Encouraging children to sing? Singing is one of the most joyful activities we can do. It’s been a part of our human heritage for thousands of years. Encouraging children to sing and helping children to develop their own voices is a great way for parents to support the growth of self-assured and confident youngsters and to give them a creative outlet to express themselves. So read on to find out some tips and tricks. The benefits of singing There are many benefits of singing that have been identified over the years, not just for individuals but for communities too. Singing […]
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Easy ways to prevent childhood obesity in young children
Let’s face it, lockdown has not been kind to many of us in terms of our mental health. We have struggled with isolation or missing loved ones. For some of us, there has been a double negative blow to our health as we piled on the pounds with lack of exercise and general movement. Many of us comforted ourselves with food and our bodies have paid the price. As adults, we can be more conscious of this and finally return to the gym or reduce our calorie intake. Many of our children are still suffering with maintaining a healthy weight. […]
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Write a letter to Queen Elizabeth II for her Platinum Jubilee
Have you ever thought about writing a letter to The Queen? Do you know how to address it? What would you like to say? And if you don’t already know, The Queen has multiple residences, so where would you send it? Every year, Queen Elizabeth II receives hundreds of thousands of letters, not only from her British and Commonwealth subjects but from many different people across the world. A lot of the letters that The Queen receives come from children, and every letter gets a personal response. So in this platinum jubilee year, is it time you wrote to Her […]
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How to deal with rude people
Rude people! Don’t you just love them? You know the ones I mean – the ones who always push in front of you in the checkout queue or the ones who just can’t resist talking over you, AND they never listen to anyone but themselves. And boy, they don’t half think they’re right all the time. Moaning on about just how terrible you are and how they know best and would do things so much better than you. It’s enough to curdle the milk! But they’re the ignorant ones, right? They’re the ones who need to grow up. Let’s face […]
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Children’s Mental Health Week 2022
There has been a lot of coverage in the media about mental health in recent years which we welcome as the topic finally comes off the ‘taboo’ list. The pandemic has only exacerbated the problem as people have struggled with lockdowns, redundancies, and loneliness. However, there has also been increasing concern across many factions about the deterioration in the mental health of our children. In the last year, we may have developed treatment strategies, coping mechanisms, and vaccines to tackle the virus, but we are also still years away from understanding the full impact that restrictions, school closures, and limited […]
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National Storytelling Week 2022
National Storytelling Week 2022 “Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.” 29th January – 5th February 2022 Do you remember hearing this phrase as a child and understanding that it meant a story? Even if you are too young to remember the original children’s BBC radio programme called “Listen with mother”, which this phrase came from, or you do not live in the UK, you can appreciate that for over 30 years, it was the cue for children of all ages to settle down and listen to nursery rhymes, songs, and of course, stories. Stories and storytelling telling are immensely […]
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Celebrating the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere
One month of the year that we all look forward to is June – warm weather, lighter evenings and hopefully, a long-awaited summer holiday if COVID and travel restrictions allow! But we love June in our house because It is also the month of the Summer Solstice – a ‘magical’ day called ‘the longest day of the year’ which officially marks the start of summer. Here’s the astronomy bit Sometimes, we humans can be a little ‘slow to catch on’. It was only in 1543, that the astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, explained his then ‘radical’ theory of the universe in which […]
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30 ways to celebrate International Friendship Day
If there is one thing this pandemic has shown us, it’s that we need our friends – not just the ones we know, but the ones we have yet to meet! As many of us were locked down over the last 18 months, (and some places of the world still are), we began to realise that it really is the little things that mean a lot – a hug, a genuine smile, a friendly pat on the back. These things matter because these are the things that really make us feel good – not our car, our house or our […]
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Simple ways to have fun with food this summer
Simple ways to have fun with food this summer As the famous song says: “Roll out those, lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer Those days of soda and pretzels and beer!” Hooray, summer has finally arrived here in the UK, and thermometer mercury levels are on the up faster than a third wave COVID graph! And somehow, through it all, we are all still looking forward to enjoying a cool beer after work as the nights get warm and balmy. And let’s face it, we could all do with a break, albeit another ‘staycation!’ Looking on the bright side, in […]
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Ten ways to celebrate National Simplicity Day
National Simplicity Day When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses? Yesterday? Last week? Or so long ago you can’t really remember? Have you EVER stopped to smell the roses? Or is the thought of switching off from daily life, unplugging from the internet and social media, something that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy? Then it’s time you heard about National Simplicity Day! On July 12th, many people will celebrate National Simplicity Day – the birthday of Henry David Thoreau, an American philosopher, naturalist, and ardent advocate for simple living. They will switch off their mobiles […]
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