Activities

Apart from some core activities, the programme changes each half term to reflect the seasons, to keep the programme up to date and to allow as a wide a range of activities as possible for our core age group from 0-5.

Parenting Puzzle

This is a periodic group which is run over 11 weeks with a crèche alongside. Bringing up baby can be difficult enough at the best of times, this course aims to help parents get the best out of family life and find strategies for coping with testing behaviour. With a separate crèche parents are able to relax and enjoy each week with out having to worry about their children. The 11 th week takes the form of a much deserved pampering session.

Quotes from parents who have attended this course include: "I found sharing other people's situations & experiences useful and enjoyed meeting new people", "I have noticed changes at home already".

Midwife Drop-in

A midwife is available for 2 hours each Monday for ante/post natal care. This drop-in session is not restricted to any particular GP practice.

Baby Club

A relaxed session for mums and their babies of up to 7-8 months of age. A chance to meet and chat with other mums and seek advice from Centre staff. A range of baby-centred activities is organised each week.

Baby Massage

baby massage

Most babies enjoy being massaged and we have the pictures to prove it! It’s also very satisfying for mum (or dad). All new parents in Eastcotts are invited to come along and experience baby massage for themselves. It’s also a great way to meet other mums with babies of a similar age and sometimes friendships are made that continue long after the sessions are over. We recommend that babies coming to classes for the first time are a minimum of 6 weeks old up to around 5 to 6 months. That doesn’t mean to say that you need to stop massaging when your baby is crawling, if they continue to enjoy the attention there is no reason to stop.

Movers & Shakers

This is a periodic group running in 6 week blocks. Lesley is in charge of this group (usually assisted by another member of staff) – it’s a chance to exercise and have fun with your toddler. Children attending must be very confident walkers and a ratio of 1 child per adult.

Play Together

A core activity is Play Together which runs every week during term time, currently on Wednesday morning. This group is particularly suitable for children of 18 months and above. Younger siblings are very welcome to attend subject to availability of places. It is a first come, first served group with a maximum of 15 children attending. A typical Play Together session will have lots of age appropriate activities, including but not restricted to:

There is constant access to the garden with its large climbing frame, sand pit, sensory garden and covered patio where there is usually more water and paintbrushes, big chalks, building blocks and den making materials. Children love to play outside whatever the weather or temperature, it is only the adults who are reluctant to venture out when it’s cold or rainy. We have recently bought some waterproof all-in-one suits which will be ideal for the approaching winter.

There is a quiet room with lots of books and puzzles which comes alive just before snack time when it’s time for a sing song with lots of old favourites like Wheels on the Bus; Incy Whincy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle.

A healthy snack is served with special dietary requirements catered for wherever possible. The children enjoy eating together and times without number we have heard, ‘they won’t eat that at home’ from the mums as their child tucks in with gusto.

Heuristic Play

According to the dictionary ‘ Heuristic’ means to discover. That is just what this activity allows young babies to do. At Eastcotts Children’s Centre this session is aimed at babies who are able to sit unaided to early toddlers. Each is given a treasure basket containing a variety of household and other objects but no what we would term toys as such. Great care is taken to ensure that objects are not small enough to be swallowed or in any other way inappropriate. Distractions are kept to a minimum by covering book shelves etc and peace and quiet prevails. That is until they discover that banging an empty tin with a wooden spoon makes a very attractive noise. In the basket will be found items with different textures, some metal, some wood, feathers, tubes, plastic items - many of which can be found in the utensil cupboard at home. You will often hear parents complaining that their child was more interested in the box than the contents. That’s heuristic play!

In-Betweenies

A fun session for toddlers from 8 to 17 months. Similar activities to Play-Together but specifically tailored to this younger age group.

Friday Club

once upon a time

This drop-in is similar in format to Play Together without the age restriction. There is always lots of different things to do and anything involving water or paint is very popular. This is why we strongly recommend parents to dress their children in their oldest clothes and pop a spare set in a bag too.

Saturdads

saturdads

Saturdads sessions have become a permanent part of the timetable and are generally run on the last Saturday of each month. We have dressed up for Halloween, welcomed a visit from the Fire Service when it was difficult to know who enjoyed it most the 'big' kids or the little ones. We have a small allotment where we produce a few veggies in the summer. Each session is rounded off with bacon butties all round for those who like bacon and veggie hot dogs for eveyone else.


Home Visits

Lesley Watts and Nicole Murray both visit families at home for one-to-one advice.

Mini-Cooks

Everyone loves Mini-cooks! We generally find a slot for a 4 week course of Mini-cooks each term. Children, who should be 2 or over, bring their parent or carer and learn how to make such delights as pizza, scones and perhaps a tasty fruit salad. We actively promote healthy eating at the Centre so all the recipes not only taste lovely but are nutritious too. While they are enjoying all the mixing and rolling children are also learning about different foods and how to get it ready. Best of all they get to eat some at snack time and take the rest home for later.

Citizens Advice Bureau Drop-in

Starting in the autumn term of 2010 and advisor from CAB is attending the Centre once a fortnight for advise about all sorts of things but particularly help with debt and housing issues.

Exercise Group in Cotton End & Shortstown

Katy is our instructor and she puts everyone through their paces twice a week, once at Cotton End Lower School and once at Shortstown Lower School. Creches are run alongside both classes so that participants don't need to worry about their children. Katy is able to help with all levels of fitness and the result is more toned and healthier bodies.

Tuesday Late Night Opening

We know how difficult it is for working parents to feel involved with the Centre so late night opening is available every Tuesday during term time until 18.30. The Centre is open for information and play.

Cooking on a Budget

From time to time Catherine runs a 4 week cooking from scratch course, featuring simple recipes for child friendly food which is at the same time reasonably priced and healthy (apart from Christmas when some very sinful chocolate yule logs were created). So while the children are being looked after in the crèche, their mums make dinner in the kitchen. A favourite recipe is Vegetable & Pasta Gratin and the recipe is given below:

Vegetable and Pasta Gratin

Ingredients:
Preparation:
  1. Cook the pasta in boiling lightly salted water for 5 minutes, stir in the vegetables and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Drain well.
  2. Make the sauce by putting all the ingredients in a pan and stirring over a gentle heat, with a balloon whisk until thick. Season to taste and add ¾ of the cheese.
  3. Mix the pasta and vegetables with the sauce. Put in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes at Gas 5, 180c until golden.

Any selection of vegetables can be used. If you are in a hurry frozen vegetables can be used instead.

(For a printable copy of the recipe please click here)

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