LEAF RUBBINGS Now that Spring is on its way, why not take your little ones out to the park to explore the great outdoors and extend their understanding of the natural world. Bring along a sheet of paper and wax crayons, and whilst you’re out gather as many different types of leaves as you can….

BROCCOLI CHEESE BITES Children love to cook. It’s creative and there’s something tasty to eat at the end of it. As you cook, chat about healthy eating and home-cooked food, and introduce simple mathematics as you weigh and count the ingredients out. Ingredients 1 broccoli, broken into florets 100g cheddar cheese 10 cheesy crackers, such…

GET CREATIVE How can you encourage your children to develop creativity? Encourage their interests and play styles Children make sense of the world by acting out familiar scenes around them. Encourage such play, whatever your child’s play style or interest, as it’s an important part of learning. Let them explore the world around them Children…

A GREAT NIGHT’S SLEEP When your child hasn’t slept well, they don’t quite seem like themselves, their concentration is reduced and this has a huge impact on their ability to learn and have fun.  Our tips will help you achieve a great night’s sleep! Keep to a routine. Children love routines; a “goodnight routine” tells the…

FESTIVE CHEESE STARS Who doesn’t love star shaped things? These little cheese stars will go down well on Fireworks Night or can be made for Christmas too. All you need is a sheet of ready made puff pasty (at room temperature), some grated cheese and a little flour to dust the work surface. Encourage your…

Making Sandwiches The humble sandwich is a very good place to start when introducing little ones to cooking. No special ingredients are needed and there is no heat involved! Encourage your child to wash their hands before you start. Provide a couple of different fillings so that your child can choose – this will give…

Painting Outside This is a great activity for a sunny day and so easy to organise. Simply dress your little ones appropriately and give them a small beach bucket with some water in. Show them how to use a big brush (decorating ones are great) to paint just about anything! The path, the shed, the…

Shelling peas is a great thing to do with young children.  There are valuable lessons about where food comes from, it’s great for developing fine motor skills and also it’s a great activity to do while you chat. You may find a reluctant talker opens up a little when doing an easy, repetitive activity like…

Parents’ Tips & Tricks… Making Bathtimes Fun The bath tub can be a great playground for watery adventures. Here are our suggestions for upping the fun factor at bath times! • Use a bath time song to create a special bath time routine, which will make bathing easier for your child. • Turn bath time…

Breakfast Sundaes Try making these nutritious Breakfast Sundaes with your child for a weekend breakfast treat. They use ingredients that you probably already have and there is no heat involved. • Encourage your child to wash their hands. • Gather together your ingredients: your child’s favourite cereal, a pot of yoghurt and some fresh or…