home school help and support for primary school children · a stroll to cycling a bike or bouncing...

Edition No.5Sunday, May 10, 2020

Home school help and support for primary school children

INTRODUCTION2

Each week in The Children’s Times we have presented you with a wide range of brainteasers, quizzes and lessons, all designed to engage children’s minds and imaginations. This week, while still stimulating the grey matter, we are placing extra emphasis on the importance of physical activity for a well rounded and healthy take on life.

After all, there’s little point cultivating a broad knowledge across a wide range of subjects if we neglect the regular exercise our bodies need. Physical activity plays a crucial role in a child’s development, providing the fuel for healthy bodies and inquisitive minds to thrive.

In Ireland, sport plays a big part in children’s lives and the team-building and bonding they learn during group sporting activities will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Organised sport may be on hold for the moment, but that doesn’t mean we can’t train in the meantime, getting ourselves ready for the moment the whistle blows again and our pitches and playing fi elds are populated with

excited sport fans, ready for kick-o� .Of course, not every child is interested in sport, but

physical activity can encompass everything from taking a stroll to cycling a bike or bouncing on a trampoline. Anything that gets the heart rate up is generally benefi cial for mind, body and spirit.

Hand-in-hand with keeping active is good nutrition to set children on the road to a healthy lifestyle. While children can be picky when it comes to the stu� that’s good for them, balance and moderation are key. TThere’s no harm in having the odd treat, but an appreciation of where our food comes from and how it a� ects our bodies, our energy levels and our minds is priceless.

Remember, the best way to educate is to lead by example – trying to stay active and to eat healthily yourself will encourage children to do the same.

Get ready to run, jump, hop, bounce and skip into this week’s edition of The Children’s Times.

Join the starting

line for our selection

of healthy activities to boost body and brain

Providing support in a time of need

We are delighted to partner with Cystic Fibrosis Ireland (CFI) for this week’s sports- and activity-themed edition of The Children’s Times.

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland is the national patient organisation for people with cystic fi brosis and their families. CFI provides a range of services and supports, from advocacy, information and research support to the funding of hospital posts in CF clinics nationwide.

A multi-organ condition, cystic fi brosis can impact each person di� erently, but common symptoms include a persistent cough, shortness of breath, inability to gain weight, and frequent bowel movements.

There is currently no cure for cystic fi brosis, but thanks to a combination of new and innovative medications and investment in improved CF care over the past decade, an increasing number of people with CF are now living more independent lives. However, CF remains a very challenging disease.

People with cystic fi brosis manage their condition through a combination of medication, airway clearance and exercise. Exercise is an essential part of cystic fi brosis treatment and care: it helps to clear mucus from the lungs, improves lung function, and is vital in maintaining positive mental health.

CFI provides an annual grant for members to help them cover the fi nancial costs of accessing exercise.

As the cystic fi brosis community is currently cocooning due to Covid-19, many are struggling to maintain their regular fi tness regimes. The prevalence of Covid-19 has led to increased demand on CFI’s services, so it has introduced a number of new online resources including counselling, exercise materials, study support for Leaving Cert students, and webinars to support members who are staying safe at home.

For more information on cystic fi brosis and the work of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, visit cfi reland.ie

There is no denying the giant sports-shaped hole in our lives at the moment. Whether you are a member of a sports club or a fan who loves following the progress of your favourite team, it is through our love of sports that

we form important friendships and bonds. While we may be unable to play alongside our teammates or watch a live match right now, there are still many ways to satisfy our need to be active – and thankfully the weather is on our side for once.

Encouraging children to stay active at this time should be a top priority. Exercise is a powerful medicine

for our bodies: it helps alleviate stress, it boosts our mood and even helps us sleep better at night.

In the classroom, we weave exercise throughout the school day as a way to keep our brains working. We use “brain breaks” between subjects to do this, which is something you could easily try at home. Turn on the radio and dance around your kitchen, get outside and run a few laps of your garden, or go for a quick walk. You could create a training circuit in your living room and do a combination of activities such as jumping jacks, burpees, high knees and lunges to get the heart rate going.

Safeguarding our mental health is also important at this time and staying active can help achieve this. A whole-family approach to exercise will encourage a sense of wellbeing, reinforce family bonds and create memories your children will treasure for a lifetime.

Valerie O’Loughlin is principal at St Martin de Porres NS. Many of the teachers from St Martin’s have supported us with their time and e� ort in compiling this edition

Even without team sports we can stay active

On your marks, get set… go!

