London-Baby: For Under Five in Central London

I am not aware of any playgroups in Knightsbridge, but I have put together a suggested rota for the nearest groups

Weekly Rota of Baby and Toddler Groups for Knightsbridge

Scroll Down for a suggested itinerary

If you organise it right, a morning in Knightsbridge can be the perfect mingling of iconic shopping and culture while being really fun for the little ones. The focal point of a trip to Knightsbridge with toddlers should be Hyde Park. Let the little ones spend the day here, one adult stays and while the other plays; or tire the children out at the playground and take them with you. Also, during term time you can make use of the local playgroups and library times.

Monday –

Creche (0 – 3 years) Chelsea Leisure Centre, 2 – 2:45

St. Peter’s Eaton Square, Parent and Toddler Group, 10 – noon, £1

Tuesday-

Baby and Toddler Swim (0 – 3 years) Chelsea Leisure Centre, 2 – 2:30

Wednesday-

Mayfair Library, Story Hour, under 5’s, 10 – 11, free

Jigsaw Toddler Group (0 – 3 years) Chelsea Methodist Church, 155 A Kings Road, 11 – 2:30

St. Michael’s Church, The Arc Playgroup, 10 – 11:30, £20 / term and you need to register. (Call ahead for an introductory session)

Thursday –

Little Lambs, 10 – 11:30

Baby Rhyme Time (0 – 2 years), Chelsea Library 11 – 11:30 (need to collect a ticket the preceding Saturday)

Friday

Story Time (2 – 5 years), Chelsea Library 11 – 11:30 (need to collect a ticket the preceding Saturday)

St. Peter’s Eaton Square

St Peter’s Eaton Square Church, 119 Eaton Square, SW1W 9AL, Mondays 10 AM - 11:30, £1,

• Small, friendly group mostly made up of mums
• Very pleasant and relaxed atmosphere
• Located in the church crypt, so there are quite a few steps to contend with
• Tea, coffee and biscuits served
• Tube: Victoria
• Bus: 2, 8, 16, 36, 38, 52, 82, 148, 436, 11, 44, 170, 211, C1, C10

http://www.stpetereatonsquare.co.uk/

This is a small and intimate playgroup. It’s the best one for meeting local mums and learning more about the area.

The group meets in the crypt of St. Peter’s Church. The buggies are parked outside and you descend about 10 steps to go inside. If you like, you are welcome to bounce the buggy down into the crypt. Inside children have their choice of some riding toys, kitchen, tool bench and a really good art table with paint bottles, markers and smocks.

This is the group to go to if you would like to find out more information about St. Peter’s Eton Square School as many of the regulars are also parishioners.

Little Lambs Playgroup,

• Christ Church Mayfair, Thursdays, 10 – 11:30, 0207 629 5885
• Buggy friendly, the door is a bit tricky, but after that you can pull your buggy right into the room
• Toilets are available, they are located at the bottom of some extremely steep, winding steps
• Good space for two children
• Tube: Green Park
• Bus: 2, 10, 16, 36, 73, 74, 82, 137, 148, 414, 436, 38, 22, 19, 14, 9, 8

Little Lambs is the place to meet local mums and nannies in Mayfair as there are so few playgroups located directly in the neighbourhood.

The playgroup has a nice assortment of toys and different areas of play. There are two lovely young ladies who run the group and keep the toys nicely looked after and break the session into playtime, story and snack. It’s a very sweet group of children.

After playgroup, the playground near the Hyde Park Barracks, the Knightsbridge Playground is just a brisk 15 minute walk away.

Story time for the under 5’s,

Mayfair Library, Wednesdays, 10 – 11:30, 0207 641 4903

• Buggy friendly, just a few steps to enter the building
• You pull the buggy right into children’s area
• Toilets are difficult, they are located at the top of several flight of stairs
• Not a great space for two children as it is not contained, but you could take two on your own as they would both likely be very engaged.
• Tube: Green Park
• Bus: 2, 10, 16, 36, 73, 74, 82, 137, 148, 414, 436, 38, 22, 19, 14, 9, 8

This is one of the best children’s library times I have been to!

