Category: School Days

1. 5 sports for your child to try this summer

   Posted on 8:00am Thursday 19th Apr 2018

   

   Feature image credit: g-stockstudio/Shutterstock

   In a world where technology is taking over most of our lives, it is becoming increasingly difficult for children to lead an active lifestyle when there are so many distractions, such as tablets and games consoles at hand 24/7. According to Public Health England, the number of children getting a sufficient amount of physical activity last year dropped by a staggering 40%. Therefore, it is important, more than ever, to ensure our children take part in a healthy and active lifestyle.

   Being physically active every day is vital to ensure healthy growth and development for our youngsters – both mentally and physically. The amount of exercise and the intensity differs depending on your child’s age, however, one thing is certain: it should always be encouraged to guarantee your child is getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity, per day.

   For many parents, getting your child to be active can be hard, which is why persuading your child to take up a hobby may be a good idea. Why not give your child a taste of different sports this summer?

   5 sports to try this summer:

   • Swimming

   

   Photo credit: Michael Brin/Shutterstock

   Whilst the sun is shining and the temperature is warm, swimming is a great activity to take part in – particularly if you have access to a lido, or even an outdoor pool in your garden. Not only does swimming provide all-round exercise for your little one, it is a fun way to get more active and stay healthy; even for parents too! Regular swimming sessions are proven to reduce the risks of developing any serious illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes and, more seriously, heart disease.

   In addition, splashing around in the water not only has physical benefits, but also helps to boost your child’s mood and unwind — and there are lots of different strokes to try and learn.

   • Cycling

   

   Photo credit: Soloviova Liudmyla/Shutterstock

   We all know that kids love to ride their bicycles — it's great fun, helps them feel independent, and keeps them fit and healthy. Riding a bike helps fine-tune your child's motor skills, such as balance and co-ordination, as well as building up strength, in both their legs and core. Encouraging kids to cycle from an early age, and getting them to take their “Bikeability” test, will help equip them with an important skill for life.

   As well as that, cycling is a fantastic family activity; great for a day out. All you need is a bike that is suitable for the road and the appropriate size for your child (this can be second-hand or from a bike shop), some basic safety gear including a helmet and perhaps some knee and elbow pads, and a little bit of practice; a highly affordable hobby as there are very little to no maintenance costs.

   • Running

   

   Photo credit: Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock

   Kids love to run and compete with each other, whether it be in the school playground, on sports day, or taking part in extra-curricular activities, such as athletics. It is incredibly easy to get into running as a sport — all you need is a good pair of running shoes, which doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg!

   Running in races teaches our children about healthy competition, setting goals and achieving them. It can help to improve their performance in other sports too, as it helps them develop core and back strength, endurance and co-ordination. These skills all play an important role in activities like popular sports, such as gymnastics, dance and football.

   • Golf

   

   Photo credit: Dasha Petrenko/Shutterstock

   Despite needing to be donned in the correct golf clothing when stepping foot on a golf course to take a few swings in an attempt to hit a hole-in-one, there are other cheaper and more entertaining ways to get your child involved in the sport. Around the UK, there are a wide variety of crazy golf courses up and down the country that enable children to have fun and get active.

   Alternatively, there are also golf ranges that allow you to take the kids and compete for points, such as Top Golf, where you pay a small fee to hire the golf club and balls for couple of hours – perfect to get your children out and about during the summer holidays (even when the weather is below par!).

   • Tennis

   

   Photo credit: Olena Yakobchuk/Shutterstock

   Children today love playing games such as football, rugby and dance, so why not make this summer an opportunity to introduce your child to something entirely different? Tennis is a great activity to play, not only due to the many social benefits, but due to the countless health benefits, which include: balance and body coordination, agility and flexibility to name a few. Tennis also promotes overall good health in children – improved bone strength and density, and a robust immune system.

   During the summer, tennis clubs around the country have one-off classes to help to encourage children to get active and feel a taste for the sport whilst children have free time. Get in touch with your local tennis club and see whether they have any upcoming deals.

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2. Top Tips for School Website Design

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 27th Mar 2018

   It seems a long time since we built the Lilypad website and I remember struggling to get the right feel and look. We all know that design and visuals are an integral part of daily life, surrounding us wherever we go and filling our lives with pattern and colour. From advertising posters and street signs to artwork and product branding, we are constantly subjected to design, whether we realise it or not. However, one area which has experienced significant growth over the past few years is the world of web design.

