Today’s
FREE
ISSUE 17 | July - August 2015
magazine
WIN A Fa mily Day Out!
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
15
CRAFTING AT HOME:
the dos and don’ts
Fun Things to do this
SUMMER
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SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE!
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I’m writing this in the garden with the sun on my back. What a difference a bit of sunshine makes! Hopefully by the time you read this it won’t be pouring with rain and looking as though summer is well and truly over. Our July-August issue is out just in time for the summer holidays, so we have come up with some excellent activities to keep you and your family occupied for the next six weeks or so (p12). Enjoy these days while they last as they’ll be gone before you know it. We’ve also included some tips for keeping the learning going over the summer (p15). That might not sound like fun, but there are various ways to encourage your children to keep their brains active over the holidays and you’ll find them right here. We have also highlighted the importance of teaching children valuable life skills, such as a new language (p26) and cooking (p20; p21). Children can also learn to be more creative through stimulating arts and crafts sessions, either in the home or at kid-focused workshops (p27). As if that’s not enough, we have important information about tax credits from Martin Lewis (p29), some exceptional pirate book reviews from Debbie Young (p24), a deeply moving account of motherhood from Desiree Simpson-Cassidy (p10) and a look at families dealing with mental illness (p18). Topped off with great competitions, reviews and fashion pages, this issue will keep you going throughout the summer. Don’t forget to slap on the sunscreen and keep your children hydrated this summer. Enjoy the holidays!
What’s
INSIDE
JULY/AUGUST 2015 ISSUE 17
4 NEWS AND EVENTS
Across London
5 OUT AND ABOUT
Days out for the whole family
9 COMPETITIONS
More chances to win great prizes
PARENTING 10 PERSONAL STORY
Desiree Simpson-Cassidy has experienced motherhood in three very different forms
12 FIFTEEN FUN THINGS TO DO DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Stuck for summer holiday inspiration? Our guide is full of exciting ideas
14 SUMMER LEARNING
Leaders in child education discuss the many advantages of summer study
HEALTH & WELLBEING
21 LITTLE CHEFS
Get your children involved in the kitchen with these tasty recipes
DEVELOPMENT 25 LEARN A NEW SKILL
Foreign languages for beginners
26 BOOK REVIEWS
Books about pirates
HOME & LIFESTYLE 28 GET CREATIVE AND FORGET THE MESS
18 KIDS IN FAMILIES WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
Claire-Marie Lewis offers some top tips for crafting at home
20 THE IMPORTANCE OF EATING SEASONAL FOODS
More financial wisdom from Martin Lewis
A better understanding of mental illness can help families through the tough times
Fabienne Viner-Luzzato explains why fresh and local is best
30 EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHILDCARE TAX CREDITS
32 SHOPPING & REVIEWS
Product reviews, editor’s picks and fashion
Joy Tibbs editor@todayschildmagazine.co.uk Today’s
Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, Today’s Child shall not be made liable for any inaccuracies therein. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the editor.
Publisher Sruly Monk Editor Joy Tibbs editor@todayschildmagazine.co.uk Contributors Susan Koppel, Adina Rechnitzer, Dvora Ebert, Debbie Young, Hannah Smith and Jess Clements
magazine
Advertising Sidney Rechnitzer advertise@todayschildmagazine.co.uk Graphic Designer James English
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newsandevents WHAT’S ON
Quinny announces partnership with Novotel Luxury pushchair and stroller brand Quinny has partnered with the Novotel hotel group to provide family guests with Quinny Yezz pushchairs, making travelling with young children easier. The pushchairs will be free to hire for hotel family guests to use during their stay at any of the 33 Novotel hotels around the UK. The ultra-lightweight Quinny Yezz stroller is easy to handle, compact in size and especially manoeuvrable, making it the ideal buggy for adventure-seeking families looking to explore new locations. Andrew Ratcliffe, MD of Quinny UK, said: ‘We’re confident that guests will quickly appreciate the real benefits of using the Quinny Yezz for their city adventures.’
NEW BUGGY LINERS AT BETTY BRAMBLE
British company Betty Bramble has launched eight new buggy liner designs for summer 2015. The range was designed for fashion-conscious parents who are looking to add a splash of colour and individuality to their pushchairs. Created in designer cotton and luxurious Tana Lawn, the new designs include a Zoo Liberty Art print, a Betsy Ann Liberty Art print, a Wiltshire Liberty Art print, a leopard print and a Fantastic Mr Fox print.
The Big Birdhouse Tour takes flight Shopping centre owner and manager intu is bringing art and nature to life as it presents ‘The Big Birdhouse Tour’ in partnership with the RSPB. The tour will visit 15 intu shopping centres exhibiting larger-thanlife birdhouses, including venues in Essex, Lakeside, Bromley, Uxbridge, Watford and Milton Keynes. Each birdhouse has been designed by a well-known British personality – including Alex Jones, Rebecca Adlington, Iwan Thomas, Jo Whiley, Konnie Huq, Richard Whitehead and Vic Reeves – to raise money for and awareness of the RSPB. The fun, interactive and informative tour will highlight the vulnerability of some of Britain’s 4
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treasured birds and nature, encouraging individuals, families and communities to take action and protect the future of Britain’s wildlife. Trevor Pereira, commercial and digital director of intu, said: ‘This tour is all about creating a buzz around the nature that surrounds us in our own back gardens and countryside, inspiring people to look after the UK’s birds and wildlife so our towns, coasts and countryside are thriving with nature’.
What’s on
A SELECTION OF FUN EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL THE FAMILY THEATRE & ENTERTAINMENT
THE GRUFFALO The Lyric Theatre July 1 to September 6 From £14.50 | Age 3+ gruffalolive.com Join Mouse on an adventurous journey through the deep, dark wood in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of The Gruffalo. Expect songs, laughter and scary fun. ALI MCGREGOR’S JAZZAMATAZZ London Wonderground Southbank | July 11-19 From £9 | Ages 0-7 londonwonderground.co.uk Mother-of-two Ali McGregor provides an hour of jazzy beats to get the kids singing, prancing, twisting and dancing. Parents and friends can join in or grab a drink. DINOSAUR ZOO Kings Cross Theatre July 18 to August 30 £14.50-£25.50 | Age 3+ dinosaurzoolive.com Calling all dinosaur lovers who are too young for Jurassic World. Come and
see the best live dinosaurs in town as Dinosaur Zoo brings its cast of awesome prehistoric creatures to life. BRAT KIDS CARNIVAL London Wonderground Southbank July 29 to August 2 £11-16 | Age 4+ londonwonderground.co.uk Give your kids a treat courtesy of Australia’s finest circus artists and mischiefmakers. Brat Kids Carnival is ideal for youngsters with a taste for wild circus skills, vibrant music, wondrous acts and eye-popping party tricks.
£17.50 (£12.50 per ticket for groups of 10 or more) | Age 6+ vaudevilletheatre.org.uk Tomas loves playing in the mountains where he lives and hates reading and school, but his world is turned upside down the day he meets the Unicorn Lady at his local library. ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS Dominion Theatre August 1 to September 5 From £16.25 (under 1s free but require a ticket) All ages (under 14s must be accompanied by an adult) dominiontheatre.com
With stunning effects, madcap action, original music and lots of aliens, this fantastically fresh and funny production will delight the whole family. THE THREE LITTLE PIGS Palace Theatre August 5 to September 6 From £10 | Age 3+ nimaxtheatres.com Discover how the three little
DARNABY’S SPACE RACE Chickenshed Theatre July 30 to August 8 £7 (free to babies under 1) Ages 0-6 chickenshed.org.uk It’s sports day but Barnaby has a cold, so there’s no school for him. It sounds like it will be the worst day ever until a delegation of aliens arrives. Darnaby joins them on an intergalactic adventure, but will he be able to save the day? I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS Vaudeville Theatre August 1-30 Find us on facebook - www.facebook/todayschild.co.uk
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COMPETITION
What’s on
A SELECTION OF FUN EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL THE FAMILY discover.org.uk Your children will enjoy a special retelling of Splish, Splash, Splat by Rob Scotton with one of the centre’s story builders. They can take part in a craft activity and play a variety of water games as well as sailing the seas on the pirate ship, whooshing to space on the spaceship, driving a taxi and making a den.
porkers become celebrity superstars when forced to leave the warmth of their mother’s overcrowded sty. Will they be able to stand on their own four trotters and outwit the Big Bad Wolf? PLANET PLAY Chickenshed Theatre August 6 and 7 £6 (free to babies under 6 months; 1 adult free per child entry) | Ages 0-3 chickenshed.org.uk Join the Tales from the Shed team for a fun and interactive sensory session based on the themes and characters from Darnaby’s Space Race.
