Families London SW Mar-Apr 2020

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IN THIS ISSUE

• Prep schools • Reviews • Easter activities

• Competitions • WIFI protection • FREE activities

Issue 295 March/April 2020

familiesonline.co.uk

In this issue

4 & 5 6 & 7 8-19

READER OFFERS & COMPETITIONS SOFT PLAY CENTRES REVIEWED PREP SCHOOLS FEATURE

20-25 28 & 29 32-36

BI-LINGUAL EDUCATION REWARD CHART EASTER HOLIDAYS ACTIVITIES

38 & 39 46 50-55

TEN THINGS TO DO WITH BABY FREE THINGS TO DO WHAT’S ON

See more local news and events on: FamiliesSWLondon FamiliesSWLon FamiliesSWLon

To advertise: 020 8696 9680 | Editorial: editor@FamiliesSW.co.uk | News: news@FamiliesSW.co.uk | Adverts/Artwork: adverts@FamiliesSW.co.uk

Events/Diary Dates/What’s On: whatson@FamiliesSW.co.uk | Next Issue: May/June 2020 | ISSN 1354-9553. | All contents ©Families SW 2020.

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Protect your family from WIFI

radiation

Our modern lives are becoming plagued with more

and more imbalanced frequencies from our phones,

laptops, air and water. Soon when 5G and the world

of connected devices is upon us, it will be even worse.

More than 240 scientists published an appeal to the

United Nations to reduce public exposure and are calling

Protect 3 devices

for £42 or protect

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for a moratorium on 5G citing “established” adverse biological effects of RF

radiation. Scientific data on the biological effects of radiofrequency

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public. The research has accumulated enough to provide strong evidence

that even low levels are not safe. https://ehtrust.org/science/research-onwireless-health-effects/

Omnia Radiation Balancer have developed a product/stickers to put on

your phone that they say is effective in harmonizing the radiation fields.

Government guidelines updated on 4 February say: “…. uncertainties in the

science suggest some additional level of precaution is warranted,

particularly for sources such as mobile phones where simple measures can

be taken to reduce exposure.” See the recommended Government

precautions here: http://bit.ly/Reducingexposure.

While scientists argue whether it is safe or not why not protect your family

now? Get your stickers here: http://bit.ly/Omniaproducts

Brilliant playHOORAY! Activity Cards

Keep kids busy and give yourself five minutes for a cuppa with

playHOORAY! activity cards. Devised by early years specialist, Claire Russell,

there are over 20 themes available including Outdoors, Travel, Eating Out,

123s and ABCs. Each pack includes fun, educational and realistic play ideas

designed to boost children’s speech and language, encourage physical and

social development, and stimulate the imagination. What’s more, all ideas

can be quickly and easily set up using everyday household items or those

which can be sourced cheaply from a pound shop or supermarket.

Spanning messy, sensory and creative activities the range caters for a

variety of ages including babies, toddlers and primary school children.

Personalised tins are also available and make great gifts.

www.playhooray.co.uk

Cosy venue to hire

Are you a therapist and need a private room?

Do you receive clients and need a comfortable meeting space?

Do you run day time classes?

Do you need a space for small scale events?

Also ideal for first birthdays as it is so cute and intimate

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Free parking in the area.

www.thelivingroom.place

info@thelivingroom.place

Only

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until 3pm

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4 Families South West • March/April 2020 familiesonline.co.uk

Reader offers!

Fabulous Families Book Quiz

and Competition...

Encourage your child to have a go!

With World Book Day having just passed, you and your

child may have been thinking quite a bit about books

and reading already this Spring. So now’s the perfect time

to test your knowledge!

Families has teamed up with Young Writers to bring you this amazing quiz. It’s

divided into two sections for ages 4 to 7 and ages 8 to 11.

We have a £50 National Book Voucher for the winner of the ages 4 to 7 category.

Thanks to Young Writers, we have a fantastic book bundle of 10 books for the

winner of the ages 8 to 11 category, including popular, recently published books

such as You Won’t Believe This by Adam Baron, Agatha Oddly Murder at the

Museum by Lena Jones and What’s that in Dog Years? by Ben Davis.

Look out for the answers to the quiz in our

next magazine or request them in your email

entry. T&Cs online.

Young Writers organise poetry and creative

writing competitions for children in

schools. For further information, visit

www.youngwriters.co.uk

To enter the competition, just email info@familiesmagazine.co.uk with your child’s name,

age, your telephone number and answers to the questions in the relevant section. Closing

date: 15 June 2020. Only one entry per child please!

Quiz for ages 4 to 7 Years

1. Name 3 fruits the Hungry Caterpillar ate.

2. In the Charlie and Lola books, what is Lola’s invisible friend called?

3. Which book series do the characters Bottomley Potts and Blitzer

Maloney feature?

4. Which animal visits Sophie and her mummy one tea time?

5. Who wrote Where the Wild Things Are?

6. Who was the ‘Room on the Broom’ for?

7. What is the name of the boy who builds The Snowman?

8. What is the name of Biff and Chip’s dog?

9. Who lives in Hundred Acre Wood?

10. Aliens, pirates and dinosaurs love these…

11. Who is Perfect Peter’s rather naughty brother?

12. What are the names of the witch and cat

Valerie Thomas writes about?

Quiz for ages 8 to 11 Years

1. Where do Silky, Moon Face and Saucepan Man live?

2. How is Stanley Lambchop better known?

3. Who is the main character in Diary of Wimpy Kid?

4. Who does Barney meet when exploring an old

chalk pit?

5. In the book Holes, who gets sent to Camp Green

Lake Juvenile Detention Centre?

6. Who wrote about characters called James,

Matilda, Sophie and Charlie?

7. Which David Walliams’ book is his character Joe from?

8. What are Mary Norton’s tiny characters called?

9. Who is the main character in The Bed and Breakfast Star by

Jacqueline Wilson?

10. In which book series does Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

appear?

11. The dormouse, a gryphon, a mock turtle and a rabbit are

characters from which classic children’s book?

12. Who wrote My Brother’s Famous Bottom book series?

FamiliesSWLon

March/April 2020 • Families South West 5

Soft play and Rainy

Reviewed by Families Roving Mum team

Tooting Leisure Centre

Greaves Pl, Tooting, London SW17 0NE

www.placesleisure.org

Tooting Leisure Centre has a soft play for

children aged 18 months-6 years. It has a slide,

ball pit and mini football area. We always take

our son there after going swimming on a

Saturday morning (he doesn't let us leave the

building without going in!). Also perfect to

allow a younger child to play while an older

sibling might be having a class. Parents can sit

and watch at the tables and chairs next to the

soft play. Cost: £4.50 per child. Open Mon-Fri

9am-6pm, Sat & Sun 11am-3pm.

March and April can be very wet months, so when the

looong Easter holidays come you need to have a Plan B!

Once you have exhausted all parks and all your wet

weather play options it is time to get indoors and allow

STEAM, and lots of it, to be let out. Soft play areas are

fantastic: they are super safe, children are actually

allowed to run riot, scream and shout (ok within limits)

and they have bright, comfortable cafés where mums can

relax in-relative-peace. Our team of Roving Mums tell

you what they like about local places.

Wandle Recreation

Centre

Mapleton Rd, Wandsworth, London SW18 4DN

www.placesleisure.org

The centre has a great 'Adventure Zone' soft

play with slides, trampoline, 3 levels with

different climbing equipment, plus a seating

area for parents/carers/snack time.

Reviewed by Roving Mum

Daniela Hale

Bertie and Boo

205-207 Balham High Rd, Balham, SW17 7BQ

www.bertieandboo.com

This is a great place to visit if you want to grab

a coffee and a bite to eat and let the children

play. There's also a huge buggy parking area for

any sized buggy you might have. Staff are

extremely friendly and both my 4 year old and I

had a great time. Eliana was free to explore and

have fun in a safe environment while the adults

could sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee. Story

time is also available (Mo-Fri at 9.45, 10.30 &

4pm for 30 minutes; no afternoon session on

Fridays,) and worth attending as the children

are mesmerized and captivated by the

storytelling. We were also allowed to leave and

come back as many times as we wanted to.

This is definitely one of my favourite child

friendly cafés and there should be more like

them. Entry to soft play £5.50. Ages 0-6 years

(6 months and under go free). Story time £1

per person on top of admission price.

We used to go every Friday morning after

Playball before my son started school—he

absolutely loved it. It's quite big so there is

plenty of space for your little ones to let off

some steam! Bonus for tired mums and dads:

Southside Shopping Centre with its many

coffee pit-stops is just around the corner!

(Children must be supervised by parents/carers

at all times however). Cost: £4.45, additional

siblings: £2.50. Open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.

Under 8's only.

Flip Out Wandsworth

Bendon Valley, Wandsworth SW18 4LZ

www.flipout.co.uk

All four of my children love Flip Out! For my

youngest, the under-five area is amazing. It has

several small trampoline spaces for them to

jump, a foam block pool to jump into and a

soft play area with a small climbing structure

and ball pits. If you have older children with

you, it’s difficult to watch them while staying in

the under-five area. You can go during special

toddler times. Standard Jump sessions give you

unlimited access for £12 off peak, £13 peak. All

ages and abilities welcome.


Daniela Hale

Sinbads Soft Play &

Cafe

82 Durham Road, Raynes Park, London SW20 0TL

www.sindbads.co.uk/

While Sinbads is a bit on the smaller size, that's

what I like about it! It's cozy, and you can see

your child no matter where you are sitting. It's

a great spot to sit with a friend and have a chat

while your children are playing and there is

plenty of food and snacks to choose from in

the cafe area, especially kid- friendly eats. 1 to

4 years old £4; 5 to 8 years old £5.50; siblings :

£2.50.


Andi Petrou


Melissa Reynolds


Melissa Reynolds


day play areas

Bee’s Knees

Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill

SW11 5TN

www.bac.org.uk

It is not just a soft Play, apart from

having toys, books, lots of colourful

cushions on the floor and birthdays

parties, the place is a bucolic scenery

from a summer afternoon in the

countryside. My little daughters love

running up and rolling down the green

hill, crossing the fake river and

jumping on the little bridge. Bee Knees

for 0-5yrs and located in the always

impressive Battersea Art centre. My

daughters and I can find the inspiration

in every corner by playing piano,

painting, getting lost in the building

and discovering lots of activities for all ages as the Heritage trail called “The

mysterious letter”, for the older kids. £3 per child.


Noemi Garcia

Wacky Warehouse

Unit 5, Priory Retail Park, 131 High Street, Colliers Wood, SW19 2PP

www.wackywarehouse.co.uk/kiss-me-hardy

Wacky Warehouse was really more suitable for my older children (6 and

9yrs). It has one large play structure and while it does have a section for

younger children it isn’t really separate from the older children. My son could

have played in the structure for hours and I love that I could sit and watch,

and there is a lot of seating available. Also arts and craft sessions. 9.30am-

3pm term time only. 1 hour play £4.25, Tot Club £2.25, Monthly play pass

from £7.50 with a Wacky Club card.


Melissa Reynolds

Kidzania

Westfield London Shopping Centre

www.kidzania.co.uk

Kidzania is an indoor city run by kids. Children explore 60 real-life activities

and experiences. We played police officers, firemen, paramedics, mechanics,

cashiers, spacemen and women, designers, pilots and so much more. We

also created our very our personalised Pokemon card and story. Kidzania is

an actual life-size role-play experience and totally worth visiting!

What I loved the most was how my son was playing and learning skills at

the same time: the ultimate play heaven! We learnt how different job roles

needed a set of skills and in turn we earned a wage. It was a little

overwhelming for my son as the venue is large and loud, however within

minutes he was fully involved and loved every second. With every experience

he was keen to have another go and try new things!

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed Kidzania and would recommend to other

parents! I would advise eating before visiting. Situated within Westfield

Shopping so could be part a whole day out for the family.

Suitable for ages 4-8years old. Adult £16, child £19 if bought online. A

ticket entry is for 4 hours only, two time slots: 9am and 2 pm.


Negin Malik


Negin Malik

Gambado

7, Station Court, Townmead Rd, Chelsea, London SW6 2PY

www.gambado.com

We were invited to meet at Gambado for a play date. We hadn’t been

before so this was our first experience. It was only 1 minute walk from

Imperial Wharf Station so super easy to get to. The setup was very much

like many other soft play venues. The soft play structure at Gambado is

larger than many other soft play areas, it also has dodgems, a carousel, an

under 5s and baby area too.

My 4 year old son had a great time with his friend. They enjoyed the slides

the most! We also stopped by the cafe for healthy drinks and snacks too.

I would definitely recommend Gambado to other families. Play and eat

£9. Toddler time special offer £7 plus one free adult. Book your child’s

party with them and they’ll get unlimited free visits! See page 49.

Army Museum play base

National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4HT

www.nam.ac.uk

It was a cold and dreary Saturday morning and we did not have much

planned. The army museum's play base seemed like the perfect choice.

My 4 year old has a lot of energy and this is a great place for them to

burn off some steam. The session is an hour long and is an army play

base for under 8's. There is an assault course, slide, climbing frame,

army base kitchen and much more. My four year old particularly liked

the wooden carts and found an eager participant to push around. We

had a great morning and would definitely visit again. There are size

sessions from 9.40am-5.20pm. Children aged 1-8 years old £5.75.

Children under 1 year old free.


Andi Petrou

Eddie Catz Wimbledon

42 Station Rd, London SW19 2LP

www.eddiecatz.com

My six year old and nine year old love the big play structure which is full of

slides and climbing while my three year old was happier in the under-five

area. There she had slides, balls, ride-ons, a see saw and a little house to

play in. I love that I can sit and see all of my children from one spot, even

while picking up a snack or drinks, which are plentiful there! I find it a good

value for the price of admission. Prices according to height and peak/off

peak from £2.50 to £8.50. Meal deal £9.50. Great memberships. Also

many classes happening there, Playball, ballet etc check the website.


Melissa Reynolds


FamiliesSWLon


Why thinking

should be a

curriculum

subject

Prep school feature

By Dr Neel Burton, a leading psychiatrist and author of

Hypersanity: Thinking Beyond Thinking

Following his defeat at the Battle of Actium

in 31 BCE, Marc Antony heard a rumour

that Cleopatra had committed suicide

and, in consequence, stabbed himself in the

abdomen—only to discover that Cleopatra

herself had been responsible for spreading the

rumour. He later died in her arms.

‘Fake news’ is nothing new, but in our

Internet age, it has spread like a disease,

swinging elections, fomenting social unrest,

undermining institutions, and diverting political

capital away from health, education, and good

government. So how best to guard against it?

As a medical specialist, I have spent well

over twenty years in formal education. With the

possible exception of my one-year degree in

philosophy, the emphasis of my education has

been firmly and squarely on fact accumulation.

Today, I have little use for most of these

facts, and though I am only middle-aged, many

are already out of date, or highly questionable.

But what I do rely on—every day, all the time—

is my faculty for critical thinking. As BF Skinner

once put it: “Education is what survives when

what has been learnt has been forgotten.”

Can critical thinking be taught?

The answer is ‘yes’ or, at least, the beginnings

of it. So why not make more time for it and be

more rigorous and systematic about its

learning? Logic is a good start, but there is

much more to critical thinking than mere logic.

Educationalists often amalgamate thinking with

logic. True, logic is able to provide immediate

certainty and the authority and credibility that

goes with that. But logic is a lot more limited

than many people imagine.

Logic essentially consists of a set of

operations for deriving a statement from other

statements. In a sense, it merely makes explicit

that which was previously implicit. It brings

nothing new to the table. The conclusion flows

from the premises as their inevitable

consequence:

1. All birds have feathers. (Premise 1)

2. Woodpeckers are birds. (Premise 2)

3. Therefore, woodpeckers have feathers.

(Conclusion)

What’s more, logic is not concerned with the

actual truth or falsity of the premises or,

indeed, the merit or relevance of the

conclusion.

Reasoning is a much broader

psychological activity

Reasoning also involves selecting and assessing

evidence, creating and testing hypotheses,

weighing competing arguments, evaluating

means and ends, developing and applying

mental shortcuts, and so on. All this requires

the use of judgement, which is why reason,

unlike logic, cannot be delegated to a

computer, and also why it so often fails to

persuade.

Just as there is more to reason than logic, so

there is more to thinking than reasoning. If

school curricula make very little time for logic

and reasoning, they make even less time for

non-rational forms of cognition such as the

emotions, intuition, and imagination.

To see the significance of non-rational forms

of cognition, let’s hone in on the emotions.

With the decline of religion and traditional

social structures, our emotions have come to

assume an increasingly dominant role in our

lives. It has forever been said that we are ruled

by our emotions, but this today is truer than

ever. Much more than reason or tradition, it is

our emotions that determine our choice of

profession, partner, and politics, and our

relation to money, sex, and religion.

