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These are some great resources linked to VE day form the author Tom Palmer

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Summer 1945. The Second World War is finally over and Yossi, Leo and Mordecai are among three hundred children who arrive in the English Lake District.

Having survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, they've finally reached a place of safety and peace, where they can hopefully begin to recover.

Will life by the beautiful Lake Windermere be enough to bring hope back into all their lives?

To be published on 7 May 2020 by Barrington Stoke. (Apologies - this publication is slightly delayed from May in the interests of keeping publishers and printers safe. )
After the War is about the three hundred child concentration camp survivors who came to the Lake District nearly 75 years ago (who were known as the Windermere Boys). 10% of author royalties will be donated to the Lake District Holocaust Project.
Reserve a copy now at your local library, bookshops, pre-order on Amazon and Kindle.

Resources

Cover prediction worksheet here

Paper dolls here
VE Day reading comprehension here
Poetry Blackout challenge here

Films of the settings about research and writing After the War to come

For more resources and a free chapter in advance of publication please email admin@tompalmer.co.uk

If you want to know more about this book please use the form below. Please be patient. Our replies are not automated so you will get a personal reply.

Researching After the War

Read my blog about reading and writing history for the FCBG here.

Writing After the War

This year, I have been heavily researching and planning a new children's story, After the War.
Stage 1 Stage 3 Stage 2
I am very grateful to have the kind support of key witnesses, d from Trevor Avery and the Lake District Holocaust Project and from pupils at Grasmere Primary.

There are many stages to my writing "process" but here's an indication ...

If you are want to know more about how I write - often useful for teachers to show pupils - I have some short writing tips films here.

Useful links

www.worldjewishrelief.org/theboys - gives information about their role in the rescue and features some of the children's brief stories

www.worldjewishrelief.org/kindertransport - they were also instrumental in organising the kindertransport and this page has more information.

www.worldjewishrelief.org/archives - more information about the files they hold

Reviews

"How do people find the strength to endure the unendurable? How can they rebuild their lives after witnessing the very worst of what human beings can do to one another? How can love and friendship survive the horrific brutality of war and genocide? After the War tackles these huge questions by following the journey of three boys rescued from Nazi concentration camps at the end of the Second World War. After they are taken to Lake Windermere to recover, we see them struggle to come to terms with the loss of everyone they've ever known and to put the horrors of the camps behind them. This powerful story of a friendship forged in the worst of circumstances is ultimately a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and a moving act of remembrance." AILSA BATHGATE

For more about what I am currently up to, follow my tweets or tweet me @tompalmerauthor
Thank you.
for my Sign up here newsletter for readers, teachers and librarians with exclusive extracts from forthcoming books, new resources, etc.

More about all my other books for children here

Visit my Bookshop

Email me here for more information or use my contact form here.

PRIVACY & COOKIES POLICY TERMS & CONDITIONS

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Summer 1945. The Second World War is finally over and Yossi, Leo and Mordecai are among three hundred children who arrive in the English Lake District. Having survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, they've finally reached a place of safety and peace, where they can hopefully begin to recover.

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Story Corner with videos for EYFs and KS!

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Video books & activities to enjoy together

It's never too early to read stories with your child and spending just ten minutes every day enjoying books together can make a BIG difference to their development. Sharing stories boosts creativity and imagination, improves wellbeing, is a positive experience for parents, carers, guardians, grandparents - everyone! - and is great fun!
Download our Sharing Stories Together PDF for tips on how to enjoy books together
You can also buy all the books here on our Bookshop.org page.

Share a Story Corner: Brown Bear Wood: Grand Old Oak and the Birthday Ball

Written by: Rachel Piercey

Illustrated by: Freya Hartas

Published by: Magic Cat Publishing

With its gnarled trunk, giant branches and glossy leaves, Grand Old Oak is Bear's favourite tree in the woodland. So when Bear learns that Oak is five hundred years old, he decides to plan an extra-special birthday ball.

In this first storybook of poetry, join Bear and his friends through the seasons as they prepare a magical birthday party, with lots of things to spot along the way.

Share a Story Corner: Brown Bear Wood: If You Go Down to the Woods Today

Written by: Rachel Piercey

Illustrated by: Freya Hartas

Published by: Magic Cat Publishing

Journey through a magical woodland, with poems to read and things to find.
My woodland's full of animals,
of every different kind.
So shall we stay here for a while
and see what we can find?

Experience the everyday wonder of nature in this first book of poetry, exploring a magical woodland year. With poems by acclaimed writer Rachel Piercey, join Bear on his journey from spring to winter with lots of friends to meet, places to explore, and things to spot along the way.

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Our video books and activities bring books to life for toddlers and preschoolers. Find a story for the whole family to enjoy together.

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A list of websites etc. to support.

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We have brought together an initial list of online educational resources to help children to learn at home.

These websites have been identified by some of the country's leading educational experts and offer a wide range of support and resources for pupils of all ages.

The list includes subject-specific resources for:

They are currently being offered for free.

Individual resources cannot replace a school's properly planned curriculum, and the resources in this list are not intended to do so.

They may be useful for parents in considering how they could support their children's education, but they should not be used in place of existing resources which schools may be using as part of their continued provision for pupils' education at this time.

Schools may also wish to explore this initial list of resources as they consider how they continue to support children's education.

We will review and update the list over time. Details on how that will work will be provided in the coming weeks.

This list of resources is not exhaustive and there are many other resources available to schools.

Before using these resources, you should refer to the guidance ' Coronavirus (COVID-19): safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers ', which has further information on how to keep children safe online.

Disclaimer

This website, including use of any content uploaded or linked through it, is subject to a disclaimer, copyright statement and detailed User terms. Please read them before using the DfE 'List of online education resources for home education'.

Read the full DfE disclaimer.

Note that you use all content at your own risk. Resources made available through the lists are subject to third party terms and conditions and copyright law.

Access to resources is in most cases free of charge, but it is your responsibility to check whether you have to pay to view and/or copy specific content contained within the resources.

English

This initial list of English resources is based on recommendations from English Hub schools and trusted teachers.

Reading, especially for primary age children, is critical to their educational development and something that families can do together.

Some publishers are making their catalogues available for free. Schools should check what is available for the books used in their schools.

English: primary

Phonics

Schools should seek advice from their phonics programme provider about resources that are available to support remote phonics learning at home. For example, Read Write Inc. (RWI) has made video content freely available online.

DfE 's validated phonics programmes are:

However, some schools will use programmes not on this list.

English Hub schools are developing resources for schools that use Letters and Sounds.

Audible

Website: https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: all children's audiobooks are available for free while schools are closed.

Registration: not required

Authorfy

Website: https://authorfy.com

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: access to masterclasses on texts from a range of authors, including videos from the authors and activities linked to novels.

Registration: is required

Book Trust

Website: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/bookfinder/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: a site with recommended booklists, categorised by age range and topic, including fiction and non-fiction. Family activities are included in the 'Home Time' section.

Registration: not required

Classroom Secrets

Website: https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/free-home-learning-packs/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: downloadable resource packs which cover a range of subjects, including reading and writing.

Registration: not required

Elevenses with the World of David Walliams

Website: https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/elevenses/

Key stages: key stage 2

Description: one free audio book reading is available to listen to every day.

Registration: not required

English Mastery

Website: https://www.englishmastery.org/

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: downloadable resource books providing 8 weeks of activities.

Registration: not required

Literacy Shed

Website: https://www.literacyshedplus.com/en-gb/browse/free-resources/key-stage-2-activity-packs

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: downloadable resource packs with tasks based on video clips on YouTube.

Registration: not required

Love Reading 4 Kids

Website: https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: a site with recommended booklists, categorised by age range and topic, covering fiction and non-fiction.

Registration: not required

Pobble 365

Website: https://www.pobble365.com/

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: a new image is published each day as a basis for creative writing. Story starters, questions and drawing ideas are provided.

Registration: not required

Poetry by Heart

Website: https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/

Key stages: key stage 2

Description: a wide selection of poetry covering different topics

Registration: not required to view poems, but it is required to access teaching resources.

Purple Mash

Website: https://2simple.com/purple-mash/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: free during the school closure period. Each week, a selection of daily activities is produced on different subjects, including comprehension and grammar.

Registration: is required

Storytime with Nick

Website: https://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/find-out-more/help-during-school-closure/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: available from Monday 20 April. Films of well-loved stories read by Nick Cannon, a trained actor, teacher and trainer.

Registration: not required

The Children's Poetry Archive

Website: https://childrens.poetryarchive.org/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: an archive of spoken poetry recordings. Children can listen to poems read out loud.

Registration: not required

The Day newsletter

Website: https://theday.co.uk/subscriptions/the-day-home

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: a daily newsletter for parents and carers at home with children, helping to enrich learning with real-world knowledge and skills.

Registration: is required

English: secondary

Audible

Website: https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: all children's audiobooks are available for free while schools are closed.

Registration: not required

English Mastery

Website: https://www.englishmastery.org/

Key stages: key stage 3

Description: downloadable resource books providing 12 weeks of activities covering writing and poetry.

Registration: not required

Website: https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/publications/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: downloadable resources covering a range of texts for key stage 3. GCSE resources are categorised by examination board.

Registration: not required

Pobble 365

Website: https://www.pobble365.com/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: a new image is published each day as a basis for creative writing. Story starters, questions and drawing ideas are provided

Registration: not required

Poetry by Heart

Website: https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: A wide selection of poetry covering different topics.

Registration: not required to view poems, but it is required to access teaching resources.

Seneca

Website: https://app.senecalearning.com/courses?Price=Free&Age+Group=GCSE&Subject=English+Language

Key stages: key stage 4

Description: a range of downloadable resources covering the GCSE curriculum, categorised by examination board.

Registration: not required

The Children's Poetry Archive

Website: https://childrens.poetryarchive.org/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: an archive of spoken poetry recordings. Pupils can listen to poems being read aloud.

Registration: not required

The Day newsletter

Website: https://theday.co.uk/subscriptions/the-day-home

Key stages: key stage 3, key stage 4 and key stage 5

Description: a daily newsletter for parents and carers at home with children, helping to enrich learning with real-world knowledge and skills.

Registration: is required

Maths

This initial list of maths resources is based on recommendations from the National Centre of Excellence in the Teaching for Mathematics ( NCETM) and maths teachers.

Some maths publishers are now making their offers to schools free or providing free trials. Schools already using a trusted or familiar maths package should continue to do so.

