Members’ Handbook
Your child’s springboard to confidence! SPRING/SUMMER 2020
In this issue Tumble Tots at Home Session guidelines Certificate of Insurance Class progress checklist Exclusive member offers & discounts!
www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com
GET YOUR
15% OFF CODE TUM15
Certified
Corporation
We believe in putting people and the planet above profit.
www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk FREE DELIVERY
on orders over £35
Offer expires 01/12/2020. See website for offer details.
Welcome WELCOME to the Tumble Tots National Club! Tumble Tots at Home With our classes temporarily closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, we are still providing members with some muchneeded continuity and positivity via the wonders of social media!
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, March 2020. 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
Please
recycle
We know that you and your little ones will be missing your classes, so every day Tumble Tots (UK) Ltd have been streaming your favourite action songs and exercises as well as providing other ideas for activities to do during lockdown. Please see page 8 for more details! When classes return to normal, make sure your Tumble Tot (or Gymbob) wears their T-Shirt of Confidence as all their classmates will be wearing theirs too. You will find more top tips on page 4 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 coordination. Each class is tailored to the age and stage of a child’s development which you can read more about on pages 4 – 6. 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 7. 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, 11 and 12 but be sure to regularly check our Member Offers website regularly as it will be updated every month throughout the year! Please visit 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. We will re-open classes as soon as we are able and will update everyone as soon as we have more information. In the meantime, please enjoy Tumble Tots at Home! Take care and stay safe.
Tumble Tots (UK) Ltd
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Contents Our Programme . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tumble Tots at Home . . . . . . . 8
Objectives and Benefits
Tumble Tots Member Offers . . . 10
6 Months – Walking . . . . . . 5
Screen Free Games . . . . . . . . 14
Walking – 2 Years . . . . . . . 5
2 – 3 Years . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Keeping Children Safe During the Lockdown . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3 Years - School Age . . . . . . 6
Use it Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Gymbobs (School Age – 7 Years) . 6
Story Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Membership Handbook Checklist . 7
Staying hydrated . . . . . . . . . 35
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!
Be sure to regularly check for New Member Offers at www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com
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Please dress children in suitable leg wear to allow for better movement and avoid jewellery or any clothing that can catch on the equipment.
If your child uses a dummy, please ensure they take it out before classes to protect them from potential injury.
Make sure you arrive in plenty of time and register your child at the desk.
If you need to bring a sibling along to class,
Parents are fully responsible for their
In the over 3’s classes, grown-ups are not
Top Tips in the Classes
When your child receives the membership
Barefoot is best (and safest) for children as
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. The basic philosophy is to ‘build selfconfidence’ by helping develop the physical learning of the child. 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 Age Groups: 6 Months - Walking Walking - 2 Years 2 - 3 Years 3 Years - School Age Gymbobs (School Age - 7 Years)
pack, put their name on the T-Shirt and encourage them to wear it in classes to feel part of the club!
this helps with their development. Grownups can wear shoes if they aren’t high heels or heavy boots as these can hurt small fingers or toes.
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Before you leave and in the case of severe weather conditions, please check your emails, our website or Facebook page for closures.
Please take your child to the toilet before classes begin to save interruption (this is especially important for the over 3’s classes). 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. 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. actively involved but must always remain on the premises. 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. Please do not take any photographs or
videos during the classes and refrain from using mobile phones so your child has your full attention. Do not to 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.
Objectives & Benefits 6 Months – Walking
Walking – 2 Years
The class offers a parent and baby an opportunity for exploratory play using our unique equipment whilst being guided and advised by specially trained staff. Through exploratory play, the class aims to assist your baby through one of their biggest stages of development. Babies can start the class when they reach 6 months and can sit up unaided, through carefully designed equipment set ups they have the opportunity to develop the skills and strength needed to move onto each developmental stage at their own individual pace. During the class circle times we encourage parents to join in with development exercises which aim to build the strength of a baby’s upper and lower body strength and aids a baby’s gross motor skill development.
Your child should be walking confidently when they start the class which aims to build upon their agility, balance, climbing and co-ordination skills. Parents and children are encouraged to work around the circuit of equipment whilst being supported and guided by trained staff. Tumble Tots understands the importance of repetition in the learning processes of children. The circuit of equipment allows for repetition of an activity to take place which builds upon not only a child’s learning processes but builds confidence whilst on the equipment! During the class parents and children are encouraged to take part in carefully constructed Circle Times which aim to enhance a child’s language development through body identification rhymes and action songs. Children who attend the class also continue to build their social skills by interacting with other children in the class.
