Introduction
Parent and Toddler groups are usually set up within community
halls/centres and hold sessions which usually last two to three hours once
or twice a week. They are run on a voluntary basis by at least two people,
although it is advisable to have at least three organisers and ideally more
if possible. The adults can be parents, other family members and/or
childminders and they stay with the children and find it is an ideal
opportunity to talk to other adults. The groups provide a great
opportunity for children to meet other children as well as encounter a
wide variety of play opportunities.
The purpose of this handout is to help anyone wishing to set up a group
and also for existing groups to ensure a quality service is provided and
run smoothly and conveniently for all the children and adults attending.
Do Some Investigation First
It is a good idea to establish some links with area professionals to identify
the needs of parents and children in your chosen area. County Childcare
Committees, public health nurses, doctors, schools, crèches and preschools are all good places to start discussing whether there is a need for
a group and what type of group is required.
Parents will have existing commitments with their children and it is worth
doing some investigating to find out the current demands in your chosen
area.
Things to consider
 School opening, closing
Parents with older siblings will appreciate group times that coincide
with these.
 Existing Parent and Toddler Groups
It is worth visiting other parent and toddler groups near to your area.
There are many different styles of groups. Talk to the parents and
organisers and decide what you like or dislike about each group.
Details of the times and days of their sessions are important for your
planning
 Monday Morning Syndrome
Bear in mind that experience has shown that people do not want to go
to a group run on Monday mornings!
Choosing a Venue
Finding suitable premises can be a difficult task. Ideally you are looking
for a large hall with a good toilet and kitchen facilities, an enclosed
garden or outside play area and plenty of storage space. Unfortunately
you will probably have to compromise on some things but remember the
size of the room will dictate how large the group can be. The issues that
will help you to decide whether a venue is suitable or not are:
 Rent
How much and what is it for? Will you have to pay separately for
using the heating and lighting? Are there other hidden costs?
 Accessibility
Is there a car park? Is the venue child and parent friendly? Is the
facility shared with other groups at the same time? Check long-term
availability of the facility as well as if this term-time only. (Be aware
that if you choose to run all year round, there will need to be some
provision for older siblings to attend). Is the external door child
proof?
 Facilities
Look out for adequate storage, clean and accessible toilets and sinks,
food preparation area, adequate heating and light and general ease of
access for all people (consider pram, pushchair and wheelchair
access). Is there a kitchen to prepare drinks and make a cup of
tea/coffee. Who holds the keys to the facility – is there someone to let
you in? Remember if you use a hall/community centre you must think
of fire and safety drills.
 Play Area
This must be safe, clean and clear. Consider the floor covering, is it
non-slip when wet, or is it a carpet that it is difficult to clean? Bear in
mind that a room with an echo has a negative affect upon children.
Will messy play be allowed or will there be restrictions? Will mats be
needed for the children to play on? Look for the area providing
security for parents to avoid escaping children!
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Heating
Is it safe? Is it adequate for the size of the hall? Is it expensive to
run?
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Kitchen
Is there somewhere to make drinks and snacks. Is there equipment
available e.g. kettle, cups, cutlery. Is there storage available?
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Toilets
Are they easily accessible? Is there a suitable nappy changing area.
How will nappies be disposed of or do parents need to take them
home?
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Fire Exits
Find out where the fire exits are, how to use them and what fire drill
procedures are in place for the building. Have your own fire drill
procedure clearly displayed. Contact your local Fire Officer to advise
you on these matters.
 Insurance
There may be a public liability policy for the venue, however, you will
need to check whether this covers your group. Check with other
Parent and Toddler groups to see where they obtained their insurance
cover as there is some good value available.
Who Will Run the Group?
It is advisable to have three organisers to ensure that cover is available to
provide a consistent approach. Ideally it is good to involve as many as
possible in running the group as this gives people ownership of the group.
There are a number of items to be considered when running a group:
 Have some of the organisers a First Aid qualification?
 Have people availed of other training which is available
particularly with the Wicklow County Childcare Committee e.g.
