Little Nut Tree Toys Launches "Get Kids Active" Campaign
Childhood obesity is becoming a growing problem throughout the UK. More and more children are spending their play time in front of their televisions and games consoles, and experts agree that a lack of outdoor play has contributed to the issue. To combat the obesity epidemic, Jo Nicholson of Little Nut Tree Toys has started the "Get Kids Active" campaign.
Manchester, UK (PRWEB) May 16, 2008
Childhood obesity is becoming a growing problem throughout the UK. More and more children are spending their play time in front of their televisions and games consoles, and experts agree that a lack of outdoor play has contributed to the issue. To combat the obesity epidemic, Jo Nicholson of Little Nut Tree Toys has started the "Get Kids Active" campaign.
Treats, sweets, quantity, not quality, and little or no outdoor play have all contributed to a trend of kids getting fatter and less able to be what kids are born to be - free spirits enjoying themselves in the great outdoors, generally burning lots of calories.
The nation has sat back and watched what Professor Paul Gately has called an epidemic creep up on us - kids becoming obese, let alone the adults. An epidemic of obese kids! It seems utterly absurd, but the figures seem to stack up.
With convenience foods stacked full of sugars, fats and salts to 'save us time', our time saving is costing ours and our kids life span.
If it wasn't for experts like Gillian McKeith and Professor Gately who are willing to step up to the mark and open our eyes to what is happening then as a nation we would slip further into obesity.
Life for a lot of people seems to be spiralling out of control, getting faster and faster as we try and keep up with society as it develops - something has to give and in many households, convenience food does just that - it provides a way of easing time pressures.
As a mother of two Jo Nicholson, founder of online children's toys (http://www. littlenuttreetoys. co. uk) store Little Nut Tree Toys, knows all about living life in the fast lane. With two children, a husband who runs two businesses and her own business to run, she admits that corners do get cut. Jo comments 'I used to be so fit, cycling to work and then swimming in my lunch hour… I was fit, but that was before kids and starting my business. Life seems to run so fast these days that we are always looking for ways to cut corners - I'm a victim of it myself, but when I see programmes like "Too Fat to Toddle" it really does bring you up short and makes you think about what you're doing to yourself and your kids health and that both things are under your control.'
But keeping kids healthy is not just about the food that they eat, it's also about the exercise. Quite often public amenities like parks and swimming pools are not locally available so it leaves parents with little choice of where to get their kids to play, often having to decide between the front streets or the confines of their back garden (if they're lucky enough to have one).
Jo continues, 'As a modern society we seem to have forgotten that kids are the great imaginers of our world - they dream, invent and create like no adult can. J M Barrie had it nailed when he created Peter Pan, the eternal fun, mischievous and life-loving child. But we seem to have got ourselves entrenched in the idea that children need entertaining and need expensive props. Look at all the soft play centres that have sprung up. It may sound a bit naïve but I really would like to see a return to basic outdoor play and that's why Little Nut Tree Toys is launching our Get Kids Active appeal for parents to send in their childhood game memories. You don't have to have a park, play frames and soft play centres - just a bit of imagination.'
I used to spend hours playing with a tennis ball stuffed down one of my mum's stockings and whacking it against a wall - but for the life of me I can't remember the rhymes, rules or how it worked. I'd love to find out how to play it again so I can teach my daughter - it would be so much fun. So if anyone knows… I'm really keen for us to engage kids in games that are simple, fun, can be played individually or in groups. I for one would love to see kids playing together in social groups again. Not just hanging around on corners using their mobiles. That's why we're starting our campaign to bring back traditional outdoor toys (http://www. littlenuttreetoys. co. uk) and games like the one I used to play.'
To join the campaign to get kids active again, you can contact Jo at enquiries @ littlenuttreetoys. co. uk.
About Little Nut Tree Toys
Little Nut Tree Toys was launched in 2005 as a result of Jo Nicholson wanting to buy good quality, wooden and educational toys for her one year old daughter. The company philosophy has always been to promote toys that encourage kids to discover toys for themselves (without batteries and jarring electronic voices) and also wanted to focus on getting kids playing outside again which she sees as an integral part of childhood.
The company has grown from selling 50 toys in offices over lunch times, craft and Christmas fairs, to now selling over 700 products via its website. Since the re-launch the website, www. littlenuttreetoys. co. uk, now offers its customers a variety of features including recycled packaging, gift wrapping and gift vouchers.
A great element of the site that has been maintained is the 'play activity keys'. These are there to help parents understand what and how toys (http://www. littlenuttreetoys. co. uk) will specifically develop their child. For instance, the 'Balancing Monkeys Game' has the play activities BN and HE which basically show the parent that the toy develops Brain Nurture and Hand-Eye Coordination. The smiley face icon also indicates whether the toy is special needs friendly or not.
Jo maintains that the safe and fun development of children is at the heart of her stock choices. She loves finding toys that are great fun but at the root of the design have educational and developmental learning attributes.
If you would like to receive all further press releases on Little Nut Tree Toys via e-mail, please contact Jo and she will arrange this for you.
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