5 Engaging Passover Activities to Excite and Educate Children

Across London, families, schools and businesses are preparing for the cherished Jewish holiday, Passover (or ‘Pesach’), a time of remembrance, reflection and family gathering. 

Passover holds deep cultural and historical importance for Jewish families worldwide, commemorating the Exodus, when Moses liberated the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt and led them towards freedom. 

The focal point of the Passover observance is the Seder, which is a ceremonial meal filled with traditions, storytelling, prayer and symbolic foods. Children are always eager to participate in the Seder, so there are numerous opportunities for parents and nannies to educate on the significance of Passover and Jewish history, as well as create lasting memories through engaging activities.

We are sharing some inspiration for Passover activities that will keep children entertained with opportunities to educate. Of course, every family will observe Passover in their own way, in keeping with their own faith and family traditions so these activities can simply serve as inspiration and be adapted to reflect how your family celebrates.

Suggested Passover Activities for Children

DIY Seder Plate

Encourage creativity and understanding of Passover symbolism by crafting a DIY Seder plate. This hands-on activity allows children to explore the significance of each item on the Seder plate, from the bitter herbs to the sweet charoset. It's not only a craft project but also a learning opportunity to discuss the story and traditions associated with each food item.

You can use store-bought clay to create this or get your hands on one of the kits from Sculpd to create your Seder plate as it comes with paints, brushes, tools and gloss included. For ease, we’d suggest tracing around an existing dinner plate and using something round like the base of a glass (or even an orange) to gently make indentations that will hold each food.

There are often six foods that sit on a seder plate which include a lamb shank bone (zeroa), hard-boiled egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror or charezet), vegetable or parsley (karpas), a sweet paste called ‘charoset’ and three Matzah (matzot). 

Creative 'Tablescaping' for Seder Night

Transform your dinner table into a visually-captivating scene with a creative 'tablescape’ designed by your children. Encourage them to help decorate the table with Passover-themed centrepieces, floral arrangements or even symbolic decorations like miniature pyramids or frogs. This needn’t be too complex, it could simply be a few flowers picked from the garden and placed in water cups in place of bud vases, or a roll of plain wallpaper painted with their own designs to form a make-shift tablecloth but this collaborative effort enhances the ambiance on Seder and fosters a sense of excitement, pride and involvement in the holiday preparations.

If you’re in need of some creative, child-friendly inspiration, we love this Lego interpretation of the parting of the Red Sea!

Personalised Place Names for Seder Night

Building on the tablescaping activity, why not add a personal touch to the Seder table by creating and decorating place names for each family member and guest. Children can get crafty with art supplies, incorporating Passover symbols or their own artistic flair. This activity not only encourages creativity but also reinforces the importance of family and community during the holiday period.

Afikomen Pouch Crafting

Keep the tradition of hiding and searching for the Afikomen alive by crafting personalised Afikomen pouches. Children can design and decorate their pouches using fabric (for ease, something like this canvas pouch would work well), felt, paper or other recycled materials. 

This activity is so simple and adds an element of excitement to the Seder, as children eagerly await the opportunity to search for the hidden Afikomen and claim their reward.

Chametz-Free Baking

Get children involved in Passover-friendly baking activities by exploring Chametz-free recipes together. From Matzah ball soup to flourless chocolate cake, there are plenty of delicious treats to enjoy during Passover. 

Baking teaches valuable kitchen skills, encourages children to explore a wider range of foods and provides an opportunity to reinforce the dietary restrictions associated with the holiday.

We cannot wait to try these KFP Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches from the Jewish Chronicle. They are the ultimate children’s dessert and take just 24-minutes from start to finish!

Engaging children in Passover activities goes beyond just having fun—it's also an opportunity for learning, development and strengthening bonds with family and your nanny.

Whether you try the activities above or explore your own, getting children involved in Passover activities helps to promote:

• Cultural Awareness as children learn about their heritage and the significance of Passover traditions, fostering a sense of cultural identity and pride.

• Creativity and Expression. Crafting, decorating and participating in Seder preparations encourages children to express themselves creatively while developing their fine motor skills.

• ‘Togetherness’. Collaborative activities like making their own Seder plate or table decorating helps strengthen personal relationships and creates lasting memories for children and adults alike.

However you and your family are celebrating, we wish you a joyous and memorable Passover celebration. Chag Pesach sameach!

Egg-citing Easter Activities for Families in North West London

We may still be awaiting some blue skies but there is no denying that there has been a shift in the weather this month and the days are getting longer. This means Spring is upon us and Easter is just around the corner!

As Easter and the half-term break approach, it is time to start thinking about activities to keep younger minds busy and entertained. From traditional egg hunts to at-home crafts to action-packed adventures, there is an abundance of Easter activities right on our doorstep. 

We’ve rounded up some of our favourite Easter activities so, whether you prefer to be in the comfort of your living room or you are up for exploring North West London and the surrounding areas, you can be sure your half-term is fun-filled and unforgettable for the whole family.

Easter Egg Hunts

Easter egg hunts are a timeless tradition that children (and adults) of all ages adore. Many parks and attractions across North West London will be hosting Easter egg hunts during the half term break but these are two of our favourites to look out for: 

Easter Adventure Quest at Kenwood House

From 23rd March to 14th April, children can enjoy the Easter Adventure Quest at Kenwood House. Children will hunt for clues in the fantastic Kenwood grounds, track down the Easter eggs and get rewarded with a tasty chocolate treat. Advance bookings aren’t necessary and it’s just £2 to take part.

Lewis of London Ice Cream Farm

From 29th March until 14th April, you can head to the Lewis of London Ice Cream Farm in Barnet to take part in Easter egg hunts. There will be SEN-friendly sessions available as well as sessions for the general public so all children can meet the Easter Bunny, learn about the animals that live on the farm and even cuddle some lambs and chicks! 

Entry for children is £7.95 and adults are £4.95. 

Spring Nature Walks

We are advocates for getting outside and (weather-permitting) this is the perfect time of year to venture out and embrace the beauty of spring with a nature walk in one of North West London's picturesque parks. 

Magnolias have well and truly blossomed and there are plenty of other colourful blooms and budding trees at Regent's Park, Primrose Hill or along Brent Reservoir. 

If the weather is kind, half-term is also the perfect time for an Easter-themed picnic at the Hill Garden Pergola, equipped with boiled eggs, the treats from your Easter eggs hunt and a slice of simnel cake.

Or, if the weather is less favourable, then seize the opportunity to don your favourite wellington boots and raincoat and walk through Hampstead Heath to Venchi for an indulgent hot chocolate instead.

Easter Crafts at Home

Get creative at home with Easter-themed crafts that the whole family can enjoy. From blowing and decorating eggs to making Easter bonnets and bunny masks, there are endless possibilities for artistic expression. 

All you need is some paints, pinafores and some craft materials to set up a crafting station. Then you can let childrens’ imaginations soar!

If you do decide to blow and paint eggs, here’s the need-to-knows:

1. Using a sewing needle or a small, pointy tool, gently prick a hole in the top and bottom of an egg and blow the contents of the egg into a dish until it’s hollow. 

Children may need adult help to blow the eggs initially as it can be tough getting it going out but after the first few puffs, children can easily take over! 

1. Give the egg a rinse and pat dry.

2. Once it is dry, you can get painting and create a design of your choice! This could include glitter, pom poms, little ears… the world is your oyster and these can be kept for future as Easter ornaments.
   Top Tip: Keep the contents of the egg to use as scrambled eggs, omelette or the base for a tasty baked treat later in the day.

Family Baking Session

Spend a cosy afternoon at home baking Easter treats together. You could whip up a batch of Easter egg brownies, decorate Easter cookies or as a fun alternative, you can repurpose a box of hot cross buns and the leftover eggs you blew to make a scrumptious hot cross bun French toast:

1. In a bowl, mix 1 egg, a splash of milk, some vanilla extract, a tsp of sugar and a dash of cinnamon.

2. Unpack your hot cross buns and slice in half, just as you would if you were putting them in the toaster.

3. Dip the sliced hot cross buns into your egg mixture until fully coated and shake off the excess before putting to one side. 

4. Heat a frying pan on the hob with a knob of butter. Once the butter is melted and the pan is warm, fry your eggy hot cross buns. You’ll know when they’re done as the egg mixture will turn golden and crisp.

5. Serve your hot cross bun French toast with your topping of choice and enjoy. Our go-to toppings are a dusting of icing sugar, a dollop of greek yoghurt, a drizzle of maple syrup or a handful of fresh fruit.

Easter-themed Theatre Shows & Crafts

Harrow Arts Centre is hosting a number of Spring and Easter-themed events over the half-term period, including The Little Mermaid pantomime and an SEN nature-inspired print-making workshop. 

The Arts Depot in Finchley is also bringing some favourite children's tales to life with stage adaptations of The Singing Mermaid, Dogs Don’t Do Ballet and Princess Smartypants this Easter which will please and delight children.

With so many activities and adventures awaiting in North West London and the surrounding areas, this Easter promises to be one to remember for families. Whether you're hunting for Easter eggs in the park, getting crafty at home, or exploring the historic streets of neighbouring towns and suburbs, there's something to get everyone egg-cited this half term!

The Best Child-Friendly Restaurants for Families in North West London

While dining out is a welcomed treat for many, the experience of eating at a restaurant can offer a number of benefits for children and toddlers, extending beyond the joy of trying new dishes.

Restaurants provide a social setting where children can observe how to behave in public spaces, practise their manners and engage in conversations with family members, their nanny and restaurant staff.

Dining in a restaurant setting can also encourage children and toddlers to explore a more diverse range of foods that children might not encounter or be willing to try at home. This exposure to new tastes, textures and cuisines can broaden their palates and encourage a more adventurous approach to food.

But finding the perfect restaurant that caters to both adult and child tastes can sometimes feel like a culinary quest - especially if you don’t want to have to venture into Central London. Thankfully, we have compiled a list of some of North West London’s best child-friendly restaurants and cafes to help parents and nannies find the perfect place to dine out.

Whether you're in the mood for international flavours or seeking a comforting British meal, these establishments combine delicious menus with welcoming atmospheres for the entire family to enjoy.

1.Bob’s, Muswell Hill

In the heart of Muswell Hill, Bob’s is a popular destination for families living in or visiting North West London. They are equipped with high chairs for smaller children and have a delicious kid’s menu that is reasonably priced but also caters to those who are gluten free or vegan.

2. Beam, Crouch End

With a Middle-Eastern inspired menu, Beam cafe (either in Crouch End or Muswell Hill) is a great spot to enjoy breakfast, brunch or lunch with family. There is a real family-friendly atmosphere in their cafes and there are always other children sat at neighbouring tables so it’s a perfect opportunity for your own children to learn social behaviours as well as explore new cuisines.

3. La Lluna, Whetstone

La Lluna brings the best of traditional and modern Spanish tapas to North London. Following the success of the Muswell Hill restaurant, they have now expanded and opened in Whetstone too. Food is delicious but the tapas-style menu means everyone in the family (children included) can dabble in various dishes to explore what might otherwise be unfamiliar cuisine. 

