Small Talk - Sept/Oct 2014

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Top tips for weaning your baby Product reviews, fitness tips and classes, toddler groups, competitions and much more...

Issue September-October 2014 - complimentary

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TALK

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MAGAZINE FOR NEW PARENTS IN KENT

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elcome to the latest edition of Small Talk.

Summer is pretty much over, just the last few remaining weeks of warm sunshine before autumn begins and the leaves start to fall. In this issue, we look back at the recent celebrity baby births and the forthcoming high street fashion trends for little ones.

Thinking about weaning your little prince or princess? Then have a look at our weaning feature for great ideas, hints and tips.

Half term will soon be approaching and Small Talk offers you a selection of what’s on in your area.

Keep up to date with the latest first aid advice from the Red Cross and get fit with Small Talk’s own personal trainer, offering helpful exercises you can do at home.

We also have two fantastic competitions this issue. Turn to page 18 for full details and good luck!

Finally, please feel free to contact directly any of our advertisers and partners for more information, but don’t forget to mention that you have seen them in Small Talk!

Happy reading, from the Small Talk team.

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Fitness Blog

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The legal bit: Published by Small Talk Publishing Email small.talk@talktalk.net Website www.smalltalk-publishing.co.uk Facebook www.facebook.com/small.talk.kent Twitter www.twitter.com/smalltalkkent Copyright 2014 © Small Talk Publishing. All rights reserved. Copyright of articles and photographs remain with the individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission. Other material may be reproduced, but only with prior permission of Small Talk Publishing. Whilst we make every effort that everything published in Small Talk is factually correct, we cannot be held responsible if factual errors occur.

Company Address: 50 Otteridge Road, Bearsted, Maidstone ME14 4JR.

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Celebrity baby news Small Talk would like to say congratulations to these celebrity new mums and mums to be...

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ebecca Minkoff and husband Gavin Bellour have welcomed their second child by posting “Welcome Bowie Lou Bellour! 8lbs, 2oz! #happymonday,” on Instagram.

Image: www.yougossip.co.uk/p/daddy-s-little-girl-

Image: http://instagram.com/p/rSADYixYvv/

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Image: http://instagram. com/aliciakeys

licia Keys has announced she’s pregnant again!

The Grammy awardwinning star made the announcement on the anniversary of her marriage to rapper and music producer, Swizz Beatz. The couple already have a three-year-old son named Egypt Daoud.

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abyCentre.co.uk the UK’s number one site for new and expecting mums online, has released its mid-year baby names chart for the top ten boys’ and girls’ names of 2014...

1 Emily 2 Isabella 3 Olivia 4 Amelia 5 Sophie 6 Isla 4

Oliver Charlie Harry Noah Jack Joshua

7 Ella 8 Chloe 9 Jessica 10 Lily

atie Price has given birth to her baby girl having been booked in for an elective caesarean on August 15 at a private London hospital, but was taken to hospital and gave birth 11 days early. Katie uploaded her first public photo, via photo sharing App YouGossip, which raises money for charity.

Thomas James Jacob William

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regnant Holly Willoughby and her growing bump, has been crowned best dressed celebrity mum-to-be.

The ‘This Morning’ presenter - who is expecting her third child in September - was voted ‘best dressed bump’ in a poll of women by My1stYears.com. The women were asked who they thought had the best maternity style from a list of ten famous tummies. Holly received 24 per cent of the votes, and was closely followed in the list by Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh.

Top ten baby names Whilst in the US, the mid-year tally of the most popular baby names of 2014 is also in, with Imogen and Asher, two names that barely registered a generation ago, claiming the top spots, according to the baby naming website Nameberry.com. Imogen, Charlotte, Isla, Cora and Penelope were the top five girls names, while Asher, Declan, Atticus, Finn and Oliver claimed the boys top five names.

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Jools Oliver’s Little Bird Collection or Autumn 2014, the Little Bird collection, designed exclusively for Mothercare by Jools Oliver, will be growing up to age eight. Older boys and girls will be able to experience the fun and adventure of Little Bird dressing.

