Scallywags has been running successfully for many years and provides a great opportunity for babies, toddlers and their parents or carers to get together for fun, games, crafts and singing in a supportive and relational atmosphere. The group meets weekly during the school term from 10.00am to 11.30am on Thursdays.
Shackleton Square, Bransgore, Christchurch BH23 8AJ
Minky Moos ‘Lights, Music and Action’ Sensory sessions allow parents to interact and build positive relationships with their babies. The sessions promote self-esteem and help to builds confidence in parents.
Sensory classes enable babies to learn new skills and songs, meet other babies and engage in an action-packed fun session to stimulate the senses.
Minky Moo Sensory Sessions provide a rich early language environment and opportunities to explore and experiment with sensory resources. This session promotes the wellbeing of babies and parents, the ultimate sensory experience!
The session has a fantastic structure with a welcome song, music and sounds, action songs, sensory scarves and educational toys too. By using musical instruments, children are also given an introduction to rhythm. We also use bubbles and dance to encourage both parents and babies to relax and enjoy themselves; as well as a wind down chill out light show to end the session.
We are not currently operating an online booking system; you can attend any of our sessions by turning up on the day and paying by cash or card
Our wonderful Baby sensory classes won Best National Baby Development class at the What’s on 4 Little One’s Awards 2019!
Our Fun developmental classes for babies from Newborn to 13 months are run by Amber on Mondays in Fawley, Tuesdays in Ringwood, Wednesdays in Mudeford and Thursdays in Lymington.
At Baby Sensory we do lots of activities to encourage baby’s all-round development and focus on that lovely bond between you and baby, whilst getting a chance to meet other parents too.
Activities include lights, balloons, bubbles, baby massage, singing, signing musical instruments, textures, scents, the list goes on!
Please let me know if you have any further questions at: [email protected]
All props and mats are fully sanitised before and in between classes.
If the class you would like to attend is waitlisted it means that the class is full so please add yourself onto the waitlist and we will let you know if space becomes available or when the next term will be available to book onto.
Wednesdays in Mudeford:
9:30 6-13 months
11:00 0-6 months
12:15 0-13 months
Jiggly Wrigglers is all about fun! Our groups are NOT classes, but rather social occasions! We don’t have teachers…but entertainers!
Our groups and sessions are upbeat, high energy and could never be called old fashioned! Jiggly Wrigglers provide fun and sociable activities at affordable prices.
Local sessions at Hoburne Park, Hoburne Lane, Christchurch, BH23 4HP:
Jiggy Babies (Tue) 11:15
Jiggy Mixed (Tue) 10:00
A parent and toddler group. This group has sessions on the following dates and times:
The Healthier Together programme relies upon patients and healthcare professionals working together to improve how local healthcare is delivered. The website provides advice for parents, young people and pregnant women, and clinical resources to support healthcare professionals – which means that your child is likely to receive consistently high-quality care, irrespective of which healthcare professional they see.
Teddy’s Holiday Clubs (2-4 years)
Based at Teddy’s Pre-School in Pokesdown, our holiday clubs for pre-schoolers offer the usual fun as well as some indoor and outdoor activities, including cooking, gardening and local trips.
Children can attend for as many or as few sessions as required, and either for half or full days.
HAF funded spaces available for 5 – 8 year olds, contact Kerry or Dawn on 01202 391500.for more information.
Mermaids has been supporting transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families since 1995.
Today, Mermaids has evolved into one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ charities, empowering thousands of people with its secure online communities, local community groups, helpline services, web resources, events and residential weekends.
We also seek to educate and inform wider society on gender identity by helping professionals accommodate and reassure gender-diverse young people.
Speak to a trained member of the Mermaids team. 0808 801 0400 . Monday – Friday; 9am – 9pm
Wednesday mornings 10 a.m. – 12 noon. during term time. A babies and toddler group with space to play and sing, with parents, grandparents and carers. Booking is essential.
Coping with CHAOS supports the whole family, so all children and young people have equal access to play sessions and suitable activities to have fun together.
