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Pick an essential skill you want to build
ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork
ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork
ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork
ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork
ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork

Leadership

The receiving, retaining and processing of information or ideas
The oral transmission of information or ideas
The ability to find a solution to a situation or challenge
The use of imagination and the generation of new ideas
The ability to use tactics and strategies to overcome setbacks and achieve goals
The ability to set clear, tangible goals and devise a robust route to achieving them
Supporting, encouraging and developing others to achieve a shared goal
Working cooperatively with others towards achieving a shared goal

Advanced

By this stage, your child will be able to to reflect on their own leadership style and understand how it effects others and the support needed.

Introduction video for parents and carers

This video is approximately 1 minute long.

Build the skill with your child

Have a go at some of these activities with your child to develop this skill. We recommend you spend the amount of time to best suit you and your child - perhaps completing one section at a time. You can always come back and carry on!

Read

This section gives you a simple skill story to read and share together.

Talk

This section suggests questions for you to ask when speaking with your child about this skill.

Do

This section provides an activity idea for you and your child to do together.

Start here

Remembering short instructions

Then this
Transcript

Now this
No items found.

Books to read and share with your child

An open book on a table outside

Introduction video for parents and carers

This video is approximately 1 minute long.

Build the skill with your child

Have a go at some of these activities with your child to develop this skill. We recommend you spend the amount of time to best suit you and your child - perhaps completing one section at a time. You can always come back and carry on!

Read

This section gives you some more information about the skill to read and share together.

Talk

This section suggests questions for you to ask when speaking with your child about this skill.

Do

This section provides an activity idea for you and your child to do together.

Start here

Remembering short instructions

Then this
Transcript

Now this
No items found.

Introduction video for parents and carers

This video is approximately 1 minute long.

Build the skill with your child

Have a go at some of these activities with your child to develop this skill. We recommend you spend the amount of time to best suit you and your child - perhaps completing one section at a time. You can always come back and carry on!

Read

This section gives you more information about the online tool that can be used to support your child to build their essential skills.

Talk

This section suggests questions for you to use when speaking with your child about their use of this online tool.

Do

This section provides an online activity for your child to complete with support, or independently if more suitable for them.

Support your child to build this skill with interactive learning modules

Read

We have suggested modules to support your child's skill development at this stage. However, it can also be used to support individual needs or guide your child through a choice of courses based on the essential skills.

Your child (11+) can sign up to build their essential skills in three steps:
Identify key learning related to the skill step.
Practise the skill step with a choice of interactive online and offline activities.
Articulate (talk about) their understanding of the skill step through written words or discussion with others.

As a parent/carer, support your child to use Skills Builder Launchpad to:

  • Support your child to independently build their own essential skills.
  • Give opportunities for your child to apply the skill at different times and places.
  • Encourage your child to reflect on their skills.
  • See the results of skills-building conversations and activities at home.
  • Support the transition to next steps such as: moving up a year at school, applying for employment/ further education and preparing for independent living.

Talk

Here are some suggested questions for you to talk about together when using Skills Builder Launchpad:

  • What have you learnt in this module?
  • Which activities did you do to practise this skill? How did you get on?
  • Shall we talk through the reflection questions at the end of the module?
  • When is your next chance of applying this skill? How will you go about it?
  • Can you think of any examples of when you have used this skill?
  • What might you do next to develop this skill?

Discover strengths and areas for improvement with our self-assessment tool

Read

Skills Builder Benchmark is an online tool for your child to reflect on their essential skills.


Your child (11+) can sign up to explore their essential skills in three steps:
Step 1: Choose an essential skill and answer some simple questions.
Step 2: Find their strengths and areas for development, alongside practical ideas to improve their skills.
Step 3: Download their own Skills Report to use and share with others at home or at school/college.

