Previous Article
Children’s Theatre ListingsAutumn Term Kids Classes 2018
Next Article
October Half-Term Activities & Camps 2018We’ve put together this handy reference guide to local kids classes and activities that take place from September until the Christmas holidays – baby classes, toddler classes, and classes for older children. And when we say local, we mean local, with all the classes featured here available in Richmond, Kew and Ham (plus a few others of note).
There’s a lot here, so the listings are split into four sections to help you find what you’re looking for: 1) Creative Craft & Forest School; 2) Drama, Dance & Singing; 3) Music & Developmental; and 4) Sport & Movement.
As always, if there’s anything you’d like to see added, just let us know. We have endeavoured to make sure that all the information here is correct and up to date, but please do also let us know if you discover any inaccuracies.
NB We have included pricing information here, but it’s worth speaking direct with the classes as most offer a free trial and lots offer sibling discounts, but some also charge a membership fee. Most classes that charge by the term will also allow you to join mid-term – if there is space – for a reduced rate.
1) Creative, Craft & Forest School
Art Clubs, Orleans House Gallery
Twickenham
For children from 5 to 15 years old.
Exciting weekly workshops offer budding young artists the opportunity to explore a broad range of artistic media and practice with experienced gallery artists. A varied selection of projects which allow participants to try more messy and adventurous media than may be possible at school. Classes take place on Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays from w/c 17th September. Classes cost £132.00 for the term (£11.00 per class).
Hampton Hill, Richmond, Teddington, Whitton
For babies and children from birth to 4 years old.
Story telling, craft, music and drama, helping to develop the imagination and creativity of young children by ‘bringing stories to life’. Classes take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays, on a drop-in basis from w/c 10th September. Prices vary according to the venue (most just require a small voluntary donation) – see their website for details.
Twickenham
For children aged 3 to 5 years old.
Children visit Marble Hill Park for adventures in the great outdoors, enhanced by games, stories, crafts, dressing up and other play elements to maximise the fun. Classes take place on Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays from w/c 24th September. Classes cost £64.00 for the half-term (£16.00 per class) or £17.50 per class on a drop-in basis (please check availability).
East Sheen, Teddington
For children from 2 to 4 years old.
An exciting programme which opens up a whole new world of scientific adventure to pre-school children. Sessions are packed full of experiments, singing, and stories, making science fun and enjoyable. Classes take place on Wednesdays & Thursdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £117.00 for the term (£9.00 per class).
See Saw, Orleans House Gallery
Twickenham
For children under 5 years old.
Multi-sensory sessions designed to encourage creativity, curiosity and develop skills in communication, co-ordination and social interaction. Sessions include music, play materials, soft play, creative activities, stories and rhyme time in a relaxed informal environment. Classes take place on Fridays throughout the year (please check on bank holidays and over Christmas). Classes cost £6.00 per session, or £3.00 for siblings.
Wild Education – see Richmond Mums review
Kew (more venues should be added soon)
For pre-school children.
Forest school activities encouraging child-led learning and allowing children time to play, reconnect with their environment, learn to take risks and have their own adventures. Classes take place on Fridays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £156.00 for the term (£12.00 per class).
2) Dance, Drama & Singing
St Margarets
For children from 7 to 17 years old.
A unique independent school dedicated to nurturing and caring for each individual student. Small classes are specially designed to improve confidence, develop impressive communication skills and inspire students to achieve their best. Classes take place on Saturdays from 8th September. Classes cost £195.00-£210.00 for the term, depending on age (£13.00-£14.00 per class). There is also a drop-in option available for £20.00.
St Margarets, Twickenham
For children from 2.5 to 11 years old. NB This will increase by 1 every year.
Unique classes designed to inspire the next generation of dancers to flourish and soar – pre-school, ballet and modern classes are all available. Hummingbird strives to inspire students through encouragement, fun and friendship. Classes take place on Mondays & Saturdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £93.50-£120.00 for the term, depending on length of class and term (£8.50 to £10.00 per class).
East Sheen, Kew, St Margarets, Richmond, Teddington, Twickenham
For babies and children from 6 months to 15 years old.