■ Boogie on the Beach
Based on Carlo Collodi’s classic tale and written by Broadway and Disney writing duo Neil Bartram and Brian Hill, this family musical brings a new vision of the timeless Pinocchio story to the stage.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
NOT A REAL HORSE JW3, Finchley Road August 9 (3pm) Free | All ages | jw3.org.uk Fifi the four-legged panto horse walks, runs, jumps, does a polka, a waltz and a clog dance, handstands, sits in a chair in the most unlikely way, and forms an acrobatic duet with a vaulting human. PINOCCHIO Greenwich Theatre August 25 £11 children, £16 adults, £13.50 concessions All ages greenwichtheatre.org.uk 6
BOOGIE ON THE BEACH JW3, Finchley Road July 14 (10am) £6 | Age: 0-5 (must be accompanied by an adult) jw3.org.uk Get moving in this actionpacked movement session for little ones. Romp and roll in the sand to some classic beach-related tunes that perfectly fit the sea theme.
INTERNATIONAL JOUST WEEK Arundel Castle July 21-26 All ages | From £11 for
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children and £20.50 for adults (family tickets available) arundelcastle.org This event attracts challengers from across the globe to Arundel Castle, all hoping to be crowned champion of this illustrious jousting contest.
BEACH ART Festival Pier | July 26 Free | All ages blog.muddypuddles.com Children taking part will use nature to create masterpieces in the sand, hosted by The Beach Book authors Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks. Email Natasha.ascott@ muddypuddles.com to book. SPLASH! Discover Children’s Story Centre | August 3-9 Free for under 2s, £5 for adults and children, £18 family of four | Age 3+
CHILLI FIESTA 2015 West Dean Gardens August 7-9 For prices see website All ages westdean.org.uk/chilli This family-friendly festival offers day or weekend camping alongside a vintage steam funfair, face painting, Punch and Judy shows, Rock School workshops, fireworks and The Great Chilli Throwing Contest. MUGGLE TOURS Starts near London Bridge tube station, ends by Leicester Square tube station | All year round £12 adult, £10 for 11s and under (Plus 79p transaction fee per muggle) | Age 2+ muggletours.co.uk Follow in Harry, Ron and Hermione’s magical footsteps as you explore film locations and places that inspired JK Rowling.
COMPETITION Come along to this one-day celebration of birth, the first years and beyond. Talks and workshops will cover a range of parenting topics including: feeding children well, first aid and mummyto-be yoga. Sessions for little ones include KangaRooKids, kick and play, and story time with PJ Library.
■ KidZania London
THE GREAT INDOORS KIDZANIA LONDON Westfield London From June 25 £10-28 | 4 to 14 london.kidzania.com/ buyagift.co.uk Watch the excitement on your children’s faces as they try out more than 60 role play activities in the bank, on stage or fighting crime on the streets as police officers within KidZania City. MAGIC CARPET STORYTELLING The National Gallery Sundays Free | Age 2-5 (accompanied by an adult) nationalgallery.org.uk Fly away on the magic carpet as it comes to land in front of a different painting each day.
THE ALLIGATOR’S STORYTIME The Alligator’s Mouth, Richmond Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays Free | Age 2-6 thealligatorsmouth.co.uk This recently opened children’s bookshop offers regular storytelling slots
featuring a choice selection of picture books plus a poem and/or song.
DINO SNORES Hintze Hall, National History Museum July 18 (6.45 pm) £60 (members £54) | All ages | nhm.ac.uk Ever wondered what goes on at the museum when everyone has gone home?
Come and find out at this exciting sleepover for kids. SPACE RACE WORKSHOPS Chickenshed Theatre July 27-29/August 3-5 £50 for each three-day session School years one to six chickenshed.org.uk These half-day workshops give children an exciting backstage experience
Tales from the Shed presents
Darnaby’s Space Race Thu 30 Jul - Sat 8 Aug
PARENT AND BABY FEST JW3, Finchley Road July 12 Free | All ages | jw3.org.uk
Summer shows and wo rk that are out of this wo shop rld! s Box Office: 020 8292 9222
www.chickenshed.org.uk Registered charity no:1012369
THE BEACH AT JW3 5 July – 31 August FREE ENTRY JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road, NW3 6ET London
www.jw3.org.uk/beach
Find us on facebook - www.facebook/todayschild.co.uk JW3-2015Beach-TCh.indd 1
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What’s on
A SELECTION OF FUN EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES FOR ALL THE FAMILY
working with the Tales from the Shed team as they prepare for their summer show, Darnaby’s Space Race (see p5). Using music, drama, puppetry and movement, kids can create their own stories from the world of Darnaby. SUMMER SHED Chickenshed Theatre July 27-31/ August 3-7 £130 (50% sibling discount) Ages 5 to 12
JW3, Finchley Road August 16 £7 | All ages | jw3.org.uk This event involves creating Noah’s Ark crafts and artwork using a wide range of materials to bring the story to life. It ends with storytelling on the beach with handcrafted puppets and props.
chickenshed.org.uk Participants will explore and develop a wide range of performance skills through workshops that involve drama, dance, singing and story-making. Parents and
friends will be invited to see a performance on the final afternoon. NOAH’S ARK CRAFT MAKING AND STORYTIME
Circus & Pirate Shows Extra Fun During The Summer Holidays See Website For Details
OPEN DAILY 10AM – 5.30PM TEA ROOM & FREE PARKING
T:01628 520188
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NR BEACONSFIELD, HP10 0LX (M40, J2)
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WIN D
COMPETITION
a FREE family ticket for four to Diggerland!
iggerland is an adventure theme park that prides itself on offering something fun for all ages, and with 18 rides and drives there really is something for everyone. You will have the opportunity to drive, ride and operate real JCB diggers, and you can even let the kids drive a real car during your time at the park. Experience the thrills of spinning around fast in a Giant Digger bucket on the Spindizzy ride, operating a Giant JCB 806 Digger, racing around in a Go-Kart, getting lifted 50 feet in the air by the Skyshuttle, whirling around on the Dig-a-Round carousel and so much more. Diggerland also boasts a Diggers’ Den indoor play area, Goodie Store souvenir gift shop and the Dig Inn restaurant.
WIN a
Skyra’s Mysterious Sky Castle
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tep into the magical land of Elvendale with the LEGO® Elves range. Emily Jones is a normal girl who unexpectedly finds herself transported into the elves’ mysterious world. Here she meets elfish friends, who must use their magic powers to help find the four missing keys to the portal that will help Emily return home. Help Emily make her way home through the obstacles in the amazing Sky Castle to reach the portal while Skyra, the guardian of the portal, watches on from above.
Emily and Naida have to make their way through the overgrown entrance, find the spa behind the waterfall with its secret door, reveal the enchanted staircase to get past the lava kitchen and overcome Golden Glow, Skyra’s protective Pegasus. LEGO® Elves is giving away a Skyra’s Mysterious Sky Castle (RRP £74.99) to one lucky Today’s Child reader. Give your children a chance to get involved in the adventures of Emily and her friends by entering this fantastic competition.
Win a £30 Tinyme voucher We have teamed up with Tinyme (tinyme.co.uk), makers of the world’s cutest personalised products for kids, to give away a £30 voucher. Perfect to stock up on name labels or a personalised bag for the new school year!
How to enter For a chance to win one of these great prizes, simply tell us which competition you would like to enter using the email/postal address details below by August 10. UK entrants only. Email: info@todayschildmagazine.co.uk Postal address: Today’s Child Magazine, Ashbourne House, Alberon Gardens, London, NW11 0AE View all our competitions on Facebook (facebook. com/todayschild.co.uk) for an extra chance to win. Good luck!
