We were kindly invited along by the Lovely Emma at Baby Bloom Newcastle and Gateshead west to attend her Caterpillar Club during the January Term.

Bloom Baby is a multi award winning sensory class for babies in your local area and one of the fastest growing franchises available both across the UK and globally – find your nearest class here.

Emma runs several classes around Newcastle and Gateshead West. These classes run at Holy Cross Church Hall Fenham, Blaydon Winlaton Children’s Centre, Tesco Extra Kingston Park and also at Gosforth Village bowls club with her teacher Maura.

Classes are split into two age ranges..

• Caterpillar Club: For babies from 6 months to 15 months.
• Busy Bees Club: For babies from 6 months to 14 months.

We were kindly gifted our classes in return for a review, myself and Baby B attended Emma’s Wednesday class at Holy Cross Church Hall, Fenham – Whittington Grove, Newcastle upon Tyne NE5 2DD.

This class is the Caterpillar Club: that is for babies from 6 months to 15 months runs between 11am – 11:45am – this is the one we were gifted and attended over four weeks. we have enjoyed the class that much, we have booked onto the March term.

And the other one is Busy Bees Club: this is for babies from 6 months to 14 months runs after from 12:15pm to 1pm.

Before attending the classes, you will need to book prior. Classes vary on number of classes depending on the length of the school term, Bloom like to follow the school timetable for weeks in a term and then run specials in non-term time or holidays.

Bloom also always add classes on demand. Therefore, if customers use the waitlist function on the website, Bloom will go off this.

If you are wanting to book on the sessions later in the term,You can still purchase the last few weeks of the term avaliable at a cheaper cost, depending if there is any space left. They do sell out fast, so I would recommend booking soon as you can.

If you have previously booked through Bloom, you will get priority booking for their new term release.

Bloom open their waitlists for the next term as soon as they go live with the current term and will be notified you too.

You will receive an password to book the latest term in before anyone else on launch. This includes those on the waitlist too for 24 hours. And then after 24 hours, they will release all tickets to general sale.

The classes per term cost £35.

The classes have to be something you would be committed to as by signing up to this class you agree to the Terms and conditions. For example, if you were off due to sickness etc, you would not be able to ask for your money back.

The entrance to the hall is on Ovington Grove. However, You are welcome to use the Whittington grove car park.

And there is also local transport nearby you can access from Two Ball Lonnen or Cedar Road – 32, 84A. You could even get a bus to West Road and walk down.

The mama’s perspective: “The room is spacious, I parked Baby B’s pram inside. There is also a coat rail for parents to hang outerwear up during classes, Which I found ideal, especially on those colder days”.

There is toilets on-site and in the disabled toilets, there is a changing mat available.

However, There is no problem with changing your baby in your seated area on May during class. The mats are cleaned before and after every session. And Emma will encourage you to take care of your babies needs first. May this be take time out to change them if you need to, feed them their bottle or even just a cuddle.

The mama’s perspective: “ I would advice attendees to bring a blanket with them for their babies to lye on top of during the session”.

The class is a fun, musical baby development class encouraging fine motor skills, gross motor skills, speech & language development and body awareness.

Bloom do have a format that they follow for each class. Bloom like to follow a routine so babies attending the class gets used to the format and begins to recognise the activities.

They follow the Early years foundation stage curriculum, and all their activities are backed by eyfs.

As the babies develop, Bloom will you to take your baby from Caterpillar Club to Busy Bees, Bloom likes to build on your baby’s knowledge to expand their learning.

Caterpillar Club will focus on tummy time for neck and abdominal muscles. Unlike Busy Bees who focus on sitting using pincer grip to pop bubbles.

The mama’s perspective: “ it’s been great to see the change and development in Baby B’s neck strength since doing tummy time with Emma as part of the class”.

The Caterpillar class awakens babies first senses and stimulates in a fun, yet soothing way, using music, sensory props and sensory lights.

Each baby will have their own bloom bag laid out on the mat in front of them, to take part in the activities/songs. In the bag, there is Pom Poms and a transparent scarf. Emma will explain what you need as the activities and songs change during class.

The mama’s perspective: “ I felt like the dance routines were a slight work-out for my arms, especially with Baby B being a bigger baby. But this a fun way to get yourself working out after giving birth without feeling pressured and only a short part of the class”.

During the classes, they also have a parachute activity with sensory lights that Baby B loved.

Bloom like to mix it up with their theme time. Each week, there is a different theme. On our last session of the January term, We had our valentines themed session. some occasions may have their own event but they will be advertised on social media if this happens.

And each class will end with baby massage.

The class encouraging bonding..

The mama’s perspective: “Since attending the Bloom classes, I would say Baby B has became more aware of others, He likes to laugh at what others are doing and get involved with social activities a-lot more”.

Emma also likes to encourage that classes are for parents just as much as the babies.

It’s a great chance to get to make friends, meet like-minded parents in a super relaxed environment.