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Celebrity fashion news

Little Bird is all about a new way of dressing, stripes teamed with florals, tees over shirts with boys and girls sharing styles. Inspiring children to wear what makes them feel

happy and put their outfits together in a way that makes them unique.

Little Bird is an iconic brand, inspired by Jools’ own nostalgic childhood memories.

The collection is not about short-lived trends, but an eclectic mix of timeless pieces, using bright fun unisex colours and bold graphics, reminiscent of an innocent carefree childhood.

Inspiring little minds

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elping children to develop their reading at a young age is essential to boosting their confidence and igniting their imaginations. From an early age, reading offers a vital building block for education and a key skill for life.

Books don’t have to be expensive either.

Kent libraries are easily accessible to all and are FREE to join.

Local libraries regularly hold baby rhyme time sessions for parents of babies and toddlers, which are a free, fun and noisy way to develop a love of nursery rhymes and action songs, along with storytime sessions for three to four year olds - it’s great fun!

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Planning the perfect baby shower As baby showers are becoming ever increasingly popular, Small Talk discovers what makes a successful shower and offers some fantastic gift ideas...

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or the lucky mum-to-be, there’s nothing more exciting before her new arrival than a fun-filled baby shower - packed full of advice, support and, of course, gifts!

Typically hosted by the expectant mum’s best friend, it’s completely up to you where you host the baby shower. It can be at the mum-to-be’s favourite restaurant or you can all gather at somebody’s home. It is normally held when the expectant mother is around seven months pregnant.

Along with weddings, baby showers are one of the rare occasions in life where people from different parts of your life come together. You may have friends from work, old school friends, neighbours and family in one place at the same time.

Sometimes it can be difficult to encourage these different groups to interact with each other. A great way to do this is with baby shower games.

Baby buggy charm, www.trollbeads.co.uk, £35

While there are dozens of baby shower games to choose from, here are just a few suggestions: • Guess the bump size – ask guests to cut a piece of string to the length that they think will wrap perfectly around mum-tobe’s baby bump. Whoever is closest wins a prize.

• Nappy on the doll race – time how long it takes each guest to put a nappy on a baby doll. Whoever is fastest wins a prize.

• Celebrity baby names – divide a sheet of paper in to two columns, one column listing celebrity mums, the other listing their children’s names. Make sure the children’s names aren’t next to their parents, then ask your guests to match the kids to their famous mothers. Give each guest a copy and whoever matches the most correctly wins.

Finding the perfect baby shower gift can be hard, it’s up to you whether you buy for mum, baby or both. Here are some fantastic gift ideas...

Pink lining blooming gorgeous changing bag, woodland, John Lewis, £79

Baby shower bingo game, www.gingerray.co.uk, £7.50 Birth announcement photo frame, www.gettingpersonal.co.uk, £22.99 Philips Avent bath and room thermometer, John Lewis, £16.50

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Fashion from the high street

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M&Co, teddy jumper £12 M&S, pram shoes £10 &Co, floral M coat from £22, polka dot legging from £6

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Debenhams, Julien Macdonald winter grow £33, John Rocha winter grow £17

Pumpkin Patch, baby boys high tops £12

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M&S, trainers from £20

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M&S, rabbit welly from £12 M&Co, fairisle cardigan from £20, long sleeve t-shirt from £11 (twin pack), jeans from £8

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BHS, checked shirt bodysuit £8, knitted bobble heart dress and tights set £16

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Next, tunic and leggings set £15

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Music with mummy

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usic with Mummy, the award-winning national music franchise for babies and toddlers, has finally arrived in Kent.

Running at Pegasus Gymnastics Club’s brand-new facility in Maidstone, the Music with Mummy programme takes your child on a musical journey from birth until school.

her own. She has a musical background and has sung on stage and in bands for many years.

With a mixture of both traditional songs and many new songs written especially for Music with Mummy, the interactive classes use puppets, props, instruments and bubbles to engage with the youngest of children.

The programme is split into three streams: Jolly Babies (birth - 14 months), Music with Mummy (1-3 years) and Three Four Time (3-4 years). Classes currently run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and last for 30 minutes.

