Whilst we can’t promise you a sneeze-free season, we can give you some top tips to help you boost your family’s health and wellbeing this autumn-winter. Here are 5 healthy habits guaranteed to keep everyone smiling!

Make Nutritious Seasonal Meals

At the POD we spend a lot of time learning about the seasons and its produce. It’s a BIG part of our culture capital curriculum. Whether we are tasting or making food from around the world or finding out about how different food is grown, we know it helps our little ones better understand the world around them. We love hands-on learning that involves digging in our planters, growing herbs and vegetables and of course tasting them once they are grown! It’s educational fun that’s also super healthy!

Why not add some autumn/winter inspired dishes to your dinner table with some of the seasons best fruit and veg! Not only is this a fab way to introduce your little one to new flavours, textures and tastes but it’s also an exciting and innovative way to make sure they’re getting their 5 a day! Boosting their immune system never looked so good with vibrant orange pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and apples in all the autumnal shades. Mix up your mealtimes by switching to sweet potato fries or blending your own pumpkin soup. Root veg is full of lots of essential vitamins and antioxidants so head out on a seasonal shopping trip to buy your goodies and get the kids in the kitchen, peeling and chopping! It’s a health perk the whole family will love.

Keep Active - Whatever the Weather

At Practically Family we don’t believe in bad weather - only the wrong clothing! That’s why we’ve loads of outdoor (all weather) play areas that we love. From our undercover mud kitchen to our dedicated outdoor classroom, nothing makes us happier than being outside! Not only is being outside great for learning (we’re nutty about the natural world) but we know it’s brilliant for boosting kids’ mental health. Keeping children active (outdoors or indoors) is one of our fave things to do. Whether we are kicking off the day at pre-school with our morning moves, working on our gross motor skills with Cosmic Kids yoga, or flexing our fine motor skills with Dough Disco, we are committed to keeping everyone active and healthy all year through.

Our top tip is to brave the weather! Yes, we know that it’s cosy season but that doesn’t mean going outside is off the cards! In fact, keeping kids moving (whatever the weather) is oh so important to keep them healthy. Why not jump in puddles, take a frosty bike ride, or go on a night-time walk (complete with torches!). Getting fresh air is a brilliant way to boost everyone’s positivity and wellness but if the weather does limit your time outside, it doesn’t mean you all have to be stuck to the sofa. There are oodles of ways to keep active indoors that won’t cost a penny. From indoor obstacle courses to kitchen discos or lounge yoga, staying active inside is super fun too. Not only will it boost your little one’s physical health but it’s mood boosting AND helps promote healthy sleep – hurrah!

Embrace Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a big part of our curriculum at the POD. Whether we’re moving our bodies in mindful ways with yoga, dance, or sports or taking time to express ourselves through arts and crafts, we carve dedicated time into our day, every day, to allow our kids to benefit from mindful practices.

With Christmas on the horizon, it’s easy for families to get overwhelmed by hectic diaries and to-dos! One of the best ways to manage the mayhem and keep a lid on all that pre-Christmas excitement, is to spend a bit of time adding mindfulness into your daily routine. From deep breathing activities or by simply adding 10 mins of quiet time into the afternoon, everyone will manage the overwhelm better. It’s a super way to help children manage and cultivate their emotional wellbeing and teaches them positive health-boosting habits that will last them a lifetime.

Prioritise Sleep

At the POD we know how important sleep is for children that’s why we make sure we’re stimulating them (mentally and physically) with our larger-than-life curriculum! Keeping kids engaged with their learning, capturing their curiosity and keeping them moving means they should be coming home to you nicely worn out and sleep ready! Zzzz!

Making sure your little one has a consistent (and healthy) sleep schedule can do wonders when it comes to warding off bugs, but it also helps their general wellbeing too. Sleep is essential for children’s physical and mental development so creating a consistent bedtime routine is the perfect way to make sure they get a good (and full) night’s sleep ready for the day ahead. It’s never too early to start implementing good sleep habits so whether you are reading a book together or listening to calming music, having a dedicated time to properly wind down (without screens) will see your kiddos heading off to the land of nod in no time!

Keep Hydrated

One of the best ways to keep kids fighting fit and healthy throughout the colder months is to keep them well hydrated. Drinking water is still important even when the weather isn’t warm! Whether you encourage drinking with motivational charts or markers on their bottle, making sure kids are upping their fluid intake can be a bit of a challenge. Try introducing foods like soups or stews rich in veggies that can help boost hydration or maybe try some flu-fighting homemade fruit smoothies that the kids will love to make with you!

We put our own spin on giving our kiddos an immune boosting hydration high-five, when we introduced our Sensational Smoothie Station, full to the brim with brightly coloured fruits and healthy grains. The kids just love to whip up fruit smoothies during morning snack time and afternoon play. With super-nutritious, superhero names like She-Ra (pineapple, mango and passionfruit) or The Captain America (strawberry, raspberry and blackberry) you can see why they’re so popular! (AND nutritious) shhh!

Include Family Bonding Time

Autumn and winter are all about togetherness! With Christmas around the corner, and the darker night’s drawing in, getting some quality family time at home is not only wonderful but it helps to strengthen that extra-special bond you all share. Whether you snuggle up with blankets and watch a movie, play some board games, or wrap up and go on a blustery autumnal walk to soak in the season’s colours, being together is always the best place to be! Our book for this month is all about families and the concept of togetherness. Owl Babies is a beautiful story that celebrates the special bond between a child and their parent. When three baby owls wake up to find their mummy isn’t there, they start feel anxious and afraid. The gentle narrative explores their feelings of being separated from their mum as well as their joy when she returns. Reinforcing the notion that ‘mummy always comes back’ this terrific tale is great to share with young children especially those who struggle with separation anxiety.

Now is the perfect time to bring a step-change in health and wellbeing habits to your home. From cooking extra nutritious meals to keeping the kids hydrated, or cultivating mindfulness and sleep routines, there’s lots of little (and easy) ways to help keep the kids healthy, happy and active! At Practically Family, wellbeing is at the heart of our ethos. We pride ourselves on creating a nurturing and educational environment that helps children thrive. If you’d like to find out more about what we do or have a child you’d like to join our welcoming family, then why not get in touch? We’d love to hear from you.