2 – 3 Years The third class in the progressive Tumble Tots programme offers children attending a more structured play class whereby, with parental support, they make their way around activity stations focusing on continuing the development of their agility, balance, climbing and co-ordination skills. The equipment becomes more challenging with the introduction of higher pieces which aim to further a child’s gross motor skill development. There is a bigger emphasis put on social development in the class during circle times and also train times. Children will learn to interact with others around them and are encouraged to build their confidence whilst expressing themselves in a group environment.
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3 Years – School Age The format and structure of the class follows the same pattern of the 2 – 3 Years class however, the biggest challenge and emphasis comes from children taking part in the class without the support of their parent. The class aims to provide an opportunity for children to take part in independent learning whilst being guided and supported by trained staff members. Children are given the opportunity to listen to instructions to enable them to work around the activity stations which are still focused on building their agility, balance, climbing and co-ordination skill set. The children are individually challenged during the class and learn to work positively with others around them.
Gymbobs (School Age – 7 Years) Gymbobs is the pinnacle of the Tumble Tots programme where many children who have worked their way through the previous classes finish their journey! The class starts when children begin school and finish when children reach the term of their 7th Birthday. Gymbobs offers far more demanding challenges through the equipment that the children explore, the warm up games they are encouraged to join in with and with the relay races that conclude the class. The children who attend Gymbobs classes are given the opportunity and introduction to develop their physical literacy and to build up movement memory that can be utilised away from the class.
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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. Improved hand/eye/foot ■ co-ordination skills
6 Months – Walking Class
■ Crawled for the first time ■ Stood up with assistance ■ Cruised with ease ■ Took their first steps ■ Walked confidently
3 Years – School Age & Gymbobs Gained further confidence away ■ from the class environment
■ Gained independence with activities Remember what they did ■ during the class
Walking – 2 Year
Climbed up the ¾ Frame and turned ■ Repeat what they did during ■ around the class backwards Refined individual physical skills i.e. ■ Jumping/Hopping ■ Joined in with hand/eye co-ordination
■ Better foot/eye co-ordination ■ Joined in with both circle times Carried out a forward ■ roll over the Barrel
General Checklist
2 – 3 Years Class
Dressed up for Christmas Clothes ■ Week in December
■ Was a Healthy Hero in February Took part in National Children’s ■ Activities Week in October
Expressed themselves during circle ■ time
■ Received a Moving Up Award Joined in with Tumble Tots Fun ■ Adventures on Amazon Prime
■ Actively took part in Train Times Carried out a forward roll down the ■ Large Wedge Sat and listened to the station ■ explanation
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FREE ONLINE CLASSES
Get your pack from our Online Shop to join in with LIVE classes every weekday at 10am on Facebook FREE PLUS lots of free activities to download, print off and take part in at home including colouring, activity sheets, things to do with everyday objects and more...
Visit: bit.ly/ttathome *Classes are free, equipment pack is ÂŁ12 plus P&P, other T&Cs may apply
Win a set of Micro Scooters for the family worth up to £630! We are delighted to offer one Tumble Tots member the chance to win a set of family Micro Scooters! This wonderful prize comprises: 2 x adult scooters each worth up to £150 2 x children’s scooters each worth up to £125 2 x children’s helmets each worth up to £40
For the full range, visit www.micro-scooters.co.uk
At Micro we think riders of all ages should be able to move their own way.
For your chance to win one family set of Micro Scooters, visit tumbletotsmemberoffers.com/microscooters Closing date: 31st July 2020.
We think moving without limit starts by thinking without limit. Asking questions. Imagining possibilities.
It’s the reason we will never stand still. Family first. Planet friendly. In it for the long haul. Made for adventure.
