Tumble Tots Members' Magazine Autumn/Winter 2020

Members’ Handbook

Your child’s springboard to confidence!

Autumn/Winter 2021/22

In this issue Exclusive Offers & Discounts!

Objectives & Benefits Top Tips for the Classes Certificate of Insurance

Facebook twitter INSTAGRAM www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com

Welcome WELCOME to the Tumble Tots National Club!

Be prepared for a great year filled with plenty of excitement for you and your little one!

Make sure your Tumble Tot (or Gymbob) wears their T-Shirt of Confidence to classes as all their classmates will be wearing theirs too. You will find more top tips on page 5 of this handbook.

Our specially designed, brightly coloured, wooden and foam equipment will help your child develop their physical skills of agility, balance, climbing and co-ordination. Each class is tailored to the age and stage of a child’s development which you can read more about on pages 6 – 7.

As a member there are all sorts of opportunities for them to participate in various activities that we do on top of regular classes. Don’t forget to tick these off as you go on the checklist on page 8. The tasks will be challenging but lots of fun and our fully trained staff will help to guide and encourage your child through their sessions.

We’ve teamed up with carefully selected partners to bring you fantastic offers, discounts and competitions, exclusively to our members. You will find some of these on pages 10 – 14 but be sure to regularly check our Member Offers website regularly as it will be updated every month throughout the year! On the site you’ll find more great offers, competitions and the latest product news from our partners and much more: www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com We hope you have a wonderful year and we have no doubt that your little one will enjoy being a Tumble Tot or Gymbob this year.

Tumble Tots (UK) Ltd

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3 y

All of our Disney Princess toys are fully compatible with BRIO World and other BRIO railway toys.

Create your Princess story.

Join all your favourite Disney Princesses in a new fairy-tale world and explore all the stories waiting to be told in the BRIO Disney Princess range. Act out classic fairy-tale adventures with a new railway twist,, make magical friends with iconic Disney Princesses and discover your own story within this wonderful world.

Find out more at www.brio.net or your local toy shop. ©Disney

Contents Our Programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Top Tips in our Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Objectives & Benefits 6 Months – Walking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Walking – 2 Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2 – 3 Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 Years – School Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Gymbobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Membership Handbook Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Tumble Tots Member Offers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Certificate of Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Growing Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Meet Charlotte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Managing Puppies & Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Storytime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Tumble Tots (UK) Ltd 49G Pipers Road, Park Farm, Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 0HU T: 0121 585 7003 E: info@tumbletots.com W: www.tumbletots.com

Member’s Website At www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com you will find a selection of fantastic offers, discounts, competitions and features created to help you save money, find the latest products and services for you and your family and to provide you with further benefits of being a Tumble Tots member. We’ll be adding new content every month throughout the year, so please check back regularly so you don’t miss out!

TERMS & CONDITIONS Tumble Tots and Gymbobs are registered trademarks of Tumble Tots (UK) Ltd, 49G Pipers Road, Park Farm, Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 0HU Tumble Tots Members Handbook is published by LincolnBrody Ltd, 98 Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch, Essex RM11 1JS. Design Copyright © LincolnBrody Ltd, September 2021. All rights reserved.

Tumble Tots or LincolnBrody (the publisher) cannot be held liable for any loss suffered as a result of any information herein and are unable to accept and hereby expressly disclaim any liability for the consequences of any inaccuracies, errors or omissions or any implied warranty and other terms contained or related to within the editorial, offers and promotions in this publication.

Any claims which arise pursuant to the offers should be directed exclusively or pursued against the proprietor of the relevant offer.

Although every effort has been made to ensure that all information is correct at the time of going to press, prices and offers may be subject to change.

Should you have any queries in relation to any offers in this book, please contact LincolnBrody at info@lincolnbrody.co.uk

 recycle Please

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Our Programme Our programme aims to develop children's 'Skills for Life'. It helps them grow into confident adults, that understand and enjoy the importance of leading healthy active lifestyles.

On the day of your trial, you will have experienced a fraction of the potential that Tumble Tots has to offer your child in the future.

Today’s equipment is only a small part of the apparatus and the layout is changed every two weeks (six weeks for 6 Months Walking).

This gives us the opportunity to concentrate on different skills and to intensify the challenges as the children develop within the programme.

Age Groups:  6 Months - Walking  Walking - 2 Years  2 - 3 Years  3 Years - School Age  Gymbobs (School Age - 7 Years) The basic philosophy is to ‘build selfconfidence’ through the development of the child’s physical learning. This is achieved by focusing on four important areas:  General motor skills  Social awareness  Self assurance  Self discipline They gain this through:  A structured development programme  Ongoing challenges  A fun and happy atmosphere  Well trained and enthusiastic staff  A safe environment

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Top Tips in the Classes  When your child receives their membership pack, encourage them to wear their t-shirt in classes to feel part of the club!

 Parents are fully responsible for their children in the under 3’s classes. We ask that you work directly with your child, encouraging and assisting where necessary. Support your child by holding the back of their T-Shirt so their hands are free for climbing and to aid balance.

 Before you leave and in the case of severe weather conditions, please check your text messages, emails, our website or Facebook page for closures.

 In the over 3’s classes, grown-ups are not actively involved but must always remain on the premises.

 Please dress children in suitable clothing to allow for better movement and avoid jewellery, dummies or any clothing that can catch on the equipment or cause injury.

