activity pack - Action for Children

Transcription

Bring stories
to life!
Bringing
stories
to life!
Brin
g st
Mu
or
sic
aliema
s to
lif!e!
yhem
to! life!
st
ssryiepslay
eo
ringM
Make
Den building!
a DEN!
B
life!
tooor
s!
stor
outd
t ies
Brin
Grea
THE g
Family sports day!
to life!
stories
Bring
modelling!
Junk
Clock pizza!
Fun with science!
Action for Children’s top ten activities
for when the clocks go back on 26th
October 2014 (and for hours of fun all year round)
actionforchildren.org.uk/nch
SocM
kapu
kepp
aet
DEN
th!eatre!
A message of support for
National Children’s Hour
from children’s author
Julia Donaldson
When I was a little girl I used to “Listen With Mother” every day
to a radio programme with that name. Another early memory
is of being joggled about on an auntie’s knee and joining in
her chant about how farmers to children or ladies and gentlemen
rode, building up from a sedate walk to a wild gallop.
Sharing a story, song or rhyme with a child is one of life’s
greatest pleasures. They enjoy snuggling up and receiving
your attention, and the stories bring out the actor in you.
To your child, not even the starriest professional comes close
to the way Mum does the witch or Dad does the dinosaur.
What’s more, you’re not just sharing words and pictures –
you’re sharing feelings. Together you laugh at the comic
misunderstandings, fume at the villain’s schemes, feel upset
when the teddy bear is lost or triumphant when a small
creature outwits a bigger one.
I’m starting to wish that every day had that extra hour in it!
Julia Donaldson
‘The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat’ by Julia Donaldson
is featured in this pack.
Puffin Books supports Action for Children’s National Children’s Hour.
If you’ve got this far, you’re amazing!
Going that extra mile for the children in your life.
And we know it’s not easy.
Time!
If only we had more of it. That’s why National Children’s Hour
is here to help. With more than 145 years experience looking
after children, we’ve had the time – and inspiration – to develop
some of the fun stuff that helps children to grow up healthy
and strong.
Action for Children runs a huge number of children’s services
across the UK. The activities in this pack reflect how our staff
– day in, day out – work with children.They’re not only fun and
entertaining (prepare yourself for some mess), they’re proven
to help children develop the skills they need to embrace life too.
And don’t forget, a cardboard box can be as much inspiration
as you need to take you and your child on a journey – to Mars,
to the seaside or to the circus.
But once you’ve put the kids to bed, spare a thought for those
who aren’t so lucky. Many of the children we help don’t have
any happy childhood memories. Like Susie who was in and
out of care from the age of six, lonely and separated from her
sisters. We provided a safe place for them to meet up, take part
in activities and just be a family again. With your support we can
give more children like Susie the childhood they deserve –
it’s easy to donate online. And if you have ideas for great activities
you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you too. Just email
[email protected] or tweet us using #nch
With your help, National Children’s Hour will grow and help us
all to create happy childhood memories that last a lifetime.
Enjoy!
Sir Tony Hawkhead
Chief Executive
Action for Children
01
Contents
T he fun starts
here! Choose an
activity.
Stuff you’ll need…
We’ll give you an outline of some
of the stuff you’ll need. Most of it
you should be able to find around
the house or get hold of easily
and cheaply – but mainly you’ll
just need your imagination and
some time!
02
How to do it…
We’ll guide you on how
best to approach an
activity or how to make
things, but at the end
of the day it’s your hour
to spend how you want.
T here are no rules to
having fun!
Bring stories
to life!
Bringin
g stories
to life!
page 04
Make
Den building
a DEN! !
page 12
What are these activities
great for:
There are lots of different things to
learn from doing these activities
which we highlight along the way.
But the main goal is to have
fun and spend time together.
Bring
Musical
stories
mayhem
to life!
!
page 20
modelli
life!
to ng!
Junk
stories
Bring
page 22
03
Fun with science!
page 14
rs! !
to life
outdoo
at ries
Gre
g sto
Brin
page 24
Clock pizza!
page 16
Sock
Make
puppet
a DEN!
theatre!
page 26
Bring sto
Mesries
sy play
to !life!
page 18
Family sports day!
page 28
Bringing stories
to life!
We all love a good story. I bet you still remember your favourite books from
childhood. But did you know that a strong relationship with books is directly
linked to a child’s ability to develop and reach their potential? That’s why we
encourage the families we work with to build books and reading into their
daily routines. It’s a great way to bond and spend time together.
There are lots of fun ways you can bring these stories to life for children.
Here are just a few ideas using the story ‘The Further Adventures of
The Owl and the Pussy-cat’ by Julia Donaldson and Charlotte Voake.
