Early Years Sensory Workshops: We Are Wonderlings!

Nottingham Contemporary is running its early years sensory workshops, We Are Wonderlings, on Monday 23 November. It's part of the gallery's wider early years programme, led by their Play & Learn facilitators, and it's all about letting babies and toddlers explore the world through sensory free play in a safe, stimulating environment.

What makes it work for different ages is that the morning is split into three separate hour-long sessions, each tailored to a specific developmental stage. The first is for babies up to 12 months, the second for one- to two-year-olds, and the third for three- to four-year-olds. That means you're in a room with other little ones around your child's own age, rather than a mix of newborns and toddlers, so the activities fit the room.

The workshops take place in The Space, a large ground-floor room that's set up with noise-reducing headphones for both adults and children, which is a thoughtful touch if you're worried about things getting a bit loud. The gallery is also a Breastfeeding Welcome and Changing Places facility, so it's built for families with very young children. If you've got older ones too, it's worth knowing that during school holidays they run Family Activities for children aged 4-12, with Family Explorer and Sensory bags on loan to help families explore the galleries together.

Nottingham Contemporary is one of the largest contemporary art venues in the UK, and it runs its exhibitions, special events and family activities on a 'Give What You Can' basis: entry is free, but visitor donations help keep the programmes going. On the day, the sessions run from 10am-11am, 11.30am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-2.30pm, all in The Space on the ground floor at Cross Nottingham, NG1 2GB. Entry is free, with donations welcome.