Running a Parent and Toddler group, Parenting classes, Quality
Awareness Programme, Play and the Developing Child, Manual
Handling.
The following are a list of tasks which need to be considered and
allocated to people when running a group :
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Contact person for giving and receiving information
Planning a session
Advertising the group
Collecting keys if necessary
Setting out the activities
Welcoming the children and parents – new and existing
Helping children and parents to participate in the session
Providing refreshments and snacks
Supervising the children
Managing the time-table of the session
Buying equipment and materials
Collect fees and pay bills
Keep registers and records
At the end of a session put equipment away and clean up
Periodical maintenance check and cleaning of all equipment
Advertising the group
It is important to keep advertising the group. Distribute posters/flyers,
insert notices in the local notes and parish newsletters. Contact the Public
Health Nurse, G.P.’s, Pre schools, Library, schools etc.
Ground rules
It is a good idea to think about some general rules to start with. These
can later be decided by the group and changed to meet the needs of the
group. (e.g. Parents being responsible for their children at all times).
The Welcome
It can take an adult a huge amount of courage to join a new parent and
toddler group. Recognising this is important and an organiser can help
make an adult feel welcome by introducing them to one or two parents or
carers initially.
You may find it useful to have a short handout ready to give adults upon
joining to provide them with information about times and dates of
sessions, charges and aims of the group. Let people know it is their group
and that input, suggestions and ideas are most welcome.
Toys and Equipment – Achieving The Balance
The toys need to cover the entire range of 0-5 years and be clean and in
good condition. Ensure that all toys being used in the group have all
relevant symbols of safety and quality.
However, there are two factors that need consideration:
Firstly – the huge age-range with babies - 5 year olds
Secondly – the needs of the adults to interact with each other versus the
needs of the children who need adults to help them become competent
learners.
Room layout
The layout of the room is very important and the examples set by the
organisers.
Remember: The aim of these groups is usually to encourage parents and
carers to interact with their children as well as socialising with other
adults. Achieving the right balance is the key to successfully meeting this
aim. Therefore, putting adult chairs near activities will encourage this, as
well as making floor space for adults to sit and join the children’s
activities.
The result of putting adult chairs at one end of the room and children’s
activities at the other clearly states that the adults avoid regular
involvement with the children’s activities. Almost like an invisible
barrier! Try different layouts and see the difference!
Adult chairs can be used as a screen to ensure the babies are kept safe
from the group’s other activities and that older children can become
involved in an activity without being interrupted by the little ones. The
position of these chairs will then encourage parents to chat to each other
and be close to their children. Position the baby area away from older
children’s toys containing small pieces.
Art activities and messy play will need to be near a water supply for ease
of setting up and cleaning up.
Activities
Children learn through play. Whenever a child is playing, they are in fact
learning about the world around them. A parent and toddler group is an
ideal opportunity to encourage adults to interact with their children to
encourage, support and extend their learning. To offer activities that
meet all the needs of children’s development, try to include activities
from all the following areas:
 Physical Play – large physical activities include activity mats and
activity centres, free space to roll and move, sit on trucks or cars, soft
spongy balls, a small slide, big cardboard boxes. The smaller physical
movements include providing chalk and other drawing materials,
painting and art activities, jigsaws, cutting with scissors and threading
activities.
 Construction Play – Foam bricks and stacking cups/blocks are safe
examples for babies. For toddlers of 18 months to 3 years, stacking
blocks and construction such as Duplo or wooden bricks. For 3 to 5
year olds smaller objects such as Lego and simple Meccano could be
considered.
 Imaginative play – This can easily be provided. Household items can
be used for a home corner – empty cereal boxes, yoghurt pots etc. for
a shop, pencils and papers for an office, cars and a road for a garage
and so on. Dress up clothes provide children with the tools to act in
character.