What you’ll need
The book (buy or borrow from the local library) –
or listen to Julia Donaldson read an extract of her
story on youtube.com/actionforchildrenUK
04
What it’s about
A follow up story to Edward Lear’s ‘The Owl and
the Pussy-cat’. This time, the Owl and the Pussy-cat
have an incredible new adventure flying far
from the safety of the Bong-tree glade in a beautiful
blue balloon.
Things to try
Become the story!
Our friends at Puffin have kindly provided some
masks of the characters from the book (see the
next few pages). Cut these out (here you need
to help – or child friendly scissors a must) and
encourage children to personalise them with
whatever takes their fancy to get into character.
Make your own
Pussy-cat’s tail!
Stuff you’ll need…
An old pair of tights, some cotton wool balls
and a safety pin.
How to do it…
1. Cut the old tights in half and stuff
one of the legs with the other leg
and some cotton balls till you’re happy
with the width of the tail.
2. Fold over at the top and use the
safety pin to attach to your clothes.
Whew, easy!
Make your own
papier-mâché balloon!
Stuff you’ll need
A balloon, some old newspaper or magazines,
flour and water to make the glue, a couple of
old bowls, a paintbrush, spoon or stick, paint
and any other decoration materials you have to
hand. An apron (or old clothes) – this gets messy!
How to do it
1. Tear newspaper into long strips, ideally
around one inch (2.5 cm) thick. A big
pile (3 layers ideal).
2. M
ix your glue by combining 1-part flour
with 1-part water. Stir to a smooth
consistency using a paintbrush (spoon
or stick).
3. B
low up the balloon.
4. Take the strips of torn newspaper, dip in
the flour glue and stick onto the surface
of the balloon, smoothing the creases (top
tip: prop it up in a cup or beaker).
5. R
epeat until you’ve covered the surface
of the balloon three times (top tip: start
horizontally, then vertically and finally
horizontally again to strengthen).
6. Leave it propped in the cup or beaker
to dry overnight (or for a day or so –
depends how wet you made the flour glue!)
7. When it’s dry, paint it blue and decorate.
8. If you’re feeling adventurous, make a
paper basket and attach it with some
string to the balloon. T hen you can draw
your own Owl and Pussy-cat to put inside.
05
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goal:
Communication and Language, more specifically –
Listening and Attention, Understanding, Speaking.
Providing animated stories and incorporating role
play excites young children’s curiosity, initiates
opportunities for imaginative play and provides
young children with the opportunity to participate
in meaningful speaking and listening activities.
Thanks to Mark Benson, Action for Children’s
Participation Officer, for suggesting this idea
and to our friends at Puffin for their contribution.
To see some of the children we help
at Folkestone Early Years Centre having
fun bringing stories to life:
youtube.com/actionforchildrenUK
EVEN MORE EXCITING
ADVENTURES AHEAD!
Now you’ve got the basics, you can start to develop your very own story.
More Things to try
1. Further adventures!
T he Owl and the Pussy-cat are intrepid
explorers. Why not think of adventures
the Owl and the Pussy-cat might have?
06
2. Host your very own
pretend tea party
T he Owl and the Pussy-cat celebrate their
return to the land where the Bong-tree
grows by dining on stew with the Jumbly
crew and the Dong with the luminous nose.
Host your very own pretend tea party –
take an empty bowl and make your own
stew out of leaves, mud or anything else
you can find that’s safe – remember not
to eat it!
3. Dance and sing with
the Owl and the Pussy-cat
T hey also dance a jig with the Turkey and
Pig and sing along to Owl’s guitar. Why not
have an Owl and Pussy-cat party dancing
along to your favourite songs or make
your own up with instruments from Musical
Mayhem (see page 20).
4.Make a film
Record a film of your adventures,
so you can enjoy them again and
again. And share them with us at
#NCH. We’d love to see them.
More activities
Our friends at Puffin have also
provided some more activities
for you to try. Just take a look
through the following pages.
Bringing stories to life!
DESIGN YOUR OWN GLOVES
You will need:
A pen or pencil
Two hands
A friend to help you draw around your other hand
Colouring pencils (you could also use tissue paper, buttons, glitter and more..!)
In Julia Donaldson’s The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat, the Owl and the
Pussy-cat visit the Calico Doves who knit a pair of impeccable gossamer gloves.
Create and design your very own pair of gossamer gloves. Draw around your hand, and
ask a friend to draw around your other hand. Then get creative!
07
“And both of them fitted, so well were they knitted,
In stripes of magenta and rose.”
