Introducing our brand-new project: Hoopla Magazine!

Hoopla is a new magazine to help support the emotional wellbeing of children aged 5 to 10, full of fun activities, jokes and good news!

In a world where our children are growing up faster than ever before, where they face the pull of screen time, societal pressures to excel at school, to fit in with their peers, to be a certain body shape and to look a certain way, it’s easy to see how kids can sometimes feel overwhelmed. 

It’s no wonder an ever-growing proportion of young children are facing mental health problems from an early age.

A magazine to help keep children carefree, playful and happy…

Hoopla magazine gives kids aged 5 to 10 a breathing space. A space to be who they want to be, to explore new ideas, to challenge their brains, and to try fun activities that foster happiness and wellbeing.

Hoopla magazine supports children’s wellbeing and mental health… Help us to launch this happy magazine for awesome kids everywhere! 

We know there is a need for a magazine like Hoopla, so we have launched a crowdfunding campaign to get it written, design, printed and into the hands of children like yours. Head to our Kickstarter page now to find out which amazing rewards are still available. The early bird discounted subscriptions are going fast!

Hoopla Issue 1 cover – Have Some Fun

Hoopla is a 36-page magazine, packed full of fun ideas for off-screen activities to try at home, along with exciting articles to stimulate children’s expanding brains. Hoopla helps to keep kids happy, playful and curious. It’s a real physical magazine that arrives especially for them through the letterbox each month – a dose of happiness delivered straight into their hands each month!

Hoopla is the happy magazine for all children who want to have fun! 😁


What’s inside Hoopla magazine?

There’ll be a new topic each month and each edition will feature sections on art, nature, science and cooking, as well as emotions and critical thinking. 

The first edition of Hoopla is all about having fun! It will get kids thinking… What does it mean to have fun? Would it be enjoyable to have fun all the time? How do you and your family have fun? Plus, there’ll be loads of fun activities to try at home!

Think about fun spread

Future editions will cover a wide range of topics, from dinosaurs and detectives to ancient Egypt.

Swimming spread
Ideas for fresh-air adventures that encourage kids to get outside 

The 36 pages will be packed full of ideas to keep kids happily engaged, such as outdoor activitiesart projects and fun science experiments

Jackson Pollock splatter art wrapping paper spread
Kids will discover famous artists and get to try a related art project each month 

There’ll be a good news section as well as journalling pages to encourage boys and girls to write or draw their thoughts, feelings and experiences. There’ll also be storiespuzzlesjokes and riddles to keep young minds challenged and active. 

'Being Me' journaling spread
Children are encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings

Each magazine is lovingly illustrated by awesome illustrator Clive Goodyer with fun-loving characters that help to bring the magazine to life.

Illustrated characters of boy, girl, alien and cat bouncing on a trampoline
Magazine characters, clockwise from top left: Jem, Callie, Tanj and Whirl

Happy, healthy minds

Dr Naira Wilson, a clinical psychologist specialising in childhood mental health and author of children’s books supporting emotional wellbeing, will be Hoopla’s expert adviser. Hoopla will promote ideas that engage children in activities that support their wellbeing, without being prescriptive or pushy.

Beam a ray of happiness to your child each month with Hoopla magazine!


Helping others

We’re committed to helping as many children as possible, which is why we’ll be supporting children’s charity ‘Place2Be’. This well-established charity partners with schools all over the country to supply trained councillors for one-to-one and group counselling so that children of all ages have someone to turn to.

So a subscription to Hoopla doesn’t just support your child’s happiness, it also supports the wellbeing of thousands more children.


Who are we?

I’m Jenny Inglis, a mother of three and for a time I was fostered as a child. I have also had experience of being a foster parent too. I am therefore personally very aware of the experiences of childhood mental health struggles and the importance of children’s wellbeing and happiness. It is for those reasons that I’m hoping to launch a new happy magazine for children. ‘Hoopla’ will help to promote self-acceptance, positive mental attitudes and enjoyment of all aspects of childhood life.

For the last nine years I’ve been running an equally awesome magazine for kids called Whizz Pop Bang – it’s an award-winning magazine that brings science to life for girls and boys aged 6 to 12. I started Whizz Pop Bang from a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 and it’s been a roaring success ever since!

