Human babies are incredible. Indeed, the more we learn about them, the more we realise just how incredible they are! Not only are they little bundles of joy that have evolved in less than a year, but they also conceal some amazing secrets. Did you know, for example, that babies have gills (kind of), fur and a tail during their development in the womb — and that they have three times more taste buds than adults when they’re first born? In today’s article, we explore some fascinating baby facts that surprised us — and may surprise you! Take a look.
We Remember Nothing Before the Age of 3
Scientists are not completely sure why, but none of us tend to have memories that go back beyond the age of three. Can you recall anything from when you were 2 or 3 years old? The vast majority of us can’t, and it is believed to be because of two possible reasons. One possibility is that we can’t remember our earliest years because the memory system in our brains was not developed enough at that time. The other possibility is that it’s because memory could be tied to language, and our language skills were not sufficient to store memories until the age of three. It could also be a mixture of the two, perhaps.
Newborn Babies have Heart Rates Twice as Fast as Adults
Newborn babies have a heart rate of somewhere between 120 and 160 beats per minute. That’s around double that of adults!
4.44 Babies Are Born Every Second!*
Every second, an average of 4.44 new babies are born around the world*. That’s about 266 babies per minute and almost 16,000 per hour. On a daily basis, it works out to over 383,600 new babies per day and about 140 million every year. The world population is currently growing at a rate of 0.9% annually.
The Birth Rate in England & Wales is Falling
In England and Wales, 591,072 babies were born in 2023 according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data(¹). That is the lowest birth rate for the region since 1977, as well as being the first time the rate was below 600,000 since 2002. Indeed, women in England and Wales give birth to an average of just 1.44 children over their lifetimes in the latest data, which is the lowest on record.
September is the Most Popular Month for Baby Births
September remains the most popular month for births in England and Wales, according to the same ONS data. The most popular day for births was 28 September, a date that has been in the top ten days for births since 2021.
Boxing Day Has the Lowest Birth Rate
Boxing Day, 26 December, has the lowest birth rate for the whole year, according to the ONS. What’s more, this has been the case for 11 years in a row!
Parents Are Getting Older When Babies Are Born
Data analysed by the ONS over the last 50 years shows that, for babies born in England and Wales, parents are gradually getting older. In the last count (for 2023), a new baby’s father was, on average, 33.8 years of age, while mothers were 30.9.
Over Half the World’s Babies are Born in Asia*
Almost 53% of births happen across the continent of Asia, 30.7% across the African continent, 10.7% in the Americas and just 0.7% in Oceania. That compares to 5% of births that occur in Europe.
Babies Have Gills in the Womb (Kind of)
There has been much debate about whether foetuses — developing babies — have gills when they’re in the womb. The answer is ‘kind of’ according to many experts, including the late Dr Michael Mosley/BBC(∞). While they do have tiny gill-like folds called pharyngeal arches, which may be evidence that humans evolved from fish, they are not gills in the true sense of the word. The so-called ‘gill slits’ can be found on the foetus’s neck in the very early stages of development, but are not for breathing. Instead, the structures migrate and evolve into the top lip, palate, and jaw of the baby.
Human Foetuses Have Tails
In the early stages of development in the womb, human foetuses have tails, which even have vertebrae. However, around the 7th and 8th week of gestation, those vertebrae fuse together, and the tail disappears, leaving only the ‘tailbone’ or coccyx that we’re all born with.
Babies Grow Fur in the Womb
Lanugo is a soft, fine, usually colourless body hair that’s grown by babies in the womb and that eventually covers the baby’s whole body. In tandem with the creamy covering of vernix caseosa that babies are born with, the Lanugo fur’s purpose is to help protect the developing child and help regulate its temperature. Developed from about the 14th week and visible on the foetus’s skin from the 21st week of pregnancy, it is usually shed by about week 35, before birth. It is replaced by vellus hair, which is commonly known as ‘peach fuzz’ on newborns. That said, up to 30% of babies are born with lanugo hair still evident somewhere on their bodies, and this is especially true for premature babies. (Source).
Babies Have 3 Times More Taste Buds Than Adults
Did you know that newborn babies have three times more taste buds than adults? It’s true! Newborn babies have around 30,000 taste buds, whereas adults have no more than 10,000. However, in a newborn, the taste buds are distributed not only over the tongue, but also the palate, throat lining, and tonsils. It is thought that this helps them better identify advantageous foods over potentially toxic ones. That said, the number of taste buds gradually reduces as the infant gets older, eventually being present only on the tongue, as with adults.
