Children's Centres
Baby Sensory Services for Children's Centres
Throughout the UK, Baby Sensory Class Leaders run baby development classes at their local Children’s Centres.
If you are a Children’s Centre and you would like to find out how you can extend the range of baby activities available, please contact your local Class Leader by visiting our
Find A Class page.
Baby Sensory Class Leaders are fully trained in baby development techniques and our programme helps parents to acquire valuable parenting skills in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.
Baby Sensory programme for Children's Centres
Typically, our Class Leaders run courses of 6 to 10 weeks for two separate age groups; birth to 6 months and 7 to 13 months. This can be adapted to meet your specific needs and budget.
This programme has been a great success at many Children's Centres throughout the UK providing parents with an enjoyable and beneficial first experience of their local Children’s Centre. The programme has also been used to attract hard to reach families, who having enjoyed the Baby Sensory sessions return to the centre to use other services and meet with friends they have made during Baby Sensory sessions.
Class Leaders will work with you to meet your specific targets and objectives.
These may include:
Information and advice on Parenting
In addition to the parenting advice incorporated in the Baby Sensory programme, families have regular contact with the Children Centre staff who are trained to advise on child development and can signpost to services for further support.
Identification and support for those suffering from Post Natal Depression – Through attending and enjoying sessions, bonding is likely to improve. Many centres reserve places on each programme for families referred by local professionals.
Early identification of children with special needs and disabilities – Through this specialist programme, babies demonstrating difficulties in areas of development can be easily identified and lesson plans can be adapted to meet their needs.
Increased parental understanding of their child’s development – Each class includes an element of parent input in order to provide direct teaching around baby development.
Increase involvement of Fathers – Some centres have introduced Baby Sensory classes for Dad’s, introducing the whole family to the Children’s Centre.
Early Education – The Baby Sensory sessions contribute to the babies’ development through teaching parents how to play and interact with their baby.
Parents enjoying Baby Splash at Crisp Street Children's Centre, Tower Hamlets.
Parents Comments
"Since I have been coming to the Baby Sensory classes I have felt more relaxed with my little girl. I sing the songs when we are at home before she goes to sleep".
"Babies liked the tempo of the session, they never lost interest. I like the way that the developmental facts were explained to the parents i.e. language".
Children’s Centre Comments
“At The Studley Green Centre, we work in partnership with Baby Sensory to provide regular sensory sessions, and it is amazing how just one programme like this is able to help us meet many areas of the full core offer. We are able to help mums suffering from postnatal depression to bond with their child, we can welcome in families of babies with additional needs and include them with our other families, we can help with the child’s learning and sleep patterns, and we can take the time to demonstrate positive parenting and parenting skills.
These sessions are very popular with the dads as well, and so it’s a great opportunity to get them into the children’s centre and introduce them to other parts of the centre and the services that can be accessed. One of our dads commented that he and his baby ‘got so much out of it’ and that it was ‘very welcoming’.
You would be forgiven for thinking that this all sounds a little ‘dry’, but these outcomes are often achieved transparently while the family is enjoying the experience. We asked one parent what they liked least about the class, and they responded ‘That it’s over!’.
So, what happens? A session begins with a ‘Say Hello’ song, something the babies soon learn to anticipate and the excitement on their faces is a joy for their parents to behold. The session continues with the babies exploring the feel of materials, the colours of lights and the closeness and caring of their families.
Sessions always end with a ‘Goodbye’ song, and the atmosphere in the room is always one of relaxation and happiness. What a great way to meet the full core offer.”
Toddler Sense Programme for Children's Centres
During 2010 we shall be introducing our new Toddler Sense programme for children age 13 months to 3 years.
Typically, our Class Leaders run courses of 6 to 10 weeks for two
separate age groups; 13 to 18 months and 19 months to 3 years.
Toddler Sense introduces a whole new world
of adventure for toddlers and children up to the age of three years.
The programme is ideal for Children's Centres or childcare environments
where new ideas and a fresh approach to learning are welcomed!
To find out more please contact your local Class Leader by visiting our Find A Class page.
Baby Development Workshops
Baby Sensory founder Dr Lin Day is available for inspirational talks and workshops to people working in the Early Years Sector. These workshops are generally themed around the subjects covered in her highly regarded series of articles in the Early Years Educator (EYE) magazine but can also be tailored to meet the needs of a specific audience.
These workshops will leave your team inspired, full of enthusiasm and armed with a range of ideas to ensure that the time they spend with parents and babies is even more productive.Themes include:
Sensory Baby
Sensory experiences are all-important in the first year of life. Inadequate stimulation of the senses leads to a much lesser development of neural connections between the brain cells. Complementing theory and current research, Dr. Day discusses how babies learn through their senses and suggests ways in which parents and practitioners can lead their learning forwards.
The Development of Walking
The first two years of life are unlike any other period in human physical development. The drive to become a biped is very powerful and a number of theories have been put forward to explain why babies go to such lengths to achieve this skill. Dr. Day uncovers the extraordinary processes which babies undergo before learning to walk upright. Perhaps the most astonishing phenomenon of all is the ‘Walking Reflex’, which is thought to be a template for later walking. Exactly why babies learn to walk upright remains an enigma, but some scientists believe it to be an evolutionary response to an aquatic existence during the transition from ape to hominid.
To book Dr. Day to speak at your Early Years event, please contact Ian Sharland on 01344 412072 or e-mail earlyyears@babysensory.co.uk.
Watch our Baby Development videos and read published articles written by Dr. Lin Day on our Baby Development page.