Just Imagine is an inclusive ballet school and performing arts company for all ages and abilities. Their classes include ballet, contemporary, tap, street and musical theatre. They value creativity and expression, and focus on the healing and nurturing aspects of the creative arts. Classes take place on Mondays to Saturdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost between £132.00-£168.00 for the term, depending on length of class (£11.00-£14.00 per class).
Little Voices – Richmond Mums review
Putney, Richmond, Teddington
For children from 4 to 12 years old.
Performance arts training, teaching singing and drama to the highest standard whilst building confidence and promoting children’s personal and social development. Classes give your child specific individual tuition within a small class size. Classes take place Mondays to Thursdays from w/c 3rd September. Classes cost £189.00-£245.00 for the term, depending on age / length of class (£13.50-£17.50 per class). You can also get up to £60.00 off with Richmond Mums! (Mention Richmond Mums for £40.00 off; Richmond Mums members get £60.00 off.)
Richmond
For children from 4 to 18 years old.
A weekend performing arts academy, where students spend three hours rotating through hour-long sessions in comedy & drama, musical theatre and film & television (1.5hrs for children aged 4-5yrs). Modules are packed full of tips that Pauline has learnt from nearly 50 years in the business. Classes take place on Saturdays from 1st September. Classes cost £44.00-88.00 per month, depending on length of class and payable by direct debit (equates to £12.00-£24.00 per class).
Kew, Richmond, Teddington, Twickenham
For children from 4 to 18 years old.
Teaching children and teenagers creative courage… how to sing, dance and act, not only to perform on stage and beyond, but more importantly to perform better in life. Classes take place on Fridays & Saturdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £165.00-£330.00 for the term, depending on the length of the class (£13.75-£27.50 per class).
Hampton Hill, Twickenham
For children from 3 to 18 years old.
An independent, award-winning, performing arts school and youth theatre, who offers a huge range of acting, music, dance and musical theatre classes, as well as performance opportunities. Classes take place on Mondays to Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays from September. Their classes range from 30 minutes to 3 hours, and they have an award-winning auditioned youth theatre who perform several times a year.
East Sheen
For children from 4 to 11 years old.
Competition-winning musical theatre after-school club – perfect if your child loves to sing, dance and act. Classes take place on Wednesdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £36.00-£54.00/£72.00-£108.00 for the half-term/term depending on length of class (£5.00-£8.00 per class).
Twickenham
For children from 2 to 11 years old.
A small, independent drama company who believes in offering high quality, affordable access to the arts to all children. They teach children to use their own imaginations and experiences to create fun and exciting drama. Classes take place on Mondays to Wednesdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £91.00-£104.00 for the term depending on age / length of class (£7.00-£8.00 per class) or £65.00 for a 10-class pass for children aged 2-4yrs.
3) Music & Developmental
Baby Sensory – see Richmond Mums review
Barnes, Brentford, Hampton, Isleworth, Richmond, Teddington, Whitton
For babies from birth to 13 months old.
Baby development activities to develop early communication skills, using a combination of original and traditional songs and rhymes to stimulate the senses and delight your baby. Classes take place on Tuesdays to Thursdays (Brentford/Isleworth/Whitton) from w/c 10th September, on Tuesdays & Wednesdays (Barnes/Richmond) from w/c 3rd September, and on Mondays & Thursdays (Hampton/Teddington) from w/c 3rd September. Classes cost £59.50 / £82.50-£85.00 for the half-term / term, depending on location and length of the term (£8.25-£8.50 per class).
Busylizzy Baby Classes – see Richmond Mums review
Richmond, St Margarets, Twickenham
For babies from 3 weeks old to walking
A range of baby classes suitable for all stages of development. Baby Boogie brings out your baby’s rhythm, co-ordination and self-confidence; Baby Karma helps develop your baby’s senses and introduce play elements into their routine; Baby Music is an interactive, baby music class with lots of stimulating melodies and jangly percussion to sing and play along to; and Baby Signing covers a different theme which incorporates puppetry, songs and gestures all wrapped up in a supportive environment. Classes take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 30th August. Membership to Busylizzy costs £45.00 per month (4 classes) to £99.00 per month (unlimited classes), plus a joining fee. Membership packages include baby classes, pregnancy fitness classes, and fitness classes for mums. You can get 50% off the joining fee with Richmond Mums!
