Thrive at Home

Many of you know that within school we use the Thrive approach to support students with their social and emotional wellbeing.  As such we consider time spent with adults in relationship, perhaps playing games, exploring the world around us or working together on a creative project as very important.

Within school we would give time during each week as a pastoral group and 1:1 to engaging students with some of the activities below.  Therefore please feel free to use the time that they are at home during this period to share these activities with them too. 

The list below includes a wide range of activities to reflect the range of development stages that our children are working at.  No need to do them all, choose something you would enjoy doing with your child & you will be able to keep doing regularly for as long as you both enjoy this. 

  • Play peek-a-boo together
  • Make funny faces together
  • Let child know how much you enjoy their features e.g. colour of eyes, hair and draw a picture of their face.
  • Play a game where your child has to keep looking at your face whilst you pull funny faces that will make them laugh…..but they are not to laugh…..when they do…swap
  • Use face paints together
  • Use finger to draw flower on child’s hand
  • Massage child’s hand with lotion
  • Tracing a word on your child’s back with your finger
  • Play clapping game
  • Hold hands whilst walking together
  • Sing along together
  • Dance together: perhaps teach your child a dance you did when you were younger
  • Use a blanket or rug to wrap around yourself with your child, making a warm safe cocoon.
  • Make mealtimes fun
  • Find every opportunity to catch your child doing something ‘right’ and praise them
  • Tuck the child in at night after a goodnight hug
  • Decide on a bedtime routine & keep to it as much as possible
  • Keep instructions simple
  • Have clear boundaries that the child understands & keep to these as much as possible
  • Remember to tell your child what’s happening each day
  • Find something to celebrate each day
  • Different home activities where you explain and show your child what you are doing, and encourage them to join in with you e.g. cooking, cleaning, gardening.
  • Have different creative materials available at home: cardboard boxes, playdoh, finger paints etc.
  • Making dens with cushions
  • Make time to encourage your child to explore or try something new
  • Do something new with your child, think of activities that stimulate the different senses e.g. listening/dancing to music, look at books, making up stories
  • Games/activities that involve turn taking
  • Have times in the day when your child needs to check in with you at regular intervals
  • Play chasing & being caught games
  • Play games where you or your child pretend to be lost then quickly find each other
  • Spend some time with your child that is interesting & fun
  • Identify simple and clear home rules and let your child know what will happen if these are broken
  • Talk with your child about different feelings; happy, sad, angry, scared, and get them to think about different situations when they have the different feelings … ‘what makes you happy?’ etc.
  • Games that help cause and effect thinking e.g. if you take ‘x’ away then ‘y’ will fall down
  • Notice when there is a problem, help your child to solve problem by showing them how and whenever possible get them to solve problems with you e.g. tidying up toys or cleaning up a split drink
  • Encourage and allow your child to have a different point of view
  • Take some time each day with your child to review and reflect on their day, create a diary or a scrap book.
  • Have games of making up stories, when everyone takes a turn
  • Games where your child learns about taking turns and realising that they won’t win every time e.g. simple board games
  • ‘See what happens next’ games and stories
  • Sorting games e.g. sorting out toys, pots and pans, clothes, socks, button
  • Puzzle games

T. 0191 2952280
E. admin@scp.newcastle.sch.uk