To enter, you must be a UK resident who is 18 years old or over at the time of entry. No purchase necessary. The winner will be the first name drawn at random. The winner will be notified no later than 5th August 2020. The judges’ decision will be final and the competition is not open to employees of LincolnBrody, Tumble Tots, Micro Scooters or their agents. We will only keep your details or share them with the prize provider if you tick ‘Yes please’ where indicated when you enter the prize draw or competition. Otherwise your details will be deleted once the winner has been notified. Please refer to the full terms and conditions at www.lincolnbrody.co.uk/competitions
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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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 our new Member Offers website and we will be adding new offers and product news throughout the year so please visit www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com every month so you don’t miss out! COVID-19 UPDATE Many of our partners are currently following government guidelines during the current coronavirus lockdown so may be temporarily closed or operating a restricted service. Please check their websites for details. With regard to holiday companies and attractions that are currently closed, all offers and discounts will be valid once they re-open.
15% discount on first order with Polarn O. Pyret
Extra savings of up to £50 as a Tumble Tots member with Haven!
For over 40 years Polarn O. Pyret Kidswear have specialised in making the best possible clothes for babies and children. Look out for clever clothes that grow with your little one, organic cotton clothes that are good for the planet, outstanding highly technical outerwear and design features that make life easier for parents! Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Excludes sale items.
From cool caravans to luxury lodges, Haven have a whole host of accommodation to suit every family’s needs. Save up to an extra £50 on existing offers.
Use code TOTS19 at www.polarnopyret.co.uk
All offers subject to change and terms and conditions may apply – please visit www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com or partners’ websites for details
Simply call 0333 202 5248 and quote Z_TUMBLE, or visit www.haven.com/tumbletots to book your holiday and claim your discount today.
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Save 15% off admission prices at Diggerland
15% discount at JoJo Maman Bebé JoJo Maman Bébé is the UK’s leading mother and baby boutique brand, with stores across the country. Since 1993, we’ve been creating beautiful collections covering the period from pregnancy to pre-school, while being kind to the world around us.
Diggerland is the UK’s only construction theme park where guests can drive, ride, and operate real DIGGERS! With four UK theme parks & over 100 machines at each park, there really is something for everyone! Families of up to 4 people can save 15% off admission prices at Diggerland with Tumble Tots!
Visit www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk and quote TUM15 plus free delivery on orders over £35
Visit www.diggerland.com/tumble-tots to download your 15% discount voucher.
15% discount on first order with Win Green
Save 10% on entry when booking online at Paradise Wildlife Park
Win Green believes that children should be encouraged to explore their imagination through creative play. With gorgeous designs for boys and girls, their playhouses and wigwams create a world of adventure for your little ones’ imaginations to run riot.
Paradise is home to over 800 exotic wild animals and boasts one of the best big cat collections in the UK, Britain’s largest anaconda as well as penguins, red pandas, lemurs, meerkats, camels, zebras and sloths. Let the kids run wild in 5 playgrounds, including a large indoor soft play area, a paddling pool or visit one of the many shows, talks and feeds.
Use code TOTS15 at www.wingreen.co.uk
To redeem use code TUMBLE10 at www.pwpark.com
20% discount on ProVen Probiotics for Babies & Children
25% off EVERYTHING at Hippychick!
Products developed specifically for babies and children. Backed by clinical research and formulated by industry experts.
Hippychick are proud to team up with Tumble Tots and offer their followers an exclusive 25% discount off everything at www.hippychick.com.
Use code Tumbletots at www.provenprobiotics.co.uk to get a 20% discount!
Simply use code TUMBLE25 at the checkout! www.hippychick.com
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Get £10 off £100 at Micro Scooters!
Get 15% off the full Organic Children range from Green People!
Micro Scooters are the number one premium scooter brand for tots, kids, teens and adults. Their Swiss designed and engineered scooters are made for moving. Made for exploring. Made to last.
Give your child the best start in life and get a 15% discount on the full range at Green People. Visit www.greenpeople.co.uk and use code TUMBLETOTS at the checkout.
For a limited time, Tumble Tots members can get £10 off £100 at micro-scooters.co.uk. Use code TUMBLE10 at the checkout.
Exclusive 10% off all stays* with Away Resorts!
25% discount on Kidding Around from Bradt Travel Guides
Looking for an unforgettable family friendly holiday? Look no further than Away Resorts and their six award-winning parks. Each park is unique, but all offer an unrivalled experience.
Bradt Travel Guides is offering Tumble Tots members a special 25% discount on copies of Kidding Around.
Visit us at awayresorts.co.uk or call us on 0330 053 7000 and quote TUMTOT10 *Offer available on all breaks and accommodation types.
To claim your discount, purchase the book at www.bradtguides.com and enter TUMBLETOT25 at checkout. Valid until 31/12/20.
Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer does not apply to touring and camping. Offer subject to availability
Save £30 over your first three deliveries at Abel & Cole Give your little ones an organic start with Abel & Cole. Switching baby to an organic diet is a little change that will mean big things for your little one. It’s a great choice for them, and for the world they’re going to grow up in.
All offers subject to change and terms and conditions may apply – please visit www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com or partners’ websites for details
Just use the code TUMBLE at checkout www.abelandcole.co.uk
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Products developed speciďŹ cally for babies and children of all ages Backed by clinical research and formulated by industry experts Billions of the most studied friendly bacteria in every product Available online at www.provenprobiotics.co.uk
Activities
Screen-free Games!
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Win a copy of 101 Things for Kids to Do Screen-Free by Dawn Isaac, plus try these three fantastic activities from the book!
a lot of tin cans. But if you nag your parents, go through the recycling bin or maybe even ask your neighbours, you should be able to find the 10 you need without too much trouble. Once a grown-up has checked there are no sharp edges on the tin cans and you have made sure they’re clean, take your cans outside and find a nice flat piece of hard ground. Set them up in four rows – one at the front, two behind, three after this and a line of four to finish – so they form a triangle shape. Now draw around each one in chalk and then add another line a little distance away – this is where the bowler has to stand. Each player gets two tennis balls and must roll each one, trying to knock down as many cans altogether as they can. After each person’s two rolls, replace the cans in their chalk position ready for the next player. If anyone knocks down all 10 in their go, the cans are put back up and they also get a bonus throw – and get to do an annoyingly smug victory dance. Decide how many rounds you are playing and the winner is whoever gets the most points in total. Oh, and if you have younger players who struggle to hit the cans you can move the bowling line nearer for them, let them use a bigger ball or even use old bricks or a pair of brooms to add “sides” to the bowling lane.
This fabulous book is the latest release from bestselling kids’ activity author Dawn Isaac. Activities range from creating a mini golf course and making costumes with cards, to mastering hands-free eating, and baking mug cakes in the microwave. All 101 activities are fun, easy and 100% screen free. Dawn’s engaging ideas are sure to provide hours of entertainment and are handily split into age appropriate groups at the end of the book. With thanks to Octopus Books, we’ve got five copies to give away – see below. To get you started why not try three of our favourite activities from the book!
You will need: Empty tin cans, chalk, tennis balls
BOWL OUTDOORS
Tip: You can use old plastic bottles, partly filled with water, instead of cans – but as they are harder to knock over you will need to use a football to roll at them.
Ever wondered what it’s like to knock things over and not be yelled at? Well then it’s time to try some outdoor 10-pin bowling. This will need a bit of planning because you are going to need
Win one of five copies of 101 Things for Kids to Do Screen Free by Dawn Isaacs! With thanks to Octopus Books, we’ve got five copies of Dawn Isaac’s latest book up for grabs. For your chance to win a copy of 101 Things for Kids to Do Screen Free, simply enter online at
www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com/dawnisaac by 31st July 2020.
To enter, you must be a UK resident who is 18 years old or over at the time of entry. No purchase necessary. The winners will be the first five names drawn at random. The winners will be notified no later than 5th August 2020. The judges’ decision will be final and the competition is not open to employees of LincolnBrody, Tumble Tots, Octopus Books or their agents. We will only keep your details or share them with the prize provider if you tick ‘Yes please’ where indicated when you enter the prize draw or competition. Otherwise your details will be deleted once the winner has been notified. Please refer to the full terms and conditions at www.lincolnbrody.co.uk/competitions
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It’s Fun To Learn at home! Award-winning
children’s magazines
✔ Screen-free activities ✔ Spend time together ✔ Fun and educational
Available on subscription (from £7.99 for 3 issues) Includes a FREE digital download
Buy a single issue online
ic u
E a rl y
Ye
lu m
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ports th Sup
a r s C u rr
Buy in store Available in all good supermarkets and newsagents
Visit www.redan.co.uk for further details
great outdoor lounge pit to sit in and just chat, or you can make it your own little cosy spot, maybe taking some of your favourite books and snacks with you to keep you going. And if you do this, take a tray out too as it makes a great groundlevel coffee table. If you place your lounge pit on a lawn, it’s really easy to pull it to a different spot if you decide you want a change of location. And at the end of the day, just wrap all your cushions in a blanket to carry them inside, and turn over your pool to keep it dry. After all, you might have another busy day lounging around tomorrow.
