It’s a new school year, and planning for the autumn term is well underway. Read on to find out how now>press>play’s 90+ Experiences can be mapped to your key dates in autumn.
Key dates in September
4th September: Back to School
- now>press>play’s KS2 Transition Experience can help you reassure new year 6 students about their time at primary school coming to an end.
5th September: Anniversary of the Great Fire of London
- Transport your students back in time to 1666 with our KS1 Great Fire of London Experience.
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6th September: National Read a Book Day
- Immerse your EYFS children in traditional tales such as Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks, and The Gingerbread Man.
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8th September: International Literacy Day
- KS1 classes can learn the importance of Full Stops & Capital Letters while they explore a series of jumbled-up fairy tales.
- Enhance SATs revision with our engaging Relative Clauses and SPAG Experiences for KS2.
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9th September: Teddy Bear Day
- Celebrate every child’s best friend with our brand-new KS1 Toys Experience, exploring the history of toys through the ages.
- In our EYFS Transport Experience, children travel on a tricycle, car, ferry, hot air balloon, and more, as they try to rescue their lost teddy bear.
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15th September: International Day of Democracy
- Explore the importance of democracy and working together to tackle huge global issues such as the climate crisis, using the now>press>play KS2 Climate Crisis Experience.
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16th September: Great British Beach Clean
- Teach EYFS students the importance of our beautiful coasts with our Seaside Experience, exploring beach activities and how to stay safe in the sunshine.
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19th September: Talk Like a Pirate Day
- Avast! Put some yo-ho-ho into yer KS1 Maths with now>press>play’s pirate-themed Number Bonds Experience.
- Hoist the Jolly Roger and explore the seven seas with our EYFS Pirates Experience — yarr!
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23rd September: Autumn Equinox
- Celebrate the start of autumn by with our brand-new Autumn Experience for EYFS, exploring weather, animal behaviour, and why the leaves turn brown.
- Explore the differences and effects of autumn, winter, spring, and summer in our KS1 Seasons Experience.
26th September: European Day of Languages
- Investigate a foreign pet shop with our KS2 French Animals and KS2 Spanish Animals Experiences. [Temporarily unavailable due to urgent updates]
- Go undercover in Paris and Madrid while learning French Greetings and Spanish Greetings with your KS2 class.
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29th September: Sukkot
- Mark this important Jewish festival with KS2 by learning about the Ten Plagues and how Moses led the enslaved Israelites to freedom.
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Key dates in October
Black History Month
- Learn about the extraordinary achievements of Mary Seacole in KS1 and Harriet Tubman in KS2, celebrating these important Black historical figures while exploring the oppression they faced during their lives.
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1st October: Harvest Festival
- Learn about where our food comes from with the EYFS On The Farm Experience.
- Investigate the properties and importance of crops in our Plants Experiences for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
2nd October: World Habitat Day
- Go wildlife spotting on the African savanna with the now>press>play EYFS On Safari Experience.
- Observe Earth’s different animals and environments – and the importance of protecting them – in our KS1 Habitats Experience.
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4th October: World Animal Day
- Celebrate all creatures great and small with our KS1 Animals and EYFS Minibeasts Experiences. Learn what different animals do for us, and how to care for them properly.
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4-10th October: World Space Week
Celebrate science, technology, and human exploration this World Space Week.
- Soar through the solar system in now>press>play’s EYFS Space Experience.
- KS1 pupils can take “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” as they learn about the life and achievements of Neil Armstrong.
- On their Mission to Mars, KS2 students can learn about the science behind gravity, moons, meteorites, and more.
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10th October: World Mental Health Day
- Help students explore the things that affect mental, emotional, and physical health, and the importance of talking to people about how we feel. Try now>press>play’s Feelings Experiences for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
- Explore the impact that our actions can have on others with our Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Anti-Bullying Experiences.
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10th October: World Porridge Day
- Celebrate this day “just right” by immersing your class in now>press>play’s EYFS Goldilocks Experience.
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10th October: Ada Lovelace Day
- Pay tribute to pioneering mathematician Ada Lovelace with any of now>press>play’s Maths Experiences, such as Number Bonds, Decimals, Fractions, Mental Maths, and SATs Maths.
