Schools | Keeping In Touch Newsletter - Buckinghamshire Adult Learning

Schools | Keeping In Touch Newsletter

Keeping in Touch with Family Learning- Schools Edition - Issue 19 - December 2022

How animals prepare for winter

With winter drawing in, the days are getting shorter and the long dark nights ahead, get ready this winter holiday with some great activities and fun crafts to do.

Fun with words and stories

Find out how animals prepare for the winter months by reading this lovely book: Winter Sleep. Talk about the different animals, what do they do in the winter? Compare this to how we get ready for the winter.

Play an interactive game. Follow some birds on their migration journey. Where do they go? How far do they travel to get to warmer climates? Read the stories out loud, pretend that you are a bird migrating from where you live. Write a few sentences about your journey.

Find out how you can help birds this winter by playing these online RSPB games.

For older children- Write a more detailed migration story or research one of your favourite animals and create a fact file. Do they hibernate, migrate or adapt?

Discover Stories

stack of books

How do humans adapt to the cold? What ideas have we borrowed from animals? Use this link to design and build a glove or mitten that helps to insulate your hands from the cold. Some animals need to make a den to keep them warm in the winter. Use this link to design, and make winter dens for animals.

For older children – What other materials could you use to design your own dens? Can you plan and make a den from other materials that you have in your house or in the recycling bin?

Exploring maths

Use this winter to collect information with your child. Measure the temperature outside each day and get your child to record this in a table, chart or graph. Talk about time. Make a poster of the four seasons. Make a chart recording how many hours of daylight there are each day.

For older children – Research how far birds travel when they migrate. Again, record this information. Which bird travels the furthers? Use this link for information that can be recorded.

Make and learn

paintbrush and paints

Make this easy hibernating bear and his cave from toilet rolls and paper bags.

For older children – Find a picture of your favourite animal in winter. Use this as a starting point and ask your child to create their own piece of artwork. A pencil drawing, a painting and even a collage using a variety of pictures. Here are some great bird pictures that you could use.

Remember to feed those birds that do not migrate this winter. Why not make a bird feeder for your garden or to hang outside your window.

Useful Websites

BC – A place to keep warm. Welcoming Spaces are warm, free, safe and supportive spaces that you can visit during the winter. The offer somewhere to: keep warm and and save money on your heating; get access to support, advice and Wi-Fi

BC – Helping Hand. Ideas to help you with the cost of living.

Buckinghamshire Family Information Service – Information, support, childcare and things to do for families, children and young people aged from birth to 19 years.

What’s going on in Buckinghamshire? Find out what’s on in Buckinghamshire today or this weekend.

Kids Days Out. Over 50 different things to do for the whole family in Buckinghamshire and further afield.

Courses Coming Up

Free Online Family Learning School courses

To book all courses and workshops, click on links or phone 01296 383582.

●        Reception: Develop your Child’s Early Reading by Creating a Storysack 5-week course

●        Years 1 and 2: Tale of Whale Story Workshop and Support your Child with Reading and Comprehension 5 week course

●        Years 3 and 4Reading and Writing Skills Workshop and Support your Child with Writing, Grammar and Spelling 5-week course

●        Years 5 and 6: Support your Child with Writing, Grammar and Punctuation 5-week course

For information on Early Years courses for parents with children aged 2 to 4 years. Please text/call Wendy on 07768 044813 or Sarah Winfield on 07825 862029.

New Adult Learning Courses

Multiply  New FREE maths workshops across Buckinghamshire. Multiply is a new government-funded programme to help adults (19 years +) who do not already have a GCSE at grade C (or equivalent) in maths improve their numeracy skills.

For further information and for dates and locations of the next workshops, please text or call Christina on 07977155937 or email multiply@buckinghamshire.gov.uk