Meet the Munchkin and Me Team
Get to Know Us
Rest Assured
Your safety is our priority. ‘Munchkin and Me’ is Fully Insured, DBS checked, Paediatric First Aid trained and run by trained and experienced professionals.
Rachel - Founder of Munchkin and Me
Teacher, mummy, runner and fun-maker
Favourite Food: Cheese, cheese and more cheese. 🧀🧀🧀
Favourite Activity: Playing with my children, reading stories and running.
Favourite Place: The beach 🌊
Favourite Part of Sessions: ALL OF IT!!
Qualifications and Experience: Rachel is a fully qualified and experienced teacher of Early Years and Lower Primary children. She has a BA Honours Degree in English Studies and gained her qualified Teacher Status by completing a Graduate Teacher Programme back in 2011.
She loves working with both children and grown ups and is a mummy to 2 young girls.
Why Munchkin and Me®? It all began with an idea and passion to deliver interactive and fun story-based play for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. With a passion for storytelling and having attended various baby classes with her own children, Rachel decided she wanted to set up something a bit different for local parents and carers.
Rachel created ‘Munchkin and Me®’ in 2019 to introduce storytelling to parents with babies from birth. Showing families how to bring stories to life for their children through exciting play activities. She is a firm believer that stories should be brought to life and not just read.
Rachel is also a very social person and wanted to create a group which is about the grown-ups as well as their Munchkins. She feels passionately about the importance of parents and carers having supportive local friendships and, set about specifically designing classes with an emphasis on time for nurturing friendships. That is the reason that all her sessions are designed to be warm, welcoming and super friendly. So, you, the grown-ups who attend, are the ‘Me’ in ‘Munchkin and me’.
Rachel also has an enhanced DBS Certificate, a QA Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid, has attended training in Speech and Languge for Early Years and is a Norfolk Parent and Toddler Group Communication Champion.
Rachel is also member of the Norfolk Safer Programme and attends Safeguarding Training every 2 years. She has also managed to successfully obtain grant funding through Norfolk County Council.
Did you know: Rachel worked for a short period as a family holiday rep in Crete (many moons ago) she loved leading the children’s club discos; and although she will profess to not being the best singer or dancer, what she lacks in skill she makes up for in enthusiasm! 😂 🎶
Kayleigh
Children’s Champion, mummy, foodie and mischief-maker
Favourite Food: Chinese Food .. and lots of it! 🫕🫕🫕
Favourite Activity: Family Adventures ⛰️🏖️🎠🛤️
Favourite Place: Cornwall 🌅🗺️
Favourite Part of Sessions: Watching your Munchkin grow in confidence and have fun with all the activities. AND watching you all strengthen the bonds with your Munchkin, making new friends along the way.
Qualifications and Experience: Kayleigh is a fully qualified CACHE Level 3 Practitioner gaining her diploma in 2014, focusing on infants and young children (ages 0 to 5). Kayleigh also holds a CACHE Level 3 Award in emergency paediatric first aid as well as an enhanced DBS certificate.
Kayleigh has completed the Norfolk Safer Programme safeguarding training.
Why Munchkin and Me®?. It all started when Kayleigh brought her own daughter to Munchkin and Me® sessions when she was just 8-weeks old (👶🏻). She fell in love with watching her grow, develop and thrive every week with the help of Oscar 🦧, Mabel 🐒 and Rachel 👩🏼!
Now that Kayleigh’s daughter is older she feels it's finally time to join the Munchkin and Me® family, and she is super excited for all the adventures we have planned!
Did you know: Kayleigh volunteered at Church Hill Park Academy and had an awesome time! She continues to use their five values to this day! Although we have not yet seen Kayleigh’s school report 😉🎓!
Oscar ‘Orangutan’©
Kind, sensitive and rather clumsy, everyone loves Oscar!
Favourite food: bananas 🍌🍌🍌
Favourite activity: story adventures, singing and cuddles.