Jess, the class leader, is a trained primary school teacher with three young children of

If you would like to begin your Music with Mummy journey today, contact Jess to book your free trial class.

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“This is the perfect job for me. I get to combine my love of music with my passion for working with children, helping to instil in them a life-long love of music.”

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Product news

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ilver Cross has launched their new and improved, ever popular Pop for 2014.

With a new bold design, a choice of five vibrant colours and a range of additional features, Pop continues to be light, compact, convenient and comfortable. It is truly irresistible at just £140.

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hil&Teds Navigator is designed for unparalleled safety to reduce the chance of a buggy rolling away. It features a hands-free braking system that is designed to engage and brake automatically. £449, plus £119 for the double kit.

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he 2014 Baby Jogger City GT Double is suitable from birth and has patented quickfold technology as well as universal accessory mounting bracket. Despite offering little ones a spacious and comfortable ride, it can fit through standard sized doors, so you won’t struggle when you’re out and about. Available at £599.

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he Raspberry is iCandy’s new stateof-the-art lightweight compact fold stroller. It is ideal for hopping on and off buses, up kerbs etc, with its agile chassis, ease of fold and innovative, hidden spacious storage capsule. The quick and easy pushchair is the smart choice for urban adventures with your new born – or toddler.

Weighing an astonishing 8.4KG, it is one of the lightest luxury pushchairs on the market. It is compatible with the Maxi-Cosi cabrio, Pebble and the BeSafe iZiGo infant carrier car seats. Prices start from £460.

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ew for 2014, everything about the Silver Cross Pioneer is big, bold, generous and robust. A lightweight and durable pram and pushchair system, designed for life on the go - so it never holds you back, whether you’re navigating city streets or planning something more adventurous.

A true three-in-one solution, the Pioneer is suitable from birth, right up until your child starts exploring on their own. It includes both a carrycot and a seat unit, allowing you to use it as a lie-flat pram for your newborn, and also a forward or rearward-facing pushchair when they get a little older. You can even add the Simplicity car seat to create a complete travel system. £600.

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A quick guide to baby-led weaning What is it? Letting your baby feed themselves from six months, no purees or spoon feeding.

What are the beneďŹ ts? A better relationship with food, less fussiness, reduced risk of obesity.

How do I get started? When your baby is able to sit, hold their own head up and grab a spoon at around six months old you can start to introduce foods.

Which ďŹ rst foods? Anything stick or chipshaped or food that will stick to a spoon until your baby has developed refined hand movements (between eight-nine months).

Is there anything I should avoid? Honey,

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salt, sugar and foods that present a choking risk i.e. whole nuts, stoned fruit, fish bones.

What about milk feeds? Continue these as normal and let your baby reduce feeds naturally.

Anything else I need to know? Give your baby water at mealtimes. It is normal for your baby to miss some meals initially due to naps or tiredness, and it can get messy!

To make it easy, local expert, Julie Clark has written a step by step guide to Baby-Led Weaning, which is available to buy from Amazon and in all good book shops.

Visit www.spring-nutrition.co.uk for more information.

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Weaning - Shapes and textures When it’s time to wean your baby it’s not just about introducing solid foods, it’s also about having an adventure and helping your little one discover shape, texture and taste.

Shapes and textures...

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he weaning window, from around six to 12 months, provides the perfect opportunity for your baby to discover a variety of tastes, textures and shapes as it’s when your baby becomes naturally open to trying new foods.

When your baby no longer spits out soft lumps and seems confident eating lumpy food you can introduce chopped and minced foods.

For more advice on weaning and great tips on how to discover shapes and textures visit www.organix.com/discover

Shapes make mealtimes interesting and fun and help little ones develop the skills they need to feed themselves.

Finger foods come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, perfect for getting little fingers moving, gripping, picking up and discovering a range of foods. Offering baby such a wide variety of foods to play with, not only helps improve hand eye co-ordination and motor skills, biting and chewing, it also develops an awareness of their actions. It’s a chance to discover a full sensory experience – to squeeze foods, change their shape and break down foods.

Discovering texture is important, as we love food not just because it tastes great, but because we like how it feels too.

