Family Play

Let’s Play Ireland is a government-led initiative aimed at promoting play for all children living in Ireland during the COVID-19 emergency.

Playing is central to children’s physical, mental, social and emotional health and wellbeing. Children learn through play while developing resilience, flexibility and understanding of their world. Play in families enriches childhood. All children and young people have a right to play.

• Lets Play during Covid-19- Click Here
• Lets Play Ideas- Click Here
• Lets Play Families- Click Here
• Lets Play Outdoors- Click Here
• Lets Play Creatively- Click Here

The Cork Sports Partnership have developed a Lets Play Cork Series along with a number of local partners full of ideas and interactive resources. Please follow this link to find out more>> Lets Play Cork

Active Playgrounds was developed by Get Ireland Active to increase play and physical activity during school break times. Many of these games can be also used in the home environment. 

This resource provides many ideas for activities and games using playground markings and other playground games.

The games outlined are aimed at increasing enjoyment, motivation and adherence in child involvement and learning.

They can be simplified or progressed depending on the age and ability of the children.

Many of the games can be adapted for indoor play, using similar equipment as well as music. 

• Active Playground Games – Click here >>>

The Active Schools “Run Around Ireland” Challenge can be adapted to your home environment. Instead of running a lap of your school, run around your house a number of times (depending on how big your house is) and track your progress. 

Get all the family out and see who will be the first to run around the island of Ireland. 

• Run Around Ireland Map – Click here >>>
• Run Around Ireland Checklist – Click here >>>

For other Active School’s information see www.activeschoolflag.ie

The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) has developed a number of resources to support play in a playground or school setting. 

Playground Games:

– Without Equipment (Beans, Laughing Tag, Follow the Leader)

– Traditional Games (Duck Duck Goose, Simon Says etc.)

This guide is easily adapted for use in the home with easy to follow how to set up descriptions for each game.

• PDST Playground games – Click here >>>

Move Well Move Often:

Practice your fundamental movements skills such as jumping, skipping, hopping, dodging, landing, balancing, throwing, catching, kicking, striking, walking or running. Follow the buttons on the side of linked PDST page for video descriptions. 

• PDST Move Well Move Often – Click here >>> 

How to create a Treasure Hunt in your garden:

Treasure hunts have long been a staple weekend or school holiday activity for kids of all ages – challenging their problem-solving and teamwork skills.

But rather than copying a boring old treasure hunt, Capital Gardens has compiled a set of tips to help you create an exciting hunt for your family. Here’s the step-by-step guide to creating an incredible back garden treasure hunt.

• Capital Garden’s How to Create a Treasure Trail – Click here >>>

Another version of How to Set Up a Treasure Hunt game by Youth Sports Trust UK is outlined in the video below. 

• School Games Treasure Hunt How to Video Guide – Click here >>>

Detailed and fun step by step guides to your own Arts & Crafts at home.

•  How to Create a Kite – Click here >>>
• Make your own Tetrus, Super Hero Bingo, Fairy Door Crafts & much more – Click here >>>
• Glow in the Dark Bowling – Click here >>>
• Lawn Twister – Click here >>>

Free Sports themed colouring sheets.

• Crayola Colouring Sheets – Click here >>>
• Colouring.WS Colouring Sheets – Click here >>>
• SuperColouring Sports Sheets – Click here >>>

Cork Sports Partnership has created a Family Fun Fitness pack to help families exercise and stay active together in a fun back to basics circuit. The circuit comprises of general Movement & Animal Movement exercises that will both challenge and entertain younger and older members of the family while completing at home!

This Family Fun Fitness pack comes with short demonstration videos and a checklist so you can measure how many times per week each member

of the family has completed the circuit.

– Family Fun Fitness – Click here >>>

Yoga is known to be a great recreational activity that offers opportunity to self regulate promoting positive behaviour. See below yoga based activities we have collated for your child and siblings to take part in at home. 

• Dinosaur Disco Yoga Session – Click here >>>
• Underwater Party Yoga Session – Click here >>>
• Skeleton Dance Yoga Session – Click here >>>

For more information & ideas see www.cosmickids.com

The official LEGO® channel hopes to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow, so there’s lots of awesome videos here for families to enjoy together, from exclusive webisodes to stop motion animations!

Lego YouTube Channel – Click here >>>