Gorgeous George & The Giant Geriatric Generator is an exciting and funny tale following a young boy, George and his Grandpa Jock as they fight to take down the evil Mr Watt’s power plant. Rude, crude and packed with hilarious dialogue and strange events. The book was written to encourage children, particularly boys to read more often, as a self-read for ages 9+ but also to make bedtime reading fun for younger children and their parents. It’s funny, yucky, imaginative and very entertaining.

The author, Stuart Reid has embarked on a book reading tour throughout Scotland and England. He has already presented and read from his book to over 5,000 pupils at a number of different schools. Current bookings at schools and various venues mean he will be reading to at least another 30,000 pupils over the next 12 months.

Bogies, baddies, bagpipes and bums! Farting, false teeth and fun!

Gorgeous George and the Giant Geriatric Generator begins when George witnesses something rather disturbing from his bedroom window late one night. Maybe it was a UFO or a ghostly apparition, or maybe it’s even more sinister. Whatever it was, nobody believes him. People are disappearing fast and no one seems to care.

Why are the people of Little Pumpington so miserable? Why has his evil teacher started smelling of wee? Why is Mr Watt so fat? Why does Mr Jolly the Janitor collect hundreds of pairs of false teeth in a cupboard in his workshop? And what will happen when mad Kenny sticks two crayons up his nose?

During detention George discovers a secret stash of soggy tea-bags and a hundred boxes of broken biscuits hidden in a mysterious tunnel beneath the school. Can his new friend Alison help, even though she’s just ‘a boring girl’? Will Alison’s mum give them money for sweets? Can Gorgeous George (who’s not really gorgeous at all) solve these mysteries with the help of his Grandpa Jock, the wild-haired ginger Scotsman before Grandpa Jock deafens the whole town with his bagpipes?

Oh, and do not try the ‘burning brown bag of poo prank’ at home! You have been warned!

Comedian and writer Arthur Smith says about the book, “Hilarious and excellent – I particularly liked ‘blanket of rancid cabbages’. Fart on, George and Stuart”

Gorgeous George & The Giant Geriatric Generator is available from all good bookstores as well as many online retailers including My Little Big Town’s e-commerce store: http://www.mylittlebigstore.com

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Worlds biggest wildlife survey will need childrens help

The biggest ever survey of wildlife amongst schools in the UK has now started. Thousands of schoolchildren will be taking part, watching and waiting excitedly to see which creatures and birds stray into their playgrounds. Classrooms are to be turned into hides, binoculars will be fixed firmly to eager eyes and noses pressed against windows, and all in the name of science.

The annual Big Schools Birdwatch from the RSPB is taking place from 16-30 January, and the survey is encouraging both teachers and children to look for, and count, the different birds that are sharing their environment. A record breaking number participated in 2011, with almost 3000 being involved, and 88,500 teachers and children.

Wildlife is an unbeatable teaching resource. Colourful, attractive and abundant it can enthuse and inspire children – connecting them with the nature that lives alongside them everyday.

Simple to set up, fun for children to do and offering a host of curriculum linked learning opportunities across all age ranges – Big Schools’ Birdwatch is something every school should participate in [note 3]

Some schools make the activity the centrepiece of a whole week devoted to learning about wild birds. Other schools hold birdwatch breakfasts and after school wildlife clubs.

Faye Mackender, RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch project manager, said: “This activity provides an opportunity for thousands of children to join in and discover the wildlife within their local environment. However teachers want to do it, and wherever the school is located, it’s easy to encourage some life and colour to winter classroom windows with the Big Schools’ Birdwatch.”

Experiencing nature first hand is a vital part of a child’s education, and offers many varied benefits to them, not least developing a sense of wonder and curiosity for the world around them. [note 4]

Faye added: “All you need to do is watch and count the birds in your school grounds for one hour, then submit your results to the RSPB, detailing what you see. Whether you see several exotic species or just a few of the commonest birds, it doesn’t matter – all sightings are useful to us!