Images taken from the book The Further Adventures of The Owl and the Pussy-cat
Text © Julia Donaldson, 2013 Illustrations © Charlotte Voake, 2013
MASKS
Who is your favourite character in Julia Donaldson’s The Further Adventures
of the Owl and the Pussy-cat? Here are some masks of the main characters.
Masks
Can
you cut out and decorate the mask of your favourite character, ready
to
wear
theand
story
is read?the mask
You
canwhen
cut out
decorate
of T he Owl and the Pussy-cat, ready
to wear when the story is read.
OWL MASK
You will need:
A pen or pencil
Two hands
08
Images
from Adventures
the book The Further
ThePussy-cat
Owl and the Pussy-cat
Images taken from the book
Thetaken
Further
of TheAdventures
Owl andofthe
© Julia Donaldson, 2013 Illustrations © Charlotte Voake, 2013
Text © Julia Donaldson,Text
2013
Illustrations © Charlotte Voake, 2013
CAT M
ASK
You will need:
A pen or pencil
Two hands
Images
taken fr
om
Text © the book Th
e
Julia D
onalds Further Adven
on, 20
13 Illu tures of The O
wl
stration
s © Ch and the Puss
y-cat
arlotte
Voake,
2013
09
WRITE YOUR OWN POEM
Julia Donaldson’s The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat is a
rhyming story which replicates the speech and patterns of the original
poem by Edward Lear.
Use the space below to write your own poem about some other adventures
that the Owl and the Pussy-cat might have.
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10
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MAKE UP YOUR OWN NONSENSE WORDS!
‘Runcible’ is one of the most famous nonsense words in the book-world. It appears
in both the original poem by Edward Lear and in Julia Donaldson’s The Further
Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat.
What is a runcible spoon?
Can you make up your own
definition of this nonsense word,
and then create some of your own?
p
Top Ti
ly,
nish ear
If you fi e else who
eon
find som up a word.
de
has ma your new
m
h
t
ll
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e
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s
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non
an gues
y
if the c eans!
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what it
Runcib
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hat it m
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what they mean,
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Write
11
Den building!
Anyone who’s spent any time with people under the age of ten knows how
quickly they can turn a living room into the Pacific, complete with sea-worthy
sofa. Or how a bundle of sticks in the woods becomes a fortress.
Den-building came out top of the list when we asked children what they
like to do in their spare time – the only limit being imagination.
How to do it
Making an indoor den
Where to start? A large cardboard box
is useful. Chairs tied together, pillows
and old sheets are also good.
What about a clothes horse with a
sheet over the top to make a tent?
12
But the most effective indoor den is
the sofa and an old sheet or blanket –
your kids will show you how.
It’s most fun if you get inside the
den too – they love telling you what
to do and what they can see.
Making an outdoor den
Building a tee-pee tent with sticks is
easier than you might think. You need
two or three really big sticks (off
the ground, not branches from a tree)
for the middle poles.
Wedge them somewhere safe, like
in the crook of a tree.
T hen get the kids to collect smaller
sticks which can balance on the
middle poles.
Finally old leaves fill in the gaps.
T here should be just enough room
to crawl inside – or if it’s a little
on the small side, it might just
be perfect for teddy.
13
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goal: Expressive Arts
and Design, more specifically – being Imaginative.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development,
more specifically – Self-confidence and Selfawareness. Providing children with props for
den making enables children to express their
ideas, thoughts and feelings by using a range
of materials and suitable tools.
Children who access a wide variety of play
opportunities including den making take pride
in their own achievements and gain confidence
in their abilities to carry out tasks.
Thanks to Cath Gray, Team Leader at
Action for Children Perthshire Families
Service, Deborah Oakey at Totnes Children’s
Centre, Yvonne Dark, Flintshire Family Project
and Debbie Whyte, Swansea Young Families
Scheme for suggesting this activity.
Action for Children Perthshire Families
Service provides short term and sometimes
intensive support for children, young people
and their families/carers who are experiencing
significant difficulties in family relationships,
school relationships or in the community.
Fun with science…
Wow your kids with these simple but fun scientific experiments. We’ve even
included the scientific explanation underneath so you can satisfy their curiosity.
Make your own baking
soda volcano!
Stuff you’ll need
Baking soda, vinegar, a plastic bottle or container to
hold everything, kitchen roll or a cloth (just in case!).
How to do it
14
Making the volcano
1. Place some baking soda into your container.
2. Pour in some of the vinegar.
3. W
atch and enjoy the giggles as the
reaction takes place!
If your children are older and want to
be a bit more creative, you can use dough
(see playdough under ‘Messy play’) or
modelling clay to build a volcano around
the container. And if they’re into history
you could tell them the story of Pompeii…
Now for the science facts…
T he baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is
a base while the vinegar (acetic acid) is
an acid. When they react they form
carbonic acid which is very unstable.