Yet, remarkably, the emotions are utterly

neglected by our system of education, leading

to millions of mis-lived lives. Nothing can

make us feel more alive, or more human, than

our emotions, or hurt us more. To control our

emotions is to control ourselves, and to

control ourselves is to control our destiny.

Our school curriculum needs to make more

time and space for thinking. And we need to

rehabilitate alternative forms of cognition, such

as the emotions, intuition, and imagination,

that can support, supplement, or supplant

reason and return us to wholeness.

Hypersanity: Thinking Beyond Thinking,

is out now, £12.99. To find out more,

visit www.neelburton.com


FamiliesSWLon



Education for the 21st century

By Alison Melrose,

Head of Prince's Gardens Preparatory School

Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School is a brand spanking new, independent

school opening in Kensington this September. The head teacher Alison Melrose is

very passionate about the 4Cs of education; but what are they and why are they

pivotal in our children’s lives?

The happiness of a child is a true measure

of success and it’s a fact that children

learn best when they are happy. At

Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School, we feel

the 4Cs—creativity, collaboration,

communication and critical thinking—all help

to build confidence and support the need for a

broad curriculum; successfully preparing each

pupil for life as an intellectually accomplished

and fulfilled adult. We don’t know what the

future holds for our children so we must

prepare them to be adaptable to change

as well as having an excellent

academic education. Knowledge

will get them so far, but they must

also be able to think on their

feet, work in a flexible manner,

be independent learners and

have the human element, which

robots and AI can’t deliver.

Creativity, collaboration,

communication and critical

thinking

The 4Cs can be found across the curriculum

being applied in all aspects of education. Gone

are the days of the teacher standing at the

front of the class with an endless monologue.

We all learn in different ways and the three

most well-known areas are visual, auditory and

physical, ensuring we teach to all learning

styles is pivotal in engaging with all children.

For example, in a music class where the

children are playing musical instruments, not

“Knowledge

will get them so far,

but they must also

be able to think on

their feet, something

robots and AI can’t

deliver”

only do they need to listen to their teacher, but

they also need to work collaboratively to play

the same piece of music. They need to think

critically about how they stand, how much

space they need so they don’t bump into their

neighbour, or poke them in the eye with a bow,

and then they create some wonderful music

and have the confidence to perform in front of

an audience. These active and engaged

children retain information and are inspired to

find out more, which ultimately results in

greater progress.

Outdoor learning and

residential trips

And while progress is important

for the children, we also need to

ensure that we are mindful of

their wellbeing—healthy minds

and bodies. Prince’s Gardens has

its own two-acre outdoor area

behind the school which is very

unique in terms of London schools. We

also have access to a 70-acre outdoor learning

centre in Hertfordshire supporting the

character education programme in tandem

with an excellent academic programme. And

we have initiatives such as outdoor learning

and residential trips which provide fantastic

opportunities for collaborative and active

learning. Prince’s Gardens has a specialist

teaching room called The Maker Space where

children can really develop the 4Cs. All of

these activities develop character, teamwork,

resilience and a sense of pride.

As always, communication remains hugely

important in education, particularly in terms of

feedback. Teachers must understand what

good feedback looks like and give personalised

responses for each child in a meaningful way.

Not necessarily to praise, but to guide the path

forward as to what went well and how the

work could be even better next time. At

Prince’s Gardens we feel feedback delivered to

each pupil in class is much more meaningful

than a comment in a book that they read a

week later.

Technology in relation to the 4Cs is also key

within classrooms. It allows collaborative

learning with teachers able to sit with pupils

but still display and model parts of the

curriculum, or the children’s own work, from a

tablet directly to a screen. Classes can be

delivered with children around the world,

including Skype calls and collaborative

activities to share learning about different

cultures and languages.

Ultimately, schools must be nurturing

environments where we support children to be

the best version of themselves, make friends

and to try out a wide variety of activities and

subjects to find where their talents lie. And

most of all, to enjoy their childhood and

develop great social and emotional skills. At

Prince’s Gardens we want the children to step

out confidently in the future, be ambitious and

tenacious whilst also being mindful of the

world and their responsibility for it; and the 4Cs

are pivotal in helping us deliver that.

10-13 Prince’s Gardens,

London SW7 1ND

www.princesgardensprep.co.uk


FamiliesSWLon


2 16

IN LONDON NATIONALLY

NUMBER

TH

School Open Days

Update...

Please check to confirm the

event is still on before starting

out

SW3 and SW7

The Hampshire, 3-11y, B&G. Open

morning 12 Mar.

020 7352 7077

www.thehampshireschoolchelsea.c

o.uk/tour

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary,

Nur-11y, B&G.

020 75892438

www.stjosephs.rbkc.sch.uk

SW4

Parkgate House School, B&G 2.5-

11y. Open Morning 16 May

9.30am-12pm. Register/book via

020 7350 2461 or www.parkgateschool.co.uk

Eaton House, 4+y, B&G.

• Eaton House The Manor now has

Open Days for Eaton House The

Manor Girls’ School on most

Tuesdays during term time:

3 Mar, 10 Mar and 17 Mar

• Eaton House The Manor Boys’

School on most Wednesdays

during term time:

4 Mar, 11 Mar and 18 Mar.

Heads and senior staff will be on

hand to greet visitors and conduct

tours, and refreshments will be

provided. Book on

www.eatonhouseschools.com or

contact Head of Admissions, Sam

Feilding 0203 917 5050 or

sfeilding@eatonhouseschools.com

SW6

Parson’s Green Prep, 4-11y, B&G.

Tours by appointment.

020 7610 8085

www.parsonsgreenprep.co.uk

Sinclair House, 2-11y, B&G. Open

12/3 at 10-11.30am

020 7736 9182 Register on

www.sinclairhouseschool.com/ope

ndays

L’Ecole des Petits, 3-6y, B&G.

Visits are by appointment only.

020 7371 8350

www.lecoledespetits.co.uk

St Thomas of Canterbury Primary,

Nur-11y, B&G, Catholic. 18/3 and

29/4 at 9.30am. Register on 020

7385 8165

www.stthomasrc.lbhf.sch.uk

SW7

Prince’s Gardens Prep, 3-11y, B&G.

Opening in Sept 2020. Open

mornings on 3/3 and 4/5 at 10am

020 7591 4620

www.princesgardensprep.co.uk

SW11

Shaftesbury Park Primary, B&G,

Nur-Y6. Bilingual and International

Primary Curriculum. Show-rounds

every Thurs 9.30am.

020 7228 3652

www.shaftesburypark.wandsworth.

sch.uk

L’ecole de Battersea, 3-11, B&G.

Visits by appointment

020 7371 8350


Dolphin, 2.5-11y. B&G. Open

Mornings Thursday by

appointment.

020 7924 3472

www.dolphinschool.org.uk

Belleville Primary, 4-11y, B&G.

Weekly Thursday tours and by

appointment.

To book:

enquiries@bellevilleschool.org or

020 7228 6727

www.belleville-school.org.uk

SW12

The White House Prep, 2.5-11y

B&G and Woodentops Nurseries

SW4 and SW12. Babies from 6m.

Visits by appointment.

www.whitehouseschool.com and

www.woodentopsnurseries.com

Hornsby House, Recep -11y, open

morning 12 Mar 9am, or individual

visits.

020 8673 7573

www.hornsbyhouse.org.uk

Ravenstone Primary, Recep-11y,

B&G. Open 9am on 26 Mar.

020 8673 0594

www.ravenstoneschool.co.uk

SW15 and SW20

Hall School Wimbledon,

4-16y, B&G.

Open Days: 7 March 9.30am.

www.hsw.co.uk

SW17

The Kindergartens. SW17:

Crescent I and Crescent II, and

SW12: Crescent III. Visits by

appointment on 01622 833331

www.thekindergartens.com

SW18

The Roche, 2-11y, B&G. Open

mornings 7 May and 5 June.

020 8877 0823

www.therocheschool.com

SW19

The Study Wimbledon, 4-11y G.

14 Mar 9.30-12pm

020 8947 6969

www.thestudyprep.co.uk

Wimbledon Common Prep, 4-7y,

B. Open 9.15-10.45 on 13 May,

book on website.

020 8946 1001 www.wcps.org.uk

Knightsbridge School

SW20

The Rowans, 3-7y, B&G. Weekly

show-rounds.

020 8946 8220

www.rowans.org.uk

SE26

Sydenham High, 4-18y, G.

Senior School Open Mornings:

Weds 18 March and Weds 29 April.

Prep School Open Morning: Thurs

26 Mar

Y7 Taster Sessions for current Y5:

Thurs 21 May.

Outside London

Hawthorn’s, Surrey, 2-13y, B&G.

Open morning 12/3 and 1/5 after

booking or by individual appt on:

01883 743048

www.hawthorns.com

Burgess Hill Girls, 2.5-18y. Nur:

boys to age 4y. Open Nursery 21/3

10am, Whole school 15 May 5pm.

www.burgesshillgirls.com

King Edward’s School Bath, 3-18y,

B&G. Open Mornings: Pre-prep

and Nur 6 May.

Register via www.kesbath.com or

call 01225 820399

Paragon, 3-11y, B&G. Contact for

next open day or tours.

01225 310837

www.paragonschool.co.uk

Kingswood Prep Bath, 9m-18y,

B&G. Yr1&2: open 12/3 9-11am;

Lower Senior: 20/6 10-12noon.

www.kingswood.bath.sch.uk


FamiliesSWLondon


‘e pupils’ attitudes to

learning are excellent.

ey have extremely

well-developed work

habits and a positive

approach to learning.’

ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate)

www.parsonsgreenprep.co.uk

Parsons Green Prep

1 Fulham Park Road

London SW6 4LJ

T: 020 7610 8085

E: admissions@parsonsgreenprep.co.uk



FamiliesSWLon


Girls at The Hawthorns School in Bletchingley,

Surrey are eagerly looking forward to their

second season of Football. Last year the

School introduced Football as one of its four

curriculum girls’ team sports for Years 5 to 8.

Vitoria Middleton, Head of Girls’ Games said:

“The girls enjoyed the camaraderie of learning

together, supporting each other with a can-do

approach and acknowledging that it takes

practice to develop new skills. They are excited

to be playing a sport that is gaining recognition

both nationally and globally.”

Due to the success of this trial, this year girls

and boys alike will enjoy playing Football from

Reception right through to Year 8.

Andy Morris, Director of Sport commented:

“The Hawthorns School has an ethos of ‘Sport

for All’ and encourages all pupils to enjoy sport

regardless of their ability. Alongside Football

girls also play Netball, Cricket and Hockey as

part of the curriculum.”

www.hawthorns.com

Education News

On the ball at The Hawthorns School

Hall School Wimbledon

opens a sixth form

Knightsbridge School is moving

up and extending to 16

By September 2020, Hall School

Wimbledon will be opening its

own Sixth form, educating

children aged 11 to 18 at the

Senior School. The school

currently teaches children age

4–16.

At the Senior School, classrooms

have been refurbished to allow

for enhanced digital learning as

well as Google Classroom.

Going forward, the Oberon

Fields site will become a space

of outdoor learning, performing

arts and cookery.

There will be renovated tennis

courts, netball courts, a nature

trail, orchard, garden allotments

and a Forest School area.

Redesigned pitches will allow for

more athletic use as well as

refurbished change rooms for

boys and girls.

For more information please visit

www.hsw.co.uk.

To advertise Call:

0208 696 9680

Knightsbridge School (KS) will be

opening its doors to older students

from September 2020, starting with

a class of Year 9s. KS started out as

a prep school in 2006 founded by

its charismatic Principal, Mr Magoo,

who now wants to take the school

further by adding the provision of

GCSEs.

Families that choose KS will now

have the choice to stay for an allthrough

education, eliminating the

stresses of 13+ exams.

An exciting all-rounded

curriculum is also being

implemented which includes all the

core academics as well as a

personal fitness morning module,

guest speaker seminars with

industry experts, a 1:1 teacher and

student mentoring system and an

individual extended project

module.

KS has an exciting new building

that will host many of the senior

classes, located at Elvasten Place. A

great location for out of classroom

learning; right beside the Natural

History Museum and the V&A

Museum. The designs being

implementing for the building will

incorporate a mature study space

and area to relax, where students

can feel more independent.

Mr Magoo says “It’s a very

exciting time for us here at

Knightsbridge, we look forward to

the coming years to see how we

all, staff and students, progress and

develop together in this new

chapter.”

registrar@knightsbridgeschool.com

www.knightsbridgeschool.com


Bilingualism

The benefits of learning a new language

We live in an amazing multicultural, multi-national society. In London

alone, where over 300 different languages are spoken, countless families

speak their mother tongue at home and English away from it.

It's so sad to think of a future where

people only communicate by holding

phones in front of each other using a

translation app! There are so many

benefits—both short and long-term—to

learning new languages:

It's fun

Learning a new language really can be lots of

fun. Classes with native speakers, tailored to

different age/ ability groups are best, typically

including games alongside interactive teaching

methods. At the very least, there are plenty of

teaching apps out there if you have the

discipline to log in regularly. Meanwhile, many

people practise their accent and pronunciation

by watching popular TV shows in a different

language.

It promotes culture

When your child is learning Spanish, French,

German, Greek, Mandarin, Polish or Japanese

(the list is endless), they will be able to

communicate with a wider range of people

once they have crafted their new skill. This will

give them an appreciation of different cultures

and a better understanding of the world.

It is enriching

While we already know that it can go far in

sprawling cities like London, your child will also

find it enriching when they go abroad. Even

just starting with please, thank you, good

morning or hullo, in my experience hotel and

restaurant owners appreciate our efforts to use

their language, and are particularly charmed by

children's attempts. This means that holidays

aren't just about sun, sea and sand but another

adventure where young ones can hone their

skills.

It helps with education

Studies have shown that foreign language

learning improves the function of the brain,

which can benefit other school subjects too.

In particular, problem solving is one area that

should develop, making it easier for your child

to excel in other 'pattern' subjects such as

maths.

Your child's English can improve

In many cases, your child's grasp of English will

improve after they have learnt a new language.

This is because they will understand root

words, syntax and grammar. In turn, this will

boost your child's vocabulary and writing skills,

which should be noticeable when they get

older and start taking important exams such as

GCSEs and A-Levels.

Other languages come more naturally

Once your child knows an additional language,

they will find it easier to learn a third language

in the future. There's no telling how many

languages your child could know by the time

they are in their twenties.

It can lead to wider career options

Many employers take notice of foreign

language qualifications because they reflect

self-discipline. Meanwhile, some jobs will even

specify that they require a bilingual candidate

because it means they can do business with

people from overseas. Essentially, multilingualism

is just another skill that will (one day)

make your child's CV stand out.

Start young for success

It is known that as we become older, it

becomes harder for the brain to absorb new

information like it once could. Eager young

brains are well suited to taking in and

understanding new languages, so the sooner—

the better! While most children will be able to

grasp the skill from as young as three, the

majority will still benefit by starting their

linguistic journey before they reach secondary

school.


FamiliesSWLon


Shaftesbury Park Nursery Classes

SHOW-ROUNDS

EVERY THURSDAY from 9.30am

Bilingual Class

This option will offer the invaluable opportunity for your

child to learn French from an early age using a dynamic,

immersion approach.

The exciting choice of:

Bilingual Class or

Enterprise class

Enterprise Class

This option will offer the

fantastic opportunity, through an exciting outdoor

programme, for your child to develop 8 key Enterprise skills:

Problem solving, Leading, Aiming high, Teamwork, Creativity,

Staying Positive, Sharing ideas and Listening Carefully.

For further information or to book a place for open mornings please contact the school:

T: 020 7 228 3652 E: info@shaftesburypark.wandsworth.sch.uk


Bilingualism

French-English cultural

bilingualism from an early age

Families asked L’école des Petits, in Fulham, how they

achieve teaching in two languages in their school:

“Founded in 1977, our bilingual schools teach

the French curriculum integrated with the best

parts of the British curriculum. This structure is

approved by the French Department for

Education and subject to DfE Ofsted

inspections (consistently awarded

“Outstanding” on both sites).

Our school community is very diverse with

pupils coming from a vast array of linguistic

backgrounds. Early bilingualism and a strong

awareness and open-mindedness towards

world culture turn our pupils into motivated,

curious and respectful citizens.

Our aim is for them all to reach perfect oral

fluency in both French and English by the age

of 6. They can then acquire solid reading and

writing skills with us until they turn 11 and

move on.

Now in its sixth year, Les Petits Choux runs

French lessons for children at the Aspire

Centre, Merton Road, SW18 4SS. Whether your

“petit chou” is a complete beginner or a fluent

bilingual, there will be a class to suit them.