Maths: primary

Hamilton Trust (home learning section)

Website: https://www.hamilton-trust.org.uk/blog/learning-home-packs/

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: downloadable resource packs with teacher guidance. A week's worth of resources is provided for each year group.

Registration: not required

Mathematics Mastery

Website: https://www.mathematicsmastery.org/free-resources

Key stages: early years foundation stage, key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: downloadable guidance and resource packs for parents and pupils.

Registration: not required

Nrich

Website: https://nrich.maths.org/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: a range of activities. Some are interactive and some are to be completed offline. Activities are categorised by age range.

Registration: not required

Numberblocks

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/help-your-child-with-maths

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: videos for numeracy development designed for children aged 0 to 6. There are fun activities that can be applied to everyday life and play.

Registration: not required

Top Marks

Website: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: a range of interactive maths games categorised by age group.

Registration: not required

White Rose Maths (home learning)

Website: https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: presentations and downloadable workbooks which are easy to use for parents. New material is being released each week.

Registration: not required

Maths: secondary

Bowland Maths Resources

Website: https://www.bowlandmaths.org.uk/

Key stages: key stage

Description: downloadable assessments on a range of subjects, including sample answers and assessment tips.

Registration: not required

Corbett Maths

Website: https://corbettmaths.com/contents/

Key stages: key stage 4

Description: a range of videos and downloadable questions categorised by topic and predicted grade.

Registration: not required

Hegarty Maths

Website: https://hegartymaths.com/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: interactive activities including videos and questions. Teachers can track student progress and tailor next steps

Registration: requires school registration

Integral Core Maths Platform

Website: https://integralmaths.org/2017/

Key stages: key stage 5

Description: activities with the ability for teachers to allocate and track pupil progress.

Registration: requires school registration

MangaHigh

Website: https://www.mangahigh.com/en-gb/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: interactive maths resources, including topic-specific questions and games that allow teachers to track student progress and set activities.

Registration: requires school registration

Mathigon

Website: https://mathigon.org/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: interactive maths resources that allow teachers and parents to track student progress and set activities.

Registration: not required

Maths Kitchen

Website: https://mathskitchen.com/topics

Key stages: key stage 4

Description: an interactive GCSE revision website. Resources are categorised by topic, including video lessons and practice questions.

Registration: not required

Mathematics Mastery

Website: https://www.mathematicsmastery.org/free-resources

Key stages: key stage 3

Description: downloadable guidance and resource packs for parents and pupils.

Registration: not required

Nrich

Website: https://nrich.maths.org/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: a range of activities. Some are interactive and some are to be completed offline. Activities are categorised by age range.

Registration: not required

Nrich Core Maths

Website: https://nrich.maths.org/12524

Key stages: key stage 3 to key stage 5

Description: games and puzzles as well as mathematical-thinking and problem-solving questions. Content is categorised by topic and age group.

Registration: not required

Nrich 'Solving Together' project

Website: https://nrich.maths.org/solvingtogether

Key stages: key stage 3

Description: this is a project that provides activities for parents and carers to try with children.

Registration: not required

Sparx

Website: https://sparx.co.uk/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: a virtual classroom which supports teachers in building and running lessons as well as tracking pupil progress.

Registration: requires school registration

STEP Support Programme

Website: https://maths.org/step/welcome

Key stages: key stage 5

Description: the STEP Support Programme is offered by the University of Cambridge to help university applicants develop their advanced mathematical problem-solving skills and prepare for STEP mathematics exams. Assessments are downloadable.

Registration: not required

Top Marks

Website: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games

Key stages: key stage 3

Description: a range of interactive maths games categorised by age group.

Registration: not required

Underground Maths

Website: https://undergroundmathematics.org/

Key stages: key stage 5

Description: a range of interactive tasks and questions linked to the A level maths and further maths curriculums.

Registration: not required

White Rose Maths (home learning)

Website: https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/

Key stages: key stage 3

Description: presentations and downloadable workbooks which are easy to use for parents. New material is being released each week.

Registration: not required

Science

This initial list of science resources is based on recommendations from learned societies, including:

the Association for Science Education (ASE)

the Royal Society of Biology (RSB)

the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

the Institute of Physics (IOP)

These resources link closely to the national curriculum, however there are many other resources supporting enrichment and practical activities available on the societies' websites and elsewhere.

Science: primary

BBC Bitesize

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/primary

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: interactive resources covering the primary science curriculum.

Registration: not required

STEM Learning (Home learning)

Website: https://www.stem.org.uk/primary-science

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: an online resource bank, which links to resources on external websites. The site features a live chat function offering support from subject experts. New home learning resources are being developed.

Registration: not required

Science: secondary

BBC Bitesize

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: interactive resources covering the key stage 3 and key stage 4 science curriculums. Includes separate sections for biology, physics and chemistry.

Registration: not required

Institute of Physics (IOP)

Website: https://spark.iop.org/supporting-schools-and-colleges-during-covid-19

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: a set of articles and resources designed to support teachers who are teaching remotely.

Registration: not required

Isaac Physics

Website: https://isaacphysics.org/coronavirus

Key stages: key stage 4 and key stage 5

Description: online problem-solving activities to support teachers and students. The content focusses on physics but also covers some maths and chemistry.

Registration: is required

Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

Website: https://edu.rsc.org/remote-teaching-support

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: a set of articles and resources designed to support teachers who are teaching remotely.

Registration: not required

STEM Learning (Home learning)

Website: https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/curated-collections/secondary-and-level-science-0

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: an online resource bank, which links to resources on external websites. The site features a live chat function offering support from subject experts. New home learning resources are being developed.

Registration: not required

Physical education (PE) and physical activity

This initial list of physical education ( PE) and physical activity resources is based on recommendations from:

the Association for Physical Education (afPE)

Public Health England (PHE)

Sport England

the Yorkshire Sport Foundation (YSF)

These resources will help young people to get the daily 60 minutes of activity recommended by the UK Chief Medical Officer ( CMO) in fun ways.

All the resources listed here are for activities designed to be carried out indoors or, if available, a garden.

Children and young people can go outside for one form of exercise a day, such as:

a walk with members of their household

a run with members of their household

a cycle with members of their household

Outdoor exercise should be carried out locally.

Children and young people should always follow the latest official advice on social distancing, which means making sure that they and their parent or carer stay more than 2 metres from others (including friends and other family members).

PE and physical activity: primary

Boogie Beebies

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mvsc

Key stages: early years foundation stage

Description: videos that get younger children up and dancing with CBeebies presenters.

Registration: not required

Disney 10 Minute Shakeups

Website: https://www.nhs.uk/10-minute-shake-up/shake-ups

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: 10-minute videos based on Disney films that count towards a child's 60 active minutes per day.

Registration: not required

Super Movers

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: videos which help children move while they learn. They support curriculum subjects, including maths and English.

Registration: not required

#ThisIsPE

Website: https://www.afpe.org.uk/physical-education/thisispe-supporting-parents-to-teach-pe-at-home/

Key stages: key stage 1 and key stage 2

Description: videos delivered by teachers focussing on the PE curriculum which are accessible on YouTube.

Registration: not required

PE and physical activity: secondary

Fitness Blender

Website: https://www.fitnessblender.com/

Key stages: key stage 3 to key stage 5

Description: videos featuring a range of exercises and workouts. You can choose exercises by: degree of difficulty, type, gender and whether equipment is needed or not.

Registration: not required

#ThisIsPE

Website: https://www.afpe.org.uk/physical-education/thisispe-supporting-parents-to-teach-pe-at-home/

Key stages: key stage 3 and key stage 4

Description: videos delivered by teachers focussing on the PE curriculum which are accessible on YouTube.

Registration: not required

Mental wellbeing

This initial list of mental wellbeing resources is based on the recommendations of trusted partners.

It is designed to provide guidance on how to support the wellbeing of children and young people being educated remotely.

Many organisations already working with schools will be able to provide remote support, and schools are encouraged to discuss what ongoing support might be available during this time.

Mental wellbeing: primary

Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families

Website: https://www.annafreud.org/what-we-do/anna-freud-learning-network/coronavirus/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: wellbeing advice for all those supporting children and young people.

Registration: not required

BPS

Website: https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-blogs

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: advice on dealing with school closures and talking to children about COVID-19.

Registration: not required

Children's Commissioner

Website: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/publication/childrens-guide-to-coronavirus/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: a downloadable guide for children about coronavirus.

Registration: not required

MindEd

Website: https://www.minded.org.uk/

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: an educational resource for all adults on children and young people's mental health.

Registration: is required

The Child Bereavement Network

Website: http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/covid-19.aspx

Key stages: early years foundation stage to key stage 2

Description: advice on supporting grieving children during the coronavirus outbreak.

Registration: not required

Mental wellbeing: secondary

BPS

Website: https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-blogs

Key stages: key stage 3 to key stage 5

Description: advice on dealing with school closures and talking to children about COVID-19.

Registration: not required

Children's Society

Website: https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/coronavirus-information-and-support

Key stages: key stage 3 to key stage 5

Description: information and support on different aspects of mental health and wellbeing.

Registration: not required

MindEd

Website: https://www.minded.org.uk/

Key stages: key stage 3 to key stage 5

Description: an educational resource for all adults on children and young people's mental health.

Registration: is required

Rise Above

Website: https://riseabove.org.uk/topic/my-mind/

Key stages: key stage 3 to key stage 5

Description: videos with tips on gaining confidence, dealing with anxiety and coping strategies from other young people.

Registration: not required

The Child Bereavement Network

Website: http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/covid-19.aspx

Key stages: key stage 3 to key stage 5

Description: advice on supporting grieving children during the coronavirus outbreak.

Registration: not required

Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

This initial list of SEND resources has been developed with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity and is based on the recommendations of:

trusted organisations

charities

multi-academy trusts

special education headteachers

We encourage parents, teachers and schools to explore beyond this list to identify what support is best for their children and pupils with SEND.

SEND: apps and games
(Apps must be downloaded onto a compatible device)
Brain Parade

Website: http://www.brainparade.com/products/see-touch-learn-free/

Description: a visual instruction app, including flash cards and picture-choosing games, for children with autism and special needs.

HelpKidzLearn

Website: https://www.helpkidzlearn.com/

Description: a collection of games and resources designed for a range of educational needs and stages. It includes provision for school closure.

Sensory App House Ltd

Website: https://www.sensoryapphouse.com/

Description: a range of apps are available for pupils with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties ( PMLD) or Severe Learning Difficulties ( SLD). All are interactive and many do not require significant coordination abilities.

