Toddler groups in Barnes, Castelnau and Mortlake, day by day

Toddler groups in Barnes, Castelnau and Mortlake are easiest to find on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Thursday has one afternoon session and we could verify nothing on Saturday. The place to start is the Little Castles stay and play at Castelnau Community Centre, which is the longest morning on the list and, at £3, the lowest price we could verify. Entries were checked on 2 November 2026 against the provider's own page or the Richmond and Twickenham Family Hub; where a Hub listing carries an earlier date, we say so.

The week at a glance. Monday: Heidi & Peter, Little Castles, Penny Poppins in Mortlake. Tuesday: St Mary's Barnes, Penny Poppins at Rose House. Wednesday: Little Castles, Penny Poppins at Rose House. Thursday: Penny Poppins at Rose House, in the afternoon. Friday: Little Castles, Penny Poppins at Barn Elms and in Mortlake.

Little Castles Stay & Play, Castelnau

Castelnau Community Centre, 7 Stillingfleet Road. Term-time Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9.30am to 12pm. £3 per session, with discounts for siblings and, at the centre's discretion, for families on income support. The group's own page gives the age range as 0 to 5. It does not run on the third or fourth Friday of the month, so check the calendar before a Friday visit. Group page.

This is the all-rounder: three mornings a week, a wide age range and the lowest price here.

Heidi & Peter, Kitson Hall (Monday)

Kitson Hall, Kitson Road, Barnes. Toddlers (18 months upwards) from 9.15am to 10am; Family Group (2 to 5 years) from 10.15am to 11am. The website lists £250 per term. It does not say whether that covers one session or both, and it does not mention a trial class, so ask before you commit. The autumn term runs from 14 September to 2 December 2026 and the spring term from 4 January to 17 March 2027. Heidi & Peter.

This is the structured option, with a set term and set age bands. The spring term is the natural point to join.

St Mary's Barnes Baby & Toddler Group (Tuesday)

St Mary's Church, Church Road, Barnes. Tuesdays in term time, including half-term weeks, 10am to 11.15am. No booking required. The session opens with a short service and bible story, followed by play, craft, snacks and singing. The church pages give no price or age range. Parish office: 020 8741 5422. Event page and church page.

Expect a faith element at the start. If that suits you, a group that carries on through half-term is a real convenience.

Penny Poppins, Rose House (Tuesday to Thursday)

Rose House, Barnes (the timetable gives the venue name and postcode but no street). Drop & Play, marked "NEW", runs from 9.30am to 11.35am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A Stay, Play + Sing session runs from 3.45pm to 4.45pm on Thursdays, the only Thursday group we could verify. The timetable gives no prices or ages. Timetable.

The Thursday afternoon slot is the one to note for anyone who cannot do mornings. Because the Drop & Play sessions are marked new, confirm with Penny Poppins that they are running before you set out.

Penny Poppins Messy Play, Barn Elms (Friday)

Barn Elms Sports Trust, Queen Elizabeth's Walk, Barnes. Fridays 10am to 11am, £10 per session, according to the Family Hub event page. That page is for 18 September, so confirm the session is still running. Family Hub listing.

Penny Poppins, St Mary the Virgin, Mortlake

St Mary the Virgin, Mortlake High Street. Messy Play and Musical Playtime on Mondays from 10.15am to 11.15am and 3.45pm to 4.45pm, and on Fridays from 10am to 11am. The Family Hub's spring 2026 directory lists Penny Poppins in Barnes and Mortlake as drop-in classes for newborns to five-year-olds. The timetable gives no prices. Timetable.

This is the one Mortlake group we could verify, and it has an afternoon session on Mondays as well.

How to choose

For a first outing, go for Little Castles, or St Mary's if you want a short, informal Tuesday. For a regular slot with an age-matched group, Heidi & Peter. For a Mortlake morning, a Thursday afternoon or a messy Friday, Penny Poppins.

These are classes and groups, not nurseries or childminders. We have not checked them against Ofsted's register or the council's childcare listings, so ask any provider whether you stay with your child. Prices and term dates change.

Thursday morning and Saturday are the weak spots: a parent who needs either will find nothing here that we could verify. Anyone planning around the spring term, which starts on 4 January, is best off settling on Little Castles for the week and adding one of the structured classes.