Babies Have Almost 50% More Bones Than Adults
Similarly, babies are born with many more bones than adults. It may surprise you to learn that a baby has 300 bones in their body when born, whereas an adult has only 206. As they mature and grow, however, some bones in children fuse together to form single bones. A great example of this can be found in the human skull, which, in babies, consists of several separate bones which, come adulthood, have fused together into a single bone. It is through this kind of process that humans reduce the number of bones in their bodies by almost one-third.
Babies Do Not Cry Tears When First Born
We all know that a baby’s first cry is an important milestone and one that signals that the child is breathing. However, not all of us may notice that most babies do not cry actual tears during the first part of their infancy. That’s because their tear ducts — or lacrimal glands — are not yet fully mature. As such, it may be several weeks or even as long as 2 or 3 months before normal tears are evident when a baby cries. Premature babies usually take the longest to exhibit full tears when crying.
Babies’ Brains Double in Size in the First Year
During the early years, a child’s brain grows rapidly. In the first year alone, babies’ brains double in size and, by the time they’re three, are already four-fifths the size of an adult’s. By the age of five, they’re usually nine-tenths the size of an adult’s brain. That said, traditional wisdom suggests that the human brain continues to develop right into a person’s mid-twenties. However, some experts now believe that some areas of the brain continue to mature right into the thirties.
We hope you found today’s list of fascinating baby facts interesting. We may follow up with another set of fascinating baby facts in a future post, so watch this space!
High-Quality Childcare in Clayton-le-Woods
Little Acorns Nursery: a first-class weekday childcare service for Under-5s near Chorley
Little Acorns Nursery provides families with a first-class childcare service in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley. We have a Good Ofsted rating and support free childcare funding schemes for eligible working families with children as young as just 9 months of age. Little Acorns represents a fabulous choice for weekday childcare, which we provide for babies and children under five. Contact us today to apply for a nursery place or to learn more — we’d love to hear from you.
Located in Clayton-le-Woods, Little Acorns Nursery will also be conveniently close for families in Clayton Brook, Clayton Green, Thorpe Green, Pippin Street, Buckshaw Village, Whittle-le-Woods, Farington, Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall, Euxton, Leyland, and Penwortham.
* (Correct at the time of writing — 12 December 2025 — according to the Live Birth Counter).
Overall effectiveness: Good
In their earliest years, children’s brains are doing a phenomenal amount of developing. At this stage, little ones understand far more than they can express, and they’re learning to handle powerful emotions without the calm reasoning skills adults (mostly) have. The part of the brain responsible for emotional control is still under construction, so when they’re hungry, tired, frustrated, or simply want something right now, they can easily become overwhelmed. In short, they’re not trying to give you a hard time. They’re having a hard time.
It’s not always easy as a parent, but your own composure is key. A calm, even tone and steady body language tell your child that you’re in control, even if you feel anything but. Also, try avoiding lengthy explanations in the heat of the moment — too many words can overwhelm an emotional toddler.
The nightmare scenario: You’re halfway down the biscuit aisle when your toddler takes an unhealthy shine to a chocolate-covered, sugar-filled snack that’s really not going to be good for them. So, you say no. They flop to the floor, wail at a volume that seems to fill the entire supermarket, and protest in a dramatic fashion that catches the attention of every shopper in the vicinity. Not only is your child in full, public, tantrum mode, but you’re also going to feel judged!
Scenario: At home, your child sees their sibling or a friend playing with the toy they absolutely must have right now. They shout, try to grab the toy, and then the sobbing begins.
Scenario: Dinner is served, and your child takes one look at the plate and decides it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. Cue gesticulating arms, shouting and, in all probability, some dramatic sliding under the table.
Summer is a wonderful time for children to get outdoors. There, they can breathe the fresh air, benefit from being closer to the natural world, and escape from electronic screens. Nature is incredibly good for children as well as adults (more about that later). A simple way to encourage little ones outdoors is to take them on an exciting and educational nature hunt! There are many fascinating things to look out for during the summer months including butterflies, caterpillars, bees, beautiful wildflowers and much more. A summer nature hunt will open their eyes and minds to the wonders of nature’s flora and fauna, lead to educational conversations with accompanying adults, and be an enjoyable and educational activity. Within all that in mind, we’ve put together a free Summer Nature Hunt poster that will give children and families an idea of what to look out for during the warmer months of summer — and serve as useful visual reference. The poster is free to download right here in this blog post (see below). Once printed out, it can be displayed large on children’s bedroom walls or taken along during the activity — perhaps reduced to a convenient size like A5. Children can use the little tick boxes to tick off each item that’s been spotted. So, venture out little ones — see how many wonderful things you can spot in the natural world this summer!
