It has been reported that teachers and carers who are afraid of spiders and creepy crawlies are stopping our children learning about the natural world!  Children are not getting involved with nature because teachers and carers are afraid of getting mucky from soil in the great outdoors and are too scared of insects to teach about them.

Experts have said that natural history and nature in general is not being taught in schools.  Not so for the childminders and parents who enjoy ToucanLearn! There are some great outdoors activities that introduce insects and teach children about their natural environment.  We don't agree with the 'don't get mucky'! philosophy of learning and teaching!  The whole idea is to get children involved.  Get them interested and inspired!  The muddier the better!

The Chairman of the Association for Science Education said teachers need more support to carry out experiments and take children outside.  Perhaps these teachers should join ToucanLearn!

He also said that Parents should take their children outside to enjoy the natural world, to learn where their food comes from, what grows in the woods and what goes on in nature.

So, let's take his lead, pull on some wellies, grab a magnifying glass and get out there in the undergrowth!  Have fun, explorers!

As 2012 approaches, we can reveal that a family ticket to the 2012 London Olympics will cost in the region of £25,200 - but the good news is that kids go free!  Well, nothing's been finalised yet, but former Labour MP and possible future London Mayoral candidate Oona King has come out with a pledge to allow London's schoolchildren free entrance to the Olympics.  Current Mayor Boris Johnson has promised 100,000 tickets to 'young people' and believes that City Hall's contribution of £625 million to the Olympic fund entitles him to 50,000 free tickets.  So assuming that an adult ticket can be secured for somewhere in the region of £100, a family of four should get in for £25,200, with two, worth £12,500 each, being provided free to the children.  That's after every family has already contributed £20 a year for 12 years (£240 in total) in their council tax.

Of course, we're all delighted that the 2012 Olympics are coming to London.  We are promised that this will rejuvenate an interest in sport in this country which can only be a good thing for national health overall.  However, we do remain slightly sceptical that the Olympic arenas hosting popular sports will be packed with executives, whilst minority interest sports will be left for the children to enjoy.  Don't complain if the much talked of Olympic legacy will be to generate a generation of minority sport fanatics!

Going out to dinner with your children needn't leave you with indigestion; before we had children, many of us used to watch in horror as parents struggled with their children, shouting at them to sit down and force-feeding them with food they refused to eat. Perhaps worse, we watched as they just let the children run riot in the restaurant and did nothing!

You don't need to turn into one of those embarrassed parents when it comes to taking your children, however little, out to dine. If you take the time to follow a few tips, you will be the proudest parent as they sit and eat nicely.

So make it easy on them (and you!) by bearing in mind these pointers:

• Choose an appropriate restaurant especially if its your first time out.
• Make sure there is a menufor the kids.
• Take along any special juice cups, or small cutlery if this will make it easier and more familiar for your little one.
• Take along plastic plates if you fear the restaurant crockery may end up on the floor!  Plastic is quieter and less likely to draw attention if it falls and it will not result in a stroppy waiter having to clear up broken china.
• Check there is something that your child likes on the menu before you book.
• Try not to use a restaurant as a place to experiment with new flavours - unless your child is used to this.
• Don't eat too late or arrive at the time when your child usually eats. Bare in mind it may take some tome to get a table, settle quickly and have the food ordered and served.  Although being hungry is useful, you don't want them screaming for sustenance! So, eat early to avoid any meltdowns!
• Take colouring books/crayons (that don't stain so no felt pens!) to amuse them. Draw your dinner, or the waiter's face! Even use paper napkins if you like.
• Take some small toys (that sit neatly on a table) in case there is a wait.
• Request a corner or edge table rather than one right in the middle of the room so as not to draw attention to yourselves.
• Ask for plenty of napkins ready to mop up any spills or dribbles!
• When you are seated, hand over any wine glasses, ornamental candles or anything that could cause your little one to reach and pull...just in case!
• Try and visit the toilet before you start eating so you avoid interrupting your meal.
• Don't stay too long and push them too far! If they are used to a quick meal, don't expect them to languish for hours!
• Have a test run! If you are out for an important meal, then have a test run in a coffee shop or supermarket café before hand. Get used to the idea of waiting, of sitting and of eating in a strange place.
• Don't be too hard on them, but make it clear you expect them to behave.

