There are lots of different types of childcare available in the UK, and each has its pros and cons. All families are different, so there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to childcare. It is an important thing to think about. So it is good to look at the options available before you make a decision.
You may be able to get help with childcare costs with the recent new Government scheme. Have a look at this calculator on the Gov website to see if you could benefit.
Let’s look at the main childcare types in the UK.
1. Nursery
Age range covered: settings vary, but most are from 3 months up until school age.
Availability throughout the year and session time: Most are open all year around, including school holidays, but may be closed bank holidays. A typical day might be 8am-6pm, with some nurseries offering an early drop off option for an extra charge.
Pros: Can prepare children for school, increase confidence as they interact with a larger group of children, and interacting with a number of adults can adjust children to being looked after by different people.
Cons: Although staff to children ratios are kept to, children may get less attention and one to one time, full day or half day sessions are offered so not much flexibility or ad hoc care available.
Ofsted Registered: Yes
Nurseries can be run by private companies, or by community groups or volunteers. They will usually offer all day sessions, or a morning or afternoon session. Some will include nappies, meals and trips in their fees, and others will ask you to provide food and/or nappies. There will be a cost per day/half day. When enrolling your child, you will choose fixed days for them to attend nursery (this can be full time or part time). They may be able to offer ad hoc extra sessions if they have availability, for a fee.
2. Childminders – Childcare In The UK
Age range covered: some childminders will take babies and children from birth, all the way up to teenagers.
Availability throughout the year and session times: Most childminders are open throughout the year, and will be closed for a set number of weeks for the childminder to have a holiday. They will give you these dates in advance. Their session times will vary, some will start before 8am and finish after 6pm.
Pros: Children will benefit from a home environment, form a strong attachment to their childminder and the flexibility of a childminder’s sessions and age ranges covered can be beneficial to parents.
Cons: Not all childminders are able to offer alternative provision when they are ill, sometimes it is tricky to fit in naps at specific times if they need to do a school run for other mindees.
Ofsted Registered: Yes
Childminders care for children in their homes, and will provide activities, play time, as well as outings. Some childminders offer a pick up services from certain local schools. Sometimes they will care for their own children as well, and these will be included in the adult to child ratios. Some childminders are one childminder running the business, or they may have assistants or other childminders working with them so that they can accommodate more children. They can sometimes offer extra sessions with notice. If your childminder will be transporting your child by car, check with them that they have the correct car seat that is age appropriate.
3. Nanny
Age range covered: Some nannies will care for children from birth to teen years.
Availability throughout the year and session times: Some nannies are employed by families full time or part time, and may be entitled to annual leave which they would agree with the family. (For more details on holiday pay, sick pay and pensions, see the Gov website)
Pros: Having your children cared for in your own home and the convenience that brings, plenty of one to one time with their carer, if you have multiple children it can be cheaper than other childcare settings in the UK.
Cons: Depending on how you employ your nanny, there may be no back up if your nanny is ill, and the family has to interview and employ the nanny themselves. Registered: Optional
Nannies are employed by the family, either part or full time and care for children in the family’s home. Some live with the family, some just come for the days that they are looking after the children. They will fit in with the needs of the family. Sometimes they even prepare food for the whole family, arrange playdates and take children to and from appointments/ school too. Nannies can apply to Ofsted to be on the voluntary childcare register, to allow families to use tax credits or tax-free childcare contributions, but this is not compulsory.
4. Pre School/ Playgroups – Childcare In The UK
Age range covered: Usually from 2 or 3 years old up until school age.
Availability throughout the year and session times: Most are open term time only, offering morning or afternoon sessions but each setting can vary.
Pros: Children can gain social skills with other children and adults, and benefit from the routine offered, and this can prepare children for school.
Cons: Shorter sessions and term time only care means parents have to find alternative care for the school holidays.
Ofsted Registered: Yes
Pre schools are similar to nurseries, as they care for a set number of children on set days, and follow a routine. However, they only take children of certain ages, and for shorter session times. Some pre schools are local authority maintained, or attached to a school. Playgroups are often run by volunteer groups or community groups, sometimes in a community centre or church hall.
