Additional Needs and Well-being Resources- ALL YEARS
Fun Activities Indoors and Outdoors
Baking cakes Cooking together Create a scrapbook Treasure hunt Flip book animation Create your own story Make a fairy doorway Stage a family play Create a den Chalk art in the garden Plant sunflowers Plant tomatoes
Parent and child pampering sessions Family choir Make a bird feeder Create a time capsule Find a pen pal Our homes’ got talent Create a nature collage Finger painting Design your own board game Family sports day
Macaroni crafts Junk modelling Baking soda volcano Messy play Noughts and crosses Play pirates Family bake off Family quiz Clap for the NHS Positive affirmations artwork Decorate a room
Design your own birthday card Nerf gun garden battle Hangman Write a song/poem Play the sun always shines on me Play hide and seek Create your own bead necklace Tie and dye art Cartwheels Set a skipping record Create a memory box Hop!
Play snap Help in the garden Put on finger puppet show Dance performance Smile! Make a paper fortune teller (chatterbox) Family movie and popcorn night Help wash dishes Design a car Re-lace trainers in a new style Create home art rubbings Water fight
Paint garden stones Decorate plant pots Make a dreamcatcher Help with washing dishes Decorate a hairband Family picnic in garden Make your own obstacle course Create origami bunnies Hopscotch Easter bonnet Chalk garden games Become a news broadcaster Laugh!
Garden gymnastics Penalty shootout competition Fancy dress day Create a bug hotel Jump about Pyjama day Digital detox day Paper aeroplane competition Musical statues Bake your own cookies Make your own gloop Learn sign language Learn Makaton
Paint a parent’s nails Make a family member breakfast in bed Adopt an animal (charity) Plait your hair in a new style each day Make indoor restaurant for your family Paper mache balloon Tidy your room Have a tea party Make yogurt pot telephones
Websites
Useful fun, websites with highly visual games for using with your children to learn and consolidate early skills.
https://www.ictgames.com/
Managing a Meltdown
Isolation is a stressful time for everyone, your children will be struggling to adjust to their new routine and make sense of what is happening. Resources in the social, emotional star will help. However it is likely that the stresses of what is happening will impact on your child's behaviour, You know your child better than anyone but here are some useful coping strategies which may help
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Stay calm and don't shout
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if your child has triggers which have caused the meltdown remove them
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remove other children and things from the situation - reduce stimulations
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talk in a calm soothing voice
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give clear short instructions
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remove anything that can cause them harm
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don't tell them off
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Stay close and watch them without over crowding them
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Use breathing exercises https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/calming-breathing-techniques-kids/
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When they are calming down give them a cuddle - big squeezes help to calm
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when they have calmed down - let them relax, give them a drink or snack, chewing will help to calm them further
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retreat to a quiet space
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when they are ready talk to them about what happened so that you can avoid it again in the future
Remember a meltdown is not bad behaviour, it is when your child is so overwhelmed and overloaded that they cannot communicate this - they have lost their words. They are having a fight or flight response and they have lost control, they really need you not to