Kestrel Class Enrichment Activities

Classes

Use an OS map
 
Tip 1 - Start small It’s really important, especially with young kids, to start with something not too challenging. Encourage your child to stick to a short distance and to walks that aren’t too technically challenging.
 
Tip 2 – Use the OS Maps App to plan the route This OS Maps app is really helpful for planning adventures, as it makes it much easier to plot (and remember) the route you’re taking. The app measures the distance as you plot your route, has cycling, running and walking options, and settings to help calculate how long it will take to complete your journey.
 
Tip 3 – Learn some key map-reading skills before you go out Even though you may be using the OS Maps app to navigate outdoors, basic map reading skills still apply, so it’s important to learn them. The Ordnance Survey have done some brilliant, short map skills videos, presented by Steve Backshall that explain how to read maps, understand contour lines and use a compass.
 
Tip 4 – Pack your own bag (with help, if needed) This is one of the most fun bits of planning an adventure – going down to the shops, buying snacks, making sandwiches and compiling a checklist of items to pack. Check the weather forecast (so that the correct gear can be packed), pack the lunch items first and pack waterproofs last, so that if it does start to rain they are easily accessible.
 
Tip 5 - Lead the adventure Keep the map or app within reach, so that you can keep checking that you’re going the right way and can adapt the route if need be. It’s important not to let the adults help too often, even if you are struggling, as you’ll often figure it out yourself given enough time.
Write a book for Puffin Class
 
1. Come up with your idea
  1. Losing a favorite toy
  2. Bedtime struggles
  3. Imaginary friends
  4. Fear of the dark
 
2. Consider Repetition and Rhyming
The use of repetition allows children to anticipate what the next word or sentence of a story might be, encouraging them to participate in the act of reading and following along. Rhyming can help children anticipate upcoming elements in a story. It can also contribute to a more fun, memorable reading experience.
 
3. Develop engaging characters (bears, dinosaurs, fairies...)
Think back to the books you enjoyed when you were younger. Do some research...ask younger children about their favourite stories and if you can read some together.
 
4. Edit and seek feedback
Go through your book line by line, and consider: is this line important for my story? If the answer is yes, carry on. If it’s no, remove it! After you’ve finished that, go back through your manuscript looking for any spelling or grammatical errors.
 
5. Illustrate your picture book
Remember, a picture book is a book that relies on both illustrations and words to tell the story. Once you’ve gotten your manuscript as polished as you can, it’s time to seek out feedback from the most honest readers out there: children!
 
6. Publish your picture book
Make and launch an air powered rocket
 
Baking Soda and Vinegar Rockets
Why do baking soda and vinegar react this way? Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When combined, the oxygen and hydrogen in the base react to the hydrogen in the acid, releasing carbon dioxide. This makes the mixture bubble and expand.
 

Air Powered Rockets

Another fun DIY project is an air-powered rocket. A lightweight homemade rocket can fly a good distance fueled by only compressed air. One of the easiest ways to create compressed air is by stomping with your foot on an empty container, like a plastic bottle.

 

Make Amazing Mistakes

If you’re lucky, your first attempt at a rocket launch will fail. The rocket will tip over, the fuel will leak, or any number of possible problems will arise. The process of troubleshooting these problems will deepen your understanding of rocket science and build your independent learning skills.

Don't forget to take some video and bring this and your rocket and launcher into school for a performance.