Skills to practice before starting reception

Healthy routines

Some healthy routines:

  • going to bed around the same time each night, waking up in time to get ready for school
  • limiting screen time to the recommended daily amounts (see advice)
  • eating a healthy diet and trying new foods
  • brushing their teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day (you’ll need to supervise this until they are at least 7)

Online information and guidance

Screen time

Understand what 'healthy' levels of screen time are, by age:
World Health Organization guidance
Health Professionals for Safer Screens poster [PDF, 620KB]

Internet safety

Get insights on internet safety, how screen use impacts young children and recommended screen time:
Help for early years providers: Internet safety

Food

Help children build a strong relationship with food and make the right choices from the start:
Nutrition guidance - Department for Education
Healthier families - NHS
Five tips for helping your kids to eat healthily all year round - BBC

Brushing teeth

Toothbrushing SOS with the singing dentist

Sleep guidance

Sleep and young children - NHS
Struggling to get children to sleep: How to establish a bedtime routine - BBC