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Been staying in touch using Facetime which was great for watching my gd baking a cake and giving little pointers in the right direction!

It has been difficult via FaceTime but we have a great relationship mostly playing when we used to meet. Just chatting when he wants to us essential. He’s in charge.

Keep to a timetable as close to the one they're used to as possible.

My grandaughter is only 18months old and I am so lucky in that I live with her, my son and daughter in law. Lots of reading rhyming books, repetitive themes, colouring and new words are the way at the moment

My husband loves maps and creates his own walking trails. Our 6 year old grandson has become fascinated by them so now and again we have been dropping off maps of areas he is familiar with. He has enjoyed looking for features and learning about map keys. It's been a brilliant learning experience for him. We've also taken photographs for him to match to areas on the map too.

I went into lock down with my youngest DD who is a single parent to three (2 have had lockdown birthdays!) now aged 10,3 and 1.
I have undertaken all the home school for the eldest DGS who will be sitting 11+ this year and SATS next.
We have tried to mix up the activities dictated by the school and the 11+ practice with some other activities.
I have signed him up to the MEL science kits (he loves science) and we spend some time doing these; we have also bought him a telescope as he loves space! I have also bought lots and lots of work books in maths, history English and science to top up those provided by the school which we use as well as the school materials and they weren’t expensive on Amazon.
We have tried to tap into his interests as much as possible to enhance his learning- he likes Minecraft, so we bought a book showing him how to draw Minecraft characters, and we have made a video animation using them which was fun to do.
I have bought times tables snap cards, which we play with mum when little ones are in bed! and this is fun and useful.
We have downloaded a plant identifier for our country walks, and this has tied in with his science work.
I also bought some story dice, and we take turns making up stories using these which are a great way to trigger imaginative ideas.
We have made lots of use of all the really great free stuff online. A local maths tutor is offering some free classes online- yesterday it was a times tables master class! There is a Geography class room lesson online by another teacher, and another English teacher in Oxford is doing an English one.
We have also done virtual museum and Art gallery tours which he has loved.
Best tips are thinking creatively, trying to mix up the formal and informal learning, searching and using lots of great free stuff online. Lots of the science centres and museums have been offering lessons and resources free.
Facebook has been really helpful in alerting me to different online events too and we have enjoyed camp Bestival in the garden, Cambridge university astronomy session for kids and the puffin book festival (especially for the little ones)
we have been making paper moons( For space) and bunting for VE Day. mum has gardened with them, and we both do baking and cooking. Yesterday he made our dinner (with minimal help!) vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese so it wasn’t all in vain?
My other DGC I speak via Face time and I have been sending little parcels to each of them pretty much weekly of little bits and bobs which I hope let’s them know I am thinking about them constantly.

To show my granddaughter support, I join in with homework/projects, so if she has to write a story I write one as well and we read them to each other, likewise with a drawing/painting etc.. This is to encourage her to keep going as it can be hard when you're an only child and hopefully make it more fun, especially as her drawings are far better than mine.

adding in things like exercise , baking and art so its not just sitting writing all the time

Make everything fun, so he/she will ask to do it again. Develop learning slowly by making games of words and numbers. Praise little steps of learning, show him/her how proud you are. Never let your grand children down or let them feel that they have failed. Make games using their favourite toys and cartoons.. When we are over all this lock down we will be able to see our grandchildren again to talk to, read to, play with, smile and laugh with and give them a big HUG.

We have tried to stick to a formal schedule but included a mix of fun activities as part of the program

My daughter has been home schooling my granddaughters on her days off with her partner home schooling them when she is working as he has been able to work from home on those days. I have had loads of photos and videos of what they have been doing, more than I would have done had they been in school. I have also been writing to them and sending little presents. They have then either written back or video called me to say thank you.

Being apart we have all missed each other and appreciate each other more. I hope this will continue post lockdown

We kept in touch by FaceTiming, and have really praised them when they have done their school work and been really good for mummy.
Have missed them so much and they have all changed so much over the last four months they all seem so grown up now as young as they are.

Staying in touch has been varied, with the elder ones using facetime etc works well but the little ones, aged 3 and 1 has been more problematic. the 3 year old will talk for a little while but the baby just skisses the phone, she doesn't get it at all

I emailed my DGC and set each of them a project challenge. It took them a while but they sent me back great work. It gave them a change from the things they were being set by school. DGS (10) produced a great, well researched project and went on to do another of his own choice. The first one was penguins and the second was the country Lesotho, something none of us knew anything about but now we know lots. We also know that this style of learning is what really inspires him.

Keep to timetable and create goals

As I have a hearing difficulty and am beginning with cataracts though not yet bad enough to have the operation I have found being able to stay in contact with my distant grand-daughter by Whats App video and phone quite stressful and at times upsetting. Grandad is in his 80's and I have health issues. We are still in lockdown in Wales. She will be 4 at the end of August and I have tried to maintain the links by asking about colours, numbers, letters in her name as well as sharing rhymes etc. Unfortunately even with hearing aids this is proving difficult as she is naturally exuberant and loud and I have found I just cannot tell what she is saying much of the time. So yes the relationship has changed and not in a good way. Wish I could do more

i just have a half school way lessons and games with a learning theme and a prize once a week or treat for best of

When I drop their shopping off every week I take them something to do, puzzle books, jigsaws, books. And when we catch up online we have quizes about things they have learnt that week from school and they do drawings or stories about a set topic like what is your favorite sea creature and why? we have always been close but I think we are all enjoying setting each other new challenges

I just do some play, some learning, have a break, some more learning, then the rest of the day is ours. I believe that going out in the fresh air, learning about the countryside is just as productive, because you can do all sorts of learning at the same time. Count how many flowers we see, when we get home we can sort them into colours, size, type etc. There is much more to learning than in the classroom.

Positive reinforcement is always good, doing reward charts helps.

Keeping to a timetable and wearing 'school uniform' for these times. Very fortunately able to go into the garden for break times. Lots of very positive reinforcement for grandchildren and their parents.

Love, praise, encouragement, laughter and fun,
Hard core education is not for everyone,
But so much to learn in so many ways,
Through simple tasks done every day,
Cooking and baking and kneading bread,
Caring and repairing with needle and thread,
Walking the dog down the lane in the wood,
Observing nature and all that is good,
Drawing, creating and plasticine,
Dancing and playing and daring to dream,
Everyday life is a constant lesson,
and love and support is an absolute blessing!

We like to do lots of fun learning activities, such as baking and adding and subtracting for flour for instance, we also have an allotment and learning about growing, wildlife.
I also think it is important for children to learn morals and compassion so we talk about being kind and thoughtful and also have done a few bits for being worried or anxious.

My grandchildren are not very interested in sitting in front of a screen for a chat but with the laptop set up in the room and connected over zoom we've had casual chats as they play and sung songs together.

What I've found that has helped undoubtedly is Skpe and gardening, I sent my grandson a set of seeds, instructions and tools and have skpe him everyday telling him what he should be doing