The battle of the driver – mum v’s dad!

Kids Would STILL Rather be Driven by Dad than Mum – Despite Dad’s Risky Driving

A study shows that parents influence the way their children drive well before they are old enough to take their test

·       52% of children prefer being driven by Dad despite dads committing more misdemeanours

than mums

A study released today has shown the incredible amount of parents’ driving behaviour that children absorb from a young age and the worrying in-car habits that this can create. A quarter of dads regularly show unsafe driving behaviour such as accelerating too quickly (26%) and speeding when driving (22%), compared with a considerably lower percentage of mums (11% and 10% respectively). Despite this, over half of children (52%) prefer being driven by Dad than Mum (39%).

ingenie, a young driver insurance brand, recently interviewed 10- year-old James and 13-year-old Tania to investigate the driving behaviour they have learned from their parents. When asked to do an impression of his dad driving, James talks on his mobile phone and then beeps the horn aggressively and shouts out the window, seemingly intimidating other drivers. Meanwhile, Tania says when her mum is driving: “She’s putting her lipstick on, looking at her phone.” Both sets of parents, who were watching the live interview from another room, expressed their shock at their kids’ impression of their conduct and how much they were taking in on journeys. You can watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/JtHIvarID7Q 

The research with children aged between 10 and 16 years old found that they frequently witnessed their parents committing similar transgressions but Dad proved to be the biggest culprit. Almost half (43%) of dads get angry behind the wheel in comparison with just a fifth (18%) of mums. Children also revealed that their dad (57%) and mum (44%) shout at others whilst driving and Dad is 13% more likely to swear in the car.

With this in mind, it’s surprising to note that over a third (34%) of children would prefer their dad to teach them to drive rather than their mum (25%). The insights could expose children’s acceptance of unsafe driving habits and the misunderstanding that these traits are normal upon passing a driving test.

Richard King, ingenie CEO, states, “The results reveal that we are teaching children bad driving habits long before they start lessons and subsequently pass their test. Parents need to understand the importance of setting a good example behind the wheel and be aware of the amount of information that children absorb. How we drive as parents ultimately influences how safely our children will drive in the future.”

Dan, James’ father featured in the ingenie video said, “It’s definitely an eye opener. He’s sitting in the back, I think that he’s on his iPhone all the time, [but] he is still taking in other information.”

The study marks the first of the five gears in ingenie’s Parent Manifesto; a robust series of activities that aims to educate parents on how to get more involved when their child is learning to drive, in order to complement the learning process and promote safer driving amongst young people. The manifesto will be made up of five stages released over the next four months – with each stage aiming to educate parents on another way they can help their child drive safely and save money.

For more information about how to help a young driver get on the road safely – visit: https://www.ingenie.com/parent-manifesto

  

Who do you prefer to be driven by?
Dad	52%
Mum	39%
Neither of my parents drive	5%
Other	2%

 

Why do you prefer Mum driving you?
They drive carefully	50%
They let me listen to any radio station	39%
They drive really fast	2%
They drive slowly	11%
It is exciting	11%

 

Why do you prefer Dad driving you?
They drive carefully	35%
They let me listen to any radio station	35%
They drive really fast	11%
They drive slowly	3%
It is exciting	26%

 

Does your Dad do the following while driving?
Eat	47%
Drink	47%
Swear	54%
Shout at other drivers	57%
Drive with one hand on the steering wheel	53%
Answer phone calls	32%

 

Does your Mum do the following while driving?
Eat	37%
Drink	39%
Swear	41%
Shout at other drivers	44%
Drive with one hand on the steering wheel	37%
Answer phone calls	20%

 

Do you parents always wear a seatbelt when they drive?
Dad	88%
Mum	83%

 

Do you always wear a seatbelt when your parents drive?
Dad	89%
Mum	83%

 

What Dad does when driving:
Accelerates too quickly	26%
Speeds when driving	22%
Brakes harshly	16%
Drives close to other drivers	15%
Makes his children get out before parking in a tight spot	12%

