News & views

Autumn is a busy time at Fairytale Farm. At weekends from 8th October to 27th November, the park will be open all day as normal, but when daylight fades, Fairytale Farm will become a magical wonderland of fairy lights, which will delight children and adults. The farm will stay open until one hour after dusk every weekend, and daytime visitors can stay on and see the illuminations for free. They also offer an ‘Illuminations and Supper’ deal, giving entry to the farm from 3pm, a delicious supper and a stroll through their illuminated gardens after dusk.

And don’t miss Fairytale Farm’s family-friendly Halloween event, Scarily Ever After, from 22nd to 30th October 2022. Ursula the Sea Witch is giving away singing tips to Fairytale Farm visitors during her sing-along sessions! There is also a trail activity to spot Ursula’s eels, a pumpkin patch (where every child can pick a free pumpkin), pumpkin carving, a creepy crafts corner and much more. They also have a special Halloween and Illuminations Party evening on Saturday 29th October, where they combine the excitement of their spectacular illuminations with Halloween activities to create a truly memorable evening out.

Tickets can be bought at www.fairytalefarm.co.uk

More music education in schools

Tens of thousands of children will be given the chance to learn a new instrument as part of a new national plan for music education in the UK.

The plan sets out the government's ambition to give 'every child the opportunity to develop a love of music’. Made in consultation with music teachers and young people in the music industry, it involves a raft of new investments and measures to support music education.

Twenty five million pounds will be made available for schools to purchase musical instruments and equipment, including adapted instruments for children with special educations needs and disabilities.

According to the updated guidance, schools will be asked to offer at least one hour of music curriculum a week. Every school will be expected to have a designated music lead or head of department.

OPPOSITION TO CHILDCARE CUTS

To help parents with the cost of living, the government may allow one adult to look after five two-year-olds in England, up from the current limit of four. The move would bring England in line with Scotland.

However, a petition has been started by the parents of a boy that died after a medical emergency at his nursery, warning that reducing ratios in early years’ settings could ‘endanger’ children. The petition has so far attracted more than sixty thousand signatures.

Nursery staff and employers have also expressed strong opposition, claiming the plan is short-sighted and would endanger children.

Healthy Snacks

These delicious, vegan, crunchy snacks are made from 100% whole fruit, and a great snack for back to school lunch boxes. The healthy and affordable range (from 60p per pack) contains no added sugar, salt, fat or oil and a pack counts as one of your, or your kids’, five a day.

Over 930m tonnes of edible food is wasted globally each year. Spare make use of both wonky raw and dried apples that are often rejected because they are misshapen, blemished, or deemed the wrong shape or size. The wonky apples are always fresh and delicious, they just happen to look a bit irregular. Spare transform them into beautifully healthy apple crisps that are good for people, producers, and the planet.

Find them at Morrisons, Ocado, Amazon, BA and Co-op from September in single packs and new multipacks.

Adventurous play boosts mental health

Excitement and exploration help kids avoid anxiety and depression, according to researchers from the University of Exeter.

The study found that children who spend more time playing outside – and taking part in activities out of sight of adults including exploring woods, camping out, swimming in a river or lake, trying new outdoor skills and creating obstacle courses – had fewer ‘internalising problems,’ characterised as anxiety and depression.

Helen Dodd, Professor of Child Psychology, who led the study, said: “We’re more concerned than ever about children’s mental health and our findings highlight that we might be able to help protect children’s mental health by ensuring they have plentiful opportunities for adventurous play.’

The study’s authors are calling on authorities to ensure that every child has free access to a safe space for adventurous outdoor play close to their home.

The study is published in the journal Child Psychiatry & Human Development.

Celebrate Roald Dahl Story Day

Every year, the life and works of one of the best children’s authors of all time is celebrated on his birthday, 13 September.

During his lifetime, Roald Dahl wrote twenty children’s books and published forty eight books altogether. He created over five hundred new words and character names and his books have sold more than two hundred and fifty million copies worldwide.

Join fans from all over the world to celebrate favourite Roald Dahl characters, stories and moments. Get dressed up as your favourite Roald Dahl character at a Dahlicious Dress Up Day event being held at school, by community groups and libraries,or host your own by downloading the Roald Dahl Story Day Party.

Visit the Roald Dahl Story Day hub at www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl-story-day for resources to decorate your home or classroom.

CBBC star writes mixed-race storybook on friendship

CBBC star Gemma Hunt is publishing her first

children’s book, a fun, mixed-race retelling of the stories of Jesus, which aims to teach children how to be good friends to one another.

