Families London SW Feb 2021 digital

Digital FREE copy

Magazine

IN THIS ISSUE

Education Family Health Early Years New Year Resolutions

Grab Some Winter Comfort!

Subscription Boxes to Give Away SEE INSIDE

January/February 2021

Familiesonline.co.uk

Familiesonline.co.uk January/February 1

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in partnership with

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ACTIVITIES

Fabulous Crafts to Celebrate Chinese New Year 11-26 February

Easy Chinese Lantern

Egg Carton Dragon Dancing Puppet

Paper Dragon Slinkie

Dragon Mask

Chinese Lantern Suncatcher

Chinese Fan

Panda Paper Bag Puppet

Year of Ox Headband

Year of Ox Paper Plate

10 January/February

Familiesonline.co.uk

EDUCATION

Classic Free Audio Books for Kids A great way to introduce your child to these classic stories with no cost attached.

By Carlo Collodi.

Ages 3+.

The Wind in the Willows

By Kenneth Grahame.

Ages 6+.

When We Were Very Young

The Secret Garden

The Railway Children

Peter Pan

Adventures of Pinocchio

By Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Ages 8+.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

By Lewis Carroll.

Ages 4+.

4 January/February

By E. Nesbit.

Ages 8+.

Aesop’s Fables Ages 4+.

By A.A. Milne.

All ages.

By J.M. Barrie.

Ages 8+.

The Swiss Family Robinson

By Johann David Wyss.

Ages 7+.

Familiesonline.co.uk

EARLY YEARS

The Benefits of Nursery and Things to Consider

The Lowdown on Potty Training

By Gabrielle Nash

By Andrew Campbell

Choosing good quality childcare is one of the most important decisions parents make. So whether you are assessing options for returning to work or considering part time childcare for your toddler, a nursery may be what you need. So what factors should you consider?

READ MORE

There are various potty training methods and none of them are right or wrong! Each comes with advantages and disadvantages.

So it’s important to consider what style is the best fit for your family. Slow and gentle, get it over quick or somewhere in between….

READ MORE

Working with Little Ones at Home

By Dr Sarah Mundy

Like me, you may be thinking that your multi-tasking skills were pushed to the limit before Covid! Working from home whilst looking after a preschooler isn’t easy so here are my tips on maximising your work time whilst still meeting your little one’s needs.

READ MORE Familiesonline.co.uk

January/February 13

OUTDOORS

RSPB Bird-Related Garden Activities

Celebrate the Big Garden Birdwatch from 29 to 31 January!

Build a Bird Bath

Make a String Bird Go Bird Watching

Make a Flock of Fingers

Build a Bird Box

Go on an Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Play ‘Hungry birds’ Online

Make a Recycled Bird Feeder

Make a Speedy Bird Cake

14 January/February

Familiesonline.co.uk

FAMILY LIFE

9 Best Pancake Recipes for Shrove Tuesday Experiment with some pancake-making on and around 16 February!

Banana Pancakes

Fluffy Black Forest Pancakes

Vegan Pancakes

Flourless Rainbow Pancakes

Upside-Down Pineapple Pancakes

Teddy Bear Pancakes

Mary Berry’s Easy Drop Scones

Easy Pancakes

Baby’s First Pancakes

Familiesonline.co.uk

January/February 21

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Photos by Venture Studios

EARLY YEARS

Best Nursery Rhymes & Action Songs for Pre-Schoolers

Little Peter Rabbit Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

Baby Shark

Finger Family Song

Little Bo Peep

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Little Miss Muffet

The Ants Go Marching

Itsy Bitsy Spider

12 January/February

Familiesonline.co.uk

EDUCATION

Online Tutoring Providers for Primary School Children Does your child need to catch up on some learning?

Teachers to Your Home

MyTutor

Dulwich Tutors Online

Bigfoot Tutors

Tutorful

Owl Tutors

Mentor Education

Kings Tutors

Think Academy

Familiesonline.co.uk

January/February 7

FAMILY LIFE

Find ‘Me-Time’ and Achieve your Goals

Vegan Food for the Family – By Stealth!

