Finding the missing puzzle piece with Happy Days Childcare

Happy Days prioritise food, considering it a safety net for children so they can grow and thrive. All snacks provided by the nursery include at least one fruit or vegetable and they ensure there is a variety across the week. They distribute guidance on what a makes a healthy packed lunch to parents and carers, which includes both standards like ‘no extremely high sugar foods’ and plenty of food inspiration.

Being in an area of high deprivation means access to good food can be limited. Like the majority of the country, they can see the impact of a multi-generational loss of connection to good food and a loss of cooking and growing skills. Happy Days are determined to be a piece of the solution puzzle which helps turn things around.

In future. they plan to develop activities that will interact with green spaces and nature, to inspire people to make the most of these public places and ensure children without gardens can connect with the outdoors as well.

Through current growing activities, children learn about sustainability by using resources they have to hand. In one activity, they used old milk bottles to make watering cans. Not only is this better for nature and climate, but it also makes growing activities accessible.

Happy Days have also put their cooking training to good use, making flatbreads each fortnight which are affordable, easy to make and a great alternative to other ultra-processed foods. The children love getting involved in both the making and eating process and they go down a treat at snack time.