It’s all about babies this week (16 – 21 June) in Manchester as parents, carers and tiny tots are invited to join in with a whole host of baby and toddler friendly activities across the city, designed to educate and entertain parents, carers, and little ones alike.
The now annual six-day programme is filled from start to finish with free activities – all designed to support a child’s development from birth and before, to two years old.
The week kicks off today (Monday 16 June) with a packed programme of free fun-filled activities taking place all day long in Central Library and Manchester Art Gallery.
Musical mums, dads and babies are in for a treat with everything from Baby DJing sessions, Shake Rattle and Roll workshops, and Dance Like a Mother workouts with awesome tunes, to have-a-go sessions playing musical instruments and singing with the Hallé Musical Stars.
Mini-me fitness and fun sessions for toddlers and their grown-ups will also run throughout the day with Afro-fit workshops offering African dance-inspired exercise, and lots of fun physical activity sessions from the National Football Museum.
The day will also see plenty of opportunities for toddlers and parents to get messy together with creative play sessions throughout the day at the art gallery, as well as story time sessions at the library – based on every toddler’s favourite book, The Hungry Caterpillar.
Baby Massage and gentle stretch and flex Baby Yoga classes are also programmed at intervals during the day – showing carers how to enjoy moments of calm and connection with their babies amongst all the activity and noise they may experience day to day.
There will also be plenty of practical advice on offer for parents and carers – from preventing common accidents in the home and first aid taster sessions, to Tiny Talk Baby Signing sessions to help teach even the youngest babies to begin to communicate long before they’re able to speak, helping parents and their babies to understand each other from the earliest of days together.
The rest of the week sees many of the same events and more taking place across the city, in cultural venues, leisure centres, libraries, local Family Hubs, children’s centres, and also in the city’s parks – which will host free family fun days for all on Saturday 21 June.
With family splash and swim sessions, pool parties, sensory play, and groovy dance classes, as well as walk and talk rambles round local areas and healthy child drop-ins with Health Visitors, there are plenty of free activities of all kinds for families to get involved in during the week.
Manchester’s annual Baby Week takes place at an important time for Manchester as the city journeys towards being recognised by UNICEF as a Child Friendly City – the best possible place for a child to grow up in, a place where children’s rights are understood and the voices of children and young people matter.
Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, Manchester City Council, said: “As any parent or carer will tell you, parenting or caring for a baby or toddler can be both the most joyous and the most challenging of experiences – and sometimes even both these things in the space of a minute!
“Having people around you to share these experiences with and help you navigate the hard things whilst enjoying all the great stuff is really important. And that’s where Manchester Baby Week comes in.
“We want to make sure that Manchester is the very best place it can be for all our babies and children to grow up in. The week provides a brilliant platform for parents, carers and babies to meet each other, learn from each other, and really enjoy themselves as they explore what’s available for tiny tots and their grown-ups in the city.”
Manchester Baby Week runs from Monday 16 to Saturday 21 June.
Find out more information on all the activities happening across the city for Baby Week