4. L’Antica Pizzeria, Hampstead

Italian food is an ‘easy win’ with children as just about every child will say yes to pizza or pasta. L’Antica is a more intimate setting so you can still enjoy the restaurant experience and delicious food as a family but in a calmer setting.

5. The Lakeside Cafe, Alexandra Palace

Alexandra Palace is home to a plethora of activities but situated alongside the boating lake and surrounded by open space, the Lakeside Cafe is one of the best daytime spots to be with children. Their menu has no shortage of snacks and light bites and the Little Dinosaurs play area and swing park are close by for added entertainment.

6. Maynard Arms, Crouch End

The Maynard Arms has a scrumptious children’s menu but takes it one step further on Sundays, offering a child-sized Sunday Roast (in their words “a smaller portion of “grown-up” roast beef, chicken or veggie” dishes). This means young diners can enjoy the same as adults on the day and feel a sense of independence.

7. Parliament Hill Cafe

Situated at the bottom of Parliament Hill, this cafe is surrounded by open space and swing parks for children to play in and interact with others. It is also rumoured to be home to several delicious pasta dishes, so a great spot to park yourself on a dry day while children play.

Whether you are local or live further afield, there is no shortage of activities to enjoy in the area at any time of year. Equipped with some child-friendly dining spots, you can easily while away the day, soak up the best of what North West London has to offer and create memories as a family. 

Navigating Winter Illness with Care: A Guide for Parents and Nannies

While this Winter has been somewhat mild, there has been no shortage of illness doing the rounds and with cold temperatures set to sweep the nation over the next few weeks, it is likely that this season’s sniffles, sneezes and flu aren’t going anywhere fast. 

For parents and nannies across the UK, the challenge of childcare during the winter months can be a delicate balancing act between comforting a sick child and maintaining a sense of normalcy in daily routines. 

We are sharing some practical tips and tricks to help caregivers navigate winter illnesses, including how to manage symptoms, keeping little ones entertained and well-nourished and warning signs to watch out for.

Simple Soothing Techniques

If children are feeling a little worse for wear and showing signs of a cold, you can help ease discomfort with simple soothing techniques. This may include running a warm bath, wrapping them up in a cosy blanket and giving them their favourite stuffed toy for added comfort and a sense of security.

Rest is Essential

Children aged 13 and under will need between 9-14 hours of sleep and this only increases when they are unwell so ensure children suffering from illness get plenty of sleep to support their immune systems. 

Emphasise the importance of rest and encourage naps throughout the day by creating a comfortable and quiet sleep environment.

Choose Low-Energy Activities

When a child’s energy levels are low, we suggest engaging in quiet and calming activities that allow them to rest and recover. Storytime, gentle arts and crafts or age-appropriate films create a gentle yet entertaining atmosphere for children who are lethargic or feeling the effects of a cold.

Child-Friendly Food & Drinks

Offer comforting, nourishing foods to support recovery. Warm soups, fruit smoothies and herbal teas can be soothing but whatever you opt for, ensure there is a balance of essential food groups and nutrients to aid the healing process. Some of our favourite child-friendly foods include:

• Jamie Oliver’s “Jewish Penicillin” which is a take on a chicken noodle soup. This comforting broth-based dish is particularly good and packs in lots of fresh veggies so you can be sure children are getting plenty of essential nutrients.

• Homemade Lemonade or Ginger Fizz are both beneficial when you have a cold. Lemons are packed full of vitamin C which can help reduce congestion and boost the immune system. Ginger is ideal for children facing tummy trouble as it can help to settle the stomach. Both of these recipes use sugar for sweetness but you can opt for something like honey as a healthier alternative as it also has antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which can help fight viruses.

• Ice cream is one of those foods that will always go down a storm and fortunately it’s the perfect remedy to help soothe a sore throat. If you have a tub handy in your freezer, that will work just fine. Alternatively, for a delicious homemade treat, you can blend frozen bananas, greek yoghurt, honey and a splash of milk to make your own ice cream in minutes. 

Hydration is Key

Encourage children to take frequent sips of water or have diluted fresh fruit juices and cooled herbal teas to keep themselves hydrated. Proper hydration is crucial for recovery and can alleviate symptoms like headaches, sore throats and fatigue.

Over-the-Counter Medications

You can usually consult your local pharmacist for guidance and they will provide recommended medications to help children who are feeling unwell. Whether you’re opting for off-the-shelf or over-the-counter medication, it’s important to first consult a healthcare professional and pay close attention to the directions before administering. 

Prevention is the Best Medicine

Try as we may, we can never fully protect children from catching colds but there are simple methods that can help keep illnesses at bay or reduce a child’s chances of contracting bugs. 

1. Instil good hygiene habits like regular hand washing and covering mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing. 

2. Consider flu vaccinations and stay informed about local health recommendations through your family’s GP.

3. Ensure children are always prepared for adverse weather conditions. Here in the UK we can’t rely on mild or dry weather and exposure to cold and wet conditions can weaken the immune response, making children more susceptible to infections. Make sure children are layered up and always have a raincoat or umbrella handy when they leave home to help minimise this taking effect.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Be vigilant for signs that may warrant medical attention such as a persistent high fever, difficulty breathing, severe coughing or signs of dehydration. All of these, or any symptoms of concern should prompt a call to your family GP or a medical professional but trust your instincts and seek help if you're unsure.

Winter illnesses are an inevitable part of the season, but with thoughtful care and attention, parents and nannies can navigate these challenges with minimal fuss. 

Each child is unique and cold and flu symptoms can manifest in many different forms. Our tips and tricks may therefore need to be adapted to cater to a child’s individual needs but focusing on low-energy activities, nourishing foods and effective soothing techniques should provide a positive environment for children so they can recover quickly this Winter. 

Ringing in the New Year in North West London: 9 Best Activities for Families

As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, families across the nation will be ready to bid farewell to the year that has passed and welcome 2024. When it comes to New Year’s Eve plans, there’s no shortage of places to raise a glass of champagne among adult friends but finding family-friendly activities to see in the New Year with younger company can be a challenge.

For parents and nannies looking to make the transition into the New Year memorable for the little ones, we've curated a list of heartwarming activities that extend beyond the bustling city centre. From cosy at-home celebrations to local events, these ideas will create lasting memories for families without the need to venture too far from NW postcodes!

1. Ice Disco at Alexandra Palace

Over the Christmas and New Year period, Alexandra Palace Ice Rink is hosting a series of Ice Discos and what better way to celebrate the New Year than to don your skates and immerse yourselves in a wonderland of dazzling lights as snowflakes gracefully around you? Whether you’re the next Jane Torvil or the skater who’s glued to their support penguin throughout, this is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by all.

2. Host a Homemade Pizza Party

Lay out a variety of toppings for children to customise homemade pizzas with and turn your kitchen into a pizzeria for the night. Whether it’s just your family or you’ve extended an invitation to friends too, this is a fun and delicious way to celebrate together and flexibility with toppings encourages children to be more experimental with the foods they try.

3. Neighbourhood Firework Displays

Your family may be au fait with at-home firework displays which is definitely a memorable way to ring in the New Year but as a lower-maintenance alternative, we’d suggest heading over to Alexandra Palace Park where you'll find a fantastic vantage point for the firework displays across London.

Head over with a flask of hot chocolate (or prosecco for the grown ups) and some blankets or warm layers and take in these spectacular views and firework displays without any of the stress and hassle of busy central London crowds or pricey tickets!

4. Family Game Night

Dust off the board games and card decks for a lively family game night. Whether it's classics like Monopoly, family fun games like Cranium, musical bingo or new favourites received at Christmas, it's a fantastic way for family and friends to bond and have fun on New Year’s Eve.

You could even take your children shopping for the game night beforehand, encouraging them to pick out snacks, drinks or even games of choice for the evening. In doing so, children will experience a greater sense of pride for something they have helped plan and host.

5. Create a Time Capsule

Craft a time capsule with the children, filling it with handwritten notes, drawings and small mementos from the year. This playful activity encourages children to reflect on the year that has passed and what they’ve most enjoyed, fostering a sense of gratitude.

Once you’ve collected the capsule items, either bury it in the garden or store it away to be opened next New Year's Eve.

6. Create your own New Year’s Decorations

Ahead of the New Year’s Eve countdown, set up a crafting station and let the kids decorate their own New Year's party hats, bunting, table decor or cookies. Pastimes like these help develop a child’s creativity and imagination and seeing their finished work take pride of place on New Year will certainly be a memorable experience for them.

7. Craft Your Resolutions

Sit down as a family and come up with New Year's resolutions together. These could be anything from planning to eat more broccoli to learning to swim to tidying up after oneself. No matter how big or small, coming up with resolutions together can strengthen family bonds but also teaches children valuable life skills like reflection, planning and organisation.

You can also use colourful paper, pens, glitter or stickers to make the experience more creative and engaging for younger kids.

8. ‘Open Air’ Movie

It’s perhaps a little too fresh (and rainy) outside for outdoor movies to be hot on anyone’s to-do list but you can still bring the novelty of this into your homes this New Year’s. Get your

children to help set up a fort as big as their imagination allows and bring in mattresses or an inflatable bed to create a campsite of sorts in your living room. Coupled with snacks, cosy blankets, a selection of family favourite movies and each other’s company, this is such a simple way to enjoy an ‘open air’ movie experience from the warmth and comfort of your own home.

9. Nature Scavenger Hunt in Golders Hill Park

Golders Hill Park offers a picturesque setting for a pre-New Year’s Eve or New Year's Day nature scavenger hunt. Bundle up with coats and scarves and explore the park with a list of items to find.

As everyone prepares to welcome the New Year, families can embrace the magic of the season with these heartwarming ideas. Whether you're staying in for a cosy night (and doing your countdown at 7pm) or venturing out for an evening of activities, we wish you a magical New Year with your families.

Thoughtful and Unique Christmas Traditions for Families

As Christmas approaches, parents and nannies around London will be gearing up to create lasting memories for the little ones. From tree decoration to Christmas markets to visiting Santa at his grotto, there are of course many memorable traditions and Christmas pastimes we love to indulge in. But this Christmas, we encourage you to explore some new and unique activities to add an extra sprinkle of magic to your family’s celebrations. 

Here are just some of our recommended Christmas activities. They are far-from-ordinary but will allow parents and nannies to impart valuable life lessons, create lasting memories for the family and perhaps form the start of a new, long-lasting tradition.

1. Letters to Santa

Children writing letters to Santa Claus is not novel per se but these letters can be so much more than simply compiling a wish list. As an addition to this year’s letter to the North Pole, encourage children to write about their favourite moments of the year and reflect on the kindness they've shown. 

This practice encourages children to appreciate the good times, no matter how small. Reflecting on the kindness they've shown during the year also allows children to recognise their own acts of generosity, helping to foster a sense of gratitude.

2. Memory Ornament Making

Many people have made a tradition out of buying a new tree decoration or bauble each year with their children but a fun alternative can be to craft memory ornaments with the family. Each year, make an ornament that symbolises a significant event or achievement, building a beautiful, evolving story on your Christmas tree.

