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For Tiny Londoners & Their Adults

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For Tiny Londoners & Their Adults

Bablands is a resource for Londoners who find themselves with a small creature to dress up and entertain. Part-magazine, part-guide, Bablands follows the adventures of Bab as she seeks out London's coolest kids' shops, best child-friendly hangouts and under-fives activities that won't make mummy want to gauge her eyes out with a weaning spoon.

Most Popular

  • Seven rainy-day hangouts for accident-prone toddlers
    Seven rainy-day hangouts for accident-prone toddlers
  • Seven London museums with dedicated children's play galleries
    Seven London museums with dedicated children's play galleries
  • Q&A: Anna Whitehouse, Founder, Mother Pukka
    Q&A: Anna Whitehouse, Founder, Mother Pukka
  • Go mudlarking and meet a mummified cat at the Museum of London Docklands
    Go mudlarking and meet a mummified cat at the Museum of London Docklands
  • Have your cake and eat it while the kids dive into the ball pit at Little Highness
    Have your cake and eat it while the kids dive into the ball pit at Little Highness
  • Create art inspired by priceless works at Messy Mondays at The National Gallery
    Create art inspired by priceless works at Messy Mondays at The National Gallery
  • Climb rolling hills and rainbow bridges at Battersea Arts Centre's play zone
    Climb rolling hills and rainbow bridges at Battersea Arts Centre's play zone
  • Twenty awesome things to see and do with your little Londoner in September
    Twenty awesome things to see and do with your little Londoner in September
  • Shop obscenely tasteful kidswear while the sprogs do some drawing at Elias & Grace
    Shop obscenely tasteful kidswear while the sprogs do some drawing at Elias & Grace