As a parent/carer, support your child to use Skills Builder Benchmark to:

  • Support your child to reflect on their essential skills in everyday life.
  • See the results of skills-building conversations and activities at home.
  • Support the transition to next steps such as: moving up a year at school, applying for employment/ further education and preparing for independent living.

Talk

Here are some suggested questions for you to talk about together when using Skills Builder Benchmark:

  • How did you feel whilst reflecting on this skill?
  • Can you share your strengths and areas for development for this skill?
  • When do you use this skill in your everyday life? Can you think of any examples?
  • What could you do based on the suggestions to improve this skill?
  • Where else could you continue to practise and improve this skill?

Do

Discover strengths and areas for improvement with our self-assessment tool.

START YOUR
Leadership
ASSESSMENT

Introduction video for parents and carers

This video is approximately 1 minute long.

Build the skill with your child

Have a go at some of these activities with your child to develop this skill. We recommend you spend the amount of time to best suit you and your child - perhaps completing one section at a time. You can always come back and carry on!

Read

This section gives you more information about the online tool that can be used to support your child to build their essential skills.

Talk

This section suggests questions for you to use when speaking with your child about their use of this online tool.

Do

This section provides an online activity for your child to complete with support, or independently if more suitable for them.

Support your child to build this skill with interactive learning modules

Read

We have suggested modules to support your child's skill development at this stage. However, it can also be used to support individual needs or guide your child through a choice of courses based on the essential skills.

Your child (11+) can sign up to build their essential skills in three steps:
Identify key learning related to the skill step.
Practise the skill step with a choice of interactive online and offline activities.
Articulate (talk about) their understanding of the skill step through written words or discussion with others.

As a parent/carer, support your child to use Skills Builder Launchpad to:

  • Support your child to independently build their own essential skills.
  • Give opportunities for your child to apply the skill at different times and places.
  • Encourage your child to reflect on their skills.
  • See the results of skills-building conversations and activities at home.
  • Support the transition to next steps such as: moving up a year at school, applying for employment/ further education and preparing for independent living.

Talk

Here are some suggested questions for you to talk about together when using Skills Builder Launchpad:

  • What have you learnt in this module?
  • Which activities did you do to practise this skill? How did you get on?
  • Shall we talk through the reflection questions at the end of the module?
  • Can you think of any examples of when you have used this skill?
  • When is your next chance of applying this skill? How will you go about it?
  • What might you do next to develop this skill?

Discover strengths and areas for improvement with our self-assessment tool

Read

Skills Builder Benchmark is an online tool for your child to reflect on their essential skills.


Your child (11+) can sign up to explore their essential skills in three steps:
Step 1: Choose an essential skill and answer some simple questions.
Step 2: Find their strengths and areas for development, alongside practical ideas to improve their skills.
Step 3: Download their own Skills Report to use and share with others at home or at school/college.

As a parent/carer, support your child to use Skills Builder Benchmark to:

  • Support your child to reflect on their essential skills in everyday life.
  • See the results of skills-building conversations and activities at home.
  • Support the transition to next steps such as: moving up a year at school, applying for employment/ further education and preparing for independent living.

Talk

Here are some suggested questions for you to talk about together when using Skills Builder Benchmark:

  • How did you feel whilst reflecting on this skill?
  • Can you share your strengths and areas for development for this skill?
  • When do you use this skill in your everyday life? Can you think of any examples?
  • What could you do based on the suggestions to improve this skill?
  • Where else could you continue to practise and improve this skill?

Do

Discover strengths and areas for improvement with our self-assessment tool.

START YOUR
Leadership
ASSESSMENT

Continue to build this skill at home by taking part in these weekly skill challenges - encourage all of the family to join in and have fun together!

More Listening Skill Challenges

It is your 'secret' mission to find out three new facts about a family member or a friend. To do this you will need to listen very carefully and ask open questions to understand what they are saying and find out more.