   

   It can be tricky to perfect the design of any website, but when it comes to school websites, there are a number of things which need to be taken into consideration. A school website must work for all of its users whilst also adhering to any legal and ethical requirements. Of course, this can often be easier said than done. While it’s easy to know what content to put on a site, for example, it can sometimes be harder to find an effective, appealing design which is still suited to this unique market and audience.

   A school website should include all of the relevant information that people both want and need to know. From the school’s latest Ofsted report, school holidays calendar or just some good news that should be shared with everyone, there is plenty of important information which needs to be shared.

   But despite this, the real question for many will always come down to the design. It will, of course, be different for every site, but here are a few essential design tips that are important when it comes to school websites.

   Intuitive Navigation

   It almost goes without saying that any website should be easy to navigate. The user should feel at home when traversing the site, instinctively knowing where to go to find the particular piece of information that they are looking for. Design and functionality should go hand in hand – particularly on a website where there is a lot of information which needs to be conveyed in an effective, logical manner. Above all else, ease and simplicity are key, something which must be kept firmly in mind throughout the process of designing and implementing the website’s new look.

   Functional and Fast

   Approachable and speedy, school websites must be quick enough to load pages and content within a reasonable timeframe without compromising on the overall look of the site. After all, there’s nothing worse than a website which is painfully slow to load, so it’s important to do what you can to make the site run smoothly. Similarly, practicality and functionality should always be the king with a school website. Although a pretty brochure site may look the part, if it can’t live up to the demands placed upon it, there is not much point in having a website at all!

   Individual and Creative

   Having said that, creativity should never fall by the wayside. Design of any kind is inherently creative, so if your website does not make the most of this requirement, the simple fact of the matter is that it just won’t look as good as it could. In addition, every school is unique, and with such a variety of different schools out there, it’s important to ensure that the website reflects the individual school’s particular ethos and branding. For instance, the design of one independent school website may look completely different to another – this diversity should be embraced and welcomed with open arms.

   

   Of course, at the end of the day, design is an entirely subjective art, much like many other creative disciplines. What one person loves another may loathe, so the real trick is finding the perfect balance that keeps everyone happy! Designing a school website may not be the easiest task, but when you get it right, the results really do speak for themselves.

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3. 5 things to do to prepare yourself for Easter school holidays

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 20th Mar 2018

   Just how quickly has this last term disappeared? Really. January seemed to last the length of a zillion months, and now here we are, waltzing into April, in the blink of an eye. So with the Easter holidays just around the corner, let’s take a look at five essential tips for nailing this seasonal holiday and not have to look into hair transplantation because the kids have made you pull your hair out this Easter.

   

    

   1.    Be ready to battle the beast

   With more snow set to fall over Easter weekend, this year may be less daffodils and baby chicks, more snowmen and sledging. You're going to have to turn all those Easter best bits on their head, and give them an icy twist. Wrap up warm and head outside for your seasonal shenanigans, as we’re apparently in for the coldest Easter on record. Winter really isn’t letting things go this year, is it?! But, one thing’s for sure, should it snow, it’ll be a year to remember.

   2.    Pinterest is your friend

   Whether snow pummels the UK or not, Pinterest is the-absolute-one at Easter. Get yourself on there, scour the app for craft ideas, makes and bakes. From egg decorating to chocolate nest cakes, you might even want to make bonnets, bunting or something a little more weird and wonderful. Come snow, rain, and shine, kids love crafts, and they’re a great way to spend time together and fill any school holiday lulls. You know, the ones when the kids are running riot and declaring war against one another? Then.

   3.    Ditch the dinner

   Do you really need to put yourself through the stress of cooking Easter dinner for the entire family. Either keep it small and sweet, rustling up a storm (weather puns unintended) for your household, or ditch the idea altogether. If you’re getting together with friends or extended family over Easter, say no to the nonsense and book a table at a lovely country pub. Just imagine. How lovely, especially so if the surrounding grounds are covered with a dusting of snow. Beautiful. Why bother with anything else?

   

   4.    Execute the egg hunt

   Don’t let a little bit of snow stop you! This is the time to really rev up your plans for the white Easter weekend. The egg hunt has to happen, but don’t forget to make the most of the snow. Perhaps hide plastic eggs in, under and around the snow, that your littlies can swap for chocolate. Extra sweet treats should certainly be available for building snowbunnies and snowchicks, of course!

   5.    Take time out

   Cooking, crafts, carefully planned activities, Easter can be discreetly hectic, don’t you forget it. Plan time out to just stay at home, snuggled up with your youngsters, the dog, and a big blanket. Stick an Easter film on, crack the eggs open, and enjoy. Without the pent-up pressure of Christmas, the Easter hols and a time when you will be forgiven for forgoing get-togethers. Enjoy time at home, doing nothing, recuperate and recharge.