It instantly breaks apart into water
and carbon dioxide, which creates all the
fizzing as it escapes.
Make a video competition with your friends
and family on social media and share the
volcanic eruptions! Don’t forget the #NCH!
Magic milk
Stuff you’ll need
A small plate that has a rim (to avoid spillage over
the side), milk, liquid food dye – ideally 3 or 4 colours,
but 2 will do, washing-up liquid, aprons or old shirts
to protect clothes from the food dye. And if you have
more than one child, you might want to have a plate
for each child.
How to do it
1. P
our a shallow layer of milk into the
small plate until you cover the bottom
but it isn’t overfull.
2. Let the milk settle until it’s still.
3. Then take the food colouring and put
a couple of drops of each colour into
the milk.
4. N
ow put a drop of washing-up liquid
onto your child’s finger and place into
the middle of the plate of milk.
Enjoy the show!
Now for the science facts…
When you introduce washing up liquid to
the milk, several things happen at once.
T he detergent lowers the surface tension
of the liquid so that the food colouring
is free to flow throughout the milk.
T he detergent reacts with the protein
in the milk, altering the shape of those
molecules and setting them in motion.
T he reaction between the washing-up liquid
and the fat forms micelles, which is how
washing-up liquid helps to lift grease
off dirty dishes.
As the micelles form, the pigments in
the food colouring get pushed around,
which causes the psychedelic swirling.
15
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goals: Mathematics,
more specifically – Shape, Space and Measures;
Understanding the World. Providing materials,
resources and measuring quantities enables
children to understand different measures.
Providing a range of materials and textures that
work in different ways encourages children to
speculate on the reason things
happen and why.
Thanks to Action for Children Bucks
Activity Project for suggesting this activity.
Action for Children Bucks Activity Project works
with children who have a disability and their
families offering short breaks. We run fun
community based activities over the weekends,
school holidays and evenings. To see children at
Bucks Activity Project having fun with science:
Clock pizza!
Like cooking? This is a great activity for teaching children how
to tell the time and getting them to eat some vegetables.
Stuff you’ll need
Ingredients: 250g bread flour, ½ tsp dried yeast,
pinch salt, 150 ml luke-warm water, 1 tbsp oil, ½ can
tomatoes, garlic, ½ red pepper, 1 yellow pepper,
cheese, 2 strips of carrot – one long, one short.
How to do it
1. Dough
(this first bit can be done by your child –
from age two up if you don’t mind a bit
of mess).
16
Put the flour in a bowl, mix in salt and yeast,
then stir in the luke-warm water and oil.
Knead until the dough is lovely and smooth
and no longer sticky. If it’s too sticky, add
more flour. If it’s not sticking together, add
more water.
Get your child to lift the dough high up
into the air and SLAM it down onto your
work-surface. Encourage them to pull it
apart so it looks like strings and then
mash it back together again (top tip: try
to avoid it getting into anyone’s hair – not
a good look).
Once the dough is well and truly kneaded,
put in a bowl and cover with a warm, damp
tea-towel. Put in a warmish place (not the
oven). Leave it until it’s doubled in size (if
you’re hungry, less time will do).
Pre-heat the oven to 200oC
2. Sauce
Crush a clove of garlic and put it in a
small pan with some oil. Heat gently –
don’t burn (it tastes bitter).
T hen add your tomatoes – if they’re whole,
leave them that way. Put a lid on the pan
and let it gently cook away for 20 minutes
or so. T hen mash up the tomatoes with a
wooden spoon.
Add a little seasoning and herbs if
you like (top tip: a tiny touch of sugar
brings out the flavour of tomatoes).
3. Toppings
Cut your red pepper into four thin strips.
Cut eight thin strips – the same width as
the red – from your yellow pepper. You may
have some yellow pepper left over (eat it
whilst you cook the pizza).
Now for the pizza and the clock!
1. Grate some cheese. Oil your baking tray.
2. Roll the pizza dough out to about 20cm
in diameter. Round works but clocks can
be any shape. Just make sure the dough
is fairly thin.
3. S
pread your tomato sauce thinly over the
base (leftover sauce is great for pasta).
4. N
ow pepper slices. Red for 12 o’clock,
three o’clock, six o’clock and nine o’clock.
Yellow are for all the numbers in-between.
5. S
prinkle on the cheese – not too much
as it will cover up your peppers.
6. Put in the pre-heated oven for 10-12
minutes. If it starts smelling cooked, and
the dough is nice and hollow (tap the bit
that isn’t covered in boiling tomato sauce),
then it is done.
