Open Play is an early years programme dedicated to open ended child-led play in museums, galleries and cultural spaces for children aged 4 and under based at Leicester Gallery.
Let your family’s creative curiosities wonder!
Upcoming Sessions:
Tiny Play
Tiny Play for tiny babies! A multi-sensory session for our littlest creative beings including material exploration and soft play.
- FREE – Sun 24th November 10am – 11am at Leicester Gallery
Aimed at 0-12 month olds / not yet walking babies.
Open Play
Material and sensory led open-ended play sessions, including soft play, where children lead the way.
- FREE – Sun 24th November 11am – 12pm at Leicester Gallery
- £ Pay What You Can – Sun 24th November 12.30pm – 1.30pm at Leicester Gallery. Do you have clothes with stains and marks from your adventures? Bring them along to this workshop, where we’ll colour in the memories with fabric pens and give new life to your beloved clothes. Please wear something you don’t mind getting a little messy in.
Aimed at 0-4 year olds.
Children’s Clothes Swap
The Children’s Clothes Swap is available to all at every session at Leicester Gallery. You can take as much as you want or need and drop something off in the future when your little one has outgrown it. You DO NOT have to donate to take things.
We’re coming together as a community to share clothes and the memories they hold, supporting each other to save money by not buying brand new whilst building a sustainable sharing practice. This is one small way we are helping families through the cost-of-living crisis.
Need clothing / equipment support? Click here.
We have partnered with Baby Basics Leicester. They are a volunteer-led charity aiming to support families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical needs of looking after a new baby or young child. They provide much needed essentials and equipment for free on a referral basis, such as:
- Moses basket starter pack
- Starter pack – NO basket
- Clothing bundle
- Mum/ Baby / child toiletries bundle
- Nappies
- Baby bath
- Toys & books bundle
- Maternity clothes
- Pram / buggy / double buggy
- Sling / carrier
- Bouncy chair / play mat
- High chair and weaning kit
- Feeding cushion
- Bottle bundle
- Cot, mattress and bedding
If you need help, please contact our friendly, caring and non-judgemental team and Open Play can make a referral for you. Email Morgan.
Want to try cloth nappies? Click here.
Are you interested in trying cloth nappies but haven’t found an affordable way to try it out to see if it suits you and your baby? We have our own long-term mini cloth nappy kit available for families to loan directly from us for FREE thanks Leicester Cloth Nappy Library. Get in touch if you’d like more info.
Links to other organisations who provide support.
- Leicester family hubs – https://dcs.leicester.gov.uk/family-information/start-for-life/
- Leicester Health visitors – https://dcs.leicester.gov.uk/childrens-centres/health-visiting-team/
- Food banks – https://www.rflifelinks.co.uk/foodbanks/#leicester
- Mental health support – https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/how-we-can-support-you/
- Support for pregnant and new mothers – https://www.mammas.org.uk
- Support for families with premature or poorly babies at LRI or LGH – https://prembabies.co.uk
- This Isn’t What Love Should Feel Like – https://feministsworkforchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/this-isnt-what-love-should-feel-like.pdf
- Homeless or at risk of – https://www.actionhomeless.org.uk/homeless-or-at-risk/
Got questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page or email Morgan.
“We love the sessions at Open Play. It’s a lovely environment and always fun. We would recommend to anyone with young children!“
– Open Play Parent Feedback