World Book Day... or World Disney Day?

In previous years I have blogged about World Book Day and have suggested some really simple costume ideas.

There are hundreds of children in books - Charlie or Lola, Harry (with his bucket of dinosaurs), Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, the Famous Five or Secret Seven, the Baudelaire children (from A Series of Unfortunate Events), Pippa Longstocking, Milly Molly Mandy, Poppy or Sam (Usborne Farmyard Tales) - I am sure you can think of even more...

So today is World Book Day - is your child dressing up?

I read parenting forums / see comments on facebook and think that the whole spirit of dressing up as a book character has been lost in the commercialism of character dressing up clothes.

I hear reports of schools full of little girls in Disney princess dresses (yes I know some of them existed in books before Disney got their hands on it but they didn't wear identikit Disney designed outfits) or going as Hannah Montana and boys going in their favourite football strip, Spiderman, Powerrangers and so on and wonder whether it is all a waste of time.

I suppose I can sit here a bit smug as we haven't had to dress up today so I haven't had any stress... what was your playground like this morning?

National Year of Reading

Did you know that 2008 is the National Year of Reading?

The National Year of Reading (NYR) is a year-long celebration of reading, in all its forms. It aims to help build a greater national passion for reading in England – for children, families and adult learners alike.

The NYR is being managed by a group of organisations committed to promoting reading, led by the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency, and on behalf of the DCSF.

If you haven't planned any events for your toddler group / preschool / nursery / school then don't worry - January to March in the National Year of Reading is the challenge period for organisations to decide what their activities throughout the year will be. Then April to December sees the public phase of the campaign and the monthly themes - look out for more details after the launch. Some things are already planned - check out the What's On pages to see anything happening near you.

Join in the Chatterbox Challenge

February 2008 sees the UK’s biggest nursery rhyme sing-along when I CAN’s Chatterbox Challenge kicks off. Thousands of children from all over the country will once again be performing their favourite rhymes, raising money for children’s communication charity I CAN.

Budding Bo Peeps and Little Jack Horners will be learning the words, rhymes and actions to old favourites and some exciting new songs, helping to highlight the importance of children’s communication. Supported by Openreach, a BT Group business, I CAN’s Chatterbox Challenge has become a firm favourite in the calendar, with parents and teachers alike all recognising the importance of fostering speech and language skills through nursery rhyme repetition and sound patterns.

I CAN Chief Executive Virginia Beardshaw says: “The Chatterbox Challenge is a really fun, simple and inclusive way for children of all ages to sing along to their favourite nursery rhymes, invent actions and enjoy a fantastic fun filled day. Whether taking part at nursery, with a childminder or at home, all the activities included in the free pack have been specifically designed by teachers and I CAN speech and language therapists with speech, language and communication development in mind.”

“Communication is the foundation life skill, yet one in ten children in the UK has a speech, language and communication difficulty. I CAN’s Chatterbox Challenge sees all children taking part benefit from the fun and educational activity, whilst also raising money and awareness to help others who struggle to communicate.”

You Can Join In!
If you want to join in - head down to your local Early Learning Centre on the 12th February (tomorrow) to add your voice by singing a favourite nursery rhyme for I CAN.

Visit www.chatterboxchallenge.org.uk for further information

Road Safety Week

This week (5th-11th November 2007) is Road Safety Week. The theme of Road Safety Week 2007 is child pedestrian and cyclist safety. Brake will be urging drivers to slow down around schools and homes and calling for measures to help protect children on foot and bikes.

Some things to remember to keep children safe when out walking...

• Hold your child's hand / keep them close by you - young children are often unpredictable and could easily run into the road
• Always talk to your child about finding a safe place to cross and use pedestrian crossings when they are available
• Make sure you STOP, LOOK and LISTEN before crossing the road - wait until there are no cars coming
• If going out after dark - wear light or reflective clothing

For more resources - check out the resources for parents here and the resources for 3-10 year olds here. Resources for other groups are also available.

National Bookstart Day

Today is National Bookstart Day and the theme is Jungle Party!

Bookstart aims to provide a free packs of books to every baby and toddler in the UK, to inspire, stimulate and create a love of reading that will give children a flying start in life.

There are lots of events taking place all over the country to celebrate - we're off to one later, but if you are reading this too late to join in there are ideas for jungle related activites you can do at home; including a monkey mask, colouring sheets and special rhymesheets. There is also a suggest list of jungle related stories to share.

