Family First - Winter 2022/23

There is something very satisfying about starting the year with a brand-new issue of Family First. Having indulged in some delicious food over the Christmas period and enjoyed lots of quality family time, we are looking forward to the year ahead. As well as a fun-packed magazine filled with interviews, recipes and key advice for families, we have not one, not two, but three supplements. Our popular Play supplement is bursting with toys, games and competitions, while our travel supplement will help you to plan your next family break, and you can find all the latest trends in our children’s fashion supplement. Enjoy!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2023, Georgina

COVER CREDITS:

Cover Photographer: James Rudland

Executive Editor: Lee Gatland

Art Director: Richard Hejsak

Editor: Georgina Probert georgina@sevenstarmedia.co.uk

Sales Team: 01959 543 650 sales@sevenstarmedia.co.uk

Published by SEVEN STAR MEDIA LTD 184 Main Road, Biggin Hill, Westerham, Kent Tel: 01959 543659 sevenstarmedia.co.uk

Disclaimer: Family First is published bi-annually (twice per annum) by Seven Star Media Ltd. No part of Family First may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted to any form without permission. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Seven Star Media Ltd, and are included to provide advice only. No content is a substitute for professional medical advice. During printing, images may be subject to a 15% variation. © Copyright of content belongs to individual contributors with the magazine copyright belonging to Seven Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Please either keep this magazine for future reference, pass it on for somebody else to read, or recycle it.

This

SENSORY PLAY

INFANTINO

This bright Balls & Cups Activity Set from Infantino features a variety of colours and textures to keep little hands busy. The 10-piece set has four connectable puzzle balls, each with a puzzle, grooves and a rattle, and six stacking cups that are great for nesting, assembling and you guessed it... stacking. Infantino Balls & Cups Activity Set, £13, Argos (argos.co.uk)

Splish, splash

BOATILUS

Eco-friendly, tick; recyclable, tick; waterproof, tick; cosy, tick. The Penguy B Warm Welly Boots from Boatilus are great for playing outside in the winter months. The fleecy lining (made from recycled bottles) keeps feet warm and makes the boots super-comfortable, too. While the ingenious drawstring toggle keeps warmth in and water out. Penguy B Warm Welly Boot, £35, Boatilus (boatilus.co.uk)

EDITOR’S

picks

Let’s get cosy

CHLOE HAYWOOD LONDON

With the cost of heating our homes ever increasing, a great way to keep your kids warm is to use a hot water bottle. Made from repurposed cashmere that was destined for landfill, these mini hot water bottles are the perfect size for small people and are super-soft to snuggle. Cashmere Mini Hot Water Bottle, £25, Chloe Haywood London (chloehaywoodlondon.com)

MINIATURE MAGIC LEMIEUX

Whether your children love ponies or unicorns (or both!), LeMieux has a toy they will cherish for years. These cuddly ponies will ignite a love of horses from a young age. You can also treat their new pet to miniature LeMieux accessories, from saddles to bridles and a grooming kit. Toy Pony, from £49.95, Le Mieux (lemieuxproducts.com)

BRILLIANT BEDROOMS

STICKERSCAPE

Made in the UK, Stickerscape’s fabulous wall stickers can transform any room. Not great at DIY? Can’t afford to hire a decorator? Wall stickers are an affordable, quick and easy way to bring a child’s bedroom to life! We also love their personalised storage trugs that are great for storing the new toys your kids got for Christmas. Wall stickers, from £5 | Storage trugs, from £20, Stickscape (stickerscape.co.uk)

FROM MOTHER TO MOTHER

KHUSHI KANTHA

Bringing the cultural heritage of Bangladesh to the rest of the world, Khushi Kantha’s Happy Blankets are sustainable, multi-purpose baby blankets that are hand-stitched from reclaimed and ethically-sourced cotton. Each purchase creates an opportunity for a struggling mother in India to provide for her children with dignity. Win-win! Happy Blanket, 1m x 75cm, £50, Khushi Kantha (khushikantha.com

Learn through play

MY MUMMY TEACHER

Developed by a former primary school deputy headteacher and mum of two, Learning Through Play Cards are great for busy parents who want to make the most of their children’s play time. Designed from birth up to eight years old, each pack of A7-sized cards provides fun and interesting age-appropriate ideas and activities your little ones will enjoy. Learning Through Play Cards, from £10.99, My Mummy Teacher (mymummyteacher.com/store)

MAKE NOTE

ELLIE GOOD

We like a bit of quirky stationery (as do our kids!) and these bright and cheerful notebooks are just the ticket. Featuring all manner of funky animals, from grumpy cats and doggy friends to monkeys from around the globe and pygmy sloths, the recycled paper notebooks are designed by illustrator Ellie Good. 100% recycled Grumpy British Blue A6 notebook/mini sketchbook, £4.25 | 100% recycled Monkeys A5 lined notebook, £8.99, (elliegood.co.uk)

BOXES

Power to clean when you need it the most.

When you’ve been on an adventure outside, the Unlimited 7 vacuum gives you all the power you’ll ever need to clean up your home in no time at all.

Visit Euronics.co.uk for more details and to find your local store.

All dry and ready to go!

Our tumble dryer uses a heat pump to dry your laundry. It’s A++ rated so it’s more energy efficient, and is also kinder to people with allergies or sensitive skin.

Visit Euronics.co.uk for more details and to find your local store.

Mumsnet

Peer pressure reaches fever pitch when it comes to children’s parties and it can be a battle to keep expectations and costs down, especially

when you consider the trend for ever-fancier food, party bags and prizes. Everyone wants to make their child’s birthday special, but in a cost-of-living crisis lots of families will be cutting back on non-essentials. The great news is that your kid’s idea of a good time probably won’t require a lot of cash and you don’t have to invite the whole class to a party or hire an expensive venue. Most children will be perfectly happy with a fair amount of riotous charging about with a load of balloons and silly string, takeaway pizza for tea and a bar of chocolate instead of a party bag. Leaving out the extra party bag plastic tat is also better for the planet – a win-win. You can cut costs further by sharing the party with another child and roping in family members to entertain or bake. As one Mumsnet user put it, “do as little as you can get away with for as long as you can”. Your kids will still have a whale of a time.

From budget-friendly children’s birthday party ideas to school gate politics and social media etiquette, Mumsnet answers parents’ queries with informed and impartial advice.

How can I throw my child a great birthday party without it costing the earth?

If your daughter genuinely hates her music lessons, she should give them up. You might believe she’s got the potential to be a musical sensation, but if she’s not interested and has to be nagged to practise, then what’s the point? There’s nothing wrong with a bit of space from extracurricular activities and spending some unstructured time with her family instead –and it will be less stressful for you both. That said, in these scenarios, Mumsnet users do advise that you shouldn’t give up at the first sign of protest. Children can be a fickle bunch; one minute begging for lessons, the next deciding they never want to pick up a musical instrument ever again. So make sure she’s really gone off it before throwing in the towel – and once you’re sure she has then it’s better to let it go than make it another constant battle. Parenting is tricky enough as it is!

the long run even if right now the items are way too big for your child. Remember they’ll grow into them! It’s also important to note that there is statutory guidance for schools on not setting uniform prices that will discourage parents on low incomes from applying, and non-statutory guidance discouraging single uniform suppliers, so do write to your school’s governors if you feel the guidance isn’t being followed.

The often extortionate cost of school uniforms is a frequently recurring topic on Mumsnet, and users have shared lots of tips on how to cut costs. First, check with the school for clarification on which items are compulsory and which are just recommended. Mumsnet users also suggest you take your kids with you when you’re shopping for their uniform, so they see how expensive things are – it might encourage them to take responsibility for their stuff. Make sure you check out second-hand uniform sales and local charity shops and keep an eye out for supermarket sales and multi-buy deals on uniform items – they could save you money in

Most parents are so busy trying to get their children to school on time that they don’t have time to worry about what others will think if they turn up a bit unkempt or even in their pyjamas, which is not uncommon among Mumsnet users. Many categorically state that they have never encountered any cliques, snide remarks or critical stares on the school run, and for these parents, school-gate alpha mums are caricatures that bear no relation to reality. That said, there are others

complain about snooty groups at the school gate and PTA members casting passive-aggressive aspersions on the quality of cakes submitted for bake sales. If this is the case for you, our users recommend trying to keep any gripes about primary school politics in perspective. And, at the very least, parents can rest assured that by secondary school, their very presence anywhere in the catchment area of the school will be out of the question anyway.

My seven-year-old daughter hates her music lessons – should I persevere or let her quit?

I’ve got three kids in school now and the costs for uniforms are extortionate – especially as they keep losing stuff. Any idea how to keep costs down?

Help! Since my child started at primary school, I’ve felt increasingly intimidated by the other mums at drop off and pick up – I’m worried they’re judging me. Any tips for handling school-gate politics?

who

Hovis breakfast inspiration for all the family...

Mumsnet users can always be counted on to think outside the box when it comes to keeping children entertained indoors. Most children will love an afternoon turning the living room into a fort; while creative kids can write plays, make cards or fashion outfits out of bin liners and coloured sticky tape. It just takes a little imagination and a slightly higher tolerance of the mess. Users also recommend keeping warm in the kitchen on cold days, getting toddlers to stir cake mixes

and giving older children free rein to come up with their own pizza toppings. Others suggested getting crafty, making salt-dough decorations and unleashing glitter and glue. And if you’re really stuck there’s always the telly (no screen time guilt here!). All that said, it’s worth remembering that getting outside – whatever the weather – is normally an instant mood booster. So if cabin fever takes hold then kit the kids out in warm clothing, waterproofs and wellies and head outdoors for some fresh air.

Cries of ‘are we nearly there yet?’ before you’ve even left your road are enough to put you off ever attempting long car journeys, but sometimes there is no choice. So consider making your journey at night. Young children in particular are likely to snooze through long nocturnal trips. If you’re travelling during the day, build in extra time for unstrapping and letting off steam, for delays and nappy changes, and for a proper meal. Plan your journey in advance: research family-friendly pubs with play areas, parks with cafes or National Trust properties with lots of green space. The main trick is to break up the monotony.

I’m really not looking forward to trying to keep my kids entertained indoors over the winter. How can I keep them busy on cold and rainy days when they can’t be banished to the garden?

We’ve got a couple of long car journeys with our kids coming up and I’m already dreading them. How can I make them easier for everyone?

“If you’re really stuck there’s always the telly (no screen time guilt here!)”

If you can afford it, invest in tech (or borrow some). Portable DVD players, films, audiobooks and programmes downloaded onto tablets, and headphones that don’t leak too much noise can all make time pass more quickly. If you have more than one child in the back of the car, alternating their seats can help break both the boredom and the bickering. The intensity of squabbling usually rises in direct proportion to just how close kids sit to one another. Try to provide enough space so your kids can happily co-exist. Our users swear by goody boxes – one per child – filled with cheap treats like stickers or colouring pens. Or you could try a big grab-bag of small, cheap items, such as colouring pencils, puzzle pads, short books, toys etc, produced one by one when boredom strikes. If all else fails, there’s always car snooker (spot the colours, with a prize for the winner). And regardless of the age of the children, take wet wipes. Lots of wipes.

Most parents are on a steep learning curve when it comes to sharing information about their children online.

This is often fuelled by children’s increasing awareness and understanding of their privacy rights, plus the knowledge that lots of our kids are more tech-savvy than us! Conversations on Mumsnet reveal how thorny the issue can be: parents who share pictures of their children can be unhappy to find family members doing the same, which indicates that lots of us are still wrestling with the realisation that public sharing basically means losing control. The positives of social media are obvious and it’s nice to know that even the farthest-flung relatives can watch your kids growing up. But bear in mind that as soon as you share photographs online – no matter how strict your security settings –they pass out of your control. Think, before you share, how comfortable you’d be with strangers glimpsing your private pics or how your children will feel about stumbling on them in years to come.

Weekday mornings in my house are a nightmare. I’ve got two primary-aged kids to get to school before I head to work and it’s so stressful. We’re constantly rushing to be ready on time, forgetting stuff and leaving breakfast halfeaten. Any advice on how to be more organised?

First off, you’re not alone! How to manage the school run better is a frequently repeated cry for help on Mumsnet, and it’s no wonder, as frankly, it could qualify as an Olympic discipline. The good news is that Mumsnet users have plenty of tips on how to make things easier. Get everything that you can ready the night before: lay out clothes, pack school bags and make lunches. That way, you’re much less likely to be frantically searching for a PE kit two minutes before you need to head out the door. That goes for your own things as well. Use the evening to lay out your work clothes, pack your bag and fill your water bottle. You can plan breakfast in advance too – and make sure it’s something easy to make like toast or cereal, as well as getting out the cups, plates and cutlery you need. It might sound a bit over the top, but every second saved will give you that all-important extra time in the morning. And lastly, give yourself a break. No matter how organised you are and how much prep you do, at least once a week you’ll find there’s a last-minute letter to sign, item to find or an urgent toilet visit. If there is last-minute stress, try to accept that some things are just beyond our power, and leave it behind when you close the front door.

I like to use social media to share photos of my kids with my family, but my husband thinks it will be embarrassing for them when they’re older. Any advice?

Mumsnet is the UK’s biggest network for parents, with 8 million users per month and a mission to make parents’ lives easier.

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*Contains iron to support normal cognitive development.

& berries BIRDS

Winter can be a tough time for wildlife. It gets really cold, especially at night. To survive, birds need to make sure they eat plenty of food to build up their reserves of body fat. They ‘burn’ this body fat overnight to create energy that keeps them warm while they roost.

But the problem is, in winter, food can be hard to find. Lots of birds like to feed on insects, which become much less common when the weather turns cold. So, some birds adapt and change their diet. They seek out the buffet of berries growing on our trees and bushes. Berries are packed with vitamins and calories, so are perfect for putting on a little extra winter weight.

Some berries make tasty treats for people too, though others are poisonous – so never pick a berry you aren’t completely sure is safe. As hedgerows have been cut down, we’ve lost lots of berry-bearing bushes that our birds

depend on. Wherever you find berries, it’s important to leave plenty for the birds, who often need the energy far more than we do.

might spot…

Hawthorn

Hawthorn is found in lots of hedges and along the edges of woodland. This prickly tree produces bright red berries known as haws. They look a bit like tiny apples. Haws appear in September and can last well into winter – if they aren’t all gobbled up fast. They’re packed with antioxidants and are very popular with wildlife. Thrushes are particularly keen on them. They pluck them from the stems and swallow them whole.

As the chill of winter sets in, bare bushes bursting with berries are a tempting treat for flocks of thrushes.

Tom Hibbert of The Wildlife Trusts takes a look at the berries you might spot and the birds who love to snack on them.

some of the berries you Let’s take a look at

Hawthorn ©

Philip Precey

Holly © Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION

Dog rose

This is another thorny plant that grows in hedgerows, on scrubland and along the edges of woodlands. You might have seen its large, pastel-pink flowers earlier in the year. In autumn and winter, the flowers are replaced by big, orange-red oval-shaped berries called hips. They’re popular with thrushes and waxwings. Amazingly, some birds manage to swallow these big berries whole, too.

Holly

You’ve probably seen holly around Christmas time – its spiky leaves and jolly red berries are often used on cards and decorations. Holly trees grow in lots of places, including parks and woodland, especially if there are oak trees around. The round red berries appear in clusters from November and can be found all winter. They’re poisonous to people, but birds love them – especially the mistle thrush. Other animals will hunt for holly berries too, including wood mice.

Ivy

Ivy is a lovely, glossy evergreen shrub that grows across the floor or clings to trees and other upright structures. You can often find it in gardens, parks and woodlands. Ivy is really important for insects because the flowers don’t appear until autumn, offering nectar and pollen at a time of year when most plants have stopped flowering.

The berries are great for wildlife, too. They’re bruise-black and grow in little round clusters. They don’t ripen until winter, when most other berries are long gone. This makes them a vital source of energy for birds – and ivy berries pack a lot of calories into such a tiny package. Look out for woodpigeons crashing about in ivy bushes, gulping down berries.

