<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Have you ever gone into Purple Mash and found yourself thinking “It would be great if Purple Mash could do this”? Well, it might be doing it already! Read on to discover 5 of our favourite hidden gems in Purple Mash.</p><blockquote><p><strong>Number 5: </strong><strong>2Count</strong></p></blockquote><p>2Count is a tool that only creates pictograms. Its simplicity is perfect for working with younger children, especially as an introduction to using computers as part of their regular lessons. An often forgotten but very fun way to begin to introduce graphs and basic counting concepts. Find 2Count in the Creative Tools tab.</p><blockquote><p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Blog2Count_0.png" style="height:248px; width:500px"></p></blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p><strong>Number 4: 2Design and Make</strong></p></blockquote><p>2Design and Make is a tool that allows you to create 3D objects from a 2D interface. You can print out your creations (which include cars and trucks, houses, hats, and masks) then fold and stick them together. One great use is to create a 3D neighbourhood or town, complete with busses and cars. It’s also a great way to explore shapes in Maths using the 3D shape template. Find 2Design and Make in the Creative Tools tab.</p><blockquote><p><img alt="" src="http://www.2simple.com/sites/default/files/Blog2DaM_0.png" style="height:360px; width:480px"></p></blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p><strong>Number 3: 2Create a Story</strong></p></blockquote><p>2Create a Story allows you to create digital story books. For those familiar with the 2Create a Story and 2Create a Superstory CD products, the Purple Mash version is a mix between the two, allowing the animations of 2Create a Superstory without the complex process. The stories can contain animated drawings on two layers, sound effects, and even voice recordings. The template encourages image-based story writing and the voice recording option opens the door for younger children to get creative in story-telling. To help inspire children to get creative, we have a stock of exciting backgrounds, sound effects, and the ability to import or create your own from.&nbsp;This tools is also available as an app for iPads—free to use if you have Purple Mash—which allows children to also use it at home. 2Create a Story is in the Creative Tools tab and in the iPad App Store.</p><blockquote><p><img alt="" src="http://www.2simple.com/sites/default/files/Blog2CAS_0.JPG" style="height:396px; width:500px"></p></blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p><strong>Number 2: </strong><strong>2Investigate</strong></p></blockquote><p>2Investigate was developed for Purple Mash when it was still in its early stages. It’s a powerful and simple visual database that allows data entry within an entire class of pupils. Collaborative entry means less time on data entry and more time on data investigations. Even better, it comes with ready-made databases so your children can practice data interrogation before actually building their own. You can find it in the Creative Tools tab.</p><blockquote><p><img alt="" src="http://www.2simple.com/sites/default/files/Blog2IN_0.JPG" style="height:427px; width:500px"></p></blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p><strong>Number 1: 2Type</strong></p></blockquote><p>2Type was a favourite CD product that we simply had to bring into Purple Mash. It’s a little hidden away so don’t feel bad if you haven’t spotted it yet. We’ve put it in the Games tab because it makes learning how to type fun by challenging children to race against the clock and type the letters on the screen. 2Type is a good way to get your pupils watching the screen and putting their fingers in the right position on their keyboard.</p><blockquote><p><img alt="" src="http://www.2simple.com/sites/default/files/Blog2Type_0.JPG" style="height:375px; width:500px"></p></blockquote><p>&nbsp;</p>

Coding 101: How to teach coding for the enthusiastic, the inquisitive and the utterly terrified!

Schools Learn Live: Primary theatre| When: 14:30 - 15:15, 21 Jan 2015 Former Head Teacher Mark Burrows shows how 2Code can be used by all primary school teachers to hit every one of the new coding objectives on the National Curriculum 2014.  With these objectives broken down into simple standalone activities teaching to code doesn't need to be scary.

Watch an introduction to 2Code.

Making our school brilliant! - Catching and sharing observations & positive behaviour on the move

Schools Learn Live: Primary theatre| When: 14:30 - 15:15, 22 Jan 2015 Teacher and App inventor Geoff Broadbent explains how to embed a consistent and effective behavioural and assessment policy that will get teachers and learners working together.  This session will be particularly interesting to primary school teachers and management teams who want a simple assessment and behavioural solution for the whole school.

Engaging Reluctant Readers in the Digital Age

Schools Learn Live: Primary theatre| When: 13:30 - 14:15, 23 Jan 2015 Former teacher and award winning children's author Jonny Zucker demonstrates how technology is revolutionizing literacy in schools and getting even the most reluctant readers excited about books.  Jonny will explain how using technology can give pupils ownership of digital books and how teachers can use this to promote reading for pleasure.

