Activities for babies, children and young people

What activities are there for children of all ages in the East Riding area?

The information below provides a summary of activities in the East Riding of Yorkshire for children and young people:

Countryside Events 

Countryside events run a variety of different outdoor adventures such as nature trails, den building, and tree planting.

The places to visit page gives you great ideas about days out across the East Riding.

Official tourist information from Hull and East Riding

You can find out about a wide range of activities, events and places to go for children (many of which are free) from museums, picnic sites to events such as carnivals on Visit Hull and East Riding:

Visit Hull and East Yorkshire (VHEY) (external website)

Volunteer activities

To find out about what volunteering opportunities are available to you visit the Do-it website or telephone the ERVAS volunteer centre on (01482) 871077.

Do-it (external website)

Volunteering can be a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and to enhance your CV.

It can give you valuable work experience, the satisfaction of time well spent and it will also be fun and enjoyable!

There is no age limit to volunteering but there can sometimes be difficulties for people under 16 to be placed within volunteering opportunities due to insurance reasons. If you have any concerns, ask the organisation that you are applying to.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

If you have a child with special educational needs and disabilities and would like to find out about activities that are disability-specific you can find out more using the East Riding Local Offer website.

If you can't find what you're looking for, please contact FISH on (01482) 396469.

Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme 

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council takes part in the national Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme which provides children and young people who receive free school meals with free fun activities and access to nutritious food during the Easter, Summer and Christmas Holidays.

Find out more on the Active East Riding website.

What activities are there for babies and toddlers under 5?

The Family Service Directory

The Family Service Directory holds information on a range of local and national services for families and young people. The Family Service Directory allows parents to search for local Parent and Toddler groups in their locality and the surrounding areas. 

There are lots of activities and friendly support groups available in your area for you and your little ones. 

Read more about what is available below: 

Children's Centres 

Your local Sure Start Children’s Centre offers a wide range of support and activities - a great resource for parents. Classes include: 

• 'Babies Playing' (a popular class where parents can meet and chat whilst babies can play safely)
  
• informal and friendly breast feeding support meetings
  
• first aid courses
  
• introducing solid foods 
  
• stimulating sensory rooms, and lots more.  

Find your local Sure Start Children's centre to see what's happening there. 

Parent and baby/toddler groups

Parent and baby or toddler groups are a great place to meet other parents with children your child's age. Your child can make new friends too and will be entertained and stimulated by a whole variety of toys, singing and craft. You can find out more using the Family service directory.

Library Bounce and Rhyme

A fun and friendly event for you and your baby or toddler. Contact  your nearest library for further details.

Library Story, Rhyme and Happy Time

Enjoy sharing songs, stories and rhymes with your baby or toddler, and help increase their language skills in these fun sessions. You can find out more by contacting  your nearest library.

Leisure baby swimming classes

Babies love to swim! Our new aqua baby award scheme introduces pre-school children from as young as four months to the water and teaches you and them to be confident in the pool.  Contact your local leisure centre for details. 

Leisure pre-school swimming classes

Pre-school swimming lessons are for children aged three to five years, with a maximum of six children in a class and the teacher is in the water to support the children. Contact your local leisure centre for details. 

What should I look for in a club or activity?

Keeping children safe is a parent’s first concern. It is your right and responsibility as a parent to check how well a club or activity is run, for the sake of your child’s safety and your peace of mind. Remember, a well run club or activity will welcome questions from parents.

Under each of the following headings are things for you to consider when finding clubs and activities for your child:

Staff and volunteers

Make sure you know who the staff are and what their roles and responsibilities are. Are there enough staff to appropriately supervise the activity? Who is in charge? Have they been trained in child protection and safeguarding? Have they all had Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks? Do they have the right qualifications?

Health and safety and insurance

Make sure that someone in charge is competent in health and safety and qualified in first aid. Find out how the leaders deal with and record accidents and if your child has had an accident, how do they let you know. The venue should display their public liability insurance certificate. Do they have regular fire drills and a risk assessment? Are the fire escapes easily marked and kept clear?

Security of the building

Children and young people should not be able to get out unsupervised and everyone should be asked to sign in and out. Speak to staff if you have concerns about the security of the building. Find out how they make sure only people you have approved can collect your child at the end of a session.

Policies

All clubs and activities should have a number of policies including child protection/safeguarding. There should also be a process for how to handle concerns about a child. Other policies and documents include anti-bullying and equal opportunities. You should be able to have a copy of these policies if you ask for them.

Information for your child

You should be asked to complete a consent form including your child’s personal details and any dietary, medical or special needs. This will help them to make sure your child gets the most from the activities. Make sure you provide emergency contact details and update them if they change. The consent form may also ask for permission for children to be on photographs or videos. Extra consent forms should be used for special events such as trips or residential visits.

Food and drink

If the club provides refreshments as part of the activity are these healthy and what is included? Does your child have any food allergies that they need to be aware of? Is there a leader with a qualification in food hygiene?

Relationships

The club or activity should have clear guidelines about physical contact and social activities between staff, volunteers, children and parents.

Follow this guidance and your child should have a great time and stay safe. If you do have any questions, call FISH on (01482) 396469.

Please note: inclusion of services and sessions is not an endorsement or recommendation.

For more information about childcare and other local and national services for families of young people you can view the Family service directory.