Today Date Triggered Content

As another year draws to a close we're taking a look back at the articles you've been reading in the app. 

Your app is here to help you support each step of your child's developmental journey. When you master skills, you get new activity ideas and articles that will help you support and understand your child's learning. 

As well as articles linked to your child's skills, we regularly share information we know will be useful for everyone. We've looked at the most read content and put it here just incase you missed it - or would like to read it again. 

Christmas is undoubtedly a magical time of the year. We love the fairy-lights, the goodwill, the food, the films, even the music. What we don’t love is the never-ending to-do list. Seriously, it can be overwhelming to even consider. 

It can be a challenging time of year for many reasons, from the mental load to loneliness to strained family relationships. We’ve pulled together a few ideas to help you have a Christmas which feels good for you, whatever it looks like. 

Christmas can sometimes feel like an endurance sport – weeks of steady planning, logistics and organisation, gathering pace the closer we get to December 25th, followed by the sprint finish on the day itself, before collapsing at the finish line with a Bailey’s and the chocolate left at the bottom of the tin. 

So, why on earth would we add Elf on the Shelf into the mix? Aren’t our schedules jam-packed enough without spending precious time working out a daily schedule of audacious acts for a toy elf? Not to mention remembering to actually set the whole thing up every night (we cannot be the only ones with a nightly reminder on our phones for this – and sometimes we still manage to forget). 

Find a comfy place, snuggle up together and read a story. This could be the perfect way to end a busy day, or provide a few moments of quiet at the start of the day.  

Be brave little penguin by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees 

This week’s ideas all have a festive connection – these play ideas will give you time to talk about all the exciting and different things that are going on at this time of year.  

When we think about regulating emotions, we often think about times when our children are sad, frustrated or angry. But it is also useful to think about emotions such as excitement as needing regulation. Your child might need support to regulate this feeling of excitement too – and playing together can be a great way to do this.  

Sensory input can be calming or stimulating. Gentle swinging and rocking might help your child relax during the exciting month of December, and there are lots of ways to bring it into your day... so why not give this week’s ideas a try?  

December can be a busy month, and finding time to play among visits to friends and family might feel tricky. But our activities are simple and low (or no) cost – so there's always space for fun and learning.  

We often give our weekend ideas for babies, toddlers and children separately – but this weekend we have some ideas that we think are perfect for everyone!  

Your child uses their senses to understand the world around them and to learn about objects. During their first five years they’ll begin to master combining information from their senses, which is an important foundation for learning and well-being.  

We’ve separated our ideas into different senses, but many of the items will stimulate more than one. During sensory play, take a moment to step back and think about which senses your baby, toddler or child is using.  

Festive lights are beginning to appear and now it’s dark early, a late afternoon walk could be the perfect activity for babies, toddlers or children.  

For all children something as simple as a walk after dark gives them lots of new experiences, which can feel magical and give you the chance to use lots of new words – which helps your child’s vocabulary to grow.