After starting with smooth purées, you can offer soft lumps and mashed foods as early as six months. Introducing lumpy foods takes more effort for your baby as they need to learn to use their tongue muscles and their jaw to chew and then swallow.

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Weaning continued... Tasty flavours Tasty flavours...

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hen it comes to flavours, giving your baby a variety of food now, may prevent fussy eating later.

Babies like the foods they get used to. If you give babies very salty or sweet food and drink when they are little, then they will get used to these tastes and are likely to find healthier food bland in comparison.

On the other hand if you give them lots of different, healthy foods to try when they are babies and toddlers, they are more likely to eat a variety of healthy foods as they grow up..

Ella’s Kitchen has a fantastic range of different healthy options from sweet potatoes and carrot pouches to peaches and pears for dessert. All are 100% organic, so you know you are giving your baby everything they need in terms of nutrition.

Don’t give up if your baby doesn’t like a food the first time he tries it. Babies’ food tastes will change as they grow, and

research has shown that they need to try something ten or more times to know if they really don’t like it. Try introducing new foods in small quantities and alongside familiar foods, or combine them with a tried and trusted favourite to get your baby used to the new flavour.

Small Talk put some of the Ella’s Kitchen flavours to the test with baby Oliver who is six months and just starting to try new flavours. His mummy Claire was pleased with how easily he took to the new flavours and was delighted at the ease of the handy pouches for taking on days out.

But remember MILK...

Milk is still very important for their development. Keep feeding breast milk (or formula milk) as you introduce them to solid foods. If you are formula feeding you don’t need to move to follow on milk.

Babies shouldn’t drink cow’s milk before 12 months.

For more information on Ella’s Kitchen products visit www.ellaskitchen.co.uk

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Anyway up 3-pack baby food pots ometimes getting your cow cup, £5 with weaning spoon, little one to eat can seem £5 like a bit of a battle. Being prepared can help ease the Stay put cutlery and transition to solid food, so Beaba Babycook suction bowls, £10 with steamer and stocking up with weaning blender, £89 pots and plenty of weaning spoons can really help.

You’ll find everything from suction bowls to floor mats to encourage your baby to JoJo super lightweight packaway pocket highchair, £14 enjoy their first foods and keep it off the floor!

All products shown available from www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk

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October half term fun Spooky half term fun at Kent Life

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ittle monsters can look forward to a ‘spooktacular’ Halloween at Kent Life Heritage Farm Park this October half term. The award-winning attraction near Maidstone will entertain visitors with a host of ghostly goings-on from October 25 to November 2.

Brave the snakes, spiders and scorpions in creepy cuddle corner or take the plunge with slimy zorbing. Test your artistic skills with daily pumpkin carving and ghoulish fancy dress competitions, take a terrifying tractor ride, or – if you dare – join one of the many scary characters for a ghost story.

Kent Life is also a fun and safe place for kids to go trick or treating. So come and knock on the doors of our

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frightening farmhouses and historic homes to see who’s lurking behind them!

Kent Life is a great all-weather attraction for visitors of all ages. Kids can go wild in the outdoor adventure play area or soft indoor play barn, or visit the resident alpacas, sheep, pigs, goats and horses.

Visitors can also explore the beautiful gardens, orchard and one of the last hand-picked hop gardens in the country; ramble along the wildlife discovery trail and see the last working coal-fired oast house in Britain.

For more details visit www.kentlife.org.uk or call 01622 763936.

Admission: Adults: £9.25, Concessions: £8.25, Children (3-15 yrs): £7.25, Under 3s: FREE. Open 10am to 5pm.