 Children are asked not to eat or drink on the equipment but if they need refreshments, you are welcome to take them to the waiting area.

 Barefoot is best (and safest) for children as this helps with their development.

Grown-ups can wear shoes if they aren’t high heels or heavy boots as these can hurt small fingers or toes.

 Please do not take any photographs or videos during the classes and refrain from using mobile phones so your child has your full attention.

 Please take your child to the toilet before classes begin to save interruption (this is especially important for the over 3’s classes).

 Do not let children onto the equipment before or after classes. Please move to the waiting area so we can set-up safely for the next class.

 If you need to bring a sibling along to class, please be aware that they are unable to participate or play on the equipment as they will not be covered by insurance. We recommend bringing something to occupy them such as a book or colouring.  Make sure you arrive in plenty of time and register your child at the desk  Hand sanitiser will be readily available at each venue/class with staff, parents, and children being asked to engage regularly in hand sanitising.

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Objectives & Benefits Our progressive play programme is designed to develop your child’s physical skills. Using bespoke colourful equipment, we focus on agility, balance, climbing and co-ordination, which enhances brain development and builds confidence.

Every session is supervised by our amazing specially trained staff, getting the best out of each child. Up until 3 years, grown-ups participate as well so that parents, carers and even grandparents can spend time with little ones as they develop.

The journey begins for babies from 6 months old who can sit up unaided.

Here’s how our classes break down:

6 Months – Walking

Walking – 2 Years

Babies explore the equipment in a happy and relaxed environment. This enhances their brain development and helps them to reach key milestones such as crawling, cruising and walking, taking them onto the next class.

Confidently walking toddlers are now introduced to an exciting circuit of equipment as well as hand held co-ordination activities, developing their fine motor skills. ‘Circle Time’ helps language development through rhymes and action songs.

2 – 3 Years Working together in small groups, little ones are introduced to stations with more challenging equipment to refine their agility, balance and climbing skills.

Following instructions and learning to take turns develops their listening and social skills, as well as confidence.

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3 Years – School Age* Children now take part independently without their grown-up, putting into practice their skills for life. Our staff challenge each child individually to their full potential, preparing them for school, physically, socially and mentally.

Gymbobs (School Age – 7 Years)* Gymbobs is the pinnacle class of Tumble Tots, bringing together everything children have learnt so far! Using challenging equipment setups, relay races, team games and warm-up exercises, Gymbobs is a perfect addition to a child’s school P.E. provision. *For the 3 Years – School Age and Gymbobs (School Age – 7 Years) classes, parents must remain on site. Please note that annual membership applies, class prices vary across the country and pre-booking is required.

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Membership Handbook Checklist To help you and your little ones get the most out of this year’s classes, we’ve compiled a handy checklist of achievements to complete for each class.

6 Months – Walking

3 Years – School Age & Gymbobs

■ Crawled for the first time ■ Stood up with assistance ■ Cruised with ease ■ Took their first steps ■ Walked confidently

ained further confidence away ■ Gfrom the class environment

■ Gained independence with activities emember what they did ■ Rduring the class what they did during ■ Rtheepeat class

Walking – 2 Years

■

limbed up the ¾ Frame and turned C around backwards

■ Joined in with both circle times out a forward ■ Crollarried over the Barrel

efined individual physical skills i.e.

■ RJumping/Hopping

General Checklist up for Christmas Clothes ■ Dressed Week in December

■ Received a Moving Up Award in with Tumble Tots Fun ■ Joined Adventures on Amazon Prime

2 – 3 Years xpressed themselves during circle ■ Etime

co-ordination skills at ■ Practised home

■ arried out a forward roll down the ■ CLarge Wedge Actively took part in Train Times

at and listened to the station ■ Sexplanation

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Tumble Tots Member Offers Once again, we’ve teamed up with a selection of terrific partners to bring you loads of fantastic offers and discounts.

Every partner listed here will have their own page on the Member Offers website and we will be adding new offers and product news throughout the year so please visit www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com regularly so you don’t miss out!

20% discount at Hippychick Hippychick strives to bring innovative and exciting products to family homes at the same time as providing exceptional customer service. Each product in their range is carefully selected based on design, quality, and whether they will make parents’ lives easier. They are a family business and families are at the heart of everything they do.

Exclusively for Tumble Tots followers!

Save 20% on EVERYTHING at www.hippychick.com Use code TUMBLE20 Excludes sale items. Free delivery over £35.

10% off Orchard Toys games, jigsaws and colouring books* Learning Made Fun Making learning fun is important, so our range of preschool games and jigsaws are designed for simplicity, fun and to keep little minds stimulated. They feature colourful illustrations and adaptable gameplay that will engage younger children, so they'll want to play time and time again.

Quote code tumbletots21 only at www.orchardtoys.com to claim your 10% discount *Offer only valid on orders placed at www.orchardtoys.com until 28/02/22 10

10% off 2021 & 2022 holidays at Away Resorts!

We don’t believe in good holidays at Away Resorts, we believe in great holidays! Whether you desire coastal or country locations, full-on fun or a relaxing time with loved ones, each resort is alive with character and atmosphere, and specially crafted to suit your needs. We have accommodation that you won’t find anywhere else, experiences the family will remember forever, and service with the biggest smiles. With each of our unique, award-winning holiday parks located in outstanding locations, your only decision now is which park to visit!

