Iceland is proud to be a member of the Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, an initiative led by HRH The Princess of Wales through The Royal Foundation. This pioneering taskforce brings together leading businesses to champion the vital importance of the first five years of life – when the foundations for future health, happiness, and resilience are laid.
At Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF), we believe every child deserves the best possible start. That’s why we’re committed to raising awareness and providing practical support for families across the UK – starting in our stores.
As part of our taskforce commitment, we’ve introduced child-height emoji posters in all 960 Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores. These colourful, engaging visuals help children learn to identify and name emotions – an essential skill that underpins mental health and emotional wellbeing later in life.
The posters also encourage parents and carers to talk with children about feelings in a simple, accessible way. By creating a space of understanding and support in-store, we’re helping to nurture emotional literacy in the early years – reaching over 5 million customers every week.
Each poster also features details of Action for Children’s ‘Parent Talk’ helpline, offering families free, confidential advice from parenting experts.
Little Explorers
Building on the success of our emoji initiative, our second activation focuses on nutrition – another cornerstone of early childhood development. The eating patterns established in the first five years shape lifelong health outcomes, yet many families face barriers to accessing nutritious, affordable meals.
To help address this, Iceland has developed Little Explorers – a new range of healthy, convenient meals for children aged 1+. Created in collaboration with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital nutritionists and chefs, these meals are:
Available in all Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores, each meal costs just £2 – with five pence from every sale donated to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
To further support this initiative, Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation has pledged a £50,000 donation to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, helping to amplify the impact of this important work.
The Little Explorers range includes:
These meals offer busy families a nutritious option for hectic days – helping children build healthy habits from the very start.
Together with The Royal Foundation, Alder Hey, and our customers, we’re investing in the next generation – because every child deserves to thrive.