Free Web Resources and Activities for Children

Free Web Resources and Activities for Children

Lots of our favourite authors, illustrators and book publishers are doing FREE, fun and creative stuff for children at the moment!

Check out the links below to help keep you and your family busy.

Art:  🎨

Relive your childhood and Draw with Don Conroy:

https://youtu.be/XoKmU_q_-qo

 

Art   ✏️

Don Controy shows kids how to drawn on his YouTube Channel.  You can find more details on his website. https://donconroy.com/

 

 

#ImagineNation via Children’s Books Ireland @KidsBooksIrel

A beautiful 24 page playbook will be landing with families all over Ireland this week, delivered free by An Post @Postvox. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones, don’t despair- the entire playbook can be downloaded free from their website:

https://childrensbooksireland.ie/resources/imaginenation/

This Saturday 11th April, a version of the #ImagineNation playbook will be included in @IrishTimes - for thousands of families all over Ireland to enjoy.

#CreateAtHome

 

Authors & Illustrators: 📖

Alan Nolan

Draw with Alan @AlNolan #DrawWithAlan

https://youtu.be/jhwIoh1MiDg

 

Lydia Monks

@LydiaMonks #drawwithlydia

https://youtu.be/XWk95yH1Dr0

 

Jim Field

https://www.jimfield.me/draw

 

Sarah McIntyre

https://youtu.be/qgoRgoLdl7E

@jabberworks #DrawingWithSarah

 

Ed Vere

http://edvere.com/

@ed_vere #DrawWithEdVere

 

Sarah Crossan

YOU'RE INVITED! To @SarahCrossan's last event as Laureate na nÓg on #PoetryDayIRL in partnership with @riverbankarts. #WeAreThePoets

More info: https://www.riverbank.ie/toffee-online-event-with-sarah-crossan/

 

Kes Gray

Check out a new story read a loud by author Kes Gray- everyday on his new YouTube channel!

 

Judi Curtin

Watch author @judi_curtin read from 'Eva and the Hidden Diary' published by @OBrienPress for the Spring Into Storytime series of virtual storytimes. 📖

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9GthL0_15g

#SpringIntoStorytime #LoveIrishWriting

 

More authors & info: https://www.weareteachers.com/virtual-author-activities/

 

Free Educational activities via Microsoft: 👩🏻💻 👨💻

From ages 3-12 years.

https://education.microsoft.com/en-us/resource/755e5a8b?ocid=fy20bsc_edu_osoc_twitter_help-explore-family-learning-center_04-01-2020

 

 

Futa Fata for #ScéalAnLae

@futafata

FREE as gaeilge school resources:

https://www.futafata.ie/Free-Teaching-Resources

 

Special Educational Needs

The National Council for Special Education is providing online resources for children and young people with Special Educational Needs who are at home as a result of the schools’ closure. The resources are designed to assist parents, teachers and students in special schools, special class placements and mainstream classes. 

 

Storytime: 📚

Stay at Home Storytime with Oliver Jeffers

https://www.oliverjeffers.com/books#/abookaday/

 

 

Join @DubrayBooks for daily YouTube story sessions  

3pm daily on Youtube for our first ever #StoryFestatHome!

 

Creative writing: ✏️

Sarah Webb

@sarahwebbishere

https://www.sarahwebb.info/ for #CreativeBursts

#ShareAStory 📚

 

#WorldBookDay: 📚

Jam-packed with free author and illustrator masterclasses for children, workshops and school online resources.

https://www.worldbookday.com/online-masterclasses/

 

Author interviews

We Love Books is jam-packed with author interviews, writing tips, reviews and stories written by listeners, We Love Books is a journey down the rabbit hole into the wonderful world of kids books. You can listen to the Podcast on RTÉSpotify, or Apple .

https://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_welovebooks.xml

 

Interview with @PaddyDonnelly

@MuirNiChiobhain popped up reading our Scúnc Agus Smúirín book on @RTEToday yesterday! Lovely shout out for @futafata. Check out their Facebook page for storytime every day at 11am: https://www.facebook.com/futafata/

 

 

Children’s books podcasts: 🎧

Press Play: 8 of the Best Kids’ Lit Podcasts

https://www.readbrightly.com/press-play-8-best-kids-lit-podcasts-grown-ups/

 

Competition: 🎨

https://www.obrien.ie/design-a-cover-competition

 

Children’s mental health resources:

Via @ruth_concannon https://ruthconcannon.wordpress.com/useful-respurces/

 

The Happy Newspaper

A great resource for some good news, this link allows you to print out your own newspaper. With so many serious and unpleasant stories in the news this will help you to allow children to take control of the media, or even record the happy moments of their own day.

https://bit.ly/3dn8ZpM

 

