Flying Start Scheme Helping To Develop Healthy Pre-Schoolers

Families who have children attending Flying Start settings across Bridgend County Borough are picking up some extra tips on how to improve their pre-schoolers’ physical development. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Each term, parents are being invited to join in with special activity sessions that include walks around the local community, no buggy days, parachute play, sports days, obstacle courses, and treasure hunts. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

All activities are designed to show parents some simple ideas of how they can get their little ones more active at home, and the latest session was held at the Flying Start centre based in Plasnewydd Primary School in Maesteg, where parents joined their children for a fun football session with Supernova Soccer. Each child was also given a ball to take home. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Hailey Townsend, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Services and Equalities, said: “Encouraging children to learn how to balance, hop, skip and leap around is essential to their development. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It was recently identified that children across Wales need more support to help them reach milestones in their ‘locomotor skills’ which are the building blocks of co-ordination. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“To help improve this situation, all Flying Start settings offer a wide range of activities and the team thought it would be helpful to share some ideas with parents too so that they can be re-enforced at home.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Children who can walk on their own should be physically active every day for at least three hours. This should be spread throughout the day, either indoors or outside. The 180 minutes can include light activity such as standing up, moving around, rolling and playing, as well as more energetic activity like skipping, hopping, running and jumping. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Active play, such as using a climbing frame, riding a bike, playing in water, chasing games and ball games are other great ways for this age group to get moving! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Flying Start programme is a Welsh Government funded initiative that aims to provide families with better opportunities for their children. Flying Start provides free high-quality part-time childcare for two to three year-olds, an enhanced health visiting service, access to parenting programmes, and help with early language development. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

More than 1,000 children in Bridgend County Borough have already benefited from Flying Start, and to find out more please call Tina Haddon, Flying Start Team Manager, on 01656 815168. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

You can also keep up-to-date with the latest Flying Start news, events and activities by ‘liking’ the ‘Bridgend Flying Start’ page on Facebook. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​