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Baby and toddler groups

Ashford: Ashford Oaks Parent and Toddler Group www.ashfordoaks.kent.sch.uk Ashford Twins Club ashfordtwinsclub@yahoo.co.uk

Deanwood Ducklings of Rainham Debbie, 01634 239531 Strood Leisure Centre Baby and Toddlers lesley.martin@medway.gov.uk, 01634 333933

Biddenden Under-Fives tenterden.reception@kent.gov.uk

Tonbridge and Malling:

Charing Baby and Toddler Group vjones.borg@gmail.com

St Stephen’s Toddlers Group toddlerstonbridge@yahoo.co.uk

Maidstone:

Sunbeams suegorham@talktalk.net , Sue Gorham, 01732 832898 or 01732 833867

Little Sparkles Town Centre Group Pauline Pitt, 01622 757095 Mamas and Babas www.mamasandbabas.org.uk St Andrew’s Tiddlers Baby and Toddler Group, Jane 01622 725355 Dad’s Den at Greenfields Children’s Centre 01622 750025 Medway: Sunnytots of Gillingham kate83kora@hotmail.com, 07790 013510 Little Angels in Walderslade broughton.maureen@yahoo.co.uk 01634 861082

Bumble Bees, Sally, 01732 366321

Tiny Acorns www.tonbridgeparishchurch.org.uk Judi Hammill, 07753424794 Tunbridge Wells: ABC, 01892 521703 Coffee Connection coffeeconnection@outlook.com Facebook: coffeeconnectiongroup St Augustines Baby and Toddler Group 01892 522525 Note: Please check with individual venues for full details.

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Fitness for the family Getting active with your kids can be fun and very rewarding. Small Talk discovers how physical activity helps children grow strong bones, maintain a healthy weight and discover the world around them, and best of all, these activities don’t have to be costly...

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But that’s not the only reason. Physical activity is a part of the way children discover the world and themselves. It helps to build strong muscles and healthy bones, as well as to improve self-confidence.

ll children should be physically active for at least one hour a day. You can help by encouraging your child to find activities they enjoy, and by building physical activity into family life.

Most children love running around a park or playing in a playground.

One reason why physical activity in childhood is so important, is because it helps your child to maintain a healthy weight.

Free activities for all the family: 1. Walk or cycle around your local park 2. Build a den or tree-house 3. Fly a kite 4. Go roller skating or skateboarding 5. Play frisbee or football in the park 6. The National Parks website has lists of events such as guided walks and children’s fun days, for fresh ideas for active days out.

Learn to Swim

Swimming tuition for all the family Angela’s Swim School™ is a long established family run business headed up by former international swimmer Angela Wilson.

Our fully trained instructors help pupils become confident swimmers by using proven methods and keeping class sizes small.

FIRST LESSON

FREE*

Northfleet, Cobham, maidstone@angelasswimschool.co.uk Otford, Sevenoaks, PLACES LIMITED CALL TODAY Maidstone, Ashford, Orpington.

Franchise options available!

07703 185837

angelasswimschool.co.uk *FREE lesson subject to course booking

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Fitness for the family Pelvic floor and deep core stabiliser training.

Small Talk’s professional personal trainer Tom, explains the benefits...

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whereby the lower back muscles become overly tight, while the opposing core muscles lengthen and weaken (and in some cases tear!). It is therefore important to re-train these core muscles to help them support your posture again. Below are some good beginner level exercises to help re-train those core stabilisers and re-build your core foundations!

uring pregnancy and child birth the hormone relaxin is released to help loosen the ligaments and muscles around the pelvic bones. The levels of relaxin can stay elevated for up to six months after giving birth so high impact activities such as running should be avoided until ligaments have been re-strengthened. However, there are things that can be done in the meantime to help you get your body back to where it used to be!

For more tips and advice, follow Tom on www.facebook.com/TomLongbottomTraining Twitter: @TLT_PT or email him at t.l.training.pt@gmail.com

The deep core stabilisers that loosen during pregnancy and child birth are important for maintaining posture and preventing the development of muscular imbalances, which often lead to lower back pain. An exaggerated lumbar lordosis (curving of the lower back) is often seen during pregnancy

NOTE: When starting a new exercise regime, new mums should wait until they’ve had their GP check (usually around 6-8 weeks after giving birth, potentially longer if you’ve had a c-section), but many could benefit from having 6-9 months off before getting stuck in with exercise.

