Everyone at SNAP Cymru want to support children and young people during this emergency which could see families at home for long periods. We understand that this is a very worrying time for everyone.

We will be regularly updating social media so please follow us if you do not already https://www.facebook.com/SNAPCymru/

Whilst our offices will be closed to all visitors. Don’t worry – we’ll still be here supporting you!

The SNAP Cymru Team will be working from home, your calls will be diverted and we’ll have access to e-mails and database.

We will maintain contact with families via telephone or other electronic methods as usual. We will work with individual families and professionals to hold face to face meetings and support services if it is safe to do so, in accordance with Public Health Wales.

If you do need support please contact our normal help and support line.

0808 801 0608

or to make a referral www.snapcymru.org/contact

Thank you for your continued and valuable support and if we can do anything to help you during these challenging times, just let us know and look out for our regular briefings. Keep well

We’ve tried to gather some useful information and resources for you for what will undoubtedly be a difficult time. Thank you to all the charities and organisations that have put together some of these important resources.

Talking to children and families regarding COVOID 19

With so much out there about Covid-19 (coronavirus) and confusion about the virus and its impact on families here are some of the most useful

  • Contact, previously known as Contact a Family, is a national charity that supports families with disabled children, bringing them together and helping families take action for others. C Coronavirus Welfare benefits and Money
  • The Children’s Commissioner for Wales has an information hub for families and children to explain what is going on. If you or your children have any questions then you can tweet, email or Facebook message them.
  • Learning Disability Wales – Coronavirus: resources for people with a learning disability including some good easy read guides, for people with a learning disability in Wales. As the situation progresses they are adding new information and advice on a daily basis.
  • RNIB support Plans – RNIB plans to publish regular online guidance in response to the crisis, with resources and ideas about supporting your child. This will be available at www.rnib.org.uk/children by Friday 27th March and will be updated regularly.  They are also planning online drop in /sign up sessions where we can support over specific topics or provide an opportunity for questions and answers to the CYPF Education team.

Easy read guides and advice

Easy read posters

All Photosymbols’ coronavirus posters can now be downloaded here


Books, posters and colouring in to download

For children with ALN

Chatter –the best List of FREE Speech, Language, communication and SEND resources for schools and parent/carers – (free to download for individual use copyright restrictions apply)

Communication and interaction Resources to help parents, carers and families support pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Speech, Language and Communication Needs during the period of school closures.

Sensory Stuck at Home is a Facebook page where parents of autistic children share ideas of activities to do in the house.

BBC CBeebies for special needs
Resources and help for children with additional needs from the BBC, including Mr Tumble!

ITV Signed Stories
Signed Stories help improve the literacy of deaf children from infancy upwards. The website also provides useful advice and guidance for parents, carers and teachers of deaf children, and for the deaf parents of hearing children.

The Letterbox Library
Catalogue of disability-related books for disabled children and their siblings, and for use in school or other settings, that promote understanding and explain ‘difference’ for all ages from babies to eleven years old

Worksheets in Braille – BrailleWeek 

http:// https://www.swansea.gov.uk/resourcesforvulnerablelearner The Educational Psychologists and Learning Support Team in Swansea have put together a series of resources for parents/carers of primary and secondary age pupils in the following areas of need and some that are more general

Resources to support those with – Visual impairment

A list of resources to support learners with Down Syndrome and their families – Down Syndrome 

Dyslexia friendly – free, fun resources – Crossbow Education 

Dyslexia AssistBy Parents for Parents : By Children for Childrenhttps://dyslexia-assist.org.uk/for-parents/

CrickerSoft – Reading and writing software for all abilities – Free during this period

FREE downloadable inclusive resources – Inclusive teach 

Sight word practice

Advice, learning activities and recommended toys, books, and resources for children with SEND – SEN resources blog 

Free apps to support students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, have reading difficulties – Accessibite 

Phonic reading games for all children, including those who cannot read or have dyslexia. Email: trugs@readsuccessfully.com for 20% off using cv2020  – Trugs

Sensory Project – List of online, sensory learning resources

Free access to Clicker at home during this period – CrickSoftware 

Life skills challenges – A programme for young people with SEND

SEN Teacher.org – Free SEND resources

Occupational Therapy resources

TTS – A curriculum-focused independent learning resource with over 40 home learning activities all planned and all prepared!

Twinkle Home Education Resources –

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, we’re offering everyone Twinkl Ultimate free for a month, to help keep children learning at home.

Visit www.twinkl.co.uk/offer and enter the code PARENTSTWINKLHELPS to set up your free month of Twinkl Ultimate.

Chatter pack  A list of free, online, boredom-busting resources!