We put together the data from the schools about the birds that they see. We then create an overview of which birds are making the most of school grounds across the UK.”

The survey helps to paint a picture of how our birds are faring. Since its launch in 2002, more than 70 different species have been recorded in school grounds, ranging from house sparrows to kestrels and even pheasants. [note 5]

No birdwatching expertise is necessary for teachers, helpers or children and the RSPB has produced a free schools pack containing everything a teacher will need. The emphasis is on having fun and joining in. The pack includes guidance notes, a full colour bird identification poster, counting charts and survey form.

For further information about Big Schools’ Birdwatch, and to register for a free teachers pack, visit the RSPB website www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch or ring 0300 456 8340 (calls charged at standard rate). The hotline number will be operational until 30 January 2012.

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Most teachers say that daydreaming is a very negative process when children are trying to learn, however by punishing children who daydream we are also preventing the use of their imagination and this can be something that sticks, even when they are outside of the classroom.

Children who daydream might have a better ability to focus on the big picture and this is something that can be very valuable when looking at long-term success. Many of the great leaders of the past 100 years have been visionaries and this is something that can come from bringing a daydream into reality.

An example would be President Kennedy, who did not know how a man would be sent to the moon but his vision motivated a nation to make it possible. Similar things can be said about the dreams of Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King.

Many people hold the belief that if you capture a child’s imagination knowledge will be something that they want to acquire anyway. If you fascinate a child by what you are teaching, then worrying about the daydreaming is going to be a thing of the past. Inspiring children encourages them to accomplish, and they will do this by acquiring the knowledge and skills that they need to achieve their goals.

This goes far beyond children, and a man or woman who dreams is a person who can attain anything. If you are someone with a big dream then nothing else is going to matter to you and you are going to pursue this dream until you succeed. Therefore, when teaching children, it makes sense to start by appealing to their imaginations.

If you give a child an idea of the big picture then they are going to go down the path which will allow them to achieve this dream and succeed in their education and ultimately their future lives.

For those parents who are looking to get their children to read more, it is important to inspire them. Choosing books that your child will get lost in is essential as it promotes a healthy and pleasurable relationship between child and book and will make them value reading in the future. This will also develop a child’s ability to read fluently and this is one of the most valuable skills they can take into their future life, and allow them to achieve their dreams and succeed in their education.

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Educational Learning Limited new games offer family fun with bite

Basildon in Essex is the home of the new company named Educational Learning Limited, who are taking great pleasure in launching two card games that are both educational and exciting. The names of these games are ‘Wildcat’ and ‘Dinohistoria’.

These games are both fun and entertaining as are also educational as they help with literacy, numeracy, memory recall, colour recognition, as well as helping to develop interpersonal and social skills. Wildcat also supports those key skills of exploring and observing, while Dinohistoria also shows a geological timescale.

These games are great fun for both children and adults to play, and whatever the age the players will find them both entertaining and interesting. The Anglia Ruskin University has evaluated Wildcat by getting children to play it and the excellent feedback states that it has the potential of underpinning the school curriculum and will work well in primary schools where it was tested.

They then evaluated Dinohistoria whose feedback is just as good, they said that although it was a different game in the way that it played and the information it gave, it still gave similar benefits to Wildcat. Top Toys have also evaluated them and given them a ‘recommended’ award. They stated that both girls and boys enjoyed the games, particularly when it came to comparing facts.

Family and friends will ‘roar’ with success, learning details about animals, past and present as well as have fun while playing these entertaining educational games.

Wildcat (4 suits) has 3 levels of play, using actual licensed photographs and has facts about the cats from around the world.

Dinohistoria (5 suits) has 56 vivid illustrations licensed by the Picture Library of the Natural History Museum, London, (including over 30 dinosaurs, many of them familiar) covering the period from 4.6 billion years to 10,000 years ago, with details about them too.

