June 2024 Parenta Early Years Magazine

Issue 115
JUNE 2024
Health benefits of
gardening in early years
COVER
Supporting anxious
children in your setting
Physical literacy -
what does it mean?
+ lots more
An exclusive
with Joe Wicks
The importance of good
nutrition in
children’s health...
The Body Coach approach
Setting show rounds and proactive follow-ups

12
30
24
Hello
Welcome to our family
Welcome to the June edition of Parenta magazine!
We are celebrating the start of summer with a bumper edition for you!
As well as the many advice articles you are accustomed to from our sector experts, we are thrilled to announce we have
teamed up with the amazing Joe Wicks, The Body Coach! He has very kindly written some wise words exclusively for Parenta
magazine, aimed at the children in our care - about how eating delicious, home-cooked food can help children become
stronger and healthier - and improve their well-being.
Don’t forget to read this out at story time in your setting, share it with parents and carers, and check out his scrumptious
recipes on pages 6-9.
Save the date! Join us on 12th June for our webinar, “Supporting Children’s Well-being and Mental Health”. We will explore
what might make a child feel anxious, how we can best help them and also how we can use visual symbols to support
children with their anxiety and general well-being. Make sure to register at www.parenta.com/webinars - you will earn a CPD
certificate if you attend!
Don’t forget to share the magic of our magazine with your friends, colleagues, and parents alike. They can receive their own
copy in digital or printed format by signing up at www.parenta.com/magazine.
Allan
18
Regulars
News
Advice
26
10 Write for us
36 EYFS Activities: Communication and Language
4 What do our customers say this month?
32 Engaging show rounds and proactive follow-ups
34 Childcare news and views
14 Child Safety Week: safeguarding the well-being of
our children
20 Malnutrition and poverty in the UK in 2024
24 National Armed Forces Day
28 Supporting children with social, emotional &
mental health needs
Industry Experts
38
6 Fuelling our little champs - The importance of good
nutrition in children’s health - The Body Coach approach
12 Toilet time: time away or time to teach?
18 8 ways to build self-esteem & confidence in children
22 Supporting anxious children in your setting
26 Health benefits of gardening in early years
30 Musical medicine: early years fine motor control using
my favourite musical things
38 Physical literacy - what does it mean?
2 June 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | June 2024 3

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Joe Wicks
Fuelling our little champs
The importance of good nutrition in children’s
health – The Body Coach approach
What are some of your favourite things to
eat?
Joe’s top tips for
healthy eating
We are so proud to announce that we
have teamed up with the amazing Joe
Wicks, The Body Coach!
He has very kindly written some
incredibly wise words exclusively for
the Parenta magazine, aimed at the
children in our care. Don’t forget to
read this out at storytime in your
setting, share it with parents and
carers, and check out his scrumptious
recipes on the following pages.
Hey there! I’m Joe, and I love teaching
everyone about how eating delicious,
home-cooked food can help you become
stronger, healthier and happier.
Why is nutrition so
important?
Nutrition is like a magic ingredient that
keeps your body alive. It gives you energy
and helps your body grow. It may even
help you run faster, grow taller, jump
higher, and learn amazing new things.
How cool is that?
Different foods have different nutrients in
them, so that’s why we like to eat as many
different foods as possible to get all the
goodness from them.
Healthy foods for
growing kids
Let’s take a look at some of the best
healthy foods you can eat to get lots of
different nutrients in your body.
1. Fruits and veggies
I love eating lots of colourful fruits and
veggies in my breakfast, lunch and dinner,
like strawberries, blueberries, apples,
broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers. All these
yummy foods are packed with vitamins
that boost your energy and make you
healthy and happy.
2. Protein power
Proteins help your muscles grow and keep
you nice and strong! You can find protein
in eggs, meats, and beans. They might
even be able to help you do the monkey
bars in the park!
3. Whole grains
Whole grains give you energy to keep
you awake all day long. They’re in brown
bread, brown rice, and oats. Do you ever
have oats for breakfast? Me too!
What about sugar?
Sugar is in lots of yummy foods like
chocolate and crisps, but it can make you
feel tired and even a little bit grumpy if you
eat too much of it. It’s okay to have a treat
once in a while.

FROZEN
YOGHURT
BARK
CHEESE AND VEG
FRITTATA
What you need
8 servings
5 mins prep
17p per portion
INGREDIENTS
500g greek style natural yoghurt
30g honey
50g peanut butter
150g frozen mixed berries
METHOD
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Stir the yoghurt and honey
together until well combined then spread over the parchment in an even
layer, around 1cm thick.
Melt the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds until it’s runny,
then drizzle over the yoghurt. Scatter over the frozen berries then place flat
in the freezer for 3-4 hours until solid.
Use a sharp knife to break the yoghurt bark into pieces. Store in a freezer
bag or tupperware box in the freezer for a tasty and refreshing snack.
Tip - The possibilities are endless with this frozen yoghurt bark. Top it with
any chopped leftover fruit you have, swap the peanut butter for a different
kind of spread, sprinkle over some chopped nuts, granola or even
chocolate chips. Have a play around and see what toppings are your
favourite.
300g frozen mixed vegetables
1tbsp oil
8 eggs
120g cheddar cheese, grated
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
Simple salad, to serve
What you do
Servings
3
25 mins
87p
Per portion
Place the frozen veg in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes then drain and leave to steam for a minute or so.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the drained veg and cook for 3-4 minutes until
just tender.
Preheat the grill to high. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl with some salt and pepper and half of the cheese.
Pour the mix into the pan and give it a gentle shake. Pull the eggs into the middle of the pan for a few minutes
as they start to set.
Pop the tomatoes on top of the eggs and scatter over the rest of the cheese. Place under the hot grill for a few
minutes until the frittata is just set and lovely and golden on top. Serve up with a simple side salad.
Tips - The frittata will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, so it’s perfect for making ahead for lunch boxes. Feel
free to add any other veg into the frittata that needs using up. Leftover roasted veg is particularly good. Any
kind of cheese is also mega tasty so use up any odds and ends you have in place of some of the cheddar.
BANANA & OAT
PANCAKES
BATCH
BOLOGNESE
Ingredients
COOK TIME
10 Minutes
SERVES
Two
PER PORTION
63p
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
2 tbsp oil
2 white onions, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 carrots, peeled and grated
250g mushrooms, sliced
500g lean beef mince
400g tinned cooked lentils, drained
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
400g dried spaghetti
120g cheddar cheese, grated
6 Servings | 40 mins | 80p per portion
120ml semi-skimmed milk
2 large eggs
1 banana, peeled
100g rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1-2 tbsp oil
30g honey
60g blueberries, fresh or frozen
60g yoghurt, greek or natural
Blend the milk, eggs, banana, oats and baking powder until a
smooth batter forms. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a
medium to high heat and fry spoonfuls of the batter for 2-3
minutes on each side until golden. Serve topped with the
honey, blueberries and yoghurt.
Tip - The pancakes will be delicious with any toppings you
may already have, you don’t have to use yoghurt, blueberries
and honey. Feel free to use whatever you have at hand!
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium to high heat and fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes before adding the carrot
and mushrooms. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the liquid from the mushrooms has cooked off. Push the carrot and mushroom mix
to one side then add the mince. Cook until the mince is brown all over then add in the lentils, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée
and mixed herbs. Stir everything together, bring to the boil then turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Season
to taste. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions and serve with the bolognese and a sprinkle of grated cheese.
Tips - This recipe freezes really well. Leave the bolognese to cool then spoon portions into individual freezer bags or load into a
tupperware box. Leave it to defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot.
If you have any leftover veg, dice it up and add it with the onions. If it’s cooked veg, dice it up and add it with the lentils.
Serve the bolognese with any kind of pasta, jacket potatoes, rice or even a chunk of crusty bread for lunch on the go.

