Life

Family activities in lockdown: Facebook Live events to entertain and educate

You might already have Joe Wicks’s PE classes pencilled in for your morning workout, but there are plenty of other free classes available online to educate, exercise and entertain the whole family during this time of social isolation, writes Jenny Lee

Join in with Core NI's family workout every day at 11am
Join in with Core NI's family workout every day at 11am

WHETHER your child’s home learning pack is completed or hardly touched, there are plenty of other opportunities to keep families engaged during the coronavirus lockdown.

Often, kids' screen time is scorned, but the Covid-19 crisis has surprisingly presented many innovative opportunities, with a host of celebrities and educators posting live Facebook videos. Here are a few to check out:

:: Hobbycraft – Daily kids craft club, every day at 11am

:: Oti Mabuse – Live kids dance classes with the Greatest Dancer and Strictly Come Dancing star, daily at 11.30am

:: Maddie Moate – Lets Go Live nature and science programme with CBeebies presenter Maddie Moate and fiancée Greg Foot at 11am daily

:: World Of David Walliams – The author will be reading a daily short story from his best-selling kids books every day at 11am until April 23

:: Glasgow Science Centre – STEM experiments you can do at home, 10am daily

:: Core NI – Family workout every day at 11am

:: Jo Jingles Greater Belfast – Facebook Live classes for babies and toddlers Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10.30am

:: Tumble Tots UK – Live music and exercise class for toddlers, daily at 10am.

:: The Nourished Body – Online cooking workshops for kids, Mondays at 10am

:: The Ballet Coach – Free online ballet classes. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9.30am (ages 3-5), 4pm (ages 5-7). Tuesday and Thursday 4pm (ages 7-12) and 5pm (ages 13+). There is even Grandmas & Grandpas stretch and movement on Wednesday at 10.30am. ?

:: Blooming Kids NI – Baby and toddler sign language classes, Mondays, 10.30am??:: McArt Studio – California-based art class, daily at 6pm GMT

:: Steve Backshall – Wildlife, biology and geography Q&A, daily at 9.30am

:: Theatre of Science – Interactive science lesson for 4-10-year-olds, Tuesdays, 1.30pm

:: Hope For Youth Ministries – Virtual school assembly and Bible club, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11am

:: Relax kids – Bedtime visualisation, nightly, 7pm

Paul Jenkins – Poet – Weekdays, 4pm, for a quick blast of poetical fun.

:: Facebook Live tip: Head to the page that is hosting the event and click on the video section. If you are not available at the live time, you can watch them later. Some Facebook pages have links to their YouTube channel or individual web pages, where content is also available.