Vicky

This is a great all round school. The teachers are very devoted and admire the headmistress, Veronica Bradbury. All the children I have met seem very happy there and the standards are high. It is very friendly and has a strong PTA. The catchment area is very tight due to the high competition for places there.

I was not very keen to go to Legoland but it turned out to be an amazing place. My tips for a good trip are:
* If you think you will go at least twice in one year then buy an annual pass
* Be there for when the gates open (around 10am)
* Jump on the Hill Train to the far end of the park and work your way back
* Take your own snacks with you. There are lots of benches and picnic areas
* Take waterproofs for the wet rides (there are quite a few)
* Although the rides are height restricted some of the rides for little ones can be a bit scary eg rollercoaster
* Queues build up from lunchtime no matter what the weather.
* Don't try to do everything
Have fun!

Very well stocked Children's Library with story time on Monday afternoons. Separate from Adult library so do not need to worry about children making too much noise.

There is something for everyone at Fishers Farm Park. It caters for a wide age range and will keep the kids entertained for the whole day.

Good local healthcentre with many extra services provided on site. Always possible to book an appointment the same day as a large number of slots are not released until the surgery opens.

A very friendly community nursery. The staff are wonderful and there is a low turnover which is always a good sign.

A good place to stop for refreshments when you are out for a walk on the common. Also a good meeting point.

The only place to enjoy a leisurely Sunday lunch if you have energetic children. Reasonably priced and above average food. I wish there were more places like this!

If you buy a drink then you are entitled to a free "babychino". My kids love this because they think they are drinking coffee just like mum. The "babychino" is just frothed up milk with a sprinkle of chocolate powder on top made to look like a cappucino. Do be careful to test the temperature though because sometimes the milk is VERY HOT.

Be warned that the playzone is usually booked out for parties and also the nearest loo's are situated in the changing rooms in a different building. Good for parties though because you can bring your own food and you have the place to yourself.

This centre is a lifeline in an area where there are very few affordable nurseries. It has had staffing problems but is well worth supporting.

If you want to buy a present or treat your children then this is the place to go. Stylish, irresistable clothes but very pricey.

Good selection of toys, books etc but they do sometimes try the hard sell which can be a bit of an off-put.

A very popular place with visitors to the park. Indoor and outdoor seating areas. The only drawback is that the nearest loos are situated next to the kid's sandplay area.

A wonderful venue which is open in the morning for parents to just drop in to. Reasonably sized indoor and outdoor play area. Refreshments available for small fee. A good place to meet other people with kids.

A great place to go if it is raining. Quite small, but easy to keep an eye on your children if not too crowded. Lots of free parking at the centre.

Very well run classes which will see you kids looking red faced and out of puff by the end. A good way to burn off energy. I did not like the fact you had to book 12 classes in one go and I think it is quite pricey.

A useful place to know about for rainy days. There are activities in the mornings as well as the usual slides/ballpools. The cafe is good and serves full English Breakfasts at the weekend. Book ahead to ensure you have a reserved table as it does fill up quickly. There is a separate room which is available for hire for children's parties.

There is a small kids pool. It is quite deep so younger kids will not be able to stand. It can get very crowded at weekends. There is also a very small playzone next to the cafe. Useful to know about but nothing out of the ordinary.

There is a pool styled like a beach with a wave machine and an elephant shaped slide. You can also just take the kids to the Playzone (indoor ball park) and sit in the cafe watching them play. Parking is free. Playzone costs £3 per child for unlimited time. Busy at weekends but clears out towards 12pm when everyone heads home for lunch..

Take snacks because there is no nearby cafe or shop.

Very large and very noisy but a huge hit with the kids. Take some good reading material with you and be prepared to take your shoes off and go to the rescue if necessary! At the weekends and in the school holidays the older children can charge around quite fast which is not very relaxing if you have little ones.

Unusually for an activity centre in London this place is quite spacious and has lots of natural light. However, I did find it a bit hard to keep an eye on where the kids were due to the size and a dividing wall in the middle of the room.
My son went to a kid's party here which was a great success. Eddie Cat came to visit the children and they were all given a T-shirt at the end.

My kids were not at all interested in these music sessions. However, I do know people whose children are obsessed with Tin Pan Annie.