SET UP AN OUTDOOR LOUNGE PIT Getting out the paddling pool sounds like such fun, doesn’t it? Well, until you realize it takes ages to fill, and then the sun’s gone in, and that the water’s a bit chilly, and finally that, horror of horrors, someone might ask you to help empty it at the end of the day. I know, it’s an outrageous suggestion! But how about using it without actually adding water? Because the thing is, paddling pools are capable of leading a double life – as inflatable lounges. Simply blow up the pool – using an electric pump, or a helpful grown-up, makes this job a lot easier. Now place it wherever you fancy – sun or shade – but preferably not on or near anything sharp. Then all you need to do is fill up the pool with lots of comfy blankets on the bottom as well as pillows and cushions around the side for you to lean against. If you’ve got friends over this makes a
You will need: A paddling pool, blankets, pillows, tray
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Tip: If the inside looks a little dirty, just wipe it out with some damp cloths before putting in blankets and pillows.
Save up to an extra
£50*
with Haven as a Tumble Tots member
To find out more or sign up today visit www.tumbletotsmemberoffers.com Terms and conditions: *Save up to an extra £50 on top of Haven’s best public prices – For monthly offers and full details of your Tumble Tots member discount, please call or go online. Your extra discount is an additional saving combinable with Haven’s general offers and will be added on after all other discounts have been taken into account. Offer applies to new direct bookings only, cannot be combined with any other voucher or third-party discount, and must be booked direct with Haven. Full Haven Holidays terms and conditions apply. Haven Holidays is a trading name of Bourne Leisure Limited, registered in England & Wales, No. 04011660. Registered Office: 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 4YL. HAV13912_31371
TRY SHADOW DRAWING “Put your hand higher. No, I meant lower. Now touch your nose. Oh, and balance on one leg.” Yes, the best thing about doing shadow drawings is getting people to do ridiculous things in the name of art. But it’s also a remarkably easy way to make some great pictures. First you’ll need a sunny day – shadows are fussy like that – and a nice open space no-one will mind you drawing on – driveways or playgrounds are always good. Now get a friend, or someone you can boss about in the family, to create interesting shadow shapes – maybe an action shot, a classic “teapot” pose, or a wave. Or how about bringing in some props? When you’re happy with the look, it’s time to get your chalk and draw around the shadow edge. Just be careful to do this without blocking out the sun or you’ll lose the line you’re tracing. Oh, and make sure you try this at different times of day so you can experiment with different shadow shapes as the sun moves across the sky. When you’re done, you can add more details, colour it in with more chalks or chalk paint or simply make your sister’s nose look twice as big just to annoy her.
About the author
Dawn Isaac is an award-winning garden designer, blogger and the mother of three children. Dawn has written on garden design for the Guardian, The Telegraph and The Garden, and has run Family Garden Design courses in association with Mumsnet Academy and Cambridge University Botanic Garden. She is the author of the bestselling 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside, 101 Things for Kids to do on a Rainy Day and 101 Brilliant Things for Kids to do With Science, also published by Kyle Books, which together have more than 200,000 copies in print. www.dawn-isaac.com
You will need: A sunny day, chalk, a model
Tip: If you have no willing volunteers, you can always get a piece of paper and a pencil to trace the shadows of your favourite toys instead. 101 Things for Kids to Do Screen-Free by Dawn Isaac is published by Kyle Books, £14.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk
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Because kids can be curious We know how important it is to keep kids safe from harm – it’s a parent’s number one priority! As the world’s leading bittering agent, Bitrex has been helping manufacturers make their products safer for over 60 years. Supported by a team of experts, we’re here to help give you peace of mind. Because kids can be so many wonderful things – but most of all, they should always be safe!
Find out more at bitrex.com
Health & Safety
Keeping children safe during lockdown Many things feel out of our control right now. For families stuck at home, one thing that will have crossed many parents minds is avoiding any reason to take a child to A&E.
Pills to pods
From the painkillers in the drawer to the cleaner by the loo, the disinfectant spray under the sink or the washing pods by the machine, they can seriously harm children if swallowed. Gather them up and put them high up out of harm’s way. And remember to put them away again after you’ve used them.
