Activities, classes and clubs are a valued and much-loved part of most children’s pre-school and extracurricular leisure and learning time, but until now, there has been no formal guideline to assist parents in choosing how to invest their time and money in popular pastimes such as swimming, singing, signing and gym to name just a few.

But now, the UK’s parents and carers have a new bench-mark to assist them when choosing the best classes and clubs for their children – thanks to the newly formed community interest company, the Children’s Activity Association (CAA) who is delighted to announce the launch of a Code of Practice offering parents peace of mind for the first time!

The CAA has the backing of Dr Amanda Gummer, well known industry figure and research psychologist specialising in play and development. Tumble Tots UK LTD is a Founding Member of the CAA along with other industry experts.

But why do we need the Children’s Activity Association?

A recent survey revealed that four out of five parents and carers of young children agreed it would be helpful if a Code of Practice was in place to support those making choices and decisions about activities and classes.

The survey also found that nearly one in four had attended a class or activity that did not meet their expectations – and that two thirds of these said the experience had either put them off future activities or made them more likely to seek greater reassurance about classes in the future.

Dr Amanda Gummer commented: “The explosion of activities for children means that parents can be bombarded with information and not know where to turn. To have an independent accreditation system with the aim of promoting accessibility and awareness of great children’s activities will be hugely beneficial for families across the country”.

Parents should start to look out for the official logo on the websites and literature of all those businesses who have pledged to meet the CAA’s robust guidelines for best practice from the end of May 2015. As well as helping to raise the standard of children’s activities by establishing and improving standards & accreditation, the CAA will also aim to help more families get greater access to a wide range of activities, award funding, commission research, campaign for improvements and promote all the benefits of children’s activities.

Tumble Tots and the CAA

Charlotte Bedford Technical Co-ordinator of Tumble Tots UK LTD states: ‘Tumble Tots UK LTD is excited to be a Founding Member of the CAA and to also be a part of the Steering Committee that has set out the guidelines of how the association should run. We have had particular influence on the Code of Practice that every member of the CAA will have to adhere to in order to gain their membership and furthermore accreditation.

As recognised industry leaders, Tumble Tots’ was called upon as we recognise the importance of running an excellent children’s activity that parents can trust and children thoroughly enjoy.

We are looking forward to the future of the CAA and working alongside other industry experts to ensure all activity providers provide excellent classes for all.

For more information please visit www.childrensactivitiesassociation.org