Staff Information Board

Home Learning

We encourage families to engage in a range of meaningful, everyday experiences that support pupils’ development, wellbeing, and readiness for life. Activities such as shared play, walks in the local environment, time in the garden, interaction with siblings, and opportunities for independent play are highly valuable. These experiences promote the development of key transferable skills, including communication, independence, problem-solving, resilience, and social interaction. Planned downtime, such as using an iPad, watching TV, or relaxing, also plays an important role in supporting emotional regulation and overall wellbeing.
The suggestions below are designed to support learning beyond the classroom and complement each pupil’s personalised curriculum. They provide practical, adaptable opportunities to develop and generalise skills across different contexts. Families are encouraged to tailor activities to meet their child’s individual needs, interests, and stage of development. While not exhaustive, this guidance aims to empower families to build on their child’s strengths and support sustained progress over time.
Activities

Spelling words- high frequency spelling words – http://www.highfrequencywords.org/first-100-high-frequency-word-lists.html

Learn your Time tables  e.g. https://www.timestables.co.uk/5-times-table.html

Reading – 20 mins a day and sign off in reading record

Read a book and write a book review

Online Learning
📚 Reading and Literacy
🌍 General Learning & SEND Support
🔢 Maths
🔬 Science & STEM
🌿 Creative, Play & Practical Activities
🌎 Wider Curriculum
💻 Computing & Coding
🎥 Videos & Multimedia Learning
📖 Communication, Writing & Early Years
🧠 Wellbeing & Enrichment
🐾 Virtual Trips & Experiences
🧩 Additional Support Tools
Notes for Parents
Many of these resources support the development of transferable skills, including communication, independence, problem-solving, and social interaction. Activities can be adapted to suit your child’s individual needs and embedded into everyday routines to support meaningful learning at home.
Challenges & Games
Challenges: Can you…?
We encourage pupils to take part in a range of practical and engaging challenges at home. These activities are designed to develop key transferable skills, including independence, communication, problem-solving, creativity, and resilience.
Help with household tasks such as washing up, dusting, or vacuuming
Prepare a snack or meal, or take part in baking activities
Observe the natural environment, for example cloud spotting and describing what you can see
Create a piece of artwork using a range of media (e.g. painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles)
Take part in gardening activities, such as planting seeds and measuring their growth over time
Explore the outdoors by going on a mini-beast hunt
Try new foods and discuss preferences
Build structures using blocks or LEGO, exploring size, balance, and design
Create a personal photo timeline to reflect on life experiences
Complete jigsaw puzzles to develop concentration and problem-solving skills
Design and follow a treasure hunt around the home or garden
Take part in Design and Technology challenges from the James Dyson Foundation:
https://www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk/resources/challenge-cards.html
Games to Play
Playing games together supports turn-taking, communication, memory, and social interaction.
I Spy
Memory games (e.g. Kim’s Game)
Simon Says
Charades
Word games such as Scrabble or Boggle
Board games
20 Questions
These activities can be adapted to suit your child’s individual needs and interests, providing meaningful opportunities to practise and generalise skills within familiar, real-life contexts.
    Sensory Activities

    There are Lots of ideas for sensory, mark making, craft and basic science experiments on Pinterest

    https://www.pinterest.co.uk/

    Instagram accounts to follow for play and sensory ideas

    @play.hooray

    @fiveminutemum

    @beckys_treasure_baskets

    @the_play_at_home_mummas

    @tufflove_and_sensoryplay

    @sen_teacher_

    @sensoryplay.uk

    @earlyyearsoutdoor

    @sensoryideas

     

    Sensory/messy play ideas

    • https://www.learning4kids.net/list-of-sensory-play-ideas/

    • https://lemonlimeadventures.com/12-sensory-play-ideas-to-encourage-hands-on-learning/

    • Cloud Dough 

    • Pour 1 Cup Baby Rice into a container
    Add 3 Tablespoons of Melted Coconut Oil to the rice cereal.
    Mix and let the mixture cool.

    • Cornflour gloop

    • Cornflour

    • Water

    • Colouring (if desired)

    • Paint with different objects – sticks, plants, feathers, fruit/veg printing, hands and feet etc

    • Water play

    • Sock bubble snakes

    Plastic bottle – wide end cut off, Sock, Washing up liquid and water

    Put sock over end of bottle, dip into washing up liquid/water solution, blow through drinking end.