Write for us!
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magazine.
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Congratulations
to our guest author competition winner, Frances Turnbull!
Congratulations to Frances Turnbull, our guest
author of the month! Her enlightening article,
“Child Development Through Music & Movement”
explores how movement is such an important part
of early years music education and can help to
identify potential child development.
Well done Frances!
A massive thank you to all of our guest authors for
writing for us. You can find all of the past articles
from our guest authors on our website:
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10 June 2024 | parenta.com
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Joanna Grace
Toilet time: time away
or time to teach?
We do so many exciting things in our
settings; there is messy play, small world
play, painting, storytime and all the other
marvellous things we do. Then there is
toilet time and nappy changing - the time
away from all that wonderful stuff. Hold
your nose and get it done as quickly as
possible?
No.
Toilet time is rich in opportunities to equip
children to protect themselves and to
understand their bodies. In this article, I
am going to talk about three opportunities
toilet time provides us with - I’m sure you
will think of many more. Chat about it as
a team, it’s important you all share an
understanding and be open with families
too.
Just to warn you this article contains
the very sensitive subject of child sexual
abuse.
Give them language
Talk about what you are doing and use
accurate language. Be frank and factual.
Don’t euphemise things, and don’t act
squeamish, or embarrassed. It is worth
asking families about the language they
use at home so that you can connect
with terminology they may hear at home,
and it is worth letting families know the
language you use. This can feel like a big
deal, but it is likely you are already doing
it as part of your day-to-day practice.
As you hand children back to their loved
ones at the end of the day, you’ll be
letting them know information about toilet
time. The language you use as you do
so, reflects to them the language you use
with the children. If you’re standing on
the doorstep telling someone that their
child had, “A little bit of uh-humm, on their
you-know-what” that’s very different from
saying you’d noticed that the skin around
their vulva or foreskin had seemed a little
irritated so you’d used some extra cream.
If we act embarrassed when we talk about
things related to going to the toilet, we
teach children that these are things to be
embarrassed about. We can teach that
this is a private act without teaching that
it is a shameful act. Likewise if we are
squeamish around bodily functions, we
can teach children to feel embarrassed by
a natural part of human life.
The most important reason for using
accurate and detailed language is the
protection it affords children. Hopefully
this will never happen to any child in
your care, but should a young child
experience abuse, being able to say that it
is happening will help protect them. I met
a child who had experienced very serious
abuse. They tried to tell adults around
them what had happened, but they were
unable to articulate it. They were only
able to report it years later once they had
learned the words for their body parts.
Words are powerful. Give them the words,
give them the protection of being able to
wield that power.
Talk about the functions
and feelings
All sorts of sensations occur around
going to the toilet, and there are all sorts
of different toilet experiences. Talk about
these feelings and explain to the children
what they mean and what their body is
doing. Celebrate their body’s ability to
perform the functions it performs. Relate
their experiences in the toilet to their
eating and drinking, for example helping
a child to notice the colour of their urine
gives them an understanding of their own
hydration levels.
Children who understand the sensations in
their bodies are less likely to be frightened
by them and will be better able to identity
and articulate illness. Understanding why
a body goes to the toilet and the part
this plays in health and well-being is a
fabulous thing to learn. Time spent valuing
our bodies for what they do is always
valuable in a world that tends to only teach
us to value them based on what they
look like. Linking bathroom experiences
to dietary intake helps children to make
sense of the advice adults give them about
their eating. If eating their veg makes
going to the toilet easier, that’s an extra
reason to eat them on top of just, “grown
ups told me to”.
Ask for consent
Of course, if a child needs to be cleaned
we have to clean them for their safety, but
we should do so on their say so, not on
our schedule. We teach consent all the
time in settings, for example we teach
that in tickle fights if someone says “no”
we automatically stop. The power of these
consensual “yes”s and “no”s is something
we will be modelling all the time. This must
extend to attending to personal hygiene.
If we want to teach them that their body is
their own, and no one aside from them is
allowed to do anything to it without their
consent, then we must respect their bodily
autonomy at all times.
We all know children who have just
discovered the power of “no” and are
deploying it at every opportunity. There
maybe times when you need to ask for
consent and respect bodily autonomy
without it being a yes/no situation. For
example you could say “You have poo
around your anus and on your bottom, I
need to wipe it off so that you are clean,
let me know when you’re ready for me to
do that?” Or, “Do you want to try and wipe
yourself clean or would you like me to do
it for you?”, “Shall I show you how to make
sure your bottom is clean and then you
can try yourself?”
Toilet time is an opportunity to inform,
empower and protect children. The gift
that you give children in taking the time to
do this is more than worth the ‘pongs’ and
nappy failures encountered as you do so!
Click here for
more resources
from Joanna:
12 June 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | June 2024 13

Child Safety Week
Safeguarding the well-being of our children
Safeguarding: Child
Safety Week
Child Safety Week is run by the Child
Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) and is an
annual community education campaign
encouraging thousands of conversations
about child safety across the country. This
year, it runs from 3rd to 9th of June, so why
not use the week to encourage a greater
dialogue between your setting and your
parents/carers about child safety?
As early years practitioners, safeguarding
the children in our care is our top priority.
While we diligently follow the Early
Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and aim
to enrich their lives through education
and experience, ensuring their safety is
paramount. After all, if we neglect their
safety, all our efforts could be in vain.
By law, early years settings are required
to maintain safe premises and ensure
adequate supervision of children. We
continually train and retrain our staff
to identify and minimise risks without
hindering the natural development of the
child. While we don’t eliminate risk entirely
– doing so could put children at greater
risk in the future by preventing them from
recognising dangers – we are dedicated to
accident prevention.
Why Child Safety Week
matters
Child Safety Week serves as a reminder
to keep our training up-to-date, review
safeguarding and accident policies, and
raise awareness of child safety among
parents and carers. They must also be
informed.
Preventing accidents at
home: a crucial aspect of
safeguarding
Accidents, or ‘unintentional injuries,’ are
a leading cause of premature death and
illness in children in the UK. Shockingly,
approximately 60 children under the age
of 5 die each year from injuries sustained
in and around the home, accounting
for 1 in 12 deaths of children aged 1 – 4.
Accidents at home among under-fives
also lead to nearly half a million visits to
A&E departments and around 40,000
emergency hospital admissions in England
annually. Unfortunately, children from the
most disadvantaged families are more
likely to be killed or seriously injured due
to accidents, with hospital admission rates
nearly 50% higher than children from the
least deprived areas.
Most accidents involving young children
occur at home, often during late afternoon
and early evening, in the summer, during
school holidays, and at weekends. Living/
dining rooms are common places for
accidents, but the most serious ones
happen in the kitchen or on the stairs.
Preventing accidents: a
call to action
RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Accidents) emphasises that “accidents
DON’T have to happen,” but we need to be
educated and proactive to prevent them.
Since we know most accidents occur at
home, we also have a responsibility to
educate parents/carers about accident
prevention.
Several factors increase the risk of
accidents, including stress, changes in
routine, and inadequate supervision.
We must work together to create safer
environments for our young learners
both at home and in early years
settings. Let’s make child safety a top
priority every week of the year.
The theme for this year is “Safety. Sorted!”
and CAPT wants to make sure that families
should feel confident that, with one small
change, they can stop a serious accident.
And be clear what they need to do to keep
their children safe.
Factsheet and free
resources
Between the CAPT website and the RoSPA
website, there is a whole host of free and
downloadable resources to help get the
message across including:

