This year, the UK’s largest childcare provider, Busy Bees, continued it’s partnership with The Department of Health’s Change4Life initiative, to promote healthy living to families.

Busy Bees held a ‘Busy Bees Change4Life’ campaign throughout all of its 130 nurseries. The aim of the campaign was to kickstart a lifestyle revolution for every family in order to halt the rise obesity in the UK. Experts say without any intervention, by 2050, 90% of today's children will be overweight or obese and at risk from serious diseases - that is the central message of Change4Life. As part of this new movement there is extensive support and information to help families, and particularly children, live healthier lives.

Busy Bees nursery in Welwyn Garden City took part in 5 themed days, including ‘Cook4Life,’ ‘Play4Life,’ ‘Breakfast4Life,’ ‘Dance with Change4Life,’ and ‘Walk4Life.’ The activities were designed to be fun for the children, whilst at the same instilling them with gentle knowledge on how to lead a healthy, active lifestyle from a young age. Events included a cookery class, a healthy eating buffet for children and parents, and a disco with party games, as well as lots of fun Change4Life activities.

The nursery was also one of the 130 Busy Bees nurseries taking part in a unique Peppa Pig Triathlon. Busy Bees teamed up with Peppa Pig to raise money for children’s charity, Tommy’s. The fundraiser offered a unique take on the traditional triathlon – swimming, cycling, running. Children at Busy Bees raised £339.00 for the children’s charity by asking friends and family to sponsor them whilst they splashed in ‘muddy puddles’, rode a trike, and ran. Even non-walkers took part in a sponsored crawl.
Every child who took part received a personalised thank you letter and a Peppa Pig magazine. Plus, on the day each participating child received a Peppa sticker and certificate.

During this fortnight, Busy Bees distributed 16,000 ‘Busy Bees Change4Life’ packs to all of the children’s parents. The unique pack included Change4Life material, including a colouring activity and booklet, lolly moulds to make ice-lollies over the summer months, a healthy eating recipe, specially created by celebrity chef, Phil Vickery, a pack of Whitworths raisins and a Baby Gym: Bouncy and Jiggle book for the younger children. As well as all this, Peppa Pig have donated thousands of free goodies to include. The above contents will be presented in a polypropylene A4 satchel, which will display a drawing designed and created by a Busy Bee preschooler., based on the theme ‘What I think is good for me...’ Our Nursery won the drawing competition with a drawing of people doing star jumps.

Nursery Manager, Lisa Stevens, said: “With thousands of people taking part across 130 Busy Bees nurseries, we are hoping everyone’s efforts have helped to raise the profile of Change4Life and the cause it is supporting. We all had great fun during the fortnight, it’s always nice for the children to get outside and take advantage of the nursery garden.

The partnering with Change4Life has been a great opportunity to work in partnership with parents to ensure that their child receives a well balanced diet and takes part in plenty of active play and learning, at nursery and at home.”