This booklet belongs to: Contents Staying safe and active outdoors during COVID-19 4
Why do we need to get active this summer? 5 Games and activities for under fives 6 Games and activities for five to 11 year olds w Games and activities for up to 11 year olds t Where can I get active in Kensington and Chelsea? f Where can I get active in Westminster? g How else can I get active in Kensington and Chelsea h and Westminster?
Change4Life Kensington and Chelsea and Change4Life Westminster, in collaboration with partners and with the support of Kensington and Chelsea Council and Westminster City Council, have created this booklet full of ideas for games and activities for the whole family to get naturally active this summer. What is Change4Life? Change4Life is a national campaign from Public Health England that’s all about supporting children and families to eat well, keep active and lead healthier lifestyles. To find out more about how the campaign is put into action locally, please check: Westminster City Council www.westminster.gov.uk/change4lifewestminster Kensington and Chelsea www.rbkc.gov.uk/change4life
2 3 Staying safe and active outdoors during COVID-19 Did you know that health experts recommend that children be active for at least 60 minutes each day? This has been hard to do during lockdown, but with the easing of the rules, you can now go outdoors with your family and be more physically active while social distancing and having fun. Being in nature and spending time outdoors in green spaces is also important for your emotional and physical wellbeing as it helps you reduce stress, increase happiness and unleashes creativity in children.
How to be safe when doing an activity outside your home:* ✔ The advice from the Government is to continue to stay alert and limit your contact with others to help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). ✔ You can spend time outdoors with people you live with, with one other household or others in a small gathering, provided you follow social distancing guidance. ✘ Avoid close contact games with people outside of your household. ✔ By far the most important thing you can do to stop the spread of the virus is to follow social distancing guidance and wash your hands regularly with hot water and soap, or hand sanitiser where soap and water aren’t available. ✔ Please visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus for the latest government advice. ✔ By following the Government’s guidance, you are helping to protect yourself, your family, and your community.
*Disclaimer: These guidelines were correct at the time of printing, but they may change so please do follow the latest guidance when you are using this booklet. Please visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus for the latest advice and information.
4 Why do we need to get active this summer? Research shows that there are many good reasons to get moving as being active: • Improves health and fitness and maintains a healthy weight • Improves our mood and make us feel good • Helps us sleep better • Strengthens our muscles and bones • Develops coordination • Improves behaviour, self-confidence and social skills Spending time in nature and green spaces can help you: • Reduce your blood pressure, muscle tension and stress • Feel calm and relaxed • Increase self-esteem • Enhance creativity
This booklet has a list of games and activities to do with your family at your own leisure. They are just suggestions to get you started and include options for under fives up to 11 years old. We hope they will inspire you to adapt them to your own taste and to create and try new ones! There’s space to write your own list of games and activities on page 27. Complete five activities from the booklet and send us pictures of you doing the activity to enter our prize draw. You could win one of five £20 Sainsbury’s vouchers! Just use the email addresses below. We’d also love to hear from you! So please tweet us @RBKC or @CityWestminster to share a picture. Use the hashtag #NaturallyActive You can also email: [email protected] or [email protected]
5 Under 5s Move like an animal Purpose: Understand how animals move and develop strength and coordination of the body. Why this activity? Participants • It increases body awareness and Two or more. how exercise affects the body. Steps • It helps children explore new 1 movement and understand the Find an open space. different ways animals move. 2 Capture the children’s • The tag game is fun and keeps imagination by telling or children active. reading a story featuring different animals. 3 Prompt children to show how the different animals can move e.g. a dog may move on its hands and feet, a crab in reverse with tummy facing upwards, a rabbit or kangaroo with jumping feet or a lizard may slither on their tummy. 4 Prompt children to explore animals moving or rolling at different speeds or directions, or tag games running away from a predator.
What do I need? Nothing extra – some might like to wear large adult socks on hands. This activity was provided by, www.healtheducationpartnership.com
6 Under 5s Catch the bubble Purpose: To catch the bubbles flying in the air before they touch the ground. Why this game? • It’s fun, easy and children love running after the bubbles. • It encourages running and coordination of the body. Participants One or more. Steps 1 Find an open space. 2 Blow bubbles from your bottle in different directions. 3 Encourage children to run and catch the bubbles. 4 If age appropriate, ask children to count how many bubbles they can catch each turn or in total.
What do I need? A bubble bottle. This game was suggested by Antoneta Horbury, RBKC Transport Policy Team
7 Under 5s Musical statues in nature Purpose: Dance to the music when it’s playing and ‘freeze’ when it stops. If you move when you are a statue, you lose one life. Why this game? It encourages children to move their bodies and be aware of the music. Participants Two or more. Steps 1 Find an open space. 3 When the music stops, they must ‘freeze’ and stand as 2 Play the music, encourage still as statues. The twist is children to dance around while this statue should resemble the music plays. something they’d find in nature – such as a tree, a flower, a squirrel or bird. 4 Anyone seen moving after the music has stopped, loses one life. You can decide at the beginning how many lives you will have. Once you’ve lost all your lives you’re out of the game.