For older children, here are 50 free revision resources for 11+, GCSE’s and A-Levels

Resources & support services for families of children with additional needs during the COVID 19 (Coronavirus) pandemic– CWM Taf health board area Rhondda; Taff Ely; Merthyr; North Cynon; South Cynon; Bridgend East; Bridgend West, and Bridgend North.

Sleep Advice for children with Autism -Sleep Advisor

Relaxation and well being

For help with coping and feeling anxious visit the NHS website’s tips on dealing with anxiety.

The Guardian newspaper has also written a piece specifically about managing anxiety around coronavirus.

And the NHS has top tips on maintaining wellbeing – vital for parent carers.

Childline has a ‘calm zone’, with videos, activities, games, and calming activities to help children who are worried about anything

https://www.parents.com/fun/activities/5-mindfulness-activities-you-can-do-as-a-family/

https://heartmindonline.org/resources/mindful-activities-for-families

https://www.parenttoolkit.com/social-and-emotional-development/news/general-parenting/eight-ways-to-bring-mindfulness-into-your-family

Cerebra – Emotional wellbeing for parents and carers of children with a learning disability

https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/
This site was created for young people, carers and professionals to pool together lots of helpful resources from across the internet that are available to help support your mental health and well-being. 7 tips for helping children

Seven tips for helping children keep calm
simple relaxation and mindfulness activities together and help your child learn to calm down when they feel stressed or anxious.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has produced this activity pack that has fun things to do at home.

Apps 

  • Stop Breathe Think – Check in with how you’re feeling, and try short activities tuned to your emotions. 
  • Headspace – mindfulness tools for your everyday life  
  • Stay Alive App from Grassroots Suicide Prevention 
  • CalmHarm Self harm support app 

Survivors Network – a master-post of online resources, from mental health self-care to ways you can feel like you’ve left the house. We hope they help. Online resources available during social distancing and self-isolation

Online learning resources

With most children out of school, there are lots of apps and websites to help to still support their learning and development.

This list has 15 suggestions for various age groups and this list is of apps that help and support children and young people with autism.


Maths
Conquermaths.
Khan Academy
Prodigy Maths
Mathseeds -Mathseeds teaches kids aged 3-9 the core maths and problem solving skills needed to be successful at school with fun, highly interactive and rewarding lessons.
IXL is here to support you during school closures. Get resources for at‑home learning no

Themathsfactor: https://www.themathsfactor.com/signin

Explorify which is focus on science: https://www.explorify.wellcome.ac.uk

Brainpop quiz: https://www.brainpop.com/quiz

Learn to code at home for free with Code Camp World. You can learn how to use JavaScript, find out about html and even create your own websites and games. 

There are more coding challenges on Barclays UK’s Youtube. Their Coding Playground Live series teaches basic coding skills using Scratch.

If you want to find more ideas with Scratch then their website has loads more ideas to get you into coding. Create a game, learn to make a character fly and animate letters. After that it’s only your imagination that can stop you.

For help with maths for 4-11 year olds National Numeracy has you covered. Their activity pack is available to donload and contains 28 activities to try out. They also have loads of links to places to test your maths skills even further.

English

Emily Weston – 16 activities that children can use to aid their home reading, or their reading in school. It has a range of skills included such as prediction, summarising and inferenc

The reading lesson. Book- By Michael Levin and Charan Langton.
Reading Eggs.
Wild Literacy
Reading eggspress
Borrow Box. – libraries of Wales borrow box
Scholastic 100 lessons books.

Phonics Play

Science

Fitness

Over 200,000 people joined Joe Wicks online for his first live PE lesson on Youtube. Happening every week day at 9.00am, it’s a great way to get you moving and ready to start your day.

You can work out with a Team GB athlete every Wednesday with their Workout Wednesday. Previous athletes have included gymnasts Max Whitelock and Aimee Fuller, climber Shauna Coxsey and freestyle skier Rowan Cheshire.

Geography

  • Oddizzi.  Oddizzi is an online, subscription-based geography resource
    The Geogrpahy Book by Caroline Arnold
    Scholastic – 100 Geography lessons
  • National Geographic Kids: Activities and quizzes for younger kids. 

History

Horrible Histories! The books, the series. Super engaging!
Scholastic 100 History lessons
60 second Histories  

BBC Newsround has helpful information for children about the coronavirus, including explainer videos. They also have a ‘happy news’ section to brighten the day

While all of our museums, theatres and cultural venues are closed to the public, there are still lots of things you can do online.

Many major museums and organisations in the UK and abroad are running virtual tours, for example the British Museum.

Learn how to draw with official World Book Day illustrator Rob Biddolph. Lessons happen every Tuesday and Thursday at 10.00am. You can follow them live on his Twitter page or watch them back on his website.

Practice your drawing skills with the Natural History Museum’s Nature Drawing Club. They will post a new topic every Friday on their Twitter page and then it’s up to you to draw or paint.

