Entertaining kids now

Make use of the ipad. First thing make a timetable for the day with you and your grand daughter looking online at activity suggestions.

Outside - gather different leaves / flowers to identify then make a picture with them
Baking / cake decorating
Hopscotch - use alternate legs to hop on, will help cordination
Watch a short programme on ipad / TV and ask her to write you her version of it
Growing salad vegs - radish, cress grow very quickly

My Brownies used to love making a house for a fairy ! I told them that some fairies were due to visit the area but they were very shy, so they wouldn't see them, but they needed some nice places to stay. The idea was that they would find some big tree roots and then gather leaves, bits of sheeps wool, stones - anything that could be found lying around (not breaking leaves off trees etc) and then use different areas of the tree roots as the rooms of the house. Some were really imaginative with "slides" (big leaves) from upper to lower rooms, comfy sheepswool beds, tables, chairs etc - it's amazing how this fires the imagination. They also liked pond dipping, cooking a mini burger on an upturned empty tin can with holes made with a can opener in the bottom and a tea-light under it and on pack holiday they even liked learning to clean the toilets, peel potatoes, tie-dye a t-shirt and, (randomly), sit and wash their socks and peg them out on a line. (interesting to see how some managed to fix the socks to the line even though their pegs were upside down!)

Granddaughter loved when we played school with the dolls as pupils and she the teacher. She used file cards folded to make little books for each. She wrote cards for the wall, window, bed etc with those words on so the dolls could practise reading them. Yours, being older, could write inthe little books.

My 3 year old GD has me in stitches, when she ‘visits’ me on Messenger. Her favourite game, with her Mum, is “I’m the Mummy and you’re the Baby” ‘Baby’ pretends to misbehave, and gets lectured by ‘Mummy’ about waiting her turn, etc. So funny. I can hear echos of her Mum, and the daycare team.

I agree that your GD needs to have some schoolwork included in her day, but it can be disguised as play. A bit like sneaking vegetables into her meals!

Let her help with making her lunch, and if she has online school work tackle it too.

Paint a stone with pictures or words eg be happy then take to woods or park to be hidden but not too well. Hopefully someone may swop hers with their stone. Very popular activity at the moment. After any activity try to get either a picture or a little written work on describing what you have done. Look on line for activities for 8 year olds, sure you will find plenty.

What I do with my grandson (he’s only 3 but I’m talking about my system) is using a schedule like they do at his preschool. We have different activities, spaced by 10 o’clock snack, lunch or fruit. We have put up drawings illustrating those different parts of the day. Activities varie from drawing/painting, puzzles and reading to sand-and waterplay, gardening, ball, swing etc. He loves to watch TV, and he’s allowed, but we try and limit it a bit. A (very flexible!) schedule helps a lot against boredom and to have a bit of structure in the day!

I'd do some school work either stuff school has set or using resources easily available on tv and internet I'd start keeping a diary together (english composition spelling and writing practice ) go for a walk (exercise/pe ) baking (maths and science) I would also choose a book to read together a chapter or two per day (reading) do some craft teach her a skill like sewing knitting crochet Make learning fun and enjoy gran time with DGD

I've had success here with the help of a plastic inflated beach ball. When distancing was an issue we threw, headed, kicked or punched it between us sitting down. Now with introduction of bubbling we also run around semi football style. Other success has been with supply of cardboard boxes (courtesy supermarkets), string, sellotape, scissors etc. Interesting outcomes! 'I spy' has it's educational merit too.

My GS are "writing books". Each day they write about how being home during this time feels to them. It is amazing how they view these days from fears to laughter. They have talked about loneliness missing friends, the fun of learning to cook, the tedium of household chores and yes, doing school work. Their books will be tucked away and shared when they are grown up.

Can you use some of the government’s Oak National Academy stuff? If she’s now year three, use year two stuff, especially if she’s a bit behind. It’ll help consolidate and give her confidence.