Today Date Triggered Content

We've gathered some of our favourite books which celebrate the beauty of Earth and give our children (and us) an understanding of how to care for it. This zero waste week, why not see if you can borrow one of these, or another book about our world, from your local library. If that’s not practical for you, you can still enjoy new books without buying new by shopping second-hand, or arranging a book-swap with some friends. 

Your ‘Discover more...’ section has a range of articles linked to the skills your child is developing now – so you can always find the information you need. You’ve told us sometimes you’d like to understand what's coming next so we’re going to be sharing themed articles all in one place.  

This time we’ve put together all our articles about feeding, weaning and nutrition.  

You want to know that everything you read is written by experts and backed by research. Our content is written by our child development team, who are experienced early years teachers and researchers. 

Nursery rhymes – some parents love them, and some don’t... but babies, toddlers and even older children often find them irresistible making a rhyme time-type group an ideal way to fill long days together. Over the summer lots of these groups will have paused, so we’ve been sharing ways to create your own mini-versions at home.  

This week it is all about rhymes and songs, with ideas for all ages which can be done one-on-one with your little one or with a group of friends.  

It’s all too easy to find yourself drawn in to feeling you need more expensive or elaborate toys, or even simple ones, especially when you’re feeling a bit lost for something to do. But the best memories and most important skills are often built from the everyday things we do.  

This summer we're celebrating all the ways that play is brilliant for development, mental health and social connections – for children but also for parents. And we want to make sure it's all as free, or cheap, as possible so your family can focus on the fun to be had, without barriers to get there.  

Summer holidays are in full swing across the UK, and this might mean you’re suddenly in charge of entertaining multiple children (of very different ages). With the days and weeks stretching out in front of you it can seem impossible to find activities which will entertain them all – and that’s where we come in. Over the summer months we will share articles all about adapting simple, joyful play for children of all ages so you can focus on the important things.  

This week we’re splashing into summer with ideas for water play! 

There is a saying that goes ‘If your children are starting to climb the walls, remove the walls and play with water’. This is because water play can entertain and engage children of all ages, but also has therapeutic qualities which mean that is helps to calm, regulate and ground children in a way that other play opportunities do not.  

We know that some of the best activities, games and adjustments you can make for your child’s development happen in the little moments of daily routines, so this week we’re focusing on how these simple moments can be used to help your child master new skills. 

You will have read the news stories currently dominating headlines about scarlet fever and Strep A, and that a number of children in the UK have recently died of complications relating to a particularly aggressive form of Strep A called invasive Group A strep (iGAS). 

The feeling that we need to be everything to everyone can be overwhelming as a parent, and research is showing this is particularly true for mothers. The expectation to excel at every area of your life, while also managing much of the mental load and practical tasks at home, makes it almost impossible to feel you're meeting your own expectations. We're seeing more and more research, and support, showing that this idea of being a 'supermum' (or dad) is not only unrealistic but also harmful - so here is why you can give yourself permission to put that expectation to bed once and for all. 

A 2022 poll from Bupa[1] has shown how harmful the idea of being a ‘supermum’ is to our mental health. It seems like everywhere we look there’s a social media post, t-shirt or parent talking about the mythical ‘supermum’ who works, parents, cooks, cleans, blogs, looks perfect and does it all with a smile.