To claim your discount use code TUMTOT10 at www.awayresorts.co.uk Offer ends on 31 June 2022. Code must be used at time of booking and cannot be added retrospectively.

10% off your first order with Regatta Regatta is delighted to have teamed up with much loved preschool brand Peppa Pig to bring you another exciting collection. New to the range this season are cosy fleece pyjamas, overnight bags and a range of accessories perfect for sleepover adventures. The Peppa Cosy Set comes in three colourways and features all over print. With one side brushed and one side anti pill, the Peppa Cosy Set is perfect to keep little ones warm this winter.

Head to www.regatta.com/email-sign-up to receive 10% off your order *10% off your first order when you sign up for Regatta news and offers

10% discount at Konfidence!

Here at Konfidence we are delighted to feature in the Tumble Tots magazine once again.

Headlining our range is The Original Konfidence Jacket, our most popular and best-selling learn to swim jacket alongside all our buoyancy, baby swimming and beachwear ranges.

In 2021 we launched our new Splashy™ collection of swimwear using e-Flex™ materials featuring recycled plastics in place of traditional neoprene. All the benefits of warmth, comfort and sun protection but with much less impact on the planet .

To claim an exclusive 10% off our website prices until 30/06/22 use offer code TT10220630 at www.konfidence.co.uk 11

Save up to £30 with Haven!

Give you and your little ones something to get excited about with a Haven break. When you don’t need to stick to school holidays, you’ll be spoilt for space both outdoors and indoors.

At an age when almost every experience is a new one, your tots will have the best time ever while you walk, run or jump your way along the coast. All Haven’s parks have at least one pool, and plenty fun activities for little ones to try.

Save up to £30* throughout the year when you call 0333 202 5428 and quote your discount code Z_TTOTS or visit www.haven.com/tumbletots *Save £30 on all holidays of 7 nights or more arriving Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Save £20 on all 3-night weekend breaks starting Fridays and 4-night midweek breaks starting Mondays

20% discount on The Little Grower’s Cookbook the

LITTLE ’ GROWERS COOKBOOK

“This lovely book brings the joy of the outdoors back home.”

Olivia Colman

cooking + Growing + activities

Projects for Every Season Ghillie James & Julia Parker

A game-changing book of simple and sustainable gardening activities, recipes and weekend fun for every season all bringing nature closer to home. Be inspired to help your children learn to play and experiment with nature’s bounty.

The Little Grower’s Cookbook is the perfect way to tempt kids out into the park or garden. The book is divided into four chapters; Gardening Basics; Get Planting (spring, summer, autumn, winter); Get Cooking; Weekend Fun!

Claim a 20% discount by using the code Autumn21 at the checkout ONLY at www.lettucepublishing.com

Get £12 off the CarGoSeat – the 2 in 1 Car Booster Travel Seat!

CarGoSeat is a lightweight, safe booster seat suitable for children weighing 22kg to 36kg and at least 125cm tall. It doubles up as a spacious, funky, wheeled case - giving parents peace of mind about travelling safely and simply wherever they go and offering 10L of storage. It is quick to install and easy to clean and sanitise.

For further peace of mind, the seats come with a 12-month warranty and are even recyclable at the end of their use.

Tumble Tots members can get a fantastic £12 discount by using code TUMBLE12 at www.cargoseat.com!

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25% discount at Smiffys!

Smiffys are the market leaders in all things dress-up and party, shop the baby, toddler and children’s ranges to create a little magic for your little ones!

Costumes are a great way to let your child’s imagination run wild. Bring your child’s favourite characters to life with costumes, including award winning officially licensed collections, choose from Bing, Peter Rabbit, The Tiger Who Came To Tea and more!

Our costumes exceed industry safety standards, surpassing both EN71 Regulations and Nightwear (Flammability) Standards giving you peace of mind when it comes to dressing up your little ones in costumes from Smiffys.

Quote code TT25 at the checkout at www.smiffys.com

Save 25% at Childs Farm Childs Farm is a multi-award-winning British brand, and we offer a range of bath, body and hair care products specifically developed for little one’s skin needs. Our products celebrate all things natural and naturally derived to gently cleanse, soothe and moisturise their delicate and sensitive skin. We believe that everyone should feel happy in their skin, whether it's normal, sensitive or even eczema-prone and that’s why out entire range is paediatrician and dermatologist approved as suitable for all skin types, for newborn and upwards.

To save 25% at www.childsfarm.com just enter code TUMBLE25 at the checkout

10% discount at Quadroplay Welcome to the world of Quadro!

QUADRO is the No. 1 large scale children’s activity play construction kit in the world! It is fast to construct, safe and secure and is perfect for indoors and outdoors play in all seasons.

Be inspired by the fascinating world of Quadro products – including climbing frames, play houses, slides and pools – full of fun and infinite possibilities.

To claim your 10% discount use code TTP10 at the checkout at www.quadroplay.co.uk *Offer excludes special promotions 13

10% discount at The Love Writing Company Learning to write made easier, quicker and fun.

The Love Writing Company is on a mission to help children Love Writing from the start.

Our age appropriate Writing Pencils and Erasable Colour Pencils have been specifically developed for a child's hand. Available in 2 sizes (3-5 years and 6-9 years).

Our Handwriting and Alphabet Practice Books are full of fun and engaging activities that help children learn letter and word formation, build pencil control and establish a solid writing foundation.