Large, varied park with good facilities for kids. 2 playgrounds to choose from and a great picnic area. Also, a lake with ducks (which you are not allowed to feed).

Recently a friend bought new shoes for 35 because they were last year's stock - might be worth asking about this. Try to avoid school holidays because there can be queues

Whoops! That is meant to read "new shoes for £5"

Popular with local children and a good stopping off point on a walk to/from Port Meadow,

Great fun. Lovely light airy venue. Friendly, helpful staff available to answer any questions. Younger kids can do handprints etc, for older kids there are shaped sponges and animal figures etc to decorate. Can be messy with younger ones but the paint washes off. A bit on the pricey side if your kids work quickly and want to decorate more than one piece. Probably about 1 hour's worth of entertainment.

Great view of estuary. You can eat outside but unfortunately there is a drop into the water within a few feet so not very relaxing. Friendly staff. A bit gloomy inside. Good but nothing to rave about.

I love this place - lots of really useful products and a good service.

A good selection of fun and tasteful toys. Also good smaller presents for stocking fillers.

You must order the catalogue from this place! There are so many things you will want to buy it is difficult to know where to start. A good place to go for inspiration for arts and crafts projects. Lots of seasonal goodies available for eg halloween, easter

State Nursery so run on term basis. Usually allocated morning or afternoon session. Considered to be one of the best in the area. Tight catchment but worth applying to as not everyone knows about it. Was impressed when shown round because despite having 60 children there was hardly any noise. All the kids were completely absorbed in what they were doing. The kids are allowed to play with whatever they want to and can freely go in and outside. They keep a file on each kid which is well recorded.

Delicious scampi & chips. The kids can have a look at the harbour whilst you wait for your food.

This place brings back childhood memorie - they have jars of everything from cola bottles to fizz bombs. Fudge is always popular because they will cut you as much or as little as you want. Delicious!

A great excuse to take a tractor ride across the bay to the island and hotel. That is the best bit. The cream teas are a bit overpriced and there is an alarming cliff drop if you have younger children.

First rate A&E for children with separate waiting area and very understanding staff. It can be busy with long waits if you are not a top priority case, but the doctors and nurses are very good.

This shop has some great Mr Men / Little Misses t-shirts in the window. I must remember to go back before they disappear.

A great place to take the kids, even suitable for little ones. Also a good thing to do on a rainy day.

This is a buggy friendly place to take your kids for a walk. Many of the paths are made of tarmac so you don't even need an off road buggy. Beautfiul park with lots of space for the kids to run around. In the winter, if it snows,lots of people take tobogans because there is a great hill. The only downside is there is a lake at the bottom of the hill so you have to jump off if you don't fall off first!

This is not a very sophisticated place - most of the indoor activities are rather makeshift - but the kids didn't mind. Lots of space for them to run around with something for everyone. The Scary World Tunnel walk is not for the faint hearted! I didn't make it to the end but both my boys did and were awarded certificates of bravery. A fun day out if the weather is not good enough for the beach.

Brilliant interactive exhibits for the kids. Should keep them amused for a while. My favourite part is the Launchpad.

I wasn't expecting too much of this attraction because I was not convinced that my kids would be interested in looking at birds. How wrong I was! The boys raced around the well laid out site and enjoyed saying "Hello" to the talking parrots. Watching the penguins being fed was probably the highlight.

Great fun but rather expensive. I took my children to a special Noddy day there and was not amused to find out that having paid the entry fee I then had to pay for every attraction in the Noddy area. Not cheap at £1 a 5 minute ride. Still, I made the most of it by taking the children around the Safari Park which they enjoyed.

I find the "TAlK" part of this website invaluable. Now I can't remember life without it!

A great shop and really useful online maternity clothing store. Some of my best buys have been from here.

Friendly and welcoming. I visited this group when I was temporarily living in this area and can thoroughly recommend it.

Packed with families at Saturday lunchtime. Go early to avoid waiting times. Staff patient and used to children. Generous portions of food. Might be an idea to take something for kids to do as no crayons.

Good for kids. Be warned there are stairs to enter the restaurant but someone can help you up. Tables are packed rather tightly but if you are happy to squeeze in they welcome children. The best part is that there is a little courtyard next to the restaurant (with wooden play sculptures when I visited) so kids can run around and let off steam.

