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Dyslexia in Children - Frequently Asked Questions

Today's article should help parents more easily recognise the possible signs of dyslexia in children.As a condition that affects children’s reading and writing abilities, Dyslexia is something that can significantly hold little ones back. If not diagnosed and addressed in good time, it can have a knock-on effect that adversely affects the education and potentially whole lives of people affected. It’s therefore important to learn what to look out for so as to recognise the possible signs of dyslexia in children should they occur. With that in mind, today’s article explores the answers to frequently asked questions about dyslexia so as to explain what dyslexia is, how it affects children and adults, what to look out for, and what to do to mitigate its potentially harmful effects.

What is Dyslexia?

Described back in the 19th century as 'word blindness', Dyslexia is a lifelong problem.Described back in the 19th century as ‘word blindness’, Dyslexia is a lifelong problem that primarily affects the ease with which a person can read (especially) as well as affecting other language-based skills like writing, spelling, and sometimes even pronunciation. As such, it has potential knock-on effects in a wide array of areas of people’s lives and can present daily challenges for those affected.

Dyslexia has neurodevelopmental origins and is recognised in the UK as a specific learning difficulty. It is not, however, linked in any way to a person’s level of intelligence — and we’ll illustrate just how true that is later in this article.

The term dyslexia, meaning “difficulty with words”, was first coined in 1887 by Rudolf Berlin. He was a German ophthalmologist and, during eye testing at his Stuttgart practice, noticed that some patients struggled to read printed words despite having no eyesight issues. This led him to propose that there could be a neurological reason for the condition.

How Common is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is fairly common, with around 1 out of every 10 people in the UK being affected to varying degrees. However, not everyone with dyslexia receives a diagnosis and sadly this can make the challenges they face even more profound.

How Does Dyslexia Manifest Itself to Those Affected?

Some people with dyslexia have described its effects as causing letters to jump around and words to jumble up.Some people with dyslexia have described its effects as causing letters to jump around and words to jumble up. Others say that words blend together and even spaces between them can disappear. Individual letters and numbers can mix up and, for some, characters may seem incomplete. Sometimes, they are perceived in mirror form (so, for example, a “b” becomes a “d”) or are even perceived as being upside down (so, a “6” would be perceived as a “9”). Whatever the specific effect, the result is to make words unintelligible. Immense concentration is required to try to make any sense of them. Clearly, this presents enormous challenges to reading, writing, spelling, reading out loud, and even mathematics. The knock-on effect of all this is that reading and learning from books about any number of topics — including those in the curriculum — can therefore be hugely challenging and profoundly impactful.

Children with dyslexia may feel ‘different’ and perhaps isolated because of the condition. It’s therefore incredibly important to diagnose and help children with dyslexia as early in their lives as possible.

What are the Signs of Possible Dyslexia in Young Children?

The most common signs of possible* dyslexia, specifically in children of pre-school and school age, relate to language-related difficulties.The signs of dyslexia vary from child to child and this, in itself, makes spotting the issue more tricky. That said, the most common signs of possible* dyslexia, specifically in children of pre-school and school age, relate to language-related difficulties. Examples include:

  • lower than expected speech development (this can be detectable under five);
  • difficulty learning the alphabet and a limited interest in trying to do so (again, potentially detectable under five);
  • difficulties understanding the concept of rhyming words (again, this may be detectable under the age of five);
  • mispronouncing multi-syllable words and jumbling the order of some, e.g. ephelant instead of elephant (potentially detectable under five);
  • sometimes having trouble with verbal expression, e.g. difficulty finding the appropriate word to use (also potentially detectable under five);
  • difficulty with phonics, poor phonological awareness, and poor word attack skills;
  • difficulty recognising the sounds for individual letters;
  • difficulty recognising sounds for combinations of letters found within words;
  • being able to answer questions well verbally, but not very well in writing;
  • difficulty with reading;
  • poor handwriting, with inconsistent and unpredictable spelling.

There are also a few more ‘unexpected’ symptoms, seemingly not directly related to language, that might indicate possible dyslexia. Examples include:

  • difficulty with the fine motor skills required to maintain a consistent rhythm, e.g. on a toy drum;
  • struggling to remember the order of things like days of the week;
  • struggling to follow the order of even a short list of instructions, but being able to complete the tasks if individual steps are provided separately, one by one.