For each pupil, focus will be put on the

“weakest” language to strengthen it in

order to achieve a balanced level of

proficiency. Classes are taught by

native speakers of both

languages, assisted by native

speaking assistants. Correct

use of the language is

encouraged throughout the

day, even at informal times.

Mastering both languages is

achieved through academic teaching

as well as a combination of arts, music and

sports classes which are an integral part of the

curriculum. Pupils are constantly exposed to

both languages as class swaps and rotating

science, ICT and sports workshops are held

intra- or inter-level.

We are rightfully

known as the most

British of the

French schools!

learners playing games, reading stories, doing

arts and crafts, and singing songs, and much

more, all in French. On Wednesdays there are

two bilingual classes from 4–5pm and a

beginners’ class from 4–4.45pm.

After-school clubs ranging from yoga to

football, as well as science, art and drama also

expose pupils to both languages.

Beyond our education ethos governed by

the strict discipline required for bilingual

teaching (i.e: each native speaker will always

and only speak their own language

whichever of the two they may be

addressed in by their pupils), our

schools offer a perfect combination of

the French and British Education

systems. Uniforms and schoolbags are

our most visible British touch, while

houses and bilingual assemblies are part

of the structure. Our school’s assembly song

is a testament to our truly bilingual cultural

identity: it has been written in both languages

using pupils’ own words about their favourite

activities at school.”


L’école des Petits

Les Petits Choux – fun French

lessons for children in Southfields

children can also work on their reading and

writing skills in their “cahier maternelle”.

Email now to book your child’s place:

info@lespetitschoux.org.uk

After school on Wednesdays and on Saturday

mornings, the well-equipped classrooms at the

Aspire Centre are alive with the sounds of little

On Saturday morning, there is the chance for

your child to do a bilingual “intensif” class from

10–11.30am. This longer class means bilingual


FamiliesSWLondon


Bilingualism

Bienvenue à Shaftesbury

Park Primary School

By Bunmi Richards, Head of Shaftesbury Park Primary

Post Brexit, the importance of

teaching and learning a foreign

language is becoming all the more

relevant in the classroom today.

Preparing our children for an

increasingly global world where

cultural exchange, travel and work

opportunities are of growing

significance is at the heart of

Shaftesbury Park Primary School’s

vision for preparing our children for

the 21st century.

To this end Shaftesbury Park

Primary School offers something

quite special—a bilingual education

that is open to all! Seven years

ago, we began our journey into

offering the children in Battersea

and beyond an opportunity to

benefit from all the advantages that

bilingualism brings. Using the

International Primary Curriculum—

a comprehensive, thematic,

creative curriculum to teach

subjects such as science, history,

geography and art—we adapted it

to teach these lessons in French

with an immersive approach.

Research shows that children in

immersion programs acquire

impressive amounts of the second

language, attain native-like

receptive skills and develop much

higher levels of proficiency than

typical Modern Foreign Language

teaching. We have now

established a bilingual curriculum

that is innovative, creative and

powerful and develops

Bilingual Children’s

Nursery in Streatham

To book your free tour

call us today on

020 8127 8581

international mindedness and

encourages personal learning.

Our results at the end Key Stage 2

(2019) may place us as one of top

achieving schools in Wandsworth

and nationally, but our curriculum

offers so much more. It is a

curriculum that is not restricted by

testing but instead, allows our

children to flourish as global

citizens in an international world.

“ The first

school in the UK to be

awarded the prestigious

LabelFrancEducation

accreditation by the

French Ministry of Foreign

Affairs! “

The Label is granted to schools

promoting French language and

culture as part of their specific

curriculum. It recognised our

school’s offer of an enhanced

instruction of the French language

and the teaching of other subjects

in French and in promoting

outstanding education in French

among students and parents.

Shaftesbury Park is incredibly proud

of its commitment to excellence in

education, inclusion, multilinguism

and French in the UK!

Ashbury Rd, Battersea, London

SW11 5UW

shaftesburypark.wandsworth.sch.uk

Parent Satisfaction Survey

www.littlelinguistsnursery.co.uk

A book to inspire the

joy of learning French

The gift of languages is one of the best

presents you can offer your child. As an

experienced French teacher, Elisabeth Ruiz

finds that bilingual storybooks are an ideal and

fun way to engage children and ignite their

interest and enthusiasm about languages. Her

own book La Famille Jolineau en vacances is

aimed at children learning French at primary

school. With this story, children can steadily

develop their curiosity and confidence with

the French language without feeling the effort

of learning. Her book includes colourful, eyecatching

illustrations and gives the

opportunity to explore all aspects of learning French:

• reading proactively with the right pronunciation

• speaking as they answer questions prompted by a curious ladybird

• writing with some games to memorise vocabulary and

• learning about French culture.

You can order the book online from www.learnfrenchforkids.co.uk

Paperback (free postage) and Ebook formats available.

Why not send your

child to the Lycée?

The Lycée Français Charles de

Gaulle has been offering worldclass

education for over a century,

giving pupils the option of French,

Bilingual and British curricula.

Today, the community welcomes

more than forty nationalities and

encourages confidence, solidarity

and ambition.

From Nursery to Year 6, children

thrive in a bilingual and dynamic

learning environment. French,

British and international cultures

blossom with a dedicated team

always engaging in varied projects.

Large outdoor spaces and spacious

bright classrooms are ideal for the

wellbeing of pupils. Organisation

and cooperation are a few of many

skills being promoted, while

kindness and respect are values

encouraged daily. English is taught

at all levels and children quickly

learn to use both languages with

pleasure and ease.

The Lycée told Families: “Our

school makes a simple and honest

pledge: to offer every student the

best conditions in which to realise

their academic potential, to allow

them to develop and thrive in a

peaceful environment, and to

enable them to achieve the level of

excellence required to enter their

chosen courses—even at the most

competitive universities. This has

remained our mission to families

since 1915. Thanks to our

multilingual, multicultural and

multidisciplinary education, we

nurture each individual with care

and equip them to become global

citizens of the future.”

For over 60 years, the British

Section has provided the

opportunity for students to study a

traditional academic programme of

GCSEs and A-Levels, which are

delivered in English as per an

English school.

The British Section is an integral

part of the Lycée, and is situated on

the main site at South Kensington.

A school within a school, 220

students receive a personalised,

well supported experience. Each

student receives their own

academic targets and are closely

supported in their journey towards

realising, and often exceeding,

them. A weekly lesson with a tutor

formalises this process and is also

an opportunity to deliver an

engaging programme of Personal,

Social and Health Education.

The combination of a dedicated

teaching body and motivated

students guarantees us exceptional

results.

35 Cromwell Road, London SW7

2DG www.lyceefrancais.org.uk


Our little Bilingual Directory

Schools

ECOLE JEANNINE MANUEL

WC1, Co-ed 3-18yrs, Bilingual

school.

www.ecolejeanninemanuel.org.uk

LYCEE FRANCAIS,

SW7, SW4, SW6 and W7

B&G, 3-18yrs

French, Bilingual & British Curricula

www.lyceefrancais.org.uk

RUSSIAN SCHOOL,

SW7, B&G

www.russianschool.org.uk

L’ECOLE DES PETITS & L’ECOLE DE

BATTERSEA

SW6 and SW11, B&G, Fulham (3-

6yrs) & Battersea (3-11yrs).


L’ECOLE BILINGUE

W2, B&G 3-11y

Bilingual French-English school.

www.lecolebilingue.com

SHAFTESBURY PARK PRIMARY

SCHOOL

SW11, B&G International Primary

Curriculum and French bilingual

section

www.shaftesburypark.wandsworth.sch.uk

WHITGIFT SCHOOL

CR2, Boys 10-18yrs; French section

www.whitgift.co.uk

Nurseries

ANGLO-SPANISH NURSERY

SCHOOL

SW4, B&G, 2-5yrs

www.anglospanishnurseryschool.co.uk

L’ECOLE DU PARC

SW11, B&G, 2-5yrs.

British and French education in a

warm and nurturing environment

020 7993 6460

www.ecoleduparc.co.uk

ITALIAN DAY NURSERY

SW9, B&G, 0-4yrs

Facebook @ The Italian Day

Nursery

LITTLE LINGUISTS NURSERIES

SW16, B&G, Bilingual French &

English.

www.littlelinguistsnursery.co.uk

PEQUES NURSERIES

SW6, Bilingual French & Spanish

www.peques.co.uk

Classes

IL CLUB ITALIANO

Learn Italian with Club italiano for

children and for adults.

020 8748 6418

LEARN FRENCH

Bilingual storybook for children

aged 6yrs+

www.LearnFrenchforkids.co.uk

BABYCCINO

SW19, Italian language and

activities.

Facebook @BabyccinoClubItaliano

AD MELIORA

SW19, Italian tuition

Facebook @AdMelioraAcademy

ET PATATI PATATA

SW6 Popular French language

classes, école du samedi, holiday

activities 3-14yrs.

www.etpatatipatata.com

LES PETITS CHOUX

SW11, French language classes

www.lespetitschoux.org.uk

LE FRENCH PROGRAMME LTD

SW6, French language club

www.lefrenchprogramme.com

BATTERSEA SPANISH

SW11, cultural centre classes and

events

www.batterseaspanish.com

ARC EN CIEL

SW19 French holiday club

Facebook @ArcEncielClubs

ALPINE FRENCH SCHOOL

Language tuition and holiday

camps, Morzine, France.

From age 5 - adults

www.alpinefrenchschool.com

KIDSLINGO

French & Spanish classes

www.kidslingo.co.uk

SPANISH HOUSE

SW4, language classes

www.spanishhouselondon.com

GOETHE INSTITUT

SW7, German language courses

and culture

www.goethe.de/ins/gb/en/sta/lon.

html

BOULE DE NEIGE

SW15, 5-11yrs, French Saturday

school

www.bouledeneigelondonfrenchsc

hool.webs.com

PETITE ECOLE WIMBLEDON

SW19, French & Spanish

Facebook @petiteecolewimbledon

WENLIN CHINESE SCHOOL

SW11, Saturday Classes and

activities

www.wenlinchineseschool.org.uk

RICHMOND DUTCH SCHOOL

SW14, Saturday school

www.richmonddutchschool.org.uk

COLLEGE GUARDIANS

YOUR CHILD THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD

Ever Thought of Hosting an

International Student?

We are currently seeking host families to look after

children attending boarding school in the UK whose

parents are based overseas.

Our hosts look after the children during some half term

holidays and occasional weekends. Dates of stays will

depend very much on the school that the child attends.

In exchange for your hospitality you will receive a

generous compensation package as well as the invaluable

experience that hosting an international student can bring

to you and your family.

For more informa on please contact Caroline Lloyd, Guardianship Manager

caroline@collegeguardians.co.uk • +44 (0) 1684 581600

www.collegeguardians.co.uk


FamiliesSWLon


Clubs & Classes for your child

Invisible goodness wrapped

up in fun

Families asked Perform founder, Lucy Quick to tell us more:

“Perform classes are a bit like a

pasta sauce that’s filled with hidden

vegetables: kids think it’s really

tasty and don’t realise that it’s full

of healthy nutrition. I see our

classes like this - invisible goodness

wrapped up in an hour of games,

role-play, dance routines and

songs. The children think

they’re enjoying an

hour of fun but

they’re also being

equipped with

essential confidencebuilding

social skills.

We all want our

children to be happy, feel

confident enough to try new things

and interact well with others.

Taking part in regular drama

activities encourages confident and

fluent speaking, boosts reading and

writing abilities and enhances

coordination and spatial

Introductory

£40 discount

when you quote

LSW300420 if you

book by

30th April.

awareness. Rescuing a mermaid

from a pirate ship might seem like

just imaginative improvisation for 6

year olds, but it's teaching

problem-solving and team-work

too.

Early drama, dance and singing

lessons changed my life and

helped shape my vision for

Perform - to deliver classes

with a specific focus on

developing a child’s

confidence and social

skills - not to create just

another drama school.”

Try a FREE no-obligation

drama class. Classes in Balham,

Barnes, Battersea, Chelsea,

Clapham, Earlsfield, Fulham,

Kensingon, Knighstbridge,

Mortlake, Parsons Green, Pimlico,

Putney, Southfields, Streatham,

Tooting, Wimbledon. Visit

www.perform.org.uk/try to book.

Clever Clubs by Love

Learning London

- Includes First Phonics Club for 3-5

Years, setting families on the right

path for successful reading.

- A Creative English Club for 7-11

Years for reading, writing,

comprehension, confidence, public

speaking.

- A Reasoning Club for 7-11 Years.

Problem solving, resilience and

confidence.

11+ 7/8+ Prep. Consultation, private

tuition, assessments.

Holiday Courses. Travelling Tutors.

Kind trusted tutors, highly

recommended with full DBS checks.

07976 640976

Lovelearningcompany@icloud.com

www.Lovelearningcompany.com

Would your child enjoy

cricket?

All Stars Cricket is a programme

aimed at children aged 5-8 years

old to give them a great first

experience in cricket. Sessions are

accredited by the England & Wales

Cricket Board and delivered

nationwide at over 2,000 centres.

All Stars Cricket will help your child

develop key skills in a fun and safe

environment where parents can

join in too and help create

#BigMoments you’ll both treasure!

Following successful registration,

All Stars Cricketers will receive a

brand-new kit bag full of goodies

to help them get their summer of

cricket started and fully look the

part when they attend their 8

weekly sessions and it’s all

delivered straight to your door.

To find out more about how to get

involved this summer, simply visit

www.allstarscricket.co.uk and get

your place booked as sessions

begin May 2020.

Award-winning, original, multisensory

musical classes.

Bubbles, costumes, massage,

sensory textures and lights,

puppets and more. Also deliver

fabulous parties.

Classes designed for each stage

of your baby’s development.

Baby bells: Newborn-sitting

Beeps: Sitting-Standing

Happy house: Toddler &

siblings

Classes in Streatham,

Wimbledon, Tooting, Clapham

and Balham

Anna-belle@hartbeeps.com

Classes in Putney, Kew,

Fulham, Chelsea, Wandsworth,

Barnes, Sheen, Earlsfield and

Victoria

e:kimmy@hartbeeps.com

www.hartbeeps.com

Arts & Craft sessions

Harry’s Emporium

www.stylestationworkshops@gmail

.com

Entrance through Car park, 332

Balham High Rd, Tooting Bec,

SW17 7AA

Arts & craft classes sessions for

Toddlers and preschoolers on

Wednesdays, term time only. Two

sessions 10.15-11.15 am and 11.30-

12.30am. £8 per class.



FamiliesSWLon


The Grrreat

Colour-In

Reward Chart

Name:

STEP 1

Real Animals!

the Visit

Fill in daily

behaviour

targets

STEP 2

Explain

rewards your

child will

receive

STEP 3

Tell your

child when to

colour in the

animals!

WIN Family Tickets for a day at a

UK Zoo or Wildlife Park of your choice!

Tickets are valid for two adults and two children.

I will...

Reward

I will...

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

Reward

I will...


Reward


I will...

Reward


I will...

Reward


I will...

Reward


I will...

Reward


Competition Entry: Email an image of your child’s chart with a minimum of 3 rows of animals

coloured in to info@familiesmagazine.co.uk with your child’s name, age, your postcode and up to

50 words from you or your child explaining how the chart has helped them achieve their targets.

You have until 30 June 2020 to enter.

When I have coloured in all my animals, we can enter the competition to go to the zoo!

Email info@familiesmagazine.co.uk

for extra copies of the chart!

Competition T&Cs at www.bit.ly/37LNg7w

Clubs & Classes Directory

ART

Art-K

With over 30 clubs across England and over 2000

students being taught weekly, Art-K has created a

community of art lovers. Students study different

mediums as well as take part in yearly exhibitions and

national Art-K events. Ages 6-16. Clapham, Fulham,

Putney, Wandsworth, Wimbledon.

customerservice@art-k.co.uk www.art-k.co.uk

Clapham Pottery

After school and Saturday morning classes for

children where they learn how to make and decorate

pieces using a range of pottery techniques. Ages 6

and up. Located in Clapham. £80 for a 10 week term.

www.claphampottery.co.uk

Paint Pots Creative Classes

Starting from 6 months old in the wonderfully

peaceful Treasure Basket class, children move

naturally onto Messy Play, Toddler Art and Music,

Early Montessori, Toddler Messy Play, Creative

Storytelling and Art Club. 6 mths–6 yrs. SW10

www.paintpotshouse.com

Play With Clay

Saturday morning pottery classes where children can

use their imagination to create projects using

different techniques. Age 6 and up.

www.play-with-clay.com

DEVELOPING SKILLS

Little House of Science

London's favourite after school club that is showing

kids how fun science can be. Holiday camps, school

and nursery clubs, After school STEM weekend clubs.