What do I need? A radio, phone or tablet to play songs. If you do not have a phone or connection, you can sing songs. This is a fun technology-free twist on the game.
8 Under 5s Right way wrong way Purpose: Turn the objects the right way up in the quickest time possible. Why this game? It helps develop stamina and alertness. Participants One or more. Steps 1 Find an open space. 4 You can also play against an opponent and see who can 2 Lay out objects across the turn all the objects around space, making sure they are the quickest? Or why not try all upside down. These can be spreading the objects across things you brought from home a larger area. such as toys, a water bottle or a rucksack. 3 On the word ‘go’, how long does it take to turn all the objects the right way up?
What do I need? A few toys or items from home that you wouldn’t mind laying on the floor. A timer. This game was adapted from the Youth Sport Trust, www.youthsporttrust.org, and provided by Active Westminster in partnership with Change4Life Kensington and Chelsea, and Change4Life Westminster.
9 Under 5s Fast fun This page lists three quick activities that children can do on their own or with others. They encourage children to get closer to nature, while developing their skills and giving them opportunities to try new things. What’s missing? Ask your child to pick three objects from nature for this game – a pebble, a stick, and so on. Lay the three items out on the ground and ask your child to cover their eyes while you take one away. Which one is missing? Sensory exploration Wander around a green space with your child and see what catches their attention – acorns, leaves, seeds, pinecones, sticks. Encourage them to feel the different textures with their hands: bark, the leaves, the grass – how does it feel? Is it warm or cold? Smooth or rough? Soft or hard? Make shapes on the ground Collect sticks and leaves and use them to create different shapes on the ground e.g. a square with a triangle on top could make a house. Experiment with different shapes to see what your inventors can create.
These activities were adapted from www.naturallylearning.co.uk
10 5 -1 1 year olds Wacky races Purpose: Can you race against a partner using different ways of moving? Why this game? • It encourages running and improves stamina. • It encourages foolishness and it’s fun. Participants Two or more. Steps 1 Find an open space and mark out a start and finish line. 2 Between the participants, take it in turns to suggest a different way you could move from the start to finish. 3 On the word ‘go’, everyone races, moving in the same way to reach the finish line.
Ideas • Can you move on your hands and feet? • Can you move backwards? • What is the quickest way of moving? • What is the slowest way of moving? • Can you move like different animals e.g. a crab in reverse with tummy facing upwards, or kangaroo with jumping feet. Which animal is the fastest?
This game was adapted from the Youth Sport Trust, www.youthsporttrust.org, and provided by Active Westminster in partnership with Change4Life Kensington and Chelsea, and Change4Life Westminster.
11 s ld 5 o -11 year Treasure hunt Purpose: To work out clues, find new things in your area, work alone or as a team. There could also be a race against other teams or against the clock! Why this activity? Steps • It’s fun and challenging. 1 Find an open space. • It’s adaptable for different ages. 2 Make up clues for a child or Participants team to reach a place, item, Two or more. person, or thing. You can give clues in person or place them where they can be found. 3 Ask them to take a picture of themselves by the above (or to show you the answer if you don’t have access to a camera or phone). 4 There they will find (or be given) the next clue and so on. 5 Do this until the end and, if held as a competition, announce the winner!
What do I need? Optional: A phone to take pictures. This activity was provided by Ellen McRae, Golborne Community Champions.
12 5 -1 1 year olds You name it! Purpose: Identify plants, flowers and trees. Why this activity? • It encourages walking and observing and recognising plants, flowers and trees that you often see in your local park. Participants Two or more. Steps 1 Walk around your local park or 4 Whoever says the name public garden. first and it’s correct, they get a point. 2 Point to a tree, plant or flower that you can all see. 5 Take it in turns to point to a tree, plant or flower and keep 3 Ask children to say the name counting your points. if they know it.
Optional – PictureThis is a free app you can download to help you identify trees, plants and flowers. Simply take a close-up picture of the leaves and the app will tell you the name.
What do I need? Nothing extra. A smart phone if you’d like to use the app.