5. SEN (Special Education Needs) School Nursery
Age range covered: Settings vary but most cover from 3 months up to the age of 5.
Availability throughout the year and session times: Although settings vary, most nurseries are open all year round.
Pros: Staff at the setting will be trained specialists for SEN, and the setting will be set up to accommodate a range of extra needs.
Cons: Depending on the child’s needs, some families like to try mainstream education or childcare in the UK.
Ofsted Registered: Yes
Although most childcare settings will be able to accommodate children with SEN, there are some settings that specialise in care for children with SEN. Some children with an Education, Health and Care plan may benefit from a special school nursery.
6. Other Types Of Childcare In The UK
There are other options to consider as well, such as an au pair. Au pairs are usually students from abroad who are looking to learn English, and live with a family offering childcare for a set number of hours a week, while in return they live with the family and the family provides them with food and a small allowance.
Another option is family and friends. Although this is an informal arrangement, it can be useful if your child has grandparents or aunts/uncles that are able to help look after your child. This can be a flexible option and allow your child to bond with other family members. Mothers At Home Matter are an organisation who are campaigning for a childcare subsidy to follow the child with parents allowed to choose whether they use it to stay at home, give it to grandparents, childminder or external setting.
Childcare Agencies Can Help If You Are Feeling Overwhelmed
Sometimes with all of the options available this can be overwhelming, or maybe you have a job or family life that does not fit with the usual childcare settings.
Koru Kids provides childcare that fits in with your family, on a permanent basis or for a shorter period of time. Their nannies can pick your children up from school or nursery, and look after them in your own home. Koru Kids will arrange the employment contracts for you, taking the hassle out of hiring a nanny.
Bubble offers flexible childcare that can be booked through an app. They can offer one off childcare sessions or regular help. All you need to do is post your needs and wait for babysitters or nannies to respond, or you can book directly through a particular sitter or nanny on Bubble.
See What Works For Your Family
There is no right or wrong approach, you must see what works for your family. It may be that you use a combination of the above, or even transition your child from one type of childcare to another as they get a little older.
Want To Get Out And About, Have Fun With Your Baby Or Toddler, And Meet Other Parents?
Search Happity to find everything that’s happening for the under-5’s in your local area – from music and singing classes, to messy play, arts and crafts, baby massage, gymnastics and more. Simply enter your postcode and child’s age to search, and then book your spot in a few taps. Enjoy dedicated fun time with your little one, watch their skills develop, and make friends at the same time. Mums, dads, grandparents and carers will all find something to love!
Weaning your baby onto solid food can be an exciting time. However, it can also be stressful and time-consuming. We’re joined by Kirsty Parsons, a trained health visitor and owner of Bright Beginnings Baby Massage, for some expert ideas and suggestions to ensure the weaning process runs smoothly.
Looking for fun activities with your baby or toddler? There are thousands of classes and groups on Happity. Find one you’ll love here.
1. Wait Until Your Baby Is 6 Months Old
There’s a reason we advise this, and that’s because at six months old babies will be better at managing food in their mouths and will be able to chew and explore their food. Most babies will also be sitting at this stage and have good head support.
2. Start Slowly
Start offering food once a day when you first start weaning. Begin with small amounts of solid food, usually before your baby’s milk feed. Increase it to twice a day when you feel your baby requires fewer milk feeds and can cope with different textures.
Another option is to start by mixing your baby’s milk into a small amount of porridge. This is a good idea as your baby will already be familiar with the taste of milk.
3. Pick A Suitable Time of Day
Choose a time of day that suits you both, ideally when you aren’t in a rush. You’ll need to be realistic with yourself and understand that it will take a bit of time (and a bit of mess) so if you’re regularly busy on a certain day of the week, avoid that one to start with. Also, try involving other family members in the process. Eating together as a family may encourage the baby to try new foods.
4. Choose Your Method
Choose a method which will work for you and your baby, either spoon-led or baby-led. Or you can combine both methods to suit you. The best thing to do if you’re not sure is to try a bit of each. You’ll soon discover what your little one seems more interested in doing.