To claim your 10% discount quote TT10 at www.lovewritingco.com All offers subject to change and terms and conditions may apply – please visit www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com or partners’ websites for details

Certificate of Insurance This is to confirm that Tumble Tots (UK) Ltd has taken out Personal Accident Insurance for members (and non-members using the equipment for the first time) which is in respect of death, loss of limbs and /or eyes, or permanent total disablement sustained while engaged in Tumble Tots centre activities. This policy has been effected with a leading insurance group and since cover is (as with all insurance contracts) subject to policy terms and conditions, details can be provided on request.

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Parenting

Growing Together In this extract from Frankie Bridge’s new book, GROW, Frankie looks at the importance of trusting your instinct as a parent.

❝

HOW TO TRUST YOURSELF Always trust your mother’s intuition. It is there for a reason. Sometimes we might be wrong, but isn’t it best to check, rather than worry about it on our own?

People will force you to question yourself and your parenting, but your child’s health, safety and happiness are always at the forefront of your mind and no one should make you feel bad about wanting to protect your child.

When Parker was a baby, his breathing was really fast, especially when he was moving around. I’d always bring it up at doctors’ appointments and they would agree but say it was because he had allergies. They weren’t wrong about that and there was nothing that needed to be done, but a part of me always felt like they weren’t getting to the bottom of whatever was going on. Fast forward to him age seven and, having had many trips to A&E, ambulance rides and hospital stays with croup leading to wheeze, we now know he has asthma and hay fever, and that his reaction to getting ill is usually croup.

So I wasn’t wrong: he was suffering with an underlying health complaint. And in many ways this gave me confidence to lean into and trust my instincts with my children, because sometimes, just sometimes, I knew what was really going on more than the experts.

My mother’s intuition did take a while

to kick in, though. Parker was my first child, and having not had much experience with younger siblings or other people’s children (because I got pregnant at 24), I had no idea how often babies cried. So I just assumed that all babies cried as much as Parker. After having a few people come round and tell me gently that he did seem to be crying quite a lot, I realized something more was going on. It’s funny, isn’t it? When you’re used to something, you don’t see it, because it’s 16

Dr Ed Abrahamson says:

your version of normal. But the minute someone from the outside comes in, you realize actually something’s not quite right – and I sort of knew it wasn’t either, but I didn’t want to face it.

Dr Ed was also the person who noticed Parker’s speech was delayed. Again, having no other children to compare him to and being a laid-back parent who wasn’t worried about him hitting certain linguistic milestones at particular times, I hadn’t worried about his speech. And I hadn’t yet developed the confidence as a mother to question it either.

As a mother I think it is important to remember that when you meet another person you don’t know them inside out. It takes time to get to know them, and for them to get to know you. you learn each other’s likes and dislikes and what works for you both together. So why do we expect any different when we have a baby?

Babies are figuring themselves out at the same time as figuring you out, and you are doing the same thing too – you are growing into being their parent and they are growing into being your child.

We teach our trainees never to discount a parent’s intuition. Apart from the caveat of the over-anxious or hyper-vigilant parent, if a parent is worried something is wrong, it usually is. There is nothing worse for a parent than having a child who is unwell in their eyes and being told there's nothing to worry about. Parents can leave the consultation feeling patronized, helpless and far from reassured. As medical professionals, we need to read the parents and hear their concerns.

Even if we as doctors are convinced there is no worrying illness present, the minimum we should do is encourage the parents to come back if they remain concerned, that is to say, empower them to feel able to come back and say things are not right. They should not feel that they have to battle the system. Their voices must be heard.

Time and time again, diagnosis is delayed by not paying enough attention to these voices. It is a tricky balance of course, but working with, rather than against, parents and their intuition is vital.

❞

About the author

which take place when you become a parent.

Following the same tryptic narrative format of OPEN, GROW combines Frankie’s mental health journey into motherhood with the notes of psychologist, Maleha Khan, who will unpack the problems she experienced as she became a mother. It will also include additional guidance and parental advice from the UK’s leading pediatrician Dr Ed Abrahamson.

Frankie is a regular presenter on ITV‘s Loose Women and a proud MIND ambassador.

Having initially dealt with her mental health issues in silence, Frankie has been keen to support MIND in making sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone. She launched her first podcast series OPEN MIND focusing on mental health in 2019 and which has featured guests including Anita Rani, Zoe Sugg, Dynamo, Julia Samuel amongst many others, and she continually candidly shares her highs and lows with her 1.3million followers.

GROW motherhood, mental health & me by Frankie BrIdge is out now.

Published by Brazen.

Hardback. RRP £18.99.

Also available in eBook and Audiobook

More about GROW

In GROW, Sunday Times bestselling author Frankie Bridge opens up about her journey with her maternal mental health. Part narrative exploration, part first aid manual for mothers this book will discuss the hidden growing pains 17

Next stop? You decide.

Smart Tech Sound is an exciting addition to BRIO World that lets children take control of an interactive play environment. Record your own sounds into the train, use the Action Tunnels to program the play and then watch your railway world come to life with Smart Tech Sound features.

Find out more at www.brio.net or your local toy shop.

Start your adventure with Smart Tech Sound.

From BRIO World.