Team photo

With the help of my fabulous team of Whizz Pop Bang writers, illustrators, designers and customer service super stars, we’re ridiculously excited to be bringing this second magazine to life!

Thank you so much for your support in helping to make Hoopla magazine a reality!


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COMPETITION CLOSED – Win Hello Me! by Dr Naira Wilson! 

This gorgeous new picture book is a great way to help young children learn to look after their own wellbeing. Hello Me follows a young boy as he learns to love and accept himself.

The story’s relatable characters and gentle storyline introduce the concept of mental health in an engaging way. While it’s a perfect bedtime read for younger siblings and friends, there are important lessons that we can all learn from this clever book.

Hello Me‘s author, Dr Naira Wilson is a child psychologist and a Whizz Pop Bang science advisor. We’re so excited to have three copies of her book to give away to Whizz Pop Bang fans!

To enter the competition, simply answer the following question in the comments: 

Which of these is a hormone that makes you feel happy? 

a) Dopamine 
b) Dodecahedron
c)
Diplodocus

This competition closes at midnight on 20th August 2023 and is open for UK residents only. For full terms and conditions, please visit: https://www.whizzpopbang.com/terms-and-conditions/

Copy: Hannah Woods


Want to know more about Whizz Pop Bang – the awesomely amazing science magazine for kids? 

  • Whizz Pop Bang is an award-winning science magazine that brings science to life for children aged six to twelve (and their parents too)! 
  • Each monthly issue is packed with experiments, puzzles, science news, crafts, jokes, inspiring scientists, competitions and more! 
  • Our aim is simple – to help children develop a love of science. We love to imagine what they might discover or invent one day! 

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How to talk to children about coronavirus (COVID-19)

Anxiety-busting tips for chatting to children about the virus spreading across the world. 

It’s not just dominating the news – talk of the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is also filling the playground. While we know that the number of people affected so far is relatively small, that the death rate is low and that children are less likely to be affected, it’s natural for us all to feel anxious about new and uncertain situations like this one. 

While adults stock up on food, wonder about work arrangements and debate changing travel plans, how is this affecting our children’s mental health? Childhood mental health expert Dr Naira Wilson says,

“It’s normal for us all to feel anxious about this sort of event. New risks make our brains feel more concerned as we try and figure them out. If you’re a generally anxious person, and with the pace of our media, it’s easy to get wrapped up in it all.”

Is your child worried about coronavirus? Here are Naira’s top tips for how to handle it:

1. Ask your child how they’re feeling

Don’t wait for your child to approach you, because they might not know how to bring it up. It’s better to have an open conversation.

2. Be honest

As parents, it’s better to say, “We’re all concerned by the news, especially as we don’t know everything yet, but we need to balance our worries with the facts we know.” Try to be matter of fact and show them that you’re not overly anxious, which is the best way to teach your child not to be anxious.

3. Talk calmly about facts

Say something like: “Have you heard about this coronavirus? Here’s what we know…” Make sure you get your facts from a reliable source like Public Health England or watch some of CBBC Newsround’s coronavirus videos together.

4. Move on

Don’t over-talk about coronavirus. When you’ve shared your worries, the facts, and validated how your child feels, help them to gently move back to every day life by doing what you would normally do to have fun as a family. You could distract them by going for a walk in nature (which is such a great healer), or watching a funny film. Say, “Let’s just get on with what we do know!”

5. Look out for signs of anxiety

If you notice your child asking about coronavirus a lot, unusual repetitive behaviour, sleeping less or regressing in other ways, they may be feeling stressed. It’s really important to ask them how they’re feeling about things as soon as you can.

6. Look after yourself

It can be tough looking after the mental health of yourself and that of a child. Sleep is so, so important. Make sure you stay active, plan enjoyable social activities and build in time for rest and relaxation. It’s important to model self-care to your young people.


If you’re feeling very anxious about coronavirus, or are concerned about your child’s mental health, speak to your GP. Click here for the latest advice relating to coronavirus from the UK government. Click here if you think you may have coronavirus symptoms – do not go to your GP, hospital or pharmacy.

SPLASH: Leap into the science of ponds

Whizz Pop Bang is a top-quality, gender-neutral, advert-free science magazine for families everywhere. Each issue is packed with experiments, activities, amazing facts, puzzles, jokes, riddles and more. Find out more here!

Dr Naira Wilson is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist who specialises in childhood mental health.


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