Family First Winter 19/20

Building a happier, healthier family lifestyle

FEATURE

Understanding ADHD MAKE LEARNING MORE FUN! School trips, mastering maths and more GET CRAFTY WITH THE KIDS Explore the Great Outdoors!

YOUR GUIDE TO FAMILY CAMPING (AND GLAMPING)

DELICIOUS FAMILY RECIPES

from Lemon Possets to Mushroom & Leek Pie

GET SPORTY IN 2020 GOLF, TENNIS & SNOWSPORTS

FREE Bi-Annual Magazine | ISSUE 5

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I S S U E 0 5 - C o n te n t s

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Contents 7 Welcome

GREAT OUTDOORS 11 5 things to do before you reach for the remote control

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60 Snowsport England 61 Stop and smell the flowers GOLF

GET COOKING

23 Get out and about with your family this weekend …

22 Banana bread LITTLE COOKS RECIPE

30 Gardening for bees: top tips for family gardens

65 Sweet potato crust quiche LITTLE COOKS RECIPE

34 Get Active & Explore The Lake District: Penrith & Ullswater

69 Get inspired – Here are some warming lunch ideas

39 Happy Campers

77 Kick start your day – The right way

46 This is how we do it …

SPORT 4 ALL 51 Who’s Ready to Play Some Tennis?

83 Start the New Year healthier with Veganuary 86 10 top tips to live more sustainably

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88 Soup of the Day … is Orange RECIPE 89 Mushroom & Leek Pie RECIPE

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92 Quick and Simple Crunchy Salad RECIPE 95 Lemon Possets (with shortbread) RECIPE

FEATURES 10 Ask Us First 13 HOT TIPS for Family Shows 16 Education Without Walls – the magic of school trips 20 When two become three!

50 Creative Wordy Fun 55 Everything, every parent needs to know about … ADHD 67 Hand crafted photo frames in 7 simple steps 73 Be New Year Ready (with a back to school checklist) 74 Colouring Fun – Fantasy Wonderland 79 How to master times tables (and not to forget. Again.)

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98 Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Mug Cake RECIPE

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Family First - ISSUE 05

Executive Editor: Lee Gatland Managing Editor: Ara E. Lee Ara@familyfirst.co.uk Art Director: Richard Hejsak Consultant: Jordan Martin Jordan@familyfirst.co.uk Sales Team: +44 (0)1959 574 556 sales@sevenstarmedia.co.uk For all other enquiries: contact@familyfirst.co.uk

Dear Families...

A very happy New Year and a very warm welcome to a brand-new issue of Family First!

Starting a new year is always exciting – new hobbies, projects, resolutions for doing your best and being your best, so you can do the best for you and your family. In this issue you’ll find some Credits: Copyright of J P Martin

great inspirations for learning outside of the classroom, with our focus on school trips, tips and tricks for learning your times tables as well as a spotlight

Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/familyfirstuk/ Family First Magazine is published bi-annually (twice per annum) by Seven Star Media Ltd. No part of Family First Magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without permission. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Seven Star Media Ltd, and are included to provide advice only. No content is a substitute for professional medical advice. During printing, images may be subject to a 15% variation. © Copyright of content belongs to Seven Star Media. All rights reserved. Please either keep this magazine for future reference, pass it on for somebody else to read, or recycle it.

on understanding ADHD. You’ll also discover some of the nation’s great locations for camping holidays and activities to keep you fit and active well into springtime. Take a look at how to get your garden set-up for bees and their pollinator friends, and check out our delicious family recipes and crafty ideas to keep you and the kids – and grandkids – busy on rainy days!

Happy reading and all the best for 2020!

Sincerely,

Your Family First Team FA M I LY F I R S T - W I N T E R 2 0 2 0

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Peachy-a-bix

Odd-a-bix

Exotic-a-bix

Buzzing-a-bix

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Cosy-a-bix / PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES INGREDIENTS:

METHOD: 1. Place milk in saucepan and warm

• 2 Weetabix • 125ml Semi Skimmed Milk or milk of choice • Handful (20) Blueberries, fresh or frozen • Handful (10) Pomegranate seeds

gently on the hob or in a suitable microwave container and warm in the microwave

2. Put two Weetabix in a bowl, scatter with blueberries & pomegranate seeds

3. Add warmed milk, drizzle with honey and enjoy

Peachy-a-bix / PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES INGREDIENTS: • 2 Weetabix • 125ml pouring yogurt or yogurt of choice • One fresh peach • Handful (10) pecans

METHOD: 1. Rinse, stone & slice peach 2. Roughly chop pecans 3. Put two Weetabix in a bowl, top with peach slices and sprinkle chopped pecans

4. Add yogurt and enjoy

Buzzing-a-bix / PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES INGREDIENTS: • 2 Weetabix • 125ml Semi Skimmed Milk or milk of choice • One banana, sliced • 1 teaspoon honey

METHOD: 1. Peel & slice banana 2. Put two Weetabix in a bowl, top with banana and drizzle with honey

3. Add milk and enjoy

Have you had your Weetabix? * UK, NI & ROI residents aged 18+. Opens 02/01/20, closes 26/03/20. To enter the competition, UK and ROI only, purchase a promotional pack of Weetabix and either upload your photo of your Weetabix bowl and recipe ingredients to Instagram using the hashtag #AnyWhichWayABix or post your photo of your Weetabix bowl and recipe ingredients in the comments underneath Weetabix UK’s Facebook pinned promotional post. Judging criteria include but are not limited to most creative ingredients, most original recipe, most mouth-watering combination and a healthy balance of toppings and flavours. Grand Prize: 1 x £10,000 (or the equivalent amount in Euros) plus a place in the Weetabix recipe book. 19 runner up prizes of a place in the Weetabix recipe book (one recipe per winning entry). No purchase necessary route available for NI only.

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ISSUE 05 - Ask Us First

Ask Us First

There are some questions that we all find ourselves asking from time to time…

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Dear Family First,

Dear Family First,

Our son is in his third year of primary (key stage 2) and seems to be struggling with a lot of the subjects at school. It seemed fine up until now, but he is losing interest and we’re worried about him not enjoying school. We’re not the pushy type of parents but would like him to enjoy learning. Sometimes he struggles to say how he feels and is ending up in arguments with other kids. It’s disheartening when you hear that your kid is having a tough time of it. (Jamie, Harlow)

My wife and I have just had our baby daughter and we are really happy. The problem is that my mother-in-law is over all the time and although she means well, she just seems to be getting involved where we could do without the help. It sounds ungrateful

Hi Jamie,

Hi there,

School can be tricky for a lot of kids – adjusting to changes all the time (teachers, friends, new subjects) and it can be difficult to keep the interest alive. That coupled with low resources can sometimes make it hard for teaching staff to pinpoint what is going on with each individual pupil. Have a chat with your son and see if there is something bothering him. Adults also often struggle to say how they feel, so don’t expect too much too soon! Maybe play a game with him and help him to relax and open up; lots of cuddles and hanging out together.

Also take the time to ask his teacher what he is struggling with and get some ideas for fun ways to encourage his interest and confidence outside the classroom – we all learn differently and this might help you see what your son is interested in and how this can help support his understanding in school subjects. It will help you gain a better idea of whether the difficulty learning in the classroom is related to the playground situation. Good luck!

Having a new addition to the family is a time of excitement and change for everyone. It’s great that you both have willing support from family members who want to get involved and help out where they can. Maybe your wife really appreciates having an extra pair of hands around while you’re at work? It seems that your mother-in-law wants to be around for her granddaughter and will certainly make a great babysitter as your little princess grows older! One way is asking your in-laws to run the odd errand so they can be helpful without being present all the time, giving you and your wife the time and space to adjust to your new family set-up. Ask your wife how she feels and come up with a tactful strategy for involving your in-laws without offending them. Extended family are worth their weight in gold when it comes to managing the dayto-day with little ones! Good luck!

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but we need time as a family. It’s the last thing you need after a day at work. (Anon)

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5 things to do before you reach for the remote control

Here are few things that can inspire you to get active, involved and away from all that holiday telly!

Volunteer!

If there is food in fridge, a cosy bed to get into at night and warm clothing and a roof over our head, chances are we are very lucky and could always find an opportunity to help others out who are less fortunate than ourselves. At this time of year it is so cold and there are so many people who are without a permanent home or have taken to sleeping on the streets. See if there is a way you can get involved with helping at a shelter, or get in touch with your local Salvation Army to see what they are doing to help in the community at this time of year.

If you don’t have so much time to commit outside family and home then there are other options. Maybe you could spend an hour or two sorting jumble for the next church fête or hold a coffee morning and donate the proceeds to a charity. Whatever you decide to do, a gesture is enough, maybe you could even get a few friends involved – a good way to give a little back…

Sort out some clutter Our wardrobes are often full of fashion throwbacks and faux-pas that we couldn’t even get away with as 80’s retro (oh, just mine then). Why not have a

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look and see if yours could do with a bit of a spring-clean – see if there are any items that can go to the local charity shop, textiles recycling bank or even get transformed into an original for the kids’ next fancy-dress party. Get the kids involved and have some fun while you’re at it!

Maybe you can get them to sort out their old toys or any items they have grown out of, especially now that Christmas is over and the Grandparents have done their worst!!

Pick up an old hobby…

Used to crochet when you were expecting, or dabble in creating jewellery – why not pick up a hobby that you used to enjoy doing and see if you can build on existing skills? It’s a sure-fire way to keep yourself busy.

A novel or new music Read a recommendation on the current best-seller list, or ask friends what their favourite books are and give them a go.

Maybe you’ll learn you love scifi and thrillers after all. Trying out a different genre is a great way to explore new interests

and to switch off from a busy day balancing work and family life. You could also check out a new audio book or new music.

Trying out a different genre is a great way to explore new interests and to switch off from a busy day balancing work and family life iTunes and Spotify usually put together a playlist based on the type of music you like listening to and that’s a good way to see what new artists are out there at the moment. You might discover a few new favourites that are not in the charts and not from back in the day. You might even find the kids enjoy listening to some new tracks, after all, great music is timeless – golden oldies and new and independent artists, alike.

Handwrite a letter Thank-you cards or letters - emails and text messages are fast and convenient, but remember the last time you received a hand-written letter or card that wasn’t a payment reminder, bank statement or junk-mail trying to sell you something? You don’t have to spend a fortune on fancy cards, just a simple piece of paper, maybe get creative and stencil a border. It costs time, consideration and the price of a postage stamp. We promise you, your friends and family will be thrilled that you’ve taken the time and made the effort.

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ISSUE 05 - Family First

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F a m i l y F e a t u re - I S S U E 0 5

S P I T T O H for Family Shows If your little ones were bitten by the theatre bug following any of our summer show suggestions, never fear! We’re back with some ideas for shows to look out for in the New Year and during the first half of 2020.

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e picked out some fantastic shows that the whole family will enjoy - why not ask the grandparents to join you and make a real day of it...

FOR TINY TOTS

There are some great highlights on offer for 2-5 year olds this year.

Following a Christmas run at the Lyric Theatre in the West End, Oi Frog & Friends! will be visiting His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen in March, and Birmingham Town Hall and Churchill Theatre, Bromley in April. Based on Kes Gray and Jim Field’s best-selling books, this show will charm your younger kids with its original music, songs, puppets and rhymes.

But will the cat stay on the mat, the mule on the stool, and the gopher on the sofa…?

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This brand-new show sees Peppa take an adventure-packed road trip with George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig Also in the West End over Christmas (at the Duke of York’s Theatre) and beyond is perennially popular porcine Peppa in Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever. This brand-new show sees Peppa take an adventurepacked road trip with George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. But don’t worry, her best day

won’t just be in London – the show will head out on an extensive UK tour during 2020, including dates from Belfast to Norwich, Aberdeen to Yeovil and just about everywhere in between. www.peppapiglive. com/bestdayever/tour.php The Tiger Who Came to Tea is getting a sixth West End outing this Christmas, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and continues throughout January. Based on the much-loved book and suitable for kids aged 3 and upwards, this stripy tail – sorry, tale – tells of the chaos caused by a hungry tiger who pops in for tea with Sophie and her mum. Expect sing-a-longs, interactive fun and impressive illusions.

Giraffes Can’t Dance is another picture book adaptation, aimed at kids aged 3-6. Gerald the Giraffe just wants to dance at the great Jungle Dance… but as everyone knows, giraffes have two left feet! This touching tale teaches that it’s okay to dance to your own tune. The show will open at the Curve in Leicester during Christmas, spend Easter 2020 at the Rose Theatre Kingston, and then embark on a national tour.

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FOR SLIGHTLY OLDER KIDS

If your kids are a little older (6-12), the West End will welcome the muchanticipated The Prince of Egypt in February. This new stage musical based on the DreamWorks animated movie will open at the Dominion Theatre. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the writer of the megahit musical Wicked, and a mix of old and new songs, this adaptation of the story of Moses is sure to be a hot ticket all the way through to September 2020.

Another favourite is bound to be Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain – Part Five, which will run at the West End’s Apollo Theatre during August 2020. This is another opportunity to meet some of the most colourful characters from our country’s history. Will your kids be conquered by King William? Will Thomas Becket get the chop? Will King Henry VIII’s househunt be successful? And watch out for the witch of World War Two! Also taking a turn around several UK cities will be Billionaire Boy, another stage adaptation based on a David Walliams book. Joe Spud is the richest boy in the country, who transfers to a local comprehensive school in the hope of making a friend. The show will run at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre in early January, then move on to Aberdeen, York, Glasgow, Liverpool, Blackpool and Nottingham.

Will Thomas Becket get the chop?

Will King Henry VIII’s house-hunt be successful?

For kids over 8, Holes is an off-beat comedy based on Louis Sachar’s hit novel and the Hollywood film.

Stanley Yelnats is accused of a

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crime he didn’t commit, and sent to a labour camp where he has to dig a hole every day as a ‘character building’ punishment. But what is the tyrannical Warden hiding, and how will Stanley and his fellow inmates unearth what’s really going on? Catch the show around the country from January 2020, including stops in Northampton, Nottingham, Coventry, Newcastle, Plymouth, Liverpool, High Wycombe, Norwich, Wolverhampton and Canterbury.

TEENS AND UPWARDS

Your older kids might enjoy another hotly-anticipated West End show, Dear Evan Hansen, which opens at the Noel Coward Theatre in November 2019 and is initially due to run until early April.

A smash hit on Broadway, and penned by the writers of La La Land and The Greatest Showman, this show is about a teenage boy who finds it difficult to talk to people and make friends.

A tragic event involving a classmate means he’s drawn closer to a group of people for the first time in his life.

Outside London, your teens should also enjoy Priscilla Queen of the Desert. A riotous, colourful, crossdressing delight (with some slightly adult humour), this show features an abundance of hit songs and is a feast for the eyes and the ears. Its extensive UK tour continues in 2020 with dates all over the country.

GET INTO LONDON THEATRE (GILT) West End theatre in particular can be expensive for families, but it’s worth watching out for the shows taking part in the annual Get Into London Theatre initiative.

GILT offers reduced price tickets for a huge range of London shows throughout January and February.

