CHILD'S PLAY
Maggie & Rose Private Members' Club for Kids and Parents

On a quiet, leafy street in Kensington, a fleet of prams is parked like sports cars outside of a Monte Carlo casino. Inside, bedlam is taking place. This is kids' time, and the jungle of cantankerous play is a sight to behold.

Founded by Maggie Bolger and Rose Astor (both mothers themselves) Maggie and Rose is a connoisseur's crèche offering its lucky ankle-nibbling members the kind of toys, books and resources that adults would drool over.

Fancy dress boxes overflow with costumes fit for Broadway; alarm bells alert the little ‘cheflets' that their cupcakes are ready to take out of the oven, and canvases are sprayed with acrylic paint that grown art students would fight to get their hands on.

Meanwhile, eagle-eyed parents sit overlooking the chaos whilst sipping on a frothy ‘babychino' and/or nibbling an iced cupcake from the mini in-house cafe.

This is playtime at its most sophisticated. And it works. The experience is aimed at giving mums and their kids a chance to play and socialise together. One area is dedicated to a Pilates session for mums, while next door a film is being directed and performed by a group of eager under-fours and a gaggle of toddlers line up for the 'tutus and tuxes' ballet class. 

You can book your child - and yourself - in on a term-by-term basis. And considering the fantastic resources and the central location, membership comes at a modest price. It's as educational and fun for the child as it is recreational for the parent. Private parties can be organised. The goodie bags rival those from a Versace fashion show, and the crowd is equally as international and classy - just a few feet smaller.