Waltham Forest Best Start in Life

12/11/2025

Roll up! Roll up! The Revel Puck Circus Winter Festival is coming to town! 🎪

The Revel Puck Circus return to Waltham Forest with The Winter Festival, taking place in Walthamstow Town Square between Walthamstow Central Library and 17&Central with two new shows:

🎪 Fête du Puck, a foot-stampingly audacious celebration of the past, present, and future of circus with an international cast of exceptional talent!

🎪The Ugly Duckling - a circus story, is for younger audiences aged 2 to 7, reimagining the classic coming-of-age tale with an acrobatic twist celebrates difference and finding your tribe.

As an added Christmas bonus, Waltham Forest residents are eligible for the concession ticket option plus an additional 10% with discount code WFC10.
To find out more and book tickets, check out the link in the first comment 👇

12/11/2025

Looking for a fun, free way to spend time with the kids?

Better centres across Waltham Forest are opening their doors for a Winter Open Weekend on Saturday 22 to Sunday 23 November, offering free activities for all ages – from swimming and soft play to family-friendly fitness 🏊🏾‍♀️🎾🏸

Explore your local centre and try something new together. Each centre has its own schedule online, so check what’s on near you (links in comments).

11/11/2025

🎶 It’s World Nursery Rhyme Week!

Our Best Start in Life sessions for children under 5 are celebrating with special rhyme-time songs and activities:
🎶 Sensory Play and Learn
🎶 Play and Learn Under 2’s
🎶 You and Your New Baby
🎶 Stories and Rhymes

These are free drop-in sessions, so come and join the fun! Plus, look out for nursery rhyme-themed crafts at your local library.
👉 All links are in the comments.

05/11/2025

❗Important announcement❗

Following sessions at Queens Road Family Hub are cancelled this week.
❗Thursday 10am-10.45am: Bambini’s Music and Play (0-1)
❗Thursday 11am-11.45am: Tambini Music and Rhymes
❗Friday 10am-12pm: 123 Mini Chefs

We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Sessions will return the next week (starting 10 November).

05/11/2025

🎶 World Nursery Rhyme Week is coming up! 🎶

From Monday 10 to Friday 14 November, we’re celebrating the magic of nursery rhymes and how they support early childhood development.
Many of our Best Start in Life sessions for children under 5 are hosting special rhyme time songs and activities:
🎶 Sensory Play and Learn
🎶 Play and Learn Under 2’s
🎶 You and Your New Baby
🎶 Stories and Rhymes

Look for World Nursery Rhyme Week and Best Start in Life events and come and join the fun. Plus look out for nursery rhyme-themed crafts at your local library!
All links in the comments section.

04/11/2025

It’s TOP TIPS TUESDAY and our Tip for this month from our PEEPs Learning Together Programme is around singing songs together.

Follow Chit-Chat Pitter-Pat for advice and tips around how sharing songs and music with your child can support their talking and listening skills.

This fits in beautifully with World Nursery Rhyme Week next week!

04/11/2025

From baby groups to play sessions, all in one place!

The Best Start in Life timetable makes planning your week with little ones easier.
It’s packed with activities for children under 5, from sensory play and baby massage to Lego and crafts clubs for toddlers - all happening at Family Hubs, community spaces and libraries near you.

Pick up a copy in Family Hub waiting rooms or in the children’s book section at your local library.

04/11/2025

Meet Olivia 💚

Olivia organises Walk the Loop in Chingford, a Community Walking and Cycling funded initiative that helps families with young children discover the health and wellbeing benefits of walking. 🍂 🍁

Olivia says:
“Walk the Loop exists to engage families with nature through walking, slowing down to take in the world around us. It’s not about rushing from point A to point B, but letting your feet take you wherever you wish to go.
“On our walks, we see families coming together to support one another, that’s our purpose.”

04/11/2025

Come and say hello to our Family Hubs Outreach team!

We’ll be out and about this month, sharing information about free support for families and activities for under-5s at local events, schools, food banks and libraries.

Healthy Start Vitamins will be available to collect with a valid Healthy Start Card.

Confirmed locations for November:
⭐Monday 10 November – Stay and Play at Selwyn Primary, 1pm
⭐Wednesday 12 November – Coffee Morning at Age UK, Hall Lane E4 8EU, 11am
⭐Tuesday 18 November – You and Your New Baby at Leyton Sports Ground, 10am–11.30am
⭐Thursday 20 November – Mini Morris session at Lloyd Park, William Morris Gallery, 10am–12.45pm
⭐Thursday 20 November – Baby Bank at Cornerstone Church, 10.30am–12pm
⭐Thursday 20 November – E4 Under 4 at 228 Chingford Mount, 1pm
⭐Friday 21 November – Baby Bank Play Session at The Lloyd Park Centre, 10am–12pm
⭐Friday 21 November – Play and Learn at Leytonstone Library, 10am–11.30am
⭐Tuesday 25 November – EY Creative Activities at North Chingford Library, 9.45am
⭐Thursday 27 November – Baby Bank at Cornerstone Church, 10.30am–12pm

31/10/2025

Baby food can be simple and affordable 🥦🍌🍎

For meal ideas, visit NHS Best Start in Life page with recipes for babies and toddlers. From first tastes and finger foods to breakfast, lunch and dinner, you’ll find flavours for every stage.
Link in comments.

31/10/2025

🌈🐘 The Elmer Adventure continues, and it’s not too late to join in! 🐘🌈

Join Soho Theatre Walthamstow for a week of Elmer the Elephant activities across Waltham Forest, celebrating their upcoming Christmas show, The Elmer Adventure.
📅 Next session: Friday 31 October
🕚 11am – 12pm
📍 Chingford Library

🌈🐘 The Elmer Adventure continues — and it’s not too late to join in! 🐘🌈
Join Soho Theatre Walthamstow for a week of Elmer the Elephant activities across Waltham Forest, celebrating their upcoming Christmas show, The Elmer Adventure.
📅 Next session: Friday 31 October
🕚 11am – 12pm
📍 Chingford Library
Help! A patchwork elephant has been spotted roaming the borough and needs your help to find all his colours 👀
Come along to hear stories about Elmer’s adventures, take part in colourful crafts, and help make patchwork Christmas decorations to display in the foyer of Soho Theatre Walthamstow. If we make enough… Elmer might just come to the theatre!
🎨 All activities are FREE and drop-in — no booking needed.
Can you help us track down this mysterious patchwork elephant?
👇 Check the comments for the full schedule and more info!

30/10/2025

We hope you are having a great October half-term break!

Just a reminder that you can use Tax–Free Childcare to pay for Ofsted registered Holiday Clubs during the school holidays. Check with your child’s holiday provider if they are signed up and accept the Tax-Free Childcare payments.
You can save up to £2000 a year or £4000 if your child is disabled.

Apply here:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-tax-free-childcare?utm_source=childcarechoices&utm_medium=microsite