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Early years online safety resources - Internet Matters

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Find a selection of early years online safety resources you can use in the classroom with kids or use our parent pack to encourage parents to do the same.

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Being online can be great fun, but there are lots of things you need to be careful with.

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Nowadays young children are using technology more and more. Whether it is a phone, tablet, laptop or watching programmes, the online world is booming. A recent report found that some 45% of 3- to 4-year-olds use YouTube, and 52% of 3- to 4-year-olds go online for an average of almost nine hours per week*. Although ICT lessons are taught to older children, it is important that young children know the importance of staying safe online and how to use technology in a safe way.

Concerns have been raised about the amount of time children are spending online, and the impact it might have, particularly by the Childrens Commissioner for England Anne Longfield. At the beginning of 2017 she pushed the need to teach online and internet safety from as young as 4 years old. Longfield saw the internet as an "incredible force for good" but said it was time to acknowledge children don't know how to use it safely. Moving on a year, in January 2018 Anne Longfield stressed the issues of social media rising in young children stating, "While social media clearly provides some great benefits to children, it is also exposing them to significant risks emotionally". Kirsty Williams, Minister for Education for the Welsh Government, also shared an update on work in Wales around online safety and the role that everyone has to play.

But how do you know how to keep the children in your care safe online? And how can you ensure that you're up to date and have appropriate knowledge and understanding of the online world?

The UK government has published guidance for early years practitioners and managers to help keep children safe online. Please note some of this guidance is UK specific and some England only.

Digital wellbeing - Guidance for parents October 2018 was created as part of Childnet's work in the UK Safer Internet Centre. The guidance to parents is about the impact that the online world can have on the lives of children and young people. The way that we intereact on the online world can have a huge impact on our physical and emotional wellbeing.

Children's time online

Children's use of ICT and the internet is getting younger and they are going online for longer. This means that we need to be aware of how this affects our practice and how to support children and parents.
From: Children's online activities, risks and safety: A literature review by the UKCCIS Evidence Group October 2017
Online safety

You and your family members may be going online. You may also be going online professionally - reading this Spotlight, for example! It is important both personally and professionally, that you identify and use strategies to keep children, families and yourself safe online. Being safe is about protecting yourself from phishing and fraud as well as preserving your digital wellbeing.

Some settings will go online with children. Others will not. If you are going online with children as part of your childcare provision, you need to be clear about why you are doing this, how it supports children's learning and development and how you are keeping children safe online.

Online safety is a safeguarding issue. We all need to keep children safe in the "real world" and the "digital world". Whether you go online at work with children or not you still need to be aware of how to promote online safety. You may be communicating with parents online and children may be going online at home. Some parents may not be aware of the benefits and risks associated with internet use and how to support their children. Technology and online access is changing all the time and this can be challenging and often difficult to keep up with. Sometimes children know more than adults and are more proficient at finding their way round online.

Useful strategies

Use the 5 A Day Framework with your family, in the setting and share this with parents
From: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2017/08/06/digital-5-a-day/

Connect - to family and friends, help children be aware of who they are connecting with and talk to you if they connect to someone they do not know.

Be active - have time to switch off and get moving, research where to go and what to do

Get creative - use the internet to find out new things, be creative build new skills

Give to others - use the internet to give positive feedback to others and report negative behaviour

Be mindful - about the time spent online and support children to manage their time online. Set limits on time spent online.

In the setting

Keep yourself up-to-date through training and research and be aware of the benefits and risks to children

Whilst the EYFS (England) and the National Minimum Standards (Wales) do not specifically require settings to have a policy and procedure on ICT or online safety it is useful to have one to explain how you will support children's use of technology in your setting. Make sure you link to your safeguarding policy and procedure, including the use of mobile phones and cameras.

Be clear about why you are going online and how it supports children's learning and development. Be able to explain this to children, parents and other professionals.

Talk to children about how to keep safe online and what to do if they are worried

Communicate with parents and share information

Use devices specifically for the setting with children. Don't use your own personal devices.

Have relevant rules when using devices and going online

Use privacy settings, safety modes and filters

Ask for advice when needed

Resources

Welsh Government Hwb Online Safety Zone - information and resources for those in Wales
Guidelines on screen time
Childnet.com - an organisation working to support internet safety with resources for professionals and parents

Protect Children Online - tips and strategies for parents and carers to understand an manage children's online access

Education for a connected world - a framework that describes the skills and understanding that children and young people should have the opportunity to develop at different ages and stages. It highlights what a child should know in terms of current online technology, its influence on behaviour and development, and what skills they need to be able to navigate it safely.

