Learning outside school

Not all learning takes place in the classroom – in fact, most of your child’s learning is going to happen outside of school.

In this section of the site you’ll find how to make everyday events, like gardening or playing football, into learning opportunities, how to create a reading-friendly home, fun science and craft activities to try at home and ways to bring maths into your child’s everyday life.

If you are considering home education, we’ve also got information to help you weigh up the options.

Articles

Chess: the perfect game for kids

It’s free, portable, quiet enough to play anywhere and has powerful brain-boosting benefits for kids – and it’s fun, too. Here’s why you should get your child hooked on chess.

7 life skills all primary-school children need

Not everything your child needs to get on in life can be learned in the classroom. From typing and DIY skills to cooking and lifesaving, here are seven vital skills that will stand them in good stead in the primary-school years and beyond. By Lucy Dimbylow

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.

Join TheSchoolRun today...

... and instantly access thousands of worksheets, activities and games for your child

Also see:

Family-friendly museums

The UK's museums are among the best in the world. Uncover amazing artistic, scientific and literary treasures with your children by visiting the museums other parents love and return to time after time - in our reviews mums and dads highlight the audio trails, activities and exhibits you mustn't miss. With links to the national curriculum and free educational materials to download, you'll enjoy every minute of hands-on learning!

Look Out Discovery Centre, Bracknell
DIG, York
York Castle Museum, York
York's Chocolate Story, York
Discover Children's Story Centre, Stratford, London
World Museum, Liverpool
The Geffrye Museum of the Home, London

Learning at home: educational TV, apps, activities and more

Holiday learning made fun!

A long, lazy holiday is one of the great joys of life – but within days you’ll be driven to distraction by sibling squabbles and cries of “I’m bored” (not to mention a visible emptying of your wallet). Plus, research shows that kids who don’t stay mentally alert during the summer lose up to a third of what they’ve learned during the academic year. So try one of our 59 easy, boredom-busting activities – at home, on the move and on holiday. They’ll be having so much fun they won’t even realise they’re learning…

Brain-boosting challenges to try at home!

Juggle fruit. Work on the technology of the future. Plot and design a lost city, create a zoo of invented animals, learn to talk sdrawkcab and bake a pizza clock and a pastry map. How many of our wonderful brain-boosting challenges can you have a go at? All you need are some art materials, imagination and an enquiring mind to have a go at a whole host of practical and reflective activities, suitable for primary-school children (and parents, of course). Have fun!

Learning outside school