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Home activities and resources for wee ones
Discover free resources and activities to enjoy with little ones during lockdown
There are so many ways to keep stories, songs, rhymes and play alive at home during lockdown. Here's our pick of free resources and activities for every family to enjoy:
BBC Authors Live
BBC Authors Live brings free, world-class author and illustrator events for children and young people right into your home. There are 80 shows to choose from in the Authors Live On Demand Library, including Scottish picture book authors Chae Strathie and author and illustrator of the Katie Morag stories Mairi Hedderwick. You can watch along, read along and even draw along from the comfort of your own home!
Live Music Now Scotland
We love music at Bookbug and are delighted that our chums at Live Music Now Scotland have recorded some special performances for everyone to enjoy at home. Join Grant McFarlane & Ron Jappy for a wonderful interactive session for 0-5 year-olds featuring Scottish songs on guitar and accordion. Follow actions to Katie Bairdie and dance to Scottish jigs at home!
Play Scotland
Play is one of the most important things we can do to support our children's physical, emotional and social development. It's also a great way to have fun together! Our friends at Play Scotland have some brilliant ideas for playing at home during lockdown - you can also follow their #PlayEveryday campaign on social media for more inspiration.
Big Dog Goes Digital (24 April - 1 May)
Wigtown Book Festival were so disappointed to cancel their forthcoming Big Dog Festival for children - they've decided to bring it online! They will be running a week of free online children’s events, featuring authors including Alan Windram (One Button Benny) and Vivian French. Keep an eye on their website this week for further details.
Gaelic4Parents
Looking for ways to keep stories, songs and rhymes alive in Gaelic at home? Check out the Gaelic4Parents website to listen to all of our new Bookbug Bag stories being shared in Gaelic. You can also listen to some traditional Gaelic songs online and download the lyrics to help you learn new favourites together.
Audible for Kids
For as long as the nurseries and schools are closed, Audible is offering families the opportunity to listen to many of their children's books for free. Download timeless classics like Winnie the Pooh and The Tales of Beatrix Potter for those moments in the day when you all need a little downtime! For families who don't speak English as a first language, there are options in 6 other languages too.
BBC Word Waves
If you're looking for new stories and poems to share at home, BBC word waves have a wonderful selection from some much-loved Scottish authors including Debi Gliori, Matthew Fitt and Robert Louis Stevenson. As well as listening to the stories, and watching them being shared, little ones can follow an animated word wave bring the words to life on screen.
Julia Donaldson and Friends
If you've got a Julia Donaldson picture book fan in your house, they'll love seeing the author bring some of her favourite stories to life. With guest appearances and lots of music and dancing along the way, these short films are a brilliant way to keep books alive at home. They might even inspire you to find new ways to share other books together!
Parent Club
As well as great ideas and tips for ways to play together at home, the team at Parent Club have the most up to date coronovirus information on their website. If your wee one has questions about the coronavirus and its impact on them, you may find the Q&A with Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon on their website particularly helpful. Find out how the First Minister answers some of the big questions that matter to Scotland's little people right now.
Don't forget that you can find plenty of songs and rhymes to share at home on the Bookbug app or the Bookbug Song and Rhyme Library. You can find more videos and other things to keep you busy in our Home Activities Hub. There's a new online Bookbug Session to join in with every week on our website and it's also worth checking your local library's website and social media for details of online Bookbug Sessions taking place.
Stay safe, happy, and healthy at home!