You should think about:

  • who you want to find out more about (it could be more than one person);
  • how you can use eye contact and your body language to show you are paying full attention to what they are saying;
  • what questions to ask, to show you have understood what they have said or to help you find out more information.

At the end of the day talk with them about your mission - did they notice you were listening carefully to them?

Extension: Ask those involved how your careful listening made them feel. Share your thoughts about what you noticed too.

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

Choose someone in your household, or a friend on the phone, to interview about their dream career.

Prepare by writing a list of questions. For example:

  • What did you want to do as a job when you were younger?
  • Has your dream career stayed the same?
  • If you could do anything, what would it be?
  • What skills do you need to be successful in your dream career?
  • How are you planning to reach your dream career?

During the interview, demonstrate active listening and make a note of their answers.

Extension: Interview two people and compare their perspectives.

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

Challenge yourself to listen actively to someone. This means you should try to understand what the person is saying, be able to respond and maybe even reflect on what was said.

It could be a family member, friend or even a teacher.

Once you have listened, tell someone else what that person told you.

Challenge: reflect on why active listening is important.

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

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

Demonstrate your listening skills by playing a game of 'Simon Says' with your family or friends.

Pick another member of your family or friends to be ‘Simon’. Everyone else must follow Simon’s instructions but only when they say ‘Simon says…’. For example, if 'Simon says touch your nose', you touch your nose. However, listen carefully because if the person does not say 'Simon says' you do not need to do it.

Extension: Encourage everyone to show their listening by changing who ‘Simon’ is.

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

Watch a video on a topic that you are interested in. After watching the video, take time a moment to think about what you heard and note down the key points covered.

Extension: watch the video again while reading your summary of the key points. Did you note down all of the most important information? If you missed something, add in that information.

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

Listen to the people around you talking to each other - perhaps your friends or family. Observe the conversation and listen for when someone interrupts.

Extension: Why did they interrupt? Was it for a positive or negative reason? How do you know?

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

Listen to an audio book or ask a family member to read a book to you.

Write a review of the book, including a summary of characters and main events. Share your review with a friend or family member.

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
More Speaking Skill Challenges

You are the new radio host of the brand new radio show Skills Builder FM. Your role is to host the first session live in front of either family members or friends.

Decide:

  • If you would like to host the show with anyone else.
  • What the topic of the show is going to be – it can be anything you're interested in, such as sports, fashion, celebrities, news, science, art, a hidden talent... anything!
  • If you want any special guests to talk on your show.

Consider:

  • How you are going to engage listeners using your tone and expression.

Extension: Ask your listeners for feedback. For example, what did they like about your show? Is there anything you could improve for next time?

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

Imagine you are campaigning to be your country's leading politician.

Things to think about:

  • How would you make the country a better place to live?
  • What laws would you introduce?
  • Create a campaign poster and speech to persuade family members to 'vote' for you.

Extension: Ask your audience to pose challenging questions at the end of your speech.

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

Imagine you are providing the voice over for a documentary about life in your household.

Go from room to room and talk about who and what is in the room as if you were the narrator of a television programme. If you can, record your ideas and play it back to other household members to make them smile.

Challenge: Reflect on how clearly you spoke.

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

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

Think about the five most interesting facts about yourself.

Once you have thought about the facts, plan out the logical order that you would tell someone in.

Then, speak clearly when telling either a family member or friend these facts.

Think about how you might use tone, expression and gestures when telling a family member or friend.

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

Think about a person you admire. This could be someone that you know, someone that you’ve learnt about or someone from a story/movie. Imagine you could invite this person to your birthday party.

Plan how you could encourage the person to come to your birthday party by using facts and examples to support why you would like them to join your party.

What tone might you use? What might you say to convince them to come?

Extension: Pretend a family member or a friend is the person you would like to invite and try to convince them to come.

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

Think of an activity that you enjoy doing. This might be something you do at home or at school.

Imagine that you are a teacher and you need to teach your friend how to complete this activity in a series of steps.

