Wow, we’re 30 years old, when we started Vikki and I were pregnant and now our girls are all grown up!
We started Toddlers as a group of Mums who knew what we liked in other groups in the town, so we ‘stole’ the best ideas, added a craft table and with the support of the church we’ve carried on ever since.
It was really important to us that new parents should have a place where they felt welcome, where they could find other people discovering what it means to be a parent, who worried about the same things, and sometimes just wanted to talk about things that didn’t involve nappies, teething and the price of nursery care.

Jesus told us to Love our neighbours like we love ourselves, and we try to make Toddlers’ Club the place that we wanted to belong and to treat you like we want to be treated.

We’re not sure what the future holds for us, at the moment we are continuing with the activity bags and we can’t wait to get the gazebo out and see you all face to face, maybe in March?? One step at a time.

We need to thank so many people who have been involved in leading, making tea, getting the toys out, preparing crafts and giving us encouragement, so its best not to mention any names, just to say a special thank you to you for being part of our story.

You can’t have a party without a cake. In the bag are two sachets from Sainsbury’s Chocolate flavoured sponge mix with chocolate sauce. This is the list of ingredients and allergy advice.

You will need
a microwave
a mug which can go in the microwave (it will say underneath)
a fork.
Empty the contents of one sachet of cake mix into a standard size mug (approx. 225ml volume)

Add 3tablespoons (45ml) semi skimmed milk, and mix well with a fork.

Microwave on full power for 60 seconds 800w, 50 seconds 900w or 70 seconds 700w.

Drizzle with 1 sachet of chocolate sauce then leave to stand for 30 seconds before serving.

Add one candle and sing Happy Birthday to Toddlers’ Club
If you haven’t got an activity bag, there is a recipe for microwave cakes here from BBC Good Food.
If you haven’t got a microwave there are recipes online, but they are full of adverts so I’ve not put a link to them. Similarly there are mug cake recipes which avoid every known allergy, I’m sure you will have favourite sites.

At our Toddlers’ Club parties we always play some games but we start with some of liveliest songs

Hair and shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes
Hair and shoulders, knees and toes
knees and toes
and thighs and calves and heels and toes
Hair and shoulders, knees and toes

If you are happy and you know it
Clap your hands
If you’re happy and you know it
and you really want to show it
Clap your hands
If you are happy and you know it
Clap your hands

If you’re happy and you know it
Nod your head,
Stamp your Feet
Shout we are
Do all four

For thirty years we have been singing this song which reminds us that Jesus’s love is all around us.
Jesus’ love is very wonderful
Jesus’ love is very wonderful,
Jesus’ love is very wonderful,
Oh, wonderful love!
It’s so high you can’t get over it,
So low you can’t get under it,
So wide you can’t get round it,
Oh, wonderful love!

You put your left arm in
Your left arm out
In, out, in, out
You shake it all about
You do the hokey cokey
And you turn around
That’s what it’s all about
Woah, the hokey cokey
Woah, the hokey cokey
Woah, the hokey cokey
Knees bent
Arms stretched
Ra-ra-ra

You put your right arm in
Your right arm out

You put your whole self in
Your whole self out

At our party we like to play musical statues. Dance in your kitchen or the living room and when the music stops stand as still as you can, some of our favourite songs are SClub7 Reach and Queen Don’t stop me now, you will easily find them.
Harborough FM played Reach for us this morning.

Playing with a balloon is always fun, don’t forget to rub it against your clothes and make it stick (static electricity).

This seems like a good week to learn Happy Birthday in BSL.
There are birthday words at about 11 minutes on this video, also by Natasha and Kelly-Anne

Happy birthday to
Lily who is going to be 4
Isabella who is also going to be 4

If you have joined us at Toddlers’ Online let us know your child’s birthday and we will add them to the list.