This week 2Simple released an update on a Purple Mash favourite, 2Design and Make. The tool does exactly what it says on the tin: children use it to design nets, print them out, and then make their 3D objects.

The latest version has several new features. It has a bright screen view and gives children a clear idea of what their design will look like in 3D. They are also able to interact with their 3D model, changing its width and length. But, best of all, they can export their design into a format that can be printed on a 3D printer.

These models can be used for many different subjects and cross-curricular work. For example, Geometry in the maths curriculum requires children to interact with different shapes, make nets and build 3D models, and describe shape properties (edges, sides, faces).

For Geography, children can build whole neighbourhoods, including houses and cars. Similarly, children can design their own Egyptian pyramid or Tudor house, or they could work as a class to build Stonehenge for their History subject.

All of these projects incorporate the Design and Technology curriculum. Children design and make different shapes or structures, and using 3D printing they can experiment with different materials as well.

But how easy is it to use 2Design and Make in the classroom?

Step 1: Choose a model to work on: vehicles (car, bus, lorry cab, train), models (pickup truck, trailer, house, angel), 2D shapes (crown, fish, animal masks), or polygon (cube, pyramid, triangular prism, hexagonal prism).

Step 2: Customise your model, automatically generate a net (flat print), or see the 3D model. Paint your net (use the pattern fill tool to create brick patterns).

Step 3: Print as PDF or as a 3D model.

That’s it! As with all Purple Mash releases, we have videos and teacher resources to support use in the classroom. Want to share your creations? We’d love to see them! Share your images on Twitter or Facebook for other schools to see.

Faith Matters helps children in Key Stages 1 and 2 learn about the beliefs and practice of other religions in multi-cultural Britain. This add-on has been developed in partnership with faith leaders from across the community. As a Purple Mash licence holder you can add Faith Matters for just £200.

Videos 

High quality films produced in partnership with religious leaders are focused around the children of each religion and give information about practices and beliefs. Each video provides a stimulus for discussion in the classroom.

Activities 

With over 50 themed activities, Faith Matters encourages children to demonstrate what they have learnt and reflect on what is important to them. The core activities are writing projects where pupils can combine SMSC learning with literacy.

How to add Faith Matters to your licence 

Faith Matters is an optional add-on for Purple Mash. It's a one-off payment of £200, you don't have to renew it. Order by email here or call 0208 203 1781. 

With over 100 billion of them sent every day, email is one of the world's most widely used and important forms of communication.

It's important that children understand how emailing works and how to do it safely. 

With 2Email (the latest addition to Purple Mash) children as young as five can practice composing, sending and replying to emails in a safe and secure environment. 

It includes a range of '2Respond' lesson activities where children receive emails from fictional characters and have to respond appropriately. 

Teachers can also enable email sending between pupils, but our special safety feature means you'll be able to review every email sent. For extra peace of mind you can prevent emails from being delivered until they have been reviewed. 

If you're a Purple Mash licence holder then you've already got 2Email. Just log in and you'll find it in the 'Tools' tab.

If you're not a Purple Mash licence holder but think your pupils would benefit from 2Email justclick here to request a free 30 day trial. 

See how 2Email fits with the National Curriculum and the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence, here.

A simpler interface for younger children.   

A more advanced interface for older children.

This year we were privileged to have the children from the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital School enter. As well as providing world renowned medical care, the hospital provides an onsite, fully functional school so the children don't miss out on education whilst they are unwell. We have chosen a special winner from Great Ormond Street that you can see below.

WINNER (KS2): JENNIE FROM ALLEYN COURT PREPARATORY SCHOOL 

We loved Jennie's winter scene. The shading on the reindeer's chin, texture on the antlers and decoration on the harness are just a few of the fantastic touches that add charm and character to the picture. The whole image is framed with a beautiful festive border. We'd be proud to send this card to any of our friends! 

WINNER (KS1): NATHAN FROM BELL LANE PRIMARY SCHOOL

We were particularly impressed by the way Nathan utilized the tools and textures in 2Paint. The circle and line tools give both Santa and Rudolph smooth lines, and Santa's textured beard really brings him to life. The detailing on both characters' faces adds real warmth to the picture, and the gently falling, textured snow tops off a great winter scene. 

