We took our 2 children (2 and 4) to Rascals for the first time yesterday. Entry fee was about £4.50…read moreper child so as per the earlier comment, if you see yourselves going back then take out a membership. The play area is really compact, as everything is in a self contained cube, covered in strong netting that goes up to 3 levels in height (almost to the ceiling). So whilst its a good use of space, it doesnt leave much room around the edges for parents to sit and have a rest (there was a private party that had most of the tables reserved). At the same time its the only area where children can run from one area to the next so at times it can also get very crowded. When we went we didnt really relax as the only seats were next to a very noisey football game (yes we expected it to be noisey but not to struggle to speak to each other!). There were also trays of food on tables which hadnt been cleared away, so that didn't leave a great first impression either. When you go it might be quieter and cleaner, but at least our children seemed to enjoy it, and its near to where we live so we might go again. But only if we cant find anywhere better!

This is a great soft play centre - real value for money - make sure you become a member if you…read moredecide to come more than once as it's only £4.55 for 2 children (sibling discount). The rig is great - big slides - and there are 2 areas for under 2's. The food is good, I've had 2 birthday parties there and the staff are really wonderful (especially Geri who also painted the murals on the walls). So many places like this are run down and filthy or over-priced. Rascals is the best in the area.

Quasar is an excellent place to hold a childrens birthday party. It is a laser gun activity. The…read moreevents are overseen by friendly staff who assist the players and help with any problems as well as keeping order. The participants are taken downstairs to a cellar like place with pillars and hiding places. The session consists of two teams, red and blue, who are equipped with a jacket each with sensors on and a laser gun. The gun has to be charged from a wall unit, then it is a free for all as everyone tries to shoot someone on the opposing team to collect points. At the end of the session each player is issued with a print out to show how many ponts have been scored and which team has won. There is a refreshment area upstairs where mums and dads can wait while the games are taking place.

I organised a birthday party at Quasar Elite for a 9 year old boy. Overall it was a good…read moreexperience, and the party was enjoyed by the guests. Upon booking I was given an electronic invitation to print and give to each guest, and was explained the £17.95 party package offered for 7-12 year olds. Each child was played 245 minute games, separated with food and drink (choice of burger, hot dog, chicken dippers or vegetarian plus unlimited orange or blackcurrent squash) in between the two. The staff were professional, and treated the kids well whilst supervising the games and explaining the rules. For non players (parents and family), there wasn't much except for a small waiting area with some arcade machines, but this was full during our visit, so we had to wait at the party table. My only real complaint was the lack of carpark facilities the carpark was full, small and cramped and not a realisitic option. The driveway entry was actually the front of a car dealership. A recommended party venue and the kids had a good time, but they would have liked some cooling fans as it can get quite hot running around for 45 minutes!

This is an under fives play club that is free. It is not a sessioned group so turn up any time and…read morestay and play. There is a designated baby area which is well equipped with many baby toys. The rest of the space has a kitchen area, a reading area and they often have play-doh out for the kids to play with or painting for them to do. It has a healthy eating policy so sells fruit at snack times along with a cuppa for the parents.

Visited here for the first time yesterday & was really impressed. The centre is very modern and…read morelooks great. It's spacious inside and seems very professional. There are a wide range of classes and various levels of membership available. You can also choose to pay as you go which is a great way to try it out. The pool looked good. I tried out the salsa aerobics class which was fun, popular and the instructor was great - full of energy and enthusiasm, and it was a great class. The only downside is that apparently the "spa" bit - jacuzzis etc - is closed indefinitely.

The aqua aerobics here is awesome - I've tried many at local gyms in this area and they're all…read moreawful - Donna is the main teacher and she gives you a dance routine in the water. Really fab. Also the Buzz Zone is amazing -brand new and really nice play area especially for littler ones

This place has loads of drop in groups for the under 5's. All with cute names like caterpillars and…read moresprouts!! The staff are really friendly and sessions usually cost just £1.50 which is a bargain. There is a cafe which serves great food at very reasonable prices although the opening hours of the cafe do vary. It has something going on every day and I reccommend picking up a programme of events from the reception.

This is such a wonderful community resource. They run sessions for preschoolers every day - from…read moreSprouts for the babies to Little Caterpillars and Baby gyms for the older ones. Mandy, the senior staff member who runs all the sessions is amazing - always there for a friendly word or to offer advice. They are starting new sessions all the time - for a new mum it's perfect. There's a wonderful cafe, run by Sue and Gay who work so hard to feed all the kiddies (and are so patient with my wild boys)! The Limelight pre-school there is wonderful - my son is very happy there. They also run classes for the community in literacy and parenting skills, have regular sessions for OAPS and people with special needs - a true COMMUNITY centre - truly wonderful

French Classes in Brockley - LCF Club - Every Saturday mornings, term time, from 3 to 11 years old…read more. At the nursery next to St Andrews Church, at the bottom of Wickham Road, SE4 2SA. Our son has attended for 3 years now and still loves the classes. Younger children learn French in a fun and interactive way whilst playing games, singing songs and coloring their French activity sheet. There are 2 groups with 2 French native teachers. Classes are one hour long and start at 9.30am or 10.45am. They are reasonably priced too. You also get access to the LCF online resources. I would highly recommend it! Places are currently available. For a free trial, just contact Severine Coupe on 07958 065 775 or severinecoupe@aol.com

The Youth IT Space is located in the first floor of Downham Library in the Downham Health and…read moreLeisure Centre. It is a fantastic and unique resource that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. To clarify, I better explain what it does. It is for young people aged between 7 and 18 years. It offers a full range of multimedia facilities including 15 computers linked to the internet, computer games and a wide range of software. These are available for free drop in sessions after school and on Saturdays. Children and young people can book drop in after school and on Saturdays to do homework research, play computer games and browse the Internet. My nephew and nieces attend there and they love it. The Youth Space also run film-making and music making workshop during the school holidays, so I'm going to keep my eyes out for the next one.