8 tips for homeschooling - plus a free timetable printable

As we enter another lockdown and homeschooling is on the agenda for many families once again, it's important to be as prepared and organised as you can be to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

Hopefully these 8 tips will help to make being in charge of your child's education that little bit easier.

Although learning from home allows some flexibility, it's a wise idea to have a clear written schedule available that you and the children can see. Not only will this provide structure for your day, similar to school, it prevents you getting sidetracked. Try to stick to the school's timetable as closely as you can, including taking regular breaks - I've created a free template at the bottom of this post that you can download/print to assist.

5 Amazing Educational Apps for Kids

As most parents know quite well, kids and mobile devices seem to go together as naturally as toast and marmalade. Even small toddlers can grasp the concept of using their mum’s smartphone to play games. While our kids certainly enjoy all sorts of activities on these devices, we mums and dads hope that our kids are using apps that will help them learn. Fortunately, there are a variety of fun and engaging apps that also are educational. For example, consider the following:

Christmas Gift Giveaway - Day 12

My Christmas Gift Giveaway is back! 30 days, 30+ fantastic prizes.

Just a little way to thank all of my followers this year.

WIN a Selection of Children's Books

Innocent Alphabet Champions - X is for...

I'm a big fan of innocent as a brand. Not only are their smoothies and veg pots really delicious and convenient when on the go, but they make sneaking in a couple of those well needed 5 a day a doddle, especially when it comes to the kids! They use plenty of fruit in their drinks so they are bursting with flavour and they even make tubes which are 100% puree and juice that are ideal for lunch boxes. I couldn't really ask for more, especially with them currently being half price in many supermarkets too. We certainly took advantage of the offer recently.

The best education apps to help your child develop

With technology advancing at a rapid rate you can now find a host of educational apps that will help your child learn and develop. From puzzles and games to clever teacher/parent communication tools there are plenty to choose from, but which applications are the best?

Here are five apps that you simply must download:

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss 

Education should be fun, so why not download the Green Eggs and Ham app by Dr. Seuss and teach your child how to read in a lively, colourful and interesting way? A quirky, interactive e-book with plenty of animation, this app highlights words as the narrator reads, giving kids the chance to understand and learn new vocabulary. Youngsters can also record their own narration and click on objects to discover a word or sound.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Explained

It is now believed that introducing children to education and learning from the age of two can give them a fantastic head-start in their school career. To that end, the Department of Education recently published a set of guidelines which schools must follow in order to give every child in England and Wales the same opportunities for pre-school development. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a set of legally binding guidelines relating to the welfare and learning of children between the age of two and five. 

What is the EYFS? 

The EYFS is a national curriculum for pre-school education. Registered Early Years providers and schools must follow this curriculum in its entirety, and compliance is checked annually by OFSTED visits. Children are assessed on a number of competencies between the ages of two and three, and again just before they start full-time school. Assessments take the form of observations only, and the

Morning

7.40am and the house begins to buzz.

Crisp uniforms on, breakfast eaten, teeth brushed, faces washed.

Wax applied to hair and headbands in place to impress.

Bags packed with books, tuck money provided, shoes and coats on.

Perhaps a few minutes spare for a cartoon or two.

World Book Day Costumes

As soon as I visited Jokers' Masquerade I knew exactly which costumes to choose for the Mini Mes ready for World Book Day (6th March).

When the book fair visits school, 'Where's Wally?' is always the first book they seek out, sit down together with and enjoy. It was always the first I looked for too with friends as a child. Trying to find the man dressed in stripes among all the other characters was always great fun and would even get a little competitive! Plus, the outfits both Wally and Wenda wear are very distinctive so they really appealed.

Our Favourite Books for Inspiring Family Fun

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

There is something truly magical about book stores. 

I love to visit Waterstones regularly with the Mini Mes to select something new to read. Opening the door you can almost smell the fresh pages longing to be read with the colourful covers and shelves stacked neatly. Maybe a flying rocket adventure, a mystery solving hardback or a fun filled book with jokes and interesting facts. We all have our own collection of favourite books to curl up with at home and enjoy too, especially on rainy days like today with a hot chocolate!

The great thing about books is that they can really inspire you and change your perspective on certain things. There are some that might get you cooking or crafting and others that encourage you to go out and try something new. 

This is our reading list for inspiring family fun!

What the Ladybird Heard - Julia Donaldson

With beautifully illustrated pages this book tells the story about a Ladybird that overhears the plans of two burgulars and then manages to save the day with the help of it's farmyard friends.

There is a great map within the book and it's a lovely idea to create your own with the kids and maybe hide some treasure in your home to discover! You might also want to play Chinese whispers and see what the last person thought they heard being said.

