If we are ever closed here are some activities to keep you busy. 

Here are 5 engaging activities you can do at home if you need to keep your child entertained while we are off

1. The "Kitchen Chemist" Volcano

This is a classic KS1 science experiment that teaches children about chemical reactions in a very visual way.

  • What you need: A small bottle or cup, baking soda, vinegar, and (optional) food coloring or dish soap for extra bubbles.

  • Activity: Place the bottle in a tray. Fill it halfway with vinegar and a few drops of food coloring. Have your child add a large spoonful of baking soda and watch the "lava" erupt.

  • The Learning: Ask them what they think will happen before you add the powder (prediction) and discuss how the liquid changed into a gas (fizzing).

2. A "Living Room" Scavenger Hunt

This helps with reading and "Common Exception Words" (words like the, said, where that they practice in school).

  • What you need: Post-it notes or scraps of paper and a pen.

  • Activity: Write 10 simple clues or just the names of household objects (e.g., "Fridge," "Sofa," "Shoe"). Hide the notes around the house. Your child has to read the word on one note to find the location of the next one.

  • The Learning: It turns phonics and decoding into a game rather than a worksheet.

3. "Magic Milk" Art

This is a great sensory activity that combines art and science.

  • What you need: A shallow dish of milk, food coloring, and a cotton bud dipped in washing-up liquid.

  • Activity: Drop dots of food coloring into the milk. Tell your child to touch the center of a color drop with the soapy cotton bud. The colors will "run away" and swirl into beautiful patterns.

  • The Learning: You can explain that the soap is "chasing" the fat in the milk, helping them understand how soap works to clean things.

4. Junk Model Robots or Castles

At this age, children are often tasked with "Design and Technology" (DT) projects involving joining materials.

  • What you need: Empty cereal boxes, toilet roll tubes, egg cartons, and masking tape or glue.

  • Activity: Challenge them to build a specific structure, like a "Robot that helps with chores" or a "Fairytale Castle."

  • The Learning: This develops fine motor skills (cutting and sticking) and problem-solving as they figure out how to make their structure stand up.

5. "Shopkeeper" Maths

Year 1 and 2 children are learning to recognize coins and give change.

  • What you need: A few toys, some small bits of paper for "price tags," and some real or play coins.

  • Activity: Set up a small shop. Label toys with prices like 5p, 10p, or 20p. Give your child a small "wallet" of coins and take turns being the shopkeeper and the customer.

  • The Learning: Practice addition and subtraction in a real-world context. For Year 2 children, challenge them to find different combinations of coins to make the same total.