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PARENTING
PERSONAL STORY
Once, twice, three times
a mother... DESIREE SIMPSON-CASSIDY HAS EXPERIENCED MOTHERHOOD IN THREE VERY DIFFERENT FORMS
PHASE ONE I started my parenting apprenticeship aged 18. My pregnancy was unplanned and far removed from what people expected of me. When I think about it now as a 35-year-old woman, I’m filled with anxiety and turmoil. But in reality, my naivety allowed me to take each day as it came and sail through the pregnancy with minimal angst and physical challenges. The angst came later on from external sources. The father of my child wanted me to relocate to his city, while my family wanted me to stay close by. Five months into the pregnancy I discovered I was to have a
son. I suddenly had a new view of the situation. There was to be a son at the end of all this. There would be a boy who required all of me. My choice of location was now secondary to the fact that a little boy would be calling me Mum for the rest of my life. When the longevity of the situation hit me I changed overnight. It was as though someone had opened the curtains in a dark room. My 7lb 2oz bundle of fun arrived in 1999 after a 40-minute labour. Oh, the joys of a flexible, durable teenage body! I was a parent. We were parents. My mother had been my birthing partner, and even though she might not
admit it, I think she was quietly impressed at my approach to labour. When my dad came into the room, he beamed with pride at the sight of his firstborn grandchild. Having been blessed with two girls, he now had another male in the house to turn into a mini him. It was then, in that moment, that it hit me. My son was not going to have the family setup I had had the pleasure of growing up with. According to statistics, his parents would probably not remain together, so this lovely little boy would most likely be the product of a single parent household. My initiation into parental guilt had begun. Sixteen years on it’s still an issue. By the time I was in my late twenties I had managed to get a decent job working partly for central government and partly for the European Commission. My son was ten by this time. I had survived ten years raising this boy alone. He was and is fantastic. I know, I know. The bias is undeniable. But here we were, an unbreakable twosome. Then, when I least expected it, our little duo was to be blown out of the water.
PHASE TWO I had met a man! Mark 10
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Wahlberg never called, but I had met a real-life man, and he was also a single parent. Some women might have shied away from such a beast. However, one of the main reasons I hadn’t settled down or married was that I had never met anyone who was good enough for my son. I had chosen not to audition potential dads and expose my son to a conveyor belt of men. There’s no judgement here; it was just my choice not to do that. This man already had a child in his custody day in, day out, so I was able to sense what type of father he would be. We decided we wanted to be a family. I was to become a stepmum! Fortunately, my stepson was sympathetic to my new role and he most definitely gave me a grace period, for which I was very grateful. The most complex part of my new position was that my stepson did not see his biological mother. This was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because, due to her absence, he had limited understanding of the mother’s role, so his expectations were low. A
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MARK WAHLBERG NEVER CALLED, BUT I HAD MET A REAL-LIFE MAN, AND HE WAS ALSO A SINGLE PARENT
curse because, due to her absence, his expectations were low. My new mummy role was to show this little boy the love and commitment of a mother in a way he had never been shown before.
PHASE THREE After marrying in 2012, we gave our blended family time to find its feet. There were a few sweaty sock, don’t use my towel, don’t drink directly from the milk carton issues. But minor difficulties aside, our family was truly blended. In 2014, we decided that the final piece of the puzzle was to have a baby. Even the concept of planning a baby was new to me. The majority of lovely babies in my world were a ‘whoopsie daisy’. In January 2015, we were blessed with another son. I was now the mother of three boys. This experience was as far removed from my first experience as a mum as a member of The Only Way is Essex is from Stephen Hawking. He came five weeks early and with more stress and trepidation. In
1999, I was unable to google everything (including the colour of baby poo. Yes I have done that!). This newfound platform for self and baby diagnosis initially caused me to become somewhat neurotic. Five months on I am now at peace, and have realised that for millennia women have brought forth healthy children. And even though things you can and cannot do have changed massively since the end of the last century, I am perfectly capable of nurturing my baby, although sometimes I feel about as useful as an umbrella made of Edam. So my parenting CV is diverse. I have entered motherhood from three different directions. I have learnt from my failures and tried to avoid repeating them. I have one son currently sitting GCSEs, another who is a year younger but approaching 6ft 3, and a five-month-old trying to conquer weaning. My parenting spectrum leaves me feeling somewhat like Stretch Armstrong, only with better eyebrows. But each day I’m reminded how far this journey called parenting has taken me, and I will be forever thankful for it.
PARENTING
SwimFin ...tips for teaching your child to swim
Children love to swim and generally as a rule the earlier you get them into the water the better. When teaching your child in the water make sure your eye level is the same as your child's and always maintain a smile – kids pick up on negativity and angst so remember to reinforce the positive and never use negative comments. Lavish your child with praise in the water and you will see their confidence grow immensely. If you yourself are afraid of the water it’s important not to let your child see this and make sure you don’t tell anyone in front of your child (or indeed him or her) that they are afraid of the water – otherwise they will start to believe it. Most children’s fear of the water is generated unnecessarily by their parents or peers. If attending swimming lessons many parents find it difficult not to interfere when the child is crying during a lesson, the best thing to do if this happens is to leave it to the teacher and go and have a coffee! A good instructor will soon gain the trust of the child. A fun way to teach children to breath properly in the water is to use phrases like “talk to the fish” by blowing bubbles in the water, or “listen to the fish” by turning the head with an ear in the water and breathing in. If your child really doesn’t want to get into the water then don’t force them – play it down and suggest they sit on the side with their feet over the edge so they can kick and splash the water instead. Just sitting will increase their confidence – not every child wants to jump straight in! They will soon realise what fun the other kids are having and slowly but surely will want to get in themselves. It just takes time and patience. SwimFin aims to provide and encourage a fun learning experience for children and family members of all ages and abilities without being restrictive. Most importantly ensure your child is safe at all times – whether it be during a lesson, for recreational use at the weekend or on your summer holidays in a pool or down at the beach! Kids love pretending to be a shark so make learning to swim more of a game than a chore. SwimFin is used by instructors worldwide as it works across all 4 swim strokes. To buy please visit www.swimfin.co.uk RRP £21.99 – choice of 7 colours available!
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PARENTING
15 fun things to do during the T
HOLIDAYS 3
he summer holidays may present a few challenges for some parents. How do you keep the kids busy and happy throughout the long summer break? And how do you do it without breaking the bank? In addition to the entertainment ideas in our regular Out and About pages (p5), we’ve come up with a broad range of fun options for families this summer, come run or shine.
MAKE SOME CAKES
Children love working with food, even from quite a young age. Teach them the techniques they need to make their cakes but give them a free reign to decorate them in their own creative ways. Enjoy the sweet snacks out in the garden if it’s sunny, or tucked up safe indoors with a funny film if not.
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PAINT THEIR FACES
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Children love having their faces painted with wild and wacky designs. Go along to a local fair or, if you’re feeling arty, invest in your own face paints and give it a go yourself. You don’t have to be a budding artist to give your children and their friends a treat, and there are plenty of tips and online instruction videos to give you the inspiration you need.
GO FLY A KITE.
Making a kite can be really fun, but flying a kite is infinitely better. Why not head to your local park as a family or get involved in a kite flying event? Visit kitecalendar.co.uk to find out when and where you can join other kite fans around the country for a day of swooping and gliding.
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BUILD A SANDCASTLE.
Head to your nearest beach with a bucket and spade to see just how creative your kids can be. From moated castles to mermaids, the sand really is their oyster. Pack a picnic, take some money for ice cream and enjoy a wonderful day of sea, sand and rock pools this summer. Visit nearestbeach.co.uk to find everything you need to know about the beaches in your area. 12
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HAVE A GAME OF TENNIS
Tennis is an excellent sport to play in the summer and will keep the kids away from their tablets for hours on end. Suitable for players of all abilities, your children will enjoy tearing around the court. Make sure they have plenty of sun cream on and access to drinks if the sun is out.
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VISIT A THEME PARK There are a number of theme parks in and around London including Chessington World of Adventures (chessington.com), Legoland (legoland.co.uk) and Diggerland (di gerland.com). While not always cheap, a day out at a theme park will form fond memories that will last for years to come.
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TAKE IN A SHOW
There is something truly magical about watching a theatrical show or a musical. Make sure the play you choose is suitable for your children and consider talking them through the plot beforehand if it is complicated. Millfield Theatre (enfield.gov.uk/millfield) and Chickenshed (chickenshed.org.uk) are excellent family-friendly venues to take in a show.
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HAVE A BARBECUE
Food never tastes as good as it does when it’s been cooked on a grill. Invite the neighbours or friends over and make it a really special occasion. Try to ensure that there are options for those with special dietary requirements.
