Children's health and wellbeing

This fun and engaging activity encourages children to explore new foods, make choices and enjoy meaningful shared moments in a relaxed outdoor environment.

Movement comes naturally to young children - they climb, spin, jump and wriggle their way through the world long before they can put any of it into words. However, understanding that movement is good for their overall well-being is something children learn gradually, through experience and through the language and attitudes of the adults around them. As a nursery practitioner, you are uniquely placed to nurture that understanding through the environments you create, the words you use and the way you move alongside the children. These movement matters tips are here to help.

Providing meaningful opportunities for the voice of the child requires adults to genuinely listen, act upon what children are sharing and to teach children the power and importance of their own voice. Review our top tips below to assess your daily practice for including the voice of the child in your setting.

This sensory play activity provides young children with a hands-on opportunity to explore caring for the environment. Through imaginative play, children are introduced to the idea that oceans can become polluted and that they can help to make a difference. The activity encourages curiosity, cooperation and early awareness of looking after the world around them in a simple and engaging way. 

Encouraging healthy eating habits from an early age is essential for children’s growth and development. Making a fruit salad provides opportunities for children to explore different tastes, textures, weights and colours while developing positive attitudes towards nutritious foods. 

By noticing and naming feelings, children start to understand their emotions and those of others. This playful ‘faces and feelings’ activity helps to build empathy, confidence and extends children’s emotional vocabulary.

Have a flippin’ fantastic time celebrating Pancake Day with this week's pancake creations activity! Your little chefs will weigh, mix, pour and observe the magic of the process as ingredients evolve into deliciousness.

Involving children in preparing snacks supports independence, communication, early maths skills and healthy eating habits. With planning and supervision, snack preparation can be a fun, safe and meaningful learning experience for the children. 

This fruit faces activity introduces young children to a variety of fruits in a fun, hands-on way, encouraging them to explore healthy foods through play. By creating ‘fruit faces’ children can develop positive attitudes towards healthy eating, practise fine motor skills and learn the names, colours, weights and textures of different fruits. This activity also supports social interaction and communication as children talk about what they are making. 

Physical play is a vital part of early childhood development, helping children build coordination, strength, confidence and social skills—all while having fun.

This jungle safari adventure is a fun and engaging indoor obstacle course designed especially for babies and toddlers.

By introducing a variety of age-appropriate tools in a safe and supportive environment, children are encouraged to explore, problem-solve and develop fine motor skills.

This simple cooking activity encourages sensory exploration, fine motor skills and early maths through hands-on food preparation.

World Kindness Day is a brilliant way to help nurture empathy, friendship and positive behaviour in your nursery. Keep it simple, model it clearly and make kindness visible to children every day. Here are some top tips to support you.

In the kindness potion lab, children mix ingredients for helping, sharing and other kind acts. This sensory, PSED focussed activity helps build language for feelings, turn taking and kind, gentle words. 

This is a fun personal, social and emotional activity that helps children recognise shared qualities and build a sense of belonging. Through mirrors, games and a group drawing, children explore how similarities connect them while celebrating their uniqueness.

Explore flight and cause and effect with our hands-on kite making activity. Children design and assemble their own kites, then take them outdoors to run, fly and watch them soar and dance in the wind.  

Smooth transitions between activities help young children to feel secure, stay engaged and develop self-regulation. With clear cues and supportive routines, practitioners can turn potentially challenging moments into opportunities for learning and independence. 

As the third Sunday in July is National Ice Cream Day, why not make your own healthy ice-cream for children to enjoy as a summer treat. You can choose your own ingredients to make a range of flavours to suit children’s taste buds.

Allergies affect millions of people in the UK, with some allergies causing severe reactions. Ensuring all of your staff are aware of your allergy policy and procedures is essential to keep children safe. Use our top tips for reviewing your practice.