The lady who runs it is an excellent entertainer, she has a giant puppet that plays games and sing songs to the little ones. After, the children sit and listen to a couple short stories and lastly boxes of toys are brought out for children to have a nice play. It’s a really great time.

Further, this is a really nice group to meet local mums and carers.

Just outside the library is a lovely garden with lots of benches and some room to wander.

Hyde Park

The Lido:

Located on the south end of the Serpentine, this is a great little place to take the family on a summer day. The café is open year round and serves nutritious and delicious food. There is a high fence right along the water and outdoor seating so your children can get close to the waterfowl.

The other part of the lido is a family area with a lawn, paddling pool, swings, sandpit and climbing frame. This is a great place to go on a sunny day, when you really want a contained space to play with small children. The biggest drawback: there is little shade on a sunny day. You must pack sun cream. The cost to enter the family area is £4 for adults, children under 3 free. The café will serve your lunch “pool-side” on the upstairs terrace.

The Knightsbridge Barracks Playground:

Located just inside the park, down from Sloane Avenue, near Harvey Nichols, this is a great fenced in playground with good equipment.

If you are in the playground at 10:28, the Queens Household Cavalry may just gallop by on their way to the changing of the guard. Great fun and darling pictures of children grasping the playground fence and pointing at the horses.

The Holocaust Memorial Walk and The Rose Gardens

The area east of the eastern tip of the Serpentine is a really nice place to take children for a wander and play. It is not fenced in, but its beautifully landscaped, quiet and feels a bit more secluded than the open spaces of the rest of the park. There are two Monkey Puzzle trees to look at.

A Day Out: Knightsbridge

Culture

• Procession of the Queen’s Horse Guard from Hyde Park Barracks
• Brompton Oratory and the South Kensington Museums (Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V and A), free

Shopping

• Harrods
• Brompton Road
• Sloane Street

Playgrounds

• Hyde Park Lido, (£4 adults, children under 5 free)
• Knightsbridge Barracks Playground

How to Get There

• Bus: 52
• Tube: Knightsbridge

If you organise it right, a morning in Knightsbridge can be the perfect mingling of iconic shopping and culture while being really fun for the little ones. The focal point of a trip to Knightsbridge with toddlers should be Hyde Park. Let the little ones spend the day here, one adult stays and while the other plays; or tire the children out at the playground and take them with you.

The Guard changes every day from May through August, after that it is every other day and you need to check the schedule online. The Queen’s Horse Guard leaves from the Knightsbridge Barracks, just next to the playground in Hyde Park at 10:28 each day the ceremony is on. If you are in the playground at that time, it is such a treat to see the procession go by. http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/ChangingtheGuard/Overview.aspx

Also, not too far from the playground is the South Kensington Museums and the Brompton Oratory, all free, beautiful and great to wander through even with little ones in tow. Its only about a £5 taxi from there to Knightsbridge.

Harrods is The Destination for most tourists and really shouldn’t be missed. It is absolute indulgent luxury from top to bottom. The store is step-free with changing facilities and family-friendly toilets. The Toy Kingdom, on the 4^th floor can is a great place to amuse the children during, before or after a shop, also during wet weather.

Brompton Road is great to shop, offering a mix of specialty boutiques and high street chains. This is a very crowded area, making it somewhat difficult to get a large pushchair down the street. Further, many of the shops have two levels and getting to the lift is not always easy.

Sloane Street, however, is lined with the large number of flagship stores for designers like Hermes and Chanel. The crowds are thinner and it is just a more pleasant street to window shop.

Where to Eat:

The Lido Café: The Lido is located next to the Serpentine, just a short walk from the Knightsbridge Playground. Its very family friendly, nearly step-free, and has public toilets with changing facilities that are located outside the restaurant. Really good food with superb healthy meal options, also beer and wine are served! Large, outdoor, good people watching terrace, as well as indoor seating.

The Dell Restaurant: This is my favourite between the two as The Dell has an enormous terrace filled with picnic tables (you can easily bring your own food and eat here) with an large weeping willow in the middle. The tables are set next to the Serpentine and the little ones can have a wander about and feed the ducks.

Wagamama: In Harvey Nichols, inexpensive, fast, noisy, tons of high chairs and yummy!!