Exercise

Sets/Reps Rest Interval

Tempo

Additional Comments

Abdominal bracing

5 x 10-30 sec

Same as n/a duration of contraction (e.g. 10 sec on, 10 sec off)

Windscreen wipers

3 x 8-12 sec

30 sec

Slow & Lying on your back, bend your hips and controlled! knees to 90˚ and slowly lower your knees down to one side (3-5 sec). Bring knees back up to neutral position and repeat on opposite side. Exhale as you lower your knees. The straighter your knees – the harder it gets!

Hamstring/glute bridge

3 x 20-40 sec

30 sec

n/a

You can practice this in any position anywhere!

Suck in the belly button ~30%. Contract the pelvic floor (pretend you need a pee and your having to hold it in!).

Maintain breathing!

Lying on back. Knees bent, dig heels into floor! Squeeze glutes and hamstrings to raise hips.

Progressions: One leg, feet on swiss ball

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Competitions WIN!!! Baby-Led Weaning made easy – win a copy of the latest BLW guide

Enter our competition to for your chance to win a copy of nutritionist Julie Clark’s coveted new weaning book, Baby-Led Weaning Step by Step. Julie’s book, launched at the start of the summer, is a practical, down-to-earth and informative handbook to help take parents through the process of Baby-Led Weaning month-on-month and features a diary capturing the journey of Julie’s own daughter, Rosie as she learns to self-feed with healthy, nutritious and wholesome food. The book also includes handy weaning shopping lists, best first foods and some of Julie’s favourite weaning recipes.

To enter: Please email competitions@smalltalk-publishing.co.uk putting WEANING BOOK in the subject line along with your name, address and telephone number so that we can contact the lucky winner.

T&C’s: Our competitions are free to enter. Closing date for entries 31/10/14. No responsibility can be accepted for entries ter: not received for whatever reason. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms To en titions@ and conditions without notice. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant e uk p m o c g.co. by any third party connected with competitions. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. Winners will be Email -publishin e subject picked at random and will be notified by email within 28 days of the closing date. talk in th

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Razzamataz Theatre School Dave Mac says “It is an honour to receive the prestigious New Franchisee of the Year Award, as a Duncan Bannatyne backed Theatre School.”

Razzamataz is a fantastically happy school where students enjoy singing, dance and drama classes from classic West End musical theatre to commercial dance and pop singing, run by magnificent and friendly teachers. Students learn every Saturday while having FUN! FUN! FUN! Students have already enjoyed specialist workshops such as ‘Spooky Stage Makeup’, ‘Coming Alive’ and a ‘Wicked’ based workshop by a West End performer, along with other great events including a day at KMFM where they even recorded voice-overs for adverts!

They’ve performed at the Tonbridge Christmas Lights, Tonbridge Carnival, Kent County Show and in their own stage show at the Stag Theatre. Razzamataz currently hold classes at the illustrious Haysebrook School in quality and safe facilities.

Aiming to make performance training accessible to all young people, Razzamataz ensure they are very affordable to families, offering 50% off and free places for siblings.

They also offer FREE taster sessions for two to 18 year olds to come and try the classes and join in the FUN!

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Baby and toddler first aid Small Talk is proud to work closely with the British Red cross to bring you essential baby and toddler first aid know how’s. Head injuries can occur in any situation, at home, at the park, shopping, the school playground... Its important that you know what to do and to recognise the signs of any serious injury to the child...

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blow to the head may result in the baby or child having pain or a headache. There may be a bump on their head and they may look pale.

If a head injury occurs, get the baby or child to rest and apply something cold to the injury (e.g. frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel).

person suffers a blow to the head, the brain can be shaken inside the skull. This may result in a more serious head injury (e.g. concussion), which may make them feel sick or drowsy.

If they become drowsy or vomit, or their condition deteriorates, call 999.

Applying something cold to the injury will reduce external swelling and pain.

In addition to external swelling, when a

This could be a sign of a serious injury to the head and is always best to get checked out by your local hospital.

Baby and toddler first aid app: Parents and carers, help is at hand. If your child chokes on a sweet or suffers a nasty cut, you’ll only be a few clicks away from knowing exactly what to do.

