Why I Started Friday Brain Building Club (and Why It Matters More Than Ever)

People often ask me why I created Friday Brain Building Club. The truth is, it began with a problem I couldn't solve for my own family.

As a mum of three and an educator, I wanted something that would keep my children's minds active outside school without feeling like an extension of the school day. I wanted activities that would challenge them to think, reason and persevere, but that they would genuinely enjoy. Every time I searched for ideas, however, I found myself choosing between two extremes: traditional worksheets or workbooks that felt repetitive and uninspiring, or educational apps that usually involved even more screen time. Neither reflected the kind of learning experience I wanted my children to have.

The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that there was room for something different. I wasn't looking for another resource to keep children occupied. I wanted something that would spark curiosity, encourage independent thinking and quietly develop the connected knowledge and skills that underpin success in both school and life, all while feeling like a game rather than another lesson. That idea eventually became Friday Brain Building Club.

A brand built on more than 15 years in education 

My interest in how children learn began long before I became a parent. I completed my master's degree in Education in 2013 and have now spent more than fifteen years working across the UK education sector, alongside schools, teachers and school leaders. 

Throughout my career, I have returned time and again to the same question: how do we help children develop a genuine love of learning? Not because they are chasing rewards or worrying about tests, but because they are fascinated by a problem, determined to solve a puzzle or delighted by discovering something they didn't know before and then connecting that knowledge to something new. 

Helping to close the widening educational gap 

Alongside those inspiring moments, I have also watched something far more concerning unfold. The gap between children who are thriving academically and those who are struggling has continued to widen. 

The Education Policy Institute's 2026 Annual Report found that disadvantaged pupils in England are now, on average, around nineteen months behind their peers by the time they sit their GCSEs. Statistics like these can feel abstract, but behind every number is a child whose confidence may have been chipped away through years of finding learning difficult. It is impossible to work in education without feeling the weight of that reality.

Of course, no single resource can solve such a complex national challenge, but I firmly believe that small, consistent opportunities to think, read, reason and solve problems can make a meaningful difference. Confidence is rarely transformed overnight. More often, it grows through hundreds of small moments when a child discovers that they can solve something they once thought was beyond them. Those moments of quiet success are what I wanted Friday Brain Building Club to create.

Designed to be fun, not homework 

One of the principles that shaped the club from the very beginning was that children should choose to engage with it, rather than feel they have to. Every decision I made came back to one simple question: Would a child actually want to pick this up? If the answer was no, it wasn't good enough. 

That philosophy is why each subscription contains just one carefully designed activity sheet every Friday morning. Parents simply print it and leave it somewhere around the house — the kitchen table, the sofa or even the car, and allow curiosity to do the rest. My hope is that children pick it up because it looks interesting, not because someone has told them they ought to.

Why just one activity sheet per week? 

People sometimes ask why I chose to send only one sheet each week rather than a pack of activities. For me, that decision was just as important as the content itself. Family life is busy, and most parents don't need another folder of worksheets waiting to be completed. One thoughtfully designed sheet feels manageable. It creates anticipation rather than pressure and leaves children wanting more. Sometimes, less really is more.

Although every activity is designed to be enjoyable, none of it is accidental. Each crossword has been written to strengthen vocabulary, every number challenge develops mathematical reasoning, the word games reinforce spelling and language, and the logic puzzles encourage perseverance and flexible thinking. Even the curious facts are there for a reason: to spark conversations, encourage questions and remind children that learning is full of fascinating discoveries.

Underlying every sheet is a simple belief that has shaped my thinking throughout my career: the more children know, the more they are able to learn. Every new word they understand, every fact they discover and every concept they grasp gives them something else to connect future learning to. 

Knowledge isn't simply a collection of facts; it is the foundation that helps children make sense of new ideas, ask better questions and think more deeply. That's why the weekly sheets are carefully sequenced so that each one builds on previous learning, gradually expanding children's vocabulary, general knowledge and thinking skills, helping them become more confident, more curious and better equipped to learn whatever comes next.

Helping children to become more confident thinkers

Ultimately, the aim has never been to create children who simply become better at puzzles. My hope is that they become more confident thinkers: children who are willing to persevere when something feels difficult, who approach new challenges with curiosity rather than fear, and who begin to see themselves as capable learners. I believe that is one of the greatest gifts we can give a child.

From the outset, I also wanted Friday Brain Building Club to stand for something beyond a subscription service. I believe every child deserves access to high-quality learning opportunities, regardless of their background or circumstances. That belief is why, for every subscription, we donate printed activity sheets and pencils to schools supporting disadvantaged pupils, and why we are proud to support the National Literacy Trust in its work to improve literacy outcomes for children across the UK. If Friday Brain Building Club can play even a small part in helping more children discover the joy of learning and the confidence that comes from solving problems independently, then it will be achieving exactly what I hoped it would.

Ready to join Friday Brain Building Club? 🚀

If our story resonates with you, I'd love to welcome you to Friday Brain Building Club.

The club was created to help children develop the knowledge, confidence and thinking skills that will support them not just at school, but throughout their lives. I also believe this opportunity should be accessible to as many families as possible, which is why we've worked hard to keep membership affordable at just £4.99 per month, with a 30-day free trial.

If you'd like to help your child become a more curious, confident learner—one Friday at a time—I'd love you to join us.

Start your free 30-day trial today.

Joey James
‍Founder, Friday Brain Building Club