Singing the rain away at Pram Chorus

Last Tuesday Milo and I headed to Pram Chorus. If you're tired of singing The Wheels on The Bus then this is the group for you! Mummies sing while the babies play (in theory) or even join in! Ruth, who runs Pram Chorus was very warm and welcoming and instantly put us at ease with some fun and slightly comedic yet certainly necessary warm up exercises before we began singing a few tunes. Admittedly I do tend to sing Wind The Bobbin Up at least 5 times a day (at the bus stop, during nappy changing as well as regularly marching through Brockwell Park) but I haven't really had a chance to do what I would call 'proper' singing so it was great to have a go. We sang a fab tune from the 'deep south' and had a wonderful choice of other tunes from Zulu to Rock'n'Roll ! There are still places on the regular Tuesday morning session (best for afternoon nappers and for a hearty, rousing start to a grey day!), there's also a Thursday afternoon session but at the moment it's full. It's all happening in Streatham - a little off the beaten track for me but definitely worth the effort! Contact ruth@PramChorus.com for further info!

Little Lambeth & Streatham Mums do coffee

Little Lambeth is teaming up with Streatham Mums to host a coffee morning 

When ?? Next Tuesday 24th April from 10.30am

Where ?? At the delectable Earl Grey and Rose very near Streatham Hill from 10.30am

We would be delighted if you would join us as it would be fab to meet some lovely local mums/dads/aunts/uncles etc and of course our little'uns. It isn't very big but as you'll see it is rather fabulous and quaint with great cakes/coffee/sandwiches. I'm afraid there's no nappy changing but there were some toys last time we went. We've been trying to think of the best central Lambeth cafe with a baby area & baby changing so suggestions are more than welcome otherwise I may end up starting my own baby friendly café.....

 

For those of you who don't know what I look like -

here I am in the café where they shot Amelie!

Also don't forget to check out the extremely handy Streatham Mum's Network on Facebook which is an excellent message board for any questions, ideas, recommendations, events coming up in Streatham.

Unique School in Lambeth

There's more to school than just literacy - and this is just what the people at The Family School at Larkhall (off Brixton Hill) feel. The Family School is a small, alternative school "where children are free to be themselves and where learning is a natural part of enjoying and exploring life".
I attended the  PARENT AND CHILD (UNDER 4s) GROUP which meets on Monday and Thursday mornings each week during term time from 9.45am-11.45am and cost £6 per session per child (siblings under 14 months attend for free) and was very excited to find a wide range of resources including a lovely library of books, musical instruments, a pretend shop, plenty of toys, a lovely outdoor play area and plenty of space to explore. There's also a shoes-off policy (which I am a big advocate of!) and no set activities such as singing so it's great to let little ones play and learn however they wish. It's exciting to know that Lambeth has such a range of different schools on offer - don't forget to also check out The Waldorf School of South West London too for another alternative approach to education!

Oasis Children's Venture in Stockwell

On Friday the sun was shining and Milo and I decided we had sung Wind The Bobbin Up one too many times and headed somewhere new and wonderful - the Oasis Children's Venture Nature Garden. This is truly an unexpected wildlife Oasis in the heart of the city. We were a little puzzled by how to get in, but finally discovered the lovely brass bell to the left of the gate and finally a very friendly Marisa let us in.

The Nature Garden has so many hidden corners it is very exciting for little ones to explore and is completely safe. There are vegetable patches, a tree-house, scare-crows as well as plenty of woodland and grassy verges perfect for picnics. As Milo is still a crawler he couldn't quite take part in the nest making with clay and straw and preferred to climb up and down the tree-house (which is complete with binoculars for essential birdwatching).

He also enjoyed trying to spot cars and buses through the fence (he adores cars at the moment) but I'm pleased to say it was very hard to catch sight of them as the garden does separate you from the hectic city surroundings! I soon realised it was impossible for Milo to truly get in the spirit of the Garden without getting down and dirty so I let him crawl around on the pathway and he adored putting wood chip into his wheelbarrow and even having a little nibble now and then (not recommended!).

The Under 5s group is every Friday from 10.30-12 with an optional donation of £1 but I think it's worth every penny !