Elder

Elder trees grow all over the UK, from wastelands to woodlands. In late summer, they start to produce clusters of little purple-black berries. These are very popular with migrant birds, who fuel up on elderberries to give them enough energy to leave the UK and fly south for the winter. They’re a favourite of blackcaps –a grey-brown warbler with a sooty black cap on males and a red cap on females.

Cotoneaster

As well as all the wonderful native berry bushes we’ve described above, you might come across species that have been brought to the UK by people. These are often planted in urban areas, like supermarket car parks. They can become a problem as they spread out into the countryside and replace the trees that naturally grow here. One of the non-native shrubs you might spot is the cotoneaster (pronounced ‘kuh-tow-neeaster’). It has waxy leaves and bright red berries. Even though it doesn’t naturally grow here, the berries can still be popular with birds, including the waxwings that sometimes visit the UK from Scandinavia.

Growing some berry-bearing bushes is a great way to attract wildlife to your garden

Ivy © Chris Lawrence

Dog rose hip © Philip Precey

Elder berries

© Alan Price/Gatehouse Studio

Cotoneaster with visiting waxwings

© Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

Didknow?you

Mistle thrush

These big, boisterous birds are huge fans of berries. In fact, they love scoffing them so much that they refuse to share. When a mistle thrush finds a tree bursting with berries, it claims the whole thing for itself. It will sit on a high branch, shouting at other birds with its loud, rattling call. Any intruders that get too close will be chased away. Mistle thrushes will choose lots of different berry-bearing trees to defend, but holly is one of their favourites.

Redwing

Redwings are thrushes, like the mistle thrush and the familiar blackbirds you’ll often see in parks and gardens. They’re slightly smaller than blackbirds, with rusty red patches under their brown wings. They also have a pale line over their eye, like a long cream eyebrow. Redwings travel to the UK each year from Scandinavia, Russia and Iceland. They move around in flocks, searching for berries to feast on or muddy fields where they can pull

up worms. You can often find them along hedgerows and they also visit parks and gardens. Listen out for their sharp ‘tsee’ calls – you can sometimes hear them at night as migrating flocks move overhead.

Fieldfare

Fieldfares are also thrushes, though they’re slightly larger than a blackbird. They have a brown back with a frosty blue head and rump, and a yellowish breast with lots of dense spots. Like redwings, they come from Scandinavia and Russia for the winter, in search of food. They like to feed on worms and other soil-dwelling creatures, but when the ground is too hard they seek out berries and fallen apples. They’re found in countryside fields on the edges of woodland or hedgerows, but will visit gardens if it gets really cold and food becomes harder to find. They also like to hang out in groups and sometimes join flocks of redwings.

Waxwing

Waxwings are the celebrities of the bird world.

When they turn up, it’s the talk of the town. Everyone wants to see them and it’s easy to see why. They’re beautiful birds! Their peachy pastel plumage is paired with a well-styled crest and a liberal splash of black eyeliner. Sadly, they aren’t common. In some years hundreds or even thousands can appear, but in other years there are hardly any. It all depends on how much food they’re finding in Scandinavia. If supplies over there run low, then large flocks of waxwings cross the North Sea in search of juicy berries. They often turn up in urban areas, feeding on ornamental berry bushes

Haws appear in September and can last well into winter – if they aren’t all gobbled up fast

“Redwings travel to the UK each year from Scandinavia, Russia and Iceland”

on all these berries… the birds that like to feast Now let’s meet some of

Fieldfare

© Richard Steel/2020VISION

Mistle thrush © Donald Sutherland

Redwing eating hawthorn © Chris Gomersall/2020VISION

Woodpigeon

You’ve probably seen plenty of woodpigeons. They’re one of our most common birds, found in towns and cities, as well as the countryside. They often visit gardens, especially where people put out bird food – woodpigeons will hang out under the feeders, hoovering up any spilt seed. But they’re also big fans of berries. They’re a delight to watch as they crash about in the bushes, stretching their neck to tug berries from the branches.

Blackcap

The blackcaps that nest in the UK are summer visitors, who fly to southern Europe and Africa for the winter. Before they fly south, they spend the autumn fattening up on berries to provide lots of energy for their long journey. They particularly love blackberries and elderberries – they eat so many it turns their poo purple! However, in recent decades some blackcaps from central Europe have started flying north each autumn, to spend the winter in the UK. These winter visitors will seek out any berries left on the bushes, as well as visiting garden bird feeders.

Grow your own!

Growing some berry-bearing bushes is a great way to attract wildlife to your garden. You can sit by the window with a warm drink, watching for wild winter visitors. You might even be able to tempt redwings to pop in for a snack.

By choosing native berry bushes, you can also bring benefits to a wide range of species that feed on the flowers or live within the wood.

If you’ve got space for a small hedge (or a big one), winter is a great time to plant it.

Choose species like hawthorn, blackthorn and holly to give lots of shelter to wildlife, as well as providing tasty berries. If space is really tight, you could grow ivy on a trellis. Providing natural food sources is one of the best ways you can help wildlife in your garden. For tips and advice on planting a berry bush, visit: wildlifetrusts. org/help-hedge

For more information about The Wildlife Trusts, visit: wildlifetrusts.org

“Woodpigeons often visit gardens, especially where people put out bird food”

Woodpigeon

© Jon Hawkins/Surrey Hills Photography

Waxwing © Jon Hawkins/Surrey Hills

Photography

Blackcap © Vaughn Matthews

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WHAT THE NEW INTERNET SAFETY LAWS MEAN FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN

How the Online Safety Bill will protect children

The Bill will make social media companies legally responsible for keeping children and young people safe online.

It will protect children by making social media platform

Remove illegal content quickly or prevent it from appearing in the first place. This includes removing content promoting self harm

Prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content

Enforce age limits and agechecking measures

Ensure the risks and dangers posed to children on the largest social media platforms are more transparent, including by publishing risk assessments

Provide

Underage children will be kept off social media platforms

The online safety laws will mean social media companies will have to keep underage children off their platforms.

Social media companies set the age limits on their platforms and many of them say children under 13 years of age are not allowed, but many younger children have accounts. This will stop.

Different technologies can be used to check people’s ages online. These are called age assurance or age verification technologies.

The new laws mean social media companies will have to say what technology they are using, if any, and show they are enforcing their age limits.

Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has written an open letter to parents, carers and guardians, setting out the key measures in the Government’s Online Safety Bill. The letter explains how these new laws will help protect children and hold social media companies to account while giving users a greater say in what they see on the internet.

Dear carersparents, and guardians,

An incredibly important piece of legislation - the Online Safety Bill - is currently working its way through Parliament. At its heart is the protection of children, and so I wanted to set out exactly what we are doing to keep your loved ones safe online through this legislation.

Under this bill, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and other social media companies will finally be held legally responsible for the content on their sites. They will be forced to protect their users, or face billion-pound fines and the potential blocking of their sites in the UK.

The strongest protections in this legislation are for children and young people. This Bill will protect them by:

Putting legal duties on social media companies to enforce their own age limits – which for almost every single platform are set at age 13, and yet are rarely enforced

Making tech companies use age checking measures to protect children from inappropriate content

Making posts that encourage selfharm illegal for the first time – both for children and adults

Ensuring more transparency on the risks and dangers posed to children on the largest platforms, including by make tech companies publish risk assessments

Adults will be covered by their own separate ‘triple shield’ of defence. You will be protected from posts that are illegal; from content that is prohibited by the social media companies in their own terms and conditions; and you will be given more control over the content you see on your own social media feeds.

I know how worrying it can be as a parent or guardian trying to protect your child online, when you cannot always see who they are talking to or what sites or apps they are visiting. So I want to reassure every person reading this letter that the onus for keeping young people safe online will sit squarely on the tech companies’ shoulders. You or your child will not have to change any settings or apply any filters to shield them from harmful content. Social media companies and their executives in Silicon Valley will have to build these protections into their platformsand if they fail in their responsibilities, they will face severe legal consequences.

Finally, given that there has been a bit of confusion on this point, I also wanted to make it clear that - as shown above - we are not just shielding younger users from illegal content. We are also protecting them from material that is not strictly illegal or banned by platforms, but that can cause serious trauma nevertheless.

We have already seen too many innocent childhoods destroyed by this kind of content, and I am determined to put these vital protections for your children and loved ones into law as quickly as possible.

Michelle Donelan writes to parents, setting out how the Online Safety Bill will keep children safe

Removing illegal content, including child sexual abuse and terrorist content

Protecting children from harmful and inappropriate content, from cyberbullying and pornography to posts that encourage eating disorders or depict violence

Time to get green-fingered

There are three reasons why I am encouraging you to get out into the garden with your children: first, I love to share the joy and satisfaction that I get from gardening and introduce this great activity to more people. Second, there is a raft of evidence that green spaces and gardening can have huge benefits to maintaining and improving our mental as well as physical health. Finally, new research is showing what many of us have already experienced, namely that people who feel a personal connection to nature are more likely to make sustainable choices in their daily lives and work to protect the natural environment, especially locally.

Underpinning all three reasons is the simple but sometimes overlooked fact that people are part of nature. We are not different or separate from the rest of the living things on this planet; we are part of the earth’s ecosystem and need it to survive. And although our modern lives may often seem far removed from hunter-gatherers living close to nature, 21st-century humans still have an innate connection to the natural world and react positively to green spaces. This makes access to gardens, parks and countryside vital for us all, especially those living in the most urban environments. The best time to get anyone started with all these benefits is when they are young.

The other great reasons to get into gardening are that it is accessible – right outside your door –adaptable to pretty much any level of knowledge and capability, achievable in small spaces, balconies even windowsills and, possibly most attractive to

Benefits of gardening

So let us take a look at each of my three reasons for you to garden with children and, by the way, parents and carers will also reap the same benefits. Although to be honest, those overseeing a whole class in a school garden may not always feel their stress level being reduced at the time!

Joy and satisfaction: these are very simple emotions and fundamental to our well-being. Any mental health model from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs onwards shows how humans need a sense of self-esteem built from fulfilment, achievement, learning and development. Any gardener, however long their experience, will tell you that they never stop learning and never lose the excitement of seeing the first green tips of a germinating seeding or the satisfaction of picking the first tomato or the year.

Gardening consultant Alison Marsden explains why gardening is so good for our mental health and suggests some fun activities that can be done indoors and out this winter.

both families and schools, getting into gardening can be extremely cheap.

Creating a garden, whether it be an ornamental space for relaxing or a vegetable plot producing a glut of courgettes, is also a joy to share with family and friends. That feeling of giving and contributing, of working together and being useful within a community is also one of the basic supports of mental health.

Calm green spaces: the very act of being outside in nature can have an immediately restorative and calming effect on our brains. Many people will have instinctively walked out of their workplace into a nearby patch of green after a stressful morning and felt themselves start to recover and relax. And surely it is not only me that carried a fretful baby out into the fresh air to calm down – me as well as the baby.

This effect has been studied under the name of Attention Restoration and the researchers found that spending ten minutes in a safe, green space and allowing yourself to be distracted gently by the view, trees, flowers or birds reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol and improves concentration for a return to work or classroom. They also tested for a similar effect after ten minutes of sitting in an urban car park and (not altogether surprisingly) found no benefit.

Nature connection: it makes perfect sense that we want to protect what we care about and this extends to our environment, as well as people and things. Research published in 2022 by the University of Derby shows that actively engaging with nature and getting hands-on creates a deeper connection than simply going for a

walk in the woods. And people who feel more connected with the natural world are much more inclined to act in the interest of both the planet as a whole – around carbon footprint, recycling, energy consumption etc – and nature locally through wildlife-friendly gardening, community spaces and involvement in local planning.

Gardening ideas for winter and spring

It is fairly easy to entertain children in the garden in the summer, but practical ideas for winter and spring can be a bit more challenging – especially for parents with little gardening experience. One key thing that makes gardening different from other crafts or sports is that you have to work with nature and choose tasks that are relevant to the season. All the plants and wildlife in our gardens have life cycles that match the seasons and your efforts are likely to fail if you try to deviate too far.

The other important factor that makes gardening a little different from many activities and provides a useful life lesson is that, on the whole, growing plants and creating a garden is a long-term project. We do see instant results from weeding or mowing the lawn, for example, but from sowing a seed or planting out a young plant to seeing flowers or harvesting a crop commonly takes three months and some regular effort to weed and water.

Clearly planting acorns to grow an oak tree is an even longer prospect, but one that I very much encourage you to undertake with children. They will see something clearly identifiable as a miniature oak tree within a few months, but also appreciate the way that their actions can last for decades and how sometimes it takes a long time before we see the results of our endeavours. An easy way to explain why growing trees is a worthwhile activity (even though they will never see the tree in all its mature glory) is to gather children under a tree and start a discussion on how they can shelter from the rain or enjoy the shade. We do not know who planted that tree, but we are glad that they did for the benefit of generations over hundreds of years to come –what a cool person to be!

Activity ideas

Given the typical weather in winter and spring, I have suggested several indoor garden and nature activities. Plus, anything involving growing or planting in a pot can be done inside as well as outside. My key tip for minimising the mess of potting up or sowing seeds indoors is not to water any pots until the very end, after all the trays of loose compost have been cleared away and all pots are standing on trays or saucers to catch the excess water. Dry multipurpose compost is easily swept up, whereas wet compost is an entirely different beast to clean off furniture and clothing.

“Creating a garden is also a joy to share with family and friends”

Bird feeder garland

Why not try making a bird feeder garland for a table or to drape over shrubs:

1.

Thread small squares of toast (no butter!) and chunks of apple or other fruit on to a length of string, securely knotting both ends to keep the goodies in place.

You can add in a few cubes of firm cheese for a treat and popcorn as long as it is made with no sugar, butter or salt.

2.

3.

When it comes to hanging out the garlands, remember that the birds will need somewhere solid to perch as they peck, so it is better to drape them over a bird table or hang in the branches of a shrub or small tree.

4.

Finally, retrieve the string once the garland has been eaten or as soon as the food starts to turn mouldy.

Didknow?you

Research published in 2022 by the University of Derby shows that actively engaging with nature and getting hands-on creates a deeper connection than simply going for a walk in the woods.

Mustard and cress seeds

Sowing mustard and cress on a plate is a fascinating way to watch seeds germinate and produce leaves with the added satisfaction of

Use any shallow container – there is no compost involved, so a small plate can be used and washed afterwards.

Line it with a double thickness of paper kitchen towel and carefully pour on enough water to soak it through without leaving standing water.

Then simply sprinkle mustard seed, cress or a mix of both on top. You want good coverage in a single layer

Top up the water every couple of days and harvest the whole lot after 5-7 days, depending on how warm

Without any external source of nutrients, the water provides enough energy for the seed to produce a root and a shoot, but after that the

Nature collage

Collect leaves, flowers and seed heads to make collage pictures. This is an interesting activity to do in each season, especially if you take photographs of the results so that children can see how the plants in a garden change throughout the year. I have done this with adults too and even those who claim to have no artistic talent quickly get absorbed and produce lovely patterns. No glue is used, so at the end we take photos and all the plant material goes onto the compost heap.

Houseplant activity

Clean, split and repot houseplants. The simplest houseplant activity is to take a damp cloth or paper towel and gently wipe the top and under surfaces of each leaf in turn. This is good for the plant as it removes any dust that settles, reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesise, and is also a quiet and calm task requiring care and focus on the plant. Splitting and repotting plants is a bigger undertaking requiring a waterproof table covering if done indoors. In dry weather, of course, you can take plants outside to repot even in winter, just remember to bring them back indoors when done.

Planting bedding plants

Plant up a pot of winter or spring bedding plants. Many people start their interest in gardening by choosing a mix of bedding plants and popping them into a container by the front door. Although more expensive than growing your own, this is an instantly satisfying activity that will provide joy for many weeks. All you need is a medium to large container, a bag of peat-free multipurpose compost and a selection of plants that will flower for a couple of months, as long as you remove the dead flower heads and keep them watered.

