early years alliance - Baby and toddler

Staying savvy about snack time

Tanya_temp — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 16:13:18 +0000

Alliance early years development manager Alison Heseltine shares tips to help baby and toddler groups build in healthy snack time

Snacks are a great way of providing young children with extra energy and nutrients between meals. Many groups like to offer families a chance to share a snack – perhaps all sitting round the table together is one of the highlights of your session.

But what makes a good snack?

The Alliance gets lots of these types of questions from group leaders, and a quick trawl through online chat forums shows that there are many discussions around what constitutes a good snack to offer at a group.

Children need to have a nutritionally-balanced diet that has a combination of all the different food groups – and snacks can help to contribute to this. A key part is being aware of, and limiting, those foods that are highly processed or contain large amounts of sugar. It’s also important to consider any dietary restrictions.Traditionally, many groups have offered biscuits, but there are healthier alternatives that could prove just as popular. A great activity that gets everyone involved is preparing the snacks with the children, who are often more adventurous to try new foods that they’ve helped make.

Fresh (not dried) fruit served as fruit kebabs, or in individual portion sized pots or silicon bun cases, perhaps served alongside a yoghurt-based dip
Vegetable sticks served with dips such as hummus or tzatziki

Breadsticks, pitta bread, chapatti slices, tortilla slices, rice cakes

Cheese cubes

Yoghurts (frozen with a fruit topping is lovely on a hot day if you have access to a freezer)

The nature of baby and toddler groups means that there are also other considerations when planning for snacks.

Storage

It is essential to be able to safely store food as directed on the packaging and according to shelf-life limitations. In communal buildings, secure storage in fridges, freezers or cupboards can prove to be a challenge, meaning that leftover food can be wasted.

Costs

With many groups running to a tight budget, it’s worth looking into any opportunities for encouraging donations from families or local shops. Perhaps a shop could either donate or offer any reduced-price fruit and vegetables, for example – still perfectly safe to eat but nearing the end of their shelf life. In return, they could get a free mention in your promotional materials.

Think, too, about minimising waste by perhaps making up individual pots of snacks for children rather than large trays or bowls – individual silicon bun cases work well as a portion.

To help to cut costs, offer water rather than squash as a drink or encourage families to bring their own.

Preparation

Many groups run in community-based buildings, so access to the food preparation space and equipment needed can be difficult. It can also impact the amount of time volunteers spend preparing for the session.

Official guidance regarding food hygiene training for volunteers and group leaders is unclear, but the vulnerability of the individuals the snack is being prepared for – and the risk factors associated with the foods being used – should be considered. This is especially true if food is undergoing more extensive preparation or cooking. A food hygiene qualification is regarded as best practice but not essential in most cases.

Healthy snacks

The danger of too much sugar in young children’s diets can lead to problems maintaining a healthy weight and good oral health. Group snacks and drinks can be a great way of introducing families to healthy, low-sugar alternatives in a friendly space and in a cost-effective way, as little ones get the chance to try new tastes without a family having to spend lots of money on foods that could potentially end up being wasted.

Allergens

It’s vitally important to be aware of the dangers of food allergens to both children and adults. The Food Standards Agency states that, in the UK, approximately 1-3% of adults and 5-8% of children live with a food allergy, so it’s essential to be aware of the 14 known allergens and ensure that your families are informed if any of these are contained in the snacks you offer.

Just for the children?

In many groups, the snacks are important not only for the children, but the adults, too, with instances where that has been the only food they’ve eaten that day due to financial hardship. With all the right preparation and planning in place, some groups are now offering a light meal at the end of a session, if appropriate, where the group comes together and shares soup and bread while taking the chance to chat and build friendships.

The Alliance Baby and Toddler Toolkit helps group leaders reflect on the service they offer to families, including ways to extend an inclusive and welcoming environment for all alongside building connections to other community resources. If you would like to know more, please visit: bit.ly/BT-Toolkit-Jun24.