Tumble Tots

Meet Charlotte, Technical Director at Tumble Tots

One of the very few positives to come out of the intermittent lockdowns of the pandemic were our daily Tumble Tots at Home live sessions that were viewed hundreds of thousands of times!

Why do you think the programme is so important for children?

Here we find out a little more about Charlotte Bedford, the inspiration behind the wonderful classes and the person responsible for the activities in the Tumble Tots programme.

The core of our programme is developing physical skills but every child takes something different away from classes. For some children, this is their first encounter with others of their age which helps them to socialise. Taking part in a structured class helps them learn how to take turns and be patient. Children also learn songs and repeat them which helps with language and memory. All our activities stimulate brain development which is also really important.

How and when did you first get involved with Tumble Tots?

I got involved with Tumble Tots over 10 years ago after I had finished my university degree in English Literature. I began as the Technical Co-ordinator, working under the Technical Director who was taught by the person who created Tumble Tots. A lot of what I know has been passed down to me but I also ran classes for a nearby franchise which was a great way to learn and fully understand Tumble Tots.

How does early years activity benefit children when they start school?

What is your role at Tumble Tots?

Teachers have told me that they know the difference between children who have attended Tumble Tots and those who haven’t. Our classes help children learn to listen and follow instructions from a grown-up who isn’t their parent, which is what they need to do when they start school to be able to be taught effectively.

I am the Technical Director which means that I am responsible for the content in our programme including any development. Normally I would visit our franchisees across the country and help ensure they are delivering classes so that every little one gets the best experience possible.

However, due to lockdown, you may have seen me live on Facebook delivering digital classes!

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What are the most important skills children acquire at the Tumble Tots classes?

There are so many benefits that I don’t think we can say what the most important skill is however most parents say that coming to classes improves their little one's confidence which will help them in all aspects of life.

What type of things have you learnt over the years regards the range of benefits children get from physical activity as a baby?

We’ve always known that physical activity is beneficial for children’s physical health, but overtime, from external research and studies, we have learned that physical activity also helps with their emotional well-being, cognitive development, and other physical skills that we don’t directly include in classes. For example, fine motor skill development can only come about once gross motor skills are improved, so crawling will eventually help children with their handwriting skills.

what we learned most is that this is a great way to bring classes into people’s homes, not just during lockdown, but in the future for children who might not have classes in their area, so watch this space!

How did your previous experience help?

Knowing the programme inside and out helped massively and meant that I didn’t have too much to plan every day and didn’t even have to rehearse (which was also a big time saver). Obviously there were some days that things didn’t go to plan and I had to improvise! Last year I earned my Masters in Child Development which has also helped with other aspects such as impact on emotional well-being and better understanding the correlation between physical activity and brain development.

Tell us more about the Tumble Tots at Home classes. How many did you present?

I was live every weekday from 18th March until 28th August and in total did 134(ish) classes including 13 baby lessons, 8 action song specials, 7 Gymbobs, 5 festival days, 2 takeovers and 1 special singalong on the Gloworm Festival Facebook page to mark what should have been their 5th anniversary. We then went to three times a week during the second lockdown – we are yet to tot up how many classes though!

What was the reaction from members like?

We’ve had a really positive response which we are so pleased about. Lots of parents have commented on how it’s kept their little ones happy, active and entertained throughout lockdown and given them something to look forward to as well as bringing a sense of normality, especially for our members who were missing classes.

How difficult was it to set up Tumble Tots at Home so quickly after the classes were postponed?

I came up with the idea quite quickly and started live sessions two days after we announced classes were postponed. Setting up in my living room didn’t take much time either and wasn’t hard to do, but it’s great to have my living room back to normal!

What do you enjoy the most?

Personally, my favourite part, and I think most franchisees would agree, is seeing little ones grow and develop. I don’t get to see that as much now but when I was live we had so many children who watched every day and it was great to hear how they had improved over 6 months of taking part at home.

What was the first class like?

I was really nervous for the first class and we had a few technical glitches but I was so happy that so many people joined in! We had a massive 387 likes, 260 comments, 259 shares and 23,000 views for the first live and this kept growing. The highest number of views for one of our live sessions was an incredible 83,000!

Why is Tumble Tots still so well-known after 40 years?

I think we are well-known because we have been going for 40 years and parents that bring their little ones remember coming as children themselves and know how much fun it was. It may sound biased, but I think that going for this long just proves not only how good our classes are but how timeless they are as well as how physical activity will always be really important for child development.

What type of things did you learn as the classes developed?

After a few classes, I soon got into the swing of things, gained confidence and got a better idea of what our audience wanted and needed.

I experimented with different themes, focusses and challenges to keep the classes engaging but

To watch any of Charlotte’s Tumble Tots at Home classes, please visit www.youtube.com/TumbleTotsUK 21

Advice

Managing Puppies and Young Children

It’s wonderful to see children and dogs grow up together and the benefits for both can be huge.

However, it can be challenging at times trying to manage a puppy and very young children, so here are some excellent tips from the experts at Blue Cross to help ensure that everyone is kept happy during this exciting time!

Crawling babies and toddlers can be very exciting for puppies, but they can also be very overwhelming. Most children who are bitten by dogs are bitten by dogs that they know, so it really pays to invest a great deal of time ensuring that both grow up knowing how to behave around one another – it might be time consuming at first, but the rewards are huge as both your child and dog will hopefully go on to enjoy a lifetime of friendship together.

