Guest Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi All Was wondering if anyone has any advice at all regarding starting up a mother & toddler group.... I am going to be starting up with my supervisor the new mother & toddler group within our new pre-school and not sure where to start what to expect and what I need to get really! We have been awarded a large ammount of money to spend on this and want to be sure of getting the right start to it all! Any advice, ideas or general tips on this would be greatly appreciated from those who run one or anyone. All I know is that I want to ensure that I support the toddlers and the parents as such times of their life. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belle06 Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 When we started up our mother and toddler group we bought a book from the PLA which gave all the advice on setting up a mother & toddler group and all the legal requirements if you search the PLA publications website you should be able to find it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Great that might be just the start I need thank you Belle06 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Not sure this is in the right place so am going to move it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi hairymaclary, I'm sure you'll have thought about this, but the name Mother and toddler might prevent dad's, childminders, grandparents, other carers from coming and if you restrict it to toddlers, older children who might not go to nursery or pre-school might be excluded. If you've just been given money I'd think about some big cushions and nice rugs, you dont want the adults sitting on chairs which is danger when they get together and chat! If you're having abig age range from babies up, you might want to look at the soft play cubes, dont know what else to call them, they can be used to protec babies from unstable toddlers or children who are charging round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Our toddler group is called 'Baby & Toddler Group - stay and play - support and friendship for parents, carers and grandparents' trips off the tongue doesn't it Had a mum ring up the other day asking if it was OK to bring a 6 month old baby, was he too young? No! Just what we want! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Thank you Yes I had thought about the name but want to keep it a simple yet inviting name so that it will attract all carers. Ensuring it is offered to everyone...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Good luck with your group. I started one at our pre-school setting in September and it has been a very useful group for the local community, we have also found it a fantastic way to bring more children in to our preschool sessions. A lot of people seem to use it as a taster session to see if their children like it at the setting. Can I just ask about the grant you received, I know there are grants out there for baby and toddler group but up until now we have just been using our current facilities and have asked around for second hand toys which scrupulously clean and check before using. I would now love to purchase some great new items for the group. Anybody know who to talk to? Our Early Years Advisor has been very useful as has the local Health Visitor would recommend a chat with them. Its also a good idea to get someone involved in running the group who has got a child who could attend the group as they will already have a group of friends who they will hopefully bring with them. Shelley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hi shelley My boss applied for this grant from a company 02 and not sure how she done it all but I do know it was a form and then a telephone call questionaire. Sorry can't help yyou there try various charities and companies to asked for these grants, it does mean filling in forms but if you get the rewards it is worth every penny..... Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Good Luck setting up! We had lots of help and advice from our local Early Years team and they also promoted us in their newsletter to Network childminders. Strongly agree with the advice about no chairs for adults - too tempting for them to sit and chat, especially if tea/coffee available!!!! We bought lots of floor cushions, treasure basket items and craft stuff - the messy stuff that Mum doesn't like tidying away at home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wolfie Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 We use "Stay and Play" for our sessions at the Children's Centre - that includes everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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