Funny Bones - Allan Ahlberg

This funny and not very frightening trio are keen to find someone to scare but as they leave their dark dark cellar they soon discover everyone is asleep! This is a lovely humourous tale and the language is quite repetitive which is great for little ones that want to read along with you. 

You could easily create your own glow in the dark pictures with paint, make skeletons from card and paper fasteners to play or just use the book as a way to discuss bones and how the body works.

Spy Dog - Andrew Cope
If you have the next Johnny English in the house the Spy Dog collection is definitely worth a read.
You and your secret agents could then visit Gullivers Spy Zone for some problem solving fun as a family. It's perfect for little ones that dream of becoming detectives with the code breaking tasks to complete.
We had a great time there last summer.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
 A quirky story packed with plenty of tasty treats and an important lesson about greed and honesty from a well known author. Taking a trip to Cadbury's World is a great day out where you can see how chocolate is made, pick up lots of goodies on the way round and visit the giant store filled with all of your favourites. Yummy.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen
You can follow a family as they explore grass, mud and caves in this book and then re-enact what you read!
Try creating your own bear hunt by popping some toys in the garden the kids can search for or take some bears with you on your travels to the park or wood. End it all with a delicious teddy bears picnic too.

Peter Pan - J M Barrie
A classic tale about a boy that doesn't want to grow up. I remember reading this as a child myself so it's lovely to now share it with own two! It has fast become another favourite having seen the Disney movie many times to match and we recently visited the theatre to see Wendy and Peter Pan as a family which was a great evening out.
I'd highly recommend a visit too for pirate swashbuckling fun and high-flying action!

The Girl Who Loved Wellies - Zehra Hicks
A easy to read story that is ideal for pre-schoolers and young readers. This book is about a wellie obsessed little girl who wheres her boots for everything from ballet to having a bath. Why not pop on your own shoes and go puddle jumping, squelching in mud and climbing trees.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle
I still read this to the Mini Mes aged 7 and 9 now and we all giggle away at just how much the caterpillar eats and sit in awe at such a beautiful transformation. This is the perfect book to teach about the life cycle and I think growing your own at home too is ideal for linking with this story.
You can watch them get bigger before releasing them as butterflies into the wild.

The Gruffalo - Julia Donaldson

This is an all time favourite which is very cleverly thought out and features some great poetry.

For some family fun you can head out to Thorndon Country Park in Essex where they have an amazing Gruffalo Trail! Complete with owl, fox, mouse and more it's certainly a great way to spend an afternoon - it's great exercise too!

Stick Man - Julia Donaldson

Speaking of trails, the Forestry Commission has 13 sites where you can have plenty of fun based around the Stick Man book. You can make your own character, build dens and spot hidden items or simply download and print a variety of activity sheets including quizzes and drawing from the website.

Which books inspire you?

Woolly and Tig App

Based on the Cbeebies TV show, the Woolly and Tig app is ideal for children aged 3-6 as it aims to build confidence and help children to complete essential every day real world activities. 

Jamster is a big fan of games on our iPad so he was keen to have a go too.

Who are Woolly and Tig?

Tig, aged 3, lives with her parents and does something different each day with her favourite companion, a woolly spider. Some new experiences can be scary so Woolly is there to help reassure her and build her confidence. The 5 minute episodes can be viewed on Cbeebies.

The app is quite easy to use on both iPad and iPhone so your child, even as young as 2, should be able to play this with very little or no assistance from an adult. It may take a few minutes to get used to the actions required but Woolly explains everything well during play and repeats himself if your child hasn't mastered what to do. There is also a button to access the grown up area which needs to be held down so children shouldn't be able to move from the home page or activity page - a useful bonus.

The app is split into 2 areas of play; casual play and structured play:

Casual Play

When first opened, the app goes into casual play where your child can stroke, tickle and hug Woolly through touch screen interaction. They can make him roll and jump and this is a great way to build number skills and hand-eye coordination.

Structured Play

There are 6 activities based around daily scenarios including teeth brushing, getting dressed and washing. Each of these activities allows your child to help Woolly complete a task and there are awards to be given to to create a sense of achievement.

There is an area for grown ups where you can schedule in messages to be sent from Woolly to encourage your child to undertake a specific activity, at a specific time. A great idea for younger ones to learn when every day tasks need to be completed during their day.

Play is very limited and Tig isn't featured in the app at all so I feel it is quite expensive in comparison to similar alternatives on iTunes that are cheaper or free. However, if you are struggling with your child getting into a routine or completing a task each day like getting dressed this certainly may help.

The app is available from iTunes for £2.99 

What is your child's favourite app?

