"Baby Sensory provides a remarkable opportunity for parents to help their baby learn and develop from birth. Early sensory experiences set the stage for all future learning."
Dr Lin Day
Many new parents wonder whether their baby is too young to join a class. The answer is simple: no.
Baby Sensory® was designed exclusively for babies from birth because learning begins long before your baby takes their first steps. In fact, learning starts in the womb, brain growth is most rapid during the first three months of life, and those early sensory experiences play an important role in your baby's overall development.
Our birth to 6 month classes are carefully designed to help you enjoy every stage of your baby's exciting development journey while giving you the confidence to learn and grow together.
Your baby is learning from day one
It can be surprising just how much a newborn is capable of.
From birth, your baby can:
- Fixate on your face.
- Turn towards the sound of your voice.
- Calm to your voice or touch.
- Follow a slowly moving object with their eyes.
- Lie on their tummy and hold up their head for a few moments.
- Move towards your familiar smell.
- Become still when hearing music played during pregnancy.
- Stick out their tongue when you stick out yours.
- Be comforted by soft natural fabrics such as wool or silk.
- See all colours.
- Focus on objects held around 45 cm (18 inches) away.
- Begin using simple signs to communicate.
Every one of these early abilities provides opportunities for meaningful interaction, helping to strengthen the bond between you and your baby while supporting their learning and development.
A class designed especially for newborns
We understand that attending your first class with a tiny baby can feel daunting.
That's why our birth to 6 month classes have been thoughtfully planned with both babies and parents in mind. Every session is delivered by a trained Baby Sensory Practitioner who understands your baby's needs and the emotions that often come with those first few months of parenthood.
Most importantly, every session is baby led, meaning you can feed, cuddle, change or comfort your baby whenever they need it.
Activities may include:
- One to one interaction.
- Singing and signing.
- Touch and massage.
- Gentle movement and exercise.
- Musical experiences.
- Sensory activities.
- Soft lighting.
- Nurturing techniques to soothe and calm your baby.
As your baby grows and reaches the stage where they can sit unaided, their needs naturally change. That's why Baby Sensory also offers classes for babies aged 7 to 13 months, supporting the next stage of their learning journey.
What happens during a Baby Sensory class?
Each class follows a carefully planned structure that supports learning while avoiding overstimulation.
Sessions begin with our much loved 'Say Hello to the Sun' song, helping your baby recognise that Baby Sensory is a happy and familiar place.
This is followed by four short activities, each supported with learning and development information, demonstrations and dedicated time for you to enjoy purposeful interaction with your baby.
A rest break gives everyone time to:
- Nurse or feed.
- Change nappies.
- Move around.
- Meet other parents.
- Share ideas and experiences.
- Explore our wonderful range of sensory play equipment designed to delight, entertain or calm your baby.
The session finishes with therapeutic activities before ending with our signature 'Wave Goodbye' song, helping your baby relax and drift into peaceful sleep.
What if my baby sleeps through the class?
Many parents worry that they'll miss out if their newborn sleeps.
The reassuring news is that even if your baby sleeps through part of the session, they are still learning.
Brain scans have shown that newborn babies continue to take in and process sounds, visual information and movement from the world around them while sleeping. So you can relax, enjoy the activities and know your baby is still benefiting from the experience.
Why are sensory experiences so important?
Your baby's brain develops at an incredible rate during the first year of life.
At birth, the brain is around 25% of its adult weight. By the end of the first year, it will have doubled in volume, reaching around 50% of its adult size.
The first three months are the most prolific period of brain growth, making this an incredibly important time to introduce your baby to:
- Sights.
- Colours.
- Sounds.
- Textures.
- Movement.
- Smells.
These rich sensory experiences help support the foundations for future learning and development.
It is never too soon to begin
The benefits of attending Baby Sensory from birth are remarkable.
Rich sensory experiences, movement opportunities, intellectual, language and communication activities, alongside emotional and social experiences, all help nourish and build your baby's growing brain.
Just as importantly, Baby Sensory gives you precious opportunities to spend quality time together, building confidence and creating wonderful memories from the very beginning.
It is never too soon to start your baby's learning journey.