* Note that exhibiting any of the above does not necessarily mean the child has dyslexia. There are several alternative reasons why such symptoms could possibly be displayed.

More details about possible symptoms of dyslexia, in both children and adults, can be found here.

Is Dyslexia Linked With Special Needs or Disabilities?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty.Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty. While some children affected have no additional limiting condition, some have additional problems. These can include dyscalculia, dyspraxia, ADHD, short-term memory issues, and issues with time management. We’ll aim to cover some of those topics separately, in future posts.

What is the Cause of Dyslexia?

The exact cause of dyslexia is not known although it has neurodevelopmental origins and often seems to run in families.

“It’s thought certain genes inherited from your parents may act together in a way that affects how some parts of the brain develop during early life.” — NHS

Studies show that the brain of children with dyslexia functions differently to those without it, so it is a neurodivergence of sorts. It’s fair to say that this specific ‘neurological difference’ is not fully understood by the medical and scientific communities — indeed until it is better understood, there will continue to be much debate around the topic, even among ‘experts’.

Can Dyslexia be Cured?

There is no known ‘cure’ for dyslexia. However, it can be managed and its effects can be mitigated significantly through early diagnosis and appropriate support. Indeed, children who receive such support often go on to be highly competent readers.

Is There a Link Between Dyslexia & Intelligence?

As we mentioned earlier, dyslexia is not linked to intelligence. This is borne out by the fact that many highly intelligent and successful people have the condition, including the famous scientist and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Indeed, the list of highly intelligent and successful people with dyslexia is massively long. To name just a few more, it includes Richard Branson, Pablo Picasso, Winston Churchill, John Lennon, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Leonardo da Vinci, Bill Gates, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Henry Ford, George Washington, Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Mozart, Stephen Hawking, plus a long list of additional celebrities, scientists, business entrepreneurs and artists.

Do Children With Dyslexia Have Any Superpowers?

As you can conclude by taking a look at the list of famous and highly successful people with dyslexia, those affected are often very creative and gifted in other ways. These often include creative verbal and/or visual skills and sometimes exceptional problem-visualisation and problem-solving skills.

“40% of self-made millionaires are dyslexic.” (dyslexicmum.co.uk)

How Can Children With Dyslexia Best Be Supported?

There is a wide range of measures available to help children with dyslexia.Where an issue like dyslexia is suspected, parents/carers should speak with their early years provider or school teacher to voice any concerns — and vice versa. The earlier an issue like dyslexia is spotted, the sooner measures can be implemented to help the child. Such early intervention is really important when reading and language are affected because they have such a snowball effect on other areas of learning. That said, it is more difficult to diagnose dyslexia in the pre-school years, as signs are not so obvious at such an early age. However, a few early signs may sometimes become evident as indicated in the early entries of our list of possible signs of dyslexia earlier in this article.

If a problem is suspected, it is worth visiting a GP with your child to check the potential issue isn’t caused by something completely different, for example, a sight or hearing issue. A dyslexic diagnostic assessment via an appropriate professional expert (e.g. an educational psychologist or qualified dyslexia specialist) is also an option.

If dyslexia is diagnosed a range of support options are available through such measures as a tailored learning and development plan, involvement of the child’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo), special resources and perhaps the help of external specialists. More details about a professional assessment, diagnosis, and even options like Educational Health & Care (EHC) plans, are available here.

For a comprehensive, stand-alone overview of the ways in which early years childcare settings like Little Acorns Nursery can support children with dyslexia, one or more Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), or Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND), read our article Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) here. In the future, we may also follow up today’s article with a separate one explaining in more detail the specific support measures that parents and early years/school professionals can take to help dyslexic children.

The Best Start for Your Child in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

Little Acorns — An Outstanding Childcare Nursery in Central Lancashire

An outstanding childcare providerLittle Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, ChorleyIt’s natural for parents and carers to want the best nursery for their child. Rest assured, Little Acorns is an outstanding childcare nursery. Indeed, we are recognised by Ofsted as an “Outstanding Provider”, so you’ll know your child is in safe and capable hands when you choose Little Acorns for your weekday childcare.