Our favourites from that list are:

From the author and illustrator of The Gruffalo; Monkey Puzzle, is full of the same fantastic rhymes and beautiful illustrations. Our eldest child loves to finish the rhymes and spot all the different animals.

The traditional tale Dear Zoo is a favourite from my childhood which has now been shared with both our children. We have the board book edition which has sturdy flaps so they can look at it on their own. Our youngest loves lifting the flaps and especially likes 'roaring' at the lion!

Another favourite in our house which isn't on that list is Rumble in the Jungle. From the very first poem it is an open invitation to enter the jungle and experience this wonderful collection of animal poems. This book is great and has been popular since our eldest was a toddler and now he knows most of the rhymes by heart! Written by Giles Andreae, (known to many as Purple Ronnie), and illustrated by David Wojtowycz using bright colorful pictures, the whole book an amazing combination of words and colour and fun.

Any of these three books would be ideal for use in story sacks, and check out these lovely finger puppets to celebrate the Bookstart Jungle Party.

Birthdays

We are celebrating a birthday in our house today and it made me think about how children learn about birthdays and how we can help children with special needs experience the excitement / prepare them for their big day.

Some ideas:

• share books about birthdays / parties (including the Usborne First Experiences: Going to a Party)
• use a calendar to count down the days until the birthday / party
• practice unwrapping presents to teach both the anticipation of 'what is in the present' and the skills needed to tear the paper
• practice blowing out candles and singing happy birthday
• think about your child's needs and difficulties when planning a birthday treat, you want them to enjoy it!
• let your child 'help' with the preparations

Down's Syndrome Awareness Week

This week (4th-10th June) is Down's Syndrome Awareness Week. A campaign week that aims to raise awareness of the condition, dispel myths and allay the fears surrounding Down Syndrome. It is a national initiative organised by the Down's Syndrome Association. This year the main focus of the week this year will be improving employment prospects for adults with Down’s syndrome.

So bearing in mind it's Down Syndrome Awareness Week I thought I'd help raise awareness of Down Syndrome by a post about it!

Down syndrome is a genetic condition which is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome. The name ‘Down’ comes from the English doctor, John Langdon Down, who first described the syndrome in 1866 and ‘syndrome’ comes from the description of a collection of signs or characteristics.

Everyday in the UK, an average of one or two babies are born with Down syndrome, which means that one baby in 1000 has the condition. People with Down syndrome have a certain degree of learning disability however the degree of disability varies from person to person and it is impossible to tell at birth what that degree will be, most children with Down syndrome do learn to walk, talk, read and write just that their development is usually delayed.

There are certain physical characteristics that are shared by people with Down syndrome though not every child with the condition has every characteristic. Common characteristics are:

• Low muscle tone (although this improves with age)
• Lower than average birth weight and a slower pace of weight gain
• Eyes that slant upward and outward, the eyelids often have an extra fold of skin (epicanthic fold) which appears to exaggerate the slant
• A flatter than average back of the head
• A single crease which runs right across the palm of the hand

About forty per cent of children with Down syndrome have an associated heart defect. These heart conditions vary from small holes in the heart to more complex problems which may require major open heart surgery. The majority of these defects can be corrected and the prognosis is very good.

All babies are different from each other and the same is true of babies with Down syndrome, this means that in some babies the characteristic signs of Down syndrome are fairly easy to recognise soon after birth, however others need a blood test to check the chromosomes.

Lastly, I'd like to add a little picture of the daughter of a friend of mine, I'm sure you'll agree that she is gorgeous! Her mummy is a great advocate for Down Syndrome and wants the world know that having a baby with Down Syndrome is NOT the end of the world.

Please feel free to add your comments about your experiences of children with Down Syndrome (and send me any photos you want me to add).

For more information:

Red Cross / Red Crescent Day

This week is Red Cross / Red Crescent Week and today (8th May) is World Red Cross / Red Crescent Day. On this day we are asked to remember the efforts that all National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies do worldwide to advocate for the relief of human suffering, whether from disease, famine, disaster or war.

Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies provide relief as the world's largest humanitarian network, with activities and presence in more than 170 countries. The National Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent comprise more than 97 million members and volunteers - the world's largest volunteer force - assisting some 233 million beneficiaries each year. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was born of a desire to bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield and to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found.

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day was born in 1922, just after World War I, when the Red Cross National Society in the Czech Republic proclaimed a three-day truce at Easter to promote peace. The idea behind the truce was to recognize one day every year during which the Red Cross would advocate for the relief of human suffering from disease and the humanity of seeing a world free from suffering due to war. 8th May, the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross, was chosen to be that day and was called World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.

