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Helpful Resources for Active Families, Active Lives
The Active Families, Active Lives (AFAL) team have put together a list of resources to help families eat well, move and play and enjoy emotional wellbeing in Cardiff and the Vale.
This page was created in December 2022. Please check the websites of individual organisations for up-to-date information.
Click below to go to the resources you are interested in:
Eating Well
Useful resources on Healthy Eating
Movement and Play
Useful resources on getting active
Wellbeing
Useful resources on mental health for families
Eating Well for Families
Updated “Change4life” to support you and your family with eating better and moving more with a range of recipes and activity ideas.
Click here to go to the British Health, Healthier Families website
The Belly Bugs Project is an entertaining way to introduces kids to a magical world inside us where a gang of Belly Bugs – healthy gut microbes – are hard at work keeping us in tip-top condition.
Explore the puzzles, games and Belly Bugs story for children.
More information about the The Belly Bugs project for grown-ups.
Information on portion sizes, healthy eating and lifestyle from an accredited source.
Click here for information and education on portion sizes for adults from the British Heart Foundation.
Click here for First Step Nutrition- Click here for Eating Well for Young People from Cardiff and Vale’s University Health Board’s Dietetics Team
- Click here for Every Child Wales
- Click here for Nylo (Nutrition for Your Little Ones)
The European Food Information Council is a consumer oriented non-profit organisation founded to make science behind food and health more accessible and easier to understand among the public. They have a map to explore seasonal fruit and vegetables in Europe, including the UK.
The map can be tailored by season and month. Explore the Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables in Europe here.
Food Cardiff is a city-wide partnership of individuals and organisations. It acts as a hub for connecting people and projects working to promote healthy, environmentally sustainable and ethical food across the city. They provide ideas to support you to make healthier choices for your family, community and environment.
Food Sense Wales aims to ensure that sustainable food, farming and fisheries are at the heart of our food system.
An early year’s programme funded by the Welsh government. Flying Start supports parents with a child under 4 years old by providing health advice, learning skills support and practical ideas to help them guide their children towards a brighter future.
The programme is supported by a dedicated Nutrition and Dietetics Team using a variety of evidence-based community initiatives.
Aim is to ensure everyone in Wales has the skills, opportunity and confidence to access the food they need for good health.
A calendar with foods available in each season. Seasonal recipes can be found under the recipe tab.
Veg Power is a non-profit nationwide alliance with the mission to inspire and support children in increasing their vegetable intake.
Movement and Play
Being active is one of the most important things we can do to support our health and wellbeing. Children and young people should engage in at least 1 hour (60 minutes) of activity a day across the week. This can include all forms of activity from P.E, after-school activities, playing, sport clubs and walking to and from school.
Activities for Children
- Simon Says
Make suggestions such as “Simon says…jump up and down 5 times; do 5 jumping jacks; crawl across the room; march on the spot” - Indoor or outdoor obstacle course
Use household items to create a fun course – ask your child to design one for you. - “Floor is Lava”
Use pillow or mats scattered across the room - Dancing competition / musical bumps / musical statues
- “Roll the dice” Agree on 4-6 different moves e.g. jumping jacks, hopping, jumping, squats and write on paper then place in hat. Pull out a piece of paper, roll the dice and then complete the same number of moves as the dice roll.
- Indoor / outdoor treasure hunt
Leave clues in different upstairs rooms of the house – your child has to go up / down stairs to find clues and bring them back each time. - Don’t let the balloon touch the floor
Bat a balloon back and forth and don’t let it touch the floor. - Quick game of tag in the garden
- Animal walks
Ask your child to move to music as different animals e.g. jump like a frog / kangaroo, slither like a snake, stomp like an elephant etc - Blow bubbles and your child has to pop them
- Parachute game
Get a large sheet and get 2/3 others to hold the sheet and parachute it up and down while you take it in turns to run underneath
A PLAY WALES campaign that aims to help parents and carers give children time, space and support to play at home and in their local communities.
Click here to view the Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Young People.
An educational resource with free videos with follow along dance routines and music.
Click here for the Learning Station website.
A range of resources that encourages and supports the development of health and self-discovery for both children and adults! A variety of videos and printable resources that can be found online.
Age: 6-18 years old.
Location: Barry RFC, CF62 9TH
Examples of activities:
- All girls Islanders Female Rugby Hub
- Reservoir Youth Club
A multi-sport group that provides multi-sport or specific sport sessions for children, young people and adults through the medium of Welsh and England. Ran by highly trained and DBS-checked coaches.
Price: £3.50 per session or £6 for 2 consecutive sessions
Age: Varies from 4 to 11 years old.
Locations:
Grangetown pavilion, CF11 7LJ and Maes Y Coed Community Centre CF14 4PP
This website has a handy tool to show how active your child currently is and lots of practical ideas to make it easy for you to build more activity into their daily routines.
NHS Sports and Activities: 10-minute shake up games for children to try in the house and an extensive list of sports and activities.
Mind have put together a page of ideas for the family to participate in enjoyable exercise, including when you’re short of time or up for a challenge.
This fun and engaging package features a week of 15-minute workouts combining circuits, yoga, dance, balance, and co-ordination exercises to make you fitter while improving your mental health.
Activities for the Whole Family
The Active for Life website is designed to support children find fun and engaging ways to hit the recommended daily amount of physical activity.
Free tips and activities available on website or via newsletter that parents/guardians can sign up too.
Click here to view the Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults and Older Adults.
Programme for those 16 years old or above and must be referred by a healthcare professional.
- Price: £2.00 per session (1 hour session)
- Length: 4-32 weeks depending on referral reason.
- Contact: Ask your healthcare professional
Follow along videos that can be done at home.
