ATTEMPTING to do shopping with your tot around or desperately trying to find ways to entertain them whilst the weather is exceptionally gloomy and wet can be quite the challenge.
Luckily, parents will be delighted to hear that a major store has come to rescue with free childcare – and they’ll even feed your kid for under a quid.
Yes, according to Yorkshire Live, you can now keep your tots entertained indoors for close to an hour without spending a single penny.
With the half-term school holidays now in full swing, many mums and dads will be wondering what to do with their bored kids – especially now that going outside for a walk in the gloomy weather is not necessarily the most appealing of options.
Although you could arrange a cinema date, take them to play centres or even bowling to fill the days, these are all options which can make for a pricey day-out when you have more than one child.
Another thing to worry about is also feeding them – but luckily, a number of chains are offering meals for £1 or less to help cash-strapped parents amid the rising costs.
One such popular place is IKEA, where tots can enjoy a hearty dish of tomato pasta, as well as a drink, for 95p.
You can also upgrade to a combination meal for £1.50, which comes with one hot meal, jelly, a soft drink, and a piece of fruit.
However, what many parents may not be aware of is that the popular Swedish retailer also runs a supervised creche called Småland where parents can get 45 minutes of childcare.
Småland is a free supervised play area that you can find located at the entrance of most IKEA stores across the nation.
The workers will look after kids between the ages of three to ten, whilst you’re browsing the store.
According to the retailer, there can sometimes be a waiting time dependant on how busy it is – however, you’ll be informed of this at registration.
All kids are then given a safety belt, which helps the staff identify who’s been signed in, and parents are always welcome to stay for five minutes in order to help their child settle.
As you’re off to do all the shopping, your tot can enjoy getting stuck in a range of activities, such as arts and crafts, reading literature or playing with interactive toys, including the giant ball pool.
Upon dropping their tot off, parents are given a buzzer, which will notify you five minutes before the 45 minute mark runs out and it’s time to pick them up.
Children with additional needs are also welcome in Småland, as the dedicated staff – all of whom are trained to at least NVQ Level 3 in Childcare – provide one to one care for children with SEN on the first visit.
It’s also worth adding that there’s always an expert trained in paediatric first aid in the play area, so there’s really not much to worry about.
The creches are open across most of IKEA’s locations nationwide, with the exception of Manchester, Birmingham and Croydon, which are joining in 2025.
You can find your nearest branch using the store locator tool online.
Recently, we also reported about 15 hours worth of free childcare parents are encouraged to apply early for.
Working mums and dads of two-year-olds are in line for 15 free hours per week in the April rollout of more help, per the Government’s budget announced last March.
