Welcome to Talk, Listen, Cuddle Essex

Providing support for those early years…

Talk, Listen, Cuddle is an Essex campaign helping parents, carers and families give their young children the best start in life, developing their communication skills through playful learning at home.

Talk, Listen, Cuddle are the three ingredients needed to ensure young children get the best start in life

Welcome from the Essex Early Years and Childcare team!

We have written a variety of articles which feature top tips and advice for parents and carers with young children and cover the topics that we know are important to you.

You will also find lots of simple, fun and affordable ideas to support your child’s early language development through playful learning at home.

Family Resource Library

Our team of experts have created these informative articles to support you to support your child’s development and learning.

Explore Resources

Supporting Your Child’s Development

Learn more about the Early Years Foundation Stage and areas of learning.

Areas of Learning

Stages of Development for Language and Communication

Helpful information for typical language and communication development.

Guide to Stages

Starting Reception

Browse our special resource list made just for new reception starters

Starting Reception

Family Services In Essex

Find local, Essex based services for you and your family.

Family Services

Real Stories

The Talk, Listen, Cuddle campaign has been running since 2011 and we love to hear how you use our resources and advice at home! If you have any feedback, please email us at tlc@essex.gov.uk

I came across Talk, Listen, Cuddle on Facebook when researching ways in which I could help with my daughter’s communication. The resources are such a great support. We’ve introduced daily rhyme time and my daughter Violet really engages. My daughter’s speech may be currently delayed but talking, reading and singing will all help her to communicate when she is ready.

The main thing we have taken from Talk, Listen, Cuddle is to try and make everything fun. Thank you so much for providing the resources. We highly recommend all parents to check them out!

Rebecca – Mum of one – Chelmsford, Essex

Talk, Listen, Cuddle has been our ‘go to’ since our son was born. We’ve tried many things out from the website, including the playdough recipe and lots of baking/cooking. Thank you for all your guidance and advice!

Matt – Dad of one – Colchester, Essex

We have a display area showing the Talk, Listen, Cuddle resources in our corridor and have made home time activity bags that the children take home to use with parents. The parents are asked to write how and what they done with their child using these resources.

Your work creating Talk, Listen, Cuddle is amazing and we have used the resources for years now!

Schoolgate Nursery – Harlow, Essex

We have the Talk, Listen, Cuddle height chart up and the children love measuring each other – they do this just out of the blue!

Schoolgate Nursery – Harlow, Essex

We love using the Talk, Listen, Cuddle rhyme cards at singing time and the children choose their favourite ones to sing!

Schoolgate Nursery – Harlow, Essex

We enjoy using the rhyme cards from Talk, Listen, Cuddle to help us illustrate which songs we are going to sing, and which are our favourites. The children love them and we use props to go with them too!

Little Stars Childminding – Benfleet, Essex

Talk, Listen, Cuddle is my ‘go to’ page on those days when you just run out of ideas of things to do with the children indoors in these winter months. My children loved their idea of picking pine cones and decorating them! Talk, Listen, Cuddle are also fantastic for those little reminders like school applications and eligible childcare funding.

Rachel – Mum of two – Chelmsford, Essex

I was so excited when the Talk, Listen, Cuddle rhyming cards came home with my daughter from her nursery setting. She loves singing nursery rhymes and we use them as part of her bedtime routine, which Molly instigated herself. Molly will pick two nursery rhymes for us to sing before her bedtime story. I love the interaction, connection and fun that such a simple resource brings!

Emily – Mum of two – Colchester, Essex

Our children take home the Talk, Listen, Cuddle resources and here is an example of how they are used – the rhyme cards are on the wall in a child’s play shed, so even when not in nursery the cards are still in view being sung!

Schoolgate Nursery – Harlow, Essex

We had our parents event where we did a promotion of the Talk, Listen, Cuddle website and set up a table to highlight what’s available. I also made all of our new intake children a keyring of our ‘six essential summer songs’ for starting school. The resources were used as part of our early literacy workshops and parents really enjoyed the ideas. Thank you for all the resources!

Millhouse Primary School and Nursery – Basildon, Essex

Providing support for those early years…

Talk, Listen, Cuddle are the three ingredients needed to ensure young children get the best start in life

Family Resource Library

Supporting Your Child’s Development

Stages of Development for Language and Communication

Starting Reception

Family Services In Essex

Real Stories

Follow us for ongoing top tips and information!