Have you discovered the perfect fun, friendly and musical way to start the week for you and your child? Hey Diddle Diddle is a sing-a-long and play session held weekly during term time at Oxford Playhouse.
With free tea or coffee and a chance to stay, play and meet other parents afterwards too, Hey Diddle Diddle makes for a greatly enjoyable Monday morning.
Hey Diddle Diddle runs every Monday morning at 10.30am. Tickets cost £6 (for one adult and 1 pre-school child – £2 for a second adult/child). You can book online or call 01865 305 305 to book your place.
Drop ins are welcome if there’s space, but booking is advisable. We can usually accommodate drop ins but can’t guarantee it every week.
We’re Botley Bridges, a registered charitable company based in Botley on the outskirts of Oxford and serving the surrounding area including Cumnor, North Hinksey and West Oxford. We provide services for children up to the age of 11 and their families at the site of the former Elm’s Road Children’s Centre.
Elms Rd, Oxford OX2 9JZ
Sessions:
Stay & Play – Mondays 1.15-3.15pm (does not run through the summer holidays) £2 per family (plus concessions) – suitable for birth to 5
Well Baby Clinic (Health Visitor drop-in) – Wednesdays 1.00-2.30pm – FREE
Play and Learn – Fridays 9.00-11.30am (runs all year round) £2 per family (plus concessions) suitable for birth to 5 & older children welcome during the holidays
Baby Play & Learn – Fridays 1.15-3.00pm – £3 per family (concessions) suitable for non mobile babies or 0-1 year
Saturdads – first Saturday of the month 10.00-12.00 – £3 per family with £1 concessions
Donnington Doorstep is an independent, community-based family centre delivering a range of universal and specialist services. Set up in 1984 by local parents who knew that caring for children can be hard – we’re a home from home drop-in for children, young people and their families as well as a hub for local community activity. From our purpose-built centre in East Oxford our activities focus on play, food, support and community development.
Townsend Square, Oxford, OX4 4BB
info@donnington-doorstep.org.uk
01865 727721
Sessions:
Drop-in Play – Mondays and Wednesdays 10.00am-2.00pm (Doorstep Kitchen offers healthy snacks and lunches at 12 noon)
Bumps to Babies – Mondays: 10.30-12.00 – midwife drop-in including breastfeeding support. 07901707905
Baby group – Tuesdays 11.30-1.30 – lots of sensory and soft play, where mums and babies can get involved in lots of tummy time play as well have a chance to speak with family support on any support or advice they may need. There will tea, coffee and cake to buy. £1.50 suggested donation
Youth Project – Tuesdays & Wednesdays 5.30 – 7.30pm. Young people age 8-18 are welcome to drop in for play, activities and support.
Parenting Programme – we offer a regular 10 week parenting course aimed at families who feel they need some extra help to bring them together and move forwards with tough issues.
We also run a pre-school – click here for more info.
The fun multi-skill sports class for 2-4 year olds and parents. Many games, parachute, jumping, balancing, coordination skills with balls, hoops, ropes, bean bags, scarves, mats. Lots of fun & running around! Classes based on ‘Kinderturnen’. Book in advance for term.
Mondays: 10:15-11:00 and 13:45-14:30
Tuesdays: 10:00-10:45
St Clement’s Family Centre, Cross Street, Oxford, OX4 1DA
07891 743030
CURRENTLY NO SESSIONS
Come and join the fun in the woods next to Wheatley Littleworth Road. Help make the fire, cook bread over the fire, play hide and seek, climb trees, sing with us or just relax.
Wheatley Little Wild Ones: Mondays 10.30-11.30am
Wheatley After-School Session: Wednesdays 3.45-4.45pm (term-time only)
£3 per child or £5 for two
01844 278774
SUMMER HOLIDAYS – We will offer 5 drop-in Summer sessions “Back to the basics” where we will have a fire & stick bread and wool for stick decoration. Mondays at 10am excluding 7th August.
A small, friendly, informal group, we have a variety of toys, craft activities and a sing song or story most weeks. Snack time around 10.30 which is usually toast and water for kids. Tea/coffee available for adults. First time is free, then £1.50 donation (+50p for additional children).