We are located in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, in Central Lancashire. Families in nearby towns and villages may also find Little Acorns Nursery convenient, for example, those living in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

Contact us today to register your child for a nursery place, arrange a tour of the setting, or for answers to any questions that you might have:

Tips for potty training tots: when to begin, how to encourage toddlers, toileting aids and more.

Tips for potty training tots: when to begin, how to encourage toddlers, toileting aids and more.

Achieving potty training success will improve the quality of life for the child, the parent, and other guardians involved in the child's care.One of the key tasks all tots must face, in tandem with parents, is potty training. It’s something we all had to master as toddlers and therefore we know it’s 100% achievable — despite it sometimes seeming to be rather a challenge. Achieving success, though, will improve the quality of life for the child, the parent, and other guardians involved in the child’s care. Learning to master the use of the potty and later the toilet will also be a major boost to self-confidence and independence when the child is at nursery, preschool, and later school. With that in mind, today’s guide outlines our top tips for successful potty training.

First: Some Toileting Milestones

Appropriate timing for starting potty training varies from child to child and situation to situation. That said, the following are rough guidelines for the milestones for many:

  • Most tots stop doing number twos at night by the age of 12 months.
  • Between 2 and 3, some children become dry during the day.
  • By the age of 4, most are completely dry during the daytime.
  • By the age of 6, most are avoiding accidents during both the day and nighttime.
  • Some children, however, may still wet the bed at night beyond the age of 5.

Children cannot help occasional accidents and may indeed be upset by them. It’s essential, therefore, not to scold them or make a fuss about such incidents.

When Should You Begin Potty Training?

Potty training can start any time from 18 months to the age of 3 but most begin between the ages of 2 and 3.Children become ready for potty training at different times — every child is different in that respect, with some starting as early as 18 months and others not training until the age of 3. That said, the majority of little ones begin potty training between the ages of 2 and 3. There are some signs to look out for that will help parents decide when the time is right and we’ll look at those below.

One of the biggest clues that a child is ready to begin potty training is when they become obviously aware of what’s in their nappy. They may, for example, take a peak when being changed, or make it clear they are not comfortable when in need of a change. It could also be as simple as indicating that they are aware when they’re going to the loo in the nappy. Some children may show this by going somewhere quiet and more private when going. Others may do the opposite and make strong eye-to-eye contact with a parent as if to let them know that something is afoot! Such awareness may be key to starting potty training.

Children may also take a lead from parents/relatives or even other children:

A 2½-year-old, who had begun potty training, recently wanted to sit on the “big boy’s toilet” because he’d seen slightly older children doing so at nursery. This was a toileting turning point following what had been, until then, quite a challenging process. (Anecdote from a parent)

There are some practical considerations too. For example, quite a few parents will begin potty training in the warmer months of the year. At such times, there will be fewer clothes worn by children day-to-day, less, therefore, to wash if an accident happens, and likely a working washing line outside to dry everything on. So, by starting during the summer, you can cut down on the workload and potentially save on water and energy.

Encouragement

There are lots of ways to encourage children when potty training.Ensuring children understand the language around toileting is helpful, of course. So, it’s healthy to help children learn the various terms involved, whether talking about a potty, wee-wees, or anything else. Learning appropriate words will empower children to ask for what they need, at appropriate times.

Getting them involved when shopping for toileting products may also give them a deeper interest in potty and toilet training. For example, they may like the look of a potty with a dinosaur on it, or perhaps one featuring their favourite TV character. Other children may like the idea of one of those potties that plays a song when it’s been successfully used.

If there are challenges, families can often get some great success using a reward system. When the youngster successfully uses the potty, they could be awarded a sticker on a colourful, fun-looking potty training chart. Such things are available commercially if you do a quick web search. Another type of reward to be used sparingly could be to award the child a piece of their favourite snack when successful. There’s no doubt this works as an incentive for some little ones.

Another method of encouraging toddlers to use the potty is to walk the child to the potty every 30 to 60 minutes to see if they’re ready to go. The length of time between visits can be gradually extended once that’s working. Visits to the potty are also wise before and after bedtime, following daytime naps, and immediately after mealtimes.

