Oh hello September. You’ve come around sooner than I was hoping. Those fresh mornings and shorter evenings have sprung on me with a rapid pace. I’m not champing at the bit for autumn to arrive like I usually am at this time. I mean, our summer was pretty special. And with the Little Big One starting at preschool this week, there’s an ominous sense that summers of the future will feel a little different. After weeks of being unshackled by commitments and playing the ‘yes’ game; exploring new places and getting out and about, it’s time to get a bit of normalcy back. And with September arriving in earnest, we get to welcome back the Old Familiars – those groups and activities that make up the tapestry of our day-to-day lives but have been absent for weeks. Although I don’t feel quite ready to bid the summer farewell, l am feeling grateful for the OFs. There is something to be said for routine; it certainly makes planning the week ahead a lot easier. And it’s nice to know that there are go-to activities for those days when you just can’t muster the energy to come up with an alternative plan.

With the Little Big One at preschool two days out of five, I’ve been trying to decide which of the regular activities we should be reinstating; which ones we really enjoy doing as a family – the ones that appeal to everyone and really add value to our weeks. Having the commitment of preschool two days a week, we like to keep the other days pretty flexible so we tend to opt for drop-in groups rather than booking a block of classes in advance. However, just for you lot, I’ve rounded up 3 of our favourite drop-in activities and 2 fabulous book-in-advance classes, so you can make up your own minds. Hopefully you’ll find something you like the sound of to keep you and your little ones occupied throughout the Autumn.

Drop-in activities

Sing and Swim | Wells Cathedral School | Tuesdays and Fridays 10:15-12pm | £5 per family | Starts back 17th September
A longstanding Old Familiar, we’ve been attending Sing and Swim since the Little Big One was about 5 months old and I still think it’s hands-down one of the best value for money activities we do. The group kicks off with a sing and dance session, run by one of the school’s dance teachers, featuring action songs and musical games and a bunch of props (including bubbles – always a winner). This goes on for about half an hour, after which they bring out a host of toys and snacks, giving parents the opportunity to take a breath before heading across to the heated swimming pool for a swim! I’d like to say the pool is warm all the time but it can get a little chilly after the holidays so just a word of warning there. Another thing to mention is that it’s a fixed price of £5 whether you swim or not. The pastries and brownies make it worth it in my opinion (as does the fact that you can bring along multiple siblings and the hubby and the grandparents, if you wish, and it will cost you no more).

Tumbling Tinies | Wells Blue School | Sundays 9:15-10:45 | £2 per child | All year round

Now, you may have noticed that this group is a Sunday group. They used to run a session on Tuesdays too but unfortunately, due to timetable changes, they’ve had to stop it. However, it’s just a great little activity to get you out and about early on a Sunday morning. It’s soft play but not as we know it (and for me, that makes it a winner). It’s always quiet – sometimes you can be there with just one other family – and it runs all year round. There’s a ball pit, slides, tunnels, plenty of ride-on toys and… a bouncy castle! What’s not to love.

Hop, Skip and Sing | Red Brick Building, Glastonbury & Wells Town Hall | Thursdays 10:30am & Fridays 10am | £8 per child (drop-in price)/ discount rate for siblings | Starts back 12th September

For children that love music, this class is perfect. It’s quite a bit more expensive than most of the activities we do regularly, which is why we haven’t ever booked on to a whole block of classes, but each time we go, all three of us thoroughly enjoy ourselves. It’s run by a lovely lady called Eliza Wylie who specialises in early years music, with a particular focus on learning music by ear and encouraging everyone to start singing young. Unlike Sing and Swim, the class is very pared down; there are no backing tracks, just Eliza playing and singing simple songs, unaccompanied. Everyone is encouraged to participate, which can feel a little daunting initially but you soon get used to it. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find it hard not to join in when the beat of the Djembe drum kicks in! Your children (and possibly you) will leave the class having sung their hearts out, wiggled, bounced, trotted around the room wearing a horsey tail, swished through the air, and played a zillion different percussion instruments.

Sign-up per term activities

Tiny Tutus Parent and Toddler Ballet Class | Wells Town Hall |Tuesdays 3pm | £4 per session | Starts back 3rd September

Tiny Tutus is hands-down one of our favourite weekly activities. It started out as an activity for the Little Big One to enjoy with me when the Not So Tiny One was actually tiny. Since then, the Not So Tiny One has progressed from a mere spectator clapping along in her pushchair from the sidelines to a fully-fledged participant, stomping around waving a wand with the best of them. The Tiny Tutus class is run by the brilliant Andrea Taylor (“Miss Andrea”) and is open to children from 18 months to 3 years (but we’ve been lucky enough to have the Not So Tiny One attend as a sibling) and is all about exploring dance in a fun and imaginative way, using music, singing, props and movement. Parents are actively encouraged to join in with all aspects, which takes a bit of getting used to but is actually really sweet. The Little Big One is now ready to progress to preschool ballet but I’m hoping we can find a way to do both.

Millfield Minis | Millfield Pre-Prep | Monday – Friday 10-11:30am | £8 per session | Runs termly, contact Millfield for dates

The Little Big One and I did Millfield Minis for a couple of terms before the Not So Tiny One came on the scene and it was a great way to introduce her to the world of structured play as well as feeding her love of all things crafting. It’s open to 1-3 year olds and is run by Millfield Pre-Prep staff. Each week has a different theme and there are a range of activity stations set up to explore this, meaning that during each session, children can try their hand at a few different crafts, do some sensory and role play and enjoy a bit of story time too. There’s also dedicated time for outdoor play. On top of this, each term there’s usually a forest school session and a visit to meet the school’s resident ponies too, so lots of variety and fun. Snacks are supplied and the children are encouraged to sit together at a big table to eat which is super cute and great practice for nursery. I’m planning to sign the Not So Tiny One up for this one as it’s a great all-rounder.

This is, of course, just a snapshot of what’s on offer – there are loads of other groups and classes about (some of which I’ll be reviewing over the coming weeks) as well as a bunch of great playgroups (which I reviewed earlier).