5. Use Finger Foods For Baby-Led Weaning
Baby-led weaning tends to include foods babies can hold in their hands, for example, vegetables. Finger foods include broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, avocado, melon, bananas, sweet potato, carrots, pasta and toast.
Babies are naturally inquisitive so they learn by exploring. Research has shown that babies who are given the opportunity to explore a wide range of food tend to accept new foods more readily. As babies learn through play, exploring food can help them learn how to handle different sizes, weights, tastes and textures at mealtimes. It’s a good opportunity for babies to practise their hand-eye coordination.
Once babies become more used to eating, you could introduce a spoon and allow them to explore with utensils.
6. Blend Foods For Spoon-Led Weaning
With spoon-led weaning, a parent or caregiver feeds the baby so this tends to include more puréed or soft mashed foods. The smooth textures of these foods can decrease the chance of choking. An advantage of spoon-led weaning is that you’ll know how much your baby has eaten, as you can be sure they’re actually eating it and not just playing with it.
For smooth textures, purée vegetables in a blender to quite a runny consistency. You could blend down cooked carrots, broccoli, or even butternut squash. From smooth purées, you can then go on to introduce thicker mash with soft lumps, giving baby the opportunity to experience more textures. Thicker foods include sweet potato mash, slightly blended banana or even scrambled egg.
7. Aim For Variety
Offer a variety of foods that you as a family also eat. This decreases the chances of having a picky eater later on (and saves you from cooking four different meals each evening). Introduce finger foods, soft foods and less sweet flavours, for example cauliflower. A variety of tastes will widen baby’s intake of nutrients, while different textures will help your baby learn how to chew.
8. Be Patient
Your baby won’t like everything straight away so if they don’t like one food, don’t completely rule it out. Leave it for a few weeks and try again. Remember to stay patient and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work out straight away.
9. Don’t Worry If You Need To Grab A Pouch
While most professionals will not recommend jars or pouches, these can be convenient if you are having a family day out or dining at a café or restaurant. It’s not something to beat yourself up for doing every once in a while. Parenthood can be busy!
10. Avoid Salt, Pepper and High-Risk Foods
Remember to keep foods plain to start with and don’t add salt, pepper, spices or garlic to your baby’s food. Avoid nuts, popcorn, jelly cubes and marshmallows to minimise the risk of choking. Raw shellfish should also be avoided due to the risk of food poisoning and babies under one shouldn’t have honey.
11. Choose Baby-Friendly Seating
Use a high chair with comfortable seat pads, as this will help your baby sit properly in a stable position. Strap them in with a safety harness to stop them from falling out. The trays attached to the highchair allow babies to freely explore their food, enhancing fine motor skills during the process. An added bonus is that you can remove the tray and give it a good clean.
12. Use A Messy Mat
Messy mats are really versatile to allow your baby to sit, make a mess and explore their food. Plus, they are easily wipeable. Makes cleanup a doddle!
13. Invest In Ice Cube Trays
Ice cube trays are great for freezing baby food, particularly if you prefer bulk cooking and puréeing food. Silicone trays are ideal as you can easily pop the food out in cubes ready for defrosting.
14. Check Out Start For Life Recipes
There’s a ton of recipes you can start to use to help ease your little ones into weaning. It doesn’t have to happen all at once either. Take your time, and go easy on yourself if things seem tricky. You’re doing your best! Check out this page from the NHS for recipe ideas.
Thank You To Kirsty – Bright Beginnings Baby Massage
All of these benefits demonstrate how important Dads are in these early childhood experiences. Dads tend to challenge their children to explore and take part in new opportunities, as a result, children learn to build self-confidence, independence and motivation to succeed. Take a look at the local groups within your area, get booked in and let the fun commence!
Kirsty is a trained health visitor and baby massage instructor, who runs her own baby massage classes over at Bright Beginnings Baby Massage. Check her out on Instagram here!
Want to get out and about, have fun with your baby or toddler, and meet other parents?
Search Happity to find everything that’s happening for the under-5s in your local area – from music and singing classes, to messy play, arts and crafts, baby massage, gymnastics and more. Simply enter your postcode and child’s age to search, and then book your spot in a few taps. Enjoy dedicated fun time with your little one, watch their skills develop, and make friends at the same time. Mums, dads, grandparents and carers will all find something to love!
