Home learning 0-2 years

Home Learning: Activities and ideas to share at home

Supporting your child’s learning doesn’t have to mean formal lessons or expensive resources. In fact, some of the most powerful learning happens through everyday play, conversation and shared experiences. Whether your child is in nursery, reception or primary school, here are some engaging home learning ideas to spark curiosity and build skills across the early years and beyond.

Make learning part of daily life

Children thrive when learning is woven into routines. Here are simple ways to turn everyday moments into learning opportunities:

involve your child in cooking to explore maths (measuring, counting) and science (melting, mixing)
talk about the weather, seasons and nature during walks or playtime in the garden
encourage your child to help with shopping lists, reading labels and spotting letters or numbers in the environment

Create a rich language environment

Language development underpins all areas of learning. You can support it by:

reading together daily, choosing books that match your child’s interests
singing songs and nursery rhymes to build vocabulary and rhythm
having conversations that go beyond instructions - ask open-ended questions and listen to your child’s ideas

Explore early maths through play

Maths is everywhere, and young children love to explore patterns, shapes and numbers. Try these playful activities:

use building blocks to talk about size, shape and symmetry
sort toys or household items by colour, size or type
play board games or card games that involve counting, matching or turn-taking

Encourage creativity and expression

Creative play helps children express themselves and develop problem-solving skills. Here are some ideas to get started:

set up a mini art station with paper, crayons, glue and recycled materials
use role play and dressing up to act out stories or real-life scenarios
make music together using household items as instruments

Support emotional development

Home is the perfect place to nurture emotional wellbeing. You can do this by:

talking about feelings and naming emotions during different situations
reading stories that explore friendship, kindness and resilience
creating a calm corner with soft toys, books or sensory items for quiet time

Use technology wisely

Digital tools can enhance learning when used thoughtfully. Here’s how to make screen time meaningful:

choose educational apps or websites recommended by your child’s school or trusted sources
watch documentaries or nature videos together and discuss what you’ve learned
use video calls to connect with family and practise communication skills

Celebrate progress and curiosity

Children learn best when they feel confident and curious. Celebrate their efforts by:

displaying artwork or writing around the house
keeping a learning journal or scrapbook of activities and achievements
asking your child what they enjoyed most and what they’d like to try next

Home learning doesn’t need to be perfect or planned. It’s about sharing time, noticing interests and building a love of learning that lasts. Whether it’s five minutes or an afternoon, every moment counts.

Useful links

Roots to Reading

A guide to reading for 0 to 4’s

This guidance aims to provide an overview of how to lay firm foundations for children aged 0 to 4 years old to enable them to eventually become enthusiastic, competent and confident readers.

It addresses the benefits of reading to young children and the impact it can have on their holistic development.

The guidance also provides practical ideas on:

how to select appropriate books
when and how to read with young children
the identification of skills which need to be nurtured and developed in other areas of the curriculum to support reading

Roots to reading [PDF, 8MB]

Share a book a day

Other websites

Book trust - Bookfinder: find children's books for every age

Love my Books - over 250 activity pages of creative book-based ideas.

Words for Life - from the National Literacy Trust

Parents and families - National Literacy Trust

Things to do today at home

‘What can I do today?’ practical ideas and activities for parent/carers to do at home to encourage children’s learning.

This activity resource book was developed so that you can dip in and out of, to find things to do at home and encourage families to enjoy them together.

activities and ideas are based around objects and materials that can be found at home or that can be found on walks
some activities are more suited to babies and some to older early year’s children. You can pick activities that you think are best suited to your child and adapt them to meet your child's needs
the key is enjoying the activities and spending time together and it is important to ensure that the materials used are safe for the age/stage of your child
while we hope you get a lot out of the activities don’t forget that great play does not always have to be planned

What can I do today at home [PDF, 7.29MB]

Other websites

Tiny Happy People - Activities for 2-3 year olds (bbc.co.uk)

Activities for 3-4 year olds - BBC

Chat, Play, Share

Nursery rhymes provide bite-sized learning opportunities for young children to develop key developmental skills and can often be the trigger for hours of creative and open-ended play.

They are a powerful learning source in early literacy and enable children to become interested in the rhythm and patterns of language. Consider the alliteration in “A Sailor Went to Sea Sea Sea”, or the onomatopoeia in “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and rhyme in “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. Many nursery rhymes are also repetitive which can support the development of memory and kickstart the practice of listening and speaking.

Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they're four years old, they're usually among the best readers by the time they're eight. - Mem Fox, Reading Magic.

Here are a few examples

Dingle dangle scarecrow [PDF, 226KB]

Down in the jungle [PDF, 220KB]

If you’re happy and you know it [PDF, 205KB]