There are still many ways to satisfy our need to be active – and thankfully the weather is on our side for once

GETTY IMAGES

GETTY IMAGES

Physical activity plays a crucial

role in a child’s development

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LETTERS

LETTERS TO THE CHILDREN'S TIMESWe love receiving your letters, drawings and photos by email every week, as well as those you share online. We've printed a few below. Please keep sending your experiences to [email protected]

3

[email protected]

SURPRISINGLY,I AM HAVING FUNMy name is Robyn – I am 10 years old. When they announced that schools would be closing, I was really happy. I thought I was going to be able to play all day with my friends and go to football and camogie training. Then I found out we had to do school work at home, we couldn’t play with our friends, or go to training, or go to our grandparent’s house. It all sounded crazy.

Oddly, I am fi nding it okay. Each school day we stick to the same routine: get up, go for a walk, do school work until about 11:30am and then play. We have had some fun times, like when me, my sister and our neighbours had a water fi ght over the fence while keeping our distance. We have thought of loads of new outside games, like treasure hunts, making trains with our go-kart and other toys, and making obstacle courses. I am looking forward to being able to go places again, hopefully soon.

Robyn Malone, 4th class, Co Cork

THE GOODIN THE BADWith the coronavirus arriving, it is obviously an

awful time for everyone, but you have to say there

are a few good things about it. I have more free

time and for me, a really nice thing I enjoy is going

for an evening walk with my Mum. She is one of

the people I can trust, and I feel that I can tell her

anything. Another thing I now enjoy is art.

A lovely lady named Fiona Phelan does an art

class every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday live

on Facebook, and I really enjoy that. Here are a

few other things I like to do with my spare time:

• make slime • bake• play with Lego • play soccer with my Dad• reading

But please, just remember that there is good

in the bad.

Lily Millard, 3rd class, Co Dublin

INSIDE THE HEAD OF THE TAOISEACHLeo Varadkar sat in his o� ce. It was not surprising that he felt extremely on edge. The taoiseach was about to announce to the whole country one of the biggest decisions he had made in his life: if Ireland should go into lockdown because of Covid-19. Yes had been the answer, decided in the Dail this morning, and now he was waiting to declare it. For the third time that minute he looked at his watch. It was 10:55am. What would happen when he announced the lockdown? Would people follow the rules? Would these restrictions save lives? He certainly hoped they would. But what if they didn’t work? What could he do then?

It was 10:56am. So many people would lose their jobs because of this. What would happen to them all? How could he help them and when would they go back to work? Worse still, if the restrictions didn’t work, it would all have been for nothing. The taoiseach’s watch ticked on to 10:57am. How could children do the same work at home as they would do in school? How could teachers get the

worksheets, Powerpoints, videos, books and everything else to the children? What about parents trying to work and help children? It didn’t seem possible that school could be done as well in houses. Would that mean school would have to be open in the summer?

10:58 am. Just two minutes to go, and Ireland would be in lockdown. Would most other countries be in lockdown soon too? What about the countries that had been in lockdown for a while already – when would they start to emerge from it? “When would the lockdown end in Ireland?” was another unanswered question, along with “When it does, will cases of Covid-19 just start leaping up again?”

It was now 10:59am. Leo felt like he was in a dream – it was all so bizarre and surreal. He rose from his chair and strode down to where the eager reporters were waiting for him, feeling very apprehensive. Everything had changed so quickly. When would it go back to normal?

Rachel Costello, 6th class, Co Dublin

COUNTDOWN TO LOCKDOWN THERE WILL BE A TIME

Aisling Lynch, 3rd class, Co Cork

COVID TIMESBY DAVID FINGLETON

QUARANTINEBY DAVID MOLONEY

When lockdown began over a month ago,

I thought it wouldn’t be that bad,

but little did I know.

At the beginning,no school sounded fun I won’t lie,

but now I’m missing a lot more than just

putting on my school tie.

My teachers, my class mates, I miss them all,

especially Friday PE classesin that great, big hall.

Online schooling isn’t exactlymy favourite thing, but I must make the

best out of the situation we’re in.

My family time has much improved,

and before I knew it I was in a groove,

practising rugby with my bro,

another few weeks and I’ll be a pro.

Over-70s must stay cocooned inside,

this de� nitely must be a struggle

at such a dif� cult time.

Almost a quarter of a million deaths

is terrible to hear, so we must stay inside

to � nish on a high this year.

