Parenta Magazine September 2019

Issue 58 

SEPTEMBER 2019 

FREE 

INDUSTRY 

EXPERTS 

How to teach 

young children 

friendship skills 

The importance 

of doodling 

Starting a musical 

journey: changes in 

musical behaviour 

+ lots more 

Write for us 

for a chance to 

WIN 

£50 

p 27 

INTERNATIONAL TALK 

LIKE A PIRATE DAY! 

Avast me hearties! September 19th is International Talk Like A Pirate 

Day. Find our themed craft and fun activity suggestions inside! 

CELEBRATE ROALD DAHL DAY! WIN A SET OF ROALD DAHL BOOKS & PUPPETS!

Hello and welcome to the September edition of the Parenta magazine! 

The new academic year is upon us already and you’ve probably spent the past few weeks busily preparing for 

your new intake - where did the summer go?! 

September is also a busy month here at Parenta HQ. The team is really looking forward to Childcare Expo 

Midlands in Coventry on 27th and 28th September; and will be on hand to give you valuable advice and 

guidance on recruitment, apprenticeships and upskilling your staff. We will also be demonstrating all our software 

solutions – do come and visit us – you’ll find us on stand C12. 

We celebrate International Talk Like A Pirate Day on the 19th – and all hands are on deck, for this is our theme of the month. As well as 

looking at the origins of this unusual day, we’ve got a treasure hunt activity and a parrot craft for the children that will inspire you to 

“parley like a pirate”. More on that on the opposite page! 

Another celebration is in order on 13th September - for Roald Dahl Day! We’ve got some great ideas for the children to have fun with; 

as well as a competition to win some fantastic Roald Dahl books and matching finger puppets which you can use to make storytime 

fun and interactive! 

September is “’results month’ and with GCSE and A level results out and the focus on recruitment, it can be easy to overlook improving 

the knowledge of those already working in your childcare setting. Turn to page 34 for our top tips on how Continuing Professional 

Development (CPD) can keep staff motivated, improve morale and reduce staff turnover! 

Congratulations once again to Joanna Grace, our guest author competition winner! Her article “Drinking games for children on 

summer days” was really well received by our readers this summer and gave such essential advice for keeping the children hydrated. 

We really hope you find the variety of news stories, advice articles and craft activities in this month’s magazine useful – all of which are 

written to help you with the efficient running of your setting and to promote the health, happiness and wellbeing of the children in your 

care. 

Please feel free to share with friends, parents and colleagues! 

Allan 

MUSIC 

hello 

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY 

22 

SEPTEMBER 2019 ISSUE 58 

IN THIS EDITION 

REGULARS 

14 What our customers say 

18 Arrgghh! Have you seen my parrot? 

27 Write for us for a chance to win £50! 

27 Guest author winner announced 

NEWS 

4 Cygnets brings the beach to Bordon to celebrate 

15 years! 

4 Broussa Day Nursery children welcome local 

guide dog 

5 Children born prematurely during summer can 

face ‘significant’ challenges at school 

6 Parenta Trust news 

ADVICE 

10 World Sepsis Day 

16 International Talk Like A Pirate Day 

20 Heritage Open Days – celebrating history and 

culture! 

24 Eczema – nutritional advice and lifestyle tips for 

your setting 

30 Roald Dahl Day 

34 The importance of Continuing Professional 

Development (CPD) for your staff 

Avast me hearties! 

Our theme of the month for September is…..pirates! 

Ahoy there! It’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day on 19th 

September so batten down the hatches and all hands on deck 

for a month of ‘pirate parley’! 

What’s it all about? 

It began in 1995 when two friends were playing racquetball (a 

game a little like squash) and began shouting 

encouragement to each other which rapidly 

turned into pirate slang! It sounds farfetched 

and not much of a link to 

pirates, but if you turn to page 16 you 

will discover how it all happened! 

“Have you seen my parrot?” 

Let the little ones’ imaginations runs wild 

with our ‘make your own pirate parrot’ 

craft. We had such fun making this in the 

office and we think it will bring hours 

of piratey fun in your setting. On page 

18 you will see one that we “prepared 

earlier”! 

Don’t forget to 

send us your 

pictures of the 

children’s 

pirate parrots 

– have fun! 

National Eye Health Week 38 

In the first of a four-part 

series, Frances Turnbull 

offers an insight into how 

beneficial music is in 

children’s development. 

EMOTIONS 

Gina Smith provides 

some excellent strategies 

that you can use to 

help young children 

develop their emotional 

understanding. 

8 

FRIENDSHIP SKILLS 

32 

Tanith Carey shares some great ways 

that you can help teach friendship skills 

to the young children in your care. Tanith 

gives 4 scenarios and describes how you 

can help in these situations. 

38 National Eye Health Week 

INDUSTRY EXPERTS 

8 How to help young children develop their 

emotional understanding 

12 The importance of doodling 

22 Starting a musical journey: changes in your little 

one’s musical behaviour 

28 Into the woods to take only pictures and leave 

only footprints 

32 How to teach young children friendship skills 

36 Sensory engagement 

Enter the 

competition 

for a chance to win 

a set of Roald Dahl 

books & finger 

puppets! 

Roald Dahl Day! Ways to celebrate & a chance to win! 30

Cygnets brings the beach to 

Bordon to celebrate 15 years! 

Cygnets Day Nursery celebrated its fifteen-year anniversary on Friday 19th July with a beachthemed 

event. Local MP, Damian Hinds, agreed to visit during the event and asked many 

questions about the daycare provided. 

Bonny Clark, Manager of Cygnets, said: “It was fantastic to see 

the children have so much fun with all our beach activities. It 

is amazing to think we have been in Bordon 15 years and we 

look forward to the next 15! A big thank you to all the parents 

who continue to support us and to our staff who did a huge 

amount to create an immersive beach experience for the 

children, and who work hard daily to provide a high standard 

of education.” 

Staff and children were dressed in a variety of colourful outfits 

and were busy all day enjoying sand pits, inflatable pools, 

beach balls and painting their faces. The children particularly 

enjoyed the two guest storytellers who made the children 

laugh with their engaging and interactive stories. Possibly the 

most popular attractions were the opportunity to ride on two 

ponies and eating fish and chips and ice cream. 

Broussa Day Nursery children 

welcome local guide dog 

Broussa Day Nursery and Nursery School has recently been visited by a very special guest – Carter 

the trainee guide dog. 

Children at Broussa Day Nursery welcomed Carter and his 

handlers from the Guide Dog Association into the setting and 

learned all about the important job he is training for. 

It has been a fantastic opportunity for the children to not only 

experience and gain confidence being around a different 

animal to the ones they have at nursery, but also gain an 

understanding about the use of guide dogs. 

Broussa Day Nursery teaches children about the world 

around them. They receive regular visits from people in the 

community and learn about others who may be different 

from themselves. This experience with Carter was valuable in 

developing an understanding and awareness of those with 

sensory impairments. 

Children born prematurely during 

summer can face ‘significant’ 

challenges at school 

Research conducted by the University of Leeds found that children born only three weeks 

premature during the summer, may encounter ‘significant setbacks’ in education especially if they 

fall into the earlier school year. 

The data, from Born in Bradford birth 

cohort study, was collected from 10,000 

children, and shows that children born 

prematurely are twice as likely not to 

achieve a ‘good’ level of development 

at the end of reception, compared to 

children born at full term. 

Children born in the summer months 

are most at risk due to starting school 

a year early. Those children are three 

times less likely to reach a ‘good level of 

development’. 

The research also found that keeping the 

children behind for one year before they 

start school may not compensate for 

their early birth. 

The study was the result of conversations 

with schools taking part in the Bradford 

Opportunity Area Programme, a 

Department for Education initiative to 

find out if extra support is needed for 

those children. 

Children who are extremely premature 

are always given support with follow up 

medical assistance as well as support 

from their schools, which are informed 

about the situation, whereas children 

born three to eight weeks prematurely 

don’t get that support. 

The research also highlights the 

disadvantages faced by those born 

between three to eight weeks early, as 

well as showing they face them at an 

earlier age than previously thought. 

A neonatal doctor from the Born 

in Bradford study and the Bradford 

Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation 

Trust, Dr Katherine Pettinger, who coauthored 

the study, said to Nursery 

World: “While it seems like an obvious 

solution, delayed entry for premature 

children is not likely to compensate 

for being born early, as we found that 

within a given school year, the risks to 

development faced by children born 

prematurely, did not vary depending on 

when within that school year they were 

born. 

“To try to support this at-risk group 

better, we instead suggest that schools 

should be informed which of their pupils 

were born prematurely, so they can be 

given extra support, particularly early on 

in their schooling.” 

There are a number of recommendations 

to help those children including; 

• Giving the parents of the children 

individual advice suitable to their 

needs 

• Providing teachers with the best 

learning resources to support 

premature children 

• Sharing data between health and 

education services 

The study is titled “Starting School: 

Educational Development as a Function 

of Age of Entry and Prematurity”, and it 

is published in the journal, Archives of 

Disease in Childhood. 

4 Parenta.com September 2019 5

Parenta Trust news 

NEWS 

Invest in the development 

of your team... 

10% 

NON-LEVY CONTRIBUTION 

5% 

We take a look at how our charity, Parenta Trust, together with its supporters, changes the lives of 

hundreds of children who attend Parenta Trust schools in deprived areas of the world. 

In many third world countries, preschool 

children are denied a basic 

education. In the poorest of areas, 

children are sent out to fetch water, 

carry out domestic chores and look 

after their siblings. Very often, this 

means that they miss out on not only 

going to pre-school but also receiving 

additional education throughout their 

childhood. 