Diddi Dance – see Richmond Mums review
Hampton, Isleworth, Richmond, St Margarets, Teddington, Twickenham
For toddlers and children from 18 months to 4.5 years old.
Little ones can get down and boogie at these classes that are packed with fun, energy and enthusiasm, and with a different theme each half-term – the first half of the autumn term is disco! Classes take place on Mondays to Saturdays from 8th February. Classes cost £48.00 for the half-term (£8.00 per class).
Gymboree – see Richmond Mums review
Putney, St Margarets
For babies and children from birth to 5 years old.
A fantastic range of fun classes that encourage development and learning through play, art and music. Classes take place on Mondays to Saturdays throughout the year. Classes cost £48.00-£68.00 per month depending on the class / location (£12.00-£17.00 per class), and this also gives you access to open gym sessions.
Hartbeeps – see Richmond Mums review
Barnes, Kew, Hampton, Putney, Richmond, St Margarets, Teddington, Twickenham, Whitton
For children from 6 weeks to 4 years old.
Educational, interactive and fun classes that grown-ups can enjoy together with their little ones. Classes have been designed by child development experts and combine music, dramatic play, story telling, creative movement and baby signing. Classes in Barnes, Kew & Putney take place on Mondays, Tuesdays & Fridays from w/c 3rd September, and other classes take place on Mondays to Fridays from w/c 10th September. Barnes, Kew & Putney classes cost £63.00 for a half-term (£9.00 per class) or £12.00 on a drop-in basis. Other classes cost £48.00 for a half-term (£8.00 per class) or £11.00 per class on a drop-in basis. You can also get a free trial (usually £5.00) with Richmond Mums (not applicable at Barnes, Kew & Putney).
Monkey Music – see Richmond Mums review
Barnes, East Sheen, Kew, St Margarets, Teddington
For babies and children from 3 months to 4 years old.
A fun, stimulating and inspirational way to enjoy the wonders of music with your child – classes designed to nurture a lifetime of music. Using a unique blend of songs, little ones use actions, explore musical sound play and engage with colourful props and percussion instruments. Barnes classes take place Mondays to Thursdays from w/c 10th September; East Sheen classes take place on Thursdays & Fridays from w/c 3rd September; and Kew, St Margarets & Teddington classes take place Mondays to Thursdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £117.00-£156.00 for the term, depending on location / length of term (£9.00-£12.00 per class). When you sign up after your free trial class, you can also get half price membership (£8.50 instead of the usual £17.00) with Richmond Mums at Kew, St Margarets & Teddington!
Brentford
For children from 0 to 4 years old.
Sing songs and play simple percussion instruments with your children in a fun and lively workshop, which is a brilliant way to introduce music to your children, teaching the basics including rhythm, rhyme and simple games. Classes take place on Wednesdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £5.00 per session on a drop-in basis.
Barnes, East Sheen, Putney
For all pre-school children.
Lively pre-school music and movement classes that help children develop their abilities, skills and confidence by unlocking their natural love of music. Sessions are interactive and fun for you and your child. Classes take place on Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays from September. Classes cost £8.00 per class on a drop-in basis.
Hampton, St Margarets
For babies and children from birth to 3 years old.
Rhythm Time is passionate about music and how it can help enhance little ones’ development, with every child seen as an individual with great potential. Classes make music fun and show how to unlock children’s potential by singing and making music together. Classes take place on Mondays & Wednesdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £104.00 for the term (£8.00 per class); new customers can book six weeks for £48.00.
St Margarets, Teddington, Twickenham
For babies and children from 3 months to 4 years old.
The amazing world of signs through songs, rhymes, stories and games. Classes take place on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays from w/c 17th September. Classes cost £85.00 per family for the term (£8.50 per class).
Tempo Tots – see Richmond Mums review
Twickenham
For babies and children from 3 months to 4 years old.
A truly unique series of interactive classes and concerts for little ones. Each 40-minute class is jam packed with live music, singing, dancing, stories, bubbles, puppets and playing musical instruments all aimed to help your little ones develop their social skills, communication, and movement whilst having fun! Classes take place on Mondays & Fridays from w/c 16th April. Classes cost £45.00 for a block of five or £90.00 for a block of ten (£9.00 per class), which can be used over a six-month period. Mention Richmond Mums and you can pay £9.00 on a drop-in basis.