 

What Mum does when driving:
Accelerates too quickly	11%
Speeds when driving	10%
Brakes harshly	14%
Drives close to other drivers	11%
Makes his children get out before parking in a tight spot	21%

 

Which of the following statements do you agree with?
When I can drive, I’d prefer to drive with like my Dad	40%
When I can drive, I’d prefer to drive with like my Mum	38%
None of the above	19%

 

Who gets most angry with other drivers when driving?
Dad	43%
Mum	18%
They don’t get angry with other drivers when driving	26%
Both equally	13%

 

Who would you want to teach you to drive of your parents
Dad	34%
Mum	25%
I don’t want my parents to teach me	25%
Both equally	15%

 

Notes to editors:

 

About ingenie:

ingenie is an insurer for young drivers and uses telematics technology to reward safe driving by lowering premiums. ingenie’s black box builds a picture of a customer’s individual driving style, awareness and safety on the road. As well as rewarding those who drive well with cheaper insurance premiums, the company also gives regular feedback and extra support for those who need it.

In 2013, ingenie was awarded the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in recognition of its campaigning on safer driving. In 2014, the company was named best Insurance Start-up at the British Insurance Awards and Broker Innovation of the Year at the Insurance Times Awards. In 2015, ingenie won several awards including Telematics Champion of the Year at the Insurance Times Tech Awards.

The ingenie system

ingenie exclusively insures drivers aged 17 to 25, who are often priced out of insurance elsewhere. It uses a telematics black box fitted to the car and a suite of 200+ proprietary algorithms to paint a clear picture of a young person’s driver DNA, particularly their attitude to risk.

Policyholders receive a score based on their recent driving via the ingenie smartphone app, accompanied by regular Twitter-style messages with feedback and tips. Risky driving triggers warning messages, which allows ingenie’s Driver Behaviour Unit to get in touch with the driver to help them avoid a crash. Good driving is rewarded with quarterly discounts, worth up to 21% over the course of the year.

The ingenie approach means customers save an average of £500 when taking out a policy, with 7 out of 10 receiving further discounts through safe driving. Average savings upon renewal are around 45%.

ingenie was developed with support from leading figures in the insurance, automotive, sports and technology industries, with input from Cranfield University’s Driving Research Group.

Top tips to get excited kids asleep on Christmas Eve

With Christmas Day nearly upon us, many  parents in the UK will be dreading trying to get their kids asleep before Santa’s big day. Please find below five top tips from Professor Colin Espie, about how to get kids off to sleep before Santa drops in for his milk and cookies. Colin is a professor of sleep medicine at the University of Oxford and co-founder of Big Health, a digital health company.

His top five tips are:

1. Be active during the day

There is plenty of evidence that regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep through the night. One Australian study found that every hour a child spends inactive adds three minutes to the time taken to nod off. Take a break from Christmas movies and head to the park to help expend excess energy before bedtime. 

2. Stick to bedtime routines and rituals

A consistent bedtime routine, or a set of specific ‘rituals’ before lights out, will signal that it’s time to sleep. If you’re staying away from home, find ways to recreate parts of the routine, even if they are happening later than usual. Preparing for bed in the same order each night (such as bath, brushing teeth, stories, goodnight hug), will help with readiness for sleep, wherever you are. Even a few days of a consistent schedule should help your child settle into a new location. Bringing familiar bedding, toys and books will help them to relax and feel secure away from home. 

3. Act before your child gets overtired

Young children are often reluctant to admit that they’re tired – even more so when the alternative to bed is playing with shiny new toys. Look for signs of sleepiness before your child starts to get overtired, which is often the driver for ‘hyper’ behaviour.

Try to start the bedtime routine at a consistent time. If they really don’t feel tired, they can play quietly in their bed or crib with the lights low. If you notice that your child is often overtired at night, experiment by shifting the whole bedtime routine forward by 15-30 minutes. 