Erica of www.littlemummy.com has allowed us to add the following review of hers:

We enjoyed the Dean Gallery a lot, it was Erin’s first foray into the world of modern art and she seemed to enjoy it until the peace and tranquility sent her to sleep. ... the highlights were Paolozzi’s Vulcan and his restored studio. The gift shop was great, and the only disappointment was upstairs being closed as they were changing exhibitions. A great mini trip, that was absolutely free.

Erica from www.littlemummy.com has allowed us to add her review:

Today’s outing was to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. We had been before, but never with Erin…

So do toddlers and galleries mix?

Yes, Erin loved it. The exhibits included a ball dispay - 1000 balls of all shapes and sizes scattered in a huge room. The exhibit was interactive but apparently they had too many parents (!) getting over excited! It’s a shame I’d have liked a kick about

The highlights for Erin were the stripey floored room - a room in which the floor was covered in migraine inducing multi-coloured vinyl tape and the ball room where she liked the echo of her voice.

The gallery and staff were, as the book stated, very child friendly.

Great morning out and definitely one to revisit in a couple years time.

Erica from www.littlemummy.com has allowed us to add her review:

We took Erin and her friend along to Molly’s Play Centre which is situated on the top floor of Ocean Terminal in Leith.

To be honest it was a bit of a punt, as we weren’t sure if 15 month old Erin and her 10 month old friend would be old enough to really enjoy the delights of soft play. We needn’t have worried. They were right in there, clambering over the colourful blocks, crawling after one another, enjoying the views and swimming in the ball pool. They had a lot of fun.

It only cost a pound for Erin and her friend was free! For two tired, happy babies, that’s extremely good value.

Erica of www.littlemummy.com has allowed us to add her review:

The farm, being in the city centre, was more comprehensive than I had expected. The array of animals included hens, goats, sheep, a snake, ponies, pigs, birds, guinea pigs and rabbits. There was also a small play park with picnic area and a farm shop.

There was plenty to see and do, and on a warmer day we could have easily spent a couple of hours. Today was a little chilly so we introduced Erin to the animals and their respective noises, she really enjoyed it and started trying to make the noises herself, we left after about 45 minutes knowing we would definitely be back! Did I mention that admission was free (there is a donation box)!

I visited one of the Cranial Osteopaths here when my son was newborn. I was very impressed. The service was professional and efficient, if a little expensive. However, you definitely get what you pay for.

I would definitely go back and have already recommended Westover House to a friend.

A really lovely lady who has a wonderful bedside manner. I went to see her on the recommendation of a friend to have some acupuncture. The whole experience was very relaxing.

This site is still in its infancy but well worth a visit. To be honest it is very like Little Legends ie about the public writing and sharing their own opinions - brilliant ;) Every topic is covered so you can have your say about anything and everything. Definitely one to watch.

Really good value and growing in popularity. The tennis courts have only just been taken over by a new company and they are going great guns. Three really friendly guys run it and they have a wonderful manner with kids. The coaches are very patient and ensure the kids have lots of fun.

A really useful site with all sorts of useful information. I subscribe to the news feed, because they always report the latest issues affecting UK parents.

Very popular with local parents. Small but well equipped. They always have an activity planned and often have events on. In the summer they have water play outside and lots of deckchairs for the parents/carers. The only downside is they don't let you buy drinks until 2pm for some reason.

An amazing park with a wide variety of facilities. The best place for children is the play area for under 5s, which is basically a large sandpit with swings, slide and climbing frame. If your children are older there is a much bigger adventure playground. There is also a One O'clock club, but this has fairly limited facilities. The Japanese garden is fun to visit, as with parental supervision, the kids can look at the fish in the pond and the waterfall, and even cross the stepping stones. There are also peacocks and rabbits to look at. The area behind the main house is dog-free if you want a picnic. However, if you are bringing your pooch then there is a huge playing field at the High St Ken end where your kids and your dog can run around. If you contact the information desk they can tell you about nature trails for kids and the ecology centre.

You have to go through the main library for adults to get to the children's section. It is really good and the staff are generally helpful. Lots of cushions by window to sit on and tables for older kids to do their homework. Only a couple of computers but these are not used that much.

