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Jul 06
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learning by making

An inspirational approach to nurturing curiosity for Early Years settings

By Education, environment, Forest School, fun for children, Toys
by Jovita Opio
Deputy Manager, Little Lancing Day Nursery & Forest School

It’s a fairly typical experience for many parents – you buy your small child a large toy – for example a sit on (or sit in!) car – and they are far more interested in playing with the box than with what was inside it. It’s something many of us have laughed about! It’s worth thinking about that a bit more though, why does a child do that? Is it that the box fires their imagination, it can be anything they want it to be, and that’s perhaps a more appealing object to explore at first sight than its brightly coloured contents? Another common observation we all have made is that children want to play with ‘real’ things, not just synthetic, child-sized reproductions. They see parents and other adults around them using ‘real’ things and they want to use them too. 

There is no doubt that we are all born curious; babies and small children reach out to explore the world around them and learn rapidly from those experiences. Their parents are their very first educators and babies learn so quickly, it’s no great surprise therefore that those practitioners passionate about Early Years education want to continue to nurture that natural curiosity, imagination and creative thinking in their nursery settings – for staff job satisfaction as well as for the wellbeing of all the children in their care!

There are many elements that come together to create an environment where children’s development can flourish – whether it’s the calm ambience created by a subdued colour scheme, authentic items made of organic materials, or natural objects to capture the imagination. These all play a part in creating the framework within which children’s imaginations can blossom – neutral colours allow the learning to shine through, rather than distract from it, the hands-on feel of wicker baskets, wooden objects, carvings and ornaments connects children to the natural world around them and metal pots, pans, kitchen accessories are durable and ‘real’ items to role-play with.

So-called ‘loose parts play’ is another intriguing factor – carefully supervised – children find seemingly endless joy in making things out of nuts, bolts, washers and screws. It’s amazing what can be found in charity shops, car boot sales and by turning out old cupboards at home that can be used to build a stock of such materials, and recycling these items is also a way of doing a small bit for the environment at the same time.

But it’s so much more than muted colours, wooden crates and metal household objects that are important to a nursery that seeks to embrace this approach. It’s also a mindset. A combination of mindfulness and the Danish concept of Hygge – a sense of warmth, cosiness and homeliness, that encourage the children to develop their sense of awe and wonder in the world around them. So a nursery that seems more like an extension of home helps to promote the comfort children feel in their own homes. Working in partnership with parents is hugely important and creates a virtuous circle between nursery, child and home, with of course the child very much at its centre.

Time spent outdoors contributes significantly to nurturing a child’s sense of wonder. Forest School is now well established as a buzz word for nurseries and parents – children begin to learn how to assess risks for themselves in a safe environment, connect with nature and if they get covered in mud while doing so, so much the better! The glow of joy and pride radiating from a child’s face when they have made their very own bug hotel (it might look like a mass of mud and twigs in a jar to the rest of us!) is a powerful testament to the value of outdoor learning to building self-confidence, a sense of achievement, resilience and perseverance. This is so much more of a rewarding experience for the child than merely picking up a mass-produced article from a retailer.

In our setting, this lies at the very heart of our ethos and we are now formally working towards our accreditation with The Curiosity ApproachTM – www.thecuriositapproach.com – a programme that in its own words offers “A modern approach to Early Years. taking parts from Reggio, Steiner, Te Whariki and a sprinkle of Montessori.” It seeks to inspire early years practitioners to be thoughtful, curious and passionate in their work with the eager little learners they care for. We’re looking forward to taking this magical learning journey ourselves and to creating curiosity-driven learning journeys with our Little Lancing families.

Jovita Opio is the Deputy Manager at Little Lancing Day Nursery & Forest School. For further details please call 01273 465900 or visit www.littlelancing.co.uk or email littlelancing@lancing.org.uk

Jul 05
Love0
first aid training

First aid for parents

By children's health, Education, First Aid, Health
by Feola McCandlish
Daisy First Aid

Would you know what to do if your child choked, swallowed something they shouldn’t have, hit their head, was burned, had a seizure or fell unconscious? Would you know how to recognise the early stages of meningitis or a severe allergic reaction?

No parent wants to think about their child being harmed; but unfortunately accidents do happen and learning essential first aid skills can make all the difference in an emergency situation.

What is first aid?
First aid is the immediate treatment given to a person before medical help arrives.
Your first actions while you wait for an ambulance can make all the difference and can sometimes even mean the difference between life and death.

There is so much to think about when you have a baby and it’s understandable that first aid might not be at the top of your list – especially when you are sleep-deprived and trying to figure out how to keep your tiny human alive.