Expressing memories through ornament design allows children to unleash their creativity and experiment with colours, textures, and shapes. These ornaments can also become lasting keepsakes that children hold onto as they grow to serve as reminders of the positive memories and experiences that shaped their lives.

3. Reverse Advent Calendar

This idea turns the concept of a traditional advent calendar on its head. Instead of receiving treats, create a 'reverse' advent calendar where the family puts a non-perishable item into a box each day. Donate the box to a local food bank or charity on Christmas Eve, teaching the joy of giving and gratitude for what you have.

4. Pyjama Walk to See Christmas Lights

Everyone loves to ogle neighbours’ Christmas lights each year but this is a fun and cosy twist that extends beyond glancing at them from your car window. All willing family members and nannies put on their favourite pair of warm pyjamas (with a coat, scarves, gloves and wellies of course) and venture out for a leisurely stroll through your neighbourhood to admire the festive decorations.

You can take things like a thermos of hot chocolate with you for the journey but this is a fun way to round off the evening  without the need for screen time and feel some of the festive magic in your local area. Alternatively, you can explore some of North West London’s Christmas markets such as the Hampstead Christmas Fayre, Christmas at Kenwood House or the North London Makers’ Markets (though you may want everyday attire for these).

If a pyjama stroll isn’t your cup of cocoa, or your local neighbourhood is light on the Christmas decor, then why not gather around the fire or snuggle on the sofa, and take turns sharing your favourite Christmas stories instead.

5. DIY Christmas Stockings

Instead of store-bought stockings, embark on a creative journey by making DIY Christmas stockings as a family. You could either buy a plain stocking (like this one) and decorate it, or for the confident sewers among you, you could make a stocking from scratch.

Whichever route you take, spend the afternoon personalising a stocking for each family member. This is another fun way to foster childrens’ creativity and let their imagination run free. Children can also keep these to reuse annually or perhaps even pass on to their own children one day!

6. The Twelve Days of Kindness

Embrace the spirit of giving by dedicating the twelve days leading up to Christmas to acts of kindness. Each day, challenge your family to perform a small act of generosity, spreading joy and warmth in your community.

7. Immerse Yourselves in Panto

This time of year is the perfect time to introduce children to pantomimes or musicals. Colourful costumes, exaggerated characters, humorous storylines and audience participation only add to the magic and make this a fun and memorable tradition in the lead up to the holidays.

Christmas in London is more than Winter Wonderland and receiving presents; it's an opportunity to weave unique traditions that reflect the values and experiences of your family. Whether it's crafting memory ornaments or embarking on a journey of kindness, these thoughtful traditions will teach children valuable life lessons and create lasting memories for your family, making this Christmas truly special for all.

The Best Activities to Keep Kids Busy in North West London this Half Term

The October half term is just around the corner and for parents and nannies, it’s time to plan some exciting activities for the little ones. This can often mean venturing into Central London or perhaps even further afield but there’s so much on our doorsteps in North West London. From captivating exhibitions to lush green parks and active days out, we'll explore some of our favourite activities in North West London to keep children engaged and entertained during the break.

Enjoy Nature at Hampstead Heath

We are very fortunate to have so much open space and greenery in North West London - it’s something many other Boroughs don’t have the luxury of. So make the most of places like Hampstead Heath during the half term break and take children for a refreshing autumn walk outdoors.

While you’re there, jump on the nature bracelet trend by wrapping a single piece of tape loosely around a child’s wrist (sticky side out) so they can find flowers or leaves and stick them to their bracelet as you walk.

Finish the walk with a cold weather picnic complete with a flask of soup or grab an indulgent hot chocolate from The Nook.

Get Creative at the Arts Depot

Visit the Arts Depot in Finchley and sign up to a range of creative workshops and activities for kids. This half term the Arts Depot is hosting sessions including Make Your Own Superhero and Pop School but their schedule is always packed full of arts and crafts activities, theatre productions and storytelling sessions, so there's plenty to inspire every young artist.

Pumpkin Prep

Spooky season is upon us which means it’s time to get creative with our pumpkins! Most pumpkin-picking patches are based outside of London but that doesn’t have to stop you from selecting a pumpkin from your nearest supermarket or greengrocer.

Carving or painting creative pumpkins for halloween or using pumpkins as the base for delicious recipes like pumpkin soup or pumpkin pie will definitely keep children entertained (and well fed) this half term. We love this pumpkin pancake recipe as a seasonal alternative to the breakfast favourite!

PUMPKIN PANCAKE RECIPE

Ingredients

• 250g pumpkin skinned, deseeded and chopped into large cubes

• 2 eggs

• 3 tbsp light brown soft sugar

• 25g butter melted

• 125ml milk

• 200g plain flour

• 2½ tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• Extra butter for frying

Method

1. Put the pumpkin or squash in a large heatproof bowl, add a splash of water, cover with cling film and microwave on High for 5-8 mins or until really soft.

2. Drain the pumpkin well and allow the pieces to cool completely before transferring to a food processor with the remaining pancake ingredients and a pinch of salt.

3. Blend until you have a smooth batter and everything is well-combined.

4. Heat a knob of butter in a large frying pan on a low-medium heat and melt the butter so it’s evenly spread around the pan.

5. Pour evenly-sized amounts of batter into the pan (smaller is better as they are easier to flip!).  Pancakes will spread a little as they cook, so be sure you don’t overcrowd the pan as they’ll all stick together.

6. Once you see a few bubbles form on the surface of the pancake, gently lift up one corner to check if the pancakes are golden underneath. Once they are, flip them over and cook for another 2 mins on the other side.

7. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, a sprinkling of nuts or a scoop of vanilla ice-cream for a treat.

Visit Local Farms & Zoos

Children always enjoy and remember a trip to the zoo so why not visit the adorable animals at the nearby Golders Hill Park Zoo or head to Kentish Town City Farm?

Children can learn about a range of animals and see them up close, as well as get involved with a variety of activities including tractor rides, pony rides or arts and crafts.

Go Ape - Alexandra Palace

For the thrill seekers, Go Ape in Alexandra Palace is the perfect choice. Children can enjoy a safe tree top adventure with panoramic views of London. Go Ape has courses to suit varying skill and confidence levels including the Treetop Challenge, Treetop Adventure and Treetop Adventure Plus so there really is something for all the family.

Image credit: Social Pottery

Paint Your Own Pottery

Both children and adults can get creative this half term at Social Pottery in Kentish Town. Prices are on a pay-for-what-you-paint basis, so all you need to do is select your piece of pottery and get painting.

This makes for such a fun and memorable day out together and you’ll both have a memento you can keep from the day. Pieces are fired and glazed after your session and are usually ready to collect after a fortnight, which gives children something to look forward to once term resumes too.

Bouldering & Cave Burrowing

For something more active but equally memorable, head to HarroWall for caving and climbing adventures.

HarroWall is home to Europe’s largest indoor caving system with a 170m-long realistic network of underground tunnels for children to crawl, slide and squeeze through. Sessions are 60-minutes and instructor-led but include safety briefings, warm-ups and getting set up with helmets and protective wear so parents can relax with a coffee while kids are busy burrowing.

Alternatively, kids aged 6+ can try out Krazy Climb, a fun, child-friendly bouldering session, led by experienced instructors. During this 75-minute session (also including safety briefing and warm-up), children will scale themed walls and conquer them all, while protected by a harness and auto-belay system.

Whatever it is you choose to do during the half term break, rest assured there are plenty of choices here in North West London that will keep children of all ages (and even us ‘grown ups’) entertained and make lasting memories.

Supporting Children through the New School Year & Nurturing a Smooth Transition

Now the summer holidays have come to a close and the new school year is beginning, parents and nannies across the country are gearing up to support children through their first term back. But preparing for the new school year involves more than just the annual stationery haul from W H Smiths; it requires careful planning and understanding to ensure children feel both confident, prepared and settled.

Fortunately, there are simple but effective strategies that can help with the transition back to school, so we are sharing our tips for setting routines and study habits, and advice to help parents and nannies best support children during the first few weeks of school. 

Easing the Transition Back To School

• Gradual Reintroduction of Routines: Help children ease into the new school routine by gradually reintroducing structured activities and schedules so they can adjust to bedtimes and morning routines that align with school timings.

• Talk About It: Engage children in open conversations about the upcoming school year. Discuss what they are enjoying or feel excited about, any concerns they may have, and reassure them that it's natural to feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.

• Reconnect with Friends: Arrange playdates with classmates or attend school events where children can reconnect with old friends or make new ones. Familiar faces can help ease anxieties about the new school year.

Setting New Routines and Study Habits:

• Establish a Consistent Schedule: Create a daily routine that includes set times for waking up, meals, homework, and bedtime. Consistency helps children feel secure and builds a sense of structure.

• Designate a Study Area: If possible, set up a quiet and well-lit study area at home where children can do their homework and concentrate. This space should be free from distractions and equipped with necessary supplies.

• Encourage Time Management: Support children with managing their time effectively by using planners or calendars to track assignments, extracurricular activities and important events.

• Support with Homework: Offer assistance when needed, but encourage children to take responsibility for their homework. Avoid completing tasks for them; instead, guide them through problem-solving and critical thinking.

Managing Back-to-School Jitters

Some children will face back to school jitters after having had so much time to enjoy their summer uninterrupted. This can be exacerbated if starting a new school, joining a new form group or transitioning from primary to secondary or nursery to primary. So how can we as parents and nannies help manage that?

• Acknowledge Emotions: It's normal for children to experience back-to-school jitters. Encourage them to express their feelings and have open dialogues so you can help manage those emotions and reassure them that it's okay to feel a little nervous.

• Test-Run the Journey: If your child is due to get public transport to their school this term, try to do a couple of test runs of the route with them to help them get comfortable and ease any anxiety. Perhaps do some school runs together where you join them for the full journey and some where a parent or nanny follows behind in a car for peace of mind so children can get confident with the route before going it alone. 

• Positive Reinforcement: Praise and encourage children for their achievements and efforts, both academically and personally. Celebrate their successes, no matter how small, to boost their confidence.
  Be a Listening Ear: Actively listen to children's concerns and address any specific worries they may have about school. Your understanding and support can help them feel more confident and secure but also allows you to identify and tackle any potential problems early on.

Preparing children for the new school year in the UK is a collaborative effort between parents, nannies and educators but every child's experience is unique, so be patient and flexible in your approach. 

By employing effective strategies, we can empower children to embrace the new academic year with confidence and enthusiasm. With open communication, understanding and support, we can help children lay the foundations for a successful and fulfilling academic year.

Keeping Children Sun Safe during the Summer Holidays

We are now in the throes of the summer holidays and families across the nation are hoping we have seen the last of the dreary, grey skies. Whether you are anxiously awaiting some warmer weather in Britain or are fortunate enough to be travelling overseas this summer, there is one thing that should be top of mind - keeping children sun safe. 

Soaring temperatures have captured headlines across many countries this summer so it's essential for parents and nannies to be both cautious and also well-prepared with sun safety knowledge. In this blog post, we’re rounding up some of our essential tips to protect children from the sun's scorching rays and provide you with some heatwave-friendly activities to ensure, wherever you are, summer fun isn’t in short supply. 

