While our Lifelong Learning Programmes were closed we posted daily activities on our website, in line with our weekly theme; you can do them all at home, using resources that you should be able to find around the house. They’re all archived here for you to do whenever you like!
We also have free colouring pages, in line with our weekly theme, for you to download and print here.
Activities for the week:
We’ll explore our sense of adventure and try to break some (purple) records! Dedication’s what we’ll need!
Activities for the week:
The first Summer Paralympic Games was held in Italy in 1960. The first Winter Paralympic Games was held in Sweden in 1976.
Activities for the week:
This year, the start of Spring is on 20th March 2021.
Activities for the week:
Limericks, Nonsense poems, Rhyming poems, Nature poems, Sound poems, Rhythm poetry, Military chants – we’ll explore many types of poems and rhyme.
Activities for the week:
While we’re busy carrying out a big evaluation project at Purple Patch we’ll be taking a 3 week break from posting our normal Purple Patch daily activities here on our website. In the meantime, check out some of these other wonderful activities!
Activities for the week:
The ‘Roaring’ 1920s were one hundred years ago and life was different back then. We’re going to be Putting on the Ritz this week!
Activities for the week:
There are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, about 500 of these have erupted over the years.
Activities for the week:
National Storytelling Week runs from 30th January to 6th February.
Activities for the week:
In the USA the 29th January is National Puzzle Day, to celebrate we’re going to imagine we’re on Gameshows and Quiz Shows!
Activities for the week:
The 18th of January is Martin Luther King Day, celebrating the life and achievements of the influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation, and for racial equality in the United States.
Activities for the week:
This week was a very busy week in the past. In the news there was molasses, top hats, museum openings, lottery draws, batman, famous number ones, opera conducting, and Mickey Mouse!!
Kindness is “contagious” – research shows that people are more likely to do kind acts when they see others being kind as well. Kindness can also create contagious feelings of joy. Let’s practice being kind to ourselves & others.
Activities for the week:
Lapland is Finland’s northernmost region, it is an area where not many people live and is often covered in snow. Let’s take an adventure there!
Activities for the week:
We’re going to take an Adventure on the World Wide Web
Activities for the week:
This week we’re taking a trip in the Tardis to follow the adventures of Doctor Who.
Activities for the week:
Yikes! There’s been a suspicious incident aboard the Orient Express, we’re going to need our sleuthing skills to solve the crime!
Activities for the week:
We’re going to take a journey aboard the Orient Express, a luxury train that took passengers on trips across Europe.
Activities for the week:
We’ll be learning about news that happened this week in history.
Activities for the week:
This week we look at the work of the wonderful David Attenborough and Jane Goodall.
Activities for the week:
We’re going to take a journey under the surface of the sea to visit museums accessible only to divers and snorkelers, full of sculptures, sunken cities, shipwrecks and film props.
Activities for the week:
Adventures through a museum. We’re going to take a journey through different museums, uncovering artefacts as we go.
Activities for the week:
Adventurous News. We’ll be learning about news that happened this week in history.
Activities for the week:
Adventures to the Outdoors. We’ll be learning about the Cairngorms mountain range in Scotland.
Activities for the week:
Adventures to the Outdoors. We’ll be learning about camping, campfires, wild bears, and stargazing.
Activities for the week:
New Theme. Learn about what our theme of ‘Adventure’ has in store for us this year.
Activities for the week:
Behind the doors at a palace.
Activities for the week:
Africa. We’ll learn about some of the continent’s language, food, music, dance, landscape, art, and folktales
Activities for the week:
Famous Artists. We’ll learn about famous artistic styles, art galleries, mindfulness in art, surrealist art, and Northern artists.
Activities for the week:
We’ll look back at this week in history to explore events to do with Wizard of Oz, The Beatles, the Quagga, Sridevi Kapoor, and Britpop!
Activities for the week:
This week we’ll learn about mysterious Scientists: Marie Curie, Galileo Galilei, Archimedes, Alexander Graham Bell and Isaac Newton.
Fact of the day:
Green, (the mixture of blue and yellow), can be seen everywhere in nature and in many different shades. The human eye sees the colour green better than any other colour.
Fact of the day:
Germination is the process by which a plant starts to grow from a seed.
Fact of the day:
Gathering wild leaves or food such as berries or nuts from green spaces (verges, fields, parks or hedgerows) is really fun and is called foraging.
Fact of the day:
All the amazing bright and bold colours and shapes you see in the plants around you (in both their leaves and flowers) have a purpose.
Fact of the day:
All of our gardens put together make up more of Britain’s green space than all of the nature reserves combined!
Fact of the day:
Summer is celebrated in many different festivals all over the world.
Fact of the day:
In 2012 a sunflower in Germany made it into the Guinness World Records for being the tallest sunflower ever at 8.23 m (27 ft)!
Fact of the day:
The first Wimbledon championship took place in 1877, making it the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
The tradition of a picnic dates from at least the Middle Ages, when gentlemen out hunting would pause for a lavish meal outdoors.
