Tots to Teens: A primary-school prep pack and picture books to help plan outings
Prepare for Primary Pack
There are a lot of skills for little ones to master in the weeks and months after they start primary schools. This Preparing for Primary Pack aims to make that process a little easier and a whole lot more fun.
Curated by early years educators, it contains an A4 whiteboard, a black whiteboard marker, scissors, chubby crayons, a push popper fidget spinner, a peg board and coloured pegs. All of these items have been chosen to support the essential motor skills that are required in junior infants.
- This pack is available from https://www.abcschoolsupplies.ie/product/prepare-for-primary-pack.
- It usually costs €19.99 but is currently available at the discounted price of €14.99.
Parents are often obsessed with sleep. How much of it should their children be getting? How can they get their children to fall and, crucially, stay asleep? And will their family experience a regular sleep schedule ever again?
Cara Dumaplin is on hand with reassurance. A neonatal nurse and certified paediatric sleep consultant, she has four children of her own. She is also behind the @takingcarababies Instagram account, which has built up more than 2.7million followers. Here, she shares advice on all things sleep related, from how to burp a baby so that you can lie them back down in their cot to what to do when they are overtired and resistant to taking a nap.
Doing something for the first time can be anxiety-inducing for children. Whether it’s going to the swimming pool or visiting the doctor, parents can take away some of that anxiety by taking time to explain what children can expect from the situation.
The Zeki series of picture books are a great way of doing this. Written by Anna McQuinn, who hails from Kerry, they are aimed at children between the ages of two and four.
In Zeki Eats Out, little Zeki goes out for lunch for the first time. But luckily for him, he has been playing restaurants at home with his toys, so he knows exactly how to behave. He sits in his chair, chooses what to eat and waits nicely for his food. He’s so good that he even gets to have dessert!
- Zeki Eats Out costs from €11.60.
There are still places left in the Confidence Clinic Summer Camp which takes place from August 6-9 in the Garryduff Sports Centre in Rochestown in Cork. Run by the child and teen life coach Caoimhe Tegart O’Grady, these camps are for children aged between six and 13. They run from 9.30am to 2.30pm daily and for those five hours, children work on developing their confidence, self-belief and kindness.
They do this by following a programme of activities that includes arts and crafts, non-competitive games and group discussions. These discussions typically start with a guided meditation and some yoga to help children learn how to calm their body and mind. Then they share their thoughts on topics such as friendship, dealing with worries or speaking up for yourself.
The idea is for children to get to know themselves, understand others better and realise that they have what it takes to overcome challenges in life. All of this while making new friends in the process.
- Places cost €115 per child and can be booked at https://theconfidenceclinic.ie/summer-camps/.
Dyslexia Ireland wants to make reading a pleasure for dyslexic kids instead of being a pain. This is why the organisation is currently enrolling for an online book club for primary school pupils in third, fourth, fifth and sixth class.
The Readable Project book club splits children into groups of eight according to age. They are then assigned a book to read and meet for an hour a week for eight weeks to discuss the book with the help of a qualified teacher.
- Membership of the club costs €100, with a €50 discount available to those experiencing financial hardship.
- For more information, visit https://dyslexia.ie/classes/readable-project/
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