Potty Training/Toileting Aids

Various toileting aids may help with potty and toilet training. Examples include:

  • Various toileting aids may help with potty and toilet training.Potties with designs that are attractive to toddlers e.g. dinosaurs, licensed TV characters etc.
  • Musical potties where a sing-along song is activated on successful use.
  • Portable travel potties — some look like a child’s travel case.
  • Clip-on trainer seats, which attach to adult toilets.
  • Steps to help children reach trainer seats attached to toilets, also allowing them to reach the sink to wash hands afterwards.
  • Pretend toilets and potties that children can use to ‘toilet train’ their own dolls and toys. Such activities can greatly encourage little ones in their own toilet training.
  • ‘Pull-ups’, which are somewhere between nappies and pants/knickers. These may be useful early on or when a child still has occasional accidents but no longer wears nappies.
  • Interestingly, toilet training-themed videos, books, games and songs can also be useful tools to encourage little ones when toilet training as they ‘normalise’ the process.

More Tips for Potty Training Success

  • Making sure that potty training times are fun will help.Only start potty training when your child shows signs that they’re ready. (See the When Should You Begin Potty Training? section above for details).
  • It’s best to start during a quiet time, so there are no distractions.
  • Set a potty training schedule and try to stick to it, so you’re consistent in your message.
  • Try to ensure that your potty training schedule does not conflict with your child’s existing routines.
  • Make potty training fun! (See the Encouragement section above for ideas).
  • Let your child choose their own potty at the store.
  • Buy more than one so you have one in each bathroom/cloakroom and a travel potty.
  • Keep a potty in the bathroom and encourage your little one to use it (or initially even just sit on it) when you pay a visit yourself.
  • Reward your child when successful. Sticker books using fun stickers and a colourful toileting chart can work wonders, for example.
  • Praise your child and their output – it will encourage them.
  • Accidents will happen but don’t make a fuss when they do. Potty training needs to be as stress-free as possible for little ones.
  • Last but not least, remember to encourage good hygiene in your toddler, through handwashing etc.

We hope that our potty training tips are useful and help your child transition smoothly. As we said before, success will lead to more self-confident, independent, and happy children. What’s more, it will also improve the quality of life for parents and caregivers.

An Outstanding Childcare Service in Central Lancashire

We are an outstanding nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

An outstanding childcare provider

Little Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

We are an outstanding nursery in Clayton-le-Woods, near Chorley and offer babies and children under five the very best start in life in a warm, nurturing, home-from-home environment. We also support a range of Government-funded hours and childcare schemes for eligible families. If you’d like to explore a possible childcare place for your child in perhaps the best nursery in Central Lancashire, please get in touch:

As well as being perfectly located for babies and children under five in Clayton-le-Woods (PR6) and Chorley, Little Acorns Nursery is also convenient for those requiring childcare in nearby towns and villages. These include Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham.

Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)

Today, we look at how early years childcare providers can help children under five if they have special educational needs or disabilities.Today, we look at how early years childcare providers like Little Acorns Nursery can help children under five if they have special educational needs and disabilities. This is often referred to as ‘SEND’ or in longer forms like ‘SEN and disabilities’. Let’s explore the topic to get an overview of some of the help available.

Childcare Help for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Early years and childcare providers can support children under five in a variety of ways if they have special educational or developmental needs, and/or a disability. Indeed, helping affected children as early as possible in their lives is of paramount importance:

“Early identification of needs and the timely provision of appropriate support, together with high aspirations, can help ensure that the vast majority of children who have SEN or disabilities can achieve well and make a successful transition into adulthood.” (DfE)*

The specific strategies used will depend on the child’s individual needs and the resources available to any particular provider. That said, typical examples of ways that early years childcare providers — and others — can support children with special needs include the following:

Identifying Children with Special Needs

If an area of special need is suspected, early years providers can work with parents and sometimes other professionals to get an assessment and support if needed.Actually identifying an area of special need or disability is, of course, the first, crucial step in being able to help a child. If an area of special need is suspected, early years providers can work with parents and sometimes other professionals, for example health visitors, speech and language therapists, paediatricians and so on. Involving such professionals will help with any diagnosis.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the presence of a special need may not be crystal clear in many cases, especially when children are very young. As an example, it would not be possible to diagnose dyslexia until a point when a child’s understanding of language is sufficiently developed to actually begin the process of reading text. However, the involvement of such external expertise may make the initial identification of a child’s special need or disability more feasible.