The presenter decided to write the new stories after being unable to find any children’s books which featured a mixed-heritage family like her own.

A Good Friend features a mixed-race family as the main characters and aims, according to Gemma ‘to give Jesus a face which isn’t the ‘stereotypical, blonde-haired and blue-eyed Jesus so many of us grew up with.’

She has also revealed that she feels ‘immense responsibility’ as a children’s TV presenter to be a good role model to the children who watch her. A Good Friend can be purchased at

www.spckpublishing.co.uk/a-good-friend

KA-BOOM!

Give your creative juices a boost with a deep dive into the world of comic making at The Story Museum, finalist in the 2022 Art Fund Museum of the Year award. The Museum’s 2022 exhibition ‘KA-BOOM! The art of creating comics’ takes you step-by-step through the process, from initial ideas through to fully realized story-line. And with plenty of tips and tricks along the way from a host of different comic artists, you’ll be all set to go home brimming with ideas for making your own comics. The Museum is also running a series of comic-themed workshops and live events throughout the autumn. Entry to the exhibition is included with the Museum Galleries where you’ll also find a Whispering Wood full of oral stories and an Enchanted Library where you’ll be able to step into story moments from much-loved stories including Winnie-the-Pooh, Narnia and The Snowman.

a family ticket for 4 to The Story Museum Galleries, including a trip to KA-BOOM: The art of creating comics. Octoboom is the friendly, many-tentacled editor waiting to guide you through the KA-BOOM! Exhibition. For the chance to win a family ticket for 4, just tell us how many tentacles an octopus has by visiting our Facebook page @familieseastoxfordshiremag and commenting your answer on our competition post. Good luck.

World’s biggest coffee morning

The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is Macmillan Cancer Supports biggest fundraising event for people facing cancer and is dedicated to bringing people together over a cuppa to raise vital funds.

Each year, people in the UK and across the world host their own coffee morning with the donations received going to Macmillan services. This year’s official event date is 30th September but Coffee Mornings can be held at any time.

It’s easy to sign up. Just go to www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee and you’ll be sent a Coffee Morning Kit with everything you need to make your coffee morning a success. More info: coffee.macmillan.org.uk

Fun with Merlin

Give the autumn term a confidence boost with Perform. A common struggle shared by many children as they start school or return after the summer break is a lack of confidence, and this can stop them reaching their full potential. Whether you're looking for a confidence boost for your child or just a weekly dose of drama, dance and singing fun, Perform is back for the autumn term with two exciting productions for 4-7s and 7-12s.“Perform is not a stage school” stresses Perform Principal, Lucy Quick. “Our classes teach life skills using fun confidence-boosting drama games which results in a celebratory end of term production. The primary aim of our classes is to develop what we call the 4Cs: Confidence, Concentration,Coordination and Communication."This term,Perform 4-7s will venture into The Magician's Chamber for some confidence-building fun with Merlin the Wizard whilst 7-12s will work on a funky festive performance of Ebenezer, based on the Charles Dicken's classic, A Christmas Carol. The term runs from September to December and children are welcome to try a free class at any point. To book a free no-obligation trial class

visit www.perform.org.uk/try

FREE family fun at Heritage Open Days

Running from 9th to 18th September, Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture and allows families the chance to visit hidden places and try new experiences for free, including places that usually charge for admission.

Many events will adopt this year’s theme, Astounding Inventions, offering a celebration of the cutting-edge creations that make our lives easier, as well as the imaginative inventors behind them.

There will be hundreds of free interactive activities for children, including dressing up, craft, woodland walks and railway rides.

Heritage Open Days is brought to you by the National Trust with the support of People’s Postcode Lottery.

New events will be added to the festival directory every day.

More info: www.heritageopendays.org.uk

NEW APP HELPS TURN CHORES INTO A GAME

Fighting over household chores (as well as the avoidance of them) can be a significant source of conflict between parents and children, not to mention spouses.

A new app has just been launched which promises to revamp how families divvy up life’s daily responsibilities, turning tedium into a fun and competitive game that both parents and kids can enjoy and benefit from.

The app is essentially a motivational tool that creates some healthy competition with a points and rewards system for the daily, weekly and monthly household contributions of each family member.

Parents are able to instil a sense of responsibility and accountability in their kids, track chores for weekly pocket money and use points accrued for certain privileges for their children and teens.

Choreful is now available on App Store and Google Play.