ELPS Challenges
At ELPS, we encourage our pupils to explore new experiences through the ELPS Challenges. To help them document their journey, every pupil will have the option to bring home a Challenge Notebook.
Pupils can use their notebooks in any way they choose—writing or drawing about the places they visit, the activities they take part in, or even creating a scrapbook with photographs. Those who have already started a notebook are welcome to continue adding to it rather than starting a new one.
While this is an optional challenge, all pupils who complete any of the suggested activities and record their experiences in their notebook will receive a Challenge Certificate.
At the start of term, a special assembly will be held where children will have the opportunity to share their experiences and celebrate their achievements with their peers. We look forward to seeing the creativity and adventures our pupils embark on.
SPRING CHALLENGE
Spring into Reading by reading at least two books
It is so important that children keep up their reading habits over the Easter break. ELPS challenges pupils to read at least two books, one for each week of the Easter break. Pupils should consider reading some of the 50 recommended reading books for their Year Group; lists of the 50 recommended reading books for each Year Group are displayed in the Reading Corner of every Year 2-6 classroom.
Pupils are encouraged to visit https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk, which is a free-to-access website featuring rewards and incentives to children for reading and reviewing books. For each book that pupils read, they can track the book on their Challenge website profile and write a short book review to earn badges on their profile.
Drop into your local library (Wembley Library is within the Brent Civic Centre in Wembley Park) to explore the thousands of books that are available and don’t hesitate to ask the librarians for help finding great books to borrow!
Setup your own Easter egg hunt at home or join an organised Easter egg hunt
Egg hunts are one of the most fun and exciting events that you can participate in around Easter! You can take part in an Easter egg hunt at home by hunting for eggs hidden by your family, or hiding eggs yourself and having your family search for them around your home. Feel free to organise a hunt around your home with objects other than eggs if you want to! Families may also choose to take part in an organised Easter egg hunt, of which there are many throughout London, including the following:
| Date | Time | Location | Cost | Registration Link |
|---|
| 1st April | 12:00 – 15:00 | Belvedere Community Centre | Free (registration required) | Eventbrite |
| 5th – 10th April | 10:00 – 16:00 | Morden Hall Park | £3 per child (includes trail map, pencil, and chocolate egg) | National Trust |
| 8th April | 11:00 – 15:00 | Lesnes Abbey Lodge | £4 per child | Lesnes Abbey Woods |
| 9th April | 10:00 – 11:15 or 11:45 – 13:00 | Big Penny Social | £7 per participant | Dice |
Do some Easter cooking or bake some Easter treats with your family
Spend some time in the kitchen this Easter break by helping your family with some cooking or baking! There are so many amazing traditional dishes that you can learn to cook alongside your family. You might also want to bake and decorate some Easter cookies to share with loved ones. Doing some cooking or baking with your family is an amazing way to develop new skills in the kitchen and enjoy some delicious food or sweet treats over the Easter break!
Create homemade Easter decorations or other arts and crafts
Get into the spirit of Easter by making some Easter-themed arts and crafts or decorations for your home. This could include dyeing or painting your own Easter eggs, making your own Easter garland, or creating homemade Spring flowers or Easter bunnies. Get creative and have fun designing and making your own arts and crafts over this Easter break!
Develop your green fingers by doing some Spring gardening
Show that Spring has sprung by doing some gardening with your family! This could include preparing your garden for the Spring, planting seeds or bulbs and watching them grow into vegetables or flowers, or buying some flowers or plants and taking care of them. Develop your green fingers by nurturing some vegetables, flowers, or plants over the Easter break.
Go for a springtime family walk through a park to see nature blooming
Find a local park or forest to explore with your family, or take a relaxing family stroll and enjoy acres of woodland, heathland and open space at the various country parks around London. You can visit any park you’d like to complete this challenge, however some excellent options you might consider visiting include:
You might also choose to venture further afield to take a walk through some of the amazing Royal Parks throughout London. Relax, unwind and enjoy the beautiful open green space London has to offer. A wide variety of different events are happening across the Royal Parks this Spring, and you can find out more on https://www.royalparks.org.uk/:
Learn more about nature and the changing of the seasons this Easter break
There are so many amazing places that families can visit to learn more about nature and the changing of the seasons over the Easter break. Consider attending the free Discovery Day at The LookOut, Hyde Park (4th – 6th April, 11am – 3pm) where children can participate in fun nature-inspired activities. For more information, or to register your interest, visit the following link:
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks
You could also spend a day out at Ruislip Lido, a 60-acre lake with sandy beaches and a narrow-gauge railway around it, which also happens to be set on the edge of Ruislip Woods.The Woodlands Centre at Ruislip Lido offers lots of interesting woodland activities.
Lastly, there are many options for self-guided walking trails, such as the ‘Step Into Spring’ trail around College Lake Nature Reserve: https://www.bbowt.org.uk/events/2023-04-04-step-spring-family-trail-tickets-tues-4-sun-16-april where families can learn about signs of Spring. During the trail walk families can explore wonderful wildlife habitats such as woodlands, meadows and wildlife gardens, and take part in various nature challenges to learn more about local wildlife during the Spring. You might also consider attending the Easter Trail at Chelsea Physic Garden where you can wander around their 4-acre garden to discover the amazing world of plants and then receive a chocolate treat or prize at the end https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/event/easter-trail-easter-monday/ (£5 per person).
