Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Ball Game Ideas for Young Children
Ball games are fun at any age, and a great way to get our hearts pumping! Here we explore some games you can enjoy with the little ones in your life, whether they are babies, toddlers or pre-schoolers.
Don’t forget to praise their efforts and show them that you enjoy the games you play together, too!
Babies
Even babies can enjoy playing with a ball. When a baby can hold up their head while lying on their tummy, encourage them to reach for the ball, by placing it just out of reach. This will encourage them to explore their surroundings, reach and grab.
Toddlers
Encourage your child to throw, kick and roll the ball to you. Make this easier at first by sitting or standing close to each other. Practice makes perfect – don’t expect your little one to catch straight away. You could even use a cardboard box or washing basket as a goal.
Pre-schoolers
Show your child how to use their hand as a bat. Bowl the ball to them and encourage them to hit it! As your little one improves; change the rules so that they must run from one base to another after a hit. The next step is rounders or cricket!
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding thousands of parents and families in Scotland not to miss out on financial support that can help pay for childcare during the summer holidays.
Through Tax-Free Childcare, families can receive up to £2,000 a year per child – or £4,000 if their child is disabled – to put towards the cost of childcare. And it is available for children aged up to 11, or 17 if the child has a disability. The money can help towards the cost of holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes.
The UK Government will pay 20% of childcare costs by topping up the money paid into a Tax-Free Childcare account. This means for every £8 paid into the online account, families will automatically receive an additional £2 in government top-up.
More than 22,700 families in Scotland used Tax-Free Childcare in March 2022 – the highest number of families recorded using the scheme since it was launched in April 2017 – but thousands more could be missing out. Research published earlier this year by HMRC estimated that about 1.3 million families could be eligible for this UK Government support.
Parents and carers are being urged find out more about Tax-Free Childcare via the Childcare Choices website.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Tax-Free Childcare can make a big difference to families, helping with the bills for things like holiday clubs, nurseries, childminders and after school clubs.
“It’s easy to register – search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on GOV.UK.”
Helen Whately, HM Treasury’s Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Tax-Free Childcare helps families with the cost of childcare bills but we know that thousands of parents could be missing out.
“That is why I’m encouraging families to sign up now and save on childcare costs.
“There are lots of fantastic holiday clubs and childcare providers to help working parents during the summer holidays, so now is the time to take advantage of this support.”
For thousands of families who use Tax-Free Childcare, the money they save each month on their childcare costs is money that goes back into their pockets. Accounts can be opened at any time of the year and can be used straight away, and money can be deposited at any time and used when needed. Any unused money that is deposited can be simply withdrawn at any time.
During the school summer holidays, it is more important than ever that parents and carers are able to access the financial aid they qualify for. It can reduce their costs, help them to stay in work, or help them work more hours.
More than one million families in the UK are entitled to some form of UK Government childcare support and the government is encouraging those eligible to not miss out on their entitlements.
To ensure that parents get the childcare support they are entitled to, the government is launching an awareness raising advertising campaign this week.
Is bedtime a nightmare for you and your child? You’re probably not alone, three quarters (73%) of children aged 4-12 have night-time fears, such as monsters and bad dreams.
To help combat this, Happy Beds spoke to over 100 young children across the UK to find out what children really want in a ‘good’ monster under the bed to protect them from these fears.
Educational Child Psychologist, Karen Jones, has unpicked the most common monster characteristics from the experiment and applied them practically, explaining how these tips will help children get a better night’s sleep.
Five expert tips to help children sleep
1. “A monster who plays music to fight off the baddies”
Tip: Play a lullaby
Once your child is in bed, you rely on them feeling relaxed enough to sleep, however, they’re much more likely to enter into a stressed state if they’re sitting in the dark and tuned in to every noise. Playing relaxing music can be key to keeping them calm enough to sleep.
2. “My monster smells of my favourite fruit, raspberries and strawberries”
Tip: Spray familiar scents
Try spraying a familiar scent, such as mum or dad’s perfume or aftershave in their room or on their bedtime teddy. Smell allows a child to feel calm and protected thanks to the sensory recognition it creates and it can be a great way to soothe a child.
3. “A monster with blue fur and red paws”
Tip: Utilise primary colours
Whilst we tend to feel like pastel colours are always best as they are calming, when you’re decorating your child’s bedroom, consider brighter, primary colours – such as those that their favourite superhero wears or that they would recognise from a playground.
4. “My monster has a special glitter cape when I get scared”
Tip: Make a calming glitter jar
Using an old bottle or jar, create a calming jar with glitter, glue and hot water. Watching the swirls of glitter slowly glide from one end of the jar to the other, has a relaxing soothing effect on children and is proven to help with anxiety
5. “He has a soft tummy, fluffy arms and velvet legs”
Tip: Ensure their bed is cosy
Children love to cuddle – fill their bed with different textured soft items so they can self-soothe. This will help make a secure, safe space for a child to relax in.