Once spring arrives you can start to sow flower and vegetable seeds outside direct into a bed. The first activity is to weed and rake over the soil to create a fine crumbly texture to receive the seeds. Do not skimp on this stage because the seeds need to be in contact with damp soil to germinate – just like the cress on damp paper. Once the ground is ready, you can start to sow, usually in straight rows and always after reading the packet for how far apart to space the rows and how deep to sow the seeds. Taking a bit more care and not rushing the task will yield more success in gardening, as in so much else in life. The exact time that you can sow outdoors will depend on where in the country you are and whether the plants you are sowing will withstand frost.

Time to slow down

One final point on gardening is that however much work there seems to be, it is not a race. The best results for the plants and for ourselves arise when we slow down, take care and focus on what we are doing. That way, success and joy will reward our effort and we start to look at gardening as a mindful activity. Not every adult, and certainly not every child, will want to spend ten minutes sitting silently noticing the natural world, but ‘slow gardening’ can be just as restorative. There are plenty of tasks like weeding that take enough concentration to drive out the thousands of random thoughts that crowd our minds without being mentally challenging. Start to dwell on the sensory aspects of crumbling compost and humming insects and you will find gardening good for mind and body – and you get tomatoes!

Alison Marsden is the founder of Gardening by Design. She is a gardening advisor, social and therapeutic horticulture practitioner & consultant, trainer, speaker and a member of the Garden Media Guild & Chartered Institute of Horticulture. For more information, visit: gardeningbydesign.co.uk or call tel: 01892 511719, mob: 07803 045327.

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“As I begin to embark on my 30th year in the industry, I again had to offer something very different from what I have done before”

THAT ALL MY CHILDREN ARE KIND AND RESPECTFUL MAKES ME FEEL PROUD EVERY DAY’

that you still have a very loyal following. I believe that this has only been possible by adapting as a performer in the entertainment industry and the versatility has meant that all ages have been a part of my career. From movies and music to stage shows and TV presenting, I’ve loved it all.

Do you remember the first single you ever bought?

Mine was back in 1995 when a young and impressionable 10-year-old got her first Walkman cassette player and bought “Mysterious Girl” by Peter Andre.

To get to speak to Peter all these years later about his career, in advance of him celebrating 30 years in the entertainment industry, was a dream come true. And how things have changed for him in the past three decades: a busy dad of four to Junior (17), Princess (15), Amelia (8) and Theo (6), a successful music career and several movie roles under his belt. 2023 is set to be an exciting year for the singer and his family, with a special birthday fast approaching and an anniversary tour.

Being in the limelight for so many years has been an incredible achievement and it’s nice to know

So, as I begin to embark on my 30th year in the industry, I again had to offer something very different from what I have done before. The venues that have been chosen for my UK-wide tour have been hand selected to offer an intimate theatre experience. The shows are ‘close up and personal’ and will involve a lot of fun interaction for everyone that comes.

Next year is a huge milestone for your career. Tell us about PeterAndre30...

Georgina Probert speaks with musician, actor, TV personality and dad of four, Peter Andre on balancing his career with fatherhood and finds out what this year has in store for the Andre family.

‘KNOWING

Children charity Butterfly Ball in 2019

Peter with his wife Emily at the Caudwell

Peter and his son Junior © instagram.com/peterandre

Peter’s daughter Princess, who he had with his ex-wife Katie Price © instagram.com/peterandre

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?

Still being here 30 years on is quite an achievement, but obviously there were some highlights along the way. A few that stand out include my very first arena tour, performing at the stadium everyone wants to appear at, Wembley, and winning a World Music Award in Monaco. I was so nervous, but had the incredible opportunity to meet some inspirational people like Celine Dion, Lionel Richie and Halle Berry. It’s a moment I will never forget. I hope the next 30 years

bring some more momentous occasions to tell the future grandchildren about!

How are you feeling about turning 50 in February?

The old saying is that you are as old as you feel, and I feel great. I lead a healthy lifestyle and that definitely helps how I feel on the inside, but my children help me feel young too. I’m ready to embrace everything that 50 has to offer me. Bring it on!

low-key?

We have a few things planned and in the pipeline as a family, but like any big birthday I am sure there will be plenty of surprises in store for me. I am sure it will be a great mix of celebrations with friends and family.

I am no different to any other dad and we are not dissimilar to any other family. It is all about three key things: balance, teamwork and a lot of juggling. From getting children to school on time to ensuring they do their homework – we are a normal family that just tries the best for our children. No parent gets an instruction manual when their children are born; we all just learn along the way and grow as we go.

All the ‘firsts’ make you feel proud. From the first smile, first word and first step, these little, but significant milestones have been amazing to experience. As children develop and begin to flourish there are other things they do that enrich your lives. For example, knowing Junior has a great record deal and Princess is studying really hard for her GCSEs, these things make me happy. Also, knowing that all my children are kind and respectful makes me feel proud every day.

Ah! This largely goes back to the three key areas. What is important is to find and make valuable time with the kids,

Do you have a big celebration planned or will it be something more

From driving lessons to losing a first tooth, how do you manage to bring up two teenagers and two young children?

What has been your proudest achievement/ moment as a father?

How do you and your wife Emily find the time to spend quality time with the kids, as well as each other, while both being working parents?

“I love kids - I wouldn’t have had them if I didn’t”

© Shutterstock.com/mikecphoto

The Andre family love going skiing © instagram.com/peterandre

Peter’s eldest children, Junior and Princess, are now teenagers © instagram.com/peterandre

Throwback to 2014: Peter Andre with his two older children Princess and Junior (then aged 7 and 9) for a screening in Leicester Square of the Mr. Peabody & Sherman movie

create memories as a family and spend some quality time just with Emily. We do lots as a family, which includes lots of fun and laughter in our household. I also enjoy date nights with Emily – when we’re not too exhausted!

Emily and I have a shared passion for charity work too. We are ambassadors for Caudwell Children (caudwellchildren.com), a national charity dedicated to improving the lives of disabled and autistic children; we are passionate about HIPZ (Health Improvement Project Zanzibar, hipz.org. uk), and mental health charities too.

I love kids - I wouldn’t have had them if I didn’t. The answer to this question changes by the week, but if you are asking today, I would say no, not at the moment.

There is no right and wrong answer to this question. Obviously, many social channels have a minimum age, but you should still talk to your children about the dangers of social media. I think it is important to consider any potential risks, such as knowing what to watch out for, and having the right privacy settings to protect your children. Being aware of these and your child’s digital well-being is paramount.

Lots of people have asked me, “So, why do you let your children on social media?”. But as a parent, it’s impossible to stop your children from doing everything, so we need to have protective measures in place for when they are online, so they are safe.

I discovered that you can get devices now that change your voice, so a young girl might think they’re talking to a young boy, when it’s really an older man. That terrified me and makes me worry about the future with Millie and Theo, too.

Although we have our individual interests (for example, Emily is a keen gardener) there are many other things we appreciate collectively. Cooking is a big thing for me and the family. Saturday mornings we always make and have pancakes, I love to BBQ (and even do so in the winter), Emily bakes cakes and biscuits with the children and we all enjoy watching a movie (or two!) together. From playing board games to going on family bike rides – we just enjoy being together whenever we can.

For more information about Peter’s 2023 tour and to book tickets, visit: peterandre30.com

“Still being here 30 years on is quite an achievement”

Are any more babies on the horizon?

As someone who doesn’t share photos of your younger kids’ faces on social media, what advice would you give to parents of younger children on how to deal with social media?

What are your favourite activities that you enjoy doing as a family?

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Thinking about booking a staycation this year? Our Travel & Tourism supplement features family-friendly places to visit around the UK. From the historic dockyard in Portsmouth to exploring the Hampshire countryside and day trips in Devon, we have got a destination and itinerary to suit every taste and budget. CHECK

They may be small, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be stylish! Compiled by children’s stylist and fashion editor Charlotte Kewley, our new Style supplement covers everything you need to know about kids’ fashion this season, including shopping preloved, the best wet-weather clothing, top trends for 2023 and so much more.

INDOOR Amazing

EXPERIME

Sergei Urban knows a thing or two about science. Founder of TheDadLab, an internet resource bursting with exciting STEAM activities, he has spent years cooking up exciting experiments to entertain his children. Using items you will find around the house, his experiments are easy to follow and recreate in your own home. Most importantly, they are a fun way to engage children with science and the world around us.

Here are some of his favourite experiments to try yourself. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get the results the first time, the most important thing is to explore, try something new as a family and have a lot of fun along the way.

EXPERIMENT 1

HOW TO MAKE A BOUNCY EGG

Everyone knows that eggs are fragile and will break if you drop them, but what if you could make them bounce instead? This experiment will show you how to make colourful, see-through, bouncy eggs, and you’ve got everything you need in your kitchen cupboard. It takes time for the experiment to work, so make sure you get everything ready the day before you want to play with your eggs.

STEP 2

2. Carefully put your egg in the glass. Make sure the shell doesn’t crack or break because we don’t want to damage the egg.

3. You need to leave your eggs for about 24 hours. This gives the vinegar time to work its magic. You can tell that something is happening because you will see lots of tiny bubbles appearing on your eggs.

4. Carefully remove your egg and rinse it in a glass of water. As you rub the egg, you will feel the eggshell coming off, but the egg should not burst open in your hands.

6. If you squeeze your egg too hard or drop it from too high, it will break. After all, it’s still a raw egg.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT

The vinegar contains a chemical which reacts with the eggshell and changes it so that you can rub it away easily. When a reaction happens, it makes a gas called carbon dioxide which is the bubbles you saw on the egg.

The egg doesn’t fall to pieces when its shell disappears because there is actually a second layer that we don’t normally see. This is the egg membrane, and it is strong and stretchy like a water balloon. Without the hard eggshell, the egg membrane still protects the egg white and egg yolk, and because it is flexible it can bounce and be squashed while still keeping the egg inside safe.

STEP 1

5. You should now be able to gently squeeze your egg and if you drop it from a small height, it will bounce instead of breaking. The hard eggshell has gone! You can even shine a torch through your egg and see the yolk on the inside.

What you need:

Glasses (or just one)

Vinegar Food colouring (optional) Eggs (or just one)

Step by step:

1. Fill a glass with vinegar and add your choice of food colouring. You need just enough vinegar to cover the egg so don’t overfill the glass, or it could spill.

Didknow?you

Water is made up of lots of tiny molecules gently bumping against each other

EXPERIMENT 2

MAGICAL WATER DENSITY

Different liquids behave in different ways. We know that milk is easy to pour but ketchup doesn’t always want to come out of the bottle. Oil feels slimy and makes surfaces slippery, but water doesn’t. But what if we could change the way that water acts? We can make hot water and cold water act differently, even though they are both made up of the same chemicals.

STEP 1

What you need:

exactly the same size – or two pairs that match up water

cardboard the right size to fit

over the top of your glass

2. Add a few drops of food colouring to the cold water. Then add a few drops of a different colour to the hot water. Give them time for the colour to spread all the way through the liquid.

3. Carefully place one piece of cardboard on top of the hot water glass. Hold it onto the top and turn the glass over. Don’t worry if a bit of the water spills out. You should find that the cardboard sticks to the bottom of the glass, so you won’t need to keep holding it there after a few seconds.

4. Repeat Steps 1-3 with another pair of glasses. This time, turn over the cold water glass and put it on top. Make sure that both top glasses are lined up exactly over the top of the bottom glasses.

5. This is the tricky bit! Carefully and slowly, pull out the piece of cardboard that is keeping the glasses apart. You should notice that only one side mixes the colours and the other side stays separate.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT

STEP 2

Water is made up of lots of tiny molecules gently bumping against each other. When you heat the molecules, it gives them more energy and they bounce further off each other, creating bigger gaps between them. The gaps mean there are slightly fewer molecules in the glass of hot water even though it is the same volume as the cold water, and this makes it weigh a little bit less. The hot water floats to the top because it weighs less and it mixes up the colours when it starts on the bottom.

Step by step:

1. Set up two of the glasses and fill one with cold water and one with hot water. Make sure the water goes right to the top.

EXPERIMENT 3 GROW YOUR OWN PAPER WORMS

Everyone loves a wiggly worm, so why not make your own? These tissue paper worms will wiggle and grow when they come into contact with water. Decorate them any way you want and then make it rain to watch them grow!

What you need:

Tissue Pencil Felt tip pens Tray Pipette Water

Didknow?you

Step by step:

1. Cut your tissue in half so the worm won’t be too thick. Use your pencil to roll up the tissue paper until only a little bit is left. Use your felt tip pens to draw your worm’s pattern on this bit, and then roll it all the way up.

2. Push the tissue down the pencil until it is small and scrunched up. Pull it completely off the pencil.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT

STEP 3

Paper is made from wood and wood is made from millions of tiny plant fibres overlapping like strings. The spaces between the fibres create a system of tunnels which spread through the tissue paper. When the water drops onto the paper it finds its way into these tunnels. Filling the tunnels with water makes them expand and stretch out, and that’s why the

STEP 2 STEP 1 WINTER 2023 - FAMILY FEATURE FAMILY FIRST M agazine 47

EXPERIMENT 4 BUILD THE TALLEST TOWER

This challenge is to build the tallest tower you can out of only two materials. But picking the strongest stuff isn’t the key to success, there’s a lot more science and planning involved in making a winning design.

What you need:

A good supply of two different materials. We chose spaghetti and marshmallows Other materials to try include, matchsticks, blu tack, fruit pastilles, plastic cups, chopsticks, straws, play-doh, toilet roll tubes, and paper plates.

Step by step:

1. Think about the size and shape of your tower’s base. If you look at real-world examples like the Eiffel Tower and the Burj Khalifa, you might notice that the bottom is wider than the top.

2. Keep adding layers to your tower. How high can you go? Make sure you attach everything securely – push the spaghetti firmly into the marshmallows to make sure it doesn’t slip out again.

3. Don’t worry if it all falls over, that’s part of the fun! You can always try again.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT

Having a base that is wider than the rest of your tower helps to spread out the weight of everything above it. This puts less pressure on the materials on the bottom, meaning they can hold more before breaking.

Alex and Max built their tower using triangular sections, which is really smart. Triangles are one of the strongest shapes because if you put pressure on one side it won’t slide out of shape like a square or a rectangle. Triangles are used a lot in buildings because of this.

We hope these activities will inspire you to explore more art and science projects with your family. TheDadlab (thedadlab.com) is a trusted resource for STEAM and art activities for young children and their parents. You can watch these experiments and more on TheDadLab YouTube channel ( youtube.com/c/thedadlab).

Formerly part of GSK

PLAN SOME FAMILY FOREST FUN IN 2023

As we start a new year it really is the perfect time to plan a year of forest adventures. Forestry England manages over 1,500 forests across the country and they are closer than you think – everyone in England lives within an hour’s drive of our beautiful forests. They offer the perfect family days out with a range of activities to suit everyone of all ages. Here are our suggestions of fun forest ideas to get your 2023 adventure planning started.

Beat the post-Christmas blues, wrap up warm and head out for a family forest walk. Every year we have a different exciting, fun family trail – Gruffalo spotting, Superworm and more. Check out our website to find out who’s coming at the end of January!

Didknow?you

Forests are great places to spend time as a family, take care of your wellbeing and enjoy a low-cost day out.

How about discovering the forest on two wheels? We have miles of family friendly cycling trails to explore. If you don’t have bikes, never fear, as lots of our forests have bike hire facilities. Buy a Forest Rider pack and encourage the kids to discover the joy of forest cycling.

Ever tried orienteering? We have a range of fun orienteering experiences in our forests including Gruffalo orienteering trails at selected forests – a great way to get out and active with the whole family.

Download one of our fun activity sheets! We have a wealth of free resources on our website to enjoy. From forest bathing and tree ID, to crafts there are loads of ideas of things to do and see in the forest and at home.

Give the family something to look forward to and book tickets to one of our fabulous events. With our Forest Live concert series in the summer, outdoor cinema and magical lights events later in the year there’s something to entertain everyone.

Forests are great places to spend time as a family, take care of your wellbeing and enjoy a low-cost day out. Forestry England membership is also available, so you can support forests and get free parking, along with many other great benefits.

Visit our website now to find out what is local to you – the forest awaits! Forestryengland.uk

“With over 1,800 miles of walking, running and cycling trails there’s something for everyone”

Young people are deeply influenced by their environment, so it’s essential that the space around them reinforces and supports their education and individual developmental needs to the full.

