The Early Help Service offer a range of activities to Rotherham families with children aged 0-5 years across the borough in Family and Children’s Centres and community buildings. The activities offered support the development of young children’s speech, language and communication skills and provide parents / carers with ‘top tips’ to continue the learning at home. Your local Family and Children’s Centres are located on the map below.
Activities that take place at your local Family and Children’s Centre include:
0-12 Months
Baby Massage sessions – offered to all parents and non-mobile babies. Touching, making eye contact and talking soothingly to your baby when they are relaxed and happy supports speech and language development.
Baby Yoga sessions – offered to all parents and babies aged 6-12 months. Playing with and singing to your baby and responding to their smiles encourages them to make and repeat sounds.
Soon to be available – a stay and play session focusing on the importance of non-verbal communication, story and rhyme, and how to support these through activities at home.
0-5 years
Stay and Play sessions – are regularly delivered from our Children’s Centre buildings and other local venues. All sessions include singing, music, rhyme, and access to books as well as opportunities to play, talk and make friends with children of a similar age.
For dates / times of the sessions being offered at your local Children’s Centres please see the individual Facebook pages listed below:
Activities delivered at Rawmarsh, Arnold and Aughton Children’s Centres
Rawmarsh
Sensory Play – This group is for under 1s. Songs and action rhymes are integral to the session, and parents are encouraged to sing to their baby and to have an environment that is rich with songs and language.
Boogie Tots – This session has a core group of songs that children will repeat at each session, as well as new ones to learn periodically. By repeating the songs and action rhymes children will begin to recognise the sounds and structures of the words and will join in as they become familiar with them. Using musical instruments to create a beat will also help with the motor skills needed for handwriting skills as they develop. Visit our partners,shoes – leaders in fashionable footwear!
Little Learners – These sessions are themed activity sessions for children of all ages. Activities here will encourage children to use tools and implements for mark making, and there is a themed story to the session that is read with the children and songs are included too.
Aughton
Early Days – This is a session for children aged 0-6 months and their parents / carers. It helps parents / carers interact with their young baby focussing on rhymes, songs and books.
Tiny Talkers – This group is for children aged 1-3 years and their parents / carers. The sessions are based around a familiar book and then additional activities based on that book are offered.
Arnold
Sensory Play – This group is for under 1s. Songs and action rhymes are integral to the session, and parents are encouraged to sing to their baby and to have an environment that is rich with songs and language.
Boogie Tots – This session has a core group of songs that children will repeat at each session, as well as new ones to learn periodically. By repeating the songs and action rhymes children will begin to recognise the sounds and structures of the words and will join in as they become familiar with them. Using musical instruments to create a beat will also help with the motor skills needed for handwriting skills as they develop.
Play and Learn – These sessions are themed activity sessions for children of all ages. Activities here will encourage children to use tools and implements for mark making, and there is a themed story to the session that is read with the children and songs are included too.
Messy Play – These sessions encourage children to explore through their senses engaging with a range of different ‘messy play’ resources.
Activities delivered by the Library Service
Library activities for 0-5
Rotherham Libraries aim is to inspire children and families to read together and to provide them with materials and activities to support this. We have hundreds of fantastic children’s books in our libraries for you to borrow for free and our regular library activities are engaging and fun. Many of our libraries hold weekly Rhymetime and Storytime sessions, Lego clubs and special activities to support national events such as World Book Day and National Storytelling Week. During 2020-2021 we have moved many of our activities online and you can catch up with them and watch our new live events and videos via our Facebook page
Booktrust
Rotherham Libraries work in partnership with Booktrust to deliver free books for every child in Rotherham from 0-5 years. The books include a baby pack (0-12 months), a treasure pack (3-4 yrs), dual language books and books for children with additional needs. The aim is to encourage a love of books, stories and rhymes in children from as young an age as possible. Library staff deliver the packs to children’s centres, health visitors and childminders to distribute to families, and they are also available to pick up from your local library. Find out more about Booktrust and the activities that are available locally and nationally by visiting their website.
More information about our library offer and contact details for all of our libraries can be found on our website.
Activities delivered by the Museum Service
Nelson’s Cub Club – Clifton Park Museum, Rotherham
Nelson’s Cub Club is puuuurfect for little cubs aged 1 to 4!
Join Little Nelson and our team to explore objects from the museum’s collections and engage with them through stories, songs, movement, mark-making, sensory activities and role play!
Find out more here: Nelson’s Cub Club at Clifton Park Museum – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