4. Give plenty of notice

Give plenty of notice when bedtime is coming up, and then stick to what you’ve said: “In 10 minutes the cartoon will end and it’ll be bath time, and then we’ll have time for two books.” 

A timer which rings when playtime runs out could be a useful ‘independent’ signal that it’s time for bed. If your child refuses to stay in bed, try to avoid giving extra attention for bad behaviour. Be as neutral and uninterested as you can as you return your child to bed, even if you have to do this a few times. Consistency is key – even at Christmas – to help the whole family sleep well.

5. And if all else fails…

With a house full of guests, your child may understandably feel as though they are missing out on all the excitement by going up to bed. If you’ve followed the tips above and still have a stubborn and weary young one hanging onto the bannisters in protest, the suggestion that Father Christmas only leaves presents for children who are asleep might just be enough incentive to encourage lights out.

……………………………..

About Big Health

Big Health was co­-founded in 2010 by former insomnia sufferer Peter Hames and world renowned sleep expert Professor Colin Espie. As the world’s first digital medicine company, Big Health creates automated evidence­-based behavioral programs using technology, thereby making them accessible by a wider audience. Big Health’s first product, Sleepio, is a digital sleep improvement program featuring Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques, clinically proven to help overcome even long term poor sleep without pills or potions. The company is based in San Francisco, with offices in London and Glasgow. For more information on Big Health and Sleepio please visit www.bighealth.com.

Hadleigh Park

Meet Santa, see the nativity & feed a reindeer at Hadleigh Park !

Ho Ho Hadleigh this Sat 12 Dec, 10am-3pm. £10/child includes a present. For further dates, details and other events visit our website http://tinyurl.com/qacmlth

Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch

Join the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, for a magical carpet ride in their enchanting family pantomime Aladdin, running from 28 November – 9 January. Tickets start at just £12.50 but hurry and book now – they’re selling faster than hot mince pies! http://www.queens-theatre.co.uk/panto

Queens Theatre Hornchurch Dec 2010
Aladdin by Nicholas Pegg Directed by Bob Carlton
Music & Lyrics by Carol Sloman
Widow Twankey is Simon Jessop Emperor is Tom Jude
Abanazar is Stuart Organ Wishee-Washee is Joe West
Princess is Natasha Moore Aladdin is Oliver Seymour-Marsh
Genie is Steve Simmonds Vizier is Matthew Quinn
©NOBBY CLARK
+44(0)7941-515770
+44(0)20-7924-0302
nobby@nobbyclark.co.uk

TRICK OR TREAT? Out to Lunch league table exposes the truth behind children’s menus in 21 chain restaurants and pubs

A new league table ranking the health of children’s food in 21 of the UK’s most popular restaurant chains is published today (21 Oct) by the Soil Association’s Out to Lunch campaign. Two years since the first league table there have been some significant improvements made by a small number of chains, but the Soil Association, working with an army of parent secret diners,  has uncovered continuing widespread poor practice with many restaurants failing to serve fresh food or healthy choices.

[if !supportLists]·         [endif]The campaign found restaurants serving potatoes pre-mashed in Holland, fish fingers pre-cooked in Poland, chicken from Thailand and Brazil, cheese from Australia and New Zealand, and a chicken product with 19 additional ingredients produced variously in Kazakhstan, Russia, Vietnam, Argentina, Malaysia, India, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Ukraine and Slovakia.

[if !supportLists]·         [endif]Over half the restaurants give no indication of where their food comes from, and only one chain (Jamie’s Italian) could reliably tell parents where their meat comes from.

[if !supportLists]·         [endif]3 chains still offer children free or discounted refills of high calorie sugary drinks as standard (Café Rouge, Frankie & Benny’s, Pizza Hut).  Just two fizzy drinks will see a child stack up 17.5 sugar cubes.

[if !supportLists]·         [endif]Size of chain does not determine position in the league table. Jamie’s Italian (the smallest chain) and Wetherspoons (the second largest chain) are both in the top 5. Strada (the second smallest chain) and KFC (the third largest chain) are both in the bottom 5.