Plan how you would explain the activity clearly and put the steps in a logical order.

How might you use your hand gestures and body language to teach this activity more effectively?

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

Think of your favourite place, this could be your house, a relative's house, a park, a museum or anywhere else you have been.

Imagine that you are giving someone a video tour of your favourite place.  

Plan where you would take them and how you could talk about the different parts or features of it. Role-play giving the tour, or write yourself a script with descriptive language.

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
More Problem Solving Skill Challenges

Consider this problem: a town has an area of land that is abandoned and is no longer being used for anything. It has become untidy, littered wasteland. You have been chosen to completely change the space and design something that will make the town a better place.

You should:

  • Consider the options, come up with three different ideas to solve the problem
  • Choose the best option - this should be the one you think the most people will like
  • Design the new area, this could be written, drawn, typed.
  • Pitch the idea to your friends and family

Extension: Go back to your design, look at the resources that you will need to create it and decide how you can do this in the most environmentally friendly way.

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

Consider this problem: your local park is going to have to close because of the amount of littering and treatment of the local wildilife. Your task is to come up with three different solutions to try and fix this problem.

Consider:

  1. What is causing the problem?
  2. What needs to change?
  3. How can you bring about this change?

Extension: Consider which solution is best and pitch this to your friends and family!

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

Consider this problem: Imagine you and your friends or family are in a shrinking space.

You need to:

  1. Choose 2-3 people to join you.
  2. Use a rope (or something similar) to make a shape on the floor that everyone can fit into.
  3. Slowly shrink the space every 1-2 minutes.
  4. Generate a range of solutions to figure out how to keep everyone within the shrinking boundaries.

Extension: Try again, but include more people in the shrinking circle!

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

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

Consider the problem: you are stranded on a desert island and need to find your way back home.

What would you do to try and get home? What items on an island could you use to help? What problems might you run into?

Come up with atvleast two different solutions as to how you would get home.

Extension: Pick which of your solutions is better and explain why.

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

Imagine that you need to plan a fun activity for a group of people that you’ve never met before. It can be any type of activity, just something that you think everyone would enjoy!

What information could you use to help plan this activity? What questions could you ask to help you plan the activity?

Extension: Write down the pros and cons of the activity that you’ve planned.

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

Imagine that you are going on a trip to a place that you have never visited.

What information do you need to know to successfully plan the trip and make it as fun as possible?

Make a list of the questions that you need to answer and where you might be able to find the information you need.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: Where are some of the different places you might find extra information?

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

Many people are concerned about the amount of plastic littering the streets, parks, rivers and beaches. Some common household items are now being made out of a different material. For example in the UK, drinks companies have to use paper straws instead of plastic.

Have a look around your home - which items are made of plastic? Can you come up with alternative materials these items could be made out of? What are the pros and cons of using an alternative material?

Share your ideas with another member of your household - can they think of others?

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
More Creativity Skill Challenges

Imagine you are a designer for a car company. You have been asked to come up with ideas for a brand new range of cars/vehicles that are environmentally friendly. You should generate ideas and design at least two different types of car (for example, a sports car, pick-up truck, luxury car, convertible, electric car).

You could:

  • Draw the different cars, making sure the drawings include specific features
  • Label the features of the car
  • Highlight what makes these cars better for the environment.

Extension: Write down why you think your designs make great cars – how are they different from what already exists?

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

Your local town or city is keen to build a new landmark to celebrate a local hero. You've been chosen to create this landmark!

You will need to generate ideas and decide which is best before creating the landmark.

Consider:

  1. What has this person done?
  2. Why is this person worth celebrating?
  3. Who does this person inspire?

Extension: Write a summary of why you chose this person to celebrate.

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

Either on your own, or in a group invent a brand new type of chocolate and design the wrapper.

Consider:

  • What type of chocolate do you want to use? (For example, dark, white, milk)
  • Do you want any additional flavours? (For example, mint)
  • What do you want to call your chocolate?
  • What information do you need on the wrapper?