David Moloney, age 12,Co Tipperary

There will be a time when all this is doneWill we look back on this time as fun?

There will be a timewhen we can go back to schooland simply forget about the 2km rule

There will be a timewhen the frontline can rest, until thenwe thank them for doing their best

There will be a timewhen we see family once moreHugs and kisses aplenty at their front door

There will be a timewhen all sports come backtries, goals, points and plenty of craic

I cannot wait until this time is done…

David Fingleton, age 10,Co Dublin

POETRYPOETRY

CORNER CORNER

JUNIOR AND SENIOR INFANTS4 Some educational resources provided by Twinkl IrelandFind more at twinkl.ie

A note from Ms Co� eySenior infants teacher, St Martin de Porres NS,

Dublin 24

This week our theme is all about keeping active and

staying healthy. While our favourite sports may be on

hold for now, there are tons of activities we can do

– with a little imagination, a skipping rope or even a

pair of runners – to keep our minds and bodies active.

p r o t e i n d e s o f b o n e s h a n e m h r d i e t c l a l x d f u i o y d a a b c e f e i r g t s u a l m r t s t s i h k t t u c c n o s m i n e r a l s i i s u y u g y a s f m s u e g a e d y u l a r e n m a v o y t e t t l b e t r b a e c i s i h t o d a s n h v a a e i y e d t

bodybonescalciumdietexercise

fatfruithealthymineralsprotein

saladsaltsugarvegetablesvitamins

10 MINUTES A DAYIn school, we normally do physical exercise (PE), but we can also do PE at home. Even 10 minutes a day is good. Pick a different activity to do each day, such as running around the garden, cycling, scooting, walking or chasing, and draw a picture of it

Parent’s note: 10 minutes of active movement is a great way for your child to start their day, or to do at break times when concentration may be lagging. Going further: Keep the activities simple, such as skipping, doing jumping jacks, or dancing to music for just 10 minutes. If you run out of ideas, fi nd more at gonoodle.com.

Monday 10MINS

Wednesday 10MINS

Friday 10MINS

Tuesday 10MINS

Thursday 10MINS

GAME, SET & MATCHDraw lines to match the players to their sport

Soccer

Basketball

Tennis

Hurling

Karate

Table tennis

Cycling

Volleyball

Football

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Going further: An ordinal number is a number that tells the position of something in a list, such as fi rst, second, third etc.

ORDINAL NUMBERSColour in the children according to their ordinal numbers (positions)

Colour the second runner blue and the fourth runner orange

Colour in the ninth mouse

Ordinal Numbers

Color in the 9th mouse.

Color in the 4th turtle.

Color in the 1st butterfly.

Color in the 3rd chicken.

Color in the 7th dog.

Color in the 10th snake.

visit twinkl.comPage 1 of 2

Colour in the fourth turtle

Ordinal Numbers








Colour in the � rst butter� y

Ordinal Numbers








Colour in the third chicken

Ordinal Numbers








Colour in the seventh dog

Ordinal Numbers








WATER RAFTINGFind the correct path so that the rafter makes it safely downriver HEALTHY WORD SEARCH

Find the healthy foods from the list

Parent’s note: Good nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It is good for children to be aware of the importance of a balanced diet and healthy eating habits.

THE FOOD PYRAMIDA healthy diet includes:

� plenty of vegetables, salads and fruits� a serving of wholemeal cereals or breads,

potatoes, pasta or rice at every meal – choose wholegrain versions where possible

� some milk, yoghurt and cheese� some meat, poultry, � sh, eggs, beans or nuts� a very small amount of fats, spreads or oils� a very small amount (or zero) foods and

drinks that are high in fat, sugar or salt

Foods towards the top of the food pyramid are to be enjoyed rarely or sometimes, while foods lower down on the pyramid can be eaten often. List some examples of each

MY HEALTHY MEALDraw a delicious, healthy meal

THINGS THAT HELP US GROWFill in the missing words from the list

water fresh air food exercise sleep

I need

to grow

I need

to grow

I need

to grow

I need

to grow

I need

to grow

Foods I should rarely eat

Foods I should sometimes eat

Foods I should often eat

FIREWORKS IN A JARCreate a � rework effect in a jar using only water, oil and food colouring

WHAT YOU WILL NEED � An empty jar� Tap water� A bowl � 4tbsp cooking oil� Food colouring (a few

different colours)� Spoon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill the jar three-quarters with water. 2. In a bowl, mix the cooking oil with several

drops of the food colouring (3-5 drops per colour you are using). Stir with a spoon.

