Baby playing with colourful balls at a baby class York

Nursery rhymes and sensory baby class in York

Baby and parent playing with scarves in a baby class York.

Welcome to Rhyme & Shine!

A new baby class in York built around nursery rhymes, music, play and spending time together.

Rhyme & Shine is designed to be a relaxed place to come with your baby, have some fun and enjoy some quality time together.

Each week, we take a familiar nursery rhyme and bring it to life through singing, movement, sensory play and simple activities.

There's no pressure for your baby to sit still, join in or do things a certain way. Babies can feed, sleep, cuddle, watch or get involved when they're ready.

Lyrics to nursery rhyme in baby class york

Baby reaching for bubbles during a baby class in York

Instructor at a baby class York holding a Rhyme and Shine sign

Why nursery rhymes?

Nursery rhymes aren't just songs to sing when you're trying to keep your baby entertained. They are a really useful part of early language development.

The repetition, rhythm and simple language help baby become familiar with sounds, words and patterns of speech. Singing together also encourages key skills such as eye contact, turn-taking and listening, while giving baby lots of opportunities to hear language in a fun and memorable way.

But don't worry if you're not a great singer! Your baby doesn't care if you know all the words or if you're slightly off-key - they just love listening to your voice.

A class for you and your baby

Having a baby is a huge change, especially when it's your first. The amount of advice about what your should be doing with your baby can be very overwhelming! Rhyme & Shine classes encourage your baby's development, but also give you ideas for simple ways to interact with baby while you enjoy time together.

Our sessions gently build with music, movement and play before finishing with some calm time - encouraging that all important nap for baby, and allowing you to chat to other parents.

For our Little Stars (0-4 months), activities focus on bonding, communication and sensory experiences, with parents doing most of the interaction.

Our Bright Stars (4-13 months) sessions become much more hands-on, with opportunities to read, grasp, shake, move, explore and play as they develop.

A little bit about me

I'm Katy, the person behind Rhyme & Shine.

I'm a qualified teacher specialising in Early Years and Key Stage 1, and I also have a degree in Child Development. I've always been interested in how young people learn and develop, particularly through play, communication and relationships.

Becoming a mum gave me a completely different perspective on those early years. I wanted to create the kind of class I'd want to go to myself - somewhere fun and relaxed, where you can meet other parents, and not worry about whether you're doing everything "right".

That's where Rhyme & Shine came from.

So whether you're a first-time mum finding your feet, you're new to York, or you're simply looking for fun to do with your baby each week, you'll be very welcome at Rhyme & Shine.