Child-Friendly Medway delivers Medway’s first-ever Baby and Toddler Week
 Parent/carer with their baby talking to partners at Baby and Toddler Week.
Child-Friendly Medway delivered Medway’s first-ever Baby and Toddler Week, from Monday 2 June to Friday 6 June, at The Rochester Corn Exchange.
Over 2,000 attendees joined us for this drop-in event for children aged 0-4 years old, with their parents/carers. They were able to take part in over 90 free activities, including soft play, storytelling, sensory play, ride-on trains, puppet theatre shows, character meet & greets, first aid demonstrations, and food workshops.
Parents and carers were able to explore our free information stalls, where over 36 local organisations and partners, supporting children and families, joined us to share their services and information.
Partners included Bump Club, who support parents/carers through pregnancy making healthy choices about nutrition and physical activity; The Oral Health Team, who provide guidance to educate families on how to keep their teeth healthy; and Medway Parents and Carers Forum, who bring together parents and carers to provide support, share knowledge, and work to make parents and carers voices heard.
We had some special visits across the week from the Leader of Medway Council, Councillor Vince Maple, as well as Councillor Joy, and Councillor Howcroft-Scott, who also helped with some storytelling!
The week focused on the health, wellbeing, and development of babies and toddlers and helping their parents/carers, with activities that support cognitive development, creative play, attachment and bonding, communication skills, and motor skills, as well as providing education on nutrition and baby first aid.
This event provided free activities for families and offered opportunities that they may otherwise be unable to take part in due to cost. Providing somewhere to go and something to do helps to combat social isolation, which is a topic that often arises, particularly in new parents/carers, who have experienced loneliness. Parents and carers shared with us that this event enabled them to try new things, such as creative play, professional family photos, pilates, and first aid training.
Parents/carers attending the event told us:
“Baby and toddler week has been a great way to meet other parents and hopefully build some new friendships”.
“Lovely event, amazing activities. Really accessible to all being free”.
This event was funded by Medway Start for Life, supporting Medway Children and Family Hubs.
Day One: Sensory Development
Babies and toddlers with their parents/carers taking part in a parachute game with Medway Libraries.
The week began with a sensory play session where babies and toddlers were able to interact with different sounds, colours, lights, and textures in the sensory dome and on the soft play.
Across the day, babies and toddlers were also welcome to enjoy the story corner and play with puzzles and fuzzy felts.
Attendees were treated to performances by the ‘Singing Mamas’ group, who sing with their children and invite other parents and carers to do the same. This combats isolation, relieves stress and soothes both adults and children.
Medway Libraries attended every day across Baby and Toddler Week, running their Baby Bounce & Rhyme sessions, where parents and carers could sing, clap and dance with their baby/toddler, learning their favourite nursery rhymes together.
Other partners joining us on the day included Medway Children and Family Hubs, Medway Parents and Carers Forum, and Medway Council’s Children Services, who provided information on the services they offer.
One parent/carer shared with us:
“The Bounce and Rhyme has helped me with feeling confident to sing to my child, it was good to be part of a group doing this as you can feel a little silly on your own”
In the afternoon, professional ‘Baby & Me’ photographers joined us, offering families the opportunity to get a professional photo of themselves and their child. Many attendees shared that this was a highlight for them, as this is often an expensive luxury that some families cannot afford.
Every baby and toddler also received a free copy of ‘Badger’s Band’ by Julia Donaldson to take home and enjoy.
Day Two: Wellbeing and Nutrition
A child with their parent/carer having a go at preparing vegetables.
Day two of Baby and Toddler Week focused on wellbeing and nutrition.
The day began with pilates ran by a professional instructor for parents/carers with their baby/toddler, as well as baby massage demonstrations, courtesy of Medway Adult Education. These activities help to promote bonding and support mental wellbeing.
Following the pilates class, one parent/carer told us “I loved the Pilates so much, I have booked to attend the Adult Education Pilates”.
“It has been great to find out what support is available and where to go for help”.
Medway Council’s Oral Health Team took to the Child-Friendly Medway Story Corner to read ‘Ticklish Tooth Monsters’, with their alligator toy, where children could learn more about brushing their teeth.
In the afternoon, families were treated to some food tasting, with a special visit from a chef and the Medway Council’s Public Health Team, who shared information on nutritional foods and preparation tips.
We also had a special visit from an entertainer, who brought bubbles, stickers, music, stories.
Families in attendance received a free 'Rabbit's Nap' book by Julia Donaldson.
Our partners included Beside You, Tri For You, Family Action, Medway Libraries, Medway Parents and Carers Forum, The Central and Brook Theatres, Medway Adult Education, The Forward Trust, and The National Childhood Trust. These organisations provided details on specialist services, such as breastfeeding, family cooking and education for parents/carers on neurodivergence.
Day Three: Imaginative and Creative Play
 A child role-playing with their parent/carer as a restaurant owner.
The third day was focused on imagination and creative play, where babies and toddlers could try out being a ‘grown-up’ at the Little People Play City, including role-playing as a builder, doctor, vet, firefighter, police officer, hairdresser, and more.
Babies and toddlers and their parents/carers were also treated to a puppet theatre show, where a story unfolded about granny, a robot, and a green monster!
Partner information stalls were available throughout the day for attendees to enjoy, including Medway Children and Family Hubs, Medway Parents and Carers Forum, and The Central and Brook Theatres.
Every family also received a free ‘Guess How Much I Love You’ book by Sam McBratney. One parent/carer this shared with us:
“The book corner has helped me feel more confident to read to my baby as I saw other parents doing the same. I started to chat to others in the reading corner and now understand the importance of reading to my child. The change from working to being with a small baby is such a lot to take on and you often feel that you are learning many new skills”.
Day Four: Motor Skills
 A child on a ride-on train.
Motor skills were the focus of day four, with babies and toddlers introduced to our large-scale ride-on trains! Families could also try out their building skills by making their own model train tracks and building structures.
We were also joined by special guests for our character meet and greets, where babies and toddlers could interact with some of their favourite book and TV characters!
One parent/carer told us that it was “good to meet other mums and babies in the community. Gets baby to see and try new activities”.
At the end of the day, families in attendance also received a free ‘First 100 Words’ book by Roger Priddy. Our Child-Friendly Medway Book Swap Shelf was available all week, with one attendee telling us that “the book swap shelf is great way to recycle, I donated a bag full of books for other children to enjoy”.
Partners who joined us on the day included Medway Children and Family Hubs, Medway Parents and Carers Forum, Medway Libraries, and Medway Council’s Children Services.
Day Five: Child Safety
 A parent/carer taking part in baby first aid training.
On the final day of Baby and Toddler Week, we focused on child safety education, which included first aid training by The Royal Life Saving Society, where parents and carers could learn how to perform CPR and other life-saving procedures on medical training mannequins.
The afternoon was time to party, with our baby and toddler disco. There was music, bubbles, dancing, games, and a visit from a magical fairy. Babies and toddlers bopped along to big hits like ‘Baby Shark’ and ‘Let It Go’, with parents, carers and the Child-Friendly Medway staff joining in!
Lots of partners joined us on the day, including Medway Children and Family Hubs, Medway Parents and Carers Forum, Medway Libraries, and Medway Council’s Children Services, who shared information on who they are and what they provide for families.
One parent/carer told us that the event “has shown a great community spirit for Medway and I wished there were more events like this”.
Have you been to one of our events?
Don’t forget to share with us on our social media channels: @ChildFriendlyMedway on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
|