Enjoy!

A report published by the government has suggested that family holidays, once considered as an essential, is now considered as a luxury.  A couple of years ago, parents questioned thought that an annual vacation was a necessity but now believe it is something they can live without.  Other items now being described as luxuries rather than staples include expensive birthday parties for children, fashionable toys and expensive clothes.

Areas which are now considered important are having a healthy diet, getting exercise and having access to a computer at home.  These findings are published by the Department of Work and Pensions, who suggest that families have become more frugal since the economic downturn.  It adds that families consider a nice weekend away as a sufficient break rather than a two week annual holiday. Days out, nights away and short breaks where families can share an experience together were more important for the family than the length and cost of a holiday.

Having enough space for children at home (ie. a bedroom for each child) was important for parents according to the study; also the notion of having somewhere to sit and eat that was away from the television.  Naturally, cookers, washing machines and fridge freezers were thought essential, and indeed a bicycle and how to fix it!

Many cinema's run children's clubs on weekend and school holiday mornings and from time to time they'll show films suitable for a toddler audience.  Tickets are usually aimed at 'pocket money' prices, often with adults admitted free for each child too.  This makes for an economical family outing.  New feature releases aren't usually included in these cheaper trips, so if you're looking to enjoy Shrek Forever After or Toy Story 3 (both being released in 3D) with your children, you'll probably have to pay the full admission price for a regular viewing.

At What Age can I take my Children to the Cinema?

Kid's clubs at cinema don't usually have any age restrictions, although preschoolers should probably only be watching 'U' classified films.  Films rated 'PG' may contain scenes that will frighten them.  At two years, toddlers will become a little restless and probably won't last the duration of a film, but from 3 years onwards, many kids can concentrate through a film and will probably be mesmerised.  High noise levels through the film are more than tolerated, and you'll be amazed at how your little ones will barely notice the rabble around them even if you can't concentrate on the film for any length of time!  Of course, you need not be worried if your children make noise during the show either.

It is a good idea to take some toys or activity books with you into the cinema in case your children can't last the viewing.  If you need to leave then do so, but if you have older siblings who want to stay, you may need to find a way to entertain a younger child until the film ends.  Many cinemas leave the lights on a low setting during the children's performances, but this isn't always the case, so do be aware that the cinema may be dark, limiting the range of activities that can be undertaken.

'Pick your own' fruit and vegetable farms make for a wonderful day out, and it's only as expensive as your appetite is big!  This time of year is perfect for taking the children along to a farm and sharing with them the delight of picking and digging their own crops.  If you don't know of any PYO farms near you, then use Google to try and find one.

Crops on offer will vary from farm to farm, but typically you'll find:-

• Berries which might include raspberries, strawberries, redcurrants, blackcurrents, blackberries etc.
• Other fruits such as apples, pears and plums
• Vegetables like carrots, cabbages, cauliflowers, spinach, sweetcorn, potatoes and onions
• Various beans: peas, broad beans, dwarf beans, runner beans, french beans, mange tout and sugar snap peas
• Squashes such as butternut squash, courgettes, marrows and pumpkins

The crops on offer will vary throughout the season which will run from around May to October time.

Children will delight in the fun of a day out at a fruit and vegetable farm, and the experience of choosing and picking their own produce helps them to learn about the food cycle.  When you're out in the fields at a farm, you can undertake other activities too to extend your trip.

Don't forget to take your camera and upload pictures of your day into your Daily Diary at ToucanLearn!

OFSTED requires that childminders inviting children into their home carry out a risk assessment in order to identify potential danger, this is a daunting part of preparing to be a childminder - the assessment is evaluated during a home visit.

Risk assessment is not about eliminating risk, but making sure that you are aware of the areas of your home and garden that pose a danger so that you can manage it properly.  If you have identified areas that pose a threat to little ones, then you will be aware of those dangers and will manage the situation appropriately.