The One O'Clock club is very popular. It has a little hut which serves refreshments and has a computer. Then outside there is a small playground for the tots and a larger playground for the older children. It is open from 1.30pm to 3.30pm daily.

The entry fee is very steep and you have to join on your first visit (£5) but it is an amazing venue.

There are bumper cars, a carousel, an enormous playzone with slides and trampolines for the kids. There is a cafe with a large seating area and a varied menu.

The best thing is that there is an area just for parents with large sofas, a widescreen tv (ok you can't hear what is being said on it. There are also 4 computers linked up to the internet.

Parking is available in a nearby car park or on nearby streets where you have to pay and display.

A good day out, and large enough for even bigger children to run off some energy.

I used to go to this place as a kid. It is very casual and a bit of a local institution. Good for slightly older kids

Very family friendly and not far from the cafes of Southfields. There is a free car park (which is very unusual in London) and loads for the kids to do. On Saturdays you will see lots of little ones playing football. It is very popular and rightly so.

"child-friendly and welcoming" according to Mother At Large (www.motheratlarge.com)

Mother at Large writes this on her blog: "On this misty Saturday Lauriston was grey, Edwardian and mysterious, untouched by time, as if pre-war beauties and their beaus might at any minute stroll through the clipped box hedges, past the Italianate rose garden, for a spot of tea on the lawns. Fittingly, the place turned out to be home to several croquet lawns (pictured above), not, it must be said, a sport I have ever had previous reason to associate with Scotland.

It wasn't just the croquet that reminded me of England. In places the grounds were almost as lush and verdant as the English countryside, testimony to the wet 'summer' we've been having up here.

Beautiful, mature trees - horse chestnut, cedar, oak and monkey puzzle - were dotted thickly across the grounds. Inspired by frequent visits to the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh, I'm learning more about trees from a small book from Dorling Kindersley. The trouble is matching up towering great trees with the little pictures in the book. The guide does have a little stick figure drawing next to its tree pictures, to show the scale, but I can't as yet always translate that to the jumbled mass of branch, trunk and leaf in real life.

Almost as unexpected as the untypically Scottish croquet lawns was stumbling on a beautiful Friendship Garden created in the castle's grounds to celebrate Edinburgh's links with the Japanese city of Kyoto. Formal, yet peaceful, that garden was more relaxing than aromatherapy, massage or The Bean's Baby Lullabies CD. Helped by two recent viewings of the film Lost in Translation, I managed to identify some Japanese cherry trees there, which made me happy. Soon I'll become a paid-up tree spotter with anorak, measuring tape and notebook.

The Bean was entranced by the pebbles in the 'dry' garden, which required some methodical sorting, examination and tentative licking before she allowed me to replace them.

The Mad Hatter would have felt quite at home inviting guests to a tea party in the grounds of Lauriston Castle. The Queen of Hearts could have held court, while the yew trees came to life and watched her preside over a ghostly game of croquet on the lawns, played perhaps by some of the castle's stone lions that she had ordered back to life for the occasion."

I recently visited this beach and was very impressed. Be warned that if you drive to this beach it is not near Thurlestone Village - you have to follow various backroads to get there. It is very childfriendly and was busy but not overcrowded when I went mid-August. Lifeguards watch over you and put out flags to point out the safe swimming area. The waves are very small and so it is a good place for young ones to go paddling etc If you have older kids there are kayaks (and wetsuits) you can hire by the half hour that look really good fun. The only down side is that the sand is too shingly to build a proper sandcastle.

The perfect beach for making sandcastles. The kids created all sorts of trenches, forts and armchairs whilst we were here. My eldest said his favourite bit was "jumping over the waves". Take a wind-break and a picnic and you will be set for the day.

Highly recommended. My son attended one of the school holiday workshops and loved it. He had loads of fun and I was really impressed by the stuff he created. He made new friends and didn't want to leave.

This group is very popular with Au Pairs in the area but Mums go along too. The Church Hall is well equipped and it is fairly well organised. When I lived in this area it wasn't one of my favourites but it came in handy from time to time.

The Maternity Wing isn't bad either. I had my three here and there were no major problems. It is very understaffed on the post-natal wards though so be prepared to fend for yourself!