By providing training for your staff, you will: 

Improve morale 

Support children’s safety 

Enhance your setting’s reputation 

Reduce staff turnover 

We help hundreds of childcare providers train their staff every year. 

Investing in staff training and development is essential for not only 

upskilling your workforce, but reducing recruitment costs, attracting top 

talent and helping to prevent skills shortages. 

It doesn’t sound much, but for as 

little as 56p per day, a child’s life 

can be changed and they can look 

forward to a much brighter future. 

“Sponsoring a Parenta Trust child 

is so rewarding. To know that our 

support gives hope to a child and 

that we can change their lives for the 

better, is incredible. You form a special 

connection with your sponsored 

child and are able to share in their 

milestones as they grow. In fact, you’ll 

soon find that your sponsored child 

feels like a part of your own family! 

Each year, we receive a couple of 

letters from them as well as a card at 

Christmas time. 

“The children that we sponsor love 

to hear from us! One of the most 

rewarding things about sponsoring a 

child is when that letter arrives and you 

hear about what they’ve been up to 

and how you have helped them. It fills 

you with pride and happiness!” 

The Parenta Trust sponsorship 

programme gives disadvantaged preschool 

children the chance to lay the 

foundations for their learning in a safe 

and loving environment. Having a basic 

education means these young children 

can break out of the cycle of poverty 

and look forward to a much brighter 

future. 

Sponsorship plays a huge role in 

shaping the lives of young pre-school 

boys and girls across the world. With 

the support of their sponsors, the 

children are given a bright start to their 

life and receive a pre-school education, 

with its effects lasting a lifetime. 

Each sponsored child benefits from a 

pre-school education, a school uniform, 

a daily hot meal, school supplies and 

the knowledge that someone really 

cares. 

To find out how you can make a 

difference and sponsor a child, visit 

parentatrust.com/sponsor-a-child. 

Other ways to support the work of 

Parenta Trust 

The Parenta Trust runs many exciting 

fundraising activities throughout the 

year, including an annual car rally from 

Maidstone via the Alps to Monaco. To 

find out more and keep up-to-date with 

the latest events, follow our Facebook 

page or visit www.parentatrust.com. 

On the 1 st April, the contribution that you pay when you are a non-levy 

employer dropped to 5% - it could be as little as £100 for 19+ or free for 

16—18-year-olds. There has never been a better time to upskill your staff! 

Let us help you with your training needs – call us today! 

0800 002 9242 hello@parenta.com 

How sponsorship saved Bridget’s life... 

We met Bridget on a trip to Uganda in 2014. Nothing could’ve prepared us 

for her story but, sadly, her case is not a one-off. Bridget was rescued from a 

shrine where she was about to be sacrificed by her parents. Saved at the last 

moment from a shocking fate, she now attends one of our pre-schools where 

she can lead a happy and safe life. She is cared for, has a sponsor and has the 

education she needs to brighten her future. There are many more vulnerable 

children like Bridget who need your help. By sponsoring a pre-school child, you 

make a real difference to their lives. 


How to help young 

children develop their 

emotional understanding 

Emotions are often very extreme in young children. We’ve all 

seen the dramatic responses that children can have to the 

most simple of things. 

It can be extremely exhausting and 

trying when a young child shows a 

very extreme reaction to something 

that seems so insignificant to 

us, such as the colour of their 

cup. As their carers, we have to 

recognise that these details mean 

the world to the child. Children 

don’t have the same levels of 

responsibility and stresses that 

we have in our lives, such as 

paying bills, meeting our children’s 

needs and meeting deadlines at 

work. At any one point in time, 

the colour of a cup simply is 

the most important thing in that 

child’s world right now (lucky 

them!). They haven’t yet developed 

the maturity to distinguish how 

important something really is, and 

they don’t have the regulation 

strategies necessary to act calmly 

when something doesn’t go their 

way. These emotions need time to 

develop and mature. 

There are three sequential steps 

that children need to go through 

to help develop their emotional 

understanding. 

1. Recognise what different 

emotions look like in others. 

2. Recognise emotions in 

themselves. 

3. Begin to deal with their own 

emotions. 

The list below offers some 

strategies for helping young 

children work through the steps 

above. 

»» 

Get children to recognise feelings 

in others. Look at characters in 

books, people in magazines or 

people on television. Ask children 

how these people are feeling. 

“How can you tell? Why are they 

feeling that way?” It can help to 

have a set of emotion pictures 

available to see if any children 

can match an emotion picture 

to the person in the picture. 

»» 

Now start using similar strategies 

to get children to recognise how 

they are feeling themselves. “Can 

you remember a time that you 

felt sad? Excited? Angry?” Ask 

children to show how they are 

feeling with the emotion card. 

It’s great to have a display in 

your setting that allows a child 

to show you, visually, how they 

are feeling. There are some 

great books available to help 

children begin to recognise their 

emotions. I love Trace Moroney’s 

“When I’m feeling….” series. 

»» 

Talk about the physical features 

of some emotions. “What 

happens to your body when you 

are worried? Some people feel 

as though they have butterflies 

in their tummy. Some go red. 

Some might get tummy ache 

or feel sick.” Making children 

aware of this gives children 

more clues to help recognise 

the emotion in themselves. 

»» 

When you see a child 

experiencing an extreme 

emotion, help them to label it 

so that they understand what is 

happening. “I can see that you 

are feeling angry”. Get them 

to display their emotion on the 

chart or show them the emotion 

chart. Ask them: “can you 

tell me how you are feeling?” 

This gives children a way of 

communicating their feeling 

with you if they don’t have the 

confidence or words to tell you 

what they are experiencing. 

»» 

Empathise with how the child 

must have been feeling – “it 

must have been really scary for 

you when you got angry. I feel 

like that when I am angry.” 

»» 

Give children the tools to 

deal with their emotions by 

providing them with calming 

activities such as bubbles, 

sensory play or music. 

»» 

Put in strategies of how the child 

can help themselves when they 

are angry. You need to discuss 

this with them when they are 

calm. Have a plan in place and 

explain to the child that it is not 

wrong to be angry, but it is wrong 

to hurt someone else when you 

are angry. “Let’s see if we can 

come up with a better plan”. 

Perhaps they could go somewhere 

safe to let off steam when they 

need to. Let them know how you 

are going to support them. 

Gina Smith 

Gina Smith is an 

experienced teacher with 

experience of teaching 

in both mainstream and 

special education. She 

is the creator of ‘Create 

Visual Aids’ - a business 

that provides both homes 

and education settings with 

bespoke visual resources. 

Gina recognises the fact 

that no two children are 

the same and therefore 

individuals are likely to 

need different resources. 

Create Visual Aids is 

dedicated to making visual 

symbols exactly how the 

individual needs them. 

Website: 

www.createvisualaids.com 

Email: 

gina@createvisualsaids.com 

These ideas will all help develop 

emotional understanding in your 

setting. As always, communication 

is key. Anything that you can do to 

encourage children to communicate 

their feelings is going to provide 

them with a huge step towards 

developing their emotional 

understanding and helping them on 

the road to good mental health. 


World Sepsis Day 

Sepsis is a major health problem which negatively impacts the lives of many people across the 

globe. It affects between 27–30 million people each year, and of those, between 6 and 9 million 

people die as a result. But the most worrying statistic is that sepsis is the most preventable 

cause of death worldwide. Unfortunately, depending on the country and education level, only 

7–50% of people know about sepsis, and many are unaware of the simple measures that can 

be undertaken to prevent it. Many also do not know that the risk of death can be significantly 

reduced by early recognition of the symptoms and early effective treatment. 

World Sepsis Day (WSD) was 

established in 2012 in response to 

this global healthcare crisis by the 

World Sepsis Alliance; a not-for-profit 

charity organisation with the mission 

to provide global leadership to reduce 

the worldwide burden of sepsis. It 

is led by experts from all over the 

world and has over 95 member 

organisations currently. 

September 13th each year is 

recognised as World Sepsis Day. It 

aims to increase public awareness 

of sepsis and to show solidarity with 

millions of people across the world 

who have lost loved ones, as well as 

survivors who might be living with 

long-term complications. 

What is sepsis? 

The WSD website explains that “sepsis 

arises when the body’s response to 

an infection injures its own tissues 

and organs. It may lead to shock, 

multi-organ failure, and death - 

especially if not recognised early and 

treated promptly. Sepsis is the final 

common pathway to death from most 

infectious diseases worldwide.” 

Another expert, and survivor of the 

condition, said: “The important thing 

to remember is that sepsis is not 

caused by any one bacteria or virus. 

It’s an overreaction by the body to 

infection, which rapidly escalates.” 

Most common infections can lead 

to sepsis including flu, pneumonia, 

urinary infections, infections in the 

abdomen, skin or wound infections 

and meningitis, but it can also follow 

diseases such as yellow fever, malaria 

and Ebola infections. Although anyone 

can get sepsis, some groups are at 

higher risk, such as: 

»» 

Young children under 1 

»» 

Older people (60+) 

»» 

People with no spleen 

»» 

People with 

immunocompromising conditions 

such as AIDS 

»» 

People with chronic heart, liver or 

lung conditions 

»» 

People with diabetes 

One of the most misunderstood facts 

about sepsis is that it is one of the 

few conditions which can hit equally 

hard in the developed world as in 

less-developed, resource-poorer 

27,000,000 - 30,000,000 

people per year develop 

sepsis 

7,000,000 - 9,000,000 die 

- 1 death every 3.5 seconds 

Survivors may face lifelong 

consequences 

areas. In fact, the incidence of sepsis 

has increased in the developed world 

at an annual rate of between 8% 

and 13% in the last 10 years, and it is 

responsible for more lives lost than 

breast and bowel cancer combined. 