    • Crazy soap

    • Water spray bottles

    • Coloured rice/spaghetti

    • Ice play – freeze (safe or edible) objects in ice – explore them, try and melt them, use other tools to try and break the ice to get to objects

    • Collect leaves, flowers, petals etc and make potions and perfumes

    • Mud kitchens

    • Have a bath purely for playing – take different toys, bath bombs, crazy soap etc, bath crayons

    Play ideas

    • Containers, sieves, pots and pans – play with rice, water, flour

    • Digger land – set up vehicles with cereal, rice, soil, corks etc

    • Nature hunt outside – make a list of objects to find

    • Plant seeds/vegtables etc

    • Dig for worms and other creatures

    • Bath dolls

    • Muddy puddles – tray with hot choc powder and water to make mud, put animals or anything that your child is interested in in muddy tray. Have a second tray with clean soapy water in and wash the animals/objects after they have got muddy.

    • Duplo/lego/blocks

    • Puzzles and jigsaws

    Story ideas

    • Twinkl has a range of sensory stories

    • You tube has lots of stories recorded

    • You can also do your own sensory story

    Choose a book and get together some simple resources to support story in a sensory way: e.g.

    Hair dryer on different temp settings for wind, hot sun

    Water spray and umbrellas for rain

    Spices for smells

    Instruments for different noises/actions

    Different fabrics and textures to feel

    Soft toys to represent characters in the story

    Food items for taste

    Ice and heat packs for cold/warmth

    Foil blankets

    Mark making and fine motor

    • Threading cheerios onto spaghetti

    • Hammer golf tees into potatoes

    • Poke straws into holes in a shoe box

    • Posting activities – make hole in box and post items in

    • Sticks etc into playdough

    • Chalks on ground outside

    • Paint sticks on windows (they do wash off)

    • Painting with water and paintbrushes outside

    • Threading beads onto pipe cleaners

    • Pasta onto string

    • Pipe cleaners into colander holes

    • Draw/paint/mark make onto and inside cardboard box

    • Colour matching activities – use coloured bowls and plates, find objects from around the home or just building blocks etc, can they sort into colours

    • Water, washing up liquid and whisks

    • Bath bombs

    • Cutting and sticking using old magazines, make collages, use Argos catalogue to make a collage of favourite things

    • Play with clothes pegs – hang out dolls clothes, socks etc on a washing line (tie piece of string between two chairs)

    Sensory diet activities

    • Wheelbarrow walking.

    • Animal walks (e.g bear walks, crab walking, frog jumps)

    • Trampolining.

    • Cycling or using a scooter.

    • Swings (forward and back, side to side, rotary)

    • Rough and tumble play.

    • Deep pressure squishing or sandwiching with pillows or balls

    • Spinners and roundabouts

    Jumping

    • on bed

    • sofa

    • trampoline

    Climbing

    • rock walls

    • jungle gyms

    • monkey bars

    • ropes

    • slides

    • through a tunnel

    Swinging

    • outdoor swings

    • indoor swings

    • swinging child in a blanket

    Riding

    • scooter board

    • bikes

    • scooters

    • skateboard

    • roller blades

    • sleds

    • any of the above over bumps or down hills

    • seesaw

    Pushing/Pulling Heavy Objects (Heavy Work Activities)

    • carrying shopping

    • pushing empty wheelie bins inside

    • raking leaves

    • pulling weeds

    • shovelling mud/soil

    • vacuuming

    • pushing shopping trolley

    • carrying a laundry basket

    • a rope tied to a door knob or heavy object 

    Chewing

    • crunchy foods

    • gum

    • salty or spicy foods

    • chewy jewelry

    • chewable pencil tops

    • chewable safe toys 

    • teethers and chewable toys

    Vibration (is alerting versus calming when used in short bursts)

    • handheld massagers

    • vibrating cushions/pillows

    Playing active games

    • running

    • obstacle courses

    • skipping

    • leap frog

    • tug of war

    • wheelbarrow walking

    • various animal walks (walking like a crab, hopping like a kangaroo, etc.)

