ChildForum is open over the holiday and New Year break so you can continue to access good reading, information, and help when you need it.

We wish you fun over the Christmas period and a very happy holiday.

In this Week's Update

1. Hot Toys, Technology Presents and Educational Gifts
2. Gifts for the People You Work With
3. January's Early Childhood Research Conference
4. Discount Offered on Child Safety and Protection Books
5. Looking after Children in the Sun Over Summer

1. Hot Toys, Techno Presents and Educational Gifts

ChildForum has researched and provides for you details of: 

• The overall must-have toy for every young child this year
• The 5 hottest toys for toddlers
• The 5 hottest toys for preschoolers
• The most popular young children's technology presents
• The 5 best "I love you" and "You are special" gifts
• The 5 best educational toys ever
• Other highly recommended educational presents
  • For outside physical play
  • For creativity and construction
  • For developing a child's mind and knowledge of the world and of life

Click here for the full article and to read more ...

2.   Gifts for the People You Work With

Thinking of presents for the people you work with is sometimes not easy.  Here are some ideas for easy last minute gifts that will be highly appreciated: 

• A gift certificate for a ChildForum membership (Read more by clicking here). Or take a look at what is available on the Store page of our www.childforum.com website
• A coffee machine for fresh coffee (if you've got to have coffee why not make it real coffee from a fully automated machine)
• A dozen bottles of wine / ginger beer / boutique beer / soft drink or the person's favorite liquid treat
• An 'I promise' to cover for you and let you have x  number of sleep-ins and late starts for work
• An edible plant in a pot - e.g. a lettuce or a miniature tomato plant as an alternative to the traditional office and home pot plant

3. January's Early Childhood Research Conference

The 13th Annual NZ Early Childhood Research Conference is being held on 26 - 28th January, in Wellington, at St Andrews on the Terrace, Wellington.

The programme includes speakers from a range of education, health, parenting, science, and social science disciplines.

Topics include:

• Working with Immigrant Children and Families
• Teachers as Researchers
• Analysis of the Early Childhood Curriculum Te Whariki 
• Solo Dads
• Inclusion
• Raising the Quality of Literacy Practices in ECE
• ECE Teacher Education
• Researching Children's Perspectives
• Emotional Well-being
• Early childhood Science
• Children with Communication Difficulties,
• Children as Teachers
• Sun Protection Practices
• Edible Gardens
• & much more ...

Register for the Conference from our website www.childforum.com or click here for a copy of the registration form

4. Discount Offered on Child Safety and Protection Books

JoJo Publishing are kindly offering 10% discount to ChildForum members on a fabulous new book by Prof Freda Briggs on teaching children about personal safety and keeping children safe, and on the lovely children's picture book 'Be Brave' by Karen Rochester.  For more details click here ...

5. Keeping Children Safe in the Sun Over Summer

The last thing you want to see is a child suffering from sun burn!  It can happen so easily.  But there are things you can do, and things you can tell others, to help prevent this from happening.

Here are articles with lots of tips on a range of topics about sun protection

For parents, families, caregivers and teachers to read:

• How best to protect infant, toddler and preschooler skin, eyes, and health from the harmful effects of the sun 
• Sun safety learning activities, songs, art & craft, science, drama etc. 

For early childhood service providers, staff and volunteers to read:

• Shade in centres and planning considerations for sun protection, safety, and children's learning
• Sun protection policy template and tips 
• Management responsibilities and frequently mentioned issues

Learn more about children's care and teaching, ECE centre and home-based service operational matters, research and policy. 
Go to our website by clicking here www.childforum.com

No responsibility is taken for any errors. If you spot an error please inform us so that it can be corrected.
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