Learning first aid can be scary, particularly when it is our own children we are talking about, but it doesn’t have to be. Learning first aid with like-minded people in a relaxed and informal environment can actually be a lot of fun.

Perfect for pregnancy
Did you know you can do a first aid class when you are expecting? It’s safe to do during pregnancy and it’s something you can tick off that ever-growing list! Why not learn with your antenatal group, friends or family?

Choking
Lots of parents, understandably, worry about choking when they are beginning to wean their baby. Did you know that babies have extremely sensitive gag reflexes, which are there to help keep your baby safe from choking?

When a baby is weaning it’s completely normal to experience a lot of coughing, gagging and going red in the face. A common misconception is that you will hear a person choking but you won’t; severe choking is usually completely silent. Knowing the difference between gagging and severe choking is really important, particularly when you are about to wean your baby. If they’re coughing and going red in the face that’s a great sign, we can usually let them work it out themselves; if they’re silent and turning blue they need our help.

Doing a first aid class can put your mind at ease when it comes to weaning your baby so you can relax enjoy the process (and focus on cleaning the mess!) and feel confident that you know what steps to take if your baby does choke.

Not just for babies
It’s not just babies who sometimes require first aid. Once your child is mobile, a whole new world will open up to them; it’s an exciting time for them and you! Young children love putting things in their mouths. Did you know this is for sensory reasons? They have more nerve endings in their mouths than they do in their fingers so they find out more about an object if they put it in their mouth! But this obviously poses a choking risk.

Once your child is walking, running and climbing it’s normal for blows to the head to become a fairly regular occurrence (at least, they are in our house!) Would you know how to treat a head injury? And would you know what signs to look out for in a serious head injury?

Learning vital first aid skills gives confidence to parents and other child carers so that they would know what to do in an emergency involving their baby or child. All it takes is two hours.

Daisy First Aid teaches award-winning courses to parents, expectant parents and children all over Sussex in homes and public venues. They also provide OFSTED compliant courses for teachers and childcare professionals in local venues and private settings.

For more information visit www.daisyfirstaid.com

Jul 04
Love0
confident learners

How do we best prepare our children for the future?

By Education, Forest School, Mental health, Playing, Relationships
by Nick Oakden
Head of Junior Prep School, Hurst College

In our fast-paced, ever-changing world, Nick Oakden, Head of Junior Prep School at Hurst College, explains how we can best prepare our children for their futures. The last few years have taught us that whilst we may not know what is around the corner, or indeed yet understand the world our children will face as adults, we do know that developing a strong sense of independence will mean that our children will be able to adapt and thrive in any situation.

Developing independence is a journey, and one that should start at the very beginning of a child’s education. An independent mindset that is developed from a young age will build self-confidence, develop problem-solving skills, and encourage a sense of responsibility. Embedding an independent attitude should be a fundamental part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). It starts with small practical steps such as getting dressed into their school uniform and packing their own bags which develops into shaping their own learning in a safe, nurturing environment.

One of the most critical benefits of developing independence in young children is that it builds their self-confidence. In a world where the internet and social media have a powerful influence on our children’s self-image, it is important that we embed opportunities for our pupils to develop inner confidence from a young age, about who they are and how to relate positively to others. One of the ways we seek to do this is to encourage pupils to try new things and give them opportunities to develop friendships outside of their form. We provide our pupils with a wide variety of co-curricular opportunities such as Woodland Camp craft skills, drama, dance and sporting activities, from the Reception year, to broaden their experiences and extend their learning beyond the classroom.

Independence also fosters creativity and imagination among pupils. When they are given the freedom to explore and experiment, they can expand their understanding and develop new ideas and solutions. It is important to provide pupils with tools and open-ended tasks which allow them to express themselves. Sometimes, a pot of water, a paintbrush and a brick wall are all that is needed, alongside an environment that encourages creative play.

Of course, one of the major obstacles that can prevent pupils from becoming more independent is a fear of failure. To encourage a more independent approach, we must help pupils to see failure as an opportunity to learn, rather than something to be avoided at all costs. As parents, the temptation to ‘helicopter in’ and save the day by dropping off a forgotten PE kit can seem to be the right thing to do. However, if we foster independence rather than dependency, then children will learn so much more than where the spare kit is kept at school. The skills and strategies that children develop when things don’t go to plan are vital in preparing them for the future.

In school, the learning environment should echo this ethos and be a ‘safe space’ where pupils are encouraged to take risks and make mistakes. Whether this is designing and testing experiments in a science lab, exploring Woodland School or performing on stage, pupils should focus on the importance of the learning journey, rather than the outcome. When pupils do this, failure is recognised as an important part of the journey.

