CU Scotland learning activities Children's University Scotland

Looking for something to do?

Stave off boredom and try something new with one of our 30-minute activity challenges!

Scroll down through the activities below to get started. There are loads to choose from!

If you have an Aspire account, you can collect 1 credit for each activity you complete. You can only claim each activity once.

Don't forget to share your challenges online with us and your school community!

Twitter: Tag us @ChildrenUniScot and use the hashtag #ChallengeOfTheDay #CUS

Facebook: Tag us /ChildrensUniversityScotland and use the hashtag #ChallengeOfTheDay #CUS

30-minute-challenge 53:

Share your Climate Tale

Did you know....Earth Day 2021 will be celebrated between April 20th - April 22nd?

Celebrate by writing your thoughts on climate, and sharing with BBC Radio Scotland Climate Tales.

Climate Tales is a brand new writing competition all about climate change. BBC want young writers from across Scotland to tell us about their hopes, frustrations, opinions and fears. They want to hear children’s voices in the form of a short story, a poem, a written word piece, a monologue or even a rap; whatever gets their creative juices flowing, but it must be under 500 words in length.

Follow this link for inspiration, info, and to submit your climate tale: BBC Radio Scotland - Climate Tales

You could have your tale read out on radio or TV!

Please note: entry is online only. If you can't enter online please ask a teacher to help.

30 minute challenge #52 - Who Wants To Be A Meteorologist?

Did you know...the 23rd March 2021 is World Meteorology Day?

A meteorologist is a scientist who study the earth's atmosphere, and use this information to predict weather. We challenge you to do some research online and find out what it's like to be a meteorologist!

Can you answer these questions to build a career profile for a meteorologist?

Hint: this activity is best for ages 10 and up. You might want to ask a carer or teacher to help!

1: Can you name 3 different organisations where a meteorologist might work?

2: Can you say 3 different things a meteorologist might do as part of their job?

3: Can you say 3 reasons why predicting weather is really important?

4: What subjects should someone study in school if they want to become a meteorologist?

5: Based on what you've learned, would you be interested in a career in meteorology? Why, or why not?

This video might help you understand what it's like to work at the Met Office: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eAB32HITWI

How scientists predict the weather: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdErsR8_NaU

30-minute Challenge #51 - 5 Step Snooze Plan

Did you know...Friday the 19th of March is World Sleep Day?

Before you curl up and celebrate with a snooze, build yourself a 5 step snooze plan to help you get the best kip possible!

Here's how to do it.

Before you start, you'll need: notepad or paper, pencil or pen, (optional) decorations.

Brainstorm: Start by writing down some things you can do before bedtime that help you feel calm and relaxed, that you need to fall asleep or that help you fall asleep. Don't worry if the ideas sound silly, writing down lots will help you find the best ideas later.

Some ideas: Here are some ideas. You can use any of these for your snooze plan if you like, but, only you know what helps you sleep the best, don't be afraid to write things that work best for you.

You could: Read, quietly sing or play an instrument, meditate, take some deep breaths, do a yoga pose or some stretches, wear your favourite pyjamas / socks, take your favourite blanket / pillow, take screens out of your room, listen to an audiobook, make sure your room is dark, make sure your room is cool / warm enough, take a bath or shower, do some colouring.

Make your list: Cut your list down to 5 just things. It's best to choose actions that are easy, and that you can do tonight without lots of extra planning.

Try your snooze plan out: Can you try your 5 step plan tonight? Give it a go. Did it help you have a better sleep? You can tweak your plan and try it again.

If you have an Aspire account, collect 1 credit for completing this activity.

30-minute Challenge #50 - Pancake Taste Test

Invent a pancake topping combination and decorate yourself some impressive pancakes. It can be sweet or savoury. Use any ingredients you like, how about fruit, sweets, jam or syrup if your pancakes are sweet? Or hummus, cheese, cold meats or vegetables if your pancakes are savoury?

Give your combination a memorable name.

Can you try it with home-made or shop-bought pancakes? Ask someone at home to help you do a scientific taste-test.

Can you think of anything different you might try next time to improve your topping combo?

Psst...keep scrolling for more speedy challenge ideas!