Visuals2Go

Website: https://www.visuals2go.com/

Description: an all-in-one app created to support people with communication and learning difficulties. For verbal and non-verbal learners.

SEND: resources for teachers

Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families

Website: https://www.annafreud.org/media/11160/supporting-schools-and-colleges.pdf

Description: a downloadable guide to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and students during periods of disruption.

Registration: not required

Do2Learn (USA)

Website: https://do2learn.com/

Description: a range of downloadable resources grouped by theme. Themes include: social skills, songs and games, and picture cards.

Registration: not required

Inclusive Teach

Website: https://inclusiveteach.com/free-printable-sen-teaching-resources/

Description: downloadable teaching resources to support pupils with SEND.

Registration: not required

PMLD thematic units - from the Northern Ireland Curriculum

Website: http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/curriculum_microsite/SEN_PMLD_thematic_units/index.asp

Description: comprehensive guidance on themed activities for learners with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties ( PMLD). A full sensory curriculum is offered.

Registration: not required

Priory Woods School

Website: http://www.priorywoods.middlesbrough.sch.uk/page/?title=Resources&pid=3

Description: resources from an award-winning, innovative school, rated by Ofsted as outstanding and put together by SEND teachers. The resources include apps and programmes.

Registration: not required

SEND Gateway

Website: https://www.sendgateway.org.uk/whole-school-send/find-wss-resources/nqt-videos.html

Description: A range of SEND guidance videos created in collaboration with the Centre for Education and Youth ( CfEY) in addition to many other experts within the sector. Aimed at Newly Qualified Teachers ( NQTs).

Registration: not required

SENict Activities

Website: https://www.ianbean.co.uk/senict-members-resource-portal

Description: downloadable activities aimed particularly at Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties ( PMLD) and Severe Learning Difficulties ( SLD) learners.

Registration: not required

SEN Teacher

Website: https://www.senteacher.org/

Description: downloadable resources that can be adapted to suit the needs of pupils. Resources are aimed at a range of abilities.

Registration: not required

Speech and Language Kids

Website: https://www.speechandlanguagekids.com/free-speech-language-resources/

Description: a range of education and therapy resources for speech and language problems. A podcast is also available on iTunes for verbal and non-verbal children.

Registration: not required

Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Website: https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/

Description: a range of downloadable resources to support blind and visually impaired pupils.

Registration: is required

UCL Centre for Inclusive Education

Website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/centres/centre-inclusive-education/homeschooling-children-send/managing-transition-home-schooling

Description: a guide to help parents adjust to remote learning by providing advice and links to resources.

Registration: not required

Other resources

There are other resources available. BESA's LendEd website and the EdTech Impact website, for example, include varied resources that teachers already use and rate within the websites.

These have not been verified by DfE 's educational experts but we have included them on the list because they also cover other areas of the curriculum that are not covered above.

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Coronavirus (COVID 19): list of online education resources for home education

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We have brought together an initial list of online educational resources to help children to learn at home. These websites have been identified by some of the country's leading educational experts and offer a wide range of support and resources for pupils of all ages.

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KS2 and 3 writing projects

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Although LitFilmFest began in the classroom, we have many home educators who use the library of writing projects with their children. With all planning, worksheets, videos and resources included, LitFilmFest projects are perfect for the flexibility of home learning.

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Lots of Links to Cressida reading her books aloud

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"cressida cowell" "how to train your dragon" "the wizards of once" readings "reading aloud" "children's books" "kids books" "books for kids" "books for child...

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Hello! I'm Cressida Cowell, the Waterstones Children's Laureate and the author and illustrator of How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once. On my channel, you will find readings, creativity tips, book recommendations and story writing ideas. #ReadingisMagic and magic is for everyone!

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From book trust

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How to Draw - Ed Vere's Leonard the Lion

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Writing ideas with Piers Torday

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Storystarters

During the schools closure, in addition to my daily storytime on weekdays (2.30pm, Instagram Live), I'm also going to be creating and sharing some creative writing resources and tips for your children learning and playing at home.

Here is the first very simple one. Enjoy!

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During the schools closure, in addition to my daily storytime on weekdays (2.30pm, Instagram Live), I'm also going to be creating and sharing some creative writing resources and tips for your children learning and playing at home. Here is the first very simple one. Enjoy!

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Picture books to listen too

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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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Marcus Sedgwick is reading each chapter of Floodland. If you haven;t read it now is your chance! A lovely read for Y5 or 6. Teachers there are free teaching resources on CLPE.

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There are a lot of schools who read Floodland, especially in years 5 and 6 - and with the current situation, I know there are some of you who are halfway through the book, but who, without sufficient copies for every pupil, are unable to finish from home.

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So, starting from today I'm going to post a creative activity every day on my website at 9:00 AM. I will also share the link every day on here and twitter.

The activities will be principally aimed at primary aged children but hopefully might be enjoyable for anyone. It's all based on tried and tested things that have worked in schools. There will be a weekly theme and each activity will be broken down into simple instructions and should fill two low stress hours.

There will be no special materials needed- but if you like the sound of joining in you'll need pencils, biros, plain paper, scissors, some kind of paper glue and masking tape.

I have 4 weeks, Monday to Friday roughly planned: week 1: Sea Voyages theme.

Hopefully helpful for some people, if not at least good exercise for my brain!

Use the link below for day one of our Sea Voyage theme:

via 23/3/20 Island Maps

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Coronavirus crisis activities for kids: day one!

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So, starting from today I'm going to post a creative activity every day on my website at 9:00 AM. I will also share the link every day on here and twitter. The activities will be principally aimed at primary aged children but hopefully might be enjoyable for anyone.

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All from libraries for schools

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We're aware that, right now, things are a little tough around the world. The current pandemic has meant that a lot of us are having to self-isolate or quarantine, and this can be tough! Thankfully a number of authors, illustrators, publishers and more have come together to offer free activities and resources for those in isolation, or those who are just practising distancing.

We've done our best to collate the ones we've found so far. If we're missing any, then drop us a line and let us know!

To start with, check out the hashtags #FreeBookResources and #StoryStarters on Twitter, as well as the accounts of your favourite authors and illustrators!

Authors/ Illustrators

Emily Fox - activity sheets http://www.emilyafox.co.uk/activities.html

Meg McLaren - drawing and activities https://megmclaren.com/Drawing-and-activities

David O'Connell - comics, drawing and activities http://davidoconnell.uk/activities/

Inky Willis - art lessons, activity sheets, draw-along https://www.inkywillis.com/

Publishing Houses

Others

Reading Zone
Book extracts, author interviews, etc for children: https://readingzone.com/index.php?zone=cz&page=latest_books
Book extracts, author interviews, etc for teens/YA: http://turn2page1.com/index.php?page=latest_books
Author Q&As: https://readingzone.com/index.php?zone=sz&page=interviews

World Book Day
Things to read: https://www.worldbookday.com/reading-ideas-youll-love/
Resources: https://www.worldbookday.com/resources/primary/

Compiled by Lynda Britnell / Libraries4Schools

If you're looking for something new to read, why not check out our book reviews for some ideas?
Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/libraries4schools and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Lib4Sch

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Free Isolation Activities and Resources | Libraries 4 Schools

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We're aware that, right now, things are a little tough around the world. The current pandemic has meant that a lot of us are having to self-isolate or quarantine, and this can be tough! Thankfully a number of authors, illustrators, publishers and more have come together to offer free activities and resources for those in isolation, or those who are just practising distancing.

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The brilliant Author of Oi Frog etc. and the Daisy books has created a You Tube Channel with him reading his books!

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"oi frog" "kes gray" daisy "daisy and the trouble with" "get well friends" reading children books "children's books" "nelly the monster sitter" "jim field" coronavirus stories "story time" "home education" library

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Coronavirus, lockdowns, social isolation, school closures... you just couldn't write it. If I can help by reading my children's stories to a World turned upsid...

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Lots of great activities and links to a range of his books.

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Great activities to download all around books.

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3.) All Authorfy Creative packs are based around the latest children's books and are provided by our publishing partners.

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Daily live radio lesson for literacy

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We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished over the last 100 days of lockdown and although we sought a way forward we could not find a sustainable solution. We would like to thank all our young writers and listeners for their contributions and we hope they enjoyed the shows as much as we did in producing them. We would also like to thank the incredible array of authors, poets and musicians who freely gave their time and wisdom to the project. The belief and support that they gave helped us to feel that what we were doing was worthwhile.

It is difficult to list everyone who has supported the show, but we would like to acknowledge, in particular, the huge contribution that Rachel Orr made to the project recording songs for us; the very vocal support of Larraine Harrison, Claire Kilgour and SF Said; and finally all the teachers, parents and children who wrote and recorded stories, poems, reports, comments and much more throughout. Without you our project would have died a long time ago.

All our shows will remain on RadioBlogging.Net for as long as there is demand for them and in due course we will be producing a catalogue to enable you to search for individual authors, types of writing, teacher notes and more. We hope that this will become a resource that can be dipped into to support learning for a long time to come.

Thank you for joining us on our journey,

David, Ian John, Pie and Russell

Welcome to RadioBlogging - daily shows with interactive activities to keep everyone busy and engaged, brought to you by Pie Corbett, Deputy Mitchell, Ian Rockey and Russell Prue, just listen and blog, it's live, fun and interactive.

What is RadioBlogging?

RadioBlogging.Net is a LIVE daily radio broadcast that teaches literacy and is aimed at families and schools. It's interactive so that children can write and their work is published during and after the show, with immediate feedback to develop children's learning. Each day there are spelling, grammar and vocabulary games, followed by creative writing and the opportunity to respond to a guest author's reading. Each show features either a poet or author of the day. All posts are moderated and there is a team of educators and professionals who respond to the children's writing. It is an innovative project combining education radio and blogging to enhance and support continuous learning provision at this critical time.

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We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished over the last 100 days of lockdown and although we sought a way forward we could not find a sustainable solution. We would like to thank all our young writers and listeners for their contributions and we hope they enjoyed the shows as much as we did in producing them.

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A drawing and writing tutorial everyday!

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When the coronavirus pandemic quarantine period began in Spring/Summer 2020, I realised that lots of people were going to find themselves at home with their children for several weeks/months looking for things to do. So I decided to post a draw-along video every Tuesday and Thursday that parents could watch with their kids and, hopefully, make some nice pictures. They have proved very popular, garnering millions of views across the world. On 21 May 2020 we broke the Guinness World Record for the largest online art lesson when 45,611 households drew a whale with me. From September 2020 lockdown gradually began to ease and kids started going back to school, so I decided to move the #DrawWithRob video slot to Saturdays at 10am BST/GMT so that kids can join in with my Saturday Art Club. And then in August 2021 as life returned to (something like) normal, the videos began to be released slightly more sporadically. But I'm still going! Keep an eye on my social feeds or sign up to my newsletter here to find out when the next video will be released.

