Keep kids active, fit and happy at these excellent sports clubs and classes in London.
Including leafy private members’ clubs, state-of the art gyms and the most sought-after coaches in London, these sports facilities include everything from tennis, golf and sailing, to gymnastics and ballet.
Taking part in a sport they enjoy is wonderful for a child’s physical and emotional development. Sign up to these sports clubs in London to introduce your kids to a new activity, or to help them perfect their skills this summer.
The Kensington Tennis Club
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Budding tennis players will love becoming members of the Kensington Tennis Club. With five different venues across west London, choose to play in Notting Hill, Holland Park or High Street Kensington. Year-round coaching is available to children as young as three – and up to teenagers who really want to advance their game. Here, kids will start by learning the basics through fun games and drills, before moving on to more skilled techniques and matches. All camps are conducted securely with DBS-certified coaches who adhere to the highest standards, and sessions take place in almost all weathers (remember sun cream or a waterproof). Camps are available in the school holidays and members can work towards taking part in club championships (if they really enjoy the sport).
The Little Foxes Club
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The team behind The Little Foxes Club know that introducing children to sport in a positive way at a young age can ignite a life-long passion for it – and they’ve made it their mission to make sport accessible and fun for little ones. Offering football, tennis, rugby and multi-sports activities for those ages 18 months – 15 years, you’ll find them across London, including at Hyde Park, Hampstead Heath and Battersea Park. Fun, friendly and inclusive, sessions run year-round and include day camps. With an emphasis on kids making new friends, developing self-confidence and learning new skills, children are grouped according to age, and all activities are designed to create a safe and welcoming environment – managed by a professional, qualified coaching team. Understanding that parents need flexibility, you can book a holiday camp for a whole week, one day or even half a day. You can even book by the hour if that works best.
The Roehampton Club
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Sporty families will feel right at home at the Roehampton Club: located in leafy southwest London, next to Richmond Park, you’ll find an extensive selection of courses and clubs for children. This multi-sports private members’ club is a one-stop-shop for all ages, and packed with different activities including 28 tennis courts, two paddle tennis courts, gym and fitness studios, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, six squash courts, four croquet lawns and even an 18-hole parkland golf course. Offering first-class coaching to kids as young as three in swimming, tennis, pickle ball, and more, parents can enjoy the facilities while kids learn – and there is a superb crèche for very little ones too. The club runs weekly after-school and weekend golf coaching throughout the year, and juniors can play in competitions including the Junior Masters, Ryder Cup, Club Championships and National Skills Challenge. Add to this the lovely child-friendly restaurant, juice bar and coffee shop and you have a club where all the family will have fun together.
Little Space at Third Space
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Third Space has become a go-to luxury wellness club since first opening in 2001 and now, this includes for children. There are nine clubs dotted around London, but it’s the Islington location where you’ll find Little Space, a programme designed for children. Climb, swim, dance, stretch, jump, throw and catch at London’s first multi-active space dedicated to energetic little minds and bodies. At the state-of-the-art ‘Little Rigs’ gym hall – complete with monkey bars, gymnastic kit, TRX equipment and a climbing frame – kids can burn off energy in specially-designed classes run by trained fitness coaches. Or they might enjoy ballet, martial arts and gymnastics classes – some of which start from as young as 18 months. Swimming lessons are also available for children aged from three months; very little ones must be accompanied by an adult but, once they can swim, they’ll take part in group sessions. With dedicated family changing rooms, a crèche and a cool café with a great kids’ menu, Third Space have created the perfect way to introduce children to keeping fit.
The Thames Sailing Club
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You don’t have to live by the coast to enjoy sailing; Thames Sailing Club is the perfect place to take to the water for the first time. Founded in 1870, it’s one of the oldest river sailing clubs in the UK, and the Victorian clubhouse overlooks a beautiful stretch of river between Kingston and Surbiton. Their fleet of small boats including Oppies, Toppers and Picos are ideal for youngsters to learn on, and they offer a ton of weekly term-time lessons as well as plenty of summer courses for kids aged seven to 16. With excellent, experienced teachers on site to ensure safety, kids can work their way up the RYA standard levels to become accomplished sailors – even taking part in racing if they really get the sailing bug. Wetsuits and buoyancy aids are provided by the club so all you have to do is turn up (and remember your sun cream!).
Battersea Ironsides Rugby Club
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If your kids love rugby, this is the place to take them. Battersea Ironsides is one of the biggest and best amateur rugby clubs in London, investing considerably in grass-roots rugby ensuring kids get the opportunity to play and enjoy the game. Their Minis group, for those aged five to 11, is one of the largest mini rugby sections in the UK with over 800 members. Located in Earlsfield, Ironsides offer mini, youth and senior membership. The junior section (for boys and girls, under five to under 18) have a great reputation for fun but also success, with dedicated, experienced coaches – many of them ex-rugby players – helping kids to win tournaments regularly. A lively social scene (think quiz nights and parents’ drinks) mean mums and dads enjoy club life too. The season starts in September (you can sign up well in advance) and training is on Sunday mornings from 10am to 12 noon, with games played at different locations around Wandsworth. Summer and school holiday day camps are regularly run too.
The Spencer Club
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The Spencer Club in South London has some of the best sports facilities in the city: cricket is their best known, and it has a very impressive record. The junior cricket section was formed in 1991 and has grown to more than 900 members – one of the largest junior sections in the country. Members are welcome to use six outdoor nets, and the club offers holiday clubs for juniors during school holidays, plus after school coaching for groups or 1:1. But it’s far from just cricket on offer. Netball, hockey, tennis, squash and lacrosse are all played from beginner level (aged five and over), right through to those taking part in national competitions. After you’ve finished your sport, pop into the ever-popular Clubhouse for lunch. Given the broad range of sports at Spencer, each runs its own membership process. The club will guide you through membership application or, for holiday courses and camps find out more online.
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