Physical Development Network: Move to Thrive! Baby Music & Sensory Play
Discover how music and sensory play support babies’ communication, movement and emotional growth. Perfect for baby room practitioners.
Date and time
Location
Online
About this event
- Event lasts 1 hour
Ideal for baby room practitioners looking to deepen their understanding
From the very beginning of life, babies are learning through their senses—taking in the world through sound, touch, movement, and rhythm.
Music and sensory play offer some of the most powerful opportunities for early connection, communication, and development.
In this session, we’ll explore how these experiences support core areas of the EYFS, particularly:
- Communication and Language – promoting early listening, turn-taking, and sound discrimination
- Physical Development – supporting sensory integration, coordination, and early motor control
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development – nurturing secure attachments, emotional regulation, and joyful interaction
We’ll also link these approaches to developmental milestones, including early responses to sounds, emerging body awareness, and the beginnings of expressive communication.
This session will offer practical ideas, gentle guidance, and a deeper understanding of why these early sensory interactions are so vital for lifelong learning and well-being.
Let’s dive into the world of sound, sensation, and discovery—together!
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Join our Physical Development Network: Move to Thrive!
A community of early years educators sharing best practices around movement, motor skills, and physical activity.
The network will provide:
- A platform for training, resources, and evidence-based strategies to support children’s physical development.
- A space to promote staff wellbeing through movement-based approaches that benefit both children and practitioners.
- Opportunities to collaborate across settings, share resources, and embed physical development into curriculum planning.
Why It Matters
Physical development is foundational for cognitive growth, emotional regulation, and academic readiness, especially skills like handwriting, coordination, and posture.
What we are offering
A series of three network meetings facilitated by Helen Battelley, designed to build self-belief, confidence and competence.
Network sessions will support staff well-being and nurture a deeper understanding of movement practice and its theoretical underpinnings.
Each session can be accessed as a standalone session, or join all three to deepen your knowledge, understanding, and practice in this prime area of learning and development.
About the Facilitator
Helen Battelley is an internationally renowned consultant, author, and trainer in Early Years Physical Development.
She chairs the National Early Years Active Start Partnership (NEYASP), driving positive change in policy and practice across the UK.
Helen lectures at multiple UK universities, is an AfPE-approved provider, and delivers global training on embedding movement into early years curricula.
She co-developed the Physical Activity Adventure Pack, consulted on Sky TV’s Animal Movers and Mini Me, and created Physical Phonics for the National Literacy Trust.
Helen’s work champions play and physical activity as vital foundations for every child’s development from birth.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! All of the HEART Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub activities are funded by the Department for Education (DfE).
The HEART Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub is funded to offer activity to early years providers/practitioners based in Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Solihull, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
If you are outside these areas but work in the early years sector and would like to attend, then of course we would love to see you! However, we will prioritise places for practitioners within our area if numbers are limited.
It might be full! We add a waiting list to all of our bookable activities and you might be offered a place if someone else's circumstances change and they can no longer attend. We also review waiting lists and will endeavour to offer the activity at a future date if there is a lot of interest.
If your circumstances change, PLEASE sign back in to Eventbrite and cancel your place to release it to someone else on the waiting list.
Organised by
All our activity is funded by the Department for Education. HEART Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub covers Birmingham, Coventry, Herefordshire, Solihull, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.