Another benefit of developing independence is that it teaches pupils about responsibility. When children are independent, they learn to take responsibility for their actions, decisions and behaviour. In Early Years, examples such as self-registering, tidying the classroom and packing their school bags should be part of their daily routines. As the pupils get older, the levels of responsibility invariably increase, and they use the building blocks that have already been established to independently embrace new challenges, such as the introduction of homework.

As well as the practical aspects of responsibility, schools should allow pupils to take responsibility for their learning and develop ownership of their studies. We seek to achieve this through a curriculum that empowers the pupils. In the Early Years, child-initiated activities and discovery time are at the heart of excellent practice. This allows pupils to direct their learning around their own interests, creating purposeful and bespoke learning opportunities. As pupils progress into Key Stage One, a creative curriculum weaves together all subject areas through a thematic approach which allows them to ask questions and seek their own answers, putting in place the building blocks for independent research as they progress in their academic journey. Although knowledge is important, what will be required in the future is an aptitude for flexibility and an attitude of mind which promotes questioning and is open to new learning.

We are all aware that the world is changing, and our role as educators is to prepare pupils to embrace the future. As children become more independent, they become more confident in their abilities to think critically, solve problems and find solutions, which is a valuable skill for success in school and beyond.

As Franklin D Roosevelt famously said: “We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future”.

Hurst College is a thriving independent school for children aged between 4 and 18 with an overarching aim to provide an excellent all round education with a strong academic core and is ideally located between Brighton and Haywards Heath. www.hppc.co.uk

Jul 03
Love0
school fees

Can you afford private school?

By Education, Finance
by Graham Bond
Bursar, Burgess Hill Girls

According to School Fees Checker (www.schoolfeeschecker.co.uk), the average annual fees for an independent school in the UK are £20,480 for day pupils and £34,790 for boarders. It is widely acknowledged in the UK media that families are finding it increasingly difficult to afford a private education. Given the current cost-of-living crisis, it is reasonable to assume that this situation has worsened.

As an independent school in Sussex, we are committed to offering competitive fees and maximising accessibility. In fact, we have managed to maintain consistent fees in recent years, without even adjusting them for inflation. However, it is important to acknowledge that overall, fees in the private education sector have had to rise over the past few decades to cover the increasing costs of facility development and maintenance, as well as the recruitment and retention of high-quality teaching staff.

So if you aspire to provide your children with a private education but have concerns about financing, what can you do? Here are several options for you to consider.

Bursaries
Most schools have a bursary fund set aside to offer means-tested financial support to those families who do not have the necessary income or financial resources to afford a private education.

Scholarships
Most schools also offer scholarships with discounts offered to students, typically for those with outstanding talents in sport or the arts or exceptional academic performance.

Financial aid
In addition to financial support offered by schools themselves, there are a number of independent organisations that might be able to offer help with school fees. The Educational Trusts’ Forum has a directory of quite a few.

Payment plans
Suppliers like Premium Credit (www.premiumcredit.com) and My School Fee Plan (www.myschoolfeeplan.com) allow you to pay your school fees by easy to manage monthly direct debits. Some schools might also offer this option directly.

Grandparent support
If you know that your parents want to eventually pass on some money to you or your children it might be worth having the conversation now to see if they might be willing to invest in their education. Up to £3,000 per year can be gifted tax free or for larger donations they might want to set-up a family business or trust, both of which can be used to pay school fees.

Employer support
Some employers may provide support for paying your childrens’ fees via arrangements including; payment of fees as part of your remuneration package, employer scholarship schemes, salary sacrifice and tax free childcare schemes. If you are working in the Armed Forces you can apply for the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) to help with boarding school fees. On top of this, many boarding schools, including Burgess Hill Girls, offer additional discounts to families in the Armed Forces.

Go hybrid
If you really want your child to benefit from a private education but do not believe you will be able to afford the full fourteen years from age four to eighteen, you might want to consider a hybrid option. Many families opt for state education until senior school, allowing more time to save. In UK counties with state-funded grammar schools, some families opt for private education at a younger age with the hope that the academic advancements offered in these schools can increase their chances of getting into a grammar school at age eleven.

Start saving early
You are sure to have a lot more disposable income before children arrive so why not start saving early? You can always divert the money into another investment if your plans change. Even better, consider investing your savings to grow your private school pot quicker. Be sure to make use of tax-free savings and investments like ISAs or pensions, if you are 55 or older when your children are still at school you can take up to 25% as a lump sum.

Sibling discounts
Many private schools offer additional discounts when the second or third sibling attends the school.