Must-Haves for Sun Safety

UV Protection

This may sound like a given but it is somehow guidance that evades people nationwide every summer. Apply sunscreen with a high SPF (at least 30) generously on your child's exposed skin, including the face, arms, legs, and ears. 

Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, especially after swimming or sweating. 

Stay Hydrated

Keep children hydrated throughout the day and encourage them to drink water regularly, even if they don't feel thirsty. Avoid sugary and caffeinated drinks as they can cause dehydration. Cow’s milk is also a good choice to keep children hydrated as it contains nutrients that slow the emptying of stomach fluid and retain water in the body to keep you hydrated for a longer period.

Sun-Protective Clothing

Try to dress children in loose-fitting, lightweight clothing that covers their skin, such as long-sleeved shirts and wide-brimmed hats. Cottons and linens are your best friend during the summer as they are light, breathable fabrics so you can afford to be more covered without feeling hot.

Sunglasses with UV protection are also essential to shield childrens’ eyes.

Seek Shade

We are no stranger to the dangers of UV rays and the harm they can do to the skin but we should be particularly wary of UVB rays.

UVB is only accountable for around 5% of the UV rays from the sun but, comparative to UVA, it is much higher energy and causes the most damage to the outer layers of the skin which can lead to sunburn but also premature ageing or skin cancers developing. 

The UVB index is typically higher during peak sun hours (between 10 am to 4 pm), so aim to find shaded areas for children to enjoy outdoor activities. This reduces exposure to direct sunlight and minimises the risks of UVB exposure.

Spotting the Signs of Sunstroke

Sunstroke, also known as heatstroke, is a severe condition caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures. It can be dangerous at any age but is especially dangerous for young children so it’s important to stay vigilant and watch for the following signs.

• High body temperature (above 40°C)

• Red, hot, and dry skin (but no sweating)

• Rapid pulse and shallow breathing

• Dizziness or confusion

• Nausea or vomiting

Tips to Manage Sunstroke:

If you suspect sunstroke in your child, take immediate action with the following steps:

• Move to a Cooler Place: Get the child to a shaded or air-conditioned area as soon as possible.

• Hydrate: Offer the child cool water to drink, but avoid extremely cold beverages.

• Cool the Body: Use cool water, damp cloths or a fan to lower their body temperature.

• Seek Medical Attention: If symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical help promptly.

Note: This is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Always seek medical assistance if you have concerns about your child's health during a heatwave.

Heatwave-Friendly Activities

Water Fun

When it’s hot outdoors, opt for water-based activities such as visiting water parks, splashing in the sea or setting up a backyard sprinkler. These activities provide endless entertainment but help keep children cool during the hot weather. 

Indoor Explorations or Creative Indoor Projects 

If the heat does become unbearable, explore indoor attractions like museums, art galleries, or interactive science centres. This allows children to learn and have fun while staying away from the scorching sun.

Alternatively, you can engage children in indoor crafts or encourage them to help make weather-appropriate recipes with you such as homemade ice pops using your favourite juice or smoothie in a freezer mould or a refreshing watermelon salad. These activities can help to spark their creativity but also keep them cool indoors.

Evening Strolls

Everyone needs some fresh air during the day so if it’s too hot to get outdoors in the daytime, plan outdoor activities in the early morning or evening when the temperature is cooler. Take leisurely walks in parks or along the beach, enjoying the refreshing breeze.

While making the most of your summer holidays, safeguarding your children's well-being is of utmost importance. By following sun safety guidance, engaging in heatwave-friendly activities and being aware of the signs of sunstroke, both parents and nannies can ensure a safe summer experience that is memorable for everyone for the RIGHT reasons!

Outdoor Summer Activities for Children in London

Summer is well and truly upon us and everyone is hoping this glorious weather is here for the long haul (or at least until September). London is a city with so much on offer to appeal to families and keep children entertained but when there’s a warm glow about the city, there is even more fun to be had, so there is no better time to get outside and explore. 

If you’ve been keeping up to date with our Nanny of the Month posts, you’ll know just how much our nannies advocate for getting into the great outdoors and how much value it holds for children. Not only does it allow children to develop a deeper connection with the natural world and appreciation for the environment, it also promotes physical fitness, supports development of cognitive abilities and encourages creativity.

It is fair to say outdoor activities offer a fun-filled break from routine but also contribute to children's overall wellbeing so we have rounded up some of our top recommendations for London-based activities children can enjoy with you this summer. From parks and playgrounds to special events, there’s so many options for your little explorers to enjoy. 

Fun and Engaging Outdoor Activities to explore this Summer

Exploring the Royal Parks

London is home to several beautiful Royal Parks, such as Hyde Park, Regent's Park, and Richmond Park. Each of these vast green spaces offers endless opportunities for children to run, play, and enjoy picnics amidst stunning landscapes.

Hyde Park, for instance, features a variety of recreational facilities, including playgrounds, cycling paths, and even a boating lake. With a central location, it’s easily accessible for most families living in London, or even those travelling into the city for the day.

Discovering Playground Wonders 

London boasts numerous playgrounds that are perfect for keeping children entertained. The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens is a must-visit, featuring a pirate ship, sand pits, and an array of imaginative play areas. Other noteworthy playgrounds include Coram's Fields, Holland Park Adventure Playground, and Go Ape in Alexandra Park.

Meeting the animals

Another fantastic spot to visit is ZSL London Zoo in Regent's Park, where they can marvel at exotic animals and enjoy interactive exhibits. A day out at the zoo is not only memorable but offers opportunities for both education and entertainment.

Another fun animal-themed alternative is to visit one of London’s many city farms. These are scattered about the city so are accessible for most and there are usually opportunities for cuddles with some of the fluffy residents.

amazing gardens

The Kew Gardens is another fantastic destination, with its stunning botanical gardens, a treetop walkway, and the popular Climbers and Creepers play area, this has something for EVERY member of the family to enjoy.

Open Air Cinema

London is home to a surprising number of open-air cinemas which are a wonderful way to end the day when the weather is warm. The Luna Cinema is just one example and hosts events across the city throughout the summer, with family favourites like Mamma Mia, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, The Greatest Showman and Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical both on the showings list. 

Enjoying Water-based Fun

On hot summer days, there's nothing better than cooling off with water-based activities. The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park is a hit with children, as they can splash around in the shallow water stream. The Granary Square Fountains at King's Cross and the fountains at the Southbank Centre are also popular spots for water play.

Tips for Safety and Maximising Outdoor Adventures

Safety is of course of the utmost importance and on hot summer days there’s extra things to consider to ensure children are protected while outdoors so you can all enjoy stress-free days out.

1. Stay Hydrated - Ensure your children drink plenty of water to stay hydrated during outdoor activities, especially on hot days.

2. Sun Protection - Apply sunscreen with a high SPF, and have your little ones wear sun hats and sunglasses to protect their skin and eyes from the sun's rays.

3. Dress Appropriately - Dress your children in lightweight, breathable clothing that offers protection from the sun. Comfortable shoes are a must for exploring parks and playgrounds.

4. Stay Vigilant - Keep a watchful eye on your children at all times, especially in crowded areas or near water. Establish clear boundaries and communicate the rules to ensure their safety.

5. Embrace Nature - Encourage your children to observe and engage with the natural environment. Take along binoculars, magnifying glasses, or nature guidebooks to enhance their exploration.

London's vibrant summer offers a wealth of outdoor activities for children. These are just some of our favourite summer activities but anything you choose will allow children to create lasting memories with nannies, parents and siblings as well as foster relationships with other young children. So, gear up, embrace the sunshine, and let the summer fun begin!

Board Games for Children of All Ages: What to Play and Why

In today's fast-paced digital world, board games are a refreshing alternative that goes beyond mere entertainment and encourages children to actually step away from devices and engage with others in reality. Most of us look to board games as a source of entertainment on a Friday night but you may be surprised to discover that playing board games can actually have profound educational benefits and support your child's development. 

So what are the advantages of playing board games?

If you ask us, board games deserve a prominent place in your child's playtime and these are just some of the remarkable reasons why:

1.Board games can enhance cognitive skills

Board games hold a treasure trove of cognitive benefits for children, from strategic thinking and problem-solving to critical reasoning and or logical deduction. By engaging in gameplay, children develop skills such as decision-making, planning ahead, and adapting to changing circumstances. These cognitive abilities foster mental agility and strengthen analytical thinking, laying a solid foundation for academic success.

2. Building Social Skills and Emotional Intelligence

Board games are inherently social, offering valuable opportunities for children to interact, cooperate, negotiate, and communicate with others in real life. Through gameplay, children learn invaluable social skills, including turn-taking, sharing and teamwork but board games can also help children to develop empathy and emotional intelligence as they respond to the emotions and reactions of their fellow players. 

Additionally, children will be able to gain an understanding of ‘good sportsmanship’, foster healthy competition, graciousness in both victory and defeat, and positive social interactions that extend beyond family games nights.

3. Cultivating Strategic Thinking and Planning

Many board games require players to think strategically and plan their moves. Whether it's calculating risks, analysing consequences, or anticipating opponents' actions, children engage in complex decision-making processes while having fun. Board games encourage the development of logical reasoning, spatial awareness, and the ability to think several steps ahead. These skills are transferable to various real-life situations, such as problem-solving in academics, making informed choices, and developing long-term goals.

4. Improving Concentration and Focus 

Children have keen imaginations and are always on the go, which means there’s lots of room for distraction. The immersive nature of gameplay provides a structured, yet engaging environment that helps children improve their concentration and focus. This is an essential skill for children to develop as they enter into and continue their education and one that will stick with them later in life. 

5. Reinforcing Learning in a Playful Manner

There are a number of educational board games which are designed specifically to reinforce key concepts in subjects such as mathematics, language, science, and history. By incorporating educational content into gameplay, children can expand their knowledge of core subjects and life skills in an enjoyable way. 

Board games tap into the innate curiosity of children, motivating them to explore new topics and helping to foster a lifelong love for learning.

6. Quality time

Life gets busy and it’s so easy to get bogged down in work and homework that families often miss out on quality time together. Board games are a fantastic way to squeeze in family-time as they are quick and simple to set up without the need for lots of advance planning. With the cost-of-living front of mind for many people, board games are also a cost-effective source of entertainment for people of all ages to enjoy.

7. Stimulating Creativity and Imagination

Board games often feature imaginative themes, vibrant artwork, and intriguing narratives. By immersing themselves in these worlds, children exercise their creativity, imagination, and storytelling skills. They learn to think outside the box, devise creative strategies, and invent their own narratives within the framework of the game. Board games provide a platform for self-expression, imaginative play, and the development of a rich inner world that nurtures their creative potential.

What are the best board games?

When it comes to finding the ‘best’ board games out there, everyone will have differing opinions based on their personal taste, the age of participating players and the objective for playing. That being said, we have a few favourite board games that will educate children and keep them entertained:

Board games for younger children

• Snakes and Ladders - One of the classics! This game is straightforward for younger children and moving across numbered squares can be a great tool to help them with basic numeracy and practise counting.

