Page 7 – Teaching Ideas

Complete the Illuminated Letters

by Mark Warner 13 October 2025

Ages: 7-11

Can your children complete and colour these letters using the grid provided?

When you are teaching your children about the Anglo-Saxons, explore some of their beautiful illuminated manuscripts. As a follow-up art / history activity, your children can then try to complete the letters on our free templates.

The PDF below contains every letter from A to Z in a similar style to illuminated lettering. Could your children complete the first letter of their name… or make their full name?

Downloads:

Complete the Illuminated Letters

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13 October 2025 0 comments

Books

Meesha Makes Friends

by Mark Warner 13 October 2025

written by Mark Warner

Buy This Book * More books by Tom Percival

Meesha loves making things… but there’s one thing she finds difficult to make – friends. She doesn’t know quite what to do, what to say or when to say it. But one day, she discovers she has a special talent that might just help her navigate social situations – and maybe even make new friends.

English:

There are several books in the Big Bright Feelings series*. Which is your favourite? What lessons do they teach us? Could you write a new story for this series?
Choose a part of the story and retell it from Meesha’s point of view.
Rewrite a story about Josh and how he becomes friends with Meesha.
Think of some speech / thought bubbles to add to the illustrations.
Choose one of the pictures of Meesha and infer what she might be thinking.
Write a set of instructions to help Meesha make some new friends.
Write some instructions to teach Josh how to make one of Meesha’s cuddly friends.
Find different examples of punctuation in the text. Why has the author used them in different places.
Write some letters between Meesha and Josh after this story takes place.
Write character descriptions of Meesha at the start and end of the story. How do your descriptions differ?
Write a story about a time when you felt shy. How did you overcome these feelings?

Maths:

Make a picture out of numbers (like Meesha does) and use it as the starting point for some problems (e.g. What is the largest number in my picture? What is the total of all of the numbers? Write the numbers in order of size).

Computing:

Create an animation of a face that changes expression.
Make a game in which a character has to move around a location to find and make new friends.

Design Technology:

Meesha cuts and sticks and glues and sews some new friends. Could you make a model of a person or animal to keep you company?
Design a new toy that helps children play together.

Art:

Choose one of Meesha’s paintings or models and make your own version.
Could you draw your own illustrations of Meesha? Try to draw different expressions and show a variety of emotions.
Why has the illustrator draw some pictures of Meesha in colour and other characters in shades of grey? Could you use this technique in one of your pictures?
Tell the main points of the story in the form of a comic strip.

Music:

Look at the musical notes in Meesha’s pictures. What do they mean? Can you make a poster to teach others about musical notation?
Compose a song about making friends to help Meesha.

Geography:

Make a story map that shows the places in the story and the events that happened there.
Make a map of the town that Meesha and Josh make together.

History:

Learn about famous historical figures who worked with others to achieve something together.
Make a timeline that shows the main events in this book.

PSHE:

Meesha finds it hard to make friends. Have you ever been in this situation? How did you feel?
Make a list of words and phrases to describe Meesha’s feelings at different points in the story. Copy some of the illustrations and write your words and phrases around her.
Make a table that shows different emotions sorted into groups.
How could you help somebody who is feeling lonely?
Are there times when you prefer to be alone? Think of times when it is better to do things together.
Write a letter to Meesha offering advice how to keep the new friends that she has made.

13 October 2025 0 comments

Science Animals Classroom Display Habitats Plants

Adaptations Display Posters

by Ideas Help 13 October 2025

written by Ideas Help

Ages: 5-11

These fantastic posters are great for your class when learning about adaptation.

Each poster includes a bright picture and clear descriptions of how the animal / plant has adapted to survive in its environment.

Use these either on your wall displays or as a resource pack when working in groups.

This resource is from our Adaptation Display Pack. Find out more at Teaching Packs.

Downloads:

Adaptations Display Posters

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13 October 2025 0 comments

Geography Mountains

Mountains Glossary Challenges

by Mark Warner 6 October 2025

written by Mark Warner

Ages: 7-11

Review your children’s knowledge of mountain vocabulary with these glossary challenges!

Three different activity sheets are included below:

Missing Words – Can your children add the missing words to each definition?
Match the Definitions – Cut out the words and definitions and match them together correctly!
Write the Definitions – After your children have learned about each word, can they write an accurate definition for them all?

The answers have also been provided on a separate sheet, which can be used as a reference resource during your mountain topic.

Downloads:

Mountains Glossary Challenges

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6 October 2025 0 comments

Books

Bea’s Bad Day

by Mark Warner 6 October 2025

written by Mark Warner

Buy This Book * More books by Tom Percival

Bea CAN’T WAIT for her birthday. There are only three days to go, and everything is going to be PERFECT! Then snow begins to block the roads, and everything begins to go wrong. With no party, no cards, and maybe even no cake, can Bea find a way to be OK – even in the middle of a really BAD day?

English:

Retell the story in the first person, from Bea’s point of view. You could also write diary entries for the days leading up to, on, and after her birthday.
Write the story from the pet dog’s point of view. How does it feel about the situation?
Make a list of synonyms for the different emotions that Bea feels during the story (e.g. excitement, surprise, disappointment, sadness).
Make a character profile for Bea using words and phrases found in the text.
Write a recipe for a birthday cake for Bea.
Think of some speech / thought bubbles to accompany the illustrations in the book.
Read the other books in the Big Bright Feelings series*. Which is your favourite? Why?
Could you write your own story with a similar theme?
Make a sequel to this story in which Bea has a belated birthday celebration.