Consider extra costs
Be sure to understand what you get from your school fees. For example at Burgess Hill Girls, meals, after-school clubs and wrap-around care are included. At other independent schools you might have to pay extra.

Consider extra savings
Instead of extra costs you might be surprisingly pleased to hear that an independent school, particularly a prep school, can offer savings, so the real cost is not as much as you might think. Due to government funding and savings on childcare, clubs and meals we have calculated that the first year in our Prep School for some families might cost as little as £260 per month!

Speak to the school
Most independent schools will offer tailored options for paying school fees. For example, some might offer discounts if you pay a significant amount of fees upfront. Others might be willing to extend your payments for several years after your child has left to spread out the cost.

Shop around
Fees do vary. For example, take our home county of Sussex where prep school annual fees vary from £6,600 to £22,290, annual senior school day fees vary from £14,190 to £28,260, and annual full boarding fees vary from £31,800 to £57,690. Typically the highest performing schools are the most selective and the most expensive but that does not guarantee they will be suitable for your child, even if they do pass the entrance exams. We would advise choosing the school that works best for your child, and where you think they will do best. Hopefully, it has fees that will work for you too. But as you would with any significant outlay, and this must surely be one of your biggest, try out a few schools and see if you can achieve further discounts via scholarships or bursaries if either is a potential option for your family. If neither, you might get a firm no, but there is no harm in asking for a discount!

Do your homework
Once you are down to your final shortlist it is time to really work out the numbers. Look at how the school’s fees increase as your child moves up the school and ask for an estimate of how fees might increase from year to year. For a true comparison you should work out the total cost for the length of time your child might be at the school, including any significant extras in addition to the fees.

If you are keen to educate your child privately but uncertain whether you have the appropriate finance, we hope this article has given you a thorough understanding of the costs and potential savings you can make. If you would like any further advice we would be delighted to speak with you. Contact our admissions team to arrange an informal chat.

To find out more about Burgess Hill Girls visit www.burgesshillgirls.com

Jul 01
Love0
claim holiday camp money

FREE holiday clubs for eligible children: What is HAF and how can it help me?

By Childcare and Nannying, Education, environment, family, Finance, Holiday camps

Since 2021 the government has funded a programme called HAF (Holiday, Activities and Food programme) across all areas of the country.

Research has shown that the school holidays can be pressure points for some families. For some children this can lead to a holiday experience gap, with some children being:
• Less likely to access organised holiday activities.
• More likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health.
• More likely to experience social isolation.

In response to this research there are now a large number of holiday club providers who are offering HAF places to eligible children (from reception to year 11).

The aims of the programme are to ensure children:
• Eat healthily over the school holidays.
• Are active during the school holidays.
• Take part in engaging and enriching activities which support the development of resilience, character and wellbeing.
• Be safe and not to be socially isolated.
• Have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition.

Currently a very low percentage of those eligible are actually using their free places. It is really important to raise the profile of this programme across all areas to ensure it reaches as many children and families as possible. The benefits and opportunities this programme offers are huge, however many families are put off because they do not realise they are eligible or because they don’t understand what it means.

For any parent or carer who receives any financial support for their children it is worth exploring this further. There are a wide range of clubs that offer HAF spaces and we need to make sure these places are filled to ensure the continued funding of the programme. Whenever you see HAF activities being advertised please help spread the word and let’s get this great programme out to as many families as possible.

For further information please visit www.gov.uk/government/publications/holiday-activities-and-food-programme/holiday-activities-and-food-programme-2023

May 03
Love0
discalculia

Dyslexia and dyscalculia – why assess?

By Education, special educational needs
by Vicki Lader
360 Dyslexia ltd.

This article is for parents and carers with concerns about their children’s learning and progress in school. It describes dyslexia and dyscalculia and explores some of the questions a parent might have about assessment, including the benefits and what age might be best to assess.

Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects a child’s ability to read, write, and spell. It is known to affect around 10% of the population. Children with dyslexia have challenges with phonological processing and verbal memory skills which means they have trouble understanding the sounds that make up words. This can impact on reading and spelling. However, there are often great strengths linked to vocabulary, having creative ideas for writing and reading comprehension. Dyslexia can also make some areas of maths trickier such as learning times tables, sequencing, telling the time and word problem solving.

Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is less well-known than dyslexia although it affects at least one in 20 people and possibly higher. Children with dyscalculia may find it challenging to understand maths concepts and remember math facts. Estimating, ordering and counting can be hard. They may also have difficulties with spatial awareness and understanding mathematical symbols and notation.

