Online Resources to Use at Home

Following the UK government’s decision to close schools, colleges and nurseries from Friday 20th March 2020, with the exception of those looking after vulnerable children and those of key workers, you may find yourself in the situation where you are working remotely at home, wondering what activities you can conjure up to keep the kids engaged and learning. 

We’ve put together a list of useful and easily accessible online resources that you can enjoy together: 

Online resources:

• Twinkl - in preparation for school closures, Twinkl have put together a simple, step-by-step guide for parents and some useful interactive resources and school closure packs. 
• BrainPOP - is here to help you and your curious learners stay informed and on-track with free access during school closures.
• tes - have created a page to facilitate the sharing of free resources that might help support teachers, schools and students during this time, such as revision material, home packs and self-guided study material. 
• BBC Bitesize - offers materials for children of all ages, from reception all the way through to A-levels. Content is presented in small easy bite size chunks. 
• BBC Teach - showcases Live and pre-recorded video lessons from popular BBC presenters with tie-ins with BBC series like Doctor Who, Springwatch and Blue Planet. 
• Tynker - provides everything needed to learn computer programming the fun way. With over 3,700 learning modules, Tynker is suitable for children aged 5+. 
• Scholastic Learn at Home - is providing free resources for school closures, offering day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.
• PBS KIDS’ - is available on mobile, tablet, and connected TV devices. PBS KIDS’ new weekday newsletter offers activities and tips you can use to help kids play and learn at home.  
• Duolingo - has lessons specially designed for school kids, which can really support with modern foreign languages. 
• MyON - believes that reading doesn’t have to stop. In order to support teachers, students and parents to 'Keep the UK and Ireland reading', MyON are offering access to thousands of enhanced digital books. 
• Audiopi - has short audio tutorials to support with GCSE and A Levels. They are currently offering schools a free two month subscription.
• Hungry Little Minds - this DFE initiative offers simple, fun activities for children, from newborn to five. 
• David Walliams Elevenses - free audio reading every day at 11am. Catch up with any stories you missed online!
• Maths with Carol Vorderman - The Maths Factor website has been made FREE for everyone while schools remain closed. Aimed at 4-12 year olds.

YouTube Channels:

• The Body Coach TV - Joe Wicks, everyone’s favourite body coach, will be holding LIVE PE lessons starting from Monday 23rd March at 09:00am through to Friday on his YouTube channel, suitable for children of all ages. 
• Crash Course Kids - Offers a bi-weekly show about all thing’s science.  The channel looks at Earth, Habitats, Space, Chemical Reactions, Engineering, and much more. 
• Science Channel - Learn about outer space, leading scientific exploration, new technology, earth science basics and more. 
• SciShow Kids - Explore all those curious topics that make us ask "why?". Whether conducting experiments or researching new questions, there's always something new to learn. 
• Free School - Provides access to famous art, classical music, children's literature, and natural science in a kid-accessible way. 
• Kids Learning Tube - Offers education through music and animation in a fun and unique approach to learning.
• Science Max - An exciting series looking at various science experiments you’ve done at home.
• Art for Kids Hub - Uploads new art lessons every week. Follow along to learn how to draw and find other fun art lessons for kids.
• Blippi - Presents a series of fun educational videos for children to learn shapes, numbers, letters, the alphabet, nursery rhymes and educational songs.
• Myleene's Music Klass - Myleene Klass delivers curriculum based music videos, with no need for instruments!

Virtual Tours:

• British Museum, London - Connect with history, with hundreds of artifacts you can explore the museums Great Court and discover the ancient Egyptian mummies.
• NASA Langley Research Center - Explore the virtual tours and facilities and gain access into some of mankind’s most important technological inventions. 
• The Natural History Museum, London - Discover a world class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. Explore the museum's 80 million specimens with unique features and encounter a prehistoric marine reptile in virtual reality. 
• Royal Airforce Museum - Explore the Royal Airforce Museum's Bomber Hall, Historic Hangers, and former airfield controller.
• Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam - Showcasing master works from the Dutch Golden Age. This virtual tour offers the chance to explore 11 interactive exhibits. Learn about their history and see these close-ups of the pieces. 
• Central Park, New York - Take a guided virtual walk around New York’s beautiful Central Park. You’ll set off from West 72nd Street, taking in the vast surroundings all the way through the heart of the Park. 
• The Royal Parks, London - Visit one of our capitals most green space, offering a virtual tour of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. 
• Grand Canyon, Arizona - With breath-taking views, dive a little deeper into the archaeology of the Canyon as you take a trip along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park.
• Howletts and Port Lympne - Bring the animals from Howletts and Port Lympne to your living room! With 3 24/7 live streaming cameras and more than 1000 animals videos to watch on YouTube and Facebook, kids will love seeing what the animals get up to when the parks are closed!