Yorkshire Biz August 12 - Alison Jackson - Tots Play Leeds

Want to gain confidence  to play in ways which enhance your baby’s development?

In August, we are featuring many amazing female Yorkshire entrepreneurs by showcasing their business (#yorkshirebizaugust) and a bit of personal life on our shop blog. 

Make sure you enter our big Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway (#ybagiveaway) to win one of our prizes given out by these superwomen! No need to be in Yorkshire to enjoy our prizes. (read the bottom of this post to find out how to enter)

Today we are featuring Alison and her baby class business - Tots Play which aims to give parents and carers confidence and inspiration to play in ways which enhance their little one’s development

 

Business Name  

Tots Play Leeds East and Selby

 

Business Related Questions

Which part of Yorkshire is your business based? 

I live in a small village in North Yorkshire and run my business nearby in Sherburn in Elmet and Brayton, Selby.

Tell us a little bit about your business - What makes your business a little different from others?

Through my business, I run classes which give parents and carers confidence and inspiration to play in ways which enhance their little one’s development plus they have the opportunity to spend some special time together each week! The classes are different from others as they have a little bit of everything for little ones in each one… massage, yoga, sign language, music, movement and sensory play (and lots more!) I love the variety on offer!

What’s your favourite ever product or service that you currently sell or have sold?

It’s not a product or service specifically, but the friendships that develop between parents that meet through coming along to the classes.

Why did you choose this business to run or establish? 

I craved a career change- I was previously a primary teacher- and spent a LONG time figuring out what I wanted to do! Through the business, I can continue teaching and have increased flexibility to work around my family.

How are you pivoting or adapting your business during this crazy Covid virus time?

With a few minor tweaks, including delivering resources to customers, I moved online and have been running weekly sessions for the last couple of months for mums with little ones born during the lockdown. 

 

What is your one product or service you would recommend for either a pregnant woman, newborn mom, or for babies, toddlers, or young children? 

For parents of the littlest ones, I’d recommend the Baby Development Course. These sessions are kept small to ensure a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where you can get to know others in those early (and sometimes overwhelming) days of having a newborn! Simple ideas and techniques for playtime are shared over the sessions and they can all easily be replicated at home.

 

Personally Related

 

Who or what inspires you?

I have a friend who inspires me in the way she thinks and sees the world. She’s great at looking at both sides of a situation and looking for solutions. I always come away feeling good after seeing or speaking to her!

 

What TV shows can make you binge on all day long? 

I spent a lot of my teenage years watching Friends- it would be my specialist subject on Mastermind! I could quite easily binge all day on that but I also quite like a good crime drama or documentary.

 

What is your favourite ‘me-time’ or ‘self-care’ activity? 

That would be getting my haircut! I always book an evening appointment and make the most of an hour of peace reading magazines and drinking a hot chocolate with marshmallows. It’s bliss! After that ‘me time’, I meet up with friends who live nearby for a catchup. It’s become a bit of a ritual!

What is one thing you love about living in Yorkshire? 

After spending the first years of my life in a remote part of Scotland (which I do miss!), I love the easy access that Yorkshire has to cities, towns, the countryside and the coast.

 

What advice can you give to a new-born mom?

Put aside some time every so often to look through photos of your little one- there will be so many! Frame the ones you love, create picture books and photo albums to look through, make a canvas for your wall, upload to a digital photo frame. Make them visible so they’re not just sitting on a device!

 

Final Words

So there you go. I really hope you have enjoyed learning more about Alison and her fabulous business, if you'd like to find out more, here are her contact details:

 

Contact details:

Website: www.totsplay.co.uk/leedseastandselby 

FB: @totsplayleedseastandselby www.facebook.com/totsplayleedseastandselby  

Instagram: @totsplayleeds_selby www.instagram.com/totsplayleeds_selby 

Email: alisonj@totsplay.co.uk 

 

 

Yorkshire Biz August Giveaway

What are Alison’s gifts for the giveaway?

Alison’s giving out two sets of rainbow ribbon rings and wrist bells to be claimed by 30th September 2020.

One winner is drawn from Facebook entries and the other for Instagram's. 

 

 

Enter the Giveaways

If you want to enter our August Giveaway (entries close on 30 Aug 2020), click on the links below to take part.

Please make sure you read the description to understand how to enter the giveaway contests as the two giveaways have different requirements. 

 

By reading this interview article, we hope it will encourage you to support more small local UK businesses. It will be even better if it inspires you to create your own business! There are many other Yorkshire Biz August businesses we have to introduce you. 

Click here to find out more about the campaign and links to other interview blog posts. 

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