PARENTING
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CHILL WITH LEMURS
‘In with the Lemurs’ is a new walk-through exhibit at ZSL London Zoo that takes visitors on a journey through the Madagascan shrub forest. Get closer than ever before to the 15 ringtail lemurs and black-and-white ruffed lemur. Book online (tickets.zsl.org) to save money and avoid queues.
VISIT A CAPITAL CITY
Whether you’re staying put in the UK this summer or heading abroad, a day in the capital is always fun. See the sights, buy the T-shirts, and soak up the unique history and culture of whichever capital you find yourselves in.
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Take a train ride. Getting from A to B may seem dull to some, but children are often fascinated by trains and the sights they can see from them, particularly when it comes to steam trains. Challenge them to spot different animals or landmarks, and if it’s a long journey pack some fun games to play as a family. If your children are huge train fans, visit the Brockwell Park Miniature Railway (travelbpmr.com) any Sunday this summer.
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Get creative. Perhaps your children love writing, drawing or playing an instrument. Encourage them to develop their skills during the summer months, especially if they are complaining about being bored. Make sure you’re on hand to help out, find resources and offer praise to keep the momentum going.
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GO CAMPING
There is nothing more exciting for kids than sleeping outside. Pick a beautiful location, take long walks and enjoy being close to nature. Encourage your children to collect interesting woodland items or to do some birdwatching and then journal about their findings. Don’t forget to take wellies and rain jackets in case the weather turns, as well as marshmallows for evenings round the campfire.
SEE A CASTLE UP CLOSE Castles are great places to let your children’s imaginations run wild. The Tower of London and Windsor Castle are stacked full of history, while further afield you will find Arundel Castle, Dover Castle, Hever Castle and Leeds Castle (which is actually in Kent).
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Eat plenty of ice cream. There is no better companion on a summer’s day than a ‘99’, although you may end up spending a little more than 99p on ice cream flakes for your family. Alternatively, you could make ice cream or ice lollies at home and sample them in the garden. The kids will love making them just as much as they enjoy eating them.
For other fun activity ideas, check out The Ultimate Kids’ Bucket and Spade List from loveholidays.com here: http://bit.ly/1IxMwDQ. There will be a special prize for anyone who manages to tick off everything on the list! We’d love to see how you and your family spent your holidays on our Facebook page: facebook. com/todayschild.co.uk
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PARENTING
Summer LEARNING
T
he thought of having weeks off school fills most children with delight, but those involved in education are concerned about the effects of the ‘summer slide’ on children’s development. While physical slides are great fun, the summer slide can really set kids back. Tingli Lai, from supplementary education provider Kumon Educational (kumon.co.uk), says: ‘Studies estimate that as many as one in three children can fall behind as a result of a seven-week break from the classroom, and students can drop as many as 25 IQ points before and after the summer.’ Senior manager at Pearson, Dom Holdsworth, who helps manage The Maths Factor website (themathsfactor.com), says: ‘The summer slide is
absolutely at its worst in maths. Maths is something you need to do a little bit every day, particularly through the formative years.’ Many parents encourage their children to learn during the summer months, but find that they are constantly battling other activities. The tablet is often considered one of the biggest distractions, but perhaps there are ways to use the tablet as part of an education strategy. ‘Use The Maths Factor on the tablet,’ advises Dom. ‘The tablet is such a powerful learning tool because without the mediation of a keyboard you just remove a barrier to learning. Children love the intuitive way they can manipulate numbers and shapes.’ Carey Ann Dodah, head of curriculum at Explore Learning (explorelearning.
co.uk), also recognises the value of the tablet but recommends balance. ‘Whilst children can experience some rich learning experiences from their tablets, variety in learning sources are key and they are all around you; from completing basic household tasks like shopping and cooking to visiting the library, museums and parks.’
Can learning be fun? While children may initially seem reluctant to study 14
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during the holidays, they may be willing to knuckle down if it is a fun and rewarding experience. ‘Often what makes learning the most fun is having someone to share it with,’ Carey continues, ‘whether that’s a sibling, friend or parent. If you engage in an activity together you can keep talking about it, building on it and extending the learning beyond the event. Learning doesn’t have to be sitting at a desk with pen and paper. It can be from all manner of experiences and it can be child-led.’
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praise for their efforts and affirmation of their improvement…Children who are praised for making an effort can and will try harder, whereas children who are always praised for getting the right answers can feel like a failure when then do make a mistake… Another important thing is getting the level of challenge just right for the individual
After School Learning 2.indd 1
Kumon’s Giles Hardwidge agrees: ‘I think the role of parents and other adults is so important here…Your child is more likely to think that numbers are fun if you gave the impression that
they are. They are more likely to develop good reading habits if they see you reading regularly.’ He adds: ‘Children will enjoy the learning process if they are given concrete
child. To ensure the learning is a positive experience,01/05/2015 exercises should be reasonably manageable, so we are not setting the child up for failure…When the level is right, the child will experience learning as fun and rewarding.’ Dom questions the very idea that learning should be perceived as dull. ‘Learning is, of its
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12:34
PARENTING nature, fun. Children are designed by evolution to be curious about their world and to learn. At what point in a child’s life do we stop making it fun? The Maths Factor succeeds at re-establishing a child’s natural curiosity. Without ever trivialising maths, the site offers a fun, rewarding, and very supportive environment for the child.’
Educational options for your child There are plenty of ways to get your child learning over the summer. Kumon’s centres offer maths and English study programmes. ‘Our sessions run all year round so students can continue to attend class and progress through the programmes during the summer. Even if students go away for the holidays,
we will provide homework for them to bring along so that they do not lose their momentum of study,’ says Giles. According to Tingli, the Kumon method builds key skills through longterm daily study. ‘Using our specially designed worksheets, students practise every day the skills that make them more effective learners. We believe that building up with steady and consistent practice is more effective than cramming in spurts and starts.’ The After School Learning Centre (afterschoollearning.com) offers literacy (years one and two), English (years three to six), maths (years three to six), verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and 11+ exam techniques masterclasses during the summer months. These classes are great for
filling gaps in children’s learning or to help them get ahead before the new school year starts. The Maths Factor runs its core course all year round, as well as summer clubs from July 1 to September 30. ‘These are for children to recap what they’ve done over the last year. If they find their summer club too hard or too easy, they can just switch up or down a year as they need,’ explains Dom. Former Countdown cohost Carol Vorderman, who founded The Maths Factor, says: ‘Every summer since 2010 we’ve been helping thousands of children turn from strugglers into children who absolutely love maths. We have the evidence that this can be done in the course of six weeks. That’s not saying they’ll learn all their primary maths in six weeks, but they can learn a lot. And their attitude and their confidence
can absolutely be turned around… ‘They can watch my videos as often as they need to, until they really, truly grasp the concept. Above all, we encourage them to do a little every day, because all children need to succeed at maths is practice and confidence.’ Explore Learning offers personalised maths and English learning programmes throughout the summer holidays. ‘They are a great way to boost your child’s confidence, keep up or stay ahead during the summer break,’ Carey says. She adds: ‘A couple of hours a week make all the difference to preventing that learning slide. Children love taking part in the activities and working with their tutors. Most importantly they return to school with a good level of confidence, ready to start the new school term.’
Other fun ways to keep learning • Sign up to a Reading Chest (readingchest.co.uk) and spend time reading together every day • Encourage your kids to write postcards, a journal or a book • Measure out ingredients together as you’re cooking • Add up prices together as you wander round the supermarket • Play board games in which reading or simple maths are involved
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17
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Kids in families with
MENTAL ILLNESS
D
id you know that up to 66% of parents with a severe and enduring mental illness live with one or more children under the age of 18? This means that approximately 17,000 children and young people in the UK are directly affected by mental illness. Figures show that around 175,000 young carers in the UK are currently looking after a family member with mental health problems. Perhaps most worryingly, 10% of children and young people aged 5-16 have a diagnosable mental health disorder.
The pressure on parents
Mental health problems can add pressure to the already challenging process of parenting, maintaining relationships and, in some cases, to continue in paid employment. Ordinary daily tasks such as washing, cleaning and cooking can seem overwhelming for many parents, particularly those with mental illness, and those with severe conditions may even find themselves hospitalised and separated from their children for a time. The need to put their children first can cause parents to forget to take much-needed medication, or may make them feel increasingly tired and unable to think clearly. 18
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A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MENTAL ILLNESS CAN HELP FAMILIES THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS OFTEN A STIGMA ATTACHED TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, WHICH CAN MAKE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR FAMILIES TO BATTLE
Some children grow up with parents who experience short periods of anxiety or depression, while others live with mums, dads or siblings who have severe and long-lasting illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. For some, mental health problems
are coupled with alcohol or drug dependency, which adds an additional layer of complexity.