And don’t forget to check in with your local venues to see what they have to offer for your little ones!

For more information, visit your local theatre website, or www. officiallondontheatre.com for West End and Get Into London Theatre (GILT) shows.

Thanks to fellow Broadway World reviewers Aliya Al-Hassan, Fiona Scott and Verity Wilde for sharing their tips!

Emma Watkins regularly writes reviews for www.broadwayworld. com/westend/, and somewhat less regularly posts on her own blog www.sheseesshows. wordpress.com/

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Education Without Wallsthe magic of school trips The school trip is a conundrum many teachers, parents and students face on a yearly basis‌

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or teachers, it’s a question of whether they’re worth the hassle; for parents, it’s the expense; and for students, it’s whether they’re worth the time (although, any excuse to get out the classroom, right?).

Done badly, those worries become realities. Done properly, however, and the school trip is a unique learning experience which cannot be replicated in the classroom. Simply put: if done well, they’re invaluable.

Effectively organised trips not only benefit the students, but they also have positive impacts on the teaching environment and the school as a whole.

So, if you were in any doubt as to the advantages of the school trip, here are ten reasons why getting out and about is brilliant for all.

BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS 1. They Level The Playing Field Classrooms are made up of a variety of different learning groups (visual, aural, kinaesthetic) and whilst some classroom activities favour certain learners, school trips often mix the three styles up with interactive activities that benefit everyone.

2. They Increase Interest Nothing screams yawn more than, “Turn to page 68 of this dusty old textbook.”

Getting out and experiencing something for real can help students to see how what they’re learning applies to real life and exists beyond the classroom.

It can help to validate the time they dedicate to learning and get excited about finding out more about certain topics that grab their interest.

3. They Reinforce Understanding To read information in a textbook, and visualise how it works, is very different from experiencing it in

person. Reading about how a landscape is formed, for example, is all well and good, but seeing it up close in real life can help students to fully make sense of the whys, hows, whats, whens and wheres.

4. They Deepen Knowledge Students can increase their knowledge of a subject by putting what they learn into a wider context. By experiencing different cultures and beliefs it can help them to understand why a certain event happened the way that it did. It can sometimes be tricky to wrap your head around things which feel worlds away from the school playground, which is why context is key.

5. They Develop Relationships School trips can be highly beneficial for developing relationships between classmates, as well as improving relationships between the teachers and their pupils, as they offer a more relaxed learning environment and help to remove barriers.

By experiencing different cultures and beliefs it can help pupils to understand why a certain event happened the way that it did

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BENEFITS FOR TEACHERS 1. Understanding Your Students For teachers, not only will you get to know your students on a more personal level, which will help you to build a better relationship with them, you’ll also be able to see which ones thrive in certain environments and that can help you to tailor your classroom activities to different learning types.

2. Improve Teaching Skills Some teachers, wittingly or not, will have formed their own little comfort zone in their classrooms, where they can hide behind their desks whilst students get on with their work. Out in the elements, though, there’s no place to hide so they can push themselves, get up and active, and have some fun, which in turn will help develop their leadership skills.

3. Improve Teacher Relationships Not only will you have the opportunity to build a rapport with your class, but you’ll also have the chance to develop your relationships with other teachers.

Being able to work together effectively is key in any profession, but it’s particularly useful in teaching where the students model themselves on your relationships with your colleagues, and thrive in a positive, encouraging working environment.

help you to take steps forward in your career.

5. Develop Your Own Knowledge One of the great things about education is that knowledge has no limits. Whilst educating your class, you’re likely to discover some new things for yourself and broaden your knowledge on a specific topic. Becoming more knowledgeable will not only benefit your current students but future students too. We’re all still learning, after all.

WHERE CAN YOU GO?

From history to geography, science to physical education, plus everything in between, no matter the subject, there are educational trips big and small which could be hugely beneficial to students, teachers and schools alike.

Delve deep into the depths of the second world war with a trip to the German capital: tour memorials, explore museums and visit concentration camps to understand the gravity of the historical events that took place between 1939 and 1945.

Head to the Land of Ice and Fire for an

incredible geography tour of Iceland, with its vast and varied landscape, visiting waterfalls and geothermal valleys to understand just how these natural phenomena are formed.

Or stay in the UK and head to Stratford, the home of Shakespeare, for a performing arts masterclass from some of the biggest and best in the industry. The sky is certainly the limit!

Whatever you choose to do, be sure to plan, plan and plan some more. Foresight and well-thought-out planning make for the best school-trip experiences.

Get help to create your own bespoke package to suit all manner of subjects, budgets, age groups and learning abilities to help your students flourish in a brilliantly fun, interactive environment.

Groupia have helped over half a million clients in the UK and abroad and are one of the leading group travel specialists, so don’t go organising another school trip which falls short, call in the experts and create a memorable learning experience everybody will remember for years. More at: www.groupiaschooltrips.com

4. Professional Development If you take a proactive role in organising a school trip which directly boosts the productivity and results of a class, this won’t go unnoticed.

A highly performing class reflects well on the teacher, which will boost your personal sense of achievement and

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WHAT DO YOU WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT IN FAMILY FIRST MAGAZINE? Family First Magazine reaches out to 32,000 schools (that’s a lot of school children, their parents, grandparents and teachers) around Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with ideas for living a healthier, happier family lifestyle. Getting into the great British outdoors (your garden or the local park is ideal!), getting cooking – recipe ideas and ways in which to make family mealtimes fun for everyone; as well as Sport 4 All – so you and your family and friends can feel inspired by all the opportunities available around the country for trying new sports and outdoor activities.

We love to hear what interests you, so visit us on our Facebook page and share your ideas, comments and inspiration. Sometimes we even have a competition for you to enter!

Can’t wait to see you there! www.facebook.com/familyfirstuk/

I S S U E 0 5 - F a m i l y F e a t u re

When two become three!

Life Coach, Puja, talks nappies, romantic dinners and frankly, how easy is it being a parent while keeping your relationship spark alive!

When it’s time to start a family, it’s all very exciting and everyone around you starts sharing all those ‘helpful’ anecdotes and comments that don’t quite mean much to you as you’re busy wondering how a 7-pound baby is going to literally leave your nether regions! The types of things you hear include “your life will never be the same again”, “it’s worth the pain”, “sleep when the baby sleeps” - all pretty vague and at the beginning, pretty unhelpful.

It’s only when that baby arrives and you are in the thick of it, do you actually realise what all those vague comments mean and now you have to find a way to both understand them and apply them (usually after about a year).

EARLY DAYS...

One of the most important pieces of ‘advice’ that tends to be left off this list, is the continued connection with

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your partner. When that baby arrives, you both generally have an idea of how to keep it alive, you get the knack of their routine and learn what lack of sleep really means. In those first few months, it’s all about the baby and you’re both okay with that.

the continued connection with your partner is so important There’s healing to be done, sleepless nights to contend with and all the new baby trials that you’ll have to figure out like colic, nappy rash, if they ate enough etc.

After that ‘honeymoon’ period with the baby, you might find that you’ve somewhat drifted a little from the romance with your partner. No longer is sex a given,

no longer are you rustling up romantic meals or going out for dinner. No longer are you talking about your dreams and aspirations.

Nope, you’re now all about the baby and the drift between you both may extend if you don’t catch it in time which could lead to relationship challenges.

KEEPING THE SPARK ALIVE

It’s wonderful to have a baby and if you’re one of the lucky ones who gets to, you should absolutely bask in their glory when they arrive.

However, the importance of your relationship with your partner cannot be ignored, cannot be assumed all will be well because neither of you has any idea what life with a new baby will really look like until it happens. Both of your characters will change a little. Priorities will shift. Time will disappear and soon you’ll be wondering where all that love that

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you had which led to the creation of this beautiful bundle has actually gone.

LEARNING TO BE A COUPLE AGAIN

It is imperative to learn how to be with your partner once that baby arrives. You will need to date to learn what has changed with each of you. Coming together (alone) regularly will remind you both of the love you have, the foundations that the relationship is built on and keep your trust and insecurities in check. What I’m talking about here is as a woman, we tend to feel a little unattractive during those early months. We’re trying to keep it together whilst doing our very best superwoman impression. We will cry, we may not shower, we will live in leggings and spit-up stained t-shirts - we’ll generally not be our most fabulous selves whilst we get the hang of being a mama.

KEEPING THE CHANNELS OPEN Without regular communication, these changes in both of you can lead to an avalanche of challenges which could be avoided - unless of course the relationship was already rocky. Assuming it wasn’t in a bad place when you had the baby, spending regular time with each other, connecting with each other and communicating each other’s new needs will help in keeping you together and strong whilst you both navigate your new life change.

(NOT JUST) FOR THE SAKE OF THE BABY

The early years for a child are really important. They will notice what’s happening around them as they learn to make sense of the world. If they see loving relationships between you and your partner, they will understand that, store it as a template for love, partnership and communication and will want to be a part of it too.

GET STARTED

spending regular time together will help keep you strong while navigating new life changes

So create that regular time slot in your diary for alone time with your partner. Leave the house, try and put baby conversation on hold and check-in with each other.

Learn about each other’s changes, embrace the new, and always remember, especially during trying times, the foundations of your relationship, your values and why you continue to love your person.

Puja K McClymont is a Certified, highly effective NLP Life Coach in London helping families manage the stresses of daily life so that they can be their best.

For more information visit, www. franklycoaching.com

Men, have their own stuff of course.

They too will see what’s happening and will want to do what they can but work commitments may get in the way of this. They will miss the women for their intimacy has been re-directed to the baby, they will want to ‘save’ the women from the stresses of a new baby and they will feel the pressure of having to provide for their new family to name but a few changes. This shift continues as the woman goes back to work and there is even less time in the day for each other. www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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Banana bread

Cooking Instructions

You’ll want to make this delicious banana bread recipe time and time again!

Prep Cook Serves

1

Preheat oven to 180oc (170oc fan-assisted)

2

Peel and mash the bananas in a bowl until there are no big chunks left

3

Add the eggs, butter/coconut oil, vanilla essence and honey to the mashed banana and stir thoroughly

15 minutes 30-40 minutes

1 loaf / 15 slices

Allergens

Egg

Tasty tip

Gram flour is chickpeas ground into flour!

You can usually find it in the free-from aisle

4

In a separate bowl sieve the gram flour, bicarb of soda and cinnamon

Ingredients you’ll need

180g gram flour 60g honey 50g cacao nibs 50g raisins 40g desiccated coconut 30g butter or coconut oil 3 ripe bananas (+ 1 extra for decorating) 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla essence 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda

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Add the raisins, cacao nibs and desiccated coconut to the flour and mix thoroughly

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Next, poor the wet banana mix into the flour mix and stir thoroughly until fully combined

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Line you loaf/cake tin with parchment paper

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Pour in the mix and decorate with slices of banana if you wish to

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Pop it in the oven for 40 minutes but check it after 30 minutes (some ovens are hotter than others!) - you want it to be golden on top but not too brown

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Allow to cool. Slice and enjoy with your friends and family! Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days

Implements

2 mixing bowls, Sieve Wooden spoon, Fork/masher 20cm (L) x 10cm (W) x 7cm (H) cake/loaf tin

Healthy, happy families!

www.littlecooksco.co.uk

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Get out and about with your family this weekend…

Rainy days (and Mondays) can get you down, if you let them, or you can get wrapped up warm and get yourself outside and into the fresh air…

GET DOWN TO THE LOCAL PLAYGROUND

There’s no such thing as the wrong weather! Wellies and a raincoat; a fleece and a ski jacket – get geared up and get out into nature. Why not give the monkey-bars a try and challenge your kids to see who can balance the best (our money’s on the kids!). Take a football with you and have a kick-about. You’ll all come back home rosy-cheeked and exhausted, ready for tea and biscuits (or that delicious soup you made earlier!).

GO FOR A WOODLAND WALK

Take a winter picnic and a flask of hot chocolate and get out amongst the trees – you don’t have to travel very far from home to find a nice park and take in the nature around you. Find logs to climb on, trees to swing from and muddy puddles to splash in. It will be spring time before you know it – look out for the first signs of green shooting through the soil.

BUILD A DEN

Use sticks and leaves and bits of old trees or see which trees and bushes are already growing to create a natural den. You can even set up camp between a few dining-room chairs. Get a blanket or two across the top and a torch for navigating the inside - tell the kids the odd tale of when you were younger and used to set traps to stop dragons and grown-ups intruding on your secret hideaway…

the evenings start growing lighter you can catch an early sun-set with the kids (maybe even do some star-gazing) and see which animals are awakening from their long winter naps.

PUT FOOD OUT FOR THE BIRDS

Get some nuts and seeds and make your own birdfeeders (we’ve got a great recipe in Family First, so check out our back issues online for some inspiration!). You can even get some wood cut to size and make your own bird feeding table – a simple tray for the top with a coat of weather proofing, and a wooden stand. Why not transform an old coat stand and hang some seed balls from the coat pegs? Refashioning old furniture (even for garden use) is a great way to recycle and breathe new life into something with a bit of ‘character’.

not wrap up warm and get the coals going – hot baked potatoes, baked apples with cinnamon and raisins, a warming cup of winter punch or mulled wine and some friends and family over to enjoy star-gazing. Perfect.

BAKED APPLES: Core the apples; fill with mincepie filling or a mixture of raisins, chopped almonds, a pinch of cinnamon and brown sugar; wrap in foil (with a twist at the top, for easy opening) and place into the oven or amongst the coals for 10-15 minutes until soft.

Serve with cream or a scoop of ice-cream – take care to open the foil as the steam and the apples will be super-hot!

HAVE A BBQ

You don’t have to wait until summer to enjoy a BBQ – why

DO A DARK NATURE WATCH

Torches, winter boots and a keen eye for all that moves after dark! You might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a fox or a few squirrels that are hunting for nuts. As the spring draws near and

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® Reg, Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. Shreddies is a source of iron which contributes to no contributes to maintaining normal blood cholesterol levels. Multigrain Cheerios is a source of calcium whic

ormal energy-yielding metabolism. Shredded Wheat is low in saturated fat. Reducing intakes of saturated fat ch is needed for maintaining normal bones.It’s important to have a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

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Gardening for bees:

top tips for family gardens Your garden could provide the ideal home for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Eden horticulturist Emma Pearce shares her top tips for choosing the right plants and creating the cosiest of winter habitats, which will see it buzzing with wildlife

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hey may be tiny, but bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths, and a myriad of other invertebrates, are vital to us all. Because they pollinate crops, help plants propagate, and are themselves a food resource for bigger animals such as birds and mammals, they’re essential to both food security and biodiversity. Lose the insects, and things get very tricky indeed.

two-thirds of UK pollinator species have seen a decline since the 1970s It’s a frightening fact that two-thirds of UK pollinator species have seen a decline since the 1970s, mostly due to loss of habitat. But the good news is that you can help Britain gets its buzz back! Gardens have the potential to be excellent habitats for pollinators: even the smallest or most simple of gardens has some sort of invertebrate life, barely

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(Apiaceae), the teasel family (Dipsacaceae) and the rose family (Rosaceae) are all very attractive to bees and hoverflies but also contain lots of different shapes, seedheads and colours to keep things interesting in your garden.

Plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae)

discernible to the human eye. Follow our easy low-cost (and low-effort!) tips to encourage even more species to take up residence.

EIGHT TIPS FOR ATTRACTING POLLINATORS TO YOUR GARDEN

1.

Go for gold with a variety of blooms When you think of a pollinator-friendly garden, no doubt an image of flowers buzzing with bees, springs to mind. The flowers you choose are vital in providing food for the likes of bees, beetles and butterflies. While they don’t have to be native, take care not to introduce any invasive plants. And most importantly, go for a wide variety from different families, which will in turn attract different insects.

Members of the daisy family (Asteraceae), the carrot family

are also beloved of bees.

Fill in the gaps with annuals and biennials – try scattering wildflower seeds such as poppies and cornflowers around your flowerbeds for a burst of colour in early summer.

2.

Avoid flowers that are inaccessible to insects When picking flowering plants, choose ones with single flowers, meaning a single layer of petals.

Believe it or not, but double flowers can stop insects from accessing pollen and nectar, so while they might look amazing, they aren’t much use to pollinators.

3.

Don’t forget winterflowering plants You might be surprised to find out that honeybees don’t hibernate, which means they need access to nectar and pollen even during the winter. While winterflowering plants are relatively limited in choice, this is a great opportunity to

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extend the season of interest in your garden, while also helping honeybees and other insects that emerge early from hibernation.

choose single flowers, meaning those with a single layer of petals You could plant bulbs such as crocuses or winter-flowering shrubs such as Oregon grape (Mahonia x media) and Japanese quince (Chaenomeles speciosa). My favourite winter-flowering perennial, lungwort (Pulmonaria sp), is also the favourite plant of the hairy-footed flower bee, which can be seen zig-zagging between the flowers on sunny days in February. At the other end of the year, there are plenty of fantastic plants that flower well into autumn, creating a colourful display with bountiful food for insects.

No space? Get creative with window boxes to attract bees – try wildflowers or herbs in a sunny, southfacing window box, or violas and Tiarella for shady or north-facing windows. Or what about a winter-flowering shrub in a pot by the front door?

4.

Provide shelter with trees, climbers and ground cover As well as pollen-laden flowers, bugs also need places to overwinter and hide from predators. Look for species of trees with interesting bark, which has lots of gaps in which insects can hide – some of our native trees support thousands of different insect species. Or if you don’t have room for trees, shrubs and climbers also create excellent shelter for bugs.

plants are flowering, but that doesn’t mean they just disappear for the rest of the year – many complete their lifecycles in hollow stems or nests within the soil, or tucked up within the undergrowth.

Your plants might have died back for the winter, but their structures are important places for larvae to overwinter, so leave old stems uncut for as long as possible. There’s a reward for you, too: not only does this mean less work, but different types of seedheads create a beautiful effect in heavy frost or with the winter sun behind them. If you must cut down the old stems, pile them up in a corner so they’re still of use to insects.

6.

Make a bug hotel Bug hotels, bog gardens and compost heaps all provide shelter and nesting sites for insects – and you don’t need to spend any money. If you haven’t got time to create your own bug hotel, simply put a pile of sticks and leaves in an undisturbed corner, or a bank of soil in a northfacing spot could become home to overwintering solitary bees.

7.

Embrace your weeds Controversially, you should love your weeds! Dandelions are an amazing nectar and pollen source in late winter when

nothing else is flowering. You’ll see them covered in bees and pollen beetles in early spring so resist the urge to pull them out or mow them off. Nettles are a food plant for more than 40 butterfly and moth species – if you can leave a patch at the back of the garden, insects will be grateful.

8.

Use natural pest control Wildlife in balance helps your garden to look after itself.

Take your cue from nature: too much of one thing (usually bad!) indicates an imbalance somewhere. For example, if you’re overrun with aphids – introduce plants that attract predatory insects such as hoverflies and wasps, which in turn will eat your aphids.

On the subject of pesticides…

If you must spray, be specific.

Look for products that target the thing(s) you want to get rid of, rather than using sprays that kill everything. Many softbodied insect pests can be controlled with dilute washingup liquid (we use a professional version here at Eden). Birds are very good pest control, so don’t forget to keep them coming to your garden.

Courtesy of the Eden Project.

For more visit: www.edenproject.com

5.

Let the garden do itself Now for the good news: the less you do, the more wildlife will benefit. Bees and other pollinating insects are usually on the wing when

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GET ACTIVE & EXPLORE

THE LAKE DISTRICT:

PENRITH & The winter and spring months can seem daunting for aspiring family adventurers but whatever the time of year there’s plenty to explore in the Lake District, Cumbria

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www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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Have you and your family ever visited Ullswater and Penrith?

Located in the north of Cumbria and easy to get to by car, train or even plane (Cumbria’s brand- new Carlisle Lake District Airport is just a short journey), Penrith and the surrounding area is the perfect base for an Ullswater and Lake District adventure. Whether your little ones love putting their boots on and exploring the great outdoors, enjoying family forest adventures or exploring the Lake District National Park by bus, boat, bike and more, you’re guaranteed a holiday to remember.

explore the great outdoors Get out in the fresh air - What could be easier than going for a walk? Ullswater might be the gateway to an amazing array of classic fell routes, including Helvellyn (did you know it’s the third highest mountain in England?) but there’s plenty for smaller legs as well. The Ullswater Way trail meanders all the way around the stunning lake for an amazing 20 miles but don’t worry, it’s easy to dip in and out of the best sections for you and your family. Why not break up your walk with a visit to the awe-inspiring Aira Force waterfall, looked after by the National Trust? Your little ones will love watching the river cascading down the 20-metre drop and there are plenty more opportunities for adventure in the woods and trails around the river before you retreat to the café for a well-deserved break.

The Ullswater Way may stretch

around the whole lake, but you don’t have to walk every mile.

Ullswater Steamers run regular cruises which are the perfect opportunity to break up a family walk. Set sail in the morning from Pooley Bridge and make your way back under your own steam or set off on the trail first thing from Ullswater Steamer Glenridding, Howtown or Aira Force before heading back in style at the end of the day.

If you’re more of a landlubber never fear! Hop on an open top bus for a fabulous trip through the Lake District – what sights can you spot along the way?

For those staying in Penrith itself you can’t miss the Beacon, a monument on top of Beacon Hill looking over the town and boasting stunning views.

Packed full of history it’s ideal for a family walk and can easily be combined with a visit to the town’s castle which is free to enter and situated in the middle Penrith Castle of a public park handily opposite the railway station (perfect for one last-minute adventure before heading back home).

trails packed full of adventure, wildlife and nature or hire mountain bikes to explore even further.

To celebrate the release of the new film A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, (only in cinemas), Forestry England have partnered with Aardman and Studiocanal to bring a brand new UV family trail to 23 forests including Whinlatter.

The brand new Shaun the Sheep Farmageddon Glow Trail (also at Grizedale Forest) is supported by Sport England and is all about getting children and families active in the outdoors.

Download the trail’s free app before you visit and head into the forest and help Shaun and Lu-La the alien charge her communicator and send a message home for rescue.

www.forestryengland. uk/whinlatter

Experience a real forest adventure

A little further afield but well worth the visit is Whinlatter – England’s only mountain forest. Let the kids roam free around Whinlatter

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Lowther Castle

Be king of the castle

One not to miss is Lowther Castle, home to the Lowther family for 850 years! Open all year round (except Christmas day) for humans and dogs it really is something for the whole family. The building itself may no longer be inhabited but it’s far from abandoned and you’ll soon lose yourself as you explore the castle and grounds.

Lowther Castle Children (and big kids alike) will love the huge, hidden ‘lost castle’, nestled deep inside Lowther’s woodland. It’s no exaggeration to say that hours of fun await everyone who ventures inside the impressive wooden fort, with towers, bridges, secret rooms, slides, swings, ziplines and other rope challenges all awaiting the bravest wannabe knights, kings and queens. Youngsters will never want to leave – so adults are more than welcome to explore too (Please note, no dogs – or dragons, are allowed on the Lost Castle).

A special section of the Ullswater

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Way links the castle to the lake and the estate is crisscrossed with signposted bike trails, nearly all of them quiet and traffic-free. Local business Arragorn’s Cycles offer a wide range of hire options, including e-bikes, balance bikes and tagalongs to really encourage visitors of all ages to hit the trails and explore.

Whatever the time of year there are always plenty of family friendly events on offer, check out their website and start planning your visit. www.

lowthercastle.org

Staying safe

It can sometimes seem daunting to take your family outdoors in the winter months but it’s more important than ever to get active all year round, especially on a family break. Exploring the natural world is a fantastic way to bring everyone together to enjoy quality family time and with so many suitable options in the Lake District there’s no need to stay indoors. Stay AdventureSmart with these top tips and enjoy hours of safe fun in the national park.

www.adventuresmart.uk

Do I have the right gear?

The latest kit isn’t required for your visit, especially if your children are likely to grow out of it before its next used. By putting a little thought into what you carry before you set off you’ll be well prepared. Carry plenty of warm clothes (even if you warm up while active, you’ll be grateful for them once you stop) and plenty of fluids and food to keep energy levels up. A torch and whistle take up almost no space and will give you that extra piece of mind about getting out and about even when the nights are closing in.

you’re guaranteed a holiday to remember Do I know what the weather will be like?

With long and short-term forecasts available there’s no need to be caught by surprise when you’re out and about. If you’ve signal in the fells you can even do so while you’re out and about, and many hotels publish the latest forecast for their guests each morning. There’s no shame in changing your plans if the weather closes in and it doesn’t necessarily mean turning back. Switch to a low level walk instead of aiming for the peaks where wind chill might be more of an issue and if it’s just not the right day a short walk to a café or indoor activity still has the opportunity to get moving en route.

Checking the weather isn’t just about rain and wind, if the sun’s shining a little too brightly remember to take suitable protection and water!

Am I confident I have the knowledge and skills for the day?

You don’t need to be an intrepid mountaineer to enjoy a Lake District adventure but if you

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don’t feel confident for a specific experience there are plenty of options. With so much to do in and around the Lake District there’s always an alternative available and the marked trails around Ullswater and Whinlatter can help you get active without stepping outside your comfort zone. Or, if you fancy stretching yourself and your family you can easily find someone to show you the ropes. Whether you book onto an organised event or find a guide to take you on a bespoke adventure you will all remember check out www.golakes.co.uk for plenty of options. If your family have caught the adventuring bug a fun navigation course won’t only be a great day out, it will also give you the skills and confidence you need to plan and enjoy a solo trip the next time you visit.

Where to stay

The adventures don’t have to stop when you get back to the hotel. Another Place, The Lake isn’t just right on the shores of Ullswater, guests can experience a fantastic range of activities during their stay. Whether you fancy kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, archery, wild swimming or more; there’s something for you, experience and their family rooms are perfect for relaxing in after a busy day www.another.place

there are plenty more opportunities for adventure in the woods and trails around the river If you fancy getting back to nature without scrimping on quality then there’s no better place than The Quiet Site. Take your pick from their bell tents, camping pods or

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blend into the scenery and stay in one of their 15 family-friendly hobbit holes! If your Lake District adventures have inspired an interest in the natural world The Quiet Site’s sustainability message will really resonate. A stay isn’t complete without a visit to their zerowaste shop packed full of essentials with no plastic packaging in Gowbarrow Summit sight. As well as helping you do your bit for the environment it’s ideal for picking up those little things you might have forgotten to pack. www.

thequietsite.co.uk

The 17th century Queen’s Head, Askham re-opened its doors following a major refurbishment earlier this year, as part of an innovative vision to create a new health and wellbeing hub in the Lake District. Expansive options for local adventure are in abundance, all fuelled by a wholesome country breakfast and healthy, hearty meals cooked using produce from Queen’s Head neighbouring Askham Hall’s kitchen gardens.

Nearby activities range from the challenge of wild swimming and mountain biking to family activities and more gentle guided walks with the Lowther Estate’s deer stalker. The Queen’s Head has four family-sized bedrooms, including two with separate Ullswater annexes. All are dog-friendly.

www.askhamhall.co.uk/thequeens-head Have you got a caravan? They’re amazing for opening up the great outdoors to your family but it’s nice to have a base to return to after your adventures.

Hook up at Waterfoot Park and enjoy all your home comforts in stunning surroundings. Don’t have a caravan? You can still have a family holiday to remember in one of their self-catering cottages or glamping pods.

www.waterfootpark.co.uk

With so much inspiration in the area you’ll be spoilt for choice when visiting Penrith and Ullswater. No matter the weather or the time of year there’s something for all ages – enjoy your visit!

Learn more and book your stay at www.golakes.

co.uk

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HAPPY

CAMPERS Everything you need for Great Holidays in the Great Outdoors

From swimming in the sea and tucking into fish and chips on the beach to going for a walk and cooking up a BBQ feast, there are so many simple pleasures that families can enjoy on a camping, glamping or touring holiday‌

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ll-inclusive holidays in farflung locations have become more popular in the past few years, but swapping for something a little simpler certainly has its benefits. Camping, glamping and touring breaks enable families to spend quality time together, getting active and exploring the beauty of the UK. Plus, they’re great value and far better for the environment.

Whether looking for a weekend away near home or a road trip around the country, the options are endless when travelling in your own campervan, caravan or motorhome. Alternatively, glamping lets families travel light while still enjoying all the creature comforts. As for where to go, the options are endless.

SUPER SITES FOR FUN FAMILY BREAKS From the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast, the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s sites are located all across the UK. Here is a roundup of some of the best options for families.

Alderstead Heath, Surrey

Alderstead Heath Club Site has a peaceful and picturesque setting, but also offers convenient access

to the M25 motorway. The site is surrounded by rolling wooded countryside and situated near the Pilgrims Way, so there are many lovely walking trails - in particular across the North Downs - to explore.

There’s an abundance of day-trip options to choose from, including Chessington World of Adventures, National Trust property Chartwell, RHS Wisley, several racecourses and Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking.

Golfing enthusiasts will be delighted as there are several golf courses in the immediate area. Plus, it’s an ideal location for exploring much of Sussex, Kent, Surrey, the surrounding coastal areas and even London.

The area is rich with scenic delights for walkers, nature lovers and those who simply crave a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The attractive seaside towns of Eastbourne, Hastings and Rye are close-by and Battle itself is well worth the visit for its rich history the Battle of Hastings was won here

by William the Conqueror and the picturesque Abbey stands to this day

Battle Normanhurst Court, East Sussex

Located close to the 1066 Trail and set within what was the garden of a manor house, Battle Normanhurst Court Club Site offers great facilities for families, including a play area for ball games and a playground.

Dogs are also well catered for, with a lovely dog walk on site.

in commemoration of the victory.

During the year the Battle area plays host to many special events, including the Medieval Festival at Herstmonceaux Castle over the August Bank Holiday weekend, which is a treat for all ages.

Buxton, Derbyshire

Nestled peacefully in an idyllic valley, Buxton Club Site is conveniently located for easy access to the beautiful Peak District and its extensive network of cycle ways and walking routes.