The Health and Safety Executive recommend five simple steps to undertaking a risk assessment:-

1. Identify the hazards
2. Decide who might be harmed and how
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
4. Record your findings and implement them
5. Review your assessment and update if necessary

For your OFSTED nspection, you should go into as much detail as possible about the risks in your home.  You will need to document the risks in each room that children can enter to show that you are aware of the dangers, and you must cite the actions that you will take to prevent accidents from happening.  You will be able to find risk assessment templates from childminding associations, but there is no templated way to fill these in because risks vary in every different situation.

As well as covering risks associated within your home, you must also carry out a risk assessment for your garden and for outings that you take your children on.  If you do a school run for older children, taking younger ones with you, then that will also need to feature in your assessment.

Most local authorities offer training for risk assessment which you can often attend for free.  They will teach you about how to construct a risk assessment document, how to identify risk within a setting and steps to take to minimise risk.

Having completed your risk assessment, you must revisit it regularly and keep it up to date.  Make a point of reading through the documents that form your risk assessment at least once a month.  This will reinforce your understanding of the risks, but you will also find it easy to add in new risks you identify along the way, making for an even more thorough and comprehensive document.  If you don't keep your risk documentation up to date then you will have more work revising it when your next inspection comes round.

Often when we take the children out in the fresh air to teach them about the outside world, we head for the local park or nature reserve.  Our towns and cities are often overlooked as places to take children when in fact there is a wealth of opportunity for them to learn in built up areas.

So, how does an excursion around the town provide opportunities for learning?  Excursions in and around towns can help in the following ways:

• It builds on children's everyday experiences
• It helps create a sense of community
• It helps teach about the different cultures that might exist around where you live
• It promotes the idea of being out in the open air taking walks, keeping healthy and staying active
• It can help children gain confidence about being out and learning about road safety
• It helps children learn about how seasons can effect the environment in which they live

Things to look out for:

• Different styles of buildings (cottages, old office block, modern houses, old shops)
• 'Street furniture': street lamps, phone boxes, ride-on toys, post boxes, benches, display signs etc.
• Road signs
• Letters and numbers on shop fronts
• Road and rail networks
• Different vehicles (colours, styles, types)
• Building materials: concrete, bricks, wood, glass, metal
• Sounds and smells
• The people around and what they do (bus drivers, road sweepers, children, adults doing gardening etc.)

How can you enhance the experience?  Here are a few ideas:

• Talk about what you see as you go along your walk.  If you see a bus, look at it's wheels, the colour of the paintwork, how many people are on it, adverts on the side etc.
• Listen to noises and discuss smells.  Try and name all the noises (pedestrian crossing 'beeps', diggers, car horns, sirens, shops blaring music)
• Ask questions: where is the red car?, what's in the tree?, who can see a bus?
• Spot different materials used in towns and talk about how strong they are: iron railings, wooden fence, plastic door, brick houses etc
• Look at signs and talk about them.  What might they all mean?
• Stop to watch a building site or a dustbin lorry collecting bins.  Chat about what they are doing and what happens.
• Look at road signs and the symbols used eg speed limit numbers, construction signs, house numbers; discuss different colours used - blue/white for information, red/white and yellow/black for warnings, green/white for environmental information, bright colours for shop fronts etc.
• Look for shapes: square garage door, rectangle front door, round letter box etc.
• Take some photos of your trip and turn them out as a map.
• For older children and pre-schoolers, you can couple the outing with other activities when you get back home
• Ask them where they want to walk to?  Involve them in the planning of the trip and supplies they will need (eg. snack, drink)
• Make a map of the trip and follow it, draw in any landmarks you pass
• Ask them to remember things they saw on the trip and draw them when they get home

Have fun and enjoy your environment!

36,000 runners are lining up right now to set off for the 2010 Virgin London Marathon and as they power their way around the 26 mile 385 yard course, they will be clocking up millions of pounds for charity.  Charity fund raising has always been at the heart of the London Marathon ever since it was first run in 1981 - indeed, it raises significantly more money for charity than any other marathon in the world.