The fact that our homes are accident hotspots for younger children is scary prospect at the best of times. And sadly, less traffic doesn’t mean we can completely switch off about road safety. Thank goodness then that it’s so easy to prevent many accidents. Here’s a quick run-down from the Child Accident Prevention Trust, to help you keep your children safe.
Button batteries
Big lithium coin cell batteries the size of a 5p piece can be deadly if your child swallows one. Look round your home for them – in products as well as spare and ‘flat’ batteries – and put them out of reach of inquisitive little fingers. You’ll be surprised where young children can find them – in light-up toys, remotes, gaming headsets and key finders.
OUT OF HARM’S WAY
OUT AND ABOUT
Whether you have shufflers, crawlers, toddlers or pre-schoolers, if you do a quick room-by-room check for these things, then you’re doing a great job of keeping your child out of harm’s way:
As we all try to keep our distance but still try to burn off children’s excess energy, it’s crucial to stay mindful of road safety. Cars may take advantage of empty roads to speed up. And if you’re driving, remember there may be people stepping off pavements, younger cyclists avoiding walkers or simply people paying less attention because there’s less traffic on the roads.
Hot drinks to hair straighteners
Doctors are already seeing an increase in burns during lockdown. A small child’s skin burns really easily as it’s so thin and delicate. Decide now where the safe spot in the kitchen and living room is for hot drinks – well out of reach of little hands. Do the same in the bedroom for hair straighteners and curling wands – even when they are cooling down, somewhere high up is best.
STAY IN TOUCH Follow CAPT on Facebook www.facebook.com/ ChildAccidentPreventionTrust for more advice on keeping children safe during lockdown. 21
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Tumble Tots Kitchen
Use it Up! 5 ways to reduce food waste at home With all of us trying to cut down our visits to the shops, making the most of the food we have at home has never been more important. In fact, at all times, reducing the amount of food that ends up in the bin is a good idea. Here are a few key tips from Love Food Hate Waste to help make your food go further.
food up to and including the use by date, keeping it for another day.
4. Don’t just eat it – compleat it!
Try using up every edible bit of your food. Potato skins, bread crusts, and broccoli stems are all delicious and perfectly edible, but they often get wasted because we don’t think to use them up. Try leaving the potato skins on when you make mash, or adding the broccoli stem to your stir fry or stew along with the florets.
1. Be storage savvy.
Different foods do better in different places, so knowing where to store them is key to keeping them fresh. We have a Food Storage A–Z to help you to figure out where to store your foods, as well as tips on how to use them up! For example: did you know that apples keep fresher for longer in the fridge, but bananas need to stay in the cupboard?
5. Freezer hero.
We all know that meat, pizza and ice cream can be frozen, but there may be a few foods that surprise you! Eggs, milk, bread, cheese – in fact, almost anything can be frozen! Pop a label on whatever you freeze to avoid any Unidentified Frozen Objects.
2. Chill the fridge out!
Did you know that the average UK fridge is set to 7 degrees? This is too high for most foods and will cause them to go ‘off’ much quicker. Dialling it down to 0–5°C has the potential to keep your food fresh for up to three extra days – you can use our handy fridge thermometer tool to find out how to adjust the temperature.
Peter Maddox from WRAP UK says: “At all times, storing food correctly will keep it good to eat for as long as possible, and is key to preventing food going to waste. This is a crucial, but simple, way we can all make our food go further, and has the added bonus of saving money. Remember, Love Food Hate Waste also has a huge variety of recipes to help you to use up your leftovers, so visit our website to find some new ways to make the most of your food.” We’re sure many of you will have a number of go to leftover recipes, but here are three from the Love Food Hate Waste website to get you started.
3. Get to know your date labels.
‘Best before’ refers to quality – your food is at its best before this date, but should still be OK to eat after: use your senses to check. ‘Use by’ is about safety – eating food after this date could give you food poisoning. Remember, you can freeze your 23
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Tumble Tots Kitchen
Gluten-free banana bread
What better way to use up your overripe bananas than this moist and hearty gluten-free banana bread? It’s super easy to make and is ideal for a snack or afternoon tea treats. Makes: 10 Servings
INSTRUCTIONS 1) Preheat oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C.
INGREDIENTS
2) Grease and line a 1kg (2lb) loaf tin.
125g (4oz) butter
3) In a stand mixer or with an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.
