Baby Sensory

Marie runs three sessions every Tuesday at Ripley Leisure Centre on Derby Road: Younger Babies (0–6 months) at 10:00, Older Babies (6–13 months) at 11:30, and a Mixed Ages session (0–13 months) at 13:00. All are term time only and cost £8.50 per session. The Central Derbyshire franchise also covers classes in Belper, Ashbourne, and Matlock.

Each hour-long session follows a structure built around a baby's natural play-rest-play cycle — active, stimulating activities woven with quieter moments so babies aren't overwhelmed. Creative play, tummy time, baby massage, movement, and textures are all part of the mix, alongside sensory signing activities that give your baby a way to communicate before speech arrives. Music runs throughout: original songs composed by the programme's founder, Dr Lin Day, sit alongside traditional nursery rhymes chosen to support early speech and language development. The instruments have been measured for decibel levels to ensure they are not too loud, and the visual sensory area is arranged to match the distance babies actually focus on clearly.

Every session closes with womb sounds to soothe babies at the end. You are welcome to feed or cuddle your baby at any point — the session does not require you to keep pace. The two developmental stages mean the activities match where your baby is now: 0–6 months and 6–13 months are handled separately, with a mixed session available too. If you have a newborn aged under three months, the Hello Baby sub-programme — covering observation, crying and colic workshops, and massage — is available by contacting Baby Sensory directly.