University of Essex Babylab

University of Essex Babylab We are a growing team of researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Department of Language

At the University of Essex Babylab, we study how infants and children learn and develop. Because babies cannot talk yet, we use indirect methods to find out what is going on inside their heads. Our research aims to answer questions like: How does the infant brain process social stimuli such as bodies and faces? How do infants develop language and an understanding of the world How do infants learn to copy others? Take a look at our website: https://www.essex.ac.uk/babylab

Essex Babylab coffee morning: why should you join us? 🤔👋 Meet other local parents☕ Take a proper break🧠 Learn about your...
31/05/2026

Essex Babylab coffee morning: why should you join us? 🤔

👋 Meet other local parents
☕ Take a proper break
🧠 Learn about your baby’s development in a simple, practical way
💬 Share experiences

The best part? It's completely free.

Our the next coffee morning, we will explore how repetition and predictability support children’s learning and development.

📚 What Comes Next? Predictability and Children’s Learning
📅 Thursday 18th June 2026
⏰ 10:00 – 11:30 AM
📍 At Colchester Library
Trinity Square, Colchester CO1 1JB

🎟️ Free tickets available via Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/yd62u8p8

We’d love to see you there ☕

Did you know that being copied by their caregiver may help babies learn to copy others?Our free course explores this and...
29/05/2026

Did you know that being copied by their caregiver may help babies learn to copy others?
Our free course explores this and other insights from developmental science.
More information here: https://tinyurl.com/538nck7k

Parents and caregivers — this one’s for you 👶Our free online course includes:✔ Short videos✔ Animations✔ Reflective acti...
26/05/2026

Parents and caregivers — this one’s for you 👶
Our free online course includes:
✔ Short videos
✔ Animations
✔ Reflective activities
More information here: https://tinyurl.com/538nck7k

Join us for the Essex Babylab Coffee Morning exploring how repetition and predictability support children’s learning and...
20/05/2026

Join us for the Essex Babylab Coffee Morning exploring how repetition and predictability support children’s learning and development.

📚 What Comes Next? Predictability and Children’s Learning

📅 Thursday 18th June 2026
⏰ 10:00 – 11:30 AM
📍 At Colchester Library (Colchester Library and Community Hub)
Trinity Square, Colchester CO1 1JB

We’re joined by Tom Northrop, PhD researcher at The Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth, University of East London. Tom will share insights from developmental science about how children perceive and understand events in stories, and how they form routines during playtime.

Families will also enjoy an interactive story session with local bookshop House of Joy, featuring shared book reading designed especially for babies and toddlers.

Tea, biscuits, toys, stories, and coffee provided ☕🍪📚🧸👶

Spaces are limited - book your free ticket now: https://tinyurl.com/yd62u8p8

🎉 Our free online course is now live!Learn about:👶 How babies learn about their bodies🧠 How they communicate internal ne...
18/05/2026

🎉 Our free online course is now live!
Learn about:
👶 How babies learn about their bodies
🧠 How they communicate internal needs like hunger and tiredness
🔁 How babies learn to copy others
💛 Caregiver wellbeing

More information here: https://tinyurl.com/538nck7k
Developed by researchers at the Essex Baby, including materials developed with Babybrains and animations by

Ever wondered how babies learn about their bodies, emotions, and the world around them? We've created a free online cour...
11/05/2026

Ever wondered how babies learn about their bodies, emotions, and the world around them? We've created a free online course in collaboration with translating research into practical parenting insights.
Launching soon! 👶

Photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash

A big thank you to  from  for joining us at this morning’s Essex Babylab Coffee Morning and speaking so openly about per...
07/05/2026

A big thank you to from for joining us at this morning’s Essex Babylab Coffee Morning and speaking so openly about perinatal mental health, and about the support that PANDAS can offer.

We also loved hearing from Dr Rigato about her research on the transition to parenthood and the emotional and brain changes that can come with this important life stage.