The best way to prevent sepsis is to 

prevent infections in the first place 

through the use of vaccinations and 

good hygiene practices, including 

having access to clean water and 

hygienic birth situations. 

Signs and symptoms 

Early recognition of the signs and 

symptoms of sepsis is vital in saving 

lives as it increases the chance that 

the sepsis can be treated. Some of 

the things to look out for include: 

Slurred speech or confusion 

Extreme shivering or muscle pain/fever 

Passing no urine all day 

Severe breathlessness 

It feels like you’re going to die 

Skin mottled or discoloured 

If someone already has sepsis, 

then they will need to be treated 

as a medical emergency and 

their infection needs to be treated 

immediately. If in doubt, seek medical 

attention. Delaying treatment could 

be life-threatening. 

Use World Sepsis Day to educate 

your staff and parents 

One of the greatest problems facing 

the people trying to combat sepsis 

is simply the lack of awareness 

about it. Sepsis can take hold very 

rapidly (within hours) and the more 

people who are aware of it, the 

more chance there is of spotting the 

symptoms early, giving the person 

the best chance of recovery. One 

survivor on the website recounts his 

own experience of scraping his hand 

on a rusty nail. He thought nothing 

of it, but 48 hours later, he was in 

a coma. That’s why the organisers 

of WSD want people to talk about 

sepsis, to educate their friends and 

colleagues about it, and to use their 

personal circles of influence to help 

spread the word. 

Sign the World Sepsis Declaration 

One easy way to support World 

Sepsis Day is to share the link for 

signing the World Sepsis Declaration 

with your colleagues, families and 

friends; everyone should be informed 

about sepsis. The declaration is a 

call to action for governments, NGOs, 

healthcare providers, institutions, 

businesses, public and private sector 

organisations and the general public 

alike, asking them to commit to 

doing everything possible to stem 

the tide of sepsis and to put plans 

together to achieve a set of specific 

goals by 2020. The current goal is 

to reduce sepsis deaths by 20% by 

2020. By signing the declaration, you 

are showing your support for this. 

Now we cannot all set up national 

healthcare schemes or vaccination 

programmes, but there are many 

things we can do as individuals and 

nursery professionals to help raise 

awareness and increase education 

about sepsis in our own circles. 

Here are a few suggestions of things 

you can do in your setting to help. 

1. Download the toolkit here and 

run an education session for 

your parents and staff. There is 

a comprehensive toolkit on the 

website consisting of information, 

resources and a “What is sepsis?” 

video which runs for just 3 

minutes, which you can use to get 

the main messages over. 

2. Sign the Sepsis Declaration 

and share the link to it on your 

social media channels asking your 

friends and family to sign it too. 

Symptoms of sepsis 

These symptoms might indicate sepsis 

? 

? 

S 

? 

? 

Slurred speech 

or confusion 

S Severe 

breathlessness 

E 

I 

3. Wear pink for the day and tell 

everyone why you are doing it. 

4. Hold a pink picnic and serve 

all manner of pink food such as 

fairy cakes, salmon, shrimps, 

raspberries, pink grapefruit and 

watermelon. You can always 

make some pink bread for 

sandwiches using some pink food 

colouring. 

5. Participate in the photo 

challenge and share your 

photos on social media using the 

hashtag #WorldSepsisDay. 

References from: 

www.worldsepsisday.org/sepsis 

www.global-sepsis-alliance.org 

Extreme shivering or 

muscle pain/fever 

It feels like you’re 

going to die 

P 

S 

Passing no 

urine all day 

Skin mottled 

or discoloured 


The importance of doodling 

In honour of National Doodle Day, I decided to write an article about doodling and the importance 

of it for children. Although it looks like scribbling, doodling is so much more than that. Here are 

some of the benefits for children in their early years, followed by a little story about how my 

daughter’s doodles have now become something that is making a huge difference to children… 

Yaryo 

Looly 

Benefits of doodling: 

Develops literacy 

Doodling is actually the first 

step towards writing and 

drawing. Initially children’s 

drawings may seem like they 

lack structure, but as a child’s 

fine motor skills develop and 

their understanding of the 

world increases, their doodles 

will get more meaning. Simple 

doodles are the first step to 

writing because every shape 

needed to create letters will be 

first achieved in what seems to 

be a simple scribble. 

Teaches space and distance 

Children do not always understand basic concepts 

such as space and distance. Doodling can allow 

children to process this information. They will learn 

the difference between creating large and small 

objects and as they develop, they will learn the 

concept of space and distance in order to create an 

image that resembles everyday objects. 

Develops hand-eye 

coordination 

The more a child doodles, 

the more they will develop 

their hand-eye coordination 

because they will start to 

develop their ability to draw an 

image that has a likeness to 

objects around them. When a 

child first starts attempting to 

draw a face, there is a process 

that they go through trying to 

determine where the different 

features should be. Over time 

they become more accurate, 

however, it is the early doodles 

that allow them to develop this 

skill. 

Develops fine 

motor skills 

It is crucial that children develop 

their fine motor skills. When a 

child holds mark-making tools, 

they are developing their ability 

to manipulate them. As they 

doodle, they see the image 

that they have created and 

then over time, develop their 

ability to control the outcome. 

By using a variety of different 

sized equipment such as chalk, 

paint brushes and pencils, 

children will develop their ability 

to manage objects of different 

shapes and widths. 

Develops imagination, creativity 

& builds self-esteem 

Even though a child’s drawing can seem like 

scribbling, quite often they will be able to give you 

an in-depth description of what they have created. 

By asking open-ended questions about their work, 

you allow them to explore their imagination and 

construct a story around what they have drawn. By 

doing this, you will also build their self-esteem and 

confidence because they will feel that you see value 

and magic in what they have done. 

From doodle to storybook… 

After my first child was born, I left 

teaching and started to create 

storybooks that are now part of a 

collection called The Memory Box 

Collection. My children have always 

seen me drawing and creating books, 

so it has been fascinating watching 

them copy me. Even when they were 

tiny, they would sit next to me and 

mimic what I was doing. Their sweet 

little scribbles held such meaning to 

them and just taking the time to listen 

to what they had created, always made 

their faces beam with pride. I knew 

then how powerful this phase was and 

felt excited to see it all unfold. 

What started as a ‘scribble’ then 

developed into 2 characters that 

my daughter created called ‘Yaryo 

and Looly’. She told me about these 

characters and that they were special. 

As I listened and asked her questions 

about them, I could see her little eyes 

light up. She then asked me if we could 

put them into my computer like I do 

with my drawings and make a book 

together. Of course, I instantly said yes. 

The books that I create are given to 

children as gifts on special occasions 

throughout the year by nurseries and 

childminders. Each one has a strong 

moral message and aims to develop a 

child’s self-awareness. I have always 

wanted to create a book that teaches 

children to accept themselves and 

others for who they are and to embrace 

Visit earlyyearsstorybox.com/shop for more 

about The Memory Box Collection. Parenta 

readers can get a 20% discount using the 

code PARENTA20. 

their differences. This is also something 

that I have emphasised to my children 

as I never wanted them to feel that they 

couldn’t be their authentic self. 

When I saw my daughter’s perfectly 

imperfect drawings, I knew that 

they would make the most amazing 

characters for a storyline about 

acceptance. We scanned her drawings 

into the computer and used software to 

add colour and to make them printready. 

My little girl was in control of it 

all. I asked her how she thought the 

character, Yaryo, looked different to 

everyone else and what his friends 

might say to make him feel better. It 

was incredible to hear her thoughts 

about it all, and once she had told me 

what she thought, I then took away 

what she had said and put it into a 

rhyming story. The end result was the 

most special book in the collection – 

one that is truly having an impact on 

children and making a difference. 

By seeing the beauty in a scribble and 

encouraging my daughter to develop 

her own unique concept, she ended 

up creating something that will help 

so many children to accept themselves 

just as they are. Without the process of 

doodling, Yaryo and Looly would never 

have been created. A scribble is never 

just a scribble to its creator and if we 

can uncover the hidden meaning in it, 

we might just learn a thing or two from 

the little people in our lives. 

Stacey Kelly 

Stacey Kelly is a former 

teacher, a parent to 2 

beautiful babies and the 

founder of Early Years Story 

Box, which is a subscription 

website providing children’s 

storybooks and early years 

resources. She is passionate 

about building children’s 

imagination, creativity and 

self-belief and about creating 

awareness of the impact 

that the early years have 

on a child’s future. Stacey 

loves her role as a writer, 

illustrator and public speaker 

and believes in the power of 

personal development. She is 

also on a mission to empower 

children to live a life full of 

happiness and fulfilment, 

which is why she launched 

the #ThankYouOaky Gratitude 

Movement. 

Sign up to Stacey’s premium 

membership here and use the 

code PARENTA20 to get 20% 

off or contact Stacey for an 

online demo. 

Website: 

www.earlyyearsstorybox.com 

Email: 

stacey@earlyyearsstorybox.com 

Facebook: 

facebook.com/earlyyearsstorybox 

Twitter: 

twitter.com/eystorybox 

Instagram: 

instagram.com/earlyyearsstorybox 

LinkedIn: 

linkedin.com/in/stacey-kellya84534b2/ 


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International Talk Like A Pirate Day 

Last month, we celebrated National Playday and National Colouring Book Day, and earlier in the 

year was International Women’s Day and Safer Internet Day. So, I know you’ll all be wondering 

about this month’s awareness day. There’s lots of fun to be had with Roald Dahl Day, (see page 

30) but I bet you didn’t know that on September 19th, you can practice your old pirate patter 

with International Talk Like A Pirate Day!! 

