2011 June

Father’s Day Pint a Pasta!

June 17, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

It might be your husband’s, or partner’s first, you might have a bump or you might be with your all the family. One thing for sure is that Fatherhood should be celebrated.

Remembering the Department of Health guidelines on weaning and with every health initiative, there’s so much more you can do with your five a day.

I am going to show how the whole family can enjoy a meal together – hot or cold.

Here’s what you will need:- Penne pasta, carrots, peas, and mince beef, tinned tomatoes, grated cheese for topping, oregano optional. For pudding, strawberries, banana, blue berries, mango and yoghurt, ice-cream or cream.

Weaning tip: Leave it out!
When cooking for the family always season after cooking, that includes that water that you cook in. Never add salt to your babies cooking. There is hidden salt and sugar in so many foods. Always read the labels.

Adults only!
When you are out shopping look at all the seasoning and spice section and add to your collection each week. A splash of chilli sauce can go a long way.

Fresh herbs are great and have many health benefits. You can even grow your own, seeds are cheap and fun to grow on your window sill.

Dad’s pint of pasta
2 pints of uncooked Penne pasta
2 tins of plain chopped tomatoes
1 pint of water
1 pint of frozen peas
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
Splash of olive oil
1 packet of fresh mince beef (300g)
Large sauce pan with lid
1 Pint glass, wooden spoon, can opener, peeler, cheese grater, sharp knife and Common sense!

Roll the mince meat into approximately 8 ping-pong size balls.
Heat the oil in the saucepan and add the meatballs, brown them (it will take as long as finding the can-opener).

Turn the heat down.
Add all the other ingredients and gently simmer for 40 minutes.

Just enough time to lay the table, clear-up and let you say ‘where’s the oregano?’ and grate the cheese.

Remember to stir it half way. If you’re already a confident cook you can add some oregano with the tomatoes.

Pudding can be strawberries, blue berries, mango and ice-cream – share if you dare! But don’t forget the baby – lucky you got that banana!

For further information on weaning and the Department of Health guidelines visit www.theweanmachine.com

Parenting Magazine Flying Start
USA online@flyingstartmagazine.co.uk

Filed Under: Featured

The Changing Face of Educational Play

June 17, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

“And the dinosaur said move out the way”…“It had a big round head with 3 eyes”…“1 person could be the bear, the other people have to stay in their tent”……“I would get a cube, and another cube, stick it on the back and then…!”…”What’s it called? The square thing in 3D? Cube? Yes cube!”…“We put it in the tube and then it would go down with the water because the water pushes it with gravity.”

The ability that children have to turn imagination and play into learning is a source of wonder for any adult. Who’d have thought that a group of Early Years and Key Stage 1 children from Bedgrove Primary School in Aylesbury would have met learning objectives relating to physical development and discovery through games of dinosaurs, pirates, bears and dens? But that’s exactly what happened when they tried the new range that is changing the face of education play. Bedgrove met Poddely!

Teacher Jenny Barnett tells us more: “The children chose to use Poddely during a Child Initiated Learning session outside. A group began building a ‘bridge trail’ using Poddely and a range of other resources. This activity allowed for a range of learning opportunities. The children worked together in a large group for a sustained period of time (approx 25 mins), as teachers we were able to observe the groups interactions and those children demonstrating leadership skills. The children experimented with how to best construct the trail discussing the merits of particular parts for height, sturdiness and safety. These quotes were heard as part of the conversation: “Don’t use the prisms, they don’t work as well as the cubes because they are not sturdy”… “Choose the side of the cube with fewer holes – this makes it more stable” As the children were building they were testing the safety of their structures using their hands and feet. They adjusted the structure as needed according to how much weight they could put on it. Once completed, the children devised the ruling ‘only one person on a plank at a time’. The children continued to adapt and extend the structure, introducing water and marble-runs, continually thinking of new ideas over a number of days.”

When Playforce, the UK’s premier playground equipment supplier, decided to launch Poddely as a new brand at Nursery World 2011 the education sector sat up and took note. The videos of the children talking about their experiences of Poddely (still available to view on www.poddely.com or www.facebook.com/poddely) admittedly caused a stir with their cryptic, entertaining ‘kids say the funniest things’ approach. However, the real buzz happened when practitioners saw the product for the first time and, more importantly, saw how the children reacted to it.

