Toddler 18 months to 3 years

• Children's Centre groups
• Health advice
• Family support
• Safety advice
• Returning to work or money advice

Children's Centre groups

Please check the weekly timetable for times and venues or all these groups, or contact the Children's Centre for details.

Chatterbox

A busy drop in group for a range of ages with active play, messy play and rhyme time, all activities based around encouraging communication and language skills. Meet other parents and talk to health professionals in an informal way, with the opportunity to have baby weighed too.

Drop in and play

A welcoming drop in play session for babies and toddlers 0 to 4 years with their parents and carers. Where the children can learn and develop through play and interaction with other children, helping them to develop social skills such as turn taking. Activities include messy play, rhyme time, a healthy snack and outside activities when possible.

Tumble time

Fun and relaxed soft play sessions for tots aged over 18 months. An active play session for your toddler using soft play equipment, games and activities to help them burn off all that energy while developing their confidence and co-ordination skills. Balance and slide, jump and climb, throw and play. Experienced workers guide the children around the equipment and activities whilst you join in and encourage your child to stretch their skills.

Step by step together

These sessions are for any children with any form of developmental delay and any form of additional needs with their parents or carers. Drop in session with a different theme each week designed to encourage the growth of all aspects of a child's development.

Twins Club

Drop in group for families with twins under five.

General tips and support to promote and support twin’s speech and language development.

Buggy walking

Enjoy stunning scenery whilst exercising in a outdoor group with baby in the buggy. We have a fully qualified personal fitness trainer who leads the buggy walking. This involves power walking with fatbusting and toning exercises, using bands and the buggy as resistance. Buggy walking is designed for all levels of fitness, particularly for those who have not exercised since the birth of baby, a new mum must have had her six week postnatal check-up and have the OK to exercise. All parents (dads included!) are welcome as long as your child will remain in the buggy. No specialist pram or buggy needed as the route takes place on pathways and pavements. Remember this is an outdoor group, so make sure you are prepared for the weather.

Kids and dads

A friendly fun group with a difference, it's just for dads and their babies and children under five years! Older children are welcome but the activities are aimed at the under 5s. Giving dads the opportunity to have some quality play time with the kids in a fun play session. There are activities suitable for all the different ages and stages, with soft play equipment, messy play, trikes and much more.

Rhyme time

A lovely session held at the library, for you and your baby or young child to enjoy stories, rhymes and action songs in a comfortable and friendly environment. A great way to introduce your child to the library.

Plymouth multilingual families

Come and meet parents and children being brought up with more than one language at our coffee mornings and play sessions. A Saturday session when parents can get together and share ideas, often speakers are invited to talk about the importance of maintaining the languages and how speaking more than one language is a boost to language development in young children and not a hindrance! The group is for families across Plymouth and with any age of children. For more information please contact Ricky, group leader, on 07905 566 325.

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Health advice

Health visitor

The health visitor is available for consultation if you would like some advice or have any concerns about your child. Meet her at one of the weighing clinics or you can ring the clinic for an appointment. The phone number for Plymstock Clinic is 01752 314489.

Other opportunities to see the health visiting team

• Chatterbox
• Latch on

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Family support

Children's Centre Outreach

The Children's Centre Outreach workers can offer 1-1 advice and support for families in your own home to meet your own needs. They can offer support to parents for a variety of different issues such as guidance and boundaries, routines, fussy eaters and positive parenting.

Support can also be offered for a wider range of things such as debt and money problems, housing issues, depression and relationship issues.

Help I've got kids

Six week parenting and well-being workshop promoting positive behaviour and dealing with difficult situations, book for the whole six weeks or just come to the session relevant to your family. We cover: managing emotions; temper tantrums; feeding; sleeping; and going shopping or family outings.

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Safety advice

Baby first aid

A free two hour first aid awareness course for parents and carers. A qualified first aid instructor will cover various aspects of baby first aid, including baby/child resuscitation, choking, unconsciousness, breathing difficulties and more. You will receive a certificate  on completion of course.

Safety gates

We sell safety gates at a special discount price to families in the Plymstock area (maximum two per person). Both fixed gates (for screwing to the wall) and tension (for tightening up to fit a doorway) are available.

Safe at home

We are able to offer free home safety packs to eligible families, to qualify they must be in receipt of benefits. These home safety packs include two safety gates, a fireguard, window restrictors, non slip bath or shower mat, locks for kitchen cupboards and corner cushions. A full assessment is carried out at home and advice given as well.

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Returning to work or money advice

Information and advice on nursery, pre-school education or childminding services.

If you are considering going back to work and need childcare, we have access to information on the  pre-schools, nurseries and childminders in the area. We can also advise you on help with your childcare costs, and funded places.

Money advice

Regular advice sessions for help with benefits or debt problems, budgeting and reducing bills provided by the Family Information Service and Job Centre Plus.

Parent training and development

• Basic skills courses may be available
• Volunteering with the Children's Centre, building confidence as well as offering training opportunities within in childcare and early years work
• Returning to work encouragement and support

For more information regarding any of the services shown on this page please contact us using the information shown in the right hand column.

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