A good family restaurant and a local institution. Bistro style. Kids menu. Very noisy so it doesn't matter if the children make a racket. Large portions. Standard British fare. Very popular so go early to avoid the queues.

Lots of families go for walks here. It is nice and flat, although a bit bumpy for buggies. Also, there are bridges with steps to cross the river.

If you want to hire a punt for the day and want to avoid most of the tourists, then this is the place to go. It is popular with students and local families. Either you can head down river and stop at the Victoria Arms pub or head up river to go through the University Parks.

Kiddie heaven! Make sure you take your wallet with you because if you take your children here theywon't let you leave without buying something. There are usually amazing demonstrations of the latest toy. This place is definitely a legend :)

Make sure you book or arrive around 11.30am for lunch. The best place to sit is in the Elephant Room if you can. My kids loved it, but the noise is unbelievable! They had their faces painted (for a £5 donation to charity) and ran around looking at the various animals. Typical kiddy food - pasta, chips, goujons, ice-cream. Lots of fun. Quite pricey but it is in Central London. The hardest part is trying to escape without buying something from the shop you have to walk through. Also, if you park in the NCP car park in Denman Street (very narrow!) then you only pay half if you ask the cafe for a validated ticket.

Great for kids. Quick service. Clean and friendly. Plastic cups with straws for kids. My son thought his pizza was "delicious" and he managed to eat all 3 courses. A very relaxing place to eat out en famille.

My son loves the driving range here. It costs £6 for a bucket of 100 balls. A great way to burn off energy on a rainy day. (I am not sure if you can borrow a mini golf club - you might want to ring and check)

A new playground is being built right next to Common Ground and it is scheduled to be ready at the beginning of December 2007.

A good stopping off point. Very friendly. Good selection of drinks and snacks. In particular, I recommend the smoothies. There is a place to park your buggy and lots of highchairs. The play area is really only for little ones up to 2 years.

The big animals are always popular - especially the giraffes. There is loads of space to run around for the kids as well as a good picnic area and extras such as a carousel, face painting and a bouncy castle.

Don't miss the butterfly house. The butterflies are not behind any screen and they fly around your head!

Not a good place to go on a rainy day as most of it is outside. Also, many of the cages are refurbished in the Winter so you might not see everything you want to.

Very childfriendly cafe with changing facilities.

Well worth a visit :)

This is one of the top attractions for kids in London. The entrance hall with the huge dinosaur skeleton is well known and never ceases to amaze.

It is a huge place, so it is advisable to visit only a couple of different zones to really enjoy the place. You will find the helpers in red fleeces very knowledgeable and able to point you in the right direction (which is necessary because the maps are not very detailed).

The most popular zone by far is the Dinosaur Zone. It has an impressive start to it, with a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops. You then climb steps to cross the sky walk. This gives you a great view of all the displays. Towards the end you will come across animatronic dinosaurs which are very impressive, but a bit scary for the younger ones. The only down side is that due to the one way system, once you are in this zone, you have to keep going if you want to leave. There are no short cuts. Also, be warned that the last exhibit shows Dinosaur themed toys and surprise, surprise the exit faces the toy shop. A good marketing ploy for the museum but infuriating for parents.

Look out for the "Focus Points" where staff allow children to learn about the exhibits through touch and games. They are a good way of bringing some of the displays to life, because there are limited interactive exhibits (although the number is growing).

There are good changing facilities and a spacious kid friendly cafe.

Great fun, especially for kids aged 4 and above.

A brilliant place to let the kids burn off lots of energy. It is quite a big adventure playground and they will have great fun charging around. The only thing you have to be prepared for is running after them - if on the younger side they often need a parent nearby to give them the confidence to try out one of the obstacles.

A lovely outdoor space very close to the centre of London. Somewhere that can be enjoyed by all the family, no matter what age. The only down sides are the high entry fee and the low flying planes. Despite these drawbacks, well worth a trip.

I love this place! The reception area has rocking horses and there is a playground with a slide as well as a cafe. For the little ones (2 to 5 years) there is the cozy little Adventure Theatre and then there is a proper theatre for the older ones.

Tickets sell out quickly, so you might want to consider joining (currently £25 per year). Luckily for me, my friend is a member so was able to take advantage of the priority booking.

Definitely worth a visit. The kids loved it and audience participation is encouraged!