Step by Step with Dora (and your chance to win!)

Watching your child grow and develop into a little person full of personality is something to be proud of as a parent, but it can be a little overwhelming at times. Nick Jr. has created a new initiative called Step-by-Step which assists parents and explains the key developmental milestones and rewards children once they reach them.

From the daily tasks of teeth brushing to things like learning to ride a bike Nick Jr. and Dora are there to help! They understand no child is the same so they are asking parents to share their tips in the Dora Step-by-Step Top Tip Swap. 

Each month there is a new topic will be covered online and there will be plenty of information, videos and downloadable tools to help and also practical tips from Jacqueline Harding, child development expert.

Parents are able to share their own tips on the Facebook page for the chance to win a Dora Step-by-Step pack consisting of a Dora-the-Explorer My Talking Backpack and a School Day Dora doll!

August’s theme is ‘Summer’ and here are a few tips that I have to offer as a parent...

• The summer is the perfect time to make the most of the outdoors so head to the park and practise your climbing; up trees and along fallen branches, both of which are great for developing balance and coordination skills. Be there to support your little one but see how much they can do themselves too. It will give them a real sense of achievement.

• Whether in the paddling pool or bath tub have fun with water. Pouring it and blowing bubbles can eliminate any fear and teaches them about cause and effect in the process.

• If you are heading to the beach don't forget to pack the bucket and spade. Not only can you build some super size castles but it's a great way to learn about the sea and the life in and around it. Rock pooling is a fun yet educational activity, praise your children if they manage to find a creature and handle it.

What tips do you have to share?

Share them here: www.facebook.com/NickJrUK

For more information visit the website: www.nickjr.co.uk/stepbystep

How important are routines? Step-by-Step Explore with Dora

I've had a bedtime routine for the Mini Mes since they were newborns, keeping the same pattern each evening results in a peaceful nights sleep fro everyone! But with the sudden temperature rises they have become restless in the evenings and it's often been 10/11pm before they have settled to sleep... resulting in grumpy children the following day.

 

You can see leading child development expert Jacqueline Harding and the lovely Jess McGlynn from Catch a Single Thought today, as Nick Jr has launched their new campaign Step-by-Step Explore with Dora to help parents navigate key development stages and teach their children key skills including keeping a routine and the importance of doing so.



Show details:

How important are routines for children?

How to implement beneficial routines for your little ones and what to do if they don’t take to them immediately

Show date: 8th July

Show time: 12pm

Whether your child or children should have a routine or not is an age old debate amongst parents. Do children flourish under a clear routine or do you think it’s better to follow your child’s own natural rhythm and let them take the lead?

Although predictability can be viewed as monotonous for adults, many parents believe that children flourish on repetition. Providing routines can also help kids deal with change. However some parents prefer to adopt a more varied attitude.

How do you strike the balance between child-led activities and consistency? What do you do if your child doesn’t take to a routine? Do you feel like a failure if your kids don’t follow the routine you’re trying to implement? At what age is having a routine most important?

To access a whole range of Dora themed assets to encourage and reward children on their developmental journey www.nickjr.co.uk/step

Click here to submit questions before the show:

http://www.studiotalk.tv/show/how-important-are-routines-for-children

 

For more information:

Website: www.nickjr.co.uk/stepbystep

Hashtag: #dorastepbystep

How important are routines to you?

 

Christmas Gift Giveaway - Nickelodeon

Puddle jump like Peppa Pig and explore like Dora with a character umbrella from Nickelodeon!

With winter comes rain, sleet and snow but don't let that stop the outdoor fun. You can pop on your wellies and raincoats and head out to play sheltered from the weather with a funky umbrella - featuring your little one's favourite characters.

With Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom and more, these perfectly proportioned umbrellas will make a great stocking filler or accessory for the coming months...

We have 4 up for grabs!

*** WIN ***

For your chance to win one of four Nickelodeon character umbrellas you can enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway closes on 20th December 2012.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nick Jr. is the preschool channel from Nickelodeon which broadcasts,hit shows including Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Bubble Guppies and Olive the Ostrich. In 2009 Nick Jr. won BAFTA Children’s Channel of the Year. To find out more information on programming as well as clips, games and exclusive downloadable content visit nickjr.co.uk. Nick Jr. is available on Sky 615, Virgin 715, through BT Vision and TalkTalk channel 318.