Dyslexia and dyscalculia both sit under the umbrella term of neurodiversities, including ASD, ADHD, Dyspraxia and others. Instead of seeing these as problematic, it is important to think in terms of diversity, difference and to focus on the strengths that they can bring.

Why assess?
The first reason it may be beneficial to assess a child for dyslexia or dyscalculia is to identify any needs as early as possible. This means support can be put in place as and when it is needed. Current recommendations are to assess from the age of seven, although it can be more suitable for some children to wait until eight or nine years and this can be discussed with the assessor.

Another reason would be to provide the appropriate support in class and additional interventions. A full diagnostic assessment (undertaken by a specialist assessor) leads to personalised recommendations, including those for specialist teaching, ensuring the right support can be put in place, tailored to that child’s profile of strengths and difficulties.

Children with dyslexia and/or dyscalculia can find some aspects of school hard work, and this may lead to low self-esteem or frustration. Using a strengths-based model, an assessment will identify what your child does well, or excels at alongside their challenges and this can help them to feel more positive about their learning overall.

Assessment information
A formal diagnostic assessment should be carried out by a trained specialist. They will use different tools to find out the child’s unique profile of strengths and difficulties. These tools can be referred to as quizzes, games or activities and this can help reduce any worries the child may have. A report will give thorough and personalised recommendations and advice to help in both the short and long-term.

To label or not to label?
As a final thought it is worth considering the potential impact of a label on your child. Some children find this helpful and reassuring as it explains their challenges. A few may struggle with the idea of having a ‘condition’ and possibly use it as an excuse to not try. Only parents know what is best for their child and talking this through with an assessor can be very helpful. Many organisations promote these neurodiversities as differences with some exceptional strengths attached to the profile. An example is the British Dyslexia Association short film; ‘See Dyslexia Differently’.

360 Dyslexia is a learning assessment service that takes a holistic approach to identify the strengths and needs of a child, young person or adult. Full diagnostic assessments include dyslexia and/or dyscalculia and parents/carers are invited to contact us to discuss what this would involve and how best to support the needs of your child.
www.360dyslexia.co.uk
Apr 02
Love0
wee girl reading

How can we support children to become readers for life

By Education, fun for children, reading
by Child Development Expert Dr Jacqueline Harding
Director of Tomorrowschild, Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University, former BBC Education Editor and Headteacher

Those who read for pleasure do better in a wide range of subjects at school and it positively impacts comprehension, critical thinking and wellbeing. Early enjoyable exposure to the world of text and illustrations can increase motivation to read for a lifetime. Content, in whatever format it is served up, must uphold two main ingredients: inspiration and imagination. Quite simply, the brain loves to play, and these two ingredients inspire it to keep going. So how best can we stimulate the playful brain to build a love of reading?

Research commissioned by Readly, the European leader in digital magazine and newspaper subscriptions, reveals that many parents and grandparents believe that comics and visual content can encourage children to develop a love of reading.

The relationship between reading text and image is being reconfigured all the time and we are all finding our way through those changes, accelerated by the digital world in which we live. The critical question is: can images and written text work well together in formats such as comics and magazines or will they forever remain in competition with books and more text-based formats?

As a young child, it never ceased to fascinate me that during rainy playtimes at school when the comics and magazines were allowed out of their secret location, the most reluctant of readers would pounce on the opportunity to gobble up the stories whilst doing their best to avoid the books on the shelf for the rest of the day! It may well have been this memory that led me to study this area later in life.

So, how as adults can we embrace this image dominated culture and remain committed to developing literacy skills and readers for life? We certainly don’t need to and shouldn’t be making the choice between comics and magazines and books. Children like to be entertained, to laugh and have fun and this is a golden ingredient on offer in comics and magazines. Perhaps we can locate a popular theme in a comic/magazine and follow it through to a book, where text is more pronounced and bring about a gradual and respectful process that takes account of the child’s agency. If they choose it, they are more likely to immerse themselves in it.

This thought is supported by the National Literacy Trust whose research showed that having opportunities to read digitally could be particularly effective for children with low levels of reading engagement, such as reluctant readers. For these children, reading enjoyment increased both on a screen and in print, indicating that reading digitally had the potential to provide a route into general reading and literacy.

