Tots Play Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach & Blackwood

Is your baby on the move?

Wondering how best to play with them as they head towards toddlerhood?

At this age your little one will be curious about the world around them, and fascinated with just about everything they come across. They will be using all their senses, and their new movement skills to explore and learn - and the best way to support this learning and development is through play.

Repetition is an important part of learning and you might find they want to play their favourite game or listen to their favourite song over and over again. While they’re able to play a little by themselves they prefer playing with parents or other adults - so you will remain their favourite playmate for a while to come.

Some great activities for children around this age include:

- movement games, singing, dancing, action rhymes
- push along toys, push and pull toys, posting boxes,
- all kinds of sensory play
- exploring natural materials, like pine cones or shells
- splashing in puddles, water play, messy play

Play is the best way to help children learn and there are so many ways to bring it into your day.

Need some more inspiration? Join us at Tots Play, where you’ll find lots of play ideas perfect for older babies and toddlers, for you to enjoy together.

Each one is carefully researched and chosen to help boost your Tot’s development, and simple enough to do together at home through the week too - so the fun and learning doesn’t need to stop when you leave class!

Head to http://www.totsplay.co.uk to book your class today, and come and join in the fun! xx

Our super Thursday Tots 😁 exploring 'food' themed sensory play as well as our usual mix of music and movement, physical and social play, singing, signing, sensory play and bubbles 🐵

Action Tots enjoyed the farm yard cereal set up where they took turns hiding all the animals and cereal in the farm, exploring together using fine motor skills and strengthening language and understanding through play.

They also enjoyed the challenge of hive 5s on the balance bikes and exploring the brain-station activities (threading pasta is always a hit, and such an easy set-up to replicate at home). 👍

Social Tots loved the dinosaur salad and herb swamp.. grown-ups enjoy guessing the variety of herbs I've mixed in🫶 whilst little ones use their imagination and senses to play alongside eachother.

Discovery Tots were loving the summer soup play tray, with herbs and fruit. 🌿 Some first tastes ... And a mix of reactions today😁

✨Whilst our youngest babies enjoyed week 3 with their grown-ups on our Baby Development Course... A calming space together ✨

If you'd like details for our upcoming courses please get in touch (all links can be found in my bio) or why not join a taster session over the next few weeks... Keep an eye for summer specials coming soon ❤️ (apologies they're ready to go I have had a slight delay with both my laptop and waiting on confirmation from venues- I'm still awaiting some confirmation so further sessions may be added on August).

Last day of our weekly sessions tomorrow held at Caerphilly Miners Centre ... Book a trial space to come and join in the fun.

Best wishes and happy playing everyone
Samantha, Ffion and Totsy xx

Why Repetition Matters for Your Little One's Learning

If you’ve been to a Tots Play class, you’ll know we love a good routine. You might spot some familiar songs, activities, and equipment popping up each week. That’s no coincidence – it’s all part of the plan. Repetition is one of the most powerful ways babies and toddlers learn.

While it might feel like we’re simply doing the same thing again, for your baby, each repeat is a whole new learning experience. Their brain is working hard to make sense of the world, and seeing and doing things more than once helps build understanding, memory, and confidence.

Repetition also creates a sense of calm. Young children are surrounded by new sights, sounds, and sensations every day. Familiar routines help them feel safe and secure, which makes it easier for them to focus, join in, and enjoy what’s happening.

When your baby recognises a song, remembers what to do with a piece of equipment, or joins in with a favourite activity, they feel a real sense of achievement. This builds self-esteem, encourages independence, and lays the groundwork for even more learning.

So next time your Tot wants to sing the same song or play the same game for the hundredth time, smile and know that they’re learning, growing, and thriving – exactly as they should.

So next time your Tot wants to sing the same song or play the same game for the hundredth time, smile, be proud of their determination to master the skill they are learning about and confident they are developing just as they should!

And if you’re looking for a class where the benefits of both repetition and new experiences are built in to the programme, then we’d love to welcome you along to Tots Play.

