Keep costs down with free activities for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers in Gateshead, classes for £5 & Under, and classes with free sibling places/family discounts.
You may also like… Playgroups here & Drop-in/Single-Session Bookings here
Details are subject to change, please check directly with class providers for the latest updates, further info and booking requirements. There may be a waiting list for some activities.
📆 Thursdays, 4.45-5.30pm
📌 The Whitehills Centre, Whitehills, NE10 8XU
The Mini Warriors group isn’t as challenging or intense as senior or junior boxers. Fun fitness and team building activities educating children to take instructions, with a focus on balance, co-ordination, early stage self-protection and the fundamentals of rough play.
👉 £3 per session. For more info, visit @Felling Warriors
Age 4+
📅 Tuesdays, 10 – 11.15am
📌 Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4JB
5th Sep-12th Dec 2023, term time only
Discover the gallery with your little ones, and support their early development in a fun and relaxed way. There’ll be stories, songs, treasure hunts around the gallery and fun creative activities. At each session you’ll make something to take home, using a wide range of art materials. Afterwards, families are welcome to enjoy a packed lunch in the gallery.
👉 £3 per participant (includes 1 adult place, additional adult tickets available to book).
For more info, visit @shipleyartgallery
Ages 2-5 years
– Pre-booking recommended, walk up places subject to availability. Sessions only run if enough people have pre-booked.
From 4th Sep 2023
Fun and funky dance classes for boys and girls, covering 16 dance styles from Hip Hop to Bollywood, Rave to Charleston and many more! Above all it’s about having lots of fun!
👉 From £5 per 45 min session, booked termly (selected trial/PAYG sessions available).
For more info, visit @diddidancesunderland
Approx 18 months (when steady on feet) – 5 years
📆 Mondays, 10am: Jitterbugs
📆 Wednesdays, 10am: Jitterbugs
📆 Fridays, 4.30 – 5pm: Diddi Dancers
📌 Rowlands Gill Scout Hut, NE39 2PD
📆 Wednesdays, 5.15 – 5.45pm: Diddi Dancers
📌 Blaydon Winlaton Family Hub, Gateshead
Parent & child dance sessions – Diddi Dancers: introduction to ballet, and Jitterbugs: songs and sensory props, including singing, dancing, hoops, pom poms, bean bags, instruments and more. Finishing with a fruit snack before playing with beams, tunnels, trampets and bubbles!
👉 From £4.50 per class. Contact 07534 667 913 to book.
Jitterbugs: toddlers. Diddi Dancers: 3-5 years
📆 Saturdays
📌 Hazel Rayson Theatre Dance Studio, Crawcrook, NE40 4TX
Offers all ages and abilities the chance to dance, with a mixture of tap, ballet and theatre craft in one class. I.D.T.A Exams in Theatre subjects plus panto, competitions and other performance opportunities.
👉 From £3.50 per 45 min session, booked termly.
For more info, visit @HazelRaysonTheatreDanceStudio
Ages 2+
📅 Wednesdays, 4.30-5pm: Infant Gymnastics (age 4-8)
📅 Thursdays, 5.30-6.30pm: Infant Tutus / Infant Tappers
📌 Cromer Avenue Church, Low Fell, NE9 6UL
Infant sessions for younger pupils, moving on to a range of junior and senior classes in ballet, lyrical, tap, commercial, freestyle, acro, modern and musical theatre. With the chance to take part in musical theatre shows and exams.
👉 From £3 per 30 min session. For more info, visit @LBPAA
Ages 2+
📆 Thursdays, 4 – 4.45pm
📌 Gateshead Cleveland Hall CA, Low Fell, NE9 6TA
Classes for girls and boys, with Tiny Toes Ballet helping to build confidence, co-ordination and to make new friends, moving on to classes for older children including Ballet, Theatre craft, Freestyle and Street. Working towards IDTA Exams and Showtime Performances.
