What's on in/ near Stroud Green?

[stroudgreen]

There's an email circulating on the NCT Stroud Green email list of things to do in/ near Stroud Green with an under 1. It's been collated by putting together information from lots of different parents in Stroud Green, who were asked what they would recommend for a local parent of an under-1 to do locally.

I know the info gets out of date pretty quick but thought it might be useful to post it here, so folk can access it easily and add to/ comment on it. Anyway, here it is cut-and-pasted. Apols in advance for the length.

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Maybe you are wondering what kinds of activities are on which would suit you and your little one? Maybe you want to avoid going to hectic groups where your precious babies might get squashed by rampaging three year olds on tricycles!

Here are some ideas from local Stroud Green parents for activities suitable for 0-1s, in and around Stroud Green. Thanks to all contributers. Bear in mind that things change/ stop, so do ring ahead before you travel, and apologies in advance for any errors.

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I think the Ambler stay and play for under 1s is lovely on a Monday morning. This is at Ambler Childrens Centre on Blackstock Road, which also has baby massage, breastfeeding advice and other interesting activities. Download their timetable from this page: Ambler Childrens Centre

I always found baby bounce at the N4 library on Blackstock Road, N4 really good, and also baby bounce at the North Library in Manor Gardens, N7.
Islington Libraries What's On

I know others have really enjoyed Pushy Mothers which is a fitness class for new mums, usually attended by those with little babies sleeping in their prams! Pushy Mothers (Highgate Woods, Clissold Park)

There is also a fitness get together at Finsbury Park called Pram Attack- it's advertised in the cafe. See here: Pram Attack

There are baby stay and plays at both Hornsey Road Children's Centre Hornsey Rd Children's Centre and Ambler Children's Centre.

There is also Monkey Music for babies at Union Church Hall in Crouch End (W3 and W5 buses stop outside). See: Monkey Music website

The only new (ish) thing I have noticed recently is a music thing for babies on Tuesdays at 12.30 at the Old Dairy. I sent my childminder there with my 17 month old son and he was much too old, ideal for under ones. For more information see Movers and Shakers

If you're looking for breastfeeding support from getting started (even pregnant mums-to-be) to support through the very different challenges of feeding an older baby I'd like to recommend La Leche League. The nearest meeting is in Stoke Newington and is held in the Born shop on Church Street monthly. Your best bet is probably to contact the shop for more information.

There is also a friendly breast-feeding group at Stonecroft Children's Centre on a Wednesday morning. Ring ahead to be sure of a place. Local Breastfeeding Support

And there's more..

How about baby cinema screenings? The following local cinemas sometimes have showings where you can take your non-mobile baby:

Muswell Hill Odeon
Holloway Road Odeon
Hampstead Everyman
Screen on the Green Islington

Have you investigated your local Children's Centre? This email has already mentioned Ambler Children's Centre and Hornsey Road. Other options are...

Stroud Green Children's Centre, Perth Road- 0-1 baby group on a Thursday morning.
SG CC website

The Ladder Children's Centre, Pemberton Road- Twinkletoes on a Tuesday afternoon for babies aged 0-1.
Ladder CC website

North Islington Children's Centre

Campsbourne Children's Centre in Crouch End also has a 0-1 group, I think, plus one called "I'm just toddling" for 1 and 2 year olds and a dad's group.
Campsbourne CC website

The good thing about Children's Centre activities is that they are normally free. The bad thing is that it can be hard to find out what's on as their websites are not very good, plus they chop and change quite a lot (eg. some activities are term time only) so my advice is to pop into a couple and ask the receptionist what's on and take a leaflet.

And even more...

There are a number of postnatal yoga options locally, and you can take your baby if they aren't crawling yet. Usually you need to wait till your 6 week check before you can join these groups- check with the instructor:

Birthwise yoga website - Anna also offers baby massage classes which are highly recommended
Lifelong yoga with Julie Tortora
Yoga junction- further towards Crouch End

I do pilates every week at the Pilates Place in Crouch End, and it has worked wonders on my knackered pelvis. There are post-natal classes too to which you can take your (non-mobile) little baby. It is based on machines rather than matwork, and the classes are small, so it costs a bit more than regular pilates. See here Pilates Place

Or you can take your baby swimming: try Park Road pools in Crouch End, but also Archway Pools and Clissold Leisure Centre. The last has a very cute dedicated pool for babies and toddlers, with toys, floats and waterfalls, though it can be a bit cold.

