Discover things to do and learn as a family
The 2021 Family Learning Festival theme is Play, Imagine, Learn.
This year's theme aims to inspire a love of learning through play and imagination. Play is fundamental to a child’s development. Through play your children learn about themselves, those closest to them, and the wider world.
Play improves children’s social, physical, and emotional well-being. Not only is imaginative play fun and engaging it can help your children to develop key skills in numeracy, reading and writing. Play is a great way to bring the family together, giving you and your children the chance to bond while having fun and learning together.
Here we’ve put together some of our favourite activities for you to try out this Family Learning Festival. Don’t forget to share the fun ways your family likes to #PlayImagineLearn with us on social media.
#PlayImagineLearn for Creativity
PLAYLIST, from the Lego Foundation, has lots of play activities to stimulate imagination and learning for children and families. From childhood classics to problem solving and homemade games using things you have at home PLAYLIST is a fantastic collection of fun learning activities for kids. The activities are brought together by The LEGO Group and LEGO Foundation, along with play and child development experts.
#PlayImagineLearn for Reading
Words For Life from the National Literacy Trust has lots of playful and imaginative activities to help improve children’s language, literacy and communication skills from home. There are lots of activities for ages 0-12 years.
#PlayImagineLearn for Writing
The British Library’s Discovering Children’s Books website is brimming with messy drafts, notebooks and sketches by much-loved authors and illustrators. This set of playful activities shows fun ways of using these messy drafts to imagine, plan, draft and edit your family’s own amazing stories!
#PlayImagineLearn for Wellbeing
Action for Happiness creates free Monthly Action Calendars which are packed with actions your family can take to help create a happier and kinder world.
#PlayImagineLearn for Healthy Living
Kids need to be active for 60 minutes a day. From fun 10 Minute Shake Up games to information about active hobbies and sports, Change4Life has everything you need to get your family moving! These motivating Disney inspired games really do get kids (and grown-ups!) moving.
#PlayImagineLearn for Numeracy
Campaign for Learning's Love Learning about Money Together has lots of fun and engaging activities to support financial wellbeing and help your children learn about money through play. Here are a few of our favourites for this year’s Family Learning Festival:
Money Hide and Seek - This is a brilliant activity that will not only be fun and energetic but also teaches your children about coins and simple addition and subtraction!
Measure a Money Snake - This fun quick activity helps children recognise different coins and use simple addition.
Boredom Buster– This is an activity which just keeps giving! Create a boredom buster to help children find ways to have fun without spending money.
#PlayImagineLearn for Science
We use chemicals and create chemical reactions every day – from baking bread to lighting a match. The Chemistry Catalyst Book developed by the Campaign for Learning will help your children learn about chemistry at home with fun, practical and sometimes messy activities!
If you are looking for fun learning activities to do with your family at home you can also try our Pinterest boards. There's arts, crafts, science and lots more. Click on the image below. You will need to create a Pinterest account to get started.