Hampton, Twickenham, Whitton
For babies and children from birth to 3 years old.
Fun, interactive baby signing classes. Develop your child’s early communication skills and enhance their motor skills through the use of songs, sign and music, and then enjoy some toy time and the chance for a cup of tea and a chat! Twickenham/Whitton classes take place on Wednesdays & Fridays, and Hampton classes take place on Tuesdays from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £48.00-£51.00 for the half-term per family, depending on age (£8.00-£8.50 per class).
Hampton Hill, Richmond, St Margarets, Teddington, Twickenham, Whitton
For children from 3 months to 5 years old.
Pay-as-you-go music and dance classes, promoting critical listening skills, language and literacy, creativity and coordination in the future. Classes take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from w/c 3rd/10th September depending on location, with some running throughout the holidays. Classes cost £6.00 per class on a drop-in basis.
4) Sport & Movement
Hampton, Richmond, Teddington, Twickenham
For children aged 3 to 16 years old.
Best Tennis makes tennis accessible for all the family, which is an excellent way to get fit, make new friends and this fantastic sport inside or out. Classes take place on Mondays to Sundays from 1st September. Classes cost £66.00-£96.00 for the half-term, depending on location and length of half-term (£11.00-£12.00 per class).
Half Backs – see Richmond Mums review
St Margarets, Teddington, Twickenham
For children from 2 to 6 years old.
An early years sport company providing effective, fun and educational classes. The sessions are designed to teach children the values of rugby union, enabling them to develop their confidence, physical and social skills. Classes take place on Saturdays & Sundays from 8th September. Classes cost £120.00 for a 15-session pass (£8.00/class), £90.00 for a 10-session pass (£9.00/class), £50.00 for a 5-session pass (£10.00/class) or you can pay-as-you-go for £10.00/class. You can also get 10% off all online purchase with Richmond Mums! Just enter the code TWICKMUMSRICH at checkout.
East Sheen, Twickenham
For toddlers and children from 18 months to 7 years old.
Unique, fun learning techniques to develop real football and other sports skills in a safe and creative environment. Classes take place on Thursdays from w/c 3rd September & Sundays from 16th September. Classes are payable by the term and work out at £9.60 per class.
Chiswick, Hampton Hill
For babies and children from 4 months to 12 years old.
Seriously fun gymnastics classes for little ones, in a safe, nurturing and non-competitive environment. These exceptional classes take place every day of the week in Chiswick (which also offer dance and karate) and Hampton Hill. Classes are payable by a monthly plan, and cost £964.00 for the year in Chiswick or £780.00-£900.00 for the year in Hampton Hill, with discounts available and fees pro-ratad depending on when you join. Bugs classes (4-10m) cost £150.00 for a 10-class pass in Hampton Hill.
Ham, Hampton, Kew, Mortlake, Petersham, Richmond, Teddington, Twickenham
For toddlers and children from 18 months to 7 years old.
Football classes which act as a fun forum to instil children with a little extra confidence, co-ordination, control and sense of camaraderie. Classes take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays from 1st/8th September depending on location. Classes are bought in blocks of six for £54.00 (£9.00 per class) or 12 for £100.00 (£8.33 per class).
Barnes, Hampton, Richmond, St Margarets, Teddington
For children from 2 to 4 years old.
Action-packed classes that immerse kids in fun, age-appropriate, high quality games and activities, such as ball skills, running, jumping, dodging, balancing and lots more. Classes take place on Mondays to Fridays from w/c 3rd/10th September depending on location. Classes cost £126.75-£129.00 for the term, depending on location and length of the term (£9.75-£10.75 per class).
Ham, Hounslow
For babies and children from birth to 4 years old.
Puddle Ducks’ baby-led approach ensures your child’s needs are expertly fulfilled – never forcing development, but nurturing confidence and unlocking their potential to swim. Classes take place on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays from 9th September. Classes cost £144.00 for a block of eight classes (£18.00 per class) and you can join at any point.
