Reviews of playgroups
Coram’s Fields Under Five’s Services
Coram’s Fields, 93 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1DN, 0207 837 6138,
- Nicely resourced and looked after play equipment
- Contained room, good for two toddlers walking
- Coffee, tea, juice ant kitchen facilities
- Great toilets and changing facilities
- Tube: Russell Square, Kings Cross
- Bus: 59, 68, 91, 168, 188, 19, 38, 55, 243, 17, 45, 46
Peacocks, Under 3’s, Mondays – Fridays 10 – noon
Colonnades, Under 5’s, Mondays – Fridays, 1PM – 4PM and Saturdays 11 – 1PM
This is such a treat. Just next to the sandy play areas is an Under 5’s area. It is here that the drop-ins are held daily with the under 3’s gathering in the morning and the under 5’s in the afternoons.
The space is small, but amazingly well laid out. Your buggy is kept outside, but adjacent to the room (you can see it the entire time, but you might not want to leave a baby sleeping out there), and the children play in a well cared for room with different play stations. There is a home corner and dress up clothes, painting, books … a nice room that has nursery type equipment.
The one caveat to this oasis in the city, is that there are only 8 families allowed at a time in the Peacocks group and 12 in t the Colonnades.
Bedford House
35 Emerald Street, London WC1N 3QW, 0207 405 2370
- A little bit tricky to find
- Ground floor entry, baby gym down a flight of stairs
- Good mix of mums and carers
- Over 4’s may take affordable ballet and gym lessons here
http://www.holborncommunity.co.uk/index.php
Tube: Russell Square, Holborn, Chancery Lane
Bus: 19, 38, 55, 243 (Theobolds Road); 59, 68, 91, 168, 188 (Southampton Row)
Bedford House is a really good resource for the under five’s community in Central London. Even if you do not live close enough to utilise the facility regularly, keep it in the back of your mind for a day trip to do the British Museum.
To find it, go up Lamb’s Conduit Passage and turn down Emerald Street from there. Otherwise, go down Emerald Street and take a right and find the door in the bit of alley. It is there, just a little tricky to find.
My children and I went and tried out the baby gym for the under fives offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, term time. Although my four year old was the biggest and oldest child in a the group, she happily explored the apparatus for over an hour. The biggest draw for her was the extra thick floor mats that she could hurl herself onto. My ten month old cruised on different shaped climbing bits, enjoyed the mats and slide. Both children were in the self-contained gym, I didn’t have to keep track of them through different rooms, and each had a great workout.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, they offer messy play, which is held on the ground floor.
For anyone, the Bedford House is a great rainy day alternative to near-by Coram’s Fields.
Bedford House boasts affordable ballet and gym classes for the over 4’s. The gym class looks especially interesting as they use proper gymnastics apparatus like climbing frames, vaults, beams and spring boards.
http://www.holborncommunity.co.uk/activities.php