• Sushi Go - A strategic but cute sushi-themed card game with the objective of swapping cards to collect matching sets of sushi and score points. 

• Colour Brain (Disney edition) - A fun family game where all the questions are about Disney and Pixar films and all the answers are colours!

Board Games for older children

• Articulate - Another classic and one that will really challenge children’s minds but is always such fun, especially when someone comes up with an off-piste explanation!

• Cranium - this hilarious game will bring out everyone’s creativity but test their ability to sculpt play-doh, draw and do charades to win points and move around the board.

• Scrabble or ‘Word Snatch’ - A game of Scrabble is a fantastic way for older children and teens to expand their vocabulary and practice spelling. As a fun twist, you can also use the letter pieces to turn it into a game of ‘Word Snatch’. 

1. Pour the bag of letters out onto a flat surface and lay them all face down. 

2. One by one, take it in turns to turn each piece over and try to use the visible letters to form a word. 

3. When you spot a word, shout it out and assemble the word in front of you.

4. Keep turning counters to make new words but beware… If another player spots a letter that could make a new word from the word you already have, the word can be snatched from you!

5. Continue the game until there are no letters remaining or no more words to be made. Each three letter word is 1-point, for any longer words you can add an additional point per letter. (i.e. “Cat” would be one point but “Caterpillar” would be 9 points). The player with the most points wins.

These are just a handful of our top picks but there are of course so many more to choose from to keep the family entertained, bring everyone together and take some time away from screens. 

What Is A Mother’s Help and Should You Hire One?

As a busy parent it can often feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. Between work, school runs, meal prep, and everything else on your to-do list, it can be challenging to find time for yourself or even to spend quality time with your family. That's where a Mother's Help can come in handy.

What is a Mother's Help?

A Mother's Help is someone who assists parents with the day-to-day tasks associated with caring for their children and running a household. While they are similar to a nanny, a Mother's Help typically works alongside parents and helps with tasks such as laundry, meal prep or light housekeeping. They may also provide assistance with childcare duties such as bathing and feeding the children but are typically less involved than a nanny would be as they don't live-in and may come less frequently depending on the arrangement you have in place.

How to Recruit a Mother's Help

Recruiting a Mother's Help can be daunting, but here at Hampstead Nannies we have a wealth of experience identifying and Mother’s Help candidates who are qualified, experienced and reference and DBS checked. We have a reputation for helping a diverse range of families from all walks of life so are confident we can help find the right person for your family's needs.

When interviewing or employing a Mother's Help, it's essential to be clear about your expectations and the support you need upfront. In doing so you'll set up a solid foundation for a good working relationship that ensures everyone is on the same page and the family and household can run as smoothly as possible.

What does a Mother’s Help do?

The role of a Mother's Help can vary depending on your family's needs and this can be discussed with us and prospective Mother's Help employees before they start work. However, some common tasks that a Mother's Help may assist with include:

• Childcare duties such as feeding, washing, dressing and entertaining the children during the day.

• Light housekeeping - A Mother's Help may assist with simple household tasks including laundry, cleaning or tidying up.

• Meal preparation - Depending on their confidence in the kitchen, a Mother's Help may help with meal planning and preparation for the children, or even the whole family.

• Running simple errands such as picking up dry cleaning or grocery shopping.

• Assisting with school drop-offs and pick-ups

The Benefits of Hiring a Mother's Help

There are so many benefits to bringing on a Mother's Help and the reason to hire one will vary from family to family but these are just a few of the reasons we encourage you to consider hiring a Mother’s Help.

The Gift of Time

One of the most significant benefits of hiring a Mother's Help is that you'll have an extra pair of hands around the house so will have more time to focus on other tasks or invest in quality time with your family.

Support with Childcare Duties

A Mother's Help can be an invaluable help when it comes to caring for your children. They can assist with everything from feeding and bathing to playing or reading with your children, which can be particularly helpful for parents who have multiple children or are juggling longer work hours and other family responsibilities.

Assistance with Household Tasks

As a Mother's Help can also provide valuable assistance with everyday household tasks, it can alleviate some pressure off of parents so you can switch off and enjoy a more relaxed and balanced lifestyle. 

Flexibility to suit your lifestyle

A Mother's Help can be a great option for parents who only need occasional or part-time assistance. You can hire a Mother's Help for a few hours a week or as much as you need, to flex depending on your family's needs. 

Make sure expected hours are clearly communicated during the interview phase or when employment starts to avoid any confusion or uncomfortable discussions down the line.

Cost-Effective

The cost-of-living crisis means everyone is reviewing how and where they spend their money. But having the support you and your family need shouldn’t be something you have to sacrifice. Hiring a Mother's Help can be a cost-effective option compared to hiring a full-time nanny as you can work out an arrangement that works best for all parties, such as paying them by the hour or employing them on a part-time basis.

If you’re interested in hiring a Mother's Help or would like support identifying the right person for your family, then contact us today and we can explain the process in more detail and help get you started.

6 Tips For Travelling With Kids During The School Holidays

We’ve made it through the winter and the miserable March weather, which means the Easter holidays are here and we can finally look forward to a few days away from school, studies and work. 

Whether you’re planning a modest staycation, a big hurrah to an overseas destination or simply driving to spend a long-weekend with relatives, travelling with children can be a big undertaking, so we’re sharing some of our top tips for travelling with kids so you can get from A to B with minimal stress during the school holidays.

1.Devices are your friend.

Many people will be familiar with the palaver of taking hand luggage packed full of different activities on a flight. You can find yourself yoyo-ing up and down from your seat to fetch a different toy from overhead storage and then back up five minutes later because someone has emptied the entire contents of a Ribena onto their clothes!

As many airlines now charge extra for carry-on luggage, the less you can afford to take the better so, while we don’t usually advocate for extended screen time, devices can be a godsend for parents while travelling. 

You can install a child-friendly series, music or educational games and apps so your little ones are kept busy on plane, train and long car journeys and you have extra room in your bag for the essentials. Here’s some of our favourite apps that will appeal to children of varying ages and enrich their learning:

Educational:

• Khan Academy 

• Duolingo (for older children or those with multilingual parents)

• Duolingo Math and Duolingo ABC

• Teach Your Monster To Read

• Hopster

Strategy-based games and puzzles:

• Flow

• Water sort

• Two Dots 

• 1010!

2. Create a DIY Activity Book

Encourage children to make an activity book for themselves before they leave home by printing out simple puzzles, games or outline drawings they can colour in on the journey. You can also leave some blank pages for them to write stories or draw their own pictures of things that inspire them on the way. 

Once you’ve collected all the pages you’d like to include, either sew or staple to bind everything together. Children then have a bespoke activity book to get their creative juices flowing and keep them busy while you’re on the move.

3. Play Travel Games 

Whether you’re staying on home turf or you’re bound for an overseas location, travel provides children and families with fantastic new experiences such as new foods, different landscapes and exposure to other cultures. But long journeys can be a challenge for younger passengers so having travel games up your sleeve can make the trip that bit more bearable for everyone. Here’s some of our favourites:

• I-Spy - A family classic that can be played in cars, on trains and at the airport

• Word Association Game - The first player says a word out loud then, moving in a clockwise order, the next player must come up with a word they associate with the previous one. The game continues until someone cannot come up with a word.

• Rhyming Game -  As with the word association game, the first player says a word out loud then, moving in a clockwise order, the next player must come up with a rhyming word. The game continues until someone cannot come up with a word.

• The Alphabet Game - The first player chooses a category (like foods or animals) and kicks off the game by saying the name of something from the category beginning with A. Moving in a clockwise order, every participant then moves through the alphabet until someone gets stuck!

4. Listen to an Audiobook

Reading is an essential skill for children as it supports their language development and understanding of punctuation. If your child is a keen reader then taking a book (or selection of books) on a plane or train journey during the school holidays is something we encourage. If you’re travelling by car then reading can trigger motion sickness which is something no passenger wants to endure but that’s where audiobooks come in handy.

Audiobooks provide a nice auditory alternative to music in the car. It’s more than likely everyone has different music tastes and Baby Shark on loop can make even a 20-minute drive along the North Circular feel like you’ve travelled to Penzance and back.

Listening to an audiobook helps mitigate that risk and provide a calming environment to ensure children are settled while you’re on the move.  But audiobooks also have a plethora of other benefits:

• In the absence of pictures, your child must use their imagination to visualise the story and the characters.

• Audiobooks engage children in a different way so may open them up to other genres you’ve not previously explored.

• If driving, you could play the audiobook through the speakers so all passengers can bond and enjoy the story together.

• It can enhance your child’s vocabulary and develop their listening skills.

Listening to an audiobook needn’t be limited to just your journey either. This may spark a new habit and is something you can easily take out and about with you so children can continue listening when they have down time or feel fidgety.

5. Be strategic with travel times 

We know that when travelling overseas, flight times are often dictated by cost but regardless of the form of transport you’re taking we encourage you to try and travel overnight or at a period that coincides with scheduled nap times.

Children under 12 will need between nine and fourteen hours of sleep per day and disrupting this means you may end up with ratty children which can make journeys hellish and can spoil the trip for everyone!

6. Don’t go overboard with sugar 

During school holidays, families are often more inclined to be lenient with bedtimes and sugary treats. With Easter coming up we expect chocolate and candy won’t be in short supply but be mindful of quantities and when in the day children are having sugar. 

A combination of sweet treats and adrenaline before travelling can have children bouncing off the walls but when some of this excitement eventually wears off, children will likely have an energy crash and become irritable.

Reducing sugar intake before travel will minimise the likelihood of a sugar crash and make the journey more enjoyable for all passengers.

6 Indoor Activities to Keep Children Entertained When It’s Cold Outside

The Beast from the East is set to hit the UK again in the coming weeks bringing cold temperatures, harsh winds and potentially even some snow with it. From tobogganing to snowball fights, a snow day can provide endless amounts of fun for children but more often than not, snow only hits the far corners of Cairngorms and the rest of the UK must just endure the cold weather. 

Even with all the thermals and Uniqlo HeatTech in the world, it can be challenging to get children outdoors when it’s chilly and dreary outside but there are plenty of fun activities to keep them busy, entertained and warm indoors!

Image credit Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

1. Get Baking

Aside from being a joyous (and delicious) pastime, baking offers many benefits for children such as developing their motor skills, exposing them to new foods and flavours and allowing them to take pride in something they have created. 

There is no shortage of recipes out there and it’s up to you to pick what most appeals to your family but some of our favourite recipes include: 

• Chocolate Courgette Cake - who doesn’t love chocolate cake? This recipe is great for using up leftover courgettes and is an easy way to sneak some extra veg into a child’s diet. Plus, this unusual veggie addition will help make your cake super moist!

• Healthy Flapjacks - these are a great snack or breakfast option as they’re free from refined sugar and you can customise to include dried fruits or dark chocolate as you wish.

• Air Fryer Cinnamon Swirls - The beauty of these is that the dough is made simply from yoghurt and flour so there’s minimal fuss and minimal ingredients but all of the yummy flavour you’d expect in a cinnamon swirl. And yes, you can also bake these in the oven if preferred! 