Designed in collaboration with practitioners, researchers, designers and, most importantly, children, Poddely is a portable, ever changing resource that can offer both child and practitioner-led play. It delivers learning outcomes in a fun way, without boundaries and allowing free-flowing, non-prescriptive play and learning. Ideal for Early Years as well as Key Stage 1 and 2, Poddely presents unique opportunities for interaction and learning across the age-groups. Importantly, Poddely has been designed following extensive research and practical experience of working within primary schools and early years settings. Designed for both outside and inside use, Poddely comes with a handy, portable storage solution, as well as suggestions for projects to get everyone started. The website contains links to ideas and examples of schools using the equipment, as well as lots of pictures – providing bags of inspiration for any setting.

For more information about Poddely and the schools using it go to www.poddely.com.

Filed Under: Education

Create Your Own Treasure Basket

June 16, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Most of us enjoy and benefit from spending time outdoors in the long balmy days (and nights) of summer. Whether it’s something to do with how time seems to stretch, the vibrant colours, or the scents and sounds wafting on the breeze, but summer is a great time for recharging our batteries and reconnecting with our senses. Making mud pies, climbing trees, making rose petal perfume and playing with ‘Grannies button box’ were just some of the vivid childhood play memories that parents and practitioners retold as part of a national Sensory Play Research project.

Not only is this sort of play hugely satisfying for children, but it’s also good for them as each sensory experience creates and reinforces vital connections in the brain. Sensory play is literally play that excites the senses. This is characterised by deep focus and concentration, but as adults caught up in the throes of everyday life, we rarely give ourselves time to reconnect fully with our senses. It is in moments of quiet reflection, like a summer walk, that we can free-up our minds to face the challenges of the day. With children too, deeply absorbing, sensory-rich play provides memorable opportunities to think, re-enact, create and problem solve. But children’s structured lives often leave little free time for exploration and ‘going with the flow’.

Multi-sensory experiences are great for brain development and yet the visual appeal of most children’s toys is often at the expense of exciting our other vitally important senses. Like sensory-rich play outdoors, a Treasure Basket offers plenty to stimulate all the senses. A Treasure Basket is a basket of natural items and household objects, carefully picked for their sensory-appeal. Take a wooden spoon, smooth pebble, shiny shell, soft knitted purse, intriguing leather hoop or pungent lavender bag – these open-ended objects have no right or wrong way of being played with, making them perfect for children aged six months to six years and beyond. Concentrated play with a Treasure Basket for an hour or more is not unusual, but with the addition of a sand tray, some toddlers have played happily for up to three hours! Watching this gives an insight into the wonders and limitless possibilities of play and an illustration of just how focussed children can be – if it’s something that interests them of course!

So what do you need to create your own Treasure Basket?

You will need a sturdy basket, ideally round and measuring 10 – 14” diameter and 4 – 5” deep. This should contain about 50 ‘treasures’, each carefully picked for their interest and sensory appeal. This could include metal, stone, cardboard, wood, rubber, fabric and a mix of shapes and colours. When selecting ‘treasures’ think about the attraction of objects that move in different ways, have different weights or enable children to explore concepts like ‘same and different’. For example a short handled wooden spoon, teaspoon and scoop are all essentially spoons, but look, feel and work differently.

It’s important to be safety conscious so make sure that none of the objects have loose parts or are small enough to cause a choking hazard. Avoid painted or varnished items (in case these contain toxins) and always check for sharp edges. But remember the aim is to gather an exciting collection of objects with a ‘wow factor’ rather than a sterile resource. Avoid including plastic or actual toys as these take away from the special, open-ended qualities of the resource. Invite friends, relatives and siblings to get the collecting or making bug too. Once they discover what sorts of objects make good treasures they won’t be able to look at ‘kitchenalia’ in the same way!

When your collection is complete put away other toys and make time for uninterrupted play. Put the Treasure Basket on the floor, (ideally on a cosy mat) either inside or outdoors and sit back and watch what your baby or child does. (If offering to a baby make sure that they are safely supported by cushions if needed.) Rather than asking questions, offering particular objects or influencing play, just sit back and enjoy watching your child show you what they are interested in, what types of objects they like and how they play with the resource. Lots of children prefer metal – possibly because of its’ sound, coldness or shiny qualities. Even very young children typically play for an hour or more, but it is essential for an adult to supervise play. Use this time to see if they respond differently each time they play; if they discover a new ‘favourite’ item to explore; or if their play evolves.

