Families Thames Valley East Lockdown 2 June 2020

FREE

Thames Valley East

Lockdown Issue 2

Win ÂŁ250 Halfords Bike Voucher!

ENTER HERE Magazine

June 2020 familiesonline.co.uk

T&Cs apply

familiesonline.co.uk June 2020

COLOUR-IN COLOUR-INCARDS CARDS

Print these colour-in greetings cards to help you celebrate birthdays, Father’s Day or just say hello to someone special!

Birthday or a special day

Just to say hello

Choose your free design and just print out. These are most suitable for primary school age children as the intricate drawings will let them really show off their design skills.

Best for younger children, challenge little ones to design the most ‘roarsome’ card for friends and relatives. Guaranteed to bring a smile to a loved one’s face!

Father’s Day

Father’s Day

This simple design gives younger children the opportunity to pen a portrait of Dad.

Best for older kids, this great sheet can be personalised with Dad trivia and inserted in his card for guaranteed smiles.

2 June 2020

familiesonline.co.uk

CONTENTS

Welcome

Contents

We’re proud to present the second “surviving lockdown” issue of Families magazine!

2

Colour-In Greeting Cards

4-7

Learning

8

Best Pre-School Printable Activity Sheets

Here you’ll find support, ideas and suggestions for this lighter phase of 10-11 Sibling Rows Home Haircuts lockdown, covering education, play, indoor and outdoor entertainment, 12-14 Family Health health and practical matters.

15 Work With more outside time allowed, you can enjoy our family cycling and walking guides, as well as simple family picnic ideas.

If you want to get in touch, please email info@familiesmagazine.co.uk

16-19 Nature and Outside Projects, Picnics, Walking, Cycling 20

Online Classes

21

Family Trivia Quiz

22

Virtual Farm Tours

23

Book Offers

24

Best Primary School Printable Activity Sheets

Win £250 Halfords Bike Voucher!

FRE E

TAKE

ME H

OM E

Lockdown Issue

T&Cs apply

ENTER HERE

Magazine familiesonline.co.uk

Summer Holidays familiesonline.co.uk

June 2020 3

LEARNING

Best Online Educational Games Our guide to FREE educational games for children of all ages.

The Great Fire of London

Total Darkness

Numberblocks Make and Play

Help Tom and Jane escape the flames through 6 dramatic days of the fire.

Head into the dark, explore different locations and meet new characters.

Make and play with the Numberblocks.

Evolving Butterflies Game

Tate Paint

Build The Snowman

Learn how butterfly wing patterns emerge or die-out.

Create your own masterpiece!

It might be summer, but you can still build a snowman!

Dinosaur Discovery

Show Me the Cookies

Explore the Solar System

Find out about dinosaurs by doing tests and experiments.

4 June 2020

Play with the Cookie Monster!

Fly NASA missions and explore planets, moons and comets. familiesonline.co.uk

LEARNING

Returning to School Post Lockdown

By Ellie Malt

Your child may be returning to school very soon. It’s been a while since we had a “normal” school day so here are a few tips to help you and your child get back into routine and adjust to the new “normal.”

GET YOUR KIT TOGETHER

UNIFORM CHECK?

COLLECT WORK COMPLETED AT HOME

DO A STATIONERY AUDIT

READ MORE

Helping your Children with Maths at Home

By Rob Eastaway

Win £250 Halfords Bike Voucher!

T&Cs apply

ENTER HERE It’s been how many months now? Your child has been expected to be learning maths during lockdown and you’ve been in charge of the tutorials.

The end may be in sight but, in the meantime, here are some tips to help you through the home maths blues.

READ MORE familiesonline.co.uk

Magazine

June 2020 5

LEARNING

Best Educational “Make and Do” Projects for All Ages

Astronaut Helmet for Teddy

Instant Ice Cream

Paper Plate Birds

Help your little one craft a helmet for their teddy.

Explore states of matter by turning milk into ice cream instantly!

Design your own version of the beak, wings and tails.

Unicorn Mobile

Hedgehog

Make Your Own Cloud

Cut out and make your own hanging mobile.

Pinhole Camera

Make your own pinhole camera and discover how light travels.

6 June 2020

Create your own model hedgehog to keep at home.

Your Family Tree Download to create and preserve your family’s history.

Cook up your own storm in a jar!