3-12yrs. SW7. info@littlehouseofscience.com

www.littlehouseofscience.com

Naomi Touch Typing

Learn the importance of having the correct typing

posture and at the end of the week all children will

know how to touch type. Weekly Touch Typing

courses for children in holidays and half terms.

7-18yrs. Fulham. naomi@nmtouchtyping.co.uk

www.nmtouchtyping.co.uk

DANCE

Be.Dance

Focus on commercial and street dance styles, they

draw upon influences from the world of musical

theatre, jazz, hip-hop, tap, ballet and lyrical dance,

creating inspiring choreography and developing

students' technical skills. Balham, Clapham Junction

and Wandsworth. From 18mths.

www.bedance.co.uk

La Sylvaine School of Dance

Qualified Tuition in the International Dance Teachers

Association (IDTA) and The British Ballet Organization

(BBO), tuition in ballet, tap, theatrecraft, modern jazz

and freestyle. Classes for all ages.

sylvaineschoolofdance.co.uk

Southwest School of Ballet

A ballet school that provides a continuing and

progressive education in ballet for as long as they

wish to study. The school promotes a love of dance

in an imaginative and stimulating environment. Age

2.5 and up. www.southwestballet.co.uk

West London School of Dance

Ballet & pointe, jazz, tap and singing. Summer School

includes Ballet, Repertoire, Choreography & Body

Conditioning. From 2.5yrs.

info@westlondonschoolofdance.co.uk

www.westlondonschoolofdance.co.uk

MUSIC

Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes

Group based electronic keyboard lessons for 4 and

11 years who want to learn keyboard/piano skills.

Holiday classes. Clapham, Streatham, Tooting.

mail@funkymonkey.info www.funkymonkey.info

Music Bus

Singing and dancing combined with coffee, snacks

and play time after make for an enjoyable hour of

fun. From birth up. helen@musicbus.com

www.musicbus.com

Mini Mozart

Mini Mozart aims to get children interested in music

so that instead of simply hearing, they are actively

listening. For babies and toddlers. Wimbledon,

Wandsworth, Battersea, Barnes.

hello@minimozart.com www.minimozart.com

Upbeat music courses

Experience the fun and excitement of learning,

recording and performing music. Sing & dance, play

electric guitars and drums, record cds at their on site

studios, perform at an gig at professional venues. For

4 – 18 years. upbeatmusiccourses@gmail.com

londonupbeatmusiccourses.co.uk

PERFORMING ARTS

Perform

Drama classes, courses and holiday camps for 4-

12yrs. Develops the 4 Cs: confidence,

concentration, communication and coordination

with games, role-play, dance routines and songs,

giving children the best fun they'll have all week.

Very wide number of locations. www.perform.org.uk

Stagecoach Performing Arts

Stagecoach teaches children and teens to sing,

dance and act, not only on stage, but perform better

in life. Suitable for those looking to pursue a career in

performing arts or just looking to have some fun and

gain some new skills. Age 4 and up. Wimbledon,

Merton Park, Battersea, Tooting, Balham, Fulham and

Cheam. www.stagecoach.co.uk

Jigsaw Performing Arts School

Jigsaw delivers fun and exciting dance, drama and

singing classes. While some students join to become

better performers, others join to unlock a hidden

talent or overcome their shyness and increase their

social skills. Age 6 months and up. Wimbledon and

Balham. www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk

SPORTS

All star tennis

Junior and Adult tennis courses, holiday camps &

tennis lessons. 28 tennis courts across Wandsworth,

Tooting & Putney. Making Tennis fun and accessible

for all! From 3yrs. info@allstartennis.co.uk

www.allstartennis.co.uk

Fighting Fit

Learn Kung-fu and kick boxing moves through this

effective and unique training system. Improve

confidence, problem solving skills, coordination,

balance, flexibility, concentration. Age 4 and up.

Wimbledon, Streatham, Cheam and Tooting.

tony@fighting-fit.com www.fighting-fit.com

Little Kickers

Four different football classes aimed at different age

groups, and all focus on the play not push idea, as

well as the idea that football can be educational.

Ages 2-7. Wimbledon, Southfields, Wandsworth,

Raynes Park, Merton Park, Putney, Parson’s Green,

Chelsea, south Kensington. www.littlekickers.co.uk

Please tell companies you saw them in

Families. It helps us a lot.

Little Foxes club

Children can enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle while

enjoying a wide range of sporting activities. Choose

from football, rugby, multi-sports, and gymnastics.

Suitable for children age 18 months and up. Battersea

and Fulham. info@thelittlefoxesclub.com

www.thelittlefoxesclub.com

Mini Athletics

Children learn the basic skills of running, jumping

and throwing to develop sporting competence and

confidence. Age 2-7 years. Wimbledon and Raynes

Park. www.miniathletics.com

Playball

Focusing on cognitive and social development, as

well as growth, Playball aims to use sport as a fun

medium to develop, learn and interact with others.

Suitable for ages 2-10 years. Battersea, Fulham,

Chelsea, Clapham and Balham. gavin@playballlondon.com

www.playball-london.com

Rugby Tots

Structured play sessions take children on a journey of

sporting imagination with engaging and energetic

coaches supporting them every step of the way

whilst teaching how to catch, pass, kick, run with the

ball and play as part of a team. Ages 2-7. South

Wimbledon, Raynes Park, Putney, Wandsworth,

Tooting. enquiries@rugbytots.co.uk

www.rugbytots.co.uk

SwimWay

Specializing in private and semi-private lessons,

children learn the fundamentals including breath

control, buoyancy, body position, gliding and correct

leg kick action before moving on to strokes. Ages 3

months to 9 years. Balham, Clapham Common,

Putney, Wandsworth Common and Wimbledon. 1:1

lesson £45, 1:2 lesson £29. info@swimway.co.uk

www.swimway.co.uk

Teddy Tennis

Teddies are everywhere for these lessons. They are in

photos, demonstrations, and videos, all showing

inspiring images of teddy bears characters playing

Teddy Tennis. Children will learn by seeing, listening

and playing. Age 2 to 5 plus. Chelsea, Fulham,

Wandsworth, Battersea, Wimbledon and Merton.

info@teddytennis.com www.teddytennis.co.uk

Water Babies

From getting your little one used to the water to

having them swim on your own, Water Babies has

your covered through those early years. Tooting,

Putney, Wandsworth, Southfields, Morden, Balham,

Battersea, Fulham. www.waterbabies.co.uk

Wimbledon Village Stables

Horse riding and horse riding lessons. A multi-award

winning riding school offering horse riders the

opportunity to escape the city and enjoy the

stunning countryside and wildlife of Wimbledon

Common and Richmond Park. Try their state of the

art, fully interactive horse riding simulator! 020 8946

8579 www.wvstables.com

Youngstars

Youngstars camp is guaranteed to be full of fun,

games and excitement whilst introducing aspects of

several sports including football, basketball, cricket,

lacrosse, hockey, t-ball, tennis, rugby & athletics all

within a non-competitive & all inclusive environment.

Designed to improve coordination, awareness, motor

skills and above all team work. info@youngstars.co.uk

www.young-stars.co.uk

Keep this page safe: each of our Classes

directory contains totally different

information!


0208 088 0117

0208 679 4243 Little Voices Putney: St Mary’s Church, Putney High Street, SW15 1SA

Little Voices Fulham: St Etheldreda Church, Fulham Palace Road, SW6 6JF


FamiliesSWLon


Easter Holiday

Listings

Developing skills

Chelsea Academy School

www.rolemodels.me

0203 6377101

6-9 April

Easter Life Skills Courses

Courses for 6-11 year olds that

promote greater mental

wellbeing, improve school

results and develop the life

skills that help children thrive.

This Easter their courses will

cover Resilience, Collaboration

and Leadership as well as

developing Confidence and a

Growth Mindset. They say:

“Run by our Inspirational Role

Models, we can guarantee

ambitious content, active

learning and serious fun!”

Fulham - Various Locations

contact@paperbirdslondon.co.uk

www.paperbirdslondon.co.uk

Get creative with Paperbirds

Art during the Easter Holidays

and join them for a spring

inspired Art Camp at Fulham

Palace.

You will paint, draw, print and

experiment with many

different materials and

techniques, be inspired by

famous artists and—as

always—have lots of fun!

Bookings via the website, the

camps and the weekly art

classes are very popular so

please book early.

Naomi Martin Touch Typing

www.nmtouchtyping.co.uk

From 30 March-17 April

Weekly touch typing courses

Being able to touch type is an

invaluable skill. A touch typer is not

reliant on looking at the keyboard,

so ideas can flow more readily,

making you more productive.

Moreover, touch typing is

extremely beneficial for those with

learning difficulties such as dyslexia

or dyspraxia. It helps with

handwriting and spelling, as word

patterns are learnt using muscle

memory. Children who were once

struggling feel liberated, their selfconfidence

is boosted, as is the

quality of their work. They aim to

teach children how to touch type

in one week and to make it fun as

well! 7-18yrs. £200-250.

Easter with Kids En Cuisine

Wandsworth and Fulham

www.kidsencuisine.com

12 and 18 April

Learn how to cook good food

that’s also good for you!

12th April at Whole Food Market

Fulham and 18th April at Planet

Organic Wandsworth.

Funky Monkey

Inspirational mentors for Easter escapades

This Easter why not choose a Clarendon Inspires mentor to guide

and excite your child around London’s hottest attractions and

experiences?

Their 110 mentors, who are rigorously trained, are passionate

about learning, well-educated and enthusiastic. Explore the Bank

of England museum with Luke, who studied at Eton and is now

an undergraduate in Economics at LSE. Or, tour the Houses of

Parliament with Annabelle, a History undergraduate from

Oxford University.

There are lots of fun, educational ideas listed on our website.

Alternatively, tell them what you’d like their mentors to do on a

bespoke day out.

Mentors will even pick your children up from home and drop

them back.

Pricing is on a per child basis starting from £9 per hour for

groups, to £25 per hour for one-to-one. All mentors are DBS

checked.

Visit www.clarendoninspires.com to find out more.

Call anytime on 020 7206 2569.

Paint Pots Easter Fun

Paint Pots, St Mary The Boltons,

The Boltons, London,

SW10 9TB

Book online at

www.paintpotshouse.com

30 March–3 April

Arts, crafts, music, games and

other seasonal activities—lots of

creative activities. Have fun and

make friends.

Led by their fully qualified

Nursery School and Creative

Classes teachers.

3-6 yrs *All sessions are unaccompanied.

9.30am-

12.30pm, £45 /

9.30am-3.30pm, £65

Perform


SwimWay The Little Gym Kids en cuisine

Computer coding

workshops

Dulwich 020 8090 1444,

www.spark4kids.com

Visit www.spark4kids.com for

more details

6-9 April

Easter Holiday computer coding

workshops Spark4Kids are running

all-day holiday workshops that

introduce children to computer

coding through the medium of

games. Available are courses on

Minecraft Modding, Roblox Coding,

Robotics, Games Design, MicroBit

& Arduino coding, Python,

HTML/CSS, JavaScript and

Unity/C# in a fun, engaging

environment. Ages 5-7 years, 8-12

and 13-16. The Easter Holiday

workshops are taking place in

Dulwich.

Active/days out

Battersea Park Children’s

Zoo

Battersea Park

www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk

All free with entrance, £2 for

Cocoa Day Fun

28 March-16 April

Easter Holiday Fun Find which

animals have hidden Easter eggs,

learn all about eggs—from painting

them to egg races, make an ecofriendly

newspaper plant pot, learn

about bunnies and hedgehogs and

don’t forget Cocoa Day Fun—all

about chocolate! Running,

activities run different days,

children must be accompanied by

an adult.

GoApe

goape.co.uk

Tree Top Adventure and Tree Top

Challenge course in Battersea Park,

open for all of the Easter Holidays.

See website for more details on

prices and ages.

Kew Gardens

TW9 3AB www.kew.org

4-19 April

Gruffalo adventures

Easter activities Take a

journey through Kew Gardens’

Arboretum where visitors will

encounter Fox, Owl and Snake. With

a map and face-painted whiskers,

children will discover the animals’

hiding spots, and interactive

activities at each stop. Included with

entry to the Gardens

The Little Gym Wandsworth

and Fulham

www.thelittlegym.eu

7, 8, 9 April

Easter Camps Three hour

Adventure camp 3-8 years or Skill

Thrill camp 6-12 years.

Your little one can take part in an

exciting, Easter-themed drop off

session that includes adventures in

the gym, crafts and snacks, as well

as some festive challenges!

Youngstars Easter Holiday

Camp

Tooting, Putney, Wimbledon, West

Wimbledon, Clapham Common,

Battersea and Balham

www.young-stars.co.uk

6-9 April and 14-17 April

Enjoy some fun, games and

excitement while learning the

aspects of football, basketball,

cricket, lacrosse, hockey, tennis

among others. Non-competitive and

all inclusive, every aspect is designed

to improve coordination, awareness,

motor skills and team work! Ages

vary depending on location. From

£20 for a half day, £50 for a full day.

Choice of several sessions, half days,

full days and extended day (for an

additional £2).

Funky Monkey Keyboard

Classes

01732 457 100

mail@funkymonkey.info

www.funkymonkey.info

4-8 yrs inclusive - complete

beginners only

10-2pm Monday 6th April -

Herne Hill

10am-2pm Tuesday 7th April -

Streatham

10am-2pm Thursday 9th April -

Sydenham

£35 for first child/£30 for

subsequent siblings

'Cheeky Chick' Music Workshops

Fun-packed group electronic

keyboard workshops for complete

beginners. Easter-themed art,

music-making and fun and games

aplenty!

Youthsayers

Instrumental

workshop

Streatham Space

Project,

Sternhold Ave,

Music

FREE

WORKSHOP

Streatham, London SW2 4PA

www.streathamspaceproject.co.uk/

musicfest/youthsayersworkshop

28 March A FREE inclusive

workshop lead by Youthsayers,

rising Lambeth-based youth band of

international, touring Jazz/Afrobeat

group, Soothsayers. The workshop

is open to all ages/abilities for those

interested in getting deeper into the

techniques and history of the music.

Instruments welcome! 6-7.30 pm

Upbeat Easter camps

07816 901396

www.upbeatmusiccourses.co.uk

upbeatmusiccourses@gmail.com

6-9 April and 14-17 April 10-4

Parsons Green

Pop and rock fun Sing, dance, play

guitars and drums, songwriting,

record your tracks and perform

them. 4 - 14yrs. Sibling discounts

available. Instagram ‘upbeatlondon'

Drama

Held at Notting Hill Prep, 95

Lancaster Road W11 1QQ

07740 428238

www.allsortsdrama.com

Allsorts drama classes for ages

7 – 11 & 11 – 14

Saturdays 11am–1pm.

Popular and fun classes

designed to cover all aspects

of drama including

Lamda exams.


FamiliesSWLon



Easter activities

Introductory

£40 discount

when you quote

LSW300420 if

you book by

30 April

Perform

Chelsea, Kensington, Clapham

South and Wimbledon

020 72559120

enquiries@perform.org.uk

perform.org.uk


Superheroes: Perform’s three day

Easter holiday course for 4-10s. Fly

with them to Superhero School this

April for an action-packed Top

Secret Mission to save the world.

Your child will discover their own

special powers as they zoom

towards a supercharged showcase

for family and friends. Filled with

brilliant music, funky dances and

fabulous costumes, this course is a

real Easter treat. 4-10 years. Three

day courses from 10am to 3pm

each day.

Stagecoach Performing Arts

Battersea

07956 288928

battersea@stagecoach.co.uk

www.stagecoach.co.uk/Battersea

14 - 17 April

4 days (or mornings) of dance,

acting and singing for children and

teens aged 4 - 16! Put on a

fabulous show with experienced

West End professionals in just four

days/mornings! 9.30-12.30pm (4-

6 years £120), 10am-4pm (7-16

year olds £165) Book now!

Childcare vouchers accepted.

Stars Performing Arts Clubs

Tara Arts, Earlsfield

www.starspaclubs.com

6-9 April

Easter Holiday Theatre Club Enjoy

a week of acting, dancing and

singing with West End

professionals. End the week with a

show for family and friends in the

Tara Theatre, complete with

lighting, costumes and props!

Matilda ages 5-9, We Will Rock

You, age 10+

Marlborough College

Languages

Et Patati Patata

Hammersmith

www.etpatatipatata.com

14-17 April

Fun French Easter Day Enjoy

some French drama, French circus,

French workshops and 100%

French fun! A range of fun activities

all done in French immersion and

led by a certified French speaking

primary teacher will have your little

one saying Bonjour in no time.

