Most schools will have given parents guidance and contact details when they closed their doors on Thursday 12 March.

Many children will have work assigned for the next two weeks. Playdates and school might not be happening, but children can keep learning.

“There are things parents can do with children like reading, art activities and creative writing,” says Síne Friel from the Irish National Teacher’s Organisation.

“From a practical point of view, parents will know best what will work for their own routines and work patterns. A lot of schools have given guidance to children and parents on certain things.”

Here are some useful ideas on activities for children:

  • Keep a daily journal.
  • Independent and shared reading activities with parents.
  • Do a book review on any books read.
  • Write a letter to someone who inspires them.
  • Mental maths.
  • For younger children, things like counting animals is a maths activity you can build in.
  • Start following current affairs on the kid’s show RTE News2day.
  • Art activities using the things you have at home.
  • Build in physical activities by asking children to help around the house and on the farm where it is safe to do so.

    • Handy websites

    There are some great resources online and some of these have been made free for parents to help them through the school closure.

    A lesson planning website for teachers www.twinkl.ie has been made free to parents and this will give you print-off resources,

    For maths and literacy, visit www.topmarks.co.uk.

    There are also maths activities on www.nrich.maths.org.

    For Irish, visit www.duolingo.com or try nicurriculum.org.uk/snas_ar_sceal.

    For reading and spelling exercises, visit www.nessy.com.

    For ideas on physical activities, check out www.gonoodle.com.

    Art Hub on YouTube has some useful ideas for arts and crafts at home.

    Just remember, you are not in this alone and other parents will have ideas too. So keep in touch with each other and share useful tips.

    Parents are advised not to let their children go on playdates. The purpose of the school closures is to limit social interactions as much as possible in order to slow down the spread of the virus from person to person.

    “We have one opportunity to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Ireland. The schools are closed but this is not a school holiday,” said Dr Anne Marie McLaughin, respiratory consultant at St James’ Hospital. “I would recommend that we stop all interactions of children, adults and teenagers outside of their household contacts. That means no parties, no playdates, no visits to the playground where your children will interact with other children. It is very important that we realise that children are vectors of COVID-19.”

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