Now that you’ve gathered all the ‘treasures’ for your basket you may be wondering what is it about your collection of objects that makes it become a basket of awe and wonder with limitless possibilities and benefits for children? It’s the very fact that the basket is brimming full of open-ended resources, with no right or wrong way of being played with that encourages children to explore, problem solve, create and discover to their hearts’ content. Children rarely see a wooden spoon as just that, so expect to see a knitted purse become a bag, a dolly’s hat, a submarine, a boat or even a hot air balloon basket, as children see the potential of each treasure! Every time a child encounters a sensory experience, like touching an item in the basket, it develops and reinforces connections in the brain. These are at the root of all development, as well as being essential for making and recalling memories.

Treasure Basket play is great for supporting the Early years and primary curriculum in a fun, ‘hands-on’ way – particularly good for boys. The treasures also support children’s language and communication skills by giving meaning to words. It is only when a child has experienced heavy, soft, cold, etc that they can really understand what the word means. Similarly no amount of words and pictures would really help you understand snow until you’d actually experienced it. For babies and young children they improve fine motor skills (fingers and hands) and hand-eye coordination – both essential for reading and writing in the future. Older children relish the vocabulary and thinking skills introduced. A Treasure Basket offers countless opportunities for developing problem solving and maths, e.g. sorting, counting, exploring pattern and shape. It’s also perfect for introducing learning about different countries, cultures and the properties of materials, for example, metal may feel cold but if held quickly warms up; heavy and light; floats and sinks. A humble coaster made from recycled corn on the cob leaves introduces learning in a hands-on way. A Treasure Basket encourages sharing and develops children’s focus and concentration. It enables them to follow their own interests so is inclusive and great for personal, social and emotional development. Watch two to six year olds playing with a Treasure Basket and you will see that their play changes from discovering what different objects are like and what they can do with them, to exploring what they can become. If you are invited to enjoy an imaginary picnic or travel in a spaceship you will be seeing this in action!

Hopefully you will be energised and inspired to start your own Treasure Basket collection! For more ideas on what to include, safety guidance and examples of children’s play, go to www.playtoz.co.uk. You can also share your stories and photos of your Treasure Basket and how your child plays with it. I’d love to hear your stories…

Sue Gascoyne – Educational trainer and founder of Play to Z Ltd

Filed Under: Education, Parenting

The New Flying Start Weekly

June 14, 2011 By admin 1 Comment

Here at Flying Start our editors receive hundreds of news stories daily. Obviously it is impossible for us to use them all, plus with only publishing a number of times each year they can become dated when it’s time for print. Therefore, each and every week, we will put a few minutes aside to showcase some of them to you in a Flying Start Weekly here at Flying Start Parenting. We hope you enjoy! Please share with your friends using the social networking buttons around the site and feel free to have your say using the comment box below.

In a time of budget cuts among UK schools, there has never been a greater need for school PTAs.

Supersavvyme.co.uk and PTAlocal.co.uk are working together to bring new ideas, initiatives and offers to families and schools nationwide in a bid to ensure a brighter future for our children’s schools. Arabella Weir is a busy working mum who is actively involved in her children’s school PTA and knows only too well the challenges schools face on a daily basis. Here are some of her top tips on how you can get involved:

As Purses Tighten, Savvy Families Choose Trains Over Cars

Gone are the days of spontaneously grabbing the car keys, bundling the kids in to the back seat and starting up the ignition. As petrol costs soar and Brits feel the biggest peacetime squeeze since 1921, cash-strapped families are instead planning their journeys in advance and opting for the train instead of travelling by car to save money. This year alone, one in six of us has switched from car to train travel, with around half saying it’s due to rising petrol prices.

Websites such as www.bestvaluefares.co.uk and www.nationalrail.co.uk, can quickly and easily find the best possible price for journeys, meaning bargain-hunting families planning their summer getaways needn’t spend a fortune when visiting British beauty spots. Great savings can be made across the network, for example, a family of two adults and two children travelling from London to Brighton by train will pay 35%(3)less than when travelling by car. This increases to a saving of 63% when using a Railcard, leaving a family almost £29 better off – plenty to spend on a day of amusements and ice cream at Brighton Pier.

