All yearsHolidays

10-minute learning over the Christmas holidays

Written by A Dagdelen · Reviewed

The Christmas holidays are for rest, family and too much chocolate. A few minutes of reading and maths on most days keeps what your child learnt in the autumn term fresh, without turning the break into homework.

Illustration: Quizo School

  • 10 minsa day is plenty
  • Most daysnot every day: rest days are part of the plan
  • No screenneeded for most of the ideas here
  • Freeword bank: ten new cards a day

Why a little is enough

  1. Little and often beats a big push. Ten minutes on most days keeps reading and number facts warm. A long session the day before school starts mostly adds stress.
  2. Rest counts too. Children come back readier to learn when they have had real time off. Plan a few days with no learning at all, and don't feel guilty about them.
  3. Holiday dates differ by school. Christmas holiday dates are set by your council or your child's school, and neighbouring schools can differ. Check your school's website; our term dates guide explains where to look.
  4. It works whether or not you celebrate. Plenty of families who don't celebrate Christmas use the winter break in the same way. Swap the festive ideas for whatever your family does, such as New Year.
  5. Follow their interest. The best ten minutes are the ones your child wants to do: a comic, a cookery book, the score sheet of a board game. It all counts.

Ideas by key stage

Reception and Key Stage 1 (ages 4 to 7)

Read a winter story together each day and let your child read the words they can sound out. Count down an advent calendar, count the baubles on the tree in twos, and write a short thank-you card for a present.

Years 3 and 4

Times tables in the car or the queue: five quick questions each way. Weigh and halve the ingredients when you bake. Read a chapter aloud and stop at a cliffhanger.

Years 5 and 6

Give your child a budget for a family snack shop and let them total the bill and the change. Try the twelve days of Christmas puzzle: how many gifts are there in all? (364.) Read something different: a newspaper article, a recipe, a short non-fiction book.

Years 7 to 11

Let them choose: a novel, a documentary, a podcast about a subject they like. If your child has mock exams after the break, a short revision slot agreed together on most days works better than long sessions.

Board games count

Games with dice, money or scores practise adding and taking away without anyone calling it maths.

Keep a list of new words

Pop any new word from a film, book or game on a sticky note on the fridge. By New Year it is a vocabulary list your child made themselves.

Ten-minute tools on Quizo School

Questions parents ask

Should my child do homework over the holidays?

If the school sets some, help your child plan it early in the break so it doesn't hang over the last few days. If not, ten minutes of reading is enough.

How do I stop it turning into a fight?

Keep it short, offer a choice between two activities, and stop while it is still going well.

My child is behind. Should we do more?

A little more, but still short. Pick one thing, such as one times table or one kind of sum, and practise it for ten minutes on most days. Ask the teacher in January what to focus on next.

Does reading on a screen count?

Yes. A story on a tablet is still reading. For practice apps, agree a time and stop when it is up.

Ten minutes a day, all holiday

Today's 10 sets ten questions a day from your child's own year and their earlier mistakes, so there is nothing to plan. It is part of the Family plan. New families get the Family plan free for 14 days, with no card needed.

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Years 1–9

Today's 10: a daily set built from what your child needs

How Today's 10 picks ten questions a day: earlier mistakes that are due again, weak topics and the rest of the year. How the streak works and how to use it at home.

Read the guide
Years R–9

Reading at home: book ideas for every age

Book ideas from Reception to Year 9, including books that Oak's English lessons use, with simple ways to make reading at home a habit.

Read the guide
All year groups

Term dates and school holidays

Where to find your child's term and holiday dates, why they differ between councils and schools, and how to plan childcare around them.

Read the guide