Activities for kids in and around Wimbledon

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Stag Lodge Stables

Isn’t it every child’s dream to ride a horse – whether they want to be a cowboy in a wild west movie or Rapunzel when she rides on her horse, Maximus? You can make their dream come true by booking them a session at Stag Lodge Stables in the idyllic Richmond Park. Stag Lodge Stables offers one on one private lessons and a number of different courses to satisfy everyone’s needs. It provides courses that are inclusive of all riding abilities, no matter whether you are a beginner or an expert, including 4-hour sessions during school half terms and holidays for children from the ages of 5-12 where they also learn how to groom a horse and muck out stables. If your child is between the ages of 3 and 6, then the 30-minute Pony Park Lessons are an excellent way to introduce your child to horse riding. You never know – they could be the next Zara Phillips!

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West Side Tennis Club

Is Wimbledon not the dreamiest location to learn how to play tennis? Westside operating in the Village offers lessons during the week but is most renowned for its holiday camps, especially the summer camp aimed at children between the ages of 5-16. Westside ensures that students are split into groups with children of a similar age and standard, so everyone has a fair and engaging experience on the courts. The camp runs from Monday to Friday, each session priced at a measly £24. The camp not only consists of playing tennis but also incorporates fun competitions and drills to keep everyone entertained.

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Stagecoach

Stagecoach has so many locations: Merton Park, Tooting, Putney, Sutton, Kingston, Surbiton, Esher and so many more… It offers the opportunity for your child to become a triple threat with the classes teaching singing, drama and dance. Children between 4 and 6 are part of the Early Stages school, where the singing, drama and dance classes are all 30 minutes long. Once your kid has bypassed the age of 6, they will join the main school where the singing, dance and drama sessions are an hour long. Your child will learn a range of different dancing styles from street to musical theatre, different lyrical styles from rap to opera and learn an array of different acting styles from improvisation to learning lines. Stagecoach is an incredible way of improving your child’s confidence and social skills.

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Dolphin Swim Academy

Wimbledon College is where the Dolphin Swim Academy resides. It is the perfect place for your child to learn to swim no matter the weather as the classes take place in an indoor pool. The Academy allows a maximum of 6 children per instructor which ensures that all children get the attention needed to excel and are always safe in the pool. It is perfect for all abilities owing to its 6-level approach in which students move along as they improve. This ensures that your child will only be in a class with students who have the same swimming ability. The Dolphin Swim Academy offers classes that will help your child to gain confidence in the water, learn different swimming strokes ranging from front crawl to back crawl to butterfly to breaststroke and work on their swimming stamina and competition swimming.

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Monkey Music

You name a location, Monkey Music will have a class there! In 30-minute sessions, your child will explore the sounds of different percussion instruments and dance along to the original Monkey Music songs. At 3 months old, they will be eligible to join the Rock’n’roll class, the only place where your child will be spurred on to make as much noise as possible – encouraged to hit and shake lots of different percussion instruments. At 12 months, your toddler will join Heigh-Ho where they will be encouraged to copy their teacher, learning to play their instruments in time with the music. At two years old, students are taught to offer up their own ideas on what instruments would sound best in the song encouraging your child to share their opinions and to understand the importance of listening to others. The final level of ‘Monkey Music’ is Ding Dong for the 3-4 year olds which teaches them how to read and compose their own music, perfect for those of us who are Mozarts in the making!

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Gymboree

Gymboree offers its members an array of locations such as Wimbledon Town Centre. For the adventurous and boisterous children, Gymboree is a match made in heaven. They offer a range of different classes for children below the age of 5 and follow the ethos that the best way for children to learn is through play. A Gymboree class consists of your child being given a full range of equipment including slides and an inflatable cylinder forcing them to independently learn about different textures, balance and how different items work. What a fun and stimulating morning or afternoon for both you and your child!

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Art-K

Located in both Wimbledon Town Centre and Kingston is Art-K. It offers children between the ages of 6-16 the chance to become the next Picasso or Rembrandt! Sessions are either 2 hours or a full day long over the school holidays. Upon enrolment, your children will get the opportunity to explore a multitude of different mediums from paper sculptures to clay to mixed media to watercolour to acrylics. Art-K will teach your little Picasso a bank of techniques and skills which they can show off in art class next term.

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Wheel Throwing Workshop

Ever fancied giving a pottery wheel a go? If yes, then look no further than Wimbledon’s Wheel Throwing Workshop, where anyone from the age of 14 can participate. It hosts classes of 6 which ensures every student will get immense guidance and help with making their pottery masterpieces. The small class sizes are perfect for a family day out – what a wholesome 3-hour family bonding experience!

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Wimbledon Park Watersports and Outdoor Centre

At Wimbledon Park’s Watersports centre, your child can try out a wide range of water-based activities. Beginners sailing is a course designed for children between the ages of 10-16 which teaches them the basics of sailing including rigging, launching etc. Wimbledon Park also offers a course called Teen Supreme where 13-16-year-olds spend a week with other like-minded teenagers trying out lots of different water and land-based classes. This not only lets your child undertake a lot of stimulating activities but also make new friends.

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Avenue Cookery School

Pictured top. If your child is between the ages of 8 and 16 and fancies themselves as the next Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver or Mary Berry, why not let them put their cooking skills to the test and enrol them into Wandsworth’s very own Avenue Cookery School? They will learn a range of culinary skills and easy recipes that can easily be replicated at home. For an hour and a half, your child will learn to cook a delicious dish in either a pair or team allowing them to not only learn a new skill but also socialise with lots of new people. All equipment needed (ingredients and aprons) is supplied so no need to panic buy on Amazon before your child’s first class!

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Polka Theatre Classes

Wimbledon’s very own ‘Polka Theatre’ offers your child the chance to immerse themselves into the acting world. The weekly drama club offers 45-minute sessions where children from 4-6 years old are given a chance to learn numerous acting techniques such as roleplay through the engaging and creative games led by Polka’s acting experts. From the age of 7 to 9, children are eligible to join the Saturday sessions where they will have the chance to fine-tune their acting skills learned in the previous class whilst also increasing their bank of techniques. These skills will be improved through students gaining more autonomy in this class, creating their own stories to perform in groups. For the drama aficionados out there between the ages of 9 and 12, Polka offers them the chance to join the Youth Theatre where weekly they will work alongside the theatre’s leading professionals. These sessions consist of your child being given consistent advice on how they could improve their acting through many different engaging activities – including the creation of the end-of-term play. Polka Theatre is the perfect place for a budding actor with its friendly and welcoming atmosphere ensuring every child will thrive!