 

Despite much continuing bad practice, it is clear that a revolution in kids’ food on the high street is underway.  The league table reveals significant positive changes – 10 chains are serving a portion of veg or salad with every meal (up from 6 chains in 2013) and 9 chains include information on where ingredients come from on the menu (up from 5).

 

Since launching the campaign in 2013, the Soil Association has been working with participating restaurants to improve children’s menus and as a result of the Out to Lunch campaign, over 5.5 million meals¹ served to children this year include healthier options. The biggest contributors to these positive changes are larger chains, like Harvester and Prezzo, and also giraffe.

 

Restaurants have a big role to play in influencing what children think good food looks like – going out used to be seen as a treat, but research² shows it’s more common now with 40% of parents eating out with their kids at least once a fortnight. Meanwhile, 66% of parents say they don’t think kids’ food in restaurants is good enough².

Rob Percival from the Soil Association said; “‘Our 2015 league table includes big winners and big losers – adults expect to be offered real food and real choices in restaurants and we think children deserve the same. We’ve found some up-market eateries are designing menus that make healthy eating for children almost impossible, and price is no guarantee of quality – lower cost restaurants are outperforming more expensive chains. Since our first league table Harvester and Prezzo have proved it’s possible to make major improvements – we’re now calling on other restaurants to raise the bar and give our kids the food they deserve.”

Jamie’s Italian topped the table with a great score of 64 out of 80 (up from 50 two years ago), and Prezzo was the biggest climber, moving an impressive 13 places to 6^th position. Since 2013 the chain has introduced fresh fruit and an organic fruit lolly for desert, and has prioritised children and family enjoyment with an activity pack that includes activities related to fruit, veg, and healthy eating.

The Soil Association has a new Eating Out Guide for families to help them select which restaurants are best to visit depending on what’s important to them. Visit http://www.soilassociation.org/outtolunch/parents to download

The campaign also discovered;

• 12 chains offer a fresh fruit pudding but fail to include it as the default option in the meal deal, promoting instead an array of sugar-laden puddings that will quickly blow a child’s daily sugar budget.
• Only at Wagamama is every meal option balanced and only Wagamama provides children’s cutlery as standard.  
• The majority of chains are not freshly preparing and cooking the majority of their food in the restaurant.

The Out to Lunch campaign is calling on all high street restaurants, pubs and cafés to take seven simple steps to improve the service and food they offer children:

• Make water freely available and remove sugary drinks from the menu
• Let children choose from the main menu
• Serve a portion of veg with every meal and fruit-based puddings
• Use quality ingredients such as free range and organic
• Provide children’s cutlery as standard
• Serve freshly prepared food, not ready meals
• Make breast feeding mums feel welcome

October Half Term Activities at Stubbers in Essex

Summer’s long over and half term is fast approaching! Have you thought about what you’re going to do with the kids in the October half term? Don’t worry, we’ve got it all planned for you!

Why not bring them to our SMASH activity camps for 7 to 16 year olds? These exciting activity day and week options run during weekdays in all school holidays. Our October SMASH runs from 26^th-30^th October 2015.

With drop off after 8.30am and pick up between 4.30 and 6pm, it offers a flexible choice for working parents, or those seeking something to keep the kids amused!

We have activity options to suit everyone, and a flexible programme to ensure that everyone will enjoy themselves!

What can you expect?

Junior SMASH Camps for 7-8 year olds (Day rate £38 or Weekly rate £153)

(Image – Junior SMASH left aligned)

A great introduction to adventure activities, this is an exciting activity week aimed at younger children. The activity programme consists of 2 adventure activities each day with fun and games in between.

Multi – Activity Week for 9-16 year olds (Day rate £38 or Weekly rate £153)

(Image – Multi-Activity SMASH left aligned)

For youngsters who love variety and fun! The best programme Monday to Friday running every week during School Holidays. We organise an exciting program from our wide range of adventurous activities and games including motorsports. A great way to have fun and make new friends!

