Sefton Council launches 'Thrive Before 5' Campaign for Families this Summer

Sefton Council has launched the new ‘Thrive Before 5’ campaign, designed to help families support their children’s development in fun, simple and engaging ways ahead of starting school.

The initiative focuses on children who will be starting reception this autumn, and we are encouraging families to take part in a range of activities over the summer to help them build the key skills needed to be ready to learn in September.

Fun, low-cost activities for families

Thrive Before 5 brings together 21 activities that families can enjoy together, carefully selected from the 50 Things to Do Before You're Five^©  initiative. Each one is designed to be low-cost and easy to take part in, making it simple for families to get involved.

Throughout the summer holidays, children will have opportunities to try new things to build confidence and develop important skills such as communication and play.

Activities support children to:

• Learn new words and build vocabulary
• Have conversations and express themselves
• Develop play and interaction skills
• Learn to take turns and show respect

These early experiences play an important role in helping children feel ready for school and excited about learning.

A borough-wide campaign

Families across Sefton will start to see Thrive Before 5 banners displayed throughout the borough outside of schools and nurseries. Each banner highlights one of the 21 activities and includes a QR code linking to the Early Years Padlet wall for further information.

Families can even turn it into a fun challenge by going on a banner hunt in their local area and discovering new activities along the way.

To support the campaign, a Thrive Before 5 booklet has also been created for children to track and tick off each activity as they complete them. Digital versions are available on the Early Years Padlet wall, with printed copies available at Sefton Family Hubs and Sefton Libraries.

Cllr Diane Roscoe, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families, said: "Thrive Before 5 is a brilliant opportunity for families to spend quality time together while helping children to build the skills and confidence they need to be ready to learn when they start school. The activities are fun and simple for families to get involved in over the summer holidays, and we hope lots of families across Sefton will enjoy exploring them together, making some special memories along the way."

Supporting a positive start to school

Families are encouraged to bring their completed booklets along with them to school in September to share their experiences with others and to celebrate what they’ve achieved over the summer. All children will receive a medal when they start school, recognising this important journey into early education.

The campaign has been developed in partnership with NHS Mersey Care, Sefton Family Hubs, Active Sefton, Arriva Buses and Sefton Libraries, which are all working together to support families and give every child the best start in life.

Find out more and get involved

The Early Years Padlet wall includes everything you need to know about Thrive Before 5, as well as a wide range of other Early Years support and guidance. Padlet is a free online noticeboard where families can access information and resources all in one place.

Explore all 21 activities or download the Thrive Before 5 activity book by visiting the Early Years Padlet wall.

Watch our short video below explaining the campaign and how to get involved.