Looking after you and your family
Helpful numbers and signposts to support your family
PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID TRAINING
Public Health England has launched a new Psychological First Aid training to help support children and young people affected by COVID-19. The free online course teaches how to provide practical and emotional support to children and young people affected by COVID-19 and related issues such as lockdown, bereavement or isolation.
The course is aimed at parents, caregivers, teachers, health and social workers, charity and community volunteers and anyone who regularly comes into contact with children and young people aged between zero and 25. It is free, takes up to two hours to complete (split into three sessions that the learner can complete at their own pace and no previous qualifications are required.)
This follows the training launched last summer for adults - Psychological First Aid in Emergencies Training - for frontline staff and volunteers to equip them to provide support and recognise people at risk of distress.
Coronavirus and Wellbeing
Below you will find advice, ideas and activities to help through these unusual times.
https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/coronavirus-information-and-support
Some great advice and support that cover the topics below; practical advice for staying at home and taking care of your mental health and wellbeing.
Coronavirus questions and answers from children
https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/news-and-blogs/2020/march/coronavirus-information-for-children/
Free information book explaining the coronavirus to children, illustrated by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler (suitable for 5-9 year olds)
Everybody Worries by Jon Burgerman
A picture book for children who are worried about the coronavirus.
https://en.calameo.com/read/000777721945cfe5bb9cc?authid=Xu9pcOzU3TQx
Exercise
Exercise releases chemicals, in your body, like endorphins and serotonin that help to improve your mood. If you exercise regularly, it can reduce your stress and symptoms of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
Cosmic kids
A great website full of videos that make Yoga fun for everyone.
Go Noodle
Go Noodle gets children up and moving to fun, engaging content and games. It allows children to wake up their bodies as well as engaging their minds.
BBC Super Movers
These are videos that will get your child up and moving, and they are linked to the curriculum. The can also be selected based on which key stage your child is in.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers
Meditation
This can help children to regulate their emotions, thereby having fewer meltdowns, reduce their impulsivity and improve concentration and focus.
New Horizon: Kids meditation
Struggling to get the kids to sleep? Allow these relaxing Sleep Stories, Guided Meditations and purposely-designed Sleep Meditations to get your little ones off to a perfect nights rest (also a free app that can be downloaded).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWOHcGF1Tmc&safe=active
Guided Meditation for Children
This website offers guided meditation through the form of audio clips.
https://annakaharris.com/mindfulness-for-children/
Mindfulness
Mindfulness colouring is a relaxing and calming activity which can also encourage children to explore their creativity while improving fine motor skills.
Mindfulness Colouring In Sheets
https://www.teachingideas.co.uk/2d-art/mindfulness-colouring-images-animals
More Mindfulness Colouring
On here there are some beautiful intricate designs that can be printed for children and adults.
https://www.bestcoloringpagesforkids.com/mindfulness-coloring-pages.html
Mindfulness Activities
A list of 5-10 minute mindfulness activities you children could do daily.
https://www.teachstarter.com/gb/blog/classroom-mindfulness-activities-for-children-gb/
Reflection
Personal reflection allows us to grow as human beings. It allows us to review what we have already done and think about targets and goals we would like for ourselves.
Children could keep a diary to write down their thoughts, feelings and emotions. They may even want to add newspaper articles about the current situation, as they are experiencing a unique moment in history.
This can be used to make sense of new emotions and uncertainty. This is an unusual time in our history and hopefully will not be repeated, so use this diary not only for wellbeing but also as a memento of this time.
Kindness Calendar
Below is a link to a kindness calendar with ideas on for your children during this lockdown period . 
https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-involved/teaching-resources/kindness-calendar##
Self-esteem
Self-esteem helps children cope with mistakes and build their resilience. It helps them try again, even if they fail at first. As a result, self-esteem will help them do better at school, at home, and with friends. Children with low self-esteem feel unsure of themselves, so improving self-esteem, improves confidence.
Self-esteem and Character Building for Kids
This website offers lots of lovely activities and games that you can complete with your children.
https://www.kidsplayandcreate.com/self-esteem-character-building-activities-for-kids/
Self-esteem Printable Activities
There are some wonderful activities here that you can print off for children.
http://www.plantlovegrow.com/self-esteem.html
Nutrition and Diet
Eating a nutritious diet helps you keep a healthy body. It also helps reduce your risk of developing some chronic diseases. New research finds that your food choices may also affect your mood and mental health. This is sometimes called the “food-mood connection.”
Food Facts
Lots of free resources that teach children where food comes from, hot to cooking and about healthy eating. There are also some lovely recipes on here if you are struggling for ideas with meals.
https://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/
Hygiene
Important now more than ever but educating children on good hygiene is the best way to avoid the spread of infection and disorders; teaching the principles of correct hygiene at an early age can help keep individuals healthy in later life, and be taught to future generations.