How do you help children understand their tears and regulate their emotions without making them feel like they aren’t allowed to feel things? We’re joined by Vinny Ferguson from AlI Included to give his best personal tips on how to help your little ones manage their tears.
You’re Not Alone In This
As a dad of three small humans (4, 8 and 11), I’ve had my fair share of emotional moments with my children. Each day brings new challenges and joys, especially when it comes to understanding and supporting them during tough times. Which can range from having issues at school, to coping when we have run out of porridge.
I have the pleasure of working with children and their families every day. This experience has deepened my understanding of the importance of providing emotional support. For the adults I work with, as well as the children!
Children rely on big people to show them the way of the world. Without recognising our own emotional responses and behaviours, it’s very difficult to support our wee people with theirs. I’ve often looked around for a grown-up to help me out, then suddenly realised I am the grown-up!
Start By Questioning Why Your Children’s Tears Are Happening Before Trying To Manage Them
We all express emotions in various ways. Tears, anger, withdrawal, and smiling are all common behaviours, but they can distract us from what’s really going on. It’s crucial to recognise that these emotions are very real for the kid and often stem from them feeling overwhelmed, worried or unsure of their place in the world. Instead of reacting with frustration or dismissal, try to take a moment (life isn’t a race. Most of the time, we can do this), and reflect on what the emotional response is really about. That should change how you react to what you are seeing.
We need to let our children know that it’s okay to feel upset or frustrated. They see us do it every day. So why are we so quick to dismiss, criticise and even punish their emotional responses? As long as the behaviour is not physically harming anyone, we can tell them that it’s all going to be fine in the long run. You are here for them when they’re ready.
Offer Comfort And Regulation
Once you’ve listened to and validated their feelings, it’s time to offer comfort. This might look different for each child. Some may prefer a hug, while others might find security in their own space for a while. In these instances, I would encourage the adult to try and reconnect with the child after a period of time. It might be the next day, so don’t rush it. When things have calmed down, you can speak to them about what happened, and how you can work together to make it a bit better next time. You can even observe them and find out what works best for your child and offer that support consistently.
As children begin to navigate their emotions, it’s essential to equip them with coping strategies. Franchises like Mind Marvels are so good at promoting this kind of support for big and wee people. Check out some of their social media posts for wee tips. Not every child will buy into this, no matter how hard you try, so be responsive to their needs, and again be self-aware. How can you calm yourself after an emotional response? Or better yet, how can you be proactive so that your responses aren’t as explosive?
Build Awareness And Take Control
In both my professional life and at home, I try (and often fail) to create a calm and consistent environment that will help children manage their tears. With my own kids, and my team, we chat about feelings and emotions which can help to promote positive emotional health, as well as building trusting and genuine relationships. It can really have an impact on how those people then respond to others. It’s like a big, fluffy, supportive domino run.
There is a lot of tension and confusion around the world at the moment, and because of our constant exposure to the news these days, we cannot help but be affected by it.
But we can take control of our own emotional responses as parents, carers and educators of our wee people. They are going to be running this place someday, and how nice will it be if we have a whole generation who can not only reflect on their own emotions but be sympathetic and supportive of others.
Thanks To Vinny – All Included
With over a decade of experience of working with children and young people with additional support needs, Vinny has established All Included to help create a more accessible and inclusive world.
Away from his business, he is a Depute Headteacher in a Scottish school, a dad to three kids and a husband to an ever-suffering wife.
Want to get out and about, have fun with your baby or toddler, and meet other parents?
Search Happity to find everything that’s happening for the under-5’s in your local area – from music and singing classes, to messy play, arts and crafts, baby massage, gymnastics and more. Simply enter your postcode and child’s age to search, and then book your spot in a few taps. Enjoy a dedicated fun time with your little one, watch their skills develop, and make friends at the same time. Mums, dads, grandparents and carers will all find something to love!
What Can I Make As An Easy Dinner Idea For My Toddler This Winter?