Here are all of the videos (scroll down the page). Feel free to watch and share them with anybody and everybody. I'd love to see the results, so please send me your pictures on social media using the hashtag #DrawWithRob. I am @RobBiddulph on Twitter, @rbiddulph on Instagram and robbiddulphauthor on Facebook.
Oh, and please subscribe to my YouTube channel too.

I'm delighted to say that DRAW WITH ROB is now an incredible activity book series (every page features perforated edges so you can easily tear out and display your art). The first book is a Sunday Times number one bestseller, the winner of the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award 2020 and was shortlisted for Children's Illustrated/Non-fiction Book of The Year at the British Book Awards 2021. The second book, Draw With Rob at Christmas, is also a bestseller and was the WHSmith Book of the Month for November 2020. The third book, Draw With Rob: Build A Story, the fourth book, Draw With Rob: Monster Madness, the fifth book, Draw With Rob: Amazing Animals, and the sixth book, Draw With Rob at Halloween, are (guess what) bestsellers too! They are all available to order here.

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During the coronavirus quarantine period in Spring/Summer 2020, I realised that lots of people were going to find themselves at home with their children for several weeks/months looking for things to do. So I decided to post some draw-along videos that parents could watch with their kids and, hopefu

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Home learning links with reading and writing

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Making a shopping list together will encourage your little one to speak about their favourite meals and foods.

Sit down with your child and start making a list of their favourite foods. Look for pictures of the things on the list, then cut out pictures and labels and stick it next to the item on the list.

Chat as you go and ask your child lots of questions like "What do you like for breakfast?" or "What's your favourite?"

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Words for Life | National Literacy Trust

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Making a shopping list together will encourage your little one to speak about their favourite meals and foods. Sit down with your child and start making a list of their favourite foods. Look for pictures of the things on the list, then cut out pictures and labels and stick it next to the item on the list.

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Lots of ideas from the illustrator and author - you will recognise his art!

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compiled the live activities around books, authors and illustrators.

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Find resources and activities

Daily at 12pm: Join Sarah Crossan on Instagram Live for chats about books and poetry workshops - this one's aimed at children 11+ and adults.

Daily at 5pm: Time to enjoy the brilliant Susin Nielsen reading a chapter from her wonderful book No Fixed Address! You can join her over on Twitter.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is posting storytime videos on his Instagram feed.

Over on her website, Sara Grant has some fab activities for children, including a guide on how to write a mystery and some fun and games based on her Magic Trix books.

Author Marcus Sedgwick is recording a chapter of his book Floodland every day and posting the videos on his website. Listen and watch here.

Guy Bass has launched A Write Laugh, a funny writing competition for 5-13 year olds. Entry details can be found on the Little Tiger website and there are lots of top tips from Guy and other author friends on the Authorfy website. Nine winners will be published in a special free ebook and there is also a subscription to The Week Junior magazine and lots of funny books up for grabs. The competition closes on 31 May, so get writing!

If you're looking for a new book for little ones which also supports the NHS, Make Believe Ideas have recently published Hope the Rainbow Fairy, a gentle, positive story aimed at helping children understand the current stay at home guidelines. All proceeds from the book are donated to NHS Charities Together. They also have lots of fun, free, downloadable activity and colouring pages on their website.

A group of award-winning authors, including Candy Gourlay, are launching a project to encourage young people to keep diaries throughout the Coronavirus Crisis. The aim is to build an online archive and ultimately publish an anthology that can become part of the historic record of a time that has changed the world forever. Watch Candy's video about the project to get involved.

Illustrator Sarah Dennis has made a free 'Thank you NHS' heart download for children to cut and and colour in.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8.30am: author Natalie Costa is hosting a live Breakfast Boost session on her Facebook and Instagram channels, using tips and tricks from the Level Headers book series to help children feeling worried and anxious during lockdown.

Author Sally Nicholls has shared a free picture book, Staying Home, about a family of raccoons who are also in lockdown. The lovely book aims to help young children understand the importance of staying at home. Read it for free here or find out more about why Sally wrote it.

The Gruffalo creators Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have shared twelve beautiful illustrations depicting their famous characters adjusting to social distancing, home-schooling and helping others during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as Scheffler illustrating a free coronavirus booklet aimed at children.

Renowned Australian children's author, Anthony Bertani together with Dirt Lane Press, illustrator Jennifer Goldsmith and renowned actress Greta Scacchi have announced the worldwide launch of Where Happiness Hides - a free book for children in lockdown all about finding happiness in uncertain times.

Eoin McLoughlin and illustrator Polly Dunbar have created a lovely book available in both physical and ebook format called While We Can't Hug. It's accompanied by this fabulous animation of Hedgehog and Tortoise.

BookTrust HomeTime

Looking for something fun as a family? Enjoy storytime with our free online books and videos, play games, win prizes, test your knowledge in our book-themed quizzes, or even learn how to draw some of your favourite characters.
Go to the HomeTime hub

Storybooks and games

Listen or read along with loads of stories, or play one of our interactive games.

Activities

Word searches, puzzles, colouring sheets and lots of creative inspiration. Print out our activity sheets to keep boredom at bay and have fun together.

Quizzes

Test your knowledge of children's books with our fun quizzes - from Harry Potter to Roald Dahl.

Back to top

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Fun at home with authors and illustrators

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Daily at 12pm: Join Sarah Crossan on Instagram Live for chats about books and poetry workshops - this one's aimed at children 11+ and adults. Daily at 5pm: Time to enjoy the brilliant Susin Nielsen reading a chapter from her wonderful book No Fixed Address! You can join her over on Twitter.

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Draw along and create and then you can upload it to the British Library

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Follow Axel Scheffler's process from pencil to paint, as he shows you how to draw your very own Gruffalo. We'll give you a hint... start with the horns! You'll be perfecting your own characters in no time.

Now invent your own talking animal

Does your creature live in a forest, in a jungle, on a moor or in a zoo? Perhaps it has a job. Does it work in a school, a supermarket, an old grey office or a library? Maybe it plays music in an orchestra or writes stories for children.

If your creature came to your house what would you do? Would you offer it something to eat? Would you play a game together, such as hide and seek or Monopoly? Would you read it a story or play some music? What would you and the creature talk about?

How does your creature make you feel? Is your creature terrifying, fascinating, revolting, boring or adorable? Perhaps it's a mixture of all these things.

Does your creature have special powers? Can it see into the future or read people's minds? Is it a book worm, an extraordinary poet or a brilliant chef?

The Gruffalo has purple prickles, a poisonous wart and knobbly knees. What kind of body does your creature have? How does its skin feel when you touch it? Does its physical characteristics reflect its personality?

Some rights reserved. © British Library Board / British Library

Axel Scheffler

How to draw a Gruffalo. I would start at the top with the horns and then work my way down to the feet. There's a Gruffalo. And I'll start coloring in. So done with the outlines. Prickles. Now what I do, I take a very hard pencil and I do the fur structure. It shows a little bit when the drawing is finished. Use the pen again to do the outlines again. Okay, I think that's it. That's how you draw a Gruffalo.

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Follow Axel Scheffler's process from pencil to paint, as he shows you how to draw your very own Gruffalo. We'll give you a hint... start with the horns! You'll be perfecting your own characters in no time. Does your creature live in a forest, in a jungle, on a moor or in a zoo?

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On YouTube reading her book with discussion too

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Welcome to my official YouTube channel! Here I'll be sharing kids content on a regular basis. You'll find STEM learning and experiments, arts & crafts, as we...

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PDF activities from his books the anti-book of boredom

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If you have children at home and they are stuck for things to do I have made a PDF download of bits and pieces from this book:

It's ideal for ages 7-11 but will work with slightly younger and older ages too. I hope you find it useful - I'll be posting other bits and pieces here too. Click here to download: Anti-Boredom fun

And here is some Outdoor anti-boredom fun from this book:

I've chosen some things which can be done indoors too in case you don't have a garden. Download the PDF of activities, jokes, things to make and games here: Outdoor anti-boredom fun

If your kids like wordplay, here is a short collection of jokes, tongue-twisters, funny poems, word games, riddles and puzzles from this book:

Download the PDF here: Wacky word fun for kids

The books have hundreds more things to do and can be ordered from your local bookshop. There are also links to buy them from online sellers (preferably not Amazon please) here:
Anti-Boredom Book Outdoor Things to Do Weird and Wacky Words Have fun!

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If you have children at home and they are stuck for things to do I have made a PDF download of bits and pieces from this book: It's ideal for ages 7-11 but will work with slightly younger and older ages too. I hope you find it useful - I'll be...

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Lots of activities, film clips etc. based around books

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14 Stories in 14 Days | Free creative resources based on children's books

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14 Stories in 14 Days provides free teaching resources for children of all ages, inspired by a range of children's books.

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This is american but lots of links to well known authors!

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It's no surprise that authors are incredibly good at bringing their own books to life. Whether through live or pre-recorded visits, read-aloud videos, or other virtual author activities, kids will connect with books like never before! Here are some of our favorite options to try.

Pre-Recorded Virtual Author Visits

Check out these videos of presentations authors have given at schools and libraries. There are authors here that will interest students at any age.

Arree Chung

Hear Chung talk about the process of creating his book Mixed: A Colorful Story. The allegory of one color who thinks it's better than the others is meaningful at any age.

Bao Phi

Bao Phi's lovely book A Different Pond showcases the relationship between a father and his son. As they fish for the food their family needs, the father tells his son about a pond from his own childhood in faraway Vietnam.

Jasmine Warga

Author of the Newbery Honor book Other Words for Home, Jasmine Warga gives an engaging talk about how she writes.

Jennifer L. Holm

From her Babymouse graphic novels to the Sunny series and beyond, Holm writes books that middle grade readers absolutely love.

J.H. Reynolds

Do your students love the thrills and chills of the MonsterStreet series? Then they'll love seeing its author answer kids' questions about reading and writing!

J.K. Rowling

Every kid will recognize the author of the beloved Harry Potter books! See her interview with the Harry Potter Reading Club in this video.

Kate Messner

Kate Messner writes fiction, nonfiction, novels, chapter books, and picture books, so there's a good chance most kids have read at least one of her books.