What If There Was Finally A Solution To The
Early Years Staffing Crisis That Really Worked?
The EY Alliance estimates we’ll need 40,000 more L3-qualified
staff in the next 4 years due to the Government’s latest “Free”
childcare initiative.
But what good is that when you can’t find qualified staff
RIGHT NOW?
The Secret To Solving Your Staffing Headache
What if, instead of searching endlessly for new staff, you
could develop your existing staff and mould them into the
qualified staff you need them to be?
Parenta’s Unbeatable Guarantee
You need to team up with a robust training provider who will
not let you down!
Partner with Parenta, and we guarantee any staff
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sector further, we now offer a Fast Track Level 3 EYE
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We receive at least one 5-star review every day of the working
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I think she is a very kind
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Stacey Kelly
8 ways to build selfesteem
& confidence in
children
1. Encourage children to do
things for themselves
Supporting children’s independence is
crucial in early years education, so we
focus on that first, in detail. Here’s how we,
as early years practitioners, can encourage
independence:

Malnutrition and
poverty in the UK
in 2024
It is 2024 and humankind can launch
spaceships to the moon, communicate
across the globe in an instant and trust
artificial intelligence to diagnose some of
our illnesses. Yet despite these amazing
achievements, our world and our society
in the UK is still held back by a basic lack
of nutritious food for some people. Poverty
and malnutrition should be confined to
the history books but unfortunately, the
statistics about these things in the UK
make startling reading.
Poverty and food
insecurity
» The number of children living in food
poverty nearly doubled in the year
ending 2022
» According to the Department for Work
and Pensions (DWP), in 2021/22,
approximately 4.7 million people
(including 12% of children) in the UK
lived in food-insecure households
meaning they did not have access to
sufficient food, or food of an adequate
quality, to meet their basic needs
» In June 2023, a tracker reported that
9 million adults in the UK (17% of
households) experienced moderate
or severe food insecurity, a significant
increase from 7.3% in June 2021
» Nearly a quarter of households with
children also face food insecurity
» People in relative poverty live in a
household with income less than 60%
of the contemporary median income
» More than 760,000 people used a
Trussell Trust food bank for the first
time in 2022/23, a 38% increase from
2021/22
Malnutrition
The National Institute for Health and
Care Excellence (NICE) defines a person
as malnourished if they meet any of the
following criteria:
» BMI (Body Mass Index) less than 18.5
kg/m²
» Unintentional weight loss greater than
10% within the past 3–6 months
» BMI less than 20 kg/m² and
unintentional weight loss greater than
5% in the past 3–6 months
In the UK, approximately 1.3 million people
over the age of 65 suffer from malnutrition,
with 93% of them living in the community,
and in care homes approximately 35%
of residents are at risk of malnutrition.
A report in 2020 said that nearly 2,500
children under 16 had been admitted to
hospital with malnutrition in the first six
months of that year.
These figures highlight the importance of
addressing poverty and malnutrition to
improve the well-being of children in the
UK.
The impacts of poverty and malnutrition
in children are far reaching. It affects
their material, social, educational and
emotional well-being on many levels.
When children’s basic needs are not
catered for, they cannot focus on other
things such as learning and education.
If this happens in the early years, then
children can find it very difficult to catch up
with their peers later because there is so
much brain and physical development in
the first 5 years of life. It also affects their
educational achievements and resilience.
As early years practitioners, we are not
expected to be able to solve the social
problems of society, but there are ways in
which we can help mitigate the impact on
the children in our care. These include:
1. Ensure you offer healthy and
nutritious food
Ensuring that the food you serve
is healthy and nutritious can help
children receive at least one good
meal a day. Even if you are not
providing lunches, you can offer plenty
of fresh fruit and vegetables at snack
time. The Food for Life website has
lots of information about good food
and how educational settings can
help through campaigns, awards
and sharing best practice. Their
website contains lots of information
about growing and preparing food,
nutrition and recipes. For Government
information, see here.
2. Educate children and families
Education is vital if children are to
understand the basics of nutrition
and how they can feed themselves
healthily as adults. Getting involved
in various awareness days relating
to food, growing food or cooking
food is a good place to start and
there is something for everyone, from
Pancake Day to British Pea Week.
These days are also a great way to
invite parents/carers and families to
your setting to raise their awareness
of the issues too. For a list of British
national food weeks and days, see
here. Remember that nutrition starts
with breastfeeding so you can include
information and resources about this
too.
3. Early identification of problems
and safeguarding awareness
Effective early intervention can
substantially reduce the impact of
poverty on children’s development
where the interventions are
sufficiently intensive and reach the
families in most need. As early years
practitioners, we have a duty to
safeguard the children in our care and
to raise concerns with the relevant
children’s services if we are worried.
Early help such as using Team Around
the Family (TAF) support and parenting
help can be initiated if needed.
4. Ensure eligible parents/carers
receive free school meals and/or
other benefits
England, Scotland, Northern Ireland
and Wales have different eligibility
criteria for free school meals, although
all children in state infant schools
in England in Reception year, year
1 and year 2 can all receive them.
Statistics show that not all children
who are eligible for free school meals
are accessing them, so more needs
to be done to help signpost parents
to important information. Direct
parents here to apply or here for
more information. Pregnant women
and parents on certain benefits with
children under 4 may also be eligible
for the Healthy Start program which
gives eligible people money to buy
milk and some fresh fruit/vegetables.
5. Sign up to FareShare
Nurseries can also sign up to the
FareShare scheme which redistributes
surplus food to charities and
community groups. The scheme
helps to prevent food waste and
participating nurseries can use the
donations to supplement existing food
supplies and offer it to families to take
home, but ensure there is discretion
here to avoid embarrassment to
families.
6. Additional help from the industry
for families in crisis
In a survey undertaken by Early
Education, many early years settings
reported that they were already going
above and beyond their educational
remit and offering both practical and
financial support to parents in need.
You can read the report here, but
some examples included settings
who:
» Offered additional places and
sessions or free holiday clubs
» Gave practical support with
transport, utilities or allowing
parents to use washing
machines
» Donated clothing
» Funded external trips
» Set up breakfast and after-hours
clubs
Obviously, what your setting can do will
depend on your own time and resources,
but even an increased awareness of the
problems among practitioners will help.
References and more
information
» Malnutrition - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
» The impact of poverty on early
childhood - Centre for Early
Childhood
» Early years sector provides crucial
help to families in poverty - Early
Education (early-education.org.
uk)
» Healthy Start
Click here for
more references
& information.
20 June 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | June 2024 21