7. Wait until the pizza cools down a bit.
8. Now take two raw carrot sticks (one long,
the other half its length – these are the
hands of your clock). Practice telling the
time together.
And before it gets too cold, eat the pizza!
If your child is older, you could tell them
the science behind the dough whilst you
make it. How the molecules in the flour
link together when they’re wet and under
the influence of the yeast.
How carbon dioxide produced by yeast,
expands the dough. How kneading the
dough helps the molecules to absorb more
of the carbon dioxide gas, giving the pizza
a lovely spongy texture.
17
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goal: Physical
Development, more specifically – Moving and
Handling. Exploring malleable materials by patting,
rolling dough and squeezing textures enables
children to manipulate materials to achieve a
planned effect – pizzas! Creating fun opportunities
for children to sequence and order numbers
and dials on a clock can help them to grasp the
concept of time easier.
Thanks to Action for Children Short Breaks
@ West Hyde for suggesting this idea. West Hyde
is a short breaks project for disabled children and
young people aged 5-18. We provide a positive
and fun environment for the children and young
people to enjoy whilst parents and carers
get a break from their caring role. To see
one of our young people from West Hyde
making a clock pizza:
Messy play!
All children learn through play and messy play is an excellent way for children
to explore the world around them. You can use lots of different things for messy
play, from water to sand, shaving foam to jelly – it’s all about giving children the
opportunity to discover different textures and sensations. Just have a towel,
facecloth or something to clean up with on standby for the aftermath!
Try some different materials one by one in a large bowl or bucket. Start with
dry textures like rice or pasta and work up to the really messy stuff. Get them
to describe how each one feels as you go along. This is great for language
development and their answers are always entertaining.
If you want to be really creative, you can set some plastic toys in a bowl of jelly
– kids will have great fun trying to get them out! For older children you could
have a race to see who can get to the toy first.
But here’s an old favourite.
18
Make your own playdough!
Stuff you’ll need
What you’ll need: 2 cups plain flour (all purpose),
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, ½ cup salt, up to
1.5 cups boiling water (adding bit by bit until it
feels just right), food colouring (optional – this really
can get messy!).
You might also want to use some household items
like child-friendly cookie cutters and rolling pins to
make shapes with the playdough.
How to do it
Making playdough
Mix the flour, salt and oil in a large
bowl. If you’re using food colouring,
add it to the boiling water then pour
into the flour mixture.
Stir until it forms a sticky dough.
Allow it to cool down then take out
of the bowl and knead it for a couple
of minutes until all of the stickiness
has gone.
Keep kneading until it’s the perfect
consistency! If it’s still sticky add
a little more flour until just right.
Now you have playdough to play!
And here are some top tips for
managing the mess…
If the weather is fine, play outside –
it’s safer. If you’re inside, it helps
to know how to get playdough out
of the carpet, the rug, the sofa...
Allow it to dry completely, then loosen
it with a stiff brush and vacuum it up.
If any remains you may need to use
some gentle soap and cold water.
Repeat steps until it’s all gone.
To make your playdough last, put it
in a sealed container or a sandwich
bag to keep the playdough soft.
It should last for several weeks
(although don’t put it in the fridge
- it will go hard and crumbly).
19
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goal: Understanding
the World, more specifically – Exploring and using
Media and Materials. Providing a range of materials
and textures that work in different ways encourages
children to speculate on the reason things happen
and why.
Thanks to Michelle Catling at Action for
Children Dereham Children’s Centre in Norfolk
for suggesting this idea. To see Michelle making
playdough: youtube.com/actionforchildrenUK
Action for Children Dereham Children’s Centre
is here to help local families with under-fives by
providing information, advice and services such
as Stay & Play. We help parents with returning
to work, finding childcare, family support, family
health, and much more.
Musical mayhem…
Children love to make noise and express themselves through music.
Encourage them to make their own musical instruments and play along
to their favourite songs. You never know, you may be nurturing the next
Pharrell Williams or Beyoncé!
Making your own musical instruments
How to do it
1. Shakers
T he recycling box is a good place to start
with this one. Find any old margarine tubs,
water bottles or other plastic containers with
lids and make sure they are clean and dry.
20
Fill with dry goods from your kitchen
cupboard – lentils, rice and pasta are
particularly good – put the top on and
sellotape shut. Now get shaking!
2. Ocean drum
Take two paper or plastic plates.
Pour some rice onto one of the plates –
enough to cover about half the plate.
Put the other over the top and tape the
edges together so they are sealed all the
way round. If you tip the plates gently
backwards and forwards it sounds like
the Ocean. Very soothing!