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11th October: International Day of the Girl
- Go one step further and celebrate another inspirational woman with our Mary Seacole Experience. Learn about how the famous nurse saved lives during the Crimean and became one of the most important women in British history.
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16th October: World Food Day
- Having a balanced diet is vital to maintaining good health. Find out how as you explore the inside of the human body in our KS1 Healthy Living Experience.
- Investigate why some places in the world struggle to get food and water with our KS2 Water Cycle Experience.
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16th October: National Heroes Day
- Give your students superpowers with the now>press>play KS1 Superheroes Experience, exploring what makes somebody a hero — and how to spot people you can’t trust.
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16-22rd October: Recycle Week
- Travel to the future in now>press>play’s KS2 Recycling Experience, and experience a world ruined by wasted resources.
- With our KS1 Everyday Materials Experience, examine the different properties of plastic, glass, metal, paper, and wood, as well as how to sort these materials when recycling.
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18th October: Anniversary of the Battle of Assandun
- Travel back to 1016 to see how the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons fought for control of England, and discover the ins and outs of these medieval cultures with your KS2 class.
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26th October: Death of Alfred the Great
- Honour the legacy of this important king with our KS2 Anglo-Saxons and KS2 Vikings Experiences, which explore how King Alfred protected England from invasion.
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31st October: Halloween
- Carve pumpkins and learn about autumnal weather and animal behaviour with our brand-new Autumn Experience for EYFS.
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Key dates in November
2nd November: Outdoor Classroom Day
- Take now>press>play outdoors and immerse your students in non-screen, active learning.
- Earn now>press>play Rockstar badges for your school when you use us to celebrate Outdoor Classroom Day.
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5th November: Guy Fawkes Day
- Try our brand-new KS1 Guy Fawkes Experience, and plunge students into the murky world of the Gunpowder Plot.
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6-12th November: UK Parliament Week
- Fight for change and meet influential Prime Minister William Gladstone with the now>press>play KS2 Victorian Britain Experience.
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11th November: Armistice Day
- Give KS2 children an experience of life during World War 2, as they learn about evacuation, the Blitz, and historical figures such as Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler.
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12th November: Diwali
- Celebrate the religious festival of lights with now>press>play’s KS2 Diwali Experience, immersing students in the traditional story of the Ramayana.
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13-18th November: World Kindness Day and Anti-Bullying Week
- Use now>press>play’s Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Anti-Bullying Experiences to show children the impact of bullying — and how people can become bullies.
- Explore the effect other people’s actions can have on our emotions with the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Feelings Experiences.
- Our Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Online Safety Experiences can help children learn the dangers of the internet and how to themselves – and others – safe.
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19-25th November: Road Safety Week
- Teach EYFS classes about how lollipop people help children cross the road safely as part of our People Who Help Us Experience.
- Take a trip by bus, bicycle, car, ferry, hot air balloon, and more in our EYFS Transport Experience.
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24th November: World Science Day
- now>press>play offer 13 Science Experiences to help you celebrate World Science Day, including topics for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
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30th November: St Andrew’s Day
- Explore the culture, national symbols, and geography of Scotland (as well as England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) in now>press>play’s KS1 The UK Experience.
Key dates in December
3rd December: Beginning of Advent
- Start counting down the days until Christmas by exploring the now>press>play Christmas Story Experience for EYFS learners.
- Explore the wonders of Winter with our brand-new EYFS Experience, investigating the weather, nature changes, and popular winter activities.
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10th December: Human Rights Day
- Immerse your KS2 class in Victorian Britain to learn about social inequality, factory work, and how rights for children and workers developed in Britain.
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Christmas & Hannukah
Enjoy the holiday season with now>press>play’s selection of festive Experiences, including:
- EYFS Christmas Story
- EYFS Winter
- KS1 Toys
- KS1 Seasons
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22nd December: Winter Solstice
- Fortunately for teachers, the last day of term this year is also the shortest. Mark the winter solstice with the now>press>play Stone Age Experience, where your class can join an ancient celebratory feast at Stonehenge.
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