3. Pour the contents of the bowl into the jar of water and watch what happens.

OBSERVATIONSFood colouring dissolves in water but not in oil. Since oil is less dense than water, the colours � oat at the top. The coloured droplets will begin to sink into the water because they are heavier than the oil. Once they do so, they dissolve into the water, resembling tiny explosions.

1ST AND 2ND CLASS Some educational resources provided by Twinkl IrelandFind more at twinkl.ie 6

CRACKING COSTSSolve each puzzle to work out how much each trio of sports equipment costs

MATHS CALENDARSReview the calendar and answer the questions below it

� Children’s Book Week

� Deaf Awareness Week

� World Fair Trade Day

� National Vegetarian Week

� Children’s Book Week

�World Asthma Day

� Deaf Awareness Week

� Florence Nightingale’s Birthday


� Children’s Book Week � Deaf Awareness Week


� Children’s Book Week� Deaf Awareness Week


1� May Day

� Children’s Book Week� Deaf Awareness Week� World Red Cross Day


� International Day of Families

� Children’s Book Week� Deaf Awareness Week� Europe Day


� Eid-al-Fitr

� Space Day

� Children’s Book Week� Deaf Awareness Week


� Eid-al-Fitr

� Whitsun

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

MAY2020

Parent’s note: Using a calendar correctly is a great skill for children to have. They often get excited just before their birthdays, for example, but struggle to work out how many weeks or days are left to go. Going further: Look at the calendar together and mark in events such as birthdays, anniversaries and holidays, or see the government’s roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions from May 18. Explain to your child what this means, and mark on the calendar the dates when they may be able to see loved ones and meet with friends again.

HEALTHY EATING COLOUR-BY-NUMBERSFill in the blanks below, match youranswers to the numbers in the picture,and colour it in

Minutes in an hour

Hours ina day

Days ina week

Days in a fortnight

Weeks ina fortnight

Months in a year

When does Children’s Book Week begin?

What date is World Asthma Day?

What two events are taking place on May 12?

How many Saturdays are in May 2020?

What is celebrated on May 9?

When does National Vegetarian Week begin?

Sport:

Country:

Club name:

Nickname:

Star player:

HIDDEN WORDSHow many other words can you make from “goalkeeper”? Use the clues below to help

Parent’s note: It is handy to have the individual letters on a piece of paper – just move them around to form words. Start with easy two- and three-letter words, then try some trickier four- and fi ve-letter ones. Going further: Choose your own long word and create clues for the words you can fi nd inside it.

GOALKEEPER

CLUESA space between two things (3)A type of tree (3)A long slippery � sh (3)

The skin of a banana (4)The opposite of fake (4)The top of a mountain (4)Another word for jump (4)

A fruit (5)The opposite of stop (2)A place where � sh live (4)You stand up using this (3)

A tool to sweep leaves with (4)A type of bear (5)Really excited (5)Once around the racetrack (3)

Parent’s note: Oil and water don’t mix because water molecules are more attracted to each other than to oil. Oil is also less dense than water, which causes the oil to fl oat on top of the water, creating two distinct layers. Liquid food colouring is water-based, which is why it doesn’t mix with oil, even when you stir it. Instead, the food colouring breaks up into small droplets which become temporarily suspended (fl oating) within the oil. Going further: Repeat the experiment using watercolour paints instead of food colouring. Experiment with warm and cold water, and with different types of oils, to see if it makes a difference.

TIME-TRAVELLING VERBSAll of the verbs on the board are in the present tense. Make them travel back in time to become past tense

Roll a dice to see how many spaces you can move from the Start sign. Read out the word you land on and then say it in the past tense. If you get the answer wrong, move back to the spot where you were before you rolled. Keep playing in a race to the � nish and see how many words you can get right

Parent’s note: When writing, children often get confused between present and past tenses. This is a good way to remind them of the difference between the two.Going further: Amend this game by replacing the verbs with their past tense versions and asking your child to convert them to present tense.

Start Finish!

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A note from Ms McEvoy2nd class teacher, St Martin de Porres NS, Dublin 24

Exercises for the body are just as important as those for the brain. In fact, the two are linked: being healthy helps us tackle all kinds of projects. We need to look after our health, especially when the activities we usually enjoy are cancelled. You don’t even need much space – try star jumps, running on the spot or skipping.