13 s ld 9 o -11 year Hanging sculptures Purpose: To have fun finding different shaped and coloured objects in the park and create a beautiful artwork with them. Why this activity? • It’s a fun activity to do together. • You can practice counting and shapes with your children. • It encourages interesting discussions about things you see in the park. Participants This is a great activity to work individually or for a family to do together. You could even have a competition. Steps 1 Create a list together of objects you need to find in the park 3 Visit the park and collect and how many of each object the objects from your list you need to find. (remember to wash your 2 You can increase the difficulty, hands afterwards!) and the number of objects to 4 Either in the park or back at find according to the age of home, use a stick as the hanger your child. and attach your new treasure to it using some string. Experiment with hanging What do I need? things at different heights. • String 5 • Scissors Find a place to exhibit your • A bag to collect the objects in hanging sculpture at the park or in your home. 6 This activity was provided by If you are having a competition Lisa Nash, Programme Manager, – have a vote to decide ACAVA, www.acava.org the winner!
14 9 -1 1 y ear olds Make a neighbourhood map Purpose To make a map of your local neighbourhood, identify places of interest and places your family would like to visit. Why this game? • It encourages walking and observation. • Map skills can help children understand distance and time. Participants Two or more. Steps 1 Look at a few maps of different 4 When you are back home, get areas so the children joining in a large piece of paper and understand how maps work. some pens or pencils, and start drawing your map together. 2 Take a walk together around Colour in the map and make your neighbourhood. Starting it personal by giving your from your home, note places own touches. of interest like shops, schools, parks and houses (like a 5 Take a walk together after you friend’s house). You could also finish and see if you can follow include trees or plants that along with your map. are memorable. 3 As you walk, discuss what they’d like to include in the map and if you can, jot down things as you go along to help remember later.
What do I need? • Paper • Pencil • Coloured pencils or pens to decorate
This activity was adapted from www.kidspot.com.au 15 s ld 9 o -11 year Beat the streets eye-spy history treasure hunt Purpose To encourage children to explore, be observant and consider the history of their own area. Why this activity? • It teaches us about the history all around us. • It allows children to discover things for themselves, just by walking and being observant. • There are no right or wrong answers: everyone will find something on this list. Participants Two or more. What do I need? Steps When we think of the ‘environment’, 1 Look for the images of common we usually think of the planet, street fixtures on page 17 and but people have also shaped our see how many you can count environment and have helped on your walk. to create the spaces we live in, 2 Put a tick beside the item every which continues to change over time you see one. the years. 3 Find out a little bit more about For this activity, you only need the fixtures you’ve spotted by your eyes and the photos on the reading the resource sheet. pictures on the next page, and a pencil or pen. It’s very simple 4 If you see faded images of and you can do it on the way to large murals or adverts on the park, or the shops, or just by walls, look them up on: walking around. www.ghostsigns.co.uk
This activity was provided by London Environmental Educators Forum (LEEF), with thanks to member David Dixon, www.leef.org.uk
16 9 -1 1 y ear olds Beat the Streets eye-spy history treasure hunt resource sheet
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What are you looking at? 1 Water hydrant: the top number shows the diameter of pipe in millimetres and the bottom number shows the distance from the plaque to the hydrant in metres. 2 This street telephone works cover was installed before 1984. The post-office controlled the telephone service until 1984 and then it became the responsibility of British Telecom (BT). 3 MWB stands for Metropolitan Water Board which existed from 1903-1974. It became the Thames Water Authority until privatisation in 1989, when it became part of Thames Water. 4 A Thames Water hydrant cover.
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s r a U e p to 11 y Mini dens Purpose: A great alternative to building full-scale stick dens and perfect for young children. Why this activity? • It’s a brilliant way for children to get all the benefits of den building but on a smaller scale. • Mini-dens also work well for younger children as small sticks and twigs are easier to handle and carry. • It’s wonderful for imaginative play, resourcefulness, motor skills and problem-solving. Participants Steps Two or more. 1 Look for small twigs and sticks – a small bundle should be enough for one mini den. 2 Find an open space to build the den. Experiment with different shapes and sizes. While creating the den, encourage your child to be as imaginative as possible. Ask questions like – Who is the den for? How will they use it? 3 Encourage your child to add their own figurines, soft toys, or create creatures from natural objects you find, like leaves, pinecones, What do I need? mud and stones, to create A space with trees. their own mini-den world This activity was provided by Katie and adventures. Mills, Founder of Forest & Family, www.katiemills.co.uk
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t o 1 1 y ears old Air balloon challenge Purpose: To keep the balloon up in the air for as long as you can. If the balloon touches the ground you lose a life. Why this game? It’s good for body coordination, and it’s fun for all the family. Participants Two or more. Steps 1 Find an open space. 2 Start by standing three steps apart from your partner. 3 Throw the balloon to each other, trying to keep the balloon from touching the ground. 4 If the balloon touches the ground when you were trying to catch it, you lose a life. You can decide at the beginning how many lives you will have. Once you’ve lost all your lives you’re out of the game.
What do I need? • A balloon • If you do not have a balloon, use scrunched up tissue paper or a soft ball!
