Family

Forget tablets and toys, Yoto is the Christmas present children can enjoy all year round

Yoto is the screen-free Christmas gift children can use every day

New Gen Yoto Player

Yoto Mini 4th Gen vs 2024 Edition: my verdict on which is worth buying

I’m making a Halloween boo basket this year and Sainsbury’s has everything I need

How to make a Halloween boo basket with treats and gifts

The much-loved Winter Wonderland is returning to Center Parcs with a magical new experience this year.

Center Parcs introduces magical new experience for Winter Wonderland 2026

The new Yoto Mini 4th Generation starts shipping today and I’ve already ordered one for Christmas

The new Yoto Mini starts shipping today and I can’t wait to get mine

Everyone’s favourite dog Bluey has just landed on Yoto and we can’t wait to listen

Bluey fans can now listen to their favourite stories on Yoto

Boo at the Zoo returns to Whipsnade Zoo this October half term

Don't miss Whipsnade Zoo's Halloween ‘Boo at the Zoo’ must-visit event

LEGO DUPLO bricks are designed for little hands and can be used to create colourful models through open-ended play.

6 skills toddlers can learn through LEGO DUPLO play

From left, Rina and Gabi accepting their cheque from the National Lottery Community Fund

CIC to deliver SEND families project thanks to £20k from National Lottery

Everyone’s favourite dog Bluey has just landed on Yoto and we can’t wait to listen

Bluey fans can now listen to their favourite stories on Yoto

Bedford Central Library, in Harpur Street

Have your say on £4.5m Bedford Central Library upgrade
How do you think the library in the town centre can be developed?
Clare Turner

Throughout August, any dropped ice creams at Wrest Park will be swiftly replaced (Picture: English Heritage)

Wrest Park promises to replace any dropped ice creams, no questions asked

Bedford Beach Week is back this summer

You don't need to be beside the seaside as Bedford Beach Week returns

A new Bedfordshire fostering hub is to be set up to help recruit more foster carers

New hub to recruit and support more foster carers for Bedfordshire

Whipsnade Zoo African lion cub greets keeper Nel. (Picture: ZSL)

5 adorable rare lion cubs born at Whipsnade Zoo

Ten toys and games under £10 that will keep kids entertained all summer holidays

Ten toys under £10 to keep kids entertained this summer

Sainsbury's three for £8 picky bits deal includes a wide selection of quick and easy family favourites. Stock image.

Sainsbury's £8 deal is helping families save on summer meals

Sainsbury's three for £8 picky bits promotion includes a wide range of quick and easy family favourites. Stock image.

Sainsbury's £8 deal could make summer holidays easier

The Owlet Dream Sock is a wearable smart baby monitor that tracks pulse rate, oxygen levels and sleep through a companion app

Parents can save £100 on the Owlet Dream Sock smart baby monitor

Bedford Borough Council has unveiled its Family Hubs summer holidays 2026 timetable

Bedford council is running host of family activities and events for the summer

The charity's summer campaign will help give children a great day out this summer

Charity’s plea to give children escaping abuse a fun day out

Central Beds Council has approved new support services for vulnerable children and families

New support services for vulnerable children and families in Central Beds

NASA's Artemis II moon rocket on Launch Pad 39-B just before sunrise at the Kennedy Space Center

Artemis 2 launch: NASA rocket lifts off as LEGO set trends

Despite their young age, children are spending more time on phones than ever – raising urgent questions for parents about safety, supervision and screen time

Parents turn to safer phones as kids’ screen time warning lands

Aldi's lamb dinner is available for just over £2 a head for a family of four this Easter.

Best Easter 2026 supermarket deals: Aldi's meal is just over £2 a head

The breakfast club at Beecroft Academy in Dunstable now opens half an hour earlier thanks to Central Bedfordshire Council's support of the National Wraparound Childcare Programme

Central Beds Council creates extra places at wraparound childcare clubs

Picture by Matt Seymour for Unsplash

Police in call to Bedfordshire parents to park responsibly

Freebies galore in this special Simba Sleep promotion

Simba Hybrid mattress review: the upgrade that fixed my sleep
After years of waking up with a bad back, I finally swapped my old mattress for a Simba Hybrid – and the difference was obvious from night one.
Marc Reeves

Central Bedfordshire Council has published its latest Children's and Young People Plan

Central Bedfordshire Council publishes new Children and Young People’s Plan

The annual Duck Dash event will see 1,700 rubber ducks race down a river in Bedford on Saturday, March 21. Photo: Duck Dash Treasurer

