Research released today has revealed that traditional nursery rhymes may be dying out as a quarter of parents admitted to having never read a nursery rhyme to their child and only a third doing so on a regular basis. Now, as the annual flu season approaches, and with the added threat of a resurgence of swine flu, Boots has teamed up with acclaimed children's poet Roger McGough and launched a series of simple rhymes to help children learn to recognize the signs of flu and understand how to minimise the chances of catching it or passing it on.

Nursery rhymes provide an opportunity to educate children in a fun and engaging way but one in five parents aged under 24 said they did not read the rhymes to their children because they did not believe they had any educational value.

The rhymes feature in a new guide, available for parents to download from www.boots.com, and are designed to help children easily remember what to do - or not to do - when it comes to swine flu. The poems cover essential hygiene advice and tips on what to do if family members or classmates look under the weather, all in short, easily-remembered formats. Parents are encouraged to help their children learn these poems to help reinforce the messages through practical advice from renowned child psychologist, Pat Spungin.

The guide also features Sneezy Sneezalot, an animated character who demonstrates all of the visual manifestations of flu that children need to learn to look out for amongst siblings and classmates, such as sneezing, a red or runny nose, flushed face or hot forehead.

Paul Bennett, Superintendent Pharmacist, Boots UK says: "As the country's biggest healthcare retailer, we felt it was our responsibility to offer sound and practical advice to parents, and we're happy to be doing this. We're encouraging all parents to download the guide from www.boots.com and to go in store to speak to any of our pharmacists with any other queries or concerns about their child's health."

The guide will also be available in an amended format for teachers to access from the Boots Learning Store, and can be incorporated into the curriculum. It has been developed in conjunction with EdComs, and is supported with a range of teaching materials, including teachers' notes and an online game for children to play to help them engage with the subject.