Here are my top tips to inspire children to become life-long readers:

1. Immerse children in the illustrations
Encourage young children to ‘lose themselves’ in the illustrations – the ‘meaning’ extracted from pictures helps them make sense of the text. This helps them to increase reading comprehension by explaining the words on the page and is a crucial part of the storytelling process.
2. Digital appeal
The digital space is here to stay, and children encounter it in a very different way to grownups; they were born into this digital world, they learn with it in school, and they see it used every day. Support children to move seamlessly between the digital space for reading and print formats by offering them content that is personalised and something they are really interested in. On platforms such as Readly they can browse and read all their favourite comics and magazines on a phone or tablet at home or on the go.
3. Relax into reading
Dial down any stress involved in ‘learning to read’ and offer them fun material that has something to ‘say’ to them! There needs to be a sense of relaxation, this is key to the experience of beginning to decipher those squiggles on the page. Children tend to like characters who are inspirational and stir a positive feeling for them.
4. Inspire them with comics
Fun and imagination motivate learning. It is a well-trodden path along the journey to becoming a lifelong reader. Children who read graphic novels and short form content are more likely to foster a love of reading. It helps create a healthy habit, provides exposure and drives confidence for reading, with the illustration helping to deepen the narrative and reveal important social and cultural cues.
5. Get involved too!
Dive into the reading space with them whether that is online or offline. Laugh and enjoy the experience together – this communicates that reading is a marvellous activity.
6. Bring reading to life
Carry on the experience in the real world – perhaps by getting creative using storylines and characters they love or that inspire them.
7. Laugh
Get to know what makes a child laugh and exploit it! Choose funny, laugh out loud content and characters.
8. Be ‘on the child’s side’                                                                                                                                                                                  When it comes to respecting the importance of pictures, spend time looking at the picture and knowing it plays a huge role in reading too.
9. Combine formats
Offer children both comics and books – the more formats they enjoy reading across, the better!
10. Talk reading and review
Chat about the story lines in comic and magazines and search for books that follow similar themes. Talk about which part of the content the child enjoyed, any they didn’t. Knowing what they want to read about is a crucial step in inspiring a love of reading.

Children are hungry for content that is meaningful to them, irrespective of format, as they can move with ease between platforms and generally assume less of a distinction than we might expect.

Readly, the unlimited digital magazine and newspaper app for all the family, has collaborated with Disney to bring over 80 Disney magazines to its subscribers. Young readers can immerse themselves in the Disney experience through brilliant stories, fantasy adventures, craft ideas and activities based on their favourite Disney characters. Visit www.readly.com

 

Mar 30
Love0
pre prep

10 tips to get your child outside this winter

By Education, environment, Forest School, fun for children, Gardening, Green, Mental health, Playing, Winter

by Heather Cavanagh
Head of Pre-Prep & Prep Burgess Hill Girls

I think most parents would agree that outdoor play is a good idea for young children. The NCT, for example cites the following benefits of outdoor play; better sleep, a fun way to learn, development of motor skills, encouraging a healthy lifestyle, environmental awareness, making new friends and positive effects on parents too.

However, as the days get shorter and the weather colder and wetter, we are all probably guilty of opting to stay inside in the warm when deep down we know we would feel a lot better if we spent more time outside.

Here are some of our tips to help you and the family benefit from getting outside in the fresh air all year round:

1. There is no such thing as bad weather
As Alfred Wainwright, the famous walker and writer, once said, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”. If you can kit your children out with the correct warm clothes, waterproofs and wellies they will be able to play outside happily for hours. You might be able to cut down on some washing too!

2. Pack a thermos
During winter walks with my children and now my grandchildren, I always like to pack a thermos with a hot drink. The Owen family from Our Yorkshire Farm enjoy tea in theirs but you could opt for hot chocolate or even some hot blackcurrant or orange squash, and if you are feeling really generous, maybe a few biscuits or a bit of chocolate. I find it to be a useful little incentive to add a bit of excitement to a winter walk. It often provides a special family moment where we can all have a chat together.

3. Leaves, leaves, glorious leaves
Autumnal walks have to be some of my favourite. All the trees are a beautiful array of colours and there is so much you can do with leaves; see if you can catch them as they fall, build big piles and dive into them or take them home for some crafting. Or why not incentivise your children to clear up all the leaves in your garden or drive for some pocket money.

4. Get sporty
Encourage your children to take part in a sport that can be played in the winter. Most can, and I genuinely believe there is something for everyone. Team sports are a great way for children to make friends and a great incentive for children to want to go out and play or practise in the winter months.

5. Seafront walks
Being in Burgess Hill, we are fortunate that Sussex’s beaches are close by. Children love a seafront walk when the waves are crashing over the seawall and there’s a chance to get wet. If you do not have beaches nearby, get your appropriate waterproofs on and seek out some muddy puddles, if it is good enough for Peppa Pig, it has to be fun!

6. Pop to the shops
If your children are old enough and you feel it is safe to do so why not encourage them to run an errand to the local shop for you, maybe with a few pence for some sweets in it for them. Or perhaps you can all venture out together. Visiting the shop and buying some items is also a good opportunity for some impromptu maths too!

