Get ready for primary school

4. Being active and finding out with your children

There are many ways to help a child to be active and explore their surroundings - like taking them to the local park, or going out for a walk whether in sun, snow or rain.

Ways to help to be active, explore with their hands and create new things. Young children love to get busy – collecting conkers, leaves or worms; making new things out of old – such as making a music shaker with a paper cup, some buttons and an elastic band – below there are some more ideas.

Babies (birth to 18m)

  • Play music and let me have fun moving to the rhythm
  • Show me how to hang wooden curtain rings onto the pegs of a mug tree. Then, watch me take them off and put them on, time and again
  • Fix a mirror so that I can see myself in it. Sing rhymes such as ‘heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ pointing to each of my body parts, in turn
  • Make a safe, cosy den for me to creep into– add some board books and snuggle up to enjoy a story

Toddlers (18m-3)

  • Put my wellies on and let’s go and jump in muddy puddles when it’s been raining
  • Show me how to tear paper – then let me drizzle glue on to a cereal box, sticking my torn pieces on it
  • Make some gloop with cornflour and water and let me feel it, slosh it and drop it into a tin tray
  • Let me copy what you do - whether it’s gardening, cooking or cleaning the house

Pre-schoolers (3-5)

  • Do the conga from room to room just for the fun of it
  • Make some playdough with equal parts of flour and salt and a little coloured water. Then let me stir, roll it and pat it to my heart’s content
  • Encourage me to make a robot or a rocket from cartons and milk bottle tops – who knows I may make a real one someday
  • Make sure there’s plenty of time for play – whether it’s being a spaceman or a unicorn

Videos

We highly recommend visiting the following websites, which include videos and further information on topics covered here; how to support your child’s health and development and the subject of Getting Ready for School

Online Support

My First Day at School - A great game from the BBC KS1 support section to play with your child. Help your child create his/her character and pick a school jumper, then explore the school and find all the different activities to play.

Visit the BBC Bitesize website to access the game - My First Day at School