Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999

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Chat Play Read

Helping boost your child’s learning ready for going to school.

All the little things you do with your child, like everyday conversations, make-believe play and reading together, make a big difference to their development.

Parents and carers in Nottinghamshire are being advised that the Start for Life campaign provides lots of ideas that can help boost your child’s learning and help set them up nicely for when they go to school. You can slot them into your routine and your children will love them. Such as:

  • Play ‘I spy’ on the bus with them, and you can see their imaginations light up.
  • Talk to your child about what has happened so far in the day – for example, “We went to the shops this morning, didn’t we? We bought some apples.” And talk about what is going to happen next – “After lunch we’ll do the washing up.”
  • Look at picture books together. With each new page, give your child time to point out things to you and talk about what they can see.

Visit the Start for Life online hub for other simple tips and activities, or to find further support in your local area.

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Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust runs a confidential secure text messaging service for parents of children aged 0-19 years called Parentline. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9am and 4.30pm, excluding bank holidays. All texts will be responded to by a public health practitioner within 24 hours. Outside of the service working hours, you’ll receive a message back to inform you that your text will be responded to once the line reopens.

  • Parents and carers of children aged 0-19:

    text

    07520619919

Should you require urgent health advice in the meantime, please contact your GP, visit an NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. For emergencies, dial 999 or visit A&E.

This page was last reviewed on 17-10-2022

This page will be next reviewed on 17-10-2025