Get active by going swimming, going for a bike ride, or doing another physical activity
There are lots of fun ways for families to stay physically active over the Easter Break! Families can take a bike (or scooter) ride, go for a run, play outdoor games or sports such as football or cricket, or perhaps go swimming or sign up for swimming lessons at a nearby indoor swimming pool such as Vale Farm Sports Centre or Willesden Sports Centre. We challenge pupils to get active any way they enjoy and this challenge can be completed by participating in any type of physical activity.
Take part in the Easter Party at The Yellow in Wembley Park.
‘We Are Happy Feet’ is running a free 2-hour family-friendly disco party on 11th April from 2 – 4pm at The Yellow in Wembley Park which includes dancing, face painting, an arts and crafts table, games and competitions. Entry is free but you must register for an entry ticket here: https://bit.ly/WAHFYellow
Visit a theatre in London for some family friendly fun
Enjoy a show at a local theatre, for example, The Beck Theatre in Hayes, Richmond Theatre in Richmond, Lyric Hammersmith in Hammersmith or the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon. Alternatively, take an adventure into central London and watch an award-winning performance such as The Lion King, Wicked or Matilda. Some productions which are running over the Easter break include:
| Event | Location | Registration Link |
|---|
| The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen | New Wimbledon Theatre | ATG Tickets |
| The Singing Mermaid | Polka Theatre | Polka Theatre |
| The ‘Not So’ Grimm Twins | Lyric Hammersmith | Lyric Hammersmith |
Have an egg and spoon race with your family and friends
Grab some eggs and spoons from the kitchen (you can also use tennis balls instead of eggs if you’d like!) and get competitive by challenging your family and friends to a classic egg and spoon race. Egg and spoon races are a great way for children to practise balance, patience, and movement skills while having a bit of fun and friendly competition with family and friends.
Appreciate the iconic London landmarks
Make the most of the London Transport network and jump onto the London underground and explore some famous historical monuments and landmarks. Tourist attractions can be expensive so perhaps, just plan a day of walking around and see how many of the famous landmarks you can spot.
- Learn and explore at a Museum or Art Gallery
Many London museums and galleries are free to enter and offer fun and interactive activities for children. Many museums and galleries offer special half-term activities; one example is the Horniman Museum Spring Fair on 8th April (10:30-16:30), which includes a craft workshop, bubble performance, Easter bonnet parade, face painting, live music and more. Advanced booking (£5 per adult, £2.50 per child) is essential: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/event/horniman-spring-fair/.
Some popular museums and galleries that families might choose to explore over the Easter break include:
- London Transport Museum
- The British Museum
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- National Maritime Museum
- Natural History Museum
- Science Museum
- Horniman Museum and Gardens
- Tate Modern
- Tate Britain
- The National Gallery
- Imperial War Museum
- Museum of London
SUMMER CHALLENGE
Complete the ‘Summer Reading Challenge 2024’
The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children aged 4 to 11 to enjoy the benefits of reading for pleasure over the summer holidays, providing lots of fun as well as helping to prevent the summer reading ‘dip’. Each year the Challenge motivates over 700,000 children to keep reading to build their skills and confidence. This year’s theme ‘Gadgeteers’ will spark children’s curiosity about the world around them.
To take part in the Summer Reading Challenge, drop into your local library (Wembley Library is within the Brent Civic Centre in Wembley Park) and let them know that you would like to take part. They will get you signed up for ‘Gadgeteers, help you find books to borrow, and provide you with fun reading activities to get you started! Once you complete the challenge, you will receive a Gadgeteers collector poster and stickers!
Celebrate at a local festival
This summer, the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival offers plenty of unique activities for adults and children. This year’s theme of ‘All Change ‘ offers a free festival of uplifting moments for reflection, creativity, and celebration. You can take a theatrical journey on a London bus, marvel as illuminated swans perform a water ballet and enter an immersive shipping container with a trampoline for a roof. The festival runs from August 25th to September 10th.
Visit your local swimming pool and improve your swimming technique
During then school holidays (Monday-Fridays only), children under 16 can swim for free at Vale Farm Sports Centre and Willesden Sports Centre. Vale Farm also run swimming crash courses (swimming lessons) during the holiday period too, Enquire at your local sports centre for more information.
Meet different animals at a farm or zoo
Admire and learn more about the incredible animals at various farms and zoos near you. There are some smaller and less expensive local farms and there are larger activity farms which include plenty to keep the children busy for the whole day.
- Odds Farm Park, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
- Willows Activity Farm, Hertfordshire, St Albans
- Hanwell Zoo, Ealing
- Hounslow Urban Farm, Hounslow
- Belmont Farm, Mill Hill
- Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
- ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Dunstable, Bedfordshire
- ZSL London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London
- SEA LIFE London Aquarium, central London
Bring a picnic and have a family day out at Ruislip Lido
Ruislip Lido is a 60-acre lake with sandy beaches and a narrow-gauge railway around it, is set on the edge of Ruislip Woods.The Woodlands Centre at Ruislip Lido offers lots of interesting woodland activities. Please note that swimming is not permitted at Ruislip Lido.
Immerse yourself in the land of Theatre
Find and enjoy a show at a local theatre, for example, The Beck Theatre in Hayes, Richmond Theatre in Richmond, Lyric Hammersmith in Hammersmith or the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon.
Alternatively, take an adventure into central London and watch an award-winning performance such as The Lion King, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A current promotion for August is available on https://officiallondontheatre.com/kids-week/ which offers a child of 17 and under to go free when accompanied by an adult paying full price.