Following such a diagnosis, the various parties surrounding the child can then, together, develop a plan of how best to support that child during their early years and potentially beyond. For our part as a nursery and childcare provider, we will also ensure that we regularly review the support that an affected child receives, making adjustments and taking further actions etc. when appropriate. 

Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Environment

It's important for early years providers to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and supports children of all abilities.This is important. Early years providers can create an inclusive environment that welcomes and supports children of all abilities. Encouraging the inclusion of children in social groups and in the making of friends, for example, is of huge benefit to children’s well-being. Childcare settings can also provide special equipment or adapt the environment to make it more accessible for children with specific physical needs.

Creating a positive and responsive culture is also crucial, so that children feel comfortable to express themselves, irrespective of any differences or abilities/disabilities that they may have.

Additional Support and Resources Through Funding

In some circumstances, childcare providers can access special funding in order to provide additional support and resources to children with special educational needs or disabilities. Examples include the hiring of additional staff to provide one-to-one support, providing extra resources to support learning, or offering additional activities to extend children’s experiences. Access to the specific funding will, though, require eligibility criteria to be met. Often, such funding applications may require a team effort between parents/carers, childcare settings and potentially other types of early years professional mentioned above.

Tailoring Learning & Development Plans & Activities to Meet Individual Needs

Learning and development plans and activities are tailored to suit each child. This is designed to meet the needs of every child individually, including those with special needs.Early years providers like Little Acorns Nursery adapt the individual learning and development plans and activities to suit each child. In this way, they’re custom-designed to meet the needs of every child individually, including those with special needs. This is done as a matter of course as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) approach to early years education and development. The tailored approach helps to level-up the playing field and, in effect, encourage equal opportunities for each child. It also helps them to reach their own personal bests in every area of their learning and development.

Progress Checks

The EYFS approach means that our early years practitioners use a continuous assessment approach in regard to every child’s progress, whether or not they have special needs or any disabilities. However, for those affected by SEN or disabilities, such an approach is even more crucial.

Special education provision for children, including those with SEN or disabilities, follows four stages of action: “Assess, Plan, Do and Review.”

In tandem with this, all children receive a Progress Check at 2 and this will highlight whether progress is on track, additional support is appropriate and indeed whether there is a SEND-related issue. Either way, tailored activities and strategies will be planned and put in place to address any issues and help optimise every child’s progress.

Special education provision for children, including those with SEN or disabilities, follows four stages of action: “Assess, Plan, Do and Review.Later, each child will similarly have an ‘EYFS profile’ completed during the final term of reception year. However, as we’re focusing this article on children under five, we’ll not go into detail about that here.

The SENCo

As well as having a ‘Key Person’ allocated to each child, early years providers like Little Acorns have a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo). The SENCo oversees the setting’s tailored support for children, under their care, who have special educational needs or disabilities. Similarly, the local authority will have an Area SENCO. They will advise and help coordinate support for children with special needs between the local authority itself, the child’s parents, early years and education settings, health and social care services and so on. The Area SENCO will also help when the time comes to transition the under-five child to school.

Communicating with Parents and Other Professionals

Communication is key. Childcare providers like Little Acorns Nursery will communicate regularly with parents/carers and, when appropriate, local authorities, health visitors, paediatricians and other healthcare professionals. This is to ensure that everyone is aware of the child’s progress and any additional support that may be needed. Ensuring that all parties are pulling in the same direction is crucial to outcomes for each child, particularly if they have special needs and/or disabilities.

“When a child is very young, or SEN is first identified, families need to know that the great majority of children and young people with SEN or disabilities, with the right support, can find work, be supported to live independently, and participate in their community.” (DfE)*

EHC Assessments and Plans

In the event that a child does not make the expected progress despite everyone’s best efforts and high quality support, there is recourse to request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment via the local authority. If such a request is made by a childcare setting, it would only be done with the knowledge of the child’s parent(s) and after discussion with them. Basically, such an assessment may result in a brand new plan to support the child, if that’s deemed appropriate. It’s a big topic in its own right, so we may follow up separately to explain more about EHCs in due course.

