The Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers in Practice
Get your setting involved
For the last two years the Infant & Toddler Forum has been stepping up its work to encourage wider adoption of Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers, working in partnership with different early years and nursery settings across the country, including the Pre-school Learning Alliance, Busy Bees and London Early Years Foundation.
The success of the Ten Steps to date can be attributed to practitioners’ willingness to engage with resources that help them to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Settings have reported mealtimes to be calmer, more social experiences with increased staff confidence when advising parents on toddler feeding and behaviours.
The Ten Steps initiative was highlighted as best practice guidance in the Demos For Starters report as a ‘promising tool to support early years practitioners to work with young children and their parents to support healthy eating’.
Adopting the Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers in your setting is easy! Get started today using the downloadable materials for parents and practitioners below. Read the Introduction Booklet for the rationale behind the Ten Steps.
For further information or support please contact the Infant & Toddler Forum Secretariat.
The Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers in practice
“We all need to ensure that children start to develop healthy eating habits from the earliest possible age. Our experience shows us that many settings do an admirable job of providing nutritious meals despite budgetary constraints, but there is room for improvement in some areas. The Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers is exactly the kind of practical resource that will help practitioners to get the balance right.” Neil Leitch, Chief Executive, Pre-school Learning Alliance
“A healthy start with the right diet is vital to children’s wellbeing and long-term health. Nurseries play an important role in this and can help lay the foundations for a lifetime of healthy eating, the importance of good food and the social experience of sharing mealtimes. The ‘Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers’ provides easy to understand advice for parents and nursery practitioners to ensure children get the best start in life.” Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive, National Day Nurseries Association
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers downloadable materials
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers A3 poster for practitioners – For display in staff room
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers A3 poster for parents – For display on parent’s notice board
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers leaflet (for parents) – Distribute to parents and public displays
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers Introduction Booklet
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers letter (for parents) – For publication in setting newsletter
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers Roll Out Checklist (for staff)
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers Roll Out Journal (for staff)
Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers – A Short Survey (for staff)