With everything that’s happened the last few years, I think we’ve all realised how useful the internet can be for so many things, and not just entertainment. Zoom chats, homeschool worksheets, DIY tutorials, there are loads of different websites which provide useful information and resources for us to use at home.

Read more: Not quite homeschooling: realistic things to do with kids in lockdown

Twinkl is one of those.

What is Twinkl?

Twinkl is a huge library of downloadable educational materials. Twinkl offers 840 000 resources with a subscription (R39/month) but 160 000 of those are available for free – all available 24/7 and bursting with essential planning, teaching and assessment materials. Each resource is teacher made, many can be personalised and you’ll find time-saving resources for every topic, age and ability. On average, 13 000 new resources are created EVERY MONTH!

The resources include worksheets, lesson plans, games, printable posters, flashcards, powerpoint presentations, parent packs and even augmented reality.

Even better, there are specifically South African resources, relating to Foundation, Intermediate and Senior Phase. Plus, there are resources in English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa and isiZulu.

Read more: The bilingualism debate

I’ve found colouring activities on traditional South African houses, comprehension activities on South African personalities, ebooks on public holidays, and vocabulary worksheets in the different languages I can use for my kids. For Easter, I’ve found a whole bunch of free colouring-in worksheets, cutting exercises and crafts I can do with the boys.

Keeping children safe online

Most recently, Twinkl have developed a booklet on Keeping Children Safe Online. Download the booklet and find out about the dangers of the internet for children and advice on how to keep your children safe online. It provides guidance on how to talk about topics related to internet safety and also how to teach your kids how to use the internet safely.

You can download the booklet here:

Twinkl: Keeping Children Safe Online

Many thanks to Twinkl for providing me with this resource!