By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.
An example of the Homezone landing page within a laptop and a smartphone

Welcome to Homezone

Helping parents and carers to build their child’s essential skills at home.
An image of the Eight Essential Skill icons. Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Staying Positive, Aiming High, Leadership and Teamwork.
Enjoy activities together at a time and pace to suit you and your family.
A series of three family photos within circles. The first is a grandmother reading to her granddaughter, the second is a father patting his son on the back and the third is a mum helping her son with some online learning
Learn more at the Parents & Carers page

Skills Challenges

See all Skills Challenges
More Skills Challenges

Consider the problem: a local charity wishes to organise an event in your local area which people of all ages can join in.  The event could be sporting, musical, a fête - whatever you think would attract the most people to it.

Consider:

  • Which activity would be best so that everyone could be involved?
  • Could you have a range of activities?
  • What other problems could arise?

Challenge: Bring this event to life!

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: What are the instructions?

Intermediate: How can you come up with lots of possible solutions?

Advanced: Why is it important to consider a range of solutions for problems?

Mastery: How might you choose between different solutions to a complex problem?

Problem Solving

Organise a game of 'Who am I?' with your family or friends.

Each member of the family writes the name of a famous person and places it in a bowl. Take it in turns to pick a name, describe clearly the person without saying their name and see if your family can guess who it is.

Challenge: Use a timer to see how many names people can guess in one minute.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How do we know if we are speaking clearly?

Intermediate: As you speak how can put your points into a logical order so you can be easily understood?

Advanced: How can you use tone, expression and gesture to make your speaking engaging?

Mastery: How can you adapt the content of what you are saying, in response to listeners?

Speaking

Ask a family member or friend to read you an interesting news story or tell you about something interesting that has happened.

Your aim is to show you are listening by using eye contact but also be able to summarise the story after they have told you it.

Extension: Switch roles with the person, tell them a news story or something interesting that has happened.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How can you make sure you are listening carefully?

Intermediate: What does it mean to summarise what you have heard?

Advanced: Why is summarising or rephrasing what you have heard useful sometimes?

Mastery: How might changing the language (words) used affect how you feel about something?

Listening

Work with members of your family or your friends to create the tallest free-standing tower. This means it can't lean on anything.

You can use anything in your house to create it. You could use cushions, cereal boxes, Lego, cardboard boxes. You could even challenge yourself and others by trying to use unexpected items.

Extension: If and when it falls over, try to make it even taller.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: When do you find it easier (or more difficult) to work with others in a positive way?

Intermediate: Have you helped make decisions with others?

Advanced: How can you encourage others to help out too?

Mastery: What is an 'unhelpful conflict'? How can you avoid this when working with others?

Teamwork

Hold a discussion with your family members or a group of friends to decide on an indoor activity that you are going to do together.

Think about how you will include everyone. Think about how you are going to manage a group discussion and come to a shared decision.

Extension: With your family members or a group of friends, give the activity a go.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How can you find out about how others are feeling about something?

Intermediate: How can you find out more about strengths and weaknesses in others?

Advanced: How might you be able to motivate others to improve their weaknesses?

Mastery: What kind of leader would you like to be?

Leadership

Think about a hobby you practise regularly, like reading or playing a particular game.

Set yourself a new challenge to help you improve at the hobby. This could be learning new words from a book or learning a new skill in a game. Give yourself a deadline to achieve this.

Think about what you might need to do to achieve this goal and then give it a go.

Extension: think about why having goals is important.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How do you know if something is too difficult for you?

Intermediate: Why is it important to be willing to take on new challenges?

Advanced: What resources might you need to achieve your goals?

Mastery: What steps do you need to put in place to make your goals happen?

Aiming High

Get a piece of paper and write down everything that you have done to make yourself feel proud this week.

Think about if you faced any challenges. Think about every time you kept trying. Think about every time you encouraged someone else to keep trying too.

Extension: Do the same activity but for a family member or a friend, show them why they should feel positive and proud as well.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How do you know if something is too difficult for you?

Intermediate: Why is it important to be willing to take on new challenges?

Advanced: What resources might you need to achieve your goals?

Mastery: What steps do you need to put in place to make your goals happen?

Staying Positive

Winter is the coldest time of the year. Design a new coat/jacket that could keep anyone warm no matter how cold it gets.

What will the coat look like? What specifically will keep people warm? Could it use technology in some way? How will it be different to a regular winter coat?

Extension: Think about who would most benefit from your newly designed coat.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How can you share what you imagine?

Intermediate: How can you come up with lots of different ideas?

Advanced: How can you combine different ideas to create new ones?

Mastery: How can you help someone else to be creative?

Creativity
Pick your child's experience level to begin

Getting started

For those right at the start of their journey to begin building essential skills with your support.
MORE INFORMATION
The Getting Started stage is suggested for children in early primary school. This stage is also a good place to begin for a child or young person who is new to building their essential skills or wishes to revisit the skill with your support.

Intermediate

For those more confident with essential skills to practise further with you and accelerate learning.
MORE INFORMATION
The Intermediate stage is suggested for children in late primary or early secondary school. This stage is also a good place for an older child or young person to continue building their essential skills with your support.

Advanced

For those using essential skills regularly to work more independently on strengths and areas for improvement.
MORE INFORMATION
The Advanced stage is suggested for young people in secondary school. This stage is a good place for a young person to begin building their own essential skills on their own, with help from online tools and resources.

Mastery

For those looking to independently improve essential skills to prepare for future learning or careers.
MORE INFORMATION
The Mastery stage is suggested for young people who are about to leave secondary school or college. This stage is a good place for a young person to continue building their own essential skills on their own, with help from online tools and resources.