Baby and toddler

Thumbs up for fire safety

Tanya_temp — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 16:07:07 +0000

Alliance early years development manager Alison Heseltine shares fire safety tips and best practice for baby and toddler groups

Running a community-based baby and toddler group means that, as leaders, you need to ensure that everyone – volunteers, paid staff, families and visitors – are kept safe when they attend one of your sessions. By working together, you can take the steps needed to protect people while still allowing them to enjoy the activities you provide.
A key element of group health and safety is fire safety procedures. Nobody ever wants to be put in danger by fire, so it's key to know what to do to eliminate or minimise the risks.

Have you ever had a fire practice at your group to ensure that not only does everyone know what to do, but also to highlight areas that may need further consideration?
Start by asking yourself four questions:

Does everyone know what to do in the event of a fire?
Does everyone understand what constitutes a fire hazard and how to minimise the risks?
Do you have a procedure in place to check for fire safety at your sessions?
How can you also support families to understand fire safety in the home?

A practice evacuation will:

Ensure that all leaders and volunteers are familiar with how you will alert families of the need to evacuate in a calm but firm manner
Identify those who may need additional help - perhaps you have families with more than one child, for example
Recognise potential fire hazards such as clothing or paintings left on top of heaters, overloaded sockets, exposed wiring or leaving appliances switched on when not in use
Build familiarity with the escape routes and ensure that the signing-in sheet, along with a phone, is taken to the nominated assembly point so checks can be carried out to ensure that everyone has left the building
Allocate roles and responsibilities in advance to minimise uncertainty and help evacuations to be carried out calmly and safely

It’s essential that, alongside group leaders and volunteers knowing what to do, families and visitors are also aware of their responsibilities.

Explain to them why buggies and bags can’t be left where they block exits.
Make sure that they know why it is so important to sign in and out of the session.
Discuss with them that fire evacuations are time critical and that their belongings may need to be left behind.
Show them where the assembly point is.
Explain that they mustn’t just leave and go home without leaders knowing that they have left the building safely.

Fire safety in hired venues

Many groups are run in hired venues that have fire safety measures in place already, such as smoke alarms, fire blankets and extinguishers. It’s important that you know where these are located and how to use them in the event of a fire. In case you ever see that one of these items is not working or needs checking, make sure you know who to inform to ensure any repairs or replacements are completed, and then follow up with them if necessary.

Prior to each session starting, check that fire exits are clearly signed and accessible – sometimes furniture and rubbish can unintentionally form a barrier to an escape route. There should also be a safe nominated assembly point that everyone makes their way to so that you can be certain that everyone is evacuated – a reminder at the start of each session is good practice.

Encourage child-friendly conversations

Talking about fire and what to do to keep safe is a really good opportunity to support children and families to think about their home environment too. Start conversations with families and encourage them to think about electrical items being left switched on, candles, overloaded sockets and where matches and lighters might be kept at home.

Ask them if they’ve ever thought of practising what to do in the event of a fire and whether they’ve talked to their children about what to do? Often, when children are scared, they will hide which can make it harder for them to be found and rescued. There is a guide from the government campaign Fire Kills that can be downloaded for free and shared with families that has more information and advice.

Fire Kills Lets Prevent It: Fire Safety for Parents and Child Carers – bit.ly/Fire-Safety-Apr24

Plan for fire safety by having regular fire evacuation practices. Perhaps you could also contact your local fire service and arrange for a visit from a fire engine and firefighters? Or for someone from the service to attend the session with advice and guidance for yourselves and families that would support everyone to understand the importance of fire safety?

Baby and toddler

A treasure trove for the senses

Tanya_temp — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 15:40:58 +0000

Alliance early years development manager Alison Heseltine shares suggestions for creating treasure baskets that stimulate the senses and curiosity

For many families, baby and toddler groups are a key part of supporting young children to learn and develop as they discover the world around them. At a local community-based group, they can not only meet with others but also benefit from the play opportunities on offer.