Many of the adorable creatures featured in the poster will be easy to spot at this time of year. Bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators are common to see where flowers are blooming. Butterflies are both stunningly beautiful and at their most abundant during July and August each year, so are sure to delight children with their fabulous colours and patterns. Delightful ladybirds are also rather abundant right now (time of writing: mid-July). Wildflowers like poppies and daisies always make the world a more beautiful place, so they’re a wonderful thing for children to discover too.
Has your little one ever seen apples growing on a tree? All that blossom from earlier in the year has now given way to little green apples that will grow and ripen as we head further into the year — eventually becoming ready to fall or be eaten come autumn. It’s a great example to show under-fives where some food comes from and explain why pollinators are so important.
We must also mention slow worms. Now we will be honest here: they’re quite a challenge to spot as they’re very shy and incredibly silent. They may hide in long grass, under grass cuttings, in the undergrowth, and in compost heaps. They are likely to come out only to warm themselves in the sunshine. That’s because they are essentially cold-blooded and legless lizards rather than any kind of snake. Children will have to be very lucky, patient, stealthy, or have deliberately made 
As we said in the introduction, spending time in and around nature is incredibly beneficial to children of all ages. Studies have proven a myriad of benefits, in fact. Just a few examples include a lowering of stress and anxiety, improved motor skills, greater knowledge of the world (and children’s place within it), improved empathy for other living things, a feeling of greater responsibility for nature’s flora and fauna, a development of often lifelong greener values and choices, and even improved academic grades! These are just a few examples — the benefits of spending time closer to nature are incredible. Learn more about 
In September this year (2025), free childcare for eligible working families expands to 30 hours per week for children as young as just 9 months. Little Acorns Nursery in Clayton-le-Woods is supporting the funding scheme too. Taken usually over 38 weeks* of the year, it means a generous 1140 hours of funded childcare will be available to eligible children in Central Lancashire over the course of a year. For the first time, the funding will cover eligible babies aged from only 9 months and children up to 2, the scheme having previously rolled out to eligible 3-and-4-year-olds last year. An urgent factor to be aware of, however, is that the funding application deadline is only weeks away for those wanting to start in the September 2025 term. So, whether you’re thinking of applying at Little Acorns Nursery or elsewhere, don’t delay your application any longer if you want to access the free funding from September. If your child is eligible and you do not apply by the deadline, your child will not be able to access the free funding for the entire September term. Read on to learn more about the new funding for eligible working families, the deadlines for applications, and the rules that apply.
Helping to make childcare more affordable for working families;
You can apply for funded childcare for eligible working families as soon as your child reaches the age of 23 weeks (that’s just over 5¼ months). If successful, they’ll be able to start using their free childcare hours the term after they reach the age of 9 months. Depending on when that occurs, they’ll be able to start accessing the funded childcare from either the 1st of September, the 1st of January, or the 1st of April, with application deadlines for each being the day before.
National Children’s Gardening Week arrives in late May and is the perfect time for young children to get involved in gardening activities. In celebration of the event, we describe a wonderful gardening-related activity that’s small-scale, easy, fun, and educational — perfect for little ones! The finished result is also rather magical and, once complete, lends itself to imaginative play. Today, we outline how children can make their own miniature fairy gardens. These are a great way to introduce little ones to creative gardening at a child-friendly scale. Under parent supervision* and largely using scavenged materials from outdoors, under-fives can let their imaginations run free and get creative! What’s more, the results are simply enchanting and will bring magic and a whole lot of delight to young children!
National Children’s Gardening Week begins on the 24th of May this year (2025) and runs until the 1st of June. The timing is no coincidence as it’s generally a warm week and therefore perfect for gardening and growing plants and flowers. What’s more, it also spans the half-term school holiday that most schools recognise in the last week of May.
Little learners, get ready – it’s almost time to buzz into action for World Bee Day! The annual event arrives in May and it’s a brilliant opportunity for children and families to get involved in something meaningful, fun, and full of learning opportunities.
World Bee Day is celebrated every year on 20th May to raise awareness of the vital role that bees and other pollinators play in our world. From helping plants grow and supporting the food we eat every day, bees are some of nature’s hardest workers – and they need our help to survive and thrive.
“Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all”
Getting involved in World Bee Day isn’t just fun — it also supports many areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), helping children learn and grow in meaningful, hands-on ways. Here are just a few ways bee-related activities can support early development:
Expressive Arts and Design: Making bee crafts, drawing flowers, role-playing as working bees, or moving like insects in a dance — all help develop creativity and imagination.
There are so many fun and simple ways for little learners to join in with World Bee Day! Here are a few activities that are perfect for children under five — each one encourages creativity, curiosity, and care for nature while also supporting the EYFS.
Using paper plates, cardboard tubes, egg cartons or recycled materials, children can create their own bees! Add wings, stripes, googly eyes and antennae for a hands-on creative session. These are wonderfully creative activities that will boost several areas of the EYFS including Expressive Arts & Design and Physical Development.
Explore the garden or outdoor space and, without disturbing them, see what pollinators your child can spot. Can they see any bees? What colours and flowers do they seem to like best? Are they collecting nectar? What type of bees are they? Bumblebees are super cute. Honey bees are super-hard workers and do so much for the world. A bee-spotting activity is a great opportunity to explore areas of the EYFS that include Understanding the World and Communication & Language.
When April is on the horizon, there is a buzz amongst parents whose children will receive school offers that month. It’s quite a milestone in the lives of families as it’s the time they’ll find out if their children have received an offer for their top school choice. If not, will they be offered another “preferred” school listed lower on their application? It will often have felt like a long wait to find out the results, too, with families having applied in mid-January or potentially months earlier. Because we are an early years nursery, today’s guide focuses on primary school offers. We’ll explain in detail when to expect your child’s primary school offer, criteria that may have affected it, and your options if you’re not happy with the school place offered. To keep things as simple as possible, we’ll concentrate on applications for a standard school start date in the September term (rules and dates for ‘in-year’ applications are slightly different). If your child is due to start primary school this year, take a look.
Children will love creating wildlife art. Whether it’s drawing animals and plants, making a collage, or constructing an animal out of cardboard or origami, wildlife art is a wonderful way to get children involved. What’s more, they will get a sense of satisfaction from the activity and it can help them appreciate wildlife more.
Another incredibly worthwhile activity that children can get involved in is fundraising for a wildlife-related charity. This can be done, for example, through a sponsored activity of some kind. That could be a sponsored walk, hop, swim, or whatever children and families choose (under supervision, of course, for the youngest). A sponsored fundraising activity will not only raise funds for a wildlife charity of choice but also spread the word. Furthermore, children will get an enormous sense of achievement at the end when their actions raise vital funds for animals or conservation. Volunteering for local wildlife charities is also hugely worthwhile, of course, but it is more suited to when children are older.
World Wildlife Day brings into focus the enormous challenges that affect nature’s flora and fauna. Sadly, many of those challenges are caused by humans, whether it’s due to habitat loss, global warming, or something else. By raising awareness through World Wildlife Day activities, children and families can also challenge themselves to live more sustainably. This is a whole topic in itself! However, some easy measures can be things like:
Children can also get closer to wild flora and fauna if they live near a wildlife sanctuary (or zoo) or somewhere like a national park. Nothing can really replace seeing animals and plants in real life and so it’s worth researching to find somewhere to visit close by. In Lancashire, just five miles from Little Acorns Nursery, for example, is 
Teaching children how to grow their own plants and, better still, food is a wonderfully educational and fulfilling activity. As well as learning to appreciate wild plants growing in parks and the countryside, learning how to grow their own, at home, is also great fun. Luckily, we have a whole blog post dedicated to 
A nature scavenger hunt is also great fun and is sure to get children interested in nature, wildlife, and the outdoors. The activity involves looking out for specific natural things, for example, a pine cone, a robin, a squirrel’s drey (i.e. nest), a winged seed, or animal tracks. It will also 
Encouraging (and supervising, where appropriate) an activity where children try to see different types of animals, birds, and insects is also a wonderful way to get them interested in nature. To make it easier, we have published some free, downloadable reference sheets, which also double as posters, for families to use during this activity. These include 
If children like the idea of attracting birds and other wildlife to their own garden, there are many easy ways to make this possible. As well as putting out suitable food to attract birds, children can help make a quiet, wild area with a compost heap to attract minibeasts. There are so many ways to attract wildlife so, to get you started, check out our 
