Parent Advice Feed
The London Marathon and the importance of charity
How do you fancy running 26 miles around the streets of London, dressed as a giant chicken, in whatever the British weather has to throw at you? For thousands of people, that is what they will be doing on Sunday 28th April this year, as the...
Ways to celebrate St George’s Day
On Tuesday 23rd April, England will celebrate their Patron Saint Day and the heroic figure of St George will be remembered up and down the country. Flags bearing the familiar red cross on a white background, will be flown from many a windowsill...
Book review: “Voyage to Arghan”
“Voyage to Arghan” is a new sensory story, conceived and written by Joanna Grace, (an international sensory engagement and inclusion specialist), and beautifully illustrated by Helen Lanzrein. It tells the story of Nila, who excitedly wins a...
Top Family-Friendly Staycations in the UK
With the current uncertainty surrounding Brexit, there’s never been a better time to book a summer staycation here in the UK with the family. You can avoid the early morning airport wakeup call, endless queues for check-in and enjoy a...
Achieving Ofsted success
Alison Bates, founder of 4 nursery schools in Leicestershire, tells us about her experience and offers advice to others on achieving Ofsted success. How did you start? Childcare is my second career. I spent 20 years in finance until I had my...
Sensory Nature Adventures and Play with the Sensory Trust
written by Madeleine Amos For children with disabilities and their families, going out and being in nature can seem a daunting prospect. In response, Sensory Trust, a charity that creates accessible and engaging outdoor experiences, have...
Write a letter to The Queen
Have you ever thought about writing a letter to The Queen? What would you say? How would you address it? And since The Queen has multiple residences, where would you send it?Every year, The Queen receives tens of thousands of letters, not only...
Easter activities – keeping kids busy
by Laura Anne Sutcliffe The Easter holidays mean some much needed down time in our house and the first significant holiday since Christmas, half term, always goes so quickly! As a teacher, I know I am fortunate to have time off with my children...
The top five travel destinations according to parents
Between the school runs, packed lunches, and work, a parent’s to-do list is endless, and a lack of time often means holiday planning takes a back seat. But new research reveals that family life doesn’t reduce the desire to escape to new...
National Autism Awareness Month
April is National Autism Awareness Month and the first week, (1–7th), is World Autism Awareness Week. Across the globe, people who have autism, carers, parents, teachers, family and friends will come together to raise money for research and...
How much does it really cost to live?
Raising children is one of life’s greatest joys. For many couples, starting a family of their own is something to strive for and look forward to, but how much does it really cost to raise children? New research from forex trading platform IG...
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day
Sunday 17th March is St Patrick’s Day – the patron saint of Ireland, but it is not only in the ‘emerald isle’ that this day is cherished and celebrated as it’s reported that St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other...
Tips to encourage young readers
Helping young children discover the joy of reading is one of the great pleasures of being an early years practitioner. Sharing stories, discovering letters and learning the alphabet and phonics are the first steps in helping each child on the...
How can you educate children through gardening?
Technological advances mean that children are spending more time indoors. However, it’s still vital that we inform them of the enjoyment that can be found outdoors….and you don’t have to go far! It doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter, there...
Pancake Day – healthier options
On Tuesday 5th March, the nation will be reaching for the frying pans to celebrate Shrove Tuesday by cooking and eating some pancakes! In Christian traditions, the 40 days immediately before Easter (known as Lent), are observed to remind...
Encouraging healthier options to tackle childhood obesity
Childhood obesity rates are rising in the UK leading to potential health problems for these children in later life. Preventing this is now an important public health issue and the Government’s approach has been two-fold: prevention policies, and...
Understanding the needs of children in the care system: part 2
In the second of our series looking at the challenges faced by children in care, we offer some practical advice on how best to meet the needs of these children. Ways to help children in care Communication with the foster family Foster...
Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 5th February 2019 is this year’s “Safer Internet Day” and will be celebrated by hundreds of organisations, schools, colleges and pre-schools around the world. The aim is to raise awareness of the benefits and risks posed by the internet,...
Understanding the needs of children in the care system: part 1
In the last year, there were 2.4 million calls to children’s services because of concerns about a child – a 78% rise over 10 years. More serious investigations (where a child is at risk of significant harm) are up 178% and there are now 75,000...
Can you help treat SAD in children?
Summer is definitely behind us. Unfortunately, as the seasons change, so can some people’s emotional states. Sunshine gives us a dose of essential nutrients that we often struggle to receive from food alone, which helps healthy cell and bone...
Dealing with children’s food allergies in your setting
The recent tragic death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a baguette, highlights the dangers that people who suffer with severe allergies face on a daily basis. For some, everyday food choices...
Encouraging children to sing
Why sing? Singing is one of the most joyful activities we can do. Helping children to develop their own voices is a great way for early years practitioners to support the growth of confident, self-assured and creative young people. 1....
‘Gender-equal play’ needs to be promoted by childcare providers
A new campaign has been created to raise awareness of and promote “gender-equal play” in childcare settings. The Care Inspectorate - which inspects registered childcare providers - stated that the guide was brought in because “childhood and play...
How sport helps children with anxiety
From the outside, toddlers seem like they don’t have a care in the world. However, did you know that children as young as two can experience anxiety? Fortunately, practicing a sport during their early years will benefit them greatly from this...
Should kids be taught personal finance in school?
For many of us, school feels like a distant dream of days spent with friends, doodling on notebooks and complaining about homework. What do we really remember from those long days spent in the classroom? As a child, lessons on personal finance -...
Practical and fun ways to help nature in winter
Winter is a great time for children; with snowmen, snow angels and those lovely, crisp, winter walks to look forward to. But winter can also mean a life-and-death struggle for much of our British wildlife, as food sources become scarce and the...
International Volunteer Day
December 5th is designated as International Volunteer Day (IVD). Established in 1985 by the United Nations, it aims to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism around the globe and mark the contribution that volunteering makes to...
Children’s snacks and healthy eating – how to have both at the same time!
Parenting and looking after young children, can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to feeding them healthy food when ‘junk food’ is often a popular trend. Which child would prefer eating mashed peaches when there’s delicious...
New survey reveals worrying parental-knowledge gap regarding child seat safety
New research from the RAC has revealed that the majority of parent drivers are unaware of the rules concerning child car seats and may inadvertently be breaking the law. The survey, of more than 1,000 UK parents with children aged under 10,...
Do you live in one of the UK’s most family-friendly cities?
How did you decide where to settle down with your family? For some, the decision can come easily, perhaps you have strong family ties to an area or fell in love with the city you went to university in. For others, it can be a long process and...
