Alyssia Robson discovers DJ’s & Divas and Gourmet Gofers for toddlers and tweens

I had just heard that the same team who created the wonderfully successful Purple Dragon Children’s Members Club in Chelsea has now just opened its doors in Putney.

As a local Mum with two demanding kids.. I just had to take a look.

I found it easily enough ...sitting snugly between East Putney Tube and Putney Station.

As I stepped out of the rain into a smart reception area, I thought “This is almost too cool to be a kid’s club!” My 5 and 7 year couldn’t wait to slip though the sliding doors and climb up into a 10ft wooden Wendy House cleverly positioned in the centre of the room.

Lots of fun but surprisingly little noise. This is definitely not your average mum and tots playgroup: it offers a truly epic array of imaginative play classes and play facilities for our little angels.

Purple Dragon was founded in 2008 by former fashion entrepreneur Sharai Meyers who opened her now established Chelsea site in 2011.

The Chelsea Purple Dragon (“big brother”) offers kids state-of-the-art facilities for music, dance, art, design, cooking, sport and imaginative play for children up to the age of 12. It also offers informal casual dining and socialising areas for adults. The same winning formula of approach and design has been used for its Putney Club.

My 7 year old boy couldn’t wait to tell me that he’d discovered that behind a large painted wall was in fact a hidden soft play area with slide and ball machine.
There really was so much going on in here! I was shown around a set of private play rooms that all offered classes and something different.....a Kitchen Room that looked like a 5-star Cooking School.... and an Art Room featuring 3 potter’s wheels and an entire wall just for painting.

Meanwhile my 5-year-old girl had discovered the fabulous “Light Lab, with walk-in kaleidoscope and light wall for making shadow puppets.

Then it was on to The Music Room complete with mini piano and electric guitars all lined up ready to be used. Classes included Zumba, Street Dance, Yoga and Taekwondo!

Outside the playrooms are the soft play areas that involve Brio wooden cars and trains, plastic dinosaurs, fancy dress clothes and reading corners.

It is a wonderland of exciting, fun, creative activities and things to do for kids as well as offering completely stress free and comfortable relaxation for us hard working parents.

The Pantry looked like an upmarket French patisserie offering fresh and nutritious yummy food for all ages. There were baby chairs, sleeping pods and a place to relax, chat or catch up on work while the kids play.

Purple Dragon’s little brother is undoubtedly a new star on the block for kids.

All the mothers and nannies seem to know one another and the ‘play buddies’ (staff) greet all the adults and children by name. As I gave my 2 children the 5 minute warning for ..’We are leaving now’ ....I knew that was a big ask.

Alyssia Robson

September 14, 2017