*We received the app and some Woolly and Tig items for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own*

3 Fun Pool Activities For Families

There’s an autumnal nip in the air, and although the weather may not always be on our side, there is still one family activity that can be always be enjoyed: swimming. The country is full of local pools that you and your family can visit, whatever’s happening outside.

While a simple web search can direct you to your nearest pool, a much easier way is using Nectar’s new swimming offering Nectar Swim. Simply put in your postcode and a list of local pools in your surrounding area will appear. For those who collect points, the swim programme also allows you to redeem for emailed vouchers to use at your local participating swimming pool, opening up a whole world of water-based fun for you and your family. Before enjoying any of our suggestions, please do make sure that children are supervised at all times in and around any pool area.

Once at the pool, your family will find any of these three water games great fun:

• Bobbing heads – To play bobbing heads all you need is a soft foam or rubber ball. One person is designated ‘it’ and is given the ball. The other players move a distance away and submerge, popping their heads out of the water at irregular intervals. ‘It’ has to hit one of the other players on the head with the ball while their head is above the surface. If a player is hit then that player becomes ‘it’. Any number of players can join in and the game can continue as long as everyone remains interested. You can also vary the game by having those who are hit join ‘it’ with extra balls. The winner of the game is the one who is the last to be hit.

• Dolphin race – This race game can be played individually or in relay teams. The object is for players to stand in the water on one side of the pool and, on the starting signal, to move a beach ball to the other side of the pool using only their noses. The winner is the first to get the ball to the other side or, in the case of a relay, to get the ball across the pool as many times as there are members in the team. Anyone using a part of the body other than their nose has to start again.

• Whirlpool – This is a simple game that requires no equipment and everyone is happy because there are no winners or losers. This is how it’s played. Everyone in the group joins hands in the shallow end of the pool and then starts to walk clockwise in a circle around a given point. Gradually, everyone starts to walk faster until they are running as fast as possible. Then, on a given signal, everyone turns and tries to go in the opposite direction. It’s practically impossible, as the current created is so strong. Most will slip and fall as they struggle to move the other way, creating a melee that is hilarious to watch – and be part of.

These games will keep your family happily occupied for hours but remember to stay safe and don’t forget that there are other people in the pool who want to have some fun too, so try not to interfere with their enjoyment. And make sure to follow the rules of the pool, as they are intended for the benefit of everyone.

Have fun in the water this autumn using your Nectar points, and don’t forget to check out Nectar Swim – which can cost as little as 300 points for a child ticket.

*PR Collaboration*

Green Bee Toys *Review and Giveaway*

It can be difficult to find products that are both great quality and created ethically for kids, so we were thrilled when Green Bee Toys got in touch and provided us with some lovely items!

They have some key principles that more toy companies should really think about taking on board!

 - Their products are from natural materials (organic, wood, recycled materials)

 - Their products comply with sustainable production

 - Their toys are painted with natural colours

 - Their toys are of high-quality construction

 - Their toys are easy to clean & repair

 - Their toys have a positive influence on your baby’s development skills


Some of their products...

Eco Crayons - £7.99

Unlike standard crayons these are shaped like rocks making them easy for toddlers to grip! They are made from 75% fruit plant with vegetable extract and 25% bees wax meaning they are 100% natural.
The Mini Mes (and I) found that these were great for shading in particular and they never go blunt which is certainly useful.
Our box contained 6 colours; red, orange, yellow, blue, green and brown.

Toolbox Workbench - £24

This wooden set will help to develop your child's imagination and motor skills through play. It includes a hammer, bolts, ruler a wrench and more for great role play fun. Although it's suitable for children as young as 3, Jamster at 7 has really enjoyed 'fixing' everything from beds and doors to his other toys! The set itself is storage for the tools so you don't even need to worry about bits going missing.
It's great value and great quality.



Baby Toy Bunny - £13.99

A soft and cute rattle for newborn+ this grasp toy helps to stimulate your little ones senses and build hand eye coordination. The soft fabric, 100% organic cotton, is perfect for delicate skin and the different textures creates variation for your little one to enjoy.

The website was easy to navigate and delivery was swift! I was really pleased with all of the products and I'd happily order from Green Bee Toys again. What's even better is that your purchases can earn you points and with 10 equaling £1 you can save money when you shop. Bonus!

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win 1 of 2 £25 vouchers for Green Bee Toys you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes at the end of 17th January 2014

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*We selected this three products for the purpose of this review and giveaway. The opinions given are honest and our own*

The Cost of Going Back to School

Kitting the kids out for school over the summer can be an expensive ordeal and quite often by half term things need replacing so you can find yourself forking out money yet again!

