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FOR ALL AGES
If your Google search history right now is filled with "how to home school kids", "home schooling curriculum" and "how to make sure my child is learning at home", you're not alone! With so many parents now faced with the need to be at home and teach their kids at the same time, you're probably always on the hunt for information about how to do it.
There are so many homeschooling resources out there at the moment and we know it can get overwhelming, so we've put together a guide to highlight some of the best ones we've found for key stages 1 and 2, across all main subject areas.
Free
Highlights Kids is filled with fun games, experiments, jokes, puzzles, projects and activities, which makes it brilliant for primary school kids. It focuses on science mostly but your child is also encouraged let their creative side out with their crafty activities. They also have a great YouTube channel, where you can find animations, recipes and loads of kid-led educational videos. Their main goal is to help children be creative, curious and confident - all good things!
Free
TED is known for its famous talks led by famous faces and prominent figures, but did you know they also have a youth branch? TED-Ed aims to inspire children and teachers to share their ideas. You can expect lots of short, original animated videos on topics you didn't even know you were curious about, like "why do dogs have floppy ears?", "how deep is the ocean?" or "why are there so many types of apples?" Their science videos are our favourite but you can find interesting videos on other subjects too, like maths and the arts.
Free, with option to subscribe
Starfall is an American website but it's a great resource for younger children learning to read and write. There are loads of online games and interactive videos to explore, with phonics, read-alongs and even tongue-twisters! The site is free to use but if you want access to even more videos and activities you can pay a subscription fee.
Free
Head to the World Book Day website for colouring, cooking and free downloadable resource packs based on all your favourite stories. Think of them as educational add-ons to the stories you're already reading. Whether it's a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory activity sheet or a lesson plan based on Harry Potter, you'll find loads of that'll not only fill your home curriculum needs but are also loads of fun, and a great way to get kids immersed in the world of books.
Free
Audiobook platform Audible has made dozens of books free for as long as children are out of school, and you don't even need an account to listen. So, while you're all at home, take the time to listen to a story and experience reading in a new way. You could download one of the World Book Day activity packs to complete afterwards and turn it into more of a reading comprehension activity. Audiobooks are particularly good for children with dyslexia or those who have trouble reading for other reasons, so it's a brilliant way to get them interested in the wonder of stories.
Free for at least 1 month with code PARENTSTWINKLHELPS or CVDTWINKLHELPS
Make maths fun with Twinkl! Expect interactive games, printable activity packs and more. Twinkl is a fantastic place to explore for anyone trying to give their child a home education. Filled with educational resources and games, you'll also find guides to the primary school curriculum, so you can find out what your child should be learning at their key stage.
Free
This American site is filled with educational games that you can play online. It covers Year 1 to Year 4 (Kindergarten to 3rd Grade). There are interactive games to practise counting for younger kids and multiplication and division games for your older ones.
Free, with option to subscribe
White Rose Maths covers home learning from early years to Year 8, with a range of activities across loads of maths-related topics. More maths lessons will be added each week, all of which include a video to train you on how to help your child learn, along with an activity pack and answer pack for you. Created by a group of teachers and mathematicians, you know your child's education is in good hands. You also have the option to pay for premium access and get more resources for both you and your child.
Free
BBC Bitesize is a super simple way to learn and revise topics with your child. Their comprehensive resources cover ages 3+, with a focus on all relevant subject areas your child may be looking at. They cover KS1 and KS2 History, KS1 and KS2 Geography along with any other subject you can think of! Within each subject you can pick a particular area to study depending on your interests or the curriculum, if you're still trying to follow it.
Free, with option to subscribe
National Geographic Kids is the perfect educational website for kids. As the child-friendly version of the legendary magazine, it's available for free online, and you can also pay to have it delivered monthly to your door. The website is filled with fascinating geographic information, quizzes, competitions, quirky articles and loads of fun facts. Whether you're learning about volcanoes, tigers or the Victorians, you'll definitely find a topic you're interested in.
Free
Google Arts & Culture is an incredible resource, bringing history, science and art right to your living room. Let your child explore the entire website - they'll be able to learn facts about dinosaurs, look through the Natural History Museum's collections and even explore Machu Picchu.
Free, with option to subscribe
Head to the Activity Village for craft ideas galore! You can search by topic (like animals or rainbows), by craft type (like collages, costumes or origami) and by season or holiday, which means you can find specific crafts to cater to your child's interests. Expect super simple, quick crafts with minimal equipment and maximum fun!
Free until 9th April
Bluprint has a huge range of online craft classes available for families, from embroidery and drawing to pizza-cooking, animation and DIY interior design. Until the 9th April you can access all of these without paying a penny, so make use of it if you're on the hunt for some more detailed craft ideas.
Free
Use the brilliant BBC Teach website to find all the resources you need, from lesson plans to videos and classroom activities. Turn your youngest kids into mini Mozarts with the Bring the Noise segment, learn all about the magic of classical music and combine music with dance in this fun activity suggestion.
Free
Google's Chrome Music Lab is filled with different hands-on experiments that kids can take part in. It's a great way to explore music and discover how it's connected to science, art, technology and maths. Children can take the time to make up a beat as they learn about rhythm, discover the beautiful art of spectograms and even make their own song at home.
Free
Stay active with Go Noodle and their brilliant videos. If you want inspiration for new ways to exercise or you just fancy learning a dance routine together as a family, Go Noodle is the place to go. You can learn the Chicken Dance, dance to Roar by Katy Perry and even learn how many days are in each month with the catchy Guacamole song!
Free
We're sure most parents have heard of this by now, but we want to remind you of the incredible PE with Joe. Every day at 9am Joe Wicks, AKA The Body Coach, leads a 30-minute livestream on his YouTube channel where he encourages families and children to work out at home alongside him. You don't need to use any fancy equipment, you just need yourself!
We recommend you take any super strict structure and curriculum suggestions you see online with a grain of salt, as teaching your child at home when you're not used to it is a tricky situation to navigate. Of course, while we do want to stick to the curriculum as much as possible, remember that most of us aren't trained teachers, so allowing flexibility in your child's learning is completely fine and totally normal. Their education isn't going to be ruined by this strange period of unexpected home schooling - if they're happy and healthy, you're already doing a great job!
Georgia is originally from Essex but moved to Switzerland as a child, attending an international school and igniting her love for experiencing the world and its cultures. She later moved back to the UK to study French with Film Studies at King’s College London. She took a break to enjoy a patisserie-filled year abroad in Paris. Shortly after graduating, she started as an intern at Kidadl in a small team of five, progressing with the company as it grew, to where she sits now as Digital Content Manager. Since returning to the UK permanently, she has been known to take ideas from Kidadl for things to see and do close to home and make the most of London’s incredible travel connections to explore further afield.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
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September 06, 2021
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