“ARTY BABIES” IN POCKLINGTON

ENGAGING CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN MESSY PLAY

As told by Sara Waddington, Simply Books

As an independent bookshop it's important for me to be a real part of the community. My vision for the shop is for it to be a "cultural hub" but Pocklington is actually really well catered for in the arts for adults. So my focus has always been aimed at children, which as a mother of 4 children is something I enjoy and have experience with.

I have always done story time sessions at the shop but wanted to expand this for the summer holidays to include some craft activities. I asked Helen to help, having known her from the Montessori School, and from this the idea of arty babies was born.

The groups are hugely popular with parents and I love the fact that a previously underused room is now full of children's art and creations.

Obviously the benefits to the bookshop are that the group brings people into the shop on a weekly basis and they sometimes buy books but really it's more the goodwill from parents that the shop is this little haven of creativity for their children.

The group is a place where parents can encourage their children to express them selves through art and be creative in any way they choose. The children are not told what to do or how to do it and most importantly are not told what they can't do.

My specialty is literature but I want the bookshop to be a place that encourages any kind of creativity and Helen's group does that with children of such a young age, we get enquiries from parents of babies only a few weeks old!

Story told by Sara Waddington, Simply Books

Storycatch supported by City of York Council (Inclusive Arts, Arts & Culture) - July 2010