5 to 11

Drawing with chalks on the wall or pathways at home, then ask the children to talk about their pictures.

Leave clues for a treasure hunt inside or outside the house for your child to follow.

Encourage your child to hunt for bugs in the park or your flowerbeds, take a photo and then try and identify it when you get home using the internet.

Meet up with friends at the park to play games or sports together. This will help your child’s social interaction skills.

Encourage your child to help you make the things you need for a picnic. Take it to the park or if it’s really raining have it on the floor in the house. Talk about the different foods and tastes. They could also bring their teddies or action figures.

Being outside gives you more space to build things with cardboard boxes and tubes. Make a train, rocket or castle.

If you are going on a trip or holiday, encourage your child to take photos or draw pictures along the way. When you get home support them to tell you what you did, sequencing the events in the correct order.