Challenge of the Day #49 - High Kicks

Test your balance and agility skills by learning some martial arts moves. Give the sequence below a go or follow this great tutorial video created especially for us by one of our learning providers, Steve McLaren Martial Arts! Watch the video HERE. Remember to give yourself enough space to perform each movement safely.

Challenge of the Day #46 - A Bug's Life!

Head outside on a bug hunt and create a pictogram or bar chart to show the different types of insects you find. This could be on a walk or by exploring an outside space at home.

Why are bugs so important? Can you think of ways we could make our outside spaces more bug friendly?

Challenge of the Day #36 - Invisible Ink!

Try making your own invisible ink to send secret messages. All you need is some water, a lemon, cotton buds and a lamp. Here’s How:

Squeeze some lemon juice into the bowl and add a few drops of water.
Mix the water and lemon juice with the spoon.
Dip the cotton bud into the mixture and write a message onto the white paper.
Wait for the juice to dry so it becomes completely invisible.
When you are ready to read your secret message or show it to someone else, heat the paper by holding it close to a lamp.

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Challenge of the Day #21 - Hearing Aids!

Listen to the sounds around you. What can you hear? Use just one piece of paper to make a homemade hearing aid. Which shape is most effective? Can you work out why this is?

Challenge of the Day #9 - 20 Second Songs

We've all heard lots recently about how important it is to wash your hands. Did you know, it should take 15 - 30 seconds to wash your hands properly?

Write a 20-second song to sing or hum while you wash your hands, to help you have fun while you stay healthy. How can you make your handwashing anthem fun and memorable? Perhaps the lyrics will be all about why it's so important to wash your hands, or maybe they're totally silly and fun! Don't forget to set a timer while you practice your song to make sure it's 20 - 30 seconds long.

Why not teach it to others at home or friends or family living elsewhere through a phone call or video call?

Have you completed your masterpiece and feeling really proud? Why not record it and ask an adult at home to share the recording with CU Scotland? We'd love to hear it!

Check out this helpful poster made by the NHS, which shows how to wash your hands properly: www.nipcm.hps.scot.nhs.uk/appendices/appendix-1-best-practice-how-to-hand-wash/

Challenge #50 - Take a breath and reflect!

Take some time to reflect on your “lockdown learning”. What do you know now that you didn’t before? Did you try something new? What have been some of your favourite activities? Talk about these with an adult or, if you are keeping one write it in your journal. Feel free to share your reflections with us too.

Challenge #47 - Invent a Fun Board Game!

Think of a fun theme and create your own board game. You could draw it out on paper or get crafty and make your board and counters from recycled materials.

Challenge of the Day #30 - Would You Rather?

Chat with someone at home or on a call and have fun exploring these silly decisions with good reasoning skills: Would you rather eat cheese-flavoured ice cream or ice cream-flavoured cheese? Go without TV or books for the rest of your life? Explore the oceans or the moon?

Challenge of the Day #42 - Discover the Mine!

Visit the National Mining Museum online and explore The Lady Victoria Collier, find out about life as a Victorian Miner and become a mine detective!

Share five key facts from your visit. Make sure you stop by the Learning zone and give some of the fun activities a go.

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Challenge of the Day #11 - Laser Maze

Use pieces of paper or string (separate pieces) and stick them across a hallway. These are lasers, protecting a special object! Now use your superhero (or super villain) skills to sneak through and reach the object on the other side without setting off your paper lasers. We’d love to hear what you thought of this Challenge of the Day! If you’d like to share what you’ve been doing for Challenge of the Day with the Children’s University Scotland team, ask an adult to get in touch with us. You could share words, pictures, a video or a voice recording.

Challenge of the Day #43 - Mythical Creatures!

Scotland is home to many mythical creatures. Can you tell the story of one? You could write it or get creative and use pictures or a comic strip to tell your story!

Challenge of the Day #48 - Fearless Eater!

Select 3 healthy foods that you’ve never tried before and give them a go. Before you test it out, think about what the food might taste like. Were you right? What makes the food you've chosen healthy? Why not write a review and share this with others.

Challenge of the Day #1 - Every Drop Counts

The UN says that the minimum amount of water a person needs every day is 4 litres. But how much water do we actually use in a normal day?