(NB: motor sports not available on day programmes)

During the day when not on activities, all children are supervised by our SMASH team and have their own dedicated area with games and sports field.

The onsite coffee shop is also open for hot/cold food and drinks, available for purchase throughout the day.

Stubbers is Ofsted registered and we accept childcare vouchers for our SMASH Camps. Please mention when booking.

Find out more here >>> Click to enquire now

RICHARD’S DREAMS COME TRUE THANKS TO INTU LAKESIDE

On Wednesday 19 August, eight year old Richard Traveller from Canvey Island visited intu Lakeside to experience the first part of a fabulous dream donated by the centre through their partnership with The Dream Factory.

Richard, who suffers from the debilitating condition Cerebral Palsy, will be granted his dream of swimming with dolphins in Portugal thanks to generous donations from intu Lakeside. To make the dream even more special for Richard, intu Lakeside surprised him and his family with an underwater digital camera which he can use to take photos of his amazing trip. Not only this, Hamley bear paid a visit to Richard at the centre and gifted him his own cute cuddly dolphin. The day was topped off with a delicious lunch at Pizza Express on behalf of intu Lakeside.

Richard will jet off to Portugal with his family for the fun filled holiday next month.

Richard’s mum, Michaela Traveller, comments: “I’m delighted that intu Lakeside has granted Richard’s dream – he is so excited about swimming with dolphins as it’s something that he’s wanted to do for a very long time! I’m truly grateful that intu Lakeside and The Dream Factory have been able to organise such a wonderful trip for our family – as a result of Richard’s health problems it is often difficult to take time out so this holiday will be amazing for all of us. In addition, the camera will be fantastic for Richard to help document his trip and will help create lasting memories for him.As part of intu Lakeside’s 25th birthday pledge to raise £25,000 for its charity of the year, The Dream Factory, the centre has been granting dreams for young people with life limiting or life threatening illnesses across Essex and the South East. intu Lakeside has been raising money for The Dream Factory since the start of 2015 through a variety of different activities (including a 500 mile staff bikeathon) and will continue to raise funds for the Essex based charity until the end of this year.

The Dream Factory focuses on creating lifelong memories to children and young people with life threatening or severe disabilities and has so far granted over 350 dreams. Thanks to intu Lakeside this number will continue to grow.

Donna Callander, Marketing Manager at intu Lakeside, comments: “It was wonderful to grant Richard’s dream of swimming with dolphins and we look forward to granting even more children’s wishes. The Dream Factory is a fantastic charity and we have been overwhelmed with the support we have received from not only visitors to the centre but staff and retailers who have got on board by doing their own fundraising too.”

Children’s attitudes to water and top tips on keeping your child hydrated

As the beginning of September marks the time in which children head back to school, it’s perfect for parents to introduce their children to new habits. Water is essential for life [1] and is one of the healthiest ways to hydrate. However a survey carried out by the Natural Hydration Council [2] found one in ten 7-9 year olds believe that the body can survive without water.

Additional statistics included:

Only half (51%) of children questioned said they drank water at school
Four in ten (40%) have to be told to drink water by their parents
More than a third (35.1%) do not drink water when thirsty
More than 40% (42.4%) don’t drink water whilst playing sport or exercising

The Natural Hydration Council is encouraging parents to use the beginning of the new school year as a time to encourage their children to start new healthy habits, such as encouraging children to have a glass of water before they go to school.

Dr Emma Derbyshire, adviser to the Natural Hydration Council and an expert in children’s nutrition advises parents to encourage their children to drink water;

“Staying well hydrated is important for children as they are at a greater risk of dehydration than adults due to their higher surface-to-body weight ratio and smaller reserves of body fluids [3]. Research also suggests that adequate hydration helps children to maintain cognitive function and concentration at school [4].

“Helping children to develop healthy hydration habits from a young age is a positive step to avoiding issues such as tooth decay”.