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s r a U e p to 11 y We are going on a bug hunt! Purpose: Make it your mission to go out and search for these fantastic minibeasts. Why this activity? Invertebrates (animals that don’t have a backbone or a spinal column like insects, worms and slugs) are all around, but sometimes we have to look quite hard to find them. Children will need to be fast, quiet and alert when hunting bugs, just like a real spy. Participants Two or more. Steps 1 With your child, turn over logs and stones and look for THINGS TO REMEMBER invertebrates underneath • Be gentle when handling them. Spiders, centipedes and your finds as, compared to the woodlice all enjoy living in this invertebrates we’re searching kind of environment. You can for, we are giants. also look in bushes, trees and • Always put the invertebrates around flowers. back in their homes before you 2 Encourage your child to draw head back to yours. their favourite minibeasts or • When moving logs and stones keep a list of all the different be sure to put them back how invertebrates they find. You you found them. can identify their names by • Make sure children are always downloading the ‘Naturalist’ accompanied by an adult app on your phone: while bug hunting. www.inaturalist.org
What do we need? Paper and a pen or pencil, and a magnifying glass if you have one. This activity was provided by The Royal Parks Mission: Invertebrate project.
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t o 1 1 y ears old Nature scavenger hunt Purpose: To be inquisitive and find natural objects that you can return safely and without damage. Why this activity? • It helps children pay attention to the natural world in more detail. • It encourages observation, touch, imagination and motor skills. • It can be adapted to different ages. Participants Two or more. Steps 1 Devise your scavenger Scavenger list list before heading to a 1 A feather green space. 2 A leaf 2 Add things on the list to 3 Three different kinds of seeds make children think creatively or look very closely. 4 Something round Here’s an example: 5 Something perfectly straight 6 Something beautiful What do I need? 7 Something that is of no use Your own scavenger list. in nature This activity was adapted from 8 Something that makes a noise “Sharing Nature with Children” 9 Something white by Joseph Cornell, Dawn Publications (1998) q Something that reminds you of yourself w Something soft e A sun trap*
* 12 – A sun trap is anything that captures the sun’s heat (water, rocks, etc.)
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s r a U e p to 11 y Family mission: get to a new place Purpose: To find a new place in your local area for your family to visit on foot, scooter or by bike. Why this activity? To get to know your local area better as a family and get there by travelling actively. Participants Two or more. Steps 1 Check information about your 3 The following links can help local area and decide on a new you plan your journey: place that you haven’t been to app.traveltime.com – before. It can be a green space, You can add your postcode, specify a shop, a library, a historical the mode of transport you are building, etc. planning to use (walking or cycling) 2 Discuss with your family how and the time you want to spend you are going to get there and travelling. It will show on a map plan your journey. how far you can go in any direction from the postcode provided. www.cleanairroutes.london – Some streets have cleaner air than others. Find a clean air route for walking and cycling to reduce your exposure to air pollution.
What do I need? A scooter or bike if you’re not going by foot.
22 Where can I get active in Kensington and Chelsea?
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23 Where can I get active in Westminster?
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For a list of all parks and green spaces go to: www.westminster.gov.uk/parks- gardens-and-open-spaces
24 How else can I get active in Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster? Please check the following sites to find out more about local activities to do this summer: Active Westminster: www.active.westminster.gov.uk Family Information Service in Kensington and Chelsea: www.rbkc.gov.uk/fis Family Information Service in Westminster: fisd.westminster.gov.uk/covid-19
Further resources for games and activities Plenty of free ‘Nature at Home’ activities by Holland Park Ecology Centre in collaboration with Sayers Croft: www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/wildlife/natureathome.aspx Home blog full of ideas, activities and tips for getting creative at home by ACAVA: www.acavaathome.tumblr.com Royal Parks’ free learning and play resources for families and adults: www.royalparks.org.uk/learn/learn-online Physical activities and games by Youth Sport Trust: www.youthsporttrust.org/60-second-physical-activity-challenges www.youthsporttrust.org/pe-home-learning Walks in London by Transport for London: www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/top-walking-routes?intcmp=2424 30-second to one-minute videos with cycling games by British Cycling (scroll down): www.britishcycling.org.uk/getinvolved/article/20200325- getinvolved-Getting-the-most-out-of-HSBC-UK-Ready-Set-Rid-0
25 Acknowledgements
We’d like to thank the following organisations for their contributions to this booklet:
26 My games and activities to get naturally active
Write your ideas for more ways to get naturally active this summer!
27 For more information, please visit: www.westminster.gov.uk/change4lifewestminster www.rbkc.gov.uk/change4life
How to contact us You can email us at: [email protected] or [email protected]
© 2020 Kensington and Chelsea Council _709_7 _ [email protected]