“Ooo arr” we hear you say, “Be that true?” “Aye aye, shiver me timbers, it is, to be sure!” 

(OK, back to speaking normally - for a few paragraphs at least!) 

An old pirate’s tale… 

So, it’s true – September 19th is officially 

recognised as International Talk Like A 

Pirate Day. It started in 1995 when two 

friends (Mark “Cap’n Slappy” Summers, 

and John “Ol’ Chumbucket” Baur) were 

playing racquetball and began shouting 

encouragements to each other. These 

escalated into pirate slang and by the 

end of the match, they had decided 

to set up a day to speak in the pirate 

tongue and keep some traditional 

piratical activities alive. They chose the 

19th of September and this sturdy band 

of intrepid adventurers (well 2 of them!) 

dedicated themselves to keeping their 

new-found parlance. For 7 years they stoically 

observed the day, when one lucky Monday (or 

it could have been a Tuesday… pirates don’t 

count the days you know); they found some 

scurvy treasure – the email address of 

the syndicated columnist, Dave 

Barry – who, with his tongue 

in his cheek and quill in his 

hand, promoted the idea 

across his network. The rest, 

as they say, is 

history. 

Nowadays, pirates big and small look forward to hoisting their 

main sails, leaving the landlubbers behind and becoming a 

swashbuckling buccaneer for the day! There’s even a dedicated 

website at www.talklikeapirate.com where other wouldbe 

scallywags can learn more and download some useful 

resources such as a pirate glossary, pirate songs, and some 

learning resources for junior pirates, their parents and teachers. 

So why not get into the swing of Talk Like A Pirate Day in your 

own setting, and see what madcap mayhem you can have? 

Here are a few ideas to help you 

Learn to speak pirate parlance! 

Since the day is all about speaking like a pirate, everyone 

should at least learn a few pirate phrases. The website has 

some great ones for adults and little ones alike, but we’ve put 

down a few of our favourites to help you get started. 

Ye 

Me 

Bucko 

Booty 

Shiver me timbers 

Parley 

Ahoy 

Scupper that 

Davey Jones’ locker 

You 

My 

Friend 

Treasure 

Expressing surprise 

A discussion between opposing sides 

in an argument 

Used to attract attention or as a 

greeting 

Throw that overboard 

A fictional place at the bottom of the 

sea - death! 

Organise a treasure hunt 

This is a great way to engage the children 

and to help them with some extra learning 

and problem-solving opportunities too. 

You can do it inside and/or outside, 

depending on the weather and the 

children can participate individually, in 

pairs or in teams. Plan your hunt carefully 

and decide if you want to use a map, or 

have clues to follow that lead from one 

to the next. It’s best to start at the end 

(where your treasure will be hidden) and 

work backwards towards your designated 

starting point, either making-up your own 

clues or you could use some of the many 

ready-made ones on the internet. There 

are some simple rhyming couplet ideas 

here. 

If you have very young children, you could 

do a picture quiz instead of using words, so 

that children find the items from a picture. 

And for older children you can introduce an 

element of maths such as simple counting 

or addition to get to the answer. 

Make sure that you have some ‘treasure’ at 

the end of the trail. It can be anything and 

an old shoe box covered in brown paper 

makes a good treasure chest. 

Dress up as a pirate 

Red, white and black are common pirate 

colours so ask children to come to the 

setting in these colours. You can make 

some pirate hats and eye patches using 

cardboard and string and cut up some old 

pieces of material to make bandanas and 

arm bands. 

Make some pirate booty 

A pirate wouldn’t be a pirate without some 

booty, so why not make some treasure 

of your own? Cut out different shapes of 

coloured card to be jewels or string some 

beads together to make necklaces and 

bracelets. You can even make and paint 

some crowns, bars of gold or coins 

too. 

Learn a pirate song and jig 

Everyone loves and old sea shanty and this 

is a great way to increase physical activity 

and have some fun doing it. The creators 

of Talk Like A Pirate Day have made up a 

child-friendly pirate song which is listed 

on their website along with several other 

lesson plans for historical, art and other 

types of educational lessons. You can 

adapt them depending on the age of the 

children you are working with. 

Make a pirate flag 

The skull and crossbones is the traditional 

pirate flag and you could make 

some using either paper, cardboard 

or material. There are 32 free, 

downloadable stencils here if you don’t 

want to draw your own. 

Read some stories about pirates 

Here are some of our favourite pirate 

books for younger children: 

• “The Pirates of Scurvy Sands” by 

Jonny Duddle 

• “Sir Charlie Stinky Socks: The 

Pirate’s Curse” by Kristina 

Stephenson 

• “Pirate Pete” by Nick Sharratt 

• “Ten Little Pirates” by Mike 

Brownlow 

• “Molly Rogers, Pirate Girl” by 

Cornelia Funke 

And don’t forget those 

classics, “Treasure Island” 

and “Peter Pan” too. 

Above all me hearties, 

tis time to weigh 

anchor, get all hands 

on deck and have 

some piratey fun! 

For more information, visit 

the website at: 

www.talklikeapirate.com 


Arrgghh! Have 

you seen my 

parrot? 

These little people 

need your help too! 

We know how much giving children a quality education means to you. 

You will need: 

• Cardboard tube, cut in half (such as 

the inside of a kitchen roll) 

• Coloured paper 

• Feathers 

• Googly eyes 

• Pipe cleaners 

• Scissors 

• Glue 

1. Cut the coloured paper into pieces. You will need a piece 

for the body, one for the head, one for belly and one for the 

beak, you’ll be wrapping these around the cardboard tube so 

make sure they’re big enough! 

2. Glue them all in the correct places – use the photo as a 

guide. It doesn’t have to be perfect! 

3. Make two holes on the opposite sides at the bottom of the 

parrot (be very careful!) and run pipe cleaner through the 

holes. 

4. Glue the googly eyes on the head. 

5. Make two holes on each side to 

make space for the wings and 

one on the back for the tail. Stick 

the feathers through the holes. 

6. Glue last pieces of feather on the 

inside of the head so it creates a 

crest. 

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Heritage Open 

Days – celebrating 

history and 

culture! 

If you have ever walked past an old building 

or historic house and garden and wondered 

what history lies behind those doors, or what 

life might have been like for those that lived 

there in years gone by, you may be able to 

find out this month! 

Every year in September, 

places across the country, 

the majority of which are 

normally closed (or parts of 

them closed) to the public, 

throw open their doors to 

celebrate their heritage, 

community and history. It’s 

our chance to see hidden 

places and try out new 

experiences – all of which 

are free of charge to explore! 

Heritage Open Days is 

organised nationally by 

the National Trust and 

is England’s largest free 

festival of history and 

culture, bringing together 

over 2,000 organisations, 

5,000 events and 40,000 

volunteers from all walks of 

life – that’s one huge festival! 

This year’s festival runs from 

13th to 22nd September 

and celebrates its 25th 

anniversary! 

How did it all start? 

Heritage Open Days started 

in 1994 and was inspired 

by its European equivalent, 

European Heritage Days. 

Since then, it has grown into 

the country’s largest heritage 

festival, growing from 701 

events when it began, to 

over 5,000 today! It is a 

chance for communities 

nationwide to come together 

to learn, explore and have 

fun by sharing the treasures 

on their doorstep. 

This year, there are hundreds 

of properties taking part in 

Heritage Open Days that 

are holding children’s and 

family activities for everyone 

to enjoy! By sharing all their 

stories, everyone involved 

can encourage children to 

learn about their heritage in 

all sorts of wonderful ways. 

You can search for familyfriendly 

Heritage Open 

Days activities that are 

happening in your area on 

the website here: 

heritageopendays.org.uk 

As well as families learning 

about the heritage 

and culture of the built 

environment during Heritage 

Open Days, you could also 

hold your own themed 

activity at your setting, so 

you can celebrate all cultures 

and heritage, not just 

buildings! 

My family tree 

Over recent years, exploring 

family trees has become 

a really popular activity 

for many people. Family 

heritage is a great topic 

to use in your setting 

when children start to 

get an understanding of 

their own families and 

realise that all families are 

unique. It’s a great way to 

build the children’s selfesteem 

as they share ‘My 

Family Heritage’ with their 

classmates. It can also 

be used to celebrate the 

differences in people and 

build tolerance of those who 

are different. Learning about 

heritage in early years can 

get families involved in a 

good way! 

You will need: 

»» 

A world map attached 

to a board near your 

storytime area. 

»» 

Push pins 

»» 

A world globe 

»» 

A picture atlas or book 

showing how different 

buildings (churches/ 

castles etc) look in 

different countries. 

»» 

Book - “Everybody Bakes 

Bread” by Norah Dooley 

(or similar) 

1. Explain to the children that a world map is the same as a globe, but flattened out. You can show where you live on 

both the globe and the map. 

2. Read a story book that illustrates that many people come from different places and cultures. Norah Dooley books are 

really good for this as they show that so many different recipes come from different countries 

and food is an easy way to introduce the children to different cultures! As you read the 

story, mark the places on the map where these recipes originated. 

3. Discuss with the children that each of them have ancestors (grandparents, etc.) that 

have come from other places. This usually encourages them to say things like, “I’m 

Polish!” or “My dad comes from Italy.” 