Suggested toys and equipment
For babies and under 12 months:
Baby chairs
Rattles
Soft toys
Mobiles
Musical instruments e.g. bells, shakers, tambourines
Activity centres/mats
Stacking/nesting cups
Cloth and study board books
Blocks and bricks
For toddlers aged 12-24 months
Books
Paper and colouring pencils
Building blocks
Toy buggies & dolls
Wheelie toys
Sit and ride toys
Protective sheets for painting and play dough area
Painting aprons/overalls
Finger paints (non-toxic)
Cushions, bean bags
Wooden jigsaw puzzles
For children ages 2+
Construction toys – bricks, duplo
Dolls house
Garage
Train set
Wheelie toys/bikes
Playhouse
Art equipment
Kitchen equipment – plastic cups
Other things to consider:
Registration – It is important to have a register of parents. New parents
who join the group should fill in a registration form. It is easy to
communicate by text alerts when Some groups have a register where
adults sign in and out at every session. This shows the name of the adult
and child and an IN and OUT column to show when they arrive and when
they leave the building. Other groups have the adult register themselves
and the child the first time they come to the group and not on a session by
session basis.
Accident Book – An accident/incident book records any incidents
involving children or adults. A separate page is used for each incident so
that confidentiality is assured. If a child or parent has an accident while
at the group it must be recorded in the accident book. The details needed
include name, time, type of injury, first aid administered, was a visit to
the GP or hospital required? What action can/should be taken to avoid a
repeat incident? The parent should sign the book to say that what was
recorded is accurate.
First Aid Box – A well stocked first aid kit should be available at each
session. It is a good idea to keep a first aid manual in the box for
reference purposes. Ideally there should be a number of adults on the
premises who have up to date First Aid certificates. Suggested contents
for the first aid box include – 20 individually wrapped assorted size self
adhesive plasters, 2 sterile eye pads, 4 individually wrapped sterile
triangular bandages, 6 safety pins, antiseptic wipes, 6 wound dressings,
disposable gloves, sterile eye wash, paramedic shears.
N.B. You should not keep tablets or medicines in the first aid box.
Finance – It is necessary to have a bank or credit union account in order
to keep an account of the finances. The money taken at each session and
any grants, fundraising etc. should be paid into the account. Any receipts
for expenditure should also be kept and recorded. This allows for proper
records of the transactions of the group to be in place and planning for
large expenditure items such as rent, insurance, annual outings/events
Policies – The premises which are used should have their own health and
safety statement, fire drills etc. You should be aware of any policies and
procedures which the owner of the premises may have in place.
Safety assessment and awareness
 Check the room you use before each session, making sure previous
users have not left anything lying around.
 Find a secure place for buggies and prams.
 Doors should never be deadlocked in case of an emergency
 Sockets should have safety covers. Stair gates may be needed to
prevent children gaining access to kitchen area if there is no door.
 Parents are responsible for the children they bring to the session.
Sample session outline
 Welcome and registration.
 Unstructured beginning – Have toys available (trains sets, cars,
books) so children can play freely while parents/carers chat with
each other.
 Crafts – a craft table could be available throughout the session to
let children and parents come and go. On some occasions an
activity could be organised e.g. making St Patricks Day
badges/cards, Christmas decorations, mothers day cards and so on.
Painting - Children should wear old clothes so they can enjoy
painting– make sure there is adequate paper, paint, brushes, aprons,
room to dry the paintings.
 Free play for children/tea/coffee for parents –
While the children play freely drinks and snacks can be served.Sit
and ride toys – as session nears its end its a good time for children
to play on the sit and ride toys and it enables the children to let off
steam before they head home.
 Circle Time -Song/story time – Ask parents and children to sit in a
circle and sing the childrens’ favourite songs or read a story and
finish with a song. Many groups finish with the same song every
week so it brings an end to the session.
Useful Addresses
Wicklow County Childcare Committee
Kilmantin Hill
Wicklow
Tel.: (0404) 64455
Contact: Assumpta O’Neill / Susan Hill / Marie Cuddihy
Tel: (087) 2465924
Kidd Insurances
Unit 6
Block E
Nutgrove Office Park
Rathfarnham
Dublin 14
Tel.: (01) 2079400
Health Services Executive
Glenside Road
Wicklow
Tel.: (0404) 68400
Parentline
1890927 277