W t i e n ick a family t Explore Learning Summer's Here! See page 2 Seize the summer with Explore Learning! At Explore Learning we are Send a postcard encouraging families to seize the Let your friends and family know what you’ve summer! To help you do this we have been up to with a postcard. They’re only short put together a jam-packed summer so are a wonderful way to get a bit of writing going during the holidays. If your child is programme with creative ideas on reluctant to write, then why not try a postcard how to keep your child’s brain active app like By Post? They can take their own over the holidays, so they are ready pictures to make into postcards and type Tuition their message. to settle back into the new school To keep your children progressing over the year confidently! Read, read and read summer, a tuition centre is a great option. Prevent the battle ground of getting children some more to do work at home and get them along to a Start a blog A study by OUP showed that just 10 minutes centre where there are lots of other children Learn some new skills, as a family, by creating of shared reading a day can have a huge getting involved. Explore Learning runs maths a blog together. Give your child a little note impact on children’s progress. Pop a book and English sessions as well as a whole range book to jot ideas down whilst you are out in your bag so you can use any opportunity of interactive workshops throughout the and about, then write up what you’ve done. to get your daily 10 minutes in. We will holidays to keep your child’s brain active. Take lots of pictures as these are a great be uploading weekly activities that you The best things is you can go along and try tool to help children who find writing tricky. can complete with your child to help keep one of these for free, so get in touch today! Encourage them to describe what is happening them engaged with what they are reading. in the picture to get their creativity flowing. Visit explorelearning.co.uk/summer to find out more and download your first activity! Have a movie night Research carried out by Explore Learning Play some games highlighted watching TV/films is the number There are bound to be some rainy days this one thing children wanted to do over the summer, so use this as a chance to get out summer. Use this to motivate your child to some board games. These are great for so read. Find a book that has been made into a many reasons, from developing language to film that your child wants to watch. Then plan improving memory skills. Need some new a movie night far enough in advance so you games? Have a scavenger hunt in local charity can read the book together before enjoying shops to see who in the family can find the the film. best game. 2 From your Editor… In this issue: This issue is all about summer. At last there will be the space and time for families and children to get out and about in the sunshine, hopefully. Seize the Summer: 2 Our content aims to help you have a great summer season with lots of ideas on local places to go and things to do and see. So, wherever you may live in Herts you will find News & Views: 4 something of interest. If your children are into farms, why not enter the summer competition to win a family Summer Competition: 5 ticket to Mead Open Farm, where they have all things ‘piggy’ planned! Now, I’m all for having family fun, but the summer will come to an end sooner than you Summer Fun: 6 think and with it the start of a new term. Explore Learning have lots of creative ideas to help keep children’s learning ticking over during the summer holiday. And, if you’ve not already done so, get down to your local library and sign your child up for the 2017 What’s On: 12 Reading Challenge. Have a great summer. Next Issue: No. 76 - Sept/Oct Shelley Copy Deadline: 27th July Image credit: © Christin_Lola Find us in: Baldock, Borehamwood, Chorleywood, Harpenden, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford, Hitchin, Kings Langley, Knebworth, Letchworth, Radlett, St Albans, Stevenage, Ware, Welwyn GC. Pick it up from cafes, playgroups, nurseries, schools, activity groups, selected shops, surgeries, leisure centres and libraries. Email or call to request copies for your venue. 020 8428 6384 [email protected] www.familiesonline.co.uk Say you saw it in 3 News & Views The Summer Reading Challenge 2017 The Summer Reading Challenge was designed by The Reading Agency (www.readingagency. org.uk) in response to research showing that Artisans Kindergarten children’s reading often ‘dips’ during the summer. The challenge encourages children of Celebrates 10 Years all ages and abilities to maintain their reading skills and confidence over the holidays and to This year is the tenth anniversary of Artisans discover the pleasure of reading. Montessori Kindergarten in Harpenden. The Challenge is deceptively simple; children Established in 2007 by Ruth Martin, with just read six or more library books of their choice - twelve children, the nursery has grown and fact books, joke books, picture books or audio developed in the intervening years. At their anniversary party, current and past books - and there are collectable incentives in Hertfordshire when 20,000 children took children, aged from two to thirteen years and rewards, plus a certificate for every child part. Make it even more this year by signing old, joined together to celebrate and recall who completes the Challenge. The 2016 up at your local library. their time at Artisans. In glorious sunshine, Summer Reading Challenge was a big success www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk. the children enjoyed the ice cream van, giant bubbles, balloon modelling, lots of cake and meeting up with old friends. The photographic topic books, created every half term since 2007, were on display and were enjoyed by parents who took great delight Deliver for Families Herts in remembering the wonderful experiences We need a friendly, outgoing and energetic person to deliver our magazines in the Stevenage that began their child’s education. One parent area. You will need to be methodical, well organized and own you own car. If you have a reflected about their child: “He absolutely few days spare every other month this freelance job may suit you. To find out more email loved Artisans and it was a wonderful [email protected] introduction to his education, he's eight now and is flying - thanks to a good start!” Owner and founder, Ruth, said “It was an honour to listen to the precious memories Artisans has created for hundreds of families and to see how the foundations we set have flourished as a love of learning and inner self awareness in confident, articulate children who embrace all life offers them.” One of the eldest children remarked “I don’t remember the details but I still feel the happiness inside me every day.” Want to challenge yourself but can’t be away Find out more at www.artisans.uk.com or from home for too long? Then walk airbase to call 07795 510130 airbase for your local life-saving charity, the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance. Starting at North Weald Airbase on 21st July you will hike and camp in the amazing Essex countryside as you journey towards the Earls Colne Airbase. Beat the back to Joining this unique three-day charity of the way and, with people to put up the school rush with hike allows you to see the beautiful Essex tents and cook your meals, you can rest up countryside as you’ve never seen it before – and prepare your feet for the next day! from rolling hills to glorious meadows. Find out more at www.ehaat.org or A support team will be with you every step call 0345 2417 690. Lazy summer days and plenty of ice-cream is what summer is all Explore Learning’s National Young Writers Awards about! But before you know it, it’s Explore Learning (EL) have recently announced had over 10,000 entries from all over the UK. nearly September the three regional winners of their National The brief was to write a 500-word story and time is Young Writers' Award. The winners are: Nana set 100 years in the future. The creativity spent rushing around the shops for uniform, Kodua (12) from Loreto College, St Albans who and inventiveness of the writing was shoes, pencil cases and bags. We’ve all had attends the Borehamwood EL Centre; Arthur astounding with the Earth, the Moon, Mars, that ‘sinking’ feeling when we realise we’ve Roberts (13) from St Albans School who robots, rockets and teleports all making got to label it all – but not anymore! Snappy attends the St Albans EL Centre and Nicole an appearance. Judge, TV presenter, Steve Tags® are the quick and hassle free alternative Dodge (10) from St Joseph’s in the Park who Backshall commented: “…these young people to all that sewing or ironing. Simply order attends the Welwyn Garden City EL Centre. had not only imagined future worlds, but personalised tags and an applicator, and all Each of the three winners fought off stiff imbued them with the conundrums of our you have to do is attach the tag to the care competition to win the top prize in their modern planet.” label inside the uniform.