FSW Jan-Feb19 Iss283
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FRE TAK E E ME HOME South West Over 200 local events 40,000 copies printed Pick up your copy now! IN THIS ISSUE Nursery Special, Half term activities, Reiki, Things to do with Babies, Museums and Events Baby friendly activities and holidays... Issue 283 January/February 2019 familiesonline.co.uk IN THIS ISSUE 6-7 Local news 8 Families Top Five activities this month 9 New Year New You Take part in Wear A Hat Day and help raise vital funds for research into brain tumours. 10 Six of the best things to do while you’re on Maternity Leave 11-17 eDuCaTioN • Open days • School news • Why Girls should start independent education at 4 18-29 NurSerY • Nursery Selection: The Start on the Education Map • Improving the Number Foundations of Pre-Schoolers • Curiosity is key to early childhood success • Local nursery news 30 Learn to support your child on an emotional and spiritual level 32-34 ClubS & ClaSSeS contents • Get Active! – Your New Year’s resolution for the whole family January/February 2019 Issue 283 • Your Clubs & Classes news 41-43 FebruarY HalF Term aCTiviTieS www.muddypuddles.com From sport to art, days out, music, drama etc Travel • Families London South West is part of Families Print Ltd, a franchise company. All franchised magazines in the group are 44-47 independently owned and operated under licence. Families ® is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, Baby friendly holidays, glamping with Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. little ones and fabulous holiday ideas • The contents of Families London South West are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic 48-54 wHaT’S oN matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Families London South West. • Diary dates • Designed and Printed by Ridgeway Press, Wilts. • Drama • Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, but Families SW, our distributors, the franchise company, Families • Museums and galleries Print Ltd and Lifecycle Marketing cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the • Art Activities contents, or any consequence thereof. • Babies and toddlers • Paper used to print Families is from fully-managed sustainable sources. Tel: 020 8696 9680 editorial: [email protected] News: [email protected] adverts/artwork: [email protected] events/Diary Dates/what’s on: [email protected] Next issue: March/April 2019 ISSN 1354-9553. All contents ©Families SW 2019. Not so 'free' childcare Up to 30 hours a week government- News funded childcare is available to eligible parents who sign up to an approved preschool provider, including schools with nurseries, private day nurseries, childminders, playgroups and pre- schools. All good news, except the allowance doesn't always cover costs, particularly here in London where decent childcarer pay, rent and rates are not always covered by the payments brought in by parents. As a result, some local nurseries have had to shut down or charge for extras. Research for the Department of Education confirms that 56% of parents are charged for additional items or activities including meals and snacks, and Why not join Pram Chorus, the special activities such as music, gym parent’s choir? lessons or outings. Furthermore, almost half of parents said that they had seen Did you know? Singing improves your mood, it restrictions placed on when they could is also good for your health and well being. So use the hours or that they had to be why not join a choir where you can sing your New Year, New Challenge? taken at times specified by the provider. heart out and meet like-minded mums? Pram Parents can save money with a Tax-free Chorus does not require any experience or Would you have some spare time to help a Childcare account. Pay in £8 and the talent to join, everyone is welcome to join. local family? Home-Start Wandsworth are government will top it up with an extra It's about YOU doing something creative and looking for people to join their amazing £2, raising the amount available to spend fun for yourself, where your little one is also network of volunteers supporting families with on childcare to £10. Across the year, this welcome (in all his/her vocal glory!). So bring young children across the borough through could cut your childcare bill from £6,000 yourself, your bump, babies, toddlers and pre- home visiting and group activities. You would to £4,800. The credit can be used for all schoolers and come to sing a huge variety of support families who are finding it difficult to kinds of regulated childcare from songs— no nursery rhymes. cope and provide them with emotional nannies, nurseries and childminders, to support, practical help and friendship. You can Various locations in South London. breakfast, after-school and holiday clubs. use the knowledge and experience gained Get in touch for more info or to join Check online to see if you are eligible from looking after your own family to support [email protected] www.pramchorus.com www.childcarechoices.gov.uk others who are struggling. All you need are empathy, enthusiasm and reliability. New antenatal and post natal They have a training programme to help prepare you to support families, covering a classes range of topics including coaching, mental Amanda Thompson, a leading antenatal health awareness, boundaries and signposting. teacher, will be launching her own company Volunteering requires only 2 to 4 hours a week. Bundle in Streatham, Wandsworth and Fulham Their next preparation course runs for 9 in the new year. Classes will focus on the all sessions (9:30-14:30) on Wednesdays and important post natal period without diluting the Thursdays, 27th February-27th March 2019, at antenatal offering. “We know that being a new 20-22 York Road, Battersea, SW11 3QA. 020 parent can be overwhelming but with the right 7924 5268 or support you can enjoy every minute of it!” [email protected] Join Bundle and you will have access to a team of experts (midwives, antenatal instructors, Merton Live: a great day out for the whole family nutritionists, obstetricians) who will be there to help you. Weaning, First Aid, Baby Massage Wimbledon Guild, the local charity that activities for and Breastfeeding support will be on offer from supports people across Merton, together all the family February, antenatal courses from June. with New Wimbledon Theatre are holding a including: Email [email protected] for more brand-new community event on Saturday 26 workshops, information or visit www.bundlelondon.com January from 10am-5pm to celebrate local dressing up in theatre costumes, face talent in Merton. painting, insight to technical side of the Merton Live! will showcase a fantastic theatre, arts and crafts, treasure hunt, food line-up of local bands, dance, drama and and drink, plus lots more. gymnastics groups. In addition, the theatre will be throwing open its doors for ticket- Get your ticket here holders to explore this historic building with www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon backstage tours and a host of theatre related 6 Families South West • January/February 2019 familiesonline.co.uk BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU +HCR#K@RRDR Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu New School BJJ is one of the top clubs in the country teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a martial art famous for its grappling Lancet warns of WIFI health risks for children techniques. These are safe and fun to learn, whilst being extremely effective for self-defence. Mounting scientific evidence suggests that prolonged exposure to Their Youth Squad compete regularly, and have had success in radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation has serious health effects, says International and national competitions! The Lancet Why not join the fun with New School BJJ! For years at Families SW we have been reporting on our concerns about www.NewSchoolBJJ.com 07469 192329 human exposure to WIFI. I was relieved — at last — to read an article in The Lancet, December 2018, commenting: “Evidence exists for an association between neurodevelopmental or behavioural disorders in children and exposure to wireless devices, and experimental evidence, such as the Yale finding, shows that prenatal exposure could cause structural and functional changes in the brain associated with aDHD-like behaviour. These findings deserve urgent attention.” “…Some government health authorities have recently taken steps to reduce public exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation by regulating use of wireless devices by children and recommending preferential use of wired communication devices in general, but this ought to be a coordinated international effort.” Do your own research, investigate the many sites that provide information like wifiinschools.org.uk and others, then sign petitions, fight 5G, it’s really scary and must be fought. In the meantime why wait to protect your children? We can begin to protect our families by adopting simple, preventative measures like turning Congratulations to All Star Tennis who our routers off at night, limiting our children’s exposure to any sort of WIFI will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year! enabled gadgets like smart phones, tablets, wireless baby monitors (yes Sessions for tots through to teens and a fantastic them too) and refusing to have a smart meter installed. holiday programme in 4 locations across the Read the Lancet article here http://bit.ly/Lancetarticle Wandsworth borough. www.allstartennis.co.uk Spin a tale during National Storytelling Week The first week of February marks National Storytelling Week, a chance to reflect on one of the oldest art forms in the world. We are all immersed in stories—from conversations during which we re-tell events in our lives, to watching our favourite television shows.