120g (4oz) caster sugar 3 eggs
4) Beat in the eggs one by one until well combined. Then add in the remaining ingredients. Fold everything together until fully incorporated.
3 large very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed 225g (7 1/2oz) Doves Farm gluten-free flour 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
5) Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. If the top is darkening too quickly, cover it with foil.
1/4 tsp xanthan gum* 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice 100g (3 1/2oz) sultanas or dried apricots, chopped into little pieces
6) Once done, remove from the oven and leave to cool in its tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt
7) Cut into thick slices and serve with butter.
*Gluten-free cooking tip: Xantham gum aids in gluten-free baking making them less crumbly and makes gluten-free pastry easier to roll and handle. It’s available in specialist health food stores and in some supermarkets. 25
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Tumble Tots Kitchen
Leftover Potato Hash
The perfect brunch dish to use up leftover roast potatoes and cooked vegetables from your fridge! We used leftover cooked kale, green beans and roasted peppers, but you can try out different flavour combinations! You can also make this dish vegetarian by eliminating the bacon and using a vegetarian cheese. Makes: 4 Servings
INSTRUCTIONS
INGREDIENTS
1) Heat a little olive oil in an ovenproof skillet or pan on medium heat.
1 large onion, chopped
2) Add the onions and allow to cook for a couple of minutes, before adding the garlic and bacon. 3) Fry for a couple of minutes allowing the edges of the bacon to start to crisp up, before adding the potatoes. Turn up the heat a little and cook for a couple of minutes.
1 clove of garlic, chopped 3 or 4 slices bacon, roughly chopped 6 - 8 leftover roast potatoes, cut into cubes
4) Add the cooked veg, season with salt and pepper and cook for a few more minutes.
200g of leftover cooked veg (kale, green beans,
5) Add the grated cheese and mix through before removing from the heat.
red peppers)
6) Make sure the hash is spread evenly across the base of the pan.
75g cheddar, grated
7) Carefully crack 2 eggs on top of the dish before transferring to a preheated oven (190c / 170c fan) and cook for 8 minutes, or until the egg whites have set.
olive oil salt & pepper to season 2 or 3 large free-range eggs
8) Serve immediately! 27
Tumble Tots Kitchen
Mexican Vegetable Crisps This healthier version of nachos is a great way of using up root vegetables with Mexican dips and can be served as a snack or sharing starter when entertaining. Makes: 4 Servings
INSTRUCTIONS 1) Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C Fan/Gas 7
INGREDIENTS
2) Cut off the top and bottom of the beetroot and carrot then clean the skins including the sweet potato by scrubbing in water. Alternatively, they can be peeled if you prefer.
200g fresh beetroot 1 large carrot 1 large sweet potato
3) Slice the vegetables very thinly. A swivel peeler or a mandolin are best for this but you could also use a knife if you are careful. Then gently press between kitchen paper to absorb any excess moisture.
2 tbsp vegetable oil black pepper to season 240g mixed pack salsa/ guacamole/ sour cream
4) Line three large baking trays with baking parchment and brush with oil. Lay the vegetables on the trays in a single layer, keeping the beetroot on a separate tray to prevent it from staining the other vegetables. Brush the vegetables with the remaining oil, season with black pepper then roast for 25 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper and allow to cool completely.
Top Tip
Wear rubber gloves when preparing beetroot to prevent the colour from staining your hands. You could also use up any leftover dips that you have or try making your own salsa from squishy tomatoes, chopped onion and some chilli powder or chopped fresh chillies. You can also use this recipe to make homemade crisps.
5) To assemble arrange the vegetable crisps on a plate and serve with bowls of salsa, guacamole and soured cream. 29
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Q: What is Play for Life?
Play for Life is an initiative created by scooter experts Micro Scooters and biomechanists BryteSpark. The formative preschool years provide a perfect opportunity to create a positive relationship with movement that will last a lifetime. There is now a proven link between activity levels in children as young as 12 months old, while they develop their gross motor skills, and their physical, academic and emotional confidence in adulthood. Research suggests that children with poor motor coordination participate in less physical activity, have higher BMI and are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease. 30
Some Deliberate Play games to try
Micro Scooters and BryteSpark have combined the basic principles of gross motor development with the concept of Deliberate Play and devised games for adults to play with little ones that will help them to build confidence and a life-long love of exercise.
when play becomes meaningful and deliberate it is a precursor to a lifetime of activity. In Deliberate Play, adults engage in the child’s activity, support and guide. When a child is encouraged to find unique solutions to movement challenges, given goal specific tasks, creative themes or ‘family’ rules to traditional games, the play becomes more challenging, stimulating and rewarding. The premise is that when play is deliberate, it will help a child to secure their early movement milestones for physical development with more confidence, meaning they are more likely to try new physical challenges and continue exercising and enjoy physical fitness into later life.
