What would you want from a parents and kids group?

[Butterpie]

Giving serious consideration to starting a parents and kids group for young kids (maybe up to 7?). Loosly based around nature type activities, a bit like a mums and todds group except including older kids and a bit more structured, maybe using the nature detectives scheme, with craft activites, sing songs, support for the parents, games, all around a certain theme.

My eldest is starting to outgrow toddler groups, but I still want to do activities with her. There are grants availiable, and a good community centre nearby. I suppose it would be quite HE focused, but I would make it so school families could come too.

Would you bring your child to something like that? Does something like that exist already? I am in touch with the local HE groups, but the things are all a couple of bus rides away, we will go to them, but it could be nice to have a group where school kids come come as well.

Would also be a good way of local parents meeting each other.

Well, I think my younger three would enjoy something like that. You'd need to make it so that youngest siblings are either catered for or at least don't disrupt what the older children are doing.

Sounds exciting!

My two (5 and 7) are now in school and have hardly any free time left as they have after school activities most days and/or homework, and then need some time to chill/watch tv/play with friends.

So, I think pre school children might be a better target market. I like the idea, though! Good luck.

SO maybe focus more on HE kids?

The trouble is, if you get grants (we consdered applying for some), then you have to have targets. And if you have targets, then you have to prove you've met them in some way. There's a huge amount of work invovled in running a group if it's financed by grants - way more than if you just find a reasonably priced venue and rely on donations for resources and split the costs of the venue and anything else amongst hte families.

That's what we do, after much discussion and research and soul-searching. Also, we didn't want the intrusion of having to 'assess' how things were going.

If you have parents along too, then you don't have to worry about CRB checks officially, but I expect anyone awarding you a grant would want all the adults involved to be CRB checked etc. Would be a pain in the bum!

Your biggest stumbling block is going to be public liability insurance as you are going across 2 age groups and it will cost lots. I am chair for an under 5's group. We looked to allow up to 8year so we can open through school holidays and allow for older siblings to attend but our insurers wouldn't entertain it due to Health & Safety restrictions etc.... Talk to your local Early Years team at your local council, they should have an Early Years Liaison officer who will be able to help point you in the right direction.

Good luck x