TP News

We are finally into December, which means Christmas Day is waiting behind just a few advent calendar doors. The festive period is one to enjoy with your family and friends, be it visiting the Christmas markets in your home city or town, or taking your little ones to see Santa in his grotto. 

It's only just over a month until Christmas and the weather is already turning wintry, with chilly winds biting our fingertips and frosts glittering the lawns when we wake up.

The battle to get children to eat their greens is something most parents will be familiar with - unfortunately, the allure of broccoli pales into insignificance when there might be a chance of something starchy or even sweet on the cards.

Trusting someone outside their usual family circle is something that every child needs to do at some point, whether it's because they are joining a sports team or going to school for the first time - they need to have faith that the people they're with are going to look after them and treat them well, even if they're only children too.

Reading to your child can make a big difference on their development, helping them communicate better and expand their growing language skills from an early age.

Parents will always have an innate desire to keep their children safe, and this is something that's only strengthened by the many horror stories about accidents and other misfortunes presented to us in the tabloid press each day.

Weather watching is a national pastime in Britain and never is this more so than when winter's approaching. All of a sudden, everyone's an expert and people are proffering opinions about the berries on holly bushes indicating we might or might not have snow.

Once little ones grow out of the baby phase, arguably the hardest job you will have is keeping them amused. Toddlers and young children are inherently curious and creative, both of which are great qualities, but it means they can be a challenge to manage.

As it's half-term for most of the UK, there are undoubtedly a lot of children exacerbated by the fact that Halloween falls at the end of it.

We may have been enjoying something of an autumnal warm spell lately, but it seems that the weather has now turned and there's a definite chill in the air.

The nights are really drawing in now and it won't be long before the skies are dark by tea time. It's easy to think of this time of year in quite a gloomy way as the amount of daylight slowly dissipates, but we'd encourage you to embrace the cosiness generated by shutting the curtains in late autumn and winter.

We read so many books and articles and watch so many TV programmes that demonstrate how we can help our children learn or keep fit by getting them engaged in particular types of play.

The long, balmy days of summer are behind us and autumn is now well underway. Although it's always a shame to have to draw the curtains earlier at night and turn the heating on, it's important not to overlook the beauty of this very special season. While spring is about nature bursting back into life again, autumn is a time when trees, plants and animals are getting ready for what could be a hard winter ahead - and it's therefore a period of rapid and fascinating change. This time of year presents the perfect opportunity to entertain and educate your kids both outside and in, using materials straight from Mother Nature herself. There's still (hopefully) the possibility of some good weather and not-too-chilly temperatures ahead of us, so why not get your coats on and get your kids enthused about autumn?  Here are our best autumn-themed ideas: Tell nature's story Seeing something in action is always the best way of explaining how it works, so take this opportunity to tell youngsters all about life cycles. The trees are dropping their leaves and turning them wonderful colours, so explain that this happens for a reason. Seeds are all over the ground, so show little ones how these tiny acorns and sycamore spinners will make brand new trees one day. Another good tip here is to start a weather diary - they'll have fun and it will also present a fascinating glimpse into this particular period of time if you keep it, too. Create beautiful art Take inspiration from the natural world by collecting pretty leaves and either varnishing them to be stuck on patterned paper or rubbing them with crayons. For a more temporary piece of decoration, glue them on a big sheet of paper for a collage. Older kids will also enjoy picking up things like acorns, seed heads and bare branches to make into candelabras using florists' foam or wreaths.  See how many animals you can spot Animals will be busy at this time of year, so pretend you're Kate Humble or Chris Packham and watch them as they go about their business. Hedgehogs might appear in the late afternoon to fatten up ahead of hibernation, while squirrels might be around if you have trees for them to hide in during the worst of the winter. Caterpillars may even be crawling along your paths in the last of the warm sunshine too - all you have to do is pick a comfortable spot on your climbing frame and get those eagle eyes ready.  Get lots of exercise Just because it's turning chilly doesn't mean you can't play out. Get children's hats and scarves ready and go for long walks at the weekends, or head to the park in the short period of daylight after school. Race around, kick through piles of leaves and see how many autumnal items you can collect before you go home - you could even make a scavenger hunt sheet for things like oak leaves and conkers. Oh, and speaking of those... Prepare your conkers for battle Many schools won't let their children play conkers in the playgrounds any more for fear of injury, but you can still hold battles at home, whether it's between siblings or kids versus parents. The best preparation tactic we've come across involves putting the conkers into a quarter of a pint of vinegar for two minutes, then placing them in an oven heated to 250 degrees C for a minute-and-a-half. This should ensure they're really hard and ready to be drilled ahead of threading onto a string. The only better way is leaving them in a warm place to harden for at least a year, but that's not much good for this autumn's fights! You've no doubt got lots of other ideas for fun this season, so do share any favourites you have with us and our other readers. We'd also love to hear about fun days out you enjoy using our suggestions. It'll be winter all too soon, so make the most of autumn with your little ones.