Gina Smith
Supporting anxious
children in your setting
Imagine being taken out for the day, but
you don’t know where you are going,
when (or if) you are going to get fed,
who you are going to see and when you
are going to come home again. Does
that sound like fun? To many of us, it
really doesn’t. It sounds scary because
everything will feel out of control – we
don’t know what is happening and that
can leave us feeling vulnerable.
It’s the same for children. When they don’t
know what is coming up they can feel out
of control. This is scary and leaves them
feeling unsettled and anxious about their
day. Bear in mind that young children don’t
have the experience that we have to know
that they will most likely end up having a
lovely time. This is especially true when
they are being handed to adults that they
don’t know very well.
Quite often as adults we forget to tell
our children what is happening in their
day – I know that I am guilty of this as a
parent. We assume they know what is
coming up, but have we actually taken
the time to explain their day to them,
in a way that they can understand and
remember? On arriving at your early
years setting, especially in their first few
days, an anxious child will have all sorts
of unanswered questions brewing in their
head:

National
Armed
Forces Day
We also have reserve organisations
and cadets across all three strands who
should also be celebrated on Armed
Forces Day. Reserves Day is on 26th
June where the public can also show
their support to the reservist men and
women who give up their time voluntarily
to support our professional services. We
should also remember the volunteers and
organisations who give up their time to
train young cadets in some of the skills
needed in the forces, many of which are
useful as general life skills too.
This month, the sun should be shining,
the flowers blooming, and strawberries
and cream are wonderful treats to share
with friends in the sunshine, tennis or no
tennis. But June also includes two very
important days that are remembered for
their significance in changing world history,
and the important people they remember.
These are:
D-Day – celebrated on 6th June –
2024 marks the 80th anniversary of
this pivotal day
Armed Forces Day – celebrated the
last Saturday of June which falls on
29th June this year
Both days help us all to remember the
brave men and women who served in
the armed forces in the past (D-Day) as
well as those who continue to serve their
country today for the benefit of all (Armed
Forces Day). They are a chance to show
support for servicemen and women and
their families and to extend gratitude
and thanks for their sacrifice and service.
However, the days can be celebrated in
the spirit of joy and remembrance and
everyone can get involved. It is never too
early to teach children the value of helping
other people, so why not use these days
to introduce these values to the children in
your care?
Armed Forces Day
The aim of the day is to celebrate our
armed forces and Armed Forces Day is
the culmination of a week of events and
celebrations in honour of our servicemen
and women. It also gives a well-deserved
boost to forces’ morale as members of
society show their appreciation of the
important work that the armed forces do.
In the UK, we have 3 main sections of the
armed forces. These are:
Army
Navy
Air force
80th anniversary of
D-Day
This June, people will come together to
remember the start of the end of the
Second World War as 156,000 allied troops
landed on the beaches of Normandy on
June 6th, 1944. Four thousand personnel
were killed and many others injured in
the operation, codenamed Operation
Overlord, which had been delayed 24
hours due to poor weather. Despite the
losses, D-Day was the turning point in
the war as by the end of the first week of
advances, the Normandy beaches had
been secured from the German fighters
and within a few days, over 300,000
troops and more than 50,000 vehicles
had landed. By August 1944, the whole of
northern France had been liberated.
How to support our
armed forces in June
There are many ways that you can support
our armed forces this June. We’ve come
up with a list of different ideas to help.
1. Teach the children to salute like
the forces. Saluting is an age-old
custom seen at many events and is
used to acknowledge the presence
of a superior officer. However, do
you know how to salute? There are
differences in the way that the US
and the UK salute, and even slight
differences in the way we salute in
different forces. This year, the public is
being encouraged to not only support
the armed forces but to salute them.
You can find some short videos about
how to properly salute them on the
official website here.
2. Send some thank you cards. You
could make some thank you cards in
your setting and then send them to a
local veterans home or local forces
centre such as an army base or a
cadets group. You could do individual
cards but it could also be fun to
make a giant card using everyone’s
handprint as a ‘high-5’ to the forces.
3. Invite members of the armed
forces to your setting. Contact
a local base or ask around to see
if anyone has connections with a
service family and invite them to give
a short talk to your children.
4. Make a mobile with models of
planes, tanks and boats. You can
download templates from the web
and either create 2D pictures or 3D
models for the children to make. You
can get them to paint them in the
appropriate colours.
5. Create a camouflaged den. If you
have an outdoor space, you can
create a den using recycled materials,
boxes and pieces of wood, then make
a camouflage cover to hide it. To
create the camouflage, you can cut
up squares of old material in different
colours of greens, cream and brown.
You can use sticks and leaves too or
even use white and grey to create a
snow camouflage cover as well.
6. Organise a visit to a veteran’s
centre or senior citizen’s home.
This is a great way to brighten
everyone’s day. Many older people
have stories about their time in the
services and it’s a great way to say
‘thank you’ as well.
7. Attend or promote an official
event. Even if you do not go as a
nursery, you could find out about any
local events and promote them to your
families as part of the armed forces
celebrations. Many local centres will
hold open days which usually have
a lot of interactive attractions that
children love.
8. Practice some drills. Drills are a
fundamental part of service life, and
marching, stopping, turning and
saluting are fun to learn and do. You
can make it fun by using some music
to help learn a routine.
9. Read stories about service life.
You may have children in your setting
who have parents, carers or extended
family in the military, and even if not,
it is useful to explain to children how
different people live. You can find a list
of suitable books for early years here.
10. Make some flags and decorate
your setting with them. You can
make flags and bunting easily by
cutting out triangles of different
colours of material (red, white and
blue) and attaching them to some
string or ribbon. Remember you can
also make different flags for different
countries such as England or Scotland
depending on where you live.
11. Share the day on your
social media channels. Use
#SaluteOurForces to pay tribute and
connect with others.
Whatever you do, remember to send us
your images and stories to hello@parenta.
com.
Click here for
more references
& information.
24 June 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | June 2024 25