Many groups have a wide range of brightly-coloured plastic toys, but sometimes the learning opportunities that this type of toy presents can be limited. Treasure baskets, which are a collection of many natural everyday objects, give a fabulous opportunity for babies from around six months to use their senses to explore a range of learning experiences.

Treasure basket play empowers babies to make choices that gives them a degree of control over their play and investigations. The idea may be unfamiliar to some of your volunteers and families, but they were originally developed nearly 40 years ago by Elinor Goldschmied.

Stimulating the senses

Babies explore the world using their senses (sight, sound, texture, taste and smell) and the contents of a treasure basket are designed to stimulate these senses – for example, by giving babies the chance to touch objects, bang them together to see what sort of noise they make and drop them to see what happens as they move.

With the right support, their natural curiosity will mean that they can concentrate for extended periods of time as they interact with the basket contents. When using a treasure basket, the role of the adult is to be there to provide reassurance and responsive attention but not to direct the play. The baby is given the independence to choose and explore as they wish, but a reassuring smile or gesture can help to boost their confidence to do so.

Benefits of treasure basket play for babies

Develops concentration skills
Teaches them to make choices
Develops fine motor skills
Develops hand-eye coordination
Develops confidence and self-esteem
Stimulates all the senses

Choosing the treasure

Ideas for items for a treasure basket (many of which are low- or no-cost, and can be recycled from objects in the natural environment or found in families homes):

Natural objects: fir cones, big shells, pumice stones, feathers
Wooden: egg cups, spoons, pegs, napkin rings, wooden spoon, pinch bowl
Metal: spoons, colanders, jar lids, tea strainers
Textures: wash cloths, scourers, brushes, shower loofah, small baskets, fabrics
Everyday items: whisks, measuring cups, pastry brush, small boxes

Top safety tips

Use a sturdy basket that has a flat bottom. It needs to be stable so if a little one pushes on the sides the basket doesn’t tip up over them.

A treasure basket can have lots of different objects in it. It is essential that none of them have sharp edges and are not small enough to be swallowed as many babies will put things in their mouths as part of their sensory explorations. Check for any brushes for loose bristles and wooden objects for splinters, too.

Check the basket regularly to make sure any items that aren’t safe are removed or replaced and get your families involved in doing this too.Make sure that all the contents can be washed/wiped clean or thrown away at the end of the session.

Make sure that babies are comfortable with space around them and that an adult is always there with them – a baby should never be unsupervised with a treasure basket.

The Alliance Baby and Toddler Toolkit helps group leaders reflect on the service they offer to families, including ways to extend an inclusive and welcoming environment for all alongside building connections to other community resources.If you would like to know more, please visit: bit.ly/BT-Toolkit-May24.

Baby and toddler

Inclusive books for children

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 17:31:50 +0000

Do the books in your baby and toddler group represent the wide variety of children and families who attend - or may attend one day?

Inclusive Books for Children (IBC) has revealed the 13 books that made it onto the shortlists for their new inclusive children’s book awards. Inclusive Books for Children aspires for mainstream children’s books to be inclusive, and for inclusive children’s books to be mainstream. Along the way, they hope to nurture a new generation of open-minded and inspired young book lovers.

The 13 shortlisted titles are:

Baby and toddler books:

Too Green! by Sumana Seeboruth and Maribel Castells (Barefoot Books)

Zeki Goes to the Park by Anna McQuinn and Ruth Hearson (Alanna Max)

Zeki Hikes With Daddy by Anna McQuinn and Ruth Hearson (Alanna Max)

Picture Books for ages 3–7

Dadaji’s Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Ruchi Mhasane (Andersen Press)

Faruq and the Wiri Wiri by Sophia Payne and Sandhya Prahbat (Templar)

The Missing Piece by Jordan Stephens and Beth Suzanna (Bloomsbury)

To the Other Side by Erika Meza (Hodder Children’s)

You’re So Amazing! by James and Lucy Catchpole and Karen George (Faber & Faber)

Children’s fiction for ages 5–9

Budgie by Jospeh Coelho, illustrated by David Barrow (Barrington Stoke)

Lizzie and Lucky: The Mystery of the Lost Chicken by Megan Rix, illustrated by Tim Budgen (Puffin)

Meet the Maliks, Twin Detectives: The Cookie Culprit by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Kyan Cheng (Hodder)

Sona Sharma, Wish Me Luck by Chitra Soundhar, illustrated by Jen Khatun (Walker)

Too Small Tola Makes It Count by Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu (Walker)

Find out more at Inclusive Books for Children.

