We are now a year into the coronavirus pandemic and are currently experiencing our third national lockdown in England. Since March last year we have all come such a long way, overcoming some huge challenges and changing the way we do things in order to protect the ones we love. But are we remembering to take care of ourselves too? And in particular our mental health and wellbeing. Our mental health is something that's often overlooked, and it can sometimes deteriorate without

Its Friday! Or as we have now renamed it FUNDAY! It’s Easter bank holiday weekend and the weather forecast looks good! (Yaaay!) So lets make the most of it and utilise any outdoor space you have at home. Why not plan an Easter treasure hunt around the house and garden? Write out some tasks on card or post its and hide around the home and garden. Family members can go on the hunt for them and as they find them, they can pop in a basket or container for you to go through and ta

This is another anytime, anywhere activity. Children of all ages love story time and it's a wonderful opportunity for you and your child to spend time together. For Babies Have you noticed how engaged your baby becomes when you talk to them and communicate with them? They are never too young for you to share stories with them and the great thing about reading aloud is that it doesn't take special skills or equipment, just you, your baby, and some books. Read aloud for a few m

Painting is a way for children to convey ideas, express emotion, use their senses, explore colour and explore process and outcomes. It allows them to create aesthetically pleasing works and experiences that they can take great pride in. We appreciate this activity may not be achievable if you do not have children’s paint in the home, but you may be able to find something to improvise with. As with all messy activities, remember to plan where you will carry out the activity an

Lets sing rhymes and action songs! Rhyme time is a fantastic way to support your child’s all-round development. Its easy, its free, and your children absolutely love it! So, how do simple songs and rhymes support development?... Language and literacy skills are supported: Nursery rhymes are a child’s first experience with words Communication skills are developed: it helps them learn new vocabulary or numeracy Physical development is enhanced: Using actions linked to words in

Splish...splash...splosh! Children love to explore and play with water, but it can be daunting for you providing this within the home. All you need to do is plan and prepare to ensure this activity is carried out in an appropriate place and in a safe way. And as with all of our activity suggestions... make sure it's FUN! This is also a great way of keeping those little hands washed and clean! I’m sure you all already have a washing hands song you are all singing along to....

Well done, you survived the week and got to Friday! We hope you had lots of fun along the way. Have you enjoyed and tried our daily activities? The great thing about these activities is they can be done again and again, and they are FREE! You could do them every day, several times a day if you wanted, adapting and extending them to suit your child’s engagement and enjoyment. Don’t feel like you always have to introduce something new all the time, as this can overwhelm childre

What can you hear? An activity to develop your children’s listening skills... When doing any of these activities ensure you minimise distractions, turn the TV or radio off, ensure you have your child’s attention and carry out the activity in a quiet place. For Babies Talking to your baby is the best way to develop their listening skills. Look at them, gain eye contact and use lots of facial expressions. Watch as your baby engages and responds to you and in their own way commu

Leading on from yesterday’s 'Lets Make Sounds' activity you could now introduce other objects to make music. Good objects for making music: pots, pans, wooden and metal spoons, Tupperware boxes and tubs, ice cream cartons and plastic bottles. The same objects can be used for any age group but how children use and adapt these resources will vary according to their skills and abilities. Older children will find and use their own objects and resources. For Babies Rather than foc

Hide and seek is a a fantastic game to play, as it can be adapted for every age and can include the whole family! You could play around your house or in the garden and it requires absolutely no planning or preparation... For Babies Play 'peek a boo' with your baby, it will keep them engaged and occupied for ages as you laugh, giggle and have great fun together. You can adapt and extend this game by introducing an object such as a teddy bear. Hide it behind your back or cover

Try to make the weekend different to the week, even when isolating at home. Loosen up your routine and make Saturday and Sunday all about having FUN! Decide together what you’re going to do over the weekend and ask you children what THEY want to do. It may be an ongoing theme throughout the day or a particular project they want to start. It might even be as simple as playing some music or watching a film together. Some other ideas might be: 🌟 Fancy dress day 🌟 Make up a fam

Starting on Monday we will be sharing daily ideas on how to keep your children busy and entertained whilst away from nursery. If there's anything specific you'd like us to share then please let us know! Here are a few fun activity ideas we've had already - 💭 Shadow tracing 💭 Threading 💭 Baby sensory 💭 I Spy Bottles If you have any ideas of your own that you'd like to share with us and other parents, head over to our Facebook page and get involved! #TeamWhiteHouse #LetsDoT

Today we are sharing some helpful tips and advice about establishing a routine and practicing good habits at home, throughout isolation. We hope you find these tips useful! Tomorrow we will be focussing on finding out how we can help our families with learning at home. So if there's anything in particular you'd like some information about then please let us know... whether it be creative activities, sensory play or even adding maths into your child's play. You can also check

In light of recent events and the current 'Lockdown' we have been placed under, we know that many of you will be spending lots of time at home with your children and that they may have been asking you lots of questions about what’s going on in the world at the moment. In order to help you communicate with your children and help them understand what’s happening, we would like to share some helpful tips with you… #TeamWhiteHouse #LetsDoThis #StayInTouch