September is around that time of year when many children start new activities, even if they're not quite school-age yet. They might begin attending a music group for the first time, or go to a playgroup without mum or dad.

Most children love music and putting on a CD of kids' songs can be a great way to while away an hour or two as they get into the groove and dance enthusiastically.

A common complaint from many people with busy schedules is that there just aren't enough hours in the day to cross off all the things on their to-do lists. Despite the fact that we all get 24, we're often left wishing there was just a little more time to achieve what we had intended.

It's always funny when you've got children to poke your head around the playroom door and watch them bringing their toys to life or mock-acting with their friends and siblings.

We're all keen to get our kids as active as possible during the day, whether it's bouncing on trampolines or running around the park with a bat and ball. However, this boundless energy can become problematic if it spills over into bedtime. Hyped-up children might be less likely to stay in bed when they're supposed to - and that could add up to a recipe for grumpy little ones the following day, not to mention fed up parents. It's therefore important to incorporate some winding down activities into a busy day's play so that sleep time is sacrosanct. It can seem hard to think up even more things to do when you've already been inventing games left, right and centre, but these bedtime pursuits don't have to be complicated at all - in fact, they mostly focus on creating a routine that will lead to yawns and an association with tiredness. Here are a few suggestions to get you started off. Stop the exercise in good time Getting toddlers in particular to stop running around can be a challenge, but try to avoid anything too physical for at least an hour before bedtime. Instead, get youngsters doing quiet things such as building Lego, making friendship bracelets or writing about their day in a journal. This will settle their mind down without making them think they're being bundled off for bed too soon, as well as providing developmental skills while they're busy. We know it's tempting to want to tire them out whenever possible, but remember that you'd probably find it hard to sleep after doing a session at the gym - it's just the same for them, even if said gym is actually a back garden playground or indoor trampoline. Avoid electronic gadgets Today's kids are proficient in gadgetry from an early age, but research has shown that the light from things like games consoles and tablets can interrupt the production of sleep hormones and keep even us adults awake. Set a time (again, preferably a good hour before bed) when computers and the like have to be packed away until tomorrow - and stick to it. If they're used to electronic things not being around after a certain time, they won't even question the matter and you'll get some peace from the bleeping and blinking. Do the ten-minute warning If you want your little ones in bed around seven, gently warn them around ten to that they should be finishing up what they're doing because it's nearly time for bed. Springing it on them can result in tantrums, which in turn can hype them up and make sleep difficult. Everyone likes an advance warning, after all. Establish an off-to-bed routine Kids love structure, so try to do the same or similar things each night so they associate them with being quiet and falling asleep. Brush their teeth, then put their sleepwear on if you haven't already, then choose a book from a select few on a shelf near the bed - too many can cause 'playing for time' - and get them to climb into bed. Reading the book to them in a gentle voice should make children feel nice and calm, meaning they have no trouble dropping off. If you find your child tends to still be restless or can be a worrier, it can help to give them something to play with in their hands - our Pillow Pets are great for this, as they're not too stimulating and will provide added comfort when you've gone, yet will also satisfy that need for movement. When the book is finished, you might want to sing a quick lullaby or say a sort of sleeptime mantra (it can just be as easy as 'night night, sleep tight, see you in the morning'), which will again become associated in their mind with sleep. We know lots of families always finish the day with the same poem or song and it really is surprisingly effective, so it's well worth a try. Winding down after exciting activities is important for everyone, no matter what their age, so you may find that applying any of these tips results in your evenings being more relaxing too!

Where has the time gone, the children are almost back in their smart school shoes and ready for another academic year!

The summer holidays are sadly drawing to a close and you've hopefully all had a wonderful time, playing in the garden, jumping on trampolines, going on day trips and generally doing all the things that make great memories.

The summer holidays are a glorious time for children - after all, don't some of your favourite memories date back to those halcyon days when the weeks stretched out ahead of you with no school in sight?

If you're the parent of a toddler, you might assume that getting him or her to sit still is more of an issue than encouraging them to be more active. After all, what mum or dad hasn't sat down exhausted at the end of a long day, having been run ragged by a little one with boundless energy?

We all remember the giddy excitement of Christmas approaching from our childhood, so the parents among you will no doubt appreciate why your own children are finding it difficult to sleep at night now we're into Advent.

Playgrounds are a regular feature in both rural and urban environments, but you'd be forgiven for assuming that they're all pretty much the same, with swings, climbing frames and other equipment slotted in more or less at random.