4. Explain that people learn skills and customs from their cultural heritage, passing it down 

through the family. People may seem different because of how they dress, what they eat 

and how they celebrate holidays. Give some examples of how your family heritage has 

influenced you. 

5. Let the children know that they have a task to do - to find out what 

countries their relatives came from and what famous food comes from 

that area. If they don’t have any family members originating from a 

different country, you could ask them if they have any friends from 

overseas. You could help them put a pin on the map of the different 

locations! 

6. Don’t forget to inform parents of the task! 


Starting a musical journey: changes in 

your little one’s musical behaviour 

It’s 2006 and I have a new baby. I love music, so I look for a local baby music group. I’m not even sure 

what to look for, and as a new mum, I cannot find a central directory of services. Finally, I Google the 

right keywords to find a local franchise, but it has a waiting list. (A waiting list? For baby music?!) I look 

further afield. I find another franchise about an hour’s drive away, with free spaces. Chatting to the 

teacher after the session, she suggests that because I live so far away, I sign up to the same low-cost 

franchise and start delivering my own sessions – that way, my little one will definitely attend! Being fairly 

musical (I had taught myself guitar as a child and sung in the school choir for a couple years), I did it. 

Photo by: Dave McNabb from DMC Photography 

After completing the franchise training, I had loads more 

questions, so I signed up to local training in three styles of 

music education that the franchise talked about: Kodály 

(pronounced Ko-dye!), Dalcroze (otherwise known as Dalcroze 

Eurhythmics, nothing to do with Annie Lennox!) and Orff. 

And then signed up to a part-time psychology degree, to 

understand child development theory. When I finished that 

degree, I completed a part-time Master’s degree in education, 

where I focussed on identifying inclusive music activities for 

pre-schoolers (3–4 years). Researching the music education 

approaches, I noticed a clear progression in 12 skills, loosely 

divided into supporting skills and musical skills, and all easily 

introduced using easy-to-learn singing games. This article 

is part one of a four-part series describing the musical 

behaviours that we can see and encourage from birth to 7 

years old. 

Supporting skills: (Part 1) 

♫♫ 

In a circle, children can: 

(learning relationship) 

♫♫ 

In a line, children can: 

(learning sequencing) 

♫♫ 

When leaving out the last 

line of a song, children 

can: (planning skills) 

Musical skills: (Part 3) 

♫♫ 

Children keep the pulse 

through: (pulse skills) 

♫♫ 

Children recognise: 

(rhythm skills) 

♫♫ 

Children can use: 

(percussion skills) 

SUPPORTING SKILLS: (PART 1) 

Supporting skills: (Part 2) 

♫♫ 

Children use language 

by: (language skills) 

♫♫ 

Weekly sessions: 

(concentration skills) 

♫♫ 

Children can learn: 

(memory skills) 

Musical skills: (Part 4) 

♫♫ 

Listening to music, 

children can: (listening 

skills) 

♫♫ 

Children match the pitch 

by: (pitch skills) 

♫♫ 

Children recognise: 

(interval skills) 

In a circle, children can: move in a circle (relationship) 

Circle work is important in group sessions because circles 

bring equality to the group, as no one is at the front or the 

back, and no one can see or be seen more or less. Circles 

reduce distraction, and encourage concentration and interest. 

In a circle we are both independent and also belong to a 

bigger group. Circles are used as music note heads (

Eczema – nutritional advice and 

lifestyle tips for your setting 

Throughout your career as an early years professional, it is very likely that you will have at least 

one child in your care that suffers with eczema. It can be distressing for many children, and for 

some - in severe cases - painful. You and everyone in your team all play a key role in helping 

parents care for their child’s skin and trying to reduce the discomfort of eczema. 

Eczema (also known as dermatitis) is 

thought to affect one in five children 

and one in twelve adults in the UK. It’s 

a non-contagious inflammatory skin 

condition that presents itself in many 

different forms and it varies hugely 

from individual to individual. Affected 

skin can range from dry, scaly and 

itchy to weeping and bleeding. It 

can be hereditary (although not 

always) and has a strong link to other 

inflammatory conditions such as 

asthma, rhinitis and hay fever. 

Here are some top lifestyle and 

nutritional tips that may be beneficial 

in your setting - you can share these 

with parents too! 

When the signs of eczema appear, it’s 

important to identify the root cause 

of the problem and work to address 

it, to help support the body to find 

a resolution. Main triggers include 

external irritants like perfumes, 

washing powders, toiletries, paint, 

dust mites and pet hairs; and 

research suggests that 80% of 

sufferers have an underlying food 

intolerance, which can affect digestive 

health and immune function. 

If needed - and with a little 

imagination - some of the more 

unusual foods listed here can be 

‘hidden’ and incorporated into your 

regular recipes for meals and snacks! 

 

Food

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If you’ve got a topic you’d like to write about, why not send an article to us and be in with a chance of 

winning? Each month, we’ll be giving away £50 to our “Guest Author of the Month”. 

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Submit an article of between 800–1,000 words to marketing@parenta.com 

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This competition is open to both new and existing authors, for any articles submitted to feature in our Parenta 

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month’s edition of the magazine. 

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by us? For more details, email 

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Congratulations 

Congratulations to our guest author competition 

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Joanna Grace’s article in the July edition of the 

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summer days” was very popular with our readers. 

Well done, Joanna! 

A massive thank you to all of our guest authors for 

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Joanna Grace 

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Into the woods to take to take only only pictures pictures and 

and leave leave only footprints only footprints 

How Forest and Beach School activities can help to combat Nature-Deficit Disorder 

As I write this article, my children are looking at how we should fill the last few days of their 

school summer holidays. Many of the local activities available include Forest School-type 

activities, or visiting local natural spaces to explore. I was reflecting upon how during my own 

childhood we didn’t pay others to enable us to play in the natural environment, we just went 

outside and played! However, nowadays there appears to be a whole generation of children 

who are unable to entertain themselves outdoors; could this be more evidence of ‘Nature- 

Deficit Disorder’? 

The term ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’, 

popularised by Richard Louv, is now 

a metaphor that is readily used when 

thinking about children not spending 

enough time outside and in nature. 

Many settings underuse the outdoors 

and features of our natural landscape 

to support learning and development, 

yet, if you think about it, nature provides 

some wonderful free resources to use. 

So several early childhood settings have 

chosen to combat this by adopting ideas 

from Forest School education and, more 

recently, Beach School education. 

Forest School education began in the 

UK when a team from Bridgwater 

& Taunton College visited Denmark 

and were impressed by the ‘open 

air culture’ and the way that outdoor 

learning underpinned all aspects of 

their play provision. They returned to 

the UK and created their own version 

of this ‘Forest School’ which was so 

successful that they began offering a 

Forest School qualification a few years 

later. Over twenty years on, this idea has 

blossomed into Forest School education 

as we see it today, with many schools 

and nurseries investing in training so 

that they have a named Forest School 

practitioner. In addition, although children 

in Scandinavian countries begin formal 

education at age six or seven, we can still 

take a leaf from their book and consider 

how this ethos might support us in our 

settings and embrace this open air 

culture. 

Beach Schools have evolved out of the 

Forest School approach, when providers 

have made regular trips to the seashore 

instead of visiting local woodland. 

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of 

National Day Nurseries Association, said: 

“The seashore offers a really unique 

environment for discovery and learning all 

year round. Young children love to be out 

in the elements, playing in and learning 

in sand, pebbles and mud.” In addition, 

children can learn about building shelters, 

make campfires, experience all weathers 

and begin to understand the tides and 

the unique ecosystem that exists on a 

beach. 

However, using the outdoors as a 

teaching resource is not a new idea as 

Margaret McMillan famously said: “The 

best classroom and the richest cupboard 

are roofed only by the sky.” She and her 

sister Rachel began the Open-Air Nursery 

School & Training Centre in London in 

1914 and their whole ethos revolved 

around learning through first-hand 

experiences, active learning and outdoor 

play. For their time, these women were 

truly remarkable and were introducing 

concepts that, although popular and 

commonplace today, were revolutionary 

for the education system in the early 20th 

century. 

According to the Forest School 

Association, there are six principles 

underpinning the ethos which were 

agreed by the UK Forest School 

community in 2011. 

Principle 1: 

Forest School is a long-term process 

of frequent and regular sessions in 

a woodland or natural environment, 

rather than a one-off visit. Planning, 

adaptation, observations and reviewing 

are integral elements of Forest School. 

Principle 2: 

Forest School takes place in a woodland 

or natural wooded environment 

to support the development of a 

relationship between the learner and 

the natural world. 

Principle 3: 

Forest School aims to promote the 

holistic development of all those 

involved, fostering resilient, confident, 

independent and creative learners. 

Principle 4: 

Forest School offers learners the 

opportunity to take supported risks 

appropriate to the environment and to 

themselves. 

Principle 5: 

Forest School is run by qualified Forest 

School practitioners who continuously 

maintain and develop their professional 

practice. 

Principle 6: 

Forest School uses a range of 

learner-centred processes to create 

a community for development and 

learning. 

It could be argued that there is a danger that Forest and 

Beach School education is becoming watered down by the 

many practitioners who are literally dipping their toes into 

the water that is Forest and Beach School education without 

the appropriate training. Forest School is an ethos underpinning 

qualified practice and we can’t take the children into the woods once 

a week and claim to ‘do Forest School’. However, although we may not be following 

all of the principles that underpin the Forest School ethos and thus should not call 

ourselves a Forest or Beach School, we can all use the natural environment more and 

introduce children to the many experiences that they may otherwise not have had. We 

must ensure that we are confident and competent in our role when taking children 

outside, either into woodland or to the coast and the children’s safety should 

always be paramount. In my view, encouraging more outdoor play will help to 

combat ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’. 