See here for more information about the work of the British Red Cross

Deaf Awareness Week

This week - 7th - 13th May 2007, is Deaf Awareness Week. The theme for this years week is 'Look At Me, which aims to improve understanding of the different types of deafness by highlighting the many different methods of communication used by deaf, deafened, deafblind and hard of hearing people, such as sign language and lipreading. Deaf Awareness week is supported by over one hundred deaf charities and organisations under the umbrella of the UK Council on Deafness and it involves a UK wide series of national and local events.

The RNID are inviting you to take one simple step a day to help change the world. The steps include learning to fingerspell, improving your communication skills or taking part in our big sound check - check their website each day for the next step.

Activity Ideas for Children:

• Experiment with lip-reading: Some deaf people can watch your lips and understand what you are saying from the shapes your mouth makes. Try this with a friend, say a word without making a sound and see if your friend can guess what it was. Some words look the same, which ones?
• Practice Sign-Language: Some deaf people do not speak, instead they use British Sign Language (BSL). The words are made by making shapes with their hands. See if you can learn some simple signs or the fingerspelling alphabet.

If you are trying to communicate with a deaf person, remember the following things:

• Face the person while you are speaking, don't turn away.
• Speak clearly without shouting.
• If the person can not understand you, don't give up! Write it down or draw a picture.

April Dates

1st - April Fool's Day
3rd - Pesach (Jewish)
5th - Maundy Thursday (Christian)
6th - Good Friday (Christian)
7th - Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
7th - World Health Day
8th - Easter Sunday (Christian)
13th - Baisakhi (Sikh)
13th - Hindu New Year
21st - Queen's Birthday
22nd - London Marathon
23rd - St. George's Day (Patron Saint of England)

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day, and quite appropriately it's raining so locally at least we are celebrating by answering lots of 'why is it raining?' questions from our three year old and puddle jumping!

However, seriously the international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

The theme for World Water Day 2007 is coping with water scarcity - the theme highlights the significance of cooperation and importance of an integrated approach to water resource management of water at both international and local levels. Equity and rights, cultural and ethical issues are essential to be addressed when dealing with limited water resources. Imbalances between availability and demand, the degradation of groundwater and surface water quality, intersectoral competition, interregional and international disputes, all center around the question of how to cope with scarce water resources.

An activity ideas to develop children's understanding of the problems of water shortage is growing cress seeds - make up to identical trays of kitchen towel and a sprinkle of cress seeds, make one wet and one dry - what happens and why? what are the implications for countries with no rain?


For further information:



Water Aid - an international charity dedicated to helping people escape the stranglehold of poverty and disease caused by living without safe water and sanitation.

Spring, Trees and Poetry

Today is the first day of Spring, World Poetry Day and World Forestry Day.

Spring has sprung! We've already mentioned some of the Spring festivals from different cultures and I'll be adding more about Spring showers tomorrow for World Meteological Day and then next week when we look towards Easter and other April festivals.

World Forestry Day is celebrated around the world on 21st March. This day commemorates the contribution and value of forests and forestry to the community.

Celebrate World Forestry Day by visiting your local woodland - look for the signs of Spring - the new leaves / blossom on the trees, the flowering of daffodils, snowdrops and bluebells, and the birds building nests. Look at the trees, can you identify the different types of trees and plants, do bark and leaf rubbings, and have fun running aroung exploring!

Believed to have its origin in the 1930s, World Poetry Day is now celebrated in hundreds of countries around the world. This day provides a perfect opportunity to examine poets and write poetry. In 1999, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) also designated 21st March as World Poetry Day. Check out the Read Write Think website for lots of information on different types of poetry with special tools to help you write your very own create acrostic poems, diamante poems, letter poems, or shape poems.

We'd love hear your poems especially those about Spring, trees or the weather please add them as comments on the post.

No Smoking Day

Today is No Smoking Day.

No Smoking Day aims to help people who want to stop smoking by creating a supportive environment for them, and by highlighting the many sources of help available to people who want to quit. Now in its 24th year it is a firm fixture in the UK calendar because of its popularity amongst smokers and continued success. Three quarters of smokers would like to stop and on No Smoking Day over a million try.

The Day's main messages are:

• No Smoking Day is a good opportunity to stop


• Smokers can get help when they want to stop


• There are health and other benefits to stopping smoking

Are you giving up today? If so good luck.

More New Year Celebrations

Today is Sikh New Year!