The quacky tradition making a splash with 1,700 rubber ducks this weekend

From left, the ingredients for dal soup and Karah making semolina pudding

Bedford residents share family recipes in new community cookbook

Richard Fuller, Tory MP for North Beds, thinks under 16s should be banned from using social media

MP calls on social media ban for under 16s

Gaby Green with surprise baby George (Picture: Nicola Ferguson)

Couple get pleasant surprise as mum gives birth with no pregnancy symptoms

An event took place to celebrate the success of the Mockingbird programme across Bedford borough

Third mockingbird 'constellation' comes to Bedford to support foster families

File photo of a baby in a maternity ward. (Photo by DIDIER PALLAGES/AFP via Getty Images)

68 new midwives to join hospitals trust - but recruitment could take 2 years

Now's the time to plan for Mothers Day

Mothers Day 2026 UK: date and 25 brilliant gift ideas

Parents across Bedford are being encouraged to make sure their children's measles vaccinations are up-to-date, following news of a fast-spreading outbreak in London

Clinics available in Bedford in response to measles outbreak

Inflation drops - but energy prices remain stubbornly high

Inflation falls but electricity bills jump 5.3%

Maternity services at both Bedford and the L&D Hospital have been rated inadequate

Maternity services at both Bedford and Luton Hospitals AGAIN rated inadequate

Your local pharmacy can assess and treat seven health common conditions and, where needed, supply prescription-only medicines. Photo: Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board

Pharmacy sore throat consultations up 80% as winter illnesses increase

Amy Natasha Watson and Ross William Watson have received British Empire Medals for their services to foster care. This is a file photo used at the individuals request.

'We have always wanted to dedicate our life to the children that need us most'

On average in Bedford, parents paid £6.58 an hour for a two-year-old

Childcare in Bedford less expensive than the East of England average

Baby Alessa was the first born at Bedford Hospital at 6.19am on New Year's Day, weighing 2,810g

Oh baby... little girl Alessa first born at Bedford Hospital on New Year's Day

Baby girl Eden was born at Bedford Hospital at 2.26am on Christmas Day, weighing 3820g

Many nappy returns: Bedford Hospital welcomes four Christmas Day babies

In Bedford, 47% of school-age children are getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, the target set by England's chief medical officer

More than half of Bedford children not getting enough exercise
New figures show more than half of children in Bedford did not meet the expected levels of physical activity last year.
Adam Care, data reporter

The Fostering Network said the retention of foster carers "must be the Government’s priority"

Several households stop fostering in Bedford

Despite their young age, children are spending more time on phones than ever – raising urgent questions for parents about safety, supervision and screen time

The child-only mobile network giving parents more control

The Light Trail at Warwick Castle is packed with photo moments like this – perfect for festive fun after school or on a winter weekend

Families hail Warwick Castle Light Trail as ‘best we have done’

Huge sums are giving people more influence than ever before, according to new research

The £7 trillion wealth transfer changing who controls money in the UK

More families are turning to regulated financial advisers to help navigate inheritance and the growing £7 trillion wealth shift.

The £7 trillion wealth shift changing who holds UK wealth

Two of the cuddle therapy ponies at Keysoe

Meet the miniature ponies who support struggling children with a hug

The National Childbirth Trust said parents need better access to impartial advice and support, to help them make the best decisions for their newborns

Over half of infants in Bedford were breastfed last year

A projection based on current trends and data from the 2021 Census suggests there could be 87,261 households in Bedford by 2032, an increase of 11,703 (15.5%)

Bedford could have more than 10,000 extra households by 2032

The National Child Measurement Programme shows some 2,045 Reception children in Bedford were measured in 2024-25, with about 190 found to be obese

One in 10 Bedford children in first year of primary school is obese

HMRC is reviewing the suspension of child benefit for around 23,500 parents wrongly flagged as having left the UK (Photo: Pexels)

23,500 hit by HMRC benefit suspension - how to get your money back

Latest from NationalWorld.com

BBC Look East presenter Susie Fowler-Watt

BBC presenter quits after 35 years for new career

Why can't we just agree on a direction for plugs to point in, and then stick to it?

The Gadget Agenda: Awkward plugs are driving me up the wall Gareth Butterfield

Millions of UK households face another broadband bill increase in April 2027, even if they are locked into an existing contract, prompting fresh calls for a ban on mid-contract price rises.

Broadband customers face fresh £48 bill warning

The Government recommends households gradually build an emergency kit with practical essentials such as a torch, first aid kit, emergency radio and portable power bank.

Explainer What you need in a Government 3-day emergency kit

News you can trust since 1845

© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Terms and Conditions Privacy notice