Parenta Magazine March 2020
March is the month many of us have been waiting for since last October…the clocks ‘springing’ forward, giving us lighter evenings! This is also the time of year when people start thinking about their annual spring clean; and wanting to get rid of the old stuff in their homes and businesses. Taking part in ‘National Old Stuff Day’ on 2nd March is a great reason to get started with the spring cleaning in your setting! In Tamsin Grimmer’s article this month “Keep on talking and mind the gap”, she reveals that almost half of year one children lack the vocabulary they need to access the curriculum. Using a holistic approach, we have chosen some activities that you can implement in your setting that will help expand the children’s vocabulary, but at the same time covering many areas of learning and development in the EYFS. Have a great month and please don’t forget to put your clocks forward by one hour at 1am on Sunday 29th March! Happy reading!
March is the month many of us have been waiting for since last October…the clocks ‘springing’ forward, giving us lighter evenings!
This is also the time of year when people start thinking about their annual spring clean; and wanting to get rid of the old stuff in their homes and businesses. Taking part in ‘National Old Stuff Day’ on 2nd March is a great reason to get started with the spring cleaning in your setting!
In Tamsin Grimmer’s article this month “Keep on talking and mind the gap”, she reveals that almost half of year one children lack the vocabulary they need to access the curriculum. Using a holistic approach, we have chosen some activities that you can implement in your setting that will help expand the children’s vocabulary, but at the same time covering many areas of learning and development in the EYFS.
Have a great month and please don’t forget to put your clocks forward by one hour at 1am on Sunday 29th March!
Happy reading!
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useful, and you should remind children<br />
about safety issues every time you<br />
travel outside your setting.<br />
There is a free, downloadable and<br />
practical pedestrian training pack for<br />
teachers of children in years 3 and 4<br />
who can’t get access to a road safety<br />
officer, to help them deliver training in<br />
this vital life skill. But the information<br />
is still relevant to early years and it’s<br />
better to receive more training than<br />
nothing at all.<br />
One way you could celebrate Family<br />
Safety Week is by focusing on a<br />
different safety area each day.<br />
You could think about other times<br />
and areas around the home where<br />
accidents happen that are particularly<br />
relevant for under 5s, including:<br />
• Bath time<br />
• Bedtime<br />
• Mealtimes<br />
• Playing<br />
• Stairs<br />
• Cupboards and storage areas<br />
• Doors<br />
• Going outside the home on roads<br />
and pavements<br />
• Playgrounds<br />
• Swimming<br />
Make it fun<br />
It’s important not to scare children<br />
when talking about safety issues, as<br />
we still need to encourage risk-taking<br />
and adventure too. But it’s vital that<br />
you get the message across and the<br />
risks are minimised. Talking about<br />
health and safety issues is not about<br />
eliminating risk because that is not<br />
real life, but it is about minimising<br />
risk through education, being well<br />
prepared, and taking responsibility.<br />
RoSPA also have a lot of information<br />
about how to prevent common<br />
accidents such as:<br />
• Burns and scalds<br />
• Carbon monoxide poisoning<br />
• Choking<br />
• Drowning<br />
• Injuries from fires<br />
• Poisoning<br />
• Falls<br />
• Strangulation and asphyxiation<br />
The new Keeping Kids Safe campaign<br />
aims to end the tragic toll of 0–4-yearolds<br />
needlessly killed or injured each<br />
year and there is more information<br />
online about this too with lots of videos<br />
and practical advice to follow.<br />
Involve your children’s<br />
families<br />
It’s not called Family Safety Week for<br />
nothing. In your setting, make sure<br />
you include events, activities and<br />
promotions which you can invite the<br />
whole family to. Read through the list<br />
of ideas below or come up with your<br />
own ways to get the messages across.<br />
••<br />
Raise awareness and spread<br />
the word by letting parents and<br />
friends know that your setting<br />
is supporting Family Safety<br />
Week using your own social<br />
media and use some of the free<br />
downloadable social media<br />
resources on the website. Use the<br />
hashtag #FSW.<br />
••<br />
Raise some money for the<br />
Brighter Beginnings Appeal which<br />
is raising money to provide new<br />
parents with life-saving tips and<br />
tools at a time when they need it<br />
most. The money goes towards<br />
providing parent packs, giving<br />
more children a brighter and safer<br />
future.<br />
••<br />
Run an event for families in your<br />
setting or community. Be inventive<br />
about what the event could be.<br />
••<br />
Create a display or<br />
performance to raise awareness<br />
in your setting. There are posters<br />
to download, colouring sheets to<br />
colour and you could create some<br />
emergency scenarios using drama<br />
to help teach the children the key<br />
messages.<br />
••<br />
Phone the helpline to ask<br />
questions or at least let your<br />
staff and parents know that the<br />
helpline exists so that they can<br />
use it for any questions they have<br />
about keeping everyone safe. The<br />
number is 0808 801 0822.<br />
Whatever your situation, mark the<br />
week in a fun, exciting and above all,<br />
SAFE way!<br />
For more information, visit the RoSPA<br />
website.<br />
parenta.com | <strong>March</strong> <strong>2020</strong> 29
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