Katherine Applegate

Lots of kids read The One and Only Ivan in class, and Applegate has plenty of other popular and award-winning books as well. Hear her talk about her books (and even show off her adorable dog!).

Lois Lowry

Here's another name kids will recognize. Whether they love The Giver, the Gooney Bird series, or any of her other numerous works, they'll enjoy listening to her speak and answer audience questions.

Max Brallier

The Last Kids on Earth book series is now a Netflix series too! Listen to author Max Brallier talk about his writing process and give kids a writing challenge of their own.

Live Virtual Author Visits

Want to set up a virtual author visit live for your class or school? If you have a particular author in mind, visit their website (or their publisher's) to contact them and find out if they do virtual visits. Scholastic offers virtual author visits through their catalog, so that's a great place to start.

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has a terrific roundup of virtual author visits and writing workshops too. Here are some to consider.

Gutman has written all sorts of books for kids, and he's happy to do virtual school visits. Find his offerings and prices at his website.

Nonfiction children's author Kurtz loves to present his books to kids of all ages. His virtual offerings include readings, interviews, and concept-based workshops.

Long does both in-person and virtual author visits based on her popular books, like How I Became a Pirate. Visit her website to see her offerings and book a visit.

Biebow's colorful book about the inventor of Crayola crayons is a delight. She offers free virtual visits, plus interactive in-person workshops.

Known for Dahlia in Bloom, Koehler offers both virtual author visits and writing workshops. She does professional development workshops for teachers too.

Virtual Author Read-Alouds

When you hear authors read their own books, it gives you a whole new perspective on their works. That makes read-alouds some of our favorite virtual author activities.

Hale's YouTube channel includes a playlist called Storytime With Uncle Bruce. Hear him read about Clark the Shark and other hilarious characters.

Gutman has a whole collection of read-alouds on his Facebook page, like Miss Blake Is a Flake. Kids will love his wacky style!

Visit her YouTube channel to see the author read her book Where Are My Books? She's got a few other read-alouds too, along with drawing tips.

Fabien Cousteau is the grandson of famed sea explorer Jacques Cousteau. His book series explores his own experiences under the water, and you can watch his read-aloud on Facebook.

You'll feel inspired when you hear Byers read her heartfelt book I Am Enough.

Lin reads aloud from her picture books as well as chapters from her longer books on her YouTube channel.

Watch Knowles read the first chapter of her middle-grade novel Where the Heart Is, while giving students a fun writing exercise.

Hear Cook read a variety of books from her collection, like Wilma Jean the Worry Machine. Her YouTube channel also includes interviews, advice, and other fun virtual author activities.

Watch Messner read Fergus and Zeke and the 100th Day of School in this YouTube video.

This read-aloud of Fry Bread includes some of the author's thoughts on writing the book and the recipe he included at the end.

Listen to Henderson read the first chapter of her book The Magic in Changing Your Stars on YouTube.

The author regularly shares read-alouds of his books, like I Love You Like a Pig, on his Instagram page.

The author has added a collection of videos of herself reading from her picture books on Instagram. Titles include When We Are Kind and You Hold Me Up.

Hear readings from Shusterman's books on his YouTube channel, including excerpts and complete short stories.

The author created a Stay at Home: Story Time section on his website. Initially made during the 2020 COVID lockdown, these videos are still lots of fun to watch.

Visit Reynolds' Facebook page to see him read from some of his most popular books, like The Dot.

The award-winning author and illustrator reads from her book The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this YouTube video.

The author reads his picture books on his YouTube channel, where he also has lots of drawing videos for inspiration.

Other Virtual Author Activities

So many wonderful authors and publishers have YouTube or Instagram channels! Join them as they teach you how to draw, offer writing tips, and lots more.

Kids will do more than just watch these videos. They'll write, draw, and create on their own, inspired by famous authors and illustrators.

Watch story time, Cressida Cowell's summer camp, author interviews, how-to-draw videos, and a whole lot more.

The prolific author has a robust website full of videos, activities, podcasts, and more virtual author activities to engage kids of a variety of ages.

The Lunch Lady author and illustrator has a series of videos showing kids how to draw some of their favorite characters. His YouTube channel also has cartooning tips, writing tips, pep talks, and shorts.

This YouTube channel is rich with content, including interviews, tour journals, how-to-draw tips, and so much more.

The Kennedy Center sponsored this series of videos with the beloved author of classics like Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author and illustrator of hits like Smile and Drama shares drawings, time-lapse videos, and more on her Instagram page.

Aspiring illustrators will enjoy this series, where any kid can learn to draw creatures of every kind.

These half-hour chats with well-known middle grade authors are the perfect length to share with your classes.

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The Big List of Virtual Author Activities

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Check out live and pre-recorded author visits, read-alouds, and other virtual author activities like drawing sessions to share with students.

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Home Learning Resources List for Schools and Families

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We wanted to do something positive to ease the burden on schools and families during this undoubtedly worrying time. So, we asked the community to send in links and ideas for free home learning and the response has been phenomenal!

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Watching films or interested in film making? Some great ideas here!

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18 Mar 2020

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 situation continues, and many schools are under varying levels of government restriction, we recognise that this poses many difficult challenges for schools and educators, not to mention parents who will be seeking ways to keep their children meaningfully occupied whilst at home.

To provide help with these issues, we have made a number of our member-facing activities freely available to all. These activities provide help for teachers and parents by offering simple, easy and useful activities that young people can complete unaided. We will continue to provide online learning options for young people of all ages as the UK-wide situation continues, so be sure to keep checking back.

Review Writing for Literacy

These activities include our review writing guides, which can help young people apply their film knowledge, critical thinking and literacy skills to any film, providing a valuable - and entertaining - means of honing their English and writing skills during any potential school closures. What's more, all reviews submitted via our website will be entered into our Review of the Week competition, with great prizes to be won.

Note: Only those young people who are members of an Into Film Club will be able to post reviews on our website and have any winning work featured on our Review of the Week page.

Further Activities

As well as review writing, our activities also support filmmaking - which can be done with minimal equipment, even on a mobile phone or tablet - and our ongoing Film of the Month competition offers the perfect way for young people to keep busy with a practical project that can be completed within the home and enhances various skills including organisation, planning and creative thinking.

You can also encourage young people to check out our YouTube channel Get Into Film, where our reporters interviewing actors and filmmakers from the all the latest film releases, and sharing their views on the world of film.

Primary Age Activities

The below resources are suitable for those of a Primary school age. Some resources are available in the Welsh language.

Secondary Age Activities

The below resources are suitable for those of a Secondary school age. Some resources are available in the Welsh language.

Review Writing Frame

Do you want to improve your review writing? Use this template to organise your ideas and get creative.

3Cs and 3Ss Dice Game

Talk and write about the 3Cs (colour, camera, character) and the 3Ss (sound, setting, story) of film to improve your film reviews.

My Film Viewing Map

Do you want to watch films that are a bit different, or more unusual? A great way to improve your film knowledge is to set yourself the challenge of viewing films from all over the world. Use this map to record the films you watch and the countries they come from and you can become an international film expert!

You can combine your journey into world film with our My Film Viewing Timeline activity and watch films from every decade.

My Film Viewing Timeline

Do you want to watch films that are a bit different, or more unusual? A great way to improve your film knowledge is to challenge yourself to watch a film from each decade. Use this timeline to record the films you watch and the years they come from.

You can combine your journey through film history with our My Film Viewing Map activity, to watch films from around the world.

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Free Activities for Young People to do At Home

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18 Mar 2020 As the coronavirus/COVID-19 situation continues, and many schools are under varying levels of government restriction, we recognise that this poses many difficult challenges for schools and educators, not to mention parents who will be seeking ways to keep their children meaningfully occupied whilst at home.

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Reads a book a day

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The Working Mind and Drawing Hand of Oliver Jeffers

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Join the The World of David Walliams to be the first to hear about new David Walliams books, special offers, free activities, live shows, events and more!

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There are some lovely Shakespeare resources from the BBC

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Explore our collection of Shakespeare resources for Primary pupils.

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Lots of lovely links and they are doing a poem a day too!

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While so many of us around the world are currently at home and staying inside with young children, we want to help - so we've put together lots of activities, resources, free Nosy Crow books and other content which we hope will help keep your families happy. If you have any questions about any of the resources on this page, please don't hesitate to get in touch - we'd love to hear from you on Twitter, Instagram, or by email.

Activity sheets

You can find free, downloadable teacher resources, lesson plans, and fun games and activity sheets for lots of our books and characters, and for all ages, here.

Nosy Crow Book At Bedtime

You can listen to a new, free chapter of our Book of the Week audiobook - updated every day of the week, and with a new audiobook available every week - with our #NosyCrowBookAtBedtime, here.

Nosy Crow Stories Aloud

You can read a new, free Nosy Crow picture book every day, accompanied with our unique Stories Aloud audio here - and follow #NosyCrowStoriesAloud on social media for daily updates.

Nosy Crow Poem A Day

Over on our Twitter and Instagram channels, we're currently sharing a #NosyCrowPoemADay, with poetry and artwork from I Am The Seed: A Nature Poem For Every Day of the Year, our ground-breaking and award-winning poetry collection. Find us on Twitter here and Instagram here to discover a daily poem.

Nosy Crow Discover

We're also sharing new material every day on Twitter and Instagram from some of our incredible non-fiction books: learn all about extraordinary and inspiring people and animals every day, with content from HerStory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook the World, WildLives: 50 Extraordinary Animals that Made History, and Youthquake : 50 Children and Young People Who Shook The World. Along with a new person or animal to discover every day, we'll also be sharing activities and creative prompts related to that day's inspiring figure. Keep an eye on the #NosyCrowDiscover hashtag on Twitter and Instagram to find more.

Videos

On our YouTube channel, we have playlists of author readings, character illustrations and lots of author and illustrator Q&As - find out about space and learn how to be an astronaut with Dr Sheila Kanani, discover the laws of physics - including entropy, black holes, and mobius strips - with The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day, sing along to lots of nursery rhymes with our Sing Along With Me series, and learn to make origami with our British Museum and National Trust origami instruction videos.

We'll be updating this page with more resources and activities as we create them - if you'd like to find out more, bookmark this page, and keep an eye on our Twitter and Instagram feeds for more information.

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While so many of us around the world are currently at home and staying inside with young children, we want to help - so we've put together lots of activities, resources, free Nosy Crow books and other content which we hope will help keep your families happy.