The pressure on children
Living with a parent or sibling with a mental health problem can be distressing for children, particularly if
HEALTH & WELLBEING
How can we protect our children?
to carry around mounds of information in their With the right support, many children are able heads. It can also help to live with parents or siblings who are experiencing to have contact details mental illness without too many difficulties. The key is for close friends to enlist the right help and support as soon as possible. It and family so that may help to talk to the child’s teachers and other influential children have a family members and friends to ensure that they are on support network in hand to help when needed and that they have a full place should they understanding of the situation. need it. This also Many mental health agencies take a ‘whole family’ approach benefits the parent, in the support they offer, including children and other family who may feel less members in the treatment of their parents so that they anxious knowing do not feel alone and overwhelmed. Some children find their children will be the support of faith communities or young carers’ cared for should they groups really beneficial. It often helps if they are become too ill to do this able to talk to kids of their own age who are themselves. experiencing similar situations, as well Another key point is that enjoying social activities with children should be briefed well them. before visiting a parent in hospital if he or she is admitted as an inpatient to a mental health unit. This can be a disturbing experience for children, so it is important that they know what to • Live in poverty expect in terms of the way the building • Feel insecure looks, the way their parent may • Worry about their parent(s) or behave differently, the effects of any sibling medication they may be taking and • Be bullied at school how other patients on the ward may • Miss out educationally and socially they are too young to understand what behave. Where possible, it is best if because they have to care for their is happening and why. Kids who are children can see their parents within a parents or sibling living with parents who are mentally family room rather than on the ward. • Be reluctant to ask for help in unwell may feel unsupported and case they are separated from their isolated during difficult periods, and parents this can lead to anxiety and distress in Get the help your the children as well as in their parents. family needs Unfortunately, there is often a stigma attached to mental health issues, which Giving them the facts It’s important for parents can make it even more difficult for The more factual information children who are suffering with families to battle. have about their parents’ mental mental health issues to seek Studies have shown that some illness the better. Some parents are help from social services children living with parents who have concerned that they will overburden or mental health organisasevere and enduring mental illness their kids by telling the whole truth, tions who can offer excellent face greater levels of emotional, but children tend to be more anxious advice and support. psychological and behavioural if they don’t have the full picture. It problems than other children and is good for children to be involved in It may be worth contacting: young people. This may be because writing up information sheets about aacap.org they inherit genes that make them the illness, including things that help barnardos.org.uk more vulnerable to mental ill health, their family members cope when they mind.org.uk but it could also be linked to their are not feeling well or simple daily sane.org.uk experiences of living with mental routine information for children to rethink.org illness. According to the Mental follow. together-uk.org Health Foundation, these children are Doing so gives families a chance to youngminds.org.uk more likely to: talk everything through and means that children do not feel they have Find us on facebook - facebook/todayschild.co.uk
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HEALTH & WELLBEING
‘‘
The importance of eating
seasonal foods was extremely lucky as a child to holiday in the south of France for two whole months in July and August. As a family of cooks, this meant discovering and cooking with local and seasonal products. French markets are a paradise for foodies and everyone else. The colours, smells and noises are so vibrant you could spend hours sampling the food and chatting to shouting merchants who always make
you try their fruits, cheeses or bread before you buy them. I specifically remember a small yellow and pink plum called ‘Mirabelle’; a sweet, juicy fruit from the Lorraine region. You only find it in the last two weeks of August in France, but its short season makes it extra special. You make the most of it in those two weeks and eat it with appreciation because you know that it’ll be gone before you realise. I remember that 30 years
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AVOID EATING TASTELESS, UNSEASONAL FRUIT AND VEG, URGES FABIENNE VINER-LUZZATO
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I REFUSE TO BUY TASTELESS IMPORTED STRAWBERRIES FOR MY CHILDREN IN THE WINTER
ago you could only buy strawberries, raspberries and peaches during the summer. You could only find and eat good summer fruits in the summer and winter fruits in the winter. Unfortunately, a lot of fruit and vegetables are imported these days or grown in greenhouses. They are treated to look nice but are often picked before they develop their full flavours. This is a real shame because you do not experience the real taste when they are bought out of season. Many people spend so much money buying expensive summer fruits in winter that have absolutely no taste that they do not experience the excitement of eating a fruit they have been waiting a few months for any more. I refuse to buy tasteless imported strawberries for my children in the winter. I often tell them that they wouldn’t organise a barbecue or have a bouncy castle in the winter, which is the same as eating
summer fruits in winter. Eatseasonably.co.uk provides a colourful seasonal calendar and gives information of what to eat and grow in your garden depending on the season. Children who attend my cooking lessons love to look at the ‘eat seasonably’ calendar behind my kitchen door. We often go to Borough Market with my family. It’s a fantastic trip. There you find fruitmongers selling the most beautiful seasonal products, fantastic cheese shops, quality meat and fish, and wonderful homemade bread. In the summer, the tomato stall can be up to two metres long. I recently took my children along, and we bought fresh basil and oregano, juicy tomatoes, high-quality olive oil, fresh pasta, onions and delicious parmesan. We prepared a homemade tomato sauce (see p21 for recipe) and enjoyed our dinner altogether. We fully appreciated the experience and my children were eager to know when we can go back. Fabienne Viner-Luzzato recently co-wrote children’s cookbook Steamer the Cooking Wizard. Visit homecookingbyfabienne. co.uk for more information and follow her on Twitter @FabienneCooks
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Is your child reaching their potential?
Little
CHEFS
C
ooking allows kids to explore the sounds, smells, textures and tastes involved in creating great food. Cooking together can also bring up other important issues such
as safety, hygiene, cleaning up, minimising waste and nutrition. Here are some fantastic recipes to try out with your kids this summer…
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Fresh tomato sauce 1 large onion 6-8 cloves of garlic 30g fresh basil 1 tbs dried oregano 8 tbs olive oil 1.5kg juicy tomatoes or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes plus 100g of tomato puree 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt Pinch pepper 1 Slice the onions and fry with olive oil. Cook until golden brown. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Stir well. 2 If you are using chopped and concentrated tomato, add two tins of water. For
fresh tomato add 250ml of water. 3 Add salt, sugar, pepper and dried oregano. 4 Boil, then simmer for about half an hour, stirring regularly. 5 Add the fresh basil and blend if you prefer a smooth sauce. Courtesy of Today’s Child columnist Fabienne VinerLuzzato (see p20) Find us on facebook - facebook/todayschild.co.uk
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PAGE TITLE
Cheesecake rockets 75g butter 250g digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs 2 tbs soft light brown sugar 800g full fat cream cheese Zest of 1 lemon ½ tsp vanilla extract 800ml double cream 75g icing sugar 12 lolly sticks 600g milk, white, dark or coloured chocolate A selection of cake sprinkles 1 Place the butter in a large pan, set over a low heat and melt gently. Add the digestive crumbs and sugar, mix
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well, then remove from the heat. Firmly and evenly press the mixture into the base of the cake tin, then refrigerate to set. Place the cream cheese in a large bowl, add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix well until mixture becomes slightly looser. Pour the cream into a separate bowl, sift in the icing sugar and mix well until almost the same consistency as the cream cheese. 2 Add the cream to the cheese mixture and mix gently until just combined. Turn onto the biscuit base, smooth the top, cover the cake tin with cling film and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours, or until firm. 3 Line 2 baking trays with parchment
paper. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and cut into 12 wedges. Insert a lolly stick into the wide end of each wedge, place on the trays and leave in the freezer for 1 hour. 4 Break the chocolate into heatproof bowls and melt over a pan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowls touch the water). Working quickly, dip each wedge into the chocolate, ensuring it is evenly coated all over. Place biscuit base-side down on wire racks and leave to set. Partially dip in melted chocolate again, if required, to create the layered effect, decorate with cake sprinkles and leave on the wire rack to set. Can be stored in the freezer and defrosted before serving.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Handful of mint 1 Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/400째F/200째C. Grease and line a 24cm cake tin. 2 Crush the biscuits, tip into a bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press this mixture evenly and firmly into the base of the cake tin and place in the oven to prebake for 10 minutes. 3 Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool.