By Carina Lawson

By Louise Palmer-Masterton

The pandemic arrived like a whirlwind, changing the way we live. Whilst it is still here, we have to make sure we and our families are motivated to stay on top of things and enjoy life as best we can. Here are some tips.

In my view, the way to win hearts and minds to veganism is by serving ridiculously delicious vegan food! But children can be notoriously difficult nuts to crack food wise and it helps to master the art of getting healthy food in by ‘stealth!’

READ MORE

READ MORE

Family Fitness

By Claire Winter

It’s easy to use excuses like ‘too tired’ or ‘too busy’ to exercise. Exercising through the pandemic, with gyms and sports clubs often closed, is challenging. But regular exercise promotes physical and mental health in many ways. How can your family get fit this year?

READ MORE 20 January/February

Familiesonline.co.uk

OUTDOORS

Outside Activities Whatever the Winter Weather Rain

Wind

Float your boat. Make a boat and float it in a puddle or stream.

Wet chalk art. Rain intensifies and blurs the colours of chalk for a spectacular effect.

Make mud pies. Use old aluminium or plastic containers and have a bake off!

Gauge the rain. Make a rain gauge with a plastic bottle and keep a log.

Puddle jumping. Try jumping over, rather than in – who can jump the biggest?

Collectathon. Gather some different sized containers outside and guess which will fill first.

Fly a kite. Make one from different materials and see which works best.

Blow bubbles. Let the wind do the blowing and watch them swirl.

Parachute play. Make a toy parachute using a handkerchief and toy figurine and throw up.

Make wind chimes. Hang spoons, keys and beads from a coat hanger.

Play Frisbee. Go somewhere with lots of space and let it rip!

Make a wind sock. Attach streamers or ribbons to one end of a toilet roll holder and string to the other.

Cold

Break out the binoculars. Since leaves have fallen from trees, it’s a lot easier to spot birds and other creatures.

Take a night hike. Using torches explore your neighbourhood during these dark early evenings.

Build a campfire. Bring out hot chocolate and roast marshmallows and cook jacket potatoes in the embers.

Go stargazing. Cold nights generally mean clear skies, perfect for watching stars.

Hunt for treasure. Look for holly leaves, lichen, leaf skeletons, sticks, pinecones and acorns.

Frost art. On a frosty morning, draw or write in the frost on the pavement

Familiesonline.co.uk

January/February 15

FAMILY LIFE

Handling Co-Parenting Differences

The Guilty Parent Syndrome

By Rebecca Giraud and Bob Greig

By Dr Jan MacGregor Hepburn

Co-parenting is not easy, mistakes can and will be made but it’s the effort that we as parents put in that will really be of long-term benefit to our children. After all, loving our children is what we have in common with our ex-partner.

READ MORE

As a parent, do you feel constantly guilty? About what you’ve said/done or not said/ done? If so, you’d be forgiven for thinking that guilt and parenting must be inextricably linked. And you would be right! BUT they don’t have to be…....

READ MORE

Embracing your Inner Child

Special 15% Discount!

By Ed James, Mark and Nicky Taylor

Despite your intentions to parent your kids differently to the way you were parented, they probably view your parenting style in much the same way. But imagine the difference if you could combine the essential parts of adulthood and still be in touch with your inner child....

READ MORE 22 January/February

101 Questions Answered About Separating with Children has become an indispensable guide to divorce/ separation for parents.

To mark the publication of the second edition, enjoy an exclusive 15% discount for Families readers from Only Mums and Only Dads. Use code FM10121 here.

With legal help, tips and insights from professionals and parents, this book will save you time and money.

Familiesonline.co.uk

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ONLINE CLASSES

Live and Pre-Recorded Online Classes for Kids

Singing Hands

Live online baby/ toddler signing sessions.

Kidslingo LIVE

Mother Nature Little Gym at Home Science Online Club Online pre-recorded Live online science activity classes.

Ages 4-12.

gymnastics based activities.

Ages 4mths-12yrs.

Tots Play

SA Dance

Live online language classes. Ages 0-11.

Live online baby and toddler play classes.

Live online dance classes. Ages 2½+.

