Along with the rise in home education over the past few years, something else has grown exponentially- the prevalence of online schools. Most often used for secondary age students to prepare and take them through their GCSEs, online schools are frequently misunderstood and parents can be stressed trying to make a decision on which one is right for their child. This article will clear up exactly what online schools are, (it’s not as simple as it seems), and compare a few of the most well-known online schools available to UK and international students. What Is An Online School? Online schools ar ..read more

When it comes to family-friendly fun and excitement, England is home to some of the best theme parks in the world. These thrilling destinations offer a wide range of attractions and experiences that are sure to keep children entertained and enthralled. While not on the grand scale of Disney World or Universal Studios, England’s amusement parks are creative, inventive, exciting, and well worth a visit.  So whether you and your family are exploring England by car, spending a weekend in London, or heading off on a no-fly cruise holiday from Southampton and looking to pack in an extra activit ..read more

The year-round pleasant climate, particularly during the cold winter months that northern countries experience, is one of the main reasons why the Canary Island of Tenerife is such a hit with tourists. But this popularity can often leave the main tourist hubs feeling just that – extremely touristy. If you’d rather avoid the crowds and head to destinations that remain unspoilt by mass tourism, consider heading to the smaller villages and towns on the island. Holidu, the holiday rental booking portal, has analysed Google searches made by Spanish people in the past year to uncover which towns in ..read more

Birthday Party Activities For 10 Year Olds Entertaining tween party guests can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. This article has some amazing birthday party ideas that are perfect for 10 year olds, and can easily work brilliantly for children aged 8-12. Whether you’re looking for birthday party games, themes or quirky and novel ideas, you’re in the right place! Here are some fun ideas for your kid’s birthday party: Classic Themed Party This is a great way to celebrate your child’s favorite things and each theme lends itself to specific games and activities: Dinosaur party– kids can thaw ..read more

If you are looking for a blog post with cute drawing ideas as a great way to improve your (or your child’s) drawing skills, you’re in the right place! It’s easy to get caught up in ‘how good’ you are at different types of art but ultimately it is supposed to get your creative juices flowing and be a lot of fun. Below is a list of cute, simple drawing ideas along with some resources to help you expand your artistic skills! There is a lot of great subject matter that, when you practise drawing it, is a great base for learning new skills. You might want to produce a simple sketch, learn how to dr ..read more

There are many benefits to learning chess, and it is something my kids have really enjoyed. They first started when their home education group brought in a real Chess Master to teach them the basics of chess, and they’ve loved it ever since! Learning chess can help children improve concentration and memory, develop strategic and analytical thinking, improve planning skills and learn helpful social and emotional skills such as gamesmanship and managing disappointment. We’ve found that it can be a calming activity too; it requires kids to sit still (not something you’ll usually hear me recommend ..read more

If your child believes in Santa, you may have created a tradition of visiting the big man once a year. My kids usually see Santa- we’ve done visits at local parks, garden centres, breakfast buffets and last year a cowboy-themed restaurant (!), but this year we’re going for something a bit different! I’d heard of online Santa visits back in 2020 when over the internet was the only way we could see people, but this year I looked into them more and found that they’ve developed into some absolutely brilliant and magical experiences. If you’ve found that your local Santa visits have become too exp ..read more

Using logic and strategy games and puzzles in your child’s playtime and/or home education is a fantastic way to help them learn while having fun. There are many skills developed through strategy games, such as planning, delayed gratification, mathematics and analytical thinking- all very helpful for real life! My children really love Chess (here’s 4 resources for teaching your child chess), card games, Monopoly, Connect 4, Scrabble and other board games that require forward thinking and strategic planning. They also love online games which we have found incredibly useful- see 5 surprising edu ..read more

As you probably know by now, my kids do a variety of classes, clubs and workshops with Outschool. Despite the name Outschool isn’t a school; it’s an online platform connecting passionate professionals who want to share their skills and interests with children and teens- and at Christmas the offering really ramps up! (At the bottom of this post is a $20 free credit to try any Outschool class or session!) During non-holiday time, kids can take classes in everything from axolotl care to French patisserie baking, and from beginner stock trading to coding in Minecraft! With over 140,000 classe ..read more

Family skiing in the European Alps and the Dolomites is said to be legendary. Not only because of the picture-postcard Alpine villages but also because of the superb resort towns located at their bases, which make for an ideal base when skiing with the young ones in tow.. Why is skiing in Europe so good? The scenery is spectacular, the life systems are excellent and many of the peaks exceed 3000m, which means reliable skiing conditions not only for expert skiers but for learners and beginners. Here is a list of some favourite family ski resorts that will make taking your kids on a  ski ho ..read more