Baby and toddler

World of wonder: Woodland walks

Shannon.Pite_EYA — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:50:16 +0000

Alliance early years development manager Alison Heseltine shares ideas for woodland walks that include storytelling, sensory talk, and getting to know your local area

A bit of fresh air can do the world of good, especially in the post-holiday January lull when we could all do with blowing away some cobwebs. Wherever you are, there will be opportunities to venture out into the community to wander in woodlands with your baby and toddler group. This could be a special, one-off session designed to stimulate curiosity and bring adults’ attention to hidden walks they may be unaware of, or it could be a series of walks in different spots to help build confidence, skills and learning each week!   

During Bradford Baby Week, the Alliance team were delighted to go exploring on some exciting woodland walks as part of our work supporting community-based groups, as well as delivering our own play-and-learn sessions in the Bradford area.

Alongside encouraging physical activity in different terrains and promoting the wellbeing benefits of being outdoors, the aim of the walks was to bring families together and provide an opportunity for them to explore the outdoor spaces in their own communities, while still having the support of the group leaders. 

 
Telling a story

The walks were all led by the team. They guided families through the trees, taking time to talk about what could be seen, heard, touched and smelled, exploring the natural resources – leaves, pinecones, seeds, cobwebs – and, thanks to the arrival of Storm Debi, lots of sticks and puddles, too!  

Each one journeyed through a story, with plenty of opportunities to stop along the way to connect with nature and the various sensory experiences that only the great outdoors can provide.   

The Gruffalo, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and The Three Billy Goats Gruff  

With three outdoor stories chosen by the children and families, waterproof book copies were created, equipped with a selection of props and puppets. At one of the parks, we even had a bridge to trip-trap over, careful not to disturb the troll who lived underneath! On our bear hunt, we found lots of squelchy mud, while on our Gruffalo walk, we searched for trees that the Gruffalo might have been hiding behind.  

The families shared their enjoyment of the sessions, and the staff team got a peek of the different ways the adults engaged with their children.

“Lovely park that I didn’t know existed.”    

 “It was cold, but we still had a lovely  time!" 

“So nice to get spend some time in the park.”        

“It’s easy to hide away indoors in bad weather, but it was great fun – even in the rain!”   

“We’re going to try and get out more even when the weather isn’t great. There’s lots of interesting things to see and talk about on an outdoor walk. It’s great for the body and mind”  

Reaping the benefits  

Everyone, including staff, had fun. Spending time in the fresh air left everyone feeling happier, invigorated and more relaxed, regardless of the weather. The children transformed into enthusiastic adventurers and explorers, searching for wildlife while learning new vocabulary and building their knowledge of the world around them. Watching the squirrels scampering along branches and through the leaves was a particular source of joy! 

One of the most rewarding aspects of the walks is that they attracted new families to the groups, serving as a great, less socially pressured way of introducing everyone – it’s been wonderful to see that these families are now regularly attending the group sessions. 

Planning your own woodland adventure 

If you’d like to take your group out and about, we’ve gathered some top tips to help plan your adventure:  

Try to find a venue that is within easy reach of your current meeting place – that way you can be more certain that your families will be able to stick to their usual travel plans.

Contact your local park service and check if you need to register your session with them and be aware of any requirements/restrictions they may have.

Visit the venue beforehand and put together a risk assessment that considers key areas, for example: litter, animal faeces, large bodies of water, entrances and exits, other park users, plant hazards, cars and road traffic and the weather. Check with your insurance provider that you are covered for the change of locations and remember on the day to get there early enough to do a final check prior to the start of the session.