Bronze Age Roundhouse

Build a mini model of a Bronze Age roundhouse. familiesonline.co.uk

LEARNING

Learning to Spell in Style

Making Writing Fun

Practising spelling is something simple you can do to help your child keep up to speed with English and prepare for a return to school, in the coming weeks or in September.

Learning to write is an essential skill, and once the technicalities are mastered, there’s no reason why it can’t be just as fun, creative and engaging as drawing, painting and colouring in. Here’s some tips on making writing simple, stress-free and enjoyable.

By Andrew Campbell

But is spelling important and what are the different tips and tricks you can try?

READ MORE

Learning through Play Introduce your toddler/preschooler to key learning areas with these ideas.

Playful Reading Activities

5 Simple Games for Teaching Numbers Spotlight on Mark Making 10 Role Play Activities for Under 5s 15 Best Learning Through Play Ideas 50 Outdoor Activities for Toddlers Best Nursery Rhymes and Songs familiesonline.co.uk

By Surlender Pendress

READ MORE

Free Learning Resources Discovery Diaries Art-based approach to STEM learning.

Literacy Shed+ Reading resources – videos and activity packs.

Raspberry Pi Projects How to code and build a website.

Artforms Keep practising musical instruments at home.

14 Stories in 14 Days Videos/activities/resources about children’s books.

Mid-Morning Maths Online lessons with Bobby Seagull.

English Mastery Downloadable books with 8 weeks of activities.

June 2020 7

PRE-SCHOOL ART

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

8 June 2020

familiesonline.co.uk

Hello!

CALLING ALL

Download the family app that invests in your kids

TECH SAVVY PARENTS

We’d like to tell you about Beanstalk, the brand new family app brought to you by the people behind KidStart. The only app of it’s kind, Beanstalk helps families come together to build a meaningful nest egg for their children’s future.

They are on the look for tech savvy parents to give the app a whirl and change the way they save for their kids.

From talking to parents, Beanstalk’s founders could see that the savings market for kids was broken. Almost every new parent wants to put something aside for their children to help launch them into adult life, but very few do, often because the existing products are confusing or poor value.

It’s simple – you can add all your children and yourself on to one app.

Even when parents do something, they often just keep it in cash. This may not be the right choice for longer term saving as the value can be eroded by inflation.

You don’t need to put any money into open an account and start saving:

That’s why Beanstalk was born – the revolutionary new way for families to make a real difference for their children and themselves.

Why choose Beanstalk?

All the family can help – grandparents, friends and the wider family can all contribute easily to your kids’ pots.

1. Use KidStart to earn free savings 2. Round up your purchases to save little and often 3. Top up or set up regular contributions if you would like.

It’s designed for growth - at 0.5% the fee is one of the lowest, meaning more saved for your kids.

Click here to download the family app that invests in your kids.

Follow the Beanstalk journey: @thebeanstalkapp on IG, FB and Twitter.

Please note: capital as risk. As with any investment, the value can go down as well as up. familiesonline.co.uk

June 2020 9

PARENTING

Dealing with Fighting Children

By Tanith Carey Sibling rivalry and rows can be one of the most energysapping, nerve-jangling aspects of parenting. Now, still in partial lockdown, I’m pretty sure you desperately need a rest from constant cries of: “Mum, he hit me!” or “She’s taken my toy!”

Stressful as it can be, it helps to remember that ALL siblings fight sometimes - it can even be a positive part of your children’s development which offers a safe training ground to learn how to deal with conflict.

Sibling conflict is a natural part of family life which can never be avoided completely because it stems back to each child’s primitive need to survive by not missing out on their parents’ care and protection.

Squabbles and explosions flare up because children are still developing control over the part of the brain that helps them manage their impulses.

what kids are REALLY fighting over and taking into account their development really helps.

If you introduce evidence-based parenting strategies, which are based on science, not opinion, I guarantee your kids will get on better – even if not ALL of the time.

HERE ARE MY 12 DETAILED TIPS. You can read more in my books:

In the teen years, rows can escalate further when siblings start to directly compare achievements and to define themselves in opposition to each other.

But looking at it from the point of view of children, understanding 10 June 2020

familiesonline.co.uk

PARENTING

How to Cut your Child’s Hair Lockdown locks needn’t be a disaster with these expert tutorials.

Baby’s First Haircut

Trimming Long Hair

Older Boys’ Cuts

This pictorial guide walks you through those first and early trims.

