May 14th - 20th: London’s Best Free and Affordable Baby, Toddler, Child and Family Events
Take Stars Gym and Creche up on their fantastic offer to try out their gym and crèche. Pay what you like, try it for free, try it for £5, take a look around and see if you could use Stars gym to keep up your current fitness levels or improve. Monday – Friday: 9:30 – 11:30 Ofsted registered crèche, very clean, very kind, very good, for 0-5 Review
S&A Studios has an introductory offer on their in-home or on-location family photography sessions from £120 including four prints. Book now for prints ready in time for Father’s Day gifts …
Spotted Zebra, London’s premier bespoke nanny agency, has begun offering Pop-up Nurseries around London: Clapham, Queen’s Park, Newington Green. Book in 48 hours in advance, leave your child in a small nursery cared for by a 3:1 staff of highly qualified nannies. Ages 12 months – 3 years.
Saturday, 19th May 10:30am – 12:30pm, Westminster NCT Nearly New Sale, St. Gabriel’s Church Hall (this is located of Lupus street, St. Gabriel’s Church Pimlico has a spread-out campus). Support the Westminster NCT and get your baby or toddler kit at a good price.
Just for Babies:
NCT Kensington and Chelsea Bumps and Babies Group: Gymboree, Baden Powell House. Every Tuesday 12:30 – 1:45pm, if you are new to motherhood, or have a new baby, this is a fantastic way to meet other people in the exact same boat. Its open to anyone, please drop by this welcoming and warm group. If you have a little one, they will love playing on the very clean, very fun Gymboree equipment. [email protected].
Gate Picture House Notting Hill: Big Scream. Come and enjoy a vintage theatre’s screening of Jeff who Lives at Home with your infant. Great chance to see current cinema without having to shell out for a sitter. Nappy changing set up, dim lights so you can see what they are up to … fabulous morning out.
Baby and Toddler Events:
Classical Babies: Wednesdays, 11:00am, Belisize Park, Interchange Studios. £10 per family for a delightful classical concert that is completely baby and toddler friendly, the perfect mid-week bit of brain candy read more about the fabulous bit of motherhood: My review
Classics with my Baby: As seen in the Independent, Time Out, and Gramophone Magazine, this critically acclaimed concert series specifically designed for parents and children (0-5 years) to enjoy together. Tickets: Adults £10, children FREE ( special offers for online tickets from website) Eat cake and mingle from 10:00am and concert begins at 10:30am. This is such a treat, easy to get to and worth every penny. My review
Concerts this week: Hampstead Village Tues 15th, Wimbledon Wed 16th, Notting Hill Thu 17th, Clapham Fri 18th.
Baby and Toddler Classes
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. Read my review.
If you “like” Culture Kids on Facebook and write “fabwebsite” on their wall, you will get a discount on your classes. Check the schedule for times and prices and age groups.
Events for the Bigs, Smalls and the Whole Family:
Rock n Roll Family Dicso, Belsize Park, Saturdays, 4:00-5:00pm. Come to Interchange Studios and dance away with your kids!! Teach them what we sang and danced before they came along… the glory days!! £5 per adult, kids free.
Kids Club, Saturdays at Gate Picturehouse: Hachi: A Dog’s Story. Saturdays from 10am they have activities, then watch the flick at 10:30. £4 to join the Kids Club, but then tickets are £1 after, popcorn and juice for the kids £2. Read more about the day out here.
Words in Holland Park Literary Festival: Friday 18th – Sunday 20th May. This is a first time event. Not free, but I thought of it as an affordable answer to Hay … talks are £12 each or £50 for an event pass. Speakers include A.A. Gill, P.D. James, Jeremy Paxman, Andrew Marr, Sophie Dahl and John Bercow, among others. The park is so child-friendly, that one adult can go to a talk while the other amuses the kids with the peacocks, adventure playground, nature play area, koi pond…
National Portrait Gallery Storytelling for Families: Saturday 19th May, 10:30 and 1:30: A Very Royal Event. What would you do if you met a king or a queen? Find out and make your own crown to take home.
RNIB Family Concert at Wigmore Hall: Saturday 19th May, 11am. A free family concert for families with blind or partially sighted children.
Events for Big Kids
Judo Classes at Stars Gym 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!!
Saatchi Gallery Family Art Workshops: Studio Portrait. Sunday 20th May 11:00am & 3:00pm. Bring the family and be taken on an artist-led tour of the Saatchi Gallery then join Valerie Amadei in the education room to create a portrait using photography and collage. £5 per child.
V and A Make-it Calligraphy: Saturday 19th May, 2:00pm. 10-12 year olds, booking required, £5.00 per child. Come and learn different calligraphy techniques. Children do not need to be accompanied, but contact details need to be given.
National Portrait Gallery Family Art Workshop: Jump for Victory. Sunday 20th May, 11:00- 1:00pm and repeated 2:00-4:00pm ages 5-11. Discover mythological creatures, competitions and make your own trophy in a fabulous interactive, hands on art workshop led by artist Mary Evans.