Whether you are looking for a versatile, open plan space with plenty of natural light and room for activities, or an inspiring space with inthe-round seating for maximum student engagement, here at Cabins for Schools

have the right solution for you.

fossilised dinosaur footprints on Brook Beach!

Lots of walks that are accessible for prams and wheelchairs and 200+ miles of cycle tracks, byways, and bridleways, through stunning Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, make it the perfect destination for outdoor explorers!

A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Isle of Wight is a haven for wildlife. Hours can be spent wildlife spotting at Newtown Nature Reserve, Borthwood Copse, Hersey Nature Reserve and Culver Down.

SAY YES TO AN ISLAND ADVENTURE

The 50+ attractions on the Island include exhilarating theme parks and amusements such as the UK’s oldest amusement park Blackgang Chine and the unique Needles Landmark Attraction. Budding historians can delve into history and run the ramparts of historic castles, see how Victorian princes lived and played at Osborne House, take a trip back through time at the Roman Villas, and get onboard at the Steam Railway.

Animal enthusiasts can get up close and personal to tigers, discover amazing exotic species, or watch birds of prey soar over their head at the many animal attractions. You can even visit a home for retired donkeys!

As an all-year-round destination, even rainy days are funfilled with indoor entertainment, with attractions such as Tapnell Farm Park, Dinosaur Isle, the Reptilarium, Butterfly World, Wight Karting, Canopy Skatepark, Chessell Pottery, the Lost Crypt Escape Room, and the National Poo Museum!

The sunniest place in Britain, just off the south coast of England, and only a couple of hours from London, the Isle of Wight has always been a favourite yearround destination for family breaks.

The Island is bursting with exciting activities, attractions and events that appeal to all ages and every budget – and at only 23 miles long, it means you can pack a lot into a day!

With its mild climate and 68 miles of beautiful coastline, it’s the perfect setting for a day of seaside fun, whether you’re building sandcastles, kitesurfing, kayaking, or fossil hunting. Plus, as one of the richest areas for dinosaur discovery in Europe, everyone will be impressed by the

There’s always something happening on the Island, the events calendar is bursting with Chinese New Year celebrations, Easter Egg Hunts, hot-air balloon festivals, carnivals, kid’s parties, Halloween treats, and magical festive experiences. In 2023, you’ll be able to join in the birthday celebrations at Blackgang Chine as they celebrate their 180th birthday!

The Isle of Wight has a fantastic range of budget-friendly accommodation and most welcome well-behaved dogs, so even the family pet can join in the fun.

Whether you’re looking for traditional seaside fun or for an exciting range of activities for all ages, the Isle of Wight is a wonderful hassle-free holiday destination for families.

HERRINGS, HERITAGE AND HUZZAH, PIRATES! A family break in Great Yarmouth

Emma Fast-Field, her husband and two children spent a weekend in Great Yarmouth on Norfolk’s east coast. They discovered a host of family-friendly activities, a compelling maritime history and a warm community vibe that dazzled even more than

neon lights of Great Yarmouth’s famous Golden Mile.

It’s a caravan, not a climbing frame,” I tutted, as Albie (aged 8) and Esme (aged 5) clambered on the wooden framework between the sofa and the kitchen cupboards. We’d barely been inside our caravan at Haven Seashore Holiday Park for more than a minute and they were already finding the fun.

For me, the excitement began as we drove towards Great Yarmouth on the A47. The sea sparkled up ahead and we counted nine traditional windmills standing tall on the flat Norfolk countryside either side of us. But when you’re a kid, that history-infused expanse can’t compete with the thrill of staying in a caravan!

To save our caravan’s carpentry, we set out for the beach, a stone’s throw from our home for the weekend. It was all candy-floss sand, copper-hued water and pink skies as the sun set on the day. As

we watched the night draw in, the kids filled their pockets with the pretty pebbles gathered along the shoreline, comparing treasures and getting their toes wet.

We picked our way along the front of the resort to Marina Pavilion where the promise of Papa John’s, Burger King, and the flashing lights of the arcade proved even more irresistible than the beach.

Saturday

Heavenly Haven

The next morning, we prepped ourselves for a busy morning of on-site activities with a leisurely breakfast of coffee and croissants (for the grownups) and soft play (for the kids) at The Cakery, a café stuffed with elaborate cakes.

the

our single rings for the sought-after doubles so we could go down together, whooping and screeching. The kids loved it; I got motion sick.

Maritime heritage

Didknow?you

For lunch, we drove into town to check out Grelly’s (https://bit.ly/3kkOwdk). This Great Yarmouth institution serves chips cooked the traditional way, in beef dripping. We took ours to a bench overlooking the sea, where we defended our haddock, scampi and chips from the seagulls, who clearly know a good thing when they see it.

The scenic railway roller coaster at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach opened in 1932. It

First up: bungee trampolining. The friendly attendant, Gavin, helped Albie and Esme leap higher and higher, making sure they hit that sweet spot somewhere between thrilled and terrified. The verdict? “This is awesoooooome!”

An hour in the water park was next on the agenda. The timed sessions are just long enough to make the most of the water slides, splash areas and swimming pool. We made a beeline for the flumes: Coastal Cyclone and the gentler Tidal Twister. The 5-year-old was just tall enough to ride them. Not that height mattered in the end as they were both too scared to go down without us. We did the walk of shame back down the 10-metre-high stairs to swap

The Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life (museums.norfolk. gov.uk/time-tide) was the surprise hit of the weekend. Set in the UK’s best-preserved Victorian herring curing works – you can still see the black smoke tarring the brick walls – this museum covers Great Yarmouth’s history from an Ice Age sandbank to the seaside resort it is today. If that sounds rather dry, I promise you it’s anything but. There are plenty of interactive elements for children, from getting behind the wheel of a coastal Drifter to doing rubbings of herring. The kids loved dressing up like fishermen, wandering through a reproduction of a fisherman’s home, and going fishing for fish facts in a huge barrel.

is the second-oldest of only two surviving scenic railway type roller coasters in Britain.

“The Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life was the surprise hit of the weekend. Set in the UK’s best-preserved Victorian herring curing works”

Didknow?you

The scenic railway roller coaster at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach opened in 1932. It is the second-oldest of only two surviving scenic railway type roller coasters in Britain.

I loved the atmospheric building with rooms reconstructed to look just as they did when Great Yarmouth’s herring industry was booming. Paper herring flutter in the blackened smokestacks while realistic mannequins stir fish through brine in great pits sunk in the floor. We learned that Great Yarmouth was the site of the first Zeppelin raid on British soil in World War I and the worst-bombed seaside town during World War II. And did you know that the world’s first fish finger rolled

(hippodromecircus.co.uk). Built by showman legend George Gilbert in 1903 and tucked down an unassuming road just behind the seafront, it’s Britain’s last stand-alone circus building and one of just five left in the world. Inside, it’s all art deco glass, with a 42ft diameter sinking ring at its heart; the ring can be flooded with water deep enough for synchronised swimming. Houdini, Lloyd George and even Charlie Chaplin have performed here. Since 1979, it’s been owned by passionate local Peter Jay, a circus fan, performer and former pop star who has restored the Hippodrome to its previous glory and imbued it with an infectious new sense of purpose. Not that kids care about all that when there are acrobats, sword swallowers and contortionists rocking – and splashing – about the stage just a few metres away!

We caught the matinee performance of Pirates Live! and were enthralled by the onstage antics. It finished in time for a dinner of burgers, kebabs and king prawn tagliatelle at HMS Hinchinbrook (hmshinchinbrookgy. co.uk), a family-run fish restaurant just around the corner on Great Yarmouth’s Golden Mile. It’s named after the 28-gun frigate that was the second Navy command of the man who was to become one of Britain’s greatest Naval commanders: Admiral Horatio Nelson, another notable Norfolk local.

Sunday

The next morning, after a cup of tea and bowl of Rice Krispies on the sunny (and windy) deck of our caravan, we followed the children as they skipped over to Marina Pavilion for Build A Bear, in the light and airy Creativity Area.

this hardy seaside town. There’s even more to it than neon lights and wind-swept sands – and we allowed plenty of time to enjoy those charms too!

Ahoy, me hearties!

Another fascinating bit of heritage with serious child-appeal is the Hippodrome Circus

As far as Albie and Esme were concerned, this was the most anticipated part of the whole weekend. They chose their teddies, stuffed them with fluff and colourful hearts, decorated t-shirts to dress them in, and filled out their “Pawsports”. Spotty and Brownie (my children are nothing if not original in their toy naming conventions…) have hardly left their sides since.

Mini marvels

It was a tough act to follow for Merrivale Model Village (merrivalemodelvillage.co.uk). We wandered through a tableau of quintessentially English scenes injected with humour: a church with a wedding taking place at one side while graves were dug on the other, a fire crew rescuing a woman from a burning thatched cottage, a protest – complete with tiny banners – at a rocket launch. Model trains rumbled through it all. The 8-year-old was in heaven. I was more taken by the vintage penny arcade, where we exchanged 21st-century cash for chunky old coins to play the slot machines, the Passion Tester (“hot stuff” here, thank you), and the Fortune Teller: “Venus and Jupiter join to make the week fun and exciting. Even the most boring events will turn out enjoyable, but take care that your natural naughtiness doesn’t land you in the dog house.” How did she know?!

Clackety-clack

Lunch was a generous fry-up at Sara’s Tearooms (thetearooms.co.uk), another Great Yarmouth institution. Sara started the Tearooms in 1999, with a background in cake making. She still bakes the cakes (I can vouch for the divine lemon cake) but nowadays the place is run by Matt, Sara’s son. Occupying a prime spot between the dunes and manicured gardens Sara’s Tearooms is a passionately local enterprise, deeply entrenched in the community. As a teenager, Matt even had a holiday job operating the brakes on The Scenic rollercoaster at the nearby Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach ( pleasure-beach.co.uk).

It was someone else’s turn to be trained up for the job when we hopped into our cars on the historic rollercoaster. Arriving at Great Yarmouth in 1932, it’s a Grade II-listed building and one of only two scenic railways still in operation in the UK, and seven in the world. More importantly, it was our children’s first experience of a rollercoaster and boy did it deliver! It’s no Formula Rossa (the world’s fastest rollercoaster, which reaches almost 150mph), but it’s got the thrills – and the views across Great Yarmouth and out to sea are spellbinding. Plus, the clackety-clack of the rails and the feeling of placing your life in someone else’s hands do add a certain frisson!

After a couple of hours screaming and/or laughing like maniacs in the Haunted Hotel, Fun House, 4D Cinema and Dodgems, it was time to leave Great Yarmouth. There’s no greater testament to the fun we had than the fact that three of us fell fast asleep on the drive home!

For more information on the family-friendly things to do and see in Great Yarmouth, check out visitgreatyarmouth.co.uk

Our mobile home from home:

Haven Seashore Holiday Park

Freeview TVs, kitchen utensils and cutlery, a microwave and a fridge freezer. This is a selfcatering break so bring everything you might need, from washing-up liquid to tea bags. The on-site Nisa supermarket sells the basics and more, should you forget anything.

The entertainment

It would be easy to while away the entire weekend at Haven Seashore Holiday Park. There’s loads to do, from riding the water park’s flumes and mastering the crazy golf to playing the penny slot machines in the resort’s bright and breezy arcade. The range of restaurants, free activities and evening entertainment would make for a stress-free and pleasant weekend if you just want to park up and put away the car keys for a few days. At certain times of year, a land train runs regular trips to the centre of Great Yarmouth.

The welcome

Unfailingly

From the man at the entrance gate who directed us to our caravan to the security guards and Gavin who seemed to genuinely care that our children had a great time on the bungee trampoline, all the staff members we encountered were helpful and smiley.

The accommodation

There are five types of caravans available at Haven Seashore, covering all budgets. We stayed in a Silver caravan with three bedrooms for six guests and a deck area outdoors. Towels and bed linen were provided, along with two

A Haven holiday at Seashore Holiday Park starts from £129 for a 3- or 4-night break in a Saver caravan (sleeps 4). For more information or to book, visit haven.com

Haven Seashore Holiday Park fans out from the sands about two miles north of Great Yarmouth’s lively Golden Mile. It’s upbeat, family friendly and a lot of fun.

friendly!

“A range of restaurants, free activities and evening entertainment would make for a stressfree and pleasant weekend”

THE PERFECT FAMILY HOLIDAY

There’s nothing like quality time spent with the family, and easyJet holidays can help you find the perfect family holiday, whatever your budget. Our collection of family holidays features everything from comfortable bases in winning locations, to luxurious properties that’ve been designed with families in mind – and everything in between.

So, forget the homework for a while, let someone else take care of the washing up and enjoy everything from kid-friendly buffets to family fun in the sun. On Europe’s best loved hotels, you can get a great family holiday deal with us.

We’ve got holidays to suit all tastes and styles, from all-inclusive to beach breaks, to room only city escapes. We offer holidays to over 5000 hotels, in 100 destinations and across 500 resorts in Europe.

Book your family holiday with us to get your flights, hotel and luggage in one easy package. Plus, transfers are included too on beach breaks! Pay just £60pp deposit today if you’re booking more than 28 days in advance, and you’ll also get the freedom to change your booking with our Protection Promise. So, if your plans change, so can your holiday.

Travelling with kids can really push up the price of a getaway. So, we have family holidays at unbeatable prices, including free child places, meaning you can holiday together AND find great deals – even during the school holidays.

Europe’s most loved hotels

We have handpicked many of Europe’s most loved hotels – in the best locations – for our package holidays. From beach resorts with water parks, to self-catering apartments, you can find the perfect hotel for your family holiday.

Family holiday deals

Save up to £300 on your next easyJet holiday using code ORANGESALE…. what are you waiting for?*

Ts and Cs

*Save up £300 per booking with code ORANGESALE. Save £300, min spend £3000, £150, min spend £1500 or save £100, min spend £700. Spend/saving amount is per booking based on the total holiday price (excluding the optional cost of seat selection on the aircraft) and the code must be applied on the ‘extras’ page of easyJet.com/holidays . Promo code valid for new bookings made between 9am on 22/12/22 and 11pm 31/1/23 for holidays completed by 31/10/24. Offer applies to all easyJet holidays from any UK airport, subject to availability. Prices are subject to change. Offer may be changed or withdrawn without notice. Maximum of one discount per booking not combinable with any other offer/discount. If a booking including this discount is changed/cancelled, the discount will no longer be valid on the new/amended booking. Booking Conditions apply. easyJet holidays Ltd (ABTA Y6633) is ATOL protected (11694)

PERFECT FAMILY HOLIDAYS FOR SUMMER 23

Find your Summer 2023 break with thousands of amazing hotels across Europe and convenient departures from airports across the UK.

Parents get

PGL offers a whole host of different style breaks –including school clubs and kid’s activity holidays. When we visited last summer, the atmosphere on-site was nothing short of wild, so it was easy to see why the children were visibly carefree and full of joy.

We started our trip on a Friday and after an easy journey through glorious countryside, we were greeted by friendly smiles, fun music and jolly banter. Our holiday team were assigned to us and from the get-go, they were the life and soul of our stay!

Bawdsey Manor is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty near Woodbridge on the Deben estuary. There are more than 140 acres of grounds to explore, including a picturesque beach with panoramic views along the coastline. Bawdsey Manor is a grade II listed Victorian

mansion built in a range of styles, surrounded by historic parklands and beautiful gardens.

Built in 1886, the manor was originally owned by Sir Cuthbert and Lady Quilter, and after a brief requisition by the Devonshire Regiment during World War I, it was later acquired by the RAF as a Radar Station.

Our accommodation for the three-night summer stay was in the barracks – a dormitory-style family room, steeped in school-trip nostalgia. We were assigned a group of about 15 people and we stayed together for our activities throughout the whole holiday. This was a great way to make new friends (for both the kids and the adults) and it gave the experience a real sense of camaraderie.

PGL Holidays are a must-go for any family wanting adventure at the heart of their stay. Amy Merrywest, her husband Peter and their daughter, Penny (age 9) visited PGL Bawdsey Manor Suffolk and pushed themselves out of their comfort zones for three days of exhilaration.