Your challenge is to measure ALL the water you use in a single day (tip: including drinks, washing hands, preparing food, brushing teeth, doing laundry etc.). Before you start, how much water do you think you’ll use? After 24 hours, work out the total amount of water used. How does it compare with your estimate? Finally, what can you do at home to make sure water isn't wasted?

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Challenge of the Day #10 - Science in a Spin

Fancy trying something a bit different? Try making these cool paper spinners and see how science works in action, with this fun worksheet from our friends at Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) and Science Sparks!

You will need: paper, paper clips, scissors, and a few different types of paper or card.

Follow the instructions in the worksheet to make your spinner. You can download it by clicking this link.

How many of the questions below can you answer?

What happens when you let the spinner go? Can you slow the spinner down? How? What happens if you use different sorts of paper? Does tissue paper fall fast or slower than cardboard? What happens when you make the wings longer or shorter? What if you make a giant one? A tiny one?

There are two spinner designs to try on the sheet, one for indoors and one for outdoors. If you want to challenge yourself, try making both of them!

Read about the amazing science of the paper spinners on the worksheet. Can you learn it off by heart and teach it to someone else without looking at the sheet?

Challenge of the Day #40 - Rainbow Spinner!

Rainbows are formed by white light from the sun being split into all its component colours by diffraction. The rainbow spinner reverses the process by taking all the colours of the rainbow and merging them back into white!

You will need; some card, a pencil and some coloured pens/pencils/crayons, some string (or a toothpick) and a pair of scissors.

Cut a circle out of the cardboard.
Using a black felt tip or pencil, split the circle into 7 segments.
Colour in each segment with a different colour of the rainbow.
Carefully make a hole in the middle of the circle and push the string or cocktail stick through ( a pencil would work too!)

Spin it round as quickly as you can and watch the colours merge into white!

Why not try mixing other colours to see what you can make?

Challenge of the Day #33 - Science Scavenger Hunt!

How many of these items can you find around you home? Send us a picture of all the things you find!

Something which can be recycled
Something which reminds you of space
Something which floats
Something which dissolves in water
Something which pours but isn’t liquid

Challenge of the Day #31 - Positive News Day!

And now for the news, live from your home! Write a positive news story from events that have happened in your home in the last week, then read it out to your family or on a call with others as if you were broadcasting on TV from your living room. Top tip: each story in a news programme is quite short, so get the key facts into a few snappy sentences.

Challenge of the Day #8 - Triumph Through History

During the time of the ancient Roman Republic and Roman Empire (509BC - 476AD) a triumph was a huge celebration held in the ancient city of Rome to celebrate a great victory. There would be a parade through the city, music, plays and poetry recitals and religious ceremonies celebrating the success of Rome.

Recreate a mini Roman triumph parade at home! Play the role of a victorious Roman leader who wants to celebrate your success with your city's subjects. You could even make a toga and a Roman headdress!

Starting at the city gates (or your front door), plan a route through your home stopping by some famous ancient Roman sites. Perhaps you'll recite a poem about your victory at the Colosseum, pay tribute at the Pantheon temple, or address your subjects on the banks of the Tiber. You'll need to plan your route and decide which areas of your home represent the landmarks you will visit as part of your parade. Finish your triumph with a rousing victory speech at the Senate building. Get your family involved, maybe they want to perform songs, plays or poems too!

Want to learn more about the ancient civilisation of Rome? Check out these links to help you learn more at home!

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zwmpfg8/articles/z2sm6sg

www.historyforkids.net/ancient-rome.html

Many libraries offer access to ebooks and audiobooks from home. This link will help you find out if you can access these resources online: www.gov.uk/search-library-catalogue

Challenge of the Day #38 - Design a Parachute!

Learn about air resistance while making an awesome parachute! Design one that can fall slowly to the ground before putting it to the test. You can make modifications as you go.

Here’s how;

Cut out a large square from a plastic bag (or material if you have some)
Trim the edges so it looks like an octagon (an eight-sided shape).
Cut a small whole near the edge of each side.
Attach 8 pieces of string of the same length to each of the holes.
Tie the pieces of string to an object to act as a weight. A little action figure would be perfect!
Use a chair or find a high spot to drop your parachute and test how well it worked.

