1. Stay calm and mindful

These are challenging times for everyone but there are positive actions you can take to manage worry and anxiety:   

• Get some tips about how to manage common worries from Young Minds.
• Try these meditation resources from Headspace or try some yoga with Adrienne on Youtube. Look out for the Calm app in your appstore on your phone.
• Give these games from Childline a go.
• Many more resources are available on the school’s mental health page here.  

 

2. Listen to a podcast or audio book

Listening to a podcast or audiobook can be a really relaxing experience – try some of recommendations out during the short winter days.

Audible have made a range of audiobooks available with no charge. Start exploring here.

We enjoy listening to podcasts about books such as Mostly Litand the literary progammes of In Our Time and words such as The Allusionist, Word of Mouth and Something Rhymes with Purple. But there are podcasts on almost every topic you can imagine. Take recommendations from your friends and family! We also like That Peter Crouch podcast, Tailenders, Getting Curious, Happy Place, How to Fail, and Newscast.

 

 

3. Get Creative

Time at home can be a good time to explore your creative side. Check out these artists’ channels and websites as well as the ADT department’s Instagram page for inspiration.

• Checkout Sheffield artist Pete McKee’s Youtube channel for cartoon workshops.
• The Rijks Museum in Amsterdam has a set of workshops based on the artwork in its gallery.  
• Check out these activities provide by the Art Faculty (here) and follow Meadowhead ADT on Instagram.

 

 

4. Be a Lockdown Hero: Charity and Fundraising at Home

During 2020, there has been a lot of attention on those who have gone the extra mile for charity. You can get involved by supporting these different causes and doing some good deed at home.

• Support the local Grace Food Bank – information about collection points is here.
• We are supporting the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Snowflake appeal – find out how you do some fundraising at home here.
• Cash4Kids/Hallam FM are running their annual Christmas appeal. Find out more here.

 

 

 

5. Stay Fit and Healthy

Use these links to keep yourself fit and healthy during the time at home.   

• Joe Wicks’ Body Coach home workouts are available for you to use at home
• The 7 minute workout website is also a good source of free high intensity activities 
• If you are able to exercise outside try the Couch to 5k app to help you get moving or use apps like Strava to help record your walks, runs and bike rides.
• Follow Meadowhead PE on Instagram and Twitter

 

 

6. Get reading fiction

Use the extra time at home as an opportunity to expand your horizons by reading a new story or by returning to old comforting books you enjoyed when you were younger.

You can download texts onto your phone via the Kindle app (99p deal each day).

If you are in school, you can request physical copies of texts by emailing LRC@meadowhead.sheffield.sch.uk (you can search for books here: https://library.meadowhead.sheffield.sch.uk/)

If you are self-isolating, we also have access to some e-books through the school library – we recommend The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstein, Life of Pi by Yann Martel and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. For support in accessing these, go to Remote Learning and scroll down to the Support link and follow this for information on how to login/download the app to search and read the books – or go directly to https://meadowhead.wheelers.co/

 

7. Travel the world in a virtual way

While we cannot visit museums, locations or landmarks at the moment, many organisations have facilities that allow you to “visit” from home. Click the links below to explore.

• Manchester Museum has made its exhibitions virtual – including one on Beauty and the Beasts. 
• The British and Science Museums have also gone online.
• You can also visit the Uffizi gallery in Florence and the Guggenheim in New York.
• Check out these Geography-themed games:  Statetris, Ayiti: the cost of life and Stop Disasters.

• Use this app and website -  https://worldwalking.org/ - to “walk the world” without travelling that far from your house!

 

8. Dance and Perform to your family

While you might have small and very friendly audience at home, this might be the time to practise your performance skills. Use the links below to get you started.

• This National Theatre video shows you how to make a puppet.
• The National Theatre also have a big list of other suggestions to get you started.
• The Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company have put together these resources in response to their show Contagion about the Spanish Flu. You can share your video with the company and you can feature on the platform.
• The Saratoga Performing Arts Company have some great online classes and video choreography available here.
• Check out these resources on Creating Character and Playing with Status from the Performing Arts Faculty. 

 

9. Get Cooking

Impress your family by attempting a new recipe. BBC Good Food have a really great collection of healthy recipes here.

Check out these recipes for Pizza sauce, Brownies, Pancakes. 

 

 

 

10. Get thinking about the big questions

After you have finished your school work; how about immersing yourself in one of these big questions about the nature of life and our existence.

Here are some TED talks: Adichie – We should all be feminists, Russell – Looks Aren’t Everything, Duckworth – Grit, Svitak – What Adults Can Learn From Kids.

The Royal institute Youtube channel has interesting videos on many big Science based questions such as “Can we trust Maths” to “Why have we not found aliens?”.

If you are feeling ambitious you could check out a whole online course through Open University or Future Learn.