Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
New Year Series - New Year, New You
Recent studies have shown that, on average, adults gain 5 lbs (2 kg) in the four-week Christmas period, just by eating an extra 500 calories a day. We would need to jog the equivalent of seven miles to burn off this number of calories.
Of course, this is not the best approach; regular exercise should go hand in hand with a healthy diet. But we can afford a few indulgencies at Christmas, simply because one week later a fresh new year usually spurs us to get healthy once again.
Get healthy as a family:.png)
In his report, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, explained that children needed to be active for 60 minutes every day of the week. The report demonstrates that people who are physically active reduce the risk of developing major chronic diseases later in life. Activities should be of moderate intensity to help develop and maintain a good level of muscular fitness and flexibility.
Studies show that active parents tend to have active children. And we know, as parents, that it is our responsibility to keep our children healthy. So, naturally, we should lead by a good example and keep fit as a family. You can start by doing activities as a family by turning off the TV to get out your bikes, by visiting the local leisure centre to go for a family swim or to play football together.
Get walking: .jpg)
Even though there is a sleigh load of activities that families can do to keep fit, walking is likely to be one of the easiest, most convenient and cheapest. Walking has long been overlooked as an exercise activity that helps you lose weight and keep healthy.
You can use a motivational tool such as a pedometer to measure the number of steps you walk in a day. This pager- sized device, available from most pharmacies clips easily onto your waist and can be used by all family members. So why not hold a daily competition to see who has the highest recorded number of steps?
Your children can be encouraged to walk more, by allowing them to walk to school; to the shops; to the park after school to get some fresh air; and to the playing fields to support the local sporting heroes. This extra pavement pounding will contribute nicely towards your child's 60 minutes of exercise a day.
Get healthier by eating more wisely:
Once the festivities are well and truly over, it is tempting to throw caution to the wind and follow a .jpg)
faddy diet to see drastic results. Instead, a wiser approach would be to introduce a sensible healthy eating plan to the family. You can do this by getting rid of the leftover food from Christmas, especially those tins of chocolate and crisps that are oh-so tempting.
Replace this by increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables that are naturally low in energy and fat and high in fibre. Statistics show that, on average, children eat only two of their recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, so search for a variety of recipes that include these health-boosting food items.
Reduce your fat intake by avoiding fatty meats and meat products, and by choosing lean cuts of meat instead. Shockingly, 92 per cent of children eat too much saturated fat, so leave off the fried foods and go easy on the pastries, cakes, buns and biscuits.
Eat the same meals together as a family at the same time. This way, your children not only benefit from quality time with you, but are more likely to accept the food put in front of them, too.
Ways to get your child clued up on good health
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has launched the Great Grub Club website, which is the first 
ever website to aim the healthy lifestyle message at four to seven year olds, and is a response to warnings from health professionals about the worsening situation with childhood obesity.
Lucie Galice, General Manager of the WCRF, said: “With so many of our children being overweight, it is really important that we get the healthy lifestyle message to children as early as possible so they can get into good habits early on”.
Children can visit the Great Grub Club website at www.greatgrubclub.com. Similarly, The British Heart Foundation has an area specifically for young people on their website. This is aimed to teach youngsters how to be Heart Smart by keeping active and eating the right foods. Have a look at www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/children-and-young-people/childrens-resources
The 5-A-Day website has heaps of useful tips, including a recipe of the day to inspire you to spruce up family meals, fun and games for the children, and a downloadable 5-a-day wall chart. Go to www.nhs.uk/livewell/5aday
Other useful websites:
Health and Fitness for families – a complete well-being guide on one website. Find out your BMI, complete an online fitness assessment, plus take a psychological and aptitude test to find out what sport is best for you! Go to www.nhs.uk/livewell/fitness/Pages/Fitnesshome.aspx
Use the Body Mass Index to find out if you're a healthy weight for your height. Go to www.weightconcern.org.uk to calculate yours.
For more general information on diet and exercise for the whole family go to: www.nhs.uk/pages/home.aspx