DESIGN A SPORTS KITDesign a sports kit for your favourite sports team – or for one you made up

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8•• 70• 71• 72• 73• 74• 75

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JOIN THE DOTSHow many are there in total?

Going further: Encourage your child to count to 100 in twos, threes, fi ves and tens.

60 60

2 2

14

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14 1477

24

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Number of dots =

WHAT YOU WILL NEED � 5 cups� Water (to rinse)� A water/sugar mixture (sweet)� Salted water (salty)� Lemon juice (sour)� Tonic water (bitter)� Cotton buds

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Pour the liquids into � ve separate cups.2. Dip a cotton bud into each one to soak it.3. Place the cotton bud on various parts of your tongue. Rinse with water each time you try a new liquid.

OBSERVATIONS Where does each liquid taste strongest on the tongue? Colour in the tongue map according to where each taste is strongest. Note that the right and left sides of the tongue will match.

A B C D E F G H I

J K L M N O P Q R

S T U V W X Y Z

INTERVIEW YOUR SPORTING HEROThe Children’s Times is calling on you to interview your favourite sporting hero. What questions will you ask them? Remember to use a mix of questions so that you gather as much information as possible

Who will you interview?

Why?

What questions will you ask?

1.

2.

3.

4.

3RD AND 4TH CLASS

A note from Ms Smith4th class teacher, St Martin de Porres NS, Dublin 24

This week, all of our activities are based on keeping active and staying healthy.

You can keep active with regular exercise and stay healthy by eating nourishing

foods. The food you eat really is important – think of it as the fuel people put in

their cars: the better it is, the further you can go. Being healthy makes it easier

to tackle games and activities, so enjoy getting stuck into this week’s exercises.

Some educational resources provided by Twinkl IrelandFind more at twinkl.ie 8

SPORTS SUDUKOFill the empty spaces with the correct type of ball so there is only one type of each ball per column, row and mini-grid

Parent’s note: This is a visual, child-friendly version of sudoku, the popular number game. It’s a good way to get children into the mindset of “the process of elimination” on which sudoku is partly based. Going further: Once your child has mastered this, try giving them some simple sudoku puzzles, which you can fi nd online.

SPORTS VOCABULARYFill in each blank space with a sport or sport-related word that begins with the corresponding letter of the alphabet. Take turns with an adult or sibling, or race them, to make it more competitive

athlete

1. Use the data in the table, above right, to colour in the missing bars for grape and peach on the bar chart.

2. Use the bar graph to work out how many children brought strawberries and bananas, and write the number in the table.

3. Read the statements in the table below and write “true”, “false” or “unsure” next to each.

Parent’s note: This exercise was taken from math-salamanders.com, a website with many other maths resources, which has created maths “grab packs” for primary school children to use at home while schools are closed.

Apple

Banana

Grape

Peach

Pear

Plum

Strawberry

0 10 20 30 40 50Number of children

FRUIT SURVEYA classroom of children recorded what fruit they brought to school. Use the data on the bar chart and in the table to answer the questions below

FRUITNUMBER

OF CHILDREN

Apple 48

Banana

Grape 27

Peach 11

Pear 22

Plum 26

S’berry

STATEMENT TRUE, FALSEOR UNSURE?

Twice as many children brought pears than brought plums

Apples and bananas were the most common fruit thechildren brought to school

Most of the children like apples

Half as many children chose pears as apples

More children brought apples than grapes and plums combined

Twice as many children brought pears than peaches

HEALTHY TEETH AND HEALTHY TUMMYDo you know the effect � zzy drinks and sugar can have on our teeth and tummies, compared with healthy drinks? Let’s � nd out with this simple experiment

WHAT YOU WILL NEED� 5 glasses� 5 raw eggs� Vinegar� Cola� Milk� Water� A water/sugar mixture

We are going to soak eggs in a variety of solutions that may or may not cause decay/staining. Egg shells are a good substitute for teeth because they are made from chemicals similar to those that form human tooth enamel.

INSTRUCTIONS1. Pour the vinegar, cola, milk, water and sugar/water mixture into

� ve separate glasses.2. Place an egg into each glass.3. Leave the eggs in the glasses for 4-6 days. 4. Remove eggs after that time and check for visible changes.