WINNER (GOSH AWARD): ROY FROM GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL 

What particularly stands out about Roy's work is the fantastic use of colour. It's a classic winter scene with some fantastic detailing on the presents and the tree. There is a great use of symmetry and pattern with the tinsel, and the falling snow is a wonderful touch. 

RUNNER UP: LYDIA FROM HARWOOD MEADOWS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Georges-Pierre Seurat couldn't paint a better snowman than this! This is a simply awesome use of the pointillism tool in 2Paint a Picture. Lydia's subtle use of colour to add depth is beautiful. 

RUNNER UP: NICOLE FROM HATFIELD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 

Some of you may remember Nicole as the illustration winner in the Serial Mash Writers Competition. As soon as we saw the name on the entry we knew that we were in for a treat, and we were right. Reminiscent of great cartoonists like Gary Larson, Nicole has the ability to convey character and emotion with just a few strokes and dots. The drawing is charming, playful, colourful and funny. What more could we ask for? 

SPECIAL MENTION: ISABELLA FROM CHANNING SCHOOL

The members of the 2Simple Marketing team are BIG fans of memes. So when we saw one of the internet's most famous memes, 'Grumpy Cat', had made an appearance in the Festive Card Competition we were over the moon. It's obvious that Isabella has an awesome sense of humour, and she's a brilliant artist as well. She has really captured Grumpy Cat's well... grumpyness. Thank you for making our day! Those of you not familiar with the original can see it below Isabella's picture. 

2Code contains activities and lessons that teach different aspects of coding through bite-sized challenges. Since 2Code covers the entire computing curriculum, we decided that for the Hour of Code children should be free to code whatever they want, so you'll find Free Code challenges for different year groups below. Free Code gives children more coding options and also introduces them to the blank slate most programmers start with before creating activities and games. Inside Purple Mash, you'll find an Hour of Code folder that contains a game planner writing project, all the Free Code activities, and also a certificate you can print out and give to your pupils.

Years 1 and 2

Years 3 and 4

Years 5 and 6

Years 1 and 2

Challenge: Create a moving scene using Free Code Scenes.

1. Go onto Free Code Scenes and choose one of the scene activities.
2. Go onto the Design screen (top right hand side “Design” button) and look at the scene that has been created.
3. Decide which characters you would like to move and go back onto the Code screen. 
4. Drag the characters into the coding window and choose a direction for them to move in. Press play.
5. Experiment with using the “when clicked” and “collision detection” blocks.

Years 3 and 4
Challenge: Create a game using Free Code Chimp or Gibbon.
 

1. Go into Free Code Chimp or Gibbon. 
2. Choose a background image.
3. Drag and drop the objects onto the screen.
4. Change some of the properties of the objects
5. Switch to the Code Screen (top right hand button “Exit Design”) and start to make some of the characters move.
6. Experiment by adding in “when key”, “when swiped”, “collision detection”, “timer” etc.
7. Save your game.

Years 5-6
Challenge: Create a game using Free Code Gibbon or Gorilla. 
 

1. Go into Free Code Gibbon or Gorilla.
2. Go onto “Design Mode” and choose your background.
3. Drag and drop your characters, vehicles, objects to collect etc onto your scene.
4. Properties – do you need to make an object larger or smaller, change an angle or give a vehicle a speed?
5. Change to “Code Mode” and start to add in your code.
6. Save your game and get a friend to play it.
7. Save your game.

You can tweet your share-links to @2SimpleSoftware or email them to hello@2simple.com. Remember to get an adults permission before sharing your work.

The new 2Do feature makes assigning tasks in Purple Mash a breeze. Using 2Do, teachers can set tasks, activities and games for their class or specific children to do. To get started using 2Do, take a look at our instruction videos. 

Here are just a few different ways you can use this new feature in the classroom.

Assigning activities or games to one pupil

You can use 2Do to assign work to just one group or child in your class. For example, if one of your pupils needs to practice their maths skills, especially fractions, you can assign them to play Fraction Wall over the weekend. Then you can see that pupil’s scores in the Teachers Section.

Assigning work to the whole class

You can assign work to all your pupils by selecting the class. They can do the work during the school day or at home, on their own or collaboratively. You can put detailed instructions in the Description section, set a date from which it will appear in children's accounts, and set a hand in date.

Marking

Do all your Purple Mash marking in one place. Have your children complete an activity like a Paint Project. Their final work is saved in the 2Do folder, ready for you to view and assess. Mark all the work quickly by opening the first one, leaving feedback, and clicking the button for the next child's work.

