6 Ideas to Try Right Now
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#1·10–15 min
Shadow Puppets
🛒Materials: A lamp (or phone torch)
- 1Darken the room and point a lamp at the wall.
- 2Use your hands to make animal shadows.
- 3Tell a story with shadow characters.
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#2·10 min
Animal Walks
🛒Materials: None
- 1Call out different animals.
- 2Challenge your child to walk/move like that animal.
- 3Try crab crawl, frog jumps, bear walks!
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#3·20 min
Backyard Bug Survey
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil, magnifying glass (optional)
- 1Draw a simple data table: Bug | Tally.
- 2Walk slowly around the garden for 10 minutes.
- 3Every bug spotted gets a tally mark — which is most common?
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Introduce the word 'survey' — they feel very grown-up doing science.
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#4·15 min
DIY Balance Beam
🛒Materials: Painter's tape or a long plank
- 1Lay tape in a straight line on the floor.
- 2Challenge your child to walk heel-to-toe along the line.
- 3Make it harder by adding curves or carrying a cup of water.
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#5·20 min
Build a Paper Chain World Record
🛒Materials: Strips of paper, tape or glue
- 1Cut paper into strips (about 2cm wide).
- 2Loop the first strip and tape closed.
- 3Thread next strip through and tape — keep going as long as possible.
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#6·15–20 min
Word Treasure Hunt
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil
- 1Hide 5 paper 'clues' around the house, each with a simple word (e.g. DOOR, TABLE).
- 2Each clue leads to the next hiding spot.
- 3Final clue leads to a small reward (sticker, snack).
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Write words your child can almost-but-not-quite read for the perfect challenge.
