Tiny Toes

Funded through the Happy Early Years (HEY!) Fund, Tiny Toes was a soft play group based at Horton Park Primary School.

Families with 0-4s had access to a range of soft play indoor equipment to explore, invent, build and climb offering a safe and fun environment where babies and toddlers can develop life skills.

Tiny Toes was led by grandmother of 13, Shaheena Perveen

“Watching my daughters with their children and then observing others, especially after lockdown, I felt there was a need to create more opportunities for families in our community to come to a play group where they see a familiar face and feel comfortable around others.

“My daughter highlighted a real need in the Canterbury area where she worked as a local Neighbourhood Worker and I thought this would be a great opportunity to give something back as I am now retired. I wanted children to come along and learn together through play and show parents how important play is for the development of their children.

“I hired in soft play shapes that can moved around in different formats for the children to climb over and under, and for them to explore. I also designed each session around heuristic play, so that the children are using everyday and natural objects to play with rather than expensive toys that have one function. This way we can demonstrate low-cost play ideas to parents and show how this type of play encourages sensory stimulation, their imaginations through the use of loose parts (such as pegs, rocks, cardboard tubes/boxes, lollipop sticks etc) and their fine motor skills.

“I have loved delivering the Tiny Toes Soft Play sessions and the experience really helped me to grow in confidence , I have enjoyed meeting new people and their young children, and I’ve also had access to training such as First Aid. Running an initiative for families with 0-4s is especially rewarding when you hear the positive things parents have to say.”