SaferInternet.org.uk - includes an online safety helpline for professionals

Net-aware.org - NSPCC and O2 guide to the social networks that children use.

South West Grid for Learning has a toolkit for being safer online.

Story book - Unplugged Ella gets Her Family Back. Laura Pedersen and Penny Weber. Published by Tilbury House. ISBN 978-0-88448-337-

App and internet-connected toys safety advice from NSPCC

Emotional wellbeing - is social media causing childhood depression (BBC News)

Other resources
* Ofcom's Children and Parents' Media Use and Attitudes Report (2018 - released in January 2019)

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Online safety Nowadays young children are using technology more and more. Whether it is a phone, tablet, laptop or watching programmes, the online world is booming. A recent report found that some 45% of 3- to 4-year-olds use YouTube, and 52% of 3- to 4-year-olds go online for an average of almost nine hours per week*.

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Keeping Children Safe

Even very young children are accessing digital media both at home and in the early years provision, using, for example, iPhones, tablets, laptops and game consoles - technology has transformed how we live and how we spend our leisure time. As early years providers we want the children in our care to be safe online.

The advantages of allowing children supervised and time-limited access to the internet far outweigh the disadvantages as long as risks are recognised and well managed.

Technology that might be used with children in the provision includes:

- Paint program to draw pictures on the laptop

- Playing matching and sorting games on early years websites

- Reading a touchscreen story together

- Accessing Wikipedia for Schools or National Geographic for Kids to look up information

- Using maths apps together.

The main risks to children include:

- Physical injury - for example, eye strain and finger / thumb damage, neck and shoulder pain

- Seeing things they should not see - for example, coming across age inappropriate pictures

- Being bullied online - in chatrooms or during online games

- Obesity - lack of exercise due to sitting down too long on digital devices

- Being approached by paedophiles - again in chatrooms and during games

- Exposure to radicalisation and extremism online

Children must be protected online - by closely supervising their online use, teaching them how to hold and use devices safely and enabling parental controls to further keep them safe. Time spent online and using technology should be limited to ensure children access the full curriculum during their day.

It is a requirement of the Ofsted Early Years Inspection handbook that early years providers both keep children safe online and share information about online safety with parents. This requirement is linked to the Prevent duty which aims to protect children from radicalisation and extremism.

The handbook 'Keeping children safe in education' explains online radicalisation and extremism well: it states -

'Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism ... the internet and the use of social media in particular has become a major factor in the radicalisation of young people.'

The requirement is further clarified in the handbook 'Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings' 08.2016, No. 160047 -

'Inspectors should consider evidence that: action is taken to ensure that children are taught about safeguarding risks, including online risks.'

Tips for Parents

It is important that parents always know what children are doing online. Dangerous websites, social networking groups and chat rooms should be off-limits to children and software should be installed on internet enabled devices used by children to stop access to inappropriate sites.

The best way to do this is to start by setting clear boundaries - time limiting online use and setting up passwords and parental controls to ensure children cannot access inappropriate sites. Give children their own desktop with a child-friendly browser (for example, Kiddle) and only allow access to apps, games, online TV etc that you have checked first (for example, K9 software).

Parents are advised to share their home technology rules with any relatives who might look after their child - it is important for children that messages they receive are consistent.

When using public WI-FI these might not have parental controls - it is important to be aware of this if children are allowed online eg using an adults' your tablet or phone while on holiday.

Educating Children

Experts advise that the best prevention to radicalisation and inappropriate use of technology generally is education - talk to the children about how they can stay safe online and make sure they know they can tell an adult if anything worrying happens when they are playing games on the internet. For example, they need to know how to deal with a pop-up (tell an adult who will remove it - don't click on it) and they need to know how to avoid chatrooms, even if invited by friends.

Children are naturally curious and will push boundaries. Displayed posters can act as a visual reminder but that's only part of the way early years providers teach children about internet safety - posters become wallpaper after a while. They also need to be reminded regularly that the rules are in place to keep them safe.

If early years providers or parents have any concerns about a child being radicalised or exposed to extremism they must contact the Prevent duty helpline immediately and ask advice.

