• In the event of a snow day,  a programme of learning will be shared with families to enable them to support their children to enjoy and engage with the experiences of snowy weather
• The programmes of learning have be designed to enable children to interact with resources which are easily found around the home
• Class teachers will be available during school hours using parents preferred method (Dojo, email, phone call)

To ensure that pupils do not lose any skills during any school closure period the following measures have been identified:

• There is an expectation that parents will support the child to engage with the offer provided. In order to remove any barriers to this, parents will be given clear information to support with their access to the remote curriculum
• A wide range of sessions will be offered in order to make it as easy as possible for families to support their childs’ learning from home
• Class teams will monitor engagement, daily. Staff will encourage families to send photographs, videos and comments of their children participating with the work
• Staff will continue to liaise with families using their preferred method of communication (for example Dojo)
• During live sessions, SNTAs will observe pupils’ progress and will complete observations using Evidence for Learning (EFL)
• SNTAs will also be available during online lessons to promote engagement and communication e.g. by using Makaton signing to support understanding and by providing verbal encouragement to the children

We have carefully designed some learning activities for you to complete with your child in the event of a snow day.

You will see that the tasks are written for different pathways, these are only suggested. Please feel free to try out the range of suggested tasks within the activities.

We have supplied symbols to support your child’s ability to access these activities. If you would like any additional communication tools, please contact your child’s class teacher via Dojo.

Making a hot chocolate

If your child is in the Galaxy or Meteor Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to explore the different ingredients used when making hot chocolate (the sound of milk shaking in a jug, the smell of the cocoa powder, feeling the marshmallow/cream on your fingers)

If your child is in the Meteor or Comets Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to follow instructions (verbally or with symbols) to make hot chocolate

If your child is in the Astronauts Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to write about making your hot chocolate using adjectives (describing words) . What was the best bit? How did it taste?

Notes and ideas for parents:

We have provided some symbols to support this activity that you could show your child on a phone or tablet.

Even if your child does not eat orally, they may enjoy the different smells and textures of the ingredients

Please send us photos of you enjoying making or drinking your hot chocolate !

Do you want to build a snowman?

If your child is in the Galaxy or Meteor Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To show adults if you like or dislike the feeling of snow.

To be able to choose which items that you would like the snowman to wear (for example, a green or red scarf? A carrot or an orange for a nose?)

If your child is in the Comets or Astronauts Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to follow instructions from an adult to change the number of buttons/stones on the snowman

How big can you build your snowman?

Can you measure how tall your snowman is?

Notes and ideas for parents:

If building a snowman outside is not possible for your family, bring the snow inside.

Please send us photos of your snowman creations!

Snow Painting

If your child is in the Galaxy or Meteor Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to select colours of paints/food colouring to change the colour of the paint

To use spreading motions to mix the paint into the snow

If your child is in the Meteor or Comets Pathway:

To be able to use tools to make marks in the snow (spoons, sticks, whisks)

If your child is in the Comets or Astronauts Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to draw a winter scene (snowman, trees, houses, children sledging) in the snow, using a range of ‘tools’ (paint brushes, sticks, spoons)

Notes and ideas for parents:

This activity will still be really fun for your family even if you don’t have any paint or food colouring.

Please send us photos of your snow painting creations!

Indoor or outdoor scavenger hunt

If your child is in the Galaxy or Meteor Pathway, they          should work on these targets:

To be able to explore the items that you have found around the different rooms in the house:

Kitchen - pots, pans, spoons, whisks, packets/containers to shake

Bathroom - smelling different family members shower gels, being able to use fingers to mark make in shower gel or hair gel, to show reactions to toothpaste

To be able to show adults which items you like and which you do not like to play with.

If your child is in the Meteor or Comets Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to find the list of items on the indoor scavenger hunt

• pots
• metal spoon
• wooden spoon
• whisk
• something to shake
• a container or bottle with water to shake

To be able to find the list of items on the outdoor scavenger hunt

• twig
• pine cone
• stone
• leaf
• feather

If your child is in the Comets or Astronauts Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to find the items on the lists and to be able to write descriptive labels about their attributes (for example, the stone is grey, and smooth)

Notes and ideas for parents:

We have provided some lists that you can look at on your device. However, you may have lots of other exciting items that you would like to use from around your home.

If your child would find it difficult to find the items from around the house, you could bring the items to one room. You could even hide the items under a tea towel and see if they can lift the tea towel to find the items.

Please send us photos of your scavenger hunt!

Making music with the items from your indoor scavenger hunt  

If your child is in the Galaxy or Meteor Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to listen and respond to the polar bear song, showing adults if you like or dislike the music

To be able to show adults what ‘instruments’ (items from around your house) that you like or do not like to hear, when they are played alongside the song

If your child is in the Meteor or Comets Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to use the ‘instruments to make your own sounds and play alongside the song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXlEGj0twYI

If your child is in the Comets or Astronauts Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to purposefully play the 'instrument' alongside to the song, showing a simple one step beat

To attempt to copy the physical actions that represent what the polar bear is doing alongside the music (for example, sleeping, swimming fast/slow)

If your child is in the Astronaut Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to copy the actions, repeating the 3 step clapping to the song

Notes and ideas for parents:

Watch to see what instruments or sounds your child likes the most. Experiment with loud, quiet, fast and slow sounds. Can your child copy your sounds?

Please send us photos of your musical fun!

Making an ice sculpture with items from your outdoor scavenger hunt

If your child is in the Galaxy or Meteor Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to make choices (by reaching, looking or smiling) about the items that you have collected (or that have been collected for you) and decide what you want to use

If your child is in the Meteor or Comets Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to add the items to a bowl water and watch to see if they change

If your child is in the Comets or Astronauts Pathway, they should work on these targets:

To be able to guess what might happen to the bowl of water once it has gone into the freezer

To be able to think about how to get the sculpture out of the bowl once it has frozen (using warm water)

Notes and ideas for parents:

Your child may find the water play aspect of this activity really fun. As it’s cold outside, you could use warm water to encourage their play. If you have glitter or food colouring, you could also add this to the water to make it even more inviting to play with.

If you don’t have a lot of freezer space, your child could pop individual items into ice cube trays. This will also freeze much quicker, so some children may prefer this as they will see the results quicker!

Please send us photos of your sculptures!