“As a mum I know that telling kids ‘you’ll be healthier if you drink more water’ is unlikely to work, just like all adult finger-wagging. Instead, we should lead by example and drink water, as we know that children are influenced by adult behavior.”

Seven smart ways to encourage your child to develop the taste for water:

1.    Children often copy parents’ behaviour and habits, so try to get into the habit of drinking water, and showing them you like it, in front of your child(ren).

2.    Repeated tastings of water may help kids to develop a taste for it. Studies suggest that a dislike of a food or drink can be overcome by repeating tastings 5 to 10 times over a two week period, however, avoid using excessive coercion or pressure to get them to drink it [5].

3.    Start your day with a glass of water. Ensure the whole family drinks water at breakfast, so everyone starts the day well hydrated.

4.    Always offer water at mealtimes –it will also help those vegetables taste less bitter if children are drinking something plain.

5.    Ask your children to decorate their own water bottle.

6.    Start a ‘water chart’ and see which member of the family drinks the most.

7.    Fun ice cubes can turn a glass of water into an adventure. Fill an ice tray with slices of strawberries, grapes, blueberries or raspberry before putting it in the freezer.

References

[1] Popkin B, D’Anci K, and Rosenberg I (2010) Water, Hydration and Health. Nutrition Review 68(8): 439–458

[2] Survey of 500 children aged 7 – 9 years old, conducted for the Natural Hydration Council, by Opinion Matters in July 2014

[3] D’Anci KE et al. (2006) Hydration and cognitive function in children. Nutrition Reviews 64(10 Pt 1), 457-64.

[4] Derbyshire EJ (2012) An intervention to improve cognition and hydration in UK school children using bottled water. Complete Nutrition 12(2), 18-20.

[5] Cooke, LJ, Chambers, LC, Anez, EV, Wardle, J. (2011) Facilitating or undermining? The effect of reward on food acceptance: a narrative review. Appetite, Oct;57(2):493-7.

Survey Reveals UK Parents Experience a Daily ‘Pang’ Of Guilt

Little Tikes and Olympian Greg Rutherford Call on Families to Enjoy the Great Outdoors this Summer

Today an independent survey of 2,000 UK families, commissioned by toy company Little Tikes, reveals that parents are fed up with the lack of quality time spent together, with the average mum and dad experiencing seven pangs of guilt a week! Being too busy or tired to give kids their full attention and working long hours have been named amongst the top guilt triggers. Little Tikes has linked with Olympic Gold Medallist Greg Rutherford to encourage families to ditch the guilt and enjoy the great outdoors this summer with their ‘Little Trikers’ campaign. They’re giving 50 4-in-1 Sports Edition Trikes away to inspire families to join in the sun this summer. Log on now to www.littletikes.co.uk.

The survey reveals that UK parents are regularly left feeling guilty that they don’t go on more family days out, rely on the television to occupy kids while they get the chores done and don’t have more patience when dealing with their families. On a mission to get everyone out and about, having fun and discovering new places, Little Tikes’ ‘Little Trikers’ campaign has teamed up with gold medal Olympian Greg Rutherford and his family to encourage families to make the most of the sunshine and go for a walk, release some happy hormones endorphins and feel fit, strong and inspired at the same time. Greg, along with his partner Susie, is all set for a summer of fun with their son Milo in his 4-in-1 Trike Sports Edition, as he turns nine months old this month.

Greg says: “We need to inspire future generations to feel fit, happy and enjoying quality time together. Going outside for a walk is the perfect way to unwind, get some exercise and wake up the senses! Plus it’s fantastic for your child’s development to, with so many things to see and do along the way. Make the most of the time you have together, put down the phones and tablets and cherish these precious moments in the great outdoors!” He goes on to say; “The Little Tikes 4-in-1 Trike is a brilliant alternative to a stroller – helping to make your little ones really feel part of the adventure!”

