regular toddler groups

The new normal: Five toddler groups to add to your Autumn schedule

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).

Free play time or “adult’s cup of tea and brownie time”

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.

Magic wand waving… always a highlight


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.

A very fresh-faced Little Big One enjoying all that Millfield Minis has to offer


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).

Every day’s a play day: A round-up of the best weekly playgroups in and around Wells

Since having my girls I’ve discovered a wealth of stay and play groups in the area. These are great for parents or carers with children of any age, right from tiny babies to energetic toddlers. They offer adults the chance to have a cup of tea and a friendly chat with other adults (which, let’s face it, we ALL need sometimes) and kids the chance to play with a bunch of exciting new toys and socialise with other children of all ages. What’s more, you will almost always see someone you recognise! They tend to be run by volunteers, often mums themselves; hosted in village halls or community centres; and best of all, they are cheap to attend, costing anything from a couple of pounds to absolutely nothing!

As I said before, we’re pretty spoilt around here, with plenty of groups to choose from – and if you really want to, you could go to one every day of the week. Here’s my pick of the bunch:

MONDAY

Little Woottoners | North Wootton village hall | 10-11:30am | £3 per family| Term time only | Visit their Facebook page
Smaller and more relaxed than a lot of other playgroups, Little Woottoners is well worth the 10 minute drive out of Wells (and the extra money). Run by a group of North Wootton mums, it’s super friendly and small enough that you can happily approach anyone for a chat. The format usually involves free play – they have a slide, a kitchen and a bunch of other toys – and an optional craft activity (we’ve had a go at making our own Stick Man – said Stick Man is still a favourite play thing in our house – and cardboard tube animals, amongst other things). Having this additional element means this group works perfectly for my two girls, as the Little Big One can focus on crafting while the Not So Tiny One can enjoy playing with the toys. Snacks are provided and the group always finishes with a story and a song. Around once a month they run a themed session. The last one was We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and involved creating a 3D map (pictured below), some sensory play stations based on elements of the story (think squelchy squerchy “mud” and swishy swashy “grass”) and a real live bear hunt on the village green followed by parachute games.

Other Monday groups: Vineyard Tots at The Vineyard Church, Wells, 10-11:30am (term time only)

TUESDAY

Connect Tots | Elim Connect Centre | 10-11:30am |£1.50 per family | Term time only
This is a more established group – it’s been running for a long time and there appears to be a core group of mums that attend regularly with a mix of babies and pre-schoolers. Plenty of toys and crafting materials laid out to entertain little ones and a good spread of tea and cake for the adults too! Again, snacks are provided for the kiddies and there’s always a group sing song at the end. This isn’t one of our regular groups but it’s a good fallback if you need to get out on a Tuesday morning.

WEDNESDAY

Rainbow Tots | ST Thomas’ Church Hall, Wells | 10-11:30am | £1 per family | Term time only
One of mine and the Not So Tiny One’s favourite weekly ventures (while the Little Big One is at nursery). It’s loud and busy but the hall is relatively small so you can pretty much let the little ones loose to explore the many many toys that are laid out while you enjoy a cuppa provided by some very sweet and chatty church volunteers. There’s always a handful of parents you’ll recognise from around and about so it feels nice and sociable. Snacks are provided here too and the children all sit down together at a long table to eat. After snack time, its circle time where everyone joins together to sing a few favourites including Hop Little Bunnies and Wind the Bobbin Up to name a few.

Other Wednesday groups: Strawberry Tots, Draycott Memorial Hall, 10-12pm (all year round)

THURSDAY

Stay, Play and Learn | Glastonbury Children’s Centre | 10:30-12pm | FREE | All year round
This playgroup is unique among the list as it is council funded, so as well as being FREE to attend, the emphasis is on education rather than simply free play. The activities and toys on offer are designed more for parents and children to interact, play and learn together which is really nice, particularly if you just have the one child with you (it reminds me of some of the paid classes I did with the Little Big One in the early days – the ones that the Not So Tiny One has rather missed out on due to the now dwindling budget!) It’s one of few playgroups with a great outdoor space, filled with slides, tunnels and a multitude of ride-on toys. It’s more structured too with a variety of play stations including water play, messy play and painting. And to top it all, they put on a gardening and/or cooking activity each week, so there’s plenty to keep you and your little one/s busy. It’s open to 0-5 year olds and runs throughout the holidays. Unfortunately, due to funding cuts, it’s likely that this group will only run until March 2020 so I’d suggest going along to it sooner rather than later so you don’t miss out. There’s no parking at the library but the Butt Close car park is just round the corner and costs £1.50 for 2 hours – given the group is free, it won’t leave you out of pocket!

FRIDAY

Little Angels| St. Joseph & St. Teresa’s Catholic Church | 9-11am | £1.50 per family | Term time only
A lovely friendly playgroup run by parents of children who attend St. Joseph & St. Teresa Catholic Primary School. It’s in a small hall and feels more intimate than many of the other groups, but the parents are a super friendly bunch and it has an almost family like feel to it. As well as the usual spread of toys, there’s a craft table and a table for “messy play”; each week they alternate between a sand pit and Playdoh. The Big Little One was delighted when a box of chocolate fingers were passed around to the children and adults are all offered a cuppa. The best thing about this group is the 20 or so minutes of singing at the end, which all of the children joined in with, at one point throwing some instruments into the mix too. To finish it all off, there was a quick parachute game while we sang The Grand Old Duke of York. A massive thumbs up from my two.