Play resources and signposting
Why play?
This year the national theme for Baby Week is ‘focusing on the best start’, with 12 sites across the UK holding events. In Bradford we have chosen to focus on play, to demonstrate the crucial role it has in babies’ quality of life, enjoyment and development.
Play is a hot topic at the moment in early years, with plentiful research and evidence about the benefits it brings, prominent national initiatives such as BBC’s Tiny Happy People, the annual Playday and the Early Year’s Alliance’s National Week of Play being developed and grown each year, and endless resources and ideas available online.
Bradford isn’t short of its own play organisations, initiatives, activities and spaces, and feedback we’ve received from families in response to a recent survey shows that many families are already doing brilliant things and that play is truly embedded into their family life.
Below you’ll find links to some of our favourite local and national play resources.
Why playful starts make for happy hearts
Play is beneficial for everyone, from a tiny bump right into adulthood. This free download (just two sides!) highlights the key benefits, the prominence of play on national and international agendas, plus 6 low-cost/no-cost play ideas, and why they are so magical and mighty.
Explore Tiny Happy People's simple activities and play ideas and find out about babies and toddlers' amazing early development.
A series of animated videos featuring everyday Big Little Moments you can share with your babies and toddlers to build their brains. The little moments you share every day make a big difference.
A series of videos made by parents for parents. You will watch parents and carers sharing precious little moments which will help little ones' brains grow and develop.
Everything you do together helps your baby’s brain develop. It’s never too early to start - from bump, to babies to toddlers. Your baby even recognises family voices before they are born.
Getting outdoors has lots of benefits for you and your child. It's the perfect place for your child to be physically active, use their imagination, explore and learn. It's great for your mental and physical health too.
The Better Place project is working with local people to create safer, healthier and fun places across the Better Start Bradford area. Where will your next adventure be?
Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child explores 'serve and return' theory. When caregivers are responsive to baby's signals and needs, neural connections are built and strengthen baby's developing brain.
In this thought-provoking webinar 'Seeing the World through Babies' Eyes' Dr Suzanne Zeedyk passionately explores the importance of connections and belonging for a baby, and how babies are born connected.
A child’s experiences in their early years shapes their rapidly developing brain. This is an important opportunity for you to give your baby the best start in life.
Skin-to-skin contact is a key part of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative standards. It helps babies adjust to life outside the womb and supports mothers to initiate breastfeeding and develop close relationships.
Look, Say, Sing, Play is NSPCC's baby brain-building campaign, which provides parents with ideas of how they can communicate with their babies to encourage healthy brain development.
These cards are a highly visual tool designed to facilitate understanding of the parent-infant relationship for practitioners and parents. Training for professionals is delivered by Bradford District Care NHS Care Trust.
Early Years Alliance's Family Corner is packed full of helpful articles on all aspects of child development including health, behaviour, communication and fun activities. And it is all written by experts.
The Better Place team have created a nature journal for little ones to complete while they are outside exploring and learning about the great outdoors.
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Download the Baby Week Bradford logo, social media images and other promotional resources
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