7. Borrow a dog
You may already have a dog, but if not I am sure you know someone who has one and most dog owners I know would be glad of your offer to take their pet for a walk. If your child is anything like our pupils who adore our school dog Jasper, they will jump at the opportunity to take a dog for a walk with you.

8. Night time adventures
For young children, being outside at night has something magical about it, especially if you can combine your adventure with a clear starry night, or a full moon, or just simply to go and check out your neighbourhood’s Christmas lights in December!

9. Painted rock trails
You might have heard of geocaching but did you know there are now painted rock trails popping up all over the country. Search out your local area’s web or social media pages and you will probably find details. Even better, paint your own, outside of course, and hide them for people to find on the trail.

10. Walk to school
Some families are lucky enough to be able to walk the whole journey to their school but everyone can walk at least some of the way. Just park a few streets away or further if you are feeling energetic. This will enable your child to notice the environment around them.
It will also teach them about road safety and allow you all to take part in a healthy activity together.

To find out more about Burgess Hill Girls, visit www.burgesshillgirls.com

Mar 18
Love0
fussy child

How to tackle food fussiness

By Education, family, Food & Eating
by Dr Lucy Cooke, research psychologist specialising in children’s eating behaviour and expert advisor on the non-profit children’s online game Teach Your Monster: Adventurous Eating

Getting children to eat healthily is, for many families, a daily struggle. Parents can end up cooking the same meals over and over again because their children won’t try anything new. Any attempt to serve an unfamiliar food may be met with a flat refusal and mealtimes can become a battle of wills which is stressful for everyone.

Many parents believe that everyone else’s children are eating five fruit and vegetables a day, but research tells us otherwise. In fact, less than 20% of young children meet these guidelines. Fussy or picky eating is incredibly common among young children, especially with regard to new or unfamiliar foods, and fruits and vegetables are the most likely to be rejected. Familiarity is a key driver of food intake, so the key is to make the foods we want children to eat more familiar.

One of the challenges here is that the increased consumption of ultra-processed and processed foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt, has altered our interactions with food. As a result, some children may not even recognise ‘every day’ fruit and vegetables in their natural state.

Implementing sustainable changes can make an enormous difference to children and their families, but in practice it’s very difficult to get children to eat five fruit and vegetables a day. However, parents play a key role in increasing their child’s knowledge, awareness, and willingness to try new foods, and there are many easy-to-implement techniques and strategies that can help.

Engage your child in food preparation activities – from helping picking vegetables at the supermarket, and choosing which ones to have for dinner, to weighing, peeling, and even serving.

Eat meals together with your child whenever possible because the more a child sees parents eat and enjoy fruits and vegetables, the more likely they are to follow suit. However, avoid showing it if you don’t like fruit and vegetables as this dislike can be contagious! Try to instil calm at meal times and avoid developing a sense of expectation as that creates a stressful environment for everyone involved.

Focus on the delicious taste of fruits and vegetables rather than their healthiness. To a child, healthy food often means ‘yucky’ food so telling your child how much you enjoy fruit and vegetables is more important than saying they need it to grow fit and strong.

Persevere in the face of refusal. Offer only very small quantities of new foods at first and repeat daily for up to 10 days. Research shows this can change dislike to like.

A multi-sensory approach
If a child eats a limited range of foods and won’t even try the smallest amount of new foods, using a sensory approach to exploring foods can help lay the foundations for children to develop a better, healthier relationship with food.

Essentially, get more creative and fun with food, turn it into a game, and take it beyond the dinner table. Using all five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste is an effective way to make new food less intimidating and more familiar. Keep in mind, it’s not necessarily about eating but experiencing each one in different ways, such as:
• Look at different varieties of tomatoes and get your child to talk about the different colours, patterns, or shapes, and the difference in appearance between the inside and outside.
• Listen to the distinctive sounds created when preparing carrots using several methods such as grating, chopping, or simply biting and chewing a raw carrot.
• Touch a fruit such as an orange and feel the contrasting textures between the bumpy rind, the spongy pith, and the juicy fruit itself.
• Smell something with a strong odour such as a lemon and compare with something with little or no smell like a potato. Ask your child to describe the different smells.
• Taste a small selection of green fruit and vegetables, for instance, grapes, kiwis, cucumber, or broccoli. Cut into very small pieces and talk about whether they are sweet, or bitter, and which taste they prefer and why.

