Mums The Word

Mum’s the word

It’s time for a social recall as restrictions lift and toddler and baby events finally get to reopen their doors.

A report released by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) earlier this year showed that new mums, both during and after pregnancy, have been faced with a greater likelihood of poor mental health due to the pandemic.

These results will come as no surprise to many. New parenthood is lifechanging for a whole host of reasons. With playgroups having been closed since March 2020, forming friendships, support networks and finding somewhere to go to entertain your little-one has become all that harder. With restrictions lifting there’s no better time to get you and bump, baby or toddler out of those four walls and into one of our beloved local playgroups and toddler events.

We’ve put together a list of our favourites to grab a much needed cuppa and chat with other mums at, while your little one plays with their peers.

Carer & Toddler Group at St Marys Church, Staines – Wednesdays (10am – 12pm). Donations of £2 per family. Re-opening Weds 15th September. This longstanding playgroup has been run by the same group of lovely ladies for nearly 40 years and is highly recommended. With a baby area and toddler toys, ride-on toys in the church, painting table, book corner, a very catchy song time with Ellen on the guitar and a themed craft rounding off the session, there is much to do while you drink your cuppa and sprog enjoys their fruit (all included). Diddy Disciples follows for those wanting to stay for a bible story.

Contact: www.stmaryandstpeterstaines.co.uk

Toddler Tuesdays at Christ Church, Staines – Tuesdays term time (9.30am -11.30am). £2 per adult with up to 2 children. Re-opening 14th September. One of our favourite things about this playgroup is when the little ones sit around children’s tables together at snack-time and enjoy fruit and a drink

Sunbury Garden Play

(all included in the price). The baby area, an array of toddler toys including a bouncy castle and arts and craft tables will provide plenty of opportunity for you to sip your tea before song time at the end of the session.

Contact: via their Facebook group.

Coffee Pot at Open Door Church, Sunbury – Tuesdays term time (10.30 – 12.30). Admission free. Re-opening soon. With free entry and the best spread around, we’d recommend arriving when doors open at 10.15, as there is limited capacity. Peter Puppet leads song time before children get comfy on beanbags and listen to a bible story. Craft and toys are also on offer to enjoy.

Contact: www.opendoorchurchsunbury.com

Pebble Rhymetime at the Library, Ashford – Weds, Friday, Saturdays (10.30-11am). Stanwell – Saturdays (10.30-11am). Staines – Monday, Weds, Thurs, Saturday (10.30 – 11am). Admission free. Re-opening soon. Offering half an hour of music and rhymes to sing along to for free, visiting your local library is a great way to break up running errands with your tot in town, be it in Staines, Ashford, Sunbury, Egham or Stanwell. You can also pop in to one of the free half an hour Storytime sessions, too.

Contact: www.surreycc.gov.uk/libraries/yourlibrary

Crazy Hazy Song Time at Sunbury Methodist Church, Sunbury - Wednesdays (10.00- 10.45) or St Michael’s Church, Ashford – Thursdays (9.30-10.15 or 10.30 –11.15). From £6 per child. Warm up the vocal cords at this fun and lively children’s song group for 4months to 4years old. Youngsters will be encouraged to sing and dance to an array of songs following children’s entertainer Crazy Hazy’s actions using props and

musical instruments. The bubble machine is a big hit!

Contact and book: www.crazyhazy.co.uk/tickets

Sunbury.Garden.Play at The Creek, Sunbury – Thursdays, Fridays (09.30-11.30 or 12.30-14.30) and some Saturdays (09.30-11.30). £8 per session. Running June till September. Children have free-roam of the acre garden, including secret woodland areas, veggie patches, boat sandpit, greenhouses and giant trampoline. Spare clothes are a must with kids encouraged to water the plants and decorate the chalk covered car!

Contact and book: via their Facebook page

Butterflies at The Salvation Army, Ashford – Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays term time (10am – 12pm) £2 per child (discounts for siblings). Reopening from late June. An array of toys, including play kitchens, baby corner and sensory trays are on offer to entertain your mini-me while you tuck into teacakes (40p) and a hot bevvy. Rhyme time is in the middle of the session followed by a snack and craft time. Contact the Salvation Army: 01784 423424, as booking may be needed.