   After all… summer term is ready and waiting, and we all know what havoc that wreaks.

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4. How mobile phone apps can make it easier when travelling with children

   Posted on 10:00pm Tuesday 13th Mar 2018

   When it comes to travelling with children, it’s no secret that it’s not always easy to get things right. The problem is that children - younger children mainly - get bored easily and when they get bored they become more prone to tantrums, which is not something that you want to experience while in the car with them. The good news is, however, that technology has made travelling with children - whether via car, boat, train or plane - easier than ever before, and less stressful too. One of the gems of technology for travelling as a family are mobile phone apps - for parents, these have been a real game changer.

   If you’re a parent that doesn’t utilise mobile phone apps when travelling with kids to make things easier, then you are most probably wondering how these apps can be used to make your family travel that little bit easier and less stressful. Want to know how these beneficial apps can really be? Then read on for everything that you need to know about how you can utilise smartphone apps to make travelling with kids easier and less stressful.

   They keep kids occupied

   One of the major benefits of smartphone apps for when you are travelling with kids is the fact that can be highly useful for keeping little ones occupied. Common to popular belief, smartphone apps don’t just offer games, which are, of course, a useful tool for keeping your little ones busy while you travel, they also offer a range of other activities, such as digital colouring and painting, audiobooks, film streaming, reading, and educational activities.

   When it comes to keeping the kids occupied while travelling, apps can be a highly useful tool and one that most parents could not get by without. Apps act as a great tool for keeping kids busy while travelling, as they have so much potential. Today, there’s an app for almost everything, so whatever your child likes to do, there’s sure to be an app that they can use to do it. Whether they love word jumbles, are mad about cars, or love animals, there’s sure to be an app that’s a good fit for them and their interests.

   

   Apps can make route mapping easier

   Travelling with kids is always going to be stressful, there’s no getting away from that fact. However, with the use of the right apps, such as route mapping apps, you can make travelling with kids that little bit less stressful and more enjoyable. If you are travelling via road or rail, you can use route mapping apps to plan your journey, including where you will take travel stops for refuelling, getting food, and toilet breaks. While some phones include built-in route mapping capabilities, as you will see from the Your Phone Reviews page, not all integrated apps are on par with downloadable apps. That’s why so many people choose to use these apps rather than the ones that come pre-installed on their phones, as these offer a better user experience, making journeys easier for you and your children.

   You can check in via apps

   Flying with kids has to be one of the most stressful types of travelling with little ones in tow. However, the good news is that there are now various apps that can help to make your experience a better one. For instance, many airlines and airports now have their own apps that you can use to not only track your flight and view any details about it, but also to check-in for your flight. When you’ve got little ones to keep an eye on, being able to check-in via an app is much easier and less stressful than having to check-in in person.

   Apps can be highly beneficial when it comes to planning

   Every parent knows that when it comes to doing anything with kids, it’s all about the planning. If you are going to ensure that your next trip is as enjoyable and free of stress as possible, it’s vital that you ensure that you have every aspect carefully planned out. The truth is that if you want to make planning easier for yourself, taking advantage of planning apps is essential. By utilising planning apps, you can ensure that when it comes to planning your journeys, it’s easier than ever to do so because of the array of apps available to help you. From route mapping apps to apps that allow you to plan every aspect of your journey, from start to finish, there are a range of planning apps that you are able to take advantage of. You can use apps like Roadtrippers to check your route and plan your stops. You can use apps like Hotel Tonight to find available accommodation if you are travelling at the last minute. For planning what you will do once you arrive at your destination, apps like CityMaps2Go can be highly beneficial, as they clearly tell you what’s what.

   Get a jump on jet lag

   If you and your kids are travelling to somewhere in a different time zone, it can have a huge impact on your children’s mood. Tired kids and grumpy kids, that’s a fact, so if you are going to make your trip as enjoyable as possible, it’s a good idea to get a jump on jet lag. A great way to do this is to download an app called Jet Lag Rooster which helps you adapt your sleep patterns in the days leading up to your trip. So that by the time you actually travel, you and your little ones should have adapted to your new sleep cycle and it should be less likely that your little ones spend the entirety of the trip in a grumpy mood.

   Technology has had a huge impact on how we travel with children, making it much easier and less stressful for parents in a range of ways. Gone are the days when a storybook and some colouring pencils were all there was to keep kids occupied while travelling, smartphone apps have changed all of that.

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