The small, pretty town of Buxton is within walking distance of the site and so are some splendid stately homes. Hikers will relish in reaching the summit of Grin Hill, where they can witness Solomon’s Temple and spectacular views of Buxton and High Peak.

Hillhead, Devon

Set in 22 acres of Devon countryside and close to the beach, Hillhead Club Site is set in a fantastic location with a large number of pitches offering stunning views of the sea and surrounding coastlines. The site has some of the finest facilities in the Club’s network of sites, including an outdoor heated swimming pool

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and children’s pool (open from May to September), playground, play area and an indoor complex housing a games room, shop, bar, restaurant and takeaway service. It also offers a varied selection of evening entertainment and themed events, especially during peak season.

For those wanting to explore further afield, there are miles of sandy beaches, an 18-hole golf course, pitch and putt, tennis, fishing, sailing, steam railway trips and a zoo, all within easy reach. The busy town of Brixham is less than two miles away, Paignton and Torquay are nearby and the ferry across to the pretty harbour of Dartmouth is only a five-minute drive from the site.

Longleat, Wiltshire

Located in the lovely Longleat Estate, Longleat Club Site offers a unique place to stay. After all, where else in Europe can you hear lions roaring at night from the comfort of your bed?

Access to Longleat Safari & Adventure Park attractions, shops, restaurants and catering outlets requires a valid ticket - Club members can save up to 20% on the gate price of a one-day ticket or receive a special price to upgrade to a two-day or a five-day ticket when they purchase tickets online in advance. The day ticket gives entry to all Longleat attractions including Safari Park, Longleat House, Hedge Maze, Adventure Castle and plenty more.

Bath, Bristol and Stonehenge are just some of the other attractions nearby.

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Scarborough West Ayton

Set amongst gorgeous natural greenery, Scarborough West Ayton Club Site is ideally placed for walking, cycling and horse riding. It’s also home to a games pavilion, pool tables, table tennis and outdoor play facilities including a very popular 10-metre-high play tower, so there is something for everyone.

Scarborough is within easy distance and offers plentiful safe bathing, the dramatic RSPB Reserve at Bempton Cliff, funfairs for thrill seekers, a Sea Life Centre rich with aquatic life and plenty of restaurants - the parkand-ride allows easy access to town without a car.

Sutton-on-Sea, Lincolnshire

Newly refurbished Sutton-on-Sea Club Site is an ideal place for family holidays – it’s only three-quarters of a mile from a safe bathing beach and has excellent facilities including children’s play equipment.

The nearby Prom at beautiful Sutton-on-Sea is traffic-free, making it an ideal place for a leisurely stroll or cycle. Further inland, Lincoln is well worth the visit - you can even earn your lunch by walking up the famous hill to the Cathedral.

To absorb the full flavour of the Lincolnshire Wolds villages, Alford,

a pleasant market town with a working windmill and craft centre is not to be missed. For walkers, the County Council has produced a good set of walks leaflets, and if you’re a birdwatcher, Gibraltar Point is superb.

Camping, glamping and touring breaks enable families to spend quality time together, getting active and exploring the beauty of the UK Troutbeck Head, Cumbria Situated below the Great Mell Fell and with spectacular views of Blencathra to the west, Troutbeck Head Club Site offers access to some of the prettiest walks in the country.

It is also just four miles from the restaurants and shops of Ullswater.

For superb views of the central mountains, a drive over the dramatic Kirkstone Pass is not to be missed.

This will lead you to Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere, where you can sample the local restaurants and explore some of Wordsworth’s favourite haunts. A lake cruise on Ullswater is a must, with the option of a scenic walk between Howtown and Glenridding (only 7 miles away).

For the energetic, the Rookin House Farm Centre next door to the site offers plenty of fun activities - quad bikes, archery, go-karting, clay pigeon shooting, horse riding and plenty more.

Yellowcraig, East Lothian

Yellowcraig Club Site is a splendid choice for family holidays, with acres of flat golden sands and rock pools nearby. Nature lovers visiting the site will appreciate the birds and wildlife that are found in abundance

amongst the sweeping dunes. The nearby Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick even uses remote controlled cameras to monitor the wellbeing of Scotland’s seabirds and offers a spectacular Gannet Experience sound and light show.

Located within easy reach from Yellowcraig Club Site, the promontory harbour affords exceptional views of the Bass Rock and other islands. Nearby East Lothian combines convenient access to ‘Auld Reekie’ with its many charming villages of pantiled cottages. The site also provides access to the John Muir Way, a

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coast-to-coast long-distance walking path that stretches right across Scotland. There are also loads of sporting activities available in the area, including water-skiing, sailing, windsurfing and no less than nineteen golf courses. The nearby National Museum of Flight is a fun and informative day out for all ages.

The museum also hosts air shows and other attractions such as the Wartime Experience and the chance to enjoy a helicopter flight.

GLORIOUS GLAMPING Accommodation options:

Experience Freedom from the Caravan and Motorhome Club offers a range of glamping accommodation around the country, sleeping up to two adults and two children: Camping pods are wellinsulated wooden huts with beds that come equipped with some simple home comforts such as lighting, electric sockets and seating.

Glamping pods offer very comfortable accommodation, featuring a double bed, small sofa bed (and a child’s bunkstyle bed) with bedding, en-suite bathroom facilities, simple cooking equipment, utensils and tableware, a wardrobe and hangers, foldaway table, WIFI, TV and DVD player with Bluetooth speakers. Each pod also comes with an outside table with four chairs and a parasol, plus a BBQ station (disposable BBQs are available) and a box for muddy shoes.

Airstreams are a timeless icon from the 1940s with a stylish curved, handcrafted, buckriveted aluminium shell (inside and out), panoramic front and rear windows and plush leather upholstery. They feature two double beds, lounge and simple cooking area, TV and central heating.

Yurts offer plenty of space and feature a rustic king-size bed, two single beds, soft lighting and blankets to snuggle under.

They are waterproof, wellinsulated and include basic cooking equipment and a BBQ station outside. Please note Daleacres Club Site in Kent is currently the only site that features yurts.

Camping – Experience Freedom also offers tent camping on its sites.

Where to stay:

Experience Freedom’s top picks for glamping trips:

Brighton, East Sussex

and next to extensive recreational grounds, Brighton Club Site is ideally located just two miles east of the city and a 15-minute walk from the Marina. The site offers camping pods, glamping pods and Airstreams, so there is accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, sleeping up to two adults and two children.

Brighton is great for families, offering a wealth of attractions including its famous pier and beach, the impressive British Airways i360 viewing tower and a 300-metre zip line, Brighton Zip. Local buses run regularly, and for rail enthusiasts the historic Volks Railway which runs along the promenade is a real treat. Further afield, the historic town of Lewes is well worth a visit and London is only an hour away by train.

To find out more about glamping with Experience Freedom, visit www.experiencefreedom. co.uk

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Coniston Park Coppice, Cumbria

Located in the heart of the Lake District National Park, beside the waters of Coniston Water, Coniston Park Coppice is a beautiful site that’s perfect for active families. The site offers camping pods, glamping pods and Airstreams, sleeping up to two adults and two children.

The area is brimming with things to do, on and off water, such as windsurfing, cycling, horse riding and rock climbing, to name but a few. The site itself has an adventure playground and plenty of activities that are perfect for little explorers. Go Ape Grizedale is about a 20-minute drive (site guests get a discount on

tickets) and just a 35-minute drive away is the World of Beatrix Potter museum, and South Lakes Safari Zoo, where kids can feed the animals.

Daleacres, Kent

Located on a ‘patchwork quilt’ of farmers’ fields in Kent, Dalecares Club Site is nice and relaxed – and its yurt accommodation is perfect for families of up to four people. This is proper camping, but with proper beds!

The site is tantalisingly close to soft, sandy beaches and Port Lympne Wildlife Park, and a little further afield are the sand dunes of Camber Sands, making it a particularly great spot for the summer holidays.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club is a great champion of the great outdoors and it has been helping its members have exciting adventures across the UK and beyond since 1907. Membership is just £54 per year, which gives access to 2700 quality sites in the UK and overseas - many offer kids’ stays for £1 per night and mid-week discounts so families can enjoy a break for less.

For those looking for a glamping getaway, Experience Freedom from the Caravan and Motorhome Club offers many options for members and non-members alike across the UK. From camping pods to yurts, glamping pods, Airstream stays and motorhome hire with Swift Go, there are options suitable for every taste and budget all year round.

Camping holidays are great value and far better for the environment Great Savings Guide

Caravan and Motorhome Club membership not only provides members with access to great sites, but expert advice, overseas travel services, great ferry offers, insurance cover and exclusive member offers and discounts. Its Great Savings Guide offers deals at over 900 attractions through the UK and Ireland. To find out more, visit www.camc.com/ greatsavingsguide

Find out more

For further information about becoming a member of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, please visit www.camc.com or call 01342 318 813. www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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This is how we do it‌ I’m a busy mum of two boys, Esty-shop-owner, 999 call-handler, and more recently a member of the Mamas & Papas ParentApproved Panel 2019. This means that Mamas & Papas have been gifting us a range of products to test out and review.

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which is great for all terrain!

This has been a must-have for our family. All parents will know of the main benefit of playing outside – burning off some energy – but the kinds of experiences and learning that children take part in when out of the house are also invaluable in numerous other ways.

I’ve known that I wanted to give my children a proper outdoor education ever since reading Linda Åkeson McGurk’s There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather while pregnant with Freddie, my first child. This book is inspiring and terrifying in roughly equal measure. McGurk highlights the evidence pointing to the various health and social impacts affecting a generation of ‘indoor kids’. She also extolls the benefits of Scandinavian outdoor parenting, complete with dirt, risk and adventure. As her book says, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

Living in a town, and with only a small garden, hasn’t stopped us from maximising the amount of time we spend outdoors as a family

First of all, exploring outdoors is crucial in helping to build an awareness of the environment and our place within it. My oldest, Freddie, loves to pick berries and visit farms. This helps him to understand where our food comes from, our relationship with nature, and the importance of protecting the environment. I believe that this is incredibly valuable in helping him to engage with the wider world and to think about bigger questions of how we share space and live responsibly.

Although Oakley, my youngest, is only 5 months old, I know that he benefits from the various sensory stimulation that the outdoors provides – smells, sights, sounds and textures.

Freddie Cooks up some treats in an outdoor kitchen.

My partner, Rob, long before Forrest Schools and outdoor education became parenting buzzwords, lived this Scandinavian-style childhood.

He and his brother spent their time exploring the Suffolk countryside on their bikes, making dens and generally having adventures.

Living in a town, and with only a small garden, hasn’t stopped us from maximising the amount of time we spend outdoors as a family.

Whether it’s just a 30-minute walk or an excursion to the woods, outdoor activities are an integral part of our family life. For our outdoor adventures, Mamas & Papas kindly gifted us an Ocarro,

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Secondly, there’s all of the ways that children learn while playing and exploring the outdoors without even realising it! Education experts call this experiential learning, which just means learning from doing, or rather learning by reflecting upon what you have done. Building a den, for example, requires a whole lot of problem solving, trial and error, and teamwork. All of this helps to build cognitive skills, interpersonal skills and is great for budding engineers.

This is very much what the Forrest Schools movement is all about.

Building a den, requires a whole lot of problem solving, trial and error, and teamwork that helps to build cognitive skills, interpersonal skills and is great for budding engineers!

Freddie goes to a Forrest School for pre-schoolers once a week. Here, he is able to take risks that most nurseries would run a mile from. He is able to make creations out of wood and even does a spot of cooking; he is very fond of rustling up a nettle soup from scratch!

While Freddie is busy foraging, felling trees, and tending to his crops, this gives me the opportunity to just sit around the campfire and have a natter with the other parents. This brings me to the third benefit of outdoor parenting – the opportunity to get away from it all and spend some time in a calming setting. I’m sure that just being able to sit for a few minutes and have a chat with other adults does wonders for my stress levels.

With our desire to venture off the beaten track, the

pushchair that we road tested for Mamas & Papas has been a godsend.

When looking for an outdoors pushchair, like an off-road vehicle, dual suspension for all terrains is essential. The Ocarro’s suspension and large wheels mean that even on the bumpiest tracks Oakley has the smoothest of rides. The winter pack, which includes a sheepskin liner and an extendable hood, means that however long Freddie wants to play outside, Oakley is toasty and warm.

With the one-hand fold, when you’re finished for the day, it’s back in its place with no hassle.

Freddie at his Forrest School. He allways brings home lots of pieces of wood that he has chopped, drilled and hamered.

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TOP TIPS: Wherever and however you decide to explore the outdoors with your family, here are some of my top tips.

Top Tips for Outdoor Families:

1.

Nature is Everywhere ‘Nature’ is a much more controversial term than we might imagine. Many of the rural settings that we typically think of as ‘natural’ are anything but – they’ve been shaped entirely to suit the needs of big agri-business. Our towns and cities are home to fantastic and varied outdoor spaces. Use what’s nearby and don’t let anyone tell you that their ‘nature’ is better or more valid than yours.

2.

Let’s Find Out… If your toddler is anything like mine, their favourite phrase is ‘Why?’ When they ask ‘why?’ when you’re outdoors, go on an adventure to find the answer. Encourage them to ask farmers, gardeners and groundskeepers questions. This will increase their environmental knowledge and boost their confidence.

3.

Preparation is Key Keep a bag of spare clothes, first aid equipment, snacks, tools and playthings by the door. Keep clothes that are past their best indoors; they’ll come in handy when (not if) they get wet and muddy. I’d also highly recommend an all-in-one puddle suit.

4.

Set Yourself Goals Set yourself achievable challenges. This might be to go for a walk every day or to explore somewhere new once a month.

5.

Let them Take Risks When you are exploring outdoors with children, your job should be to help your children take manageable risks, not to avoid risk entirely.

Small cuts and bruises will happen, but they will recover. Taking managed risks helps children to learn invaluable motor skills and to act with confidence when they find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings.

Insight from Paige Crowson & Robert Free – of the M&P Parent Approved Panel

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ISSUE 0 5 - Family Fun

Creative Wordy Fun Think you’re clued up on your veggies? Get the year kicked off with this word search and see if there are any new items you could pack into a recipe next time you’re feeling adventurous in the kitchen!

CABBAGE ZUCCHINI RUTABAGA RADISH TURNIP

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SWEDE SPINACH POTATO BEET LEEK

CAULIFLOWER PARSNIP GINGER CELERY PEA

CARROT PUMPKIN ARUGULA

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Sport 4 All - ISSUE 05

WHO’S READY TO PLAY SOME TENNIS? GB Davis Cup stars help inspire the tennis aces of the future

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ISSUE 05 - Sport 4 All

T

he question met by a thunderous cheer from a

court full of local kids, who were lucky enough to get the chance to learn from some of the world’s best players in the GB Davis Cup team.

The team are passionate about supporting the development of kids’ tennis and hope that events like this special coaching session (back in November) – as well as their performances on the court – will inspire the next generation of UK talent to pick up a racket and get involved with tennis.