Workshops in the mornings and

sports in the afternoon. 3-14 years

of age

Sports

Battersea Sports Centre

Camp

Battersea Sports Centre

www.enablelc.org/bsc


Children can enjoy a day full of fun

and a range of different sports such

as football, cricket, basketball,

volleyball and more! Ages 6-13.

10am to 3pm.

London Sports Academy

James Boit

07421 273426

www.londonsportsacademy.co.uk

6-9 April

London Sports Academy are back

once more at Burntwood School

this Easter, with three age groups,

five different daily activities and half

day laser tag sessions at no extra

cost. Use promotional code

families when you check out to

receive 15% off your booking. A

safe and inclusive kids' clubs in our

community

Little House of Science

Holiday Inn Forum, Courtfield

Road, London SW7 4DN (1 min

from Gloucester Road Station)

Easter science camps 2020

30 Mar-3 April: Meet the Elements

or the Exciting World of Chemistry

6-9 April (Mon-Thu): Fascinating

Intro to Aerodynamics and

Aerospace

14-17 April (Tue-Fri): Amazing

Zoology: Explore the Fascinating

World of Primates, Fish, Molluscs

and Mammals

Daily Monday-Friday, 9.30-3.30

(8.45 am early drop-off), For 4-7

and 8-12 years (age-adjusted &

separated taught groups, 10%

siblings & friends discounts)

South West Swimming

School

Emanuel School, Battersea Rise

and Burntwood School,

Wandsworth

To book or reserve a place contact

020 8767 2723

operations@swswimschool.co.uk

www.swswimschool.co.uk

6-9 April (4 days) and 14-17 April

Two Intensive courses 30min

classes from 9am-12pm. Price for 5

day splash varies depending on

ratio of class: 4:1-£130; 2:1-£180

and 1:1- £290. All lessons are

running between 9-12 pm (30 min

lessons only). New customers will

need to pay a joining fee of £28, all

new swimmers receive hat + pair

of goggles as a welcome pack.

More info about other courses on

the website.

SwimWay

Putney, Kew Gardens, Kensington

and Balham

info@swimway.co.uk or call

020 8871-3972

www.swimway.co.uk

6-9 April and 14–17 April

SwimWay is delighted to announce

they will be running another series

of intensive swimming course

during the Easter Holidays for

children aged 2yrs – 9yrs. The

lessons will be provided on a

private or a semi-private basis for

half an hour each day. You can find

full details of their Easter crash

course Program on their website.

Yellowbird Education

Locations across SW London

020 7731 0695

www.yellowbirdeducation.com

anna@jrschoolsearch.co.uk

30 Mar-3 April; 6-9 April and

14-17 April

Easter Workshops Hugely popular

holiday workshops carefully

designed to develop skills in

Creative Writing, Handwriting,

English Exam Preparation,

Interview Skills and Reasoning.

With extensive knowledge of the

British school system the

workshops offer practice and

support to children preparing for

7+, 8+ and 11+ entrance exams

whilst aiming to build confidence

and a joy of learning.

Small groups adjusted by age

(6-11 years)

Et Patati Patata

Stagecoach

Role Models

Youngstars


FamiliesSWLondon


Summer holidays

Learn French on a family holiday in the French Alps!

Read more about the different possible holidays, course and camps at

www.alpinefrenchschool.com/juniors

Marlborough College Summer School

Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 1PA

01672 892388 summerschool.co.uk

For enriching learning experiences and entertainment your whole family will

enjoy, sign up now for Marlborough College Summer School –

12 July to 8 August 2020.

Young people can attend as day students or as residents with their families.

While there are over 400 inspirational courses for adults, the programme for

young people is a winning formula. Junior Troopers (3-6 years) and

Children’s Activities (6-9 years) adopt the multi-activity approach and feature

art, music, sports and outdoor fun. Meanwhile, Young Adventurers (9-12

years) and Teenagers (13-17 years) can choose a morning and afternoon

course that they continue all week. Just some of the diverse courses

available this summer, include Mountain Biking, Crochet Your Own

Amigurumi Pets, African Drumming, Cricket, Robotic Coding, a horrible

history inspired course, Gruesome Grub and Gory Stories and even a Spy

Agency! Tax-free childcare and vouchers accepted.

Alpine French School is based in Morzine in the French Alps offering

the perfect location for French and activity holidays. Cleverly you can

combine French lessons (for the children or all the family) with activities

(for the children or as a family) for a great family holiday with never a dull

moment. This is perfect for keeping sporty active children and families

busy on their holidays. Alpine French School offers Morning, Day and

Family Camp options from their school in the centre of Morzine.

Accommodation can be arranged if required in apartments, chalets or

hotels and transfers from Geneva airport can be booked on your behalf to

make the process hassle free. With activities such as tennis, mountain

biking, swimming, cycling, mountain biking, paragliding, white-water

rafting, hiking, canyoning, climbing, adventure park, summer luge and

much more, there is never a dull moment.


Babies

During the first three years of

life, a baby’s brain is

developing rapidly which is

why this period contains so

many critical milestones for

their speech development.

Interestingly, much of your

baby's speech development

depends on your "baby talk"

skills as well as those of

your baby!

When should babies

start talking? By Andrew Campbell

The first “baby talk” is non-verbal and

happens soon after birth

Babies grimace, cry, and squirm to express a

range of emotions and physical needs, from

fear to hunger to frustration. It is important to

listen to your baby’s different cries, work out

what they mean and respond accordingly.

At the age of 3 months, you’ll notice your baby

listening to your voice, watching your face as

you talk, and turning towards other voices,

sounds and music.

Before babies start talking, they are gathering

information. That information eventually

becomes the foundation of the first baby talk.

And the best way for parents to help their

babies make it to those first words – and thrive

with language development in the months

after – is to talk to them.

At around 6 months of age, you’ll hear your

baby begin to babble and coo, as they play

around with different sounds. This “baby talk” is

a happy, gentle, repetitive, sing-song

vocalisation sounds similar the world over,

despite the language of a baby’s parents.

After 9 months of age, babies can say and

understand a few basic words like "no" and

"bye-bye." They also may begin to use a wider

range of consonant sounds and tones as they

try out sounds and find their own voice. Babies

may also be able to point to people, objects,

and body parts you name for them. They

repeat words or sounds they hear you say, like

the last word in a sentence, but they often

leave off endings or beginnings of words. For

example, they may say "daw" for "dog" or "noonoo's"

for "noodles."

Most babies say their first words sometime

around their first birthday

Now, importantly, they know what they are

saying. They should also respond to -- or at

least understand, if not obey - short, one-step

requests like: "Please put that down.”

Over the next six months, your baby will start

to use language in a more recognisable way

and you may start to hear them talking. You

might find that initially only you and a few of

your baby’s favourite people can make out

what they’re saying though! By the age of 2

years, babies can string together short phrases

of two to four words, such as "Mummy byebye"

or "me milk." They're learning that words

mean more than objects like "cup" - they also

mean abstract ideas like "mine."

Over the course of the next year, your baby’s

vocabulary expands rapidly, and "make-believe"

play spurs an understanding of symbolic and

abstract language like "now," feelings like "sad,"

and spatial concepts like "in."

Ideas to encourage talking

The more words children hear, the more

they learn.

Here are some fun things to do together

to encourage your baby’s speech and

language development:

Chat to your baby about the things

you’re doing, even if you think they’re

boring – for example, ‘Daddy’s vacuuming

the carpet to get rid of the dust that makes

you sneeze.’

Repeat your baby’s attempts at words to

encourage a two-way conversation. For

example, if she says “mama” you could say

“mama” back to her. Build on your toddler’s

words. For example, when baby says:

“train,” you say: “Yes, it’s a big red train.”

Show interest in your baby’s babbling

and talking by smiling and looking him in

the eye.

Respond to and talk about your baby’s

interests. For example, if your baby starts

playing with a toy train, you could say

“Toot, toot.”

Read, tell stories, share songs and

nursery rhymes with your baby.

Praise your baby’s efforts to talk. For

example, if your baby points to a dog and

names it, you could say: “Well done for

pointing out the dog, Georgie!”

Infants all develop at a different pace, but

if you're worried about your child's speech

or language development, talk to your GP

or health visitor. If necessary, they will refer

your child to your local speech and

language therapy department.

More info: www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/helping-your-childs-speech

www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/learning-talk-and-communication-your-baby


FamiliesSWLon


THINGS TO DO WITH

BABY THE FIRST YEAR

10by roving mum Melissa Reynolds

They say that the first three months after baby is the fourth trimester—that

you’re in that fog of having a brand new person to take care of, one that

has trouble conveying their wants and needs. You lack sleep, humour and

the ability to see beyond those first three months.

But once those months have passed, there is a whole new world waiting

for you and your baby, and that first year together can be one of the most

precious times you’ll ever spend together. Families has some suggestions

on how to make those moments count.

1. Record those moments. It’s true what they

say, time does move so quickly, especially when

watching the growth and changes in a child. Try

to record as much of it as you can. Make some

home movies, take lots of photos, and, if you

have the time, try to find some way to organize

them like a scrapbook. You’ll be glad you did

when you have them to look back on.

Families Roving Mums recommend: Negin

notes that she made foot and hand prints of

her son which could then be framed. You

could also try joining a scrapbooking class

which not only helps you tuck the memories

away but gets you out and about with other

parents.

2. Try a Baby Class. Little minds need

stimulation, just as much as you need to get

out of the house and interact with other adults.

Anything that will appeal to baby’s growing

senses is ideal. Try out music, singing, puppets,

anything that will have your little one smiling.

The sensory awareness and fine motor control

from these classes is beneficial for baby’s

growing brain.

Families Roving Mums recommend: Jess loved

Baby Sensory classes. She notes “Baby loved

the lights, singing and activities…each week had

a different theme which makes for an exciting

session.” Also check out Caterpillar Music

www.caterpillarmusic.com, Monkey Music

www.monkeymusic.co.uk, and Gymboree

www.gymboreeclasses.co.uk . There are many

to choose from if you take a look.

3. Meet with other mums in your

neighbourhood. Trying to find others in the

same boat as you is one of the most important

things you can do. Raising a child does take a

village, so start building yours now. Find groups

you can join, that meet with their babies and

share the highs and lows of motherhood. It’s

important to have a support group that’s local

and knows what you’re going through.

Families Roving Mums recommend: Start out

with your NCT group which can provide you

with support and information those first few

months. The Peanut App aims to help mums

meet other mums with the same likes and

dislikes in common. You can also try finding

some mum get togethers on Next Door.

4. Get wet. Babies like to be naked, after all,

it’s how they’ve spent the past 9 months in

your body. Give them something to enjoy while

naked by making the most out of bath time or

going to the local pool. Try using some bubbles

in the bath, toys, pouring water out of cups and

even singing some songs while you splash

together.

Families Roving Mums recommend: Your local

swimming pool is a great place for you and

baby to get wet and bob around. Bring some

squishy toys and enjoy. You can also try sharing

a bath with baby with bubbles and toys. Your

little one will love the closeness!

5. Try baby massage.. Massage can not only

soothe your baby, but can help soothe your

nerves too. Massage can help your baby sleep,

can improve weight gain, digestion, circulation

and even help with teething pain. Not to

mention it’s a great way to spend time with

your baby in a calm and soothing way.

Families Roving Mums recommend: You can

do a great baby massage at home, courtesy of

YouTube or a DVD. That way you can target

baby when they are at their fussiest. Another

option is organizing one with some friends or

trying one out through your NCT group!

Join a baby class and make new friends

Massage help babies to thrive

Get close to nature


Babies

6. Get outdoors. With the right clothing and bundling, baby can spend

quite a bit of time outdoors. Not only is the fresh air good for you both, but

if the weather is nice and sunny, the vitamin D will do you good too! Try out

a farmer’s market for bright colourful fruits and vegetables, talk a hike

through the forest or even just sit in the park and take in your surroundings.

Your little one will love taking in all of the new sights and sounds.

Families Roving Mums recommend: There’s no shortage of parks and open

green spaces in London to take a walk or sit for a while. Head to a farmers

market and get some shopping done at the same time. Check out

www.lfm.org.uk to find one close to you.

Get outdoors-it will lift your spirits

7. Take in a movie. There’s no better time to take in some of the movies

you might have been missing. Many cinemas offer mum and baby movie

times with lower sound and softer lighting. Plus you’re among other moms,

so no need to worry if your little one starts to cry!

Families Roving Mums recommend: Many cinemas offer baby movie times,

check out their website for details. Try Odeon’s newbies, or Big Scream at

Clapham Picture House or The Ritzy in Brixton.

8. Learn baby sign language. It can be difficult to understand what all of

those cries and noises mean the first year. It can make you feel frustrated

and at a loss as to what your baby wants and needs. Why not give baby sign

language a try! It will allow your infant to communicate their needs more

clearly to you and it’s an amazing bonding experience.

Families Roving Mums recommend: There are many classes out there,

including those online. Check out Sing and Sign www.signandsign.co.uk or

Tiny Talk www.tintalk.co.uk, which both run classes in the South West area.

9. Get physical. Exercise will not only help you shed any extra baby

weight, but will make you feel better too with a kick of endorphins. Why

not involve your baby if you can? Try some mum and baby yoga, or

dancing with baby, buggy fit. It gives you time together, plus a good boost

of energy!

Families Roving Mums recommend: Why not give a baby and yoga class a

try, some buggy fit or even a dance class with baby. Not only will it boost

those endorphins, you’ll meet some other mums looking for a bit of

company too!

10. Story time at the library. All children love to be read to, no matter

what their age. And they benefit from being read to also. Check your local

library for story times so you can join other mums and your baby can fall in

love with books.

Families Roving Mums recommend: Check the website of your local

council to find the library closest to you and what they offer. You may find

they also offer special seasonal activities and even meet ups for mums and

babies.

The first year is hard, and it can be even harder doing it by yourself. Try

one, or try all of the points above and hopefully you too will start to grow

your own village. Child-raising isn’t easy and we all benefit from one.

Learn baby sign language


FamiliesSWLon


Montessori

NEWLY REGISTERED

Well stocked Montessori environment, ages 2 - 4 yrs

Streatham Methodist Church

Riggindale Road, SW16 1QH

Register Interest/Contact:

07368 454 408

montessori@souniquechild.co.uk

www.souniquemontessori.co.uk

ENGLISH NANNY/TEACHER

Available - full or part time 6 days a week.

Very flexible.

Qualified and experience teacher for English and

Maths from early years to 10 years old.

Homework help and extra English and

maths lessons.

Enhanced and updated DBS.

Paediatric First Aid Qualified.

Child Care Qualified from Birth to Primary

age group.

Excellent references.

Own car with Kensington and Chelsea parking permit.

And a mother myself... Call Laura: 07912 037769


Babies

Thinking of using cloth nappies?

Roving mum Irene Bausas shares what she learnt.

“I am using cloth nappies with my second one

as I felt bad thinking about where our waste

ends up. It was quite overwhelming doing the

research and finally taking the plunge.

For me the first 3 months were crazy, I was

juggling 2 children on very little sleep so when I

started cloth nappies, it just stressed me out

more and I nearly gave up on it. It is harder

work, specially number 2 nappies but there’s a

certain satisfaction with using cloth nappies.

How young should

your baby start

being active?

You’re saving money and saving the earth. So

my advice would be don’t start it too soon.

There are Facebook groups for cloth nappy

users. I also met a lady through the group who

became my mentor. It was useful to chat with

someone who knows more about it.

There’s also the Nappy Lady. You can

contact her for an initial free assessment and

she’ll make recommendations based on your

lifestyle/needs.

The initial cost of cloth nappies is quite high

but you can buy them second hand. I even got

some of mine for free from a local parent

group.

My baby did not take it to it at the start but

with some tweaking, change of nappy brand (I

swear by Bumgenius), letting him get used to it,

we are now using fewer disposable nappies.

I’ve been using Little Gubbins cloth wipes

(available via Amazon) and they are amazing!

They’re the perfect size for wiping up messy

hands and faces. They come in different

colours so I colour code them for face and

bums and cost less than other brands. “

Helping you find a

nanny

Kirsty Fletcher started Nanny State with the goal of

helping families find the perfect nanny. With a

diploma in Nursery Nursing and over 20 years of

experience as a professional nanny, she became

the go-to person for parents looking for advice

when hiring.

She now offers a personal service in South West

London that removes all the stress in finding and

employing the perfect person.

If you are looking for a new nanny, then let Kirsty’s

wealth of experience benefit you and your family

and get in touch for a free initial

consultation.

Without you knowing, your baby has been

active from 7 weeks old in your womb. This

increases periodically from week 15–17. It is

recommended to create an environment

“parent & child together” where babies receive

enough stimulus to allow their brain to

develop. Elements such as music, parallel bars,

bouncing mats and colourful equipment will

boost your baby’s overall sensory perception

development.