Conclusion

Technology learning is one small part of an early years curriculum. When used appropriately, it is introduced as part of a wide and varied curriculum alongside all 7 areas of learning to complement each child's learning in the early years provision and at home. Technology must be used safely - early years providers must protect children from abuse and radicalisation online - information about online safety must be shared parents.

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Even very young children are accessing digital media both at home and in the early years provision, using, for example, iPhones, tablets, laptops and game consoles - technology has transformed how we live and how we spend our leisure time. As early years providers we want the children in our care to be safe online.

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SMARTIE THE PENGUIN HELPS US KEEP SAFE ONLINE

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SMARTIE THE PENGUIN HELPS US KEEP SAFE ONLINE

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Join in with Mummy Penguin's song and follow the adventures of Smartie the Penguin as he learns how to be safe on the internet.

We provide two versions of the story each for EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2.

The first version of story covers the following themes:

1. Pop ups and in app purchasing

2. Inappropriate websites for older children

3. Cyberbullying

The second version of the story covers the following themes:

1. Upsetting images

2. Unreliable information

3. Talking to strangers online

For

Topics

Type

Donate

Even a small donation can support the development of our online safety resources and help our Education Team to connect with more children and young people.
Donate

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Online Phonics Games (Phase 1) - PhonicsBloom.com

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By developing the visual and auditory skills children need to be successful readers, these fun phase 1 phonics games help young children acquire essential pre-reading skills.

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Online issues

Coerced online child sexual abuse

Gaming

Livestreaming

Misinformation

Online Bullying

Online Challenges

Parental controls

Pornography

Sexting

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Guides and resources

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Children and young people

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About

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Detective Digiduck - virtual assembly for 3-7s - UK Safer Internet Centre

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Detective Digiduck Assembly for 3-7 year olds for Safer Internet Day 2021 from UK Safer Internet Centre on Vimeo.

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These delightful phase 2 letter and sound phonics games are designed to help new readers by reinforcing the skills they are learning as they begin their phonics programme.

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Match Sounds (Phase 1) - Online Phonics Game

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A fun online game with animal sounds that helps very young children develop the listening skills essential for success in a phonics-based reading programme.

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This toolkit is for childcare professionals, parents and teachers to work together to help improve the transition process for children starting school.

There's regular debate about what "school ready" actually means. Research from PACEY has found that early years professionals, parents and teachers agreed that "school ready" should mean that children:

have strong social skills

can cope emotionally with being separated from their parents

are relatively independent in their own personal care

have a curiosity about the world and a desire to learn.

This year, with many children at home during the COVID-19 outbreak, the transition process won't be the same as in previous years. These resources will help you to support your child so that they are ready to start school with a smile in September. Discover ideas, information and activities within the toolkit sections below:

This toolkit was developed by PACEY as part of a government-funded Starting School Together project. Part of the project was to create a range of activities for parents, childcare providers and teachers to do with children to help them prepare the skills they need to start school successfully. The activities have all been linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage outcomes in England.

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This toolkit is for childcare professionals, parents and teachers to work together to help improve the transition process for children starting school. There's regular debate about what "school ready" actually means.

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Learning to Count with these fun Counting Games

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Children will love learning to count up to 10 with these free, fun counting games.

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Join in with Little Learners and explore all of these fun and free maths games, activities and clips.

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You and your little ones can have loads of fun with maths! There are loads of activity sheets and videos to explore on this page, or you can browse by age.

You'll also find heaps of activity books to further develop maths skills in our bookshop.

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Fun maths games and activities - Oxford Owl for Home

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Fun maths games to help develop the skills children need at primary school, for ages 3 to 11. From Oxford University Press.

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CBeebies | Topsy and Tim | First Day at School

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Starting primary school - BBC Parents' Toolkit - BBC Bitesize

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Advice and games to help you and your child prepare for primary school, then thrive during their first year.

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As a parent of four kids, a one and four year old amongst others having a handy list with links to some of the best online toddler and preschooler dance lessons can be a lifesaver. I don't particularly love letting my little ones idly watch screens, so when it also involves them moving it gets a tick of approval from me.

My kids and I think the best free online dance classes, lessons, tutorials, training, shows and resources for Toddlers & Preschoolers are (in no particular order):

Not sure which one to choose? Are you more interested in knowing which one will actually teach your child to dance or which will hold your child's attention long enough for you to drink a hot coffee or prep dinner? Read on for our review of each and some ratings based on how long each one generally holds our kid's attention for!