Help Dora Campaign

FINALISTS SELECTED FOR HELP DORA HELP 

Public to Decide Which Entry will Receive £20,000 Award

Five nurseries selected from submissions from across The UK have been chosen as the finalists for Nick Jr.’s Help Dora Help Campaign. The initiative is supported by The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts and is designed to support nurseries, preschools and children’s centres in their educational curriculum. Almost 300 nurseries and preschools submitted an entry to this year’s campaign with applicants from Cumbria, Derbyshire, London and Lancashire elected as finalists. The winner will be decided by members of the public that vote at nickjr.co.uk/helpdorahelp.

“The quality of entries for Help Dora Help was extraordinary and gave a great picture of the areas of educational interest across UK preschools,” said Helena Dowling, Nick Jr., presenter and Help Dora Help judge. “With funding required for things such buying a minibus to creating a mini beast learning zone, the finalists each demonstrate a desire to offer more educational opportunities for their pupils. I am looking forward to seeing which entry the public chooses to receive the award.”

Voting is now open to decide which of the finalist will receive the award. Voting is open to anyone within the UK and voters can take a look at all five finalists and learn more about their submission at nickjr.co.uk/helpdorahelp. Voting is open until 2nd November with the winner of the award announced on 19th November.

Inspired by the adventurous spirit of Dora, Help Dora Help seeks to encourage support education, development and exploration in the pre-school environment. The five finalists for this year’s campaign are:

Greystoke Under 5’s, Greystoke, Cumbria - The rural volunteer playgroup would use the award to revamp their outdoor play area as well as their kitchen.

Oakmount Day Nursery, Preston, Lancashire - The nursery would use the award to purchase a minibus, ideally equipped with exploratory items such as a metal detector and telescope.

The Old Forge Day Nursery, Findern, Derbyshire – The nursery would use the award to build a log cabin with sensory room, a library and dance studio.

Parkfield Children’s Centre, West Hendon, London – The Children’s Centre would develop their Early Years playground to reflect various countries, cultures, seasons and festivals.

Walton Lane Nursery School & Children’s Centre, Nelson, Lancashire - The Centre would create a bug hotel so that children could increase their knowledge of mini beasts.




An expert panel led by Nick Jr.’s Wake Up World Helena Dowling, alongside Nick Jr. representatives and partners including The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts, Dora Magazine and Chad Valley chose the five finalists with each finalist awarded discovery and learning equipment from Chad Valley as well as a classroom visit from Dora the Explorer.

 Nick Jr., with its sister channel Nick Jr. 2, it is the most popular commercial pre-school entertainment brand in cable and satellite homes. Launched in 1999 as the world's first channel dedicated to preschool children, Nick Jr. broadcasts hit shows including Dora the Explorer, Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Bubble Guppies and Olive the Ostrich. In 2009 Nick Jr. won BAFTA Children’s Channel of the Year. More information on programming as well as clips, games and exclusive downloadable content is available at nickjr.co.uk. Nick Jr. is available on Sky 615, Virgin 715, through BT Vision and TalkTalk channel 318.

Launched in 1993, Nickelodeon UK comprises seven dedicated award-winning entertainment channels for kids aged 2-12 and is a joint venture between MTV and BSkyB Networks. The Nickelodeon Network is a top performing commercial kids TV network in the UK and the Nickelodeon channels are available in over 14 million cable and satellite homes.

About The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts: 
The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts is an educational charity which champions the power of the arts to transform and enrich the lives of disadvantaged children across the UK. The charity’s projects have helped to create long-term partnerships between arts organisations and their local schools. Two core programmes, Start and Quests both highlight the potential of learning outside the classroom, enabling children to visit their local cultural venue to work with professional artists, and then developing this experience through class-based projects and activities. Since 2006 the charity has worked with over 100,000 children and hopes to substantially increase this figure in the next few years.

For more info please visit www.childrenandarts.org.uk