National Rail can help families with more than just train travel. With an abundance of information available at www.daysoutguide.co.uk on places to visit and 2FOR1 entry offers for over 100 attractions in London and the South East, families can also plan their whole trip before they set off.

Saving money isn’t the only reason people are opting to take the train. Travelling by rail means you don’t need to battle with the sat nav, worry about the kids’ toilet breaks and waste time searching for a parking space. Many routes also offer beautiful scenery to enjoy along the way.

Andrew Robertson, Head of Marketing for National Rail, says; “With a fall in disposable income combined with other factors, such as rising petrol prices, families are on the hunt for the most cost-effective methods of travel. Many journeys are evidently cheaper when made by train and when combined with booking in advance and using a Railcard, families can make even bigger savings, leaving them with plenty of extra pounds to spend on activities with the kids. As well as being great value, using the train is often a faster, greener and more comfortable way to travel as a family”.

Example journeys and savings

London Victoria – Brighton

Train= £30 (2 adults + 2 children Super Off-Peak Day Return)
Car = £45.82 (106.6 mile round-trip x 43p = £45.82)*
Saving travelling by train: £15.82 (35%)
What to spend the saving on: Rides for all the family at Brighton Pier
(Save even more with a Family & Friends Railcard. 2 adults and 2 children travel for £17. Saving 63% – that’s £28.82 – compared to travelling by car)

Birmingham New Street – Aberystwyth
Train = £73.50 (2 adults + 2 children Anytime Day Return)
Car = £106.35 (247.32 mile round-trip x 43p)*
Saving travelling by train: £32.85 (31%)
What to spend the saving on: A round-trip on the Aberystwyth Cliff Railway for two adults and two children (£11) and a picnic for the family
(Save even more with a Family & Friends Railcard. 2 adults and 2 children travel for £49.30. Saving 53% – that’s £57.05 – compared to travelling by car)

Leeds – Scarborough
Train = £42 (2 adults + 2 children Advance Return)
Car = £57.38 (133.46 mile round trip x 43p)*
Saving travelling by train: £15.38 (27%)
What to spend the saving on: Ice creams for the family and a disposable camera to snap treasured memories of your family day out!
(Save even more with a Family & Friends Railcard. 2 adults and 2 children travel for £23.80. Saving 59% – that’s £33.58 – compared to travelling by car)

Five steps to best value train fares

1. Book in advance
2. Be flexible about when you can travel and your route
3. Look for special deals & attraction offers at www.daysoutguide.co.uk or www.bestvaluefares.co.uk
4. Compare these to other tickets using the ‘cheapest fare finder’ button
5. Book the best value fare for your journey

70% of Dads admit to going into a blind panic when their baby is born, with the panic reaching its peak when they return home with baby for the first time.

However, men cannot be blamed for their panic – as their good intentions are evident. In fact, over half (55%) of the male population admit to wanting to help their partners most when their baby is newborn; sadly their timing for panic could not be worse, with over half (51%) admitting to feeling utterly helpless, resulting in a “panic gap”.

The first few days of a baby’s life are critical which is why comedian, writer and Dad-of-three Andrew Clover has, in partnership with Persil Non-Bio and Comfort Pure, put together a light-hearted guide to help fathers fill the “panic gap”.

Andrew Clover says “Being a Dad of three girls, I’ve been through it all and I get it. You’re a bloke: you don’t want to read whole baby books, because you don’t want to read 400 pages, in a blue pastel cover, which tell you all about burping. Give me 5 pages. I’ll cover the main questions…”

The guide includes the best ways to ease the panic plus advice on what women really want in those first few days of parenthood – which are in fact the simple things such as doing a laundry load. The guide is to-the-point, man-to-man and can be downloaded from to www.comfortpure.co.uk.

Orlando Bloom Voted Most Stylish Celebrity Dad

British actor and recent father to his first son, Orlando Bloom has topped the charts as the ‘Most Stylish Celebrity Dad’ as voted for in a poll by the British public; beating the likes of David Beckham and Peter Andre to the top spot.

