Stay and Play sessions
Welcome to our stay and play session parents and carers page!
On this page you will find the dates and times of our upcoming sessions. You will also be able to access a range of helpful resources, links, videos and ideas to help support you and your child. From toilet training to fun and easy games that you can play together, hopefully we have something to help.
Summer 1 Sessions
Thursday 27th April and 11th May 2:00-3:00pm 6 to 18 month session
Thursday 4th and 18th May 2:00-3:00pm 18+months to 3 years (not already attending ARH) session
12 surprising things your baby can do by their first birthday
By 12 months your baby’s brain has doubled in size, and they’ve learnt all sorts of exciting skills.
While every baby is different, here’s a few unexpected things they might be able to do by their first birthday…
1. They know how to make you laugh
According to University of Portsmouth researchers, babies aged seven or eight months old deliberately use their body, face, or voice to make adults laugh.
Want to make your little one giggle? By 12 months, your baby loves silly faces or simple rules being broken - pretend to put their socks on and see how they react!
2. They can tell the difference between languages
English, for example, has 44 sounds while Spanish has just 20. All of which means from very early on your baby can tell the difference between languages. Genius!
3. They are experts at hide and seek
Your baby has begun to develop a sense of object permanence. This means that they are starting to learn that even if you’re out of sight, you’re still there.
Dr Peter says, “Over time babies start to understand when someone or something disappears it can come back again.”
Why not play a game of hide and seek with their toys? Hide a teddy somewhere in the room and then go looking for it together… or your active one-year-old can crawl or cruise to find it on their own!
4. They can do maths
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI CBS) in Leipzig and the University of Uppsala, Sweden, say babies as young as six months are able to estimate probability (in other words, guess which events are more likely to happen).
5. They can tell you what they want
Whether it’s their favourite toy or a yummy snack, your baby knows what they want... and how to make sure they get it!
While your little one might not have the words yet, they have learnt to use body language and gestures - pointing at the teddy they want or handing you the book ready for you to read - to communicate with you.
6. They can follow simple instructions
By the age of one, they can remember short term things. And this means if you ask your baby to pass you a toy, they will remember the simple instruction and do it.
7. They can get VERY active
Rolling over, standing up, crawling… your baby is very definitely on the move by 12 months.
8. They can boogie to their favourite songs
Researchers at the Institute for Psychology in Budapest and the University of Amsterdam say; “Repetition is really important and if you have played the same song or nursery rhyme, it’s likely your baby will recognise it. They’ll also anticipate the actions and may even be able to do simple actions like clapping.”
9. They can understand way more than you might think
For the past few months, you’ve probably noticed your baby is starting to recognise words that they’re hearing a lot...including their name.
The part of their brain called the auditory cortex processes the sounds they’re hearing, and they then get stored in your baby’s long-term memory. One study of 7 and 11-month-old babies’ brains suggested they were already rehearsing how to produce different sounds, well before they were actually able to speak.
10. They can outgrow their clothes overnight
Your baby has done a LOT of growing over the past 12 months and has tripled their birth weight.
11. They know what they like (and what they don’t!)
Showing you their likes and dislikes is an important stage in your little one’s development.