“We made friends that we stayed with throughout the whole holiday”

lost!

Didknow?you

Bawdsey Manor is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty near Woodbridge on the Deben estuary. There are more than 140 acres of grounds to explore

10:30pm – Bedtime. Our room was really quiet and that was probably because everyone was so worn out that they all went to bed early.

Saturday

7am – Time to get up. Mum, Dad and I all felt great and I was very excited to start the day.

Penny’s PGL diary

Friday

2pm – We arrived early afternoon, got settled in, spent time unpacking and then explored the grounds until dinner time.

7:30pm – Evening activities. These were so much fun! We played a game where everybody was split into four teams of about 20 people in each. We had to use our bodies and any object we had on us to make the longest connecting line across the games courts. Everybody instantly bonded and it was then that we made friends that we stayed with throughout the whole holiday. We are still in touch now. We also completed a task within our group where we were given lots of random objects and a filled water balloon. We were asked to use as many of our random objects as we wanted to build protection around the balloon. The idea was that at the end, the water balloon was dropped and if it didn’t break you were the winner. We didn’t win. We were pretty bad at that game!

9am – Beach Walk. This was a gorgeous walk all around Bawdsey Manor. We learned all about the history of the building and played the Sly Fox game while we walked around. Lots of funny songs were encouraged and we even saw a seal in the bay.

10:30am – Trapeze. This was really high (6m/19.5ft) and each person was given a detailed safety briefing. All participants were encouraged to do the activity, but there was no pressure if we weren’t keen. There were some families with SEN children and they were really pleased that their kids had real autonomy over their decisions and boundaries. My mum decided not to go on this and she was pleased to not be pressured. Dad and I did it and it was amazing. The instructors were great with nerves and got the best from everyone. We had to climb to the top platform on the trapeze and then stand up on the wooden platform. We then had to jump off the platform and touch the giant ball before we fell. All on ropes and harnesses. We had great fun and everyone felt super proud.

“The instructors were great with nerves and got the best from everyone”

covered for fussy eaters.

1:30pm – Group Challenges. My whole family loved this. We had a selection of three different challenges. Mum said they were a bit like a rustic version of the Crystal Maze. Brain teasers that got us all working together and thinking. The leaders encouraged us kids to speak up and take part, as well as take charge, too. One example: there was a platform with a roped-off area around it. On the platform was a wooden log. We were given two ropes and we had to get the wooden log off the inside platform, and out of the roped-off surrounding area without dropping it. I was really pleased as it was my idea that actually worked and we managed to complete the challenge.

3pm – Abseiling. This was another activity that Mum wasn’t keen on doing, but Dad and I took part. I like the fact that the staff were helping us

and encouraging us to do it. It felt great when I got to the top, plus we got to have lots of turns.

Evening activities. This time we had a treasure hunt. Mum said: “This activity mainly enthused the men and kids to bring out their competitive side and us mums drank some Prosecco at the bar! Lots of fun.”

10:30pm – Went to bed for another silent night’s sleep in our bunks.

Sunday

9am – Archery. Finally, a ‘scary’ activity that Mum took part in – and she absolutely loved it. The instructors made it clear that safety was very important. Each person took turns shooting at the targets. Mum’s shooting was pretty good!

10:30am – Climbing. This was similar to abseiling in that the pulley rope system slowly lowered the climbers back down. Each person could climb as high as they wanted on the huge wall and then lowered themselves down in abseiling style. Because I had already done abseiling one day one, I wasn’t scared at all. I even jumped off and down the climbing wall James Bond-style!

1:30pm – Rifle range. We had lots of safety briefings and had lots of turns to perfect our techniques. Mum and I got a bullseye and we loved this experience. We even learnt how to do a six-gun salute, which was very hard to get right. We all wore goggles and had to remain seated at all times. The instructors were great with showing us how to improve.

3pm – Giant Swing. This was so high! We were clipped into a harness and bolted to a big metal bar, two or three people at a time. The bar was on two ropes like a swing and the rest of the group was responsible for pulling back the swing to the desired launch height using a long pulley rope. Once the desired height was reached, the people on the swing would pull the release cord and we screamed with delight as they swung us through the air.

7:30pm – Evening activities. We did some crepe-making activities and then we sang songs, drank hot chocolate and ate marshmallows around the campfire. There were lots of hilarious songs and we were really belly laughing.

Monday

9am – Raft building. This was brilliant! We learnt how to make a raft with six barrels, six ropes and two logs. It was sturdy and we felt very proud of what we had managed to build. We then went on the river to try it out, but we didn’t distribute our weight properly (in our excited haste to get on the thing) so we tipped over. Everyone fell in the lake and that kind of made a great ending to the week. It was warm and most people ended up staying in for a relaxing dip!

10:30am – Fencing. Our family found this a bit boring. We played some fun warm-up games, but most people ended this one early. Not the best activity, but Mum said it wins some points for being original because none of us had ever tried fencing before!

12:30am – We had lunch and went home. Lots of lovely goodbyes, we made lifelong friends and the staff were really kind. A very cheery goodbye from them!

PGL 2023 Family Adventures are now open for bookings

Did you hear? We’re dropping the price of our Family Adventure Holidays in 2023 by 25%?

Same BIG adventures, new LOWER prices! We’re doing our best to make the PGL magic more affordable for everyone. Plus, to help you spread the cost, all you have to pay at booking is £45pp deposit - with the final balance payable 12 weeks before you travel. Family breaks start from just £159pp.

At PGL, we’re the experts when it comes to adventure. That’s why so many families across the UK choose us when booking a family adventure holiday. Choose from a 2, 3 or 4 night family adventure holiday at two of our fantastic UK locations and experience endless thrills and activities for the whole family to enjoy!

Each of our centres has an individual personality and setting, made extra special by our awesome staff members, who are there every step of your family adventure holiday.

Our family adventure holidays are all-inclusive, meaning that when you book with PGL, ensuite accommodation, 3 meals a day, a full programme of daytime activities and evening entertainment are all included in the price.

For more information or to book, visit pgl.co.uk or call 0333 321 2114.

How to spot chickenpox

Chickenpox is a common children’s illness but you can get it at any age. The main symptom is a spotty and itchy rash on the body

The stages of chickenpox

1. Spots appear on the body, they may spread or they may stay in one area

2. Spots then start to become blisters that are filled with fluid - they are very itchy and can burst

3. The spots scab over.

When you have chickenpox, you may also get a temperature and generally feel unwell. This can make children feel quite miserable

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

How to treat chickenpox

Piriton can help relieve the itchy rash of chickenpox but there are other things you can do to help make your child more comfortable:

• Paracetamol can help relieve pain and fever. Speak to your doctor before giving ibuprofen as it may cause a serious skin infection

• Get your child to drink plenty

• Help them stop scratching with gloves or by cutting fingernails

• Dress them in loose clothes

• Bathe them in a cool bath – make sure you pat them dry rather than rub

What do I do about childcare/ school?

Chickenpox is infectious from 2 days before the spots appear until they have all scabbed over – this is usually about 5 days after spots appear. You should keep your child away from childcare or school until the spots have all scabbed over.

When to speak to a healthcare professional?

Speak to your GP if you are concerned about your child or if you are not sure if they have chickenpox.

Seek immediate advice from 111 if

• The skin around the blisters is red, hot and painful

• Your child is dehydrated

• You might have a newborn baby with chickenpox

• Symptoms suddenly get worse

• You are pregnant and have not had chickenpox before, or have a weakened immune system and have been near someone with chickenpox

What do I do if I get chickenpox when pregnant?

It is rare to get chickenpox when pregnant as most people get it during childhood. If you do get chickenpox while pregnant it can cause the baby to be ill when it’s born. Seek advise from 111 if you are pregnant, not had chickenpox before and have been around someone with it.

Help stop the itch of chickenpox

Tried and trusted for over 50 years, Piriton helps relieve the itchy rash of chickenpox and so can help aid restful sleep – helping little ones get back to being themselves again. Find out more about Piriton and the Piri range at www.piriallergy.com Contains Chlorphenamine

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PET FOR YOUR FAMILY

Activity level

Deciding to bring a new pet into the family is always an exciting time and there is plenty to consider along the way. Choosing the right pet for you and your family means thinking about which animal you can provide the best home for, while keeping up with all the maintenance and activities they need to be happy.

Do your research

Before rehoming any pet, it is vital to do your research into the rehoming process. This will help you to choose the pet you can provide the best home for and protect animal welfare in the process. While there are some characteristics of different animals that may make them seem like the best fit for you, every breed is different, so doing thorough research into the needs of an animal before bringing them home is vital. Good research can also help you make sure that any breeder you are in conversation with is genuine and that their animals are being kept in the best possible conditions.

Size

Thinking about the size of the pet you want to bring home is a key factor. As well as discussing which pet you would most like to have around the house, it is important to reflect on which type of animal your home is most suited to. Animals like rabbits are often best suited to living in an outdoor environment and larger dogs, such as Labradors or German Shepherds, need space to roam around in. Smaller animals, such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and even some cats are more able to thrive in indoor spaces, making them a better choice if you live in a flat or apartment. If you have small children, it is also worth remembering that larger dogs may accidentally knock them over while playing, so opting for a smaller breed may be best while there are young children around.

While all pets require care and attention, some need more physical activity from their owners than others. Thinking about your own energy levels and which pet they would best fit with can help you to find the right companion. If you like to get out for a walk every day, then owning a dog may even help you get an extra walk in, as most dogs will need at least two walks a day, although the length of the walk depends on the size and breed. Cats are known to be more laid back, but they will often need some playtime with their owner to keep them stimulated, particularly if they are more sociable breeds, such as a Siamese or Ragdoll. If you are less able to keep your pet entertained through walks and play, then opting for a slightly less active animal, such as a lizard or rabbits, may be the best option.

Sociability

The type of animal you choose to bring home will play a large part in determining how keen they are to spend time with humans. While many, though not necessarily all, dogs tend to flourish through human social contact, other animals, like some cats, may tend to be more solitary. Other animals, like rabbits, may enjoy some time around humans, although too much physical contact can be stressful for them. These are all factors to consider when thinking about which animal’s boundaries most align with yours and your family.

Allergies

Sharing your home with an animal is a big commitment, and some of the consequences may be unexpected. A rare but very significant issue some new pet owners may face is finding that they have an allergy to their pet. Allergies to cats and dogs are common, but you can be allergic to hamsters, guinea pigs, or any number of animals. While you can opt for hypoallergenic breeds, such as a Cockapoo or a Labradoodle, the safest method is to check if you have any allergies before bringing a pet home.

If you are thinking about getting a dog or your family already has a canine companion, turn the page for top tips on caring for dogs in winter.

Experts from the UK’s largest pet rehoming site, Pets4Homes, offer key advice on finding the right pet that will suit your family, lifestyle and budget.

“Sharing your home with an animal is a big commitment, and some of the consequences may be unexpected”

CARING FOR DOG

“Getting outdoors for regular walks is essential to keep our furry friends fit and healthy”

S IN T HE WINTER

in extremely cold weather; examples can include shivering, whining, attempting to turn back and go home, and tucking in their tail.

When some dogs are exposed to unbearably cold or wet weather for a prolonged period they run the risk of developing pneumonia, so it is vital to be vigilant of any signs of discomfort. Additionally, salt on the pavement or road can irritate dogs’ feet, so using boots or paw cream can offer them an extra layer of protection. On colder days, it may also be useful to equip your dog with a coat or jacket to give extra protection from the cold.

Keeping your dog entertained at home

and excessive urination. If you suspect your dog has ingested antifreeze, be sure to take them to the emergency vet as soon as possible.

Cold water

Some dogs are naturally stronger swimmers than others, but cold water can present a serious danger to all dogs. Generally, very small, thin, old, or younger dogs are more at risk of developing hypothermia or limber tail, a condition which causes a dog’s tail to go limp after swimming in freezing conditions. Signs of hypothermia in dogs include; weakness and disorientation, frostbite, and in more extreme cases can lead to fatality.

Like many dog owners, you are probably wondering how best to protect your pet from the piercing cold weather this January. While the days are shorter and darker, caring for pets when the wind is biting is just as important as keeping them cool and happy during the hot summer months.

Questions, such as when is it too cold to take the dog for a walk, how do I keep my dog from going stir crazy, or, if I do go out, is it appropriate for my breed of dog to sport a jacket, are all common questions often asked by owners during winter.

When is it too cold to go for a walk?

Getting outdoors for regular walks, both long and short, is essential to keep our furry friends fit and healthy, even during the winter. While it depends greatly on their size, body weight, and the length of a dog’s fur, there are some general rules to go by when it comes to walks in sleet and snow.

As a rule of thumb, medium to largersized dogs, such as labradors, retrievers and spaniels, with thicker fur are more able to withstand much colder temperatures compared with smaller dogs, such as whippets, chihuahuas, and terriers, who may have shorter or thinner fur or hair.

The duration of the walk also matters. Healthy, bigger dogs may be comfortable for up to half an hour in the cold but their more petite counterparts should be kept outside for no longer than fifteen minutes in freezing conditions. Please note that your pet may also show signs of discomfort

Dogs that are less stimulated are susceptible to behavioural issues, so keeping your canine pal occupied while indoors is essential. This may also be the perfect opportunity to practise some indoor training. Grab a hula hoop and allow your fluffy friend to learn to jump through it, or if they haven’t quite mastered rolling over, this is the time to work together to achieve this goal. These kinds of activities can help to keep dogs’ minds stimulated but also uses up some of their physical energy, helping them to feel less cooped up.

Antifreeze poisoning

While many people avoid using any kind of harsh chemicals around their pets, sometimes it is essential to be able to get a car unfrozen. However, antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, a compound designed for car engines during extreme temperatures. This substance is highly toxic to dogs, but can be extremely attractive to them due to its sweet smell and taste.

To reduce the harm that antifreeze can cause, you may choose to purchase less harmful, propylene glycol-based alternatives for your car. Additionally, always make sure to keep your pets away from chemical products at all times. Signs of ethylene glycol poisoning include, but are not limited to; diarrhoea, nausea, rapid heartbeat,

Staying visible in the dark

During the darker and frosty winter months, you may need to take more care when out and about on walks with your dog. Whether it is a glow-in-the-dark lead, LED collar, or even a high-vis jacket, during the murky months, it is imperative that cyclists and drivers spot pedestrians and their dogs to avoid dangerous situations while out walking with your dog in winter.

Turn the page to find out more about some weird and wonderful animals that could make the perfect pet for you and your children.

While they are covered in fur, dogs can still feel the cold in extreme temperatures. Pets4Homes share important tips to keep dogs happy and healthy during the winter months.

Alternative pets

for children

vitamin production, unless they are nocturnal. In addition to this, a heat bulb is usually needed to mimic their natural environment.

Snails

If you are thinking about bringing a pet home, the first question you’ll encounter is which animal to bring into the family. Dogs and cats are the most common pets in the UK, with The PDSA estimating that as many as 51% of UK adults in the UK have at least one. However, there are also plenty of other animals who make affectionate companions, if you are prepared to look past the usual selection of pets.

Lizards

Lizards can make great pets for families looking for a laid-back companion. They are fascinating creatures and some species of lizard can be quite friendly around humans. One thing to keep in mind is that lizards require an extensive amount of equipment to stay healthy. Most lizards will need a large terrarium, lit with a UVB bulb to support

You might be used to seeing snails out and about, but they can make a good pet. The snails most commonly kept as pets are not the common garden snail, but the African land snail, or ‘Achatina Achatina’ to be more specific. While they may be easygoing characters, snails still require some care. They should have a spacious tank, with a covering of soil, which must be kept damp at all times. These creatures may seem less energetic than other pets, but if you are looking for a calming presence in the home, a pet snail is a good place to look.

Many families simply don’t have the time to devote to a more demanding pet like a cat or dog. The experts at Pets4Homes have suggested some weird and wonderful small pets that are great fun to care for.