In the UK no one lives more than 80 miles from the seaside. And the tallest recorded sand castle is 16.68m tall!
Fact of the day:
The Black Mambas are wildlife rangers who form South Africa’s first all-female anti-poaching unit.
Fact of the day:
Isadora Duncan (1877-1927) is known as the ‘Mother of Modern Dance’.
Fact of the day:
Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) was a famous Hollywood actress and an inventor.
Fact of the day:
Katia Krafft was a daredevil who was fascinated by active volcanoes. She set out to study them, capturing their beauty with her camera.
Fact of the day:
12th July is ‘Malala Day’, a day to celebrate Malala Yousafzai and her activism for the rights and education of girls.
Fact of the day:
The first Greek Olympics were held in the city of Olympia in 776 BC (2,795 years ago)
Fact of the day:
Greek Mythology is the set of folk stories about envious gods, courageous heroes and epic adventures that were originally told by the ancient Greeks.
Fact of the day:
The Ancient Greeks believed their gods lived high above Mount Olympus, in a palace in the clouds.
Fact of the day:
Most ancient Greek cities had a theatre – some big enough to hold 15,000 people!
Fact of the day:
The first Ancient Greek civilisations were formed nearly 4,000 years ago
Fact of the day:
On 3rd July 1985 ‘Back to the Future’ starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd was released.
Fact of the day:
On 2nd July 1973 British comedian Peter Kay was born.
Fact of the day:
On July 1st 1945 Deborah Harry (lead singer of Blondie) was born.
Fact of the day:
On June 30, 1898 Winton Motor Carriage Company published the first known automobile advert using the headline “dispense with a horse.”
Fact of the day:
On 29 June 2014, Dolly Parton played the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival for the first time.
Fact of the day:
Sports Days that are traditionally held at schools are called ‘Field Days’ in America.
Fact of the day:
Exercising improves our brain performance, especially if it includes challenges, tasks, and games.
Fact of the day:
A quarter of adults aren’t active at all, yet exercise plays an important role in keeping us happy and healthy.
Fact of the day:
Dancing is a whole-body workout that’s fun. It’s good for your heart, it makes you stronger, and it can help with balance and coordination.
Fact of the day:
21st June is International Day of Yoga. Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing.
Fact of the day:
Going for a wander outside can do wonders for our mental well-being.
Fact of the day:
New and exciting war-time dances entertained and brought people together in a time of crisis.
Fact of the day:
‘With a Little Help from My Friends’ is a song by the Beatles from their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Fact of the day:
Jeanne Claude and Christo were an artistic duo who created large scale public art works together. They were famous for wrapping huge landmarks, buildings and bridges in fabric.
Fact of the day:
The first poem was written 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia. It was an epic poem that would have taken days to read!
Fact of the day:
As the tide goes out, sea creatures and plants are revealed in the glittering rock pool waters left behind.
Fact of the day:
Coral reefs are living structures found underwater and are home to a diverse group of sea creatures. Coral Reefs are often called ‘Rainforests of the Sea’.
Fact of the day:
The majority of life on Earth is aquatic, a staggering 94% of the Earth’s living species exist within oceans.
Fact of the day:
Water and the sea play important roles in many legends and myths.
Fact of the day:
Over 70% of Earth is covered in water, this is why it’s often known as the ‘Blue Planet’.
Fact of the day:
Every year on the 5th of June, people across the globe celebrate World Environment Day to raise environmental awareness. It’s an opportunity for us to think about how we can live greener lives.
Fact of the day:
Trees act like the lungs of the earth. Trees help the planet breathe by turning carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) into clean, pure oxygen.
Fact of the day:
Renewable energy sources (such as wind, wave, tidal, solar, and hydro) create less greenhouse gas.
Fact of the day:
Temperature changes at the North and South poles affects what species can survive there.
Fact of the day:
Climate change is the increase in the planet’s temperature due to human-made emissions of greenhouse gases. The increased temperature means that there are changes in the world’s weather patterns and more common extreme weather events.
Fact of the day:
Yayoi Kusama is a 91 year old Japanese artist who is well-known for her repeating dot patterns. She is still making art and is Japan’s most prominent contemporary artist.
Fact of the day:
Ada Lovelace was the world’s first computer programmer. She lived in the UK from 1815 – 1852.
Fact of the day:
Maria Sibylla Merian was naturalist and scientific illustrator, she was one of the first people to observe insects directly.
Fact of the day:
In 1838 Grace Darling risked her life to rescue shipwrecked mariners off the coast of Northumberland, she safely got all survivors back to shore.
Fact of the day:
Harriet Tubman was an African American woman who escaped slavery and then helped nearly 300 other slaves escape to freedom too.
Fact of the day:
Studies have shown that being aware of what is taking place around you and savouring ‘the moment’ directly enhances your well-being.
Fact of the day:
Individuals who report a greater interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy.
Fact of the day:
Continued learning through life enhances self-esteem.
Fact of the day:
Regular physical activity is associated with a higher rate of wellbeing across all age groups.