3. Drums
Who needs to buy a drum when you have
different sized pans and a wooden spoon
or two? Line up the pans in order of size
and encourage your child to listen to the
different sounds they make.
4. Guitar
Take an old clean margarine tub and some
elastic bands. Stretch the elastic bands
over the tub and sellotape to the sides
of the tub so they don’t ping off.
Now strum along to your favourite tune
and try twanging each ‘string’ separately.
OK, so it’s not a proper guitar, but it’s
a lot of fun!
5. Glass bottle blowing (age 4 up)
Take some used glass bottles and make
sure they are clean. Fill with different
levels of water in each bottle.
Now try blowing over the top until you
make a sound – this can be quite tricky
and may take a few goes to get a sound.
Each bottle will make a different sound,
a bit like pan-pipes.
Your own homemade orchestra
Now you have your ‘orchestra’ you can try
playing along to your favourite songs, or
maybe even making up a few of your own.
You can even add some dance moves with
the shakers, ocean drum and guitar (but
please don’t try this with the glass bottles!).
Get the whole family involved and put on a
family show or disco. Each family member
can choose a song that everyone has to play
along or dance to – it’s a great way for kids
to explore different styles of music and you
might learn something too!
Why not share it on social media so all your
family and friends can watch it. But don’t
forget to use #NCH so we can see it too!
21
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goal: Expressive
Arts and Design, more specifically – being
Imaginative. Making musical instruments using
different materials enables children to recognise
and explore how sounds can be changed and
enhances children’s interest in exploring sound,
rhythm, and the arts.
Thanks to Carly Munro, Action for Children
Volunteer Parents Champion, for suggesting
this activity. Action for Children runs five children’s
centres across Kirklees, working with some
of the most vulnerable families and children
in our communities.
Junk modelling!
The only problem with this activity is what to do with the final product.
Many models are treasured by their creators long after the paint has peeled
off and they resemble nothing more than the junk they were made from.
Stuff you’ll need
How to do it
Empty egg boxes, shoe-boxes, cereal boxes,
cardboard rolls, anything not too big (it’s likely to
be part of your home for a while but if you have
the space, by all means let your children create
the next Titanic!).
Let them take the initiative!
It’s easier to decorate cardboard than plastic,
but there’s no reason you can’t have clean plastic
bottles and yoghurt pots too.
22
Then some PVA glue, lots of rolls of sticky tape,
old magazines, paints, foil, old bottle tops, dried
pasta, scraps of materials… anything goes as
long as it’s safe.
T he key here is to let the children take
the initiative. Clear a space so that
nothing you want to keep is going to
get incorporated into the design.
Protect any delicate surfaces with old
newspapers (you can stick the edges
to the undersides of the table.)
Lay out all the materials and the means
to stick them together.
Put aprons or old shirts on the children
and tie their hair back if needs be.
T hen sit back and be amazed by what
they are creating. With junk modelling,
there are no rules as long as it’s safe.
Why don’t you upload a picture of the
finished masterpiece on social media for
all to see? Don’t forget to use #NCH!
23
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goal: Expressive
Arts and Design, more specifically – Exploring
Media and Materials.
Junk modelling provides children with opportunities
for mixing media and joining things together.
Children can learn to explore colours, textures,
shapes, form and space in three dimensions.
Thanks to Shelagh Frankcom, Action for
Children Operational Director of Children’s
Services, for suggesting this activity.
The great outdoors!
The NHS advises at least an hour of exercise a day for children between five
and eighteen years old, and three hours for a child under five. If that seems
an impossible task, get them outside and watch them run.
The most important thing to bear in mind when heading out the front door
is the right clothing – some spare clothes might be handy too (kids tend
to gravitate to muddy puddles) – and some refreshments.
Things to try
1. Nature trail
Autumn is a particularly fun time to explore
the great outdoors, with the abundance of
leaves on the ground.
24
Why not go for a walk and see what you
can find that is particularly Autumnal – you
don’t need to go far, the garden or local
park would do.
You can also set a challenge by writing
a list of things to find, like conkers,
different types of leaves (depending on
which trees you have locally), snails and
squirrels (how many can you count?).
Try catching a leaf and making a wish,
or if you have a stream or river nearby
you can play pooh sticks (find similar
sized sticks, throw them in the river from
a bridge or safe distance and see which
one goes the fastest).
Take bark rubbings - hold some paper
against a tree trunk and rub a wax
crayon on the paper to take the pattern
of the bark.
Collect anything that your child is
particularly interested by - providing
it’s safe - and take it home, along with
your bark rubbings, to create a collage.
T his is a great way to start conversations
about the seasons, animals that hibernate
and safety outdoors.
