Stretch-n-Grow

Reindeer Training in Progress!

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:04:15 +0000

We have just come to the end of the traditional Stretch-n-Grow Reindeer Training Camp and what great trainees we had this year! They practiced tiptoeing (an art that Santa’s reindeers are experts in), jumping, leaping, twisting and turning and many more crucial skills that Santa Claus would expect all great reindeers be able to do.
We have had a few weeks of a Christmas themed lesson but it did not mean we lightened up on the intensity of what we were doing. The children loved singing along to traditional Christmas tunes. We have been lucky this year in that we have had maximum participation and appear to have avoided many of the seasonal bugs this year.
All the Stretch-n-Grow franchisees and coaches wish their ‘STARS’, parents and nursery staff a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a fit and healthy New Year!

Stretch-n-Grow Tameside Partners Sports Trusts

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:12:58 +0000

Stretch n Grow Tameside has been asked to become a partner of Tameside Sports Trust. Sarah Wardhaugh has also been asked to be involved in family weight management programmes in Tameside. This means that Stretch n Grow classes will be held weekly at leisure centres throughout Tameside for public access. Classes will be promoted and advertised by the council (Tameside Sport Trust). With regards to the Interventions for family weight management; Stretch-n- Grow sessions will be held as part of another programme designed to get families active. Families will be referred by the council, the children will take part in a 45 minute Stretch-n-Grow session while parents have lessons with health professionals about physical activity and nutrition for the family. Then at the end, there is a 15 minute session with both parents and children together. Any franchisees interested should contact the Head of Development as it could lead to the same outcome in your territory

Do our children need to be having physical tests within the school curriculum?

admin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:58:33 +0000

Sports medicine specialists say governments across the UK have squandered the chance to create an Olympic legacy of fitness. Their conference in London is calling for mandatory “physical literacy” tests in schools, alongside reading and maths*. The argument put forward was that with rising obesity in the UK, the Olympic legacy opportunity and general sedentary lifestyles; Physical Education should be up on the podium with English and Maths.
Being a former PE teacher and currently work in the world of young children and fitness it would be correct to assume where my allegiance is on this topic (in favour)! It is a known fact that if a child is not exposed to fundamental motor skills by the age of five they will not reach their true potential. There are direct links between physical capabilities and learning. We have written the Stretch-n-Grow curriculum with this in mind and encourage activities that help brain development and this early intervention also helps with earlier identification of children who might have learning difficulties when they develop the skills of reading and writing. All our franchisees and coaches are trained so that delivery of the themed lessons offer opportunities for the individual child to develop the necessary physical skills that will carry on into their adulthood.
The recent coverage was in the typical media shock approach of have a catchy by-line and knows that this will create a divide in opinion. The divide in this case is the ‘jocks’ against the academics. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any reference to the link between physical activity and learning and the impression given of the ‘tests’ recreates the dread of those who disliked PE at school. However, the dinosaur that was the wet miserable cross country run has evolved to a complex beast that actually involves planning, delivery and review of content. There is now a clear division between PE and Games. PE is aimed at the development of skills, fitness and general well being whilst games is more specific and is usually team related and or competition driven.
Government funding is rarely focused on PE because of the belief in the academic, social and health benefits but rather by the gauge of current public opinion or the drive for votes. Call me cynical but we have had so many rewrites of school curricula over the last twenty years not because of the need to improve in most instances but rather to justify a new government’s position in power. I don’t want this to turn in to a political rant but we must not be naive about statistics and theories when it comes to education.
Last year Stretch-n-Grow assigned some research to several Chester University students to assess the fundamental motor skills of preschool children. We measured children who participated in the programme and their peers who had not done the programme. Stretch-n-Grow participants scored better in a whole battery of tests. We did this last year…..before this article hit the news. We are addressing much younger children than the headlines suggest. Many researchers find preschoolers too ‘difficult’ to assess. We are proud that we are cutting edge and that we can communicate well with this young age and hopefully contribute to a lifetime of physical activity and learning.
*http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15774788

We Do Great Parties!

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:10:15 +0000

Hi
I just wanted to say a big thank you to Leanne for the fantastic job she did at Freya’s party on Saturday – she was really great, the children loved her and had endless patience and energy!. All the children loved it and all the parents thought it was a great idea and really enjoyed watching the children taking part.
It was definately the best entertainment i’ve seen at a party and very good value for money as well – and it meant the children were active and all playing together.
I would highly recommend you to anyone looking for entertainment for a children’s party.

thank you again

Lisa van Damms
(Parent)