Mondays 9.15-11.15 – term-time only (Horspath School terms)
Horspath Village Hall, Oxford Road, Horspath, OX33 1RT
horspathtoddlers@outlook.com
HIIT class
High Intensity Interval Training workout guaranteed to improve your level of fitness. Babies and toddlers welcome. Toys provided indoors, buggy friendly outdoors.
Mondays 9.15-10 – Quarry Pavilion, Margaret Road Rec Ground, OX3 0HJ
Wednesdays 2.00-2.45 – outdoors at Margaret Road Rec Ground
Classes £8 drop-in /£5 block booking
Back to Fit Postnatal class
A gentle, low impact class, focussing on rebuilding core strength. Babies welcome.
Mondays 10.15-11 – Quarry Pavilion
Classes £8 drop-in /£6 block booking
Term-time only
07779 809299
Storytime and Rhymetime
Our experienced volunteers run popular monthly rhymetimes and storytimes for under 5s. Free drop-in.
Storytime – third WEDNESDAY of the month 11.00am-11.30am
Rhymetime – second MONDAY of the month 2.30pm-3.00pm
Library opening times
Monday 2-5.30pm
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 10am-12.30pm
Thursday Closed
Friday 2pm-7pm
Saturday 10am-1pm
Sunday Closed
Kennington Road, Kennington, OX1 5PG
kennington.library@oxfordshire.gov.uk
01865 730763
Parking at the health centre on Kennington Road next to library.
Rhymetime
Monthly on a Tuesday 2.15-2.45
Drop in for a fun-filled session of rhymes, stories and colouring.
Kidlington Sing & Sign
Monthly on a Monday 10.30-11
Help your baby to communicate – with this FREE ‘sing and sign’ taster session.
Contact 07795 005832 for more information.
Library opening times
Monday 9.30am-5pm
Tuesday 9.30am-7pm
Wednesday 9.30am-1pm
Thursday 9.30am-5pm
Friday 9.30am-7pm
Saturday 9am-4.30pm
Sunday Closed
23 Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 2BP
kidlington.library@oxfordshire.gov.uk
01865 373067
Little Sharks is a fun play group for pre-school children and their carers in Headington.
Mondays: 9.30-11.3oam
All Saints Church Hall, New High Street, Headington, OX3 7AL
Little Stars is a friendly group, open to all carers and parents with their babies and toddlers. Our sessions start with themed crafts, then we have snack time, after which the toys are put away and we have music and puppet time.
Mondays: 10.00-11.30
St Francis Church, Hollow Way, Cowley, OX3 7JE
01865 747680
I run regular sessions for young children and their families where I perform my songs. I have established a very strong following of little people and their parents from all over the world and the parents love the songs just as much as the children.
Mondays 11.00 – East Oxford Community Centre, 44 Princes St, Oxford, OX4 1DD
Tuesdays 10.30 – Trinity Church Abingdon, Conduit Rd, OX14 1DB
Fridays 10.45 – St Albans Hall, Oxford, OX4 3AH
Skate Tots: Fun session for parents and under 5s complete with qualified skating instructor and toys in special area of ice for Tots! Mondays and Fridays 10.00-11.00am (term-time only). Only £1 per skater.
Skate School: We offer lessons from our BITA qualified instructors for children 3 years old and upwards.
Oxford Ice Rink, Oxpens Rd, Oxford, OX1 1RX
01865 305010
Holds the University’s internationally significant collections of geological and zoological specimens. Open everyday 10.00am-5.00pm. Admission FREE. For families:
Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PW
01865 272 950
Rhymetime
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11-11.30
Storytime
Saturdays 2.30-3.30
Best suited to children aged 5 – 9 years. Children must be accompanied by an adult
Code Club
Saturdays 9.30-10.30
You can learn how to make cool games, animations and websites too! Free but booking essential. For 9-13 year olds.
Creative Writing for Children
Thursdays 4.30-5.30
Get creative in our free weekly writing workshops for children. For children 9-11.
Library opening times
Monday 9am-8pm
Tuesday 9am-8pm
Wednesday 9am-8pm
Thursday 9am-8pm
Friday 9am-5.30pm
Saturday 9am-5.30pm
Sunday Closed
Queen Street, Westgate, OX1 1DJ
county.library@oxfordshire.gov.uk
01865 815509
Fantastic selection of ride-ons to choose from plus tea and coffee. £5 per child, £3.50 for siblings. Booking advisable but drop ins very welcome if we have space.
