For families

What a child learns at home is vital to their development, but we know it may be difficult to know where to start. Luckily, there are so many simple ways parents can help children learn and grow at home.

This page lists fun family activities and free, useful resources aimed at Hastings families.

Words for Life

Ages 0-12: search by age for fun family activities to help support your children’s literacy.
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Zone In

Age 13+: tips for young adults to boost reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
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Virtual School Library

Free books, exclusive videos and recommended reads from top children's authors and illustrators
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Local libraries

Find your nearest library and sign up for free today
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The Book of Hopes

Short stories, poems, essays and pictures from over 100 leading children's authors and illustrators
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Drop Everything and Read

Grab a book, magazine, or newspaper and have your own Drop Everything and Read! Find out how you can get involved and view our photo gallery from the Hastings DEAR.
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Things to download

Hastings 100 Reads

Download our book list of Hastings' 100 favourite children's books, voted for by families in the town.
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Fake news and critical literacy tips

Find out how to help your child navigate the news, and spot fake news when they see it.
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Wellbeing, reading and writing top tips

Use reading and writing to support your child's wellbeing with our top tips.
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