At Home and Childcare
Where to begin with Welsh?
If you’re keen for your child to speak Welsh, go for it now! Use any Welsh you’ve got, the cariad bach (little darling) will love it!
Relax and entertain the children!
For Welsh language entertainment at home and out and about, your local library has loads of bilingual picture books, S4C has a CYW (little chick) service for young children with cartoons, apps (Antur CYW) and magazines, and is on the television every weekday morning from 6.00-12.00.
Find out about local groups for babies and toddlers
Cymraeg i Blant | Cymraeg for Kids
Free weekly baby groups to introduce Welsh to you and your baby through rhyme, sign and song. Visit www.meithrin.cymru or for a list of the local Cymraeg i Blant groups on Facebook visit the Life in Welsh page
Ti a Fi | You and Me
Drop in play sessions for you and your toddler to play and make new friends. For information on childcare and education visit www.meithrin.cymru
Day Nursery and Childminder
Ask your local nursery how they use Welsh in everyday activities. To search for childcare go to The Family Information Service
Cylch Meithrin and Flying Start
Playgroup sessions for children aged 2+. Setting may offer:
- Flying Start
- Childcare Offer for Wales
- Rising 3 Nursery Education
- Wraparound childcare
Visit www.meithrin.cymru
Play with the language
When the kids are in nursey or school you may find yourself picking up a bit of the language from them. You’ll hear words that you may already know, have a guess:
amser chwarae / brechdan caws / peldroed / cwtsh / ci bach / ble mae’r esgidiau?
play time / cheese sandwich / football / cwtsh / puppy / where are the shoes?
Soon they’ll get to know Mudiad Meithrin's characters Dewin an Doti the dog, the Siarter Iaith (the Welsh Government's Welsh around the school project) characters Seren a Sparc, and sing Rwdolff y Carw Trwyngoch (yes, Rudoph the Rednose Reindeer in Welsh) ac Dafydd Iwan’s football anthem, Yma o Hyd!
If you’d like to learn more Welsh visit the Life in Welsh page for real life, on-line, and app based learning Welsh.
For more about bilingual organisations such as Urdd, Mudiad Meithrin, Cymraeg i Blant, the Mentrau Iaith, play activities and the National Eisteddfod (which is in Rhondda Cynon Taf in 2024) please visit the Life in Welsh page.