Especially during week, it felt valuable to bring parents, researchers, and community support together for such an important conversation. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

It’s almost time! The next Essex Babylab Coffee Morning is this Thursday 7th May for 10 - 11:30am. Book your FREE ticket...
05/05/2026

It’s almost time! The next Essex Babylab Coffee Morning is this Thursday 7th May for 10 - 11:30am. Book your FREE ticket here: https://tinyurl.com/nahjdzk2 and scroll through the images for directions and parking information 👉

Join Dr Silvia Rigato and guest speaker Jaime Tung for a Babylab Coffee Morning exploring how becoming a parent can bring changes that affect ourselves and our relationships, and how these differ between mothers and fathers.

Dr Rigato will share insights from research showing how early motherhood and fatherhood are influenced by social factors as well as individual brain, hormonal and behavioural changes.

After the short talk, Jaime will introduce the Parent Support Groups PANDAS and the resources available for parents who are struggling. This will be a safe, non-judgemental space to share challenges you might be experiencing as a parent.

Tea, biscuits, and toys provided ☕

Coffee Morning with Essex Babylab
‘Transition to parenting’
📅 Thursday 7th May 2026
⏰ 10:00 – 11:30 am
📍 At Essex Business School, Room 2.45 (University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ)

Silvia’s bio: Silvia is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Essex. At the Essex Babylab, her research focuses on the development of cognitive, social and perceptual skills and on those factors that can influence the development of these skills, such as infant temperament, maternal mental health and mother-infant interaction.

Jaime’s bio: Jaime is the founder of PANDAS Wivenhoe, a free perinatal mental health support group that meets fortnightly at St Mary's Church Annexe, offering parents a safe, non-judgmental space to talk through anything they're finding difficult. A parent of three young boys, Jaime trained with the PANDAS Foundation UK as a volunteer following her own experiences with birth trauma and postnatal depression.

Book your FREE ticket by scanning the QR code in the image or by visiting this link: https://tinyurl.com/nahjdzk2

Something new is coming from the Essex Babylab… 👀We're launching a free online course for parents and caregivers based o...
28/04/2026

Something new is coming from the Essex Babylab… 👀
We're launching a free online course for parents and caregivers based on our research. Stay tuned!

Coming up next week! Have you grabbed your FREE ticket yet?☕✨Join Dr Silvia Rigato and guest speaker Jaime Tung for a Ba...
28/04/2026

Coming up next week! Have you grabbed your FREE ticket yet?☕✨

Join Dr Silvia Rigato and guest speaker Jaime Tung for a Babylab Coffee Morning exploring how becoming a parent can bring changes that affect ourselves and our relationships, and how these differ between mothers and fathers.

Dr Rigato will share insights from research showing how early motherhood and fatherhood are influenced by social factors as well as individual brain, hormonal and behavioural changes.

After the short talk, Jaime will introduce the Parent Support Groups PANDAS Pandas Wivenhoe and the resources available for parents who are struggling. This will be a safe, non-judgemental space to share challenges you might be experiencing as a parent.

Tea, biscuits, and toys provided ☕

Coffee Morning with Essex Babylab
‘Transition to parenting’
📅 Thursday 7th May 2026
⏰ 10:00 – 11:30 am
📍 At Essex Business School, Room 2.45 (University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ)

Silvia’s bio: Silvia is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Essex. At the Essex Babylab, her research focuses on the development of cognitive, social and perceptual skills and on those factors that can influence the development of these skills, such as infant temperament, maternal mental health and mother-infant interaction.

Jaime’s bio: Jaime is the founder of PANDAS Wivenhoe, a free perinatal mental health support group that meets fortnightly at St Mary's Church Annexe, offering parents a safe, non-judgmental space to talk through anything they're finding difficult. A parent of three young boys, Jaime trained with the PANDAS Foundation UK as a volunteer following her own experiences with birth trauma and postnatal depression.

Book your FREE ticket by scanning the QR code in the image or by visiting this link: https://tinyurl.com/nahjdzk2

Address

Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
CO43SQ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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