👉 £4.50 per class (1st class FREE then 4 week trial payable weekly, followed by monthly payments).
For more info, visit @dancefuse.dancefitness
Ages 3+
📅 Saturdays, 9-10am (5-7 years) & 10:15-11am (18months+)
📌 All New Teams Life Centre, NE8 2PW
Autumn term from 9th Sep 2023
Football activities for kids developing physical literacy/motor skills.
👉 £18 a month, 1st session free!
For more info, visit @Buchanan’s Football For All Ltd
📌 Birtley Town Sports Complex, Birtley, DH3 2TB
Soccertots sessions for age 4-5 and Mini Hoops sessions for age 5-6, designed with an emphasis on development and fun!
👉 £3 per session (free taster session)
For more info, visit @Birtley Town Juniors F.C Development Centre
Ages 4+
Gateshead Family Hubs provide support, advice and structured activities for families and the wider community, with a packed program of pre-school sessions throughout the week including:
🔹Sensory Rooms 🔹Stay and Play 🔹Soft Play 🔹Baby Time 🔹Toddler Time 🔹Trike Time 🔹Well Child Clinics 🔹External Baby & Toddler Class Providers 🔹Holiday Events
A range of services and health advice is available:
🔸Breastfeeding, hygiene, weaning, nutrition and safety advice 🔸Breast pump hire 🔸Antenatal and postnatal advice 🔸Parenting & family support and advice 🔸Affordable childcare and support to access funding 🔸Toy Library
Services are delivered in centres across Gateshead, in:
🔹Birtley 🔹Blaydon Winlaton 🔹Chopwell 🔹Chowdene 🔹Deckham 🔹Felling 🔹Leam Lane 🔹Teams 🔹Wrekenton
👉 For more info, visit @GatesheadFamilyHubs
📆 Wednesdays, 2 – 2.45pm
📆 Fridays, 10 – 10.45am & 2 – 2.45pm
📆 Sundays, 12.15 – 1pm
📌 Station Lane, Birtley, DH3 1QT
Structured sessions starting with a warm up then onto the apparatus learning basic skills such as forward rolls, backward rolls, etc, followed by free play exploring larger equipment. Finishing with parachute play and bubbles.
👉 £5 per session, booked termly.
For more info, visit @Northern Hope Gymnastics Centre
Under 5 years
*More info on unstructured pre-school Stay & Play sessions can be found under Playgroups here
📆 Tuesdays, 6 – 7pm
📌 Hertfordshire House Community Centre, Pelaw, NE10 0QY
Shotokan Karate class to improve self confidence, become fitter, learn self defence and meet new friends. Fully insured, licensed and DBS certified instructors with years of martial arts experience.
👉 £4. For more info, visit @SenseiJackKarate
Age 4+
📆 Mondays, 5-6pm
📌 St John’s Church, Low Fell, NE95RD
📆 Wednesdays & Fridays, 5-6pm
📌 Gateshead International Stadium, NE10 0EF
All ages welcome, children and adults. Goju-Kai Karate classes taught by Sensei Blane Stamps, 2nd Dan Black belt. Club affiliated to the IKGA, EKF and WKF.
👉 £5 per class (first lesson free, and free Gi on joining club!).
For more info, visit @tyneandweargojukai
4+ years
From 11th Sep 2023
Three stages of classes: introducing little ones to movement through the use of song, play and sensory props, followed by fun classes for walkers with singing, dance and play, then ‘moving on up’ for ages 5+. A great way to meet other parents/carers.
👉 From £5 per pre-school session, booked termly (sibling discounts available).
For more info, visit @LittleMoversGateshead
Baby Movers: pre walkers | Little Movers: walking to 5 years
Baby Love
📆 Thursdays, 11.45am
📆 Fridays, 1.15pm
The Kids Are Alright!