Courtesy of lakeland.co.uk
Blueberry muffins 300g self-raising flour 100g cold butter 100g fine caster sugar 150g fresh blueberries 140ml milk 2 large eggs 1 tbs vanilla extract 1 tbs baking powder 1 tbs baking soda Pinch of salt 1 Line a baking tray with muffin paper liners and preheat the oven to 1600C.
4 Put 3 tablespoons of lemon juice into a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatine over the top, then place the bowl in a small saucepan with 2.5cm simmering water and stir until it dissolves.
Courtesy of Chris Jones at Chefs Jobs UK
Lemon ricotta cheesecake Finely grated rind and juice of 3-4 lemons 350g ricotta cheese 11g sachet Dr. Oetker gelatine powder 60g caster sugar 275ml double cream 225g sweet oat biscuits 100g melted butter Lemon slices
5 Put the sugar and ricotta into a food processor and blend, then add the lemon zest, remaining lemon juice and gelatine. Blend again until absolutely smooth. 6 Whisk the double cream in a large bowl until you get a soft, dripping consistency, then add to the rest of the cheese mixture and blend again for a few seconds. 7 Pour the mixture over the biscuit base, cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. 8 Decorate with lemon twists and
2 Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 3 Add the eggs one at a time, folding them in gently. 4 Add the vanilla extract and milk, then sieve the flour and fold it into the mixture a little at a time. This is a great point for kids to get involved as, when it comes to muffins, the less you mix, the better it is. 5 Mix in the blueberries, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. 6 Spoon into the muffin liners, filling each one about halfway and then pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Test by sticking a skewer in the middle. If it comes out clean they are ready. 7 Leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
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DEVELOPMENT
Learn a new skill:
LANGUAGES
WE ALL KNOW CHILDREN PICK UP LANGUAGES QUICKLY, BUT WHEN IS THE IDEAL TIME TO TEACH THEM A SECOND LANGUAGE?
S
tatistics show that preschoolers, toddlers and even babies respond well to learning languages other than their mother tongue. Whether you are part of a bilingual partnership or not, exposing your child to other languages could have untold benefits. Speaking a second language is believed to boost cognitive, memory and listening skills. Those who speak more than one language often have better career prospects and standards of living, and some medical professionals even claim that learning languages can help to prevent dementia in later life.
The easy option
Many parents are reluctant to sit their children in front of the television, but there may be ways of making TV watching an educational experience. Programmes like Dora the Explorer offer an easy way to expose children to other languages from the comfort of your own home. More adventurous parents may opt to play foreign radio stations or international TV channels in a bid to expand their children’s minds.
Informal language lessons Perhaps you have an au pair who spends a lot of time with your
children, or maybe you are friends with parents who have recently moved to the UK from another country. If so, you could offer to help them with their English proficiency in exchange for informal language lessons for your child. It’s amazing what children can pick up and this is a great way for you and your child to experience new cultures and traditions.
Formal study
It may seem as though your child has his or her hands full trying to learn the native tongue, but it’s surprising how broad kids, minds are when it comes to learning new skills. There are plenty of language teaching organisations that cater for younger learners, so if you’re serious about giving your child access to a second language it may well be worth enrolling him or her on a fun and educational course that teaches children in an accessible way.
Popular second language courses German: While spelling can prove tricky, German is an interesting language to learn and offers plenty of scope in Europe for travel and employment Arabic: Widely spoken across the globe, many employers are actively seeking English and Arabic speakers Japanese: Tricky to read and write, the characters used to write the language often appeal to younger learners Spanish: There will be countless opportunities for children to speak Spanish across the globe as they grow older. Learning Spanish also makes it easier for them to learn French, Italian and Portuguese should they wish to do so Mandarin: With such a large number of Mandarin speakers around the world, it is likely that more and more people will learn it in the years to come. It is not an easy language to learn, but early exposure can really help
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25
DEVELOPMENT
BOOKS about
Pirates
AVAST ME ’EARTIES! DEBBIE YOUNG BE RECOMMENDIN’ SOME TOP PIRATE TALES. LILY-LIVERED LANDLUBBERS BEWARE!
P
arents and grandparents raised on piratical classics from Captain Pugwash to Treasure Island can easily relate to a child’s passion for pirates. But before conducting your children on their first voyage, make sure you’re not steering them towards sleepless nights. Young children can find it hard to tell the difference between cartoons and reality. Watching Disney’s Peter Pan when I was about five sentenced me to many months of checking under my bed to ensure Captain Hook wasn’t lying in wait. That movie is probably also to blame for my abiding fear of crocodiles. I’m still waiting to grow out of that one! I must have passed my vivid imagination on to my daughter, who for a long time gave pirate stories a wide berth. My assurances that ‘Pirates aren’t real; they’re only in stories’ was rumbled when she caught a radio news report about hostages taken by modern Ethiopian pirates. People say that you get better pictures on the radio than on telly, and she pictured Captain Hook lookalikes in frilled shirts and breeches threatening the unfortunate yachtsmen. Modern pirates notwithstanding, J M Barrie’s Peter Pan and Robert Louis Stevenson’s seminal Treasure Island 26
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remain the go-to children’s classics about pirates, and are suitable for a younger and older audience. Here’s a quick romp through some other piratical tales to please all ages.
Jolly pirates for younger children Port Side Pirates (Barefoot Books) is a bestseller written by Oscar Seaworthy (really!) and illustrated in glorious seafaring colours by Debbie Harter. I have heard a different version of the verse that forms its text. When my daughter was a Brownie, it was a popular campfire song. This book is gently educational, providing a labelled diagram of a pirate ship and some fun historical facts. For the braver child, The Beastly Pirates by John Kelly is a bit of scary fun (Bloomsbury). Here the tables are turned on villainous pirates, who are pursued by a ship full of pirate-eating monstrous animals! The vocabulary
is sophisticated for the target age group – you’ll probably have to explain ‘halitosis breath’, ‘hogwash’ and ‘cut-throats’ (yuk!) – and the pictures are not for the fainthearted. It even includes a warning on the back cover: ‘This is most certainly NOT a book for bedtime.’ Read it at your peril! Considerably less nightmarish is Jonny Duddle’s lively collection of books about the Jolley-Rodgers family, The Pirates Next Door (Templar). This series puts a much friendlier face on all things piratical, underpinned by sumptuous, affectionate illustrations. Duddle, clearly a would-be pirate
DEVELOPMENT himself, has also produced various activity books. While some of his stories are simple picture books, others are more suitable for independent readers, so this is a great series to help children develop their reading skills. All are full of gentle humour that will delight adults and children alike. Continuing in a humorous vein, The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones (Puffin) by Will Mabbitt provides an anarchic narrative from a feisty, fearless young girl kidnapped by pirates and carried off to their eccentric ship in a sack. When I asked my daughter to give me her verdict on the book, she said (without looking up from it): ‘This book is like glue. Your eyes get stuck to it and you can’t put it down.’ Nuff said! On the non-fiction side, Piratology (Templar) by Dugald Steer (yes, another naval name!) provides a wealth of removable treasures to extract from this exquisitely crafted book, presented in the form of a sea journal from the fictitious Captain Lubber but packed full of facts. This hands-on learning experience will please aspiring pirates of all ages, but is best supervised if put in the hands of tinies to keep the book in good repair. It’s a bit pricey, but it is beautifully produced and will be read over and over.
Bounty for grown-ups Does anyone ever really grow out of their passion for pirates? I think the wild popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean films answers that question. For this reason, English novelist Helen Hollick, best known for her historical novels, has written an excellent pirate fantasy series expressly for adults. Loveable rogue Jesemiah Acorne and his Cornish sweetheart Tiola first take to the high seas in Sea Witch (SilverWood Books), and there’s a fast-growing series of sequels to enjoy. So once you’ve packed the kids off to bed with a not-too-scary piratical bedtime story, pour yourself a glass of grog, grab a ship’s biscuit and climb aboard.
