Kensington
Weekly Rota of Baby and Toddler Groups in Kensington
(please ring ahead to confirm times and pricing)
Monday –
Monkey Music St. Stephen’s Church SW7, check web site for details
Monkey Music St. Barnabus Church Hall, Addison Road, W14, classes from 2:35for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers (check web site for details)
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Courtneys Jungle Gym (1 – 8 yrs) ring to confirm availability.
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Teaching Pool open swim (ring ahead to confirm)
Tuesday –
St. George’s Campden Hill: Arts and Crafts Session, 10-11:30.
Monkey Music, Kensington United Reformed Church, 19 Philmore Walk, W8. From 2:30pm, classes for babies, toddlers and pre schoolers (check web site)
Kensington Central Library, Story Time (2 yrs +), Tuesdays 10:30 - 11
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Courtneys Jungle Gym (1 – 8 yrs) ring to confirm availability.
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Teaching Pool open swim (ring ahead to confirm)
Wednesday-
St. George’s Campden Hill: Baby and toddler playgroup, 9:30-11:00
Monkey Music, Kensington United Reformed Church, 19 Philmore Walk, W8. From 3:10pm, classes for babies and toddler (check web site)
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Courtneys Jungle Gym (1 – 8 yrs) ring to confirm availability.
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Teaching Pool open swim (ring ahead to confirm)
Thursday –
Monkey Music St. Stephen’s SW7, check web site for details
Pippa’s Poppets Music and Movement Classes (0-4yrs) St. Luke’s Churh, Redcliffe Gardens 9:45am for babies, 10:30 am for toddlers, 11:15 for small children, fees and more details at www.pippaspoppets.co.uk (£7.50 per class)
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Courtneys Jungle Gym (1 – 8 yrs) ring to confirm availability.
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Teaching Pool open swim (ring ahead to confirm)
Friday-
Kensington Centrel Library, Baby Rhyme Time, Fridays 10:30 - 11 need to collect a ticket for this on either Saturday or Monday morning
St. Mary Abbots Church Hall, Vicarage Gate Parent and Toddler Group, Friday 10 – noon ring ahead as the group has a waiting list
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Courtneys Jungle Gym (1 – 8 yrs) ring to confirm availability.
Kensington Leisure Centre, Walmer Road, Teaching Pool open swim (ring ahead to confirm)
Monkey Music Notting Hill
Where do Notting Hill Mums go to meet other mums, why Monkey Music Notting Hill of course!!
Come join the charismatic duo, Alex and Eloise Trippier, for Notting Hill’s hands-down favourite baby and toddler music classes. Alex was the 2012 National WO4LO “Most Outstanding Activity Leader for Under 5s South”; come along for a free trial and see what all the rave reviews are about.
Monkey Music Notting Hill is perhaps one of the best ways to get out and meet local mums while enjoying some time with your child. You don’t clean, email, upload photos or any of the other thousands of necessary and/or optional distractions that interrupt time with your child.
Choose from Rock ‘n’ Roll classes for Babies from 3 months; the Heigh-Ho classes for Toddlers from 12 months; Jiggety-Jig for the 2 and 3 year olds; and Ding-Dong for 3 and 4 year olds making a little music school for your little ones to progress through. There is something for infants, babies, crawlers, cruisers, toddlers, pre-schoolers, mummies, daddies, nans, granddads, nannies, and more.
Classes held at the charming St. Stephen’s Church on Westbourne Park Rd; The Clubroom, Portobello Court (corner of Westbourne Grove and Portobello Rd, gorgeous venue); Essex Church at Notting Hill Gate; Whole Foods on High Street Kensington; and underneath the Kensington Library on Phillimore Walk and St Barnabas in Holland Park. Give Zed, the office manager, a ring, and find out more about Monkey Music Notting Hill. 0208 438 0189 or email [email protected]
Our Lady of Victories Parents and Toddlers’ Group
Our Lady of Victories Parish Hall, 16 Abingdon Road, London W8 6AF, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 am – 11:30, contact Yana 0796 617 1802 or 0207 565 0532 and request a visit as you are required to join the group if space is available.