Just like your puppy is learning about the world in which they live in, babies and toddlers are too.

Young children’s natural instincts mean that are likely to want to touch, pull, grab at and pick up items they come into contact with and this is likely to include your new puppy. It’s no surprise that young children want to touch and cuddle young puppies as they are extremely cute (and often look just like the teddies they have!), but unlike us, dogs are not primates and will 23

Puppies and children - Safe handling tips

instinctively find hugs and being in close proximity to faces a frightening experience.

Very young children can also be very ‘unpredictable’ in their behaviour (particularly from a dog’s point of view) and squeals of delight, temper tantrums and boisterous play can be an exciting or frightening experience for puppies and dogs. You’ll need to show your children exactly how you want them to interact with your puppy by encouraging gentle interaction at all times. Even if your puppy appears to be ‘fine’ with more hands-on contact, never assume that they are enjoying it or will always be so tolerant. Many puppies and dogs will put up with a great deal before showing any obvious behaviours that they are uncomfortable and it’s just not fair or responsible to expect them to cope with boisterous or rough handling. Even if your puppy or dog appears to be extremely laid back, think about how another dog your child meets might behave in a similar situation. Teaching a young child how to behave sensibly and considerately with your own puppy or dog will serve them well when they meet their friends’ dogs or a dog out on the street by keeping them as safe as they can be.

 Encourage gentle stroking at all times - no pulling, grabbing, heaving patting or sitting on!  Let your puppy sleep undisturbed. Puppies need a lot of sleep – being startled or woken regularly may begin to affect their behaviour and they could become irritable or defensive.

 A good way to see if a puppy or dog would like to have a stroke is to ask them! When they are awake call them to you as opposed to approaching them. If they approach confidently, then this is their way of saying ‘yes’ and if they stay where they are, they are politely declining your invitation and you can try again later. This is a really simple exercise that young children can carry out (once they are old enough to understand your instruction) and it enables your puppy or dog a choice in the matter too.  If either your puppy or child is having one of those days (too excitable, easily frustrated or just a bit boisterous!), then management is the key to avoiding accidents. Use your stair gate or dog crate and keep your puppy safely occupied with a tasty chew or stuffed Kong. When your 25

baby, toddler or young child is napping or at nursery / pre-school, take this opportunity to ensure your puppy’s needs are met by having some fun playing and training together.

 Although it’s important to ensure you have a ‘safe’ area your puppy can retreat to, as dogs are social creatures they will often choose to stay with their family even if they feel a bit overwhelmed. This is why crates are a fantastic option in this situation as you can safely pop them in there so they are still near to you and don’t feel excluded.

 Take care that your baby or child doesn’t touch or walk into your puppy when they are eating or chewing. Although your child is unlikely to want to eat the chew, your puppy won’t know this and may feel worried and behave defensively.

About Blue Cross for Pets Blue Cross is a charity that has been helping sick, injured, abandoned and homeless pets since 1897. Pets help us in so many ways and they depend entirely on us. That’s why Blue Cross believe in helping pets because pets help us.

We help thousands of pets in need every month, providing veterinary care, expert behaviour help and find them loving happy homes, as well as advice and education for current or future pet owners and pet bereavement support.

We care for around 40,000 pets every year but we know it’s not enough – there are many, many more out there who still desperately need us and we must be there for them.

 When your child is old enough to get involved, show them how to play safely and help with training. Both your puppy or dog and child will enjoy this immensely and it’s a fantastic way of them interacting with each other and developing a bond, that doesn’t involve too much physical interaction.

 Most importantly, actively supervise. When your child and puppy are together, make sure you pay attention to what is happening at all times as you’ll want to intervene at the earliest opportunity should either look worried or you see that things are getting out of hand.

 £2 a day could keep a cat warm and safe at one of our centres

All photos courtesy of Blue Cross

 £20 could fund an unwanted horse’s basic hoof care  £136 could provide clinical care for a homeless dog during their stay with us

If you would like to donate to Blue Cross or simply find out more, please visit www.bluecross.org.uk/donate

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Recipes

A Fruit-tastic Treat!

The Little Grower’s Cookbook by Ghillie James and Julia Parker, is a fabulous book of simple and sustainable gardening activities, recipes and weekend fun for every season that brings nature closer to home. With warm thanks to Ghillie and Julia, they’ve shared two tasty recipes from the book to help get your budding gardeners and cooks started!

Please go to page 12 for details of an exclusive 20% discount on The Little Grower’s Cookbook!

Messy tart

This free-form tart works with all sorts of seasonal fruit combinations: peach, pear or plum slices, raspberries, stoned cherries or, as below, rhubarb, strawberries and blueberries. Pretty much anything goes, so either mix it up to your liking or stick to just one fruit. Just remember that some fruits take longer to cook than others, so adjust the size of the pieces accordingly – raw apple will take longer to soften than raspberries, so the apples should be thinly sliced. It’s best to assemble the tart right before baking to prevent a soggy bottom. However, you could make and even roll out the pastry and prepare the fruit earlier in the day.

Preparation

➊ Put the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt into a food

processor and whizz for 5 seconds. Add the butter and spoonful of cream cheese. ➋ Pulse for 10 seconds or until it looks like crumbs.

