Baby Week starts with a free drop-in at Eastbourne Library on Saturday 14 November. The nearest sessions to Brighton are in Peacehaven, Newhaven and Lewes.
Baby Week in East Sussex opens with a free drop-in for families with babies and young children at Eastbourne Library on Saturday 14 November, from 10am to 1pm, and no booking is needed. The week of sessions that follows includes several within easy reach of Brighton, in Peacehaven, Newhaven, Lewes and Seaford.
East Sussex County Council said the Saturday event is meant to “highlight local services which can help families during pregnancy and the first years of a child’s life”. Staff from the council’s family hubs and library service will be there, along with early years practitioners.
What happens at the Eastbourne launch
Families can find out about infant feeding, sensory play and how to support a baby’s development. There will be songs, instruments and a play session with Seaglass Arts, an East Sussex group that makes music sessions for babies, toddlers and their adults.
Cllr Victoria Carson, the county council’s lead member for children and families, said:
“Taking care of babies and very young children can be both a rewarding and challenging time and we are delighted to be able to offer this information event to help support families at one of our wonderful libraries this month.
“We encourage parents and caregivers across the county to come along and take advantage of this great opportunity to access support and resources under one roof. They will also have the chance to talk to childhood experts about anything which might help them during this period of life. Of course, they will also be able to take part in some fun activities with their children, and meet new people.”
The library is on Grove Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4TL. The council has more on the building on its Eastbourne Library page.
Sessions closest to Brighton
The Baby Week events listing has no Brighton and Hove section this year, so the nearest sessions are over the boundary in Lewes district. These are the ones listed for the week of 16 November, checked on 11 November:
- Monday 16 November, 11am to noon: Baby Time, Peacehaven Family Hub, Meridian Way, BN10 8NF. A play-based group for parents and carers and their young children. Phone 01273 336930.
- Tuesday 17 November, 10.30am to 11am: Rhymetime, Lewes Library, Styles Field, Friars Walk, BN7 2LZ. Singing, instruments and rhymes for babies and toddlers. The listing says library rhymetimes are free.
- Wednesday 18 November, 10.30am to 11am: Rhymetime, Seaford Library, 15-17 Sutton Park Road, BN25 1QX.
- Wednesday 18 November, 1pm to 2pm: Baby and Me, Lewes Family Hub, Malling Community Centre, Spences Lane, BN7 2HQ.
- Thursday 19 November, 11am to 11.30am: Rhymetime, Newhaven Library, 36-38 High Street, BN9 9PD.
- Friday 20 November, 10.30am to noon: infant feeding group, Quayside Medical Practice, Newhaven Square, BN9 9QS. Run by the council’s infant feeding team and peer supporters. Phone 01273 336930.
- Friday 20 November, 11am to 11.30am: Rhymetime, Peacehaven Library, Meridian Centre, BN10 8BB.
Storytime sessions also run at Lewes and Seaford libraries at 10.30am on Friday 20 November.
Online, from home
Some Baby Week sessions are online, so families in Brighton and Hove can join without travelling. An introduction to baby first aid runs from 5.30pm to 6.30pm on Tuesday 17 November. A free online baby massage session runs from 10am to 10.45am on Wednesday 18 November. Both are on the Baby Week events listing.
What Baby Week is
The council said Baby Week “celebrates early childhood, brings together services to promote the best start in life and raises awareness of the vital first five years”. This year’s theme is “Chat, Play, Read with Me: Together We Build the Best Start”. It aims to “shine a light on the simple, everyday interactions that help babies and young children learn, communicate and thrive”.
What it means for you
If you have a baby or a toddler, the Saturday launch is the one place to meet the feeding, family hub and library teams together. It needs no booking. If Eastbourne is too far, the Peacehaven and Newhaven sessions the following week are closer to home. Check the Baby Week East Sussex listing before you set off, because times can change.
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