Drama, sport, art, Spanish, stories and rhymes – a little something for everyone at the Meadows Community Centre and nearby.
If you're a home-educating family in Cambridge, or have younger children who enjoy stories, songs and time with other families, Mondays at the Meadows Community Centre and nearby are well worth knowing about!
There are three lovely activities happening in the same place, with opportunities for children of different ages to move, imagine, play, connect and make friends. And if there’s not something here that appeals to your child, you are warmly invited to set it up independently as a parent organiser and also very welcome to ask Waymakers for help advertising or handling admin for it if it feels daunting.
Drama Discovery started as a parent-organised activity and is now run as a Waymakers activity to simplify admin, insurance and safeguarding. We work closely with the organisers of the other sessions to coordinate timings so that all three current offers are as accessible as possible for the home ed community. We’re all on a mission to make Mondays more practical for families, particularly those juggling siblings of different ages and interests.
Here's what's happening!
🎭 Drama Discovery – with Waymakers
Mondays | Ages approximately 5 to teens, Meadows Community Centre
Our Drama Discovery sessions, led by the wonderful Barry Evans, are about so much more than acting.
Through storytelling, improvisation, movement, role-play and collaborative games, children and young people have opportunities to explore their creativity, build relationships and experiment with different ways of expressing themselves.
There's no expectation that everyone will want to perform. Some children love taking centre stage, while others prefer to contribute ideas, create characters, observe or join in at their own pace. We value all these different ways of participating.
Groups are organised broadly by age, experience and social dynamics:
Ages 5–9: 10.15–11.15am
Ages 9–12: 11.30am–12.30pm
Ages 13+: 12.45–1.45pm
Our focus is on creativity, connection, cooperation and enjoyment, rather than working towards a polished performance.
Find out more or arrange a trial:
https://www.waymakerscambridge.co.uk/sessions/p/drama-discovery
⚽ Multisports – with GK Fit
Mondays | Ages approximately 5–12, Meadows Community Centre
If your child enjoys being active, trying different games or developing sporting skills in a friendly environment, GK Fit's daytime Multisports sessions could be just the thing. The sessions are run by warm and engaging Georgia (Coach G).
These inclusive sessions give home-educated and out-of-school children opportunities to try different sports, practise skills, build confidence and have fun together.
There are two Monday groups:
Ages 5–8: 11.35am–12.35pm
Ages 9–12: 12.40–1.40pm
GK Fit offers free taster sessions for new children, so you can explore whether it's a good fit before committing.
Find out more or book directly with GK Fit:
https://www.gkfit.co.uk/daytime
📚 Story and Rhyme Time – for younger children
Mondays | 11.40am–12.20pm, Meadows Community Centre
Aimed at younger children, but all ages welcome!
Run by kind and approachable home ed Mum and former English teacher, Ellie, for families with little ones, there's also Story and Rhyme Time at the Meadows Community Centre - run at the playground, by the logs in good weather or cafe/foyer.
A chance to enjoy stories, rhymes and time together in a relaxed outdoor setting.
This is a particularly lovely option for families with younger siblings, or anyone looking for a gentle, sociable activity to brighten their Monday morning.
Find out more:
Ellie is still assessing viability but do feel free to find her on a local Whatsapp group to express interest or turn up and introduce yourself to her! Charlie at the Waymakers desk can help you find her on any Waymakers term term Mondays during these times; she’ll be in the foyer, cafe or playground. You can also email us to put you in touch
💬 Spanish with Sara
Mondays | 10.25-1.35pm, Meadows Community Centre
Friendly Spanish classes for home-educated children in Cambridge. Lessons are beginner-friendly and use games, conversation, movement and interactive activities to help children build confidence and enjoy using Spanish.
Groups are kept small so children have plenty of opportunities to participate, and ages are flexible depending on level, confidence and group dynamics.
10:25–11:10am – approx. ages 9–12
12:50–1:35pm – approx. ages 5–8
5-week block from 9 November to 7 December
https://www.spanishwithsara.co.uk/
🎨🖌️Art-K Home Ed course
Mondays | 2-3.15pm, Victoria Road
Not far from the Meadows, this home ed course is run by creative and inspiring Andrea and her team, this art course is designed to explore both the 2D and 3D to ensure that a wide range of mediums and techniques are covered. Primary School students will begin with a clay tile project, exploring 3D modelling, perspective and design.
For Secondary School students, the first project will work with acrylics on canvas and will focus on a specific artist. Following this, all ages will cover watercolours, inks, pastels, oil pastels, clay, papier mâché, metal tooling and much more in age-appropriate projects. Before the project we do a starter every week; this will work on core visual skills such as visual memory, fine motor control, visual perception and spatial awareness as well as introducing new mediums and techniques, which will develop colour theory and tonal values.
Find out more or book directly with Art-K:
https://www.art-k.co.uk/class-cambridge/
🌱 Making Mondays work for families
One of the things we really value about having several activities at the Meadows on the same day is the possibility of making life a little easier for families.
We know that children have different interests, needs and preferences. One child might love drama while their sibling would rather be running around playing sport. Another might be happiest enjoying a story outdoors. Others might just like hanging out in the field, playground or cafe or borrowing books and games from the community centre. Families often hang out together so children can play before, between and after sessions and it’s in those in often in those between moments that the real connections are formed.
By working together and thinking carefully about session timings, we're hoping to create a Monday where families have more choices without needing to travel between several different venues.
And of course, there's value in the informal moments too: catching up with familiar faces, meeting other families and building connections over time.
💛 Help us keep Mondays thriving
There's something else we'd love to share.
Running small, welcoming community activities takes a surprising amount of behind-the-scenes work. Venue hire and other costs continue to rise, and even a really lovely session needs enough regular participants to make it sustainable.
This isn't unique to Waymakers. It's a challenge faced by many of the independent organisers and facilitators who create opportunities for home-educating families and local communities.
We know that families have busy lives, limited budgets and different priorities, and we're certainly not suggesting that anyone should book activities that aren't right for them.
But if you've been thinking about trying one of these sessions, now would be a great time to give it a go.
And if you already enjoy them, please consider telling another family, sharing the details with friends or helping spread the word in your local groups.
Sometimes it's easy to assume that a familiar activity will always be there. In reality, it's the families who turn up, participate and share their enthusiasm who help make these opportunities possible.
We'd love to see Mondays at the Meadows continue to grow into a lively, welcoming part of the week for families across Cambridge.
Four different activities (there are more further afield too). Lots of different ways to take part. All part of the wider home educating community - see also: https://www.cambridgehomeeducators.org.uk/
Please contact the relevant organisers for booking information and the latest session details (via Waymakers and GK Fit websites or local Whatsapp groups - Stories and Rhyme time does not require booking but does need people to show up to ensure its success).