The popular Hair 101 with April shows you how.

A specialist barber guides you through a whole re-style!

Tips for Home Hair Cuts Baby & Toddler • Ensure they’re rested/fed.

• Seat in highchair with toys/ snacks.

• Demonstrate it doesn’t hurt by snipping your own ends.

• Be the “hairdresser” – turn it into a game.

Older Kids

• Smaller scissors make smaller mistakes.

• Start clippers on higher ‘grade’ then work down.

• Don’t cut, style instead.

Don’t let your child near your hair….here’s why! familiesonline.co.uk

Win 1 of 3 Copies of What’s My Teenager Thinking?

This is a uniquely practical parenting book for raising teenagers by Tanith Carey and Dr Angharad Rudkin.

Grounded in evidence-based child psychology, it shows you how to create a supportive environment, get through tough times WIN! and emerge with a mutually respectful and understanding Enter here with name & postcode by 30 June 2020.

June 2020 11

FAMILY HEALTH

Get Immunisation Alerts via Free App

Keeping Kids Active in the Garden

Children in the UK are missing vaccinations for serious diseases due to Covid-19. To help, the free Redbook App, Nuturey is sending out vaccine guidance from trusted sources like the NHS, and reminders to help you stick to your child’s vaccination schedule. Download from the App Store or HERE.

If you have a garden, it’s probably been an amazing resource during lockdown. And it’s likely to continue to be, with many activities outside the home still unavailable. So here are some FABULOUS IDEAS TO KEEP KIDS ACTIVE IN THE GARDEN from our friends at MUM IN THE MADHOUSE.

Staying on Top of It All…

Pining for the Gym or Studio?

Parents everywhere are really struggling right now. They have been simultaneously working, parenting and supervising their children’s education for more than two months now.

So we asked our friends at Parental Choice for advice. How do we work, stay fit, healthy and sane with our kids at home?

READ MORE 12 June 2020

Workout Trainer PT designed free workouts.

Yoga with Adriene The queen of yoga on social.

Glo Yoga Yoga, meditation & classes with free trial.

Peloton On demand classes with free trial.

Class Pass Live and on demand workoutson demand free.

NHS Fitness Studio Aerobics/strength/pilates/yoga on demand Endomondo Free running/walking app. familiesonline.co.uk

FAMILY HEALTH

Handling Leaving Lockdown Anxieties

Sleeping During Unsettled Times

By Victoria Hulme and Amanda Reid

Families have explained the national lockdown to their children as best they can, helping them through challenging times. As the UK prepares to return children to school, how can you handle any negative impact this might have on your child’s wellbeing?

READ MORE

New and different routines, a change in sleeping and waking times, stuck in lockdown.… worries, stresses and simple over-exhaustion. It’s not surprising that many of us are finding that our own and our children’s sleep patterns are disturbed. So what can we do?

READ MORE

Why We’ll Never Leave Morzine

Win £250 Halfords Bike Voucher!

T&Cs apply

ENTER HERE With travel overseas restricted, we can only dream of faraway places. So come with us on a journey to Chilly Powder in Morzine, in the stunning Portes du Soleil region of the French alps. We talk to British couple, Paul and Francesca about raising a family at the ski resort.

READ MORE familiesonline.co.uk

Magazine

June 2020 13

Together we will find a cure 14 June 2020

familiesonline.co.uk

WORK

Getting Back to Work

By Mandy Garner In the past the phenomenon of returning to work - whether from maternity leave or longer periods of leave - was mainly associated with women.

However, given the Covid-19 lockdown and extensive use of the furlough scheme over the last few months, the number of individuals facing transition back to work after a long period of leave is now much more widespread.

This could be good news for traditional returners in that there may be a greater general sense of understanding of the issues involved.

While furloughed workers will not face the daunting return to work after a long gap, they may need a period of adjustment to the new normal, whatever that might be.

The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development suggests a re-induction period for furloughed workers.

For longer-term returners, the issues of returning to the workforce are compounded by having to find a new job. As we face the prospect of more redundancies and a bleaker economic picture, that is likely to be harder.

So what do you do if you have taken or been forced to take time out of the work place and you want to get back to work?

We asked the team at Working Mums for their ideas and tips and to tell us about the FREE RESOURCE they offer mums returning to work.

