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Essex Early Years and Childcare Charter
What the Charter means to you as a parent or carer! If your child attends childcare or primary school, the setting may be a Charter member. Their membership supports Essex County Council’s Early Years and Childcare Strategy to ensure every child in Essex gets the best start in life. Since its launch in November 2022,…
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Homemade Pancakes
Perfect pancakes made easy! Cooking pancakes is a great activity to encourage lots of talking with your child! New words you can introduce: What you need: Allergy Disclaimer: Always check the label of each ingredient for allergy warnings What to do: Recipe Source: Delia Smith, BBC Food – Kid’s Pancake Recipes Top tips:
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Screen Time
Smart parenting in a digital world! The first 1,001 days are a critical period for a child’s development. Research shows us that babies and young children achieve the most development when an adult engages with them through playful learning on a regular basis – chatting, playing, and reading. This will help them build strong emotional…
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Best Start in Life
Giving every child the best start in life! Best Start in Life was launched in September 2025 and is the UK Government’s strategy to ensure that a child’s background does not determine their future success, and that all children develop well by: learning to communicate, building relationships, managing their emotions, playing and learning. This is…
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Going to the Seaside
We do like to be beside the seaside! For young children, a trip to the seaside can provide opportunities for learning and development as part of the The Prime Areas of Learning – TLC. All the new experiences that come with a visit to the beach support your child’s personal, social and emotional development, helping…
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Box Play
Thinking inside the box! With the popularity of online shopping, cardboard boxes are a regular feature in many homes. So, before you add these boxes to the recycling pile, consider how they can be used in play! With a humble cardboard box, the opportunities for imaginative play, vocabulary development, and fine motor skills practice are…
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Bedtime Routines
Lights out for little ones! Sleep is essential for your child’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being as it supports growth, learning and memory, as well as impacting their behaviour. For some babies and young children sleep comes relatively easily, but for others good sleep habits (known as sleep hygiene) can take longer to establish. All…
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Using the Toilet at School
Tackling those common worries! At school, some children can become so involved in their play that they ‘forget’ to go to the toilet or leave it too late to get there in time. As a parent you may worry that your child is going to stay wet all day and be uncomfortable, but the school…
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Potty and Toilet Training
Positive potty training! Most children are ready to begin potty or toilet training sometime between 18 months and 3 years old. Your child may find the change from nappies to pants relatively easy, or may find it more challenging. There are lots of things you can try to make things go more smoothly! Top tips:
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Vertical Surface Play
Straight up fun! Vertical surface play involves engaging with activities on a vertical surface, such as a wall, whiteboard or fridge. It has many developmental benefits for all children, and it’s never too early to introduce it to your baby or child! It can help to improve: Top tips:
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Cloth Nappies
Planet friendly pants! Did you know that in the UK around 8 million disposable nappies go to landfill each year? A disposable nappy can take an estimated time of 300-500 years to break down; in that time, harmful chemicals and gases such as methane are released, contributing to global warming. Using cloth nappies can seem…
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Sing, Sparkle, Smile
Make tooth brushing a daily adventure! We know that getting your little ones to brush their teeth can sometimes be challenging, so we’ve got some top tips to make it fun rather than a chore! Top tips: Here are some helpful resources for you to view and download: Essex Libraries Looking After Your Teeth Booklist:…
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Oral Health
Tip top teeth! Oral health is all about looking after your mouth and teeth, no matter your age, as part of your general health and wellbeing. Taking care of baby teeth is essential for a child’s health and development, and there are lots of resources out there to help! What you need to know: Here…
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Essex Family Information Service
The Essex Family Information Service (FIS) is a free and impartial service for parents and carers. The FIS includes lots of information to help you find out about local services for babies, children and young people. There are also links to extra help and services that are available if your child has a Special Educational…
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Developing Language in Nature
Nattering in nature! The best thing about being in nature is it instinctively promotes language! Firstly, being in nature helps your child develop their listening skills. They learn to tune in to the sounds around them, like birds chirping, leaves rustling, or waves lapping. This careful listening is crucial for language development, as it helps…