2. Fun and games
T here are lots of games you can play
in the great outdoors that require little
or no preparation: races, hide and seek,
playing football and jumping in muddy
puddles (remember the wellies!) are all
favourites. Here’s another one to try…
What’s the time Mr Wolf?
Choose one person to be Mr Wolf.
T hey stand with their eyes closed and
their back turned to all the others, who
move a good way back.
T hen the group calls out “What’s the
time Mr Wolf?” and the wolf replies
with a time – two o’clock, for example.
T he group then moves two steps towards
the wolf and calls out again, getting
a different answer and moving forward
a different number of steps.
When the wolf thinks the group is close
enough to catch he shouts out “DINNER
T IME!” and turns and tries to grab someone,
who is then the wolf in a new game.
25
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goals: Physical
Development, more specifically - Moving and
Handling; Understanding the World. Providing
time and space for energetic play helps children
to gain confidence using movements and gross
motor skills during exciting play opportunities.
Providing opportunities for children to experience
outdoor nature first hand helps children to learn
about changing seasons and enhances their
understanding of the world around us.
Thanks to Liz Rowe at Action for Children East
Dorset Children’s Centre Cluster, Gwynedd/Ynys
Mon Young Carers Projects and Franci Simpson at
Ballymena Sure Start Play and Learning team for
suggesting these activities.
At Ballymena Sure Start we strive for excellence
and do our best to provide a safe, stimulating and
welcoming environment, working in partnership
with parents and carers to improve the outcomes
for children in our care.
Sock puppet theatre!
Most children love puppets and this activity has the added bonus of finding
a new purpose for all those odd socks at the back of the drawer.
Stuff you’ll need
There are two ways of doing this – one for children
old enough to thread a needle, one for those who
aren’t there yet.
For the would-be tailor and seamstress you need
odd socks, old buttons, a needle and thread and
some odd bits of material.
26
For young children you need an old pair of tights,
some PVA glue, scraps of material and coloured
paper – or some basic colourful stickers in various
shapes. The only other thing you need is a sofa.
How to do it
T he sewing method
Your child needs to put their hand in the
sock and work out where they would like
the eyes to be – usually they look good
on the back of the hand, or the knuckles.
T hey then sew as many buttons on to the
sock (having removed their hand!?) as
they would like eyes. If it’s an alien sock
puppet there tend to be quite a few.
Next the puppet needs a tongue – put the
hand back in the sock and make a mouth.
Note where you need the tongue, remove the
hand, and sew on a tongue-like scrap of
material. Any remaining scraps can be sewn
on for hair, or ears, or a beard, or a mane…
T he non-sewing method
Tights work better than socks for this
as they are easier to stick things to.
Cut your old tights into two separate
legs and then decorate using either
coloured paper and glue or stickers
to make the eyes.
Once your actors are ready, move
the sofa forward from the wall.
T his space is now “backstage”.
T he puppets appear above the back
of the sofa, while the puppeteers do
the voices and movements behind it.
You do need an audience, so you may
need to enlist some teddies, which can
double as extras in action sequences,
or additional family members.
Why not grab your phone and film
the puppets in action to enjoy the
show again and again. And share with
us too at #NCH.
27
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goals:
Communication and Language, more
specifically – Speaking and Expressive Arts.
Design, more specifically – being Imaginative.
Role-play props provide children with opportunities
to act out scenes, scripts, ideas and speak
clearly and audibly gaining confidence in front
of others. Making materials accessible and
fun encourages children to play cooperatively
as part of a group.
Thanks to Deanna Neilson, Operational
Director of Children’s Services, for suggesting
this activity.
Family sports day!
In our recent poll, sport was one of the top three activities children told us
they wanted to do with their parents. So why not turn your garden or a section
of the local park into your very own sporting arena? You could invite friends
or other family members round to join in. Or if it’s a rainy day, we’ve come
up with some fun indoor ‘sports’ that will provide fun for all the family.
Here are our top sports to try…
Outdoors:
1. Egg and spoon race
No sports day would be complete without
this classic race. If you’re short on
preparation time, use a small potato
instead of a boiled egg.
28
2. Welly wanging
A child’s welly is far safer than a javelin
or a discus. Simply take turns to throw
the welly as far as you can. After each turn, a
family member should place a marker with the
person’s name on it where the welly landed.
When everyone has had a turn, compare the
markers to see who has thrown the welly the
furthest. T hey win!
3. Clothes race (younger children will need
some help from an adult with this one)
First of all, put a finishing marker in place
(this could be a chalk line on the grass or some
jumpers either side of the finishing line).