READ MORE.

familiesonline.co.uk

June 2020 15

FOOD

Easy Summer Picnic Ideas Simple recipes you can make with your children.

Cheat’s Sausage Rolls

Tuna & Sweetcorn Sandwich Pick their favourite bread for these healthy sarnies.

A children’s classic and easy to make.

Watermelon Popsicles

Easy Kids Fishcakes

Baked Bean Muffins

A family favourite made easy.

Chocolate Rice Krispie Cakes

A healthy way to cool down!

A great way to get them to eat more fish!

For baked bean fans!

Fruit Scones

Easy Cheese Dip

Chicken Roll-Ups

For those with a sweet tooth…

16 June 2020

Great served with vegetable sticks.

Simple lunch idea to put together.

familiesonline.co.uk

NATURE & OUTDOORS

Fun Family Walking Ideas Choosing a Family Walk Woodland Walks Ramblers Find a Walk National Trust Walking Trails GeoTourist App (IOS/Android) Voicemap App (IOS/Android) Immersive City Audio Tours Forest Walks Walks and Hikes at English Heritage Sites

Tips for Family Walking Masterclass: Walking with Kids Expert advice from The Ramblers.

Walking with Children Tips from National Parks.

Hiking with your Child Advice for parents of babies and toddlers.

Walking Dogs in Woods Take your pet for a woodland walk.

What to Pack in Your Rucksack Essential hiking equipment.

Top Tips for Walking with Children Advice for grandparents.

Baby Routes Make hiking with young children a habit. familiesonline.co.uk

Making Walking Fun Geocaching Outdoor treasure hunts.

Treasure Trails Themed self-guided trails.

Fun Walking Games for Parks and Woodlands Activities to explore and discover.

10 Ways to Make Walking with Kids Wonderful Enjoy family walking.

Top Tips for Fun Family Walking Make walking fun.

Nature Detective Activities Printable sheets Nature Scavenger Hunts “Find and collect” activities.

Win £250 Halfords Bike Voucher!

T&Cs apply

ENTER HERE

Magazine

June 2020 17

NATURE & OUTDOORS

Best “Make and Do�

Nature Projects

Birdcake

Mini Wildlife Pond Saucer Vegetables A mini pond can bring interest and wildlife to your garden.

Use kitchen scraps to re-grow vegetables.

Press Flowers

Nature Walk Diary

Create beautiful art from plants growing nearby.

Explore, observe and document the natural world.

Mini Wormery

See how worms burrow through the earth.

Bug or Ladybird Home

Make a Pitfall Trap

Grow a Grass Head

Quick and easy, hang it up and feed the birds.

Create a simple insect home.

18 June 2020

What small creatures are crawling around your garden?

Simple and fun!

familiesonline.co.uk

NATURE & OUTDOORS

A Complete Guide to Family Cycling Choosing a Bike

Safety

12 Things you Must Know Before Buying a Child’s Bike

Best Kids Bike Helmets

10 Things to Consider Before Buying a Balance Bike

Best Toddler Bike Helmets

Choosing the Best Balance Bike for your Child What’s the Right Bike Size?

Best Starter Bikes for Ages 3 & 4 Best Kids Bikes for all Ages

Best Baby Bike Helmet for Safey

What’s Legal?

Teaching your Child to Cycle Safely Preventing Accidents and Injuries What Maintenance Does a Bike Need?

10 Best Mountain Bikes for Kids

Child Seats, Carriers and Scooters

Getting Going – and Beyond!

A Guide to Child’s Trailers

Teaching Your Child to Cycle

Choosing Child Bike Seat

How to Ride a Balance Bike

Best Scooters for Kids and Adults

Teach your Child to Ride a Bike without Stabilisers in Nine Steps

Best Front Bike Seats for Toddlers/Young Children

Finding a National Cycle Route

Best Rear Bike Seats for Toddlers/Young Children

Great Routes for Every Kind of Ride

Starting Cycling with Trailers/ Bike Seats

Planning a Successful Family Cycle Ride

Can my Baby Go in a Bike Seat/ Carrier?

How to Get your Kids Mountain Biking

familiesonline.co.uk

June 2020 19

ONLINE CLASSES

Best Online Classes for All Ages Are your children missing their regular classes and activities?

Try these instead!

Cosmic Kids Yoga

The Strings Club

The Ballet Coach

Yoga, mindfulness and relaxation for kids aged 3+.