PARTIES – you can hire a fleet of ride on toys for your own party.
SUMMER HOLIDAYS – special sessions running:
07786159552
Whitehouse Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4QH
01865 242900
Sessions:
Stay and Play
Mondays and Fridays 9.30-12 (£1.50 suggested donation for those that can afford it). Snack food supplied by Oxford Food Bank. The Story Museum will be there every other Friday!
Oxford Breastfeeding Support Stay & Play
Tuesdays 10-12 (with Well Baby Clinic health visitor drop-in 11-12)
Family fun / Saturdads session
3rd Saturday of the month 10-1 – outdoor play, messy play, snack time.
SEND Drop-in with Guest Speakers
Drop-in session for families with children with SEN. 3rd Monday of the month 12.30-2.30. Check SOFR Facebook page for details of sessions.
Young Parents drop-in session
Second and fourth Fridays of the month 12.30-2.30.
SUMMER HOLIDAYS – sessions running as normal except: no session on Tuesday 30th July or Tuesday 27th August and closed for Bank Holiday Monday 26th August.
Warm welcome, plenty of toys, crafts, songs and story time for ages 0-4. Also with a simple healthy lunch for those who wish to stay on.
Mondays and Wednesdays: 10am-1.30pm
01865 251616
We are a Cutteslowe Community Association and Cutteslowe Primary School joint venture, providing fun groups, activities and support for children under 5 and their families. Sunnymead Minnows is committed to the continuation of free open access Children’s Services in North Oxford, based in the Cutteslowe area, following the closure of the North Oxford Children’s Centre (NOCC).
We now provide 5 drop-in groups:
Rhyme Time for under 5s – Mondays 9.00-9.30
Aquarium Room at Cutteslowe Primary School. Term-time only.
Bumps to Babies – Mondays 9.30-11.00
A FREE interactive session for expectant parents and under 1s. Term time only.
Aquarium Room at Cutteslowe Primary School
Stay & Play with hot lunch – Thursdays from 9.45am
FREE drop-in Stay & Play for under 5s, followed by singing and a hot lunch (small charge for lunch). Operates through the school holidays.
Cutteslowe Community Association, 31 Wren Road, OX2 7SX
Messy Minnows – Fridays 10.00-12.00
A FREE messy and active play session for under 5s. Drop-in session. Term time only.
The Pavilion in Cutteslowe Park (next to San Remo Café)
Family Fun – 3rd Saturday of the month, 10.00-12.00
A monthly family group with toys and activities – older siblings welcome. Drop in.
Cutteslowe Community Association, 31 Wren Road, OX2 7SX
01865 311172
Littleworth Road, Wheatley, OX33 1NW
01865 236700
Sessions:
Wheatley Babies & Toddlers
Mondays 09:30 – 11:30
Once Upon a RhymeTime
Tuesdays 10:00 – 11:30
Maple Tree Twins Group
Tuesdays 13:00 – 14:30 (every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month)
Well Baby Clinic
Wednesdays 09:30 – 10:45
Wheatley Sling Library
Wednesdays 09:30 – 11:00 (every other Wednesday)
Expectant Mums Group
Wednesdays 09:30 – 11:00 (every 2nd Wednesday of the month)
Stay & Play
Thursdays 09:15 – 11:30
Maple Babies
Thursdays 1.00-2.30 This is a group for babies under 1 year (unfortunately we do not have facilities for older siblings during this group)
Stay & Play – Outside Inside
Fridays 10:00 – 12:00
The UK’s leading physical play programme for children aged 6 months to 7 years. Tumble Tots sessions have been carefully designed and structured to enhance a child’s physical development skills alongside their social and cognitive development. Trials available.
Mondays – Madley Park Hall, Witney, OX28 IUE
Tuesdays – Hanwell Fields, Banbury, OX16 1ER
Fridays – Burwell Hall, Witney, OX28 5NP
07305097029
A friendly, relaxed volunteer-run outdoor group for 0-5 year olds. Parents, grandparents and carers can have a cup of tea and a chat while little ones explore the garden – sandpit, seasonal fruits, willow structures… We also have the cabin if it’s too soggy to be outside. Also runs in school holidays (but not bank holidays).
Mondays: 10.30-12.30
£3 per family
Barracks Lane Community Gardens, 36 Kenilworth Avenue, Oxford, OX4 2AN
07729 655 543