Rats

Rats tend to get a bad rap because of how they are perceived in the wild. You may hear people say that they are dirty and unfriendly, but the reality is that they can make great pets, if kept in the right conditions. Rats are extremely sociable creatures and often like to bond with humans, as well as other rats. However, like many other rodents, this sociability means that rats struggle to thrive by themselves and should always be kept in pairs, so that they can have a friend with them.

Snakes

Another animal which has been given a mixed reputation by popular culture, snakes are known for being a great, low-fuss pet. While they do require a tank to be kept in specific conditions, snakes are generally quiet, hygienic, and totally safe as long as you bring home an appropriate species. Corn snakes are a non-venomous breed commonly kept as pets, and their size means

Stick insects

If you are looking for a low-maintenance pet, which may also be educational, stick insects could fit the bill. Stick insects offer the opportunity to teach children about natural camouflage and the way that animals live in the wild. As a small animal, they do not require a huge amount of space and the average lifespan for a stick insect is around a year, making them less of a long-term commitment than animals like dogs and cats, who can live for upwards of a decade, or even twenty years.

pets4homes.co.uk) is the UK’s largest online pet marketplace, relied upon by up to 7 million people monthly, and helps rehome over 2,500 animals each day. Founded in 2005 and acquired by Pet Media Group in August 2019, Pets4Homes prioritises responsible practices and works to ensure trust, safety, and convenience for buyers and sellers. Through its focus on safeguarding animal welfare (and ensuring a safe and efficient process for buyers and sellers), Pets4Homes has earned a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot (with nearly 9,000 reviews and

“Rats are extremely sociable creatures and often like to bond with humans”

BAKING LIFE’S SPECIAL MOMENTS

DISCOVER MORE

BOLD BORG fleeces

Georgre from Asda,

From £6

Winter

STYLE NOTES

Children’s fashion stylist, editor and founder of @thelittlestylist Charlotte Kewley shares her favourite winter finds.

Boden, From £37

Back to nature

Encourage a love of the outdoors with this specially designed kids foraging pocket, £19.50 from The Den Kit Company, designed with Little Cotton Clothes. They’re the perfect place to store trinkets and treasures from the garden and beyond.

thedenkitco.com

Lindex, From £29.99 Next, From £28

BOOTS ON A MISSION

Children’s footwear brand Zig + Star is on a mission: “No Zig + Stars to ever end up in landfill”. And we like it. The way they make this happen… resale, donate and recycle. See zigandstar.com for more info on all three options. Their boots also happen to be very, very cool, as well as built to last – they’re designed to expand and adjust as your child grows. This season’s new colours are metallic gold and tan. Great now with chunky socks and tights, but they also make a lovely, transitional spring boot.

Zig + Star.com , Boots from £54

Give a nod to spring with these incredibly cute Tiny Cottons hair clips £7, tinycottons.com

Get cosy

ecause let’s face it, right now it’s the only thing we want to do. Let us introduce you to Little Beasties, a new British independent brand whose earthytoned cosy collection is everything we want from kidswear right now. Cosy and magical. There are also a few adult options, just saying. Campfire Club, sweatshirt £22 rareandmagicalexports.co.uk

LEE JEANS

Yes, you’re probably familiar with the brand. But did you know they’ve just launched kidswear for the first time in the UK. Expect a range of classic, heritage tops and great denim (of course) for ages 3-16 years, with prices starting from £16.

Available from Next and Zalando.

Small Stuff, Pom beanies £10 Mittens £12

Small Stuff, Gloves £8

Small Stuff

Our favourite new destination for kid’s accessories, we particularly love this season’s cold weather range from Small Stuff. Fun, colourful and snuggly, the hats, gloves and mittens are guaranteed to brighten up the dullest of days.

Available in Sainsbury’s, John Lewis and at smallstuffaccessories.com

EASY LUNCHBOX WINS

Jumping in puddles. Winning egg and spoon races. Reaching their first milestones.

Calcium plays an important role in getting your child’s body and bones ready for everyday adventures, and vitamin D makes it easier for them to absorb calcium

The good news is that you don’t have to look too far for child-friendly sources of these nutrients.

HELP THEM LOVE THEIR LUNCHBOX

Foods like yogurt and some types of cheese are tasty and a good source calcium.

Innocent Kids’ Super Smoothies are also a source of iron and vitamin D. Cheestrings are enriched with vitamins B6, B12, and D for immune support † and Petits Filous Yoghurts are enhanced with vitamin D. All these nutrients make great additions to your child’s varied and balanced diet.

And as an after-school snack, why not add some berries to their yogurt to make it more fun?

GETTING THE PORTIONS RIGHT

Three portions of dairy a day are ideal. And your child’s lunchbox is a good place to pack in dairy products like snacking cheese and yogurt. But it’s important to remember that dairy is just one piece of a balanced diet.

To contribute to your child’s 5 a day, try Innocent’s fruit-filled smoothies . If they’re under four, dilute their smoothie with some water

With options for children of all ages, explore Sainsbury’s wide range of dairy and smoothies. They’re full of flavour and a convenient choice for busy parents. Now treat your kids to some fun with the activity we’ve included in this article.

Calcium and vitamin D are needed for normal growth and development of bone in childrenn

Vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 supports the immune system to function normally †

Vitamin B12 plays a role in the production of energy in the body

Each Innocent Kids Super Smoothie is 150ml One part smoothie to ten parts water

INNOCENT KIDS’ SUPER SMOOTHIES

Chock-full of pure crushed fruit and veggies, Innocent Super Smoothies contain absolutely no added sugar. But what makes them super? Each smoothie is fortified with vitamin D and iron, which helps support immunity. They’re also a source of fibre, which helps your child digest food.

PETITS FILOUS

Petits Filous’ products are a source of calcium and are fortified with additional vitamin D and B6 for immune support Even their dairy-free yogurt is fortified with these nutrients to support healthy bone growth and development. They’ve been enriching their yogurts with vitamin D for 15 years.

Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system in children. A varied and balanced diet is important as part of a healthy lifestyle

PETITS FILOUS VITAMIN

RICH

Petits Filous’ new Vitamin Rich range is made with fruits and vegetables and is a great source of calcium and vitamins C and D.

FRUBES

Frubes’ yogurts can be out of the fridge for eight hours. So, they’re a mess-free choice for your child’s lunchbox. Say goodbye to unwelcome spills and stains. They’re also a source of calcium and 50% of your child’s vitamin D intake , with no artificial colours or flavours.

Reference intake, for 2 tubes

CHEESTRINGS

Cheestrings are peelable, making them a fun and fuss-free snack. Each one is made with a glass of milk and enriched with vitamins B6, B12, and D for immune support

Vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 supports the immune system to function normally.

Snuggle up with a good book!

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR’S VERY FIRST ENCYCLOPEDIA

Illustrations by the World of Eric Carle Age 4-7 | RRP £19.99 | Available from DK (dk.com)

If your kids have grown up reading Eric Carle’s unique books and illustrations, they will love this familiar, colourful and informative encyclopedia.

The themed chapters and clear contents pages made it very simple to use and the bitesize sections were easy to dip in and out of. Editor Georgina read this book with her six-year-old daughter Imogen at bedtime and it meant she could pick a couple of different sections to read each night. The encyclopedia has a really good mix of interesting facts that are easy to understand and lots of engaging diagrams and pictures.

IF I WERE THE WORLD

By Mark Sperring Age 0-5 | RRP £7.99 | Available from Bloomsbury ( bloomsbury.com)

If you want to educate your children about climate change and our planet without scaring them senseless, this book is a brilliant choice. The rhyming

story follows three children experiencing the world and its different landscapes – from bright and beautiful to damaged and broken. Plus the wording helps young children to humanise our planet and to put themselves in the shoes of birds, animals and sea life that are suffering from pollution and global warming. It certainly inspired our children (ages two and six) to ask questions about why humans have damaged our planet and what they can do to help.

HOW FRANK HELPED HANK

By Suzanne Hemming Age 0-8 | RRP £7.99 | Available from Thea Chops Books (theachopsbooks. com)

Big boys don’t cry... well actually they do and that’s ok. The latest book by Suzanne Hemming shows children – boys especially – that it’s ok to feel sad, it’s ok to cry, and it feels really good to talk about it. The rhyming story challenges the expectations placed on men and boys by society. It deals with family and emotional issues in a kind and friendly way, teaching children how to process their feelings. We liked how the words and illustrations were in grey when the characters were feeling sad, but then changed to colour when they began to feel happy again.

Our pick of winter reads for children of all ages.

THE STORM SWIMMER

By Clare Weze

Age 9-12 | RRP £7.99 | Available from Waterstones (waterstones.com)

A story about friendship, family and adventure, The Storm Swimmer follows the story of Ginika who is sent to live with her grandparents for the school holidays. Disappointed that her plans of a fun summer with her friends have been taken away from her and missing everyone at home, she feels lost and alone. When she meets Peri, everything changes. He is like no one she has ever met before. The pair embark on an adventure of land and sea that will change their lives forever.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

From first periods to body image to mindfulness and feelings, these books offer practical advice

BEING WITH OUR FEELINGS

By Anita Kate Garai

Age 7-11 | RRP from £12.99 | Available from Routledge Books (routledge.com)

A toolkit for parents, carers, primary teachers, educational therapists and social workers, Being With Our Feelings teaches children how to be with themselves and each other with acceptance, kindness and compassion. The set, which includes four rhyming storybooks, has been designed to develop children’s mental, physical and

emotional well-being, in a way that means it can grow strong, flourish and endure for a lifetime.

SPARROWLEGS

By Anupa Roper

Age 0-7 | RRP £8.99 | Available from Waterstones (waterstones.com)

Inspired by the author’s own feelings and experiences around body image, Sparrowlegs encourages children to think about how amazing their bodies are and to know that much of our beauty lies within us. Anupa allowed her label of ‘skinny’ to affect her feelings and choices for a long time. Now, through storytelling, she wants to empower the young by helping them to feel happy in their own skin.

MY PERIOD

By Milli Hill

Age 9+ | RRP £7.99 | Available from Blackwell’s ( blackwells.co.uk)

Getting your first period can be exciting and daunting. My Period answers questions your kids might be too embarrassed to ask. Separating the

fact from the fiction, Milli Hill answers everything you need to know – from menstrual cups and period pants, to cramps and hormones. She’ll explain how incredible your body is, what is actually going on each month and why.

ONCE UPON A BREATH...IN A MAGICAL FOREST

By Neha Swaminathan and Tina Derusha

Age 0-12 | RRP £27.99 | Available from Flip & Flow ( flipandflow.co)

The Flip & Flow mindful adventures book helps children explore their emotional landscape and learn how to use their breath as a superpower. It’s an interactive flip book that’s inspired by mindfulness, yoga, breathwork and the power of play. Kids can create more than 1,000 mindful stories and positive affirmations simply by flipping over the four different sections of the book to create a new story each time.

memories KEEPER OF

When my youngest was born I decided to give up my full-time job as an economist. I didn’t hugely love my job, which was partly why I decided not to back after maternity leave. I figured that having the time out of work to raise my children would also give me the space and perspective to find a job that I really enjoyed doing.

After maternity leave, I freelanced doing various different things to allow me a bit more flexibility to be with the kids and not work the regular 9-5.

I started taking film courses because I also freelanced as a journalist and I thought I could add some visual elements to my writing. I felt this would be useful as English is not my first language and it gave me a slight disadvantage as a writer in the UK.

When I took the first film class I immediately liked it, but it was a while until I decided to make this my new career. It started as a hobby and then I was freelancing for a charity and they asked me to be involved in a video project. That was the first time I thought maybe there could be a career in this field for me.

For me the main element is storytelling. And being able to capture people’s stories that they can then share with other people. Using images and video footage to tell a story is very moving and you can portray so much more than with the written word.

Yes, it does. Especially because I run my own business. I’m in charge of how much work I take on and how I schedule it. Working as a videographer involves a lot of editing, which I can do any time that suits me.

What made you decide to leave your job in finance and try a completely new career?

How did you get into film making?

What is it about photography and videography that you enjoy?

Do you find your job gives you a good work- life balance?

Georgina Probert speaks to Christine Preisig, mum of three from London, who changed career from working in finance to creating all manner of videos, from personal biographies to family videos.

“When I took the first film class I immediately liked it”

ABOVE: A day in the life of Flora: stills taken from a video documenting a typical day in the life of Flora when she was eight years old.

What types of video do you make?

I create a lot of legacy videos about the lives of older people that are like a biography. But I really work with people across the whole spectrum, from birth to death.

I’m working on a commission for a family with a newborn baby to welcome her into the world. It features all of the relatives– grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles etc– and each person has been interviewed. They talk about

how happy and excited they are to share their path with the baby. So it’s creating a memory of a snapshot of time that the child can watch back when they are older.

I also do a lot of videos for anniversaries as a kind of love story and I can do something similar for say an 18th birthday or another milestone.

What other types of film do you make?

I make videos for parents that capture a day in the life of their child. So I follow them around and film them playing at home or out for a walk. It is a really nice way to create a snapshot of their life. Kids grow up so quickly and change so fast – many parents like to have videos like this to look back on.

As well as filming videos myself, I can also create videos from footage that parents have taken on their phones or camcorder – I really like editing! For example, if someone wanted me to make a video of their child from a baby up to age 6 and they had 20 video clips, I could create a cohesive video that tells a story of that child’s life so far.

Do you ever make films using other people’s videos?

Christine Preisig is videographer and video editor. For more information on her work or to commission her, visit christinepreisig.com

“I work with people across the whole spectrum, from birth to death”

Film for Elena: parents of Elena talking about how they got together, their struggle to get pregnant and how much they have anticipated their daughter’s arrival. The video collects memories for Elena from a time she can’t remember herself. The video shows the loving environment Elena is born into and gives the voice to the closest family members and friends telling her how happy they are to share their path with her.

A grandmother passing on a family recipe to her granddaughter. Taken from a personal biography history video/family legacy video.

BREAK THE RULES

Caroline Kings, co-founder of We Are Girls in Sport, looks at how we can harness the power of children’s imaginations and curiosity to explain how sports can be fun but why they also need rules.

Let’s face it, one of the great things about children is their fertile imaginations and the fact that they’re still learning – they’re uninhibited by rules. Children can create fun games in any situation, with or without toys. And because they don’t know how things should be done, they make it up as they go along (appreciate that also applies to, say, dining out or showing their new baby sister ‘love’, but bear with me).

For children to be active and to want to move their little bodies, firstly, they have to enjoy it. We know that children love running, climbing, skipping, jumping, hopping, splashing and so on, which means we know that they can have fun exercising –even if they don’t see it as exercise as we do.

The problems can start when we introduce rules and try to teach them the ‘right way’ to do it. Then exercise becomes like school or a lesson and, for some, the fun just drains away. But what about if we approached it differently? Here’s an example – let’s take a simple running race. You have a group of children at the park, a group of friends, and you nonchalantly tell them to have a race. Some children will just run without thinking. Some children will stop and ask where to start and where the finish line is. Some children will ask whether it can be a jumping race. And so on. The children are excited and their minds are coming up with some great questions.

Cue conversations with the children about what kind of race would they like – running, hopping, freestyle? Should the race be fair? How would they suggest it’s made fair, what needs to happen? The children are engaged in their exercise and they’ll start to learn that sporting competitions need a framework. Can one child trip up another child? No, so there need to be

You can apply this approach to other sports (as long as it’s safe!). Tennis – maybe they want to hit the ball with the racquet handle rather than its head – who cares? They’ll realise that it works better the other way around eventually, just as they’ll realise that if you want to play competitively, you need to stick to the rules of the tennis court and the game itself.

The approach must be safe – a swimming pool is perhaps not the best place for a free for all, for example, but children can still learn about the strokes, what works and what doesn’t and again, how a swimming race might work. Finally, let’s remember that any way that we move our bodies is good for our physical and mental health. If a child’s way of being active is not ‘typical’ but it’s safe, then it must be encouraged. You never know, they could be the first athlete in a brand-new sport.

We Are Girls in Sport (wearegirlsinsport. com) is a global movement for showcasing girls in sport while helping them find a sport they enjoy and want to pursue.

‘Should a player have endless chances to serve in the opposite box?’

‘No, that’s annoying and boring for me.’