In 2009, almost £50 million was raised by the London Marathon by race participants, and this year, the total raised for charity since the initial race in 1981 is likely to exceed £500 million.  Whilst there are no overall figures detailing the types of charities supported each year, you can be assured that the London Marathon has raised a significant amount of cash for children's charities over the years.

This years official London Marathon charity is Clic Sargent, a charity specialising in the care and support of children suffering cancer.  Amongst 700 runners hoping to raise an anticipated £1.5m for Clic Sargent is national treasure Lorraine Kelly!

The London Marathon field is filled with remarkable people, but arguably none more so than Phil Packer who was paralysed from the waist down by a mortar attack on the army base in Iraq where he was serving in 2008.  In 2009 he set a new course record - completing the London Marathon in the slowest recorded time ever, of 13 days, whilst raising over £700,000.  This year, this brave competitor returns, aiming to complete the course in a new personal record - Phil is aiming to complete the 26 miles in 26 hours, raising money along the way for 26 different charities.  Over half of the charities supported by this heroic undertaking support children in one way or another.

We wish Phil Packer, Lorraine Kelly and every other participant in the 2010 London Marathon the very best of luck; we congratulate them on the outstanding contributions they are making for their selected charities, and if you aren't yet supporting a runner in this year's race, we would urge you to visit Phil Packer's website and make a small donation to one of Phil Packer's 26 chosen charities.

Nothing beats a family day out especially as Easter arrives and attractions start opening for the 2010 season; leading family attractions can be very expensive, but with a little thought, you can have really good alternative days out for very little cost.  Here are some ideas to get out on the cheap!

Open Spaces

Look for open spaces where you can walk, run around and explore.  Many National Trust properties offer free admission to grounds; rivers and disused railways can often be explored at no cost; local parks and commons rarely charge for access other than sometimes for parking.  Play exploring games, make obstacle courses or create a treasure hunt!

Museums and Heritage

While many museums charge admission fees, lots of museums and art galleries are free.  Use the internet to find museums and galleries close to you that offer free admission.  Just because a museum is free doesn't mean it has nothing interesting to show - many are run by local councils or were perhaps gifted by wealthy philanthropists.  Many also hold special events aimed at children and families which again may allow you to participate at no cost.  If there aren't games laid on for little ones, make up your own games - have them find certain artefacts on display.

Urban Adventures

Towns and cities don't just mean shopping and spending!  There are usually open spaces that you can explore, parks for little ones, there may be sculptures and other street art to view, and famous landmark buildings that you can admire from the street.  Plan a route through a town or city near you, note interesting features along the way, and take the children exploring!

Wildlife Focus

Reservoirs are sited around the country, and many allow free access to explore.  Reservoirs are great for watching birds and see other wildlife.  You may be closer to a National Park or other accessible landscape than you realise, such as the Peak District, New Forest or the National Forest.  Those living in the South may be near the South Downs National Park which came into existence on 1st April 2010.  These offer great opportunities both to spot animals in the wild, but also to explore and find signs of animals, such as tracks, nests, holes, droppings and so on.  Take a pad and pencils and have them draw the different animals, birds and plants that you spot.  For younger children, have them draw the different colours that they see.

Cheap Eating

If you're going to be out for a whole day, you'll want to eat cheaply.  Prepare your own picnic before you go, or for cheap restaurant eating, look for low cost chain restaurants or even supermarket restaurants - these often have special deals on food.

Getting active with the children is not always as easy as it sounds: how can you fit any more activity time in an already busy day? Here are some simple ways to increase the activity levels in your family. Remember, every little bit counts, so keep a note of all these activities and work out your daily total of minutes spent being active.

• Music Time - turn on some groovy music and have a good old dance together!
• Encourage your toddler to walk up the stairs or to the car rather than being carried.  For older children, encourage them to tidy up after themselves or put away toys or washing at the end of the day.
• Walk to the shops and post box rather than take the car.
• Get the little ones involved with household chores: digging in the garden, sweeping the floor, washing down the garden shed.
• Go for a walk as a family - find somewhere with woods and climb up the trees or balance along fallen tree trunks.
• Have a time limit on TV watching.
• Think about some old fashioned games that are fun to play outside: hop skotch, skipping, chase, hide and seek, hoolahoop, flying a kite.

