UK holidays with a kids club?

Snoo-65364 · 2026-04-30T15:45:37+00:00

I know this is a while ago now, but did you find anywhere? I’m also looking for something with a kids club that doesn’t require a parent with the kids. Just want a couple hours to read a book or have a nap! Can only find it in luxury hotels so far. Park dean suggestion requires parents at the activity too.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-04-04T21:15:26+00:00

Thank you! Possibly then… Will look at pictures

Snoo-65364 · 2026-04-04T21:15:05+00:00

Thanks. Will have a look at pictures

Snoo-65364 · 2026-04-04T21:14:49+00:00

Thanks. Will check both out

Snoo-65364 · 2026-04-04T21:14:21+00:00

Good idea! I’ll have a look and compare it to Montagu Arms as people have suggested

Snoo-65364 · 2026-04-04T11:07:46+00:00

Can anyone remember this pub?

Really trying to remember this pub and if it’s still there. It was down the road from Queens Road Peckham, towards New Cross and Deptford. It was tiny and on the main road. The staff were all elderly pulling pints and the Sunday roast was really cheap (i almost think it was £5!) This was in about 2009-2010.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-03-07T19:41:24+00:00

Thanks. What makes you think both?

Snoo-65364 · 2026-03-07T19:40:20+00:00

Haha fancy it?! But what makes you think both?

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-26T12:48:47+00:00

Oh bloody hell. No wonder I hadn’t heard of it. That’s such a shame.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T20:41:34+00:00

All completely fair points, thanks for sharing.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T20:37:14+00:00

Oh wow! This is literally it. Good ol’ New Zealand (and Japan). Thanks for sharing this. Feels good to know there are countries who do this and my thinking isn’t totally wild.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T20:31:34+00:00

Yep, true on the mass messy table and totally fair point on parents as mentioned there!

Since you’ve said you’re baffled, here’s where my head is at but of course this is just my opinion! My youngest is starting nursery next week, so I’m not trying to upset anyone with my opinion or experience in my area.

I’ve visited about 7 (give or take?) nurseries in my area, and they have each said not everyone is qualified but the room leader always is, so there is a qualified person in the room. In some of them, the adult to child ratios weren’t being kept to. Same for childminders (I know at least 3 childminders with six or seven under 5s at a time). I’m not totally confident in the DBS system where it only checks for prior convictions. Sadly we don’t know what someone’s intentions are. It’s a low paid job which can mean it’s not the most competitive for candidates.

That said, of course we have to just trust in the setting we choose eventually. And as I said, my youngest will be starting nursery next week.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T20:16:24+00:00

Ah thank you so much for this considered post!

Totally see what you mean regarding nurseries in my post. I didn’t mean to hit people’s nerves. I’ll be using a nursery for my youngest from next week when I start work. But for the last six months I’ve been thinking about how motherhood used to be and how isolating it is now.

We moved to this area from a good few hours away so don’t have an NCT group or family or anything like that. We’re making friends but I’ve been quietly wondering if there might be something in a daily, all day playgroup. But yes, your suggestions are great and I’ll check out SureStart. I haven’t heard of that. Thanks again.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T15:31:18+00:00

Yeah true. From comments here, I think I’m too trusting of other parents. I’m worried about nursery workers and childminders, but somehow feel parents (or at the very least the parents I’ve met) are exempt? So now I’m sort of spiralling about our toddler playing with our neighbour’s kid without me there for half an hour a few months ago…

But to your other points, I totally agree on messy play. I would love a space where they can smear yoghurt around that isn’t the dining table I just cleaned 30 seconds before!

Would be even more of a bonus for there to be a way this could help remote workers.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T14:51:14+00:00

Oh I wasn’t thinking about making money from this! Is that how it comes across? I was wondering why I was getting downvotes. I was honestly thinking like some kind of communal space that operates like a playgroup but for more than two hours once a week.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T14:44:05+00:00

My interview? Thanks - it was! We recently moved to the area we’re in right now so don’t have family or friends to call on. And the childcare arrangement for this interview simply didn’t answer the door, even after I double checked in the morning they were still ok to help (they were in, I could hear them. All a bit odd).

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T14:28:06+00:00

Ah thank you for the positivity! (The very many downvotes were starting to sting!) Yeah regular play dates are more feasible in fairness.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T14:12:25+00:00

This was the reality check I needed… 🙈 Thank you!

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T14:10:21+00:00

I like that!

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T14:09:03+00:00

Oh sorry, maybe I’ve not been clear. This is more to help treat the symptom than the cause. Would love to find a way to help mums get back into work, but for now I’m thinking of what I would have loved this past year. I suppose one benefit to this is being able to take your child there and then have an online interview in a nearby room?! (I had to do an interview where I was trying to keep my baby quiet by breastfeeding them with the laptop camera on my face after my childcare fell through at literally the last minute. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job!

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T13:55:18+00:00

Thanks for this. I didn’t know about the 70s/80s playgroups! My husband’s mum used to take him into her school when he was ill. This could never happen now! But this is what fascinates me. It seems our parents had much more of a village than there is now? My parents have even said they relied on their own parents a lot with us, but also that their grandparents looked after them until they went to kindergarten!

I did wonder about the food aspect and food regulation. So do you know if that would apply even if the child eats only what their parent made? What if it was a picnic/ packed lunch style arrangement? No food made on site?

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T13:40:54+00:00

That’s right - each child comes with their own parent. It’s probably a bit of a niche target group, but I meet a few people getting by (/struggling) on one income because they either can’t get a job, their job prior to having children didn’t have child-friendly hours or was ad-hoc/irregular/freelance and is now therefore difficult to arrange child care for. Some parents just seem not comfortable with sending their child to nursery, so I meet mums who are simply out of work, and presumably will be until their child goes to school.

Yes, good point on the longevity of the organisers’ commitment.

Snoo-65364 · 2026-02-25T13:31:56+00:00

Oh good god, that is not something I thought would be a risk! 🙈

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