Over 83,000 kids across the UK have been able to develop core tennis skills through the LTA’s Tennis For Kids programme

ALL ACTION It was all action out on court at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre, ahead of the Davis Cup finals in Madrid; as British number one, Dan Evans and doubles partners, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski, took time out of their busy training schedules to host a coaching session for local kids.

GB’S PLAYERS GET PUT TO THE TEST Joined by GB Davis Cup Captain, Leon Smith, the squad took part in a jam-packed hour of tennis games and drills with LTA coaches, giving the kids a chance to play with and learn from some of their GB tennis heroes.

Parents watched on from the gallery as their children got the chance to work on all areas of their game with the country’s top talent. From practising the perfect forehand to races up and down the court, the kids took every opportunity to put the players through their paces to make sure they were ready for the world cup of tennis.

British doubles player and former Davis Cup champion, Jamie Murray, wasn’t afraid to get stuck in with all the games on court. “Today has been fun, they (the kids) have been pretty energetic and there has been a great atmosphere on the court. It’s not something that we often get the chance to

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Sport 4 All - ISSUE 05

do and it’s been cool, I’ve really enjoyed it.

I hope we will inspire kids to play tennis, that’s the fun part of what we can do. It’s a great sport, it’s a fun sport, and a sport for life that I think all people of all abilities can play.”

Two of the kids taking part in the session, Aryaman and Tessa, were ready to challenge the team and loved the whole experience. “The best thing about today is training with the Davis Cup team, it’s so exciting to play with the players” said Aryaman. When asked about the day and who her favourite player was from the squad, Tessa enthused: “I’m having lots of fun, it’s great to meet the team – I think my favourite is Jamie Murray.”

‘FUN’ IS THE NAME OF THE GAME FOR CAPTAIN, LEON SMITH Captain Leon Smith’s motto for his GB Davis Cup team is all about having fun and he believes that this is the key to keeping kids actively engaged with tennis.

“Fun is the most important part of our sport – I was actually talking to the guys earlier today before our practice session and I wrote fun on our smart board as the theme of the day. It’s essential to have fun in everything that we do – when it comes to match days, for the teams it’s stressful enough, so anything before that we try and keep it as fun as possible.

“It’s always important that when we have our Davis Cup players or Fed Cup players in the (NTC) building, that we try to inspire these young children into tennis and get them involved in the sport.”

at 4-11 year olds, encourages kids to get active and try tennis for the first time, in a way that is both fun and affordable. Since its launch, over 83,000 kids across the UK have been able to develop core tennis skills through the starter programme.

“It’s not something that we often get the chance to do and it’s been cool, I’ve really enjoyed it” Jamie Murray

The LTA wants to provide as many opportunities as possible for kids to get involved in tennis. In addition to the Tennis for Kids programme, the governing body is also responsible for the Nature Valley Big Tennis Weekends across the country. These free, open weekends throughout the year offer families the chance to pick up a racket and try tennis for free at their local park or club.

EXCITING PLANS FOR 2020…

Junior tennis has always been a key priority for the LTA and Senior Programmes Manager, Sam Richardson, says exciting developments for the kids’ game are on the horizon for this year.

“Days like these will stay with the kids for the rest of their lives and I hope it inspires them to want to continue playing tennis as they grow older. Who knows, we might have the next Andy or Jamie Murray or Jo Konta here with us today!

“We want to give as many children as possible in the UK the opportunity to discover our sport and have exciting plans in the pipeline to further develop junior tennis across the country as we move into 2020 and beyond; there’s lots to come.”

WHERE CAN I START PLAYING TENNIS? If you want to find out how you can pick up a racket and get involved in tennis at a local court or club, head to the LTA website to discover more – www.lta.org.uk. Keep up to date with all the latest news and stories from the GB players by following @LTA on Instagram, @LTA - Tennis For Britain on Facebook or @the_ LTA on Twitter.

TENNIS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION Many of the kids who took part in the session - which included several disability players - have previously been enrolled in the LTA’s Tennis for Kids initiative, which was launched off the back of the team’s historic Davis Cup win in 2015. The programme, aimed

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F a m i l y F e a t u re - I S S U E 0 5

Everything, every parent needs to know about … ADHD ADHD is the spark of genius and creativity for many… but unidentified and unmanaged, it can lead to poor health and underachievement. Dr Tony Lloyd Chief Executive of the ADHD Foundation tells us what every family needs to know about ADHD...

F

or every parent, realising your child has ADHD brings up mixed emotions; a sense of relief that you now understand your child better; concern about what this means for your child’s future and sometimes the realisation that you as a parent can identify with some characteristics of ADHD. There are so many enduring myths about ADHD, it is little wonder that many parents have mixed thoughts and emotions when they realise their child has ADHD. Fear not, most people with ADHD lead happy, healthy and successful lives. When you finally understand what it is, what it isn’t, and how to manage it with a ‘strength based’ approach that focusses on what your child can do rather than what they cannot do, you are well on the way to overcoming many of the challenges that can accompany ADHD.

Bremner, author and TV presenter Stephen Fry, TV presenter Ant McPartlin, singer Alison Moyet and Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, all have ADHD. Many professional athletes such as world gymnastics champion Simone Biles, Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps and many professional footballers and rugby players see ADHD as a distinct advantage in competitive sport. Recent research also tells us that there is a high number of entrepreneurs who have ADHD which may explain why we often label such people as ‘workaholics’.

One in 20 of the world population has ADHD; it is much more common than many people think.

Is ADHD an illness or a disability?

This is a debate that continues to cause controversy. ADHD is one of a number of ‘neurodevelopmental’ conditions - an ‘umbrella term’ for brain differences that result in dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, Dyscalculia and the wide range of differences that fall under the autism spectrum.

many successful people with ADHD are great role models of achievement and creativity There are of course many successful people with ADHD who are great role models of achievement and creativity.

Historical figures such as inventor Leonardo da Vinci through to current day celebrities such as comedian Rory

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One in 5 human beings are neurodiverse – so from an evolutionary perspective they are a natural part of the diversity of the human race. They are not errors of genetics and the word ‘disordered’ is a medical term that many reject.

Sadly our 18th century notion of intelligence has resulted in many brilliant minds being classed as lacking in intelligence, ability and employability. Albert Einstein himself was on the autism spectrum and some would argue also had ADHD as the two frequently co-occur with as many as 26% of those with ADHD also having traits of autism. In fact, ADHD rarely travels alone with some research suggesting over 40% will also have dyslexia or dyspraxia or dyscalculia. This is why so many children find school so distressing and often underachieve. If you are a parent, make sure every staff member in your child’s school have had training on understanding and meeting the needs of any child with a learning difficulty. This is a legal requirement under the Equality Act. As our attitudes toward learning differences change and research proves that these ‘differences’ represent different types of intelligence and learning styles, many industries actively recruit

neurodiverse people because they are creative, innovative thinkers with abilities that computers do not have - this is why tech companies in particular recruit neurodiverse staff.

in families - and unidentified and unsupported, it ends up running families. We do know that pre term births which are especially common with IVF babies, traumatic birth or severe sleep deprivation in early infancy can exacerbate ADHD.

historical figures such as inventor Leonardo da Vinci through to current day celebrities such as comedian Rory Bremner, author and TV presenter Stephen Fry, TV presenter Ant McPartlin, singer Alison Moyet and Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, all have ADHD

Let’s remember that these characteristics are a common feature of human behaviour

Whether it is your child or you as a parent who has ADHD, it does have a strong genetic link - it doesn’t mean either mum or dad have ADHD, just that the combination of their genes has resulted in having a child with ADHD. ADHD does tend to run

Think back to the last time you were really stressed; Were you forgetful? Were you having difficulty concentrating? Were you finding it difficult to plan things properly? Did you get easily frustrated? Did you have difficulty sleeping? Were you irritable? If you answered yes to these questions then no, - you do not have ADHD, you were stressed and stress can have this effect on all of us! To have ADHD, these characteristics are a constant. So if you can imagine what it feels like to experience this all of the time, you will have a sense of how difficult it is for your child - or your partner if you are in a relationship with an adult who has ADHD. ADHD has been described as a bit like having your computer operating slowly because there are too many internet tabs open. Another patient described this to me as being in a room with 10 television sets on and not really being able to understand or process the information because your mind and senses are on overload.

Another described it as having a Ferrari brain with bicycle brakes!

ADHD has three main characteristics: Inattention - difficulty concentrating and remembering information.

Impulsivity - an inability to selfregulate thoughts, feelings and actions.

Hyperactivity - lots of energy and feeling the need to move about or fidget and sometimes resulting in poor sleep.

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Secondary characteristics of ADHD: Low emotional resilience is common in children with ADHD. Co-occurring anxiety is a major feature of ADHD. For children, the world can be a source of wonder and a source of fear if they believe they lack the skills to understand their environment and the people in their lives. Executive functioning skills - such as organisation and

planning; completing and finishing tasks, separating fact from emotion and time management are all impaired by ADHD. This is why children find school so incredibly difficult and at times distressing.

Most people have a combination of these three main characteristics and while hyperactivity is the most noticeable, it is the least concerning unless it is affecting sleep. Did you know for example that moving about helps you to concentrate - this is why some children with ADHD fidget and don’t like sitting down.

Many people with ADHD also say they are very sensitive and find themselves getting frustrated and easily upset. Everyone is different and expresses their individuality and their ADHD in a way that is unique to them.

Scientists have discovered that there are subtle differences in the brains of people with ADHD. We know for example that there is a developmental delay in children so they appear to be less mature for their age during their school years.

The brain doesn’t develop fully until we are in our early twenties,

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by which time we can learn how to self-manage our ADHD effectively.

What causes ADHD? ADHD is most often caused by genetics and runs in families.

Parents do not have to have ADHD to have a child with ADHD but the combination of genes from parents can result in ADHD in their children. ADHD is not caused by poor parenting or

poor diet. Environmental factors such as positive parenting, school and adverse life events can affect how severely ADHD can impact on children. Low birth weight, premature birth and difficult labour can increase the chances of having ADHD but do not actually cause ADHD. Knowledge and support from the family and school are key in ensuring that we learn to live successfully with ADHD, achieve our potential and become psychologically resilient.

How do I manage ADHD successfully?

ADHD is considered a ‘lifespan’ condition, and contrary to what many may think, you don’t grow ‘out of it’. By the time we reach adulthood and our brain is fully developed, many people have learned to adapt their lives and lifestyle choices so they can live happy, healthy and successful lives. Our guidance is to employ a range of interventions and strategies that include medication, daily exercise, healthy nutrition,

stress management strategies and what are known as ‘executive functioning skills’ to help them plan and organise their lives, especially in school and in the workplace.

Many parents express concerns about medications for children. You should discuss your concerns with your child’s doctor so you can make an informed choice about whether medication should be used as one way of supporting your child.

a range of interventions and strategies that include daily exercise, healthy nutrition, stress management strategies help ADHD medications have been rigorously tested to ensure they are safe. Different types of medication are available and some children respond better to certain types of medication than others. Your child’s clinician will advise you how to approach this and they may trial different types of medication and dosage until your child is responding to medication in the best way.

Always follow your doctor’s advice and guidance on all matters relating to medication.

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Obtaining an Assessment and Diagnosis for ADHD If you are concerned your child may have ADHD, firstly talk to your child’s school teacher and ask them if they are having difficulty learning and remembering what they have learned in school?

Poor behaviour is not always a sign of ADHD. Poor behaviour in school is often the result of children learning how to behave appropriately and making mistakes along the way.

Learning is a trial and error process.

When the child appears not to be responding to what is asked of them, we have to ask ourselves what is the child’s behaviour communicating to us that they are not able to put into words?

Sometimes children with learning difficulties become very frustrated and lack self-esteem because they find the school work more difficult than their classmates. This is known as ‘learner anxiety’ and this is most often the cause of inappropriate behaviour.

Discuss the following with your child’s teacher and ask for a meeting with the school Special Needs Coordinator (SENCo).

Key questions to ask are: Is my child paying attention?

Is my child showing any delay in learning?

Is my child forgetting things?

Is my child appearing tired or daydreaming in class?

Is my child unable to be still when it is required?

Is my child appearing anxious about learning and homework?

Is my child unable to organise and plan their school work properly?

Does my child frequently appear tired?

Does my child find it difficult making and keeping friends?

Have these difficulties been occurring for more than six months?

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These characteristics and concerns must be evident in both the home and school. It is important to discuss all these issues with your child’s SENCo to ensure their needs and difficulties are understood and so the school can make accommodations and put strategies in place straight away to support your child’s learning and development in school. Don’t wait for a formal diagnosis before putting strategies in place to support them.

In each area there are different ‘pathways’ when requiring a referral to see a specialist paediatrician who can assess and diagnose a child. Ask your local family doctor who can advise you together with the school about how to get an assessment for your child. Adult ADHD assessments are arranged by a family doctor who will refer to a specialist adult ADHD clinic.

A helpful assessment and screening tool to be completed by school and parents will help your family doctor to decide if a referral to a specialist clinician is the right way forward.

This can be downloaded and printed here: www.adhdfoundation.org. uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ ADHD-screening-with-SNAP.pdf

There are also lots of useful information booklets for parents, young children and teens that can be downloaded free from the ADHD Foundation website www.

adhdfoundation.org.uk

MORE INFORMATION A simple guide for parents can be downloaded from this link www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/ wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ Parents-Guide_FINAL.pdf Explaining the NHS guidelines on ADHD is available from the ADHD Foundation on www. adhdfoundation.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2019/02/ ADHD-NICE-GuidelinesPatient-Booklet.pdf For further information about the ADHD Foundation visit www.adhdfoundation.org. uk. You can also follow on Twitter @ADHDFoundation and Facebook @adhdfoundation

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I S S U E 0 5 - Ad ve r to r i a l

Snowsport England Snowsport England is the National Governing Body for Snowsport in England and we’re committed to inspiring participation in Snowsport at every level.

GO SKI GO BOARD

Snowsport England’s all year-round initiative, Go Ski Go Board, is the hub of all Snowsport opportunities.

Whether you’re an absolute beginner learning to ski or snowboard for the first time, want to improve your skills ready for an upcoming holiday to the mountains, or an experienced Snowsport enthusiast just wanting to relive your time on the ski slopes or find your nearest local opportunity, one of the best ways to get involved in Snowsport in the UK is through Go Ski Go Board. It is a marketplace of all local opportunities available to you!

To download the resource and to find out more, visit goskigoboard.org.uk/school-resources.

To find your nearest opportunity, please visit goskigoboard.org.uk/.

DOWNLOADABLE SCHOOL RESOURCE

As part of our efforts to get more young people involved in Snowsport, we have created a downloadable school resource; with plenty of links to the curriculum, teacher’s notes, an activity investigation sheet and a national competition with a chance of winning a free taster session for a class of 30 children!

This resource is the perfect fun, educational activity that you can link to so many different areas of the curriculum. Whether you’re a teacher, parent or a student- please pass this resource on so that we can make as much noise as we can about our sport!

This resource is completely FREE! We just want to raise awareness of what our sport is about, how easy it is to get involved and to try and break down any misconceptions!