To find out more about the Natural History Museum you can use their take part and education resources. Learn about their collections, the nature around you and the science that is carried out everyday at the museum.

Miscellaneous

Online Lego workshop, Gruffalo workshop, and lots more. Plus stories read by Tony Ross, author – 7 stories, Facebook 

If you are looking to learn more about money then the Royal Mint have new activities for kids based around money and the coins we use everyday. You can even design your own coin, though we don’t think you will be able to go shopping with it.

Learn to touch-type – Free access

Learning with MineCraft – Education MineCraft

Vroom – Helping learning during shared moments, such as bath time

Toy Theatre – Fun educational resources

The Scouts have launched a new initiative called The Great Indoors. All of the activities are designed to be done in your house so there is no excuse not to try it out. Activities are aimed at 6 to 14 year olds but anyone can have a go. Once you have had a go at these you can use their activity finder to find even more things to do


Living Paintings (UK)
Free postal library supporting blind and partially sighted adults, children and young people. They make tactile versions of pictures that come to life when fingers feel them.

Virtual tours –This website allows you to visit museums from the comfort of your home.

100 things to do indoors – You can download this book free of cost and make staying indoors fun and use the time to help yourself and others.

Keep exercising – On this page you can find movement and mindfulness videos to keep you children active.

Best virtual museums

Virtual tour of museums family tours

Swansea Library has online e-books and magazines

A long list of educational resources

For those who like structure. Various celebrities are offering for free daily to help with their children education while schools are closed (from Skint dad)

9:00am – PE with Joe Wicks

10:00am – Maths with Carol Vorderman

11:00am – English with David Walliams

12:00pm – Lunch (cooking with Jamie Oliver)

1:00pm – Music with Myleene Klass

1:30pm – Dance with Darcey Bussel

2:00pm – History with Dan Snow (free for 30 days)

4:00pm – Home Economics with Theo Michaels (Mon/Wed/Fri)

Other YouTube Sites that may be of interest:Chris Packhams – Youtube – Bird Club

Oti Mabuse is doing dancing classes’ each day at 11:30 on facebook

Maddie Moate – youtube – Let’s go Live with Maddie and Greg

More to Keep Your Children Occupied & Learning

Cardboard Spaceships: A place to share free online teaching, education and entertainment ideas for children at home 

Homeschooling UK: Emergency group set up by teachers to help families 

Will Sliney gives daily drawing challenges for children using #wewilldraw and shares tutorials 

“Boogie Monsters” (a live rock and pop band for children under 7) are doing daily live keyboard request videos each day at 4.30pm for the whole family – access them through their Facebook group

Khan Academy: Especially good for maths and computing for all ages but other subjects at Secondary level. Note this uses the U.S. grade system but it’s mostly common material. 

BBC Bitesize. No TV licence required except for content on BBC iPlayer. 

BBC Learning: This site is old and no longer updated and yet there’s so much still available, from language learning to revision. No TV licence required except for content on BBC iPlayer. 

Seneca: For those revising at GCSE or A level. Tons of free revision content. Paid access to higher level material. 

Blockly: Learn computer programming skills – fun and free. 

Scratch: Creative computer programming 

Ted Ed: All sorts of engaging educational videos 

The Kids Should See This: Wide range of cool educational videos 

Crash Course: You Tube videos on many subjects  

Crash Course Kids: As above for a younger audience 

Paw Print Badges: Free challenge packs and other downloads. Many activities can be completed indoors. Badges cost but are optional. 

Tinkercad: All kinds of making. 

Prodigy Maths: Is in U.S. grades, but good for UK Primary age. 

Cbeebies Radio: Listening activities for the younger ones. 

Nature Detectives: A lot of these can be done in a garden, or if you can get to a remote forest location! 

British Council: Resources for English language learning 

Oxford Owl for Home: Lots of free resources for Primary age 

Big History Project: Aimed at Secondary age. Multi-disciplinary activities. 

Geography Games: Geography gaming! 

Blue Peter Badges: If you have a stamp and a nearby post box.  

The Artful Parent: Good, free art activities  

Red Ted Art: Easy arts and crafts for little ones 

The Imagination Tree: Creative art and craft activities for the very youngest. 

Toy Theater: Educational online games 

DK Find Out: Activities and quizzs A small collection of anti-oppressive, anti-racist homeschool curriculum ideas and resources. Very American focused, but a good list of non-online stuff to do with children towards the end!  

Cincinatti Zoo are holding livestreams at 7pm UK time every day that the US schools are closed:  

Live cameras at San Diego Zoo 

school when school is closed reception year 1 & year 2

Craft ideas to survive coronavirus lockdown

COVID-19 homeschool and isolation ideas

Posted in: Families, Policy