Louise Mercieca
Health benefits of
gardening in early years
Research has shown that greenery,
including indoor plants and outdoor green
spaces, can have a positive impact on
mental well-being. This calming influence
is believed to stem from the fact that green
is associated with nature and the natural
world, which tends to evoke feelings of
tranquillity and safety.
This is documented in the Biophilia
hypothesis, proposed by biologist E.O.
Wilson. This suggests that humans
have an innate connection with nature.
Evolutionarily, humans have spent a
significant portion of their history in natural
environments. As a result, exposure to
natural elements, including the colour
green, may trigger positive responses in
the brain, promoting relaxation and wellbeing.
If you consider how far removed
many of us have become from the natural
environment, this theory could go some
way to explaining our increased unease
and anxiety.
Gut health and
gardening
There are many benefits gardening brings
to children’s gut health:
1. Enhanced nutritional quality of the
produce eaten provides more fibre,
vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
which supports digestive health.
Certain fruits and vegetables contain
prebiotic fibres that serve as fuel for
beneficial gut bacteria.
2. When children play outdoors and
get their hands dirty, they come into
contact with diverse microorganisms
present in soil. Exposure to these
beneficial microbes can have a
positive impact on the development
of their immune systems and gut
microbiota.
In particular, exposure to a variety
of environmental microbes found in
soil, can contribute to a more diverse
and resilient gut microbiota. A diverse
microbiota is associated with better
overall health and a reduced risk of
certain diseases.
3. Increased movement by being
outdoors increases levels of physical
activity which is associated with a
more diverse gut microbiota.
Educational and
development aid
1. Enhances motor skills - activities like
digging, planting seeds, and watering
plants require fine and gross motor
skills, aiding in the development of
coordination and muscle strength in
children.
2. Teaches responsibility - gardening
instils a sense of responsibility in
children as they care for plants, water
them regularly, and ensure they
receive proper sunlight, fostering
important life skills.
3. Improves concentration - gardening
requires focus and attention to detail,
which can help improve children’s
concentration and cognitive abilities.
4. Boosts self-esteem - successfully
growing plants and witnessing
their progress can boost children’s
self-esteem and sense of
accomplishment, fostering a positive
self-image.
Time outdoors should, as much as
possible be a key feature in childhood yet
many children are not as ‘outdoorsy’ as
previous generations. We have of course,
many technological advancements to
tempt children onto devices but nothing
can compare to the multiple health
benefits of time spent outdoors.
We need this generation of children to
understand the connectiveness of our
food landscape, our responsibility as
consumers and the impact on the wider
environment as we surely cannot sustain
the levels of food production and food
waste we currently have? Gardening could
combine both physical and mental health
boosting activities whilst having a positive
impact on the natural world and wider
environmental benefits.
Click here for
The significance of gardening in the early
years goes beyond mere activity; it shapes
lifelong habits and attitudes towards
nutrition, well-being, and environmental
stewardship. Introducing children to
gardening, with its focus on cultivating
fruits and vegetables, offers a gateway to
nurturing health-conscious behaviours.
In today’s environment, where processed
foods dominate the market, gardening
stands as a counterbalance, imparting
vital lessons on healthy eating from an
early age. By actively participating in
growing produce, children establish a
profound connection with their food,
fostering autonomy in dietary choices
and a genuine appreciation for nutritious
options.
This hands-on approach not only
promotes healthier eating habits but also
instils a lifelong understanding of the
origins of food, its environmental impact,
and its role in maintaining a healthy
balanced diet.
Physical and mental
health
Gardening offers a holistic approach to
support children’s physical and mental
well-being. Gardening can be a very
physical activity with planting, weeding,
and tending to the garden contributing
to general activity levels, improved motor
skills, coordination, and overall physical
health.
The very nature of gardening means that
children can spend more time outside.
Exposing children to sunlight promotes the
synthesis of vitamin D, which is essential
for bone health and mood. With 16%
of children in the UK estimated to have
a vitamin D deficiency, almost 20% of
children in the UK having vitamin D levels
lower than the recommended amount,
and 1 in 6 adults in the UK having low
levels of vitamin D, family time outside in a
garden could be a bone-boosting, mood
boosting family activity.
A colourful garden, particularly the colour
green can have a calming effect on anxiety
and an uplifting effect on our mood.
Exposure to the colour green in nature has
been associated with a reduction in blood
pressure and a decrease in anxiety.
more resources
from Louise:
26 June 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | June 2024 27

Supporting children
with social, emotional
& mental health needs
How well does your setting support
children with SEMH needs?
Are practitioners trained in SEMH issues
and are you confident they react in an
appropriate manner?
As focus in education shifts from academic
outcomes to personal well-being, it’s time
to look at how early years settings can
help with SEMH.
What is SEMH?
SEMH stands for Social, Emotional and
Mental Health, referring to a broad variety
of special educational needs that children
can have around regulating their emotions
and behaviour, both alone and in social
situations. These children often struggle
to build and maintain relationships with
peers/adults and have high rates of
disengagement in school and other social
situations. This is usually due to fear or
anxiety and because of this, children with
SEMH issues often need additional help
and specific interventions and strategies to
support them.
SEMH problems often manifest in diverse
ways which can be difficult for others to
recognise or understand and children
may behave in ways that are extremely
challenging. They can be aggressive,
disruptive or uncooperative, or simply shut
down and retreat into their own world,
leaving practitioners at a loss as to how to
help. But not addressing these issues can
seriously affect the child’s future life, both
inside and outside of education, which is
why it is so important to be aware, and set
plans in place to help early on.
Prevalence of SEMH
According to a 2023 study on mental
health in children and young people:

