There are some excellent mother and baby activity clubs around the UK, from soft play and circus-themed fun to music and swimming classes. We've found some of the best ones

The baby and toddler years are often the best opportunity for parents to spend fun, quality time with their children. For many, the longest stretches of time they will ever get to spend with their children are during the early years.

For some, this means maternity leave, for others it may mean a prolonged stretch of full-time parenting. Either way, making the most of this precious time together will pay off for all the family and give you many happy memories to look back on.

Nationwide

Early gym sessions at Tumble Tots
With over 500 centres in the UK and a membership base of around 60,000 children, this nationwide group, which started in 1979, believes that 'every child should have the opportunity to experience the joys of growing up, the challenges of developing new skills and the satisfaction of success.'

Annual membership costs £20 per child (less for siblings) for a weekly supervised 45-minute session, and includes a year's subscription to Right Start magazine. There are three age-related programmes: Gymbabes (six months to walking); Tumble Tots (split into a further three categories from walking to school age), and Gymbobs (from school age to seven years). Activities range from soft play for babies, with their mum's interaction, to elementary gymnastics and other more challenging exercises for older children.

Cost: £20 for annual membership per child (incl VAT). The renewal and sibling rate is £18.50.

Session times: Times vary. Contact your local group for information.

Contact: Visit www.tumbletots.com or call 0121 585 7003.

UK and Ireland

Music-making fun with Jo Jingles
Jo Jingles is a 500-strong franchise operating throughout the UK and Ireland, providing music-making, singing and movement classes for babies and young children. With the help of the Jo Jingles doll, trained and experienced presenters run the classes, which involve youngsters and their parents. Babies and children are offered percussion instruments and are encouraged to explore rhythm through playing and dancing, learning to sing and play expressively, joining in with action rhymes and holding a tune.

Classes typically last for around 45 minutes and are split into age ranges: six months to walking; walking to two years; two to three years; three to five years and, in some centres, five to seven years.

Cost: Cost varies by area, but from around £3.50 to £5.50 per session.

Session times: Times vary. Contact your local group for information.
Contact: Visit www.jojingles.co.uk or call 01494 778989.

Baby signing classes - TinyTalk
TinyTalk Classes are designed to help families understand and experience the amazing benefits of babies' natural pre-verbal sign language. Through signing before he can talk, your baby can express some of his needs, cutting down on frustrated crying and tantrums, and enhancing the communication between you. Families are taught how to develop their baby's early speech, language and literacy skills, and there's half an hour of social and support time built into each class, too.

Cost: Cost varies by area, but from around £3 per session. The cost is for the whole family, so a second sibling wouldn't be charged.

Session times: Times vary. Contact individual groups for information.

Contact: Visit www.tinytalk.co.uk or call 0870 2424 898 (Mon-Thurs, 9.30am-2.30pm).

South-east

All the fun of the circus with !Gambado!
A relative newcomer to baby and child play and entertainment, !Gambado! offers circus-themed fun to children from birth to age 10. As yet exclusive to the south-east, with centres in Basildon, Beckenham, Chelsea and Milton Keynes, the indoor play specialist offers a range of age-appropriate adventure play areas. These include arts and craft zones, dance classes, music and baby signing classes and pottery sessions, as well as traditional fairground rides like dodgems and a carousel.

There's an interactive sports wall and a chill-out zone, with internet access for adults and older children. The Little Top cafe offers healthy snacks and drinks all day long. Managing director Iain Westwater says: 'While working in Holland I came across a children's play concept and decided to bring the idea to the UK.' He is hoping to open four new centres a year.

Cost: From £2.50 per three-hour session for babies under one year old.

Session times: 9.30am-6.30pm seven days (except Christmas and Easter).

Contact: Visit www.gambado.com, call 01372 861045 or email jgale@gambado.com.

South Manchester and Warrington

First sport and fitness - Little Superstars
Operating in south Manchester and Warrington, the club runs two different ranges of classes for young children. Walking to school age offers activity sessions introducing young children to various sports skills and fitness exercises, using games and an activity of the week. After-school clubs and holiday schemes for reception year to age eight offer various multi-sports.

Cost: Sessions are £4.50 each, payable half-termly. Free taster session offered to all newcomers. No joining fee.

Session times: Times vary. Contact individual groups for information.

Contact: Visit www.littlesuperstars.co.uk, call 07904 311552 or email louise@littlesuperstars.co.uk.

South-east and Birmingham

Swimming for babies - Aquakiddies/babies
Swimming classes for parents and babies from eight weeks old are aimed at developing strength, stamina and agility, water confidence and safety, and the ability to swim above and under the water. The emphasis is on playing whilst training and classes are designed to educate parents in the correct teaching method. No swimming aids are used.

Cost: Cost varies by area, but from around £45-£65 for a five-week course.

Session times: Times vary. Contact individual groups for information.

Contact: Visit www.aquababies-uk.com or call 01273 833101.