What’s happening at Little City around the UK?
If you’ve been to a Little City session before, you’ll probably know us for our child-
sized shops, cafés, construction sites, emergency services and all the imaginative
play that happens inside them.
You may have been introduced to us through our recent partnerships with Grow with
Iris and Crinkly Cloth, or maybe you first visited a Little City session aboard a P&O
cruise last summer…
However you found us, there’s much more happening across Little City than you see
at your local session.
With almost 40 branches across the UK (and growing), we’re always proud to shout
about something happening. Our teams are at the heart of their local communities,
and we’re constantly in awe of their work and the partnerships they are building.
From working with family services and supporting charities to trying new venues and
introducing Little City to schools, there’s always something to celebrate.
So, here’s a little recap of what’s been happening recently.
Little City is continually supporting families and local communities
One thing we love about Little City is seeing our teams become part of the
communities they work in.
Recently, Sam from Little City Lincolnshire, along with Emily and Issy from Little
City Sheffield, were invited to help launch Lincolnshire’s new Best Start in Life
Family Hubs. Together, the team attended six launch events, with hundreds of children and their families attending. These exciting new family hubs bring together services that
support families with everything from early years and health to parenting,
development, and additional needs.
We’ve long spoken about the importance of role play in a child’s development
because it helps them develop language and social skills, use their imaginations,
solve problems, and build skills that prepare them for school, so the team fit in
perfectly!
Over in Norfolk, Natalie has also been supporting her local community. At the end of
September, Little City Norfolk ran a free event to help raise awareness and funds for
a fantastic charity called Finnbar’s Force. This children’s cancer charity supports
children and families across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire by providing
“crucial information, free therapies, emotional care, and practical assistance.”
It’s another lovely example of how our teams can use Little City to bring families
together while supporting something that matters locally.
Taking Little City somewhere unexpected
One of Little City's joys is that its mobile nature lets us set up almost anywhere.
That often surprises people who only see us in their local community centre or
church hall.
In North Essex, Chiara has started a new partnership with Clip ’n Climb Colchester,
bringing two very different family activities together under one roof. The first
collaboration is happening in November, with another already planned for December.
Hopefully we’ll have lots more to share about this partnership next year. Hailey from
Little City Braintree has also tried something different by collaborating with
And in Lancashire, one of our newest branches, Little City East Lancashire has enjoyed not one but two visits with Tots Play Ribble Valley, with more events planned for Christmas and a longer play session at Giddy Kippers, too.
Partnerships like these open new ways for families to enjoy Little City and can be
especially helpful when you’re looking for activities that appeal to children of different
ages.
Meanwhile, Little City West Essex is getting ready to return for a special spooky
Halloween session during half term at London Museum Docklands. What a great
way to spend the half-term holidays!
We love seeing our teams exploring different spaces and partnerships because it
shows that Little City doesn’t have to happen in just one type of venue. We can
adapt to almost anywhere and bring our play sessions directly to where children are.
We’re continuing to make new connections with the education sector
Did you know that we have a thriving schools programme? That’s right, we don’t just
help your children with their school readiness; we work closely with schools to bring
learning to life.
Earlier this month, Kris, Leanne, Sam and Lucy were busy talking with headteachers
at the HFL Education Headteachers Conference in Hertfordshire, while Lucy and
Donna were at the National Education Show in Cardiff. These events brought
together people working across education, from early years and primary to
secondary and further education, alongside organisations that provide services and
resources for schools.
For us, events like these are an opportunity to meet more of the people working with
children every day and start conversations about the different ways Little City and
role play can support young children.
Whether we’re visiting a school, supporting a community event, joining forces with a
local organisation, or coming up with something completely new, there’s always
more to explore.
Little City is more than you might think.
When we catch up with our teams across the country, it’s always a lovely reminder of
how much happens beyond our regular sessions.
Our teams are part of their local communities. They’re building relationships, trying
new ideas, supporting organisations and finding different ways to bring the benefits
of role play to more children.
And who knows where Little City might pop up next?
If you work with children and families, run a local venue or are planning a community
event and think Little City could be part of it, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch
with your local Little City team and tell us what you’ve got in mind.
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