Resources
A library of ideas and tools
Activity sparks, printable workbooks, trusted links and a way to tell us what you'd love next.
Leaf rubbing field trip
Collect five different leaves on a walk, then make crayon rubbings and name each tree.
Kitchen fractions
Halve and quarter a recipe together — measure flour, milk and butter into thirds and sixths.
Bread from scratch
Mix, knead, prove and bake a simple loaf. Talk about yeast as a living thing.
Story dice
Roll a set of picture dice and invent a story together. Write the best line down.
Volcano in a jar
Bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and food colouring in a tall jar. Talk about acids and bases.
Roman numerals hunt
Find Roman numerals on clocks, books and buildings. Decode the year on a tombstone.
Paint a feeling
Choose a feeling — calm, cross, excited — and paint it without using any recognisable shapes.
Garden minibeast survey
Map a small patch of garden and tally every minibeast you find in 20 minutes.
Coin shop
Set up a pretend shop and practise giving change with real coins.
Family tree interview
Interview a grandparent about their childhood and draw a simple family tree.
Obstacle course
Build an indoor obstacle course with cushions and chairs. Time each attempt.
Cloud watching journal
Lie on the grass for 10 minutes and sketch the clouds. Name each type you see.
Story stones
Draw simple pictures on a handful of pebbles, then pull three out and make up a story that links them.
Postbox for the week
Write little notes or letters to each other through the week and 'post' them in a decorated box to open on Friday.
Label the kitchen
Write sticky-note labels for everyday objects around one room, then read them together over a few days.
Shop at home
Price up a few pantry items with sticky notes and 'buy' them with real coins, working out change together.
Sock pair race
Sort a clean laundry pile into matching pairs, then count in twos to find the total number of socks.
Number hunt walk
On a walk, spot door numbers and number plates and read them aloud, or hunt for a chosen number.
Will it float?
Gather small objects and guess which will float or sink in a washing-up bowl, then test each one.
Rainbow in a glass
Layer sugar-water of different strengths to make coloured layers, and talk about why they don't mix.
Grow a bean in a jar
Sprout a dried bean against the side of a jar with damp kitchen roll, and watch the roots and shoot appear.
Family timeline
Make a simple line of photos or drawings from baby to now, and talk about what came before and after.
Then and now toys
Compare a toy of theirs with one their grandparent played with, and chat about what has changed.
Museum in a shoebox
Collect a few 'old' objects from around the house and set them up as a tiny museum with labels.
Nature paintbrushes
Bundle leaves, grass or feathers onto sticks to make brushes, then paint with them outdoors.
Junk-model build
Save clean packaging for a week, then build a rocket, castle or creature with tape and imagination.
Salt-dough keepsakes
Mix flour, salt and water into dough, press in shapes or handprints, and bake them slowly to keep.
Living-room obstacle course
Build a course from cushions and chairs to crawl under, jump over and balance along.
Alphabet moves
Give each letter an action, then spell out names and words by doing the moves in order.
Puddle-jump measuring
On a wet day, jump over puddles and see who can clear the widest, marking each jump with a stick.
Feelings weather chart
Each morning, pick a 'weather' for how you feel — sunny, cloudy, stormy — and talk about why.
Kindness jar
Drop a note in a jar whenever someone does something kind, and read them all together at the weekend.
Take-turns board game
Play a simple board game together, practising waiting, winning gently and losing kindly.
Minibeast safari
Lift logs and stones in the garden or park to find bugs, and count how many different creatures you spot.
Cloud watching
Lie back and find shapes in the clouds, then talk about which ones might bring rain.
Seasonal scavenger hunt
Make a list of things to find outside this season — a conker, a red leaf, a feather — and tick them off.
Make a simple snack
Follow two or three steps to make toast, a sandwich or a fruit kebab, learning to tidy up after.
Sort the recycling
Work out together which bin each item goes in, and talk about why we recycle.
Plant a windowsill herb
Pot up a herb like basil or mint, water it together, and use it in cooking once it grows.
Map your street
Draw a simple map from your front door to a favourite spot, marking the turns and landmarks.
Coin from around the world
Look at coins or notes from different countries and find each one on a map or globe.
Build a den, make the rules
Build a den from blankets, then together agree three friendly 'den rules' and write them up.