Plan your sessions out – but be prepared to change those plans as nature has a way of surprising us and you never know what might capture everyone’s imagination on the day. Share your plans with your families and children so that they too can prepare especially when it comes to remembering to dress appropriately for the weather.

Make sure you have items such as a mobile phone and first aid kit to hand, and it is good practice to have a qualified first aider at the session. You may also need some extra helpers.

Promote your outdoor sessions at the group itself and in the local community. If you have some information about your group such as a flyer, take some copies with you on the day so that you can share these with any new families that might come along.

Ensure that parents/carers understand that they are, at all times, responsible for their children.

Baby and toddler

Why volunteering with the Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity is a great New Year’s resolution

Tanya_temp — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 16:23:50 +0000

If your list of New Year’s resolutions includes giving back and making a change then consider becoming a NeoHero with the Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity.

Why volunteer?

Instead of a long list of exercising more, learning a new skill and spending more time with family and friends, you can combine all those goals into one: make your resolution to volunteer more in 2024.

The Ickle Pickles Children’s Charity offers a unique opportunity to help vulnerable babies at a uniquely crucial time in their lives. With over 90,000 babies born sick or prematurely in the UK every year, Ickle Pickles is the only charity that helps hospitals raise money to buy essential neonatal equipment.

Help babies like Austin

Premature baby Austin was born weighing just 710 grams at 28 weeks gestation. Austin spent a total of 79 days in neonatal intensive care (NICU) and came home the day before his due date. Austin's NICU journey, like many others, was full of ups and downs. Additionally, COVID changed everything for his parents during this difficult time.

Because of COVID restrictions, there were no NICU support groups, no parents chatting or leaning on each other for support or friendships built. As the charity recovers from the pandemic’s impact, Ickle Pickles is looking for volunteers to re-establish support groups and help parents through their neonatal journey.

How you can help

Try something new and encourage others to volunteer as a NeoHero. NeoHeroes typically know children who have been treated in a neonatal unit and are passionate about positively impacting their local neonatal unit. You could take on a charity challenge, help out at a bake sale or NICU support coffee morning, or let people know how fantastic your local neonatal unit is.

Why Ickle Pickles?

Today, Ickle Pickle Austin is a happy, healthy, albeit slightly small 3.5-year-old and most people comment that they would not know he was born premature! His mum Becky now works with Ickle Pickles to give every newborn a chance and helps families affected by premature birth.

Becky works collaboratively with her local neonatal units that treated Austin to curate a wishlist of the most urgently needed equipment. An Ickle Pickles Pledge powers Ickle Pickles’ fundraising efforts. Under the pledge, Ickle Pickles commits to work in partnership with neonatal units and NeoHeroes, raising funds to buy equipment to treat babies needing intensive and special care. Throughout 2024, the charity aims to expand its pledge partnerships across the country.

How the Early Years Alliance helps

The Early Years Alliance has produced the Early Adventures Baby and Toddler Toolkit to support you in recruiting and working with volunteers. The toolkit highlights areas to consider, shares supporting documents, and provides information to help and advise - aimed at Baby and Toddler groups but also providing an opportunity for you to reflect on how you value and develop volunteers – for example, through peer support as well as access to training and networking events.

Ickle Pickles has received a lot of support in 2023 and has seen communities, from early years practitioners and parents come together to help premature and sick babies.

Unlike other New Year’s resolutions, volunteering can be something you enjoy doing, changing lives and giving a real sense of purpose.

Looking ahead to 2024, there are many Ickle Pickles events coming up, such as the charity’s annual black-tie Incubator Ball in London, family-friendly Inflatable Obstacle courses and various running events. From welcoming guests to tidying up afterwards and everything in between, friendly volunteers make a huge difference to the overall success of an event. Ickle Pickles’ events and fundraising ideas are great fun. If you can provide peer-to-peer support, organise or fundraise, then get in touch today, you could raise vital funds for your neonatal unit.

