Friday

To complete today's activities, you will need:

something to draw on

something to draw with

Overview of today's activities:

  • Activity 1: Nature walk (30 minutes)

  • Activity 2: Kangaroo tail (15 minutes)

  • Activity 3: Picnic (30 minutes)

Break

  • Activity 4: Preparing for school mornings (15 minutes)

  • Activity 5: Listening activity (10 minutes)

Please note, these times are an approximation only.

Nature walk

Learning goal: Children use their senses to explore the natural environment.

1. Ask someone to go for a walk with you in your local area, such as:

  • around the streets where you live

  • in a local park or nature reserve

  • in the bush

  • at the beach.

2. As you walk, use your senses:

Icon showing an eye indicating the sense of sight.

What do you see?

Look towards the sky as well as down on the ground.

Icon showing an ear indicating the sense of hearing.

What can you hear?

You might be able to hear insects, birds or the wind.

Icon showing a hand indicating the sense of touch.

What can you feel or touch?

Is the sun warm on your skin? Is the ground rough or smooth?

Icon showing a nose indicating the sense of smell.

What can you smell?

Describe the smells. Can you smell leaves? Can you smell the earth or mud?

The Noticing nature walk webpage gives families more information about why this activity is good for children.

Too hard?

  • Sit down on your walk and concentrate on just one sense at a time.

Too easy?

When you are back home, choose one of these activities:

  • draw a picture of your walk

  • write a story about your walk

  • make a collage of things you collected on your walk.

Kangaroo tail

Learning goal: Children investigate how a kangaroo uses its tail.

1. Watch the video.

Don Spencer Music (14 April 2020) 'Kangaroo' [video], YouTube, accessed 30 September 2021.

2. Have you ever looked carefully at a kangaroo? Did you notice how small the kangaroo's front legs actually are?

3. Draw a kangaroo.

4. Compare your drawing to this photo. Did you draw very small front legs? Did you draw a long, thick tail?

A large kangaroo hopping on grass with a tree in the background.

"Kangaroo in Flight" by Chris_Samuel is licensed under CC BY 2.0

5. Watch this video and notice how the kangaroos use their tails.

  • Why do you think kangaroos hop?

  • How do you think their tail helps them?

ielanguages (22 December 2012) 'Kangaroo hopping away' [video], YouTube, accessed 20 October 2021.

6. Pretend to be a kangaroo by leaning forward slightly and sticking your bottom out. Now hop around like the kangaroo in the video. Is balancing hard? How would a tail help you?

7. If you are interested, read more about the kangaroo.

Too hard?

  • Look at more pictures of kangaroos and look at their tails.

Too easy?

  • Think about other animals who have a tail and how their tail helps them (hint - ring-tailed possum, monkey, bird).

Picnic

Learning goal: Children recognise the contribution they make to shared activities.

1. Watch the video.

Preparing for a picnic

Duration: 05:57

2. Plan your own picnic.

3. If you are able to have a real picnic, ask someone to help you plan:

  • where you will have your picnic

  • when you will have your picnic

  • who will go on your picnic

  • what you will eat.

A picnic basket and some foods in containers on a table.
Assorted healthy picnic foods on a blanket.
An open chicken salad wrap.
Yoghurt in a cup, cut watermelon and grapes.

4. If you aren't able to go on a real picnic, make a pretend picnic for your toys. Look at these photos for some ideas.

Toy tea set on a colourful blanket.
Two soft toys seated and enjoying a picnic. A hand is pouring a pretend cup for one of the toys.
Two different soft toys seated and enjoying a picnic. A hand is pouring a pretend cup for one of the toys.
Four soft toys enjoying one another's company as they sip tea and admire the view.

Too hard?

  • If you are going on a real picnic, help pack the food into the picnic basket or container.

  • If you are going to have a pretend picnic, get all your toys ready.

Too easy?

  • Draw or write a list of the food you will take on your picnic.

  • Design invitations for your picnic.

Take a break

Here are some things you might like to do:

  • have a drink of water and a healthy snack

  • play or have a rest

  • go to the toilet and wash your hands.

Preparing for school mornings

Learning goal: Children develop independence and self-help skills.

Transition to school activity

It is important to develop strong self-help skills as you grow and learn and move into school.

1. Think about what you will need to do to each morning to get ready for school.

2. What will you need help with? What will you be able to do on your own?

3. What are some things you will be able to get ready the night before?

"Toothbrush" by nishantcm is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Too hard?

Practice doing something that you will need to do each morning for school, for example, put your socks and school shoes on.

Too easy?

Make a morning routine or timetable showing what you will do after you wake up each day to get ready for school, for example:

  • eat a healthy breakfast

  • get dressed

  • brush teeth.

Listening activity

Learning goal: Children listen and respond to sounds.

1. Play the video.

2. Listen to each sound.

3. Call out the name of the animal that makes each sound.

Mister Teach (15 March 2017) 'Farm animal sounds - Listening game on the farm ' [video], YouTube, accessed 12 October 2021.

Too hard?

  • Make your own animal sounds and ask someone to guess what they are.

Too easy?

  • Record yourself making animal sounds and then play them for your family to guess.

Extra learning activities

Child voice