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June
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March
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December
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November
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September
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August
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March
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OSC draft framework consultation- the time to have your say is now!
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March
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February
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Equal play? Does your service support or challenge gender stereotypes and roles?
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2018
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Animal Magic- animals in care settings and children in animal settings...
July
Top free foody activities you can do over the summer break
March
Out of School Care - believing that children matter
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Zero Tolerance
Zero Tolerance is acharity working to end men's violence against women by promoting gender equality and challenging attitudes which normalise violence and abuse
Top free foody activities you can do over the summer break

Finding affordable activities that A) carry some kind of educational or health focus and B) don't cost an arm and a leg is no mean feat.

Dietitian, Nigel Denby has been working with a number of SOSCN members this year on a wide range of food and nutrition projects which include simple “activities with a message” to try in clubs. Here are his top free (or very cheap) food and nutrition activities that children will learn from and enjoy whatever the weather.

  1. Visit a community farm or garden - there are community gardens and farms all around the country and many are free to visit. Activities are often available to help children experience and learn about the whole farm to fork journey. farmgarden.org.uk/splashify-splash
  2. Blind tastings. A lot of children claim they don't like fruits or vegetables without ever tasting them- Turning tasting into a game helps children get passed any pre conceived ideas about a food, it lets them focus on the specific aspects of a food that they either do or don't like. Blindfold your taster- introduce pieces of fruit and vegetables to taste and ask what they do or don't like about the smell, texture and taste of the sample food. You could build up a wall chart including the children's photographs and all the different fruits and vegetables they've tasted.
  3. Make frozen yoghurt ice lollies- make a fruit puree with raspberries, strawberries, peaches, banana or any soft fruit. Mix the puree with natural Greek style yoghurt. Pour the fruit and yoghurt mix into jelly moulds or plastic drinking cups - insert a lolly stick into each mould and freeze over night. Next day remove the frozen yoghurt from the mould and enjoy.
  4. Supermarket visit- ask your local supermarket if they arrange children's tours as part of their community engagement commitment. The children can learn about all the countries the fruit and vegetables come from- how food is stored and warehoused, how it is displayed for sale. You might even get some goodies to take back to the club!
  5. Eat a rainbow- the different colours of fruits and vegetables tell you a lot about the vitamins and minerals they contain. As well as trying to encourage 5 a day, children should be encouraged to eat a wide variety of coloured fruit and veg too to maximise their nutritional intake. Set a challenge for the children to eat as many different coloured fruit and vegetables as possible over a week- make a Rainbow wall chart to include the different fruits and vegetables the children have eaten.
  6. Make your own fruit drinks: sugar sweetened drinks contribute huge amounts of sugar to children diets- some regular cans of fizzy drinks by as much as 7-8tsps of sugar each. To help highlight the impact sweetened drinks can have on sugar intake try this activity. Make fruit flavoured water using washed drinks bottles- fill the bottles with water and add fruit slices, orange or lemon peel and herbs like mint leaves- store the drinks over night and the following day chill them ready for morning break for the children to taste. You could also have the children try to count up how many teaspoons of sugar they consume each week from drinks- 1 teaspoon = 6g sugar.

To find out more about Nigel Denby's work with SOSCN members and how you may be eligible for funding to support Food and Nutrition projects in your club contact Nigel: nigel@nigeldenby.co.uk or Tel: 07941 396 610

2023
June
Limited or Lack of Local School Age Childcare
This survey addressed the issue of whether parents and carers have access to sufficient school age childcare to meet their needs
March
SOSCN's letter to First Minister Candidates
We have sent a letter to each of the three candidates for First Minister
January
Children's safeguarding at risk in unregulated out of school settings in England
The UK Government Department for Education published a report in November 2022 which has raised serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the millions of children in England who attend out of school settings
2022
December
Staying Safe and Professional Online as a Social Care Worker
November
Reconnecting - to care for others you need to care for yourself
Access to Childcare Fund - The Learning So Far
September
It's good to chat - SSSC Codes of Practice Conversation
Having a ball in the holidays
August
Superheroes are real- they work in school age childcare
March
A time for change- reflection on the 2021 OSC Workforce Survey Results
2021
August
Stories of Summer 2021
April
Scottish Parliament Election Manifesto Overview 2021
March
The longest year- a reflection
February
The Finnish way to a happier childhood - Putting Children First
2020
November
Reflections on the Week
September
Re-opening services - keeping your staff onside!
Low pay and limited hours are push and pull factors which create a churn in the Out of School Care Workforce
April
Reflections on our journey and the way ahead
March
Coronavirus Covid-19 Potential Impact on Out of School Care, Breakfast and Holiday Clubs
Coronavirus Covid-19 Information Update Monday 2nd March 2020
February
Promising Children - a brief overview of the Care Review
2019
November
OSC draft framework consultation- the time to have your say is now!
Working to live or struggling to get by? Why the Real Living Wage is important.
October
Welcome proposal for free holiday childcare
Giving Parents and Children a say in the Framework for Out of School Care
Out of School Care in Scotland Continues to Grow
April
Success for our STEM Champions in Out of School Care
OSC Workforce - Most Recent Scottish Social Services Council Statistics
Training Opportunities for Out of School Care services- a selection of what's available
March
Supporting OSC Across the Country
February
Recent International policy and research briefing for members February 2019
Equal play? Does your service support or challenge gender stereotypes and roles?
CHANGE Project and T.I.C.T.A.C.S. - low cost quality template test of change
2018
August
Animal Magic- animals in care settings and children in animal settings...
July
Top free foody activities you can do over the summer break
March
Out of School Care - believing that children matter