Creating resources and tracking progress

Create a quiz in 2DIY on any topic. After you save your quiz, you can assign it as a 2Do for your class. Their scores and times will appear in the Teachers Section for you to see.

If you want to discover this new feature and more, attend one of our free CPD cluster sessions in your area. Find your nearest session here.

Here are three ideas for Halloween themed lesson activities. You can find all of them (plus lots more) by simply searching for the word 'Halloween' in Purple Mash. Alternatively you could use 2DIY to create your own resource, like a themed spelling quiz or pairs game. 

• 2Code Haunted House Scene 
• Ghost MashCam 
• Halloween Poem 

2Code Haunted House Scene 

Halloween is the perfect time to complete the 2Code Haunted House activity. It is aimed at children in KS1 and you'll find it in the 'Chimp' section. Older children can use the 'Free Code' areas to create more complex (and more terrifying) scenes or games. You'll find 2Code in the 'Tools' section on Purple Mash.

You can see the finished scene below. Those of you who are brave enough might want to try clicking on the skeleton and the bat... you have been warned! 

Ghost MashCam

Turn yourself into a ghost with the touch of a button. Use the speech bubble or record your voice to tell everyone what it's like to be a ghost. 

There are dozens of MashCams to choose from. They are great for roleplaying in the Early Years, History and themed events like Halloween. You'll find MashCams in the tools section on Purple Mash. 

Halloween Poem 

Halloween is a night of high emotion; it is unlike any other night of the year. It also comes complete with it's own distinct vocabulary. This makes it the perfect platform for inspiring children to write poetry. 

Use this scaffoled writing template to pen a Halloween poem. It includes 'Word Prompts' to help children come up with ideas and the themed clipart lets your decorate the page.

My poem is about dressing up as a ghost and frightening my family. 

Poems are great things to share. Why not set up a Halloween Purple Mash display board, so parents and guardians can enjoy your work?

If you don't know how to set up a display board you can find full instructions here, or give us a call on 0208 203 1781.  

> Ready to get creative? Log in to Purple Mash today! <

Calling all football mad children and teachers - this is the competition for you.

To celebrate UEFA EURO 2016 we're running a competition to find the world's best football themed resource.

Children just need to create something (anything at all) football themed using Purple Mash and share it with us.

The winning child will get a customised football kit for a national team of their choice. Their school will receive Purple Mash free for 6 months, or free CPD (whichever is preferred). 

You have until the final whistle, which will blow July 10th 2016. 

It's free to enter!

To enter the competition all you'll need is access to Purple Mash. If you're already a subscriber then skip forward, otherwise just click here to register a free trial from today until the end of the tournament (July 10th 2016). 

So lace those boots, pull your socks up.... and get creative! 

Download the full competition guide. Inside Purple Mash you'll also find free classroom and staffroom posters for promoting the competition in your school. 

You can see some examples of football themed resources on this Display Board - feel free to use these as the basis for your own creations, we're sure yours will be better.  

Good luck! We can't wait to see what you come up with. 

Celebrate the start of summer with these Purple Mash themed activities. You can find all of these, plus lots more, by searching 'summer' in Purple Mash. I've had a go at all of them myself - click on the Display Board below to see finished examples. 

PS There's a Snickers bar and a can of Coke for the first teacher who can guess where I went to University. Answers on a postcard to Sam de Lange, 2Simple Software, 2-10 Baron Street, Angel, London, N1 9LL  

Painting beach huts

Age: EYFS / KS1 

Location: search 'summer', or go to Topics > Seaside > Beach Huts

Curriculum Link: English + Art and Design

Description: This scaffolded template stops you going over the lines allowing even very young children to design a classic summer scene. Start by choosing one of the textured pens, then get to work painting colourful beach huts. Finish off by writing a descriptive sentence beneath the picture. These are perfect for showing off on Display Boards. 

Summer holiday narrative writing   

Age: Lower KS2

Location: search 'summer', or go to Topics > Seaside > Summer Holiday

Curriculum Link: English 

Description: Use the themed template to write about a past or upcoming summer trip, the 'think about' prompts and sentence starters will help guide the writing. You can add images from the clipart library or import your own.  

Holiday resort persuasive writing 

Age: Upper KS2 

Location: search 'summer', or go to Topics > Persuasive Writing > A Seaside Resort

Curriculum Link: English 

Description: Watch the introductory video and think about the types of information you usually find in a holiday brochure. Use the themed template to create your brochure, the purple arrows will let you fold out the pages. As an extension, read the finished brochures collectively, discussing which one made you most want to visit the place and what persuaded you. 