Happy Beds, challenged children to design a new Happy Monster mascot to win a brand-new child’s bed worth £500, as well as have their monster properly designed into a real-life soft toy.
After hundreds of imaginative and exciting entries, a winner has been chosen, with Educational Child Psychologist, Karen Jones, giving her insight into the designs.
The winner… Superhugs, designed by Logan, aged 3 from Scotland.
This hairy blue and red monster, named Superhugs, was declared the winner.
Logan’s mum, who designed him said: “Superhugs monster senses tell him when bad dreams are coming, his blue fur tingles and sends a forcefield to banish all bad dreams away from the bedroom, then a warm hugging red glow appears and comforts the little one through the night.
“He smells of raspberries and strawberries and is super soft to touch, with a bright furry red face & paws.”
Karen Jones commented: “As children’s senses are much more sensitive than those of adults, this also makes them the best way to go from stressed to calm.
“Logan has given Superhugs certain sensory cues, such as bright, primary colours and a unique smell, which can be the quickest way to soothe a child.”
For tips on helping children sleep with night terrors, click here.
Over 5000 children in Edinburgh are on a journey to ‘Grow Strong’, a pilot project from social enterprise and charity Edinburgh Community Food and not-for-profit Veg Power, to help children learn about where food comes from and to encourage them to grow fruit and vegetables.
38 Edinburgh primary schools and local families received their Grow Packs earlier this year and have been carefully raising Cherry Tomatoes. The packs included propagators, seeds and compost kindly donated by Unwins Seeds.
The P2 Class at Liberton Primary School have been repotting their tomato plants ready to take home for the summer holidays with the help of Gracemount Community Garden and the new Deputy Lord Provost, Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron (top).
Over the school holidays, if our little growers are having trouble with their crop, children and families will be able to attend ‘Tomato Plant Surgeries’ taking place weekly at Broomhouse and Murrayburn & Hailesland Community Gardens.
Once the cherry tomatoes are ready to harvest the children will head to the kitchen to turn their tomatoes into a delicious pasta sauce.
The learning will continue throughout the Summer with a number of exciting events for children taking place at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which will help them on their Grow Strong journey and ensure the cherry tomatoes make a tasty pasta sauce.
One Parent Familes Scotland asked single parents accessing their services about the main issues affecting their lives and what needs to be done to tackle them.
Please give a child dignity, confidence and a sense of belonging when they go to school. Times are hard and families need your help more than ever.
A set of uniform can be the difference between a child attending and engaging in school or staying away.
There are two ways you can get involved in our Sponsor A Child appeal this summer:
Email us at info.esub@gmail.com and we will send you details of a child’s age, gender and what’s needed for a “back to school” pack. You then shop for the items and drop them in to one of our collection baskets.
Donate money and we will do the shopping for you (please ask us for our bank details if you would prefer to donate directly or if you are donating on behalf of a group or company).
You can of course just buy an item or two of new school clothing, and we will add it into a pack. Our Amazon wishlist also remains open if you would like to have something sent directly to us.
Fields in Trust – the independent charity that has been protecting parks and green spaces for almost 100 years – has announced that its search for the UK’s Favourite Parks is back this summer and is calling upon the residents of Edinburgh to get nominating now!
The popular campaign has returned for the first time since 2019 and covers the length and breadth of the nation to shine a light on the green spaces that hold a special place in our hearts.
Having acted as refuge to many over the past few years, Fields in Trust is bringing back the campaign to find the UK’s Favourite Parks to ensure that they continue to be celebrated in a post-pandemic world.
The charity recently commissioned a study which found that almost half of us have visited local parks more often than we used to as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coupled with research that has shown that access to nature was one of the main ways people have supported their mental health during lockdowns, Fields in Trust is determined that this year’s campaign celebrates the spaces that gave us so much in our time of need.
This year’s UK’s Favourite Parks campaign is made all-the-more important in light of the Fields in Trust’s recently released annual Green Space Index report.
The study – which analyses the provision and distribution of parks and green spaces in the UK – found that 2.8 million people live more than ten minutes’ walk away from a green space.
With only 6% of green space legally protected in Great Britain, Fields in Trust worries that this will only worsen in coming years if we do not appreciate and advocate for our local parks.
Chief Executive of Fields in Trust, Helen Griffiths, said: “There is no doubt that the importance of green spaces has been acutely felt recently, with people increasingly turning to their local parks to find a sense of tranquillity, space, and belonging since the pandemic began.
“When restrictions were at their highest, many sought refuge in their daily walk around the park; and when restrictions lifted to allow outdoor gatherings, the same parks became the backdrop for reunions with loved ones and new memories made.
