Baby Sensory

Baby Sensory at North Holmwood Sports Club is run by Jacqui Walton, who has been leading classes in the Horsham, Dorking and Storrington area for 12 years. Two Friday slots — 10:00–11:00 and 11:30–12:30 — are available each week during term time.

The programme takes babies from birth through to 13 months. It splits into two developmental stages (birth to 6 months, and 7 to 13 months), so the activities in any given class reflect where babies actually are in their development. Each session is structured around a baby's natural play-rest-play cycle and includes creative play, tummy time, movement, massage, sensory textures, scents, and music — alongside an Exploratory Play Area and a dedicated Bonding Time. The music draws on original songs composed by Dr Lin Day, the programme's founder, including 'Say Hello to the Sun'. Sensory signing activities are woven in throughout, giving babies a way to communicate before they have words.

The physical setup is deliberate. The sensory area is arranged to match the distance at which a young baby sees objects clearly. Every instrument used in class has been measured to ensure its decibel level is appropriate for small ears. Each session closes by mimicking the sounds of the womb, which Baby Sensory uses to soothe babies at the end of every class.

For newborns from birth to 3 months, the Hello Baby strand runs alongside the main programme. It includes three separate elements: an observation workshop to help parents interpret their baby's behavioural cues; a colic, crying and comfort workshop covering the five main cries and techniques to reduce them; and a touch workshop working through massage, reflexology, yoga, and sensory integration. Parents are welcome to feed or cuddle their baby at any point during any session, and activities are adapted so that babies with physical or sensory impairments can participate fully.