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Toddler diversion zone at @habitat Finchley Road. This was after she'd swapped round all the prices, climbed on all the beds and unfolded all the towels. . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #parenting #parentingtheshitoutoflife #mummyblogger #parentblogger #londonblogger #londonmum #blogger #toddlerlife #toddlersofinstagram Bab sort of semi-appreciated the Michael Morpurgo exhibition at @museumchildhood yesterday. Basically she found two hats, put them both on her head then spent 10 minutes running away from me shouting "HATTT", culminating in a painfully shrill sandpit tantrum - the sort where sand manages to enter every orifice despite her being fully clothed. At the moment I feel like I have a very intense and angry house guest who I have to be nice to but who I'll be quite glad to see the back of, except that she's very much here to stay so I suppose I just have to accept the bloodcurdling screams over nothing, the death stares and, as of today, the hissing, as the terrible twos come six months early. If you were wondering about checking out the MM exhibition with tiny terrors it's definitely worth a look - there are some cute interactive bits, lots of War Horse stuff, books and plenty of dressing-up opportunities for nice placid children🐴 . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #eastlondon #bethnalgreen #museumofchildhood #vanda #warhorse #michaelmorpurgo #mummyblogger #londonblogger #parentblogger #londonmum #blogger #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #parentingtheshitoutoflife #parenting #notparentingtheshitoutoflife @yinka_ilori's Estate Playground for @l_d_f_official is at @citizenm in Shoreditch until Sunday. The installation is inspired by the North London playgrounds Ilori frequented as a kid, while the vibrant palette takes its cues from his African roots. Kids big and small are free to use it but Bab was convulsing and hissing at me when we went past so felt it was probably best I didn't unleash the beast. . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #eastlondon #shoreditch #londondesignfestival2017 #ldf #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #toddlerlife #mummyblogger #parentblogger #londonblogger #londonmum #blogger #parenting #parentingtheshitoutoflife Vom-inducingly excited to announce that our little Q&A with parenting blogger, vlogger, author, flexible working campaigner, Londoner and all-round good egg @mother_pukka is now on the site (link in bio). . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #motherpukka #parentingtheshitoutoflife #flexappeal #qanda #london #parenting #parentingblogger #mummyblogger #londonblogger #londonmum New post: Seven Rainy-Day Hangouts for Accident-Prone Toddlers. London's coolest and cosiest wet-weather havens for tiny terrors whose keepers require something more stimulating than watching them stumble around a padded play cell (link in bio). . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #rainyday #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #toddlerlife #toddlersofinstagram #mummyblogger #londonblogger #parentblogger #londonmum #blogger #parentingtheshitoutoflife Love this little cafe in Shoreditch. Such a nice, chilled space and they never look at you like you're a dickhead for bringing your child (or dog) in here. . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #london #eastlondon #shoreditch #hackneyroad #shibainu #shibasofinstagram #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #londonblogger #londonmum #parentblogger #mummyblogger #blogger We're having the slowest of slow weeks and haven't managed (or even tried) to venture out of our little pocket of London, hence the Instasilence and lack of new content on the site (which I'm sure you're all beside yourselves about). Instead of whizzing around all over the place checking out new museums and toddler theatre we've been doing lots of nice, relaxed, simple things: Heath walks, park trips, coffee with friends. Yesterday we literally spent the entire day clearing out a cupboard, which obviously sounds very tedious but Bab absolutely LOVED it. Funny little imp. Will need a change of scenery and some stimulation next week but I'm definitely feeling the benefit of some chill-out time. As a SAHM (God I hate that expression) I find the temptation is to try and fill every second with stuff; partly because I start to get depressed if we just bum around the flat and partly because I worry that me and these four walls aren't enough for a such a curious little person. Also I just have this overwhelming guilt about the fact that I'm not working and bringing money in, so it's almost as if flitting around like a maniac gives me some sort of purpose (other than y'know, raising a child). Anyone else have massive SAHM (again, ugh) anxiety? . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #london #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #mummyblogger #parentblogger #londonblogger #londonmum #blogger #parentingtheshitoutoflife #parenting #sahm Review of @thepostalmuseum's Sorted! play space now on the site (link in bio). This new, mail-themed kids' gallery is light, clean - at least for now - and well designed, with lots of clever touches to keep small people interested 📮 . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #postalmuseum #sorted #museumswithkids #londonmuseum #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #londonblogger #londonmum #parentblogger #mummyblogger #blogger Review of @chickenshed_uk's Tales from the Shed @oldvictheatre now up on the site (link in bio). Given our previous toddler theatre experiences I was a bit apprehensive about this one, but thankfully tiny show-stealers are welcomed and the performers were amazing. Big thumbs up all round really 👍 . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #oldvic #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #talesfromtheshed #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #mummyblogger #parentblogger #londonblogger #londonmum #blogger Feeling like Tim and Daisy flat-hunting in Tufnell Park and couldn't resist a quick peek in @eenymeenykid. . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #shoplocal #shopindependent #london #northlondon #tufnellpark #mummyblogger #londonblogger #parentblogger #londonmum #blogger The little dough creature has gone swimming with her dad while I try and string together something vaguely comprehensible about the gap in the market for parent-focused live music events. Recently I've been lucky enough to meet Sarada and Adam, a London couple who, along with their two-year-old son Edwin, have pledged to try and fill that gap by setting up @wakeupgigsldn, a series of parent-focused gigs that bring together amazing new bands in a cool venue with loads of distractions for your dinky doughnuts. We went to their last gig in August and oh my GOD. I kind of felt like I'd been dead for the last 18 months and only just noticed. Sort of like a Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense scenario except unlike him I came back to life and also I probably shouldn't be comparing parenthood to being dead. But seriously it was absolutely, life-affirmingly great. Anyway they're hosting another one on 1st October, featuring the ironically named @childcareband. If you have kids and like good music you really should go... wakeupgigs.com/tickets/ . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #londonmum #londonblogger #parentblogger #mummyblogger #blogger #parentingtheshitoutoflife #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife Sorting stuff at Sorted!, the new @thepostalmuseum's play zone for under-8s. Every time I saw the word "sorted" I imagined it being said in the style of Grant Mitchell, who is obviously the best soap villain of all time. Review coming soon. . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #mummyblogger #parentblogger #londonblogger #londonmum #blogger #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #sorted #thepostalmuseum 18 months old today. How the shitting hell did that happen? I can't even begin to describe how much love I have for this curious, sociable little nutcase who wants to hug everyone she meets, and who blocked this lady's path as she went whizzing across Hampstead Heath the other day, waving like a maniac to make her stop so she could say hi and have a ride on her scooter. Happy sort-of-Birthday Bab ❤️ . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #hampstead #hampsteadheath #northlondon #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #mummyblogger #londonblogger #londonmum #parentblogger #blogger Had a brilliant morning at @chickenshed_uk's Tales from the Shed at the @oldvictheatre. Lots of interactive, puppety fun that managed to take my mind off flat viewings for 45 minutes (does anyone else get inexplicably stressed about having total strangers poking around your home, judging your life?). Bab also had a really great time hijacking the set, pilfering other kids' snacks and hugging more babies. Review coming sooooon. . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #waterloo #theoldvic #talesfromtheshed #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #mummyblogger #londonblogger #parentblogger #londonmum #blogger #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife New review up on the site. Today it's the turn of Mini Picassos, a kids' art school in Kensal Rise. Anywhere with Miffy aprons is a winner in my book (link in bio). . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #kensalrise #art #minipicassos #thingstodoinlondon #thingstodowithkids #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #mummyblogger #parentblogger #londonblogger #londonmum #blogger Attempted Welcome Wednesdays at the National Gallery this morning. She had absolutely no interest in it whatsoever and I have to say it was a bit too happy clappy joy joy for me too so we abandoned it and made our own fun splashing around in puddles of God knows what in Trafalgar Square. I figure she's got her whole life to be forced into doing things she has no interest in. That's what school's for. . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #trafalgarsquare #thenationalgallery #mummyblogger #parenting #parentblogger #parentingtheshitoutoflife #londonblogger #londonmum #thingstodoinlondon #thingstodowithkids #toddlerlife #toddlersofinstagram Covering everything and everyone in her path in blue paint at @minipicassos this morning. Review coming soon 💙 . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #northlondon #kensalrise #art #artoninstagram #thingstodowithkids #thingstodoinlondon #mummyblogger #parentblogger #londonmum #londonblogger #blogger #parentingtheshitoutoflife #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife About six months ago we went to a baby session at the Museum of London where the teacher tried to force me to keep a very mobile Bab on my lap and spent the best part of an hour loudly berating me for bringing her to a baby class when "she's not a little baby anymore you know", like I was some neurotic cretin clinging to the dumpling weeks. This completely put me off any kind of teacher-led thing for ages and I've only just started taking Bab to classes again. This is her at the Under-Fives Explore the Museum session at @tate Britain on Saturday, which was thankfully nothing like the MoL class and instead encourages toddlers to do their own thing, even if that thing is posting the contents of mummy's purse through the gaps in the floor grate as if exhibiting a very literal piece of performance art about the menace of materialism (link to my review in bio). . . . . . . . . . . #bablands #london #tate #tatebritain #toddlersofinstagram #toddlerlife #thingstodoinlondon #thingstodowithkids #art #artistsoninstagram #henrymoore #sculpture #sculptor #parentblogger #mummyblogger #londonblogger #londonmum #blogger

Bablands

For Tiny Londoners & Their Adults

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