Play matters
Home COVID19: Make Playtime a Priority
COVID19: Make Playtime a Priority
During the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s important that children have the space and time to play every day indoors or in the garden.
Play is essential for children as it contributes to their cognitive, physical, social and emotional wellbeing. In addition, it allows them the opportunity to learn new skills and make sense of the world around them while also helping to build resilience and cope with stress.
NI Direct has a dedicated section which explains the importance of play for children’s development. It also provides a range of ideas aimed at encouraging children of all ages to use their imagination and be creative.
Play activities for children at home
With schools closed and play dates on hold due to social distancing, it’s essential to keep children happy, learning and enjoying playtime at home. But perhaps you are running out of ideas?
PlayBoard NI – the lead organisation for the development and promotion of children and young people’s play – has provided some great ideas for fun and educational play activities to stimulate children in the home environment including…
| Educational play activities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alphabet game | Make your own playdough | Etch your own fireworks |
| Crayon etching | Build a den | Make a milk carton bird house |
| Magic ink | Shadow drawings | Learn to juggle |
| Bug hotel | Cotton tip daisy | Pastel fish |
| Paperchain snake | Magic box | Indoor Wimbledon |
| Elmer the elephant | Eco play activities | Handprint bird |
Encourage your children to enjoy these activities and more at playboard.org/play-ideas
The Way to Play E-Book – free copy available
For a limited time only, PlayBoard NI is providing a free copy of its popular e-book – ‘The Way to Play’ to parents and carers. This useful resource, which normally costs £4.99, provides information on how to create play opportunities to suit the needs of children of all abilities, ages and preferences in a wide range of settings. Download your free copy at playboard.org/product/way-to-play-ebook
Mini Crafts for Little Hands
Mini Crafts for Little Hands is a fabulous free digital craft series for children aged 4-11 years guaranteed to inspire and entertain. Hosted by the FE McWilliam Gallery and Studio, artist Rachel Fitzpatrick presents a weekly workshop of colourful craft and fun arty antics using basic art materials or things you might find in your recycling ideal for getting creative at home. The online workshops are posted each Friday on the FE McWilliam Facebook page at www.facebook.com/femcwilliamgallery or to view the glorious gallery of previous online workshop click here
My Covid-19 Time Capsule
This is a very different and strange time in our history. Covid-19 has changed how we go about our daily lives and presents many challenges, difficulties and a new way of living. However this period of lockdown also offers the opportunity for our younger citizens to capture how the changes affect themselves and the world around them.
Recording how we are living through this period allows children to think and describe how they are feeling at this time and importantly reflect upon in the future.
Long Creations have produced a wonderful time capsule worksheet which allows children to record current events, understand how important the current situation is and that we really are living through a very significant time in history.
Download your free time capsule worksheet at the link below.
My Covid 19 Time Capsule