News and Views

Let your kids go wild, get messy and have a ‘Best Day Ever!’ The Little Welly returns to Henley-On-Thames

Get ready for a whole dollop of outdoor, crazy fun as The Little Welly – the UK’s largest obstacle course for children - returns on the 11th and 12th June. Specially created for kids, The Little Welly obstacle course has more than 30 challenges over the 3 or 5km routes. They include a huge water slide, foam pit and, of course, mud! The course is reimagined every year to challenge kids (and their parents!) in a fun, unique and safe environment with a cool medal at the end. But there’s so much more to enjoy: the Little Welly Festival Village has something for all the family, including inflatables, the climbing wall, trampolines, caving and hamster balls. There’s live music throughout the day and a full schedule of entertainers in the Show Tent. www.thelittlewelly.co.uk

The Girl of Ink and Stars

The Watermill Theatre in Newbury has a reputation for producing highquality youth theatre productions that are both enthralling and entertaining, and this year is no exception! This spring The Watermill Youth Ensemble will take to the stage to perform a brand-new adaptation of The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, a gripping tale of adventure, myth, and finding the way home, perfect for ages 8+. Performances are also available in British Sign Language and Audio Described, making the production accessible to more families.

The Watermill Youth Ensemble is made up of young people aged 11+ who take part in one of The Watermill’s regular weekly groups (see the Clubs and Classes directory), including participants from specialist access groups for young people who are home educated, have autism, are deaf or have a hearing impairment, or may be experiencing additional complications in their lives. Visit www.watermill.org.uk for more.

Why children fight Covid better

UK scientists have revealed why children are much less likely to become ill with Covid. They found children had a stronger immune response than adults in their airways, which rapidly triggered in-built natural defences to fight the virus. Researchers at University College London said their study revealed that children had an innate immune system that is better able to recognise dangerous viruses or bacteria automatically. Meanwhile, adults have a more adaptive immune system that contains memory type cells which have been trained through past exposure to respond to a particular threat. Dr Yoshida, an author of the study, said: ‘Because Sars-CoV-2 is a new virus, it isn't something that the adaptive immune system of adults has learned to respond to. The innate immune system of children is more flexible and better able to respond to new threats.’ More at www.sanger.ac.uk/news

Pre-schoolers flock back to group activities

After more than a year of social distancing and spending time on screens, the number of UK pre-schoolers joining organised group activities has risen by ten percent, according to a new study from Childwise, a leading specialist in research with children. Twenty six percent of parents surveyed said their pre-schooler had participated in group activities this year, up from sixteen percent in 2019. Swimming is the most popular activity, with thirty seven percent of parents taking their pre-schoolers to the pool on a regular basis. This is followed by dance classes (twenty two percent in general and thirty one percent among three and four-year-old girls) and group music lessons (fourteen percent). On average, UK kids are now participating in 1.4 activities, up from 1.2 activities pre-Covid. More info: www.childwise.co.uk/

Easter Camps with Camp Beaumont

With the Easter holidays just around the corner, and the dilemma of childcare approaching, Camp Beaumont, the UK’s most experienced day camp provider, is on hand to provide your child with a fun-filled adventure at over 35 locations across London and the South-East.

With over 50 activities each week, not only can your child sharpen up their social skills, but they can pursue new interests, develop new talents and unleash their creative side. Activities range from Aqua Olympics to Movie Maker to Superhero Academy, and each activity programme is tailored by age group, including a nursery-style Playtime Programme for 34 year olds, a unique Magic Programme for 5-7 year olds, a thrilling Active Programme for 8-11 year olds and an exclusive club style Teens Programme for 12-16 year olds.

Camp Beaumont’s award-winning multi-activity Easter camps take place from 28th March to 22nd April 2022. Childcare vouchers are accepted and all bookings are flexible with their COVID flexible booking promise. If there are any changes to the government guidance, you can change the date hassle-free or receive a full refund. To book, visit www.campbeaumont.co.uk or call 01604 851 0000. While picky eating is part of the norm for developing toddlers, when it extends into the school years, it takes a toll on all involved.

New research from Australian universities has found that a range of factors contributed to a child's likelihood of being a fussy eater.

The study found that pressuring a child to eat, offering rewards for eating and very strict parenting all negatively influenced fussy eaters. Whereas a more relaxed parenting style, eating together as a family and involving a child in the preparation of food all reduced the likelihood of fussy eating.

Lead researcher Laine Chilman said ‘Eating together as a family, with siblings and having a single meal at a regular time all helped reduce food fussiness. As did getting the fussy child involved in the meal, either by helping to choose the menu, or helping to prepare the meal.’ More at www.sciencedaily.com/releases

A wild experience

Ever fancied feeding a meerkat, grooming a pony or even tickling a tapir? At Beale Wildlife Park near Reading, both adults and children can now enjoy animal experiences. These unique opportunities allow you to go behindthe-scenes with our experienced animals team, learn all about some of your favourite species and get hands-on with feeding. The experiences, which can be booked now and will be available from Easter, start at just £15 per person. Beale Wildlife Park is a great day out for all the family with 160 wildlife species from all over the world, beautiful gardens, a train, cafes and play areas. There’s a packed programme of activities across the school holidays, including trails, keeper talks, crafts, meet the bugs and pond dipping. Keep up-to-date at bealepark.org.uk and via Facebook and Instagram.

Live your best story

Becoming a mother can reshape our whole identity. Our self-belief and confidence take a massive knock, we spend lots of time worrying and feeling guilty, our perspectives on life change and we can lose a sense of freedom as we put others first. This can sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated.

If you’re a mum feeling like this and wondering ‘what’s next for my career?’, it’s an opportunity to re-evaluate what matters to you most and work out what you really want so you can make decisions with confidence.

Kathryn is a certified coach who helps mums who have taken a career break or who are looking for a career change. If you feel you could benefit from a renewed sense of focus and confidence, contact Kathryn for an informal chat to see how she can help you. kwhitecoaching.com