The 30 Best Activity based learning in London

“We luv this centre sooo much. My LO is in his element when he gets there it’s like his 2nd home. The staff go the extra mile in everything they do for our LO. The staff are amazing and so caring towards our children. Thxs so much Southmead Children’s centre for what you do for our little ones.”

“My Son has been going to The Young Once since end of November 2024. When I saw him get off the breakfast table and walk by himself to the baby area, it was such a proud moment. He feels happy and at home there. This is the only nursery we have come across where the lovely staff has a big smile on their face at 8:00 am and same smile and enthusiasm at 6:00pm. This was so important to me. Kelly said to me you had the baby 9 months in your belly then a year of maternity and then you have to leave your baby with strangers, this nursery really gets it and gives our little humans all the love, confidence and care we wish for them. My little boy loves this place and when I ask him are you going to play with Carol. He has the biggest smile on his face and Carol is right, he can say her name now. I am so glad I visited this nursery and my little one is going to have amazing 4 years here.”

“We chose Little Cubs in Greenwich because my eldest went to the nursery in Honor Oak before we moved to Greenwich. My son loved the HO branch, and the Greenwich location was really great too. The staff are incredibly caring and communicative, the space is amazing, and we loved the fact the children spend so much time outdoors in nature and on trips. We would like the thank LCA for the wonderful care and memories. My son goes on to school having made some great friends.”

“I was very nervous about sending my son to nursery, but from the moment he started at Monkey Puzzle, I’ve seen him thrive in so many ways. The team’s care and attention have truly put my mind at ease. Another thing that reassures me is seeing the owner around frequently. It’s clear she is personally involved in the day-to-day life of the nursery, checking in with the children and staff, and making sure everything runs smoothly. Knowing that she is so present gives me confidence that my son is in a truly caring and well-managed environment. One of the things I love most is the daily photo updates – it’s wonderful to see what he’s been up to throughout the day and the little moments that make me smile. The meals prepared by their on-site chef are not only delicious but also healthy, giving me confidence that he’s getting the best nutrition while at nursery. I also really appreciate how the nursery celebrates and explores different cultures, helping children learn about the world in a fun and inclusive way. It’s clear that every child’s development and happiness is a priority here. Thank you to Monkey Puzzle for taking such care of my heart and helping my son grow in such a happy, nurturing environment.”

“Having had experience with another nursery prior to moving to the area a year and a half ago, we can honestly say The Fountain is run with transparency, integrity, and our children's well being at heart of what they do. Staff are friendly, informative and honest. Our two boys joined at 1 and 3 years old and they have loved it, from the staff and friends they've made, to the array of daily activities, as well as events that parents/caretakers can join. They have both thrived in this environment and we would highly recommend.”

“My son went to PlayDays nursery and Ms Kerry and her team have took care of him really well for the last 6 months. My son joined the nursery when he was around 8 months old, with the team doing a home visit to introduce themselves to my son and performed a detailed profiling of his likes and dislikes and daily routine. During the first day of the settling I still remember that the key teacher started to introduce him to the new friends and toys and gradually make him feel more comfortable. The settling sessions were really good to slowly step up with the hours per day, which helps with the separation anxiety for first time parents. My son started off crying whenever we dropped him off and slowly he progressed to waving bye to me after a couple of weeks, which gave me the comfort that he’s enjoying himself there. The staffs were really enthusiastic and seems very passionate about giving the best they could for the babies. They take them out for walks, create art pieces with them, did lots of fun play, take lots of photos and share with us about their growth, they hand write daily journals and note down all the big moments that we may have missed and keep us updated everyday about the fun they had. There are of course days that my son is unwell and they really put in the effort to take extra care and follow our instructions to them closely and give us timely feedback. We truly appreciate all the work that they done for us!”

“Friendly, great education, fantastic food, lovely rooms. Our daughter loves it and we feel confident dropping her everyday. Thank you to everyone”

“I am very happy with Tiny Miracles Nursery. My son loves going there, and I can see great progress. Communication with parents is excellent, and we are always informed about our child’s progress and activities. The manager is always kind and supportive. I highly recommend it!”

“Brilliant idea, fantastic service with helpful volunteers. Love coming here!”