2. Do a scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunts indoors or outdoors (when weather permits) are a favourite pastime of Januarys’ Nanny of the Month, Iwona and they are such a wonderful way to keep children engaged and entertained. If doing a hunt indoors, simply place clues around the house for them to follow, with a prize waiting at the end. 

For younger children these clues can be simple, like “find something red in your bedroom”, while older kids may respond best to more complex clues or simple riddles like “I come in pairs, I'm easy to lose, I go between your feet and your shoes” (socks).

3. Arts & Crafts

Arts and crafts are always a great way to inspire a child’s creativity and imagination. You may already have some form of an art cupboard at home for your little ones to go wild with but if you’re lacking in ideas then here’s a couple of fun projects to get them started:

• DIY Fridge Magnets - Grab some clay, some paint and a pack of magnets and fashion some funky designs to turn into fridge magnets for friends and family!

• Blown Eggs - With Easter not far away, now is the perfect time for blowing and painting eggs. 

• Use a sewing needle to prick a small hole in the top and bottom of an egg and blow the contents of the egg into a bowl until it’s hollow. 

• Give the egg a rinse and a gentle dry before painting the shell with a design of your choice! These will keep for a while and make lovely Easter ornaments.

  Note: Parents may need to help children get these started as it can be tough getting the first little bit of egg out but once you have a flow, children can easily take over! 
  Top Tip: Keep the contents of the egg to use as scrambled eggs, omelette or the base for a yummy cake later in the day.

• DIY chess board - Using a small wooden board and some clay, children can either replicate the pieces used in a traditional game of chess or make and paint unique playing pieces to look like family members or favourite characters instead.

4. Build a fort or an indoor campsite

The beauty of a fort is that there are no rules on how it should be constructed, it’s totally up to a child’s imagination.Children can make use of anything around the house such as pillows, sheets, chairs and blankets to create their fort and then fill it with their favourite books, soft toys and games. 

During weekends and school holidays, forts can also be turned into an indoor campsite by putting mattresses and torches inside so children can spend the night there or fall asleep with a movie and snacks.

Top tip: Turn out the lights and place a paper cup with holes in it over a torch to replicate the night sky on the ceiling!

5. Silent Disco

Dancing is a great way to help children get active and work off any excess energy while they’re stuck indoors but having a silent disco affords parents and nannies the opportunity for some peace and quiet. Get children to help setup the disco itself by making or putting up some decorations such as:

• A coloured disco lamp

• Streamers or leftover balloons from previous birthdays

• Homemade paper chains

Once the room is set up, encourage children to put on a disco outfit and give them a device that can play music with a pair of comfortable headphones (set on a low decibel to protect their ears). Then it’s up to them to crack out their best moves!

6. Put on a show

Most adults will have fond memories either of being in a ‘show’ put on for our parents or enthusiastically watching shows performed by our kids. 

To really get childrens’ creative juices flowing, encourage children to turn their favourite book into a show by finding costumes from the fancy dress box or fashioning costumes as an additional craft project, picking out music and coming up with dance routines (if relevant) or making admissions tickets.

These ideas are just the start but hopefully they provide you with some inspiration for fun activities on cold and rainy days indoors that bring a smile to your childrens’ faces!

9 Things You Can Do To Celebrate Chanukah in London

Chanukah (sometimes spelt Hanukkah) is the Jewish eight-day festival that harks back to when the Maccabees defeated the Seleucids to reclaim their Holy Temple in Jerusalem in second century BCE. In celebration, the Maccabees tried to light the Temple’s menorah but found they only had enough oil to burn for one day but a miracle took place and the Menorah burned for eight days.

This miracle is commemorated among Jewish communities with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers, celebratory events and fried foods including latkes and donuts known as “sufganiyot”.

This year Chanukah falls from Sunday 18th December until Monday 26th December and there’s plenty of activities you can get involved in over the eight day period to mark the festival.

Make your own dreidel

We are advocates for getting creative with your children to help stimulate their imagination, support learning and development and provide you with opportunities for quality time together. Making your own dreidels this Chanukah is the perfect way to help share the stories and messages of the festival in a fun and engaging way.

You can easily make a clay dreidel by simply cutting a cube shape from your clay so it has four flat faces around its side. Decide which side will be the top and which will be the bottom before gently rolling the bottom corners inwards to form a point on which to spin the dreidel.

Using a separate piece of clay, roll a thin sausage shape and fix it to the top of your dreidel with water before it dries. Once it’s dry, you can then paint and decorate it as you wish but remember to include the four characters on each side (pictured below) so you can play with it afterwards!

• NUN - no coins taken

• GIMEL - player takes all available coins

• HEY - split the available coins between players

• SHIN - all players put a coin in

You can also keep it as an ornament or memento from the festival but if you do choose to play a game of dreidel, we suggest using sweets, raisins or game counters to play with in place of coins.

Visit Trafalgar Square’s Menorah (throughout Chanukah)

Trafalgar Square will once again become home to a giant menorah this Chanukah with a new light being lit on each day of the festival. Tickets are not required but it’s definitely a sight to see if you’re travelling through Central London.

Attend the Menorah Lighting in Islington (Sunday 18th December)

Islington’s annual Menorah Lighting has grown to become the second-biggest public menorah lighting in the UK, bringing together Jewish and non-Jewish communities across London and beyond. People of all faiths are invited to witness the lighting and join in with Chanukah songs, listen to music played on a klezmer, enjoy latkes and doughnuts and even make your own candles with the Jewish Museum, so there’s plenty for the whole family to enjoy.

This year’s lighting will also be attended by football freestyler, Dan Magness, who will be performing his gravity defying football skills show to bring a bit of World Cup fever to the event ahead of this weekend’s final.

Find out more about the Menorah Lighting here.

Indulge in some of the best Chanukah donuts

Grodzinski’s is London’s oldest Kosher bakery and has got their donut offering down to a tee for Chanukah. While jam-filled donuts are traditional, you can also branch out and try other flavours including chocolate, caramel, nougat, custard and caramel!

Rinkoff’s Bakery is another reliable option for donuts during the festival period. Or, if you’re feeling particularly creative, you can also try your hand at making your own sufganiyot too with this simple kosher donut recipe.

Chanukah Events at JW3

Based on Finchley Road, JW3 is a one-of-a-kind Jewish community centre inspired by Jewish arts, culture, learning and life with a vision to build a vibrant, diverse, unified British-Jewish community.

Over the Chanukah period, JW3 is hosting a series of fun and unique events that families can get stuck into and enjoy.

Chanukah Funukah (Sunday 18th December)

This fun-filled event has a plethora of activities lined up over the course of the day, including chocolate gelt workshops, Maccabeat Dance Parties, doughnuts, face-painting, arts and crafts, and a special musical candle-lighting to welcome the festival.

More details can be found here but festivities begin from 11am and tickets are £5 for adults or £9 for children (under 2s free).

Chanukah Light Ups – (from 19th -22nd December)

Pop down to JW3 for the Light Up sessions which will include Chanukah arts and crafts followed by candle lighting at 4.30pm and festive fun featuring storytelling, music, and (of course) delicious donuts!

• 19th December: Chanukah card-making led by the volunteers of JW3

• 20th December: Singing and piano performance from Jewish Music Institute

• 21th December: Storytelling and crafts with LGBTQ+ Families

• 22nd December: Storytelling and crafts with PJ Library

These events are free and run from 4pm each day but you can find out more here.

Songs in the Key of Hanukkah (Wednesday 21st December)

In 2010, Erran Baron Cohen, along with an incredible array of collaborators, released an album of Chanukah songs for the 21st century. The album includes a mixture of original music and pieces inspired by traditional Chanukah songs, bringing in the klezmer and a variety of other genres to bring a new spin to the festival.

This Chanukah, Erran has assembled an astounding band to bring this album to life and celebrate by returning to the stage for one unmissable night.

This event runs from 8pm and tickets are £20 so may fall outside children’s bedtimes but more information can be found here.

For Adults

We know that every now and again it’s nice for the parents among us to leave our children under the watchful eye of a nanny or grandparent and enjoy some ‘grown-up time’, so here’s a couple of additional Chanukah activities for just that occasion.

Chutzpah! – Thursday 22nd December

This Chanukah, JW3 is launching a new cabaret night hosted by Guy Woolf and Emily Rose Simons. This will be the first in a series of regular cabaret events, featuring music, spoken word, comedy, live performances, and special open mic slots for those who have the chutzpah to just get up on stage!

This event starts at 8pm and tickets will be £10. To purchase or find out about future Chutzpah! events, click here.

Interfaith Chanukah Celebration with Nisa Nashim (Wednesday 21st December)

Nisa–Nashim is a national network which brings together women of multiple faiths, particularly  Jews and Muslims, to inspire and lead social change.

To mark Chanukah, JW3 is inviting members of all faiths to gather and share in a special communal candle-lighting and festive meal and explore how the common threads and themes among the different faiths can help unite us.

This event runs from 6.30pm and tickets are £8 each. More information can be found here.

Simple Homemade Gifts Your Children Can Make This Christmas

The countdown to Christmas is on, which means the Michael Bublé Christmas album is on shuffle, decorations are up and there’s only a few weeks until presents are unwrapped.

As parents, we are more than familiar with the joy of giving and the pleasure that comes with seeing our loved ones unwrap gifts. But for children, Christmas is so often about the excitement of receiving a gift that the joy of giving can get lost.

Encouraging children to make a homemade gift can act as a valuable opportunity to teach them both to take pride in their work and help them understand the satisfaction of giving a gift. An additional perk is that making a homemade gift provides hours of entertainment during the school holidays and a chance to let their creativity run free.

There are oh-so-many homemade gifts your child could create for Christmas (or even for birthdays and other celebrations in the New Year) but these are two of our favourites to make.

Homemade Bath Bombs

Whether or not your child has used a bath bomb before themselves, there is something wonderfully exciting about creating a colourful, science-based, “explosive” gift. Making this gift will really stimulate a child’s senses as they will be exposed to different colours, textures and scents as they go.

Not only is the finished product a beautiful present to give, but these also couldn’t be simpler to make.

Makes 4-6 | You will need:

• 200g bicarbonate of soda

• 100g citric acid

• 50g cornflour

• 4 tbsp coconut oil

• ½ tsp essential oil, such as orange, lavender or peppermint

• a few drops of liquid food colouring

• (Optional) dried flowers to add into the bath bombs for decoration

Method:

1.     In a bowl, mix your cornflour, bicarbonate of soda and citric acid until well-combined. Then set aside.

2.     In a separate bowl, melt your coconut oil before mixing with the essential oil and food colouring. It’s important to ensure that these have been mixed thoroughly so the colours are vibrant and not patchy when you form the bath bomb.

3.     Slowly mix the oil mixture with the bicarb mixture a little at a time until fully combined. You’re looking for a texture that has enough moisture that it can be squashed together to form your bath bombs.

If needed, you can also add a little bit of water to give it more moisture, but you’ll need to work quickly when you add it in as water will make the bomb fizz.

