London School Holidays: Baby, Toddler, Child and Family Events 2nd - 9th April
Stars Gym, Battersea (London-baby’s featured sponsor)
Stars Gym, Chelsea and Battersea’s hippest, urban gym for busy but fit families, is offering London-baby readers a wonderful Spring offer: come and try out Stars gym and crèche (9:30-11:30am Monday-Friday) and pay what you like. Try it out, get fit for Summer, bring your 0-5 year old to the crèche and get your groove back. Feel free to ring ahead, or just pop in, mention London-baby.com and pay what you like. The crèche is Ofsted registered and certified, clean, calm and lovely. Read my review
Judo Classes Wednesdays 4pm (4-8 years) and 5pm (8+) with prospective Olympians Jonathan Purssey and Alex Farbon. Further, starting 3rd April, the engaging Carlos Andrade will be teaching Kickboxing on Tuesdays, 4:30 (4-9 years). Carlos’s class is drop-in, £9 per session, so come along when you like and have fun!!
Make a Play Date that Helps …
University College London’s Child Vision Lab at Moorfields Hospital needs mums and children to come in for a hour or so to aid studies aiming to help children with vision impairments. Read on about the day and do consider volunteering …
Culture Kids Music Class: Chelsea, Marylebone and Hampstead
Check out their new web site!! Come along for the most amazing, dynamic, invigorating, multi-sensory, multi-instrumented music class. There is not the usual scrum for the shakers, every single kid gets a chime, ladybird game, sunglasses, gorgeous set of fairy wings, caterpillar costume … there are literally scores of props that come out with each song. Further, these props all change the following week when the class explores a new theme.
I cannot describe how well thought out and fun this class is for all, you really do need to come along, bring your friends and see for yourself. Check the schedule for times and prices and age groups, but from babies-big kids: Mondays the classes are on in Kensington and Marylebone; Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Hampstead.
The new term commences 23rd April, be sure to book now and avoid disappointment.
Outdoors Fun
Holland Park Ecology Centre: come in for morning and afternoon sessions where your kids will take part in a variety of activities in the park and in the ecology centre where they learn how to make a shelter, about amphibians in the park, hunt for mini beasts, make their own wormery … list of topics is extensive and the workshops are brilliant. Children over the age of 8 do not need an adult to accompany, so you can head off to Kensington High Street or the café. Monday 2nd – Friday 5th and Tuesday 10th – Friday 13th April, 10:00-noon & 2:00-4:00pm. £5 per session, ages 4-11. (discounts for RBKC residents)
Vauxhall City Farm Spring Holiday Activities: I should be selfish and keep this to myself, but if you have never been, Vauxhall City Farms is a treasure for London families. It is located just a five minute walk from Vauxhaul Tube and boasts loads of activities for children including horse riding lessons. The programme for the school holidays includes pony rides, lamb feeding, chicken and hen keeping. Even if you can’t make the activity, still come along with your children to see the spring animals and have a run around the barnyard with the chickens.
Workshops for the bigger kids:
National Gallery: Distant Blue. Monday 9th, Tuesday 10th, Wednesday 11th 11:00-1:00pm & 2:00-4:00pm. Join artist Aliki Braine and discover how artists long ago used colour to create the illusion of distance. Make your own peep hole and landscape and explore this fascinating concept. Free, tickets allocated on arrival, places are limited.
V&A Make it: Print. Join artist Mona Choo and learn how to create your own colourful screen print. £5.00, ages 5+ Monday 9th – Friday 12th April (spaces still available).
National Portrait Gallery: they have pulled out all the stops for the Easter Holidays. Horrible Histories come to the stage, join “An Audience with Anne Boelyn and King Henry VIII” on Monday 2nd, Wednesday 4th, Friday 6th April 11:15-11:45 and 2:45-3:15 and these are followed up by art activities if you choose to join. Also, at the same times, see Florence Nightingale on 3rd April and Guy Fawkes on Thursday 5th April. Free, tickets allocated up to one hour before. Do check out the rest of the fabulous programme of art making and storytelling events.
Wallace Collection, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party! Tuesday 3rd April, 2:00pm. Join artist Zoe Bates as you try on replica period hates and helmets before designing your own decedent hat with feathers, flowers and more. Enjoy tea and biscuits after!! £7.00, a few places remain so book as soon as. Ages 5+, 020 7563 9577
Events, activities and workshops for the bigs and smalls:
Saatchi Gallery Family Spring Holiday Family Art Workshop: Friday 6th, Saturday 7th, Sunday 9th April 11:00 – 4:00pm. All ages.
Come and decorate a polyester egg from your own inspiration or get ideas from the new exhibit: Gesamtkunsturk: New Art from Germany. Paints, brushes and eggs provided. To book contact Valeria: [email protected]
V&A Imagination Station is one daily from 10:30 – 5:00pm where you can get a craft pack and create a new way to get around town based on your inspirations from the galleries.
The Wallace Collection: Free Drop-in Family Activity, Loud Day! Around the World in one Museum. Join artists Marc Woodheath and Roxanne Matthews for a discovery of treasures from around the world. Join in map reading, making, postcard crafting and other activities in an area where you can make as much noise as you like. There will also be a chill-out area for children needing less stimulation. Do ring the museum is you have any access concerns with your family members. 202 7563 9577. Monday 2nd April 10:30-12:15pm & 2pm-3:45pm. Free, all ages
London Transport Museum: Monday 6th – Friday 9th. Join in a variety of storytelling, artefact handling and craft making sessions: Storytelling at 11:00am & 1:30pm (this activity will continue from Monday 9th-Friday 13th), hear the tales of characters who rode London omnibuses and trams around the city. Design and make your own Victorian bonnets and top hats, noon -1:30. Also, handle and create your own Victorian fare tickets and collection bags 2:00-3:30pm
Duke of York Square Easter Egg Hop & Hunt. Sunday 7th April, all ages. Look for clues around the square and receive an egg to take home. There is a special prize for the child who finds the Golden Ticket!!
Spitafields City Farm Eco-Chic Family Outdoor Market. Sundays from 10am – 6pm, family-friendly market day celebrating locally sourced food, craft, art and fashion. Very close to Brick Lane, so you can have a fabulous day taking in some of the very best of what London has on offer.
I never knew about Vauxhall City Farm… Vauxhall isn’t far from me so I shall definitely have to make a trip there soon as it sounds great. Thanks for sharing.
Its just tucked away around the station; I am on the list for riding lessons. Some of my daughter’s classmates go after school and love it.