Stay and Play sessions are a chance for children to work upon their sensory development and to be able to play with the wide selection of toys and equipment as well as all the other sensory equipment in the children’s library. Located in the heart of Cheam Library, the one-hour session is the perfect time for your child to step out of their house and to engage with other children. Suitable for ages 0-5 come and book your place now!

The great thing about these sessions is that it gives you an opportunity to play with different kids of several ages. Starting from a very young age, kids start to develop important skills such as teamwork, sharing, being respectful and being kind to others. At the same time as learning these skills, the kids fully enhance their experience by the wide selection of toys and equipment.

Whilst interviewing a working parent named Rob Griffiths, who brought his son Gus to the session, he said, “it’s really good because he is our only child and he can interact with other children, about the same age, a little bit younger and also some older. It’s a valuable resource since you can't get that at home.”

Rob Griffiths also added, “I do the main things with him like feeding, changing etc however this is a different opportunity, and it really connects him with other children, staff and activities."

The library has a wide selection of toys, and the best part is that the toys get rotated quite often so that small inquisitive minds don’t get bored. Each toy has its own special feature such as a rotary dial, a music element etc. Looking at all the toys available, almost all the toys had a music element to it. Exposing music to children at a young age helps with sensory development but also increases their memory, their motor skills and coordination.

The cost of the session is absolutely free however booking is essential. Located in the library, the children aren’t only exposed to toys but also to a vast selection of story books and books focussed on sensory development. Touch- and- feel books encourage interaction through the touch, feel and sound panels which helps make reading more fun and instils a lifelong love for books. In addition to this, kids learn new vocabulary and also learn how to associate the textures they feel with the words they describe.