Learn from home

The COVID-19 situation has us all adapting to a “new normal”. Staying home gives us time to reflect, but we also know that the brain gets restless and that we like a bit of intellectual stimulation – that's what this page is for!

Useful links

We've gathered below a few links to our favourite learning resources for all ages. Share widely with fellow teachers, parents or to try some of them out yourself!

Wellbeing

Talking to children about COVID-19
Child Mind Institute: Supporting families during COVID19
Helpful videos by Nathan Wallis for parents and whānau
The Parenting Guide – survival tips for home self-isolation

Science science science

Nanogirl podcasts for kids, updates weekly
Science Learning Hub (a variety of topics)
Curious Minds
Phet – Free science and math simulations for teaching STEM topics, including physics, chemistry, biology, and math, from University of Colorado Boulder
Science Experiments for kids
Geoglossary Update your geological lexicon!
GNS Science Learning Resources explore the amazing story our country and the earth have to tell!
British Science Association Crest Awards (at-home science activities for all levels)

The whole whānau

BBC podcasts (free to download)
Scratch – program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community
Amazon Audible books (free whilst schools are closed)
YouTube Learning - have partnered with Khan Academy and other learning creators to bring parents & families resources and activities to make the coming days as educational and fun as possible
Audiobooks RNZ - Not for Children (Young Adult reading)
Learn Coach - a range of resources to support students with NCEA
Learning from Home (Ministry of Education)
Khan Academy - a non-profit resource with the mission to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere
TED ED snackable lessons for everyone
MENSA daily brainteasers

Something to keep the younger (and young at heart) ones busy

NZ Geo (updates daily)
David Walliams (free audiobook every day)
TIME kids – Digital Library, free for the rest of the school year
Wheeler's Ebooks and audiobooks
Oxford Owl E- library

Activities

The art and science of photography

Learn how to tell your story through pictures, and how to take photos that help identify specimens in the wild, with our how-to guide on scientific photography.

Magma Drillers Save Planet Earth

In this exciting educational game – created by UC scientists – students will take on a variety of different scientific roles in order to help solve the planet’s environmental and energy issues.

Make your own seismometer

Learn how you can make your own seismometer using materials commonly found in the home, with UC Geology PhD student Sam Davidson.

Cloud in a bottle

Make your very own cloud in a plastic bottle, with UC atmospheric scientist Dr Laura Revell.

Sun Power

The sun is the powerhouse of our solar system, so it makes sense we should look to use the free energy it provides us here on Earth more. So how can we use sun power?