Add the water and pulse until it forms a dough. Pour onto a large piece of non PVC cling film and press into a ball. Wrap and freeze for 15 minutes to chill it quickly. ➌ Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. ➍ Mix together the fruit, cornflour and vanilla and set aside. ➎ Put a large piece of baking paper onto the work surface, then sprinkle with the flour. Unwrap the pastry and put into the centre of paper. Sprinkle a little flour over the pastry and roll out to a large thin circle 5–7mm thick. Move the pastry and its paper onto a flat baking tray. Spoon the ground almonds onto the pastry and spread out until about 5cm from the edge. Heap the fruit on top of the almonds. ➏ With the aid of the baking paper, pull up the sides of the pastry to hug the fruit and stop it falling out.

Don’t worry if the pastry has to fold over itself. Brush the pastry with beaten egg then stick the flaked almonds to it, patting them on with your fingers. ➐ Bake for about 40 minutes or until the pastry is brown and cooked all the way through. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or custard.

Serves 6

You will need For the pastry

 180g plain flour or a mix of half spelt and half plain flour  1 tablespoon caster sugar  120g cold butter, cubed  110g full fat cream cheese  2 tablespoons iced water

For the filling

 200g rhubarb, cut into inch-long pieces  275g strawberries, leafy tops removed, and halved  100g blueberries  1 tablespoon cornflour (or 2 level teaspoons for non-juicy fruits such as rhubarb, stone or orchard fruits)  1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or the scraped seeds from half a vanilla pod  2 tablespoons sugar  2 tablespoons ground almonds  1 heaped tablespoon flaked almonds  1 small egg, beaten

Extracted from: The Little Grower’s Cookbook by Ghillie James & Julia Parker (Lettuce Publishing) £20 Hardback.

Photography by Ali Allen. Widely available including at Amazon, Waterstones and WH Smith. See page 12 for details of an exclusive 20% discount!

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RAINBOW ROLLS Rice paper wrappers start off crisp, but as soon as you dip them in water they soften. You can fill the soaked wrappers with all of your favourite veggies and herbs, and if you like, add some thin cooked rice noodles, chopped chicken, sausage or prawns. Be as adventurous as you dare! They are great for packed lunches. Just place them in a container between lettuce leaves to stop them sticking or drying out. Plastic wrap is not planet friendly and will also stick to the rolls.

Makes 6 long rolls, which you can cut in half

You will need

 25g rice vermicelli noodles (optional)  6 spring roll rice wrappers such as Blue Dragon, found in larger supermarkets, oriental shops or online.  A selection of your favourite veggies cut into fine strips or grated, such as cucumber, carrot, red pepper, apple, avocado, sweetcorn, tomato, lettuce or radish, plus, if you like, finely shredded chicken or sliced cooked prawns

Preparation

1. Form a line of little bowls containing the filling ingredients you have chosen. If you are using noodles, put them into a bowl and cover with boiling water, leave for 4 minutes, then drain, before cutting with scissors into easy to pick up clumps.

 1 tablespoon fresh mint and/or coriander, roughly chopped

2. Follow the instructions on the packet for soaking the wrappers. Usually this is just dipping the wrapper in a shallow bowl of warm water. Once soft, place the wrapper on a board in front of you. Choose from the ingredients, placing small mounds onto the wrapper in a line. Once you have filled the rolls (enough to make a sausage shape as in the photo on page 125), just pull up each side to cover each end and roll the wrapper and its fillings very tightly.

Cut each roll in half and store between lettuce leaves until ready to eat.

 1 tablespoon chopped roasted peanuts, optional

For the mild chilli dipping sauce  1 lime, juiced

 3 teaspoons mild runny honey  1½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar  1 tablespoon fish sauce  1 garlic clove, crushed  ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

3. For the dipping sauces – choose both or just one. Simply stir the ingredients together in a small bowl. For the peanut sauce, add 1–2 tsp water so that the sauce isn’t too thick. The sauces will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

For the peanut dipping sauce  90g crunchy peanut butter

 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar  1½ tablespoons soy sauce

4. To serve, place the rolls on a big plate with the sauces on the side for dipping.

 ½ garlic clove, crushed  ½ teaspoon grated ginger

Extracted from: The Little Grower’s Cookbook by Ghillie James & Julia Parker (Lettuce Publishing) £20 Hardback.

Photography by Ali Allen.

Widely available including at Amazon, Waterstones and WH Smith.

 3 tablespoons coconut milk or water  1 tablespoon runny honey  ½ lime, juice only 31

Book Club

Storytime A selection of wonderful books, out now or coming soon…

 The Gruffalo and Friends Advent Calendar Book Collection (Hardback) Julia Donaldson (author), Axel Scheffler (illustrator)

Count down to Christmas with all your favourite picture book characters from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler in The Gruffalo and Friends Advent Calendar Book Collection. This festive collection includes twenty-four mini activity, rhyme and song books in a beautiful hardback slipcase to enjoy together!

Publisher: Pan Macmillan. Out now

Peppa’s Christmas Unicorn  Peppa Pig

Do you love Christmas and unicorns?

This new picture book is the perfect Christmas present for Peppa and unicorn fans everywhere!

It's Christmas Eve, and Peppa and her family are off to a Christmas fair. There's yummy food, fun games . . . and a carousel with a magical Christmas unicorn!

But what other Christmas magic is in store for Peppa?

Publisher: Ladybird.