Teddies Online Music Club

La Jolie Ronde

Parrot Street Book Club

Pre-recorded online musical fun and arty ideas for under 5s.

24 January/February

Live online French and Spanish classes.

Ages 5-11.

Monthly subscription book club.

Ages 5-11.

Familiesonline.co.uk

8 Families South West • January/February 2021

familiesonline.co.uk

ONLINE CLASSES

Live and Pre-Recorded Online Classes for Kids

Lingotot

The Place

Funky Moves

Live online language classes.

Ages 0-12.

Live online dance classes. Ages 4-18.

Live online yoga and ballet classes.

Ages 4-11.

Tiger Crane Kung Fu

Music Monsters

Smart Raspberry Cookery School

Live online martial arts classes. Ages 5+.

Go Sketch Club

Live online and prerecorded drawing and painting classes.

Ages 7-12.

Familiesonline.co.uk

Live online piano lessons. Ages 3-18.

Funky Monkeys Keyboard Classes Online pre-recorded tutorial programme.

Ages 4-12.

Live online cookery classes. Ages 2+.

Bright Light Creative Writing Live online creative writing courses.

Ages 6-11.

January/February 25

EDUCATION

Books for Navigating Tricky Times

Encouraging Constant Learning

By Smriti Halls

By Dr Cath Bishop

A book can be a friend in lonely times, a delightful escape, a comfort blanket to wrap around us when the going gets tough. As a parent, sharing this understanding with your children is one of the best gifts you can give them. Find out how.

READ MORE

“Who’s going to win?” From a young age, it seems natural to compare and compete with others. But, historically, what distinguished us from our ancestors was learning by cooperating, communicating and connecting. How can we help our children learn in this way?

READ MORE

Getting Ready for SATs in 2021

How to Improve your Child’s Concentration

By Claire Winter

By Gail Hugman

Preparing for exams is a stressful time for everybody under normal circumstances. Added to this, children’s education has been severely disrupted by Covid with pupils estimated to be at least three months behind on their learning. So how to prepare children for SATs this year?

READ MORE

If ever there was a time to help your child improve their learning skills, it’s now! Even without disrupted routines, many young children need help developing the skills of listening and concentration required in the classroom. Here’s how you can help your child.

READ MORE

Familiesonline.co.uk

January/February 5

A village school in the heart of London ‘A hidden gem’ says the Good Schools Guide

Stellar 11+ results to top London schools. • Specialist teachers in key subjects. • Parents effusive over our lockdown and in-school learning.

Critical thinking and interview preparation throughout Year 6. • STEAM lessons for all (nationally accredited).

Pastoral care as important as academic success. • Spectacular LAMDA results Music embedded in the curriculum. • Amazing outdoor space. • Sport for all.

Prepare for the future; enjoy the journey!

familiesonline.co.uk

FamiliesSWLon

|

www.parsonsgreenprep.co.uk

• 020 7610 8085

January/February 2021 • Families South West 21

FAMILY LIFE

The Impact of Covid-19 on Working Mums

By Mandy Garner The Covid-19 pandemic has been hard for many individuals and groups, with working mums, particularly single working mums, being one of them.

But the picture is complex. Women dominate in many of the most risky frontline sectors such as health, social care and education and in some of the hardest hit sectors such as hospitality and retail. Parttime jobs, traditionally done by women, have seen a precipitous fall, BUT women are less likely to be unemployed than men and many have gone into full-time roles.

Then there is self-employment which has seen a big decline. A recent report from IPSE and Starling Bank showed women freelancers have been hardest hit financially by late payments of money owed to them and the associated mental impact and women-led businesses have suffered disproportionately.

What is clear is that the impact of childcare problems during the pandemic has been most keenly felt by women, with countless studies, including our own surveys, showing women have been carrying most of the childcare/home schooling burden, despite dads increasing their input generally.

Our latest survey shows lockdown restrictions and school or year group closures are still causing huge challenges.

READ MORE

Bella Learning Games Fun educational games to download, print and play.

Reception, Year 1 & Year 2 Packs

Available Now! For examples, tips and advice, find Bella Learning Games on Facebook and Instagram.

www.bellalearning.co.uk Familiesonline.co.uk

January/February 23