2015 has been an excellent year for us with increased growth in revenue and the size of our team. We are very proud of the publication of the IKEA Play Report and look forward to working with the IKEA children’s team once again next year. Our literature review for the Committee of Advertising Practitioners (CAP) on online food and beverage marketing to children was published in February. Also in February, education charity Techknowledge for Schools…
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A global report by the OECD claims investing in school computers does not improve student performance. The report argues instead that frequent use of computers is associated with lower results. The findings are based on the international PISA tests, which are taken in 70 countries worldwide. The OECD’s education director Andreas Schleicher however states that the report’s findings should not be used as an excuse not to use technology, but rather as a prompt to…
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A study which tracked more than 5,000 people born between the 1940s and present day has explored the relationship between parenting and wellbeing. The University College London (UCL) study found that parents who exerted too much control over their children could be causing them long term harm. People who reported that their parents had intruded on their privacy during childhood or encouraged dependence were more likely to have low scores in surveys of happiness and…
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According to the National Health Service in the UK, children have an important role to play in teaching families about healthy eating and obesity. The medical director of the NHS has encouraged the British government to make education its key focus in tackling obesity. The statement was made after a key government advisor on childhood obesity, Professor Susan Jebb, suggested that schools have an important role to play in teaching children about obesity, with the…
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Meditation has been found to offer significant health benefits and to be effective in the treatment of depression, anxiety and pain. Research is now examining the usefulness of teaching mindfulness and meditation in schools. One school found that teaching yoga and meditation to students significantly lowered their levels of the stress hormone cortisol while other schools found positive effects on attendance, performance and a lowering of suspension rates. Further studies have found a positive impact…
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Play has an important role in children’s lives, not only as a means to act out key events in a child’s life, but also as a way to escape difficult emotions. Piaget (1962) wrote: “We can be sure that all happenings, pleasant or unpleasant, in the child’s life, will have repercussions on its dolls” But play is not just important to younger children. The period of early adolescence (10-14) is a key age to learn…
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So are children playing less because of the widespread adoption of digital devices? Two recent research studies carried out by FK&Y show not. Despite concern about the time children spend online, there is evidence to show that parents are taking a sensible view of the place of digital in their children’s lives. The IKEA Play Report was carried out in 2015 by FK&Y in 12 countries and interviewed nearly 30,000 parents, children aged 7-12 and…
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The internet and social media are having a profound impact on how children communicate and express themselves, offline as well as online. While it is often assumed that social media and text speech will have a detrimental effect on young people’s communication skills, others argue that children use these new additions to the English language in a creative and innovative way. Oxford University Press recently announced ‘hashtag’, the term for the symbol ‘#’ used to…
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Volunteering among young people is increasing, and the government’s ‘Step Up to Serve’ campaign has encouraged this. Volunteers’ Week is an annual event that takes place on 1-7 June, celebrating the contribution of millions of volunteers across the UK. The event is run by NCVO in partnership with Development Scotland, Volunteer Now and Wales Council for Voluntary Action. Events take place throughout the country showcasing the different volunteering roles on offer, taster sessions and team…
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According to an annual survey carried out by the National Literacy Trust, an increasing number of children are reading for fun in their spare time. The report surveyed 32,000 children between 8 and 18 years old. 40% of children said they thought reading was ‘cool’ and 41% said they read daily outside school, up from 32% in the previous year. The research suggests that there are persistent differences between boys and girls, with 47% of…
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