Q: Why is Deliberate Play important? Government advice stipulates children should be active for 180 minutes every day. There is very little advice or guidance on what active means. Nor suggestions for the activities children should do to be active. Deliberate Play aims to make this easy for parents. It is a technique widely adopted in the US, Canada and Australia. The theory is that 31
Book Club
Storytime Fire their imagination with these wonderful books that you can discover together and they will enjoy on their own time and time again. The Secret Garden – Puffin Picture Book Written by Claire Freedman Illustrated by Shaw Davidson
Rediscover the magical story of Mary Lennox, who arrives in the wild and windswept Yorkshire a sickly and miserable girl - until she discovers a forgotten, Secret Garden.
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Super Peppa!
Perfect for any SUPER little ones you have in your life! When Madame Gazelle asks the class to dress up as what they want to be when they are older, they are all very excited. Edmond Elephant wants to be an astronaut AND an anthropologist, Danny Dog wants to be a skateboarder and Rebecca Rabbit wants to be a carrot... but Peppa doesn’t know what she wants to be! Luckily, Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and the world’s busiest person, Miss Rabbit, let Peppa follow them for a day to give her some ideas!
Where’s Peppa’s Magical Unicorn? Can Daddy Pig and Peppa find Peppa’s Magical Unicorn?
A fantastic new lift-the-flap story, perfect for bedtime reading. Peppa wants to play with her magical unicorn but she can’t find her anywhere! Is she hiding at the castle, the beach, or the end of the rainbow? Join Peppa and Daddy Pig’s adventure to find out! The perfect gift for little readers and unicorn fans. 33
Health
Staying Hydrated By Dr Emma Derbyshire PhD, RNutr. Nutrition Consultant for the Natural Hydration Council
Establishing healthy hydration habits early is important for the health and well-being of young children and as they grow through life. Children form habits at a young age and are dependent on their caregivers to provide them with the best source of hydration at regular intervals. Hydration Recommendations
Top Tips for Hydrated Young Children
Water can come from fluids (drinks) and foods in the diet with the general advice that 80% should be derived from drinks and 20% from foods. European recommendations1 advise that fluid intakes should be 1.3 litres/day for children aged 2-3 years and 1.6 litres/day for children aged 4-8 years. Water is the healthiest way to hydrate and for pre-schoolers should be their primary source of fluid intake alongside milk. SACN recommend babies are exclusively breastfed until around 6 months of age and continue to be breastfed for at least the first year of life. Breastfed babies do not need additional drinks whilst they are exclusively breastfed, then after six months when weaning begins water or infant formula can also be offered as a drink. Bottle fed infants can be offered cooled boiled water if they require extra fluid, and water can also be offered during the weaning period. So, for younger children aged 2-3 years around 0.9 litres/ day fluid should be provided through drinks and for older children aged 4-8 years they should be aiming for about 1.1 litres fluid from drinks. In terms of glasses and bearing in mind that a small cup/beaker is normally around 200 ml this would equate to about 4 to 5 glasses of fluid a day for younger children (aged 3 to 5 years).
Make sure children have some water to drink before they go to nursery, pre-school or out for the day. Always have water available at mealtimes as this is an important time during the day when children will get their daily fluid intake. Remind children to sip small amounts of water and often throughout the day. Make water the beverage of choice for youngsters as it is calorie and sugar free. Pack some snacks with a high water content such as cucumber, melon or plain yoghurts into their lunch box or your day bag. On hot days remind children to drink water often and add plenty of ice to young children’s drinks to make it easier to drink. 1. EFSA (2010) Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for water. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA) EFSA Journal 8 (3):1459 The information in this article is taken from the Natural Hydration Council factsheet, Hydration for Children in Early Years. A complete version can be found at www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk
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Carry on the fun at home and practice the actions to all your favourite Tumble Tots songs and rhymes! Visit www.tumbletots.co.uk to buy the CDs or search ‘Tumble Tots’ on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon or iTunes.
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