How to use Bitesize for home education - ages 5-11

Absolutely! The Bitesize website has a huge range of games, quizzes, activities and videos about topical themes and curriculum subjects. Whatever your chosen approach to home education, Bitesize can help. This guide will direct you towards the resources you might find useful.

There are many popular Bitesize games which are huge fun for your child to play while containing lots of educational value. Explore the full games collection and choose a subject or theme of interest.

Younger children may be particularly interested in Karate Cats Maths and Karate Cats English or, for a science-based game, Galaxy Pugs.

Older children may like to play Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica and battle to save the kingdom while practising their maths skills, or play Crystal Explorers to explore jungles, caves and ancient tombs while practising spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Dance Mat Typing enables children to learn how to touch type.

If your children are fans of CBeebies and CBBC programmes, there are Bitesize games featuring their favourite characters, like Operation Ouch! It Takes Guts and Operation Ouch! Billy Bones and the Snot Zombies, Numberblocks: See the Amount and Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade.

Explore the Bitesize topic packs collection for online and outdoor activity ideas, plus quizzes and videos, all based around popular themes, festivals and calendar events.

You can use the collection for inspiration when discussing topical events with your child or as prompts for learning.

There are topic packs available for events like World Earth Day, World Book Day, World Poetry Day and World Art Day, with many more to follow.

The Bitesize times tables collection is the perfect tool to help children learn and practise the times tables from 1 to 12. The times tables collection includes fun, interactive videos, songs, activities and quizzes.

Visit the Bitesize Primary page to find interactive guides for many subjects with games, quizzes, videos and explainer texts.

Although the Bitesize website uses some school-based terminology, by navigating the topic pages and guide pages we’re certain you’ll find lots of useful resources to use for home education.

Explore our maths guides for children aged 5-7 with topics including counting, shapes and measurement.

Our maths guides for children aged 7-11 include topics like multiplying and dividing, algebra and fractions.

Discover our English guides for children aged 5-7 with topics including spelling, reading comprehension, and vocabulary.

Our English guides for children aged 7-11 include topics such as grammar, creative writing and non-fiction texts.

Check out our science guides for children aged 5-7 with topics including animals, habitats and seasons.

Our science guides for children aged 7-11 include topics such as electricity, space and how to work scientifically.

Delve into our history guides for children aged 5-7 with themes including childhood through time, events within living memory and significant people like explorers, monarchs and civil rights activists.

Our history guides for children aged 7-11 cover eras including Roman Britain, the Maya civilisation and the Shang Dynasty, plus themes like crime and punishment.

Bitesize offers more learning resources for children aged 5-7 across subjects including art and design, computing, design and technology, geography, music and religious education.

There is a huge offering of educational resources for children aged 7-11 across subjects including geography, computing, modern foreign languages, religious education, design and technology, art and design, and music.

If you’d like to teach your child in Welsh, you can find a selection of Welsh language subjects and topics here, with videos, quizzes and guides.

If your child will be spending some of their time in school or if they’re returning to school after a period of home education, take a look at our starting primary school page which has lots of tips and advice to help parents manage the transition.

Or, if your child is older and will be attending secondary school for some or all of their education, there’s lots of helpful advice for both parent and child on our starting secondary school page.

BBC Bitesize for Teachers is a specialist resource for engaging educational materials tailored to the UK curriculum. Although the materials are intended to be used by teachers in the classroom, they include video clips and lessons which could be very useful as discussion points or prompts while educating your child at home.

BBC Bitesize for Teachers Primary has learning materials for maths, English, science and many more subjects. You can also find free, primary home education resources in this online activity pack for children ages 5-11.

Explore more themed resources like Super Movers to keep your child active, micro:bit to improve their coding skills, Moodboosters for their mental health and wellbeing, 500 Words, the UK's largest children's writing competition for children aged 5-11, and Ten Pieces, opening up the world of classical music to 7-14 year olds.

On the CBeebies and CBBC websites, you and your child can see your favourite programmes and characters. See all CBeebies shows here and see all CBBC shows here.

Whether it’s a reward after a busy day of home education or to use as prompts to stimulate discussion points and fire your child’s imagination, there are countless games, quizzes and activities to play.

The Creative Lab allows younger children to get arty. Check out the free CBeebies apps for more entertainment and creative activities.

For older children there are games, quizzes and puzzles based around popular CBBC shows. The Creative Lab lets children draw, paint, create and try cool challenges.

The BBC Bitesize home education collection is designed to support you and your child’s learning at home with free resources for early years and foundation stage (EYFS), primary and secondary-age students.

Bitesize Parenting is the go-to place for the whole parenting community to find stories, expert advice and fun activities.

If your child has special educational needs and / or disabilities, be sure to check out the Parenting SEND collection. Bitesize also has a collection of Sensory Stories, an immersive video series that transports you on unique sensory adventures, for children with additional or complex needs.

For more information about home education, these BBC News articles cover the rise in families deciding to educate their children at home and, from 2021, the impact of Covid on home education.