Children should do about an hour of physical activity each day.  See how close you are and praise them each time they want to do something physical.  It is so good for them to start out actively as children, because then they are more likely to stay active as they grow older.

New research has found that one in ten children will be obese in the next five years - what a staggering statistic!  Research carried out at the University of London studied statistics between 1995 and 2007.   The health survey for England provided the data which takes a sample of UK households.

If the trend continues, then researchers predicted that 1 in 10 boys aged between 2-10 will be obese by 2015, and approximately 1 in 9 girls.  In lower income families the statistic was slightly worse. They said  'these increases will affect the lower social classes to a larger extent'.

The research was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health - let's hope the predictions don't become reality.  It's so important to get kids up and moving from an early age.

Children who are overweight at a young age risk greater likelihood of health problems in later life, including diabetes and heart disease.  Children who are more active in their first few years are statistically more likely to maintain an active lifestyle when they are older.

There is so much that parents and carers can do and its one area where you don't need to spend much money.  Going to the local play park, setting off on nature walks round your neighbourhood, heading off the woods and climbing on fallen tree trunks, even walking or scooting to school instead of driving.  Enjoy an active lifestyle with your children and they will benefit for years to come.  Premium Members of ToucanLearn can search for 'Physical Development' activities 'Outdoor' and find lots of fun games and activities to do outside, specifically aimed at the capabilities of their children!

New research brings consensus to the idea that the dinosaurs were wiped out after a phenomenal asteroid collision sited at what is now the Yucatan Peninsular in Mexico - this is the stuff of boys' imagination, combining two fascinating boundaries of knowledge: dinosaurs and space.

Although your little ones are probably too young to comprehend the reality of either space or dinosaurs, why not at least introduce these ideas?  No matter where you live you probably aren't that far from a museum that has exhibits on at least one, if not both, of these topical areas.  Plan a visit and activities around one of these two areas!

Space

To foster an interest in space, take your little ones outside after dark to observe the moon and stars; explain that every star is like our sun but so far away that they appear to be tiny.  Talk about concepts of near and far based on things you can see nearby, explain how further objects appear to be smaller than nearby ones.

Introduce the idea that we live on a planet called Earth and that there are lots of other planets in space but so far away that we can't see them.  Look at a map of the world and describe how we have lots of countries and lots of sea, and perhaps name some of the countries that your little ones might have heard of.

Create a spaceship out of old bottles, boxes or cartons and encourage your kids to go off exploring the universe!

Dinosaurs

Time is a very confusing and abstract concept.  Children struggle to distinguish 'today', 'tomorrow' and 'yesterday', so having them conceptiualise dinosoars roaming the land hundreds of millions of years ago is going to be a challenge!  But you can explain that dinosaurs were like giant monsters and that there were lots of them a long, long time ago!

Find pictures of dinosaurs in a book, online, or best of all, in a sticker book, and look at the different creatures.  Point out their different characteristics such the styles of their legs, tails, horns; maybe some of them have funny necks and small heads, others might have huge teeth; lots walk, some fly, others swim.  Study the pictures and tell your children their names.  See if they can pronounce the really tricky ones - to them the sounds may be no more alien than many of the other words and phrases they hear every day.

Why not make a dinosaur park?  Draw and cut out your own dinosaurs, make more out of card or old bottles, and see if you can create a dinosaur menagerie.

It has been said that Grandparents are taking the lead when it comes to teaching our children traditional values and standards of behaviour.   Over half of those questioned said they learned good manners and values from their grandparents.  Many considered their grandparents to be like second parents, and said that they considered the parents to be confidants.

As the structure and dynamics of families change, it seems that grandparents are now playing an even greater role in children's lives.  Grandparents provide more and more childcare, support in financial or emotional ways and seem tp play an increasing role in the family life.

However, the role of grandparent changes as the children grow.  They may be carer in the beginning, baby sitter as they are older and friend and teacher as they grow up.  Here are a few ideas of the roles a grandparent can play.