And more..

When it comes to groups, another posher idea for a music class for babies, if you don't mind paying, is Mini Mozart in Highgate on a Tuesday Mini Mozart (210 bus stops outside).

The NCT runs a bumps, babes and tiddlypeeps group on Tuesday afternoons from 3-4.30pm in CUFOS, The Avenue. (A short walk from the W3 bus, from where it stops at Alexandra Palace). This group is good if your baby is a bit older, as they can crawl around on a dedicated baby mat with some toys. But if you only have a little baby be warned this group can also be busy and noisy with toddlers running around especially if it is raining! It has nice cake though. £1.50 per adult. NCT toddler group

Some crawling babies also like Little Dinosaurs softplay in Alexandra Palace, which has a dedicated baby section, but it can be busy with older children too. Little Dinosaurs Under-1s get in free, and there is a decent cafe. Crawlers and walkers might also like soft play at the Sobell Centre.

I know it is a bit of a trek, but I have a real soft spot for the groups at the Methodist Church on Pages Lane in Muswell Hill. They have a special group for 0-6 month olds (Tiny Talk), and another for 0-18 month olds (Baby Talk). It's in a lovely light-filled room with pretty gardens outside, and you get juice and biscuits, and singing with a guitar. You need to catch the W7 bus to Muswell Hill Broadway, and then it is a short walk. Church website £1.50 per adult. At the moment there also seems to be a group for German parents of babies- see the website.

I promise this is the last bit of the message!!

On Monday afternoons, there is a discussion group called 'Mothers Talking' at the Born Shop on Church Street in Stoke Newington.
You can take your baby along, and it costs £7.50. For more details,
see here or here. See also here
The discussion group is run by Naomi Stadlen, a psychotherapist who wrote a book about mothering called "What Mothers do: especially when it looks like nothing".

There are also some lovely groups, including another 'Mothers Talking' discussion group, at the Active Birth Centre in Archway. This includes baby massage and baby yoga groups. Active Birth Centre

Another slightly unusual thing to do is sign your baby up for experiments looking at how she or he learns at the Babylab which belongs to Birkbeck, University of London (based in Bloomsbury). While you don't get paid for doing it, they will pay for a black cab both ways and it's really interesting to see how your baby learns. My daughter has done three experiments for them, and it was fascinating for us. For more information, see Babylab

Right- if you have made it this far- hope some of you who live in or near Stroud Green with a baby find this useful!

And if you want a local babysitter you can try Sitting Pretty Babysitters. They're very good. I've used them myself.

This is a wonderful compilation of information, I should expand on it for the Tottenham area, though I'm now back at work 5 days a week (was 4 days since October).

Stroud Green library (Quernmore Road) have cranked up their children's events again, which is great news for us all!

Tuesday- Rhyme time 2.30 to 3.00pm

Wednesday- Drop-in: 9:30 to 11:30am Toys and songs for all to enjoy (Singing 11.00 to 11:30)

Thursday- Story time 11:00 to 11:30 am

Friday- Messy afternoon craft activity 2.00 to 3:30pm

This is a great list of activities. Thanks!

The Virgin Active gym in Crouch End has an antenatal postnatal exercise class on Mondays and Thursdays at 11.30 for members which you can take your baby to or they have a good value creche. You do need to be a member though.

There are also lots of activities at Harringay YMCA.

www.ymcahornsey.org/harringayclub/modules/info/index.php?pagenum=3.

Hornsey library in Crouch End does rhyme time on Tuesday mornings - can get very crowded though!

There is a new buggy fitness class in Priory Park on Wednesday mornings - see below for details
www.theyummymumsbuggyrun.co.uk/

There is also a music group in Priory Park. I haven't been myself but hear it is good

www.reallykidfriendly.com/node/2155

This part of London is super baby friendly.