Email events@icklepickles.org and find out more.

Ickle Pickle Austin today

Baby and toddler

Silicone baby bowls – the hidden danger

Tanya_temp — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 08:41:11 +0000

There have been a number of reports on social media and in the press about a recent incident involving silicone feeding bowls: a baby feeding themself placed a silicone bowl, like the one pictured here, over their face, and the bowl formed an airtight seal across their mouth and nose.

When a vacuum is formed in this way, it can be difficult for the parent/carer to remove the bowl which in turn causes them both to panic. Whilst no fatalities have been reported, incidents such as this are potentially dangerous and extremely frightening for the parent and baby.

How can this happen?

Silicone feeding products are popular due to their durability. They do not crack, will not break if dropped and are more tactile for little hands. Feeding bowls made of flexible silicone are often the size and shape that is a perfect fit for a baby’s face. The smooth, rounded shape and shallow depth to the bowl act like a sink plunger, forming an airtight seal across a surface. Babies and toddlers naturally explore by bringing objects to their mouths. When they breathe in, the bowl can create an airtight vacuum seal.

What can be done?

Never leave a child unsupervised

The most important safety measure that can be taken is adequate supervision at mealtimes. Babies and toddlers should never be left alone while feeding themselves.

Choose your product carefully

There are many different products available. Some have suction cups on the bottom to secure the bowl to a tabletop or high/low feeding chair tray. These are a safer option but can still come loose from the table surface. Other styles of silicone feeding bowl have a lip on one side that would make it difficult for a seal to form – this may be safer; however, there is no evidence to support this.

Raising awareness

There are currently no official warnings issued about the potential dangers of silicone feeding bowls. The Alliance has contacted the Child Accident Prevention Trust to raise awareness and request that further investigations are made and if necessary, advice is issued to parents and carers.

Katrina Phillips, CEO, Child Accident Prevention Trust said:

“We are aware of two cases involving silicone feeding bowls. The recent case in the US appears to be the result of poor design of the bowl.

“We are looking into product safety issues for silicone bowls on the UK market and will advise as soon as we have more information. In the meantime, we echo the advice given here about the need for constant supervision when babies and young children are eating.”

In the meantime, we would urge caution and remind parents and carers of the importance of supervising young children at meal and snack times.

Mum issues scary warning about kids' silicone suction bowls (msn.com)

Baby and toddler

Baby and toddler groups: the value of volunteers

Tanya_temp — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:50:35 +0000

Alison Heseltine, early years development manager at the Alliance, explains the benefits of volunteers at baby and toddler groups, alongside tips on how to make them feel valued and supported

Many baby and toddler groups rely on volunteers to keep them running each week. Without these individuals giving their time and effort for free, these groups simply would not be there to benefit families in the community.

However, in the recent Alliance report, Hidden Gems, 72% of groups cited attracting new volunteers and staff as a key challenge. Reasons given included the fact that many potential volunteers are now seeking paid employment to help with the cost-of-living crisis and therefore don’t have the time to take on additional commitments. Alongside the often-physical nature of the role, the pandemic has also impacted on the number of older volunteers supporting the groups, with many explaining that they are hesitant to return.

So, how can we recognise and value the work volunteers do, while also giving them the support they need and overcoming this recruitment crisis?

How can volunteers help your baby and toddler group, and vice versa?

Both the individual and the group benefit from volunteers’ involvement. Volunteers come with skills and knowledge, and, in many cases, valuable experience that you wouldn’t otherwise have access to, introducing new ideas and different ways of working that may better meet the needs of your families.

They’re often part of the community you’re working in, acting as passionate advocates for your group, and, as such, have strong connections that allow you to reach out and help more families through the support you offer.

