McDonald’s launches its latest Happy Readers campaign as research from the National Literacy Trust reveals that almost a fifth (19%) of children aged 5 to 8 don’t have any books of their own.

Research conducted by the National Literacy Trust revealed that whilst over three quarters of children aged 5 to 8 enjoy reading in their free time (76%), only a half of UK kids read outside of class (54%).

Jo Conlon, Family Marketing Manager at McDonald’s UK, said: “We are committed to helping families enjoy reading together by improving access to brilliant children’s books and the Happy Readers scheme does just that. With 70 million books distributed to date, we hope the programme continues to inspire families across the country to enjoy these fabulous stories together. David Walliams’ books are loved by kids nationwide. The World’s Worst Children books are full of wickedly funny stories and horrible happenings that leave young readers squirming in their seats – in a good way!”

The Happy Readers campaign is supported by Emmerdale actress and celebrity mum of three, Charley Webb. Speaking about the campaign, Charley, said: “I think the Happy Readers scheme is brilliant. It is incredibly important young children are encouraged to read for their own mental health, as it provides them with an opportunity to relax and wind down with their loved ones. My kids love the World’s Worst Children stories, particularly Buster who adores “Vain Valentine” where the main character’s vain eccentricities leave us both in hysterics. As a family, we love to read together, and always make time for a bedtime story.”

Lending her support to the campaign, Charley is hosting a reading of the Happy Reader editions at a McDonald’s restaurant in Knaresborough on the 12^th September to bring some of the hilariously horrible characters from the books, to life.

Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “We are pleased to be supporting McDonald’s on their sixth Happy Readers campaign to encourage more children to read in their free time. With our research showing that 1 in 5 young children don’t have any books of their own at home, the Happy Readers scheme is a great way to increase children’s access to books and get them reading avidly in their free time. When children enjoy reading and have books of their own at home, they do better at school and are more likely to lead happy, healthy and successful lives.”

Ann-Janine Murtagh, Executive Publisher at HarperCollins Children’s Books, said: “As part of HarperCollins ongoing commitment to literacy it is wonderful to be reaching an even bigger audience of new readers with these special Happy Reader editions of David’s bestselling series. David’s stories are perfect for shared family entertainment and we very much hope this will demonstrate the pleasure and fun that reading can bring.”

The McDonald’s Happy Readers promotion launched on 11^th September and runs over five weeks, with one book given away with each The World of David Walliams Happy Meal until 15^th October.

For more information, please visit https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/latest/happy-meal.html.

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This weekend (8^th/9^th December), LEGO Group will let families step into a world of brick-built Christmas wonder at the ‘LEGO Imaginarium’ – a unique space where the iconic brick brings imagination to life. Marking an end to celebrations for the 60^th anniversary year of the LEGO brick, the LEGO Imaginarium will combine Augmented Reality with physical play.

The one-of-a-kind, free entry experience, taking place at Observation Point on London’s Southbank, will let children and adults alike come face-to-face with digital brick-built dragons, pirates, fairies and more, whilst using the endless creative play possibilities of real LEGO bricks to build their wildest wishes.

It will be unveiled by celebrity mum Stacy Solomon with her kids Zach, aged 10 and Leighton, aged 6, who said: “My kids love getting creative with LEGO, and it always amazes me when I see what they’ve built after being let loose on a box of bricks! We are all excited to visit the LEGO Imaginarium this weekend, take part in some building with fans and experience an AR world filled with LEGO wonder and creativity.”

The Imaginarium opens as figures from LEGO’s Play Well report – a survey of 13,000 parents and children across nine countries – shows that 96% of parents believe play is a key factor in helping kids develop their creativity.

93% of parents say construction toys such as LEGO bricks help their child be creative and ‘creativity’ has risen to become amongst the most sought after of the essential life skills. Studies by the World Economic Forum highlight the rapid change in the perception of creativity as an essential skill, moving from 10th place on the list of Top 10 Skills for success in 2015 to projected 3rd place by 2020.

Marius Lang, Head of Marketing for LEGO UK & Ireland, said: “Families have been getting together and building with LEGO bricks for 60 years and Christmas is a special time when imagination and creativity can be brought to life in a thousand ways.  The enduring appeal of the LEGO brick is its ability to become anything kids or adults want – to let them build whatever they can dream of through its endless creative play opportunities. That’s why we’re building the LEGO Imaginarium this weekend, it’s a chance for people to step into creativity and imagination with LEGO and bring their wildest wishes to life in brick form!”

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Britax Römer are helping parents enjoy family time by offering its customers a free £30 Britax Römer Mastercard with every i-Size car seat purchased in-store or online at Mothercare. The reward scheme will run from 15^th September – 15^th November 2018 and is being managed and fulfilled by TLC Marketing. The card can be spent on a whole host of family days out across the UK, helping them to make the most of their special quality time together. Whether it’s paying for the family visit to a zoo, or fuel for the journey, the card can be used anywhere that accepts Mastercard.

i-Size is the latest European-wide car seat regulation and the first phase of the R129 legislation, which aims to make car seats safer for children. It has been designed to provide additional protection for children, including increased support for the child’s head and neck and better protection in the event of both frontal and side-impact.

i-Size also helps parents choose the right seat more easily by classifying seats by the child’s length/height rather than weight. It can be used in most cars that have ISOFIX fittings, which have been standard in the majority of cars since 2007, and makes the seat easier to install correctly.

The entire Britax Römer i-Size range is designed with the brand’s renowned crash testing capabilities and all car seats adhere to the ECE R129 regulation, as well as the company’s stricter, internal safety standards. The range is made in Germany – including engineering, crash testing and manufacturing, while its fabrics and covers are Made in Europe.

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