Being free - not many of the following resources are dance lessons in the traditional sense. There are online dance programs and DVDs you can order and download, but you have to pay for those and we will have an article on them here soon. If you are after some resources for older kids, check out our article with links to the Best Free Online Dance Classes and Tutorials for School Age Kids which will open in a new tab for you to view later.

1. Move Dance Learn

Click here to go straight to a playlist on Youtube of dance classes by Move Dance Learn. Don't forget to subscribe to get notifications when new tutorials go up!

GENERAL INFO
When the pandemic hit in 2020, I wanted to help in some way. I knew a lot of people were going to be stuck at home with their kids and would need some quality and educational screen time that also go their children moving. As I wrote, researched, and published this particular article in early 2019, about a year before the demand was actually there for it, I knew that there really wasn't a lot of quality content for kids out there that fit that purpose.

And so because I love teaching and was a professional dancer, a dance teacher and a primary school teacher before becoming a mom to 4 kids (some of who you get to see in the videos) I decided to create a series of free online dance and movement classes for kids. They were first aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, but when I tested them on my kids, they all loved to join in. The lessons involve a warm-up and cool down and in between, I explore creative dance and movement and even play a game at the end to go over what we have learned.

The lessons were originally part of the Dance Parent 101 Youtube Channel, but I have since rebranded them to Move Dance Learn, and am in the process of moving them all to the new channel, so if you enjoy this lesson and go through all the lessons on Move Dance learn, try the Dance Parent 101 youtube channel where you may find a few more!

Best for all toddlers and preschoolers.
Attention span rating: 4/5
I know this because I do these lessons with my 2-year-old after I make them. Also because I have had many parents email me and thank me for creating the lessons and tell me how much their children love them.

2. The Ballet Coach

OUR REVIEW
Sarah is a wonderful ballet teacher, especially for children. She has had the proper training and is able to pass this on to her students. If you are after ballet classes but can't get to a studio, I would definately recommend doing an online class from The Ballet Coach. Just be aware that many of the lessons were filmed live and so the start of most videos involves Sarah saying hello and getting set up properly.

Best for all toddlers and preschoolers.
Attention span rating: 4/5 if your little one loves ballet they will be totally engrossed in learning and doing the class. If this type of video is more your idea, than theirs you might have to stick around to support and encourage them to participate.

3. The Wiggles

Click here to access a curated list of wiggles videos just like this!

GENERAL INFO
The Wiggles are an Australian based children's entertainment group of five performers, each of whom wears a different colored shirt, sing, dance, tell stories and generally entertain and get little kids moving.

The Wiggles YouTube channel has a large library of free videos and playlists of various lengths which will keep your younger kids entertained and singing and dancing along rather than being as instructional or educational as many of the videos in the Emma series are.

OUR REVIEW
Most of their videos are appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers but the Emma series including 'Bowtiful Ballet Studio' is best appreciated by the 3-5-year-old bracket.

In the above 46 minute video, Emma teaches your young ballet star many ballet basics, with plenty of dancing in between. She does do a bit of talking to transition between various parts of the video and it is at these times that kids get distracted by that itch or that plaster starting to peel off their leg or when they realize they are thirsty or hungry.

Best for toddlers and preschoolers
Attention span rating: 3/5 - enough time to make that important phone call although if you are using the show to teach your child some ballet technique it is a good idea to be present during the show to help them learn.

BONUS VIDEO

This is a great short video that teaches both the alphabet and ballet terms! So fun and educational! Your little mover can dance along and learn new words and moves!

4. Cosmic Kids Yoga

Click here to access a curated list of Cosmic Kids Yoga videos just like this!

So not technically a dance lesson but a form of exercise many dancers do....

GENERAL INFO
Jaime from Cosmic Kids Yoga takes your child through a series of yoga poses and movements as she retells well-known stories. There is a vast library of videos and playlists with instructional videos on the correct technique for various poses being around two minutes in length compared to the yoga stories which are a perfect half hour or more each!

OUR REVIEW
I have found that the movements change quite rapidly which can be hard for younger children to follow. Although possibly a bit over the top for the adult eye the colorful backgrounds create engaging viewing for your child. I do find I need to remind my 3/4-year-old to follow along because she regularly forgets to copy the movements and just sits, watches and listens to the story being told. That being said she is generally engaged with the yoga lesson until the end letting me get dinner prepped and she has exerted some energy whilst doing so.