‘OK, shall we limit it to a certain number?’

Let them have fun trying it every way they want. Importantly, they’re being active their way and that helps with ongoing engagement.

A NEW BUZZfor netball

England Netball explains why netball is a great sport that takes you from childhood through to adulthood and shares the idea and ethos behind its Bee Netball programme.

For many readers, netball may be remembered as a game enjoyed during their school years. Now, it is a sport in the spotlight, played and watched by thousands.

In 2018, the England Netball team inspired a nation with their historic gold medal, won in the most dramatic fashion. Since then, the sport has continued to grow and is now one of the most played female team sports in the UK.

England Netball is now working on inspiring the next generation of netballers onto court through their evolved children’s programme, Bee Netball, which as we’ll learn, does more than just teach them about the basics of the sport.

A long-lasting passion

Netball in England is a thriving sport, lived and breathed by girls and women across the country. Every day hundreds of thousands of women step onto a netball court, be at their local centre, their local club on an outdoor court or in their local school. For many, their love of the sport is something that transcends through every life stage, as it is a game that can be played by anyone from 5 to 95.

Despite difficulties experienced during the pandemic, the sport is back and is growing again. The exposure of the sport at last summer’s Commonwealth Games helped to bring netball back into the public view, as thousands of fans cheered on the defending champions in Birmingham.

What is Bee Netball?

Bee Netball is England Netball’s fun and nurturing programme for five- to nine-year-olds, designed to introduce children to the fundamentals of netball, while supporting their personal development.

The programme was originally introduced in 2019, a year after the sport had experienced a boom in participation following England’s Commonwealth Games victory and the hosting of the Netball World Cup in Liverpool.

Last September, the sport relaunched its Bee Netball programme, welcoming children onto court through a specially adapted version of the game, filled with fun activities, a set of ‘Beeliefs’ and bright-coloured balls and T-shirts. It is hoped through this vibrant experience that children will become drawn to the sport at an early age and taken on a journey that England Netball hopes will become a game for life.

“Played indoors and outdoors, netball is a social sport that forges connections”

Adapted from the game that many of you may have played before, Bee Netball is made up of fun activities that help children to learn the skills used in the sport including throwing, catching, footwork and shooting. More importantly, the activities help develop transferable traits that can help children in other walks of life.

Why is it called Bee Netball?

The name of the programme stems from a couple of ideas. The first comes from the natural relationship between bees and flowers. Led at the top of the game by the England Netball national team, better known as the Vitality Roses, netball, like all sports, depends on the next generation of players

coming through. Bees love roses and roses need bees. Bees help roses to thrive, and in netball, it’s the next generation of aspiring bees who will be helping the Vitality Roses to thrive on the international stage.

The second comes from the nature of the insects themselves. Bees live in hives and work together as part of a colony. This sense of belonging is a feeling that is instilled among the wider netball community and is part of England Netball’s wider Adventure Strategy to develop the sport into one where people feel they can belong, flourish and soar. Bee Netball is a huge part of that as it aims to give young children an exceptional first experience in the hope that they foster a lifelong love of the sport and continue to participate at any level of the game.

Behind the buzz

Helen Wynn is the head of the participation at England Netball and one of the leaders behind the relaunch of Bee Netball. She explains: “We wanted to evolve our offering for children and make it stand out from other sports. We have seen from insight that 89% of girls don’t meet the required physical activity levels and we know from our own research that parents feel the pandemic has been a factor in this.

“During this time, we reflected on our programme and made some developments to target it more towards our core audience of five to nine years old. We have pulled together a special curriculum for the programme designed to be fun and vibrant, but also purposeful.

“We have clubs all over the country who we are working closely with on the delivery of the termly programme. We are helping to train specialised ‘Bee Leaders’ who will teach the activities to children in a fun and

“Netball in England is a thriving sport, lived and breathed by girls and women across the country”

engaging way while encouraging parents, interested in supporting their child, to also get involved where they would like to.

“Our philosophy is about developing the child first and the netballer second. We want to help children develop into being great communicators, being resilient and being proud rather than being able to execute the perfect chest pass. Whilst skills like this are important in netball, it’s not essential at the start of a child’s journey into our sport. We want them to have a fun and enjoyable experience.”

philosophy is about developing the child first and the netballer second”

What are the benefits of playing netball?

Netball is predominantly played by girls and women and is one of the most popular team sports in the UK. Annually, netball is the most played sport for adult women, with almost half a million taking to court each year. Played indoors and outdoors, netball is a social sport that forges connections and it’s this reason

why so many women carry on playing the sport into later life.

Bee Netball doesn’t focus on the rules of the sport, but instead, the skills and traits that make the game what it is. The programme is underpinned by a set of ‘Beeliefs’; core values that are focused on improving children’s in their own ability. These including being fair, friendly, resilient, proud and confident.

The Bee Netball sessions are led by enthusiastic Bee Leaders who are specially trained to work with children to teach the activities and ensure they have lots of fun. The programme is also available to both girls and boys, with the sport growing in the male space through the governing body’s developed partnership with the England Men’s and Mixed Netball Association.

How to get involved

Bee Netball is a termly programme made up of ten weekly sessions. To register your child for a place on your local club’s Bee Netball

programme, head to the England Netball website (englandnetball.co.uk) and visit the Bee Netball page. Here you will be able to find your local club, register your interest and click through to the England Netball membership system where you can log in or create an account for your child to join.

Before starting the programme, all children receive a special Bee Netball package, which includes a personalised T-shirt, their very own Bee netball and a Bee Netball book.

About England Netball

England Netball is the national governing body for netball. It oversees and is responsible for the strategic plan of the sport across the country. It is a not-for-profit customer-focused sport business, which aims to deliver a first-class member and participation experience.

Just over 500,000 adults and children are playing netball each week, which is helped by England Netball’s menu of varied programmes including Back to Netball, Walking Netball and Bee Netball.

The Vitality Roses, England Netball’s senior team, are currently fourth in the International Netball Federation World Rankings. For more information on Bee Netball visit: englandnetball.co.uk/play/bee-netball/

“Our

Oat

METHOD

1. Blend one banana, flour, oats, and milk together. If you don’t have a blender, you could mash the banana well and mix everything together thoroughly.

2. Mix in the baking powder and chia seeds and leave it to sit for five minutes.

3. In the meantime, heat the frying pan on a high heat and once hot, turn down to a medium heat.

4. Once the pan is hot, use a ladle to pour the mixture to create your desired size of pancakes.

5. Once you see bubbles forming in the batter, you can use a spatula to look underneath to see if the pancake is turning golden brown.

6. Once golden brown, flip the pancake to the other side and cook for approximately one minute before removing it from the pan.

7. Continue this process until all the mixture has been used. While your pancakes are cooking, you can keep the finished ones warm on a baking tray in a low oven.

8. To prepare the blueberries, heat them in a pan with 2 tbsp water and heat until they are soft.

9. Stack your pancakes and layer with a drizzle of peanut butter, and top with your blueberries, maple syrup and banana. Feel free to top with other available fruits.

Scrambled Tofu on Toast

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp vegetable oil 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced 200g calcium-set tofu, pressed

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tin white butter beans, drained 15 cherry tomatoes, halved 100g spinach

8 slices wholemeal toast, to serve

METHOD

Top tip

1. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add the oil.

2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until they are coloured.

3. Crumble the tofu into the pan, add the turmeric and stir thoroughly so the turmeric coats everything evenly.

4. Add the butter beans and cherry tomatoes and cook for a further couple of minutes until everything has heated through.

5. Add the spinach leaves and mix through to wilt them.

6. Season and serve with wholemeal toast.

Look for calcium in the ingredients list of your tofu

CauliflowerMac & Cheese

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 chopped onion

Half a bag of frozen cauliflower (roughly 400-450g)

2 tbsp soy margarine

285ml of soy milk

1 tsp mustard

2 tsp salt Pepper

3 tbsp nutritional yeast (or use a few handfuls of grated vegan cheese if you’re feeling flush!)

Bag of macaroni (roughly 500g)

METHOD

1. Cook the onion until soft in the margarine. Add the frozen cauliflower, then add the soy milk and bring to the boil before simmering.

2. When the cauliflower is cooked, blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more soy milk.

3. Add the mustard, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast, to taste. Add more salt if necessary.

4. As you’re making the sauce, boil the macaroni in salted water until cooked. Drain and mix in with the sauce.

5. The essence of a cheese flavour is fat and salt: once you have made the sauce, taste and add a little more salt if you think it is needed.

Gorgeous Green Pesto Pasta

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

400g wholewheat pasta (spaghetti works nicely)

100g spinach

1 tbsp dried basil 175g canned green peas

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

4 tbsp pasta water

2 cloves garlic

Small pinch of salt Pepper to taste 200g broccoli chopped into small florets

METHOD

Recipes supplied by The Vegan Society. Head to vegansociety.com for more vegan recipes and nutrition tips.

1. Start boiling the pasta, following the instructions on the packet.

2. While the pasta is boiling, place all the other ingredients (apart from the broccoli) in a blender, and blend them until the mixture is smooth.

3. Place the broccoli in a steamer or a colander over a pan of boiling water, cover with a lid and steam for about five minutes. Save energy by steaming the broccoli over the boiling pasta.

4. Serve individual portion of pasta, desired amount of pesto, broccoli and combine.

Here at FREEE we believe food should be simple, natural and delicious, so we have created a breakfast range to help you start your day better. We use only the tastiest, naturally gluten free, vegan and organic certified ingredients and make them with care in Wiltshire.

Find us in the free-from aisles or at freee-foods.co.uk

We believe when you’re gluten free you can still enjoy delicious bakes and treats. That’s why, as the UK’s #1 gluten free flour brand*, we’ve created a range of flours made with naturally gluten free ingredients that make it easy for you to bake at home.

Get started with gluten free baking by trying the recipe below. Super easy to make, we promise no one will know it’s gluten free. And you can make it vegan simply by using our ingredient swaps.

American Style Pancakes

Ingredients

250g FREEE Plain White Flour

2 tbsp icing sugar

1 ¾ tbsp FREEE Baking Powder

2 eggs (or 2 tbsp FREEE Chickpea Flour + 4 tbsp water)

150ml milk (or vegan milk)

50g butter (or vegan butter), melted oil, for frying sliced banana, chopped almond and maple syrup, optional for serving

Method (or scan QR code for recipe online)

1. Put the flour, icing sugar and baking powder into a bowl and stir to combine. 2. Break the eggs into a separate mixing bowl (or measure the chickpea flour + water into the bowl)

3. Add the milk to the egg bowl and beat together well.

4. Stir in the dry ingredients, then add the melted butter. Beat into a smooth thick batter. 5. Pour a little oil into a frying pan, roll it around to cover the surface and heat until nice and hot.

6. Pour batter into the pan to make 7.5cm/3” circles and cook on a medium heat. 7. When bubbles appear on the surface and the base is golden turn the pancakes over and cook the other side. 8. Repeat with the remaining batter.

9. Serve warm with your favourite toppings.

@FreeeFoods freee-foods.co.uk

“Encouraging a child to like new foods takes time”

WE LOVE VEGGIES!

For many parents and caregivers, the idea of seeing their children eat, and enjoy, platefuls of fruits and veggies sounds like a pipedream, but don’t despair. Expanding your repertoire with delicious, nutritious and colourful vegan recipes that bring novelty and excitement might just do the trick! Making very simple and cost-effective swaps to vegan alternatives could be what it takes to get your little ones to say “yum” instead of “yuck”.

While the environmental, health and animal welfare benefits of vegan diets are becoming increasingly clear, the idea of raising vegan children can still sometimes be met with raised eyebrows or questions from friends and family. So it is important to remember that the British Dietetic Association (bda.uk.com) recognises that vegan nutrition can support healthy living at every age and life-stage, including pregnancy, early years and beyond.

people globally took part in Veganuary last year, breaking all previous records.[1] The pro-vegan campaign, set up in 2014, encourages people to follow a vegan diet for the month of January. Of course, getting people to sign up is only half the battle. It’s imperative that those who do take the plunge find it accessible and costeffective, and enjoy vegan food so much that they stick with it long-term. And, so far, the results are promising. In fact, of those who took part last year, 36% planned to stay vegan indefinitely, while 74% of those not staying vegan planned to at least halve their intake of animal products.[2] This ties in with similar findings from a YouGov survey earlier this year. The results showed that one-third (34%) of UK adults are either interested in trying, or are planning to try, a vegan diet, while 35% say their perceptions of vegan diets have changed for the better in the past two years.[3]

What is Veganuary?

The good news is, the messaging around the numerous reasons for going vegan seems to be getting through. The number of vegans in the UK continues to rise, while an impressive 629,000

For those families intrigued by or interested in veganism but don’t know how to start, Veganuary is the perfect way to try a vegan diet and see how easy it is to make the switch.

“Vegan nutrition can support healthy living at every age and life-stage”

Francine Jordan, media and PR officer at The Vegan Society talks about how to get your kids to give veganism a go this Veganuary.

Be a role model

Whether you’re vegan or not, nutritional planning is essential for giving your child a great start. By balancing the main food groups and making good use of fortified foods and supplementation, you can provide a diet containing all the nutrients needed for growth and development without using animal products. Children aged five and over eat diets that are balanced in a similar way to adults, but younger children require less bulky and more nutrient-dense options. The chia seeds in our banana oat pancakes provide a plant source of omega-3 fat, while peanut butter supplies energy and protein to growing children. Our gorgeous green pesto pasta and cauliflower mac & cheese are pasta dishes that are great for hiding veggies for kids who may be a little fussier. See these recipes on pages 101, 104-105.

Beans, chickpeas, lentils, plain fortified soya yoghurt and tofu are just a few examples of good sources of protein that provide iron and zinc too. Starting the day with delicious scrambled tofu with a side of baked beans is a great option. The peppers in this dish are rich in vitamin C, which helps the body absorb the iron from the tofu and beans. Calcium doesn’t need to be a concern, as unsweetened, fortified soya milk can be used as a main milk drink from age one. It contains as much calcium as cows’ milk and a similar amount of protein.

All too often, mums and dads assume that their children wouldn’t like the change, but they may just surprise you. In fact, a BBC Good Food survey last year, asking children about their attitudes to food and cooking, revealed 8% of children in the UK are currently following a vegan diet and 15% of those who don’t, would like to. [4]

As many parents will know, encouraging a child to like new foods takes time and, with babies in particular, it can take as many as 15 attempts before they stick with it. As such, making meal times fun and engaging, and encouraging positive experiences with various fruits, veggies, nuts and grains, can really help.

away

“Steer

from halftruths or deliberate misinformation if possible”

Here are some of our top tips:

Eat together as often as possible

Be a role model – show your child that you enjoy eating a variety of fruit and vegetables

If your child refuses to eat something, take it away at the end of the meal and offer it again another time.

There are lots of ways to make eating fruit and vegetables fun. Here are some ideas:

In the supermarket, ask your child to choose something that they’d like to try

Involve them in the preparation as much as possible

Tell them a bit about the fruit and vegetables

Encourage them to make characters, designs and shapes out of fruit and vegetable pieces

Get baking! Dried fruit can be added to biscuits, flapjacks and scones (see ‘adding value’ for more ideas).

If you’re feeling really ambitious, why not try and grow your own at home – starting with something easy like kitchen herbs is always a good idea!

Remember: it’s also important to explain to children why your family follows a vegan lifestyle!

Children are naturally curious creatures – if they’re asking questions about veganism and/or animals then give them an honest (but gentle) answer. If your child is too young to take it all in just yet, try adapting your language to their level of sensitivity and understanding. Always focus on positive messages like how much you, as a family, love animals. Steer away from half-truths or deliberate misinformation if possible.

In time, your child will make the connection between living beings and the meat they see on supermarket shelves. With the right knowledge and support, your child can be a healthy and confident vegan regardless of life’s challenges.

Education Network

Of course, as more children are being raised vegan, more nurseries and schools are getting behind it too – meaning you’re never stuck for support from nursery staff or teachers. Earlier this year, The Vegan Society launched The Vegan Education Network (EN) – a veganinclusive education service. The EN is made up of vegan volunteers including teachers, school food producers and child psychologists and offers resources to empower and support vegan parents, children and young people in mainstream education.