Log in to Purple Mash here.

Choose the right conjunctive to complete the sentence above: AND, OR, BUT. 

The Purple Mash ‘Text Toolkit Grammar Games’ include 37 separate themed activities that reinforce key elements of grammar; they cover everything from super suffixes to clause control.

These activities come in the form of short games, helping children stay engaged and motivated as they progress through the challenges. They can be done as a group on a digital whiteboard, or independently at school or home.

Tests shouldn’t have to be testing.

The Grammar Games offer a relaxed and enjoyable way to prepare children for standardised testing. Children can see their top score for each activity, encouraging them to keep pushing for a new personal best. Teachers can view all scores in the Teacher's Section under ‘Stats Reporting’. This allows you to easily track progress for an individual child or whole class. 

If a child is struggling with a concept you can assign them a specific activity using the Purple Mash 2Do feature. You can also use 2Do’s to assign grammar homework for a whole class. 

Current Purple Mash subscribers can log in today and play their first Grammar Game! 

If your school doesn’t have Purple Mash you can request a free 30-day trial, giving you access to the thousands of themed resources, tools and games. 

Whet your appetite with this free Grammar Game sample…

Coming soon! In September 2016 we’ll be adding a new grammar tool that will allow teachers to create their own grammar games. You’ll be able to tie your grammar games to specific topics; imagine practicing adjectives in space or pronouns in the North Pole! Stay tuned… 

Properly setup logins enable amazing possibilities in the classroom; setting tasks, tracking progress and working collaboratively in real-time, to name just a few.

There's never been a better or easier time to get your logins in order as we've just totally redesigned the user management area in Purple Mash. 

As well as fresh, modern interface the new system also offers several new features and improvements, watch this short video to find out about the key updates. 

If you need any help setting up logins our support team are always happy to help, in fact if you download and complete this template - they'll do the whole thing for you!

You can contact support on +44 (0)20 8 203 1781 (Mon - Fri) or at anytime on support@2simple.com 

We hope you enjoy the new system. 

Log in to Purple Mash

2Blog gives schools an online space where they can share, view and comment on learning.

As well as sharing text and pictures, children can embed their Purple Mash projects.

It’s a great way to enhance the home-school link too. You decide who can post and who can view and comment, which means you can let other adults see the great work your class are doing.

Watch the short video below and check out my example blog.

Login and setup your first blog in the Purple Mash Teachers section.

Don't have Purple Mash? Find out more

If you’re looking for a new way to liven up literacy for even the most disinterested child, Text Toolkit has the answer.

Its five unique game design tools let you create engaging reading and writing activities for any age or ability, so no child need ever feel left out.

With high scores to set and time limits to beat, children are sure to be gripped by your tasks.

Text Toolkit is so simple to use that children can even create their own games to test their classmates. It's the very definition of digital literacy! 

They’ll have so much fun, they'll want to keep playing at home!

Take a whistle-stop tour with the short video below to find out more.

Login and create your first activity today.

Don’t have Purple Mash? Find out more.

Brrr! It's getting cold outside, which can only mean one thing: the festive season is here! 

We thought that this was the perfect excuse to create some themed grammar activities, so we've used Text Toolkit to design five simple festive games. Click on the links below to take a closer look.

If you're new to Text Toolkit, take our whistle-stop tour. 

Word combos   Word spot   Sentence pairs   Cloze   Developing tray

Winter Word Combos

Children race to find as many combinations of word types as possible before the time is up. The more they find, the higher their score. You can use as many word types as you like and add as many words as you like to each.

create your own version here | play full screen

Reindeer Word Spot

Dragging words into the correct word type boxes is the aim of this hypnotic game. Add any word type you need and keep children on their toes with tough time limits. 

create your own version here | play full screen

Santa Sentence Pairs

Here it is: a truly gripping grammar game. Children compete to identify tenses faster than their friends. But it doesn't stop there. Once they've finished, the countdown continues as they scramble to rewrite the sentences in alternative tenses.

create your own version | play full screen

Jingle Bells Cloze

Here's another corker of a conundrum. Children choose parts to add to a sentence in the correct place. The time just keeps ticking until they get it right, so they' better hurry. You can add trick words to create more challenging puzzles too. Perfect for those early finishers.

create your own version | play full screen

Festive Developing Tray

Have you ever wondered what Hangman would be like if it was brought up on a diet of superfoods and protein shakes? No? Well, we have and we think we have the answer. Developing Tray adds a totally new dimension to the classic game. Children use context clues to win points by guessing strings of letters correctly, but they'd better be careful. Guess wrongly and they could lose valuable points. Can they use their skills to sucessfully complete the text with the most points? 

create your own version | play full screen 

Log into Purple Mash here

We've updated the guest login system, and renamed it Quick Login.