OBSERVATIONSYou’ll notice that the shells of the eggs from the cola and vinegar are the most affected. In fact, there may be nothing left of them. Cola contains phosphoric acid and vinegar contains acetic acid. Both acids are concentrated enough to soften and even partially dissolve egg shells. On the other hand, the egg shells from the water and the sugar/water mix are mostly unaffected, while the one from the glass of milk may not show any signs of decay. Water, milk and sugar water aren’t acidic, so the egg shells in these liquids should be relatively unaffected.

Parent’s note: This is a great experiment to show children why they should brush their teeth at least twice a day and keep fi zzy drinks to a minimum. Going further: Experiment with different liquids such as tea, coffee, sugar-free drinks and juices.

SWEET, SALTY, SOUR OR BITTER?Stick your tongue out in front of a mirror. Those bumps are called taste buds. Let’s see how our taste buds work

Salty Sweet

Bitter Sour

FOOD ARTLet’s get creative with our healthy snacks. Try to recreate the grape and pear hedgehog below, or invent your own food art

WHAT YOU WILL NEED� Cocktail sticks� A pear� Green grapes� A black olive (or dark grape)� 2 cloves

INSTRUCTIONS1. Peel the top half of the pear and

remove the stalk. 2. Push the cocktail sticks through the

centre of the grapes, leaving 1cm of each stick showing.

3. Push the other end of the sticks into the unpeeled part of the pear, in neat rows.

4. Cut the black olive (or dark grape) in half and hollow it out so it � ts on to the pointed end of the pear.

5. Place the cloves into the pear so they look like eyes. Ta-da!

WELLNESS JOURNALPick a day of the week and � ll in yourwellness journal for that dayPick a day of the week and � ll in yourwellness journal for that day

Vinegar Cola Milk Water Water/sugarVinegar Cola Milk Water Water/sugarVinegar Cola Milk Water Water/sugar

Vinegar Cola Milk Water Water/sugarVinegar Cola Milk Water Water/sugar

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5TH AND 6TH CLASS Some educational resources provided by Twinkl IrelandFind more at twinkl.ie 10

FRUIT JUICE MATHSSally is having a party and has invited nine of her friends. She is going to make a special fruit punch for them. Sally wants to make enough punch so that she and each of her friends can have one 500ml glass.

Sally’s fruit juice recipe

MAKES 1 LITREOF PUNCH

� 1 lime� 1 lemon� 150ml pineapple juice� 500ml lemonade� 300ml orange juice

COST OF INGREDIENTS

Lemons: 50c

Limes: 40c

Lemonade (2-litre bottle): €1.60

Orange juice (1-litre carton): 90c

Pineapple juice (1-litre carton): 95c

How much of each ingredient will Sally need?

Work out the total cost of all the ingredients Sally needs to buy

Items Quantity

Limes

Lemons

Pineapple juice

Lemonade

Orange juice

Items Quantity Cost

Limes

Lemons

Pineapple juice

Lemonade

Orange juice

Parent’s note: This exercise was taken frommath-salamanders.com, a website with many other maths resources, which has created maths “grab packs” for primary school children to use at home while schools are closed.

A note from Ms McGrath5th class teacher, St Martin de Porres NS, Dublin 24

Children often fi nd it hard to sit still – that’s perfectly

natural for their development, as they grow and their

boundaries expand. Our bodies reward us for physical

activity with feel-good endorphins, too. Hopefully, the

activities on these pages will inspire children to get

moving and enjoy a favourite sport, exercise or outdoor

activity and add a bit of fun to daily life.

RUGBY PITCH MATHSLet’s calculate the area and perimeter of a rugby pitch

Did you know that rugby pitches aren’t all the same size? The length, however, can’t be bigger than 100 metres and the width mustn’t be bigger than 70 metres.

1. What is the maximum perimeter of a rugby pitch?

2. What is the maximum area of a rugby pitch?

3. On the largest possible (maximum-sized) pitch, a player runs from his own posts to the halfway line, then back to his posts, and � nally all the way to the opposite posts. What is the shortest distance he will have travelled?

4. A rugby pitch has an area of 5,400 sq m. What are the dimensions of the pitch?

5. A club tactically decides to narrow the width of its rugby pitch to make it easier for its players to defend. The original width of the pitch was 65 metres with a length of 90 metres. The new width is

58 metres. How much smaller is the new area of the pitch?

6. The spaces behind each set of � ag posts are called the in-goal areas. According to the rules, each of these should extend no further than 22 metres behind the posts. If you included the in-goal areas, what would be the total area of a maximum-sized rugby pitch?