“Absolutely wonderful place for my baby, staff are so welcoming and approachable, resources are great too! My favourite in Hillingdon!!”

“We absolutely love the Little Gym in Wandsworth! The instructors are amazing—not only do they focus on teaching movement skills, but they also give individual care and attention to both my 2-year-old and 5-year-old boys. It’s such a joy to see how much they enjoy practicing and gaining self-confidence here, and they look forward to coming every weekend! The teachers and staff are all so friendly, professional, and welcoming. It’s a fantastic environment for kids to have fun.”

“My 4 year old have acquired vital skills, including social interaction and foundational literacy and numeracy, from an early age. I wholeheartedly endorse this nursery for parents looking for a reliable and enriching early educational experience for their kids.”

“We came across chickywicks by pure chance but immediately fell in love with its homley,loving, caring environment and staff. After our daughter not settling at her previous nursery it was a huge nerve racking step to try again with chickywicks. Our daughter settled immediately we could not believe how happy she went in after how stressful things had been previously. Not only did the chickywicks team make Ada feel completely secure and happy but they also made a very anxious mum feel exactly the same. Every member of staff go above and beyond to make sure any concern or worry was just immediately forgotten. I truly believe that every single one of the team feel passionately about meeting every child's individual needs. Every member of the team are always so friendly and welcoming they not only cared for Ada but they all knew her personality inside out, they always knew at drop off if Ada was having a wobble and made sure they were extra supportive which is exactly what Ada needed. Chickywicks really are just like one big family and although they gave Ada everything she needs to move on, as her parents we would have kept Ada at chickywicks forever! We were not ready for Adas chickywicks journey to end. So from the very bottom of our hearts thank you to all the team at Chickywicks. We will NEVER forget all you have done for Ada and you will always hold a very special place in our hearts. We cant actually put into words how much we would recommend this nursery.”

“Our little child started nursery when he was 11months old and had a quite complex heart condition. The compassion and determination from the Boys and Girls Nursery Stanmore to cater for his complexities and ensure they could take our son on was brilliant. Even before he started they went over and beyond to speak to all of the healthcare professionals to ensure that they could fully cater for our sons needs. From Amy and Chloe and Sharon for all the admin things to get him over the line. From Rachel and team in nursery where they got him turning over (even though he was months delayed) to then crawling and walking. To then Lisa/ Amelia and team in pre-toddlers post his operations helping him build the strength to do all of the activities and become a chatter box. To then Sinead and team in toddlers to then prep him to join his new school. We cannot thank you all enough for your efforts, we as a family are truly grateful and happy that Boys and Girls Nursery was his first academic home.”

“My daughter has been attending this nursery for a year now when she was 11 months old and I always find her cheerful there - it feels like a second home to her. I would like to say this is one of the best childcare centres in this area. I was very skeptical initially as a mum to leave my daughter the whole day (10hours). All the staff members Veerpal, Dale, Shazia, Tahira, etc including the head teacher Himanshu are so nurturing, supportive, caring, attentive, kind and helpful to her as well as the other babies. I have always found the key worker Veerpal to be very communicative about my daughter's progress (including the online updates about her progress) and the way she allowed my daughter to take her time to settle in. Whenever I needed any kind of adjustments the whole staff including admin team was always supportive and efficient. The staff do invest a lot of time, effort and patience to allow babies to explore and be independent. I was surprised when I saw my daughter wanting to drink water/milk in a cup on her own without spilling, Building sand castles, messy plays, spending a good amount of time daily in the garden, allowing babies to make individual decisions, making shapes out of play dough, exploring natural materials and nature, singing various rhymes and describing the characters from the story, etc They do have a lot of extra activities for kids accompanied by parents. A yearly outdoor (farm) trip for the kids and parents. Visits to religious places accompanied by parents, obstacle course, etc I have seen a lot of improvements and her skills being enhanced each time. I would highly recommend the Grove house infant centre to anyone looking for a childcare / nursery in the area.”

“Great nursery. Facilitates are great, especially the big garden which has a climbing frame, fish pond, sandpit, guinea pigs. They even had incubated chicks earlier in the year. The staff are great and have been working there for years which is always a good sign. My daughter loves it.”

“Thanks to all the teachers who had our children while we went to work to safe lifes.”

