rhymes

Make an Under the Sea Water Tray Enjoy Dressing Up Role Play

Best Printable Early Years Activity Sheets

Perfect for a rest during a walk, cycle ride or on a family picnic and great for rainy days at home.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea Dot to Dot Love Monster’s Maze

Peppa Pig Activity Pack

Dinosaur Roar! Spot the Difference

Postman Pat Office set

PJ Masks Moon Maze

Charlie and Lola Activity Book

Paddington Activity Pack

Frozen Activity Sheets

How to Motivate Your Child to do Anything

There is a long summer ahead…. and for many families, this is just an extension of a long spring at home with no school attendance and precious little by way of entertainment.

Many children are fractious, bored, lonely, discontented and anxious. It’s no wonder many are struggling to concentrate, focus and motivate themselves to do very much at all.

In order to get your child up and moving this summer and avoid a case of terminal boredom, your

child needs a few projects and

goals that will give them a sense of achievement and productivity.

These could be anything from practising times tables, having a day of screen free time every week, reading a book, doing some daily exercise or tidying their room.

You may even challenge them to complete some of the projects in this magazine! For little ones, some

more specific goals for positive behaviour might be appropriate. Decide what you think might work for your child and, if they are older, discuss and agree this with them.

Consider an appropriate motivator for your child. This doesn’t have to be (and, in fact, shouldn’t always be) money and it’s best to avoid sugary treats as rewards too. But it may be that you offer to pay for something your child really needs if they achieve their goal. It’s fun to give an older child a few different projects and goals with points they can earn for each, with the aim of reaching a total number of points and a bigger reward.

Remember to give praise generously for the effort your child goes to, even if they don’t quite achieve all their goals.

You can find lots of reward ideas from simple/low cost to more involved on the next page.

Rewards to Motivate Your Child

Simple/Low Cost Pick a movie – anything goes if it’s age appropriate! Cook their favourite dinner. A later bed time. Read an extra bed time story. 30 minu tes of extra screen time (not appropriate if you are trying to get them off a screen!) One to one t ime with mum or dad doing exactly what they want. St ickers.

Costs Money Give your child your loose change – every day for a week! Earn art materials for creative fun. Earn a small item which promotes physical activity. Football, hula hoop or frisbee… Increase their pocket money. Paint a feature wall in their room in their favourite colour. Let your child choose the next family outing. Buy them their favourite magazine, or an app they want.

More Involved A picnic in the park. Choosing a family activity. An out door playdate with friends (activity ideas page 23) Time with your phone to take some photos. Then get them printed. Camp in the garden. A famil y sports activity Vi sit the beach.

Go f or a family bike ride. ENTER HERE

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Mums in Lockdown

Four mums and Families magazine Editors tell us how lockdown has been for them. How have they juggled work, parenting, home schooling and life – and survived intact?

Caroline Roope is Editor of Families Solent East magazine. She lives in Hampshire with her husband and two sons. Watch Caroline’s

lockdown video.

Laura Macaulay is Editor of Families North Yorkshire and Families Newcastle magazine. She is mum of two boys and lives in Yorkshire.

Watch Laura’s lockdown video.

Katy Stollery is Editor of Families Fife and Tayside in Scotland. She just started running her business at the start of lockdown! She is the mum of two girls and lives in Fife. Watch Katy’s lockdown video.

Claire Bottomley is Editor of

Families Leeds & West Yorkshire

magazine. She is mum of three children ages 2 to 11 – two boys and a girl - and lives in Leeds. Watch

Claire’s lockdown video.

Talking to our Children about Racism Helping your Child Cope with Nightmares

Last month saw an unprecedented outpouring of movements throughout the world advocating an end to racial inequality. Children certainly have questions about the stories they hear, see and read, so how do we talk to them positively and openly about race? Download A

Parent’s Guide to Black Lives Matter.

Developing your Baby’s Sense of Humour By Andrew Campbell Watching your baby’s sense of humour develop is incredibly rewarding. Babies are born ready to laugh, but did you know that having a sense of humour is a learned quality that can actually be developed in babies and children? Many children have more underlying worries than usual right now. These are often kept at bay by the routines, occupations and pleasures of the day, only to surface at night in the form of scary nightmares. Our friends at Fegans share their top tips

for coping with your child’s nightmares.

Worried about your Child’s Weight?

By Shelley Goffe-Caldeira

Lockdown has significantly impacted children’s health, with a trend of weight gain resulting from confinement at home. Here are some useful tips from Need2KnowBooks for parents wanting to control weight gain in their children There’s a book offer at the end of the article too! READ MORE

Beat the crowd staycation ideas Please check the latest Government guidance before you book.

Canal Boat Holiday Explore the UK’s rivers/ canals. From £725 a week (family of 4).

Eco-Friendly Tree House Luxury woodland break in Devon. From £1,390 a week.

Retro Airstream Caravan Go retro in Suffolk. From £66 a night (min 2-nights).

Rustic Woodland Shack Get off the grid in Yorkshire. From £125 a night.

Hobbit Inspired Pod Pod living in Suffolk. From £710 a week (family of 4).

Idyllic Shepherd’s Hut Northumberland’s beaches. From £180 for 2 nights (family of 4).

Gorgeous Highland Cottage Wild Scotland! From £1,990 a week (inc daily catering).

New Forest Cottage Forest and beach. From £949 a week (July). Sleeps 4. Stunning St Ives Hideaway Secret tunnel to beach! From £164 a night (min 3-nights).

Staycation Survival Guide

Check for the latest government travel advice. The rules are different in Scotland, Wales and Ireland, so make sure you check the details for the country you are visiting.

Consider insurance. New policies no longer cover coronavirus-caused cancellations. If you have pre-booked insurance or an annual policy, the FCO has currently advised against all non-essential travel, which invalidates your insurance. It seems likely that the FCO position will change with regard to those countries with which the UK establishes air bridges but check your insurance T&Cs before you book/travel.

Check the cancellation policy for any holiday you book. Will your deposit be refunded if another lockdown happens or if travel restrictions are not lifted?

Lower your expectations. There will be fewer places open and some form of social distancing is likely to still be in place.

Embrace nature and spending time with your family and think of all the money you are saving towards next year’s holiday!

Budget Staycation Ideas

Lodge in the grounds of the Thomas Lord Inn, Hampshire. Private facilities/meals to your room. Farmstay UK 700 farms offering camping, B&B and SC. Birdholme Glamping in Notts. Stilted safari lodges in acres of space! Forest Holidays Log cabins/ tree houses in 10 forest locations across UK. Camp Too - retro VW campers + modern motorhomes. Various UK pick-up points. Tent Share. Rent a tent so you don’t have to buy camping gear! Canopy & Stars - reconnect with nature! Glamping to shepherd huts.