There are many activities that you can engage in with your children which will offer 

them a taste of the Forest and Beach School ethos. Here are some top tips and ideas 

for outdoor activities:

ROALD DAHL DAY 

Most people know Roald Dahl was a children’s author – but did 

you know that he was also a “spy, ace fighter pilot, chocolate 

historian and a medical inventor?” Then read on to discover more 

about his life and legacy, and join millions of others around the 

world celebrating Roald Dahl Day on September 13th. 

Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, Wales 

in 1916 to Norwegian parents. He 

attended boarding school in Repton, 

Derbyshire, and many events during his 

time there were later recounted in his 

book, “Boy”. At Repton, students were 

invited to trial chocolate bars, which 

inspired one of his best-loved stories, 

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. 

At the age of 23, he enlisted in the 

Royal Air Force, but sustained injuries at 

the start of World War II which left him 

temporarily blind. He recovered and 

returned to active service as a fighter 

pilot, not only surviving the war, but 

also writing about his experiences in 

his first piece of paid writing, published 

in 1942. “The Gremlins” (1943) was his 

first children’s story, and was based on 

RAF folklore in which small, destructive 

creatures were responsible for a variety 

of technical problems facing RAF pilots. 

After the war, Dahl worked in the 

diplomatic and intelligence services 

where he was introduced to the creator 

of James Bond, Ian Fleming, and the 

director, Alfred Hitchcock. 

In 1960, his son was injured in an 

accident in New York, and Dahl helped 

invent the Wade-Dahl-Till valve, which 

QUOTE 1 

I’m right and you’re 

wrong, I’m big and 

you’re small, and 

there’s nothing you 

can do about it! 

subsequently helped alleviate head 

injuries in thousands of children. 

Despite his colourful early life, Dahl 

is best known for writing children’s 

stories, which have themselves inspired 

generations of children to read and 

write, and have been made into films, 

animations and hit musicals. 

QUOTE 2 

Never grow up... 

always down. 

Each year on his birthday, people 

celebrate his incredible life and work, 

so why not join them this September 

13th and have some ‘hopscotchy’ 

(cheerful) fun?! 

One of the things Roald Dahl is famous 

for is his use of language – or more 

specifically, for making up his own 

language. It’s called Gobblefunk and 

The Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary has 

been published to prove it. We’ve listed 

a few of our favourites below, as well 

as some whoopsy whiffling (great) 

ways to celebrate Roald Dahl Day in 

your setting: 

GOBBLEFUNK WORD 

Hopscotchy 

Ucky-mucky 

Quogwinkle 

Squibbling 

MEANING 

Cheerful 

Messy 

An alien from 

outer space 

Writing 

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED 

1. Dress up as your favourite character. 

There are so many wonderful 

characters to choose from: The BFG, 

Matilda, Miss Trunchball, Willy Wonka, 

The Twits, Fantastic Mr Fox, and The 

Enormous Crocodile to name but a 

few. You could also raise money for 

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s 

Charity at the same time by asking 

for a small donation on your mufti 

day. The charity was set up after 

Dahl’s death in 1990, and funds Roald 

Dahl Specialist Children’s Nurses in 

communities across the UK. These 

nurses support children with rare 

and serious illnesses and help their 

families in times of need. 

2. Read some of Dahl’s stories. There 

are so many stories and most of 

them have a moral core as Dahl 

championed children and often set 

them against cruel or repugnant 

adults, who luckily, always get their 

comeuppance. 

QUOTE 3 

One child a week is 

fifty-two a year. Squish 

them and squiggle them 

and make them 

disappear. 

3. Teach numeracy, art or sensory 

craft by using some of the free, 

downloadable lesson plans from the 

official Roald Dahl website. There are 

special lessons designed for preschoolers 

helped by The Enormous 

Crocodile. You can download them 

here but beware - The Enormous 

Crocodile is grumptious (bad and 

greedy) and loves to dine on little 

chiddlers (children)! 

4. Get crafty and create some 

delumptious (delicious) new sweets for 

Willy Wonka. You can get the children 

to draw them, paint them or use real 

ingredients to create something edible. 

Let their imagination run riot and see 

what amazing inventions they come 

up with. 

5. Visit the museum. If it’s not too far to 

travel, visit the Roald Dahl Museum at 

Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire. 

Be prepared to spend a few mintinks 

(minutes) there as it’s razztwizzler 

(exciting and enjoyable). 

6. Make up some new Gobblefunk 

words. Ask the children what they 

would call different things and make 

a display of their suggestions. You 

could end up with some rommytot 

(nonsense) or something giganticus 

(grand and spectacular). Whatever 

you get, it’ll be a great way to 

engage their creative brains and 

imaginations. 

QUOTE 4 

You should 

never, never doubt 

something that no 

one is sure of. 

7. Hold a quiz. We’ve put 5 famous 

Dahl quotes around this article, 

but can you identify which book 

they are from? Answers are at the 

bottom of the article but there are 

more fun quizzes on the main Roald 

Dahl website that you could use to 

challenge the children, parents or 

your staff too. They may even end up 

all biffsquiggled (confused or puzzled)! 

WIN ROALD DAHL GOODIES! 

We love Roald Dahl here at Parenta and 

to celebrate his day on 13th September, 

we are giving you the chance to win a 

fabulous prize! 

To enter, simply send an email to 

marketing@parenta.com - telling us 

what your setting’s favourite Roald Dahl 

book is - and you will be entered into 

a prize draw to win some Roald Dahl 

goodies. 

Closing date for the prize draw is Friday 

20th September and the winner will be 

announced in October’s magazine. Don’t 

forget to include your postal address too! 

And whatever you do, have a 

gloriumptious (glorious and wonderful) 

day! 

For more information on the day, 

free downloads and a party pack full 

of activities, party invites, stickers, 

certificates and more, see: 

www.roalddahl.com 

QUOTE 5 

I cannot be right 

all the time. Quite 

often I is left 

instead of right. 

30 Parenta.com Answers to quiz: 1. Matilda 2. George’s Marvellous Medicine 3. The Witches 4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 5. The BFG September 2019 31 

Photo by Flickr member Wee Sen Goh

How to teach young 

children friendship skills 

Until the age of three, children view a ‘friend’ as whoever they happen to be playing with at the time. 

However, after that, youngsters start to seek out the company of playmates they play particularly 

well with. When social scientists looked at what made children become friends, they found that they 

are drawn most to their peers with the same level of play interests, social skills and assertiveness. 

So, how can you help young children develop the skills they will need to learn to make good friends throughout life? 

In my new books “The Friendship Maze” and “What’s My Child Thinking?” - written with child psychologist, Dr Angharad 

Rudkin - we look at the latest science on children’s peer relationships at each developmental level. Here are some of the 

common friendship issues young children in early years settings encounter - and the best psychology on how to respond. 

THEY BIT ME! 

SCENARIO: You spot two children crying after one of 

them has bitten the other. 

Around the age of two or three, children may bite others for 

a range of reasons: to release frustration, to protect their 

turf in a row over a toy, or because they feel threatened. 

Children this age often resort to biting because they haven’t 

yet developed the higher thinking skills to resist their 

primitive impulses to lash out. 

HOW TO HELP: 

First, put yourself in the child’s shoes and try to imagine how 

you’d react if another adult grabbed one of your favourite 

possessions. Then you will understand how difficult it is for a 

young child - who still relies greatly on their instincts - not to 

retaliate when someone they like upsets them. 

First, give attention to the child on the receiving end. This 

will send a message to the child who bit that they will not be 

the one to get the primary attention. By the time they lashed 

out, the biter’s fight-or-flight reflex will have already kicked 

in, so they will not able to process much of what you are 

saying. So, rather than shout and raise their stress 

levels more, remove them from the situation to allow 

their more rational thinking to return. 

Tell them: “No, that’s not acceptable. You can be 

angry, but you mustn’t hurt”. Try talking through what 

they could have done differently. Although their 

brain is very much a work in progress, this will help 

the child start to use their verbal negotiation skills, 

rather than their teeth to get what they want. It will 

also guide them on the path to start to master their 

impulsive behaviour. 

THAT’S MINE! 

SCENARIO: A child is refusing to share their favourite 

dinosaur toy with another child. 

According to research, social conflicts at around the ages of 

three and four usually break out for three reasons: a child 

takes a toy without permission; says they don’t like what 

the other one is doing and asserts they can do it better; or 

calls them names. While it’s good to start helping children to 

learn how to share, children are usually four or five before 

they are consistently happy to take turns and let others have 

a go with their possessions. When they are still two or three, 

a child still believes that if they have to give a toy to another, 

they will never get it back. 

HOW TO HELP: 

Your first instinct may be to tell the child in question they 

must try to share – and to demonstrate to them how it’s 

done. But studies show that young kids are less likely to 

learn to share their things if you tell them they have to. So 

don’t take away the toy. This is likely to make the child more 

possessive and anxious in the future about others taking 

away the things they like to play with. Research has found 

that children learn how to share best if you talk about how 

the other child feels. You could say 

something like: “Joe is happy 

when you let him play with 

Mr Rex” or “He’s sad when 

you grab Mr Rex away.’ 

If a child is bringing their 

personal toys into the 

setting, suggest they keep 

them safely hidden away 

during the day until they are 

able to play with them on 

their own. 

I HAVE NO ONE TO PLAY WITH 

SCENARIO: A child always seems to be left out of the other children’s games. 

