Stay at home activities

For families wanting some inspiration on how to entertain the kids during these challenging times, then we have created this page of activities and support. Please share your family fun ideas here: fis@derby.gov.uk

Don't forget to keep an eye on what's going on in the city. Find out what's happening with our parks, museums, libraries and much more.

• Derby Theatre - We can’t go to the theatre right now but Derby Theatre has filmed some great behind-the-scenes- footage and commissioned several digital short films. Check out their YouTube channel.
• 10 Day circuits challenge - You need: paper, pen, timer. Look around your house and think creatively about 10 different exercises you could create for your circuits challenge. Maybe use the bottom step of the stair as a bench for dips or squats, perhaps use a dining room chair and create a couple of sitting exercises, you might want to use some outdoor space or equipment for some exercises too? Using your paper, create a table so that you can record how many of the exercises you can repeat in 1 minute.
• Wellbeing bingo - Have a go at playing our Wellbeing bingo and see if you can find people to play with you or try it later with your friends and/or family.
• Get creative - 
  • Dig your LEGO out and build the dream hotel from your holiday brochure.
  • Use a tablet / phone to video your football commentary and share with a friend.
  • Design and colour the front cover for your story book.
• QUAD is excited to announce that our Young Advocates are seeking photographs from children and young people, aged 25 years and under, to exhibit in a virtual group show online. FORMAT21 is an international Photography Festival taking place in venues across Derby from 12th March - 11th April 2021.
• Hopes and dreams jar - Use an old jam jar, box or tin. Decorate it with whatever you like. Think about all the things you would like to do or achieve this year, things you enjoy, things you don’t always have time for. Write them down on a piece of paper and put them in the jar. Dip in the jar each time you’re bored and fulfil a dream.
• Write a Kindness postcardand draw a picture to make someone smile. Send it to someone:
  • Who you think has been really kind to you
  • Who lives locally to you and is not able to see many people
  • Who lives in a care home
  • Who you think needs a smile!
• Never made a sandwich before? Now’s as good a time as any to learn! Help to make lunch for whoever is at home with you. It’s a life skill you will use for the rest of your life.
• Here’s a basic Basic salt dough playdough recipe.
• Well, you must all have plenty of these by now - spare loo rolls! Here's what you could do with them with some help from First Media Blossom:

• Lots of zoos around the world have set up webcams so here are links to 5 of the best:
  1. Edinburgh Zoo (UK) - Panda, Koala, penguin & Tiger cams 
  2. Marwell Zoo (UK) - Flamingo, Penguin, Giraffe & Lemur cams 
  3. Dublin Zoo (Ireland) - Elephants, Penguins, giraffes, rhinos, ostrich & zebras cams 
  4. San Diego Zoo (USA) - Panda, Penguin, Baboon, Polar Bear, Ape, Koala, Giraffe, Burrowing Owl, Condor, Elephant & Tiger cam 
  5. Houston Zoo (USA) - Giraffe, Gorilla, Chimp, Elephant, Leafcutter Ant & Rhino cams

• Without a hug, how do you know you're still best friends? The Hug by Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar

• We could all do with a bit of escapism from reality at the minute, so here's a list of digital escape rooms to play with family and friends.
• 30 ways to occupy your bored teenager in lockdown!
• Coronawho? The story of one little girl's experience of life in lockdown by Dr. Claire Standley, Dr. Hannah Smith and Dr. Eleanor Southgate.
• How to make a giant crunchie bar!

• Now you know how there is always an odd sock floating about your house, well here's what to do with it - make a sock mask!
• If you enjoyed drawing the giraffe around your hand then try these other simple hand drawings from First Media Blossom:

• Get the little ones helping out with folding the washing with this easy hack from Cleverly: 

• Quad is running a film competition. Children and Young people aged 5 – 18 years old are invited to submit short films or animations between 3-15 mins long. Deadline 31 July.
• Parsley Mimblewood is a home-schooled kid who sees herself as something of an expert on “How to NOT go to School”. The story follows her daily whimsical adventures along with her 11 animals and 7 imaginary friends. Each chapter explores an issue that might be weighing on children’s minds at the moment such as missing friends, dealing with emotions and feeling cooped up. Thanks Mr Forde.
• Find out how you can make self-raising flour from plain flour, and use substitutes such as almond or coconut flour to make delicious bakes at home from Which?
• Little Amber tells us how to measure your feet for new shoes whilst in lockdown.

