I bet you’ve had your child ask you many times to read a book or play a game and I bet you’ve said, “In a minute.” This usually sets you up to forget the request and you may end up not doing what you told your child you would do, which damages your […]
I was sent in this question for my ‘Don’t Stew- Ask Sue’ feature on The Sue Atkins Parenting Show podcast. My husband plays very rough with my 3-year-old daughter, but when they play, my husband hangs her upside down by the ankles at some point surprising her, for example, they are playing wrestling, […]
Outdoor play, climbing trees and riding bikes I used to love taking my kids to the park when they were young and watching them run off to chase our dogs, jump, hide, shout, whistle, climb and explore the natural world. Wrapped up warm with jumpers and wellies they always arrived back home with rosy cheeks, […]
I’ve just spent a morning talking on lots of radio stations around the UK about the importance of play as it’s National Play Day. A survey carried out by Zapf Creations UK the makers of Baby Annabell and Baby Born discovered that 1 in 10 parents only play with their kids for 2 hours a […]
“A chain of happy children trail each other joyfully around the garden dodging in and out of wigwams, wooden structures and plants. Others work intently, like a team of chefs, making an imaginary cake out of shaving foam, mud, leaves and whatever else they can find in the garden of the Limelight Family Learning Centre […]
This month, Dr Amanda Gummer weighs up the different skills boys and girls develop using toys, and highlights three Good Toy Guide reviews. Whether you believe that gender-based play is biologically or socially constructed, there’s no denying some toys appeal to boys more than girls. Does it matter? We’d argue not really. As long as […]
Are your kids out in the snow throwing snowballs, climbing trees and having fun – or are they stuck inside on their iPad and watching hours of TV? Prof Tanya Byron said that children’s natural development was being stunted after being refused the chance to play outside, banned from throwing snowballs and prevented from walking […]
I was interviewed today about the Importance of Play and the Cotton Wool Kids and that style of parenting nowadays – Here’s my thoughts on…….. Outdoor play, climbing trees and riding bikes DOWNLOAD => MY FREE POSITIVE PARENT POSTERS
Are you dealing with the “Terrible Two’s?” Do you suddenly have a fussy eater on your hands? Is it nearly impossible to get your toddler to stay in their bed at night? Are you struggling to potty train your toddler? I understand as I’ve been there , done that and have the T […]
Today I am excited as I am interviewing Bear Grylls about his passion for outdoor activities. With today’s kids glued to computer games, ipads, ipods and TV I thought it would be fascinating to discover more about Bear’s passion for teaching kids to build dens, make rope swings and have fun […]
I’ve been asked to comment on this latest survey on BBC Radio Sheffield, BBC Radio Coventry and BBC Radio Three Counties today about the latest research showing that fewer than one in ten of today’s children have played in a wild place compared to half of their parents’ generation. So the National Trust decided […]
I read with growing dismay about a survey today suggesting that UK parents are suffering a crisis of confidence when it comes to playing with their children. Almost half of 2,000 parents questioned said they would welcome expert help on how to play. Some 13% felt anxious about play, while 17% admitted buying toys and […]
Here’s a really comprehensiveand fantastic reference network of unique play ideas categorised according to the type of play and hosted at Childhood101.com
We all know that exercise is good for us, but new guidelines from the Chief Medical Officer say that this shouldn’t be limited to trips to the gym or jogging to work. Instead we should be thinking about encouraging physical activity from a really young age – before a child is five. The new guidelines […]