Respected ancestor: grandparents are our link with the past.  They are the head of the family and living proof of the family's history.  They can talk about 'the old days', share stories of how life used to be and create a whole new world for little ones who love to listen to their grandparents (often embellished!) tales.

Friend: children feel happy to discuss things with grandparents who often appear more relaxed and permissive than parents.  Children seem more likely to discuss things freely with grandparents and even talk about injustices that they feel with their parents.

Hero: being older, wiser and having lived for so many years, children can see grandparents as their heroes, full of stories and experiences of days gone by.

Teacher of practical skills: they can teach how to polish shoes, how to skip, how to knit, how to do the washing-up.  Grandparents have so many skills and the time to teach them!  They therefore become a role model for children.  They can can be a mentor and guide children in a spiritual way.

Constant, reliable focus: in a world where divorce and separation is becoming more and more common, children look to grandparents as a constant in their life.  They provide a nurturing and reliable place to go and feel wanted and cared for in an unconditional way.

Teachers of social skills: teaching children how to behave in public, how to look after themselves and how to communicate with adults.

Playmate: the magic that a grandparent can bring to a little child's life is priceless!  The simplest of tasks become an adventure with a bit of inspiration and the fresh take on a situation that a grandparent can have.  Children adore the excitement that grandparents can create and the games they have together.

In short, the role of grandparent has many layers, and indeed changes over time.  Being a grandparent is what you make it and with a bit of time and thought it can be such a positive inspiration and a vital part of a child's life.

You don't need fancy toys or equipment in order to be a good grandparent, though.  You don't need lots of brilliant ideas and complicated activities lined up for a visit.  You just need some time, a little creative thinking and be willing to listen to what your grandchildren ask you for.  The most important thing a grandparent can offer is a friendly ear and someone to listen!

Birds are wonderful to watch and with a little encouragement can become part of your the family!  If you don't fancy a dog or a cat as s pet, then, why not care for some wild birds instead?  Children will love spotting them, naming them, watching them feed, looking at their different colours and you can even draw some together.

How to invite the birds into you garden
Fix a bird box into a hedge or tree depending on which sort of box you buy and what type of bird you wish to attract.  There are some 5-6 million bird boxes in the country now and as birds' natural habitat declines they are relying more and more on our help.

Bird boxes
They need not be expensive.  There are about 200 different types of bird box on the market.  Some even have hidden cameras so you can spy on the resident of your bird box.  However, you can pick up traditional boxes from garden centres or you can try and build your own if you are handy!  Once in place, you then have to watch the box and see who moves in!

Bird feeders
There are all sorts of bird feeders available.  If you have squirrels in your area, you may have to opt for a squirrel-proof feeder as they can be very crafty and manage to get away with all the bird feed!  Many birds will come on to feeders even if situated close to you house.  So if you don't have a garden, then put a couple of feeders at the window or on your balcony and you may still attract visitors!

Naming the birds
Once you are getting birds into the garden, you can start spotting them and finding out what they are called.  You can go online and discover the breeds, or buy a children's spotter book or a sticker book.  See how many different types of birds there are in your garden and keep a note of  what you see.

Interesting facts about some common garden birds you'll see

1. Blackbirds

• Male are black and female are brown
• Blackbirds eat worms from the lawn and scratch around in leaf debris for insects
• They have a lovely tuneful song

2. Blue Tits

• Blue tits eat caterpillars, nuts and seeds
• They nest in trees and bird boxes
• They usually stay up in the trees rather than down on the ground

3. Robins

• Male and female both have red breasts,  young are all brown
• They are normally found alone rather than with other robins
• They love to sing
• They eat worms, seeds and insects

4. Sparrows

• Brown, black and white feathers, if they have a black bib, they are male
• They live near humans and eat seeds and scraps
• They are less common now than they used to be

Out and About
Taking interest in birds is great for children.  Even when you take them out and about, keep an eye of for birds you recognise and ones that are new to you!  Try look at the colour of their feathers and then draw them together when you get home.