Welcome to the April issue of Under 5!
(How have we made it four months into 2024 already?!)
April brings with it both rainy days and sunshine, as new life starts springing up in quiet corners and the days grow longer as well as warmer ... well, sort of.
In Inspiration Corner, we celebrate International Day of Dance by looking at the ways movement and rhythm can help expand children’s thinking and learning skills,
while over in our baby and toddler groups section, we share some all-important fire safety tips. We also look ahead to the Alliance’s annual conference in June around the topic of early years educators’ mental health and wellbeing.
This month’s Book Nook looks at helping children to explore their feelings and worries through fiction, while over in Family Corner, we think about the different ways to musically motivate children and how this can feed into different areas of learning.
Law-Call shares part two of its probationary periods for new employees piece; children’s charity Ickle Pickles shares some fundraising ideas linked to National Superhero Day; the Alliance’s Gary Croxon explains how our updated Budget Toolkit can help settings with their financial planning; and Dingley’s Promise – a dedicated SEND charity for under-fives – explains disability access funding and the changes they are calling for to help more families access this support.
We hope you enjoy this month’s magazine and find some time to enjoy the glimmers of sunshine in between the showers!
Take care,
Jess Gibson
Editor
Not only are we always looking for your good news and stories to share in My Under 5, but we’d also like to hear a little bit more about what it is that you want to see in the magazine each month. Send your good news, stories, questions or suggestions to editor.u5@eyalliance.org.uk to be featured.