Waltham Forest Best Start in Life

19/11/2025

🌞 Healthy Start Vitamins – free this winter!

Winter sunlight isn’t strong enough for your body to make enough vitamin D, which is vital for your health and your baby’s development.
In Waltham Forest, pregnant women and babies can get up to three free bottles of Healthy Start vitamins.

If you receive certain benefits, you may also qualify for extra vitamins and a prepaid Healthy Start card for healthy food and milk.

👉 Check if you qualify and apply today (link in comments).

15/11/2025

++ Mini Morris at William Morris Gallery - Thursday 20 November ++

William Morris Gallery hosts monthly toddler-friendly crafting for 2-5 year olds.
This month, our youngest artists are invited to make colourful windows inspired by the stained-glass designs that you can find in displays.

Using colourful tissue paper and cellophane, explore the art of stain glazing and craft your very own vibrant window to take home.

Mini Morris sessions are free and drop in only! Donations welcome.

Choose from:
10am to 11am
11.45am to 12.45pm

For more information, visit the William Morris Gallery events link in our bio.

14/11/2025

Take a survey and receive £40 in shopping vouchers!

We need your help to tell us all about life in the borough and help shape how the council makes decisions and delivers services in the future.

We are planning a series of focus groups with residents and would love to hear your views. There will be a chance to take part either online or in-person and we will provide each participant with a £40 shopping voucher as a thank you for your time.

Find out more, check the dates, and express your interest in taking part via the link in comments. Register your interest before 19 November!

14/11/2025

Are you eligible for both working families’ and benefits related 2 year old free childcare entitlement? You might be missing out on food vouchers.

Did you know that if you are eligible for both 30 hours free childcare for working families and 15 hours free childcare for 2-year-olds for families receiving additional government support, you can claim your 30 hours by splitting the entitlement between the 2 programmes and receive half term supermarket food vouchers.

Just make sure to provide the 6-digit childcare code from Waltham Forest Parent Portal in addition to the 11 digit working families code from HMRC to your childcare provider and the food vouchers will be then sent you by post the following school holiday.

Apply for your Waltham Forest eligibility code to get your food vouchers on www.walthamforest.gov.uk/childcare

14/11/2025

Wood Street Wonderland is back this year and will be better than ever! ☃️

Join us for this free, family-friendly event on Friday 21 November, from 4pm to 7pm for a range of performances curated by local bar owner and events organiser, Pixie Presents.

There will be a larger Christmas Market this year too, and as with last year there will be food and drink available, a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) friendly space by the Together Space, free Santa’s grotto and of course the traditional lights switch-on countdown!

Come along to Troubridge Square, Wood Street (right beside Wood Street Library) 📍

Getting the festive feels? We've got you. Wood Street Wonderland is back this year and will be better than ever! ☃️

Join us for this free, family-friendly event on Friday 21 November, from 4pm to 7pm for a range of performances curated by local bar owner and events organiser, Pixie Presents.

There will be a larger Christmas Market this year too, and as with last year there will be food and drink available, a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) friendly space by the Together Space, free Santa’s grotto and of course the traditional lights switch-on countdown!

Come along to Troubridge Square, Wood Street (right beside Wood Street Library) 📍

This event is brought to you by Countryside Homes and Waltham Forest Council

Image credit: Countryside Homes

Find out more, link in the first comment 👇

12/11/2025

Roll up! Roll up! The Revel Puck Circus Winter Festival is coming to town! 🎪

The Revel Puck Circus return to Waltham Forest with The Winter Festival, taking place in Walthamstow Town Square between Walthamstow Central Library and 17&Central with two new shows:

🎪 Fête du Puck, a foot-stampingly audacious celebration of the past, present, and future of circus with an international cast of exceptional talent!

🎪The Ugly Duckling - a circus story, is for younger audiences aged 2 to 7, reimagining the classic coming-of-age tale with an acrobatic twist celebrates difference and finding your tribe.

As an added Christmas bonus, Waltham Forest residents are eligible for the concession ticket option plus an additional 10% with discount code WFC10.
To find out more and book tickets, check out the link in the first comment 👇

12/11/2025

Looking for a fun, free way to spend time with the kids?

Better centres across Waltham Forest are opening their doors for a Winter Open Weekend on Saturday 22 to Sunday 23 November, offering free activities for all ages – from swimming and soft play to family-friendly fitness 🏊🏾‍♀️🎾🏸

Explore your local centre and try something new together. Each centre has its own schedule online, so check what’s on near you (links in comments).

11/11/2025

🎶 It’s World Nursery Rhyme Week!

Our Best Start in Life sessions for children under 5 are celebrating with special rhyme-time songs and activities:
🎶 Sensory Play and Learn
🎶 Play and Learn Under 2’s
🎶 You and Your New Baby
🎶 Stories and Rhymes

These are free drop-in sessions, so come and join the fun! Plus, look out for nursery rhyme-themed crafts at your local library.
👉 All links are in the comments.

05/11/2025

❗Important announcement❗

Following sessions at Queens Road Family Hub are cancelled this week.
❗Thursday 10am-10.45am: Bambini’s Music and Play (0-1)
❗Thursday 11am-11.45am: Tambini Music and Rhymes
❗Friday 10am-12pm: 123 Mini Chefs

We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Sessions will return the next week (starting 10 November).

05/11/2025

🎶 World Nursery Rhyme Week is coming up! 🎶

From Monday 10 to Friday 14 November, we’re celebrating the magic of nursery rhymes and how they support early childhood development.
Many of our Best Start in Life sessions for children under 5 are hosting special rhyme time songs and activities:
🎶 Sensory Play and Learn
🎶 Play and Learn Under 2’s
🎶 You and Your New Baby
🎶 Stories and Rhymes

Look for World Nursery Rhyme Week and Best Start in Life events and come and join the fun. Plus look out for nursery rhyme-themed crafts at your local library!
All links in the comments section.

04/11/2025

It’s TOP TIPS TUESDAY and our Tip for this month from our PEEPs Learning Together Programme is around singing songs together.

Follow Chit-Chat Pitter-Pat for advice and tips around how sharing songs and music with your child can support their talking and listening skills.

This fits in beautifully with World Nursery Rhyme Week next week!

04/11/2025

From baby groups to play sessions, all in one place!

The Best Start in Life timetable makes planning your week with little ones easier.
It’s packed with activities for children under 5, from sensory play and baby massage to Lego and crafts clubs for toddlers - all happening at Family Hubs, community spaces and libraries near you.

Pick up a copy in Family Hub waiting rooms or in the children’s book section at your local library.