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Our Membership, Clubs and Volunteers are crucial in supporting our network, sustaining growth in our sport and identifying and developing talent. Your support directly impacts our ability to grow and offer opportunities for all! If you would like to know more about our new membership package, visit snowsportengland.org.uk/ membership/.

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Sport 4 All - ISSUE 05

Stop and smell the flowers

Ben Evans talks to us about the physical and mental benefits of playing golf, plus he shares more about the interesting trends in group coaching and the learning of life skills through golf.

O

ne of the all-time great golfers Walter Hagen, though a tough guy at times, suggested all golfers should be “sure to smell the flowers along the way”.

Hagen was playing in the 1920s long before ‘mindfulness’ magazines hit the shelves but his message resonates that life is short enough, so appreciate the beauty around us: So, give yourself a moment to enjoy where you are. It’s not all about the next shot, the next thing at work, or the next text message.

Play six, nine or eighteen holes of golf and you’ll soon be counting your 10,000 steps or doubling them. Meanwhile, you’ll be accompanied by 360 degrees of nature all around you with the crucial added extra of being out in the open air, walking tall with the blood pumping as you try – and try again – to emulate Rory McIlroy or Georgia Hall.

A great many golf clubs, led by conscientious and expert green keepers, are embracing the promotion of natural diversity so, depending where your golf ball lands, you should see and hear

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plenty of wildlife. All of this, combined with the absorbing technical challenge of golf and the camaraderie of friends, can help to boost your mental health.

The ‘Golf & Health’ project, supported by the World Golf Foundation, has demonstrated that golf can help individuals improve their confidence, self-esteem and anxiety levels.

Physical activity is a proven treatment for depression and anxiety and is seen to help prevent these, and dementia. See more at www. golfandhealth.org.

THE GROUP DYNAMIC It used to be older middle-class guys in the main who benefited from the palliative care that golf offers its players but today more children and families are joining the sport. Boys and girls are enjoying golf in often mixed group coaching as they learn to play with the latest generation of

PGA coaches (the Professional Golfers’ Association, which sets the highest standards). Children, perhaps shy children who aren’t at first a natural fit for team sports, are finding their feet and building their confidence within the group dynamic: golf can be seen increasingly as an individual and team sport.

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN Indeed, 260 golf clubs and more than 3,000 boys and girls have been playing in mixed teams of six, in six hole inter-club matches in a new format – ‘GolfSixes League’ – created by the Golf Foundation, the charity whose mission is to change the lives of young people by introducing them to golf (the learning of life skills is at the core). In GolfSixes League, a club squad of 12 kids trains together with their coach before the big weekend fixture; a hit with many parents (65% of parents have been volunteering to help with the matches – many of whom have been making cakes in team colours!), thus offering the family a precious few hours away from the digital world together, having fun in the fresh air.

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ISSUE 05 - Sport 4 All

GIRLS GOLF TOO A growing programme for golf clubs, ‘Girls Golf Rocks’ provides a similarly dynamic group coaching environment where older girl players help the PGA pro by mentoring new young kids just starting in the game, demonstrating that golf can be fun, sociable, safe, cool and athletic.

This England Golf/Golf Foundation project has helped introduce over 5,000 girls to the game of golf in more than 200 golf clubs so far.

GOLF AND NATURE Kids of course are highly interested in the environment and this is helping to forge the link between schools and local golf clubs. Brodick Primary School on the Isle of Arran developed an award-winning community project supported by the Golf Foundation, linking golf activity with the realities of coastal erosion, a blight suffered by Brodick Golf Club. From this appreciation of their local club and their support, 20 young people (10 girls) have since become members.

Like Brodick GC, Saunton Golf Club’s Director of Coaching Tiffany MacKenzie has ‘outreached’ into local schools with a view that if you are keen and positive, Saunton GC will help you get started in the

game; the club having been praised for its scholarship programme. Saunton is on a beautiful part of Devon coastline and Tiff always wants to get the kids on the course, learning while appreciating the beauty around them. “It is their ultimate learning environment. Discovery on the course gives juniors new experiences which will stretch their minds.”

Luke Willett, a PGA professional from Hampstead Golf Club, puts great store in combining the group coaching dynamic for juniors with an appreciation of the natural world around them. “We are so lucky to find ourselves on the golf course,” he explains, “to appreciate the trees, the flowers, sights and sounds as we play a game that suits children from five to adults of ninety-five. That’s why I like to coach on the course itself whenever possible. Nature is a blessing and golf shouldn’t be just about a scorecard. I encourage students to reflect on their lives and express themselves in their golf; in return the game teaches us so much, about respecting others, nature and ourselves.”

UNLEASH YOUR DRIVE PROGRAMME The Golf Foundation recognises the life skills that golf can offer young people who “are under an increasing amount of pressure from all angles”.

This year the charity carried out a successful pilot project on a life skills programme called ‘Unleash your Drive’, to help young people not only gain confidence and resilience on the golf course but in their wider lives, including in the school environment. The youngsters involved at four golf clubs showed a 20% increase in mental toughness, after completing a series of tailored coaching sessions and being measured on Confidence, Commitment, Challenge and Control

The initiative is aimed at helping coaches to deliver a normal golf coaching session with the added focus of teaching exercises such as breathing, mindfulness and visualisation.

It’s a modern, scientific approach but it tallies well with Walter Hagen’s view on smelling those flowers. In golf, as in life, seize the day. For Hagen also said: “You’re only here for a short visit.”

Learn more at www.golf-foundation.org

UNLEASH YOUR DRIVE The Golf Foundation’s ‘Unleash your Drive’ project helps young people not only gain confidence and resilience on the golf course but in their wider lives, including in the school environment and among their peers.

With the help of mental toughness experts, Yeast, and four highly regarded junior-focused PGA coaches, the youngsters involved at four golf clubs showed a 20% increase in mental toughness, after completing a series of tailored coaching sessions, measured on Confidence, Commitment, Challenge and Control. The coaching blended mental processes from dealing with setbacks to controlling breathing well on the first tee or over the five foot putt.

Alex Macgregor, PGA pro at Addington Court GC, said one of his students was regularly excluded from school for losing his temper, but during the programme Alex was able to teach him breathing and visualisation techniques that allowed him to ‘control his fizz’, enabling the child to avoid exclusion for the entire length of programme.

An unexpected finding was the positive impact on family life back at home. Rob Trotman, father of 14-year-old Oliver Trotman from Frinton Golf Club, said: “Throughout the programme I’ve seen Oli grow in confidence. He’s taken what he’s learned and used it on the golf course, at home and at school. As a family we’ve hugely benefited from using the techniques he’s brought home, and I have no doubt that what he’s learned will last a lifetime.”

To see the impact of the programme, check out https://bit.ly/34BeIDX

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Sport 4 All - ISSUE 05

young people not only gain confidence and resilience on the golf course but in their wider lives, including in the school environment

DATES TO CHECK OUT GOLF: European Tour events in UK&I: Dubai Duty Free Irish Open May 28-31 | Mount Juliet Estate, County Kilkenny.

Dubai Duty Free Irish Open May 28-31 | Mount Juliet Estate, County Kilkenny.

Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open July 9-12 | The Renaissance Club, North Berwick.

Betfred British Masters July 30-Aug 2 | Close House Golf Club, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Tickets at: www.europeantour.com The Masters April 9-12 | Augusta National, Georgia, USA. The Curtis Cup (historic women’s team match: GB&I vs USA) June 12-14 | Conwy Golf Club, Wales.

Tickets at: https://curtiscuptickets. randa.org/content The 149th Open Championship July 16-19 | Royal St George’s, Sandwich, Kent.

Tickets at: https://www.theopen.com/ tickets-and-hospitality/ Golf at The Olympics July 24-Aug 9 | Saitama, Japan.

AIG Women’s British Open August 20-23 | Royal Troon GC, Scotland.

Tickets to come at: https://www. aigwomensbritishopen.com/home FIND YOUR LOCAL PGA PRO AT: www.pga.info

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Sweet potato crust quiche A surprise twist on tradition - a recipe sure to impress your friends and family Prep Cook Serves

30 minutes 30-40 minutes

1 quiche

Ingredients you’ll need

Allergens

Quiche crust 400g sweet potato 50g cheddar cheese 1 egg Salt and pepper

Chopping board and knife Grater 2 mixing bowls 9 inch Quiche/cake tin (ideally with a smooth edge) Clean tea towel Saucepan

Healthy, happy families!

1

Preheat oven to 180oc (170oc fan-assisted)

2

Peel the sweet potato and grate it onto the centre of a clean tea towel

3

Twist the tea towel into a ball and squeeze out as much juice as you can

4

In a mixing bowl add the squeezed sweet potato, 1 egg, 50g of grated cheese and mix it together

5

Grease your quiche/cake tin and using your hands firmly press the sweet potato mix inside until there are no gaps (save a little of the mix to patch up any holes that appear after it’s been baked)

6

Pop in the oven for 20 minutes. Patch up any holes that appear after cooking (no need to re-bake)

7

Whilst it’s baking make your filling. Gently cook the spinach in a saucepan with one tablespoon of water

8

Whisk the eggs, milk and cream in a mixing bowl

9

Stir 100g grated cheddar cheese, chopped spring onions and the cooked spinach into the egg mix

10

Pour your filling into the sweet potato crust and bake for a further 30-40 minutes (until golden on top). Store in the fridge for 3 days

Egg, dairy

Quiche filling 150g spinach 3 spring onions 5 eggs 100g cheddar cheese 100ml cream 100ml milk Implements

Cooking Instructions

www.littlecooksco.co.uk

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20% OFF AT WWW.DR-BECKMANN.CO.UK USING PROMO CODE: FAMILY20 Promo Code valid until 31/08/20

C re a t i ve F a m i l y F u n - I S S U E 0 5

Seven easy steps…

Step 1 Go outside and find some hand sized stones! We dug around in the woodlands and unearthed them in the garden.

Hand crafted photo frames in 7 simple steps

Step 2 Wash and dry the stones. We had to scrub the dirt off them!

These fun and funky stone photo frames are easy to make and are a super gift for any member of the family.

W

hy not get everyone at home involved?

Choosing stones together, painting together and selecting the pictures for the end result. It’s easy for younger children to join in with the painting (but please do be careful of very little people putting the paint in their mouths)!

The perfect family activity for any rainy Saturday afternoon...

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Step 3 Paint your stones with acrylic paint.

Go wild and do whatever comes to mind! It’s great for the kids to experiment with colour and texture here, but be careful with young children and acrylic paint as it shouldn’t be put in mouths.

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Step 4 Allow the stones to dry. Or use a hairdryer if you’re impatient to finish the project.

TOP TIP: Why not see what creepy crawlies you can find under some larger stones? Be sure to place these back carefully so you don’t disturb the creatures living underneath!

Step 5 If you’d like to varnish your stones for durability, then go ahead at this point.

You could use Modge Podge or a spray varnish.

We didn’t varnish our stones as we liked the look of the acrylic without varnish! And it’s pretty durable as is. Allow the stones to dry before you continue.

Step 6 Wrap the floristry wire around the stones.

We used a marker pen to make the shape at the top of the wire for the photos to sit in. Floristry wire is very soft and easy to shape so you don’t need to use pliers.

If you can’t get hold of floristry wire, then you will need to use pliers to shape the wire.

Step 7 Pop in your photographs!

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That’s it! They really are that easy to make and we think they look great.

I’d love to see them in the Memory Zoo Creative Community Facebook group. Just pop on over and show us your makes.

More from Katie Silverthorne at the Memory Zoo.

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Get Inspired

Here are some warming lunch ideas Starting off the new year with good intentions for overhauling your family diet can sometimes feel like you’re cooking up a bunch of veggies that no-one wants to eat!

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etting the family interested in healthy eating is more than just serving up some steamed veg and expecting them all to tuck in, especially after all the rich food we’ve been enjoying over Christmas. You might strike lucky and they’ll all be so sick of sugary puddings and glazed and gilt-trimmed this, that and the other, that they’ll positively jump on anything simple that you serve up (unlikely, but we can dream!).

It’s good to have a few ideas up your sleeve – simple recipes and simple tricks to get everyone interested in eating more healthily and trying new flavours. During the winter months, warming and nourishing foods are especially appreciated so try out our favourites to ease you into the new year…

Soup is always a winner: Try adding vegetables to soups and blending into a smooth texture. This works well for fussy eaters that are put off by the look and smell (and sound – I know, they’ll come up with anything to talk you out of cooking broccoli!) of veggies. Once they try it, they’ll realise it’s actually delicious (okay, maybe we’ll begin with ‘not quite that bad).

You can add carrots, parsnips and potatoes to cream of chicken soup and serve with warm bread for a hearty weekend lunch or a nutritious weekday dinner. You can also put some in a flask and take it to work or school?

TOP TIP: Why not get the kids to help select ingredients when you’re out shopping; get them involved in the chopping of the veggies and adding ingredients to the pan?

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Porridge is a great winter warmer: Top with nuts, lightly steamed apple slices, raisins and seeds to add sweetness, flavour and texture. Why not have all the toppings separate and allow the kids to add as they go and experiment with the different combination of flavours.

Warm sandwiches and wraps Get creative – chop and slice veggies and beans and get the kids to build their own wraps and sandwiches – add humous, chicken strips, tofu, whatever takes your fancy.

You might even rediscover flavours that you haven’t tried in a while or new combinations that you didn’t think worked. Try sweet and sour flavours together. Get the kids interested in textures, flavours and smells. It will certainly make picnics and lunch-boxes more fun! And why not add some salad leaves to the mix with bread on the side for a warm salad alternative!

TOP TIP: Why not get out and about and start picking your own fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds?

Or start growing some of your own – the kids will love to water and measure shoots and see what flowers and fruits sprout…

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Messy Moments?

Use your Kleenex® Water Fresh™ Wipes...

A new year is upon us which means schooldays are back with all those great messy moments! Embrace the mucky elbows, sticky sandwich fingers, and muddy faces as Kleenex® Water Fresh™ Wipes are ready to tackle all your adventures. For on the go, the Pocket Pack tissues mean your child will also be ready to catch any sniffles or sneezes and get back to running around the playground!

Top Tip – Throw some Kleenex® Water Fresh™ Wipes into their backpack for a fresh fix, anytime, anywhere. Suitable for children aged 3+.

NEW water fresh™ wipes The gentle cleansing power of water, anytime, anywhere. ®/TM Trademarks of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. or its affiliates. © KCWW

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Be New Year Ready (with a back to school checklist)

With the new year well underway and all the baubles and tinsel tidied away until winter, it’s time to get everyone back into their normal routines. We’ve put together a few helpful reminders for a smooth start back-to-school and work …

Here are some things that your children may need for the new year starting back at school: A new lunch bag or box. It is a good idea to opt for re-usable tubs that have compartments, instead of lots of plastic wrappers.

A flask that can be used for cool drinks or warm liquids is a great idea, especially if you want to send your child to school with some comforting and nourishing soup.

January and February are chilly and so a warm hat, scarf and pair of gloves are a great idea.

Make sure you add your child’s name to everything, either with a permanent marker on an existing label or sew name tags on near the seam. You could even knit them yourself if you enjoy crafts (or are feeling adventurous!).

a running nose or using their sleeves, and prevents moments of embarrassment for your older children.