What are some of the best (and easiest) winter dinner ideas for toddlers? As parents, we want our toddlers to eat nutritious meals – and this is particularly true during winter when the weather is dark and cold. But it’s not always easy when we’re pressed for time or needing to connect with our toddler. We’ve done the hard work for you with some top cooking and time-saving tips. So read on for some easy, delicious and warm dinner recipe ideas for your toddler this winter.
Looking for festive fun to feel the Christmas Spirit with your baby or toddler? It’s never to early to book a Christmas class on Happity. Find one you’ll love here.
Bolognese-Based Recipes For Toddlers
Our first three recipes are made using the same sauce, so you can batch cook the sauce and use it over more than one night.
Packed full of nutritious veg, you just need a can of tomatoes, tomato puree, kidney or other beans, onions, and whatever vegetables you like. Carrots, courgettes and mushrooms all work well. If you want to go non-veggie, use beef or pork mince instead of beans. Fry off the onions, cook the mince thoroughly (if you’re using meat), then add the other ingredients and a cup of water. Leave to simmer/reduce for as long as you like – and voila! You can cook spaghetti, pasta shapes or even rice as an accompaniment.
You can freeze extra Bolognese sauce to defrost and use another night. Or pop it in the fridge for the following day.
TODDLER TIPS:
The beauty of Bolognese is that you can adapt it to your toddler’s taste. Prefer a smoother sauce (or want to hide the veggies)? Pop it in the blender. Want to make a vegan version? Substitute beans for meat. Is your toddler a big fan of cheese? Give them some grated cheddar to sprinkle on top.
Once you’ve mastered a basic bolognese sauce, you can use it in other recipes too like lasagne. Cook double the amount you’ll use in one night and refrigerate half for the following night.
Make a Bolognese sauce as in the recipe above. While your Bolognese sauce is simmering, make a basic béchamel sauce. Melt butter in a pan on a low heat, and make a roux (paste) by stirring in cornflour. Gradually add milk and stir continuously to thicken the sauce. Add cheese to taste. Layer up your lasagne using pasta sheets, béchamel sauce and Bolognese, then cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
If you’re using fresh Bolognese sauce, you can make a whole extra lasagne and freeze it for another time (but if the sauce is left-over, the lasagne needs to be eaten straight away as you’re already reheating it).
TODDLER TIP:
Make lasagne the day after making spaghetti Bolognese so you can use the left-over Bolognese as the filling for your lasagne.
If your toddler is lactose-intolerant, try substituting oat milk in the béchamel sauce.
Again, using the same Bolognese sauce recipe, with or without meat. Make sure you heat the sauce thoroughly first. You just need a sheet of puff pastry. Cut this up into 8-10 rectangles, add the sauce, fold over into a parcel, then cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and well-risen.
TODDLER TIPS:
Add green vegetables, sweetcorn or peas as a side. Whatever your toddler likes!
Freeze your Bolognese sauce to save time on making it fresh. When you’re ready to use it, pop it in the fridge to defrost overnight.
Quick And Easy Winter Dinner IdeasFor Toddlers
These next two ideas are kitchen staples you can use again and again.
4. Jolly Jacket Potatoes
Ingredients: large baking potato, oil or butter (optional), cheese/baked beans/other toppings
Jacket potatoes really cook themselves (just remember to prod with a fork several times before putting them in the oven) so you can go and spend time with your toddler while the potatoes are cooking. Add your toddler’s favourite toppings and serve.
TODDLER TIP:
Speed up the cooking time of jacket potatoes by microwaving them first for 5 minutes on each side. Then, oven-cook them with a little oil or butter. You’ll find they come up nice and crispy.
Boil your pasta for 10 minutes. While it’s cooking, make a béchemel sauce (see idea 2 for lasagne). Melt grated cheese into your sauce. Combine the drained pasta with the sauce and serve.
TODDLER TIP:
Use pasta shapes or spaghetti if you prefer.
Batch Cooking Ideas For Toddlers
Our next three recipe ideas can be prepared ahead of time. Check the recipe for whether you can freeze and pull out when you need them, or whether to store in the fridge for up to three days.