But these benefits are not all one-sided. By providing volunteering opportunities, you’re offering the chance for new friendships, establishing community connections, building confidence, teaching new skills, improving health and wellbeing, and possibly even supporting someone to find employment. Understanding each individual’s motivation for volunteering means you can better align their needs with your requirements. Often, volunteers share how much their own sense of wellbeing is benefitted by seeing the difference they’re making to families and feeling that they’re bringing meaningful change to people’s lives – including their own.

When you’re looking to recruit volunteers, there are some things to consider:

Ask yourself what your aims are for your group and how volunteers will help you to achieve them. Perhaps you have a gap in skills or are expanding the number of sessions you offer? Or maybe your group’s attendance numbers have grown? In each case, think about how you’ll meet the needs of your setting and the needs of volunteers to create a positive experience for everyone.
Identify any potential barriers to volunteers coming forward or, if applicable, barriers to long-term volunteering.
Build in time to have ongoing, open, and supportive conversations with your volunteers where they can share their concerns and ideas, while you explain their responsibilities and your expectations.
Plan your induction process and consider whether additional resources or training are needed.

Legal matters

You also need to be aware of the importance of treating your volunteers with equity and fairness.

The Equality Act 2010 relates to volunteers too, and they should not be discriminated against. Challenge any assumptions and take time to reflect whether you are allowing stereotypes and pre-judgments to impact on your approach and opportunities for volunteers to be involved with your group. You also have a responsibility to ensure their health and safety when they are with you.

Finally, consider how you share the message with your volunteers that they are a valued and important part of what you do. How do you and your families show their appreciation of the time and effort that volunteers are giving? A simple ‘thank you’ or chance to chat is often all that’s needed.

How we can help

The Early Years Alliance has produced the Early Adventures Baby and Toddler Toolkit to support you in all areas of running your group including recruiting and working with volunteers. The toolkit highlights areas to consider, shares supporting documents, and provides information to help and advise. It also provides an opportunity for you to reflect on how you value and develop your volunteers – for example, through peer support as well as access to training and networking events.

Additionally, through Alliance membership, your group has free access to online EduCare training modules and mini-guides, both of which support your volunteers build their skills, ensuring they feel prepared and confident in their role. There are courses on a wide range of key topics for volunteers to complete, including safeguarding, manual handling, communication and language, and children’s learning and development that volunteers can complete.

Find out more about the Early Adventures Baby and Toddler Toolkit at: bit.ly/U5BTtoolkit.

For more information about benefits of membership, including access to free EduCare training and a range of mini-guides, visit: bit.ly/u5BTmembership.

Baby and toddler

Case study: Bradford early years leads

Tanya_temp — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:43:37 +0000

Starting up a new baby and toddler group can seem a daunting task, so we’ve spoken to Fiona, Annette, Heather, Hope, Penny and Farzana, our team of early years leads in Bradford – who, between them, support nearly 100 groups – to ask for their tips and advice for anyone setting out as a new group leader.

We always find it inspiring when we’re approached by people wanting to start a group, especially when we hear about their motivation for doing so. In many cases, a real need in the community has been identified – perhaps because they themselves have found nowhere to take young children and know firsthand the benefits to families of socialising and being together.

For many groups, finding a suitable venue at an affordable price is one of the initial steps to take. The recent financial challenges have had an impact on many community buildings too, with rising rents reflecting this. It’s always worth talking to building owners and managers to explain the reason for the group: not to make a profit, but to bring the community together and connect families. We know parents and carers that first meet at the baby and toddler group will meet again, using and contributing to community resources and facilities, ensuring their relevance and sustainability into the future.

One key area that’s helpful for new groups is doing some preliminary research around what else is running in the community, and the dates and times for this. If your group is going to be running at the same time as, or overlapping with another, then are there enough families that will be paying to attend your group to cover any costs? This is where being aware of your break-even point really matters – would it be better to move to another day and/or time?

Following on from this, we get lots of questions about finances – having that money up front to pay the rent, get insurance and buy resources. When applying for funding to cover these costs, a bank account may be a pre-condition and these can take time to set up, so being aware of that is key. Many banks will also require documentation such as a constitution or ID, so getting these ready beforehand can reduce any delays.

