Accessibility links

Home Learning from Barefoot Computing

Enjoyable activities, designed by teaching professionals for families to do at home with their children.

Barefoot Live Learning together activities Mini missions Interactive learning games

What is computational thinking?

Computational thinking is about learning to solve problems, with or without a computer. These problem solving skills not only support the computing curriculum in primary school, but also play a part in other subjects, from maths to PE, and can even be applied in everyday life! To help you support your child participate in our activities, you can view or download our quick guide to computational thinking.

Play Computational Thinking video

Barefoot Live

A 30 minute broadcast with two Barefoot teachers modelling key computing activities for pupils to complete at home or in school. Check out the links below to find out more!

Computational thinking through unplugged activities (suitable for all ages) Watch Vimeo recording here

Blast off – coding in Scratch (suitable for ages 9 – 11) Watch Vimeo recording here

Safer Internet Day primary activities (suitable for all ages) Watch Vimeo recording here

Code Cracking with Computational Thinking (suitable for ages 9 – 11)  Watch Vimeo recording here
You'll need: pen, paper and printed copies of Code Breakers Worksheet 

Patterns all around us (suitable for ages 5 – 7)Watch Vimeo recording here
You'll need: pen, paper and printed copies of Creating Patterns Worksheet 

Learning together activities

Fun and creative activities, built by teachers to help you guide your child through fundamental parts of the computing curriculum without the need for screen time. They include everything you need to get started with activity sheets and accompanying materials.

Keep it safe

Age:
4-6 years
Concepts:
Digital Literacy
Overview:
In this activity children explore the idea of how we can keep our things secure using locks and passwords, by looking for examples and adding their own.

Download Files

Lesson Plan.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Who owns this?

Age:
4-6 years
Concepts:
Digital Literacy
Overview:
The basis of this scavenger hunt activity is looking at ownership and permission, and the idea that if we want to use something which belongs to someone else, we have to ask.

Download Files

Lesson Plan.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Floating and Sinking

Age:
4-6 years
Concepts:
Persevering, Logic, Evaluation, Creating, Collaborating
Overview:
By creating a boat children experience floating and sinking through play. Using new vocabulary to describe what happens.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Code breakers

Age:
9-11 years
Concepts:
Logic, Decomposition
Overview:
Solve a series of codes inspired by one of our favourite Roald Dahl poems and learn skills like logical reasoning and perseverance.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

2D shapes

Age:
7-11 years
Concepts:
Logic, Debugging, Algorithms
Overview:
Get creative with computing! Children use 2D shapes and algorithms (a series of instructions) to draw pictures, detecting and correcting errors in the process.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Hand jive sequence

Age:
7-11 years
Concepts:
Decomposition
Overview:
Using a sequence of hand jives, children break down actions into smaller parts - just as problems are broken down to create computer programs like video games.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Cyber Snakes

Age:
4-6 years
Concepts:
Digital Literacy
Overview:
With the support of an adult this fun game based on the classic Snakes and Ladders gives an opportunity for a child to discuss and understand how they can stay safe online whilst playing.

Download Files

Cyber Snakes Activity Plan.pdf

Cyber Snakes A4 board.pdf

Cyber Snakes Dice Counters.pdf

Story sequencing

Age:
4-6 years
Concepts:
Algorithms
Overview:
Using a well-known story or song, children learn how important it is to put a sequence of events in the right order - the first step in understanding algorithms.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Shopping List

Age:
5-11 years
Concepts:
Algorithms, Abstraction
Overview:
You can’t make a cake without the right ingredients. In this activity, creating a shopping list helps children get the hang of abstraction.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Pizza party

Age:
5-11 years
Concepts:
Programming, Debugging, Algorithms
Overview:
Computing in the kitchen? Children will love making their own pizzas while learning to create and debug (fix) the recipe.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Going wild

Age:
5-11 years
Concepts:
Programming, Debugging, Algorithms
Overview:
Children programme their homemade bee to move towards flowers by creating a short sequence of instructions (an algorithm).

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Human robot

Age:
5-7 years
Concepts:
Debugging, Algorithms
Overview:
Transforming into robots and programming each other's movements is at the heart of this fun and educational activity.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Movement Match

Age:
4-6 years
Concepts:
Persevering, Evaluation, Debugging, Algorithms
Overview:
Using the popular nursery rhyme The Grand Old Duke of York, children use movement to bring algorithms to life.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Creating patterns

Age:
5-7 years
Concepts:
Patterns, Evaluation, Debugging, Algorithms
Overview:
Children spot and create patterns.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

House patterns

Age:
5-7 years
Concepts:
Patterns
Overview:
By drawing their own house, exploring and identifying similarities between features of other houses, children start to understand patterns.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Dance moves

Age:
5-11 years
Concepts:
Algorithms
Overview:
Children will make up a dance routine and create the instructions for a partner to follow.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Building blocks

Age:
5-11 years
Concepts:
Decomposition, Algorithms
Overview:
Help ‘build’ your child’s understanding of algorithms and decomposition by designing simple instructions to build a model in this fun activity.

Download Files

Activity Instructions.pdf

Supporting Worksheets.pdf

Mini missions

Our quick, easy to do mini activities provide fun ideas to get children practising their computational thinking skills.

Split into the six computational thinking concepts it’s easy to discover new ways to introduce and reinforce learning from school and at home.

View our mini missions on screen

Download printable version of mini missions

Interactive learning games

We have also created some fantastic online games for children to explore. These fun activities are Barefoot inspired and apply computational thinking concepts to promote learning while playing.

Phisherman game

  • Age: 8-11 years
  • Concepts: Digital Literacy
  • Overview: Exploring an underwater village children learn how to recognise the signs of phishing and help the residents stay safe as they come under attack from the Phisherman.
Play now

Tricky Traffic

  • Age: 7-9 years
  • Concepts: Algorithms, Decomposition
  • Overview: Help the drivers of Red and Blue town avoid disaster using decomposition skills!
Play now

Barefoot Zoo

  • Age: 5-11 years
  • Concepts: Abstraction
  • Overview: Help Ranger Jack use the powers of abstraction to save his struggling zoo!
Play now

Sorting It Out

  • Age: 5-7 years
  • Concepts: Logic, Algorithms
  • Overview: There’s a goat in the pig pen! Help Barefoot Farm sort out this mess.
Play now

Code Cracking

  • Age: 7-11 years
  • Concepts: Evaluation, Logic
  • Overview: Learn about code cracking in WW11 and use your evaluation skills to help stop the invasion!
Play now

Colourful Kits

  • Age: 5-7 years
  • Concepts: Data
  • Overview: Learn all about patterns, logic and debugging through a series of sporting themed activities.
Play now

The Diamond

  • Age: 9-11 years
  • Concepts: Logic, Algorithms
  • Overview: Dr Mischief has stolen the world's biggest diamond. Use logic and algorithms to get it back.
Play now

Asteroid Blaster

  • Age: 7-11 years
  • Concepts: Variables
  • Overview: Jump onboard the Asteroid Blaster space-ship and learn all about variables.
Play now

It's good to share!

Know a family that would love to get debugging, creating and persevering at home? Share this page with them for all the inspiration they need to get started.