Best for Preschoolers 3-5 year olds
Attention span rating: 4/5 - You could prep dinner with one of these on or join in and get your daily exercise in too!

5. Bounce Patrol Kids

Click here to access a curated list of bounce patrol videos just like this!

OUR REVIEW
The cast seems talented, genuine and enthusiastic, but the bright gaudy colors, use of green screens, constantly changing sets and costumes scream to me that they are doing their darndest to keep your kid glued to the screen. That being said my kids love it!! And there is a lot of educational content within what your kids are watching! Toddlers will love it and will move and dance to the boppy music and smiling faces.

Best for toddlers and preschoolers.
Attention span rating: 4/5 - You will get to drink your cup of tea or coffee hot with this one.

6. Daniella Ballerina

OUR REVIEW
This is a good one for any aspiring little ballerina as real terminology and steps are taught. There is a bit more talking and dance instruction throughout these videos which makes them more preschoolers rather than the toddler material depending on your toddler. Any trained dancer will instantly see that Daniella's own technique is not up to par, but her enthusiasm, the quality animations, sound and editing and the fact that I haven't found any other channel quite like this on YouTube places her on our list.

Best for preschoolers 3-5 year olds
Attention span rating: 3/5 - Again you should get to drink your tea or coffee hot with this one on.

7. Pink Fong

GENERAL INFO
Not only did Pink Fong produce the most popular version of the widely listened to Baby Shark song, but they also have a huge library of other cute and boppy songs for your child to shake their tail feather to, all with adorably engaging animations for children to copy dance moves and words from. Pink Fong is the name of the Korean based children's entertainment company mascot - a cute little fox. The company has a knack for adding catchy beats to old nursery rhymes.

Above is a 45 minute best dance along with songs video which your child can follow. Just be wary of copy cats or versions of Pink Fong material not from Pink Fong official media sites as some people find it amusing to post potentially harmful versions of their work which include violence and bad language for children and parents to accidentally come across.

Best for toddlers and preschoolers
Attention span rating: 4/5 - Go take a nap - No seriously! Go lie down (On the couch in the same room as your kids of course.)

8. Go Noodle

They have a guided dancing playlist on YouTube that currently includes 60 videos. Go Noodle also offers a lot of extra free content on their website and also has a go noodle plus plan for those interested in some educational extras.

Their YouTube About profile actually states that 3 out of 4 schools in the US use Go Noodle for Brain Breaks and to get the wiggles and jiggles out when needed. They are proud to describe their content as turning screen time into active time and as being able to allow the whole family to exercise together.

OUR REVIEW
If you don't have school-age children then you may not have heard about Go Noodle before. My older kids come home regularly raving about the fun movement lessons they are doing at school. At first, I was surprised to learn that some of the exercises and movements they were getting in class were coming from a screen. Go Noodle is a lot of fun and I find myself getting involved in some of the dances which my kids love. You should try out their Moose Tube videos which are silly and a lot of fun to do.

Best for kids of all ages
Attention span rating: 4/5 - you could probably have another nap with this one except for the incessant 'watch me mom' pleads from your kids. So probably best you cook dinner or clean or scroll your phone...what ever!

9. Ready, Set, Dance
GENERAL INFO
Ready, Set, Dance is a great YouTube Channel for kids dance, although each segment is quite short, if you click on their dance playlist it will go through several dance videos for you kids to follow along with. In Australia Ready, Set, Dance is on television every day on Nickelodeon Junior and it is also a franchised style Dance School focused on providing dance classes for 2-5yr olds. If you have access to the Nickelodeon Junior channel look out for it in your TV guide if you have access to it.

OUR REVIEW
Ready, Set, Dance focuses on teaching young kids to dance by repetitively repeating movements for viewers to copy. The productions have been well created and I love that kids of all ages are providing the content for other kids to follow along with. The only thing I don't love when on YouTube is that each segment is so short and this means adverts in between when watching the playlist.

Best for preschoolers 2-5 year olds
Attention span rating: 3/5 We have given it a low attention span rating because if you can't access the actual show on tv, what is available online is quite short and you won't get anything done in that amount of time.