• With many parents and children now homeschooling, RSK’s technical experts are pleased to be able to share their technical knowledge with our next generation of environmental experts. RSK’s latest environmental activity pack, this time aimed at children aged 7-8, is now available to download.
• Discover wonderful people and places with Paddington Bear!
• Sign up for a monthly direct debit of £8 and as a bear-sized thank you, Paddington will send your child a personalised postcard (and more!) every month. With each pack, they’ll explore a different country with Paddington and learn about the life of a child who lives there.
• Who needs Joe Wicks when we have our very own Derby Active class instructors! Active Derby at Home offers free home workouts, information about health and wellbeing, nutrition and home exercise as well as sharing information with you from our fitness industry partners.
• In Derby’s news page has some great articles with gymnastics videos, parent and child fitness and healthy eating. Don't forget to check their social media channels on Facebook and Twitter.
• The Green Flag Award for parks and green spaces has launched a social media artwork challenge called #perfectparks. Budding young artists draw or paint the best things they love about parks and green spaces then post it online with the hashtag #perfectparks.
• Not all of us have access to a printer but there is still plenty to do online. Twinkl Go! is a website where you can still play games, listen to stories, watch videos as well as educational exercises.
• With cinemas closed, QUAD Cinema Programmer, Adam Marsh, has scoured online and streaming services to share his picks of new, classic, independent and world cinema. Start your 7-day Healthy Cinema Diet with Adam's curated programme today. Read Adam's Blog.
• Derby Active has worked in partnership with Technogym to set up a Derby Active Virtual Gym free to everyone to keep you active during these times. Simply check our Derby Active pages and follow the links to view workouts and set up an account with Mywellness App – where you can log daily activities and link to other fitness apps.
• Raising Dragons has the simplest idea for a scavenge hunt - an A-Z hunt!
• Artcore have been developing a series of Motivational Mornings and Crafternoons videos. These 'how-tos' provide daily activities for individuals and families to keep healthy, creative and motivated over the coming weeks. Have a look at Artcore's YouTube Channel for all the videos.
• Roald Dahl site has plenty of things to do indoors and stories read in BSL!
• Houseparty, the 'face to face social network', has gained the no.1 spot on the app store after becoming one of the most downloaded apps since social isolation was introduced. National Online Safety has a guide for parents and carers on ‘What every parent should know’. Please remember this app is aged 13 and over.
• Best selling children's author, Michael Rosen has a You Tube channel called Kid's Poems and stories with Michael Rosen. He has teamed up with Beatboxer, SK SHLOMO and even done a version of We're Going on a Bear Hunt like you have never seen or heard it before!
• Experiment and have fun using whatever is to hand to decorate your cookie dough. Be a smart cookie with these 12 cookie decorating tips!

• Did you know you can access the Biff, Chip and Kipper primary learning books online for free? Oxford Owl has plenty of free resources to help you support your little ones.
• The On-line Library of Knowledge has opened its Q-Files offering unlimited access to the site for free until the end of July 2020 to support children learning from home.
• Mischa makes a banana pancake! A children's cooking tutorial on how to make a healthy banana pancake.

• Any budding scientists in your family? Here’s a fun STEM project – make a paper horse that walks on its own!
• Kids Inspirational created a Facebook club to inspire your children whilst schools are shut!
• A list of free, online, boredom-busting resources! Here are some fantastic links to a huge variety of activities from music, arts and culture to history, geography and learning new skills.
• Lots of families have been recommending the Houseparty app especially for your teenagers. They can link up online instantly to play all sorts of games.
• Children love to watch things grow so what about planting some seeds? It is great fun and you will be able to eat the produce over the next few months. Seed packets can be bought in most supermarkets along with the compost for the pots. Get inspired:

• Seed potatoes are ideal for planting and if you leave some potatoes in the light they will sprout shoots. Plant in a deep pot or a double bin liner, leave the top open, plant the potatoes and watch them grow.
• Working from home? Here are 20 activities to keep kids busy!
• Looking for a simple way to entertain your mess maker? Water painting is so easy; all you need is a paintbrush and some water to paint indoors or outdoors, on paper or the patio!

• With shopping becoming difficult, here is a wonderful video about regrowing some salad plants and vegetables you can easily do at home.
• Here are top psychologists’ tips for schools, parents and carers dealing with coronavirus school closures.Mo Willems⁠, a bestselling author and illustrator,⁠ will be teaching drawing every weekday in sessions called Lunchtime Doodles!
• We need to get creative at mealtimes. Here are 4 ways to make pizza.
• Here is a long list of amazing websites that get used by home educators so there is a mixture and educational and fun things to do.