Frances Turnbull
Musical medicine
Early years fine motor control using my
favourite musical things
This relaxing lullaby by Brahms was
written for an old girlfriend on the birth
of her child, and he created it as both
a lullaby and a love song. Possibly the
most well-known lullaby, this song is a
great opportunity to sing and hold little
one. One of the best ways to share music
with children is by holding them close, up
against you, to feel your breathing, feel
the vibrations from your voice through your
chest. Use your finger to trace patterns on
them, on their back, arms, and legs, using
fine motor skills to teach – and model –
fine motor skills. In this way, little ones are
both hearing and feeling the music – a
magical time.
Music is one of the most versatile activities
that we know. We use it to relax, to
communicate, and it can enhance almost
any social occasion. Music is also a
fantastic learning tool, and this article
introduces ideas that may be used to
develop fine motor control in the early
years.
Fine motor control is an essential skill in
the world in which children are growing.
So many actions become automated as
adults, but thinking a little more, many
activities rely on the ability to, for example,
grasp things between finger and thumb
(writing, sewing and other crafts, sports,
and countless duties in most jobs).
The biggest challenges that children’s
workers have are to make activities easy
enough to try, interesting enough to want
to do and repeat, and hard enough to feel
a sense of achievement. Music solves this
triple challenge beautifully just because it
is music.
Music is one of the most engaging
activities, with well-publicised findings
that every area of the brain responds
when we participate in musical activities,
from listening to singing. This is one of
the reasons that it is one of the most
accessible therapies for such a wide
range of health conditions. It also triggers
‘feel-good’ hormones, making time feel
enjoyable and, well, timeless, because it is
so enjoyable. So how can music be used
to develop fine motor control?
One of the recommendations from
the 2020 report on the State of Child
Health suggests an increased focus on
a child’s first 1,000 days of life – a.k.a.
the early years. The Ages and Stages
Questionnaire provides further activity
suggestions specific to fine motor control,
including grasping, threading beads and
unbuttoning clothes.
These song suggestions may provide
ideas on how to incorporate fine motor
control activities:
Brahms’ lullaby
Lullaby and good night,
Thy mother’s delight
Bright angels around,
My darling, shall stand.
They will guide thee from harms,
Thou shall wake in my arms.
They will guide thee from harms,
Thou shall wake in my arms.
Lullaby and good night,
With roses bedight
With lilies bedecked,
Is my baby’s wee bed.
Lay thee down, now and rest,
May thy slumber be blessed.
Lay thee down, now and rest,
May thy slumber be blessed.
Cradle song
Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Rock them, rock them, lullaby
Care is heavy, therefore sleep you
You are care, and care must keep you
Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry
And I will sing a lullaby
Rock them, rock them, lullaby
This lovely lullaby by Thomas Dekker
(1603) came well before McCartney wrote
the Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers”. Written
in classic 6/8 rocking timing, this song
is ideal for rocking little ones, clearly
the purpose of the poem. Alternatively,
gently stroke little ones to sleep by tracing
invisible lines on them, using your own
fingers/hands. Gently moving your finger
around the shape of their hands or (if
not too ticklish) their feet, helping them to
embody/feel the extent of their body.
Not only does this activity help to develop
proprioception (awareness of the position
or movement of the body), but it also
models fine motor co-ordination, which
they in turn will imitate on their own dolls,
teddies or other toys. Proprioception is an
important element in developing individual
identity, and this is a gentle, calming way
to do this.
My favourite things
These are a few of my favourite things
Cream-coloured ponies and crisp apple
strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel
with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their
wings
These are a few of my favourite things
Girls in white dresses with blue satin
sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and
eyelashes
Silver-white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favourite things
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don’t feel so bad
This is a lovely song that introduces vibrant
imagery that many people will relate to,
especially children. Bringing hope and
positivity, this song can be used for a
number of activities developing fine motor
control. Using blue, scented playdough to
make ‘raindrops’, and folding or cutting
red craft paper into ‘roses’; polishing
copper ornaments and threading wool
into shapes, like mittens; tying pieces of
string (with or without the packages) –
literally every line is a fine motor activity
suggestion, even holding crayons or
pencils to draw the stripes of the ‘bees’.
And listening to or singing the song can
help to remind us of the sequence of the
activities!
so tempting to do them for our children to
save time. The gift of time cannot be overemphasised:
making time to play, time to
learn, time to sing. Here’s hoping you can
make time to sing today!
References

Engaging
show rounds
and proactive
Dr Allan Presland
follow-ups
I’ve written extensively over the years
about the importance of ensuring show
rounds and the enrolment process for
prospective parents are truly optimised
to ensure settings are full. I’ve also talked
about the need to ask for the business to
‘close the sale’ when parents have finished
their tour.
The key point here is that successful
settings prioritise the lead–sales–
onboarding process to ensure they are
consistently maximising capacity.
Prioritising enrolment efficiency
Having highlighted this issue so often,
I thought it would be interesting to talk
about my recent personal experience
whilst touring six secondary schools for
my 12-year-old son as we move countries.
Full disclosure first: we live abroad so he
attends an international school where we
pay fees, so the scenario is more relevant
than say, attending a UK secondary school
where there is little personal choice.
It’s also worth stating that all the schools
were fairly new, and their facilities were
significantly similar. All but one had excess
capacity for our year group, so all should
have been working on the opportunity to
fill their vacancies.
Engagement matters for enrolment
What was not similar was the care and
attention given to engaging with parents
and the all-important post show round
follow up. Only one of the schools reengaged
with us after the show round
(despite each of them committing to send
us something), and we only met the Head
32 June 2024 | parenta.com
Teacher at two of the six – albeit one of
those was with many other parents.
What was interesting though was
the focus these schools gave to our
engagement with them during the show
round. Pretty much each tour was exactly
the same, a tour of their facilities. And yet,
as I’ve already mentioned, their facilities
were pretty much the same – so this isn’t
showing parents any key differentiators.
One school had children show us round.
This was a nice touch, and the children
were clearly proud and had a very
different approach to the show round.
Interestingly though, the children did a
better job than most of the other tours
we took, with one being so rushed we
became disengaged quite quickly.
Staff engagement wins
What was the final deciding factor? Only
one of the six schools properly engaged
with us. We met with the Head Teacher
and the Deputy Head. In every classroom
we entered, the teacher took the time to
say hello.
And so, of the six schools we visited, the
only distinguishing factor was how the
staff and leaders engaged with us as
prospective parents. It’s obvious when the
facilities are similar, but surprisingly, none
of the other five schools realised this and
have therefore not won our business.
Your show round process, the
engagement of staff with prospective
parents, and asking for the business, are
essential parts of maximising occupancy,
improving your enrolment and being a
successful setting.
Essential, but often not given sufficient care
and attention. Unless you are completely
full, this is an area of your business that
needs a review.
For more hints and tips about
how successful settings run
their early years businesses –
get a copy of Dr Allan Presland’s
number one best-selling book
from Amazon here.
Dear Setting Owner/Manager,
Can you really afford to miss out on this amazing offer? Seize this opportunity now and claim
your voucher TODAY for a personal consultation with me. With over 20 years of experience in
the early years sector, I have helped thousands of customers transform their businesses. I look
forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your goals! But hurry, we only have a limited
number of spaces this month.
Richelle Sparks - Early Years Business Expert
PS: We’re celebrating 25 years of business and we’re committed
to helping you achieve this milestone too!