Jingle Babies & Tots at The Salvation Army, Ashford – Friday term time. (Jingle Babies – from birth to moving 9.45-10.30. Jingle Tots– for those on the move to 4yr old 11.15-12.30.) £ still TBC. Reopening from late June. These fun interactive music sessions combine nursery rhymes, musical instruments, sensory activities and dance and action songs all centred around a new theme each term and underpinned by Christian values. Contact the Salvation Army: 01784 423424, as booking may be needed.

Toddler Tuesday Spelthorne Gymnastics

Playtime at Spelthorne Gymnastics, Sunbury – Monday and Thursdays (09.30-11.30 or 12.30 – 14.30). £8 per child per session. Pre-booking is recommended for this 2hour parent supervised play on the soft play equipment and gymnastics apparatus. The sprung floor, foam pits, trampolines and inflatables are a great place for your pre-schooler to let off steam. Top tip, dress lightly – it gets very warm.

Contact and book: www.spelthornegymnastics.com

Parent & Toddler Sessions at Bedfont Lakes, Bedfont – Monday, Wednesday and Fridays (10.00-12.00). £15 for a 6 week bundle (£25 for 2 children) Running from 7th June for 6 weeks. Lots of outdoor fun and games are on offer with a mud kitchen, arts & crafts, a variety of soft play as well as lots of toys. Scheduled activities include scavenger hunts, bug hunts, pond dipping and messy play. Not to mention the animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, snakes and lizards that pop out for meet and greets.

Contact and book: 07887 410811, or via their Facebook page.

NCT Bumps & Babes, Staines Congregational Church, Staines – Fridays (10am – 11.30am). £2 per family. Planning to reopen soon. Perfect for expectant and new mums, this gentle playgroup allows you to enjoy a biscuit and cuppa while your baby enjoys the playmats on offer. Activities such as first aid, pottery and photography sessions are also offered.

Contact: via their Facebook page.

Carly Gammage

Camping on a Budget

Overseas holidays are looking limited at best this year, with many people unable to afford to go anyway. However, it doesn’t mean you have to go without a break completely. Camping can be great fun and very affordable.

You’ll need to apply to some creativity to sourcing your equipment, as an hour on one of the many outdoor websites could have you thinking that the whole event is going to be far too expensive – especially if you aren’t sure if you’ll do it more than once.

Firstly the tent; Take advantage of somebody else’s impulse buy by visiting second-hand sites to see what you can snap up – eBay of course, but don’t forget Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace.

Sleeping bags might be necessary if you are hiking across the mountains, but chances are you’ll be driving to your camping site, so take your own duvets and pillows with some old covers and that will be perfectly adequate. A night’s sleep on the hard ground isn’t comfortable though, so you’ll need to find something to lie on. Cushions from outdoor chairs or a beach lilo will be good enough for children, but you might want to invest in an inflatable mattress for the adults.

Other equipment such as a gas stove, water containers and plastic plates might be offered to you if you put a wanted advert on Gumtree or on Freecycle. A polite plea to your friends could produce a surprising haul for you to borrow, too.

With British weather being what it is, an inexpensive gazebo will give you the reassurance of shelter from the sun or rain. A fun thing to do is to hang battery-powered fairy lights from the gazebo frame, making an atmospheric leisure/ party area for after dark.

You might not be able to look your glamorous best while camping and really, why would you? It’s time to get back to nature. However, it doesn’t mean you won’t want to clean up every day and proper toilet facilities are a must. Fortunately, these days all but the most rural sites will have a shower and toilet block.

Now onto the web to decide which site to go to. www.pitchup.com has 5,000 UK and Ireland sites listed and has handy filters that allow you to highlight those 'must have' features you're after.

Still not convinced? If you think this sounds like more hassle than it’s worth, you might want to consider ‘glamping’. It’s still sleeping in an open area surrounded by trees, but the living accommodation is provided for you. Many sites offer tipis, yurts, wooden huts or even a gypsy caravan. This is going to cost more, of course, but is still very affordable.

Finally, it's worth remembering, you won't be the only one looking for a cheap summer break, so go online and book your pitch now.

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