Reduce food costs

On top of this and, perhaps most encouraging of all given rising energy, fuel and food bills, a vegan diet is one of the most cost-effective around. This will be music to the ears of parents feeling the pinch.

For a long time, The Vegan Society has been working to dispel the myth that vegan diets are expensive. Its most recent survey on

the topic, as part of the charity’s Live Vegan For Less campaign, found a third of shoppers are cutting down on meat, or ditching it completely, in response to the cost-of-living crisis. [5] Even more (53%) said they would be interested in trying a vegan diet if it was proven to be more cost-effective than a mainstream diet – an 8% increase compared with previous findings. This follows previous research from Kantar, commissioned by Veganuary, which found that vegan meals are on average 40% cheaper than meat or fish equivalents. [6]

Whether you’re already vegan yourself, vegan-curious or just keen to get your kids excited about their greens, why not give veganism a go this January? Your little ones, and your wallet, will thank you.

For more information, recipe ideas and nutrition tips for raising vegan children, visit The Vegan Society’s website (vegansociety.com).

Sources

1 https://veganuary.com/veganuary-2022takes-world-by-storm/

2 https://veganuary.com/83-of-veganuary2022-participants-plan-permanent-dietchange/

3 https://yougov.co.uk/topics/society/ articles-reports/2022/01/20/meetbritains-vegans-and-vegetarians

4 https://laca.co.uk/news/bbc-surveydiscovers-childrens-eating-trends

5 https://www.vegansociety.com/news/ news/third-shoppers-report-reducingor-ditching-meat

6 https://veganuary.com/vegan-mealscost-40-percent-less-than-meatfish/#:~:text=Findings%20from%20 a%20new%20Kantar,third%20less%20 time%20to%20prepare.

The right

start

Balance blood sugar levels

Eating fast-release carbohydrates such as white bread or pasta can cause a spike in blood sugar (glucose) levels; our body reacts by releasing the hormone insulin, which redirects the glucose to our cells – with the excess being stored as fat. This is a common cause of overweight and obesity problems in children.

It’s never too early to start supporting a healthy brain for your child. Good brain health and neurotransmitter function are essential for learning and development –and both require some key nutrients for optimum function. To support our children’s brain health, it’s important to start with good nutrition. Here are Olga’s five golden rules for building a healthy brain.

If a child eats too much sugar (e.g. from sweets, sugary cereals or jam on toast), their body responds by releasing high amounts of insulin; as a result, too much glucose may be escorted out of the blood and the child may experience symptoms such as a crash of energy, irritability, poor concentration, anxiety and a craving for more sugar. It’s an unhealthy vicious circle that so many children fall victim to.

Didknow?you

per cent of the dried brain weight is fat,

Olga Preston, nutritional therapy practitioner at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition’s Brain Bio Centre, looks at how to build a healthy brain for your children.

“Vitamins and minerals are essential for keeping the brain finely tuned”

Sixty

which explains why deficiencies in specific kinds of fats have huge repercussions for intelligence and behaviour

skip breakfast – for children to learn and concentrate at school, a healthy breakfast is essential. In fact, studies have shown that children who eat breakfast complete tasks twice as fast, have increased maths grades and fewer days off sick. Studies also reveal that missing breakfast is associated with a 30% shorter listening span. For a healthy breakfast, try porridge oats topped with fruit and seeds, poached eggs on wholemeal toast, eggs with salmon, avocado and/or spinach, or a protein smoothie prepared with two pieces of fruit, two vegetables and some flaxseeds and chia seeds.

2.

Eat protein and fat with each meal and snack to help balance blood sugar – protein is also good because it contains amino acids that are important for growth and repair, and to make neurotransmitters.

3.

Increase fibre-rich foods – dietary fibre helps to slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream. Opt for wholegrains such as brown rice, oats and millet, as well as quinoa, beans and pulses, fruit and vegetables.

4.

Eat fruit, don’t drink it – whole fruit contains dietary fibre, which slows the release of glucose into the blood; in contrast, fruit juices don’t contain fibre and so tend to have a larger impact on blood sugar levels. Smoothies can be a healthy option because the whole fruit is included – but do add in vegetables, fats and protein. Try spinach or kale, avocado, almond butter, pineapple, cinnamon, chia seeds, flaxseeds and oat milk. Alternatively opt for berries with beetroot, coconut water and chia seeds and cashews.

Graze rather than gorge – small, regular meals and healthy snacks will also help to maintain balanced blood sugar levels in children. Healthy snacks include a piece of fruit with a dessert spoon of pumpkin seeds or a small pot of natural yoghurt or cottage cheese with berries.

5.

To balance blood sugar levels, follow these five simple rules:

1.Never

“To support our children’s brain health, it’s important to start with good nutrition”

Add in essential fats

Sixty per cent of the dried brain weight is fat, which explains why deficiencies in specific kinds of fats have huge repercussions for intelligence and behaviour. There are two kinds of essential fats – omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Both are needed for good brain function and deficiencies can contribute to symptoms such as fatigue, reduced intelligence, poor learning and memory, and behaviour and developmental problems.

To increase intake, opt for oily fish with the acronym SMASH: salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herrings. Vegetarian sources include flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and macadamias. Avocados, eggs and coconut oil are also good sources.

Of course, there are some fats that should be avoided. When eaten frequently, these fats can affect our mental health and cognitive function in the long term:

Trans-fats: fats that have been hydrogenated – these can be found in processed foods such as biscuits, cakes, margarines, pastries, pizzas and fast food.

Rancid fats: vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, soy, peanut and rapeseed oil, which have been heated to higher temperatures.

Optimise vitamin and mineral intake

Vitamins and minerals are essential for keeping the brain finely tuned, and for building and rebuilding the brain. Good sources include fruit, vegetables and whole foods, but they can also be supplemented for optimum brain performance.

Follow these top tips to ensure your child is getting enough vitamins and minerals:

Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day – more if possible!

Hide vegetables in sauces and soups

Offer a mix of lightly cooked and raw vegetables

Swap white potato crisps and chips for more colourful, nutrient-dense varieties made using sweet potatoes or carrots (good sources of beta-carotene), beetroot (a source of iron) or parsnips (a source of iron, magnesium and zinc)

Choose whole foods rather than refined foods

Consider a multivitamin and mineral supplement

A balanced plate consists of half a plate of a variety of vegetables; quarter of a plate of unprocessed protein sources (e.g. chicken or oily fish or vegetarian sources such as lentils, beans or chickpeas); and a quarter of a plate of healthy fats (e.g. avocado, nuts and seeds) and wholegrains (e.g. brown rice, quinoa, millet or amaranth), as well as some fresh herbs and spices.

Avoid anti-nutrients

Anti-nutrients don’t offer anything good to the body and should definitely be avoided. Here’s what you should avoid or minimise:

Refined sugar – carbohydrates that have been processed and then robbed of their essential nutrients; for example, white bread, white rice, pastries, white flour cookies and cakes, and breakfast cereals (although some do have vitamins added back into them)

Damaged fats – such as those found in fast food, fried food and hydrogenated fat

Chemical food additives –especially food colourings

Love your lifestyle

Finally, remember that there are certain lifestyle factors that will also have an impact on how the brain functions, especially exercise and sleep. Exercise is one of the best things we can do for mental wellness, as it releases endorphins that lift our mood. Ensure children get at least half an hour of exercise per day, whether it’s from PE at school, playing football in the garden or going for a walk.

And so to bed! When we’re asleep our bodies rejuvenate. Without adequate sleep, children start to show clear signs of stress, their mood and concentration levels deteriorate, and it can also have a negative impact on their immune system. Primary school children need between 8-13 hours of sleep per night. If your child is having problems sleeping, make sure they don’t have any sugary foods or play on any devices just before they go to bed. Foods rich in magnesium, such as dark green leafy vegetables, or a nice relaxing bath with lavender oil, may help encourage a better night’s sleep.

Olga Preston is a registered nutritional therapy practitioner at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition’s Brain Bio Centre. The Brain Bio Centre specialises in mental well-being and supports clients with a wide range of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, learning and behavioural issues (in both children and adults), psychotic disorders, cognitive decline and various neurological conditions. For more information on the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION), visit: ion.ac.uk

References

• Dykman R and Pivik R, 2002, Pediatric Academic Society, Vol 5, p. 453

• Morris N and Sarll P, 2001, Educational Research, 43(2), p 201-207

• Murphy J et al, 1998, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 152(9):899-907

• Bower B, 1987, Science News, 132 (11)

• Jones T et al, 1995, J Pediatr,126(2), pp 171-7

• Haapalahti M et al, 2004, Eur J Clin Nutr, (58)7, p1016-1021

• Hardman P et al, 1989, J Am Optom Assoc, 60(1):10-3

The Perfect IntroDUC tion to Swimming

Our Baby & Pre-school swimming programme teaches independent swimming from birth, helping children to be happy and safe in the water whilst having lots of fun!

Find your nearest class at puddleducks.com

The perfect balance

Is your child struggling to learn to ride a bike? They aren’t alone. A recent YouGov survey suggests a fifth of all children in the UK are unable to ride a bike.

My husband Gary and I introduced balance bikes to the UK back in 2009, when our own children started to learn to ride a bike. I had a toddler that had to walk or be pushed in a buggy, while our four-year-old tried to use the traditional method, a bike with stabilisers. We spotted a balance bike and imported two from the USA. We were surprised at how easy both children found them to use. It freed up my hands too, as I wasn’t having to help them, and made trips out much more fun as we could all ride a bike at the same time!

Stabilisers support the bike upright with a focus on teaching pedalling first. This is the wrong way around to learn to ride as the child isn’t learning any balance, which is the most important skill needed to ride a bike. Bikes with stabilisers are heavy and won’t fit a child until at least three years old. However, regardless of their age, once the stabilisers come off, we see children

falling over to one side immediately, as they have not learned any balance. Maybe you remember your first bike with stabilisers and the sheer joy when you could ride without them?

Did you know that children are now learning to ride a bike, much younger than ever before, from 18 months? You may already have considered push along trikes or ride-on toys, but they don’t help your child learn to ride a bike and they will outgrow them quickly. Pushalong trikes make negotiating curbs difficult and aren’t a great deal of fun for the toddler just sitting in them, as they have no independence. In addition, some push-along trikes have pedals that are often in the wrong place to be effective.

What is a balance bike?

A balance bike’s geometry is different from a pedal bike, as the child has their feet safely on the ground while sitting on the saddle. The pedals, crank and drivetrain have gone, leaving a simple frame, handlebars and two wheels. The simplicity allows 18-month-old toddlers to start learning to balance by walking the bike along at their own pace. As they start lifting their feet for longer and perfect their balance, they get more confident.

The benefits of a balance bike

The skill of balancing is essential when riding a bike, and a balance bike enables kids to break this skill down into easy learning steps, without even realising they are gaining skills! As riding a balance bike is intuitive, kids have fun gaining speed and confidence and developing good balance is the key to all motor skills. We use our balance to control all motion, such as running, walking, playing football or ballet. These all require balance, so the earlier your

Karen Wood, owner of Kidvelo Bikes, explains why balance bikes are the best way to encourage your kids to learn to ride a bikeeven from a young age.

child develops this skill the earlier their confidence and coordination improve. It’s a great way to make exercising fun and enjoy time outside. Plus balance bikes are much easier to carry back from school or put in the car to take to parks.

How do they work?

Balance bikes have two wheels, a handlebar to hold on to and no pedals. The rider’s feet are flat on the ground. With nothing complicated to confuse, the rider starts walking the bike along. Initially, they don’t even sit down and shuffle it along. Then, as the bike leans to one side, the rider will naturally bring it back up-right to move forward. Your child is learning to balance without even realising it.

As their confidence grows, they start sitting down, picking up their feet for more extended periods and moving quicker. They are learning to balance this whole time, and their motor skills and coordination are improving. It also frees up your hands to care for a younger child and you can get around much faster.

Always check the minimum seat height will fit the inseam of your child.

Don’t rely on age indicators alone: some bikes will market for a particular age group, but a child won’t always fit, as everyone has different leg lengths. A good starting point is around 30cm (11.8in) for toddlers and watch the suggested maximum age, as most seat posts don’t go high enough.

Adjustability: the bike needs to cater for your child’s growth. You need to know the lowest and highest seat positions, as you will want a few years’ use out of the bicycle. Metal frames have an advantage, as wooden bikes rely on 3-4 pre-drilled

Didknow?you

positions, so adjustability is poor and they get outgrown quickly.

skill of balancing is essential when riding a bike”

Weight of bike: if the bike doesn’t state the weight, it is likely because it’s too heavy. Anything over 3.5kg is too heavy for a toddler who only weighs a few kg. When a heavy bike falls over, it’s scary and knocks their confidence. Extras such as tassels, baskets, flags and mudguards all add weight. Alloy is far better than steel, as it won’t rust and is lighter. Bikes fitted with stabilisers tend to start from 6kg. We have seen adverts for 14kg bikes as suitable for fouryear-olds. No wonder kids struggle!

If children find learning fun and easy, they will stick with it! To choose a suitable bike, it needs to be lightweight and fit well.

So how do you choose the correct balance bike?

Children are now learning to ride a bike, much younger than ever before, from 18 months

“The

Karen and Gary Wood founded Kidvelo Bikes in 2019

Brakes: I am not a fan of them for the under 3’s. I’ve seen children struggle with a front lever system as they can’t reach the levers or they have to remove their hands from the handlebars to use them. Young children feel safer just stopping using their feet, as they are in control. Sure, a three-year-old has a better understanding, so it comes down to choosing an age-appropriate bike. The aim is to make the process easy, so less is more when it comes to selecting kids’ bikes.

Footrest: ideally, they need integration into the frame, under the seat, and where the pedals will be on their next bike. So as well as teaching balance in the correct position, the child can rest their feet and take bumps in their legs, not their bottoms! Riding off a curb with your feet dangling hurts. It’s the same for advanced balance bike riders. A footrest allows them to put their feet up while coasting.

Tyres: some bikes have foam tyres, as they are light and inexpensive to manufacture. They work fine to start with, but they wear quickly and don’t offer a comfortable ride. Air-filled tyres add cost and weight, but last much longer and give a far smoother ride and better grip.

bikes with an included pedal kit, which saves you money, as there is no need to buy another bike once they can happily use their balance bike. Kidvelo’s Rookie 14 and Rookie 18 include a pedal-kit to convert the balance bike into a lightweight pedal bike. We know children with autism or dyspraxia typically show little interest in bikes until they reach five years old, by which time there isn’t a suitable balance bike to learn on. Until now.

How to use a balance bike?

frequent opportunities to ride, so keep it fun and give them time to learn and the magic will happen.

Yes! Kidvelo set out to help all children learn to ride, regardless of age or ability. We purposely designed larger balance

It depends on how old your child is when you introduce them to the bike. The simple method for toddlers is to leave the bike lying around so the child can pick it up and use it as they wish. Please don’t hold the bike for them as the child will figure it out. They straddle the bike and will start shuffling it along. Little ones won’t sit down straight away – this is OK! Gentle encouragement is all that is needed. Occasionally we hear from parents that their child doesn’t like a balance bike. When we enquire further, they aren’t getting short and

Karen Wood has more than 13 years of experience in the balance bike industry. She started retailing balance bikes from her kitchen table in 2009 and grew to become the official Strider Distributor for the UK. In 2019, Karen and her husband Gary then stepped up to manufacturing their brand; Kidvelo Bikes (kidvelobikes.co.uk), which specialises in manufacturing top-quality but affordable, balance bikes designed to help children learn to ride. Kidvelo Bikes has been named the winner at the 2022 British Business Awards in the Start-Up Category, as well as scooping Gold for the Best Balance Bike in the Made for Mums 2022 Toy Awards and Best Bike in the Organic Baby Awards.

“The skill of balancing is essential when riding a bike, and a balance bike enables kids to break this skill down into easy learning steps”

I have an older child that can’t ride. Can they use balance bikes?

vitamins squash WITH added CAPRI-SUN

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