Childcare news
and views
Maintaining quality early years
provision in the face of workforce
challenges
Sufficient Funding Rates are not
being passed on to childcare
providers by councils
According to an investigation by the
National Day Nurseries Association
(NDNA), 88% of council areas are not
seeing the full benefit of government
funding rate increases for two-year-old
places. Analysing 119 local authority base
rates for funded places for two, three, and
four-year-olds, NDNA found that in 66 local
authorities, the increase in funding given
to providers for three and four-year-old
places was lower than the uplift provided
to the councils by the Department for
Education (DfE).
for those places is even worse. The
average rate providers receive is now over
50 pence per hour below the rate that the
Government is funding councils.”
“We need to see councils properly funded
for the work they do, not having to top-slice
from budgets set aside for children’s care
and education. We also know that any
money left over in early years budgets is
often used to off-set overspends in high
needs. Meanwhile nurseries cannot access
the funding they need to support children
with SEND in their setting. Additional
supplements here and there do not meet
the complex needs that providers are
seeing in our youngest children.”
“Last year, just two-thirds of local
authorities felt confident they could
deliver the rollout for April, but with our
support, 100% have done so.”
“That was only the beginning, and we
will continue to support the sector so that
every eligible parent can access the highquality
childcare they deserve.”
Commenting Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early
Years Alliance, said: “As applications for
the second phase of the early entitlement
expansion open, we remain entirely
unconvinced that the government will
be able to keep the huge promise it has
made to parents.“
A new post, “Maintaining quality early
years provision in the face of workforce
challenges” has been published on the
Ofsted early years blog on 13th May.
Lee Owston, National Director of Education
and Alex Jones, Director of Insights and
Research said; “We know that many of you
in the early years sector continue to face
significant challenges, especially around
recruiting and keeping well-qualified staff.”
In this blog, we will highlight:
Some of the ways these workforce
challenges are evident when we are
inspecting
What providers are doing to mitigate
some of these negative impacts
The importance of continued good
leadership and management in times
of high staff turnover
Some of the main workforce issues include
low pay, challenging working conditions,
lack of professional development, staff
not having the right qualifications, poor
leadership and low levels of staff wellbeing.
Some of these are big systemic
challenges that you have little or no
control over, for example the quality of
qualifications that your staff receive. But
there are some challenges that you can
influence and remedy to some extent, for
example the quality of leadership and how
much attention you pay to staff well-being.
The biggest and most immediate risks are
to safeguarding. We have seen evidence
of this on our inspections when providers
do not carry out comprehensive inductions
with new staff, do not have robust
information-sharing practices in place,
have a high turnover of staff and use staff
on a temporary basis.
Incomplete inductions are a particular
concern. They can result in significant risks
for children. For example, staff may miss
important information about allergens or a
child’s specific needs.
High staff turnover can reduce the
opportunities for your staff to get to know
your children. This means they may not
easily be able to identify what your children
know and can do or what they need to
know and be able to do next. If your staff
do not know the children well, this can also
affect the quality of their interactions with
them.
We are seeing staff shortages leading to
managers and leaders stepping in to fulfil
staff ratios themselves. While this means
that rooms can remain open for children,
leaders then have less time for vital tasks.
Workforce challenges can also affect the
emotional well-being of your staff. If you
are unable to release staff for training, this
can hinder their career progression and
leave them feeling demoralised.
Strong leaders recognise the importance of
staff well-being. We have seen many good
examples of leaders putting measures in
place to support their staff.
We know that you are working hard to
manage workforce challenges in your
settings, even though some of the factors
are outside of your control. We know that
you are also doing this at a time when
ongoing childcare reforms are increasing
the demand for childcare.
Putting into place robust informationsharing
strategies to avoid losing
knowledge among your staff will help you
reduce some of the negative impacts on
your children’s care and education. And
maintaining good management oversight
will help with your staff’s well-being.
For our part, we will continue to
regulate and inspect responsibly and
proportionately, in the best interests of
children.
The above are highlights. Read this blog in
full here.
The analysis of two-year-old base rates
found they average 93.3% of the funding
received from the DfE. These rates varied,
with Wandsworth providers reporting
a base rate of £8.77 per hour per child
out of the £11.17 per hour provided to the
council by the DfE, compared to 99.3% in
Nottinghamshire.
Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive
of National Day Nurseries Association
(NDNA) said: “A lot has been made
about the increased investment in
early education and care due to the
Government’s expansion plans. While
extra money is good news for parents and
a welcome investment in children’s early
learning, these figures show that it is not
all reaching the front line.
“Councils and providers face a very
complex and outdated funding system
that doesn’t mean money to fund early
education and care reaches the providers
who are working with our youngest
children.
“The fact that the base rate paid to
providers for two-year-olds has dropped in
nearly 40 local authority areas is making
it much harder for nurseries to be able to
deliver the places that parents need. Our
other research has shown that nursery
staffing costs alone went up by 14.4% in
April, so these nurseries are being asked
to do more with less.”
Nurseries and other childcare providers
are expected to deliver this expansion
to two-year-olds when their funding has
actually dropped in many places.
“For now, nurseries have far more three
and four-year-old children on funded
places but funding rates they are receiving
“The funding model needs to be fixed and
quickly. From September, nurseries will
also be expected to deliver funded places
for those aged nine months upwards. They
should be fully supported to be able to do
this and to thrive. We need a sector that is
growing and sustainable, not one that is
shrinking.”
The story including full statistics, as
reported by the NDNA can be found here.
Sector expresses capacity
concerns as second phase of early
entitlement expansion begins
The second phase of the government’s
early entitlement expansion began on
12th May, raising new concerns about
the early years sector’s capacity to meet
the increased demand. Eligible working
parents of children aged 9 to 23 months
by 31st August can now apply for a code
to access 15 hours of government-funded
early education and childcare per week
starting in September 2024.
The government is encouraging parents to
check their eligibility at childcarechoices.
gov.uk and secure places with providers.
However, with the Department for
Education estimating that an additional
15,000 places will be needed by
September to meet the demand, there
are ongoing concerns in the early years
sector about whether it has the necessary
capacity.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:
“Last month, we successfully delivered on
our promise to expand free childcare to
two-year-olds, with over 210,000 families
now feeling the benefits.”
“While the first phase largely involved
families who were already accessing
early years places switching from private
to government-funded places, the next
phase is set to place further – and far
more severe – capacity challenges on
the sector, with the government itself
predicting that 15,000 places will be
needed by this September alone, and a
further 70,000 by the end of the roll-out.”
“With the recent National Audit Office
report raising serious concerns about
future phases of the expansion, and the
Department for Education itself describing
delivering enough places to meet demand
as ‘problematic’, it’s clear that significant
challenges lay ahead for government.”
The full story can be read on the Early
Years Alliance website here.
34 June 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | June 2024 35

EYFS activities:
Communication
and Language
Communication and language activities are crucial for children’s overall development as they foster essential skills
such as listening, understanding, and speaking. By engaging in conversations, storytelling, and interactive play,
children enhance their vocabulary, comprehension, and the ability to express themselves. This early development
of communication skills not only supports academic learning but also builds confidence and helps children form
positive relationships with peers and adults, setting a strong foundation for their future success.
DIY stress-ball – sensory fun!
Feelings dice
It’s important to promote children’s
development and well-being from an early age.
This simple activity is a great way for children
to communicate their feelings and encourage
their well-being.
You will need:
Ì Large dice
Ì Small pictures of faces showing different
feelings and emotions
Ì Glue or tape
Method:
1. Stick the faces showing different emotions
onto each side of a large dice and let it dry.
2. Show everyone the different sides and
discuss each emotion.
3. Demonstrate by rolling the dice and talking
about when you might feel the emotion
shown, e.g., “I feel happy when I see my
friends.”
4. Encourage the children to take turns rolling
the dice and talk about when they might
feel the emotions shown.
5. If a difficult feeling is rolled, share a
solution that might help them feel better
and ask the children for their ideas.
6. Some children might prefer to act out the
emotion instead of talking about it.
7. You could also ask the children to show the
emotion on the dice that matches how they
feel today and explain why.
Find out more about this activity here.
A lot of children can find relief from anxiety or
stress through sensory experiences and toys,
giving them something to focus on. It may also
help them to communicate how they’re feeling.
You will need:
Ì Two balloons
Ì A funnel
Ì Some rice or flour
Method:
1. Place one balloon inside the other.
2. Use the funnel to fill the inner balloon with
your rice or flour.
3. Keep filling until the inner balloon is full.
4. Tie off the end of the inner balloon securely.
5. Then tie the second balloon separately over
the inner balloon to make it secure.
6. Give your new stress-ball a gentle squeeze,
and it’s ready to go!
Find out more about this activity here.
Nature faces – a favourite with the children!
A simple and fun activity making faces out of
natural materials.
You will need:
Ì A collection of natural materials found
outside (sticks, flowers, leaves, stones etc.)
Ì Chalk
Ì A selection of photos of faces showing
different feelings and emotions
Method:
1. Take the children on an outside hunt to
collect some natural materials.
2. Put all the collected items in the middle of
the play area.
3. Draw circles on the ground for each child to
create their faces in.
4. Demonstrate how to make a happy face
using the natural materials (e.g., stones for
eyes, sticks and leaves for a smile).
5. Show the children a photo of a sad face
and ask them to make their own nature
face showing this emotion.
6. Encourage the children to talk about each
other’s natural faces, the materials used
and times they felt this feeling.
7. Repeat with different emotions.
8. For younger children, mark where the eyes,
nose, ears, and mouth go on the face to
help them place their objects correctly.
Find out more about this activity here.
36 June 2024 | parenta.com