Extension: Present your new chocolate to other members of your family or friends!

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

Create a 'thank you' card for someone who has done something kind or helpful for you recently. This could be a friend, family member or even a teacher.

Develop ideas about what this card could include by considering what you know about this person.

Challenge: Consider how you might change the card if you were giving it to someone else.

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

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

Make a protective holder for an egg that would stop the egg from cracking if it was dropped from 2 metres high. Your aim is to generate an idea that fits this brief: do not break the egg!

Think about what materials you could use, think about if the materials are strong enough to hold the egg, think about how you could stop the egg from falling out of the holder.

Extension: Once you have tested the egg holder, write down how how you would improve it for next time.

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

Think of your favourite meals and foods. Create a cookbook to show others how they can make these meals.

How could you explain the recipes to others? Could you use words, pictures or videos?

Extension: imagine a brand new meal that you would like to eat and add the recipe to your cookbook.

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

With a family member or friend, listen to your favourite piece of music. Now each of you create a piece of artwork to describe how the piece of music made you feel?

Show your artwork to each other. Are they similar? Did the piece of music make you both feel the same way? Could you combine them to make one piece of artwork?

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
More Staying Positive Skill Challenges

Affirmations are positive statements that can help people feel better when they are having negative thoughts or are feeling negative emotions.

Think about a challenge that you are facing and write down five affirmations (positive statements) that help you to think about this challenge positively. Your statements (or affirmations) can help you stay positive more generally and can be as simple as: 'I can do hard things' or 'I am a good friend'.

You should:

  • Write down your affirmations.
  • Say your affirmations aloud to yourself or a friend or a family member.

Extension:
Create a poster with your affirmations on to remind you of them regularly.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How does this activity make you feel?

Intermediate: How could you use this activity to feel more positive when something goes wrong?

Advanced: How could this help you to look on the bright side of something?

Mastery: How can you manage your emotional response to best support others?

Staying Positive

Do something to spread positivity among your family/friends or even in your local area today.

For example, you could:

  • Bake something to share with people
  • Write positive and uplifiting message to hand out
  • Create a positive chalk mural on the pavement

Extension: Write down how it felt to spread positivity.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How does this activity make you feel?

Intermediate: How could you use this activity to feel more positive when something goes wrong?

Advanced: How could this help you to look on the bright side of something?

Mastery: How can you manage your emotional response to best support others?

Staying Positive

Create a 'positivity jar/box' -  Using an empty jar/box, fill it with notes and messages that when you read make you and others feel positive.

Once you've finished making it, ask people in your household to take a message from the jar/box.

Extension: Decorate the jar/box.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How does this activity make you feel?

Intermediate: How could you use this activity to feel more positive when something goes wrong?

Advanced: How could this help you to look on the bright side of something?

Mastery: How can you manage your emotional response to best support others?

Staying Positive

Either write down or draw a picture showing what Staying Positive means to you.

For example, it could mean someone managing their emotions following a setback, or looking on the bright side of a difficult situation.

Challenge: Around your definition write down an example of how you have stayed positive during the week.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How does this activity make you feel?

Intermediate: How could you use this activity to feel more positive when something goes wrong?

Advanced: How could this help you to look on the bright side of something?

Mastery: How can you manage your emotional response to best support others?

Staying Positive

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

Think about the last few weeks. Write down something that has happened that didn’t go to plan or even went wrong.

Below it, write down how you responded and how you kept trying to overcome the issue.

Extension: Do this multiple times to begin a journal/diary about how you stay positive.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How does this activity make you feel?

Intermediate: How could you use this activity to feel more positive when something goes wrong?

Advanced: How could this help you to look on the bright side of something?

Mastery: How can you manage your emotional response to best support others?