Richmond Gymnastics Association
Kew
For babies and children from 8 weeks to 5 years old.
Popular classes where pre-school gymnasts learn early balance, co-ordination and gymnastics skills through a variety of fun activities each week. Classes take place on Mondays to Fridays from w/c 16th April. Classes cost £25.00-£135.00 for the term depending on age (£1.92-£10.38 per class). NB Classes for school-aged children are also available but a waiting list exists for these.
Barnes, Richmond, Twickenham
For children from 2 to 7 years old.
A specifically-designed play programme using the multiple skills of rugby to create a fun and enjoyable environment whilst developing basic core motor skills. Classes take place on Saturdays & Sundays from 9th September (Barnes) or 1st September (Twickenham). Classes cost £114.75-£143.25 for the term, depending on length of term (£9.50 per class).
East Sheen, Kew, Richmond, Roehampton, Twickenham
For children from 3 to 16 years old.
An award-winning specialised tennis coaching programme for children of all ages – starting with pre-school tots classes which concentrate on developing essential skills whilst having lots of fun, then moving on through mini-red, mini-orange and mini-green tennis which use a gradually bigger court and faster balls as children progress, ending with the usual yellow ball for ages 11 and upwards. Classes take place every day of the week from w/c 3rd September. Classes cost £42.00-£126.00 for the half-term, depending on age / length of class (£6.00-£18.00 per class).
East Sheen
For children from 3 to 14 years old.
A professional, community based coaching service, whose aim is to teach and support children whilst they develop their tennis skills, whether they play for fun, fitness or want to compete at a higher level. Classes take place on every day of the week from w/c 10th September. Classes cost £150.00-£205.00 for the term, depending on age / length of class (£11.54-£15.77 per class).
Twickenham
For children from 18 months to 7 years old.
Children are grouped into three age categories – Tots, Kickers and Strikers – and Sport4Kids’ dynamic pathway not only progresses children’s ball skills but also their communication and social skills. They focus on fun and encourage teamwork as children increase in confidence. Classes take place on Sundays throughout the year. Classes cost £33.75 per month (£7.80 per class), with no minimum term.
Twickenham
For children from 18 months to 7 years old.
Children are grouped into three age categories – Tots, Cubs and Lions – and Sports4Kids delivers exciting play-based activities for the youngest children, safely introducing the fundamentals of rugby movement and motor skills which are ingrained as they progress into competition. Classes take place on Sundays throughout the year. Classes cost £33.75 per month (£7.80 per class), with no minimum term.
Richmond
For children from 4 to 16 years old.
An exciting and action-packed multi-sports program of 18 different sports a year, comprising three hours per week for 6 to 16 year olds and 90 minutes for 4 & 5 year olds. Every weekend your child will participate in a team sport, an individual sport and a team building challenge. Classes take place on Sundays from 16th September. Classes cost £172.50 or £345.00 for the term (£14.38 or £28.75 per class).
East Sheen, Kew
For children from 6 months to 9 years old.
Parent & baby and children’s swimming lessons, which combine the best aspects of various different approaches to swimming instruction. Swimway specialises in private or semi-private lessons, which allows the instructor to create a specific lesson plan for each student. Classes take place on Mondays to Fridays from w/c 3rd September. Classes cost £268.80-£630.00 for the term, depending on the number of pupils in the class (£19.20-£45.00 per class).
Ham, Richmond
For babies and children from 3 months to 4 years old.
Enthusiastic and experienced ‘in-water’ swimming instructors ensure each child reaches their full potential, expands their natural swimming ability, and gains water confidence and life-saving skills in a fun and relaxed environment. Classes take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays from w/c 3rd September. Classes cost £160.00 for the term (£13.33 per class).
Richmond, Teddington, Twickenham
For children from 4 to 12 years old.
Accessible and affordable football training through programmes expertly designed by a network of FA qualified coaches. We Make Footballers focuses on individual skill and technique, teamwork, and most importantly fun! Classes take place on Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays from September. Classes cost £70.00-£87.50 for a block of 9 or 10, depending on venue (£7.00-£8.75 per class).
You can also follow Richmond Mums on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and sign up for our newsletter and membership card.
Facebook
Twitter