Pre-School Expo
Awareness of the
importance of the Pre-School years, ( 18 months to 6 years ), in a child’s
healthy mental and physical development has been growing steadily for a
generation now and the market has responded by producing more and more
innovative and useful tools to assist parents maximise their child’s ability
and enjoyment through this crucial developmental period.
Traditional
consumer shows such as ’The Baby Shows’ and education shows cover certain
aspects of pre-school life, and therefore have attracted those relevant
suppliers to each trying to reach the parent audience, but are not designed to
fulfil all areas of raising a child during their pre-school years and therefore
have fallen short on delivering this.
Between the ages of
18 months to 6 years a child develops both mentally and physically faster than
at any other time during their lives, going from dependent babies to little
people with a sense of their own identity and so taking their first steps to
adulthood. Pre-School Expo is designed to assist parents in maximizing their
child’s development and enjoyment through this special time with all the latest
tools and techniques currently available to them. The show is divided equally
into the four key areas of pre-school life, ‘Childcare & Education’, ‘Development
& Play’, ‘Nutrition & Healthcare’ and ‘Family Life & Safe
Environment’. Leading UK suppliers of products and services for each category
will be exhibiting in their respective areas on the show floor making it easier
for parents to navigate round the show and not miss out on anything.
Choosing a good
nursery for your child is an important decision as it will affect both their
educational and social development as well as preparing them for school.
Leading childcare professionals from the Pre-school Learning Alliance and
Montessori Society will be on hand in the ‘Childcare & Education’ section
of the show to give help and advice where required. Also the latest educational
tools will be on display to help parents compliment their child’s nursery
experience at home increasing their mental stimulation and enjoyment with
learning. Many wide ranging toys will be available to view and play in the ‘Development
& Play’ section, from basic playsets to some of the more high tech
interactive toys currently available to stimulate your child’s imagination.
Good nutrition is
an obvious requirement for a child’s healthy development and nutritional
experts will be in the ’Nutrition & Healthcare’ section of the show to
speak to parents about best practice and help dispel some of the myths and
fears about this subject that can often be over complicated with so many food
and supplemental products on the market. Helping to develop a child’s interest
in a good structured physical activity is beneficial both for their health and
their self-esteem giving them a feeling of self achievement. A wide range of
physical classes such as Yoga and team sports will be on display that provide
children with simple but effective introductions to sporting activities and a
healthy lifestyle. A comfortable and safe home environment gives a child a
sense of well being and in the ‘Family Life & Safe Environment’ section all
the leading suppliers of quality home, fashion and lifestyle products will be
showcased for you and your child to look through, as well as the latest safety
products.
The Seminar
programme free for the parents to attend delivers an informative and
educational stream of presentations running throughout both days of the show,
organized in association with the leading UK Pre-School bodies, it will cover
topics such as healthcare, nutrition, relationship development as well as ideas
on education. The crèche area will be managed by childcare professionals with a
number of workshops for children taking place at specific times during the show
such as interactive music and movement activities led by various class
providers exhibiting on the main floor. The
timetables for both
children’s workshops and the seminar programme will be published well before
the show so parents can plan which presentations and workshops would be most
useful and enjoyable for themselves and their children. There will also be
special appearances from well known full costume characters that will take
place at specified times during the show, again publicised well beforehand, so
your child won’t miss out on meeting their favourite characters face to face.
The Location for
Pre-School Expo 2009, Central Hall Westminster London, was carefully selected
by the organisers as a great venue to host the show firstly due to the ease of
access from both within and outside London with Victoria, Waterloo and Charing
Cross mainline stations within walking distance. Secondly due to the
surrounding attractions that provide a lovely day out sightseeing with all the
great landmarks of the capital right there to enjoy such as Big Ben,
Westminster Abbey, The Thames and newer ones as well such as the London Eye.
The whole family can have a great day out in Central London, especially if your
child has never seen the delights of the capital. All in all Pre-School Expo
will be a great exhibition for the whole family this Autumn, currently free to
register online to attend on either day, Friday the 6th or Saturday
the 7th of November, so I look forward to seeing many parents with
young children enjoying the show. To register now go online to: www.preschoolexpo.com.
Please note dates have changed since publishing this feature