You’ll find all these elements at The Little

Gym Wandsworth and Fulham

020 8874 6567

wandsworth_fulham@thelittlegym.eu

Book an initial consultancy

meeting, at a time and location

to suit you, via their website

www.nannystate.com

FREE to

Families readers,

usually £185


FamiliesSWLondon


LITTLE ANGELS NURSERY SCHOOL

A Traditional Teaching Nursery - Learning through Play

Ofsted rated 'Good' nursery.

Established in 2000, very homely,

friendly and staff are fully

qualified in Early Years. Age 3

months to 5 years with three

spacious rooms to explore, learn

and grow in confidence and

intellect. There are two large

gardens. Open all year 8am to

6pm. 15/30 hours weekly free

sessions available for 2-4yrs.

Please contact our office on 020 7274 8333.

info@littleangelsbrixton.co.uk

www.littleangelsbrixton.co.uk

50 Gresham Road, Brixton, SW9 7NL

"Overall, staff provide a stimulating learning environment where

children are motivated and eager to learn" OFSTED

St Mary Magdalen Montessori

St Mary’s Summerstown Montessori

SW14 : 020 8878 0756 • SW17 : 020 8947 7359

For children aged 18months — 5years

Monday — Friday Mornings

Afternoon Sessions available

www.sparkiesnurseryschool.com

Email: grace@sparkiesnurseryschool.com

or call 07939~268~861 to arrange a visit

194 Ramsden Road | Balham | SW12 8RQ

Providing Education and Care in a Warm,

Welcoming Environment including Cookery,

Ballet, Dance, Football and Singing as part

of our curriculum.

Private fees or Free Government Funding.

Good OFSTED with excellent love and care.


THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL

THE MONTESSORI

CHILDREN

We provide a delightful

environment for children from

2yrs of age. Offering the full

Montessori curriculum with

visiting teachers for Music,

Dancing, Yoga, French, Drama,

Sports & Gymnastics.

CALL US TO BOOK A

VISIT TO THE NURSERY

0208 673 8037

102 Chestnut Grove Balham,

London, SW12 8JJ

HOLIDAY AND AFTER

SCHOOL CLUBS

Local children up to the age of

8yrs are welcome to join in with

our fun and creative activity

days during school breaks.

School pick-ups and homework

clubs are also available

during term time.

TEA TIME FOR

TODDLERS

This session takes place from

3:30pm to 4:30pm for children

from approximately 2yrs of age

to attend with an adult

www.themontessorischool.co.uk

Dawmouse Montessori

Nursery School

Passionate about teaching and learning

www.dawmouse.co.uk

Dawmouse Brunswick: Brunswick Club | 34 Haldane Road | Fulham | SW6 7EU | Tel: 020 7381 9385

Dawmouse St Peters: St Peters Church Hall | St Peters Terrace | Fulham | SW6 7JS | Tel: 020 7835 5731

familiesonline.co.uk March/April 2020 • Families South West 43

FamiliesSWLon

Babies

Having fewer toys

may be better

You’ve probably suspected it—well, it may now

have been confirmed! Children who have too

many toys are more easily distracted, and do

not enjoy quality playtime, a new study

suggests.

Researchers at the University of Toledo in

Ohio, US, found that youngsters were far more

creative when they had fewer toys to play with.

They also played with each for twice as long,

thinking up more uses for each toy and

lengthening and expanding their games.

The authors of the study conclude that

parents, schools and nurseries should pack

away most of their toys and just rotate a small

number regularly, to encourage children to

become more creative and improve their

attention spans.

More information: www.sciencedirect.com

Don’t buy your premium

buggy — hire it!

First eco-nappy to be

named as "Best

Performance Nappy

Range"

Whilst just 7% of parents opt for a reusable

nappy, the other 93% would like a more

sustainable option in a disposable range. But

they want reliability and quality as well.

Bamaboo has proven this is possible. Bamaboo

by Mama Bamboo is a premium range of

nappies with softer-than-cotton bamboo

layers, compostable liner and natural, chlorinefree

pulp core. Designed to provide babies with

a gentle, safe, comfortable experience, all

products are tested rigorously to ensure they

are suitable for even delicate, new born skin.

They are hypoallergenic, naturally antibacterial

and contain no harsh chemicals. Along with

bamboo’s natural temperature regulating and

moisture wicking properties and the liner’s

breathable qualities, manufacturers say these

nappies can also reduce nappy rash.

www.bamaboo.co.uk

Bamaboo is the only eco-friendly nappy brand to ever

win the Mother & Baby award for BEST

PERFORMANCE NAPPY RANGE

Over half of parents

feel lonely

New research has found that over half (56%) of

parents with children under the age of 5 years

experience loneliness at least some of the time.

The study by the charity, Coram Family and

Childcare reveals that the issue affects

significantly more women than men, with

twice as many mothers than fathers saying

they often feel left out, as well as younger

parents, with nearly 37% of parents aged 18 to

24 often feeling a lack of companionship,

compared to 21% of parents aged 25 to 34.

Loneliness is most prevalent around the birth

of a baby, particularly if parents are unable to

get out of the house easily and when the

children are older but haven’t yet started

school.

Focus groups conducted by Coram Family and

Childcare revealed that parents felt the best

way to combat loneliness and isolation is to

meet other parents by participating in activities

that their child will enjoy.

More information:

www.familyandchildcaretrust.org

Founder Dr Jackie Lenders told Families: “The inspiration for Buggi came

from our own experience of having a child. With safety and comfort in

mind, we spent over £1,000 on a larger buggy for our daughter, only to find

that 6 months later we needed a more lightweight model to whizz around

town with.

We did some research and found it

wasn’t uncommon for parents with

multiple children to have bought 4+

different models, costing several

thousand pounds. We created Buggi to

provide a solution: a more affordable

and sustainable alternative to buying

short-lived buggies.”

info@buggi.co.uk

www.buggi.co.uk

Calling all baby Scientists!

Help us discover how babies & kids learn!

We’re recruiting infants from birth to school age to take

part in fun studies at the Birkbeck Babylab in central

London. Our prime location is easy to reach via public

transport and we refund travel expenses.

020 7631 6258

babylab@bbk.ac.uk

www.cbcd.bbk.ac.uk


Free events for your

weekends or for the

Easter holidays

See our

What’s On section

for more FREE

events

St. Patrick’s day in London

Piccadilly

www.london.gov.uk

15 March Get there early for a good spot

to watch the elaborate floats, marching

bands and Irish dancing schools strut their

stuff. End up at Trafalgar Square for the St.

Patrick’s Day Festival and enjoy the best in

Irish food, drink, arts and performance.

Fun family photos

British Museum

www.britishmuseum.org

15 March-5 April Develop your photo

editing skills and use our green screen to

create a picture of your family interacting

with some of the Museum’s most

fascinating objects. 5+yrs, drop in.

Enjoy earth hour on the 28 March

The Oxford and Cambridge boat

race

River Thames between Putney and

Mortlake

www.theboatraces.org

29 March Pick a side of the river, pick a

team, and start cheering! Up to 250,000

people line the riverbanks every year to

cheer on Oxford and Cambridge in their

annual rowing boat race.

Underbelly Festival

Southbank

www.underbelly.co.uk

5 April– 29 September The popular

festival is back for another year. Located

on the Southbank, the Underbelly Festival

combines the best of Underbelly Festival

and London Wonderground, to bring you

the best in circus, comedy and family

entertainment.

Make the most of London free museums!

Watch London go dark for Earth

Hour

All over London

28 March Not only can you participate,

you can also watch much of London go

dark for Earth Hour. Between the hour of

20:30 and 21:30 most of London will go

dark to raise awareness for climate

change, including Buckingham Palace,

Westminster Abbey and the London Eye!

Cherry blossoms in London

All over London

March and April With winter behind us,

it’s time to get outside and enjoy what

nature has to offer. First on the list,

searching for the best locations around to

find some cherry blossoms in bloom! St.

James’s Park, Greenwich Park and Kew

Gardens are top on the list.

Scenes in the Square at Leicester

Square

Leicester Square

www.leicestersquare.london

Until 30 June Join some of film’s most

loved characters through an interactive

trail of eight bronze statues that welcome

you to touch, talk, dance and sing. Don’t

forget to snap a selfie with your favourites!

Family Saturdays

Final Saturday of every Month

Battersea Arts Centre

www.bac.org.uk

On the last Saturday of every month,

families have the run of the Battersea Arts

Centre for a day of food, fun and free

activities. Face painting, music, toy and

clothes swaps and more! Storytelling for

under 5s.

Imagine Festival is truly fantastic

Global recycling day events

Location to be announced

www.globalrecyclingday.com

18 March The Global Recycling Day team

will showcase the scale of what is possible,

by using large bundles of recycled

materials at a central location. You could

share your own global recycling day on

their website or social channels? Check

the website for more information.

Mudlarks Gallery

Museum of London Docklands

www.museumoflondon.org.uk

On now until further notice Mudlarks

offers an interactive space where young

ones can learn in a fun and stimulating

way. The sessions are aimed at those from

babies up to 8 years old. There is also a

soft play area for young ones. Mudlarks is

free, but a ticket is required.

Marvel at the blossom at Kew Gardens


Reducing waste at parties: think reusable

party kits! By Roving mum Irene Bausas

PARTIES

We go to a lot of birthday parties and the

amount of rubbish we generate after every

party is enormous. Parties are a great way to

teach the children about sustainability and

what we can all do to help reduce waste.

Reusable party kits are growing fast all over the

UK. Party kits usually contain reusable plastic

plates and cups for about 30 children. Some

do it for free/charity, some run it as a business

with washing up service, birthday party themes,

all the same fun but a lot less disposables. If

there’s none in your area, maybe you and your

friends can consider starting one for your

community/school. www.partykitnetwork.uk

Do also look at Greentail.co.uk You can hire a

full set of re-usables , eco-friendly and good

looking party tableware made of bamboo. They

have an affordable door to door delivery and

collection service.

Some unusual, and plastic-lite,

party bag ideas By Jude Fellowes

As a mum of three, I know that opinion on

whether party bags are an essential

component of a children’s party is almost as

divided as on whether it’s really necessary to

invite the whole of your child’s class to their

party.

I like to think of myself as a good parent (most

of the time), but I confess I do my very best to

avoid party bags! I loathe looking round for

suitable tat to put in them and feel guilty about

the fact that most of what I’m buying will end

up in landfill or down the back of my fellow

parents’ sofas.

Having said this, I would NEVER let my

daughter know what I think of party bags

because she LOVES them. She also enjoys the

excitement of giving them to her friends.

So, love them or loathe them, if you are going

to “do” party bags, then here are some budget

friendly suggestions:

Books

You can get hold of reasonable quality

children’s books from discount book stores a

little as £1 or £2 a book – and at least this is a

gift that’s educational.

Personalised biscuits/cupcakes

Buy or bake some gingerbread men or

cupcakes and ice with the name of each party

guest for them to take home. This is something

your child will also enjoy helping with.

Flowerpot with a packets of seeds

Why not get the children to decorate the pot

and plant the seeds as a party activity.

Bumper packs of sweets

Buy several large bulk packets of sweets, divide

into small portions and wrap in cellophane for

each guest. Tie with a pretty ribbon.

Go traditional

Party blowers, balloons and bubbles always

bring a smile to childrens’ faces almost

regardless of age, and most supermarkets tend

to have a good selection of these party staples

on special offer.

Sock puppets

Younger children love sock puppets, so get

them to make their own. Buy some cheap

socks and colourful craft materials with which

to decorate them and you have a fun party

activity and another

memento for their

party bag.

The Little Gym parties

Little Gym offers private, fully supervised parties

where you can enjoy exclusive use of the whole

gym. The party is led by two qualified

gymnastics instructors—children will have one

hour to explore the gym during which the

instructors will facilitate age-appropriate games

and physical activity. Trust us, they’ll be busy!

Little Gym use special gymnastics equipment as

well as their parachute, balls and hoops. After

an hour of fun and games in the gym, it’s time

for birthday cake in the special decorated party

area. The party is private so your child and

birthday guest will have 100% of the team’s

attention. The best bit? They handle all the

details and clean all the mess—you just show

up with the children.

£360 for members, £410 non-members, for 12

children; maximum 24 children and any

additional child pays £12.

The Little Gym Wandsworth and Fulham,

Compass House, Riverside West, SW18 1DB

thelittlegym.com; 020 8874 6567;

wandsworth_fulham@thelittlegym.eu

PARTIES! Wonderfully fun musical parties

for your under-5’s! Guitar-accompanied songs

with actions, joining in, jumping and dancing,

instruments, puppet and parachute!

The perfect party for little ones.

Call 020 8677 6871

info@blueberryplaysongs.co.uk www.blueberryplaysongs.co.uk


FamiliesSWLondon


PARTIES

Creative cake and coffee

shop in Fulham

We love Jack and Beyond, a creative cake and coffee Shop, where your

child will enjoy an unforgettable birthday party full of fun, creativity and

cake!

The birthday boy or girl can choose their favourite cake flavour, design their

birthday cake and share it with their friends. The children also have a

glimpse into the life of a cake decorator and learn how to decorate their

own Gingerbread cookies.

They also host Cake Decorating Classes for beginners. Their friendly and

knowledgeable staff will show you that you don’t have to be a star baker to

decorate your own cakes and biscuits: Learn the basics

from how to make your own piping bags to

creating simple designs with Royal Icing and

impress your friends and family with your

skills at your next birthday party!

Of course you will get to take all your

creations home with you after the class.

606 Fulham Road SW6 5RP

info@jackandbeyond.com

https://jackandbeyond.com

Gambado

Chelsea

This soft play centre in Chelsea offers a huge play frame, dodgems,

a carousel, a toddler area, a café and a wide choice of party and

party themes.

Adam Ants offers amazing

parties at affordable

prices.

Adam Ants and his talented team make sure

their parties are non stop fun. With something

for all ages: magic, balloon modelling,

puppets, music, dancing, games, face

painting.

You can hire tables and chairs/bouncy castles/soft play and ball ponds.

Why not invite your favourite character to the party from Mickey Mouse

to Pepper Pig and many more?

020 8959 1045 / 07969 121094 info@adamantsparties.co.uk

www.adamantsparties.co.uk

Go Ape for your child’s next party!

Looking for a unique and memorable birthday celebration which offers

something a little different? Why not treat your young ones to their very

own jungle VIP experience with an outdoor adventure.

Watch in delight as your child and their tribe take to the trees on Battersea

Park Treetop Adventure course. They will spend an hour of canopy

exploring, trail blazing and wobbly obstacles, all up to 6 metres off the

forest floor. Return to earth by descending an epic zip wire, then enjoy a

picnic lunch in the Party Rooms—the perfect place for the children to

exchange gifts and dig into their well-deserved Go Ape party bags.

020 7223 0580 www.goape.co.uk

Laser Tag Parties Forget the PAINball experience, why not try Laser Tag!

Laser Tag is a game, a bit like “tag” or “hide and seek”, where players

generally run around, trying to “tag” and “find” each other. The

game has evolved to new levels with the introduction of the

infrared beams of light sometimes called “lasers”—and kids love

them! They also have foam dart parties for the younger

players.

Party with the Tiger You can choose from their ever popular

make a bear workshops, or their fabulous Tiger Party and Tiger Tots

party package where Gambado the Tiger himself is a guest. Short of time?

You can also choose party bags, party plates, helium balloons and even an

additional party host for an extra pair of hands.

Good to know: Parties cost from £9.95 per child. When you book a party

your child gets a free month of play! Free parking available for Gambado

visitors every Saturday & Sunday.

Arrange your party by contacting 020 7384 8901 or email

chelsea@gambado.com or head to www.Gambado.com/parties to see all

your options and to book.

Quote PF28

when you book

to grab yourself

a £20 discount


FamiliesSWLon

What’s On

March and April 2020

The Cutty Sark

We

love this!

Diary dates

SPINE Festival

Libraries in Wandsworth, Westminster,

Kensington and Chelsea , Southwark,

Hammersmith and Fulham

5-15 March Youth Arts Festival

Libraries are celebrating young people’s

power to change the future of our

planet in a special arts festival. A

chance for local children and schools

to get creative in an exciting, free

programme of events. Children will

meet and work with spoken word and

visual artists and create a legacy

artefact. Expect to be surprised,

inspired and entertained!

Mitcham VR Festival

Digitaldrama.org

7 March Showcasing state of the art

immersive technologies, this incredible

and free one-day event will present

Virtual Reality and 360-degree films,

giving visitors the opportunity to

engage with a broad range of movies.