There are many such activities that parents and children can undertake together outside of meal times. For free resources try the charity TastEd (www.tasteeducation.com) which has a range of activities and videos for parents around how to use the five senses to explore food, while non-profit Teach Your Monster (www.teachyourmonster.org) has a free online game, Teach Your Monster: Adventurous Eating, which encourages children to explore food in a fun, exciting way.

Children can discover and experiment with food using all five senses, and importantly, this approach can be tailored for children of all abilities and ages. Multi-sensory interaction with food is a good way to start to tackle food fussiness, awakening curiosity, and excitement around food, and helping to inspire a generation of adventurous eaters.

Dr Lucy Cooke, psychologist specialising in children’s eating behaviour and expert advisor to Teach Your Monster: Adventurous Eating, (www.teachyourmonster,org) and to TastEd (www.tasteducation.com)
Mar 15
Love0
life learning

Exam stress

By Education, Mental health, Relationships, special educational needs
by Edmond Chan
Childline Supervisor

The summer brings with it warmer weather, longer and lighter days and the inevitable stresses of school exams season. The worry of revising or not getting the grades they need can cause a lot of anxiety for young people.

This pressure means that a lot of children turn to Childline for help as they struggle to cope.

Last year our volunteer counsellors at Childline saw an increase in the number of counselling sessions they delivered about exam result worries compared to the previous year. Between April 2021 and March 2022, they delivered 781 sessions to children with worries about their exams – 30% more than the previous year.

One 17-year-old boy told Childline: “I want to do so well in my A-levels but it’s all just seriously overwhelming at the moment. My attention span has been awful lately, and I find it so difficult to concentrate and focus, and as we get closer to exams the stress increases. After I’ve finished revising, I find it so hard to switch off and then I begin getting loads of intrusive thoughts. It’s like I’m stuck in this vicious cycle and I can’t seem to escape from it.”

Exams can feel like a lot of pressure, no matter where the pressure is coming from.

Here are some tips to help young people cope:
Think positively
When we feel anxious, we can start thinking things like ‘I can’t do this’ and ‘I’m going to fail’. It can be difficult but try to replace these with positive thoughts such as ‘this is just anxiety, it can’t harm me’ and ‘relax, concentrate – it’s going to be OK’.

Be honest about how you feel
Sometimes people can put pressure on you without even realising and sometimes it can help to talk about how it makes you feel. Talking about things can help you to think about other ways they can support you in the future. If you’re worried about telling someone, you can always talk to Childline.

Don’t compare yourself to your friends
Competing with your friends can help to keep you motivated. But it can also make you feel like you’re not good enough, especially on social media. Try keeping a list of the revision you’ve done so you can see how much you’re achieving.

And here are some tips for parents and carers, to help you to be there when your children need you most:

Watch for signs of stress
Stress can be good sometimes. It can help us to work harder and focus. But it can also have a big effect and make it hard to cope. If your child is feeling stressed about their exams then they might be:
• Struggling to sleep.
• Having negative thoughts about the future.
• Getting headaches or feeling unwell a lot.
• Not eating because of how they’re feeling.
• Always thinking about their exams or worrying about them.
• Not able to enjoy things anymore.

Stress affects everyone differently but if you’re worried about your child let them know they don’t have to cope alone. Speaking to you, another adult they trust, or Childline can really help.

Talk about what’s happening
Talking about how they’re feeling can reduce the pressure and help them to feel more in control. Why not suggest they try:
• Talking to you or another adult they trust.
• Asking a friend for support.
• Getting advice and support from other young people on Childline’s online message boards.
• Speaking to a Childline counsellor.

Find ways to relax and take breaks
It’s important to take regular breaks and find ways to relax. Taking a break can leave you feeling more able to cope and even make it easier to concentrate when you start working again. There are lots of things children can do to take a break and relax, such as:
• Set a timer to take a 20 minute break every hour so they don’t forget.
• Make sure they have something to look forward to, like a treat or an activity they enjoy as a reward.
• Encourage them to plan when they’re going to start and finish their revision, so they know when to stop.

Stay healthy
• Make sure they don’t skip meals and try to eat healthily.
• Exercising can clear the mind and give them more energy. Suggest they play sports, go for a run or do some yoga.
• Urge them to practice self-care – this means finding things that help them feel calm and relaxed, such as taking a short break or getting some rest.

Exams are very important, and we really want young people to do their best. However, it’s important to remind them that if things don’t go exactly according to plan there will be lots of other opportunities for them to express themselves and succeed.

It is vital that young people feel supported by family, friends and teachers during the exam period to help them do the best they can.

Childline is also here 24/7 for any young person needing confidential support and advice. Children can call and speak to one of our trained counsellors on 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk for more information.
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