Reading and Language Adventures
1. Bring a Book to Life
Draw pictures of your children's favorite book characters and cut them out to make puppets. Use the puppets to act out a scene together.
Bringing stories to life through dramatic play helps children understand characters and how stories work - plus it's brilliant fun!
This kind of creative storytelling supports the communication and language goals in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
2. Create a Word Jar
Reading new words are exciting for children! As you come across new words, write them down on a piece of paper and flip through a children's dictionary to write their definition on the other side. Collect these vocabulary words in a Word Jar. At dinner, pick new words and make sentences out loud together. Build on this by drawing pictures of the new words.
With daily reading declining among older children, building strong vocabulary early gives your child a real advantage for their school years ahead.
3. Wake Up, Word Up: Letter of the Day
Over breakfast, work together to choose a letter of the day. Everyone looks for objects that begin with that letter during the day. You may spot this letter everywhere! Or you might only find it in a few places (we're looking at you, X!). Talk about all the discoveries your family made and marvel at the world around you.
This playful approach to letters supports phonics development - one of the key early learning goals in reception year.
4. Let Your Child Be the Storyteller
Ask your child to tell you a story. It can be completely new or an old favorite with fresh twists. Write down what your child says. Read it back to them. Save the story to read again later. Let their imagination inspire you to create your own stories to share.
Listening to their own words read back builds confidence and helps develop the creative thinking skills that teachers look for.
Maths in Everyday Life
5. Shape Up with Dinner Geometry
Shapes are everywhere, even on your dinner plate. Look around your dinner table and name all the shapes you see. Make it a game - see who can identify the most!
This turns mealtime into learning time and helps with mathematical development goals that form part of school readiness assessments.
6. Get Cooking
Bring maths into the kitchen and include the whole family when preparing recipes. Practice measuring ingredients using different measuring cups. How many scoops make one cup? How many grams? What if you needed to cook for 24 people instead of 4?
Cooking together makes maths feel real and useful - plus you get something delicious at the end! These practical problem-solving skills are exactly what the mathematics curriculum focuses on.
Family Stories and Connections
7. Fun with Family History
Did Grandpa fight in a World War? Was Grandma born in a different country? Write illustrated stories together about important events in your family's history. Create your own family book for your home library.
Knowing where you came from helps build a strong sense of identity - something that becomes increasingly important as children grow and encounter the wider world.
8. Who’s Important to You?
Tell or write stories about important adults in your life. Ask your child to do the same. Share your stories and see what qualities you both value in people. This creates lovely conversations about all the special people in your lives.
These discussions help children think about relationships and understand what makes people matter to them - key social and emotional skills.
Creative Expression and Culture
9. Mary Had a Little Rhyme
Learn lullabies from different cultures or recite nursery rhymes you know by heart. Encourage your child to sing along. You can even change the words to make songs about your family!
Nursery rhymes build language patterns and sounds that help children get ready to read. They're also a wonderful way to share cultural traditions and create family memories.
10. Thoughtful TV Talk
Watch age-appropriate shows together as a family. Afterwards, ask your child what they enjoyed most and why. Share your opinions too. Talk about shows you watched growing up and how they compare to what you've just watched together.
These conversations help develop critical thinking skills and create stronger family bonds across generations.
11. Creative Art Adventures
Use everyday materials to create art inspired by books, family stories, or whatever captures your child's interest right now.
There's no right or wrong way to be creative! Art activities support fine motor development and self-expression - both important for school readiness.
Your Questions Answered
How much time should we spend on learning activities each day?
Even 15-20 minutes makes a real difference. It's about spending quality time together, not ticking educational boxes.
What if my child doesn't want to join in?
Follow their interests and keep things playful. Children learn best when they're having fun and feel they have some choice in what they're doing.
How do I know these activities are actually helping?
Watch for your child using new words, telling better stories, or approaching problems with more confidence. These are all fantastic signs of development.
Can I adapt these for children of different ages?
Absolutely! Make activities simpler for younger children or add complexity for older ones. You know your child best and what will engage them.
Should I worry about the decline in children's reading?
Not if you're doing activities like these! The statistics show that early family engagement with reading and learning makes a huge difference to later outcomes.
Updated September 2025 - Based on the latest Department for Education statistics and National Literacy Trust research.