Position three items of clothing in a straight
line stretching back from the finishing line for
each contestant (you could use a hat, coat and
gloves, or a fancy dress costume separated into
three items). When you say go, each contestant
must run to the finishing line, adding each
piece of clothing as they go. T he one to finish
first wins the race.
4. Obstacle course
You don’t need any fancy equipment to build
an obstacle course, just a bit of imagination
- a picnic or coffee table for crawling under;
an old duvet cover open both ends to create
a tunnel to wriggle through; put a pile of hats
out half way along the route which have to be
balanced on heads; make the competitors step
into a zigzag of hula hoops to slow them
down. Anything goes as long as it’s safe!
Indoors:
Don’t let the rain spoil your fun, there are
lots of ‘sports’ you can try indoors…
1. Paper planes
Whose plane will go the furthest? Make sure
you use the same size and type of paper
so that it’s fair. But remember you’ll need
to decorate or write a name on each plane
so you can identify which is which after
you throw them!
2. Pirate ships
Place some cushions around the floor or if
you have wooden floors, it would be best to
use something that is non-slip. Sofa cushions
are the best if you can bear to use yours.
T he aim of the game is to jump from cushion
to cushion to escape the chasing pirates (you)
without touching the floor. If they touch the
floor they’re out.
Other indoor sporting activities to try…
Indoor obstacle course (just make sure you set
the course away from any potential hazards):
hopping challenge (who can hop for the longest
time?), star jump challenge (who can do the
most star jumps) and not forgetting musical
chairs, musical statues and musical bumps –
they’re not just for parties you know.
Top tips
Why not make some medals to hand out to
the winners in your prize giving ceremony using
card, foil and ribbon. As most of us don’t have
Olympic sized spaces to use, try and plan out
your space, so one activity can be set up whilst
another is being played. T his will help to keep
children from losing interest in between ‘events’.
29
Why do it?
Early Years Foundation Stage goals: Physical
Development, more specifically – Health and Selfcare. Personal Social and Emotional Development,
more specifically - Making Relationships. Providing a
range of small and large equipment enables young
children to develop gross and fine motor skills, and
initiate new combinations of movement. Involving
children in fun with their familiar others contributes
to the development of their own well-being and
self-esteem.
Thanks to Action for Children Southwark Young
Carers for suggesting these activities. Action for
Children Southwark Young Carers helps
children who live with and care for an adult with
long-term physical or mental illness. We provide
weekly after-school and school holiday respite
sessions in order to give children a break from
their caring responsibilities and also help them
to access professional services they or their
families may need.
We hope you have lots of fun trying out the activities in this guide
with the children in your lives.
If you have ideas for great activities you’d like to share, we’d love
to hear from you. Just email [email protected], tell us
on social media using #nch or write to us at the address below.
We take action for children…
For 145 years, Action for Children has worked in local communities
to protect and support the young and vulnerable, as they grow up.
We exist to make their lives better: now, tomorrow and every day.
We make growing up safer. We believe in taking action early to fix
problems before a child is overwhelmed by them.
30
We make things happen quickly and with understanding. We help
children at different stages of their lives. We care about each child
and every family. We treat everyone as an individual and give
people the support they really need.
We never give up.
Action for Children
3 The Boulevard
Ascot Road
Watford
WD18 8AG
0300 123 2112
actionforchildren.org.uk
actnforchildren
actionforchildren
actionforchildrenUK
Registered charity: 1097940/SC038092
Company No: 4764232
Job No: 14/150219
About the Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning,
development and care of children from birth to 5 years old.
The three prime areas of learning are:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, social and emotional development
Children learn in different ways. Three characteristics of effective learning are:
playing and exploring, active learning and creating and thinking critically.
We believe all children should have the opportunity to develop and reach
their full potential. That’s why the Early Years Foundation Stage is at the
heart of our early years services.
I pledge to…
TALK T O YOU ABOU T YOUR DAY. ANSWER EVERY ‘WHY?’
QUESTION. FEED T HE DUCKS. MAKE CUPCAKES. GET MESSY
WIT H T HE PLAYDOUGH. MAKE A DEN IN T HE GARDEN.
JUMP ON T HE T RAMPOLINE T OGET HER. DO FINGER
PAINTING. SING YOUR FAVOURIT E SONG OVER AND
OVER. IGNORE MY PHONE. SWIT CH OFF T HE T V (WE CAN
WA T CH IT LA T ER). READ BOOKS. HAVE LOT S OF CUDDLES.
WRIT E HERE WHA T YOU WANT T O DO:
Pledge by BIG HAND:
(sign here)
Witnessed by LITTLE HAND:
(hand print here)

activity pack - Action for Children

Transcription

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