Knowing we could all do with the max help we can get to keep the kids happy and busy at home right now, we’ve rounded up the best free resources, either available now or from next week, to help keep children active and learning!

image credit: image.ie

If you haven’t already heard, Joe’s back for lockdown #3 with his brilliant PE classes. Not only will he be getting kids moving and exercising for 20 minutes 3 times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) from Monday 11^th January, but Joe also throws out educational, fun facts and questions to keep the kids engaged and learning throughout. If you miss it, no problem; although the videos are streamed live on YouTube, if that doesn’t fit your schedule, you can watch them back anytime on Joe’s YouTube channel. We reckon the slightly shorter sessions every other weekday will be better for everyone; there’s no excuse now for not taking part in every single one, and the younger children might just manage to stay engaged throughout!

BBC

image credit: bbc.co.uk

From Monday 11^th January, the BBC will be putting on a three hour block of educational primary school shows every weekday on CBBC. From Horrible Histories to Live lessons, Celebrity Supply Teacher, Art Ninja and lots more, the BBC have promised entertaining, educational material that will hopefully be valuable to all primary school children. They’re also offering two hours of content related to the GCSE curriculum every weekday on BBC Two, with Shakespeare adaptations, BBC science shows and factual documentaries. If you miss any – no problem – they’ll all be available to watch on-demand on BBC iPlayer.

NASA at Home

image credit: NASA

Brilliant NASA are offering crafts, videos, posters, colouring books, comics and other space-related activities for children on their website that are all fun, educational and, best of all, free! Get the kids to revise their outer-space and planet knowledge through the online resources and test them with NASA’s quiz. You can also see live footage from the International Space Station, watch its movement in relation to the Earth and plot sighting opportunities. NASA also post a beautiful, awe-inspiring ‘Image of the Day’ everyday, which can really help put things in perspective if, like us, you can sometimes feel a little overwhelmed!

Audiobooks

image credit: wallpaperaccess.com

When screens become all a bit much, there are some great audiobooks available to download for free on Audible. From Wind in the Willows, Peter Rabbit and The Wizard of Oz to Peter Pan and The Jungle Book, there are many wonderful fantasy worlds for children to get lost in and the narrators are always brilliantly engaging. This works a treat for when you need a bit of calm and quiet in the home.

Eatsleepdoodle learning resource pages

We love encouraging curiosity and learning at eatsleepdoodle. We hope all our fun and educational textile and stationery gifts spark questions and inspire independent learning and discovery – that’s why we developed additional online learning pages for children to find out more about everything they’re colouring in. Even without an eatsleepdoodle gift, these pages are informative and contain fun, creative activities for children - or anyone! - to get involved with. Discover everything from pre-historic dinosaurs and outer space to the fascinating Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Brand new additions; our fairy tales & legends creative writing page with the origins and history of fairy tales and lots of imaginative writing exercises, plus our working wheels page packed with facts and learning activities for car-mad kids!