Fact of the day:
Feeling close to, and valued by, other people is a fundamental human need.
Fact of the day:
The week starting 11th May has been a very eventful one in history.
Fact of the day:
On 14th May 1944 George Lucas was born In California, USA.
Fact of the day:
On this week in May 1969 British comedy troupe Monty Python formed.
Fact of the day:
On this week in May 1981 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “Cats” (based on poetry by T. S. Eliot) first premiered on the West End.
Fact of the day:
On 11th May 1930 Amy Johnson started on her attempted solo flight from England to Australia, some 10,000 miles away, in her ‘Gipsy Moth’ plane.
Fact of the day:
Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt
Fact of the day:
Ancient Egyptians believed in more than 2,000 deities! They had gods for everything, from dangers to chores!
Fact of the day:
Most Ancient Egyptian pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs (rulers of Ancient Egypt) and their families. To date, over 130 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt.
Fact of the day:
Pharaoh is the common title of the monarchs of ancient Egypt
Fact of the day:
The river Nile provided the Ancient Egyptians with food, transportation, building materials, and more. The Ancient Egyptians called the Nile the “Aur”, which means “black” like the rich soil.
Fact of the day:
The Pirates of the Caribbean film series is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World. The series surrounds the adventures of the eccentric pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow.
Fact of the day:
A good pirate ship needed three things: it needed to be seaworthy, fast, and well-armed in order to win fights.
Fact of the day:
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island in 1881. It is set in the days of sailing ships and pirates and tells of the adventures of Jim Hawkins and his search for the buried treasure of an evil pirate.
Fact of the day:
Blackbeard’s real name was Edward Teach and he lived from 1680 – 1718. He was one of the most feared pirates from what has become known as ‘The Golden Age of Pirates’.
Fact of the day:
The English word “pirate” comes from the Latin term “pirata” which means ‘sea robber’ and from the Greek word “peirates” which means ‘one who attacks ships’.
Fact of the day:
The Big Friendly Giant is unlike other giants. He doesn’t like to eat people, and he captures dreams and keeps them in jars for people to enjoy while they were asleep.
Fact of the day:
Roald Dahl’s book ‘The Twits’ was first published in 1980. It tells the tale of a pair of horrible twits and the tricks they like to play on each other.
Fact of the day:
In this book, James drops some magical crocodile tongues near a peach tree. This makes a peach grow to be as big as a house! James goes inside the peach and meets insects that are his size. James and the group travel in the peach across the ocean and in the sky from England to New York City.
Fact of the day:
In this book, 5 children find golden tickets and win a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world’s most unusual candy maker, Willy Wonka.
Fact of the day:
Roald Dahl was a spy, an ace fighter pilot, a chocolate historian and a medical inventor. As a writer his extraordinary mission was to amaze, thrill and inspire.
Fact of the day:
A honeybee hive can contain up to 50,000 bees.
Fact of the day:
The woodland floor has habitats hidden underground. Badgers are in their setts, rabbits in their holes, and foxes in their dens.
Fact of the day:
Some animals make their homes in trees. Wasps and birds live up high in nests, and squirrels live up high in dreys.
Fact of the day:
The riverbank is home to birds, mammals and insects including Kingfishers, Frogs, Newts, Voles, Shrews, Dragonfly, Otters, Herons, Toads and Beavers.
Fact of the day:
There are over 500,000 kilometres of hedgerow in Britain. That is a very large habitat for butterflies, mice and birds, spiders, and hedgehogs.
Fact of the day:
Across the world spring is seen as a time for new beginnings, happiness and growth. Many countries have their own unique spring traditions and celebrations.
Fact of the day:
Hanami is the Japanese tradition of celebrating blossom as the first sign of spring.
Fact of the day:
Daffodils announce the beginning of the spring and the waking of nature.
Fact of the day:
William Blake wrote ‘Songs of Innocence’ in 1789; several of the poems from this collection were written to welcome the Spring.
Fact of the day:
There are about 5,000 different species of ladybirds in the world.
Fact of the day:
An orbit is a repeating path that one object in space takes around another. The moon orbits the earth, and the earth orbits the sun.
Fact of the day:
Some planets have rings, some have red spots, some are dusty, some have water and life.
Fact of the day:
There are 8 main planets in our solar system – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune.
Fact of the day:
The constellation Ursa Major is also known as the Great Bear, Ursa Minor is known as the Smaller Bear.
Fact of the day:
A constellation is a group of visible stars that form a pattern in the sky when viewed from Earth
Fact of the day:
Many Superheroes have superpowers, from being able to travel through time, to having superhuman strength, to having supersenses.
Fact of the day:
Superman is famous for his blue and red suit, which features the letter S on his chest.
Fact of the day:
The Joker is one of Batman’s oldest enemies, and is known for his iconic laugh.
Fact of the day:
Batman is also known as the ‘Caped Crusader’, the ‘World’s Greatest Detective’, and the ‘Dark Knight’.
Fact of the day:
Superheroes are dedicated to fighting the evil of their universe, protecting the public, and battling super-villains.
