For pre-schoolers there is now loads going on in and around Sydenham thanks to the Children's Centres that operate out of Eliot Bank and Kelvin Grove - toy libraries, music groups, etc. as well as sports sessions in local parks (TeachSport run a session on Thursday mornings at Sydenham Wells Park and on Saturday mornings at Mayow Park).
Up-to-date details can be found at
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/EducationAnd ... vities.htm (We're Area 4)
Otherwise there are quite a few baby/toddler groups going on, most of which are run by local churches - Our lady and Philip Neri run one on Tuesday and Friday mornings in the church hall next to Sydenham library; Scallywags is run on Tuesday mornings in the Scout hut at the top of Grange Lane next to Dulwich Woods; the Sarham toddler group runs on Fridays from 1.15 at Grove Centre House on Jews Walk and there used to be a group run by Forest Hill Community Church at the Here for Good Centre on Sydenham Road on Friday mornings although I've heard that it's temporarily closed.
Plus there's another toddler group run by Adamsrill School on Tuesday-Thursday mornings, plus Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons which apparently is very good, although I've never been and there is a waiting list.
I think that someone has already mentioned the library sessions at both Sydenham library and Forest Hill library on Tuesday mornings from 10.15 and 10am respectively.
There's also a great little music group that meets every other Thursday from 10.30ish in the Community Centre on Venner Road (the Sydenham Road end).
All of these activities are either free or cost less than a pound - I think that we are very fortunate to have all of this on our doorstep and I just wish that I'd known about them all when I first moved to Sydenham!!
Also, for ballet, there's a group on Saturday morning at the Community Centre on Venner Road which is run by Dance4you who are based in Beckenham (see
www.dance4you.co.uk) - they have a pre-primary class at 9am.