There are tons of activities and child-friendly places for kids in De Beauvoir. Here are just a few.
Dining with kids
1_
52A Coffee House
(aka ‘the White Corner Cafe’)
52A Southgate Road, N1 3JF
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Madeleines, chocolate chip cookies, brownies and excellent savouries and salads. The girls are kind and patient with littlies. A small browsing library of books for older kids.
2_
The Tin Cafe
1 Middleton Road, E8 4BL
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You’ll find decor for dog-lovers, whimsical hurdy-gurdies and lush plants in the morning sunshine. Good pains au chocolat and they do toast to order.
3_
Sweet Thursday
95 Southgate Road, N1 3JS
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Does ‘teddy-bear’ shaped margarita pizzas! There’s a play mat at the back with some toys for smaller children, and lots of highchairs.
4_
Burley Fisher Books
400 Kingsland Road, E8 4AA
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Has a small but lovely children’s book selection and tasty offerings for morning or afternoon tea
5_
HER
13 Downham Road, N1 5AA
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Haggerston Expresso Room, next to Hackney New School (where you might be a parent dropping off your school-aged children) has become proficient at warm chocolates.
6_
Bread & Butter
7 Enfield Road, N1 5EN
Tucked in behind the old fire station site, it has good cake, comfy couches, a lending library, ample space for prams or buggies and good baby-change facilities.
7_
Draughts Board
Game Cafe
337 Acton Mews, E8 4EA
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Near Haggerston Overground station, this has a massive selection of board games to enjoy. Limited but tasty menu for brunch, lunch or a light dinner.
8_
The Dalston Eastern
Curve Garden
13 Dalston Lane, E8 3DF
This lovely cafe and park has colourful seasonal flowers, wild spaces for kids to get muddy and grubby, and holds planting and craft workshops at various times. They also do fresh pizzas of a Sunday.
Activities
1_
Visit a playground
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De Beauvoir Square
Rosemary Gardens,
Southgate Road
Stonebridge Gardens
(‘Snake Park’), Haggerston Road, E8 4EP
2_
Bike-friendly parks
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Evergreen Square, E8 3XD
BMX track, Haggerston Park, Audrey Street, E2 8QH
3_
See the animals
Hackney City Farm hackneycityfarm.co.uk
Freightliners Farm freightlinersfarm.org.uk
4_
See the fish
Charterhouse Aquatics (charterhouse-aquatics.com) welcome children to come and ‘find Nemo’.
5_
Listen to a story
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Dalston CLR James Library
Dalston Lane, E8 3BQ
Thursdays, 11am–12 noon
South Library
115–117 Essex Road, N1 2SL
Mondays, 11am
Mildmay Library, 21–23 Mildmay Park, N1 4PG
Mondays, 11am
6_
Visit a toy library
400 Kingsland Road, E8 4AA
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Dalston CLR James Library
Dalston Lane, E8 3BQ
Fridays,10.30am–12.00 noon
Also at Mildmay Library after the Baby Bounce session.
7_
Go to Baby Bounce
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Mildmay Library
21–23 Mildmay Park, N1 4PG,
Thursdays, 11am–12noon
South Library
115-117 Essex Road, N1 2SL
Fridays, 11am
8_
Try Stay and Play
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Mapledene and Queensbridge Children’s Centre mapledenechildrenscentre.co.uk
Comet Nursery + Children’s Centre www.cometnurseryandcc.co.uk
Packington Children’s Centre
(Parents/carers must be registered with the Centre before using the services. Call 020 7527 5688 or email for more details)
Queensbridge Sports and Community Centre
9_
Go swimming
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Britannia Leisure Centre
40 Hyde Road, N1 5JU
Highbury Swimming Pool
Highbury Crescent, N5 1RR
Cally Pool
229 Caledonian Road,
N1 0NH
10_
Make music
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Mrs H and the Singalong Band
24 Exmouth Market Centre
Wednesdays 10–11am and
11am–12.00 noon and
Thursdays 10–11am www.singalongsongs.co.uk