We provide for children and young adults with complex, profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and challenging behaviour that cannot easily access other resources and play schemes. We also provide help and support, information and advice, friendships, and short-term respite care for families and carers who look after a child or children with disabilities
A variety of staffed play sessions are held at different locations throughout the county including play/leisure centes, local attractions, special schools and at our own Families Centre in West Moors.
Parents and carers must stay at all session venues but have the opportunity to meet others in a similar situation. Our play support workers, the CHAOS crew, will support your children. Siblings are welcome to attend but remain the responsibility of their parents/carer. This hopefully allows parents to take a break and enjoy a tea or coffee.
Coping with CHAOS, Bond Avenue, West Moors, Ferndown, BH22 0LL
We’re the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health.
We want to see a world where no young person feels alone with their mental health, and all young people get the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what.
We provide information and resources on mental health support for young people and their parents and also have access to training and resources for schools and community support.
Family Lives offers a confidential and free helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). Please call us on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life
Positive Path Foundation is a charity set up to support the development of friendship, social skills, independence and work opportunities for high functioning individuals with both learning difficulties and physical challenges. We help individuals aged 12+ with special needs, poor mental health, anxiety, stress, panic attacks and low self-esteem. Parents of children displaying challenging behaviour, aggression, and mental health issues.
We also offer therapy, mentoring, sibling support, play therapy and time out to assist the entire family living with special needs. Support and guidance is also offered to parents of children upon diagnosis, assisting parents navigate their next steps for their child. We can offer support in the practicalities, therapies and coping strategies.
The New Cabin, Station Road, Sway, Lymington, SO41 6AA
The Family Information Directory provides details on childcare, local activities and a range of services for you and your family. Please make sure you check any activity or event is still running before you attend.
The Family Information Service is here to help you and your family find childcare, local services and activities
We understand that, sometimes, parents need a bit of nurturing support and guidance. A little help can make a world of difference, so our trained volunteers will visit you in your own home for between two and four hours a week to offer an extra pair of hands or a listening ear.
And because everyone is different — and each child has their own unique, individual needs — we’ll work with you to find out what you need help with, and tailor our time with you to suit that. You can also be reassured that our time with you will remain confidential.
Here are just a few of the things we can help you with:
Plus, we also run 4 nurturing family groups a week offering a safe and welcoming environment. We’re friendly and inclusive and are there for all sorts of parents: whether it’s postnatal depression, mental health problems or simply struggling to cope. You’ll be able to meet new friends, gain new skills and improve your confidence. After all, being a parent is a learning curve for everyone.
1462 Wimborne Road Kinson Bournemouth BH10 7AS
Sadly, some babies are lost during pregnancy, birth, or shortly afterwards. We have information and support for anyone who has experienced the loss of a baby, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or termination for medical reasons.
We provide emotional and practical support at the point of loss; professional counselling; open support meetings for parents and relatives; and ways to remember our babies. We are also here to support bereaved parents through subsequent pregnancies.
Our support is available to bereaved parents and relatives living in Poole, Bournemouth and surrounding areas.
We are a Dorset-based Christian charity that works alongside people through times of crisis building hope and resilience to deal with times ahead. We run practical projects around food, finance, recovery, homelessness and lone parenting in our local towns.
Help and support across Dorset:
Christchurch Library is an ideal environment in which you can read a book or two, read the newspapers, study, use the computers, join one of our free groups, meet new friends or simply relax.
Offer a range of community activities such as:
The key purpose of our service is to ensure the views of parents and carers are considered and valued to improve and shape future service provision across education, health and social care services within the local area.
We do this by:
• gathering parents and carers views in a variety of ways
• highlighting common issues
• working in co-production (as equal partners) with key SEND leads and head of services
• finding out about service developments and national policy and how they affect families
• responding to consultations
We also run coffee mornings across the locality, these are an ideal opportunity to meet with other parents in a safe and supportive environment and find out about local services.