“A truly wonderful nursery. The environment is safe, clean, and full of enriching activities. The team keeps me updated regularly and genuinely care about the children. We’re so happy we chose Munchkinz! Munchkinz has been like a second home for my little one. The progress I’ve seen in their confidence, speech, and social skills is incredible. Thank you to all the lovely staff for your dedication!”

“Our daughter has been full time at Bumble Bees for 18 months and it is a truly wonderful nursery. She is surrounded by love and care and she has deep bonds with several of the staff. Since starting the pre-school group in September her development has been really noticeable. The activities are varied and interesting and our daughter relishes the learning. We feel very lucky to have found Bumble Bees and are grateful for the fabulous, professional and extremely kind staff. I wholeheartedly recommend the nursery to others.”

“Really happy with the way my daighter Isabelle developed in all aspects. She made friends, she loves her teachers. The reception and management is also great, responsive and they don t put money first but the child wellbeing. Adapting easily to child needs and always provide a daily report. Very transparent and professional. Food is also great, many healthy and diverse choices, also i love the fact there are many events, we as parents take part too ( stay and play, macmillan breakfast etc) . Thank you team”

“My daughter has been attending Stanmore BLS since last Sept and she loves the carers, other kids and the Milkyway room itself. She tells is what she played with on a nursery day, how she put her coat on/off etc. She has a lovely rapport with her key worker and all other carers too. She gets excited at the mention of Nursery! She is soon moving up to Orion and the team have arranged frequent visits to the room in advance so she settles easier - she seems to love the new room and I can see from the room visit that she will have a play-adventure everyday. Also happy with the webinars and learning resources BLS offer - I just attended the potty webinar this week and on the back of that we will soon be ready to implement the tools and advice to our daughter.”

“Our daughter has been going to Minis since she was 1 year old and she really loves it there! It is amazing to see how many things she has learnt the past 2.5 years and how the team in every room (but especially in Toddlers and Tots) have helped her to build up her confidence!! All the staff here are very helpful, supportive and paying close attention to children's needs. I also like the fact that every day they are doing plenty of indoor and outdoor activities - 2 walks weather permitted - and kids seem to really enjoy it there!! We highly recommend Millenium Minis!!”

“My son has really enjoyed his 1:1 lessons this week. He has made meaningful progress and has additional confidence. The Blue Wave team were great with their communication and expertise.”

“Very welcoming and well run. Lots of activities outside and in for all the different stages of development”

“Aysel and the team organised my daughter's 6th birthday party. Extremely professional, patient, organised and thorough. The team showed up promptly for venue set up and 2 onside managers made sure the party ran like a military operation. I will certainly be using them again and highly recommend the same of you!”

“My toddler enjoyed his first formal sport lesson at the centre. Beautiful provision and lovely staff.”

“Smart Play is very good nursery. A lot of educational programs for children, a good attitude of teachers towards children. A pleasant and cozy environment. My two kids attended Smart Play. Son(2018-2020y) and daughter just graduated ( 2022-2024y) My children and me love all the Smart Play staff a lot. I can confidently and happily recommend Smart Play to other parents.”

“The Nursery is very well equipped and clean. The Head Teacher and staff are excellent. Very caring and understanding each child’s needs. Had lots of fun on Grandparents Day. Would recommend it to friends and family.”

“6 years ago, we started to look for nurseries for our first born near where we lived (quite far from Adventures) and really didn't get that same impression as when we stepped foot in Adventures Day Nursery for our first visit. Throughout the past 6 years, we've been fortunate enough to have the dedicated team look after both our sons and the love & affection shown is above anything we've seen at any nursery. I’ve found it’s been worth those long drop offs in the morning and those times I'd need to have my laptop with me to start work. It's clear Kim has taken her love of this work and spent time hiring staff who share that same passion to create this unique environment. This become particularly important when our 2nd child was diagnosed with a range of allergies, and it meant we were even more cautious around nursery care. However, the Adventures Team were able to accommodate and have made him feel very included in all activities. Sadly we're now coming to end of this journey, we can't help but recommend Kim & the wider team.”

“Excellent school with caring teachers and a very friendly executive headteacher who is on the front gates greeting kids some mornings”