Our Home Learning Tree
Children learn just as much at home as they do with us. Pick your child's age group and each tree shows one easy, achievable activity for every one of the seven areas of learning — no planning, no purchases and no pressure.
A little bush for our youngest learners
Everything on this tree is a game you can play while you are carrying out daily routines — feeding, changing, bathing and getting dressed. You do not need any special equipment, and babies learn best when you follow their cues and stop when they need a break.
Tap a lettered fruit on the tree, then read the matching idea below.
- CL
Communication and Language
Fruit 1 of 7
- Name the sounds your baby makes, then copy them back and wait for an answer.
- Point and name three things around you during every feed or nappy change.
- Sing the same two or three songs at the same moment each day, such as bath time.
- PD
Physical Development
Fruit 2 of 7
- Tummy time with a mirror in front of your baby for a minute or two at a time.
- Let your baby reach for, grab and pass soft toys or safe kitchen items.
- Roll a ball back and forth, then move it just out of reach to encourage crawling.
- PSED
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Fruit 3 of 7
- Play peek-a-boo with a cloth or your hands so your baby learns you always come back.
- Name the feelings you see — happy, sad, cross — while you comfort or play.
- Let your baby watch and copy your clapping, waving and facial expressions.
- L
Literacy
Fruit 4 of 7
- Look at high-contrast or touch-and-feel books together and name the pictures.
- Talk slowly through what you are doing, pausing often so your baby can respond.
- Give your baby a soft, safe object to hold and explore while you read.
- M
Mathematics
Fruit 5 of 7
- Count the fingers and toes while you wash and dress your baby.
- Say how many — one ball, two blocks — as you hand things over.
- Hide a toy under a cloth and let your baby find it.
- UW
Understanding the World
Fruit 6 of 7
- Give a basket of objects with different textures to explore with hands and mouth.
- Open and shut cupboard doors or drawers containing safe cups and lids.
- Go outside together and point at birds, leaves, cars and people.
- EAD
Expressive Arts and Design
Fruit 7 of 7
- Scribble together with chunky crayons on a big sheet of paper.
- Shake homemade rattles and bang wooden spoons to make music.
- Paint with fingers using yogurt or mashed fruit during bath or high-chair time.
Age ranges are a guide — every child develops at their own pace. Pick whatever suits your child, and ask us anytime for more ideas.