📆 Thursdays, 9.45am & 1.15pm
📆 Fridays, 9.45am & 11.15am
📌 The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2JR (previously Sage Gateshead)
From 28th Sep 2023
Fun, relaxing and high quality music making sessions with welcoming specialist musicians. Musical fun with singing songs, playing instruments, games and developing new musical skills. Sessions have a relaxed start (never worry about running late!) and some social time.
👉 £5 per 1h 15min session PAYG (£1 for any additional children/adults).
Booking recommended, for more info, visit @sagegateshead
Baby Love: 0-12 months | The Kids Are Alright! 0-5 years
📅 Thursdays, 10 – 11am
📌 Sheriff Hill Methodist Church, Low Fell, NE9 5UQ
From 4th Sep 2023
Sessions include: 30 minutes of interactive music and movement with singing, rhymes, bubbles, biscuit and drink, then play time and toys for 30 minutes. And the best part is the cuppa and cake for the adult! Mainly music has a Christian ethos, and is a safe, fun filled, affirming session where friends are made.
👉 £3 per family.
For more info, visit @mainlymusicSheriffHill
Rhymetime
📆 Mondays, 10am @Pelaw Library
📆 Tuesdays, 10am & 11am @Birtley Library
📆 Tuesdays, 2pm @Blaydon Library
📆 Wednesdays, 9.30am @Wrekenton Hub
📆 Fridays, 9.30am & 11am @Central Library*
📆 Fridays, 10.30am @Leam Lane Library
Storytime
📆 Wednesdays, 9.30am @Blaydon Library
📆 Wednesdays, 10.30am @Leam Lane Library*
📆 Wednesdays, 10.30am @Central Library
📆 Fridays, 10am @Pelaw Library*
📆 Fridays, 10.30am @Birtley Library*
From Sep 2023
Rhymetime sessions with songs, rhymes, rhythm and movement, and Storytime sessions with stories and activities for little ones and their grown ups.
👉 Free 30 min sessions. Places are limited, telephone booking recommended for sessions with ‘*’.
For more info, visit @gatesheadlibraries (or pick up a Gateshead Live brochure from your local library)
Suitable for under 5s
📆 Sundays, 9am
📌 Saltwell Park, Gateshead, NE9 5AX
Junior parkrun is a free, timed 2k event for children. Children can walk, skip, hop, jog or run.
👉 Free, registration required online.
For more info, visit @saltwelljuniorparkrun
Ages 4-14
📅 Fridays, 10.15am (Toddler Folk) & 11.30am (Baby Folk)
📌 Ye Olde Cross, Ryton, NE40 3QP
From 1st Sep 2023
Classes are centred around promoting early speech and language skills through Makaton signing, singing, music and movement, story time and musical instruments. With simple songs that encourage repetition, play and following instructions, using Ready Steady Go games to help speech and language development. Sessions includes a snack time and free tea and coffee, and end with sensory free play, parachute, lights and bubbles.
👉 From £6.50 per family, 45 min sessions.
Baby Folk booked termly, Toddler Folk PAYG spaces available.
For more info, visit @Little Folk
Baby Folk: 6 weeks-1 year | Toddler Folk: 1 year+
📅 Wednesdays-Sundays, 10am-6pm
📌 Gateshead Quays, NE8 3BA
We welcome you to our self-led play area! Drop in any time during opening hours and explore everything we have to offer. Through play, we invite you to explore our past, present and future.
👉 Free, drop-in.
For more info, visit @balticgateshead, or contact 0191 478 1810
📅 Wednesdays, 1-2pm
📌 Whinnies Community Garden, Sunniside, NE16 5LG
Autumn term from 4th Sep 2023
An outdoor pre-school nature and craft group, with nature inspired arts and crafts to inspire and encourage children to be creative. The perfect eco conscious setting for your little one to connect with nature. Older siblings are welcome to join in during the school holidays.
👉 £4.50 per session. For more info, visit @forgetmenotartx