Hygiene Activities
Great list of fun, engaging and exciting hygiene themed activities to do with children, particularly for younger children.
https://www.childfun.com/themes/people/health-and-hygiene/
Food Hygiene
There are some free food hygiene worksheets here for KS1 and KS2.
https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/free-food-hygiene-worksheets/
Hygiene and Health Games
This website will give you links to a variety of resources that link to hygiene and health. For example; personal hygiene, staying fit, nutrition, human body.
https://www.ellipticalreviews.co.uk/health-games-for-kids/
Self-care
Self-care is about the things that we can do to look after our own mental health.
Self-care Tips
A variety of activates that will help you and your child to manage your wellbeing.
https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/self-care/
Calm Zone
Plenty of breathing exercise, activities, games and videos to help let go of stress.
https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/
Self-care Journal
You can set your child up with a free account where they can keep an online mood journal, along with plenty of other self-care activities.
https://www.childline.org.uk/login/?returnPath=%2flocker%2f#journal
Helping the Local Community
This helps to create stronger communities that are concerned with the well-being of each and every individual and creates a happier society for all.
Writing letters to family members that we cannot see or even the people who are currently isolated in our local care homes. It will allow the children to practise their letter writing skills as well as put a smile on someone else’s face.
Litter picking – This would need to be supervised activity and may not be able to occur if you are self-isolating, gloves would also need to be worn for this activity. The children often talk to us about wanting to litter pick around school and where they live. This is a great time to for us to focus on cleaning the environment around us.
Gardening
Gardening is educational and develops new skills including: Responsibility – from caring for plants, Understanding – as they learn about cause and effect (for example, plants die without water, weeds compete with plants), Self-confidence – from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown.
You do not need to plan or prepare complicated projects or activities, you could:
- Weed the garden together, discussing which plants are weeds and which are not.
- You could dig some holes and look for worms. Who can find the longest worm?
- Start a compost bin using the grass cuttings, weeds and food scraps from the kitchen.
- Now is also a good time to be planting potatoes, carrots and onions if you wanted to start a veggie patch or some herbs in pots.
BBC Gardening with Kids
Different educational gardening activities developed with RHS.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/
Gardening Activities
Fun activities for families to learn together, while encouraging love for nature.
https://kidsgardening.org/garden-activities/
These simple garden projects are a great way to get the kids outside, entertained and away from the TV or computer screen.
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/10-gardening-projects-for-kids/
Some great tips and ideas for those that are beginners to the world of gardening.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/7-tips-for-gardening-with-children
Check out the Scouts website for lots of stay at home activities for a whole range of ages.
Outdoor Learning Activities
Shadow Drawing
Equipment needed: different shaped objects/toys, paper, pencil
Make the most of the sunshine and create shadow versions of your favourite toys. You could even try and use everyday objects around the house and then turn them into something else! Once you’ve drawn your shadow outline, you could colour it in different colours using pens/pencils/paint, give it a funny face or practise your shading skills using a single pencil to create tone and texture.
Stone Balance Towers
Equipment needed: Different shaped stones.
For adults and children, go on a stone hunt and find different shaped/sized stones in the garden then give this a go and see how high you can go! It seems simple but is surprisingly addictive! Take it a little bit further by sketching or photographing your masterpieces.
Stick Raft Building
Equipment needed: Various sticks and string, paper/material for sail (not essential)
If you have a river/stream nearby or even a pond/paddling pool in the garden, then why not try making some little twig rafts. If we’re in total lock down then why not try using some materials from the recycling bin and try them in a bowl of water in the garden or even in the sink or bath!
Think about the design before you make it. How big/small will the raft be? Are you going to make a sail? If so, how will you attach it to the raft? What design features will it have? Experiment with different joining techniques and discuss which ones would work best, why/why not? Then once it has been tested: what worked well? What did not work so well? How could it be improved? And the joy is, you’ll have time to make these improvements!
Useful outdoor learning websites
Learning through landscapes
https://www.ltl.org.uk/free-resources/
Outdoor Classroom Day
https://outdoorclassroomday.org.uk/resources/lesson-ideas/
RSPB Wild Challenge is a great way to engage with nature and also earn rewards
https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-families/family-wild-challenge/
Other Ideas
50 Fantastic ideas to try at home - A collection of ideas and activities, to help parents and carers find fun things to do if they find themselves unexpectedly at home with younger children.
https://abcdoes.com/home-learning/
100 Things to do indoors
https://www.spreadthehappiness.co.uk/product/100-things-to-do-indoors/
Non-screen ideas you can do at home from Pobble
The Listen Up Mentor team have put together some resources covering:
Connecting with others
Physical activity
Learning something new
Giving
Being present