Free music and picnic sessions for under threes on offer in Chatteris

Cambridgeshire Music – the county’s music education service – is inviting new parents in Chatteris to come along to free Sing,

Chat and Rhyme sessions.

Sing, Chat and Rhyme is aimed at mums and dads with children under the age of three. Participants are invited to a free, weekly session, where

they can take part in musical activities designed to encourage parent-child interactions, and to strengthen young children’s communication and

other core skills essential to their development.

At the same sessions, the parents can also share a free picnic meal with other people from their community and hear from a guest speaker offering advice and practical support about volunteering, training and employment.

The weekly sessions, which are designed particularly for parents who are not in education, employment or training, are running on Thursdays until

March 19 (except February 20 which is half term).

The sessions will be held at the centre on Ormiston Chatteris Child and Family Centre, Larham Way from 1pm to 3pm, and is led by Cambridgeshire Music, which runs music lessons and projects across the county.

The project is based on a highly successful pilot initiative that ran in three different Cambridgeshire locations last year, which used music to encourage interactions and build young children’s communication skills. In a subsequent evaluation report, observers recorded clear improvements

in the participating children’s grasp of both language and numbers, as well as in the confidence of parents and children alike.

The programme will introduce parents and children to accessible musical activities that they can do at home. These capitalise on the widely-

acknowledged power of music to tap into young children’s natural sense of rhythm, and to function as a universal language that can accelerate their cognitive development and language acquisition.

Alex Bowen said: “Sing, Chat and Rhyme has the potential to support young parents in our communities for whom everyday life is an uphill

struggle, and to improve the prospects for their children.”

Parents will be able to hear from a visiting speaker at each week, who will introduce them to ways in which they can find employment, training, or

get involved with their community.

Alex added: “Whatever their situation, this programme will help to develop critical communication skills for the children, while giving their

parents greater confidence, new opportunities and stronger links to their

community.”

All sessions are free but participants are invited to sign up in advance via the Ormiston Child and Family Centre website.