Remember that you want it to drop as slowly as possible.

Challenge #44 - Deck of Fitness!

A fun way to get active! Use a deck of cards to decide what exercise move to do.

What you need: 1 deck of cards and your favourite tunes to work out to.

How to play:

Shuffle and place the deck of cards face down
Draw 4 cards and use the key below to find out what exercises you will do.
Complete the number of repetitions shown on your card. For example, if you draw the 4 of Hearts, perform 4 jumping jacks.
Face cards (e.g. a King) are worth 10 repetitions. Aces are worth 11 repetitions.

Try doing this 4 times (4 rounds)

Hearts = Jumping Jacks Clubs = Push-Ups Diamonds = Invisible Jump Rope Jumps Spades = Squats

Top tips: Make sure you pace your activity safely. Don’t give up form for the sake of speed and have FUN!

Challenge of the Day #7 - A Message to Future You

We want you to write or draw a message to yourself in the future, and describe what your life is like now.

Write or draw something about what you did today and how you're feeling. How is life different now while we're spending more time indoors? Have you noticed anything that hasn't changed much, or found a different way to do something that helped things feel 'normal'?

Is there anything you're enjoying about spending more time at home? Are you finding something challenging or difficult?

If it brings up some difficult feelings, it might be helpful to talk to someone you trust about it.

Fold up your message in an envelope and store it somewhere safe. Then, set a reminder for yourself to open it in a year's time.

Challenge of the Day #34 - Go dotty for Pointillism!

Pointillism is an art style using small patterns of coloured dots to create an image. The technique was developed by artists Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in 1886. Their entire paintings were created using dots of colour layered and overlapped to create different colour mixes, shapes, and shade. Why not give it a try using paint and a cotton bud (or your fingers!) or felt tip pens. We would love to see your creations.

Challenge of the Day #25 - Origami Bookmarks!

Create an amazing origami bookmark. Use folds and creases to give it shape, but your final design should fit into a book or cover a page corner. You can find lots of video tutorials and diagrams online, especially if you like animal shapes, or create your own unique design. Why not give it a face and an expression?

Challenge of the Day #24 - Celebrate World Book Night!

Join in Reading Hour from 7-8pm and celebrate World Book Night, the national celebration of reading and books. Maybe try to get the whole family involved by reading together? Whether you’re each reading your own book, an adult reading you a story before going to bed or listening to an audiobook. Remember to take a photo and tag #ChallengeOfTheDay and #ReadingHour

Challenge of the Day #45 - Body Scan!

To round off Mental Health Awareness week try this fun, mindful meditation exercise and take some time to relax.

Find a comfy spot, lie down, and close your eyes
In your mind start to slowly scan down your body from your head to your toes
Think about how your body feels. What does your hair feel like? What’s happening with your ears today? Reach to the tips of your fingers an
Once you have reached the tips of your toes take a big deep breath

How do you feel now compared to how you felt before you started?

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Challenge of the Day #3 - National Intergenerational Week

Although you may not have heard about it, National Intergenerational Week, encourages people from different generations to interact and inspire each other. We haven't been able to talk in person with friends and neighbours during the coronavirus lockdown, but it’s still a great opportunity for young and old to find new ways to connect with each other. If you know an older person who may enjoy some social contact, send them a message! If they use technology, write a text or email to say hi. You could write a postcard and take a photo to send as an email attachment. If you have a neighbour or older friend across the street, why not create a poster or window display to bring a smile while continuing with social distancing. Of course, encourage them to write back if they can! It's a tough challenge, but a great way for communities to stick together.

If you can think of an even more inventive way to stay in contact with people, please let us know! We'd love to share your ideas with others and you may even help other communities to stay connected in this unusual situation.

Challenge of the Day #27 - Digital Dancing!

Create your own dance from poses stored in this online archive. You can search for moves by taking photos of yourself or explore the archive by ‘virtually’ walking around. Once your dance is finished, press play to watch the person move. Can you copy the dance at home? What music would work well with your dance?

Challenge of the Day #35 - Film Review!