Additional games can be played from Age 5+, Pairs, Snap, King of the Jungle, The Big Cat game and Roar of the Dinosaurs, as listed on the company’s website, www.educationallearning.co.uk , whilst the actual games are for Ages 7+.

Adults enjoy the games too and play them with children which will also enhance enjoyment and learning.

Jeffrey Goodwin Director says  “All of my life I have enjoyed playing and designing games which always had a competitive and/or educational value.  In 2006 after major heart surgery I decided to bring out games to a high quality specification with the following benefits: Fun and entertaining; High quality pictures; No-one knocked out of games; Good educational value which the whole family would enjoy. I formed Educational learning Limited and have further games in pipeline, including board games and those to help with languages.”

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Your child will want as much independence as they can get. However, they will still be open to advice, particularly about financial matters, and you should take the opportunity to instil some sound financial good practice to help them make it through their university years with as little outside interventions as possible.

Another excellent way to work with your child to control their finances is to take out a pre-paid credit card. Unlike a debit card, which takes money direct from your child’s bank account, or a credit card, which allows money to be borrowed up to a set limit, a pre-paid card enables a set amount of money to be loaded on to it each month.

The core benefit of a pre-paid card is that it only allows your child to spend the amount loaded on to it. Whether you load a set amount on to it each month, or you let your child load their own money on to their card, it nurtures responsible spending habits and sensible monthly budgeting.

Remind your child of the vital importance of effective budgeting. Creating a basic spreadsheet tracking their monthly income and outgoings will help them keep a firm grip on their spending and steer clear of the need for overdrafts.

Reliance on overdrafts, which can incur a fee, is a bad financial habit to fall into, particularly in the current economic climate. Helping your child to realise the importance of only spending what they have and keeping a small sum aside for unexpected expenditure is the best way to help them help themselves.

University can be very expensive, so encouraging your child to secure holiday work or indeed a few hours work over weekends is a wise move. Your child will want to let off steam and socialise, but balancing that against earning enough money to keep them afloat is the common reality for students these days.

Offering advice, checking up on your child’s financial situation and striking a fair balance between support and independence will encourage your child to adopt the financial skills necessary to steer clear of debts.

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Food Science Parties for children from Splat Cooking

A new type of cooking party has just become available to teenagers and younger children thanks to Splat cooking. The company are now offering classes to children involving food science and molecular gastronomy.

Splat cooking is the biggest cooking party company in the country and this new type of party has been designed as a way for children to see the fun of combining science into food production. The company has been offering cooking parties for ten years and have run countless Cupcake Decorating Parties and Cooking Parties that have brought the joy of cooking to thousands of children all over the UK.

The interest in combining science with food has been lead by such chefs as Ferran Adria and Heston Blumental. Splat have thought that getting young people exciting about this new way to prepare food is an important step in their food education. The company is lead by Beverly Glock and there are they are currently offering three different types of parties which come complete with goggles and a lab coat.

For the younger children there is the Splatssploding Party which is aimed at those who are five and older. There are several different themes for the party that can be chosen from and all will appeal to young children. They will learn to cook as well as enjoying some exciting experiments.

Splattastic Party – aimed at 8 year olds upwards. Pizza, jelly and ice cream with a molecular gastronomy twist. How do you make ice cream in 5 minutes without a freezer? Can you make jelly set in 3 minutes? How do you make fruit flavoured caviar pearls?

Mocktails and Canapes Party – aimed at the over 12s. Non-alcoholic cocktails with suspended caviar pearls and a jelly with liquid centre made by reverse spherification, canapés, deconstructed chocolates and homemade chocolates.

The parties launch in October and will be available through Splat Cooking’s Franchise network and their team in London, Home Counties, South West and the Midlands and rolling out with new franchises coming on board throughout the UK.

Learning is also linked to different areas of the school curriculum – history, geography and science – with teaching about food growing, origins, food culture and food science and an emphasis on the use of seasonal produce.

Beverley Glock, Creative Director for Splat Cooking said  “this is a new and exciting field of cookery we don’t think it should be kept just for adults, it engages children who are interested in science to learn how much fun food and cooking can be.

