Activities and Playgroups

This page is for local groups to entertain and stimulate babies and toddlers.

If you find a group your children enjoy, please comment so it can be shared with others.

Note - many groups only run during term-time.

Waterbeach

• Salvation Army Toddler Group - Salvation Army Hall, Waterbeach, 10-12 Tuesday and Thursday. Lots of space and toys. £1.50 includes tea/coffee for parents and biscuit and drink for the kids.
• Play and Learn - Dolphin Children's Centre, 9.30-11.30am Wednesdays. Crafts, toys, soft play and outside space. Parents are asked to bring a piece of fruit which is shared at snack time. 0-5 years. £2 per family (or per child for childminders).
• St John's Church Toddler Group - St John's Church Room, Waterbeach, 9.30-11.30am Monday and Friday. Selection of toys. £1 per family with tea/coffee.
• Bumps to babies - Dolphin Children's Centre, 1.30-2.30pm Wednesdays. Lots of different play ideas and a space to meet other local mums and 'mums-to-be'. Suitable for all pre-walkers. Free. 
• Salvation Army Messy Church - One Sunday alternating months, 3pm. See website for dates. Craft and sensory activities for children with their parents/carers. Christian worship.
• Craft and Chatter - St John's Church Room, 9.30-11.30am, every Thursday. Although this is an adult craft group, there are toys to entertain small children and they are welcome to play while you craft. The group is free.
• Hartbeeps Baby Bells and Baby Beeps -Dolphin Childrens Centre, Thursday. 9.30am for toddlers, 10.30am for babies. Explore the world of Hartbeeps through music, light and play. Booking required. £6 per session with discounts for booking a block or siblings. First session free.
• Buggy Bootcamp - Tuesday and Thursday, 10-11am, meeting on the Green (class usually outdoors, but sometimes held inside in Winter). Fitness class for mums, where they can bring their baby or toddler with them. £7 per session or £55 for 10. Contact no_ostler@yahoo.com

Nearby

• Little Rainbows Toddler Group - All Saints Church, Milton, 10-12 Monday and Friday. A very friendly group with lots of different activities (craft, play kitchen, slide, ride-ons, singing). Probably better for crawlers/walkers, but there is a baby area. £1 per family, includes tea/coffee for the parents and biscuit and drink for the kids.
• Praise and Play, All Saints Church, Milton. Wednesday 9.30-10.30am. Refreshments, chat and play. Bible story, singing and activities.
• Parents and Under 1's. All Saints Church, Milton. Wednesdays 2-4pm. Make friends, chat and enjoy refreshments whilst your baby feeds/sleeps/plays. Baby toys, nappy changing area and bottle/food-warming facilities.
• Landbeach Busytots playgroup. Landbeach village hall, Every Wednesday 10-12, including half terms and summer holidays. £1.50 per child (50p extra for siblings). Crafts, free play, nice snacks, singing and music at the end of each session. Hot drinks and cake for adults. All welcome.
• Mucky Pups - Cottenham Community Centre Hall, 10-11am Monday. Messy and sensory play for 12 months+. Really good fun, range of activities with a different theme each week. £3.50 per child, siblings under 18 months are free. Community cafe in the same building, which is very child-friendly, with a play area and toys to entertain kids while parents grab a coffee. There is also a Friday session at Bar Hill.
• Shake, Rattle and Roll - East Barnwell Community Centre, 10-11am Friday. Music group with singing and instruments. 0-4 years. Tea/coffee at end. £3.50 per session or 10 for £30.
• Little Music Makers - Chesterton Methodist Church, Tuesday 09:30-10:15am - Session 1, 10:15-10:45am - Instrumental play, 10:45-11:30am - Session 2. Very friendly, lots of songs, parachute, instruments etc. Free.
• Rhymetime - various libraries have sessions for 0-18 months with songs or stories. Free. These include: Cottenham library, 2-2.30pm Tuesday. Cambridge central library, 2.30-3pm Tuesday, 2.30-3 & 3.15-3.45pm Thursday, 10.30-11am Saturday. Milton Road library, 2.30-3pm every 4th Thursday of the month.
• Wriggletots - Milton Community Centre, 10-11am Thursday. Music and movement group for 0-4years. Booking required. £4.25 per session, paid termly.
• Baby Sensory - Various venues and times, see website. Sensory activities to stimulate and develop baby's senses. Birth - 13 months. £70 for 10 sessions.
• Ragged Rascals - Shelford Rugby Club, 10-12 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Safe play area (indoors) with bouncy castle, ride on toys, ball pit and lots of other toys for active toddlers. Refreshments for sale. £3.50 for child over 9 months. Concessions for younger children or multiple children.
• Soft Play and Messy Arts - Brown's Field Youth and Community Centre, Chesterton, 10-12 Tuesday. £2.
• Soft Play - Brown's Field Youth and Community Centre, Chesterton, 10.15-11.30 Friday. Free.
• Let's Pretend - Barhill Community Room, Tuesday 10-11am. Activities for preschoolers (2-4 years), including drama, movement, music and dressing up. £3.50 per session.
• Sing and Sign - various venues and times. See website. Baby sign language classes.
• Tiny Talk - various venues and times. See website. Baby sign language classes.
• Big Scream - Arts picturehouse, Cambridge, 11am Wednesday. Cinema screening of a (grown up) film exclusively for parent and carers of babies under 1 year old. Membership is £5 and valid until the baby’s first birthday. Tickets are £7 (member's rate) babies come free.
• Toddler Time - Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge, 10am Wednesday. Cinema screening of a short (approx 30 mins) children's film exclusively for preschool chuldren and their parents or carers. Membership is free and tickets are £3 per child, accompanying adults are free.
• Hartbeeps Baby Bells and Baby Beeps - Over Community Centre (Monday), Willingham The Octagon (Tuesday), Cottenham All Saints Hall (Wednesday) and Swaffham Prior Village Hall (Friday), 10-10.45am or 11-11.45am. Explore the world of Hartbeeps through music, light and play. Babies 4 weeks to 12 months.
• Cambridge Wildlife Watch - Milton Country Park, 10-12 on 1st Saturday of the month. £1. 8-11 years. Various activities such as pond dipping, woodland wanders, wildlife gardening and arts and crafts.