Author: Phil Morriss

In order to support you at this difficult time we continue to keep you up to date with the most important aspects of the latest advice.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER A CORONAVIRUS TEST

The latest advice and information

Lewisham‘s information about schools and childcare during COVID-19

Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can’t do

Staying alert and safe (social distancing)

A useful link to explain how to care for someone in your house if they have the coronavirus

Explaining Covid-19 to your children

Konnie Huq explains the virus in a child friendly way

A Children’s guide to coronavirus

Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms

The symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are usually mild, but some people can become very unwell.

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

• high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms.

Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do.

The Latest Government Guidance – Overview

The Summer Holidays are a great opportunity for you to spend time with your family playing board games, going for walks, day trips, card games, completing jigsaws, reading together and lots more.

Are you looking for childcare ideas this summer? Lewisham Council have put together a comprehensive list here

Take a virtual trip to see some animals

• San Diego Zoo  –  https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/
• FarmFood 360 offers 11 Virtual Tours of farms – https://www.farmfood360.ca/
• Play games and learn all about animals –  https://switchzoo.com/

Discover things about our world or the universe beyond

• Vegetable growing learning activities that can be done inside or outside.
• Easter Fun with Maths – Get the whole family doing some fun Maths activities. https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/easter-fun/
• National Geographic for Kids –  https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/category/discover/
• Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China –  https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china
• Virtual Tour of the planet Mars – https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/
• Space science – https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html
• The worlds most detailed globe – https://www.google.com/earth/  

Take some time to appreciate famous Artwork or visit a museum

• The Louvre virtual field trip – https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
• Virtual tour of the British Museum – https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/   
• The Metropolitan Museum Of Art https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/
• Opportunities to play games, conduct investigations, and explore different forms of art –  https://artsology.com/

Try to recreate some Science Experiments or Design and Technology Projects

• Daily experiments to do at home – http://www.clubscikidzmd.com/blog/
• Science Experiments to try at home – https://www.everyday-earth.com/courses/experiments/
• Quick & easy at home projects –  https://www.kiwico.com/kids-at-home
• Crafts, projects, science, recipes for young children https://www.funology.com/
• Paper Engineering Challenges with things you have at home – https://thehomeschoolscientist.com/paper-structures-engineering-challenge/
• Online photograph jigsaw puzzles – https://www.jigsawexplorer.com/

Have some physical fun or musical fun

• Give It Your Max – Weekly online tennis sessions that you don’t need any equipment for!
• Dance and sign along – https://www.gonoodle.com/  
• Child-friendly fitness workouts — https://app.sworkit.com/collections/kids-workouts
• Play instruments online – https://www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com/
• A large selection of fun songs – https://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm

Develop Computing Skills Together

• Improve your typing skills –  https://www.nitrotype.com/
• Keyboarding practice –  https://www.typingclub.com/
• Learn to code –  https://www.codecademy.com/   or https://www.kodable.com/  or https://scratch.mit.edu/  
• Coding with Star Wars – https://code.org/starwars
• Hour of Code – https://hourofcode.com/uk/learn

Prepare meals by cooking together

• Recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook with their grown-ups. –  https://www.nomsterchef.com/nomster-recipe-library  
• Chartwells Super Yummy Kitchen – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyu3g1IGSmMJAqGQGOJr7MA/featured?disable_polymer=1

The ‘Helping Families Team’ have put together 3 really useful and informative packs to help you to look after yourself and your family.

CONNECTING AND STRENGTHENING

Connecting and Strengthening strategies can help you to meet your child’s emotional needs, increase positive behaviour, recognise your strengths as a parent, and improve your relationship with your child. Download your pack here

PARENTING GROUNDWORK

You can use parenting groundwork to help you to feel calmer, more connected to the present, and in control. Focusing on managing your own emotions first can also make parenting easier. Download your pack here

BOUNDARIES AND DISCIPLINE

COVID-19 restrictions mean it is a particularly tricky time for parents to hold boundaries and manage disruptive behaviour. You may find yourself getting stuck in a cycle of withdrawing from difficult behaviour, or escalating punishments, which can damage self-esteem. Increasing your options for discipline and holding boundaries can help you feel more confident as a parent and increase your child’s wellbeing and settled behaviour. Download your pack here

Don’t let the pressure of parenting get you down. Try these simple tricks and tips

Health For Kids – Health for Kids offers a fun, engaging and interactive way for children to learn about health. Find games, articles and lots more right here.

Creative Calm – A great pack to help focus minds with activities to stay positive.

Childline has a ‘calm zone’, with videos, activities, games, and calming activities to help children who are worried about anything

BBC CBeebies for special needs
Resources and help for children with additional needs from the BBC, including Mr Tumble!