6 Ideas to Try Right Now
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#1·Any
Audiobook + Drawing
🛒Materials: Phone/tablet (audio only), paper, crayons
- 1Put on a children's audiobook.
- 2Give your child paper and crayons.
- 3Ask them to draw what they hear.
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#2·30–45 min
Write and Illustrate a Mini Book
🛒Materials: 5 sheets of paper, stapler or string, pencils
- 1Fold 5 sheets of paper in half and staple along the fold.
- 2Page 1: title and author's name (them!).
- 3Write and illustrate one scene per page — 4 pages of story.
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Ask: 'What's the twist at the end?' — 7–8 year olds love a plot twist.
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#3·25–30 min
Strategy Board Game: DIY Checkers
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil, 12 coins of 2 types (or bottle caps)
- 1Draw an 8x8 grid on paper and shade alternate squares.
- 2Each player gets 12 pieces arranged on their 3 rows.
- 3Play standard checkers rules: diagonal moves, jump to capture.
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#4·30–45 min
Stop-Motion Animation
🛒Materials: Phone/tablet, small toys or playdough figures
- 1Set up figures on a flat surface with consistent lighting.
- 2Move figures a tiny bit, take a photo. Repeat 20–30 times.
- 3Use a free stop-motion app (or just flick through the photos fast).
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Even 20 photos makes a surprisingly good animation.
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#5·30 min
Design a Business: Lemonade Stand Plan
🛒Materials: Paper, pencil
- 1Name your business and design a logo.
- 2List your product, price, and costs.
- 3Calculate: how many cups to sell to make a £5 profit?
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Real maths with a purpose — far more engaging than worksheets.
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#6·30 min
DIY Maze Game
🛒Materials: Cardboard box lid, straws, glue, marble
- 1Glue plastic straws inside a box lid to create paths.
- 2Leave openings to form a maze.
- 3Place a marble at the start and tilt the lid to navigate it to the end.
