peep groups: overview

Peep groups are for mums, dads, carers and their children together, and aim to support families with their children's early learning in a simple and enjoyable way. The Learning Together Programme is intentionally flexible, enabling Peep-trained practitioners and/or families to choose the range of child development topics, and the number of sessions, that they want.  Groups can be for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers or mixed age. They can be hold indoors, outside or virtually online. 

An important part of Peep groups are the relationships that develop. There are usually up to a dozen families in a group. The welcoming approach and group agreement developed by all the families creates a safe space, where a sense of trust and security can develop. Parents and carers become confident in sharing their own experiences, challenges and ideas that they have tried at home. Groups can be open to all families in an area, or targeted to meet particular needs or interests - see examples below.

Peep practitioners (if appropriately qualified) can offer parents and carers the opportunity to complete an SQA credit-rated unit as part of the Peep Progression Pathway, over at least a dozen sessions. This can contribute to parents' confidence as a learner, and to their employability.

what happens in a peep group?

The different elements of a Peep group provide opportunities to have fun together and to share the key ideas that support children's development. Peep sessions include:

• songs and rhymes
• joint play activities
• a talking time for adults (chatting about an aspect of children's development)
• story and book-sharing time 
• ideas for families to try at home.

Adults do not need to read or write during a Peep group. Everyone is invited (but not pressured!) to join in during singing and talk time.

targeted peep groups

Peep groups may be targeted to meet the needs or interests of families. Parents/ carers and their children can attend universal Peep groups (open to everyone), but sometimes prefer, initially at least, to attend a group with people that they have more in common with.

These have included groups for young parents, dads, foster carers or kinship carers, parents with post-natal depression or low mood, families whose children have additional needs or disabilities, children with speech and language delay, expectant parents with substance dependency issues, traveller families, families with English as an additional language, child-minders, parents/carers with low literacy levels, etc.

The menu on the left includes a few examples of how Peep programmes have been used around the UK and beyond.