The ‘Local Offer’ from the Local Authority

The 'Local Offer' from local authorities outlines the help available in the area for children with SEN or disabilities, including how to access that support.It may be useful for parents and carers to note that local authorities have a duty to publish what’s known as a ‘Local Offer’. This outlines the help available in the area for children with SEND, including how to access that support.

A good example is the Local Offer published by our own local authority (Lancashire County Council), which can be found here. (Note that the early years childcare section of that particular Local Offer can be found here). A quick search there for SEND services will indeed reveal Little Acorns Nursery as an outstanding provider of childcare services, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Free Funded Childcare Places for Children with SEND

While all 3- and 4-year-olds in England have access to free childcare provision each week, 2-year-olds with SEND may also be eligible for a significant number of free childcare hours if they get a Disability Living Allowance (‘DLA’), have a valid Education, Health and Care (‘EHC’) plan or have been referred through the local authority’s Portage service. Follow the bold links or speak to us at Little Acorns Nursery if you are local to Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, and would like to learn more more about the options.

Outstanding Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley

An outstanding childcare providerLittle Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, ChorleyChildren get the very best start at Little Acorns Nursery. Little Acorns is an outstanding nursery and pre-school in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Central Lancashire (PR6). We are also close to Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village and Whittle-le-Woods. Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland and Penwortham, so may suit those living/working in any of those nearby locations. Trust your child’s early years education and childcare to an award-winning nursery/pre-school and a nursery recognised by Ofsted as an Outstanding Provider

To register your child for a place at Little Acorns Nursery, to ask a question or to see the nursery in action, please contact us:

* Quotation references: DfE, ‘Early Years: Guide to the 0 to 25 SEND Code of Practice’

Educational Food Growing Activities for Kids

Nature is incredibly important for children With a little planning, care and effort, children can grow herbs, vegetables and even fruit.and that’s just one of many reasons why little ones should be encouraged to learn about sowing seeds and growing their own plants. Today, we’re taking that a step further by explaining how children can grow plants that will give them real, edible food! With a little planning, care and effort, children can grow herbs, vegetables and even fruit if they put their minds to it. What’s more, it’s possible without a garden and needn’t cost a penny!

The Benefits of Children Growing Their Own Food

If they successfully grow herbs, vegetables or fruit that the family can actually eat, little ones will have an immense sense of achievement — and justifiably so. They will have learnt so much during the process too, including where plants, flowers and foodstuffs come from, how seeds germinate into plants, the relationship between flowers, pollination, seeds and fruit, caring for living things — and the circle of life itself. Children love growing and caring for plants and growing edible food is even better!That will never be more evident than when a seed has grown into a plant that bears fruit, which contains more seeds, through which the whole process can start again.

Children will also love growing plants as an activity. They’ll learn from the responsibility of tending to living plants and seeing the progress that seedlings make when they have cared for them. It’ll be a real milestone, too, when their plants start bearing fruit (… or veg!). And — who knows — harvesting fruit, herbs and vegetables that they can eat may even get them interested in cookery and trying out more foods. All in all, growing food is a brilliant and highly educational activity for little ones.

Growing food is a fun, highly educational activity for little ones.

Take a look below for a few easy and inexpensive ways under-five children can get started.

Shop-Bought Seeds Are a Start But Free Seeds Are Even Better!

Shop-bought vegetables like peppers are full of seeds that can be grown into new plants.Seeds for herbs, vegetables and microgreens are all widely retailed in places like garden centres and even some supermarkets. Each seed packet will usually explain when and how seeds can be planted. This is perhaps the most obvious way for children to grow plants that, if all goes well, result in a healthy crop of food. However, we can be far more adventurous than that! Where is the fun in buying seeds in packets when children can get them for free? Let’s take a look at some cheaper and far more creative ways that children can start things off.

Grow Free Pepper & Tomato Plants!