So everyone can share the adventure, Little Tikes is giving UK families the chance to win one of 50 4-in-1 Sports Edition Trikes.  All they have to do is say what type of Triker their little one will be at www.littletikes.co.uk/trikers-with-greg. All entrants who have five likes or more will be entered into a free prize draw to win one of 49 4-in-1 Sport Edition Trikes, with one overall winner chosen at random to win one 4-in-1 Trike Sports Edition and £1,000 worth of toys, for even more family fun.

Families can also add their best Triking routes to Little Tikes’ Top Triker Trails. Follow #toptrikertrails so as not to miss out!

Greg’s Top 5 Tips for making the most of the great outdoors this summer:

1. Go as a family – You can walk and talk at the same time and enjoy exercising and spending time together. This is a great idea for meeting up with other family members as well as friends.
2. Watch your steps – It’s recommended you walk 10,000 steps every day. Use an app or a pedometer to measure how many steps you do. Going out with your child in a Trike, you will probably find you are surprised by just how many steps you’ve taken!
3. Look up – It may sound obvious but it’s important to take stock of your surroundings, feel inspired the nature all around you.
4. Walk tall – Walking is a great gentle exercise and if you walk tall and pull your tummy you can help improve your posture too.
5. Change it up – Don’t do the same route all the time, you will lose motivation and give up. Go to the park, walk around the block or in town. Check out walks from other parents on the Little Tikes’ interactive map and on Twitter and Instagram with #toptriketrails.

The sporty and cool styling of Little Tikes’ 4-in-1 Sports Edition Trike is suitable from age 9+ months and is perfectly suited to any budding sports stars. Great for babies and beginner riders, these funky pink, blue and red trikes are designed to grow as a child’s skills develop. The 4-in1 use allows it to grow with a child through four separate learning stages; Guided (9+ months) – where parents can push and control. Infant foot rest is down and safety harness in place, so child is unable to turn the wheel and enjoy the feeling of being on the move; Learning (12+ months) where the infant foot rest is up and the safety harness is in place. The child is unable to turn the wheel, but can learn to pedal, strengthening legs and learning about speed control; Developing (18+months) where it is both child and parent powered. The waist bar is removed so the child can pedal and turn the wheel, whilst parent also has steering control – to help avoid any veering of course as little one learns.; and finally Independent (30+ months) where the child full control as the guided handle is removed – allowing them the chance to travel and discover at their will. Key features include a detachable, easy grip handle for parent control, 5-point seat belt harness and safety bar, padded, soft seating, removable shade canopy, durable quiet-ride tyres, convenient beverage holder, packing bag for additional trike storage.

To find out more from Greg, checkout the interactive map of #toptrikertrails and be in with a chance to win a Trike visit www.littletikes.co.uk/trikers-with-greg.

Kids Week Returns For 2015!

The annual London theatre initiative Kids Week (www.kidsweek.co.uk) returns this summer from 1 – 31 August 2015, with more than 35 shows offering free tickets for children.

 

Now in its 18th year and run by Society of London Theatre, Kids Week is all about encouraging young people and their families to experience the magic of live theatre. During Kids Week a child aged 16 or under can go free to participating shows when accompanied by an adult paying full price. Up to two extra children’s tickets can also be purchased at half price, per transaction. 

 

Kids Week also has a fantastic range of completely free activities and events, including post-show Q&As, singalongs, dance workshops and many more unique opportunities.

 

In addition to free children’s tickets, families will be able to enjoy Kids Eat Free meal deals at selected London restaurants and take advantage of travel and hotel offers.

 

Free tickets will be available for top West End shows in 2015, including Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Hetty Feather, The Railway Children, The Mousetrap, Mamma Mia! and Wicked. Full show and activity listings to be announced in late May at www.kidsweek.co.uk

 

Tickets for Kids Week go on sale at 10:00 on Tuesday 16 June at www.kidsweek.co.uk  or via the dedicated ticket hotline 0844 248 5151 supported by Ticketmaster with no booking or postage fees.