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Best kids' books about football
Would your child rather be kicking a ball than picking up a book? Get them excited about reading with fiction and non-fiction titles about the beautiful game, from World Cup histories and step-by-step technique manuals to brilliant football fiction for all ages.
Museums reviewed by parents: York's Chocolate Story
Bring learning to life with a visit to one of our parent-recommended museums and experiences. For a delicious, immersive visit into the world of chocolate, take a guided tour at York's Chocolate Story.
Museums reviewed by parents: Discover Children's Story Centre
Bring learning to life with a visit to one of our parent-recommended museums. We love Children's Story Centre Discover, a haven for bookworms, story-tellers and adventurers in Stratford, north east London.
Museums reviewed by parents: World Museum Liverpool
Our parent-recommended museums make bringing learning to life easy and fun. For the chance to explore creatures and people from our past and our present, head to World Museum Liverpool (just watch out for the giant spider!).
Museums reviewed by parents: The Geffrye Museum of the Home
Bring classroom learning to life with a visit to one of our parent-recommended museums, or explore the website to explore from afar. For hands-on fun and a fascinating trip through our Tudor and Victorian past we love the Geffrye Museum of the Home in London.
Is your child a sports star?
Identifying your child as a high achiever in PE and sport will help to make the most of their ability – but Andrew Shields cautions against believing that stardom beckons.
Primary school coding explained for parents
Computer code classes, part of the 2014 primary curriculum, aim to teach kids not to be simply users of technology, but creators of it too. Kate Yelland explains what parents need to know.
Team mates not required
Many children are turned off by team sports. However, there are plenty of fun alternatives for kids who reject rugby or couldn’t care less about cricket, says Andrew Shields.
10 ways to remember the First World War with your child
Bake a trench cake, plant poppies, find a local hero and investigate how your own family experienced the Great War with our family-friendly remembrance activities to commemorate the centenary of the start of WWI.
How to choose the right sports club for your child
Only one three-letter word matters when looking for a great sports club for your child. No, not ‘win’, but ‘fun’. Andrew Shields explains.
Language-learning in primary schools
Since September 2014, the new National Curriculum has made learning a language compulsory in Key Stage 2. We explain how it works and what languages your child might be introduced to.
Best construction toys for kids
Want to develop your child’s problem-solving skills, understanding of physics and fine motor control (essential for handwriting)? Time to get out the building blocks! We pick eight of the best construction toy sets for budding engineers, architects and designers.
100 of the best educational toys: EYFS
Learning toys that are packed with play value, too, our 100 best educational toy picks will help your child identify numbers and letters, learn their high frequency words, understand rhyming and even get to grips with primary-school programming and physics. Get great gift ideas with our recommendations for nursery and Reception children!
100 of the best educational toys: KS2
Your child will be having so much fun playing these games they won't even realise they're practising their times tables, improving their vocabulary, boosting mental maths skills and revising geography facts. Hands-on fun is guaranteed with every learning activity, from writing in hieroglyphics to dissecting a body and observing the night sky.
100 of the best educational toys: stocking fillers
Don't forget the stockings! These little toys and games are the perfect size to slip in, yet still offer plenty of educational opportunity. Encourage observation, curiosity, dexterity and creativity with these brilliant gifts, whatever age your child is.
Primary-school Chinese: the lowdown
Learning a foreign language has been compulsory for Key Stage 2 children since 2014, and Mandarin is an option in forward-thinking schools. Lucy Dimbylow explains what you need to know about Chinese in primary schools.
Philosophy in primary school: how thinking skills will benefit your child
Pondering life’s big questions could have some surprising benefits for your child. So how is philosophy taught in primary schools, and how can you encourage children to think deeper at home?
How to create a budding engineer
Engineering underpins almost every aspect of modern life. So what will your child learn about engineering and technology at school, and how can you encourage their enthusiasm? Lucy Dimbylow finds out.
4 ways to travel back to Roman London
Travel back in time 2,000 years and enter Londinium, a Roman city which stood where the capital does today. Bring the Roman empire to life without leaving the UK (and for free!) with a walk round Roman London, from Londinium's amphitheatre to the remains of the Roman Wall. Francesca Fenn of Step Outside Guides offers a few ideas for a Roman discovery day for KS1 and KS2 children.
5 at-home design and technology projects for primary children
Design and technology is part of the national curriculum. Teacher and parent Phoebe Doyle offers some practical D&T project ideas and suggestions to help your child get hands-on, boost their confidence and have fun (and make mess!) with materials at home.