A variety of resources to help you with your activity levels.
This movement aims to inspire individuals and organisations to make positive lifestyle changes, creating a social movement for improved health and wellbeing throughout Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
An award-winning social enterprise with a 15-year track record in supporting people to bring positive changes in their lives through meaningful outdoor activity.
Age: All ages
Location: Across Swansea, Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan
A wellbeing resource that hosts a range of information relating to services for children and young people and adults.
Free resources for the whole family with suggestions for activities at home, away from home, fitness challenges and activities with children.
Sport Wales is the national organisation responsible for developing and promoting sport and physical activity in Wales. Resources for individuals and families.
‘We are undefeatable’ is a movement supporting people with long term conditions to have a go at physical activity that is appropriate to their personal circumstances.
Activities for Families in Cardiff
The “Sport Hub Cardiff” is an online resource for those living in Cardiff to search for local sport clubs and more. The website has a wide variety of hints and tips for being more active in day-to-day life and a range of local activities that are accessible.
Resource that promotes the rich variety of open-air events, places and activities that the city of Cardiff has to offer in outdoor spaces.
Aiming to bring young people into close contact with the natural environment to build an interest in the world around them.
Price: Free
Age: variety of events suitable for all age groups.
The Global Gardens Project is about bringing communities together through gardening and food.
Age: All ages (including specific child-friendly activities).
Location: Based at Flaxland Allotments, just off Whitchurch Road, CF14 3NY.
Grassroots, registered charity that provided hands-on support to people of all ages and backgrounds, to create and sustain shared wildlife-friendly growing spaces across the city.
Location: Projects all over Cardiff city.
Activities for families in the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan have compiled these activity cards and resources to download for free to support local families in being healthy, active and have fun!
Activities for Children with Disabilities and Additional Needs
- Click here to view the Physical Activity Guidelines for Disabled Children and Disabled Young People.
- Click here to view the Physical Activity Guidelines for Disabled Adults.
A Cardiff Council run scheme enabling disabled children and young people aged 5-14 years to enjoy play in their local community.
The service hosts story-telling, music and movement workshops inclusive for all ages and abilities for those with disabilities across South Wales and online via Zoom.
Play sessions run every Saturday for children with complex disabilities and medical needs. The scheme uses highly qualified and skilled community nursing staff to facilitate play in safe, clean and sterile environments.
WheelPower provides opportunities for disabled people to get into sport and lead active lives. This resource allows you to search for sports or activities that suit your interests and abilities.
Wellbeing
The Primary Mental Health Team meet with young people (under 18 years) and their families to help with a range of difficulties including stress, anxiety and low mood.
Contact: 02920 536 795
Click here for the Stepiau website for children and young people.
Click here for the Stepiau website for primary mental health service for adults.
This service provides specialist Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health services to children and Young people under the age of 18 in Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan. The service is made up of different professionals who offer friendly and non-judgemental support to all, focusing on listening, talking and working together to find out what might help.
Click here for the Children, Young People and Family health service website
The service supports the staff and young people in mainstream schools across Cardiff and the Vale.
Contact: schoolinreach.cav@wales.nhs.uk
C3SC is the umbrella infrastructure organisation for third sector organisations in Cardiff. They provide specialist advice, support, and information to local charities and voluntary organisations.
The NHS site Every Mind Matters has created a range of videos for young people giving tips on sleep, exercise, dealing with change and how to take care of yourself on social media.
Click here for the videos on a range of self-care and mental health topics.
Resources for Children and Young People
A helpline service for children and young people up to the age of 25 years. Open 8am to midnight, 7 days a week. You can contact the team by phone, text message, or via online chat. The service is free and confidential.
The UK’s leading charity for everyone’s mental health. The charity takes a public mental health approach to prevention, finding solutions for individuals, those at risk and for society, in order to improve everyone’s mental wellbeing. Providing practical help to survive, recover and prevent mental health problems.
Non-profit organisation originating from Cardiff, that raises awareness of self-harm and depression in young people. They have a range of self-help and guided tools to support young people.
Click here to go to the Head Above the Waves website.
For young people and parents with practical tips and advice for young people, as well as information on accessing support.
Cosmic Kids uses yoga and mindfulness via videos, storytelling and role-play in sessions. You can access for free via YouTube.
Resource for parents
For young people and parents with practical tips and advice for young people, as well as information on accessing support.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has produced a factsheet on The Health Impacts of Screen Time: A Fact Sheet for Parents.
Safer internet advice for the whole family on a variety of topics.
A resource to enable you to create a family media plan to help you and your children set priorities around media use.
Sleep
Sleep Advice Resources
A library of resources with useful advice and guidance for those who are not sleeping well and for parents who have trouble with their children’s sleeping habits.
Speak to trained sleep advisors at 0330 353 0541. Available Sunday to Tuesday and Thursday 7pm to 9pm and Wednesday 9am to 11am excluding bank holidays.
The advisors cannot give medical advice, but can talk through issues, offering practical strategies and recommending services that can help.
Top tips in the form of fun animations, quizzes, exercise, an e-book and remixes to help teens and young people get a good nights sleep. The resources enable teenagers to make changes to their sleep patterns and achieve better sleep in the long-term.
These links are being provided for information purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Active Families, Active Lives Service of any of the products, services or opinions of the organisation or individuals. AFAL has no association with the organisations and bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links.
Also in this section
Contact Details
- Phone: 029 2090 7626
- Mobile: 07812 469 935
- Email: Dietitians.cav@wales.nhs.uk
or afal.cav@wales.nhs.uk
Referrals
Access to the AFAL service is through referral. A healthcare professional can contact the team to request a referral form.
Self-referral is also accepted and encouraged. Please use the contact details above to request the form.