The forum is free to join and is open to all parents and carers in BCP who have children or young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities aged 0-25. Whether diagnosed or undiagnosed.
SENDiass4BCP is the information, advice and support service for children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities, and their parent/carers, living in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.
We can:
• Provide you with free, accessible, confidential and impartial information, advice and support based on special educational needs and disability (SEND) law, about education, health and social care matters relating to SEND
• Help you to prepare for meetings and go with you, if we are available to do so
• Help with filling out forms and understanding reports
• Support you if your child has SEND and is excluded from school or college
• Help with asking questions in school or college, if you don’t think your child or young person is progressing or receiving the right type of support
• Help you with understanding your rights around the Education Health and Care Needs Assessment process and having an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
• Offer information on BCP Council processes for resolving disagreements and support you through mediation and appeals processes
• Put you in touch with other services who may be able to help
• Take the time to listen to you
We don’t currently have an office – the address given below is purely for post.
SENDiass4BCP, C/o Branksome Outreach Centre 350 Poole Rd, Branksome, Poole BH12 1AW
We keep parents updated on baby/ toddler groups and other various events that are on during school holidays in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.
We also give out parenting tips and share fun ‘learn through play’ type activities on our website & YouTube channel (Willow’s World – The Preschool Diaries)
We have a Facebook page to keep parents updated and where they can comment and ask any questions.
DYA is an infrastructure organisations providing support to voluntary and charitable organisations working with or for children, young people and their families
County Headquarters Lubbecke Way Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1QL
Breakfast Hub: – Our term time group provides breakfast and toddler play for £2pp including unlimited refreshments (under 5s eat free).
Parents have highlighted the struggles families face regarding education. We are slowly building a monthly advice drop-in for various services to meet with parent’s face-face at breakfast hub, SWAN UK and the Parent Carer Foundation currently attend supporting parents and carers to participate, engage and express their views as a collective voice to all organisations who shape and deliver services locally for all disabled children, adults, SEND or special educational needs, with or without a diagnosis.
The Samee Charity recently joined breakfast hub working with lone parents one to one enabling them to explore self-employment by creatively exploring their ideas and potential, helping them achieve financial independence through successful business start-up and/or improved employment prospects.
Breakfast hub is replaced in half term with Children’s Activities: – Our weekly crafting throughout the holidays brings families together for £1 per child.
20 Southey Road christchurch, dorset BH23 3EH
ERIC, the Children’s Bowel and Charity is the UK’s leading charity supporting all children and teenagers with a bowel or bladder problem.
Our services include:
A free telephone and email helpline – (translation & BSL service available)
Clinically correct information and digital resources on potty training, bowel problems including constipation, daytime bladder problems and bedwetting
Training courses for health and education professionals
Support and information events for parents and carers
An online shop supplying a range of continence products for children
36 Old School House, Britannia Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 8DB
DorPIP helping families flourish in Dorset, providing a unique attachment parenting service, focused on the development of attuned and sensitive parent-infant relationships.
We support expectant parents right to when baby is age two. We offer a welcoming, confidential space for parents during the emotional transition to parenthood through our talking therapy, support groups and infant massage courses. Infant mental health and wellbeing is our priority.
We believe that optimum development comes through secure attachments and bonds between infant and carer. Our highly qualified team work confidentially and discreetly with families during the first 1001 days, a key time in baby’s development that sets the trajectory for a lifetime of health and happiness.
To give children the best possible start in life we provide a nurturing environment for parents to explore difficult thoughts and feelings. Working together you can make a difference that lasts a lifetime for your baby and you.
Support & friendship for families
From isolation or bereavement, to poverty or disability the problems Home-Start supports families through are varied. We recruit and train volunteers to support families with at least one child under 5.
Volunteers who are are all parents themselves or have parenting experience, support other parents struggling to cope with the pressures of raising a young family.
The one to one relationship between the volunteers and families grows each week as the volunteer visits for a couple of hours providing non judgmental, emotional and practical support , helping to build parents confidence and ability to cope because Childhood Cant Wait
