Start As We Mean To Go On Christopher Stockwell wrote a piece this week for Cotswolds Arts Through Schools, “The £24 Billion Lesson We Are Refusing to Learn”. He describes watching children written off as difficult come alive in an African drumming class, and asks why we wait until school to invest in what makes…
How Play Shapes Your Baby’s Brain For a baby, playing is not a break from learning. It is the learning. From the earliest weeks, a baby’s favourite plaything is your face. She watches your eyes and mouth, works out what a smile means, and begins to copy what she sees. Clap her hands together while…
Family Holidays With a Baby Holidays look different once there’s a baby in the mix, and the planning that goes into them looks different too. Start with accommodation. Places that describe themselves as family friendly usually already have a cot, a highchair and a few toys waiting for you, which means less to pack. Climate…
This article on Outdoor Play was based on our insight written for Baby College by Nina Politimou, Senior Teaching Fellow at UCL, Institute of Education and an Associate Lecturer at Birkbeck, Department of Psychological Sciences. Eight Reasons to Get Outside With Your Baby or Toddler Getting outside with a baby or toddler takes effort. By…
Your Baby’s Relationship with Food Starts Earlier Than the First Spoonful Feeding a baby is one of the things parents worry about most, and one of the areas where the gap between expectation and reality tends to be widest. The good news is that most of what looks like a problem is actually normal development.…
What makes the best baby class? Five things worth looking for Search for “best baby class” and you’ll find no shortage of results. Sensory play, baby yoga, music groups, messy play, rhyme time – the options have never been more varied, which is brilliant in principle and slightly overwhelming in practice. But here’s the thing.…
How to choose a baby class franchise UK: what to look for (and what to ask) The UK children’s activity market has never been busier. There are more baby and toddler class franchises available than ever before – which is great news if you’re thinking about starting your own business, but can make the decision…
A study published in Child Development in 2026 found that by 18 months, toddlers engage more deeply with adults whose emotional reactions have been consistent. They were already tracking who to trust. It turns out that social intelligence does not suddenly appear. It builds, quietly and steadily, from the very first days of life. It…
Singing to babies is one of the oldest things humans do. New research is starting to explain exactly why it works so well, and the answer goes deeper than most parents expect. It starts before birth Your baby’s hearing is functional from around 20 weeks in the womb. By the time they are born, they…
If you have ever worried that your baby is not hitting baby development milestones at the right time, you are not alone. It is one of the questions parents ask most in class. The answer is almost always more reassuring than the charts suggest. What a milestone age actually tells you The ages on milestone…
When we talk about building resilience in children, we tend to imagine it as something we teach later, once they are at school and facing bigger challenges. But the foundations are laid much earlier than most people realise. And the single most important ingredient is something you are already providing. What resilience actually means Resilience…
Teething is one of those parenting milestones that comes loaded with advice, old wives’ tales, and a fair amount of anxiety. The truth is a lot simpler than the myths suggest. And understanding what is actually happening can make the whole process feel a great deal less daunting. What is teething, exactly? Your baby’s teeth…
How Your Baby Learns to Talk Before They Say a Single Word Introduction Long before your baby says their first word, their brain is already doing extraordinary work. Every time you chat to them during a nappy change, sing a song at bedtime, or simply narrate what you are doing around the house, you are…
Are babies born or made? New research has the answer Scientists at Stanford University have just shed new light on one of parenting’s oldest questions: how much of who your baby becomes is down to their genes, and how much is down to you? Their answer, published earlier this year, is both hopeful and fascinating.…
Most parents come home from hospital with a beautiful, baffling baby and very little idea of what is actually going on inside that tiny head. That is completely normal. And it turns out, understanding your baby is one of the most powerful things you can do for their development. Research published this year confirms that…