“At a time when things were so hard for so many, these places provided respite; now, through our UK’s Favourite Parks campaign, we want to give people the chance to show their appreciation for the green spaces that were there for them.”
The search for the UK’s Favourite Parks starts today, meaning you can nominate your local green space now. Nominations are open until Tuesday 5 July, before the chosen parks go head-to-head in a public vote.
Regional spots to have made the UK’s Favourite Parks list in previous years include Figgate Park, Pittencrieff Park and Wilton Lodge Park in Hawick, and this year, the Fields in Trust team hopes to unearth even more green spaces that are close to Scotland’s hearts.
“We are thrilled to be on the search once again for the UK’s Favourite Parks and we have no doubt that we’ll find some absolute gems along the way. We can’t wait to see the places that get put forward in Scotland.
“Whether it’s the park you head for when the sun is shining; your favourite place to walk the dog; the place you go to stretch your legs; or your family’s favourite spot to spend quality time together: we want you to nominate your favourite today!”
June is Pride month and events such as Pride Glasgow and Edinburgh Pride, this Saturday (25th June), will be celebrating the history of gay rights and related civil rights movements.
Pride is a great way to encourage young people to feel comfortable to talk about their sexuality and gender identity, especially as at Childline we have delivered more than 4,000 counselling sessions to young people in Scotland and across the UK over the last year with worries about these issues.
Among these concerns, young people spoke to trained counsellors about experiences of coming out; questioning their sexuality or gender identity; gender dysphoria; discrimination and prejudice to sexuality or gender identity; and self-acceptance.
It can be a worrying time for young people who are facing these concerns, and it can be tough for parents and carers to know how to help.
One way for parents and carers to help their children feel confident to speak up is by simply having a conversation with them. Just by having a chat, or perhaps looking at some of the advice on the Childline or NSPCC websites, parents can help give young people the confidence to be proud of who they are.
Childline is also here for them. They can speak to a trained counsellor over the phone on 0800 1111 or via email or on a 1-2-1 chat via the Childline website.
Christmas at the Botanics returns for 2022 with new and otherworldly installations
With fewer than 200 sleeps until Christmas, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is finalising plans to welcome back Christmas at the Botanics for its sixth year.
The annual festive marvel will once again light up the capital’s night sky with a one mile illuminated trail, running for six weeks from 17 November to 30 December (selected evenings only).
New installations at the Botanics for 2022 include:
· Floraison, from the French artistic collective, Pitaya, takes flora and fauna to a new level. A total of 240 red, glowing flowers will appear to blossom on trees along the path of the Chinese Hillside bringing an ethereal vibe to the trail.
· Aurora, from UK artists ITHACA, makes its first ever appearance in Scotland. A new overhead piece, the installation recreates the visual tones of the stunning Aurora Borealis with waves of colour.
· Feathers, by UK artists Pyrite Creative, sees UV feathers measuring up to two meters, appear to float gracefully in the trees above visitors as they pass by.
Returning festive favourites include the magnificent Christmas Cathedral, Inverleith House projection and – making its return for 2022 – the Laser Garden, which will for the first time in Edinburgh feature rainbow lasers casting beams and thousands of coloured dots across the surrounding landscape.
The 2021 trail attracted the biggest audience in its six-year history – welcoming more than 90,000 visitors over its five-week run. With the capital able to again welcome visitors from across the UK and internationally, organisers are aiming for another record-breaking year, as family and friends come together to enjoy the festivities.
Kari Coghill, Director of Enterprise and Communication, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh said: “We work hard all year to display the fruits of the seasons through our magnificent plant collections.
“Opening the Garden on a crisp winter’s evening continues to be special as visitors can experience this wonderful place in a very different light – all while enjoying a hot chocolate or toasting a marshmallow with friends or family.
“Ticket sales from Christmas at the Botanics help us to maintain the Garden and continue our work in plant research, conservation, horticulture and education. I look forward to throwing open our gates and welcoming everyone to the trail in November.”
Jonathan Marks, Director at Raymond Gubbay, a division of Sony Music, which promotes the event, added: “Creating festive traditions with family or friends is something to be cherished.
“Christmas at the Botanics has become a milestone moment which kicks off the season for so many people. It’s the perfect get-together for all ages. As with last year, we are again able to welcome larger groups and I can’t wait to see everyone enjoying the illuminated Garden.”
Tickets for this year’s show are on sale now. For further ticket information, pricing and timings, please visit www.rbge.org.uk/christmas. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Christmas at the Botanics is one of 14 illuminated trails staged across the UK by leading events promoter Raymond Gubbay Limited, a division of Sony Music. Christmas at the Botanics is presented in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and creative producer Culture Creative.