6. Beautiful Broccoli Bites
Ingredients: brown rice, broccoli, egg, cheese, breadcrumbs
This is one we’ve sourced from a mum blogger who loves prepping healthy toddler food. For her broccoli bites recipe, you basically need fully cooked brown rice, egg, cheese, breadcrumbs and fresh (or frozen) broccoli. Cook the broccoli, combine the ingredients in a food processor, and use a spoon to put portions on a baking tray. Bake in the oven.
Find the full recipe and instructions for this here under Broccoli Tots and for dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free options. Freeze and defrost when you need them, or store in a fridge for up to three days.
TODDLER TIP:
Try substituting cauliflower for broccoli.
Serve as a full meal alongside pasta, rice and sauce.
7. Choice Chicken Fritters
Ingredients: flour, egg, grated cheese, chicken pieces (fully cooked leftovers or cooked chicken from the supermarket)
Another one from the Yummy Toddler Food blog. Simply shred the cooked chicken into a large bowl, add the flour, egg, grated cheese and mix all together. Use your hands to form the mixture into balls and flatten them so they’re flat fritters. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add the fritters and cook until golden on both sides. Read the full recipe, pictures and other options here.
These can be kept in the fridge for around three days (don’t freeze as the chicken has already been cooked once and reheated).
Pancakes are another toddler favourite. Use the 1-2-3 method: that’s 100g of plain flour, two eggs and 300ml of milk. Whisk or blend all the ingredients together. Pop a frying pan with a drop of oil on a medium heat then add one or two large spoonfuls per pancake. If you’re not a fan of flipping, carefully turn the pancake over to cook on the other side using silicone spatulas. You can freeze these pancakes.
TODDLER TIP:
Make batches of small scotch pancakes for the freezer. When you need one, pop it out on the side to defrost or in the toaster on the defrost setting.
You can add banana to pancakes for your toddler. For a dairy-free option, try this three ingredient recipe of just banana, egg and flour.
One from our very own Emily, Happity’s Co-Founder. Once you arrange it on a plate, this looks like the Earth’s crust, core and mantle. So to make this fun-looking dinner, heat the beans, make the scrambled eggs (with a little milk and butter to taste) and toast the bread. Serve the baked beans in the middle to form the “core”, add scrambled eggs around them for the “mantle” and finally add a cut-up toast ring round the outside for the “crust”. A creative alternative to beans on toast!
Other Recipes We Love:
Annabel Karmel’s Fruity Chicken Curry – Annabel Karmel is a guru when it comes to prepping meals for toddlers. This one’s great for the whole family and suitable from 18 months.
Annabel Karmel’s ‘My First Chicken Curry’ – you can make this for your baby from 6 months.
Extra Top Toddler Tips:
Batch cook where possible
Freeze small portions to use another time (make sure they’re defrosted thoroughly)
Use leftovers or make sauces to use on consecutive days
Get your toddler involved with easy cooking like stirring and mixing
Stock up on staples like flour, eggs, butter, oil, frozen vegetables and pasta so you always have ingredients to hand
Which recipe will you try today? Tell us in the comments or share your toddler’s favourite winter warmers with us on social media.
Want to get out and about, have fun with your baby or toddler, and meet other parents?
Search Happity to find everything that’s happening for the under-5’s in your local area – from music and singing classes, to messy play, arts and crafts, baby massage, gymnastics and more. Simply enter your postcode and child’s age to search, and then book your spot in a few taps. Enjoy dedicated fun time with your little one, watch their skills develop, and make friends at the same time. Mums, dads, grandparents and carers will all find something to love!
How Can You Make Your Baby’s First Christmas Special?
Want some easy, fun (and cheap!) ideas for days out with your baby this Christmas?
Christmas is expensive enough without feeling you’re forking out extra money for festivities that your baby won’t remember anyway. At this stage, it’s more for you than for your baby!
As a baby’s first Christmas is still a special time, it’s lovely to start a few Christmas traditions that you can continue as they get older. So check our list for Christmassy ideas that are free or that you can enjoy for a fiver or less.
Looking for festive fun to feel the Christmas Spirit with your baby or toddler? It’s never to early to book a Christmas class on Happity. Find one you’ll love here.
