After two weeks of home learning, many children and adults are beginning to feel tired and frustrated by the daily struggle. Stressed but supportive teachers and parents have come together to share teaching and learning ideas through Facebook and Twitter.

Here are some of the best sources of support and inspiration I have found so far, including a mixture of kinaesthetic, auditory, and visual learning opportunities.

1. Get Some “Good Ideas” from Michael Rosen

Michael Rosen has an extremely helpful book entitled Good Ideas, which I turned to during the first lockdown. It explains how learning can be made more relevant and exciting by following children’s interests and going beyond the classroom and traditional worksheets.

Luckily, the book is also available on Audible, so you can listen to it while trying to catch up with all the household jobs that have been put on hold during home learning!

2. Bored? Try Board Games!

We recently played Junior Scrabble with our son, which was a great way to develop his vocabulary and spelling skills, as well as his ability to add numbers. The competitive element made it much more fun than simply working through a spelling list.

Next, we will try traditional Scrabble, as adding up the word scores will make the game even more competitive while providing another learning opportunity.

3. Take It Outside!

A change of scenery can bring a subject to life and make learning more exciting.

Learning Through Landscapes has a fabulous website where you can search for free outdoor learning activities by title, age, and subject.

Hygge in the Early Years also offers some lovely free ideas for seasonal learning, using natural objects and things you can find around the home. It has resources for all seasons, and you can even take part in their Wanderlust study with your children.

4. Leap into Action!

My sons are much more interested in practising times tables and spellings if they can do so while swinging on the swings, jumping around, playing tennis or ping-pong, being creative, or building with LEGO.

Fun Phonics has a huge range of resources for active learning, including colour-coded ping-pong balls with phonics sounds printed on them and phonics-sound tiles that fit with LEGO or DUPLO. They also have tiles for practising all the times tables up to 12.

5. Read Around the Subject

Books can really bring a topic to life and make learning much more engaging.

Our favourite local children’s bookshop, The Chicken and Frog, is excellent at sourcing books on all kinds of topics. They can now post their wonderful books anywhere in the world. The Chicken and Frog also hosts online events and tuition.

6. Living Room Lessons

BBC Teach has launched a wide range of lessons for all key stages and subjects. BBC Bitesize lives up to its name by providing bite-sized information on practically every topic children need to learn about.

The animations help bring subjects to life, while the quizzes make learning fun and rewarding.

7. Teachers on YouTube

During the first lockdown, I messaged my son’s favourite YouTuber to ask if he might do some sessions on Maths, English, or even Computing for his fans. Funnily enough, he wasn’t keen!

Luckily, a whole host of teachers have recorded lessons on YouTube to help children learn from home during lockdown.

8. Console-ation

While staying at home, children are naturally keen to play their favourite computer games. These games can also give them an opportunity to play virtually with their friends.

Luckily, gaming can provide some educational benefits too. Children can develop reading skills, visual-spatial awareness, problem-solving abilities, communication skills, creativity, imaginative thinking, and language skills while playing.

Children could also be encouraged to write reports, stories, or blogs about their gaming experiences and favourite moments. For example, they could write a news report about their latest Minecraft adventure or create a reading comprehension based on their favourite game.

9. App-iness

There are many educational apps that can make learning enjoyable.

The boys love playing games on Teach Your Monster to Read, Poio, Khan Academy, and CBeebies. They are having fun while learning at the same time.

I have even been using Duolingo to improve my Italian skills!

10. Virtual Teaching Assistants and Audio Stories

You can download the Alexa and Google apps on a phone or tablet, or access Alexa or Google through a smart device.

Children can ask questions such as “Alexa” or “Hey Google” to support their learning. They can ask about facts, definitions, calculations, stories, and many other topics.

There are also lots of educational games and activities that children can enjoy using Alexa or Google.

The Museum of London has even recreated the Great Fire of London in Minecraft, providing children with an exciting way to explore history through technology.

There are also many educational games and online resources available for homeschoolers. With a little creativity, everyday activities, games, technology, books, and outdoor experiences can all become valuable learning opportunities.

Most importantly, remember that learning at home does not always have to look like a traditional school lesson. Keep it fun, follow your child’s interests, and give them opportunities to learn through play, movement, creativity, and exploration.