At a glance: Supports children with learning difficulties or processing differences. Activities here use multi-sensory, repetitive, and concrete approaches to help children explore concepts at their own pace — building confidence through doing rather than instruction. Browse 71 adapted activities below.
This area covers learning difficulties and processing differences. It includes children who need more time to understand new ideas, who learn best through repetition and concrete experiences, or who process information differently from their peers.
Your child may take longer to pick up new skills, need more repetition before something clicks, prefer familiar activities over new ones, or seem to forget things they appeared to know yesterday. This is part of how they learn — not a sign of failure.
Play allows children to practise skills at their own pace, without the pressure of getting it right. Multi-sensory activities — touching, moving, hearing, seeing — give the brain multiple pathways to learn the same concept.
Break activities into smaller steps. Use real objects rather than pictures where possible. Repeat activities across several days rather than expecting mastery in one session. Celebrate effort and engagement, not just outcomes.
An educational psychologist can assess your child’s learning profile and suggest approaches that work for them. Your nursery SENCO is often the best starting point for conversations about additional learning support.
Learning differences often sit alongside communication needs or sensory processing differences. A child who seems disengaged may actually be struggling to process what they’re hearing or seeing, not lacking motivation.
Cognition and learning needs cover learning difficulties and processing differences. This includes toddlers who need more time to understand new ideas, learn best through repetition, or process information differently from peers. It is one of the four areas of the SEND Code of Practice.
You might notice your child takes longer to pick up new skills, needs more repetition, prefers familiar activities over new ones, or seems to forget things they appeared to know yesterday. This is part of how they learn — not a sign of failure.
Play allows children to practise skills at their own pace without pressure. Multi-sensory activities — touching, moving, hearing, seeing — give the brain multiple pathways to learn the same concept. Break activities into smaller steps and celebrate effort, not just outcomes.
Your nursery SENCO is often the best starting point for conversations about additional learning support. An educational psychologist can assess your child’s learning profile and suggest approaches that work for them. Your health visitor or GP can also advise.
The official guide to special educational needs and disabilities for families in England.
NHS guidance on getting support for children with additional needs.
A charity for families with disabled children — helpline, local groups, and practical support.
Free legally-based advice for families navigating SEN support and EHC plans.
Support for parents on child behaviour, development, and safeguarding — including Talk PANTS with SEND-friendly resources.
One email a week with adapted activities, SEND-friendly tips, and practical play ideas. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Spot something that needs correcting? Let us know