Treking in Peru

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:05:58 +0000

Last February I made a commitment to take part in a charity trek to Peru in aid of The Manchester United Foundation (the charity wing of the football club,raisng money for charities such as Cristies,Francis House & UNICEF).
With the support of family and friends I set about training and fundraising. On the day I was heading for the airport we surpassed the figure we aimed to raise and currently have raised over £3,700. It was with some trepidation and a lot of fear that I arrived at Manchester airport. Saying goodbye to my family was the hardest thing as I was not going to be in touch for ten days. The group I was to share this adventure with all met in Heathrow airport. It was an eclectic mix of people which included former United player David May! Following a thirty hour journey consisting of trains, planes and automobiles we arrived in the city of Cusco, the ancient Inca capital. In order to acclimatise to the high altitude (11,400ft) we trekked out to ancient Inca ruins where we saw for ourselves the genius of this ancient civilisation. They built aqua ducts so every household had access to clean water, they had good sanitation facilities and made effective use of the rich soil around them.
The main focus of the trek was to head to the remote and rarely visited Lares Valley. This is where the ‘life changing’ experience everyone talked about occurred. We saw abject poverty mixed with contentment and happiness. The people we met had very little other than simple hut houses and the clothes on their backs but they were the happiest, friendliest people I have ever met. One woman lived in the most basic house I have ever seen with her husband and four children. Her little baby was one month old and she had given birth all alone up by the fields that they till. She sent her three year old daughter down to get her father; a journey that would have taken us two hours to complete. I was very upset about this encounter. I believe it was because I was a mother like her and yet appeared to have so much more than her. However, the Peruvian doctor who travelled with us explained that they do not have the material desires that we have. They have a good life expectancy (95yrs for the women and 85 for the men). The ‘luxuries’ of the western world are not important to them. They work the fields as a community, helping each other in a way that we have forgotten about over here. It was to be one of the many lessons that I learnt.
Children would appear out of nowhere in traditional colourful dress. They would greet you shyly but beam at you and say gracias when you gave them a piece of fruit or a pencil. We were entertained in the areas where our camps were set up by the singing of songs, games of tug of war and of course some football! They overall feeling was contentment for a way of life that was simple in its existence but rich in its principles. It made me address what it is that is important. Many a tear was shed on this trip not just for the people we met but when we all reached the highest point of the trip (4,378M). The sense of achievement was immense.
It was quite striking when we arrived at Machu Picchu. The place has a mystical beauty but we all found it difficult being amongst so many people after the remoteness of the Lares Valley.
There are many things that I will take away from this experience – the beauty and wildness of the Andes, the awe of Machu Picchu, the bond created with a group of people who completed both a physical and emotional journey but more than anything the spirit of an ancient civilisation that lives on in the hearts of the Quechua people who welcomed us with open arms and warm hearts.

Little Quechuan

Nursery children have hearts of gold

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:56:30 +0000

CHILDREN at Sale Private Day Nursery will learn all about their hearts next month in ‘Stretch-N-Grow’ classes just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The February theme will be ‘Healthy Happy Hearts’ to coincide with the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Heart Month’ and will teach children what their hearts look like with specially designed body aprons, discuss all the foods that make their hearts healthy and exercise to songs such as ‘Boom Boom Beat’ and ‘Come Along With Ticker’.
Kathy Hughes, manager of Stretch-N-Grow, said: “I thought this month we would do something different as heart disease is still the number one killer in the UK. Research has shown that healthy habits started in childhood tend to stay with us throughout our life – that is why in Stretch-N-Grow we believe it is so important to teach children as young as 18 months that exercise is fun. It is amazing how much young children learn, they love understanding more about healthy food and their bodies.”
Stretch-N-Grow is the world’s leading health and fitness programme for young children.

Cranmore Park Business & Baby Show

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:56:08 +0000

Great weather affected the attendance at the ‘Business & Baby Show’ last weeekend in Cranmore Park exhibition centre, Solihull.The Stretch-n-Grow stand reflected a rather contoversial headline from one of our daily newspapers from earlier this year.
British children ‘growing up to be couch potatoes’

Training with Gary Neville, at the Manchester Untied Training Grounds.

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:34:15 +0000

It was high noon on a September Friday! After finishing teaching in the morning I headed off with much trepidation to the Man U grounds. The worry was threefold: would they suss that I was a City fan; would the trek presentation scare me so much that I wouldn’t sleep until I got back from the trip and would I be up to the training session?

As I grew up a red and have only changed to accommodate my young son’s undying allegiance to the ‘blues’ I did not feel like an interloper or a fraud. However, I will have to try to keep it to myself on the trip!

The presentation was a real eye-opener. We were given training and trekking tips from Man Utd’s sports scientist? Altitude sickness, blisters and aching limbs, mmmm remind why this ever seemed like a good idea! It does sound very exciting but also I now believe that I will be able to finish it. It may be tough and at times painful but it couldn’t be called a challenge if it was easy. I have been training for the last few months and have raised the level over the last week so it should ease the pain somewhat.

The training session was great fun. We all met as strangers but within half an hour we were tackling each other on the basketball court or bashing each other’s shins playing hockey all in the name of team bonding of course! Gary Neville was charming and very keen to present a memorable afternoon. He did this and more by being a very approachable and affable sports star who knew how to motivate us.

This trek is an opportunity of a lifetime and I hope to bring back an experience that I can share with many and also knowing that we contributed to several very worthy charities.

Come and See Us at Cranmore Park This Weekend 1st October

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:27:58 +0000

Come and See us! If you are located in the Midlands and you are looking for an opportunity to teach children about health and fitness and a whole lot more ! Come and visit us at the Business and Baby Show in Cranmore Park in Solihull on the 1st October 11am-5pm

Tanya with Garry Neville at Carrington September 2011

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:23:44 +0000