Ukele/guitar/violin classes for ages 6+. FREE session!

Live ballet lessons streamed daily.

Teddies Music Club Online

Kids Craft Club

Rugbytots Live Online Classes

Lively music and art for pre-schoolers.

Daily craft classes at 11am.

Live online classes Saturday/ Sunday morning.

Online Science Club

LTA Tennis at Home

Virtual Kids Martial Arts

Live classes with Mother Nature Science.

20 June 2020

Improve your family’s tennis skills at home.

Online classes to burn off excess energy. familiesonline.co.uk

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

It’s Family Quiz Night!

Plan a pop culture stay-at-home family quiz session or play with friends via Zoom!

Quizzes for Younger Kids

Quizzes for Older Kids

Guess the Disney Character

How Well do you Know The Oscars?

All the Peppa Pig Trivia Test their Frozen Knowledge Guess the Paw Patrol character?

Identify the Cartoon Character Random Trivia Printable A-Z Quiz

Name the movie!

Ultimate Harry Potter Trivia Quiz Complete the Soundtrack Lyrics Name the TV Show Know your Animal Kingdom?

Random Trivia Quiz (see hard section)

Planning and Tips

Make it an Event!

• Choose your quiz, or pick and mix a few rounds.

• Dress up as TV/film characters.

• Assign quiz master and teams (min 1 person per team).

• Prep the snacks: - Smoothies - Ice Lollies - Popcorn

• Larger groups can pick team names.

• Set a time limit and rules.

• Decide on snacks and when to make them.

• Pop on the Spotify playlist Movie Music Kid’s Classics.

• With younger children, don’t play for too long.

• Print out personalised medals for the winning team.

• Reveal the answers and announce the winning team!

• The winning team chooses the film at their next family movie night!

familiesonline.co.uk

June 2020 21

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

Virtual Animal Farms and Live Webcams

Bocketts Farmyard Classroom

Animal Farm Adventure Park

Romshed Farm Live Webcam

Meet and learn about the farm’s animals.

Daily videos of staff caring for llamas/ goats/sheep/lambs.

Live streaming of various areas of the farm.

Folly Farm Live Stream

Wisconsin Farm Sanctuary Cam

Centennial Farm Pig Cam

Spy on sheep/goats/ donkeys and pigs.

Watch live farm animals graze and socialise.

Watch these adorable animals.

Puppy Playroom

Kitten Rescue Sanctuary

Kentucky Equine Adoption Centre

Observe puppies in preparation for training as service dogs.

22 June 2020

Live cam of playful kittens awaiting new homes.

Live stream of horses awaiting adoption. familiesonline.co.uk

BOOKS

Book Preview and Offers Sample three activities for after dark, from the book On a Starry Night

by Kate Hodges.

Have a Glow-inthe-Dark Bath Turn off the light and jump into a glowing tub!

Spot the International Space Station Watch this spacecraft track across the sky.

Win 1 of 3 Copies of This or That?

by Pippa Goodhart

Put on a Shadow Puppet Show Tell tales using silhouettes.

Win 1 of 5 Copies of On a Starry Night by Kate Hodges

Would you wear a toga or trousers? Play with a doll or dice? Live in a tent or treehouse? Pippa Goodhart’s fascinating picture book, full of amazing British Museum photographic objects, offers irresistible fun WIN! choosing between this or that.

An inspiring collection of 52 things to do, make and play after dark – when it feels grown-up, exciting and a little bit scary. Perfect for reducing screen time and instead enjoying creative, active WIN! and perhaps, even spooky family fun!

Enter here with name & postcode by 30 June 2020.

Enter here with name & postcode by 30 June 2020.

familiesonline.co.uk

June 2020 23

ART & CRAFT

Best Printable Primary Age Activity Sheets Perfect for a rest during a walk, cycle ride or on a family picnic and great for bored moments at home.

Mystery Gobblefunk

Clover Moon Activity Sheets

Harry Potter Word Search

Moomin Activities

Wimpy Kid Quiz

Super Mario Activity Sheets

Mummy Fairy and Me Activity Sheets

World’s Worst Children Activity Pack

Colour in Premier League Player

Families is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of this magazine are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Families Print Ltd. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine but Families Print Ltd, its distributors, franchisees and LCMB Ltd cannot be held response for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequences thereof.

24 June 2020

familiesonline.co.uk