10. The Learning Station

GENERAL INFO
Last on our list is The Learning Station whose catchphrase is 'Healthy Music for a child's heart, body, and mind! It is produced and performed by Don Monopoli, Laurie Monopoli and Jan Hrkach who combined have degrees in early childhood education. Aside from their YouTube channel they also successfully sell their music which can be found on their website here. As the name of the channel suggests they have a lot of educational content within their songs and dances such as learning about the months of the year, counting and letters as well as songs about stranger danger and emotions. Most videos and songs offer guidance that kids can follow and learn movement from.

OUR REVIEW
You will have their 'Boom Chicka Boom' song catch phrase repeating over and over in your head in a good way after watching and listening to The Learning Station. They do a lot of repeat after me kind of songs and use animation and back up dancers and singers comprising of kids and teenagers which helps children stay entertained and motivated to dance along.

Best for preschoolers 3-5 year olds
Attention span rating: 3/5 A good one to put on if you need to make dinner, clean up or do another job you can be interrupted doing.

11. Zumbini

GENERAL INFO
Zumbini time is for 0-4-year-old kids and they have around eighteen seven-minute videos on their channel. Zumbini is an off spin of the fitness craze Zumba and you can become an accredited zumbini teacher and learn to teach similar classes if you wanted to. The videos begin with some drumming that you can do with pots and pans at home, then an animated story is told and finally, a dance with movements finishes off the video.

OUR REVIEW
I love that this is aimed at the 0-4-year-old bracket and that in the video you can watch real moms and dads go through and do all the activities with the kids and the instructor, so you really feel like you are involved in doing a class. They are short and sweet, just long enough to keep a little ones attention!

Best for toddlers 0-4 year olds
Attention span rating: 3/5 You really need to participate and join in, although because their are babies and kids on the screen 2-4 year olds will sometimes be happy to sit and watch or participate by themselves.

12. SamCam

GENERAL INFO
Miss Sam is a dance teacher and studio owner in the states and she has created a series of free online dance lessons for kids and toddlers. Their video library is slowly growing and includes a movement lesson, parent/kid fitness class, technique classes, tap classes and more!

OUR REVIEW
These lessons are great as they are instructional tutorials with Miss Sam actually teaching and talking directly to your child in the video.

Best for kids 4 and older
Attention span rating: 4/5 Miss Sam really tries to engage your child in learning the lessons!

Related Articles

A Reminder About Ads in Free Resources

If you are familiar with YouTube then as a parent you will be aware that YouTube and most other free media platforms in order to provide you with a free service employ the use of ads to generate an income. Before most videos even when using the Kids YouTube App, an advertisement will appear. Therefore unless you are a premium subscriber to a service entitling you to an ad-free service I would advise you to always be in viewing and hearing distance of what your child is seeing so you are aware of what they are being exposed to. Secondly even if using Kids YouTube, if your child is viewing a dance lesson or show on a touch screen it is always a good idea to stay close by as kids tend to accidentally and on purpose tap the screen propelling them into different content to which you originally wanted them to view.

We'd love to hear from you...

Comment and tell us if you have tried any of these toddlers and preschoolers dance and movement shows and lessons or let us know if you have any to add we would love your feedback and input!

About the Author

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Best Free Online Dance Classes for Toddlers & Preschoolers

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As a parent of four kids, a one and four year old amongst others having a handy list with links to some of the best online toddler and preschooler dance lessons can be a lifesaver. I don't particularly love letting my little ones idly watch screens, so when it also involves them moving it gets a tick of approval from me.

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Everything you need to know about applying for a primary or secondary school place in Liverpool.

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Most children start school full-time in the September after their fourth birthday. This means they'll turn 5 during their first school year.

For example, if your child's fourth birthday is between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 they will usually start school in September 2022.

If you want your child to start later

If you do not think your child is ready to start school at the usual time, they can start later - as long as they're in full-time education by the time they reach 'compulsory school age'.

They can start:

part time

part-way through the year

in the next school year, in the September after they turn 5

You'll still need to apply for a school place at the same time as everyone else. You request your child's later start when you apply.

If your child starts in the September after they turn 5

Your child will go into year 1. Contact the local council or school if you want your child to start in reception instead. They do not have to agree.

Compulsory school age

Your child must start full-time education once they reach compulsory school age. This is on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday - whichever comes first. If your child's fifth birthday is on one of those dates then they reach compulsory school age on that date.

For example, if your child reaches compulsory school age on 31 March, they must start full-time education at the beginning of the next term (summer term that year).

Children must stay in full-time education until they reach school leaving age.

