A relaxed and smiley looking Kate Middleton high-fived kids as she served them breakfast during a nursery visit in which she aims to spark conversation on the next generation.
The Duchess of Cambridge, dressed in a bright turquoise coat, black jeans and boots, has taken her landmark survey about children's development to LEYF (London Early Years Foundation) Stockwell Gardens Nursery & Pre-school.
When she arrived, she beamed with smiles as she was greeted by delighted staff and parents. Kate chatted to a dad about how men are more engaged with the early stages of kids' lives.
Inside the nursery, she laughed as she interacted with the children, high-fiving them, pouring their breakfast cereal and asking them what their favourite fruit was.
Kate had added bowls of fruit to a trolley laden with cereals and milk before wheeling it into a classroom.
Speaking about healthy foods, she revealed her own young kids love beetroot.
When Kate first arrived she met a group of parents who had just dropped off their children, and chatting to one father she highlighted how more men are now engaged with the crucial initial stages of their child's life.
She said: "I think that's changed, there's a lot more engagement from parents in general and particularly fathers who want to be involved in this early stage of development."
In the kitchen Kate chatted to pre-school trainee chefs Luke Nelson-Neil and Rouchelle Scott-Ashby, who are taking part in a 12 month apprenticeship run by the LEYF Early Years Chef Academy.
The trio chatted about food nutrition for children and when they started discussing particular foods Mr Nelson-Neil joked about beetroots saying "I still can't get them to eat it."
The duchess, who is the mother of three young children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, said: "Mine absolutely love it - it's one of those things until you try it you don't know."
After bringing in breakfast for the children she joined three little girls who sat down at tiny tables to eat, and the Kate took a shine to three-year-old Lucy, stroking her arm and leaning forward as she asked her what she wanted.
Kate poured out cereal for Lucy and her classmates asking them to say "stop" when there was enough in their bowls and later she turned to a plate of orange, banana, grape and papaya segments asking "what do you think of the fruit, what's your favourite?"
Before leaving she high-fived the trio and joined a group of three and four-your-year-olds playing with shells in a water play pit, and she also joined a another breakfast table of youngsters.
Kate will discuss the survey ‘5 Big Questions on the Under Fives’ with staff during her trip today. It was launched last week and she has revealed 1,000 people had already signed up.
Conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of The Royal Foundation, it aims to encourage conversation on early influencing children’s healthy food choices.
The Duchess will hear about the importance of nutritious food for a child’s development from apprentices at the LEYF Early Years Chef Academy, before helping nursery teachers to serve breakfast to the children.
LEYF Early Years Chef Academy offers a specialist qualification for chefs either working or keen to work with children up to the age of eight and in ensuring strong, healthy foundations for the youngest in our society that will positively affect their lifelong outcomes.
Kate, who has devoted eight years to her project, said: "It’s great to visit places like this where communities come together to support one another.
"Last week I launched a UK-wide survey on early childhood because I want to hear society’s views about raising the next generation.
"I’m so happy that over 100,000 people from all across the UK have already completed it, and I can’t wait to see the results."
Last week, The Duchess launched the Survey during visits to MiniBrum at ThinkTank, Birmingham Science Museum, Ely and Careau Children’s Centre in Cardiff and HMP Send near Woking.
LEYF is a social enterprise that was designed to strengthen the important roles chefs play in educating staff and parents, and add value to the life of the community and future generations by strengthening local networks.
The survey contains five short questions and aims to spark a national conversation on the early years that will ultimately help bring about positive, lasting change for generations to come.
It is designed to bring together the thoughts of as many people as possible – recognising that everyone has a role in ensuring strong, healthy foundations for the youngest in our society that will positively affect their lifelong outcomes.
The findings should provide a vital source of information for the early years sector, helping it to better understand public perceptions of the importance of the early years, and the first-hand experiences of parents, families and carers.
This public feedback will also help to focus Kate's work through The Royal Foundation as she endeavours to provide children across the UK with the best foundations to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
The launch of the survey follows eight years of work by The Duchess of Cambridge in which she has explored how experiences in early childhood often lie at the root of the hardest social challenges the country faces today.
What we experience in the earliest years – from in the womb to the age of five – is instrumental in shaping our future lives.
Kate has spent time meeting with families across the country and hearing about the issues they deal with day-to-day, in addition to speaking with academics, experts, organisations and practitioners.
Kate and William have three children - six-year-old Prince George, four-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 21-month-old Prince Louis.
She has said she believes “many of society's greatest social and health challenges” could be “mitigated or entirely avoided” if young children are given "the right support”.
In May 2018, The Duchess convened a steering group of experts to focus on how to bring about positive, lasting change.
The NSPCC and Save the Children have backed the project. The NSPCC said the project would be a "vital source of information".