What does your little one like to do over and over again?

We're looking for a few little tots and their mummies to help us with some social media marketing in our new venue .

If you're willing to be in photos/ on video and to be used for our marketing campaign then please book and pay online, onto next week's taster session on Monday 22nd June at 9.45am. (for little ones under 6 months) all links can be found in my bio or bread straight to the website www.totsplay.co.uk/caerphilly

After the session I'll email over a code and credit to use off a Discovery Tots session in July... So you'll get a free session as a thankyou👌

We can't wait to welcome you 🫶

Best wishes and happy playing everyone Samantha, Ffion and Totsy 🐵

Looks like you had fun today.. Tuesday class with Ffion at Pwll-y-pant Community centre Caerphilly

Why not join us on a 2 week trial
🐵 10am Action Tots 2-4years
🐵11am Social Tots crawling-2years 12pm
🐵Discovery Tots 3months-crawling

This week we're exploring our sense of smell and touch (and quite likely taste!) with food themed sensory play.

As well as our usual mix of music and Movement, singing and signing, baby yoga and bubbles 🫧

- next week our sensory play will have a 'light up' element ✨️ so come and join in the fun and learning through play with your little one ( structured play classes from birth to 4years )

Best wishes and Happy playing everyone Samantha, Ffion and Totsy # # #



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Freshly picked from my garden... Ready for sensory play set ups today.

Using what we have around us invites little ones to explore with all their senses. And if we grow it ourselves it means it's more environmentally friendly, cheaper, no pesticides and little ones can get involved in the whole process 👌

I can't wait to share this with you at classes this week🌿

Come and join us today at Pwllypant community centre Caerphilly

We have availability today:
🐵10am Action Tots 2-4years
🐵11am Social Tots crawling to 2years

Make your own rainbow shakers! 🌈

Little ones love bright colours, as well as exploring things that make different sounds, and they’ll not only love their own rainbow of shakers like the ones in the picture, but they offer so many fun learning opportunities too.

Line them up in rainbow order, ask your child to find and shake a particular colour, or just let them play and explore however they would like, and discover all the colours, sounds and sensory delights these bring.

The good news is they’re super simple to make. Just find some empty clear plastic bottles (they don’t have to be the type shown), add some small items of a single colour to each, or have some with a mixture of colours. You can pick up lots of bits inexpensively from a craft shop, or see what you already have at home, and get creative!

Seal the tops well, with either a glue gun or tape when you’ve filled the bottles with what you’ve chosen, and you’re ready to play!

Pop a picture or a comment below if you give it a try, and enjoy your colourful fun! xx

🍊This week is Food Play week!🍋

Exploring food play to help little ones build on sensory awareness, fine motor skills, imagination etc- but I'm also always aware of waste etc. So if you have pets at home that will eat the salad etc we use I'll always offer that out. The birds get fed and neighbours with rabbits/ horses gain an extra treat.👍

(🐦The birds enjoyed bread from last week's classes but I couldn't get close enough to take a photo without spooking them📸)

➡️Our next monthly social meet up Consurio Lounge Caerphilly we will be taking donations to pass on to The Parish Trust Food bank - so over the next 2 weeks please bring in any non-perishable items 👌

Food items offer so many opportunities to explore textures, colours, shapes and more, so it’s an easy and inexpensive way to enjoy sensory play with your little one, and we’ll give you lots of ideas for bringing food items into your play times this week.

🍎Did you know that exploring edible items through play can also help with weaning too, as it dampens down the response when introducing a new food type if they have experienced food (even without eating it) at a younger age, often leading to less fussiness and aversions?

🍓This is especially true if you allow them to get a bit messy with their food play, then they will be less sensitive to new tastes and textures when you introduce them and will pick up new foods for play.

🍌This is always such a fun week, so I can’t wait to have lots of fun with you and your little one as we play, laugh, learn and explore the wonders of food play together!🐵🩵🧡

Best wishes and happy playing everyone Samantha, Ffion and Totsy xx

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