If you’re adding in any dried flowers, you can also fold them into your mixture now

4.     It’s time to start moulding! You can either form a spherical bath bomb simply by compressing the mixture in between your hands to form a ball, or you can use a mould like a cookie cutter, an empty yoghurt pot or an egg carton to press the mixture into. Make sure to pack the mixture in tightly so it retains its shape and then allow it to set for 2-4 hrs.

5.     Once set, it’s ready to be packaged up as a gift! Cellophane bags tied with a ribbon or string work well as they keep out any moisture but you can also use a paper bag or simply wrap in decorative tissue paper if you’d prefer something a little more environmentally-friendly.

Top tip: You can also make multiple batches with different colours and either gift a mixed set or combine multiple colours in your mould to make a rainbow or ombre bath bomb.

Homemade Pen Pots

There is not a person in the world who wouldn’t make use out of or enjoy receiving a homemade pen pot as a gift from a child, so these are always a safe bet. The great news is that these are very straightforward to make and there’s no limit to what you can decorate them with, so children can be as creative as they want with these.

You will need:

• Cardboard tubes – empty toilet roll tubes work particularly well but you can also use empty kitchen roll or wrapping paper tubes cut to size as well.

• Sheet of cardboard for the base

• PVA glue or a glue gun

• Anything you’d like to use for decoration. Some examples include: stickers, glitter, coloured paper, magazine or photo cut-outs, felt tip pens or dried flowers.

Method:

1.     Lay your sheet of base card flat and arrange your tubes on top in the way you’d like your pen pot to be set up. Once you’re happy with the position, draw around the edge of each tube so you have a line to act as a guide for the glue.

2.     Using the PVA or glue gun, line the outlines with glue and then press the tubes back into place before setting aside to dry.

Top tip: you can make a series of small incisions around one end of each tube which, when pushed outwards, will act as a flat base to help adhere the tubes to the cardboard. For extra stability, you could also cover the whole structure in papier-mâché once you’re happy with the positioning, but this will need to dry overnight before decorating.

3.     It’s time to decorate! It’s really up to you how you want to do this but here’s some ideas for inspiration…

• Monsters: Paint each tube in one of your favourite colours, stick on a pair of googly eyes and draw a menacing smile and you have yourself a ‘monster pen pot’.

• The Castle: Using a piece of card, cut out a series of small rectangles and glue them to the top edges of each tube. Once dried, paint everything grey and then draw on a door and archers windows to create a pen pot that looks like a castle. You can also paint the castle another colour if there’s one you prefer!

• Christmas Pen Pot: It’s up to you which Christmas characters you want to create but you could paint one tube brown and fix on a red pom pom nose, googly eyes and a couple of small sticks or cut out paper as antlers to make a Rudolph. One tube is painted red with a flesh-coloured circle to act as a face and make Santa. Cotton wool can also be added to make a beard and the fluff on his suit and hat.

• Unicorn: Choose a base colour for the tubes and paint them, either draw on eyes or fix on a pair of (you guessed it) googly eyes. Cut out a small triangle and add some glitter to make a horn before glueing that and a few pieces of wool or ribbon in your favourite colours to the top section of the tube to form a mane.

11 Festive Activities For Families in London This Winter

Halloween has been and gone which means we’re officially on the lookout for the John Lewis ad and starting to bring boxes of tinsel and lights down from the attic. 

These two things alone are enough to get us in a festive spirit but if you’re in need of some extra inspiration to help get everyone geared up for Christmas then we’ve lined up eleven of London’s best activities for families over the coming weeks.

Image credit: Covent Garden London

From 8th November: Covent Garden at Christmas

From the morning of November 8th, Covent Garden’s christmas lights will be switched on and the iconic 60ft tall Christmas tree will make a comeback. In the lead-up to Christmas, families can enjoy an array of festive trees expertly decorated by Covent Garden’s horticultural team in the Wonder Wood, the Winter Warmer Festival and Christmas markets to mark the season. Covent Garden will also have a traditionally-decorated sleigh in the main square for the first time, bringing that extra touch of magic and endless photo opportunities.  Find out more here.

Image credit: Regent Street

From 9th November: Regent Street Christmas Lights

From November 9th, the famous ‘Spirit of Christmas’ scheme will return to Regent Street. These lights are truly an iconic part of London at Christmas and are definitely not to be missed. We know that little legs can get tired walking for extended periods so if you don’t fancy seeing the lights on foot, there are also a number of festive open top bus tours that pass by some of London’s famous landmarks and cover some of the city’s most impressive Christmas lights.

Image credit: Daylesford Organic

10th November: Daylesford’s Christmas Preview

In the lead-up to Christmas, Daylesford will be hosting a series of festive events at their London farmshops. One that particularly caught our eye is their Christmas Preview in Notting Hill. While mulled wine, prosecco, food tastings and in-store discounts appeal to parents, there will also be the opportunity for children to meet real-life reindeer and really kick off the festive season. Find out more here.

Image credit: Timeout

From 16th November: Skating at Somerset House

This month, the courtyard at Somerset House will once again be transformed into a magnificent ice rink complete with a show stopping 40ft Christmas tree. There will be skate school sessions for those aged 8 and above who are keen to learn as well as a dedicated kids’ skate club for ages 6 - 10 to skate in a safe, friendly environment under the supervision of Somerset House’s ice marshalls. 

There are, of course, regular sessions throughout the day as well which will have a much livelier atmosphere, including DJs, festive music and plenty of food and drinks on hand. 

Find out more and book tickets here.

Image credit: Christmas at Kew

From 18th November: Christmas at Kew

This winter, Christmas at Kew is returning for its tenth anniversary. Highlights include a music and water display at Kew’s iconic Palm House, immersive installations lining the trail and winter warmers of hot chocolate and mulled wine along the way so there’s plenty to be enjoyed by all ages. Find out more here.

Image credit: Winter Wonderland

From 18th November: Winter Wonderland

It’s hard to do a roundup of the best festive activities in London without mentioning Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. This iconic attraction has a huge range of activities including ice skating, live entertainment, traditional christmas markets, fairground rides and games so there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Food and drink are also in plentiful supply so you’ll never need to look too far for a mulled wine, hot chocolate or Bavarian-inspired snacks.

Tickets now need to be reserved in advance and will sell out fast so click here to book.

Image credit: Timeout

From 19th November: Pantomime

While repeatedly bellowing “oh no he isn’t” might not be a parent’s ideal way to spend a Saturday night, there is something joyous about watching our children enjoy the magic of a pantomime in the lead-up to Christmas. This winter there are a number of pantos to choose from in London including Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Mother Goose and Cinderella. One we have our eye on is Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium which will include an appearance from comedy favourite, Dawn French.

Find out more and book tickets here.

Image credit: ZSL

From 26th November: The Magic of Christmas at ZSL London Zoo

A trip to the zoo is magical in itself but ZSL London zoo have some festive treats lined up in the lead-up to Christmas including: marshmallow toasting, a trip to the Polar post room to send your letter to Santa and a few guest appearances during feeding time from the big man himself. Find out more here. 

Image credit: Christmas at Kenwood

From 2nd December: Christmas at Kenwood House

From December, Christmas at Kenwood will return to Hampstead Heath with its iconic light trail and enchanting installations that run throughout the stunning grounds, captivating all that visit. Find out more and buy tickets here.

Image credit: Alexandra Palace

From 2nd December: Meet Santa at Alexandra Palace

Santa Claus is taking up residence at Alexandra Palace this December, meaning children can meet him in-person and really bring the magic of Christmas to life. Each child will receive a small gift and get the opportunity to have their photo taken with Santa in his festive grotto. We expect tickets will go fast so get in quickly.

Image credit: The Royal Albert Hall

From 3rd December: Carols at the Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall has a jam-packed programme over December, from Christmas carolling to traditional concerts, jazz, drag, soul, classic ballet and so much more. A couple of family-friendly events that particularly stood out for us were Home Alone in Concert on December 10th and A Christmas Carol on December 11th but there’s plenty to choose from to bring the magic of Christmas alive for all ages. More info and tickets here.

Image credit: The Royal Opera House

From 6th December: The Nutcracker Ballet

For those who don’t already know the story of the Nutcracker, it centres around young Clara on a magical adventure in a wintry wonderland all danced to Tchaikovsky’s score. This ballet is such a classic and captivating experience for children and adults alike and is not one to be missed this Christmas. Find out more here.

Scarily-Good Halloween Recipes To Make With Children This October

There are so many advantages to getting children involved in the kitchen. First and foremost, it  gives you both the opportunity to spend some quality time together and strengthen your bond, regardless of whether you’re a parent or a nanny.

Baking is also a great way for children to produce something that they can take pride in and share with others. No matter what age you are and the complexity of what you’ve made, you feel a sense of achievement when you’ve created something from scratch that you can put your name on.

Now the weather has turned and Autumn is upon us, Halloween is just around the corner and the fun of Halloween extends well beyond trick-or-treating and fancy dress. It is the perfect time of year to don our pinafores and make some spooky yet delicious treats with our children. So here’s some of our favourite Halloween recipes to inspire you this month!

Skeleton Cookies

The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity. Just about everyone has a gingerbread man cookie cutter lying in a drawer at home and when it comes to the décor, you can be as detailed or as minimal as you’d like, and the finished product still looks great!

Ingredients

You will need: 225g plain flour | ½ tsp salt | 2 tsp bicarb soda | 1 heaped tsp ground ginger | 50g unsalted butter | 100g muscovado sugar | 100g golden syrup | 1x tube white piping icing | 1x gingerbread man cookie cutter

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C fan and line a tray with baking paper.

2. Heat the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan until dissolved. Stir continuously to avoid it burning.

3. Allow the sugar mixture to cool slightly while you sieve the flour, salt, bicarb and ginger into a large bowl.

4. Gently pour your sugar mixture into the dry ingredients to form a dough before chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. Remove from the fridge and roll the dough on a floured surface to about ½ cm thickness before cutting out your skeleton (gingerbread men) shapes.

6. Place your cookies onto the lined baking tray and bake for 13 minutes

7. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before piping on your skeleton design. (If they aren’t cool enough when you decorate, the icing will just melt off!)

Top tip: If you don’t have a gingerbread man shape available, you can use the top of a glass instead to cut out circular cookies and pipe on a spiderweb design instead.

Graveyard Mousse

Ingredients

For the mousse: 150g dark chocolate (we’d suggest 70% so it’s not too bitter but if making for more mature taste palettes you can opt for a higher cocoa content) | 6 egg whites (the Two Chicks egg white cartons simplify this) | 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

To assemble: 1x pack of your favourite chocolate biscuits | 1x pack of gummy worms | 6x malted milk biscuits | 1x black icing pen

Method

1. Slowly melt the chocolate in the microwave or bain-marie in a heat-proof bowl. If opting for the microwave, we suggest heating in 30-second bursts and stirring in between so the chocolate doesn’t burn.

2. Set aside and, in a separate bowl, whisk your egg whites to soft peaks.

3. Add the sugar and whisk again until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

4. Working quickly so the chocolate doesn’t harden, fold in your whisked eggs into the chocolate until thoroughly combined.

5. Put the mixture into the fridge to chill while you crush your chocolate biscuits up into fine crumbs. Once this is complete, you’re ready for assembly.