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As schools have recently closed in the UK, it has been a steep learning curve for all concerned. No one planned for this day, or at least not us! Motivating children to work at home for extended periods can be rather tedious, but one trick is to find games that are also educational. Luckily, word games are a great way to learn words and develop word learning skills.

We have created two sets of resources:

Set one: Longer version for schools which are still open for selected children. These activities may also be adapted and sent home.

Set two: shorter version for families who are home-schooling. Involve the whole family and play the ones you like.

All of the games listed either require no resources, pen and paper, free online resources or we have provided what you need. The games are simple and quick to do, and hopefully will put a smile on a few more faces.
Word games for families Word games for schools
Anna Branagan and Stephen Parsons

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Free resources for schools and families - Thinking Talking

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As schools have recently closed in the UK, it has been a steep learning curve for all concerned. No one planned for this day, or at least not us! Motivating children to work at home for extended periods can be rather tedious, but one trick is to find games that are also educational.

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He is doing Live Poetry writing Zoom sessions on Tuesdays with sharing on Thursdays.

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Me and my co-worker Frances wanted to reach out to everyone during this difficult time, when it so important we stay connected and positive. While the schools are closed I know a lot of people, myself included, are looking for creative things to do at home with their children. So I will be running FREE live poetry workshops for kids online every Tuesday, with a follow up session for sharing some of the work created on Thursdays.

These will take place on Zoom at the following times.
Workshops on Tuesdays
*5-8 yr olds - 10am-10.30am
*8-11 yr olds - 11am-11.40am

Sharing on Thursdays
*All ages - 10.30am-11am

The workshops will usually include a fun warm up game and simple prompt-based writing exercise set out in a similar style to the tutorial videos I make for my YouTube channel (example below).

Put your email in the sign up box to join us. Log in details are sent every Monday.

These workshops will remain an absolutely free resource. I want to bring as much creativity and positivity as possible at the moment, as I think we all need to do what we can. That said, I am a freelance poet and educator working in uncertain times while our schools, libraries and theatres remain closed. So if you feel moved to do so, a quid or two in the 'bucket' would always be appreciated. You can support me easily and quickly here: https://ko-fi.com/simonmole

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Me and my co-worker Frances wanted to reach out to everyone during this difficult time, when it so important we stay connected and positive. While the schools are closed I know a lot of people, myself included, are looking for creative things to do at home with their children.

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They have started a schools website - lots of links to great book based activities free to download

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The amazing illustrator Yuval Zommer has created a guide on how to draw bugs

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A great set of stories read aloud.

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Tata Storytime Trailer  Season 1 | Kids stories read aloud

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A set of lessons for home learning.

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Unit planning Archives - Talk for Writing

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Doors open a world of possibility and a whole range of writing opportunities. Explore these possibilities in greater depth and hone up your creative writing skills. Then write your own engaging portal story. Jamie Thomas will guide you through the activities and read two portal stories for you.

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Daily lessons for all parts for all parts of the curriculum

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A guide for families from Penguin Publisher

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Everything is story, and stories are everywhere. They give us ways to understand our history, our present and our future. They are how we make sense of the world and ourselves.

Telling stories fosters connections with the people around us. They make us feel, think and remember. And the earlier we learn to tell them, the richer and more colourful our lives can be.

At least, that's what the experts say - that encouraging a child to tell stories is one of the most important lessons a parent can teach.

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How to write stories with children, and why it matters

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Everything is story, and stories are everywhere. They give us ways to understand our history, our present and our future. They are how we make sense of the world and ourselves. Telling stories fosters connections with the people around us. They make us feel, think and remember.

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Starts Monday 27th April 10 am Reception Phase 3 and 4, 10.30 am Year 1 phase 5, 11 am  Learning to blend Phase 2 recap

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Activities for primary to 16 around books

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The Reading Realm Home - The Reading Realm

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Journey into a world where stories come to life... Have you downloaded the iPad apps? The Poetry Realm The Reading Realm

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Cross Curricular links to Arsenal

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Welcome to the Arsenal Home Learning page for primary school materials. These Player Packs contain activities that are suitable for children in Key Stage 2 (aged 7-11). Younger children may require additional support. Tweet us some photos of your child's work to @AFCCommunity.

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Lots of great links to authors talking with resources for schools too.

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The 2024 Programme for Schools will take place on 23 May for primary schools (KS2) and 24 May for secondary schools (KS3&4). These specially curated schools days blend performance, workshops and storytelling.

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Specially curated free events for schools, blending performance, workshops and storytelling for key stages 2, 3 & 4

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Links to Stories for Boys and kids who dare to be different.

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Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different is a beautiful and inspiring collection of stories about boys who changed the world without killing a single dragon or saving a single princess.

Stories for Kids who Dare to be Different was born out of the success out of Stories for Boys and it a celebration inspirational and amazing boys and girls who stood up and stood out. This is a beautifully illustrated, evocative and inspiration book of amazing stories of amazing people, that will delights sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, and give them to courage to be themselves.

With children at home, we're releasing some exclusive material for Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different and Stories for Kids who Dare to be Different.
Each digital pack contains:
- 2 activity packs
- Downloadable audio extracts of the inspiring stories of boys and kids
- Exclusive sample pages from the upcoming Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different Journal

More about Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different
Winner of the Children's Book of the Year at the National Book Awards 2018 and The Sunday Times Number 1 bestseller, Stories for Boys is a beautiful and transporting book packed with stories of adventure and wonderment. It will appeal to those who need the courage to reject peer pressure and go against the grain. It is the must-have book for all those boys who worry about stuff and all those parents who worry about their boys who worry about stuff. It will education and entertain, whilst also encourage and inspire.

More about Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different Journal
Publishing in May, the journal accompanies the award-winning and bestselling Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different. It's full of tips and ideas to help boys everywhere explore their dreams and release their creativity in an environment where emotions and feelings are celebrated. Thanks to an array of imaginative and thoughtful prompts, and short biographies of some real-life inspiring figures who followed their personal dreams, this journal will help boys construct their own world away from gender stereotypes and social conventions.

Activities include:
- Devising a plot for a film in which your biggest fear is quashed
- Identifying what cause you would go out and protest for
- Creating a list of characteristics about human beings for aliens
- Imagining what would make you happy a week, a month, ten years from now

It is the must-have journal for all those boys who worry about stuff and all those parents who worry about their boys who worry about stuff.

Please share on social media using #StoriesForKidsWhoDareToBeDifferent quercusbooks and readingagency on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram and the author @ben_brooks on Twitter.

Download this resource
" Back to resources

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Boys and Kids Who Dare to be Different - activity packs, audio extracts and journal

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Stories for Boys who Dare to be Different is a beautiful and inspiring collection of stories about boys who changed the world without killing a single dragon or saving a single princess. Stories for Kids who Dare to be Different was born out of the success out of Stories for Boys and it a celebration inspirational and amazing boys and girls who stood up and stood out.

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Our #IllTellYouAStory series aims to unite well-known celebrities and essential workers to promote the importance of storytelling as a vital source of learning and enjoyment for young people. It also aims to applaud the contribution of key workers and promote literacy. Tonight the brilliant comedian, entertainer and producer Steve Drayton is reading an extract from the hilarious #WaysideSchoolisFallingDown by Louis Sachar. There are 29 kids in Mrs. Jewls's class and this book is about all of them. There is Todd, who got in trouble every day... until he got a magic dog; Paul, whose life was saved by Leslie's pigtails; Ron, who dared to try the cafeteria's Mushroom Surprise and all the others who help turn a day at Wayside School into one madcap adventure after another. This extract is shared with kind permission from KidsBloomsbury.

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Seven Stories The National Centre for Children's Books

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Our #IllTellYouAStory series aims to unite well-known celebrities and essential workers to promote the importance of storytelling as a vital source of learning and enjoyment for young people. It also aims to applaud the contribution of key workers and promote literacy.

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There is a Winter Mini Challenge to join in with!

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Find your next read with the Book Sorter

Laugh-out-loud comedies, or spine-chilling thrillers?

Amazing animal adventures, or heartwarming tales of friendship?

Whatever kind of book you're into, you're sure to find some great reads with the Book Sorter!

All the books it recommends have been chosen by other kids

Give it a try!

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Laugh-out-loud comedies, or spine-chilling thrillers? Amazing animal adventures, or heartwarming tales of friendship? Whatever kind of book you're into, you're sure to find some great reads with the Book Sorter! All the books it recommends have been chosen by other kids Give it a try!

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Printable summer reading bingo from Books for Topics

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Summer Reading Bingo!

Instructions

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Our Summer Reading Bingo is an activity for children (and adults if they wish!) to complete over the summer holidays. The focus is on reading for pleasure experiences rather than specific texts, with activities like make a den and read inside, read in the dark using a torch and read to a pet or a soft toy. Children can choose what they read for the challenges, although we have included some Summer 2020 recommended reads for those looking for new ideas.

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Teachers can print out the bingo cards for pupils to take home over the summer holidays or the cards can be printed by parents at home. When pupils return to school after the holidays you can award prizes, housepoints or certificates for a completed line or for a full house! Scroll down to find the pupil certificates .

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Summer 2020 Update: This year's version contains a choice of two bingo boards (25 squares or 9 squares) plus a Recommended Reads sheet.

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Certificates

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These certificates are designed to reward pupils for participating in the Summer Reading Bingo challenge.

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We have included certificates for completing a full house, a whole line and a blank certificate to reward pupils who completed

the challenge a different way.

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Summer 2020 Recommended Reads

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If you want to find recommended books for the children to read over the summer holidays, check out our Summer Reads list or download the sharable PDF version.

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You may also like our booklists..

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Summer Reading Bingo! Instructions ​​​ Our Summer Reading Bingo is an activity for children (and adults if they wish!) to complete over the summer holidays. The focus is on reading for pleasure experiences rather than specific texts, with activities like make a den and read inside, read in the dark using a torch and read to a pet or a soft toy.

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Lots of Author activities for all ages

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It's no surprise that authors are incredibly good at bringing their own books to life. Whether through live or pre-recorded visits, read-aloud videos, or other virtual author activities, kids will connect with books like never before! Here are some of our favorite options to try.

Pre-Recorded Virtual Author Visits

Check out these videos of presentations authors have given at schools and libraries. There are authors here that will interest students at any age.

Arree Chung

Hear Chung talk about the process of creating his book Mixed: A Colorful Story. The allegory of one color who thinks it's better than the others is meaningful at any age.

Bao Phi

Bao Phi's lovely book A Different Pond showcases the relationship between a father and his son. As they fish for the food their family needs, the father tells his son about a pond from his own childhood in faraway Vietnam.