We've also scratched our heads to think of things on in and around Stroud Green for those with older babies/ toddlers. Here's what NCT Stroud Green came up with:

good list :)
just thought i would mention that hornsey road wed mornings is catchment only from this term, which is basically the few roads nearest? but they have weds 1-3 new stay and play is open to anyone. as the weds mornings were getting quite busy they brought in that rule.
stay and play @ andover is good too - big room and outside space, it is pretty much next to hornsey road cc, 10-12 on mon tue and thurs, and i think the other days they have creche that you can pay £5 to use (not used it myself)

If you are willing to pay gymboree is amazing!

We would like to let everybody know about the Stationers Playgroup Spring Fair.

Sunday April 10th 12pm-3pm

Hornsey Vale Community Centre
60 Mayfield Road
London N8 9LP

We are taking over the whole Community Centre and there will be family fun with stalls; kids entertainment; face painting, bouncy castle, raffle and great food!

Please come and join us for a lovely family friendly afternoon

Wow - we have lots of activities to choose from, don't we. It made such a big difference to my maternity leave to be able to get out and about to these sorts of groups.

Now I'm back working part time and on my 'baby days' we like to go to the Laundry Club stay and play (10-12 Thursday mornings) - Sparsholt Road, which is the one the Noble pub is on, near Crouch Hill station. It's a huge space with loads of fun things for babies of all ages. Then there's a snack and sing and sign at the end, which always goes down really well.

We alternate this with Jeremy's music in Finsbury Park cafe - 10.30 Thursday mornings £3.50. A really good session, he's great fun, and it includes songs we actually like singing along to (Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel etc) which makes a nice change from 'zoom zoom zoom' and 'the wheels on the bus'.

On Fridays we do Monkey Music in Crouch End. It's another one of those posh music groups, and although I do sometimes wonder if it's a bit overpriced, I do remind myself that my baby really seems to enjoy it and gets a lot out of it. She's learning a whole new range of actions and doing a lot of dancing, which is very cute.

If you are up to travelling further afield, there are some good days out from Stroud Green, especially for toddlers and small children.
It's easy to get to Kew Gardens- take the overground from Crouch Hill and change at Gospel Oak for Kew Gardens station. Kew Gardens is ideal for a picnic, and even small babies like the fish in the aquarium, while toddlers and small children will love the indoor and outdoor playgrounds, badger sett, treetop walk and so on. 2 for 1 vouchers are available if you travel by train, and children have free entry.
Discover is another good place to get to- take the tube to Highbury and Islington and then the overground to Stratford (20 mins). It has indoor exhibitions which are highly interactive, craft area, and a really cool outdoor playground.
I quite like the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. All you need to do is catch the 254 bus from Finsbury Park and it stops outside. There are train sets, rocking horses and a shabby modest baby play section, and frequently activities like craft activities that you can join in.
The Science Museum is simple enough if you just sit on the Piccadilly line to South Kensington, and downstairs in "the Garden" it has a fantastic water play area which is great as soon as they can stand up. (Take spare clothes as they'll get wet, despite the tabards provided). Afterwards consider going to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, or go paddling in the pool in the courtyard of the V&A (no undressing your children though or you get asked to leave!).
City farms are another hit- try Kentish Town City Farm by Gospel Oak station (just two stops from Crouch Hill, though there are a lot of steps to contend with at both stations). Entry is free (donations requested). It isn't massive but it has chickens, goats, pigs etc and at certain times messy play, sing songs etc. The Hampstead Heath 1 o clock club next to Gospel Oak station is also really good- it has morning and afternoon sessions every day, which are either free or cheap, and plenty of indoor and outdoor toys.
Willows Farm is a good day out, though it costs a fair bit (keep an eye out for vouchers to get kids in free). It has all the animals you'd hope for, but also a really fantastic soft play, slides, plus activities like singing. You can get there by public transport from Stroud Green- take the train from Haringay or Finsbury Park to Potters Bar and then a bus (number 84). Allow a full day.
If you are a fan of theatre aimed at littlies, try the Arts Depot in Finchley, or Lauderdale House has regular children's shows on Saturday mornings (from age two) and is easy to get to on the 210 bus.