Did you know that there are new year celebrations every month? For those who thought that New Year comes once in a year, think again! New Years are celebrated several times through all of the 12 months of the year! Here are some of them!

January
1 - New Year's Day (Gregorian calendar) - The most widely celebrated holiday.
1 - Japanese New Year's Day - Also known as Gantan-sai or Oshogatsu.
7 - Egyptian New Year's Day (Sekhmet)
8 - Druidic New Year
11- Old Scottish New Year
Mahayana Buddhist New Year is celebrated on the first full moon day in January.
14 - Eastern Orthodox New Year's Day
14 - Julian Calendar New Year
21 - Celtic New Year
Korean New Year (Sol-Nal) (Lunar New Year) is celebrated at sunset on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice.
Tibetan New Year (Losar) is celebrated in late January or early February at the time of the new moon.
Vietnamese New Year or Tet is celebrated between January 17 and February 19 at the time of the new moon.
Chinese New Year is celebrated between January 21 and February 20 on the second (very rarely third) new moon after the winter solstice

February
Tibetan New Year (Ugyen Thinley Dorje) - Some Tibetans celebrate their New Year a month later than the Lunar New Year as Ugyen Thinley Dorje.
Muharram is the first month of the Muslim year and its first day is celebrated as Islamic New Year's Day.

March
1 - Roman New Year also called the Festival of Mars (Feriae Marti) honouring Mars, the Roman god of war.
8 - Sun Rise Day — The world's most northerly village, Longyearbyen, Norway celebrates the first dawn of the new year (their New Year's Day). Around noon on this day, they celebrate their first glimpse of the sun since it sat in October. The long night of winter is compensated by the midnight sun of summer.
14 - Sikh New Year Day - the first day of Chet, the first month of the Sikh calendar.
21 - Astrological New Year
21 - The Baha'i New Year (Naw-Ruz)
Hindu New Year also known as Bikrami Samvat falls on the day following the new moon on or after the spring equinox.
Persian or Iranian New Year (Noruz) is always held on the spring equinox.
Assyrian New Year, called Rish Nissanu, occurs on the vernal equinox, commencing the start of the spring.
Telugu New Year's Day also known as Ugadi is celebrated on the day after the new moon following the vernal equinox (first day of spring).
21 - Zoroastrian New Year or Jamshedi

April
Theravadin Buddhist New Year - The Tharavadin Buddhists of Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Lao celebrate the New Year on the first full moon day with three days of celebration.
14 - Solar New Year (Songkran) - This new year's day is celebrated in many southeast Asia countries as Baisakhi in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka (or Varushapirapu); Songkran in Thailand; Boum Pimay or Bun-Pi-Mai-Lao in Laos; Thingyan in Myanmar; and Bon Chol Chhnam in Cambodia. The exact time on the 13th or 14th is determined by astrologers.
14 - Nepali New Year Day - The specific time of the New Year is set by astrologers on the 13th or 14th.
13 or 14 - Sikh New Year Day (Vaisaki or Baisakhi) -On this day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh created the Brotherhood of the Pure. April 14 - Sinhala /Tamil New Year's Day - Sri Lankans celebrate their national New Year's Day (Puththandu in Tamil and Aluth Avurudhu in Sinhala). The specific time of the New Year is set by astrologers. The Tamil New Year and Vishu are celebrated on the same day respectively in the Southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
13-15 - Thai New Year
13-15 - Cambodian New Year and Lao New Year
14 or 15 - Bengali New Year called Pohela Baisakh
22 - Parsi New Year Day also known as Pateti is celebrated on April 23 (April 22nd on leap years), this is one of the local new years celebrated in India.
24 - Babylonian New Year - The Babylonian New Year begins the Nabonassar Era Year 2752 on April 25th (24th on leap years).

May
26 - Buddhist New Year also known as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti - Some Buddhist sects celebrate Budhha's birthday on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month as their New Year's Day. Note: Some sects now celebrate Buddha's birthday on April 8th.

June
21 - Ancient Greek New Year - Some versions of the ancient Greek calendar celebrated the new year on the summer solstice.

July
9 - Armenian New Year - The Armenian Era, an old way of measuring time, began on July 9, 552.

August
Malayalam New Year - On the new moon in late August or early September (the first day of the Hindu month of Bhadon), the southern Indian state of Kerala celebrates its new year.
23 - Zoroastrian New Year (Shenshai), for those Zoroastrians who follow the Shenshai calendar.