All 3 to 4-year-olds in England are entitled to free early education before they start school full time.

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Get a place for your child at a primary or secondary school - applications, deadlines, admission criteria, appeals and complaints.

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Here you can find lots of lovely interactive books to read online or watch with signing.

There are classic children's stories that we think you and your family will love, including Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd to Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson, along with newer favourites such as Chris Haughton's Oh No, George! and Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall.
Our storybooks and games are free to use, however some older devices aren't able to support them. You can also watch our Storytime playlist on YouTube read by the likes of Ore Oduba, Adam Buxton, Fearne Cotton and many more.
We also have lots of free online games for children to enjoy. Whether you're after number games, puzzle games, colouring or interactive storybooks, there are lots of fun activities to try!

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Stories for kids online and fun games to play

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Find kids' books to read online for free, including classic children's stories like Hairy Maclary and Owl Babies, and play our fun online games - from number games to colouring.

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supporting preschoolers online nought to

fives

more and more preschoolers now have

their own devices

and if they don't they're probably using

shared devices

here's what you can do to make sure they

have a great time online

and don't stumble across things you

wouldn't want them to see or hear

whilst it's always best to supervise

young children online

there are lots of free tools that you

can use to help you set

up devices safely parental controls on

your home broadband are free and easy to

set up

they allow you to control the websites

your child can access

most popular devices and apps also have

inbuilt controls to help you decide

what your child can access and set rules

around when they should be using them

and for how long make sure to use secure

passwords when setting up any parental

controls

and even if your child is not using them

turn on safe search on google and

restricted mode on youtube to filter out

inappropriate content

our setup safe guides walk you through

the steps

so you can get set up in just a few

minutes

not all screen time is created equal so

it's important to ensure your child has

a balanced diet of activities

both online and offline that can help

them develop key skills and have fun

it's very important that screens are not

displacing or disrupting sleep

face-to-face friendships or physical

exercise

where possible their screen time is best

spent together with you

choose a variety of safe and educational

online games and apps to play with your

child

so that you'll feel more comfortable

with them exploring

make use of websites and platforms

designed specifically for preschoolers

like cbb's youtube kids nick jr

and use age ratings and reviews in the

app store to check app suitability

it's never too early to start setting

boundaries as a family

set some rules around how and when

devices should be used at home

and while you're out and about this will

encourage your child to develop

good digital habits and give you the

opportunity to make sure they are using

devices positively and with purpose

it's important to talk with your

children about what they enjoy doing

online

take the time to have regular chats

about their safety helping them

understand what they should watch out

for online

reassure them if they see or hear

anything online that upsets them

they will not be in trouble and they

should come and talk to you about it

because safety on the internet matters

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Pre-school (0-5) online safety tips and advice | Internet Matters. Help pre-schoolers get the best out of the internet and understand staying safe online.

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Resources for 3-11s - UK Safer Internet Centre

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Films, storybooks and other fun sites, with plenty of information to help you enjoy your time online and stay safe on the internet.

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10 Early Years Science Activities EYFS

1. Sink or float

2. Will it dissolve

3. Magnet maze

4. Discovering magnification

5. Homemade marble runs

6. Weather station

7. How do plants grow

8. Crazy cornflour slime

9. Magic dancing milk

10. Colourful capillary action

Children are naturally drawn to science-based activities. Added to the fact that they appeal to their innate curiosity and desire to make sense of the world, the best early years science activities are often hands-on (and sometimes messy) and produce exciting (and sometimes unexpected) results. What's not to like?

It's ideal to tap into this natural enthusiasm as early on as possible by including science activities in preschool settings. Helping to establish a love of science at a young age is beneficial in many ways:

* It fosters the desire to explore and experiment
* It helps develop analytical and problem-solving skills
* It nurtures an understanding of cause and effect, trial and error
* It helps develop an understanding of the world
* It supports the development of communication and collaboration skills
* It expands vocabulary
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A quick search online will produce endless ideas for suitable early years science activities for children; we've chosen some of our favourites based on the ease of set up and the range of scientific concepts explored. You can adapt them according to the age of the children involved; with younger children there may be safety considerations (eg choking hazards) and with older children, there may be opportunities to extend their learning (e.g. by getting them to record their results).

Early Years Science Experiment Ideas:

1. Sink or float?

This is a classic science activity that explores the principle of buoyancy and can be done with even very young children. Get a large container (eg a bowl or plastic box), fill it with water, and with the children collect a range of objects from around the nursery. The children then take it in turns to drop an object into the water - after guessing whether it will sink or float.

