Fun Learning Ideas (Age 10-11) - Juniors - Key Stage 2 - Year 6
Your child will still enjoy playing games but you may need to initiate them as there are often so many other demands on their time. Here are some that are fun but challenging, and which will help with language, reading, writing and maths skills.
Games and activities
1. Word games
Encourage your child to make up their own crossword puzzles or word searches for friends and family to develop vocabulary and dictionary skills. Bananagrams is great for this too.
Play the ‘Headline Game’ – use stories to make up headlines and then vote for the best. For example, ‘Girl dressed in Red stalked by Wolf’.
Play around with anagrams to help with patterns and spelling. For example, make as many words as you can out of Constantinople (1697 apparently!).
2. Board games
Play games that play around with definitions and bluff definitions to encourage interest in word meanings and origins (for example, Absolute Balderdash or Call My Bluff).
Play games such as Taboo to encourage clarity, fluency, and expression without ever saying the obvious descriptive words.
Scrabble is a classic spelling game – guaranteed to get the family talking – or shouting!
3. Screen games
Don’t forget that games like karaoke require on-screen reading (and performance) which children usually love to play with friends and family.
Setting up games, such as on the Wii, involves reading and understanding instructions, so make sure that your child can do this for themselves (although they normally teach us).
4. Writing ideas
Encourage book blogging and taking part in readers’ book sites, e.g. adding reviews to Books4people.
Children may like to keep a Favourite Book journal which can have lists of titles, quotations, pictures and sketches to encourage them to look back at what they’ve read.
Get involved in planning a holiday schedule (making a list of books to read, entering book review competitions, planning day trips and so on).
Remember to check out our full range of Year 6 books on Wise4Words by Clicking here!