Lennox House has been around for a long time as a playgroup and meeting place for parents and their bubs and children.

As a Child & Family Health Nurse, working at Camperdown ECHC, I was often invited along to give talks on toddler issues to the parents.

Lennox House is a centre for parents and children from birth to five years. Offering activities including playgroup, occasional care, baby and kindy gym and music for toddlers.

The activities are designed to involve parents and their children learning together.

All activities are prepared and delivered by fully qualified early childhood trained teachers who are supported by a teacher's aide.

Throughout the week they run a series of activities for 0 - 5-year-olds which include playgroup, Kindy and Baby gym, music for tots and occasional care. Most of these programs are simply drop-in programs and they charge only a nominal fee.

All Lennox House activities are run during normal school term dates.

Kindy and Baby Gym

Is held 3 times per week in Australia Street Infants School Hall.

Baby gym is held once per week catering for 0-2-year-olds. Kindy gym is held twice per week and caters for 0-5-year-olds.

It provides opportunities for children to develop their gross motor skills through rolling, crawling, bouncing, sliding, balancing, climbing, jumping, pushing, rocking and throwing.

Ocassional Care

Occasional care is held 2 afternoons per week providing the parents/caregivers of 2-5 year olds with an opportunity to leave their child in care for 2 hours.Each session the children play indoors and outdoors interacting with a variety of activities. They hear stories, sing and dance and cook or create craftwork to take home.A maximum of 10 children can attend each session. Bookings are essential for all sessions and are only taken on Mondays by phoning Lennox House Office on 9519 3839

Cost: $10 per 2 hour session.

Music for Tiny Tots

Music for tiny tots is a 30-minute weekly session of moving music, singing songs and nursery rhymes, finger plays and percussion instruments.

It is a developmental program designed to introduce children to a wide range of music and movement experiences.

The program is run in the Lennox House play area.

Cost: $3.00 per family per session

Playgroup

Provides opportunities for children to interact with others and explore sand, water, playdough, paint and collage materials. Children have opportunities to ride bikes, climb and slide, throw balls and hoops, play dress ups, listen to stories, do puzzles, play games, use musical instruments and build with blocks. Parents/caregivers are able to relax, meet others with children of similar ages and share parenting experiences. Morning tea is prepared using fruit that each parent/career brings. Sandwiches and fruit juice are supplied.

Cost: $3.00 per family and a piece of fruit.

Toy Library

Open daily during playgroup and provides regular Lennox House users with a range of educational toys for borrowing at a very affordable yearly fee. Toys are returned fortnightly and we ask that they be returned in clean working order or extra fees may be charged.

Cost: $15.00 per family per year

To use this wonderful service, all you need to do is register at Australia Street School.

The centre is run by Tracy Stewart, Monday to Wednesday and Colleen Taylor Thursday to Friday.

Their contact phone no is 9519 3839.

Occasional Care is held 2 afternoons a week, catering for 2-5-year-olds. The carers/parents can leave their children in the childcare for 1hour 45 minutes. There is a variety of activities to amuse the children. They can play indoors or out, listen to stories, sing, and dance, cook, create craftwork to take home.

Costs are $10 per session.

Once a term they also have parent information sessions where guest speakers are invited to attend and topics are varied. There are run by either Lennox House staff or invited recognised health professionals.

So all in all a marvelous place. If you live in the INNER WEST of Sydney give it a try. I think it's a very special place and a goldmine of resources and support for every parent and child.

A proper little gem.