Seeds from shop-bought tomatoes can be saved and grown into new tomato plants.“Free” you say? Well, pretty much! Next time you have some shop-bought tomatoes and/or peppers as part of your ordinary shopping, get your little one to take a few moments to save some of the seeds. These are found within things like tomatoes, before they’re eaten, and are usually discarded in the case of peppers. Such seeds can simply be spaced out on some compost or earth, watered in and a thin layer of soil or compost added on top. If these are left on the windowsill and the earth kept moist by the child over the coming days, little seedlings will soon start to appear. Our pepper plants were grown from the seeds found in shop-bought peppers. This one is about 4 weeks old.The image of the green plant shows our pepper seedling grown in this exact way — and it was incredibly easy to achieve. Ours is about 3 or 4 weeks old and it’s just about ready to be “planted out” outdoors, to mature. Once mature, they should flower then sprout some new peppers! It’s identical for tomatoes. If children have no garden for larger plants to be transferred to, ‘grow bags’ or any kind of suitable container can be used on a patio or balcony. Children will need to keep watering them every day, to keep the soil moist. Flowers will eventually appear and, with a little help from bees and insects, will be pollinated so that they eventually ‘fruit’. If appropriate care and attention continues, your child will eventually end up with vegetables that can eventually ripen and be eaten. That’s free tomatoes and peppers for the family, in our examples. Don’t forget to remind your child to save a few more seeds, though, so they can repeat the whole process again … and again!

If you have a large enough space in a garden, your child can do a similar activity using the seeds from squashes, pumpkins, marrows, courgettes and suchlike. However, those do take up quite a bit of room.

Grow Free Herbs!

Children will need water their little plants every day, to keep the soil moist.Does your little one know that he/she can grow new herb plants totally free of charge? This is done simply by clipping cuttings from your usual shop-bought herbs and leaving them in water to root. It’s incredibly easy so long as the child has some patience (that’s another useful lesson for them). All the child needs to do is to save some small (3 or 4 inch long) cuttings from the tips of herbs like basil or coriander. For safety, parents/carers may need to help with the cutting part if the children are very young. Cuttings from shop-bought herbs can grow into new plants by leaving them in water to root.The bottom sections of the clipped cuttings should be dangled into a glass, small bottle or other suitable vessel of water and left over a period of days until they sprout roots. See the photo for an example. A clear water vessel, e.g. drinking glass, will allow your child to clearly see the roots. Once suitably long, these new little plants can be transplanted individually into compost/soil in something like flower pots — or indeed a free, recycled alternative like a yoghurt pot. The little ones will need to continue attending to the plants with regular watering so that the herbs grow and mature. This activity can all be done indoors on a windowsill too, so requires minimal space. Growing their own herbs may even make children more inclined to eat them!

Grow Free Extra Lettuce & Celery!

A free and easy way to grow food is to “re-grow” it. This celery base would normally have been discarded, but it's growing new edible stems.Another ridiculously easy way to grow food is to “re-grow” it. A classic example of this is to save the root section from a salad vegetable like iceberg lettuce or celery. This is the part of a shop-bought vegetable that would normally be cut off and discarded. However, in what has to be the easiest food growing activity of all, the child simply needs to keep that root section and leave it root down in water for 1 to 3 weeks. It will eventually grow some roots but, before that, the upper tip will start to sprout new leaves. In our own test using an iceberg lettuce we ended up with loads! That is new, free salad that can be later harvested and eaten. Simple!

More Food Growing Ideas for Kids

Pop the 'root' section of lettuces into water and they will grow new edible leaves. This iceberg lettuce is re-growing in just 2 days.(Speaking of iceberg lettuces): Excuse the pun, but the ideas above are just the tip of the iceberg! There are so many other types of vegetable and fruit that children can grow (or re-grow) for next to nothing. For example, they can grow new apple trees from apple pips and new strawberry plants from the outside skin of strawberries. And the whole topic of growing microgreens merits its own stand-alone article, available here. We may follow up in due course with another batch of food growing ideas for under-fives and, indeed, for people of any age. In the mean time, we hope your little one has some fun with the wonderful ideas above.

Little Acorns: an Outstanding Nursery & Pre-School in Clayton, Chorley, Lancashire

An outstanding childcare providerLittle Acorns Nursery, Clayton-le-Woods, ChorleyOur award-winning nursery & pre-school in Clayton-le-Woods gives babies and children under five the very best early years education. It’s also a fun place for little ones to grow and thrive during their most formative years. We have an outstanding Ofsted rating, an integral Forest School and represent the best childcare service in Clayton-le-Woods, Clayton Green and Clayton Brook, Chorley, Central Lancashire.  Register a nursery place for your child today or get in touch to arrange a visit. Ask us any questions that you may have and we’ll be happy to help. Please choose a button below to get started …