It’s not unusual for children to say they have no friends, from time to time. But if a child 

says this a lot and you suspect they are becoming isolated from their peers, see if you can 

find out more. 

HOW TO HELP: 

Some children take longer to develop the skills and judgement to understand how to 

be accepted into a game. But it is possible to help. Show them how turning their body 

towards the game and making helpful suggestions to the children who are playing it, will 

increase the chance they will also be included. Social scientists have found that rather 

than saying: “Can I come into your game?” - a direct question which can elicit a ‘no’ - it 

generally works better for a child to show quiet interest, observe what’s going on, and 

then see where they can slip in. It’s also easier for children who are on their own to be 

shown how to pair up with another child on their own who will be glad of a playmate, or 

to join slightly larger groups of more than three. Make it clear that not all their attempts 

will work and not to feel personally rejected. Sometimes other youngsters may be so 

wrapped up in their play they don’t want an interruption. 

I’M NOT PLAYING ANYMORE 

SCENARIO: A row breaks out because a child says they no longer want to play the 

game they are losing. 

As a child’s social group expands after the age of about four, they will start to compare 

their abilities with others, resulting in the start of more openly competitive behaviour. 

At this age, a child may also be testing others to find their place in the social hierarchy 

because they will believe that being ‘good at’ activities will make them more admired. If 

they have a dominant personality, they may want to be ‘top dog’, and winning is one way 

to pull rank and impress others. They may not yet have learned that their drive to do 

well has to be balanced by a willingness to play cooperatively. 

HOW TO HELP: 

Explain that no one can win all the time and next time the result might be different. If a 

child has a meltdown over losing, you could say: “I understand you’re upset, but it’s just 

a game and you need to control your frustration.” Ask them: “How can you change how 

you play that will keep it fun for everyone?” If a child needs more help, try practising 

some turn-taking games, like board or ball games and describe out loud what you are 

doing. Start with non-competitive games, so younger children can get used to the to-andfro 

of turn-taking – and suggest parents also try this at home. 

Tanith Carey 

Tanith Carey writes books 

which offer a lucid analysis of 

the most pressing challenges 

facing today’s parents and 

childcarers – by looking at the 

latest research and presenting 

achievable strategies for how 

to tackle them. Her books 

have been translated into 15 

languages, including German, 

French, Arabic, Chinese and 

Turkish. Her 2019 publications 

are “What’s My Child Thinking? 

Practical Child Psychology for 

Modern Parents” and “The 

Friendship Maze: How to 

help your child navigate their 

way to positive and happier 

friendships”. 

An award-winning journalist, 

Tanith also writes on parenting 

for the Daily Telegraph, The 

Times, the Guardian and the 

Daily Mail, in which she also 

serialises and promotes her 

books. She is also a regular 

presence on TV and radio 

programmes, including the NBC 

Today Show in the US and Radio 

Four Woman’s Hour and You 

and Yours. 

Her full bio can be found on her 

website at www.cliomedia.co.uk 

and you can follow her on social 

media channels @tanithcarey. 


The importance of Continuing Professional 

Development (CPD) for your staff 

CPD eLearning courses 

At this time of year, when GCSEs and A levels are finished, results are out and the focus is 

on recruiting those who have just completed their education, it can be easy to overlook the 

importance of improving the knowledge of those already working in your childcare setting. 

Continuing Professional Development 

(CPD) is key for not only upskilling your 

existing workforce, but it also reduces 

recruitment costs, attracts top talent and 

helps to prevent skills shortages within 

your setting. If you can ensure that 

your team undergoes regular refresher 

training on a variety of subjects relevant 

to working in early years, it means that 

they’ll always be up-to-date with the 

latest policies, procedures and practices 

– and it certainly doesn’t need to be 

expensive! 

Through the training that you already 

provide to your staff, you may have 

experienced that even though the team 

is predominantly hard-working and 

passionate, occasionally, some may lack 

the drive or confidence to put themselves 

forward for their next qualification. 

Encouraging your team to continue 

their development is great for morale, 

motivation and their wellbeing – it has 

many benefits for the employer too! 

For employers 

The main benefit of CPD for employers is 

that it can ensure that standards across 

the setting are both high and consistent 

– this is great for your reputation and 

if you have a childcare website, this is 

something you should be shouting about 

online! Having a number of employees 

undertake CPD over a period of time 

allows for the sharing of ‘best practice’ 

and support for each other. CPD also 

contributes to maximising staff potential 

and provides a useful benchmark for 

annual appraisals. Be sure to use CPD 

courses which are fully accredited. 

For employees 

CPD not only helps employees keep their 

knowledge and skills current, but it also 

ensures that the professional standard 

of their qualifications and registrations is 

maintained. In addition, it can contribute 

to their professional ‘sense of direction’. 

Completing CPD helps build confidence 

and credibility, allows staff to showcase 

their achievements and arms them with 

the tools to cope positively with change. 

CPD is also beneficial for employees’ 

career progression as it shows 

willingness to improve. 

The great thing about CPD accredited 

courses relevant to early years childcare 

is that there are many available to do 

online - which means there are no 

deadlines, no time restrictions and no 

classroom visits. So study is done in the 

learner’s own time and at a pace that 

suits them. 

There are also a few simple things you 

can do to make life easier for your staff 

during their CPD training. 

Create a revision area 

Space permitting, try and have a quiet 

area where staff can go to do any 

research they need to do, or complete 

their assignments online in peace 

when they have spare time. Making 

your setting ‘revision-friendly’ is not too 

difficult if you can provide a table and 

put up a sign to let people know that the 

area is reserved for staff revision/study. 

Celebrate success 

Make a point of celebrating staff 

members who successfully complete 

their training. For instance, you could 

bring homemade cakes and special 

treats into work when someone passes 

a course, or if you have a few members 

of staff who are doing online CPD 

courses, you could bring treats in on 

one day of the month to celebrate all 

of them at the same time! Showing this 

level of recognition will help incentivise 

other members of your team and boost 

morale. 

Tell your staff what it means to you 

and set a good example 

Whenever you get the chance, whether 

in your one-to-one catch ups or when 

a new person joins your team, be 

vocal about how much you value 

people continuing their professional 

development and what a positive 

impact it has for not just the setting but 

the children too. You could enhance 

your own knowledge even further and 

should lead by example by taking a CPD 

accredited online course yourself! 

Include training in objectives 

When you set out objectives for your 

staff, talk to them about working 

towards their next qualification. Having 

the goal written down can be strong 

enough motivation to nudge them 

towards taking action and signing up for 

a course! 

Continuing 

Professional 

Development 

eLearning 

courses 

Whether you are a 

manager looking 

to support your 

staff by enhancing 

their knowledge, or 

looking at developing 

your own career, 

when you study one 

of Parenta’s online 

CPD courses, you 

study in your own 

time and at your own 

pace – all from the 

comfort of your own 

home! 

Our full list of 

eLearning and eBook 

courses can be found 

on our website: 

parenta.com 

START YOUR TRAINING 

parenta.com/parenta-online-courses 

CPD 

accredited 

Study at 

your pace 

No classes 

to attend 


Affordable

Sensory engagement 

Much of my work focuses on children who face significant barriers to their learning, many of these 

children have profound and multiple learning disabilities or complex autism and are non-verbal 

communicators. The senses are everything to me when I want to connect with them. However 

sensory communication affects everyone, and being able to engage a person’s senses is critical to 

gaining their attention and supporting their learning. 

more readily identifiable 

can support children in 

remembering to go to the 

toilet. In the same way, 

supporting visual accessibility 

can boost children’s 

independence skills. 

Remember to consider 

this with vision alone, not 

cognition. For example here 

are the chairs on either side 

of my dining room table. My 

dining room is very sparse; 

you would think that all the 

chairs were easily accessible 

but as this picture shows 

there is a big visual difference 

between the chairs on either 

side of the table. 

Engagement 

If you are looking for a 

fabulous visual engagement 

activity, try making 

improvised light boxes. Find a 

plastic box with a flat clear lid 

and stick baking paper to the 

underside of the lid (to diffuse 

the light). Line the box with 

silver card or tin foil. Pop in a 

handful of battery-operated 

fairy lights and enjoy the 

gorgeous uplighting: it will 

make the activities you place 

on the box all the more 

visually engaging. 

Consider how sensory 

information is prioritised in 

our minds: it is absolutely 

fundamental, it is before 

thought. Think of how 

we speak about sensory 

experiences: “I saw it with 

my own eyes”, “I heard it 

for myself”. These sensory 

references are proof, 

evidence that cannot be 

argued with. Even at times 

when we know our senses 

to be fooling us (for example 

have you ever felt like you 

were falling when you were 

in bed?), we cannot override 

them with our mind. The 

sensory experiences that we 

feel, beat the information 

that we know intellectually. 

Which is why it is so 

important that the sensory 

information we present 

when we seek to teach 

children, matches up with 

the intellectual content we 

hope they will gather from 

our teaching. 

And making 

activities 

appeal 

to the 

senses will draw children’s 

curiosity before their intellect 

wonders what is going on. 

Sensory engagement is 

essential for learners of all 

abilities. 

In this article, I want to get 

you started thinking in a 

sensory way. We haven’t 

got room to go through the 

eight sensory systems that 

I generally tackle at The 

Sensory Projects (yes more 

than five!) but if we start with 

our most dominant sensory 

system: vision, then you will 

be off on the right track. 