Longer voyages for older readers Penned by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatchers (Walker Books) is an interesting prequel to JM Barrie’s classic, explaining features we take for granted such as how Peter Pan can fly and why he never plans to grow up. Another new take on an old classic is Helen Hart’s The Black Banner (SilverWood Books). Described as ‘Treasure Island for girls’, the apparent young hero, new deckhand Billy Baxter, is actually Becky Baxter in disguise. Interestingly, this feminist twist was echoed in the National Theatre’s excellent production of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic, in which, in good pantomime tradition, the male lead was played by a girl. We were lucky enough to see a live screening of the show in a small rural theatre on holiday, and it captivated the whole family.
The Hackney Pirates
Outings to historic ships, such as the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, will always spark children’s imaginations about life on the ocean wave, but there’s also a London bookshop and education centre that uses the stimulus of pirates to encourage children to enjoy reading. The Hackney Pirates’ Ship of Adventure (hackneypirates.org) is literally a shipshape shop, laid out to feel as if you’re aboard an ocean-going vessel. Also home to a charity that helps local children develop their literary skills, the space is available for hire as a party venue to excite any aspiring pirate crew.
DEBBIE YOUNG Debbie Young is an author, journalist, book blogger and founder of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival. Visit authordebbieyoung.com to find out more
HOME & LIFESTYLE
Get creative and forget
THE MESS
CLAIRE-MARIE LEWIS OFFERS SOME TOP TIPS FOR CRAFTING AT HOME
S
itting down to do crafts with the children can be as daunting as it is exciting. There is potential for amazing bonding over glittery masterpieces, but there is often a nagging worry that you will be finding sparkles in your carpet for centuries to come and that your designer wallpaper is about to be redesigned by a two-yearold. Some great advice for crafting with children is not to expect too much. Don’t settle down with paints, paper and brushes neatly arranged in rows at your dining table and expect them to obediently paint daddy, the dog or keep their hands away from the materials. Encourage creativity, make the activity exciting and, most importantly, join in with the fun. Clear a space on your kitchen floor or patio with big pieces of paper for drawing or painting on. Put your little one in a special apron or an old T-shirt and let them explore. Many online and local retailers stock non-toxic paints and glues to keep your little ones safe even if they decide to taste test their materials, or you can make your own paint using plain yoghurt and food colouring. Creative days don’t have to be planned well in advance. If the heavens open and your picnic in the park is no longer possible, take a look around the house for objects you can use for crafting. Try driving toy cars and trucks through paints and making a road picture using the tire tracks, or making vegetable stencils. You can even combine flour and water to make your own version of Play-Doh. Although it seems counterintuitive, it is a great idea to let your child be destructive during creative time; especially with younger children who
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WHY NOT TRY: • Make animal masks? Take some paper plates, colouring pens and safety scissors and use an online tutor ial to create a nature-inspired masterpiece • Rummage through your cardboar d recycling for items that you can cut up or build with? Cardboard space rock ets and princess crowns are always a hit and are easy to make • Experiment with different textures? You know how different paint and feathers or dried pasta and glue feel, but your toddler doesn’t. Find lots of different textures to play around the home, garden or local park. Pine cones, leaves, wooden spoons, butt ons, pipe cleaners and sponges are good examples • Go festive? Birthday cards are grea t options all year round, while decorated hardboiled eggs at Easter and tree decorations at Christmas are a great way to get your children involved • Try other creative activities? Cand le making, cross stitch, jewellery making, knitting, crochet, scratch art and science-related craft kits are popular with older children
are already exploring the world around them (and your behaviour boundaries) by making a mess around the house without your permission. Try tearing up newspaper, junk mail, old magazines or scrunching up tissue paper and putting it into a bowl of water so they can see what will happen. Try to explain that this sort of destructiveness is ok because you have given them permission to do it. Any masterpieces that survive the destructive phase should be displayed for grandparents, friends, neighbours and the rest of the world to see, even if it’s just for a short time. In the summer months your washing line will make a great art gallery and you can always make an indoor gallery in their bedrooms using string and pegs. If you’re social media savvy you can take pictures and post them for extended family and friends to admire. There are even websites that will turn your picture into a postcard or thank you card to send to the relative who provided your
little Picasso with the materials. Once the creating is complete and the destruction or display phase of the activity is over, there is always the cleaning up to do. This is all part of the fun, and letting toddlers help is a great way to teach them new skills and encourage responsibility. Pass them a cloth or a dustpan and brush and show them how paint wipes right off the floor and sparkles make their way back into the pot for next time. For really little ones, hand them a wipe to clean their hands and faces with and let them put their creating outfit into the laundry basket themselves. Overall, arts and crafts with your children should be rewarding and fun for everyone, so do what your family will enjoy most. If the carpet has to be cleaned afterwards and the children have to be bathed at three in the afternoon, embrace that moment as part of the joy of creating precious memories.
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HELP FROM THE PROFESSIONALS If you’re not feeling creatively inspired yourself but want your children to improve their arts and crafts skills this summer, a workshop can be an excellent option. Fired Treasures founder Ruth Sacks has seen the fruit of this over the years. ‘Doing a workshop with us introduces them to different techniques and materials that perhaps they wouldn’t use at home, especially the clay and the pottery,’ she explains. ‘We also sell some of the materials that they can use at home, so they can take an idea and adapt it. ‘We try to do something very creative and different from what they would have done at school or at home. It helps to have us here showing them how to use the different materials and the different effects they can get. Hopefully it’ll spark their imaginations and then they can use those ideas at home.’ The added benefit of an external workshop is the lack of clearing up involved. ‘Some parents don’t like to do arts and crafts at home because it can be a bit messy,’ says Ruth. ‘They can come here and make as much mess as they like because we have to clear it all up! ‘Out of mess comes creativity. If you’re not worrying about the mess and splashing paint here and there, you can free yourself up a little bit and be quite creative.’ Fired Treasures (firedtreasures.co.uk) is offering summer camps on Mondays (clay and pottery painting), Wednesdays (tie-dye, T-shirt design and silk painting) and Fridays (canvas art, foam clay and decopatch). These sessions run from 10.30am to 1.30pm and are suitable for children aged five and over.
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• Parties • Camps • After school clubs • Baby hand and foot keepsakes • Gifts • Coffee and cakes • Fun for all ages We are a fun and creative art studio, offering pottery painting and make-and-take items such as foam clay, canvas painting, T-shirt design and lots of other fun activities for the whole family. We specialise in baby hand and foot castings and have a range of lovely keepsakes to choose from so you can preserve those precious little hand and footprints forever. We run kids' camps and workshops throughout the longer school holidays, Easter, summer and Christmas to keep the kids busy and creative.
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HOME & LIFESTYLE
Everything you need to know about
childcare tax credits NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE FOR TAX CREDITS, WARNS MARTIN LEWIS
T
his is an important warning for anyone who pays for childcare. Major changes are due to take place this year, and you need to work our sooner rather than later how they will affect you. If you leave it too late, you could potentially miss out on thousands of pounds. You may think it an odd time of year to do this, with the summer holidays approaching. But actually this isn’t just for babies. School summer clubs for hairy, 16-stone, rugby-playing 15-year-olds (and that’s just the girls) can also count as childcare. Are you eligible for childcare tax credits? The most important start point is to check whether you’re entitled to what is technically called the ‘childcare element of working tax credit’. This is NOT the same as the child tax credit. You can usually claim it for children up to the age of 15 provided you pay for approved (Ofsted or equivalent) childcare. Sadly, the eligibility criteria are very complex. As a result, I’ve tried to distil them into a simple rule of thumb. If you’re a single parent
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working 16 or more hours a week, or a couple and you are both working 16 or more hours a week, and your total household income is under £46,000, you should definitely check out whether you’re entitled. Please read this carefully. I’m not saying that you are entitled, just that it is worth checking, as there is big money involved. The average payout is around £60 per week. That works out at more than £3,000 per year.
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THE AVERAGE PAYOUT IS AROUND £60 PER WEEK. THAT WORKS OUT AT MORE THAN £3,000 PER YEAR 30
the new scheme, get in quick. The new tax-free childcare scheme If you’re a single parent who works, or a couple where both of you work, and you each earn under £150,000, the government will add 20p for every 80p you put into a new childcare account. This can be used to pay for Ofsted-approved (or equivalent) childcare for under-12s. The maximum the government will contribute is £2,000 per child per year. Most childminders and after-school clubs are Ofsted-approved, as are many nannies.