ANSWERS:1. 340 metres; 2. 7,000 sq m; 3. 200 metres;4. 90 metres x 60 metres (accept answers that include factors of 54, but explain that the dimensions may not be suitable for a rugby pitch); 5. 630 sq m; 6. 10,080 sq m

ANSWERS:ACROSS: (2) liamhás (6) piorra (8) tornapa (9) líomanáid (10) prátai (11) tae (12) oráiste (13) bainne (14) uisce DOWN: (1) ispíní (3) súoráiste (4) banana (5) cairéad (7) úll (15) sicín

Parent’s note: The word “perimeter” contains the word “rim”, which means edge. This might help your child to remember the difference between perimeter and area.

HOMEMADE STRESS BALLSStress balls can help you relax if you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed out about something. They are also great for � dgeting

WHAT YOU WILL NEED� Paper (or a funnel)� An empty plastic bottle� Flour� A pencil� A balloon� A marker that works on balloons� Wool for hair (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS1. Make a paper funnel.2. Fill your plastic bottle with � our using

your funnel. There is no exact amount of � our to add, but imagine the size of your stress ball. If you need to, poke the � our through using a pencil.

3. Blow up the balloon a little and stretch its neck over the top of the bottle.

4. Turn the bottle upside down. Gently squeeze the bottle and the � our will slowly � ow into the balloon.

5. Hold the balloon tightly, unroll its neck from the bottle and squeeze out excess air. Tie the knot and decorate the ball.

Your heart is a very important organ that pumps blood around your body. An adult’s heart rate is about 70 beats per minute, and a child’s is a bit higher. (A mouse’s is about 500 beats per minute, and an elephant’s is 25).

WHAT YOU WILL NEED � Watch� Paper� Pencil� Skipping rope (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS1. Ask an adult to help you take your pulse. You can � nd your pulse by placing two � ngers (not your thumb) on the inside of your wrist or on your neck.

2. Count the number of beats in 30 seconds and double this to get the number of beats per minute. Write this down on a piece of paper.

3. Run around or skip on a rope for 5 minutes. Immediately record your pulse using the same method.

4. Rest for a few minutes and then take your pulse again. How long did it take your heart to return to its normal rate?

OBSERVATIONSNote what happened to your pulse rate

after exercise: did it increase, stay the same or decrease? Heart rate increases with exercise, so that more of the oxygen carried in the blood can reach the muscles. The � tter you are, the quicker your heart rate returns to normal.

EXERCISE AND HEART RATEHave you noticed your heart seems to beat faster when you exercise? Let’s carry out an investigation to see if this is true

Going further: It is possible to see your own pulse. Find your pulse point on the inside of your wrist, below your thumb. Place a piece of Blu Tack on this point and push one end of a

drinking straw into it so that it stands upright. Lay your arm fl at on the table. If you keep your arm very still, you may notice the straw rocking backwards and forwards slightly as the blood

pumped by your heart passes through your wrist. Using a watch or timer, you or a family member can take your pulse by counting the number of times the straw rocks in one minute.

CROSFHOCAL BIA An féidir leat an crosfhocal a dhéanamh? Feach ar an bia agus líon isteach an freagra ceart. Can you complete the crossword by looking at the pictures and � lling in the answers?

EXPLAINER: As each person needs one 500ml glass and there 10 people, 5 litres of punch are needed. ANSWERS: TABLE 1:5 limes; 5 lemons; 750ml pineapple juice; 2.5 litres lemonade; 1.5 litres orange juice TABLE 2: 5 limes=€2; 5 lemons=€2.50; 1 litre pineapple juice=95c; 4 litres lemonade=€3.20; 2 litres orange juice=€1.80 Total cost = €10.45

HOW OUR LUNGS WORKWe need our lungs to breathe. Make this model lung to see how they work

WHAT YOU WILL NEED � A plastic bottle� Scissors� Two balloons� A straw� An elastic band� Modelling clay

INSTRUCTIONS1. Ask an adult to cut off the

end of the bottle so it ends up being about half the size.

2. Tie the knot in one of the balloons and cut off the other (wide) end.

3. Stretch the wide end of the balloon around the bottom of your plastic bottle.

4. Place a straw in the neck of the other balloon and secure tightly with the elastic band, but not so tightly that you crush the straw. The air must � ow through, so test it by blowing through the straw to see if the balloon in� ates.

