Kids Country offers free home school solutions in light of COVID-19 challenge
Kids Country, the East of England Agricultural Society’s education initiative, has quickly adapted to the challenges that COVID-19 school closures have placed on parents, carers, teachers and children at home, with an exciting schedule of daily #lockeddownlearning activities that can be accessed for free. These activities are also suitable for teachers to deliver to the children of key workers that are still in school. The programme includes Grow Your Own, Easter Chicks, Bees and Mini Beast themes for the first four weeks, and will be extended as long as the closures continue.
Education manager, Sandra Lauridsen, said: “We are really aware that the school closures are placing a lot of pressure on parents and carers to think of fun ways to educate at home in line with the National Curriculum, and at Kids Country we quickly decided to come up with a free plan of activities that can be done at home for little to no cost. We are very lucky to have strong relationships within the agricultural industry and many of the companies that we work with to deliver our normal events have kindly helped support these activities with their knowledge. We have postponed our own programme of events to the autumn term, but that doesn’t mean that children have to miss out now with our new online resources.”
Sandra continued: “We are privileged to work with over 5,000 children in a typical school year, but we want to reach even more with our online resource of activities, with everything from growing your own potatoes, to mini beast trails and making a bee bath. Without even realising, children will be learning about food, farming and the environment, and importantly, getting out into the fresh air, which we all know has essential benefits to mental and physical wellbeing.”
East of England Agricultural Society colleagues will be demonstrating the day’s activity across the Kids Country social media channels, and as well as the existing Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn platforms, Kids Country has launched a new Instagram profile to help reach more parents and children at home (@kidscountryuk). All resources will be posted on their new webpage https://www.kids-country.co.uk/home-activities-resources/ as well.
