Look, Say, Sing, Play is a set of resources which encourage interaction between parents and their babies.
Parents and carers interact with their babies all the time without always realising how those interactions shape the way their baby’s brain develops.
Improving interaction and encouraging parents to be more sensitive to their baby’s cues helps parents identify and respond to their needs.
It also improves attunement and sensitivity of parents from an early stage, setting up positive behaviour as their child grows.
These brain-building resources are based on the work of Vroom, a US public health initiative that uses the science of early learning to help parents improve back-and-forth interactions with their children.
Serve and return interactions – when a parent responds positively to their child by speaking, gesturing or touching – help shape brain architecture by building and strengthening the neural connections that babies need to develop communication and social skills.
This set of resources will help you to provide parents with brain-building tips that they can easily incorporate into their everyday routine and boost their child’s development.
The Institute of Health Visiting and the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University have worked with the NSPCC to evaluate Look, Say, Sing, Play. The evaluation was published in 2022 and considered how parents used the resources with their babies, the impact on interaction between parents and their babies when using them, how local campaigns were implemented, and whether this affected how practitioners used the resources with parents.
> Read the full evaluation report
References
This leaflet gives parents a handy introduction to brain-building tips for their child from birth, up until the age of 2. It helps them understand how they can bring more interaction in to their daily routine, and gives them an introduction to the science behind the campaign.
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play leaflet (PDF)
A series of four posters to display where parents will see them. Each design give a different brain-building tip on how to interact with their baby and encourages parents to sign up for weekly tips via email.
> Download the set of four Look, Say, Sing, Play posters (PDF)
You can also download the posters individually:
Ten activity posters outlining a range of different age-appropriate tips which parents can try with their child. These can be displayed and used around children's centres where Look, Say, Sing, Play sessions are running or by parents independently.
> Download blowfish activity poster (PDF)
> Download colour hunt activity poster (PDF)
> Download copy cat activity poster (PDF)
> Download follow the face activity poster (PDF)
> Download fun with fingers activity poster (PDF)
> Download saw the sign activity poster (PDF)
> Download sharing the story activity poster (PDF)
> Download sing-song voice activity poster (PDF)
> Download space explorer activity poster (PDF)
> Download vroom, vroom activity poster (PDF)
There are three different session plans. The first is a guide to running a standalone session, the second is a guide to running a virtual session, and the third is a shorter version with ideas of how to incorporate Look, Say, Sing, Play messages into an existing group or activity.
We have also provided an information sheet for practitioners, containing key information that is helpful to know before delivering a Look, Say, Sing, Play session.
> Download the standalone Look, Say, Sing, Play session plan (PDF)
> Download the virtual Look, Say, Sing, Play session plan (PDF)
> Download the guide to including Look, Say, Sing, Play into an existing group (PDF)
> Download the information for practitioners (PDF)
Easy-to-use display materials to share Look, Say, Sing, Play tips and activities with parents.
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play display pack (PDF)
Four activity sheets outlining a range of different age-appropriate tips which parents can try with their child. These can be used within a session which is outlined in the plans above or by parents independently.
> Download the set of four Look, Say, Sing, Play activity sheets (PDF)
Two A4 sheets to be printed double-sided and cut into 17 flashcards. Each card gives an everyday activity parents can try with their child. The flip-side of each card explains ‘the science bit’ - how the activity helps their child’s development.
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play flashcards (PDF)
We worked with Project MAMA a charity which supports refugee and displaced mothers facing layers of challenges including English language barriers. Together we created five A4 sheets to be printed single-sided and cut into 18 flashcards. Each card gives 'the science bit' in accessible language, a brain-building tip and illustrations by Rosanna Morris. An accompanying guide containing the full version of each activity is also available.
> Download the adapted Look, Say, Sing, Play flashcards (PDF)
> Download the professionals' guide (PDF)
Download our activity booklet and resources specifically designed for fathers.
> Download activity booklet (PDF)
> Download insights resource (PDF)
> Download activity sheets (PDF)
Some of our Look, Say, Sing, Play resources are also available in Welsh, Polish and Somali.
Welsh
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play leaflet - Welsh (PDF)
> Download the set of four Look, Say, Sing, Play posters - Welsh (PDF)
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play flashcards - Welsh (PDF)
> Download the plan for incorporating Look, Say, Sing, Play into a session - Welsh (PDF)
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play standalone session plan - Welsh (PDF)
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play activity sheets - Bilingual (PDF)
Polish
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play leaflet - Polish (PDF)
> Download the set of four Look, Say, Sing, Play posters - Polish (PDF)
Somali
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play leaflet - Somali (PDF)
> Download the set of four Look, Say, Sing, Play posters - Somali (PDF)
References
Our briefing outlines the insights behind Look, Say, Sing, Play - giving an overview of the evidence which underpins the campaign and the research project which the NSPCC has commissioned.
> Download the Look, Say, Sing, Play briefing document (PDF)
We’ve been working with communities across the UK to develop these resources and activities for their local areas. This involves running workshops, not just for professionals, but for parents too.
> Get in touch with us about running a local campaign in your community
For more free tips and expert advice on how you can help your child learn to talk, visit Talk with Me – the Welsh government’s campaign on speech, language and communication for children aged 0 to 5 years.
Use our resources to find out about child health and development, spot and respond to signs of mental health issues and foster strong mental health and development in children.
Explore the science behind child brain development through practical exercises, case studies, examples and more.
We have a variety of leaflets and resources which you can share with parents and carers to provide useful information and help make conversations about keeping their child safe easier.