A new study conducted by the UK’s leading independent celebrity fashion website has revealed the most stylish celebrity dads; as voted for by members of the British public. Orlando Bloom topped the charts, beating the likes of David Beckham and Peter Andre to the top spot.

The research was conducted by www.MyCelebrityFashion.co.uk ahead of Father’s Day, and polled 1, 763 people aged 18 over. Respondents to the study were asked ‘Which of the following celebrity dads do you think are the most fashionable?’ They were then subsequently shown pictures of the celebrity dads in question, and were able to select multiple answers, dependent on who they believed was top of the style stakes.

The top ten best dressed celebrity dads of 2011, according to the results, were as follows:

1 Orlando Bloom – 71%
2 David Beckham – 66%
3 Peter Andre – 59%
4 Jude Law – 53%
5 Matthew McConaughey – 46%
6 Hugh Jackman – 41%
7 Will Smith – 36%
8 Johnny Depp – 29%
9 Ben Affleck – 26%
10 Brad Pitt – 22%

Mums-To-Be Waste £158 Million Each Year on Baby Products They Will Never Use

A survey of British mothers shows that the average new mother wastes more than £200 on items such as baby DVDs, room humidifiers and changing bins. Useless baby products to appear in the top 20 list of never-used buys include air purifiers, Video monitors, car seat covers and baby bath stands. Interestingly, items that some children might enjoy – such as baby swings and baby walkers –aren’t rated as particularly useful by mums.

Sally J. Hall, product champion for Bounty.com, which conducted the research said: “It’s hard to know what to buy for a baby if you haven’t had one before. You can listen to advice from other mums, friends and family and swot up with books and the internet, but the fact is, each mum has a different lifestyle and income – and should choose to suit herself rather than blindly follow an off-the-shelf ‘baby list’”

“Each child is different too – if you have a placid, calm baby that sleeps through the night you might not be as concerned about checking the temperature of the room and the air purification every five minutes.”

The survey shows that the majority of mums (86%) started to stock up on baby products long before they even had the child – but 43% say they totally over-bought on what they needed. The average new mother admitted to spending nearly £700 in total on baby products and 14% of women got into trouble with their partner for over-spending on things they didn’t strictly need for the baby.

Nappies, baby clothing, wet wipes, prams and bottles all featured highly as essentials that mums should buy, while basic furniture such as cots, highchair, nursery furniture and Moses baskets are considered essential for British mums.

Sally continues; “We commissioned this research as the current economic climate has seen families having to tighten their belts. Having a baby is already an expensive business and we wanted to understand from new mums themselves which products they found really essential – and which they could have definitely done without.

“New parents generally have less disposable income, through taking maternity leave and having to get by on one salary – but to look round some of the shops, you’d think that babies couldn’t manage without endless accessories.

“When it comes down to it, all babies need are to have their basic needs met – to eat, be kept clean and warm – and to be loved – something parents should keep in mind if they’re watching their spending.”

Bounty has used the information to launch the answer to this dilemma. The Bounty Baby Product Guide will be distributed to around 96% of all first time pregnant mums at the beginning of their third month of pregnancy – just when they are making these important decisions. It shows pregnant women how to buy sensibly for their income and lifestyle and recommends products that will save them money and give them more time to spend with their new baby.

TOP 20 LEAST USEFUL BABY BUYS

1. Air purifier
2. Video monitor
3. Baby DVD
4. Room humidifier
5. Designer pram / pushchair
6. Changing bin
7. Room thermometer
8. Feeding pillow
9. Sound and movement monitor
10. Baby bath stand
11. Top and tail bowl
12. Baby shoes
13. Bath thermometer
14. Round rubber baby chair
15. Car seat cover
16. Brand name nappies
17. Bath seat
18. Baby swing
19. Baby walker
20. Soft cuddly toys

TOP 20 MOST USEFUL BABY BUYS

1. Nappies
2. Baby grows
3. Wet wipes
4. Pram or pushchair
5. Baby vest
6. Bottles
7. Cot
8. Changing mat
9. Bedding
10. Car seat
11. Steam steriliser
12. Bibs
13. Baby blankets
14. Clothing
15. Highchair
16. Baby bath
17. Nappy bags
18. Nursery furniture
19. Stair gates
20. Moses basket / crib

Baby changing given the red carpet treatment

Hot property amongst celebrity yummies, Il Tutto bags grace the shoulders and hang from the strollers of Miranda Kerr, Dannii Minogue, Cate Blanchett, Rachel Stevens and Denise Van Outen to name drop a few…

Perfect for style savvy mums, who still want to wear a beautiful leather bag now that they’ve had a baby, Stella is a full Italian nappa leather zip top hobo bag featuring a double external zip pocket design that’s stylish and functional too.