Now it's even faster to log in to Purple Mash, all your class needs to type is their password. 

You can print handy password reminders for children too. Here's how.

For more useful tips and tricks, visit our YouTube channel. 

The new 2Do feature makes assigning tasks in Purple Mash a breeze. Using 2Do, teachers can set tasks, activities and games for their class or specific children to do. To get started using 2Do, take a look at our instruction videos. 

Here are just a few different ways you can use this new feature in the classroom.

Assigning activities or games to one pupil

You can use 2Do to assign work to just one group or child in your class. For example, if one of your pupils needs to practice their maths skills, especially fractions, you can assign them to play Fraction Wall over the weekend. Then you can see that pupil’s scores in the Teachers Section.

Assigning work to the whole class

You can assign work to all your pupils by selecting the class. They can do the work during the school day or at home, on their own or collaboratively. You can put detailed instructions in the Description section, set a date from which it will appear in children's accounts, and set a hand in date.

Marking

Do all your Purple Mash marking in one place. Have your children complete an activity like a Paint Project. Their final work is saved in the 2Do folder, ready for you to view and assess. Mark all the work quickly by opening the first one, leaving feedback, and clicking the button for the next child's work.

Creating resources and tracking progress

Create a quiz in 2DIY on any topic. After you save your quiz, you can assign it as a 2Do for your class. Their scores and times will appear in the Teachers Section for you to see.

If you want to discover this new feature and more, attend one of our free CPD cluster sessions in your area. Find your nearest session here.

Calling all football mad children and teachers - this is the competition for you.

To celebrate UEFA EURO 2016 we're running a competition to find the world's best football themed resource.

Children just need to create something (anything at all) football themed using Purple Mash and share it with us.

The winning child will get a customised football kit for a national team of their choice. Their school will receive Purple Mash free for 6 months, or free CPD (whichever is preferred). 

You have until the final whistle, which will blow July 10th 2016. 

It's free to enter!

To enter the competition all you'll need is access to Purple Mash. If you're already a subscriber then skip forward, otherwise just click here to register a free trial from today until the end of the tournament (July 10th 2016). 

So lace those boots, pull your socks up.... and get creative! 

Download the full competition guide. Inside Purple Mash you'll also find free classroom and staffroom posters for promoting the competition in your school. 

You can see some examples of football themed resources on this Display Board - feel free to use these as the basis for your own creations, we're sure yours will be better.  

Good luck! We can't wait to see what you come up with. 

Celebrate the start of summer with these Purple Mash themed activities. You can find all of these, plus lots more, by searching 'summer' in Purple Mash. I've had a go at all of them myself - click on the Display Board below to see finished examples. 

PS There's a Snickers bar and a can of Coke for the first teacher who can guess where I went to University. Answers on a postcard to Sam de Lange, 2Simple Software, 2-10 Baron Street, Angel, London, N1 9LL  

Painting beach huts

Age: EYFS / KS1 

Location: search 'summer', or go to Topics > Seaside > Beach Huts

Curriculum Link: English + Art and Design

Description: This scaffolded template stops you going over the lines allowing even very young children to design a classic summer scene. Start by choosing one of the textured pens, then get to work painting colourful beach huts. Finish off by writing a descriptive sentence beneath the picture. These are perfect for showing off on Display Boards. 

Summer holiday narrative writing   

Age: Lower KS2

Location: search 'summer', or go to Topics > Seaside > Summer Holiday

Curriculum Link: English 

Description: Use the themed template to write about a past or upcoming summer trip, the 'think about' prompts and sentence starters will help guide the writing. You can add images from the clipart library or import your own.  

Holiday resort persuasive writing 

Age: Upper KS2 

Location: search 'summer', or go to Topics > Persuasive Writing > A Seaside Resort

Curriculum Link: English 

Description: Watch the introductory video and think about the types of information you usually find in a holiday brochure. Use the themed template to create your brochure, the purple arrows will let you fold out the pages. As an extension, read the finished brochures collectively, discussing which one made you most want to visit the place and what persuaded you. 

Log in to Purple Mash here.