Staying Positive

Choose a character from a book you have read or a film you have watched. Did the character feel positive or negative? How did you know? Think about what they may have said or done to show you how they were feeling.

Think about how their mood may have changed throughout the book or film. Did they continue to feel positive or negative? If their mood changed, why did it change?

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How does this activity make you feel?

Intermediate: How could you use this activity to feel more positive when something goes wrong?

Advanced: How could this help you to look on the bright side of something?

Mastery: How can you manage your emotional response to best support others?

Staying Positive

Think about 3 things you are grateful for today, that brighten your day and make you feel happy. They can be small things or big things.

Extension: Discuss your choices with members of your household and talk about other things that have brightened their day today too.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: How does this activity make you feel?

Intermediate: How could you use this activity to feel more positive when something goes wrong?

Advanced: How could this help you to look on the bright side of something?

Mastery: How can you manage your emotional response to best support others?

Staying Positive
More Aiming High Skill Challenges

Set a goal that you would like to achieve in the next few weeks or months of the year.

You should:

  • Consider the steps your will need to take to reach your goal
  • Consider how long it will take you to reach your goal
  • Consider how you are going to track this goal
  • Design a goal tracker - this could be written or drawn.

Extension: Share your goal and your tracker with members of your family or friends, they might even have some suggestions to help you reach your goal.

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

Write or draw your dream career in the middle of a piece of paper. Around the writing or drawing, note down everything you need to achieve your dream.

You could include:

  • What you will need to learn to have that career
  • How you need to behave to succeed in that career
  • What different jobs that career might involve

Extension: Write down why this is your dream career and why you think that you would be good at it.

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

Summer is almost here - it's a great time of year to think of the future. What would you like to achieve in the coming months? Write down a goal you have and begin to plan how you can reach that goal.  

Consider:

  • What will success look like?
  • How will you feel when you reach that goal?
  • What will you need to do to be successful?  
  • Who might be able to help you?

Extension: Consider how you are going to track this goal.

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

Set yourself a challenge to complete during the week!

It doesn't matter how big or small the challenge is. Once you have decided on the challenge, create a plan which outlines what you will do each day to achieve it.

Extension: Set yourself a monthly or even a yearly challenge.

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

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

Think about everything that you have accomplished at home and at school this year. Then think about what else you want to achieve next year.

Write down 3-5 goals that you want to achieve next year.

Extension: Put these goals in order of importance, start with the least important and end with the most 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

Think of a task that you do on a regular basis. For example, brushing your teeth or reading a book. What do you need to do this task really well? For example, to concentrate on reading, you might need to remove distractions or find a quiet place in the house.

Once you have completed this task, how do you know that you have completed it well? How does it feel when you have done something 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?

Aiming High

Pick something that you have completed or been successful at recently. It could be something you did at school or in a club, or something from home like cleaning your room or finishing a book. It can be a big success or something small that you are proud of.

Make an award or certificate for yourself to celebrate your success. Share your success with a family member or friend.

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
More Leadership Skill Challenges

Ask members of your family or friends about their strengths and talents and create a poster to celebrate the strengths of your family or friendship group.

You could ask:

  • Which essenital skills are their strengths
  • Any specific examples of when their strengths have shone through
  • If they have any hidden talents.

Extension: Include yourself on the poster.

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 something you can do really well. It could be a dance, singing, a sport, storytelling - anything you like. Your task is to teach this talent to a family member or a friend.

To do this, you should:

  • consider who you want to learn this talent
  • consider how long it will take to teach this talent
  • consider if the talent will need to be taught in different stages
  • consider what activities will help you to teach the talent

Extension: Ask the person you are teaching for feedback on what you did well and how you could improve your teaching.

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

Organise a fun activity for your household to do over this weekend (or next!)

Encourage everyone to come up with different ideas for the activity and when it might take place. It could be anything you all enjoy, from a pizza night to a walk to your favourite park, but everyone needs to take part.