The end slip pockets are perfect for keeping things at easy reach and the two shoulder straps, one for easy shoulder carrying and a removable across the body strap make the Stella hobo perfect for any occasion.

Practical as well as beautiful, there’s a zip out washable lining, insulated bottle holder, waterproof changing mat and clear plastic zip pocket case for wet items.

And clever too because when baby changing is a distant memory, Stella’s zip out lining is removable, leaving a timeless classic that will complement any wardrobe for years to come. Stella hobo in Red, Black or Cream RRP £199 www.iltutto.co.uk

Filed Under: Flying Start News Tagged With: Flying Start News

There are over 80 baby shows a year in the UK

June 13, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Words: Joanne Waltham, Editor of UK Baby Shows

Mention “baby show” to someone and they will probably think of The Baby Show in London but do you know there are over 80 local, regional and national baby shows, fairs and exhibitions in the UK ever year? Surprising isn’t it!

Whether you run a business looking to exhibit at baby shows or a parent or parent-to-be interested in visiting a baby show, then you will want to visit the new UK Baby Shows website – www.ukbabyshows.co.uk. UK Baby Shows is an independent directory of all the local, regional and national baby shows and fairs in the UK where exhibitors and visitors can find and leave feedback about events. The events are organised by date, location and event organiser, making it easy for you to find the baby show to suit you. The website also has interesting and helpful articles about the events and advice on exhibiting.

UK Baby Shows is run by Joanne Waltham who is the owner of an online baby store offering innovative baby equipment, organic baby clothes and gorgeous baby gifts, called Baby Loves Shopping – www.babylovesshopping.co.uk. The idea came to Joanne to create the UK Baby Shows website as she was planning the Baby Loves Shopping Autumn 2010 exhibiting diary. After many days searching the internet for events, she realised that there was no website that was a directory of just baby shows and set about creating one, much to the delight of the other exhibitors and event organisers.

What do the baby shows offer?

The premier baby show in the UK is The Baby Show run at London Excel in February, Birmingham NEC in May, London Earls Court in October and, new for 2011, at Manchester Central in September. With 100-150 stands, you will find many of the big brands displaying their range of products from breast pads and sterilising systems to pushchairs and nursery furniture plus many of the smaller brands with their latest innovative baby products which you may not be able to find on the high street, yet. There are a few of the big retailers attending and there is also a wealth of experts on hand for advice on baby first aid, breast feeding and sleep issues, plus many of the major national franchises such as those offering swimming lessons and baby photography.

The local and regional baby shows vary greatly in size, style and visitor numbers, but generally have smaller footfall with fewer exhibitors who tend to be more local businesses. You will find gorgeous, unique and bespoke products that are not readily available on the High Street plus local photographers, nurseries, music classes etc. There are also the local franchises of the national companies such as Usborne Books and Water Babies.

Both the large national baby shows and the smaller local and regional baby shows provide new parents or parents to be with easy access to a plethora of everything maternity, baby and toddler related . These shows are great for busy parents looking for information, advice and a choice of products. Every exhibitor has made a lot of effort to attend the event so is delighted to discuss their products and services with you. A lot of thought goes into the making the show comfortable for the visitors. Space is provided for mum or dad to change the baby, refreshment areas are often light and airy and usually there is a dedicated space for breastfeeding and with plenty of room to browse with a buggy.

So don’t forget to take a look at the UK Baby Shows website – www.ukbabyshows.co.uk and find if there is a baby event on at a date or location to suit you. If you go to a baby shows please come back to the UK Baby Shows website to leave feedback about the event. This will help the website grow into a great place for exhibitor and attendees to communicate via reviews from both points of view as well as a great resource for businesses to help make these great events even better!