Maths:

Make a list of things that Bea might need for her birthday. Try to find their prices and calculate the total.
Create a timetable that shows your dream birthday celebration. Use this to create some word problems for others to solve.
Conduct a class survey to find out the things that make people feel better on a bad day.

Science:

Research how our emotions affect our bodies (e.g. heart rate, breathing).

Computing:

Use publishing tools to make a poster / calendar that counts down to a special event.
Record and edit a ‘read aloud’ video of this book. Could you add video / audio effects? Here is an example:

Design Technology:

Design some warm clothes to keep Bea and her family warm during the snowy weather.
Design and make a pop-up birthday card for Bea.
Make a ‘mood box’ that could be filled with items to help Bea feel better.
Design some birthday party decorations.

Art:

Look at the illustrations on the front and back covers. Can you draw some sketches of a character with excited and disappointed expressions?
Look at the pictures that show when everything shatters for Bea. Could you use this technique for your own image?
Create a landscape picture of a scene and then draw a second version where it is covered in snow.
Turn the main events of this story into a comic strip.

Music:

Compose a melody to accompany an animated version of this story. How might it change as Bea’s feelings change?
Create a playlist of songs that might cheer up Bea.

Geography:

Make a weather forecast for the day before Bea’s birthday.
Make a weather chart for the next seven days (or for a week leading up to a special event).
Research birthday traditions around the world. How are they similar / different to your own celebrations?
What is snow? Find out where snow (and other forms of precipitation) comes from.

History:

Make a family tree for Bea based on the characters mentioned in the book. Can you make your own family tree?
Research historical figures who overcame bad days or setbacks.

Languages:

Find out the words for ‘excitement’ and ‘disappointment’ in other languages.
Learn how to say ‘Happy Birthday’ in different languages.

PSHE:

Can you think of a time when something didn’t turn out quite how you expected? How did you feel? How did you deal with the situation?
What could you do to help somebody who is disappointed by something?
Role play a conversation between Bea and a friend who is offering advice.
What makes a ‘bad’ day for you? How can you turn it around and change it into a good day?
Make a list of things we can and cannot control in life. How can we deal with issues that are beyond our control?
Make a list of everything you are grateful for. Looking at this may help when you are feeling disappointed about something else.
Discuss what resilience means. What can we do to help us bounce back from disappointments, or when things don’t go as we expected them to?

6 October 2025 0 comments

Art Artists Drawing Painting

Copy the Arcimboldo Painting

by Ideas Help 6 October 2025

written by Ideas Help

Ages: 7-11

Use this fantastic free resource in your Art lessons when learning the works of Arcimboldo.

This resource provides children with one of Arcimboldo’s paintings to copy. A grid is provided so the children can concentrate on the detail in one square at a time.

This resource comes from our Arcimboldo Pack. Find out more at Teaching Packs.

Downloads:

Copy the Arcimboldo Painting

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6 October 2025 0 comments

Art Colouring

Food and Drink Colouring Pages

by Mark Warner 29 September 2025

written by Mark Warner

Ages: 5-11

A free collection of colouring pages based on a theme of food and drink!

This set of images includes a basket of fruit, a slice of pizza, ice creams, cake and more, at varying degrees of complexity.

Let us know if you use these resources with your children. We always love hearing your feedback!

Downloads:

Food and Drink Colouring Pages

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29 September 2025 0 comments

Books

Max at Night

by Mark Warner 29 September 2025

written by Mark Warner

Buy This Book * More books by Ed Vere

Max is tired and all ready for bed, but when he can’t find the moon to say goodnight to, he sets out to find it. But that’s not as easy as Max had hoped…

English:

Retell the story from Max’s point of view. Include descriptions that show how he was feeling at different times.
There are a number of books about Max*. Could you write a new story about this character?
Find examples of direct speech in the text. Rewrite these as reported (or indirect) speech.
How many different types of punctuation can you find in the story? Can you explain why they were used?
Write some similes and metaphors to describe the night sky.
Imagine Max woke the sleeping dog. What conversation could they have?
In this book, Max completes a series of actions and then repeats them in reverse. Could you use this technique in your own story?
Write a bedtime poem to help Max relax and get to sleep.

Maths:

Make a timeline that shows the events that took place in the story. Use this to create some word problems for a friend to solve.
Estimate how far Max goes to say goodnight to the moon. How high does he climb?
Conduct a survey to find out when your classmates go to bed at night.

Science:

Why do we have day and night? Find out more about this topic and make a presentation to teach others about it.
Find out about animal sleep routines. Which animals sleep for the longest time? Which animals are nocturnal? Which animals hibernate?
Use torches and lights to investigate shadows.
In this story, Max has trouble sleeping. Find out how sleep helps our bodies and why it is important to us.

Computing:

Use art software to draw your own illustrations of Max.
Take some photos of night time scenes.
Create an animated / narrated version of this story. Here is an example:

Design Technology:

Could you make a puppet or a model of Max?
Design a bed that will help Max to sleep.
Make a pop-up page for the book showing Max exploring a new place on his journey to say goodnight to the moon.

Art:

What colours are used in the illustrations to show that it is night time? Use similar colours to make your own pictures of a scene at night.
Draw or paint pictures of the same place at day and at night. How are the pictures the same / different?
Look at examples of art that show nighttime scenes. Can you try to recreate one of these?