In amongst all the news and concern we're all experiencing, some fantastic ideas and initiatives have appeared out there in the wonderful world of social media and online. As we're all going to be at home a whole lot more than usual, here are just a few that we wanted to share with you all:
Alex the London-based Blue Badge Tour Guide has started #GlobalTeaBreak daily at 3pm. She describes it as her little Instagram folly and invites you to grab your cup of tea (and your children) and settle down to watch and listen to a few fascinating historical facts and stories. @tourguide.alex
Another daily one to watch on social media is #TogetherAtHome via Global Citizen @glbctzn. It started with Chris Martin, then it was John Legend, Robbie Williams…you’ll love it, the children will love it (this one comes with a PG or 12A warning as it starts at 8pm). To be able to send Chris Martin a love-heart-eyed emoji which he might actually see….
A brilliant initiative for children – and all of us, in fact – is available from illustrator Rob Biddulph under the hashtag #DrawWithRob. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am he’ll be posting draw-along videos which you can watch together and hopefully create some lovely art. @RobBiddulph
They may have shut their doors but lots of the museums and galleries do behind the scenes tours. Visit the Uffizi in Florence, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in NYC and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. You can even go to the NY Met Opera for a free show each night at 7.30pm (so 2.30pm our time) (read more)
You don’t need us to tell you about the myriad podcasts available out there that will please all of the family most of the time. Think about audio books too (audible.com), which might engage non-bookworms more than asking them to sit quietly with their own book for a while. Cosy up and listen together.
For an amazing range of over 3,000 ebooks and audiobooks for children, World Book Online has made over 3,000 books available for free with collections ranging from Early Readers and Environment to Craft and Activities, Mythology, Nature and Science and beyond. The collection has to be seen to be believed! (read more)
FaceTime, Zoom and Skype (other brands are available) are just brilliant in our new social context. Last night I had a glass of wine and a natter with two great old friends in their respective homes (with passing husbands and children to wave to, adding to the joy). I’ve got two evenings in the diary for next week already – staying in with virtual friends is so the new going out…
And as we all have to be far from grandparents at the moment, make sure they’re set up too. Have a chat and see each other if only virtually - it will boost everyone’s spirits. And if both households happen to have Monopoly, why not play together!
Talking of which, The Guardian published a great list of the best family-friendly board games earlier this week (read more)
And The Telegraph suggested the best things to watch on Netflix. Quietly glad this didn’t happen in the days of three channels and no such thing as pause, record and on-demand (read more)
But back to the good old days we do briefly go, and The Green Goddess is hitting our screens again on BBC Breakfast. Yes, the very same first ever TV fitness instructor is making a comeback three times a week from her own self-isolation. Now where did I leave my shiny green lycra..? (read more)
The one and only Joe Wicks @thebodycoach is going to be running PE sessions for children from Monday to Friday at 9am live on Instagram. We’re with you, Joe! The children will be up dressed and ready. Coffee time for us..
And our very own local Jane Wake is canvassing opinion on which classes you’d like to have live streamed from next week. Have your say - the children can be involved too! (read more)
Feeling peckish after all that exercise? Try some Persian-inspired cookery from @sabrinaghayour who’s sharing lots of useful tips to help in the kitchen, making your store cupboard standby options a little tastier than they might otherwise be. Or at least in my case anyway…
That's it for now!
More soon
Alex the London-based Blue Badge Tour Guide has started #GlobalTeaBreak daily at 3pm. She describes it as her little Instagram folly and invites you to grab your cup of tea (and your children) and settle down to watch and listen to a few fascinating historical facts and stories. @tourguide.alex
Another daily one to watch on social media is #TogetherAtHome via Global Citizen @glbctzn. It started with Chris Martin, then it was John Legend, Robbie Williams…you’ll love it, the children will love it (this one comes with a PG or 12A warning as it starts at 8pm). To be able to send Chris Martin a love-heart-eyed emoji which he might actually see….
A brilliant initiative for children – and all of us, in fact – is available from illustrator Rob Biddulph under the hashtag #DrawWithRob. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 10am he’ll be posting draw-along videos which you can watch together and hopefully create some lovely art. @RobBiddulph
They may have shut their doors but lots of the museums and galleries do behind the scenes tours. Visit the Uffizi in Florence, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Guggenheim in NYC and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. You can even go to the NY Met Opera for a free show each night at 7.30pm (so 2.30pm our time) (read more)
You don’t need us to tell you about the myriad podcasts available out there that will please all of the family most of the time. Think about audio books too (audible.com), which might engage non-bookworms more than asking them to sit quietly with their own book for a while. Cosy up and listen together.
For an amazing range of over 3,000 ebooks and audiobooks for children, World Book Online has made over 3,000 books available for free with collections ranging from Early Readers and Environment to Craft and Activities, Mythology, Nature and Science and beyond. The collection has to be seen to be believed! (read more)
FaceTime, Zoom and Skype (other brands are available) are just brilliant in our new social context. Last night I had a glass of wine and a natter with two great old friends in their respective homes (with passing husbands and children to wave to, adding to the joy). I’ve got two evenings in the diary for next week already – staying in with virtual friends is so the new going out…
And as we all have to be far from grandparents at the moment, make sure they’re set up too. Have a chat and see each other if only virtually - it will boost everyone’s spirits. And if both households happen to have Monopoly, why not play together!
Talking of which, The Guardian published a great list of the best family-friendly board games earlier this week (read more)
And The Telegraph suggested the best things to watch on Netflix. Quietly glad this didn’t happen in the days of three channels and no such thing as pause, record and on-demand (read more)
But back to the good old days we do briefly go, and The Green Goddess is hitting our screens again on BBC Breakfast. Yes, the very same first ever TV fitness instructor is making a comeback three times a week from her own self-isolation. Now where did I leave my shiny green lycra..? (read more)
The one and only Joe Wicks @thebodycoach is going to be running PE sessions for children from Monday to Friday at 9am live on Instagram. We’re with you, Joe! The children will be up dressed and ready. Coffee time for us..
And our very own local Jane Wake is canvassing opinion on which classes you’d like to have live streamed from next week. Have your say - the children can be involved too! (read more)
Feeling peckish after all that exercise? Try some Persian-inspired cookery from @sabrinaghayour who’s sharing lots of useful tips to help in the kitchen, making your store cupboard standby options a little tastier than they might otherwise be. Or at least in my case anyway…
That's it for now!
More soon
