Baby Sensory

Baby Sensory at The WOW Centre in Great Lumley is run by Ashleigh Young, who brings a degree in Early Childhood and Curriculum Studies and a BTEC National Diploma in Early Years, plus more than a decade as Deputy Manager of a children's centre daycare. That background matters: every session follows a detailed lesson plan covering everything a baby touches, sees, hears, smells, and feels, with instrument volume measured to make sure nothing is uncomfortably loud, and the sensory area laid out at the distance babies actually focus clearly.

A typical session opens with Baby Sensory's signature song, then moves through creative play, tummy time, movement, texture and scent exploration, and sensory signing. Original and traditional songs and rhymes run through each class to build early speech and language. At the close, the session settles babies with sounds that mimic the womb — a deliberate wind-down built into the programme format. Everything is designed so parents can repeat the activities at home without specialist kit.

Alongside the standard Baby Sensory programme (0–13 months), Ashleigh also runs Hello Baby for ages from birth to 13 months to three months. That strand takes a closer focus on the earliest weeks: reading behavioural cues, understanding different cries, colic management, and gentle massage and reflexology techniques. Parents are welcome to feed or cuddle their baby at any point during the session, so there is no pressure to time feeds around the class. Ashleigh covers Chester-le-Street and Washington West.