Jasmine Warga

Author of the Newbery Honor book Other Words for Home, Jasmine Warga gives an engaging talk about how she writes.

Jennifer L. Holm

From her Babymouse graphic novels to the Sunny series and beyond, Holm writes books that middle grade readers absolutely love.

J.H. Reynolds

Do your students love the thrills and chills of the MonsterStreet series? Then they'll love seeing its author answer kids' questions about reading and writing!

J.K. Rowling

Every kid will recognize the author of the beloved Harry Potter books! See her interview with the Harry Potter Reading Club in this video.

Kate Messner

Kate Messner writes fiction, nonfiction, novels, chapter books, and picture books, so there's a good chance most kids have read at least one of her books.

Katherine Applegate

Lots of kids read The One and Only Ivan in class, and Applegate has plenty of other popular and award-winning books as well. Hear her talk about her books (and even show off her adorable dog!).

Lois Lowry

Here's another name kids will recognize. Whether they love The Giver, the Gooney Bird series, or any of her other numerous works, they'll enjoy listening to her speak and answer audience questions.

Max Brallier

The Last Kids on Earth book series is now a Netflix series too! Listen to author Max Brallier talk about his writing process and give kids a writing challenge of their own.

Live Virtual Author Visits

Want to set up a virtual author visit live for your class or school? If you have a particular author in mind, visit their website (or their publisher's) to contact them and find out if they do virtual visits. Scholastic offers virtual author visits through their catalog, so that's a great place to start.

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has a terrific roundup of virtual author visits and writing workshops too. Here are some to consider.

Gutman has written all sorts of books for kids, and he's happy to do virtual school visits. Find his offerings and prices at his website.

Nonfiction children's author Kurtz loves to present his books to kids of all ages. His virtual offerings include readings, interviews, and concept-based workshops.

Long does both in-person and virtual author visits based on her popular books, like How I Became a Pirate. Visit her website to see her offerings and book a visit.

Biebow's colorful book about the inventor of Crayola crayons is a delight. She offers free virtual visits, plus interactive in-person workshops.

Known for Dahlia in Bloom, Koehler offers both virtual author visits and writing workshops. She does professional development workshops for teachers too.

Virtual Author Read-Alouds

When you hear authors read their own books, it gives you a whole new perspective on their works. That makes read-alouds some of our favorite virtual author activities.

Hale's YouTube channel includes a playlist called Storytime With Uncle Bruce. Hear him read about Clark the Shark and other hilarious characters.

Gutman has a whole collection of read-alouds on his Facebook page, like Miss Blake Is a Flake. Kids will love his wacky style!

Visit her YouTube channel to see the author read her book Where Are My Books? She's got a few other read-alouds too, along with drawing tips.

Fabien Cousteau is the grandson of famed sea explorer Jacques Cousteau. His book series explores his own experiences under the water, and you can watch his read-aloud on Facebook.

You'll feel inspired when you hear Byers read her heartfelt book I Am Enough.

Lin reads aloud from her picture books as well as chapters from her longer books on her YouTube channel.

Watch Knowles read the first chapter of her middle-grade novel Where the Heart Is, while giving students a fun writing exercise.

Hear Cook read a variety of books from her collection, like Wilma Jean the Worry Machine. Her YouTube channel also includes interviews, advice, and other fun virtual author activities.

Watch Messner read Fergus and Zeke and the 100th Day of School in this YouTube video.

This read-aloud of Fry Bread includes some of the author's thoughts on writing the book and the recipe he included at the end.

Listen to Henderson read the first chapter of her book The Magic in Changing Your Stars on YouTube.

The author regularly shares read-alouds of his books, like I Love You Like a Pig, on his Instagram page.

The author has added a collection of videos of herself reading from her picture books on Instagram. Titles include When We Are Kind and You Hold Me Up.

Hear readings from Shusterman's books on his YouTube channel, including excerpts and complete short stories.

The author created a Stay at Home: Story Time section on his website. Initially made during the 2020 COVID lockdown, these videos are still lots of fun to watch.

Visit Reynolds' Facebook page to see him read from some of his most popular books, like The Dot.

The award-winning author and illustrator reads from her book The Story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this YouTube video.

The author reads his picture books on his YouTube channel, where he also has lots of drawing videos for inspiration.

Other Virtual Author Activities

So many wonderful authors and publishers have YouTube or Instagram channels! Join them as they teach you how to draw, offer writing tips, and lots more.

Kids will do more than just watch these videos. They'll write, draw, and create on their own, inspired by famous authors and illustrators.

Watch story time, Cressida Cowell's summer camp, author interviews, how-to-draw videos, and a whole lot more.

The prolific author has a robust website full of videos, activities, podcasts, and more virtual author activities to engage kids of a variety of ages.

The Lunch Lady author and illustrator has a series of videos showing kids how to draw some of their favorite characters. His YouTube channel also has cartooning tips, writing tips, pep talks, and shorts.

This YouTube channel is rich with content, including interviews, tour journals, how-to-draw tips, and so much more.

The Kennedy Center sponsored this series of videos with the beloved author of classics like Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author and illustrator of hits like Smile and Drama shares drawings, time-lapse videos, and more on her Instagram page.

Aspiring illustrators will enjoy this series, where any kid can learn to draw creatures of every kind.

These half-hour chats with well-known middle grade authors are the perfect length to share with your classes.

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The Big List of Virtual Author Activities

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Check out live and pre-recorded author visits, read-alouds, and other virtual author activities like drawing sessions to share with students.

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The Budgie Likes to Boogie - Caboodle Books The Great Galactic Ghoul - Caboodle Books Billy’s Coming Back - Macmillan Behind the Staffroom Door - Macmillan I Go Ape. - Macmillan The Monster Sale - Macmillan

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Cressida's Creativity Summer Camp - Poems Aloud with Joseph Coelho

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'This book is about lockdown - the good bits, the bad bits, and the ugly bits when nobody could get any toilet roll.'

Island-based publisher Cranachan has launched a free, illustrated anthology of poems and stories for children aged 8-12. Stay at Home! Poems and Prose for Children in Lockdown is a collection of 40 lockdown-themed contributions by writers based in Scotland. BooksfromScotland is delighted to host the collection here.

Wonderfully illustrated by Darren Gate, there is something in the anthology for everyone, from the serious to the hilarious, with short stories, flash fiction, poems, letters and diaries (including some in Scots) all giving their take on lockdown life topics such as kitchen haircuts,
birthdays, home-schooling, daily exercise, pets, nature, neighbours-and even toilet roll alternatives!

Contributors: Raisah Ahmed, Annemarie Allan, Dean Atta, Nayanika Basu, Pamela Butchart, Philip Caveney, Maisie Chan, Suleman Chebe, Alastair Chisholm, Justin Davies, Lari Don, Elizabeth Ezra, Matthew Fitt, Kerry L Fleming, Merryn Glover, Laura Guthrie, Joan Haig, Yasmin Hanif, Robert J Harris, Callum Heitler, Barbara Henderson, Diana Hendry, Emily Illet, Lindsay Littleson, Joseph Lamb, Elizabeth Laird, Joan Lennon, Caroline Logan, Janis Mackay, Alan McClure, Miranda Moore, Raman Mundair, Alex Nye, Rachel Plummer, Ross Sayers, Linda Strachan, Chae Strathie, and Victoria Williamson.

Now, click on the cover image, and enjoy!

For more information on Cranachan Books, visit their website.

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Stay At Home! Poems and Prose for Children in Lockdown | Books from Scotland

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'This book is about lockdown - the good bits, the bad bits, and the ugly bits when nobody could get any toilet roll.' Island-based publisher Cranachan has launched a free, illustrated anthology of poems and stories for children aged 8-12. Stay at Home!

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After schools closed owing to the coronavirus pandemic, a huge range of companies, celebrities and organisations offered their services for free.

So what free resources can schools and parents now access?

We have tried to collate them all below for you.

Collections of resources

1. Tes resources - Everything from EYFS to key stage 5. All home learning packs have been made free on this link.

2. Oak National Academy has online lessons, quizzes and more. All created by teachers and in a sequenced curriculum.

3. Twig and TigTag Education - Free resources for students aged 4-16.

4. Khan Academy - Free resources for children aged 2-18.

5. BBC Bitesize - Lots of free resources here with videos and quizzes, too.

6. Teachit - Free resources for KS3, 4 and 5 all following the English national curriculum.

7. Classroom Secrets - A range of free resources for primary school-aged children.

8. TTS - A choice of free workbooks for primary-aged children.

9. Robin Hood MAT - Learning projects for EYFS and primary school pupils.

10. TalkingTales - free online rhymes, songs, stories & related storytelling activities by expert storyteller Kevin Graal.

11. Emile - All resources made free during school closures.

12. Pobble 365 - One free resource every day of the year.

13. Purple Mash - Resources aimed at primary school-aged children have been made free now schools have closed.

14. The British Library has all their online learning resources for free. Plus their resources for secondary school teachers. And for primary schools, they have more resources on children's books.

15. Teacher's Pet - some free resources for primary pupils.

16. Phonics Play - Phonics Play have made made their resources free again for the duration of the school closures.

17. The Reading Realm has lots of free resources for teachers to use with their primary classes.

18. PebbleGo - You can find free packs for KS2 and 3 students on this resource website.

Language learning

19. Duolingo - A free app for your phone for students to work on their language skills, or try a new language.

Museums, art galleries, theatres and places of interest

20. Museum of London Docklands has a free virtual tour.

21. The Yale Centre for British Art has made courses free for students during lockdown.

22. The British Museum has made its online collections free to the public.

23. The Natural History Museum has free virtual tours.

24. The Tate Gallery has a 360-degree virtual tour online.

25. View the latest exhibitions at The National Gallery virtual tours.

26. Anne Frank House Museum has created virtual tours for free.

27. The Vatican has opened up its digital tours so the Sistine Chapel can be viewed.

28. NASA Kids is perfect for space fans. Learn all about the universe we live in by viewing these online videos.

Podcasts and radio

29. The 'You're Dead to Me' podcast has a homeschool edition for kids.

30. BBC Teach podcasts for ages 3 and up.

31. GCSE podcasts collected for you on a range of subjects.

32. The Tes Podagogy series for all your CPD needs.

Online video

33. Google has launched Teach From Home in collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE). Teach From Home is a central hub of information, tips, training and tools from across Google for Education to help teachers keep teaching, even when they aren't in the classroom.