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If you’re not entitled to tax credits, decide now which other scheme works for you This is where everything is changing. If you’re eligible for tax credits, you’re likely to be better off getting that. If not, there are other schemes to look at. This autumn, the new ‘tax-free childcare’ scheme launches and the current childcare vouchers scheme that allows many to pay for childcare from their pre-tax income will close for new applicants. So if you’re eligible for vouchers but won’t be for
The current childcare voucher scheme In this case, you usually trade in your pre-tax salary for vouchers. For example, a basic-rate taxpayer can swap £1,000 of his or her salary – which, after tax and national insurance, is only around £700 in your pay packet – for £1,000 of childcare vouchers. So you’re up £300 per £1,000. The maximum amount you can get is £55 a week per year per parent, which would be a gain of £930 for a basic-rate taxpayer. Any parent can do this, even if their partner doesn’t work, provided your employer offers it. But if you’re not signed up to this by the time the new scheme starts, you can’t do it afterwards. So if it’s right for you, get it sorted soon. Tax-free childcare versus childcare vouchers If you’re a couple and just one of you is working, the vouchers scheme wins hands down as you won’t be eligible for the new scheme. Plus, if your childcare costs are low, it’s likely the vouchers will win due to the tax and national insurance savings. However, for the self-employed, those whose firms don’t offer the vouchers, and those with more than one child and high childcare costs, the new scheme wins. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Full analysis of which option wins can be found at mse.me/childcare.
HOME & LIFESTYLE place to start is gov.uk/find-freeearly-education. If so, go to finder. familyandchildcaretrust.org for information about which childcare providers you can use under the scheme. You can then liaise directly with the provider to get your free childcare.
What about free childcare for threeand four-year-olds? The government recently announced plans to give working parents with three- and four-year-olds 30 hours of free childcare per week. If it becomes law, pilot schemes will start in September 2016, although there is some scepticism in terms of whether it
is deliverable. Yet for at least 38 weeks a year (each week of the school year), you are already entitled to 15 hours of free childcare a week if you have a three- or four-year-old. Families with a low income may also get free early education for two-year-olds. Contact your local council to check whether your child qualifies. A good
Is there help towards paying for summer schools? If you have older children and are working, check whether there are any summer schools in your area that they can go to. Some schools, community centres and youth groups have their own schemes. Most are Ofsted (or equivalent) registered, so if you pay for them, you qualify for childcare tax credits or you can use childcare vouchers to pay for them. Martin Lewis is the founder and editorin-chief of Money Saving Expert. To sign up for Martin’s weekly money tips, visit www.moneysavingexpert.com/ latesttip
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Today's Child June.indd 1
01/07/2015 12:17
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31
HOME & LIFESTYLE
Product reviews Caboodle Changing Bag
Babytec electric breast pump Having seen electric breast pumps retailing for well over £100, I had to consider that the Babytec was substantially less expensive. I wondered whether that would equate to lower quality. Happily, I have discovered that cheaper, in this case, is just the first in a long list of reasons to invest in this product. Firstly, the pump is easy to assemble and disassemble, and cleaning it is a breeze as there are no long tubes to consider. You can use this pump in three ways: plugging it into the wall, using the battery pack or plugging it into the USB port in your car or laptop (the cord for this is not supplied). There is little Babytec could have done to make this more portable. The pump has an automatic cycle imbedded, which begins when you
simply press the on button, although this can be overridden by pressing the plus and minus buttons to suit your needs. The motor makes some noise during use, but not an unreasonable amount. The suction is gentle and has been designed to mimic the way a baby naturally feeds. I found that while it doesn’t feel much like breastfeeding it isn’t painful or uncomfortable like many other suction pumps can be. The instruction manual included is easy to follow and offers some great breastfeeding tips for anyone who is new to the world of expressing. I would have liked to have a bag or box to keep the pump in when out and about since it’s important to keep the pump as sterile as possible. ★★★★★
When I opened up the caboodle changing bag I was struck by how much smaller than my current bag it was (42cm wide, 28cm high and 18cm deep). I was worried that it wouldn’t fit everything I needed inside, but I was unduly apprehensive. The bag is deceptively spacious and the coated Gucci nylon makes for a very sturdy bag. I generally carry a packet of wipes, up to 10 nappies, a travel changing mat, a spare outfit for the little one, muslins, a bottle of expressed milk and my own essentials, which all fit very neatly. Without the extra room to carry nonessentials, this bag is much lighter than my previous one, which is definitely a good thing. The changing mat included is much more padded than any others I have had without taking up acres of space, and the bottle warmer is handy but quite large for those of us carrying 6oz bottles. There are several internal pockets to keep things separated and easy to locate with one hand when pushing the buggy or juggling a grizzly baby with the other! The front exterior pockets look great, but as they don’t have a secure fastening (only one popper) I don’t think I will be using them to store anything more valuable than a packet of tissues. I would highly recommend this stylish and practical bag. ★★★★★
Like many other young, professional mummies, Claire-Marie Lewis spends hours trawling the internet for safe, stylish products that her friends will coo over and her son will love (before explaining to his daddy why they are absolutely necessary!). It’s not an easy task, but it’s one she thoroughly enjoys.
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Hot Summer
PICKS
THESE USEFUL AND ATTRACTIVE ITEMS WILL GET YOUR CHILD’S SUMMER OFF TO A GREAT START. HELP THEM LOOK AND STAY COOL WITH THESE TOP PICKS
Striped Towelling Hooded Pull Ons Handy for the beach or pool, these hooded towelling robes will enable your child to warm up and dry off quickly after a dip. 1-6 yrs, £18 jojomamanbebe.co.uk
Twister Picnic Blanket This must-have picnic accessory will provide hours of fun for all ages. Included is a Twister spinner ready for everyone to join in for a game once the picnic has been scoffed. £18 thegreatgiftcompany.co.uk
SwimFin Check out the latest lime version of SwimFin, designed to help children and adults learn to swim. Worn on the back, it works in harmony with the body and provides total freedom around the arms. 2 yrs and over. £21.99 swimfin.co.uk
Mr Potato Head Beach Bucket Set Take Mr Potato Head to the beach with this delightful bucket set. Use him to make sandcastles or simply have fun playing with his detachable arms and ears. £7.99 argos.co.uk
Sizzlin’ Cool 8ft Fast Set Pool This pool offers hours of outdoor fun for children and is ideal for cooling off and chilling out in the summer sunshine. Quick and simple to set up, this pool is a priceless garden accessory. £29.99 toysrus.co.uk/babiesrus
Giant Inflatable Swan Have fun in the sun with this giant inflatable swan, which is large enough to relax and lounge on in the water. £52 oliverbonas.com Personalised Tinyme drink bottles The ultimate companion for Tinyme’s personalised bag range (see p34), choose from hundreds of cute designs. These bottles are BPA-free and perfect for little hands. £17. tinyme.co.uk
Just In Case holiday journal Encourage your children to capture their summer escapades in this beautiful holiday journal. £8.00 paperchase.co.uk
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Summer
HOME & LIFESTYLE
MAGIC
WHETHER YOU’RE AT THE BEACH, PARK OR SPENDING TIME IN THE GARDEN, THESE TRENDY ITEMS WILL HELP YOUR LITTLE ONES MAKE THE MOST OF THE FINE WEATHER IN COMFORT AND STYLE Fish Print 2-Piece Sunsuit Days at the beach are twice as fun with this cute UPF 50+ sunsuit, which provides 98% UVA and UVB protection. 6mths to 6yrs. £21 jojomamanbebe.co.uk
Strawberry Tutu Bodysuit This gorgeous strawberry themed bodysuit and matching hat is perfect for holidays. 0-18mths. £10 mandco.com
Personalised Tinyme bags Mix a dash of adventure, a taste of the great outdoors and a splash of fun and you get this adorable new bag range from Tinyme. Prices and sizes vary. tinyme.co.uk
Two Pack Check and Neon Shorts These trendy shorts are perfect for long summer days. 100% cotton3mths-6yrs, £12 - £13. next.co.uk
F&F Shark Print Short Sleeve Shirt This lightweight and durable cotton shirt features an all over shark print. 5-14 yrs. £7-£9 clothingattesco.com Younger Girls Pink Glitter Sandals These sandals are on-trend this season and will be popular with little princesses across the land. £10. bhs.co.uk
I t y t
P y w g t
I f
Toddler Hooded Towel: Owl This will put a smile on your little one’s face at bath time. Suitable from birth, it is made from soft and absorbent cotton. £19.99. beckyandlolo.co.uk
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