Once a venue has been found and the finances sorted, it’s important that groups consider key policies and procedures around – for example, health and safety and insurance. Families need to be kept safe so spending time developing a robust risk assessment is vital to identify potential hazards and remove or minimise these. It doesn’t need to be complicated; depending on individual circumstances, it could be as simple as ensuring that families keep the door to the outside properly closed, that children aren’t allowed in the kitchen, and that parents/carers are, at all times, responsible for their own children. What matters is that it’s relevant and accurate for each group, and then kept up to date. Other policies to consider include equality and inclusivity, promoting positive behaviour and first aid.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, so we would always recommend group leaders and volunteers completing safeguarding training either from their local authority, the NSPCC or through the Early Years Alliance.

We get lots of questions about the type of resources that a group needs and how to design the room layout. It’s important to consider the age and stage of development of the children and also the potential numbers attending to ensure that their needs are met without exits being blocked by piles of equipment. Try to have a range of toys including those that allow for more open-ended play where the process rather than the product is the focus. Toys don’t need to be expensive; in fact, some of the best are provided free from nature, such as pinecones, or at low cost, such as fabrics and pots and pans. Toys do need to be safe, so check out the safety marks to make sure that they’re suitable – pay particular attention to any that have batteries (if you choose to have these) to ensure that the batteries can’t be accessed by the children. Many groups like to include craft activities, too, and it’s good practice to think how these can support families in understanding how children’s creativity should be valued and promoted.

Finally, running a group takes time and effort; if you can share the workload, it will help to guarantee that the group continues long into the future. Think about ways to engage with volunteers to support you; it’s not just the group that will benefit, they will too.

Good luck with starting your new group! Don’t forget the resources to support you from the Early Years Alliance, such as the baby and toddler membership package (including EduCare, Law-Call, specialist publications, and membership and customer services), our Baby and Toddler Toolkit, ongoing articles in Under 5 magazine, and our main Alliance website.

Baby and toddler

‘Twit Twoo’ – Autumn days owl activities for babies and toddlers

Tanya_temp — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:41:54 +0000

Although autumn may seem dark and chilly, it’s a time of year when nature puts on quite a show. The changing colours of the leaves alongside the arrival of conkers and berries all adds to the excitement and wonder for children. It’s also a time when we become more aware of some of the animals that share this beautiful world with us; maybe you and your families will be lucky enough to see a hedgehog, or perhaps you have a bit of space for bird feeders?

One creature that can really attract our attention is the owl who, at dusk on the shorter autumn days, can be seen and heard flying around as it wakes up and starts to look for food. Children can be fascinated by these incredible creatures who, with their superpowers of night vision and excellent hearing, often feature in stories.

The story Owl Babies by Martin Waddell – about three baby owls learning that, although mummy has to leave them, she will come back again – is a lovely story to read to younger children, as they connect with the experiences of the baby owls. Perhaps the children at your group are learning, too, that their special person might not always be there with them and will be reassured by such a story and understand it’s okay when that happens.

There’s also the story of Buttons and Hoot, the owl brothers who learn about being out at nighttime and taking care of each other, on our YouTube channel that you can share with families to encourage them to make up their own stories using things they can find at home.

There are lots of songs and rhymes about owls, too. One of our favourites is the Owl Song (sung to the tune of If you’re happy and you know it). The children can really get involved with the hooting and actions that accompany the song!

If you want to be an owl shout ‘Woo woo’

Because you get to sleep all day (action: pretend to fall asleep)

And at night you get to play (action: pretend to play by waving your arms)

If you want to be an owl shout ‘Woo woo’

Whatever the weather, there are plenty of autumn activities to enjoy both inside and outside – check out our YouTube channel for more ideas to keep little ones learning and having fun! From woodland-based activities and nature crafts to owl art and pattern making with acorns and conkers, there’s plenty to keep little minds and hands occupied at this time of year.

Baby and toddler