Baby Sensory
Baby Sensory classes for babies from birth to 13 months run at Avonway Hall, Avon Way, Portishead (BS20 6LT) every Tuesday, with three sessions spread across the morning and early afternoon. Classes are £8.50 per session booked termly, or £10 on a pay-as-you-go basis. Contact Julie Flook to check availability and arrange your first session.
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About this class
Baby Sensory at Avonway Hall runs three sessions each Tuesday: 9:45–10:35, 11:00–11:50 (birth to 6 months only), and 12:15–13:05. The class is part of the Baby Sensory Weston-super-Mare franchise, which covers Portishead, Clevedon, and Yatton, and has been led by Julie Flook since 2009. Julie came to the programme as a parent first — she attended her initial Baby Sensory session in 2008 with her baby girl, and the experience stayed with her.
Every session follows a detailed lesson plan that works through what your baby touches, sees, hears, smells, and feels. That might mean tummy time on textured mats, sensory signing, light-play, gentle massage, or movement activities — all drawn from research into how the infant brain develops. The programme was founded by Dr Lin Day, whose four-plus decades of work in early child development underpins every activity. One detail that speaks to that care: the instruments used in class have been measured for decibel level to ensure they are appropriate for babies' hearing, and the sensory area is arranged to match the distance at which young babies actually focus.
Sessions close by mimicking the sounds of the womb — a deliberate, quietening wind-down at the end of each hour. The termly themes give each block of classes its own character: the current Spring Term 2 is titled "Sunshine, Showers & Sensory Smiles", with workshops including Spring Showers, Baby Fun Time, and Jungle Jitters. The Summer Festival term runs from 28 July, with themes including Best of Britain, Superhero, and A Shark Tale. Free parking is available at the venue entrance, with additional parking across the road.
When it runs
Good to know
Common questions
What ages are the Tuesday sessions at Avonway Hall?
Two of the three Tuesday sessions (9:45–10:35 and 12:15–13:05) are open to babies from birth to 13 months. The middle session, 11:00–11:50, is specifically for ages from birth to 13 months — a tighter age window that suits very new babies well.
How much does a class cost?
Classes are £8.50 per session when booked termly, or £10 per session on a pay-as-you-go basis.
How do I book?
Contact Julie Flook directly: call 07966 532987 or email wsm@babysensory.co.uk.
What should I bring?
Comfortable clothing for your baby makes sense given the sessions involve movement, tummy time, and textured play. You are welcome to feed or cuddle your baby at any point during the session, so bring whatever you normally need for feeds.
What actually happens in a session?
Each session follows a structured lesson plan moving through sensory activities — creative play, massage, movement, visual development, textures, scents, and music, alongside songs and rhymes that support early speech and language. Sensory signing gives babies a way to communicate before they have words. Every session opens with the programme's signature song and closes by mimicking the sounds of the womb. The idea is that parents leave with activities they can repeat at home throughout the week.
Summary drafted with AI assistance from the provider's published details and reviewed before publishing — how we use AI.
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