5. Put the straw and balloon through the neck of the bottle so that the top of the straw is showing, and secure with modelling clay to make a seal around the bottle. Again, make sure you don’t crush the straw.

6. Pull down on the knot of the balloon attached to the bottom and watch what happens.

OBSERVATIONSThe balloon inside the bottle in� ates as you pull, and de� ates as you let go. Pulling the knotted balloon creates space inside the bottle. Air is sucked down the straw and � lls the balloon to � ll the space. When you let go of the knotted balloon, the extra space disappears, so air from the balloon must be expelled, making it de� ate.

HOW DO REAL LUNGS WORK?Air we breathe is taken in through the mouth and nose. The diaphragm (the knotted balloon) at the base of the chest moves down to create space. The air passes down the windpipe (the straw) and into the lungs (the balloon in the bottle). As we breathe out, the diaphragm rises.

Parent’s note: Stress balls are benefi cial for many things, such as relieving tension, improving hand strength and boosting attention levels. Safety note: The balloon rubber will wear out over time and could break. Keep the stress balls away from small children. Parent’s note: See science-sparks.com for more hands-on

experiments.

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FLAGS WITH SHAPESDuring the Olympic Games, many � ags are on display. Name the countries belonging to each � ag (right) and answer these questions:

1. Pick a � ag. What shapes can you see in it? Is the � ag symmetrical?2. Can you � nd a way to classify the shapes in each � ag? Are the angles

in it acute, obtuse, straight, re� ex or right? If you have a protractor at home, measure them. Now try with another � ag.3. Can you � nd any � ags containing pairs of parallel lines? If so, mark them on the � ag.4. Are there any � ags containing perpendicular lines? If so, mark them on the � ag.

Based on Sally’s recipe and the cost of her ingredients, above, � ll in the tables below

A. B. C.

D. E. F.

A. B. C.

D. E. F.

A. B. C.

D. E. F.

ANSWERS: (A) Jamaica (B) Guyana (C) Israel (D) Norway (E) South Africa (F) United Kingdom

For my 65 Roses Cha�enge,I pledge to:

before May 31 2020��

CYSTIC FIBROSIS IRELAND12

65 ROSES

A NOTE FROM LUCY

65 ROSES OBSTACLE COURSE

The phrase “65 roses” is inspired by children when they are � rst learning to pronounce “cystic � brosis”. The purple rose is the symbol of the cystic � brosis community in Ireland and this year Cystic Fibrosis Ireland launched the 65 Roses Challenge, in which participants choose an activity that they can do 65 times. You can do your challenge at home, and it can be as big or as small as you like. Some of the challenges already completed include 65 bounces on a trampoline, 65 skips with a skipping rope,and 65 keepy-uppies.

You can do the challenge by yourself or get the whole family involved. The 65 Roses Challenge is a great way to keep � t while supporting Cystic Fibrosis Ireland. Will you take on the challenge?

JUMP FROM ONE CUSHION TO ANOTHER

10 TIMES

DO 5CARTWHEELS

SKIP 12TIMES WITH A SKIPPING

ROPEBOUNCE A BALLON YOUR KNEE5 TIMES

(WITHOUTDROPPING IT)

JUMP20 PACES

WHILE IN A SLEEPING BAG

JUMP10 PACES WITH A BALLOON

BETWEEN YOUR KNEES

Create an obstacle course in your home or garden. Time yourself the � rst time around, then see if you can complete it faster next time, while improving your skills. Here, we’ve created an obstacle course with 65 things to do:

WHAT YOU WILL NEED� 2 cushions � A skipping rope� A ball� Blankets� A sleeping bag� A balloon

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FROM LUCYI’m Lucy Warren, I am six and I have cystic fibrosis. To keep

fit and strong during the lockdown, I have been using my

trampoline a lot, doing cosmic yoga on Youtube and doing

gymnastics in the garden. Me and my big sister Sophie have

made obstacle courses and camps. We have a big garden so

we can run around and have water fights. We’re having loads of fun, even though we can’t go out.

This week, we are allowed out for a bit so we are going

to start going for walks too. We are going to collect

rocks and paint them for our fairy garden.

I cant wait!

Love, LucyLUCY AND HER BIG SISTER SOPHIE

KEEPING ACTIVE DURING LOCKDOWN

CRAWL UNDER BLANKETS FOR

2 METRES

DO 1 TUMBLE HEAD OVER HEELS

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home school help and support for primary school children · a stroll to cycling a bike or bouncing...

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