1. Check Out Christmas Lights
Have a wander down a Christmas shopping street decorated with lights.
Babies find lights stimulating, so if they are awake, they’ll love the feast of lights and colours. Local social media groups may have maps of house lights so you can plan a route, or just head out with the pram and see what you can find in your neighbourhood.
2. Hang A Bauble On A Tree
Some parents like making or buying a bauble each Christmas for their children. If you get a little decoration for your baby’s first Christmas, you can enjoy it each year. Head to your local craft shop or garden centre and find something cute for your tree.
3. Visit Christmas Decorations In A Stately Home
If you’re a National Trust member, you can visit the Christmas decorations inside their properties for free. Some NT properties have childhood toys that even one-year-olds can sit and play with. So rather than paying for a separate light show in the grounds, have a relaxed wander round a property in daylight hours. Or alternatively, you can look on the English Heritage site to see if there are any events happening near you on there.
4. Amble Round A Garden Centre At Christmas time
A firm favourite for toddlers and children of all ages, a trip to the local garden centre can be surprisingly festive. Many garden centres go all-out with their Christmas displays and decorations, so you can feel like you’re in a winter wonderland with your baby.
5. Wander Into (An Illuminated) Town
The Christmas lights will be on, the Christmas tree will be up, and many shops and businesses will have festive decorations in their windows. Even if your baby naps in the pram, it will be a Christmassy walk for the whole family.
6. Book A Festive Baby Class
Perfect for your baby (and you!), you can enjoy all the fun of Christmas days out with your baby in a safe, familiar and welcoming environment. Many class providers offer regular classes with a festive twist in December. Others will plan bookable Christmas baby and toddler parties or sessions you can opt in to.
7. Find A Christmas Tree Festival
In exchange for a small entrance fee or charity, many churches and community centres open up their spaces to display fantastically decorated Christmas trees. Local nurseries and children’s groups often decorate a tree. So you can do research into fun local places for your baby while admiring the decor!
8. Follow An Advent or Christmas Trail
Local buildings and businesses will often have a trail in the windows for children to follow, or perhaps some Christmas-themed figures (like a snowman trail) dotted around town. Get a brisk Christmas walk by completing the trail with your baby in their carrier or pram.
9. Visit A Bookshop Or Local Library At Christmas Time
Bookshops will have all the Christmassy books on display this time of year – and some have festive readings from authors too. Books like Stick Man or The Night Before Christmas are lovely to read and snuggle up to with your baby. Rhyme times and storytimes at your local library will often be Christmas-themed too. It’s the perfect choice for a cheap Christmas days out with your baby that will keep all things calm and bright.
How Can I Make My Baby’s First Christmas Special?
Your baby won’t remember their first Christmas, but you definitely will! So focus on doing things that suit you and your baby’s routine. There is so much Christmassy stuff around in November and December. Even if you just have a wander into town or go to a regular baby class, it will feel special enough that you’re spending this time with your baby (also don’t worry if they need to feed or nap).
When it comes to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, try to take the pressure off making it ‘perfect’. Sometimes simple things like hanging a Christmas bauble for baby, or wrapping up a few Christmas gifts for a stocking are all you need to feel the magic of this very first Christmas.
If your baby is regularly napping in the day, you can still do all of the festive activities in our list above. Make the most of your baby napping to squeeze in a few more festive treats like:
Grabbing a festive themed latte at your favourite cafe.
Tag teaming with a partner or friend, so you can both go ice skating (one of you can watch the baby then swap over).
Meeting up with a group of friends with babies of a similar age and heading for a Christmassy walk or to a cafe.
Watching a festive film at your local cinema. Check out baby-friendly screenings here.
Hosting a parents crafting or wreath-making session. Bring your own baby and crafting materials!
Want to get out and about, have fun with your baby or toddler, and meet other parents?
Search Happity to find everything that’s happening for the under-5’s in your local area – from music and singing classes, to messy play, arts and crafts, baby massage, gymnastics and more. Simply enter your postcode and child’s age to search, and then book your spot in a few taps. Enjoy dedicated fun time with your little one, watch their skills develop, and make friends at the same time. Mums, dads, grandparents and carers will all find something to love!
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