Take part in Into Film’s film review competition by writing a review of a film of your choice in 100 words and share with them via social media @intofilm_scot using #Review100. Winners receive £20 of Amazon vouchers! See their website for more info, review writing tips and the competition terms and conditions.

Challenge of the Day #26 - 7 Seconds!

How many of these challenges can you complete in seven seconds each?

Kiss each finger on each hand separately.
Name a word that is spelled the same way backwards and forwards (a palindrome).
Take off a glove, turn it inside out and put it back on again.
Touch your nose with your tongue.
Make your bed perfectly.
Name 5 muscles in the human body.
Touch all 4 corners of a room.

Challenge of the Day #23 - Ice Pickup!

1. Fill a glass to the top with water. Put an ice cube in the water. It will float.

2. Lay a piece of string across the ice cube and glass. Cover ice cube and string with a layer of salt and leave for one minute.

3. Carefully pick up the ends of the string.

Can you work out why this works?

Challenge of the Day #37 - Find the Phrase!

Find the meaning of these phrases found in the plays written by William Shakespeare that are still commonly used today.

One fell swoop
All that glitters is not gold
Forever and a day
Green eyed monster
All’s well that ends well

Challenge of the Day #39 - Design a Cycling Safety Poster!

We know lots of you will be cycling as part of your daily exercise just now. We’d love you to design a poster or info-graphic that tell us what it takes to be a safe cyclist. Your poster can include any information that would be useful, for example, wearing a helmet, protective clothing, obeying the rules of the road, and being aware of other traffic. Have fun!

Have your say – why not apply to join Children in Scotland’s "Changing Gears” Co-design team and share your views on cycling, safety and health and wellbeing. You can apply via their website https://childreninscotland.org.uk/cycling-scotland/ - Applications close on 18^th May

Challenge of the Day #6 - Host your own exercise class

Have you been inspired by Joe Wicks' online P.E. classes? We challenge you to plan your own exercise routine to do in your home or garden.

Step 1: Plan it Ask yourself these questions. You might want to write down your answers to help you plan:

Where will your class happen? How much space do you have? How many people might take part at home? Do you need to gather any equipment? How can you make sure objects in the room are safe from damage? How long will your class be?

Who will be taking part? Are you doing your class for yourself, or leading the class for other people at home (or even over video call for friends or family living somewhere else)? Do you or they have any special requirements (e.g. your friend who does Joe Wicks' workouts every day might be more confident trying the exercises than a friend who has never tried them before)? How can you make your class suitable and enjoyable for you and any others taking part?

How will you share it? Are you doing your class live from your home or garden? Maybe you'll livestream your workout by video call to a friend or family member? Write it down or draw it and send it? You could even record your voice, speaking the instructions for others to listen. Think about what works best for you and your audience.

Step 2: Design your class

Now, spend some time designing your exercise routine. Try to build in something that makes YOUR class unique. Maybe you wear a silly costume to make others laugh while they exercise, build in some moves from your dance, gymnastics or football club, or perform your routine as a made-up character.

Step 3: Share it

Share your amazingly unique class with your chosen audience however you like. Well done! Now you've planned, created and performed your very own exercise class. If you asked others to join in, why not ask them for some helpful feedback? Find out what they enjoyed most about your routine, and if they have any helpful suggestions.

Challenge of the Day #32 - Learn to Play the Cups!

Grab a plastic cup (or container) and tap and clap along to the song made famous by Anna Kendrick in the movie Pitch Perfect with a little help from this easy to follow tutorial. Try teaching other family members and perform it as a group. Feel free to share your videos with us.

Challenge of the Day #29 - Swap Hands!

The hand you use most comfortably for a task is your dominant hand. Are you left or right-handed? Is your dominant hand the same for every task? Choose 5 small tasks to try using your non-dominant hand, e.g. writing a message, throwing a ball, using a fork, brushing your teeth. How did you get on?

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Challenge of the Day #18 - The Tablecloth Trick!

Let’s try the tablecloth trick! Find a piece of material (as smooth as possible), set it on a table and put some heavy plastic (unbreakable!) items on top. When you’re ready, tug the cloth straight down from one side of the table in one quick movement as fast as you can. The objects should stay on the table. Do you know why this works? Before you try this, check with an adult that it’s okay for you to use the tableware!

