Dandy Development

Dandy Development www.dandydevelopment.co.uk The multi award-winning combination of baby sign, music and sensory fun!

Learn how to support your little one's speech and communication development whilst you both have huge amounts of beautiful fun! Award winning baby and toddler development classes that combine baby sign, music, movement and sensory fun! M at Long Lawford 10am & 11am
T at Barford Memorial Hall 10am 11am
W at Radford Rd Church, Leamington 10am & 11am
Th at Radford Rd Church, Leamington 10am & 11am
F at St Mary Immaculate Church, Warwick 10am & 11am

The all important Dandy dates!I always make sure that the Dandy re-enrolment and booking procedures are as transparent a...
05/10/2026

The all important Dandy dates!
I always make sure that the Dandy re-enrolment and booking procedures are as transparent and fair as possible. I don't want anyone to miss out or be disappointed, so make sure you note down these now!

If you want to join us in the spring 2027 term please join a waiting list online now, as this will give you the best chance in securing a place in your first choice of Dandy venue. Being on the waiting list means you will be emailed priority booking links before it opens online. Dandy is popular and many classes are completely full before they even open online, so being on a waiting list ready is the best way to go! There is no obligation to join us from the waiting list, it just gives you the option which is much better than being annoyed that you missed out!

Although January seems in the distant future, it really will be here very quickly so its always best to be organised! There is an explanation of Dandy's stages pinned to the top of FB and Insta, so you can be ready with which Stage is right for your little one. If you have any questions at all about bookings or Dandy in general, just drop me a message.

The keen eyed amongst you will have spotted a cheeky Christmas special! And you will have spotted the new 'Whitnash' venue! We are going to celebrate starting Dandy at this beautiful new venue with a wonderful festive party. This will be a great opportunity to come along and try Dandy for the first time, bring a friend with you or just get some extra Christmas fun! More details very soon!

We have been celebrating first sign success with Myles this week! Myles has been using the most amazingly clear and purp...
04/10/2026

We have been celebrating first sign success with Myles this week! Myles has been using the most amazingly clear and purposeful 'more' sign. It's so exciting to see little one's burst into sign and I know this is going to be the first of many for Myles. A big well done to Myles's family too, signing success takes dedication and commitment. I'll be looking out for the beautiful 'more' sign in class next week Myles!

Dandy's favourite colour - YELLOW!There is no escaping yellow in Dandy, the mats, the logo, DandyLion himself and we sin...
03/10/2026

Dandy's favourite colour - YELLOW!

There is no escaping yellow in Dandy, the mats, the logo, DandyLion himself and we sing about it in Stage 2 'Colours Week'.

We learn the colour signs in Stage 2 as little ones often have a favourite colour or a colour preference from a young age. Using sign takes out all the difficulty associated with saying the word. It gives everything that colour the same visual cue, regardless of shape or size, making the concept easier to learn.

And colours are fun and That's what Dandy is all about!

Thank you so much everyone for a wonderful week.I loved every minute of it and DandyLion did too! So glad we got the cha...
02/10/2026

Thank you so much everyone for a wonderful week.

I loved every minute of it and DandyLion did too! So glad we got the chance to mark it properly with dedicated classes, celebrating the way Dandy knows best.

Can't guarantee that I wont mention 15 years again (!) but definitely onward and upward for now! Next stop is organising special events at Dandy's new 2027 venues!

My FAVOURITE speech technique...Match +1This technique is best suited to toddlers 14m+ as it can really impact on your c...
01/10/2026

My FAVOURITE speech technique...
Match +1
This technique is best suited to toddlers 14m+ as it can really impact on your child's speech and ability to link words. We speak so quickly and use so many words that little ones literally cannot copy us.

Match+1 is about being a role model for your little one, matching their language level and adding one more word to show the next stage.

So, if your little one is still emerging with their first word, when you have a quiet play time together, reduce your speech to just one word per sentence. This is words like 'up', 'gone', 'more', 'yay!', 'brrrmmm!'. You are literally demonstrating exactly what they could say. If your little one is already speaking with one word, then you speak with 2 word sentences, for example 'up high', 'gone now', 'more yoghurt', 'Wow Yay!', 'brmmm beeep!'. If your little one is speaking with 2 words, then you model how to use 3, and so on, so that you are always one step ahead of them.

It takes some practice, especially speaking in one word sentences, but it works and will dramatically expand your little ones sentence building abilities and their vocabulary. Just a 10 min play session once a day will make a huge difference. And it’s lots of fun as you are playing together and approaching the games at their level, using their language!

This is just one for the speech and language therapy techniques we learn in Dandy. Techniques you can apply at home, with confidence, to not only support but boost your little one’s speech development. Combine these techniques with baby sign and you are giving your little one the absolute best launch into successful communication.

Happy birthday DandyLion!15 years deserves big parties! And we are certainly celebrating, with all-of-the-colours, giant...
29/09/2026

Happy birthday DandyLion!

