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Category Archives: All parents

Swindon NCT Nearly New Sale- March 16th, 2013.

“Doors open at 11.15am at the Oasis Leisure Centre, Swindon on Saturday 16th March.

Make sure you don’t miss this great event to get some amazing bargains!

If you are an NCT Member you will be able to gain access from 11am, you will need your membership card and also to queue in the members queue.

At our sale we sell everything from books, cuddly toys to stair gates, sterilisers, cots, moses baskets etc.

The Swindon sale is one of the biggest in the country and is very popular.”


Baby Boppers have Swindon classes at various venues across town.

J and I tried the classes at Lawn Community Centre on Friday mornings, usually run by the wonderfully energetic and enthusiastic Annie. It’s in the part of the community centre which is often the café- just so you don’t end up in the wrong room like I did!

The classes are great fun and at just a year old J first stood staring in amazement, but gradually started to join in as the class went on.

In brief: songs and rhymes which the children and grown ups can join in with are played loudly through the stereo and an enthusiastic class leader does actions etc. copied (more and more over time) by the children.

The classes are made even more exciting by the fact that each song has an accompanying goody bag from which the children come up and take a toy/ head-dress/ something else and then return them to the bag (tidying up!) at the end of each song. For example for the bunny song there are bunny ear head bands- very very cute!

We have unfortunately only been to a taster session and one other session of Baby Boppers as we’re about to move and it’s not quite worth the long journey for a half hour activity. If it weren’t for the distance we would definitely sign up long-term though.

There’s an £8 initial signing up fee, then the classes are £4 per half hour once a week which you sign up for by the term. If your child likes music, singing or dancing it’s well worth giving Baby Boppers a try.

It was clear that after her initial amazement my one year old would simply love this class and the children around the age of two who go seem to get even more out of Baby Boppers. One boy of about one who came for the taster session cried pretty much throughout so maybe he wasn’t ready for it or it just wasn’t his kind of thing. However Baby Boppers free taster session allows you to assess whether it’s for your child or not.

We loved it. More details on the Baby Boppers website.


Toddler Time is a new monthly meet up organised by Swindon NCT at Next Generation Gym, Kembrey Park.

You don’t have to be an NCT member to take your toddler to Toddler Time, which is held from 10-11.30 the first Monday morning of every month. Toddler Time takes place in the soft play area of Next Generation and costs £1.50 donation per child (£1 for each additional child) and that includes use of the soft play and a tea or coffee- a very nice one last month! Bargain.

We went to the October one and had a great time. The next two are November 5th and December 3rd. Don’t forget to get the code to leave the car park before you go! Highly recommended if you can get out to Kembrey Park.


NCT Swindon’s next Nearly New Sale will be held on Saturday October 13th at the Oasis Leisure Centre. It’s from 11.15-1pm (NCT members entry from 11).  Admission is £1.50 which goes to the NCT charity.

From what I’ve heard the best stuff goes VERY quickly so it’s worth getting there early and possibly joining the NCT if you’re not already a member if you’re planning to buy a lot anyway.

For more info on buying, selling or volunteering go to the NCT Website.


Swindon Baby Show is next Saturday September 8th from 10-3 at STEAM near the outlet village.

It’s £3 admission (kids free) and money raised goes to the fantastic Ruby’s Fat Cow Fund  (do take a look at the link) which goes on to four children’s cancer charities. For your £3 you also get free entry to the museum.

Stall holders include a wide range of “advice, products and services for baby, bump and beyond”. Just for example… from classes and nurseries to photography and cakes, as well as a baby market. I’ve never been but it sounds great, so I’ll be there on Saturday!


Croft Children’s Centre will be running outreach groups in various communities in Swindon over the summer. These will run from 10-11.30am and will be on the following dates at the following locations:

Friday August 3rd, Thorney Park- on the green next to the basketball court.

Friday August 17th, Wichelstowe- on the green next to the StoweAway.

Friday August 24th, Hay Lane.


A couple of fun Jubilee celebrations for the family in Swindon….

Queen’s Park Diamond Jubilee Celebrations- The Big Lunch

Sunday June 3rd from 11am. Queen’s Park

Bring a picnic or enjoy a cream tea, Coronation Chicken sandwich or some Arkell’s Queen’s Tipple at only £1 for half a pint from the café.

Live music from local young singer Elliot at 1pm, followed by Nathan Jones Allstars jazz swing band. The mayor, Michael Bray will cut a special Diamond Jubilee cake at 2.15.

Prizes for the best King or Queen dressing up costumes for both children and adults!

Salt Way Children’s Centre Jubilee Party

Thursday 7 June

11.00 – 1.00pm,

Come and make a crown, flag or bunting and then take it straight out to their tea party, where they’ll be food, games and fun galore!

Salt Way Children’s Centre 
Pearl Road, Middleleaze, Swindon, SN5 5TD.

Tel: 01793 465364

I will add any information which falls in to my lap about other Jubilee Celebrations, but unfortunately don’t have time to look up more!


The Café at the Oasis in Swindon is another brilliant choice for people with babies and kids. In fact overall it’s probably the best all round café for choice of food and child- friendliness that I’ve found yet in Swindon, whether you are using the leisure centre facilities or not.

That said I wouldn’t make a special trip to the café during school holidays unless you don’t mind a very long wait for food and strong competition for a table. The same probably applies at weekends. It gets VERY busy during peak times.

Outside these times it’s great, though. Free parking for three hours (although you still must display your ticket!). There’s loads of space for buggies too, and the laminate floor isn’t too hard if kids fall over.

There’s a baby food station with a microwave and bottle warmer and from where I’m sitting I can see seven high chairs- there may be more. You certainly don’t have to worry about your kids screaming and bothering other customers here either as most other people are here with their own kids!

By any café’s standards there’s a great choice of food. A wide variety of jacket potatoes, baguettes, home made soups, salads, pasta, pub grub and burgers.

For kids there are choices of jackets (half) and pastas as well as plated meals which are all served with choices of chips, half jacket or pasta twists and also choice of peas, beans, fried egg or salad. At the moment there’s an offer where you get any junior meal with a carton of Ribena for £3.50.

All the food is reasonably priced and they also have classic slush puppies!

A private company takes over the Oasis in June, so all this may change soon- I really hope not too much.


The Male Carers Group at Saltway Children’s Centre meets on every fourth Saturday of every month from 10.00-11.30am. This month’s meeting is May 26th. The cost is £1 per family.

It’s a group for any male carers of children 8 and under with a range of activities for carers and their children to enjoy as well as the promise of a bacon roll for the male carers!

The group is great fun and they’re aiming to boost their numbers to ensure the continuation of the group.

Salt Way Children’s Centre, Pearl Road, Middleleaze, Swindon, SN5 5TD. Tel: 01793 465364



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