You might need to organise a vote to decide. Manage disagreements carefully and most importanly, have fun!

Extension: Consider what you might need to organise in advance of the activity.

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

Design a new chores rota for your household.

  1. Make a list of different rooms or areas that you could help with.
  2. Assign each job to a different person in your household.
  3. Lead your team to get the jobs done!

Extension: do this for another household activity or routine.

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

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

How can you find out about how others are feeling about something?Draw a picture of yourself in the middle of the page, around the picture write down all of your strengths. For example, ‘I listen to others without interrupting’.

After you have written your strengths, in a different colour write down anything you could improve on. For example, ‘I listen to others and record important information as I do'.

Extension: Circle or underline the thing you most want to improve on.

Reflection Questions

Getting Started: When do you feel different emotions?

Intermediate: What could you do if things don’t go to plan?

Advanced: What are good leaders able to do?

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

Leadership

Draw a picture or cut out pictures of three people. Imagine they are all on the way to play a sport. Draw a thought bubble to show how each person feels. Make each person have a different emotion. How might they show that emotion? How might the other people react?

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

Create a feelings chart to describe how you are feeling each day this week. You can pick the theme of the chart - for example, you could make a feelings weather chart which describes how you feel by linking it to different types of weather (sunny = happy; cloudy = ... ) Pick a theme that makes sense to you.

Try to complete the chart every morning and evening this week. At the end of the week, take a look back and see if there are any patterns to how you have felt this week. Did you always feel the same way every morning? Did this feeling stay with you until the evening or did it change? You could ask a member of your household to do this with you.

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: What are good leaders able to do?

Mastery: How do different Leadership styles affect other people?

Leadership
More Teamwork Skill Challenges

Work with other people in your household or a group of friends to build a landmark that has significance to you as a family or as a friendship group.

You should:

  • Discuss and agree on a landmark that you will build
  • Consider how you are going to build it, what materials do you already have that you could use?
  • Divide up the work so that everyone has something to do
  • Finally, build your landmark.

Extension: Afterwards, as a group reflect on what you have created. What worked really well? How could it be improved?

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

Create a piece of collaborative artwork with members of your family or your friends.

You should:

  • Have a group discussion to agree on a form (e.g. sketch, paint, digital art or sculpture)
  • Agree on a theme and a design
  • Assign each person a different task or piece of the art to complete.
  • Finally, work together to make the artwork!

Extension: Work together to present the artwork to anyone who hasn't been involved in designing and creating it.

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

Work with members of your household or friends to create a short dance routine. This could be inspired by a dance that you know or have already seen. As a group, decide on the music and work together to choreograph a set of dance moves.

Extension: Find an occasion where you can perform your dance!

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

Research a culture or religion that is different from your own.
Then, create a poster or blog post celebrating what you have learnt.

You could include:

  • Important people
  • Historical events
  • Food, art and popular culture.

Challenge: Consider why having an understanding different cultures, ideas or religions is important when working in a team.

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

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

Work with members of your family to cook or bake something. Share your ideas and come to a group decision on what you will make and how you will make it.

Make sure everyone involved has a task that they are responsible for.

Extension: Once you have finished cooking/baking, discuss with your family why it was useful to work in a team.

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

Think of a job you might like to do in the future. Do you have to work as part of a team in this job?

Write a list or create a poster of how you might be expected to behave and communicate in this job. You might like to think about the dress code, what time you would arrive to work, what language you might use when speaking with your teammates.

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

Think of a time when someone has helped you complete a task.

Write a 'thank you' card to express your appreciation.

You could include:

  • what they helped you with
  • why it was useful
  • how it made completing the task easier or more fun.

Extension: could you suggest a new project to work on together in the future?

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

Start building another skill

ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork

Start building another skill

ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork

Start building another skill

ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork

Start building another skill

ListeningSpeakingProblem SolvingCreativityStaying PositiveAiming HighLeadershipTeamwork