    • row, row, row your boat with a partner

    • Swimming

    • Crashing and jumping into pillows (put all of your pillows or soft toys in a pile on the floor)

    Playing with textures (Stimulates the tactile sense)

    • shaving cream

    • finger Paint

    • mud

    • wet sand

    • water

    • ice

    Blowing

    • various whistles and noise makers

    • bubbles

    • pinwheels

     

    Movement

    • Rolling on a large ball on back or belly

    • Sitting on a large ball – during meals, for homework/in school 

    • Scratching their back vigorously for a few minutes

    Spinning (a very intense sensory experience, best for kids to spin themselves even if they love spinning. Be very cautious of spinning a child, and only do so a few times in both directions. This is important because it will help balance out their system.)

    • swing

    • swivel chair

    • while standing

    • sit and spin

    Sensory Activities that are Calming

    • Wearing Tight Clothing

    • Body socks or stretchy bands for short intervals during play

    • Compression clothing worn throughout the day

    • Wearing compression or weighted vests for 10-20 minutes during difficult times of the day (i.e. transitions)

    • Quiet time in sensory tent

    Playing in sensory bin (tons of ideas, the sky is the limit)

    • rice

    • beans

    • birdseed

    • sand

    • cloud dough

    • spaghetti/ noodles

    Touch

    • Massage

    • Kneeding playdough or therapy putty

    Handling fidget toys (a wide variety of options)

    • koosh balls

    • stress balls 

    Squishing and squeezing

    • hugs

    • squeezing into tight spots or behind furniture

    • wrapping up tightly in blanket

    • sleeping in stretchy sheets that are tucked in on sides

    • laying under a large yoga ball

    • Sit or stand or a wobble cushion or wiggle seat (great for meals, homework, and crafts)

    Using essential oils (different types of oils are used to calm or be alert)

    • in room diffusers

    • applying to skin

    • in bath

    Audio

    • Listening to rhythmic or soft music

    • Wearing noise cancelling headphones

     

    Watching slow moving or soothing images

    • Fish tank

    • Lava lamp

    • Slow changing lights

    Sucking/drinking

    • Drinking something warm

    • Sucking thick milkshake through a straw

    • Drinking something cold

    Slow rocking

    • Rocking chair

    • Hammock

    Calming

    • Using heavy or weighed blankets or lap pads (check out the whole guide for weighted blankets here and how and when to use weighted lap pads.)

    • Vibration (is calming rather than alerting when used for longer periods of time)

    • Handheld massagers

    • Vibrating cushions/pillows

    • Teethers and chewable toys

    Sensory Circuits

    Set up a circuit

    A sensory circuit is a great way both to energise and settle children. The aim is to focus concentration in readiness for the day’s learning. The circuit also encourages the development of the child’s sensory processing skills.

    The circuit should be split into 3 sections

    Alerting

    The aim of this section is to provide vestibular and proprioceptive stimulation within a controlled setting. 

    Activities that could be used in this section include:

    • Bouncing 10 times on trampet

    • Spinning a hoop

    • Walking on stilts 

    • Rolling on physio ball

    • Bunny/frog hops

    • Wheely boards

    Organising

    This section includes activities that require motor sensory processing, balance and timing. The child needs to organise their body, plan their approach and do more than one thing at a time in a sequential order.

    Activities that could be used in this section include:

    • Balancing on a beam

    • Textured stepping stones

    • Throwing bean bags into a hoop

    • Blowing bubbles

    • Wobble boards

    • Climbing

     

    Calming

    The calming activities are very important as they provide input to ensure that children leave the circuit calm, centred and ready for the day ahead. Activities include proprioceptive or deep pressure activities

    Activities that could be used in this section include:

    • Squishes with big physio balls

    • Lying under weighted blankets

    • Hand massage

    • Hand and feet in weighted bean bags

    Play together, go out for walks, let them play with siblings and by themselves, allow down time, Ipad, Tv, time in the garden etc

    We hope the above lists help to give you some ideas of things you could do with your child at home, you know your child best so know which activities they will and won’t be able to access, you will also have some good ideas of your own, this list is by no means exhaustive but we hope it is useful. 

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