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.…
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…
If you are looking for baby development activities that are fun, easy, and genuinely good for your child, this one covers all three. It does not require any equipment, costs nothing, and you are probably already doing it without realising how much it matters. We are talking about movement. Specifically, the kind of movement that…
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…
That moment when your newborn wraps their tiny fingers around yours is one of the most powerful first experiences of parenthood. It feels like connection. And actually, it is also neuroscience. Your baby is born with a set of primitive reflexes, automatic responses built into the nervous system before birth. They are not random. Every…
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.…
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…
Have you ever wondered what is happening inside your baby’s brain as they grow and learn? In the early years, brain development happens at an astonishing pace. In fact, babies form up to one million new neural connections every second as they experience the world around them. One helpful way to imagine this incredible process…
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…
From bubbles drifting through the air to splashing in puddles, sensory play is how babies begin to understand the world around them. In the earliest years of life, learning is not worksheet-based or screen-led. It is sensory. Babies explore through touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight. These sensory systems form the foundation of brain development,…
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,…
When we think about babies learning to move, we often picture rolling, crawling and those magical first steps. But underneath all of that visible movement is a hidden sensory system doing a huge amount of work – the vestibular system. So what is it, and why does it matter so much in the first year…
🌱 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…
What Are Primitive Reflexes – and Why Do They Matter for Your Baby’s Development? From the moment they are born, babies come equipped with a remarkable set of built-in responses known as primitive reflexes. These reflexes are automatic movements controlled by the brainstem and are essential for survival in the earliest months of life. You…
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…
Practical Tips for Supporting Baby Development in a Development Class At Baby College, we’re passionate about supporting parents and their little ones through engaging development classes. One key focus in these sessions is encouraging your baby to cross the midline—a vital skill that helps with everyday tasks like brushing teeth, buttoning clothes, and even learning…
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…
✋🤚 Left or Right? How Hand Preference Develops in Babies 👶✨ Have you noticed your baby reaching for a toy with one hand more often than the other? Or perhaps they keep switching sides! The development of hand preference, or handedness, is a fascinating process — and one that unfolds gradually as your child’s brain…
🧠💫 Vestibular Development: The Hidden Key to Your Baby’s Growth 🌟 Have you ever wondered why your baby loves being rocked, bounced, or spun around? These joyful movements are doing much more than making your little one giggle — they are building one of the most important systems in the body: the vestibular system. What…
At Baby College, we believe listening and connection can look different for every child and every parent. In this guest article, Nikky Smedley originally used the phrase Whole Body Listening. Because that phrase has developed different meanings in educational settings — sometimes linked with compliance-based approaches that don’t reflect our values — we’ve chosen to…
💦 Splish, Splash, Learn! The Developmental Benefits of Swimming with Your Baby Swimming is often one of the first structured activities parents do with their baby – and for good reason. It’s joyful, gentle exercise that supports nearly every area of development, from motor coordination to emotional bonding. At Baby College, we love to talk…
👶 Why Baby College Is the Best Choice for Families Choosing an activity for your baby or toddler can feel overwhelming. With so many options available — music groups, sensory sessions, baby yoga, signing classes — how do you choose what’s best? At Baby College, we combine the best of all of these with something…
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. 🌿 The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Babies and Toddlers There’s something magical about watching your little one discover the…
Why Your Toddler Is a Picky Eater – And What You Can Do About It If you’re facing mealtimes with dread because your toddler has become a picky eater, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common concerns parents bring up — and it often arrives just when you thought you had weaning sorted!…
The Science Behind Baby First Steps: A Big Leap in Development The moment your baby takes their first steps is one of the most anticipated and celebrated milestones of early childhood. But behind that wobbly walk lies a fascinating orchestration of neurological, muscular, and sensory development. At Baby College, we know that supporting each of…
Simple, Science-Backed Ways to Build Emotional Strength from Babyhood As parents, we all want to raise more resilient children who feel confident, secure, and able to face life’s ups and downs. Resilience is what helps them do just that—cope with challenges, adapt to changes, and recover from setbacks. But how can we help our children…
Why Your Baby’s Teeth Don’t Actually “Cut” Through the Gums Teething is one of those big parenting milestones that seems to arrive overnight. One moment there’s a gummy grin, the next, a tiny tooth is peeking through. But for many babies (and their parents), teething can feel like a drawn-out and uncomfortable phase. Most of…