 I'm lucky that so far nothing is broken, ripped or missing, and therefore I don't need to purchase new stationery or uniform, but some extra costs have popped up already since the beginning of the school year.










Minxy will soon be going swimming - she will need a swimming bag, new costume and cap to wear.
Jamster will soon be doing outdoor activities - he will need jogging bottoms to replace his shorts.
Minxy is playing the cello again and any damage could cost me up to £400, hopefully she will take good care of it as she normally does, although accidents do happen!
Jamster is getting more and more homework and could do with a tablet or laptop for his research.


Although we don't pay for education all of these little thing still add up and no doubt they will both have a growth spurt just after Christmas and school shoes plus plimsolls will need buying! I also have the cost of school trips and cake baking this Friday, which could be classed as optional, but I don't want the Mini Mes to miss out so it's just another expense that needs paying. There is a lot of pressure on parents to provide and although I don't personally struggle financially there are families that do.

BrightHouse surveyed over 3000 parents with children of Primary, Secondary and College age to see how much they spent on going back to school. You can view the interactive animation with all off the findings here:

http://www.brighthouse.co.uk/cost-of-back-to-school/.

As children get older it would appear that it generally costs more for them to go to school with the average spend on a primary aged child being £140, on a secondary aged child being £250 and a college aged child being £325.

How do you feel about the costs of going to school?


*In collaboration with BrightHouse*

Make Time To Play

Technology, work, tiredness, cleaning and other things can get in the way when it comes to playing with the kids but it is really important to MAKE time. Not only is it great to have fun and see your children's little faces light up as the cars or rockets zoom around the lounge or the dolls have a tea party, but it is beneficial in terms of learning and development too.

 

Through play children learn about the world around them and develop cognitive and social skills. Language, questioning, problem solving, observation and cooperation are learnt through play - all of which will be useful throughout their lives.

 

There are 5 main areas of development and many simple activities that can help your child to develop in these ways:

Fine Motor Skill Development
Fine motor skills can be developed by crafts, colouring and drawing, reading and playing with different objects. It is development of small muscles within the body and most activities will help to develop fine motor skills in some way.

Gross Motor Skill Development
Large movements help to develop bigger muscles within the body. Skipping, running, jumping, climbing etc are all examples.

 

Cognitive Development
This is based on a child's learning and problem solving. Puzzles, jigsaws and card games (even pairs and snap) all help cognitive development as do most activities.

Social and Emotional Development
This is based around interaction with others and dress up or role play games are ideal for development of emotional and social skills.

Speech and Language Development
Speech and language is again helped through play with others but also alone if there are dolls or figures involved and the child speaks on their behalf. Any play that involves talking is beneficial.

"Even the most frivolous activity is beneficial for children as it helps them understand themselves better – learning what makes you happy and what makes you laugh helps children cope with challenges"

 

UKMums.tv resident expert Dr Amanda Gummer
 

 

LINK UP

If you wish to link up any posts, old or new, relating to play you can do so below. I've added a few of our own to begin.
 

Help to share the importance of making time to play with children!

 

 

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Twinkl Resources *Review*

Learning through play is a great way for children to develop without being tied to a desk and Twinkl have a large range of learning resources, some of which are free, that you can download and print from the comfort of your own home! We took a peek at their Winter category, which was ideal with all of the recent snow, to see what they had available.

There are items that are perfect for child minders and teachers plus parents too that will help children to learn while having fun. You can create beautiful wall displays, monitor good behaviour and enjoy a variety of activities. 

We decided to print off some colouring sheets, playdough mats and recipe cards to give a go. The website was very easy to navigate and downloading was easy too.

I opted for black and white prints but there are colour versions available too and the finished results are great quality. I laminated the playdough sheets as advised to prevent the dough sticking to the paper and these worked really well. 

I also laminated the recipe cards and clipped them together. The biscuits turned out really nicely and were very easy to make with simple to follow instructions. They are a good idea for keeping the kids busy when it's cold outside as are the colouring sheets which help to build fine motor skills.

There is a parent section on the website which is really useful as it provides some handy guides on how to help your child read and learn, certificates to print and signs you can put up around the home to help with spellings. 

A lot of the resources are free but if you want access to around 10,000 resources you can subscribe for just £29.99 per year which I feel is a really good value. There are also a few apps from Twinkl including flash cards and the new colouring app which you can get for the iphone here: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id578188119

I was really impressed by Twinkl and will be using it for themed activities in the future. There are some lovey ideas for pre-schoolers and school aged children and I found the website very inspiring.

*We received a subscription to Twinkle for the purpose of this review. The opinions given are honest and our own*