Louise Shanagher

If your children are struggling with anxiety or mental health during this stressful time, Louise Shanagher has amazing resources, books and techniques based around mindfulness and mental health for children.

https://www.louiseshanagher.com/workbooklessonplans

 

The Calm App

If your child is having trouble sleeping or is not a big reader, the Calm App provides magical Sleep Stories to help lull little ones to sleep or calm busy minds.

https://www.calm.com/

 

Ruby’s Worry – A great book and resource pack for managing worries.

https://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/files/ruby_worry_activity_pack.pdf

 

When Sadness Comes to Call/When Happiness Begins – Resources for Eva Eland’s touching picture books dealing with emotions.

https://evaeland.com/portfolio/teaching-resources/

 

Me and My Fear – Resource pack, poster and activity kit regarding coping with fear.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/b3hsf1ps7uozsim/AADOqRr4FuGJEjJoI4SPwdV0a?dl=0

 

 

Printable Activities: 🎨 ✏️

David O’Connell– Perfect for comic book loving kids.

http://davidoconnell.uk/activities/colouring/

 

Birgitta Sif:  Colourful picture book printables including a scavenger hunt.

https://www.birgittasif.com/free-printables

 

Sarah McIntyre – Printable activities based on ALL of her books

http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/books/

 

Daisy Hirst – The make your own book option is a particular favourite!

http://www.daisyhirst.com/free-stuff/

 

Damien Quinn – For sporty kids, this is an amazing printable GAA colouring book.

http://www.peterbunzl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Cogheart-School-Resouces.pdf

 

Peter Bunzl – A really comprehensive education pack based around the Cogheart series.

http://www.peterbunzl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Cogheart-School-Resouces.pdf

 

Colouring sheets & activities: 🎨 ✏️

 

https://www.obrien.ie/where-are-you-puffling

https://www.obrien.ie/childrens/irish-farm-animals

https://www.obrien.ie/childrens/under-the-hawthorn-tree

https://www.obrien.ie/childrens/shooting-for-the-stars

 

Free COVID-19 TIME CAPSULE work sheets: 🎨 ✏️

 

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A18b7fa14-bbb1-4067-9b8a-757d2defb735&fbclid=IwAR2Q24JQp2tx-QFfdP7ZQtwiZaQK5GASgVnpDXZz5dg0e8ahfFx1RoQfLMc

 

Free books: 📚 📖

From Publisher Nosy Crow @NosyCrow

A free information for children explaining the coronavirus, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, with expert input by @GrahamMedley

https://nosycrow.com/blog/released-today-free-information-book-explaining-coronavirus-children-illustrated-gruffalo-illustrator-axel-scheffler/

 

Download these FREE for your child to help them understand what survival states look like in the school/college environment and what they can do to help ground them and subsequently improve their learning.

http://www.innerworldwork.co.uk/?page_id=45

 

For the tweens & older teens: 📚

 

A round up of new young-adult titles:

https://amp.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/07/young-adult-books-round-up-review?CMP=twt_books_b-gdnbooks&__twitter_impression=true

 

Middle Grade Matters is a program that provides book recommendations and resources to help kids ages 8+ navigate tough situations.

https://www.harpercollins.com/childrens/middle-grade-matters/

 

YA Literature podcasts: 🎧

https://player.fm/podcasts/Ya-Literature

 

YA Fiction podcasts: 🎧

https://player.fm/podcasts/Ya-Fiction

 

Irish poetry podcast: 🎧

https://anchor.fm/laureate-na-ng/episodes/WEARETHEPOETS-Poetry-Jukebox-6-Colours-by-Aoife-Coyle-ecg4s9/a-a1sfh2q

 

#AtHomeWithPenguin 🐧

A new online series connecting you with your favourite authors, including @richardosman, @MarianKeyes, @MelissaHemsley + @CCriadoPerez. Tune in Tuesdays at 5pm for an insight into their homes, books + minds

www.penguin.co.uk/ahwp

 

Harper Collins: 🐣 🐇

Happy Easter with publisher Harper Collins!

Lots of free downloadable activities, resources and audio-stories 🐣 🌼

https://www.harpercollinschildrensbooks.co.uk/easter/

 

RTÉ Home School Hub:

Catch up on RTÉ player:

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/rt%C3%A9-home-school-hub/SI0000006854?epguid=IP000065950

 

Library Home-schooling resources:

An excellent link for all things education from our friends over in Monaghan Library.

From special needs to graded readers to coding- it’s all there. 📲

https://monaghan.ie/library/homeschool/

 

Twinkl:📖 💻

https://www.twinkl.ie/home-learning-hub

Free ROI online learning & teaching resources available for junior infants to 18+ years of age

For free Irish membership- enter code IRLTWINKLEHELPS at the checkout