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Challenge of the Day #13 - Record Breaker

Try to beat any of these three world records (the current record is in brackets):

Number of toilet rolls stacked in a tower in 30 seconds (28)
Most touches of football with soles in 1 minute (402)
Number of spoons balanced on your body for at least 5 seconds (79)

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Challenge of the Day #5 - Feed the Birds

Bring nature to your windows so that you can enjoy the outdoors from indoors.

Design a bird feeder that is suitable for the area where you live. Sounds easy? Well, there's plenty to consider, including the types of birds in the area, the food they need, how high and how far they fly, how far from the ground they eat, and even if you need to keep the feeder away from other predators. Draw and label your design showing the materials you need to build it and the food you would add to bring nature close to your home. Keep a copy in case your teacher asks to see your design.

If you'd like to take things further, why not try to build your bird feeder over the weekend as a bigger project?

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Challenge of the Day #14 - Fantastic Plastic!

Make a decoration for your home from a used plastic bottle. Create your own design or get some inspiration online for decorative pieces, sculptures and structures. You can use additional materials if you have them at home, but the bottle should be the main element of your finished product.

Challenge of the Day #41 - No Thumbs Challenge!

Give these challenges a go without using your thumbs. It’s not as easy as it sounds!

Draw it - Octopus
Drink it – a cup of water
Do it – make confetti! by ripping a sheet of paper into tiny pieces

For added fun why not challenge a family member or give yourself a time limit.

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Challenge of the Day #15 - Finger Spelling with British Sign Language

Learn the alphabet in British Sign Language, then try sending and receiving messages. Can you spell your name? Ask how someone’s doing and tell them how you are.

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Challenge of the Day #22 - Paper Coasters!

Create a table coaster or mat using rolled paper made from recycled junk mail. Start by rolling lots of thin tubes of paper, then carefully fold, press or squash them into your chosen shape. A thin layer of glue over the top will help the coaster keep its shape. Share your designs on Twitter or Facebook.

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Challenge of the Day #2 - Shadow Puppet Show

Ever made a rabbit or butterfly shadow with your hands? Great! How about taking your art a step further? Create a setting or stage for a spectacular shadow puppet production to entertain others at home or just yourself. You could draw or sculpt patterns, design a landscape or make a set on the floor or wall for an amazing backdrop for your scene. Experiment with shapes and gestures to make your shadow puppets move around the stage. If you run out of natural light from outside you can always use a lamp or torch to continue your performance. Perhaps the changing light is part of the story…

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Challenge of the Day #16 - Saving the Day!

Are you a savvy saver or a big spender? What would you do if you won £100? Discover your money personality by trying this online interactive activity: https://bit.ly/3b4n7mx

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Challenge of the Day #19 - Have Vision!

Look out of a window in your home and draw what you think your surroundings would have looked like 150 years ago. On the other half of the page, draw what you think your surroundings might look like in 150 years’ time.

Thanks to Mission: Explore John Muir for this idea.

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Challenge of the Day #12 - Design a Wig

Ready for today’s BIG challenge? For some old-school fashion advice, check out https://www.vam.ac.uk/designawig/ and design your very own wig, 19th Century style! If you want to continue the challenge, why not try making an extravagant hair accessory that you can wear in your next video call?

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Challenge of the Day #20 - Share the Love!

Do something special for someone in your home. What about doing an extra chore, make a cup of tea to let a parent relax, tidying up a room, helping to prepare a meal or doing the dishes.

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Challenge of the Day #4 - The Relaxation Zone

Sharing a home with other people isn’t always easy. Different people need different amounts of time and space to be alone in order to stay healthy. Talk with people in your home about when and why you all might benefit from time out from each other even though you may all be at home. Agree on a plan so that people in your home try to respect each other’s need for space and quiet time as much as possible. If it’s helpful, you could prepare a comfy chillout zone or make a sign to put up when you need some space. If your first set of ideas don’t work the way you expected, it’s ok to talk about them some more or change things round. This is a great way for us to support each other to stay healthy and happy.

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