- An extremely enjoyable playgroup
- Very well run with nicely kept toys, great refreshments and magazines for parents and carers
- Good mix of mums and nannies, best place to meet other families in the area
- Limited intake so the group always has a calm and relaxing vibe to it
- Tube: High Street Kensington
- Bus: 9, 10, 27, 28, 49, 328, C1
This is such a special gem for mums new to the Kensington area or new to being a mum in the Kensington area. Further, the group is an excellent place if you are looking for more information on Our Lady of Victories school, as many people at the group are active in the parish and the school.
The one drawback, which is not a problem for most, you have to leave your pushchair in a secure buggy park and descend a flight of stairs. Once you are downstairs, there are a series of rooms that contain different toys and play areas for the children. Just near the stairs is a lounge area with chairs, magazines and refreshments.
The group is very well organised and limits the number of children allowed in. You must contact the lovely Yana, arrange to come and visit the group and then wait for a place to open up. It is very much worth jumping through all the hoops as it is such a nice place to go each week.
Overall, this is a really well-thought out playgroup that gives parents a slight reprieve.
Kensington Central Library
Kensington Central Library, 12 Phillimore Walk, W8 7SA, 0207 937 2542
- Easy buggy access, there is even a secret ramp if you don’t want to bump up the first few steps
- Amazing, light filled, fun space
- Really nice space to pass a rainy afternoon
- Tube: High Street Kensington
- Bus: 9, 10, 49, 52, 70, 452
http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/libraries/general/
This is a very enjoyable library to take young children to. The space is just amazing, with cushioned window seats and ceilings that go up and up. They books are organized in a nice way for both children and adults. There are stacks children can just grab from.
This is a great place to keep in mind should you get rained out of the Princess Diana Memorial Playground!!
I have yet to attend either of the children’s sessions, but judging from how well the room is organised, I am sure the program is great.
Whole Foods Market
63 Kensington High Street, W8 5SE, 020 7368 4500
- Good space for two children
- Step-free and you park the buggy right in the VIP area
- No toys, bring something to keep the kids occupied
- Tube: High Street Kensington
- Bus: 9, 10, 49, 52, 70, 452, 27, 28
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/kensington/
Mums Mornings on a Monday is a great place to take the kids and enjoy amazing Whole Foods cakes, juice, tea and coffee … for free!! Held in the VIP room on the first floor, the room overlooks High Street Ken and is filled with soft ottomans and chairs for little kids to cruise on. I was able to chat with loads of nice mums and carers while my infant wandered.
There are no toys for the children, but the space is really fun to wander around and play in. The kids all enjoy themselves. Further, on nice days you are a short walk away from the gardens behind St. Mary’s Abbott and a 15 minute walk from the Princess Diana Memorial Gardens (the Pirate Ship Playground) in Kensington Gardens.
Holland Park
Located at the western end of Kensington High Street, Holland Park is a giant park filled with different areas to take toddlers to.
If you walk into Holland Park from High Street Kensington, to the left of the sports field is a great children’s area, with large sand pits, climbing frames and swings.
Just past the Holland House is a terraced garden that is great to let little ones wander around. It is not fully enclosed, but pedestrian friendly.
The Japanese Gardens are next on the path where they have a koi pond and waterfall. I would not take two toddlers alone in this area as it is difficult enough keeping one out of the water.
Beyond this area, to the right, is the Holland Park adventure playground. This area is really for older kids, younger ones are not supposed to be in there. Keeping that in mind, it is worth a short wander through just to see the amazing play apparatus and perhaps have a turn on the giant tire swing.
Next to the adventure playground is an enclosed play area for little ones.
In between all of these areas friendly peacock roam about the park.
There is also a youth hostel in the park that hosts different children’s activities as well as the ecology centre.