5 primary school art projects to try at home
Art is part of the national curriculum and one of the subjects your child will be taught at school. Teacher and parent Phoebe Doyle offers some practical project ideas and suggestions to help expand their knowledge and experience at home.
12 of the best ways to get kids excited about history
We’re surrounded by history and heritage, and these books, games, toys and apps will make it come to life for children (and adults!) of all ages. Cook a Tudor treat, visit a virtual Roman London or read the diary of a war nurse – each activity is packed with information and details that create a real sense of being in the past. Start a life-long love of history and its treasures today!
Encourage a love of drama and the stage
Whether your child is a diva in the making or more inclined to be backstage crew, drama and acting could help develop skills that will offer a boost in many areas of life, says Lucy Dimbylow.
What is a play script?
Children learn to read, write and perform play scripts as part of the English and drama curriculum in primary school. Find out about the features of this genre, as well as ways to support your child's learning at home.
What are myths and legends?
Myths and legends are taught as part of the primary-school curriculum; as well as reading them your child will probably write their own version. We explain what parents need to know to support learning at home.
3 of the best Royal London experiences for primary-school children
Our capital city is soaked in royal references and history, and it is hard to visit anywhere that isn’t connected with royalty in some way, but a few very special places really bring the pageantry and tradition of the monarchy to life for KS1 and KS2 children. Enjoy a right royal day in London with tips from Francesca Fenn of Step Outside Guides.
Cool classics: Latin and Ancient Greek at primary school
If your child is often heard incanting Harry Potter spells, he’s probably familiar with a few Latin words already. But could Latin or Ancient Greek be on his school syllabus next year? Lucy Dimbylow looks at the benefits of learning classics, and how to get started at home.
No-sew history costumes
Another week, another costume… that’s the way it feels sometimes! Non-crafty mum Phoebe Doyle has some no-sew, no-stress ideas to help you create a simple, effective costume for History Week at school, whether your child needs to look medieval, prehistoric or Victorian.
Best children’s tablets
Learning through play is digital now, with apps and games teaching everything from phonics to times tables and basic physics. If you’re planning to invest in a children’s tablet packed with educational potential, read our guide first – we asked two computer-savvy parents and six children to put some of the most popular through their paces.
3 brilliant London excursions for primary school children
A trip to London is a great way to see history. With almost every stone soaked in stories of the past, a day in the capital is a great way to make KS1 and KS2 history learning come alive. There are elements from every period of London’s past still visible in the city today if you know where to look – Francesca Fenn from Step Outside guides suggests a few things to see and do that bring the primary history curriculum to life.
Computer coding for kids
Could your child be a future computer programmer? It might sound unlikely, but teaching children coding is becoming more commonplace – yes, even in primary schools. So what do you need to know about helping your budding Bill Gates (or twenty-first century Ada Lovelace) to grasp this complex skill? Lucy Dimbylow finds out.
13 ways to get children excited about geography
Boost your child’s natural curiosity about the world around us with some at-home geography fun. Teacher Jenny Cooke, creator of the Oddizzi website for primary school learners, shares her wanderlust tips to help you turn a rainy afternoon into an exotic adventure.
What your child can learn from doing a self portrait
Children often draw pictures of themselves, along with friends and family. Self portraits are actually a key part of learning and personal development, so provide the paper, pencils and opportunity for your child to have a go.
How to keep your child safe online
With technology advancing faster and faster, parents are finding it more and more difficult to stay on top of how their children are using the internet. We spoke to mum and internet-safety guru Pamela Whitby about what you can do to protect your child online.
11 things parents need to know about the National Curriculum
It’s the basis for what your child learns every day, but what exactly is the National Curriculum and what does it teach? Education writer and primary teacher Phoebe Doyle offers some clarity.
Penpals: an engaging and lifelong learning activity
Revive the fading practice of letter-writing for your child through one of the penpal schemes available for students – not only can they practice penmanship, but they may make a friend for life!
Raising bilingual children
Like many skills, it’s best to start learning two languages as young as possible, but it’s not uncommon for parents to run into a few difficulties when raising bilingual children. TheSchoolRun offers advice and tips from parents who have first-hand experience to share.
Sports Day cringe stories
It’s supposed to be one of the highlights of the school calendar, but in reality sports day is ripe with opportunities for humiliation. From finishing line tantrums to trackside arguments, six mums share their shame with TheSchoolRun.
What happens in Foundation Stage art
Find out what your child will learn in art, with lesson examples, and get tips on simple homework ideas that will help them get ahead of the class.
Key Stage 2 design and technology: what children learn
Get clued up on what your child will be learning in Design and Technology so you can help them build on their lessons at home.