• Grow
  • Home
  • About
  • A-Z
  • Helping your little ones learn
  • What’s On
  • Childcare
  • Parenting & Family Relationships
  • Infant feeding
Menu
  • Home
  • Helping your little ones learn

Helping your little ones learn

Do you know your child is watching everything you do and say – they’re learning all the time. Simple everyday conversation about what you can see around you, helping put the shopping into a basket or hanging the washing out can all be learning opportunities if you make tasks feel fun and involve your child.

The early years in a child’s life is such an exciting time – between birth and 5 your child will learn to talk and listen, use their body, develop emotions, express themselves, have some understanding of the world around them and even learn some maths! You can support your child in developing all these skills by playing, chatting and caring.

Where do I start?

There are many national webpages dedicated to helping you help your child learn or providing you with activity suggestions. Here are 5 which include some short video clips of easy to do actions you can copy:

Tiny Happy People from the BBC

Hungry Little Minds from the Government

Small Talk from the National Literacy Trust

Look Say Sing Play from the NSPCC

Home Learning Environment from Pacey

What else can I do?

If you’re stuck for ideas, we’ve put together a list of fun activities that are free and can be done at home. Click here to view.

Rhymes and Songs

As well as being lots of fun, singing nursery rhymes and songs have many benefits for your child such as

  • Helping them practice speaking without pressure
  • Introduces new words and phrases
  • Learning numbers
  • Helps with understanding of pitch, volume and rhythm

For examples of songs and rhymes visit:

  • Go To Grow Facebook page for Videos
  • Nursery Rhymes from the BBC

Learning Together

Sometimes having a small child can feel isolating – attending group activities can support you both. Your child can start learning how to make friends, can develop more concentration skills, have more toys to play with and enjoy new skills and activities that can be repeated at home. As a parent, groups can give you advice on how to support your child and reduce feelings of isolation.

  • Activities in Children’s Centres include:
    • Baby Group – A physical and sensory play session, with ‘baby babble’ activities and a chance to chat with other parents and families with babies
    • Little Learners – Sessions for children age 1 – 5 years old to support your child to be an active and engaged learner.
    • Baby Babble – gives parents lots of information about how speech and language skills
    • Wrigglers & Gigglers – for parents aged 25 and under – come along to play, chat, meet other parents and have days out.
    • Move and Play – at Active Tameside venues – lots of fun ideas and information about crawling, cruising and pulling to stand, sensory play experiences and information on physical development.
  • Library Time for a Rhyme Sessions
  • Parent & toddler groups

Learning at the Shops

Not everyone enjoys shopping, but playing learning games can make it more fun. Try:

  • Counting the items as you put them in the basket
  • Finding the items on the shopping isle
  • Drawing a shopping list and crossing off the items
  • What can you see that’s round, square etc
  • What can you see that’s blue, red, green
  • I spy with sounds – what vegetable can you see starting with the sound ‘br’

Learning at the Park

Being outdoors keeps us active and makes us feel good. Visiting the local play park equipment can be fun, but don’t miss out on other learning fun. You could try Family friendly activity outdoor activity and trails in Tameside or other activities such as:

  • Going on a bug hunt
  • Wellies on – jump in some puddles
  • Playing hide and seek
  • Building a den or fairy house
  • Red light, green light – stop go
  • Looking for outdoor treasure

Where Else Can I Go?

There are a number of different places to visit in Tameside for FREE that will help give your child new experiences. Follow the links to find the locations and details:

Tameside’s Parks

Tameside’s Country Parks

Libraries

Tameside’s Museums and Galleries

Tameside’s Arts and Events Programme

Garden centres

There are also low cost activities such as swimming and many paid for activities such as soft play, music or sports sessions for very young children, for more information visit Tameside’s Service Information Directory

a-z

Useful A-Z directory

Click here
Top

Helping your little ones learn

What’s On

Childcare

Parenting & Family Relationships

Infant feeding

Facebook & Instagram

In association with; Thameside Metropolitan Borough

Ashton-under-Lyne
ST PETERS CENTRE
2 Trafalgar Square,
Ashton Under Lyne,
OL7 0LL
Tel: 0161 342 2255

Greenside
GREENSIDE CENTRE
Greenside Lane,
Droyslden,
M43 7RA
Tel: 0161 342 5197

Hyde
HYDE FLOWERY CENTRE
Old Road,
Hyde,
SK14 4SQ
Tel: 0161 342 5353

Ridge Hill
RIDGE HILL CENTRE
School Crescent,
Stalybridge,
SK15 1EA
Tel: 0161 342 5533

Mossley
MOSSLEY CHILDREN’S CENTRE
The Rowans,
Ashton-under-Lyne,
Ol5 9DR
Tel: 0161 342 5430

Hattersley
HATTERSLEY CHILDREN’S CENTRE
Melandra Cresent,
Hattersley,
SK14 3RB
Tel: 0161 368 7722

NHS Penine Care NHS Foundation Trust
NHS Thameside and Glossop Clinicar Comission Group
NHS Thameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Cookie Policy

© 2021 Grow | Website by 438

Cookies

This website uses cookies in order to improve your experience. Find out more