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He has criticised the government saying, “It is a deluded view to think that all people will be able to succeed at English and Maths up until the age of 18. My opinion is that if a fourteen year old has managed to learn the basics of literacy by 14 then they should be allowed to go into something that utilises their skills better than more academic studies. It seems crazy to think that children who are being truant at this young an age will be able to have a meaningful academic career until they are eighteen.”

The former chief inspector said that he is backing the governments plans to increase reading skills at a primary school level by using the synthetic phonics method. He also said that he wants to see the literacy rate of children rise to 95% by the time they are 11. Currently this is at 80%.

He has also been strongly critical of David Cameron’s plan to make independent schools give sponsorship to academies, calling it ‘morally wrong.’ He has said that while it may be good for the comprehensive schools to be able to use the facilities it will impact the children whose parents are paying fees.

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Back to basics – bread, cereals and potatoes…

• Try to keep a selection of breads in the freezer for sandwiches. Using a different type of bread each day can make sandwiches more interesting. Try multigrain and seed rolls, bagels, baguettes, pitta breads, wraps…the list is endless! (Children have reported they like meat / cheese or fish etc and bread separate so it doesn’t go soggy)
• You could also raid the fridge for leftovers – some foods taste just as good cold such as pizza or pasta. Cook extra pasta, couscous or rice. Mix it with cut-up vegetables, a few nuts flaked tuna or mackerel.

Filling the void – meat, fish and alternatives…

Try to include lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, beans or pulses in your lunchbox:

• Tuna with cucumber, green pepper, sweetcorn or tomato
• Low fat hummus and cucumber
• Egg and cress (grow your own?)
• Cottage cheese and dried apricots
• Cooked chicken or turkey, tomatoes, and lettuce
• Peanut butter and banana
• Grated cheese and tomato
• Oily fish, such as salmon sandwich or mackerel pasta salad

Remember, if you are using a spread choose a reduced fat one – or do without it completely if you are using a moist filling.

Vegging out or Feeling fruity..?

It’s important to eat 5 (or more) portions of fruit and vegetables every day. You won’t be stuck for choice when it comes to lunchtime:

• fresh fruit e.g. apple, grapes, banana, kiwi fruit (children have also said they like different fruits every day and not always the traditional choices e.g.. wedge of  melon / peeled orange / kiwi and spoon / pot of strawberries. Why not surprise your child with a different fruit / veg choice every day of the week?)
• dried fruits, e.g. raisins, apricots
• chopped raw vegetables e.g. carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes or a mixed salad
• tinned fruit in natural juice – pop in a small container or buy small tins with a ring pull

Dairy delights…

Try to include some dairy products in your lunchbox – important to keep your teeth healthy and your bones strong (remember to look at sugar levels – 5g equals about one teaspoon):

• low fat yogurt – plain or fruit flavoured
• low fat fromage frais
• small pot of rice pudding or custard
• Milk / fruit-based milkshakes

Tasty treats…

Fancy something sweet in your lunch-box? There’s nothing wrong with this. Just try and make healthier choices when you can:

• currant bun, scone or fruit loaf,
• plain popcorn
• cereal bar (remember to look at sugar levels)
• fun sized bar of chocolate

Put in a drink…

Choose from:

• Plain water (still or sparkling)
• Plain milk (skimmed or semi-skimmed) or plain yoghurt combined with fruit e.g. smoothies, pureed fruit with plain yoghurt
• Pure fruit juice in small cartons or in a small bottle
• Hot drinks in the winter, e.g. soups

Keep cool…

• Use a cool bag and pop in an ice-pack or freeze a carton of juice and place in with food to keep cool
• Keep in the fridge until morning if you make it the night before

·          Don’t store your lunch next to a radiator or in the sun.

Tips provided by the British Dietic Association (BDA) -  www.bda.uk.com

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‘What colour is the band for the 12 times table?’

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