Vision dominates our cerebral 

cortex taking up nearly 

a third of it. Seeing is the 

processing of light by the 

retina; brighter items throw 

off more light and so place a 

bigger processing demand 

on our brains. Consider the 

child being asked to look at 

a red shape held up against 

a white wall, compared to 

the child being asked to 

look at a red shape held up 

against a black cloth. The 

first child is asked to do a lot 

more visually, as they have 

to process all the white light 

thrown off by the wall as 

well as the red of the shape. 

Now imagine the child who 

has to pick that shape out of 

the confusion of a brightly 

patterned, multi-coloured 

background. It can be 

exhausting! Seeing uses a lot 

of our brains and it is tiring. 

Visual attention 

If we support visual attention 

then we support children’s 

concentration. This can be 

as simple as setting up toys 

against a dark contrasting 

background – Tuff Trays are 

great at this and you might 

notice how children are more 

drawn to toys in this clearlyvisually-denoted 

environment 

compared to toys laid out on 

the carpet or a table top. 

When you are showing things 

to children, consider the 

background you are standing 

in front of; be careful of things 

like vertical or Venetian blinds 

which can be visually very 

disturbing. If you have a very 

busy visual environment, 

consider installing roller 

blinds along the walls so that 

you can choose to have a 

muted, plain backdrop when 

you wish. 

Behaviour 

If a child is feeling stressed, 

anxious or unwell, they may 

be less able to cope with 

a busy visual environment 

than usual. An environment 

offering relatively low visual 

stimulation may help a child 

to calm and regulate. Think 

of where you would want to 

be if you had a migraine; it’s 

unlikely to be gazing at your 

bright display board. 

All of our senses have a 

development that they run 

through, and experiences 

from early sensory 

development are easier to 

process than those from 

later on. The easiness of 

processing makes these 

experiences naturally 

calming. For vision, warm 

red tones come very early on 

in the development of sight 

and most young children will 

declare a preference for the 

colour red as it is likely to be 

the first colour tone they were 

able to see. 

Accessibility 

Take a look around your 

environment and imagine 

that you were seeing it with 

just your eyes, not with 

your understanding. Are 

the different places clearly 

identifiable? Does the route to 

the bathroom look different 

to the carpet circle? Is it easy 

to pick out where the coats 

are and where the drawers 

are? How much would you 

know about your space if 

you took it in through vision 

alone? Making changes so 

that, for example, toilets are 

Readers curious to know more may be 

interested in Joanna’s courses: 

Sensory Engagement for Sensory Beings: A 

Beginners Guide 

Teaches structured and playful sensory 

engagement techniques. 

Exploring the Impact the Senses have on 

Behaviour 

Looks at how we can respond to 

behaviour triggered by sensory 

experiences. 

Develop Your Sensory Lexiconary 

Looks at the development of the sensory 

systems and relates this information 

to the development of cognition, 

communication, engagement and 

wellbeing. 

Joanna Grace 

Joanna Grace is an 

international Sensory 

Engagement and Inclusion 

Specialist, trainer, author, TEDx 

speaker and founder of The 

Sensory Projects. 

Consistently rated as 

“outstanding” by Ofsted, 

Joanna has taught in 

mainstream and specialschool 

settings, connecting 

with pupils of all ages and 

abilities. To inform her 

work, Joanna draws on her 

own experience from her 

private and professional life 

as well as taking in all the 

information she can from the 

research archives. Joanna’s 

private life includes family 

members with disabilities and 

neurodivergent conditions and 

time spent as a registered 

foster carer for children with 

profound disabilities. 

Joanna has published three 

practitioner books: “Sensory 

Stories for Children and Teens”, 

“Sensory-Being for Sensory 

Beings” and “Sharing Sensory 

Stories and Conversations with 

People with Dementia”. and 

two inclusive sensory story 

children’s books: “Voyage to 

Arghan” and “Ernest and I”. 

Joanna is a big fan of social 

media and is always happy 

to connect with people 

via Facebook, Twitter and 

LinkedIn. 

Website: 

thesensoryprojects.co.uk 


National 

Eye Health 

Week 

What would you do if you 

lost your sight? How would 

it affect your lifestyle, your 

independence and income? 

And what impact would it have 

on your dependents, family 

and friends? 

Most of us don’t think about this often, 

but once a year, National Eye Health 

Week (NEHW) helps to focus our 

thoughts on our eyesight and ways 

we can look after it better. This year’s 

National Eye Health Week will take place 

from 23 rd –29 th September, promoting the 

importance of good eye health and the 

need for regular eye tests for all. 

WHY WORRY ABOUT EYESIGHT? 

We all know about our 5 main senses 

and their associated body parts: 

Sight - eyes 

Hearing - ears 

Taste - tongue 

Smell - nose 

Touch - skin 

Without any one of these, our 

interpretation and understanding of the 

world would be limited, but vision is 

what people fear losing the most; yet 

many of us don’t know how to look after 

our eyes. National Eye Health Week aims 

to change all that, and statistics about 

the state of the nation’s sight, make 

‘eye-opening’ reading. 

13.8 million people in the UK could 

be at risk of avoidable sight loss 

because they fail to have regular 

eye tests 1 

Almost two million people in the UK 

are living with sight loss yet over 

half of sight loss can be avoided 2 

Sight loss affects people of all ages 2 

The number of people in the UK with 

sight loss is forecast to rise by 30% 

by 2030 3 

A sight test easily detects the early 

signs of eye conditions such as 

glaucoma, which can be treated if 

found early enough 

During any sight test, other health 

conditions including diabetes 

and high blood pressure may be 

detected 

NEHW aims to raise awareness of the 

importance of having regular eye tests 

and inspire people to make healthier 

lifestyle choices that benefit their eye 

health. It’s run in conjunction with The 

Eyecare Trust and has official partners 

and supporting organisations in the 

business and charity sectors. The official 

website, at visionmatters.org.uk, is full 

of information, downloadable resources 

and ideas to help you make the most of 

the week and have a positive impact. 

The official hashtags are #EyeWeek and 

#VisionMatters and you can register for 

a free resource pack by sending your 

name, position, organisation and postal 

address to info@visionmatters.org.uk. 

6 TIPS TO LOOK AFTER YOUNG 

CHILDREN’S EYES 

1. Get tested 

Everyone should have an eye test at 

least every 2 years. It’s a common 

misconception that children’s 

eyesight cannot be accurately 

checked until they can read, but 

a child’s eyes can be tested from 

birth. Regular tests can ensure that 

any problems are identified early, 

and childhood conditions such 

as squint, lazy eye (amblyopia), 

short-sightedness (myopia) or 

long-sightedness (hyperopia) are 

picked up early, allowing for the 

best treatment outcome. Eye tests 

are free for all children under 16 and 

adult tests are inexpensive. 

2. Eat a rainbow 

We’ve all heard about the 

importance of eating a balanced 

diet and how colourful fruits and 

vegetables can help maintain a 

healthy weight, increase resistance 

to disease and provide optimum 

energy, but young eyes also need 

the correct nutrients to ensure 

healthy development too. Tomatoes, 

melons, grapes and blueberries are 

packed with eye-friendly nutrients, 

as are proteins such as eggs, 

chicken and fish (salmon, tuna and 

mackerel). Whole grains are good 

too. And don’t forget carrots – most 

of us are told early on that carrots 

can help eyesight because carrots, 

sweet potatoes and pumpkin are 

just a few veggies that are packed 

with beta-carotene; an essential 

precursor for Vitamin A, needed for 

eye health. 

3. Protect your eyes from the sun 

The lens at the front of young 

children’s eyes is very clear so can 

let in more damaging sunlight. 

Always protect children’s eyes with 

sunglasses whenever the UV index 

rises above 3, and check their 

sunglasses have a CE;UV 400 or 

British Standard Mark to ensure the 

correct level of protection. 

4. Go outside 

Research shows that time spent 

playing outside can help prevent the 

onset and progression of shortsightedness 

in children 4 , so make 

time to go outside every day. 

5. Act on advice 

Follow the advice of the child’s eye 

care practitioner such as when and 

when not to wear glasses. 

6. Stimulate the senses 

Children’s eyes continue to 

develop from birth until the age of 

about eight, so stimulating visual 

engagement by using high contrast 

toys and mirrors, and playing 

games such as peekaboo can 

help. You can also encourage good 

hand-eye coordination by playing 

throwing and catching games, 

using building blocks, colouring 

and mark-making. 

For adults, advice also includes 

the importance of reducing alcohol 

consumption, stopping smoking and 

maintaining a healthy weight, since 

these factors affect eye health too. 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN EYE 

HEALTH WEEK 

There are many ways to get involved. 

You can organise your own event or see 

what other events are being held in your 

area. You could: 

Tell your parents, staff, friends and 

colleagues about the week and ask 

them when they last had an eye test 

Make a display about eyes; take 

photos of eyes, or draw pictures 

and make an interesting collage 

including some facts and figures 

Organise an event such as: 

a quiz with lots of questions 

about eyes 

a lunch with healthy foods to 

help eyesight 

bring your ‘sunnies’ to nursery 

day 

get outdoors to celebrate 

the day, but remember your 

sunscreen, hats and sunglasses 

Invite an optician to come in and 

speak to the children, parents and 

staff 

Add information to your social 

media sites or send one of the preprepared 

tweets available from the 

website 

Run a session on what it might 

be like to lose your sight: get the 

children to do some simple things 

wearing a blindfold and explain to 

them the importance of looking after 

their eyes at the same time 

Let us know what you do and look after 

those peepers! 

REFERENCES: 

1. Eye Health UK 

2. Access Economics (2009) 

3. RNIB 

4. JAMA. 2015;314(11):1142-1148. 

doi:10.1001/jama.2015.10803 


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Parenta Magazine September 2019

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