Make sure all electronic equipment is charged and clearly labelled with your child’s name, including headphones, iPads, calculators and phones.

Check your children’s stationary kit and school books are all up-todate.

If your child rides a bike to school, you may need to service the bike

or check the tyres and breaks yourself, especially if the roads are icy or wet.

For younger children heading to nursery they may need their comfort toy.

Get the kids to spend an hour tidying their rooms and making space for all those new gifts so you can all relax into a clutterfree space when the daily routine begins.

Have a great start back to school!

Keep a foldaway waterproof mac in your child’s school bag at all times.

Check your child’s sock drawer... if there are holes on the heels or toes stock-up with these essentials over Christmas or mend any ready for the new year. You might want to give the school uniforms a once over while you’re there!

Tissues are a must, Kleenex have a variety of small packets. Pop a pack in your child’s pocket and a spare packet in their school bag – using tissues can help prevent spreading of viruses and prevents your younger children having

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ISSUE 0 5 - Family Fun

COLOURING FUN Check out this fantasy wonderland – colour in and why not add some extra details and characters, flowers and wildlife to the picture? Let your imagination go wild – maybe you can even tell a story about the characters in the picture? Have fun!

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Family Fun - ISSUE 0 5

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Enjoy a delicious gluten free breakfast to start your day.

It’s as simple as one, two,

Here at FREEE, we believe food should be simple, natural and delicious. So we’ve created a gluten free, vegan and organic breakfast range offering a great start to the day. We use only the tastiest, naturally gluten free, organic and vegan certified ingredients and make them with care on our family farm in Wiltshire.

Find out more at freee-foods.co.uk.

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Kick start your day The right way

It can be tricky to get the kids eating healthily – some don’t like anything that’s green, some are fussy when it comes to different textures and some kids just want anything and everything that’s sweet!

Here are some quick and easy ideas to encourage a healthy start to the day…

HAVE BREAKFAST TOGETHER

and sweetness in fruit, whereas starting with artificially sweetened cereals or snacky junk food just makes us crave even sweeter food throughout the day.

It might be a challenge to co-ordinate breakfast together in the morning but it’s worth getting up a little earlier to enjoy breakfast with the kids – even if you’re not really a breakfast person; enjoy a cup of tea so you are all at the table together. It also encourages you all to sit down and eat, which is much healthier for digestion that eating on the run. Try getting into a good morning routine – maybe set the table the night before to save a little time.

WORRIED ABOUT THE CALORIES?

AN APPLE A DAY…

NO TV AT BREAKFAST TIME!

Some kids aren’t really hungry in the morning and it’s not easy to get up on a school day and prepare pancakes just to motivate them out of bed (save that treat for the weekend!). Try slicing fresh fruit as an alternative to cereal or bread-based breakfast and keep the timing similar every day so the kids get used to eating something before leaving the house – it helps with concentration later in the day and prevents them from getting cranky before they have a chance to snack in the school break.

This is one for those parents of pre-teens who are anxious about their weight – follow the nutrition, vitamins and minerals in fresh food, fruit and veggies – and pay attention to chewing right and portion sizes to help kids appreciate the quality of the food and not worry so much about skipping meals.

No screens at mealtimes at all!

It’s a quick-fix and might distract toddlers and infants so you can

get a few extra spoonfuls of porridge down them, but in the longer term, eating whilst staring at the TV or tablet, or phone, just doesn’t give you a proper feel for what you are eating or for when you’ve had enough! We all know how quickly a jumbo bag of popcorn gets demolished when we’re at the cinema!

HAVE A LAUGH

Enjoy mealtimes – feeling good and relaxed, instead of rushed, while you’re eating helps you make the best of the time together.

It doesn’t have to be a riotous fanfare of a breakfast, sitting together and eating quietly or talking about fun things that you have planned for the day ahead is also a great way to enjoy food.

Bon Appe t i t!

NATURALLY SWEET

Eating flavoured foods like crisps, or drinking fizzy, sweetened drinks first thing in the day is not the best and most nourishing start for any of us.

For starters, we get used to strong and artificial flavours at a time when our taste buds are rested from not eating overnight. That means we are able to better-appreciate the natural flavours

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How to master times tables (and not to forget. Again.)

Mother of three Katleen, asks teachers, parents and kids to reveal their favourite tips for learning times tables. She even tried them on her own kids - with surprisingly good results that seem to be sinking in…

S

tarting over and over again or getting lost in times tables can be frustrating but it doesn’t need to be!

It all starts with taking time to understand the basics and then finding a way to practise and to memorise that suits your child. Here are some easy, practical and fun ways for you to choose from, recommended by teachers, parents and kids:

How teachers teach – tips from the classroom “My biggest tip is to accept that times tables are important to know, but not to rush it. Good learning takes time so keep children using concrete objects for as long as you can, they work just as well with older children as they do with little kids. The more children understand ‘how’ it works, the stronger their resilience and ability to problem solve becomes when they stop finding things easy (which they inevitably will - that’s the joy of maths!).”

(Dan Hatfield )

Student strategies …

What looks like tricks are in fact essential calculating strategies that help most children to figure out a solution:

Tricks and Tips: Find a trick that works for you: for example, in the 9 times table the unit column decreases by one every time and the tens column increases by one Swap and switch: if you don’t know 5x6 you might know 6x5 Just learn off-by-heart!

Use rhymes: 3 x 7 is lots of fun, 3 x 7 is 21 3 x 8 shut the door, 3 x 8 is 24 6 x 8 is really great, 6 x 8 is 48 Mark the middle of a table as a starting point (e.g.

5x4=20, from there go up or down) Memorise a favourite key fact: Do this preferably from the middle and figure out from there (e.g. 8x8: you don’t know 7x8 but you remember 8x8=64 so you calculate 64-8 = 56) Doubling and halving: The 2x, 4x and 8x tables can be generated by repeated doubling. The 10x table is easy to memorise, by halving you get the 5x table. The 6x table is double the 3x table.

Put into relation: The 9x table can be related to the 10s by subtracting from 10, such as 7x9 = 7x10 – 7 Remember the sequence: 5678 for 7x8 = 56

“To get the hang of the times tables it’s crucial that kids understand and comprehend.

Rather than being forced into one method they should be offered and explained different options so that they can individually choose one that works for them. In the process of finding a solution I encourage them to think loudly so that I can retrace their way of thinking. Kids often develop their own approach.”

(Marcel Scholtke)

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“I’ve been lucky enough with my kids’ teachers being able to follow their individual thoughts but found myself at a loss when it was time to help out with homework.”

TOP TIPS from parents: “With the 1x1 singing and dancing” (no. 1 parents’ recommendation) “Flash cards. Not fun, but it doesn’t take long and we are getting good results for now.”

“There are tons of really cool activities online or you can print

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them out. For example, there is a maze which can be solved by finding multiples of 2 or a colour by numbers with multiples of 3.

There are also games you can make at home. Like a simple pairing game where you have to pair 7x3 with 21 to get the correct pair.”

“Times tables is just practice and rote learning. Get an app they can just do and do.”

“The real secret to learning times tables and getting them to ‘stick’ comes through hard work but work filled with special

“Start with the foundations: teach your children the simplest tables first and save the harder ones for the end. Two times tables are a good starting point as they just involve doubling each number.

ingredients: jokes, giggles,

10s are simple too, as they just

memories then we are giving

involve adding a zero to the

children every chance of

number you are multiplying by 10. Once they’ve mastered the basics it will help them conquer the more difficult tables.”

movement, puzzles, music games, team work and novelty.

If we can fill times tables with fun, curiosity, surprises and

growing maths muscles who can answer 7x8 without dissolving into tears.” Check out more from the Rising Stars Blog here:

“We are looking for opportunities

https://www.risingstars-uk.

for real-life purposes to use

com/blog/october-2017/

multiplication when shopping or

times-tables-matter-working-

using recipes.”

towards-multiplicati

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Fun ways to remember Singing - for the music lovers: Music is a great way to make information stick in someone’s head. From Sesame Street to Youtuber, Mr.DeMaio (an American primary school teacher who uses clever parodies of pop songs to teach kids their times tables), explores the wide variety of times tables songs available online. Find your (kid’s) favourite type of

For some it’s easy; for others a constant struggle.

Some like to play around with numbers and see the (math) magic, for others 7x7 is a mystery.

music, put the pens down and start singing, rapping, dancing your way through the times tables!

Games - for the competitive ones: If you are not into music but like to play, use your board games and whatever you find at home and play around. You can turn almost anything into a times tables game: use flash cards with missing numbers games like Fizz Buzz, Tables Bingo etc.

Helpful links https://www.timestables. co.uk/ (free website with games) https://mathsticks.com/my/ category/calculation/timestables/ https://www.whizz.com/blog/ fun-ways-to-teach-times-tables/ https://ttrockstars.com/home (very helpful but you need to subscribe)

Being fluent in calculation and knowing times tables by heart are a maths essential and an ‘educational entitlement’.

Knowing the times tables (and their associated division facts) supports mathematical learning and understanding. Those children who have a strong grasp of them tend to be more self-assured when learning new concepts.

Learning the multiplication facts are essential as they make a very large contribution to numeracy and underpin our maths system like counting, number bonds and place value. If children can get a firm grasp of their times tables then they have a solid arithmetical foundation for future problemsolving.

Not knowing your times tables doesn’t mean you aren’t ‘good at maths’ but it can pummel self-confidence and lead to maths anxiety.

multiplication and division ‘Snap’ type games dice games promoting ‘Personal Best’ multiplication timed races card games: TRY THIS: Two players draw a card from a deck. They then flip their cards over and the

Why times tables matter: Multiplication facts are nonnegotiable basic building blocks that will serve you well, but only if they are learned well in the first place.

To find out more: https://www.risingstars-uk. com/blog/october-2017/ times-tables-matter-workingtowards-multiplicati

Author: Katleen Decker

first person to correctly guess the total of the two cards multiplied together gets to put the cards in their winning pile.

For example, if a 3 of hearts and a 7 of diamonds are flipped over, the first person who says 21 gets to keep the two cards.

The person with the most cards in their winning pile at the end of the game wins.

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Start the New Year healthier with Veganuary January. New year, fresh start. A perfect time to really think your life through and take action to improve the areas you’re not entirely happy with (heck, even if it’s February, March or April – whenever you choose to make a change is right for you!).

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or a lot of people, it could be eating healthier, developing environmentally-friendly habits, or maybe doing a good deed for the animals we share this planet with. Beginning your year by starting your vegan journey can actually satisfy all three of these wishes.

This year, you can make a lasting resolution that might turn into a commitment for life. Whether it’s eating fully plant-based for the entire month, having a few cruelty-free meals a week or going vegan for life, as many as 1 in 3 Brits are consciously reducing their consumption of meat, dairy and eggs.

We are all told to eat our five-a-day, involve the whole family in the process of not just eating but also

cooking, and all parents want to teach their children kindness towards others. Vegan living can tick all these boxes and be a rewarding experience for the whole family.

DEVELOPING A HABIT

Research shows that it takes 21 days to break a habit, which is why you’ll find a lot of vegan pledges encourage people to try it for at least a month to give it a fair go.

Humans are creatures of habit and we like to have our routine – including those habits around eating and cooking. All it takes is shaking up that routine at the beginning of your challenge, and your new vegan way of living can become as natural as anything after a couple of weeks.

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options is an exciting experiment.

If you don’t like soya or want a change you could always try almond, coconut, oat, hemp, hazelnut or rice milk next.

MAKE IT EASY

VEGAN DIETS FOR KIDS

The British Dietetic Association shares the message that wellplanned vegan diets support healthy living in people of all ages and life stages, including pregnancy, infancy and childhood.

It’s important for children to learn about nutrition and where their food comes from so that they’re able to make an informed choice based on facts and compassion, not one based on habit and long-standing practice.

MODERN VEGANISM

Veganism is no longer portrayed as an unusual lifestyle, it’s easy and accessible - you can walk into any supermarket and be greeted by a huge range of vegan-friendly products or walk into any restaurant and be presented with an exciting vegan menu.

Even mainstream retailers like Greggs and McDonald’s have recognised the demand for vegan products, with their respective launches of a vegan sausage roll and a vegan Happy Meal.

Lots of restaurants and pubs boast vegan children’s menus,

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including Wetherspoons, Zizzi, Wagamama, Harvester, Ask Italian and more. Eating plants is neither inconvenient nor expensive, and all the kids seem to be doing it too.

Even Disney World has just launched over 400 (yes, you read that right) different vegan food options at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios!

KEEPING YOUR RESOLUTION

Experiment with food and keep it exciting – going vegan is a perfect opportunity to eat better and healthier.

If you’re not the cooking type, don’t worry because there are plenty of ready-made quick vegan meals available too, including lots of options for kids.

Make sure to look into supermarket frozen sections for burgers and sausages; refrigerated sections for lunch on the go and meat alternatives; and snack aisles for a wide range of vegan friendly products.

On your next trip to the supermarket, why not look out for soya milk instead of cow’s milk? Trying out all the different

Some people see going vegan as a challenge because they think it involves learning a whole lot of new recipes and using a range of new ingredients, they don’t have the time to find.

But there is a simple and fun shortcut to going vegan – you can just replace the few non-vegan ingredients in your recipes to still enjoy the good old favourites.

You actually eat a lot of vegan food already and anything you eat can be made vegan.

There are cruelty-free, delicious alternatives to anything you can think of from dairy-free spreads, to plant milk and yogurt, to vegan meat alternatives and cheeses.

Becoming a vegan isn’t about limiting or depriving yourself so simply start by replacing animal products; after a couple of weeks it will become as natural as anything.

LEARN INGREDIENT SWAPPING TRICKS

Whether at home, at a friend’s, or eating out, meals can often be easily veganised by removing one or two ingredients, or replacing them with their vegan counterparts. It’s handy to know how to do this, so here are some ideas: Swap the cheese on pizza for vegan cheese (available in most supermarkets) and top with lots of vegetables and olives. Warning: your taste buds may not appreciate vegan cheese at first, so try having it melted to start with Swap meat or seafood in a curry for chickpeas or lentils Cashew nuts can be used to add protein and flavour to stir-fried vegetables and rice noodles

www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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Dairy-free spread (such as Flora, Pure or Vitalite) and soya milk can be used to make mashed potatoes creamy Try houmous instead of butter in sandwiches Vegetable soup can be served with a swirl of soya cream or coconut milk Garlic bread can be created using dairy-free spread or olive oil Replace eggs in baking with banana, jam, apple sauce or tofu A lot of ready-made roll-out pastry is (accidentally!) vegan.

KNOW WHERE TO EAT OUT

There’s a good chance these days that the outlet you’re visiting already has vegan options but check online if it’s your first time there. If they don’t have anything exciting, the chef should be happy to prepare something for you.

Make sure to call in advance and request this to make things easier.

Travelling or new to the city? Just download the app HappyCow (www.happycow. net) - an online directory of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, cafés, shops and more - or check their website.

