These optional activities will keep your child engaged and offer a variety of learning opportunities at home. Try to encourage your child to complete a range of activities from the different learning areas. None of these activities require an internet connection. Where possible try to stick to a school-type timetable- morning, middle and afternoon with a recess and lunch break of about 30 minutes.
It doesn’t matter if the suggested experiences don’t go according to plan. Offer praise and encouragement for any learning attempts, even if they don’t get it quite right
Please use your child’s communication device as much as possible
Click here for a word document of the table below (19MB)
| Reading and communication | Writing | Mathematics | Science |
Book of the week (your child’s teacher will tell you the title of a story each week to be read /listened to every day. Each day you will be asked to talk about / find out about something in the story) Label things around the home.
Read recipes during cooking
Read other books/ magazines with your child. Talk about the pictures, letters or words they might recognise, ask your child their opinions (likes/dislikes) and ask for predictions.
Make the reading fun and exciting and give lots of opportunities for using your child’s communication device. You can demonstrate its use to your child. |
Developing hand strength: roll, squash, model playdough (can makes letters/numbers) put pegs around the rim of a bowl or on the washing line. Transfer water from one bowl to another by squeezing a sponge.
Fine motor skills- Drawing/scribbling with pencils, textas, chalk, threading buttons on to a lace/string using scissors to cut paper, foil, material, dough, screwing nuts and bolts together, putting sultanas into a container 1 by 1, tying shoe laces.
Writing- Ask your child to draw a picture. Label the picture. Child / or adult write a sentence /sentences about the picture. Choose a photo or magazine picture to talk and write about. Write a letter/card to a friend or relative. Write an email or text message to a friend. |
Sorting- Putting cutlery away in the draw, sorting toys/ bottle tops/pencils by colour, size Matching- Pairing socks during laundry, matching cans in the pantry Patterns- Continue the pattern during art printing Counting- Setting the table, paces around the garden, jumps on the trampoline, Socks in the laundry basket (could count in twos!), counting during cooking Make the tidying fun by counting how many things your child can hold in one hand, or collect in their t-shirt Measurement- Lots of opportunities during cooking measure the length of objects around the house in hands- how many hands long is the table, the book…. Time- Days of the week refer to the time throughout the day. time activities- how many …. can you do when I count to 10, 20? etc. Shapes – draw, colour and cut out shapes to make a picture of a house, train, rocket etc (opportunities for counting too) |
Cooking- Lots of opportunities to observe and talk about changes when you make popcorn, jelly, icy poles, cook an egg, whisk an egg, make toast Recycling- Sorting what goes in the correct bin Gardening – Activities such as planting seeds and watering plants Forces- What can you push/ pull? What makes it easier /harder to push or pull? Roll toy cars down a slope covered in different materials, a) bare wood, b) covered with sandpaper, c) covered with silky material. Can you make a car go faster? - tape a coin/coins to the top of the car
Floating and sinking objects in the bath Encourage good hygiene. Regular washing of hands with soap and water whilst singing a song to extend the time spent Gross motor skills- Balancing- start by standing on one leg with the other foot supported on a small box. Then standing on one foot touching the wall and then standing on one foot Throwing and catching a variety of balls and balloons filled with water! Riding a bike /scooter Jumping on a trampoline Playing hopscotch, keep the balloon in the air, playing chase and tag
Help with cleaning and picking up- Strengthening and balance Make an obstacle course- crawling over pillows, under a table etc. Make a wheelchair slalom course |
Health and Wellbeing |
Creative Arts | Other/ General |
Encourage outdoor play time during the day
Encourage good hygiene. Regular washing of hands with soap and water whilst singing a song to extend the time spent
Gross motor skills- Balancing- start by standing on one leg with the other foot supported on a small box. Then standing on one foot touching the wall and then standing on one foot Throwing and catching a variety of balls and balloons filled with water! Riding a bike /scooter Jumping on a trampoline Playing hopscotch, keep the balloon in the air, playing chase and tag
Help with cleaning and picking up- Strengthening and balance
Make an obstacle course- crawling over pillows, under a table etc. Make a wheelchair slalom course |
Art- Junk modelling using empty containers, boxes, lids, bottle tops. Make a birthday card for a friend or relation. Printing and pattern making if you have paint Making patterns with water and a brush on concrete paths Directed drawing- you draw step by step for your child to copy Dance- Have a dance with your child. Start your day with a move and groove! - favourite music, Hokey Pokey, action songs Drama- Make puppets to go with songs and the book of the week Music- Sing a variety of songs and rhymes together make musical instruments e.g. shakers using containers filled with rice/pasta shapes |
Offer daily opportunities for your child to make/communicate decisions: What to have for dinner Which game they would like to play What time they should eat lunch
Engage in discussion with your child about their play and what they are learning
Offer regular sensory activities if this is what your child enjoys- shaving cream on a tray, blowing/popping bubbles, warm bubbly water in a bucket, blowing a balloon, cornflour gloop, sensory box filled with items with different textures and weight- toy wooden rolling pin, pastry brush, prickly shell, different materials, soft toy, squashy ball etc.
Offer regular activity breaks- hide and seek, ball play, cycling, jumping, swinging, walk/treasure hunt in the garden |