Skill Share Saturdays

Balham library 16 Ramsden Road,

SW12 8QY

www.TheWiserCollective.com

28 March and 25 April The Wiser

Collective, a new intergenerational

community initiative that matches

older people with skills to younger

families who need them the new,

has launched these monthly, free

events for local residents of

different generations to meet in

an informal way to discuss their

hobbies and interests. Families with

young children wanting to work with

older people outside of the monthly

events can also do so outside of these

days. From 2-4pm. FREE

Boat race 2020 family day

St Mary’s Church, southern end of

Putney Bridge

29 March Family day The perfect

location for families to soak up the

atmosphere together as the iconic

sporting event takes to the Putney

riverside, with a big screen to watch the

BBC coverage live from start to finish.

Bouncy castle, face painting, BBQ and

more. Raising money for the Parish

Support Fund to help local

communities. From noon.

NCT Nearly New Sale

Clapham & District branch,

Broomwood Methodist Church 155a

Broomwood Rd, SW11 6BD

www.nct.org.uk

7 March 9.30-11.30am £2 priority entry

for card carrying NCT members. FREE

entry after 11am.

HMS Belfast

SE1 2JH www.iwm.org.uk

5-14 April Sea legs Pick up a Kit Bag

and learn more about the crew who

served on board HMS Belfast during

Operation Neptune in 1944. Teams will

work together to find hidden messages,

predict the weather for sailing, discover

ship life and crack Morse code. 10am-

2pm, included in admission price.

4, 11 + 18 April Ship Shape The whole

family is invited to help keep the iconic

warship, HMS Belfast, in tip-top

condition. Find out what it takes to

conserve HMS Belfast and put your

learning into practice by working

through specially assigned tasks

searching for hungry insect pests and

caring for fabrics with specialised tools.

11am-1pm and 1.30-3.30pm, included

in admission price.

SEN events Eddie Catz

www.eddiecatz.com

Exclusive session of play

for all Special Needs

children, their siblings and

parents. Sessions include

full access to the soft play

area, disco room with music turned

SEN

Event

down and soft lights. Wheelchair users

have access to area with soft mats, balls

and toys. Quiet chill out area where

children can have a little quiet time if

needed.

Earlsfield 16 &17 March 6-7.30pm

Wimbledon 16 March & 13 April

6-7.30pm.

Morden Hall Park

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

7 & 8 April Quacky Races One of

Morden Hall Park's favourite traditions is

back. For £2.50 borrow a plastic duck

and race it down the river to see if

yours will be the fastest. 11am-3pm

LGBT Parents Group

Coin Street Children's Centre,

Southwark

Opportunity for LGBT parents and their

children to meet informally, take part in

play activities and listen to guest

speakers. Just turn up, no booking

required. 10am-12pm, ages 0-8 years

Mum2mum nearly new sales

For enquiries about this event or to

book a business stall please email

tessa@mum2mummarket.co.uk

www.mum2mummarket.co.uk

21st March At Ricards Lodge High

School, Lake Road, SW19 7HB 10am-

12pm.

25th April At Immanuel and St Andrew's

Church, 452 Streatham High Road,

SW16 3PY 3.30pm-5.30pm.

CONCERTS

Bach to Baby

www.bachtobaby.com

The critically acclaimed classical

concert series for baby and you.

Outstanding musicians, exhilarating

performances. Check the website for

the programme.

18 March, 15 April in Kensington

20 March, 17 April Clapham

21 March, 18 April Wimbledon

28 March, Balham

Wigmore Hall

W1U 2PB

www.wigmore-hall.org.uk

28 March Family day: coastal

adventures. Age 5-7

20 March Chamber tots: jungles and

rivers Music-making workshop for

children aged 1–2.

The Royal Albert Hall

www.royalalberthall.com

14 March Opera for kids Performed by

members of Albert’s Band, this concert

features a carefully selected ‘proper’

classical repertoire but presented in a

relaxed environment for children to

express themselves, with no

expectation to stay still or be quiet.

11am & 1.30pm £12 adult, £6 child

18 April I Piano The perfect show to

bring your little ones to, as part of Love

Classical at the Royal Albert Hall, an

interactive family show combining

thrilling theatre with stellar piano

playing, and spellbinding shadow

puppetry with everyone in the room.

11am & 1.30pm £11adult, £11child


Power UP at the Science Museum

Photo: Benjamin Ealovega

THEATRE

Tara Arts

356 Garratt Ln, Earlsfield, SW18 4ES

1 April Froggy's Famous Fanclub

Froggy's Famous Fanclub is named in

honour of 'Froggy' the puppet friend

who has participated in every one of

Jake's music with pre school kids over

the last 20 years. Child £7 (sibling

£4.50) adults go free! 9.15am-10.45am

Turbine Theatre

SW11 8AB

www.theturbinetheatre.com

New theatre at Battersea Power Station.

8-18 April The Jungle Book A fresh

retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s classic

Mowgli stories, packed with adventure,

comedy, puppetry and original music

that takes you deep into the magical

heart of the jungle. Age 4+

Little Angel Theatre

www.littleangeltheatre.com

Until 27 March The bed Take a journey

sprinkled with fantasy and escapism,

where you will meet elephants, macaws

and parakeets - without ever leaving

the comfort of your own bed. This

enchanting poem by Sylvia Plath,

written for her own children, is brought

to life in a special show for babies and

toddlers. Ages up to 3 years, £9

children, £11 adults.

Until 18 April The Paper Dolls When a

little girl cuts out a string of paper dolls

she takes them by the hand and

together they go on a fantastical

adventure whirling through their home

and garden. Adapted from the

acclaimed book by Julia Donaldson,

this magical tale is brought to life

through puppetry and music. Ages 3-8,

£12 children, £14 adults.

Peacock Theatre

WC2A 2HT

www.ballet.org.uk/myfirst-ballet-cinderella/

loves this!

Families

9-18 April My First

Ballet: Cinderella English

National Ballet and English New Ballet

School bring a new version of the

much-loved fairy-tale in a series

created especially for children as young

as three. Adapted to an hour in length

and with a narrator to help young

audiences follow the story, this is the

perfect introduction to the magic of

ballet. Tickets from £10.

Leicester Square Theatre

www.leicestersquaretheatre.com

23 & 30 April Captain Breadbeard's

Bready Brilliant Comedy Cookbook A

surreal 2-handed comedy sketch show.

Fast- paced, pun-tastic and breadybrilliant...

with chicken walking tutorials,

cracker eating contests and buttered

bread experiments. All ages. £12

Lyric Hammersmith

W6 0QL www.lyric.co.uk

25 April Sunshine

Audiences are promised plenty of belly

laughs, fun, audience participation and

the odd bit of flying seaweed! Age 3+

14 March There was an old lady who

swallowed a fly Age 2+

21 March Beastly belle A contemporary

twist on the classic Beauty and the

Beast tale. Featuring a skillful mix of

The children’s workshop, Foundling Museum

puppetry, film projections and an

original musical score. Age 4+

28 March One duck

down Inspired by a

true tale that saw

7000 rubber

ducks cast adrift in

a mighty storm.

Age 3+

Winner

of Family Show

of the year at

Vault Festival

7-11 April Chloe and the colour catcher

Chloe lives in a world with only one

colour; grey. This is a call to arms for

young activists and future worldchangers

to speak out against what’s

wrong and to celebrate their

differences. Age 4-7

Puppet Theatre Barge

Little Venice www.puppetbarge.com

4-19 April Hanging by a thread An

exciting marionette show by visiting

multi-award winning Italian puppet

company Di Filippo Marionette. Age 3+

Until 5 July Brer Rabbit Visits Africa

Using traditional hand carved

marionettes and beautifully narrated by

Rudolf Walker. Age 3 +

Unicorn theatre

SE1 2HZ www.unicorntheatre.com

15 March-3 May Gulliver's travels

Blending film and live performance, this

playful, funny and highly inventive

production uses Jonathan Swift's biting

satire to view our own world from a

very different angle. Ages 7+, £8

children, £12 adults.

17 March-3 May WILD Adapted from

the glorious picture book by artist Emily

Hughes, Wild is told with atmospheric

sound, movement and puppetry,

celebrates the free spirit in all of us.

Ages 2-6, from £12.

Chocolate Tuesday at Chelsea Physics Garden

Cambridge Theatre

WC2H 9HU

www.matildathemusical.com

Booking until Dec 20 Matilda the

musical Multi-award winning musical

from the Royal Shakespeare Company,

inspired by the beloved book by the

incomparable Roald Dahl.

Colour House Theatre

Watermill Way, Colliers Wood,

SW19 2RD

www.colourhousetheatre.co.uk

Until 12 April Hansel and Gretel Find

out if the bond between a brother and

sister can prevail over an evil witch in

one of Colour House Theatre’s

favourite musical productions. 12pm

and 3pm £12/£10.

25 April-28 June The Little Mermaid

Arielle, against her father’s wish, swims

to the top of the water where she sees

peculiar creatures with two legs and

feet. What will happen? Andersen’s

enchanting tale is adapted in this

innovative musical.

Polka Theatre

The Polka is currently

engaged in an exciting A magical

rebuilding phase,

experience!

completing in autumn

2020. Improvements will

include an extended

Adventure Theatre, a centralised

Creative Learning space offering an

expanded programme, a new multisensory

garden and improved outdoor

play area.

continued on p.52

Alicja Ostrowska artist, illustrator

and art workshops

Work exhibited at Classic Prints, Chelsea, E&A Wates,

Streatham and the Riverside Gallery, Barnes

Alicja is a local mum, whose work we stumbled upon in

E&A Wates Streatham. We love her illustrations,

contemporary paintings and limited edition prints which

would be perfect for any room including a child’s

bedroom.

She also takes commissions for children, pet and people

portraits. See her website to browse her collection or

see her work at the above galleries. Nice work!

alicja@alicjadesigns.com | www.alicjadesigns.com


FamiliesSWLon

The Colour House Theatre Dinosnore, Natural History Museum Chloe and the Colour Catcher, Lyric Hammersmith

Photo: Paul Blakemore

New Wimbledon Theatre

www.atgtickets.com/venues/newwimbledon-theatre/

20 & 21 March The Emperor’s New

Clothes Expect bright colours and

over-the-top characters as Act One

reinvents the classic Andersen tale for a

world gone fashion-mad! From £11

16-18 April Peter Pan in Kensington

Gardens Fly away with this stage

adaptation of J.M.Barrie’s lesser-known

prequel story. Discover the origins of

how one child called Peter became ‘the

boy who wouldn't grow up.’

Streatham Space Project

SW2 www.streathamspaceproject.co.uk

New venue and bar. Comedy nights and

new performers, new

works/plays/music for adults and

children. Monthly memberships or pay

per show.

29 March. PLAY!! A thrilling immersive

performance fuelled by the think tank

of its audiences' inner child. Suitable for

all ages. £5/£8

MUSEUMS

AND GALLERIES

British Museum

WC1B 3DG

www.britishmuseum.org

Digital workshops Takes place at

weekends and school holidays on a

variety of themes. FREE, 11am-4pm, for

ages 7+ (unless stated).

21 March-12 April Build Roman Britain

in minecraft Build a wall in Minecraft to

mark the edges of your empire, or make a

unique creation inspired by the Romans in

Britain. Find out about Roman Britain,

from Claudius’ invasion to Hadrian’s

famous wall, through the Museum's

objects. FREE, drop-in, for age 7+.

22 March Make a mosaic mask 5+ Drop

in, Free.

28 March Green screen greeks

Discover how to use green screen

PLAY by Snakebox

at Streatham Space Project

technology on tablets, and see

yourselves as part of Museum objects

5+ Drop in, FREE.

29 March-25 April Digital little feet

Touch, play, make and discover while

you explore animals from the British

Museum's collections. Under 5S Drop

in, Free.

8 March-4 April Samsung great court

games Come to the Great Court with

your family to play digital games, solve

challenges and explore trails that will

lead you to unexpected places in the

Museum! 5+ Drop in, Free.

11 April Colour the Collection Design

your own colour schemes for some of

the Museum's most famous objects. 5+

Drop in, Free.

19 April Egyption photo booth Use

technology to turn yourself into a

pharaoh, an Egyptian god and other

characters! 5+ Drop in, Free

Chelsea Physic Garden

SW3 4HS

www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk

7 April Chocolate Tuesday The day

includes craft activities, a Garden tour,

chocolate tasting and the chance to

create your own mixtures to take away.

10.30am-2.30pm. For ages 6-11

9 April A passion for plants: beginners

gardening Take something to grow at

home. 10.30am-2.30pm Age 3-6.

Foundling Museum

WC1N 1AZ

www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk

8 April Easter egg marbling

Use multi-coloured marbling

inks to create swirling designs

on your Easter egg 5+

Imperial War Museum

www.iwm.org.uk SE1 6HZ

4 & 5 April Spies and disguise Take a

crash course spy school inspired by real

life spies from the Second World War to

the present day. This secret mission

involves dressing up to look the part, an

assault course with Commando Joes,

object-handling, immersive theatre

elements and gallery activities. 11am-

4pm, free drop in.

6, 8, 10-13, 13, 15 and 17-19 April

Story seekers Learn about the global

impact of conflict, from the First World

War and Second World War to today.

Get hands-on with real artefacts and

explore some of the most interesting

and unusual stories of conflict. Free

drop in.

The Horniman Museum

Forest Hill SE23 3PQ

www.horniman.ac.uk

Until 25 October Permian monsters:

Life before dinosaurs A fascinating,

family-friendly exhibition you can sift

through interactive dig pits, follow an

adventure trail around the show, and

get creative in an art area as you

discover more about this mysterious

time period.

Until May 2021 Green turtle A

magnificent taxidermy mount of a male

Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, on loan

from the Natural History Museum is on

display in the Natural History Gallery.

Until 19 April. Stages of making Step

into an immersive exhibition where all

the artworks have a story to tell about

design, techniques and time. Inspired by

the history of the Horniman and its

collections. Works include painted walls,

table tops made from yoghurt pots and a

giant rag-rug created from used t-shirts

by members of the public. Free.

Museum of Childhood

E2 9PA www.vam.ac.uk/moc/

4 April to 5 April Magical Museum

Sleepover 2020

An evening of

enchanted

exploration, magical

mayhem, exploding

potions (and wands) and

Museum

Sleepover!

musical bedtime story, 6-12 year olds

(accompanied by an adult), £40pp

19:00-10:00, a

Museum of London

www.museumoflondon.org.uk

From specially-designed interactive

children's galleries, free activity bags

and stimulating online games, as well as

all-important details like high chairs and

baby-changing spaces, the Museum of

London is a perfect fun family venue.

Until 19 April The Clash: London

calling Go behind the scenes on the

making of The Clash's groundbreaking

London Calling - an album that rocked

the music scene, serving as an anthem

for London, Londoners and music

lovers globally. Free drop-in.

Museum of London

Docklands

www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands

Find out more about London's history,

through displays covering events such

as the Great Plague, Londoners' jobs

and occupations, and Roman life. On

Sundays, museum hosts help visitors

explore the galleries through fun,

hands-on activities at 11am and 2pm.

21 & 22 March Adventures at the docks:

Family quest Are you and your family

up for a challenge? Travel around the

museum solving puzzles as you go,

gather the stories of incredible

characters and earn special cards to

complete the quest. You can also take

part in workshops with games and mini

challenges too in this exciting weekend

at the museum. You might even

discover a mythical beast! Ages 5+,

11am-4pm, free drop-in.

National Army Museum

Chelsea SW3 4HT

www.nam.ac.uk

The National Army Museum is a leading

authority on the British Army and its

impact on society past and present.

Through its collections the museum

preserves and shares stories of ordinary

people with extraordinary

responsibilities; exploring the role of the

army and its relevance today. Free

children's trails cover a wide range of

topics and suit a variety of age groups.

FREE.

Play Base Daily. Whether your child

wants to take on the soft play assault

course, climb aboard a truck or prepare

scoff in the cookhouse, Play Base lets

every child shine. Ages 0-8, £4.50 per

child for an hour-long session.

National Gallery

WC2N 5DN www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Every Sun Family Sundays Activities

designed for families to enjoy and learn

together, 11am and 3pm.

Art detectives tour Follow in the art

Titanophoneus Animatronic Permian Monsters

Courtesy Gondwana Studios


Investigate

Photo: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum

detectives' footsteps as they search for

clues and meaning to some of the

National Gallery's most mysterious

paintings. Family ticket £10

Natural History Museum

SW7 5BD www.nhm.ac.uk

Get back to nature Visit the museum’s

very own outdoor gallery - the Wildlife

Garden. It's home to thousands of

British flora and fauna. Free, no

booking required. 10am-3.30pm

Investigate for families Get a feel for

how scientists work by having a go

yourself. Come and explore hundreds

of real nature specimens that form the

evidence Museum scientists use in their

daily work. 7+. Mo-Fri 4-5.15pm and

Sat and Sun all day until 5pm. FREE,

drop-in, no booking required.