Many of us may not
understand the meaning of
physical literacy. So what
does it mean?
“Physical literacy” definition: “disposition
to capitalise on our human-embodied
capability wherein the individual
has the motivation, confidence,
physical competence, knowledge,
and understanding to value and take
responsibility for maintaining purposeful
physical pursuits and activities throughout
the life course” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.
nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9221622/
Adolescents with Higher Cognitive and
Affective Domains of Physical Literacy
Possess Better Physical Fitness: The
Importance of Developing the Concept of
Physical Literacy in High Schools).
In other words, as early years educators,
our role is to encourage children to adopt
an approach where they are motivated,
confident, skilled, and knowledgeable
enough to value and eventually take
responsibility for staying active throughout
their lives.
“Physical literacy can be described
as the motivation, confidence,
physical competence, knowledge
and understanding to value and take
responsibility for engagement in physical
activities for life.” International Physical
Literacy Association, 2017.
Physical literacy doesn’t just happen on its
own. It is quite a lot of hard work for the
body and brain to develop a vocabulary
of movements. These movements are
observed, copied, and learnt.
Our foundation of movement vocabulary
starts in early childhood. Fundamental
Gina Bale
Physical literacy
What does it mean?
movement skills are required for walking,
dancing, and elite sports. These skills
are learnt with constant practice and
repetition.
The learnt movement vocabulary is what
helps children, and adults move with
confidence and competence. When a child
is confident and competent, with their
movement vocabulary, they can move on
the ground indoors and outdoors, in and
on the water, and on snow and ice.
How are you as a setting demonstrating
a foundation of movement vocabulary for
your little ones?
The resource from the Youth Sport Trust is
a great reference for you and your team.
https://www.youthsporttrust.org/media/
xl1dyrzb/early-years-physical-literacyframework.pdf
Providing opportunities for your little ones,
no matter their needs, is vital, especially as
the recent “Active Lives Children and Young
People’s Survey” has revealed worrying
results. The survey showed that less than
half of children achieve the guidelines for
exercise. And a third are active for less
than 30 minutes a day.
This survey shows how important it is
for early years educators to find ways to
encourage our little ones to enjoy physical
activity as they develop their movement
vocabulary. Neglecting finding ways to
encourage them will have a huge impact
on their future health and physical literacy
outcomes.
How can we help them?
We need to show children, and adults,
all the different, fun, and creative ways
to be active and have fun. You and your
team need to model this behaviour as
all their movement vocabulary is learnt
from observation, copying, and repeating.
By doing this, you are creating a positive
experience of movement for your children,
and team, that will have a huge impact on
their lives.
Yes, some children don’t have any interest,
or physical ability, to engage in specific
sport-led activities. And this is fine, as
we are all different. They just haven’t
discovered what lights their ‘fire’, so to
speak… The solution is to introduce your
children to as many activities as possible.
Let them find, with you, what they enjoy
and encourage them to develop their
movement vocabulary in ways that work
for them including interactive creative
role-play.
“Research shows that physically literate
children are twice as likely to be active,
have higher levels of mental well-being
and feel their experiences are more
positive.” Sport England.
Remember this goes for the adults as well.
Some of you may not have had the most
positive experiences of sport at school.
These experiences impact your interest in,
and delivery of physical activities and how
you encourage your children.
To help them, we need to consider how
we, as adults, can ensure we have a
positive relationship with movement in our
environment and how to encourage our
children to build positive relationships with
all types of physical activities.
On top of all the physical benefits,
movement helps to enhance cognitive
functions such as attention, memory,
decision-making, social, and psychological
development.
Did you know?
Movement grows your brain through the
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)
release which stimulates growth.
And we mustn’t forget ‘Mr
Myelin’…
‘Mr Myelin’ is Professor George Bartzokis
(1956-2014), a neuroscientist and
Professor of Psychiatry.
Myelin is the insulation that tightly wraps
around our nerve fibres. Each time we
repeat a movement it wraps the myelin,
like electrical tape to prevent any leaks,
around that part of the circuitry we used in
the brain to recreate the movement. Myelin
increases the speed and accuracy of the
signal strength in our brain i.e. the upload
and download speed of our brain. Some
people talk about ‘muscle memory’ but it
is myelin.
www.gov.uk: Physical activity: applying All Our Health Updated 10 March 2022
‘As part of education physical literacy
does not principally play a role in
cognitive development rather it provides
the opportunity to foster a key aspect
of our personhood. In other words,
physical literacy can be justified as
having educational validity in a broad
and balanced curriculum.’ (International
Physical Literacy Association)
Myelin has been attributed as the key to
talking, reading, learning skills, and even,
being human.
Bartzokis originated the theory that
the degeneration of the brain’s myelin
contributed to many developmental and
degenerative diseases, such
as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s.
Continued research shows the importance
of myelin in the brain and how it ensures
everything runs smoothly. So remember, if
you don’t use it, you lose it!
Myelin and language
“Reduced myelin in key areas of the brain
necessary for learning rules, speaking,
and listening may impair language
acquisition in children.”
Quantitative MRI reveals differences in
striatal myelin in children with DLD
Saloni Krishnan et al.
Myelin initially builds on the sensorimotor
white matter and the Heschl gyrus (the
structure containing the human primary
auditory cortex in the brain) and then,
extends to the language-related areas.
Physical literacy in the early years and its
relationship with speech and language,
is looked at in the article: “Myelination of
language-related areas in the developing
brain” by J. Pujol, et al, 2006.
Just a little reminder for the
adults
The above diagram from the gov.uk is
a great reminder of why we all need
to be active throughout our lives and
the importance of creating a positive
environment for children, and adults, in
your setting.
Click here for
more resources
from Gina:
38 June 2024 | parenta.com
parenta.com | June 2024 39

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