15 years deserves big parties! And we are certainly celebrating, with all-of-the-colours, giant balloons, the circus umbrella, hats, games, songs and prizes!

It’s a big thing for me. I’m really enjoying sharing it all with everyone. A mummy asked me what has happened to all the ‘older’ DandyLions and they are in my garage! I will get them all out and do a reel to show you all the different models and eras of Dandy! To be continued - watch this space!

I created Dandy myself 15 years ago to combine all my passions- baby sign, music, sensory learning and fun.So what diffe...
28/09/2026

I created Dandy myself 15 years ago to combine all my passions- baby sign, music, sensory learning and fun.

So what difference does it make to you that Dandy is independent?

- I don’t have to stick to lesson plans. This means we can sing different songs, repeat things, omit things, talk about different developmental elements and highlight different signs as needed. This is Dandy's individual and personalised touch.

- I don’t have to pay franchise fees or music licenses as all of Dandy's music is original (written by me) so I can keep prices down for everyone, making Dandy incredible value.

- I can choose my own top quality educational resources. I choose resources that excite me so that its not only the little ones who are motivated and inspired in class.

- I can react straight away to new research and bring this to class. I pass all the important educational information to you straight away so that you are kept up to date.

- The only limitations on what unique parachutes Dandy uses are my imagination and my amazing mum's needle work capabilities! There are no mass produced items in Dandy!

- I can create my own discount codes, my own vouchers and special offers and so you get a great deal. These are rare because Dandy is already great value and I work hard to keep costs down but I do release codes occasionally.

- Advertising material, videos, and promotional content is mine. The photos and quotes on my website and FB page were taken in my classes. What you see is exactly what you get in Dandy.

- All of Dandy’s local and national awards have been won by me. Dandy’s awards are your quality assurance that you will be receiving award winning development classes.

Just a few reasons to choose Dandy!
This is in no way an anti-franchise post. I have nothing but admiration for anyone who is a baby and toddler class provider. I know how tough it is to make it and the world is the same for everyone. There are many incredible franchises and Warwickshire is so lucky to have an educationally-rich variety of class providers. I am proud to stand with all of my fellow teachers, this post is purely highlighting the fact that I am also proud that I created Dandy myself.

DandyLion and I had a great day at the By Your Side - holding your hand through perinatal mental illness Family Fun Day ...
28/09/2026

DandyLion and I had a great day at the By Your Side - holding your hand through perinatal mental illness Family Fun Day yesterday. Very proud to be a sponsor.

Leanne worked so hard to create a wonderful event to raise awareness of perinatal mental health. The weather forecast endeavoured to conspire against us but it held dry and the rain wouldn’t have stopped us anyway!

Without people like Leanne there wouldn’t be incredible charities like this to offer much needed support. Please make sure you pop over to her social media pages to follow and like. I know as a small business, that every follow and like counts, raises your profile and brings you to peoples attention. You never know when someone in your family or someone you know will need this support, and the least we can do is give a little Dandy lift.

Thanks Leanne - see you next year ❤️

Signs learnt ✅Baby sign principles mastered ✅Optimal sensory stimulation ✅Bonding opportunities ✅New songs to sing ✅Frie...
25/09/2026

Signs learnt ✅
Baby sign principles mastered ✅
Optimal sensory stimulation ✅
Bonding opportunities ✅
New songs to sing ✅
Friendships forming ✅
Fun had ✅✅✅

Yep, just about nailed our first week back! 🥰
Still time to join us for our special party theme next week. Spaces on Mondays Stage 1 & 2 and on Tuesdays in Dandinos, all other classes full. Be there or miss out!

Benefits of Dandy's high contrast play...🔲 Stimulates visual development - high contrast black, white and red provides t...
24/09/2026

Benefits of Dandy's high contrast play...
🔲 Stimulates visual development - high contrast black, white and red provides the strong visual input needed to strengthen visual pathways and develop sight
🔳 Boosts brain growth - the brain works harder to process these strong signals, stimulating neural connections and enhancing visual cortex development
▪️Improves focus and attention - bold patterns are easier for babies to focus on, holding their attention and strengthening concentration skills
🔘 Supports cognitive skills - interpreting patterns introduces basic concepts and helps build early learning foundations
☑️ Encourages tracking - moving high-contrast objects (like the canopy) helps babies practice tracking with their eyes, which in turn develops hand-eye coordination
🔲 Facilitates early language: when paired with talking, high-contrast colours help babies connect sounds and words with visual objects, fostering language development

And, as is the way for everything Dandy, its fun too! We use the high contrast colours in Dandinos (6w-6m) so that we can have the biggest impact on visual development. This photo was taken in Dandinos this week. This is the benefit of coming to Dandy - I've done all the research and optimised each class for development, you can both just come along, relax and enjoy!

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