This free British Red Cross app is packed with useful videos, animations and tips. It provides simple and easy advice, and each skill only takes minutes to learn. There is also a hospital finder in case there’s an emergency while you’re out and about, as well as a handy device to record your child’s medication needs and any allergies.

Get first aid at your fingertips now. Download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store now!

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Child-friendly gardens A child-friendly garden does not mean that it needs to be over run with trampolines and play equipment - sensory gardens provide intimate spaces where young children can be immersed in the scents, textures and colours of plants and related elements.

Small Talk seek advice from local landscaping professionals Unique Landscaping, on the best ways to make any garden child-friendly…

Creating sensory gardens: A functioning sensory garden addressing all of the senses; touch, taste, auditory, visual, balance, and coordinating the movement of the eyes, head, and body through space and body movement can help to develop the sensory system in any young child, especially those with a disability.

For a child who is sensory defensive, a gradual introduction to the stimulation provided by the features in the sensory garden will therapeutically alleviate some of the symptoms of their sensory difficulties.

Equally, a child who craves sensory input, can seek out the appropriate sensory experience which they require to satisfy their system.

Two popular forms of sensory gardens are sensory pathways and keyhole gardens.

Sensory pathways: Sensory pathways can be constructed of smooth, flat, stepping stones or tree cookies with gaps wide enough for in-between planting. Steppingstones can be natural stone or concrete or made by children to include hand prints, leaf prints, shells, marbles, coloured tile mosaics, or smooth glass.

Glass blocks or clay bricks can be laid in the sensory pathway to add additional sensory richness and variety.

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be considered part of the larger pathway system and should not dead end. They can be installed as a narrow (18”-24”), short loop off the primary pathway (above) or a broad (36”-72”) connection between settings (below).

Keyhole gardens: Keyhole gardens provide an intimate space to rest while immersed in sensory plants. Keyhole gardens are shaped like a skeleton keyhole with a narrow entry and bulbous, interior space wide enough for a young child play and reach the plantings on either side (approximately 24” - 36” wide). Keyhole gardens can be installed as a sub-space along a sensory path or be designed as a stand-alone setting.

Unique Landscaping has a wealth of experience in creating sensory gardens and are happy to discuss the wide variety of options to suit your requirements via a no obligation quotation meeting.

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Tips to making your garden safer for kids: Gardens are great to have and wonderful to be in, but they do have their hazards, particularly to children. Every year, around 125,000 children are killed or injured in gardening accidents, a lot of which can be prevented.

Boundaries and fencing: Firstly, make sure that your garden is contained so your child can’t get out - block up any gaps between fences or bushes with simple chicken wire.

Check fences and gates to ensure they are secure. Walls can present a hazard in their own right, as older walls can crumble away in time and have been known to collapse on people, so make sure you have them checked for stability.

Try to avoid prickly or thorny shrubs, as they tend to be head height for children.

Equally, make children aware of dangerous plants and the hazards of eating them.

Play equipment: Don’t put climbing equipment or playhouses near concreted areas or too near walls, fences, or large bushes, as these may be fallen against or into.

If possible, replace gravel with a solid surface, as gravel can be a choking hazard for children of all ages. Check paving is fitted properly to avoid trip hazards, especially on steps and that they are replaced as soon as cracks appear or they work loose.

Ponds and water play: Never leave your child unattended where water is present, either ponds or play equipment. Ponds are always safest either fenced off or filled in.

For all your landscaping requirements, contact Unique Landscaping who are ‘Approved by Mums’ as a trustworthy, reliable and reputable local company.

Telephone: 01622 687146 / 07818 690116 Email: info@uniquelandscaping.co.uk Website: www.uniquelandscaping.co.uk For all your landscaping requirements:

Call today for a FREE quote ms mu

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“Setting the Standards of Landscaping”

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• Artificial lawns • Block paving • Decking • Building services • Patios • Fencing/gates • Sleeper work • Garden clearance • Turfing • Ponds/water features • Walling • Driveways • Low maintenance projects (decorative stoning, shingle, bark) • Wooden structures (sheds, arbours, pergolas)

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E. small.talk@talktalk.net W. smalltalk-publishing.co.uk

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