Until 31 May 20 Wildlife Photographer

of the year Explore the world's best

nature photography, exhibited on 100

stunning lightbox displays. Simply

stunning.

Dino snores for kids Ever wondered

what goes on at the Natural History

Museum at night? 7pm till morning,

torchlit trails through the museum, live

animal shows and more. For ages 7-11.

March & April dates are sold out, book

now for 22 May and 6 and 19 June.

21 March & 10 May Dawnosaurs

Early morning fun, free from

the hustle and bustle of the

general public, learning for

families with children on the

autistic spectrum. FREE.

Roarsome fun at home Great ideas on

the museum’s website to do at home:

arts and craft. How to press flowers,

make a bird feeder, how to spot insects

in the dark etc

SEN

Event

Royal Opera House

www.roh.org.uk

Until July Family Sundays Discover

everything you didn't know about the

Royal Opera House in these fun-packed

Sundays, full of creative activities - ideal

for all the family. Tickets from £10.

16 March, 20 April, 4 and 11 May Opera

dots Discover the world of opera

through fun participatory 45 minute

workshops for children and adults, full of

singing, music and stories. Tickets £10.

9 and 30 March, 27 April Ballet dots

Explore the repertory of the Royal Ballet

with your babies and children. The 45

minute creative movement and dance

workshops are accompanied by live

piano music. Tickets £10.

20 March, 17 April, 1 and 15 May Dance

with the Royal Ballet Whether you're an

aspiring dancer or taking your first

ballet steps, try out with workshops led

by a member of The Royal Ballet team.

Ages 14+, 2.15-3.30pm, £10.

Sir John Soane's Museum

13 Lincoln's Inn Fields WC2A 3PB

www.soane.org

Tucked away in Lincoln's Inn Fields at

the heart of London, this magical,

mysterious museum encourages young

visitors to explore Soane's treasures and

develop new skills with specialist

guidance. FREE drop-in activities run on

the third Saturday of every month, with

activities for all ages and families can

take part together from 1.30-4.40pm.

Southbank Centre

SE1 8PX www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Until 17Jul Dragon Babies Bring your

little ones to shake, rattle and gong.

Gamelan for ages 3-5. £5

Until 25 July Family gamelan taster

sessions Bring your family and friends

to play Javanese gamelan percussion

orchestra. Artists as varied as Claude

Debussy, Olivier Messiaen, Steve Reich

and Björk have taken inspiration from

gamelan music, and now you can learn

to play this beautiful instrument. Each

workshop lasts for two hours. £10

4 & 5 April Comedy club for kids Age 7+

15-19 April BIG UP! A perfect show for

little people who want to be big, and

big people who just might have

forgotten how to play.

16 & 17 April Into the clouds Highly

visual experience for babies and young

audiences with sensory needs.

14 April Peppa pig: my first concert

7-11 April Tiddler and other terrific

tales Julia Donaldson and Axel

Scheffler's terrific tales retold with

music and puppetry. Age 7+

Science Museum

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

17 April, 2 May, 5 June Astronights

Ticketed overnight event for 7-11 year

olds, featuring exciting hands-on

workshops, science shows, and a

sleepover at the Science Museum

among the amazing

exhibits – all

followed by a tasty

breakfast. 6.45pm

until 10am. £60pp

Medicine season

The Wellcome Galleries

has transformed the first floor of the

Science Museum with five vast and

visually stunning new medical galleries

Gulliver’s Travels at The Unicorn Theatre

World’s

largest

medicine

galleries

for visitors to explore: hands-on

workshops for 3-6yrs, 30 minute science

shows, make your own stethoscope 6yrs

and much more! FREE

Until 28 June Treat your teddy Have a

go at becoming a Teddy bear doctor in

this workshop for children under six.

Daily Typhoon Force Experience the

power of the RAF’s newest frontline

Typhoon jet in this action-packed flight

simulator. From 4+

Daily Pattern Pod A captivating,

interactive multi-sensory area for

children to identify the many types of

pattern around us.

London Transport Museum

www.ltmuseum.co.uk

4-19 April Billy Brown of London town

Explore the Museum this Easter as you

hunt for Billy Brown! Pick up a hunt card

at the Family Desk to help you track him

down and decipher the clues to find out

who he is and what his job is.

Wild at Unicorn theatre

V&A Museum

Every Saturday until 28th March Popup

Performance Take part in exciting

and unique performance events suitable

for all ages. 11am, 1pm & 3pm. FREE

National Maritime Museum

Queen's House, Royal Observatory,

Greenwich SE10 www.rmg.co.uk

Housed in historic buildings forming

part of the Maritime Greenwich World

Heritage Site, the Royal Observatory

Greenwich, the 17th-century Queen's

House and Cutty Sark work to illustrate

the importance of the sea, ships, time

and the stars and their relationship with

people. On Saturdays and Sundays free

performances and workshops entertain

family visitors, while on Tuesdays

preschoolers can make music and play

with parents and carers.

AHOY! Drop into NMM's brilliant

children's gallery for a boatload of fun

and adventure. Stoke the boiler of a

continued on p.54


FamiliesSWLondon

Living-Medicine, Chelsea Physics Garden

steamship, land a fish and work in the

interactive boatyard. Polar exploration,

pirates and a host of other maritime

themes are brought to life in this playful

and immersive gallery, which also has a

buggy park and easy access to all the

facilities you need to have a stress-free

visit. Ages 0-7, free and open daily

The Great Explorer is an interactive

game for families. Borrow a tablet

device and set sail across The Great

Map to explore distant lands and

discover treasures from all around the

world. Where will you visit and what will

you find? Take a photo and share your

adventure. 11am-4pm, free.

Saturdays Character encounters Join

an exciting performance and journey

bringing maritime history to life.

12noon, 1, 2 and 3pm.

The Design Museum

W8 6AG www.designmuseum.org

29 March Winter sunday create and

make puppetry 5-11 Free, drop in

29 March Create your own framed

poster Use graphic design techniques.

8-11.

see FREE weekend

and Easter activities

pages 31-36

IDEAS FOR THE

WEEKEND/EASTER

Battersea Arts Centre

www.bac.org.uk

Family Saturdays On the final Saturday

of every month families take over

Battersea Arts Centre for a day of fun,

food and FREE activities inc face

painting, storytelling, clothes swap, The

Bee’s Knees magical indoor space for

under 5s and workshops. £3 Familyfriendly

café.

Wildlife photographer of the Year

Easter at Fulham Palace

©Giselle Brosnahan

Cutty Sark

Greenwich SE10 9HT

www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark

The world famous 19th century tea

clipper offers visitors four levels to

explore. Take in the views from the

main deck and steer at the ship's wheel,

meet the crew who worked on board

and see how tea was loaded on board

through interactive displays, props,

information boards and animations.

Family friendly events run at weekends

and during school holidays. From £24

families.

Kew Gardens

TW9 3AB www.kew.org

Every Sunday Story time Fun-filled

family session of stories about the

extraordinary Marianne North. 12pm,

1pm and 2pm Included with entry to

the Gardens

Morden Hall Park

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

10-13 April Cadbury

Easter Hunt Take the

Easter bunny's challenge!

A favourite event where

you'll complete a trail of outdoor

activities to earn your Cadbury

chocolate treat. 10am-4pm

16 & 17 April The Great Big Tree Climb

Join instructors from the Great Big Tree

Climbing Company for an exciting tree

top adventure, 1-hour time slots

available 10am-4.45pm. £25 per hour.

Booking essential.

Learn pottery

www.claphampottery.co.uk

Second Saturday of the month

1.30-3.00pm

These workshops take place in a

relaxed environment where the whole

family can have fun together and make

their own work. £12.50 per person.

Science Museum

Your weekends taken care of! There is

so much to do here we can’t list

everything. We love the interactive

Wonderlab with explosive

demonstrations and immersive

experiences, The Garden an interactive

space for 3-6yrs, Engineer your future

with problem solving and big thinking

workshops, the amazing multi sensory

Pattern pod for under 8 and experience

the thrill of flying with the Red Arrows

in the Fly Zone FREE but many are

ticketed.

Tate Modern

Family Activities Pick-up activities are a

new way to get you talking and creating

in the galleries together as a family.

Collect Cone, Sculpture Strip or the

Time-traveller activity. For younger

visitors, Collection Case invites a

hands-on exploration connected to the

Materials and Objects display and

anyone is welcome to take a seat at a

digital sketch pad and get drawing.

10am-6pm, FREE

Family fun swim with slides

Check your local leisure centre for

family sessions with waves, slides, floats

and toys. All children must be

accompanied by an adult.

The Bright Emporium

Clapham

www.thebrightemporium.com

Every weekend delve into their books

and share their imaginative worlds and

characters through creative workshops.

Messy Play Let the little ones get stuck

in to some messy play that doesn't

wreck your home! 9.15-10am. 1-3yrs;

10.15am-11am Ages 3-5. £5 per child.

Storytime Sunday Enjoy a reading from

your favourite stories, then settle in for

some crafting based on the book.

10.30-12pm, from £10.

Fulham Palace

SW6 6EA

www.fulhampalace.org

Natural play area Logs and wooden

objects saved from onsite tree work

have been built into a new play area,

sparking creativity in order to

encourage a lifelong love of nature for

the children who use it. Open daily

from dawn to dusk, suitable for all ages,

entry FREE.

Every Saturday Archaeologists' club

(YAC): Fish traps The Young

Archaeologists' Club (YAC for short) is

for 8 and 16! 10.30-12.30 £45 for the

term, booking essential.

22 March Family fun day: from bud to

blossom Spring has arrived, celebrate

new life.

4 April Little green fingers Gardening

workshops, morning or afternoon

sessions. £10.50 per child

10-13 April Easter trail Hunt around

the house and garden this spring to

solve our Easter trail! FREE

12 April Springtime at the Palace Help

us bring spring to the Palace at our

Easter Sunday family activity day

11- 3pm

Rug-Rhymes at Southbank

London Wetland Centre

Barnes www.wwt.org.uk

An urban oasis for wildlife and people,

close to central London. Stroll among

the lakes, ponds and gardens. The café

is perfect for relaxing, and children will

love the play areas. Regular events

include: meet the otters, bird feeding

with a warden, talks, have a go at being

a Wildlife presenter, and wetland

explorers and more. Family activities at

weekends Make a seed bomb to help

pollinators in your garden, test your

survival skills at a den building session,

family ticket £32

Brass rubbing

St Martin-in-the-Fields

Creative family fun with an historical twist

Brass rubbing in London and throughout

the UK was a fashionable Victorian

pastime that continues to be popular

today. From £4.50. 11.30m-5pm

Young Astronomers

Workshop

Greenwich Planetarium & Astronomy

Centre

Every Saturday and Sunday until 29th

March

Drop-in workshops facilitated by

Observatory Explainers mixing

demonstrations with make and do

activities. Get hands-on in these short

drop in family workshops themed

around space science and exploration,

from the most recent discoveries about

the Solar System to our latest

understanding of the wider universe.

With a team of Observatory Explainers

include those who are studying

astronomy at degree or postgraduate

level and can answer your burning

space questions such as: how big is the

Universe and why is Pluto not a planet

anymore? 11am-2.30pm, ages 7+

Aqua Run

Tooting Leisure Centre, SW17 0NE

Every Monday and Thursday

throughout the school holidays & on

Sundays. Inflatable fun in the pool! Call

020 8333 7555 to book or pay on the

day, space permitting. 3.30-4.30pm For

ages 8-15. £6

BABIES & TODDLERS

Southbank Centre

SE1 8PX www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Until 17 Jul Gong Babies Join this

relaxing music workshop aimed at new

parents, carers and non-crawling

babies. £5.

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House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. • The contents of Families London South West are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form

without prior consent of Families London South West. • Designed and Printed by Ridgeway Press, Wilts. • Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, but Families SW, our distributors, the franchise company, Families Print

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The Curious Tale of The Stolen Pets, Mitcham VR Festival

Photo: Fast Travel Games

Until 10 Jul Rug Rhymes Find your spot

on the poem rug for a short session of

nursery rhymes and poems for under-

5s. FREE

National Gallery

WC2N 5DN www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Every Sun Family sundays Activities

designed for families to enjoy and learn

together, 11am and 3pm.

Magic Carpet Storytelling

For children aged 2-5. Sundays 10.30-

11am and 11.30am–12pm. Fly away on

the magic carpet, coming to land in

front of a different painting each day.

Bring your own baby

comedy

byobcomedy.com

A funny, friendly afternoon of top

comedy and you get to bring your own

baby! They provide toys, baby

changing, buggy parking, bottle

warmers and more, so that baby is

happy

30 March Time and Leisure

Studio,Wimbledon,SW19 1QG Doors

open 11.15 , show starts 12pm £13.20

(including booking fee)

1st April Clapham Picturehouse 76

Venn St, SW4 0AT £11 in advance.

Doors open 10.30am for 11am start.

Singing Mamas Choir

www.singingmamaschoir.com

southlondonsingingmamas@gmail.com

Tuesdays: St Leonards, Streatham, 10-

11.30am . Fresh Ground,

Clapham/Battersea, 1-2.30pm A fun

weekly dose of heart-warming

harmony for women of all ages. No

experience necessary, this is for all ages

and abilities- bring your little ones or

come just as you are. Recharge, nourish

& connect with great harmony songs,

tea and cake!

Bursary places available for PND

sufferers/ DV survivors.

The Jungle Book at the new Turbine Theatre,

Battersea Power Station Easter holidays

The Graveney and Meadow

pub

40 Mitcham Road SW17 9NA

graveneyandmeadow.com

Fridays Rhythm n’ Babies Music classes

for babies and their carers with

instruments. 9.30am, £5.

Wednesdays Makers: Toddler Art

Session Fun relaxed art sessions for

ages two and up. On offer each week

is a set of creative activities, gently

introducing art skills including markmaking,

drawing, collage, painting,

cutting with scissors and more

New Wimbledon Theatre

www.atgtickets.com/venues/newwimbledon-theatre/

30 March BYOBaby Comedy.

Crib Notes

cribnotes.co.uk

Crib Notes is a friendly, non-auditioned

choir for parents or carers of young

children, based in South London.

Babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers are

welcome, and you get to do something

for yourself (no nursery rhymes!).

Formerly the highly successful Pram

Chorus, led by Ruth Routledge, and

now run by local musicians Jake

Alexander and Eleanor Rastall, and local

mum Amandine Olivier.

Streatham Mondays 10.30-11.30am

@The Well Centre, 16 Wellfield Road,

SW16 2BP

Brixton Wednesdays 10-11am

@Effraspace, 21 Effra Parade, SW2 1PX

Balham Fridays 10.15-11.15am @venue

TBC drop in £10.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Hever Castle & gardens

Hever, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NGm

www.hevercastle.co.uk/whats-on

Explore the historic childhood home of

Anne Boleyn - spring offers a great

chance to explore the stunning gardens

and enjoy dazzling daffodil displays.

Work up an appetite with a wander

V&A Pop up Performance

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

around the stunning 125 acre grounds

and let your little ones run off some

energy in the Tudor Towers adventure

playground or the Acorn Dell natural

play area. Open 10.30am, castle and

gardens admission £18.80 adults,

children £10.70, family of four £50.10.

21+22 March Mother’s day Children

can take part in a free workshop to

make a keyring, plus one free face paint

per paying child. Book first and treat

mother to afternoon tea in the Pavilion

Restaurant, complete with a glass of

fizz.

2-19 April Hop into Easter Fun Hunt

for colourful carrots and the Hever

bunny in a fun free Easter trail, take part

in an Easter egg hunt in the grounds,

and create an egg shaped tree

decoration. Each child will receive a

chocolate for completing the trail and a

mini chocolate egg for each Easter egg

they find.

Kent life heritage farm park

Lock Lane, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent

ME14 3AU, 01622 763936,

www.kentlife.org.uk

Kent Life provides plenty of fun

activities for children of all ages. Meet

farm animals large and small, take a

tractor or land trail ride, run wild in the

outdoor play area, burn off steam on

pedal tractors, leap on the bouncy

castle or take a ride on adorable

donkeys.

14+15 March Bugs and grubs weekend

Get up close and personal with nature

with the Kent Life bug hunter, visit

critter corner or make a mini-beast

house to take home. Special guest the

Gruffalo will be appearing at intervals

throughout the day. 10am-5pm, family

admission £33.95.

2-15 April Spring into Easter Say hello

to new faces, help with bottle feeding

of lambs and goat kids and meet Easter

chicks and piglets! From Friday 10 to

Monday 13 April, the Easter Bunny will

be popping up with some yummy

treats! 10am-5pm, family admission

£33.95.

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