Over 200 families joined South Tyneside Family Hubs to celebrate BBC Tiny Happy People’s Asda stay & play event at Boldon Village Hall.

BBC Tiny Happy People support parents and carers to develop the speech, language and communication skills of their 0–4-year-old children, through simple, fun, no-cost activities.

The two-day event saw South Tyneside Family Hubs, National Literacy Trust, Foundation of Light and South Tyneside SENDIASS deliver a range of activities to promote communication through play.

Children enjoyed  a range of activities including rhymes and singing, and small word play linked to stories: ‘Whatever Next!’ and ‘Wear Going on a Bear Hunt’.

Families in attendance were treated to a visit from CBeebies presenter Cat Sandion, who hosted and provided a hands-on experience for the children through role-play.

One parent was delighted with the opportunity to keep her kids entertained and told us that her children enjoyed it just as much. “The activities got both parents and kids involved and we all had a wonderful time.

“It was very informative with lots of great ideas on how to have fun while helping with my child’s development.”

Another parent added: “We always keep an eye on the National Literacy Trust and South Tyneside Family Hub Facebook pages to see what’s going on.

“We love these events, and the resources are so useful. We don’t have any outdoor space, and these events help us to get out and we learn new things each time.”

Lynn Ward, Family Hubs Partnership Manager and Home Learning Environment lead commented: “It was a great opportunity to bring the local community together.

“We were able to showcase a range of services to our families and give them an opportunity to take part in an event which gave them ideas to use at home to support their child’s development.”

For further support around your child’s communication and development, check out our First Words Together and Early Words Together programmes.

To find out more about BBC Tiny Happy People, visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people or follow them on Facebook.

View the photos from the event here.