Easter is a wonderful time to slow down, enjoy time together and explore playful activities with your baby or toddler. For little ones, celebrations like Easter are not really about chocolate or presents. They are about new experiences, colours, sounds and shared moments with family. Simple Easter themed activities can support your baby’s development while…
🚽👶 If you spend time in parenting groups or on social media, you may have come across something called Elimination Communication (EC). Some parents say their baby has been “potty trained” from birth. Others suggest nappies are unnecessary. So what exactly is elimination communication and is it something parents need to worry about? Let’s take…
From the moment a baby is born, touch plays a powerful role in helping them feel safe, calm and connected. In fact, touch is one of the first senses to develop and remains one of the most important ways babies communicate and learn about the world. The skin is also the largest organ in the…
Have you ever wished you could know exactly what your baby is thinking? Long before first words appear, babies are desperate to communicate. They want to share excitement, request help, label what they see and connect with you. Baby signing offers a gentle, research-informed way to bridge that gap between wanting to communicate and being…
If you’ve ever typed “why won’t my baby sleep?” into Google at 3am, you are very much not alone. Sleep is one of the most common concerns we hear about in Baby College classes. It can feel relentless, emotional and sometimes isolating. Yet when we look at the science of infant sleep, much of what…
Understanding Toddler Behaviour: How Schemas Explain What Your Child Is Really Doing If you’ve ever wondered why your toddler keeps throwing things, lining toys up, tipping everything out, or repeating the same action again and again, you’re not alone. For many parents, understanding toddler behaviour can feel confusing – especially when those behaviours are messy,…
🌱 Learning Play: How Play Builds Confident, Curious and Capable Little Learners When we talk about learning in babyhood, it is easy to picture flashcards or structured activities. In reality, babies learn best through play that allows them to explore, experiment and try things for themselves. At Baby College, we call this Learning Play. It…
The Power of Finger and Toe Songs: A Simple Way to Build Your Baby’s Focus 🧠🎶 If your baby seems to flit from one thing to another, you are not alone. Short bursts of attention are completely normal in the first year of life. In fact, babies are designed to learn in moments, not minutes.…
Make Friends at Baby College: Why Early Social Experiences Matter One of the loveliest parts of coming to Baby College is watching friendships begin. Not just for parents, but for babies too. While babies are not yet sharing toys or playing together in the way older children do, they are already learning essential social skills.…
New Year, New Term: Why Tummy Time Matters More Than You Think As we begin a fresh new term at Baby College, we are starting with one of the most important foundations of early development: tummy time. It may look simple, but tummy time plays a powerful role in helping babies grow strong, confident and…
🎉 Kick off the New Year with Baby College! 🎉 Say hello to our Baby College Crocodile 🐊, a tummy time superstar who loves making special appearances in class and helping babies stay engaged and curious. ✨ Why tummy time matters Using a gentle pull-along toy during tummy time does not just make the activity…
How Babies Learn Through the Festive Season Christmas is a season filled with warmth, excitement and togetherness. For our youngest learners it is also a time rich with developmental opportunities. The festive environment is naturally suited to the way babies and toddlers explore the world through movement, sensory play, communication and social connection. With a…
🌟 Little Personalities Blooming Already? Absolutely! 🌟 One of the loveliest parts of running our Baby College parent/carer and baby classes is watching tiny personalities begin to peek through – often much earlier than you’d expect! 🧒💕 You might already recognise a few classic “types” in your little one… ✨ The Observer – Calm, thoughtful,…
The Magic of Movement: Understanding Your Baby’s Gross Motor Milestones From the moment your baby first wriggles in your arms, a remarkable journey of physical development begins. Movement might look simple to us, but for babies it’s an intricate dance of brain, body, and environment—each working together in perfect harmony. At Baby College, we love…
🌈 Baby College is Growing – Bringing Developmental and Sensory Play to More Families Every Year At Baby College, we believe every family deserves the chance to enjoy meaningful, nurturing time together while learning all about their little one’s incredible development. What began more than twenty years ago as a small family-run programme has now…