Just wanted to say that Clissold Park playground has re-opened and it is totally fantastic- sand and water play, ride-ons, zip wire- a really good afternoon out from Stroud Green. Highly recommended.

I have a new baby (15 weeks) so thought i would post info for things i have found good for new mums in the area:

*Old dairy playmat is out tues-thurs afternoons - lovely area for babies to play and for mums to meet new mums.

*North islington under 1 stay and play 10-12 mondays - good variety of new toys and nice mums.

*n4 library baby bounce tuesdays - also great for books and nursery rhyme CDs. Crouch end library, babies are a bit big for 0-6 months....

*Hanley Crouch tuesday-thursday 10-12. Nice but a bit worn - baby likes songs at the end (around 11.30).

*Front room cafe is lovely and baby friendly for a nice breakfast with partner...no room for lots of prams though.

*Park road pool as nice baby pool and can take prams outside to the outdoor pool when warm enough so you can soak up some sun / swim if you have someone to watch the baby.

*Baby cinema - loved it - so much easier than i thought. went to the Rio in dalston and would go again.

Hope this helps any new mums....

St Mellitus Under-5s playgroup
Toys, tea and biscuits

WHEN: Wednesday mornings, 10?12 in the hall
There's a lift for buggies, loads of space for running and crawling around.

WHERE: Downstairs at St Mellitus Church, Tollington Park, N4 3AG
(Crossroads of Tollington Park and Fonthill Road)
Entrance is to the left of the main steps but the lift is on the righthand side of the building.

Mailing list: [email protected]

Just to let you know that we run classes ideal for post natal women!! We run lots of Pilates classes in Crouch End and Muswell Hill - ideal for rebuilding strength in the tummy and back. Lots of classes on in various venues - mornings, evenings and week ends. First week FREE www.jcwfitness.co.uk (no creche though - it's an hour off just for you!)

Jeremy's music sessions for kids are pretty good. He is a talented guy, and all kinds of ages of older babies and children like to join in and sing along.

M-W-F @ Fun Yum Cafe in Priory Park

Thursday @ Cafe in Finsbury Park

All sessions start at
10:30AM and finish approx 11:15AM

Fees: £3.50/child, £2.50/sibling.

Occasionally he takes holidays so it's good to go on his mailing list which you can do by dropping an email to [email protected]

Just wanted to plug an event next week for anyone who is expecting a baby between now and March 2012 and who lives in Haringey (or, if you're in Finsbury Park/ Stroud Green, Haringey borders- we're not fussy!).

It's an informal social meet-up in the Old Dairy pub in Stroud Green, between 8 and 10 pm, on Wednesday 30 November. All are welcome, including partners. It's organised by the NCT but you don't need to be an NCT member to come along, it's free and it's purely social and about making new friends before our babies come along.

If you're expecting a baby soonish then do come along even if (especially if!) you don't know anyone - we'll be easy to find- if you don't see the bumps then there will also be NCT posters to help you find us in the lounge area of the Old Dairy. Spread the word!

Just found out Old Dairy are putting playmats down on sat mornings from 9.30-12 for breakfast in the lounge from Feb - great news that there is somewhere to go out for breakfast and where the little one can play. Plenty of HC's available too and great coffee!!

Just wanted to let you know we have an NCT Toy Swap at Hornsey Children's Library, Haringey Park, N8 this Saturday 28th January from 10am to midday.

If you have a pile (or two) of unused toys at home, come and join us! It?s a great way to get rid of some of those unused toys while picking up some ?new? ones that your little one might enjoy at no cost. To participate, simply bring a toy or two (in good condition) to be swapped for another one of similar value. Some of you might remember that we ran one of these at Stroud Green library this time last year and it was a great success so do pop along.

Some local music classes:

Monkey Music
Baby Sensory
Mini Mozart
Movers and Shakers