2. Will it dissolve?

This activity teaches children about solubility, specifically whether a given substance will dissolve in water. You'll need several small, transparent water containers (e.g. plastic or glass cups) and a range of substances to test (e.g. sugar, oil, salt, food colouring, rice, flour, vitamin tablets). Before dropping each substance into a cup ask the children to guess whether it will dissolve or not.
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3. Magnet maze

For this activity, you'll need some paper plates, pens/ crayons and magnets. Give a paper plate to each child and ask them to draw a 'maze' on it (NB older children may be able to attempt an actual maze but for younger ones a squiggly line is fine). Use a pair of magnets to navigate along the line - the one below the plate moves the one on top.

4. Discovering magnification

This is a nice easy activity that you can set up and leave the children to explore on their own (or in small groups). You'll need a tray (or shallow box/crate), a selection of objects with interesting details and/or textures, and a few magnifying glasses. To extend this activity you could ask the children to draw some of the details/patterns that they find.

5. Homemade marble runs

For this activity you'll need some tape and a collection of things like cardboard tubes, plastic bottles and egg cartons. You could ask the children to contribute by bringing in recycled materials from home, and use this as an opportunity to have a discussion about recycling. Use these materials to assemble a marble run together, exploring principles such as the effect of gradient on speed.

6. Weather station

There are lots of great activities for learning about weather - here are just a few: a) Make wind chimes (eg out of plastic bottles or beads) and hang them up outside; b) Make a wind sock (eg out of strips of waterproof material taped around a plastic ring) to work out the direction of the wind; c) Make a rainwater collector (eg out of a plastic bottle with the top cut off) to measure rainfall.

Alternatively, this weather kit from Wesco is a great way to encourage slightly older children to learn about weather and take an interest in measuring and taking recordings.

7. How do plants grow?

This is more of an ongoing science activity, but if you choose quick-growing seeds the children won't have to wait too long before they start seeing results. Cress is the classic quick-growing plant (and lends itself to creative uses, eg as hair for a monster), but how about trying sunflowers (good for measuring growth against a wall) or pumpkins (to tie in with seasonal activities).

8. Crazy cornflour slime

This activity is a bit messy but really fun and hands-on; children love exploring the strange properties of this cross between a liquid and a solid. For best results use a large shallow container that you can put on the floor, like a sand/water tray. Mix together cornflour and water until you have a slime consistency. Try punching the slime - it instantly turns solid. Roll some slime into a ball in your hand and then stop - it turns back into a liquid.

9. Magic dancing milk

For this activity - an engaging introduction to chemical reactions - you'll need a shallow dish, full-fat milk, food colouring, cotton buds and washing up liquid. Pour some milk into the dish, add some drops of food colouring, then dab with a cotton bud dipped in washing up liquid. Use a few different colours at the same time for maximum impact, and try dabbing in different places.

10. Colourful capillary action

Show how water moves up through plants using food colouring. This activity works particularly well (and quickly) with celery, but you could also use white-petalled flowers. Put some celery sticks (preferably with leafy tops) in separate glasses of water, then add different colours to each glass. Within an hour or two the celery will change colour as the dye moves up through capillary action.

Got any other science activities for early years that you'd like to share? Comment below!

To understand why science education is so important in early childhood, read our article on the benefits of early years science education. To browse all our childcare activities, click here.
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Sink or float Will it dissolve Magnet maze Discovering magnification Homemade marble runs Weather station How do plants grow Crazy cornflour slime Magic dancing milk Colourful capillary action Children are naturally drawn to science-based activities.

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Animations of some of the best-known traditional nursery rhymes, many sung by BBC Children's TV presenters, with music that your children will love! They're an ideal resource to support a range of Early Years objectives, whether used in a nursery, reception class, or at home.

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Animations of some of the best-known traditional nursery rhymes, many sung by Cbeebies TV presenters, with music that your children will love! They're an ideal resource to support a range of Early Years objectives, whether used in a nursery, reception class, or at home.

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Sing along to favourite nursery rhymes with CBeebies. To enjoy the CBeebies website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. For more help please visit the CBeebies Grown-ups FAQ To enjoy this content you need to update your browser to the latest version.

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Browse Preschool Games. Award winning educational materials designed to help kids succeed. Start for free now!