South and East Asian (particularly Thai, Chinese and Indian) cuisines are most likely to be rich in vegan options. Being nice to the waiter and explaining what you’re expecting from them can go a long way.

Experiment with food and keep it exciting – going vegan is a perfect opportunity to eat better and healthier.

Can you spot a would-be vegan menu item if it wasn’t for an ingredient or two? Ask staff to swap or remove it for you and voila, you’ve

created yourself a vegan meal. Don’t forget to check all the side dishes too – some may be real gems.

STICKING WITH IT

Whether it’s in real life or online, making friends with similar interests will help you remain true to your convictions.

If you want to be a little more proactive, you can try searching for local meet-ups, surfing through forums, or joining Facebook - it’s a good idea to search Facebook for a group in your area, e.g. ‘vegan London’.

Vegans are a very welcoming and helpful bunch, always ready to answer all the difficult questions or vegan dilemmas.

We hope you feel inspired to use January as a start of an amazing vegan journey, which may just turn out to be one of the best decisions your family has ever made.

Our free mobile app VeGuide (www. vegansociety. com/veguide) features a combination of daily informational videos, motivational quotes, quizzes, recipes and discounts, all of which aim to help you ease into vegan living.

Once you learn planning your shopping lists around plant produce, learning about vegan ingredients and preparing meals without animal products, you will realise it’s much easier than you first thought!

The Vegan Society nutrition pages (www.vegansociety. com/nutrition) have been written by a registered dietitian.

By Dominika Piasecka of the Vegan Society

www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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Eat a plant-based diet

10 top tips to live more sustainably

Instead of your regular meals, try to buy a vegetable-based salad for lunch. Options like roasted vegetables and pulses are a tasty option, or you can use tofu instead of beef if you are craving meat.

Replacing meat with a plant-based food will save you cash, but it will also cut your total carbon footprint by more than 20%.

The difference of carbon impact between a meat based and plant-based meal can be striking. We compared two meals: Steak, chips and salad, followed by cheese and biscuits, as Meal 1, and vegetable risotto followed by fruit salad as Meal 2. Meal 1 has a carbon footprint five times larger than Meal 2, largely due to beef, and the agricultural land required to produce Meal 1 is 7 times greater than Meal 2.

Living – and eating – sustainably can also help you reduce your bills at the end of the month

From scratch cooking and going organic, to buying organic and taking the train, Jo Hand, founder of Giki, shares her tips for a more sustainable family lifestyle

Check ingredients and scan barcodes

A

the products you buy, and the

s the food and drink we consume makes up around a quarter of our total environmental impact, cooking from scratch is one great way to keep costs down whilst looking out for the environment. Choosing sustainable food is also a really good way to reduce our impact. Living – and eating – sustainably can also help you reduce your bills at the end of the month, as a sustainable diet can cost less than a regular one, due to the reduction in meat and cheese which tend to be an expensive part of the weekly shop.

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Here are 10 tips to live more sustainably, for the whole family.

Try going for green energy

When shopping at the supermarket, scan barcodes (using an app, e.g. Giki) and get informed on companies you buy from.

You can even check which badges have been awarded, from, low carbon footprint, sustainable palm

Why not browse

oil and better

options for green

packaging to

energy companies and see how their services can work for your family?

Choosing a green energy provider will cut your electricity

animal welfare, and find alternatives to high carbon footprint meals for the whole family, based on major academic and

carbon footprint by a massive 90%

scientific carbon footprint studies

and your total carbon footprint by a

from around the world and drawing

whole 10%.

on all UK supermarket products in the Giki database.

www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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Lower your impact first thing in the morning

miles and less waste plastic for

A good first step in living sustainably is being more mindful of how you take your morning coffee, which is how a lot of people start their day. If you use a cafetière, use a plant-based milk (like oat milk for example), and coffee packed in a compostable bag. Percol is one of the brands that offer this option. By doing this you can lower the carbon impact of your morning coffee by 20% and hugely save on plastic (like coffee bags and single use coffee cups). It will reduce your coffee budget too!

Even though it should be pretty

Buy organic fruit and vegetables

will emit three times more carbon

to find the most sustainable

traveling in the car than in the

and healthiest products. Giki’s

Indulge in organic vegetables.

Try this for a week and see the difference. This choice means less fertilisers and pesticides, as organic farms have 50% more biodiversity than non-organic ones – much better for the birds and the bees.

landfill to make this product. straightforward, we know it is tough to find this option in major UK supermarkets. If you find it really difficult or impossible, tell your supermarket manager, or

the Social Enterprise and

try a local greengrocer or market

mobile app that makes it easy

if you have one. You may have

to find sustainable, healthy

more options there.

Unsustainable palm oil has led to huge portions of the Indonesian rainforest being lost and the extraction of palm oil is pushing animals such as orangutans, elephants and Sumatran tigers closer to extinction. Check if a product contains palm oil and whether it is sustainable. (Giki sets a high bar for sustainable palm oil, due to the destruction unsustainable palm oil causes.)

and ethical products in major

Take the train

UK supermarkets. Giki recently

If you are planning a trip, try

released a Hero badge, its

to take the train as a preferred transportation over flying or driving. For example, two people

train. If you are going solo, you will emit six times as much.

latest addition among 14 other badges, which makes it easier

mission is to help people cut

Travelling by train also means you

their environmental impact.

can relax!

We provide accessible,

Spend some time in nature Even if you live in a city, there is always a park somewhere. Going

Avoid unsustainable palm oil

By Jo Hand, founder of Giki,

for walks and spending time in nature can entertain you, free of charge and with

independent, transparent information to help people change habits to live more sustainably. Visit www. gikibadges.com for more information.

no environmental impact. It is always a great spot to take the family and enjoy activities with little to no carbon impact!

Prioritise better packaging Better packaging means less plastic, less rubbish and more recycling at the end of the cycle.

If you’re not sure of what a box or wrapper is made of, just scan the barcode of the product and look out for the Better Packaging badge.

Buy British, in season, plasticfree fruit or vegetables Buying local, in season and with zero plastic means it took less air

www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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Soup of the Day ...is Orange!

Is there anything better than coming home to a house filled with the aroma of home-cooking?

Especially if you’ve been out in chilly weather and fancy something hot, nutritious and quick-to-serve. This soup is orange – that means you can pack anything into it that is orange (or makes the colour orange!) and a vegetable! Pumpkins, peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes – swap out the ingredients and experiment with the flavours (as long as the result is orange!). Kids love this soup because it carries the natural sweetness of carrots and peppers – and they can help out with shopping and chopping. You can prepare the soup earlier in the day, blend and serve with warm crusty bread after a trip to the playground.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS: 10 good sized-carrots 1 red pepper 1 yellow pepper 1 potato 2 parsnips 1 medium sized-onion Salt and pepper to taste Ginger (optional) Stock cube (optional) Cream / dairy-free alternative

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Wash and chop the parsnips and peppers and drizzle with a little olive oil; pop in the oven for 20mins until soft.

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2. In the meantime, wash and chop the carrots into ‘coins’ (instead of sticks); peel the potato and dice, so that all the veg is roughly the same size.

3. Dice the onion and grate about a centimetre of ginger and fry lightly in olive oil until soft.

4. Add the carrots to the pan and coat in the onion-ginger-oil before adding 300ml of warm water and a stock cube.

5. Allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes, add the roast parsnips and peppers and blend until smooth. Add cream at this stage (optional).

6. Serve with crusty bread.

Get the kids to help pick the ingredients – and see how good their colour mixing skills are!

TOP TIP:

If you’re feeling fancy: Fry up some back bacon until it’s crispy and add to the top of the soup to serve – the salty bacon flavour really brings out the natural sweetness of the soup!

If you’re feeling adventurous: Why not add a squeeze of fresh orange juice (be sure to give it a stir), just before serving.

www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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Mushroom & Leek Pie Creamy mushrooms and leeks encased in a crispy, golden pie crust.

Delicious, filling and a great all-round party pleaser that suits vegetarian, vegan and non-vegan guests!

Serves: 4 | Cook time: 35 minutes Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS: 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 medium leeks, trimmed and sliced into discs 3 cloves garlic, minced 500g button mushrooms 1tsp. dried mixed herbs A pinch of salt and pepper

For the sauce: 1 tbsp. dairy-free butter 2 tbsp. plain flour 350ml dairy-free milk 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg A pinch of salt and pepper 1 roll vegan puff pastry (or glutenfree, if needed) 4 tbsp. dairy-free milk, for glazing

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan on a medium heat. Fry the leeks and garlic for 2 minutes, to soften.

2. Add the mushrooms, herbs, salt and pepper and stir for a minute.

Place the lid on top and cook for 8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the dairy-free butter on medium heat. Add the flour and stir until combined. Slowly add in the milk, a tablespoon at a time and whisk, until you have a smooth thick mixture. Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

4. Combine the cooked leeks and mushrooms with the sauce and leave to cool completely.

5. Make sure your puff pastry is at room temperature (if using frozen, leave at room temperature overnight) and preheat the oven to 200C. 6. Add the leek and mushroom mixture to a pie dish and top with the puff pastry, cutting off any excess pastry around the edges.

7. Crimp the edges using a fork and score a criss-cross pattern on the top using a sharp knife. Finally, dip a pastry brush in a little dairy-free milk and brush the top of the pie, to help it brown.

8. Cook for 25 minutes until golden brown. Serve straight away.

Get the kids chopping the mushrooms, cracking the salt and pepper mill for seasoning, crimping the pie pastry edges and brushing the top of the pie to help it brown in the oven – they’ll love being able to use so many kitchen utensils!

TOP TIP:

Courtesy of the Vegan Society

SWAP OUT: any ingredients for conventional dairy, if you prefer it that way. www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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FLORA BUTTERY THE INDULGENT ONE

The creamy taste you crave with 100% plant goodness For delicious recipe ideas visit flora.com/recipes

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Choose your favourite from the Flora range Naturally contains Omega 3 & 6. Essential fats are needed for normal growth and development of children. A daily intake of 2g alpha linolenic acid and 10g linolenic acid is needed. 2 x 10g servings of Flora a day contribute a significant amount to this. Enjoy as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

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Quick and Simple Crunchy Salad

Quick and easy – enjoy this versatile salad as a side dish or a nutritious light lunch ...

For the sweet sesame seed dressing 1 tbsp. lemon juice 4 tbsp. sesame oil (or extra virgin olive oil) 1/2 tsp. raw runny honey 1/2 tsp. sea salt 2 tbsp. black or white sesame seeds

METHOD: A perfect salad to support any new year health plans you may have set yourself. Whether it’s at the beginning of January or later into the year, this salad is colourful, nutritious and great for your digestion.

INGREDIENTS: For the Salad 1 small red cabbage, about 200 g 3 large carrots 1 red apple grated 3 handful salad leaves such as watercress 2 tbsp. cashew nuts

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Delicious salad in 3 simple steps…

1. Finely shred the cabbage using a knife or food processor and shake all the salad ingredients together.

2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together (apart from sesame) in a separate bowl.

3. Use your hands to mix the dressing onto the salad and you can top with toasted sesame seeds (you can get the kids to help you with mixing the salad!).

Recipe courtesy of www.yummymummyuk.com

www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

GLUTEN FREE - FULL TASTE PASTA The unmistakable goodness of Pasta Garofalo, for every palate.

With our gluten free shapes made to guarantee excellence and perfect cooking texture, no one will forgo the pleasure of a quality pasta dish.

GLUTEN FREE PULSES AND GRAINS PASTA

GLUTEN FREE PASTA

18th June 2019

20th November 2019

Great gluten free pasta

Really good gluten free pasta

This is so close to non-gluten free that I forgot it isn’t regular pasta. It doesn’t have a sandy texture – check, tastes normal instead of weird-check, and doesn’t fall apart when it is cooked – check. Brilliant!

Tastes more like normal but it is gluten free. Easy to do al dente as does not go overly soft as usual gluten free do.

24th November 2019

2nd September 2019

Delicious GF pasta

Excellent

My husband is gluten intolerant so I usually just cook and eat what he eats. You wouldn’t know this pasta is gluten free from the taste – it’s amazing. We’ve tried other gluten free pasta which have tasted awful but we’ll keep buying this brand.

We have found the whole range so far to be really tasty. The pasta cooks very well and taste is good. Definitely one of the best.

Garofalo pasta is available at Ocado.com, Amazon.co.uk, Booths and local stockists.

Garofalo Pasta is available from Ocado.com, Amazon.co.uk, Booths and local stockists

www.pasta-garofalo.com/uk

@PastaGarofaloUK

@pastagarofalouk

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Lemon Possets (with shortbread)

Ultra-creamy lemon puddings with sweet, crumbly shortbread cookies - perfect for dipping!

2. Divide the mixture equally between 4 glasses and chill for at least an hour or overnight.

3. To serve, top with fresh raspberries, a sprinkling of icing sugar and 2 shortbread biscuits (see recipe below).

Serves: 4 | Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS: For the lemon possets: 600g silken tofu Zest and juice of 2 lemons 120ml agave nectar 4tbsp. coconut oil, melted 1tsp. vanilla extract A few fresh raspberries, to serve 1tbsp. icing sugar, to serve

For the shortbread biscuits: 200g dairy-free butter 125g icing sugar 310g plain flour 1 tbsp. corn flour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water 2 tsp. extract 1 tbsp. dairy-free milk, if needed

INSTRUCTIONS: For the lemon possets: 1. Blend all the ingredients, except the raspberries and icing sugar, together in a food processor until smooth.

For the shortbread biscuits: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line two baking trays with baking paper.

2. Mix the dairy-free butter and icing sugar together in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the dairy-free milk.

3. If the mixture is too stiff, add the dairy-free milk to help thin it out until you have a soft but firm mixture.

4. Transfer to a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Pipe the mixture into small circular spirals. Starting from the outside, working your way in. Try and keep them all the same size (they not only look great but also bake more evenly)!

5. Bake for around 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Leave to cool completely.

Get the kids involved in measuring and mixing and counting out raspberries – a fun way to help develop interest in numbers (and baking, of course!)

TOP TIP:

Courtesy of the Vegan Society

SWAP OUT: any ingredients for conventional dairy, if you prefer it that way. www.FamilyFirst.co.uk

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Mug Cake In just three simple steps

1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted 1 tbsp. date nectar (or your favourite liquid sweetener) 1 chia egg or 1 normal egg ¼ tsp. baking powder

METHOD: 1. Mix the flour and baking powder together in a large mug.

That’s right – we said chocolate.

Peanut. Brownie. In a mug. And it’s a cake. All our chocolatey, peanutty cakey dreams come true, in a mug.

Here’s how to do it…

INGREDIENTS: 3 tbsp. spelt flour 1.5 tbsp. cacao 3 tbsp. coconut milk (or your favourite milk) 2 tbsp. smooth peanut butter

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine well together until smooth.

3. Place in the microwave for about 1 min 30 seconds to 1 min 45 seconds.

Devour (share with the kids if they’re well-behaved and you’re feeling generous – unless it’s been one of those days!)

For more delicious recipes visit www.hedihearts.com 98

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Family First - ISSUE 05

he FUN t e r e Wh lways shines! a 4

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