September
1 - Orthodox Christian New Year - This day marks the New Year for some Russian Orthodox Christians.
10 - African New Year
11 (12th in leap years) - Ethiopian New Years Day - This is a national holiday in Ethiopia.
16 - Rosh Hashanah or Jewish New Year begins on the first day of the Jewish month of Tishri (Tishrei), is also called the Day of Judgment and Remembrance.

October
3 - Moroccan New Year's Day

November
Hindu New Year (Diwali) is celebrated on the new moon in late October or early November. It is considered by some as one of the Hindu New Years (sometimes celebrated the day after Diwali as Vikram New Year). The Marwari New Year is celebrated on the day of the festival of Diwali Jain New Year - Celebrated on the day after Diwali, this is the New Year's day for the Jain religion. It is the day after of the attainment of Moksha by Mahavir Swami and the day when his chief disciple Gautam Swami attained Kevalgnan. The Gujarati New Year is usually celebrated the day after the festival of Diwali (which occurs in mid-autumn - either October or November, depending on the Lunar calendar.

December
Sikkimese New Year - The Sikkimese New Year or Losoong is celebrated from the first to fifth day of the Lunar 11th month. It is also called Sonam Losar or the Farmer's New Year.

World Book Day

Today, Thursday 1st March 2007 is World Book Day. World Book Day is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designated day as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and was marked in over 30 countries around the globe last year.

The origins of the day come from Catalonia, where roses and books were given as gifts to loved ones on St. George's Day - a tradition started some 80 years ago. Although this is a world event, the date varies from country to country, it occurs early in March in the UK and Ireland because the initiative is so well established in schools it is important the Day happens in term time to really make the most of this opportunity to celebrate books and reading.

The main aim of World Book Day is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.

Schools all over the country are celebrating World Book Day with children dressing up as characters from their favourite books - send me your pictures and I'll add them here! Popular characters include:

• a Witch (from Room on a Broom)
• Milly Molly Mandy
• Harry and his bucket full of dinosaurs
• Tracey Beaker
• a cat (from The Cat in the Hat)
• the children from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• a Fairy (from That's not my fairy)

At Littlesheep Learning we are celebrating World Book Day by holding a special book sale for the month of March - all our children's books are on special offer with savings of 33% off the RRP.

March Dates 2007

As we approach the 1st March I thought a list of diary dates might help those of you in childcare or educational settings complete your months planning. Hopefully blog posts around the days will also help you with activity ideas.

1st - St David's Day (Patron Saint of Wales)
1st - World Book Day
3rd - Magha Puja (Buddhist)
3rd - Holi (Hindu)
4th - Purim (Jewish)
5th - Lantern Festival (Chinese)
8th - International Women's Day
12th - Commonwealth Day
14th - No Smoking Day
14th - Sikh New Year
16th - Red Nose Day
17th - St Patricks Day - Patron Saint of Ireland
18th - Mothering Sunday (Mother's Day)
18th - British Sign Language Day
20th - World Storytelling Day
21st - World Poetry Day
21st - First Day of Spring - Spring equinox
21st - World Forestry Day
22nd - World Day for Water
23rd - World Meteorological Day
25th - British Summer Time Begins
27th - World Theatre Day
27th - Rami Navami (Hindu)
31st - Mawlid-un-Nabi (Muslim)

Look out for more information coming soon!

National Story Telling Week 2007

Yesterday I held a coffee morning for other mums / dads and small children along with a photographer and a reporter for the local paper, the reason for this is that this week (30th January to 4th February) it's National Storytelling Week and they wanted to know our opinions on sharing stories with our children.

National Storytelling week is an annual event which aims to raise awareness of this ancient form of entertainment - check out The Society for Storytelling for more information. Storytelling is the ancient tradition stretching back for as long as humans have had speech, known as the 'oral' tradition where stories are shared in groups. The storyteller is an artist, an entertainer and an educator who uses words to take you on a journey of the imagination. Each person will hear something different as the story is created in the space between the teller and the listener.

Storytellers tell traditional folk tales, written tales, anecdotes, urban myths, stories from history, religious or moral tales and stories they have created themselves or which have been created for a specific event. Some storytellers will create a story spontaneously to suit the audience. They tell stories from memory rather than reading them from the book, memorising stories image by image not word for word and may tell a story differently each time they tell it, interacting with their audience, choosing stories and images to communicate with them and some use music, dance, song, pictures or puppets.

Storytelling supports literacy development, storytellers can improve concentration, listening skills and help develop and enrich spoken and written language. Hearing and retelling traditional tales can provide scaffolding for children’s own imaginative stories, giving the child a variety of frameworks to work from.