6. Grab your mousse mixture and put a spoonful into the bottom of 4-6 glasses. Then layer some of your crushed biscuits over the top.

7. Alternating between mousse and biscuit, repeat this process until the glass is almost full before adding your gummy worm(s) on top.

8. Grab your malted milk biscuit and icing pen to make an edible headstone. You can simply write ‘R.I.P’ or get creative and draw bats and skeletons.

9. Once complete, slot your biscuit headstone into the top of the mousse and sprinkle the top of the glass with one final dusting of biscuit for an earthy effect.

10. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

Top tip: For children (or parents) who feel less confident in the kitchen, a simple hack is to swap the homemade chocolate mousse out for something like chocolate Angel Delight as it’s easy to make and can be portioned just as easily to form these fun desserts.

Pumpkin Cake

Lockdown banana breads are a thing of the past. This recipe is a scrumptious autumnal treat and a great way to use up leftover pumpkin pieces post-halloween.

Ingredients:

Cake: 300g self-raising flour | 300g light muscovado sugar | 3 tsps mixed spice (or a combination of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon & ground allspice if you don’t have) | 4 medium eggs | 200g softened butter | 1 orange (zest & juice) | 500g pumpkin

Frosting: 200g mascarpone or cream cheese | 85g softened butter | 100g icing sugar | 1 orange (zest & juice) | 50g pecan nuts

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/fan 160°C and grease and line a 30 x 20cm baking tin with baking parchment.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, spices, bicarb and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.

3. Beat the eggs into the melted butter before stirrin in the zest and juice of 1 orange.

4. Gently fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.

5. Grate your pumpkin and stir into the cake batter before pouring into the lined tin and baking for 30 minutes.

6. While your cake is in the oven, you can begin making the frosting. Cream together the soft cheese, butter, icing sugar, the second orange zest and 1 tsp of its juice until smooth. Keep in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to frost.

7. When the cake has baked, allow it to cool for 5 minutes before gently pricking and drizzling with the remaining orange juice.

8. Once the cake has cooled completely, you’re ready to frost - you can pipe this on or spoon and smooth with a palette knife before decorating with the chopped pecan nuts.

Top tip: If this is a recipe you fall in love with, you can make it year-round by substituting the pumpkin for a butternut squash.

5 Tips To Help Everyone Get Back Into The Swing Of School

After 6 weeks of summer bliss, the return to school is not one that’s eagerly anticipated by most. While some children look forward to being reunited with friends and classmates on a daily basis, the start of a new term is not without its challenges, like the return of homework, exams and long days. 

The start of a new school year also brings its share of stresses for parents. Whether you’re a new parent or one who’s been through the back-to-school process with multiple children, there’s all manner of things to wrap your head around like busy extra-curricular or social calendars, ferrying children to and from school and helping your child manage their workload.

All in all, the return to school can be tough on all members of the family but with these tips you can help make everyone’s lives that little bit easier and get the term off to a great start.

1. Put routines in place

From brushing teeth and making breakfast to completing homework after school and winding down for bed, having a routine in place is really beneficial for all family members. Daily schedules can be very fluid and stressful so having a routine provides structure and constants throughout each day so the household naturally becomes a calmer environment to live and study in. 

Set routines also allow children’s body clocks to adapt, which sets them up for a better night’s sleep and also ensures they’re eating at regular intervals, having regular bowel movements and have established clear windows of “down time” during the day for play. 

2. Avoid blue light

We live in a world where a device is never far away but exposure to blue light before bed is shown to inhibit the production of melatonin (the hormone which makes us feel drowsy), so device use before bed only makes it that much harder for children to switch off and get to sleep. 

Among older children in particular, access to phones means there’s often the temptation to stay up late on social media or conversing with friends. Where possible, we recommend limiting phone use in the hour before bedtime to ensure children get a good night’s sleep and are well-rested before school the following day.

3. Ensure meals are balanced

Some parents have fussy eaters or find themselves short on time when school and work gets busy after the holidays meaning it can be easy to opt for the likes of a quick ready meal. While that’s fine on occasion, having a more nutritionally rich and balanced diet will help to restore your child’s energy so they don’t become fatigued after long days at school. Studies also suggest that children with good nutrition can actually benefit from better performance in school.

To help support a healthy diet and make less work for yourself during the week, it can be worth spending a bit of time over the weekend prepping some meals in tupperware containers that can then be easily reheated. You can also get your children involved as food preparation can help spark their interest in trying new foods and allows time for you to bond with one another. 
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one of our favourite recipes is waffles or pancakes, not least because there’s not a child out there that wouldn’t love pancakes or waffles for breakfast!

We particularly love these as they can be made in bulk and easily stored in the fridge or freezer prior to consumption. Whichever you opt for, the recipe is the same, it just depends on whether you have access to a waffle maker or would rather just use a pan. 

When you’re ready to eat them, simply pop your pancake or waffle into the toaster and serve with a spoonful of greek yoghurt and your favourite fruit for a balanced breakfast. 

Top tip: you can also add a mashed banana to the batter to up the fruit intake and give your pancakes or waffles some naturally added sweetness.

4. Support with studies

Starting a new school year means children can find themselves overwhelmed with workload or struggling to wrap their head around new subjects or topics they’ve not approached before. 

In these circumstances, engaging a tutor can help to identify the specific areas for development and provide your child with focused support to help them learn. As with daily routines, having set time with a tutor also provides a controlled environment and structured window in the day to work on homework with the assistance of a tutor to help guide them through the areas they find challenging.

5. Sometimes parents need support too…

While our children are our focus, it’s important to acknowledge that parents sometimes need some extra support during the busy back-to-school period too, and that’s where engaging a nanny can come in handy. 

When a busy work schedule and a child’s school calendar pick back up simultaneously, even something as “small” as school pick-ups and drop-offs can present a conundrum. Having the support of a nanny during this time (and throughout the academic year) helps alleviate some of the pressure during otherwise busy periods. 

We always encourage families to be as communicative as possible so both parties are clear on what’s expected from a nanny but there’s no reason you can’t discuss an existing or prospective nanny taking on the responsibility of school runs, supporting with meal preparation or overseeing homework to help keep things running smoothly.
We are on hand to help you identify prospective nannies and have laid out some interview tips when you come to shortlisting the right person for your family.

12 of the Best Bedtime Stories From Which Your Children Will Enjoy and Learn

Whether you devoured an Enid Blyton mystery or giggled your way through The Very Hungry Caterpillar, when you think back to your childhood, the chances are you have fond memories of reading before bed with a parent.

Our lives today can be so fast paced that we fear missing out on our own children’s best years. So actively setting aside time to read a bedtime story is a fantastic way to make sure you have regular opportunities to spend quality time together and make lasting memories.

But outside of this, reading bedtime stories can actually have so many positive impacts on your child’s learning and development. Regardless of whether they’re 2 or 12!

So, what are the benefits of reading bedtime stories?

It helps provide structure to the day

Bedtimes can be a challenging time in any parent’s day. We’ve all experienced a child who claims not to be tired but you know deep down they are well beyond the point of exhaustion, and getting them into bed is no easy feat.

Reading stories each night is a great tool as it provides somewhat of a daily routine (which we know is hugely beneficial for children) and acts as a subtle indicator that it’s almost time for bed without explicitly saying those words.

Helps children to unwind and settle

In the 21st century, so much of our day is dominated by screen time. And that goes for our children too.

Exposure to screens (specifically the blue light they give off) inhibits the melatonin hormone which is what makes us sleepy. So reading a physical book before bed will provide crucial time away from a screen and help reduce cortisol levels to create a calm environment in which your child can fall asleep. This can also help improve sleep quality which sets you both up for a better day the next day!

Helps develop their sense of imagination

Bedtime stories can bring a sense of escapism and allow your child’s imagination to run wild. This can benefit them in their day-to-day life as your child can then bring some of their creativity and imagination into playtime, whether playing on their own or with others.

Reading before bedtime also creates an opportunity to enhance your child’s thirst for knowledge, which is never a bad thing!

Teaches valuable life lessons

Many children’s stories include a moral, such as the importance of friendship, laughing at your mistakes or kindness to others. These teachings are presented through stories in a subtle and engaging way so children can learn from them and take these practices into everyday scenarios.

Improves speech development

If your child is in the very early stages of their life and hasn’t yet learnt to speak, reading books to them can be hugely beneficial to their speech development as they will be able to passively absorb language and begin to understand certain sounds or words.

For children who are slightly older and have developed some basic language, reading aloud with them before bed can help advance their vocabulary and improve their speech. Reading aloud is something that’s not uncommon in schools and can be a daunting task if they’re not confident in doing so, so practising with a parent at home can help build up that skill.

Advances learning at all ages

Even if your child is very young, reading bedtime stories can still have a positive impact on their learning and development. As children’s books are often very visual, they allow your child to learn new colours and shapes in a fun and engaging way.

A good exercise for older children is to encourage them to read aloud but also to mark or jot down any words they are not familiar with so you can go back and look up the definitions afterwards. This gives them the opportunity to actively advance their vocabulary and makes learning more interactive.

12 Bedtime Reads We Love

For children aged 5 and under:

1. Little People Big Dreams, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vergara - a wonderful way to introduce role models of today in an engaging and age-appropriate way

2. The Little Elephant That Never Wants To Fall Asleep, Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin - a tried and tested, parent-approved book with techniques to reclaim bedtime and provide a sweet and tender end to each day.

3. The Tiger Who Came To Tea, Judith Kerr - the fun tale of a tiger who mysteriously turns up at the dinner table. One that will be read on repeat!

4. Lost and Found, Oliver Jeffers - an understated story of friendship and loneliness with a strong moral.

For children aged 5-8:

1. Peter Pan - a timeless classic that will ignite a sense of adventure in those that read it.

2. Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White - An undisputed children’s classic with a wonderful moral.

3. The Famous Five books - an engaging mystery series bound to spark your child’s imagination. The book is also peppered with strong morals and characters that break social boundaries.

4. A Bedtime Full of Stories: 50 Folktales and Legends from Around the World, Angela McAllister - These folk tales and legends are the perfect length for a bedtime story and reading aloud. Each is set in a different place and will transport children around the world as well as into fantasy lands.

For children aged 9+:

1. The Harry Potter series, JK Rowling - one of the most iconic book series of the twentieth century, offering a tantalising glimpse of the endlessly spellbinding wizarding world.

2. The Bad Beginning: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket - The first of a 13-part series of books that tells the adventures of three intelligent, orphaned siblings, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire.

3. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian - The powerful story of deprived evacuee William Beech and his slow-burning friendship with the cantankerous Tom Oakley.

4. His Dark Materials: The Northern Lights, Philip Pullman - Set in an alternate universe of species-shifting daemons, magical artefacts and forbidden knowledge, Northern Lights is the first volume of Pullman’s iconic fantasy saga.

These are just some of our favourite reads but don’t feel limited to these. Other parents, teachers or friends may have recommendations on books they and their children have loved and you may have books in mind yourself. No matter which book you opt for, there are so many positives that come from reading bedtime stories together and if you can get your child into reading when they’re young, it’s more likely to develop a passion and something they continue in their adult life.