It’s Time to Pick Your Nose!

Red Nose Day 2011: Friday 18th March

It’s not very often you get encouraged to pick your nose and sit in front of the TV but on Friday 18th March you get to do just that. Emma Bunton NOSE what an important date it is so she’s roped in three of her newest pals to tell the whole nation that it’s Red Nose Day!

Chucklechomp, Honkus and Captain Conk are the three mischievous monster noses just itching to jump on the end of your nose. They are hiding out in Sainsbury’s, Oxfam and at http://www.rednoseday.com/, so make sure you pick your favourite and wear it with pride. You can also check out their amazing interactive home, The Academy of Fun, at www.rednoseday.com/monsterfun. It’s packed full of exciting games, fun activities and crafty challenges to give you loads of ideas on how to get involved in Red Nose Day.

The monster Red Noses have also been joined by Emma Bunton and a host of celebrity chums to help launch Red Nose Day 2011. The Wanted, Dick and Dom, Sam & Mark, Emma Bunton, Alesha Dixon, Alexandra Burke and even Jedward have all been snapped donning the essential Red Nose, along with the fabulous new Red Nose Day T-shirt by Vivienne Westwood. All are calling on the nation to do something funny for money this Red Nose Day.

You never know, doing something funny for money could even get you on TV. Sam & Mark will be encouraging kids across the country to stage ‘Glee for a Fee’ shows at home, at school or even in the playground. By filming your own tuneful fundraising effort and sending a clip to the CBBC website there’s a chance your footage could be shown on CBBC Glee Club. Starting on BBC One on 14th March, eighteen Glee Clubs from around the UK will battle it out in the five-part TV extravaganza in a bid to be crowned ‘CBBC Glee Club 2011’ and your home-made video could be up there among the stars.

There will also be a brilliant night of TV on Friday 18th March on BBC One at 7pm with Comic Relief: Funny for Money. The amazing line up of presenters is also revealed today - Lenny Henry, James Corden, Fearne Cotton and Claudia Winkleman are just a handful of famous faces taking to the stage to show their support.

If you can’t wait that long for your first televisual treat then fear not, Saturday nights are set to become a whole lot brighter with the hugely anticipated return of ‘Let’s Dance for Comic Relief’. The One Show’s Alex Jones will be joining Steve Jones to host this year’s lycra-clad line up.

Finally, what Red Nose Day announcement would be complete without a word from fearless Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton? Fresh from her Amazing Amazon Adventure, when she kayaked 2,010 miles down the whole length of the Amazon, Super Skelton is now getting a head for heights as she trains for an extra-special high wire feat. The details of Helen’s special circus themed challenge are top secret right now – but all will be revealed on Blue Peter very soon.

Helen says: “Let me give you the three steps to Red Nose Day 2011: Have a laugh, raise some money and change lives for the better. It really couldn’t be simpler.”

Whatever you’re doing to raise money for Red Nose Day just make such you have tons of fun doing it and remember that Comic Relief spends all the money raised through Red Nose Day to give extremely poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa a helping hand to turn their lives around.

Red Noses
The three monster Noses are available at Sainsbury’s, Oxfam and online at www.rednoseday.com and costs £1 each with at least 70p going to Comic Relief.

Red Nose Day TShirts
A collection of eight designs by Vivienne Westwood the stylish Red Nose Day T-shirts include a Pirate design and Mother and Baby Elephant. Available in-store and online at TK Maxx and www.rednoseday.com. Priced between £5.99 and £14.99 with between £2.50 and £7 going to Comic Relief. Made from 100% Fairtrade certified organic cotton.

Website
Join the monster Noses at the Academy of Fun. www.rednosedaycom/monsterfun

How accurate is new research claiming that television is hindering children’s language development?

By Dr. Lin Day, Baby Sensory

Research out this week has found that too much time spent in front of the television is hindering children’s speech. The survey of 6,000 people, including 3,000 parents, conducted by the Communication Trust, also found that more than half (51 per cent) of those questioned think youngsters can suffer from speech problems if their parents do not talk to them enough. There has always been speculation amongst both parents and professionals about the effect that television can have on a child, but it is also important to realise its benefits. There is some research to suggest that quality TV programmes can have a beneficial effect on literacy activities, comprehension and recall in three and four-year-olds.

Interactive programmes that encourage singing, signing, clapping and dancing can promote language development and imaginative play. Programmes that have themes of repetitive content can make it easier for children to learn new words. Studies show that toddlers who watch their favourite alphabet characters fare better in their knowledge of letter sounds when they go to pre-school than children who have no screen time. Children also benefit from snuggling up and watching television with an adult. The physical contact is good for them and parents can talk about the programme that they have watched together. High quality educational programmes can provide a window on the world for toddlers and help them to make sense of it. Some programmes can also inspire parents to play with their child. For example, a nature or craft programme can be a starting point for an outing to the park or a messy play activity.

Convincing data supports the view that the content, editing speed and the length of viewing time are what really matters. Indeed, short periods in front of a television can help babies to focus on pictures, lights and colours a short distance away. Nevertheless, watching the screen for an hour or more may affect depth perception and long-range vision. Television programmes that have slow editing speeds, continuous narrative and a single gentle voice are much better for the under-twos than fast-paced programmes with lots of zooms, cuts and multiple voices.

In an ideal world, babies and toddlers would be happily entertained with activities other than television. However, it does play a big role in today's hectic society and preventing the under-twos from watching it may be an unrealistic goal for most parents. The key is to provide good quality age-appropriate programmes as part of a balanced schedule and to limit viewing to 10 minutes for babies and 20 minutes for toddlers at any one time. Television should not displace important activities such as outdoor play, social interaction, talk, physical exercise and going to the park. If used responsibly, the risks of harm are very low.