34. YouTube has Learn@Home, a website with learning resources and content for families - from popular learning channels such as Khan Academy, Sesame Street and code.org - for help with maths, science, history and arts. You can also visit the YouTube Learning destination for more videos and helpful resources.

35. BBC iPlayer has many educational and arts and culture videos available for free.

36. Carol Vorderman videos and worksheets for maths lessons now free for a 21 day trial.

37. Cartoon lessons on YouTube with Pete McKee.

38. Read Write Inc has its phonics videos on YouTube.

39. Joe Wicks - aka The Body Coach - is running PE Lessons for all ages.

40. Mr Bruff has shared daily English lessons for GCSE students.

41. Coding for kids daily lessons.

42. Outschool has made some of their online learning resources free.

43. English National Ballet with live ballet lessons on Saturdays.

Other resources

44. The Night Zoo-Keeper has a free trial to their online resources.

45. Minecraft: The Education Edition is popular with children already - these resources all have an educational purpose.

46. Schoolastic Book Club has free activities and games, mostly aimed at primary pupils.

47. Ideas for EYFS pupils or siblings from ABCdoes.

48. Look at nature all around the world with Explore.

49. Audible Stories has made all of its classic children's stories free.

50. Watch science experiments with Colorado University.

51. Online physics demonstrations for students of all ages.

52. For teachers, there are free courses on online safety from National Online Safety.

53. Explore the world with videos capturing activity all over the planet with Project Explore.

54. Quaver Music has free school closure activities for students learning at home.

55. On Twitter, Patrick Stewart (@sirpatstew) you can find videos of him reading a sonnet a day during the first lockdown.

56. Julie Dawn Cole, who played the original Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (and Tes mental health columnist), has read the book it was based on - Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - aloud one chapter a night at 6pm on her Facebook page.

57. Harper Collins have made resources free to schools and families.

58. The FitNut has free PE resources for nursery and primary children.

59. The National Association of RE teachers have provided free RE resources.

60. News Mag Media have made their content free. Great for supporting children with their non-fiction reading.

61. ReadingWise has made their literacy materials free during the school closures.

62. For fans of The Mantle of the Expert, some of the Troll Hunter resources are free for parents and teachers to use.

63. Sum Dog has personalised maths and spelling you can try for free.

64. For help for your physics GCSE and A-level students, try Physics Online for free videos.

65. The National Literacy Trust have free resources for parents and schools to use during lockdown.

66. The government have produced 'Hungry Little Minds' for parents to use with EYFS children.

67. Hosted by Barclays, Digital Eagles have live lessons on coding available on YouTube.

68. Teacher well-being is important too, and Ditchling Yoga have made their content free for all teachers and NHS staff.

69. Primary Stars Education is normally a subscription service, but has made packs for year one and two free during school closures.

70. White Rose Maths has videos and resources for home learning, as well as a daily hour of maths help for parents.

71. Team Teacherly has resources for teachers to assist with the planning of lessons.

72. Teaching Ideas has free resources for teachers and parents.

73. Researchify have classic children's literature in audiobook and PDF.

74. Primary school children might enjoy these free resources and videos from Carly Hart. They have been designed to encourage a love of reading and created by the author herself.

75. Bedrock Learning, an online vocabulary building site, has made all of its resources free.

76. Free Science Lessons Online to help with GCSE science.

77. Students who want to learn French can use these Learn French with Alexa YouTube videos to help support their learning.

78. The British Council have their free resources on Connecting Classrooms.

79. National Geographic have lots of content free for students to explore the world from their bedrooms.

80. The National Theatre have released new digital resource with recordings of world-class theatre productions and learning materials, is now available to teachers and pupils to access at home for free during the school closure period. The 24 productions include Macbeth, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Treasure Island and many more!

81. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is available for free on Audible Stories- and in several languages. Helpful for MFL students.

82. The Globe have made their Playing Shakespeare: Macbeth resources all free access for teachers and parents. It includes fun activities like 'Staging It!' for younger children too.

83. The Royal Society have free resources for budding scientists.

84. The Poetry Society have learning from home resources for parents to use with their children, or for teachers to set as tasks.

85. The Reading School has lots of resources made free for teachers to use for literacy teaching.

86. The EverLearner is offering a free subscription to schools until June 30. They cover a range of exam boards, qualifications and subjects.

87. For EYFS students, you can look here for many free resources.

88. Science teachers stuck for resources can look at Science Doctor for free lessons.

89. Disney Theatrical Productions is offering free downloadable creative activities for teachers and parents from their West End shows of The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Frozen and Aladdin. This collection of fun and educational resources for home learning is available to download here.

90. Anomoly create educational videos for primary school aged children, including fun and active games. Due to the school closures they have released their content free on YouTube, and you can find it here.

91. CBBC and BBC2 have given over their channels to daily education shows.

Videos, quizzes, podcasts and articles will appear on BBC Bitesize Daily via the BBC iPlayer, red button, BBC Four and BBC Sounds.

92. Pearson are making resources free for home-learning. As well as offering free teacher training, Pearson are also giving free access to primary, secondary and revision online curriculum resources.

This includes access to hundreds of e-books for primary children's reading and online student books and revision guides to help students learn and revise.

93. Unicef have a range of resources for schools and home-learning.

94. Kahoot are offering free distance-learning tools during the coronavirus outbreak.

95. The Met Opera is streaming its content for free.

96. There are also broadway shows available here- perfect for drama and theatre students.

97. For aspiring playwrights, there is this course for writing your first play run by Renowned playwright Lauren Gunderson.

98. For those looking to try their students on something more challenging, there are over 400 Ivy League courses made free here.

99. FutureLearn have a range of free classes here for students who have online access.

100. Jisc have a range of resources made available to support during the coronavirus crisis.

101. Educare (part of tes) has free resources to help schools during the crisis.

102. Mirco:bit have compiled many home learning projects for students to use and keep active. There is a video here explaining how the Micro:bit works. Good for a technology and PE cross curricula project!

103. For quality teacher CPD you can access ResearchEd Home for videos of lectures created by teachers and academics.

104. The UN have created Mission 1.5 an online game for students. The game can be found here, and students from all over the world are taking part.

105. Earth Challenge 2020 is a downloadable app for students. Students can help scientists capture research quality environmental data, and lets students engage in citizen science.

106. WWF Together is another app that has proven really popular with children kept at home during school closures. Using the app children are able to explore the lives of endangered species. Challenge your students to try out "tiger vision,". They can also take a selfie with an animal!

107. Travel isn't possible at the moment, but the power of Our Planet means the globe is there to explore through videos and photos.

108. Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition at the British Library is available through Google Arts and Culture.

109. The British Library have their extensive collections available online, and a great resource for students trying to research at home.

110. Daily reading is essential for students of every age, and The Day Home provide daily newsletters for families to read. Subscriptions are free, so every student can have one.

111. Learning Through Landscapes have resources to help parents connect their children to nature through home learning.

112. Primary school aged children can have a free subscription to China Box.

113. Fording Bridge have worked with zoos to create resources for home learning.

114. Computing and business studies students might find these courses interesting- all made available for free by AWS (an amazon company).

115. Scholastic have free home learning packs- useful if you need to provide children with tech-free options.

116. CODE are offering free coding classes to students.

117. There are free STEM resources available from the British Science Association.

118. Seneca has resources for students of all ages- from KS2-5.

119. Study Tube have online videos to help in STEM subjects, all free and can be found here.

120. The Council for Subject Associations have collated home-learning resources in response to the coronavirus outbreak, and they can be found here.

121. GCSE Pod have free resources for a range of subjects, all available here.

122. Smallpeice Trust are a charity who have put together 'engineering at home' activities for children to do during the coronavirus outbreak. They use everyday items and all details are on their website here.

123. DFRobot is offering free access to STEM-based lesson plans and step-by-step project tutorials which cover a range of topics and platforms including the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on its website.

124. Canva is an online tool now free for parents and teachers to use.

125. Matific is an online maths resource with activities, worksheets and word problems, make it an ideal resource for distance learning.

126. Education City has given free access to students and teachers during the school closures.

127. LaunchPacks are the brainchild of the people behind Encyclopaedia Britannica. They are an education resource that provide curriculum-aligned multi-media content sets on a large variety of classroom subjects.

128. Discovery Education have made resources free for students in primary schools.

129. Doctors Without Borders have made these resources free for students who wish to learn about a range of subjects from English to missing maps. There are also assemblies for schools to use for either when schools reopen, or as virtual assemblies.

130. CREST Awards have created Star and SuperStar activities to support primary school students who struggle more with being at home, and for secondary students there is an independent project that is both low on resource requirements, and with non-specialist assessment.

131. MeeTwo is a mental help app for young people aged 11-25 years

132. For financial resources, the London Institute of Banking and Finance have produced these resources for secondary school students on financial literacy.

133. The Poetry Society have lots of resources available for parents and teachers here.

134. Experian have produced financial resources called Money and Me.

135. Oxford University Press has made many of its flagship educational and home learning resources available for free to teachers and parents affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

136. For music lovers there is a #VFVirtualSing recorded daily 10-15 minute sing alongs for children, parents and teachers. You can watch the videos and join in here.

137. RIBA have created resources for students interested in architecture. All free and online here.

138. You can find resources on PlanBee's website.

139. LCP have resources on their website and tes shop.

140. For teachers who need help with the teaching of English, 'Searching for Excellence' has shared free blogs and podcasts.

141. Swimming in pools might be off the table at the moment, but at the National Aquarium they've created virtual swimming lessons...with the fish!

142. Geography resources can be found on the Royal Geographical Society.

143. Carousel Learn has free accounts for early adopters to make use of their roulette style quizzing platform.

144. You can get 3 months free on Fiction Express and make use of their reading resources.

145. If you're looking for home learning packs, Third Space Learning has KS1 and 2 maths packs for you to use.

146. For teacher CPD, you can sign up for free to Teacher Empowerment.

147. Oak National has launched a free online library with the National Literacy Trust.

148. Premiership Rugby Champions have launched free online lessons for teachers to use. You can download these twice-weekly maths and PHSE lessons aimed at KS2 primary students.
This list should not be taken as a recommendation for any products or services by Tes (and those featured should not claim any recommendation by Tes), and all data and GDPR rules - and terms and conditions - should be closely scrutinised by schools and parents.

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Coronavirus: 148 free resources for home learning

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In a bid to help teachers and parents with the school closures and the coronavirus, there are lots of free resources out there to assist with home learning. We have compiled a list for you