Out 14th October

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 The Moomins Have Fun! A Push, Pull & Slide Book

Push, pull and slide the tabs in Moomins Have Fun! and make all your favourite Moomin characters come to life.

Join the Moomins as they fly, ski, dance and sail through Moominvalley! With rhyming text and sturdy pages, this is the perfect book for little Moomin fans.

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books. Out 16th September

Meet the Moomins!  A Push, Pull & Slide Book

Push, pull and slide the tabs to make friends with the Moomins in Meet the Moomins!. With simple rhyming text, chunky pages for little hands and sturdy interactive mechanisms, this is the perfect introduction for babies and toddlers to the wonderful world of Moominvalley.

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books. Out now

The perfect books for little fans

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Two new

P US H , P U L L an d S L I D E b o o ks

Meet the Moomins! © Moomin Characters™, 2021 The Moomins Have Fun! © Moomin Characters™, 2021 © Gutsy Animations, 2021

d a v e e h n t t ure n i o J with Which will you choose?

Available in all good bookshops, supermarkets and online Licensed by:

PEPPA PIG and all related trademarks and characters TM & © 2003 Astley Baker Davies Ltd/Entertainment One UK Limited.

HASBRO and all related logos and trademarks TM & © 2021 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.

 There's a Ghost in this House (Hardback) Oliver Jeffers

A captivating new picture book with interactive transparent pages, from world-renowned artist Oliver Jeffers.

With lots of friendly ghost surprises and incredible mixed media illustrations, this unique and funny book will entertain young readers over and over again!

Publisher: Harper Collins. Out 5th October

That’s not my Christmas fairy... 

Fiona Watt (author), Rachel Wells (illustrator)

Meet five magical Christmas fairies in this exciting addition to the much-loved That's not my... series.

Little ones love the best-selling That’s not my… books with their bold illustrations, patches to stroke, and a mouse to spot on every page, all designed to develop sensory and language awareness.

Publisher: Usborne Publishing. Out 30th September

 Duggee and the Stick Badge Hey Duggee

Earn your Stick Badge with Duggee!

Duggee is building a campfire and needs the Squirrels to help collect wood for it. But what happens when Roly discovers one of his sticks can talk . . . and sing?

Includes the very catchy Stick song: Stick, Stick, Stick, Stick . . . Sticky-Sticky Stick-Stick!

This fun picture book will have little (and big!)

Duggee fans singing and dancing for hours on end.

Publisher: BBC Children’s Books. Out now

Duggee’s Christmas 

Hey Duggee

It's Christmas time at the Squirrel Club, and all the little Squirrels are helping Duggee to decorate the tree and give out presents. Join everyone's favourite dog in this adorable festive board book for budding young Squirrels.

Publisher: BBC Children’s Books. Out 14th October 35

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A fun twist on the classic heads and tails game, Rainbow Unicorns is the perfect introduction to gameplay and is great to teach children about turn taking and sharing. As children grow in confidence they can begin to use their memory skills to play more competitively as they remember where cards are on the table.

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Children can develop their counting skills as they match and count the spots when collecting ladybirds in this Orchard Toys classic!

The simplicity of the game makes it easy for younger players to grasp, allowing them to enjoy it whilst developing those crucial number and counting skills.

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Children will enjoy matching the farmyard characters to their playing boards in this fun lotto game. They'll develop their matching and memory skills, and brush up on their social skills as they learn about turn taking and gameplay.

The fun farm characters also give lots of opportunity for discussion.

Old MacDonald Lotto

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Dotty Dinosaurs – 3-6 Years

Dotty Dinosaurs is a fun shape and colour game where players help the friendly dinosaurs to find their spots. Featuring 2 games in 1 – the doublesided boards allow children to match by shape or colour. Dotty Dinosaurs includes simple shapes such as circles or squares and more challenging shapes such as diamonds and semicircles.

www.orchardtoys.com 37

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Paradise Wildlife Park - meet exotic animals, experience the World of Dinosaurs and have loads of FUN! Paradise Wildlife Park, voted Hertfordshire’s No.1 Outdoor Attraction by Trip Advisor, is set in the beautiful surroundings of Broxbourne Woods in the heart of the Hertfordshire countryside Paradise is home to over 800 exotic animals including one of the best big cat collections in the country with a pride of white lions, tigers, jaguars & snow leopards. as well as also being home to and caring for endangered species such as red pandas, gibbons, lemurs, penguins, small monkeys like our pygmy marmoset who have just had their second baby, camels, zebra, otters and reptiles, including the largest anaconda in the UK! Paradise is also Europe’s leading wildlife park for exotic animal experiences, you can do everything from meeting our meerkats, tickle our tapirs, hand feed our red pandas to shadowing a keeper and hand feeding a big cat. With the funds raised from these animal experiences going directly to the conservation & welfare of the animals in our care and in the wild.

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THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF HERTFORDSHIRE Paradise Wildlife Park was formed in 1984 and is already well known for its animal breeding and conservation work. In 2017, we became the charity Zoological Society of Hertfordshire and to date, the Park has made contributions of over £6,000,000 to conservation projects and wildlife causes in the UK and around the world, as well as other charities and good causes. It is also part of the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme, with successful jaguar, African penguin, lar gibbon, cotton top tamarin, silvery marmoset, black lemur and red ruff lemur births in the past two years alone, with recommendations to breed snow leopards, red pandas, gibbons & African penguins in 2021.

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