Favourite Place: Home. 🏡
Favourite part of sessions: Being woken up by the children and singing hello to all his friends.
Qualifications and experience: Oscar is an experienced teaching assistant having worked in reception and lower primary classes. Loved by children and adults of all ages he now helps run Munchkin and Me® Sessions with Rachel.
Did you know: Oscar, is an actual Orangutan and originally comes from Borneo; but he moved to the UK when people started chopping down the trees in his rainforest home.
Mabel ‘Monkey’©
Mischievous, entertaining and loveable, Mabel brings a smile to everyone’s face!
Favourite food: chocolate pancakes and bananas. 🍫🥞🍌
Favourite activities: Anything that involves getting messy or eating!
Favourite Place: The Farm. 🚜
Favourite part of sessions: flying to story land, playing peekaboo and eating everything!
Qualifications and experience: Mabel commenced her training placement with Rachel’s family when her youngest daughter was born 4 years ago. She now loves helping at Munchkin and Me® classes along with her best friend Oscar bringing smiles to the faces of all the little Munchkins and grown ups too!
Did you know: Mabel is originally from Guatemala and is a Black Howler Monkey.
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Baby Betty©
Fun Fun Fun!
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Ollie Orangutan©
Loves Stories
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Morgan Monkey
Our Newest Member
Just Some of What People Are Saying About Munchkin and Me®
Happy Munchkins and me’s
“Rachel we had the most amazing time. She is reacting and enjoying your classes more every single week!! Plus Daddy had a lovely time, he was quite nervous about coming but you made him feel so welcome he’s coming away with the best feeling!” - Munchkin Daddy (February 2023)
“Eddy loves coming to Munchkin and Me, he loves the sing-a-long part and Rachel’s fun story time! Then eating everything possible on free play ❤️ it’s the highlight of our week!”
— Munchkin Parent, Kirsty
“Elias was so excited to be back today. We always have a amazing time with you. Thank you. 🥰 ❤️"
- Munchkin Mum, Irena
“Thanks for another great session, we had so much fun 💙.”
- Munchkin Mum, Emma
“We have been coming to Munchkin and Me since Ava was about 8-weeks old. We were still in the joys of masks and social distancing but it was so good to be out with other momma’s and letting little ones see other people and get some social time .. I have popped loads of photos of our times at the sessions as Ava has grown and really come into herself. She loves seeing Oscar and Mabel and now loves waddling around seeing everyone … We will be moving to the next group soon but have loved every minute with the Mini Munchkins.
Rachel has been fab throughout and not only has Ava gained some new chums but I have also made some great friends. It’s good for the bubba’s to socialise but also the momma’s get some adult conversation lol Xxxx.”
— Munchkin Mum, Kirsty
“Reggie had fun exploring outside today.”
- Munchkin Mum, Charlene
“They (the families) are such a brilliant group! I really liked this morning, came away beaming 🥰 xxx” - Munchkin mum, Beth
“So we played in the sunshine today. Looked stylish in our sun hat before ripping it off. And sung about a camel with 5 humps do do do. Thanks for a lovely session as always xxx.”
-Munchkin Mum, Kirsty C
“Lovely morning back at Munchkin and Me 💛. Louie had a lovely time as always 🦧🦍.”
- Munchkin Parent, Bethany
“This is the first time she has ever clapped with purpose!” - Munchkin Mum (February 2023)
“A lovely first for me and Georgia at Munchkin and Me. Thank you Rachel 😊.”
— Munchkin mum, Jennifer
“Lovely baby group, so welcoming and friendly. Rachel always has new and creative activities for the babies to do. So happy I found Munchkin and Me, my son absolutely loves going. It’s the highlight of our week.”
- Munchkin Parent, Georgia
“Scout adores her weekly Munchkin and Me group. It’s so engaging for young minds and gives me so many ideas for similar things we could do at home to keep her entertained. It’s also a lovely excuse for a chat with other mummy’s! Thank you Rachel x.”
- Munchkin Parent, Caitlin