Below are some suggested choosing time activities that cover all areas of the Early Years curriculum and give us a break from looking at the screen! As always though, these are simply ideas and I know you all have fantastic games and toys at home that you might prefer to play with instead. Whatever you choose to do, have lots of fun! 

• Personal, Social & Emotional Development – My Feelings. Write or draw different feelings words on cards (e.g. happy, sad, nervous, excited, tired, hungry, upset, surprised etc.). Take it in turns to pick a card and read it with an adult. Can you make a face to show that feeling? 

• Communication & Language – My Grandmother’s Basket. The game begins “I went to the shop with my grandmother’s basket and I bought…” and the first person states an item. The second person repeats the first item and adds another item and so on. How many items can you remember?

• Physical Development – Go Outside. Put on your trainers and go outside if you are not isolating and it is safe to do so. You might like to go for a walk, ride your bike, play on your scooter, anything to get you moving and working on those gross motor skills.

• Literacy – Lovely Letters. Look for different letters in comics, magazines, newspapers, junk mail and on food packaging. Cut out and collect a wide range of different letters. Can you say all the letter sounds? Maybe you could combine letters to spell some words or even your name!  

• Maths – Counting. More or less: Count out fruit from a fruit bowl onto 2 plates. Which plate has more and which has less? Count toys or bricks. Show me what more looks like. Show me what less looks like.  

• Understanding the World – Recycling. Collect different items of rubbish and learn about recycling. What bin do they go in? Can you become a recycling champion at home?  

• Expressive Arts & Design – Lego Stories. Design and create a model using Lego or other construction bricks. What will you build? A castle? A house? A pirate ship? A school? Once you’ve made your model – use some figures, animal or other small world toys to create a story adventure.