Below is feedback from some of the clients that attend my classes.
February 2011 - Kate, Seb and Gus
Mia, just to say how brilliantly Lucy ran the party today - all the children enjoyed it SO much, and Lucy was completely lovely with them all, and so energetic and enthusiastic. She was also really hands on, and mucked in helping us get ready for the party and clearing up afterwards. Above and beyond the call of duty. Everyone said how brilliant she was, and how fun the party was, so thank you all. Please do pass on our thanks.
We will recommend the parties to everyone!
July 2010 - Helen and Max Noakes
Hi Mia
Max and I attend the Hampstead culture kids on Tuesdays at 3pm and have done since Max was 9 months (he's now nearly 20). Anyway, we are now leaving London to head to leafy Hertfordshire and I just wanted to say a huge thank you. We have both adored Barb and all the lessons. Max just loves it and I'm so sorry to be leaving. I just wanted you to know that we've got hundreds of special memories to treasure thanks to Culture Kids and Barbs totally enigmatic and wonderful cheery personality. She is an absolute gem.
Really sorry to be leaving and hope it comes to Harpenden soon!
Thank you.
July 2010 - Barbara Snell
Mia, thank you for the wonderful entertainment you provided for Dillon's party. I wanted you to know that your singing, dancing and spectacular props really were the life of the party!
Thank you.
June 2010 - Antonia Grant
Mia organised my son's 5th birthday party and I can honestly say it was an absolutely stress free experience. Mia is calm, organised and professional She contributed a host of original and fun ideas and provided a top to bottom service meaning all we had to do was pretty much turn up and enjoy the party. All the children joined in the fun, whilst all the parents were commenting on what a great party it was. I would recommend her without hesitation.
Well done you!
May 2010 - Hampstead London Mum
I am a mum to an 18 month old boy. I and/or his nanny take him to 6-7 toddler classes a week to keep him occupied and he has been attending culture kids since he was about 10 months old. It is great to have a class in the afternoons as there are so few during this period. Sadly, we have to leave London and therefore leave the class but I wanted to let you know that Culture Kids is by far the best class I have ever attended. Barb, who runs the Hampstead class is utterly brilliant with infectious enthusiasm.
March 2010 - Eleni
WOW, what a party!!! We had such a great time & Barb was amazing!!
A big thank you for helping me organising everything...the hotel staff were superb, food and service very good. Highly recommend the venue and Barb of course!
March 2010 - Asli
You guys did an amazing job setting up and we were very happy with the results. The gift bags were wonderful, everybody said the decorations were lovely, and you were great with the kids. Please also thank Paul again for the cake.
Thank you also for spending so much time going over the details with me on the phone; I certainly think it was worth it.
Thanks again and get a good rest.
January 2010 - Lyn Abba
I write this partly as a testimonial but mainly as a huge thank you. As you know Cameron has absolutely loved Culture Kids classes from 10 minutes into her first one when, after staring gravely at Barb for a while, she gave a little wiggle and threw herself forward to grab the instruments and give them a good shaking. It has been such a great opportunity for her to interact with her friends; to play with the props; to explore the instruments; to create music and to express herself. I really like your philosophy and approach and I must say I have enjoyed the classes very much too!
If we had not been encouraged by Jaz to take up the opportunity of a trial class I would never have thought that Cameron would get so much from Culture Kids even at 8 and a half months old. She really is like a little sponge soaking up all that she is offered. She so impressed everyone when on a shopping trip to buy her a drum the salesman held it out to her in her pram and she immediately started banging on it. Now that I am returning to work and we are settling Cameron into day nursery the ladies there say it is clear that such classes have helped her to be a well socialised little girl who is not intimidated by a group environment and so this very difficult process (especially for Mummy) is being made that much easier.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you every success in Chiswick - especially as if we have a second child the Abbas will definitely be back. But in any event I have every intention of signing us up for your cooking classes as soon as Cam is old enough.
To any other parents considering trying Culture Kids I would definitely say go for it; take advantage of the trial session and bring your camera!
Wishing you all the best,
Lyn Abba (Mother of Cameron Abba)
January 2010 - Sabrina Lemer
Once again I turned to Mia to help organize my daughter's science party and she did the most incredible job. She really allowed me to enjoy my daughter's party because she was so efficient and organized. I knew I had nothing to worry about because everything was in Mia's overly capable hands. Mia organized the entire party, the venue and gave me an amazing idea for my take away gift, which she could have organized with ease as well. As always Mia was so cheery and lovely - she made the entire experience stress free and everything was delicious to boot! Plus the kids had the most incredible time.
Sabrina Lemer
Mother to Alexandra, 6 and Vanessa age 3 and four quarters.
November 2009 - Jen
I just wanted to say thank you for all you did for Ivy's birthday. Ivy had a fantastic time, you really made her feel like the star of the party. The party also got rave reviews from all the other children and adults that attended. The garden party theme was fantastic, I appreciate all the effort you put into planning the art and other activities and sourcing the perfect decorations, gift bags, cake, food etc. Ivy's ladybird balloon is still floating around our house, she loves it.
Thanks again for all your help in this. I will certainly be recommending you and Culture Kids to other parents.
Thanks again Mia.
March 2009 - Trish
I wish I had a little of what it is you seem to have.
Your bloody amazing.
Thank you so very much for a wonderful party.
And thanks for making Ethan feel SO SPECIAL. Trish xxx
February 2009 - NW3 Kids, February Newsletter
Mum, March hare or mad hatter? Trying to be all things to your precious poppet requires several types of headgear. But when it comes to providing a stimulating and creative environment for your little Cheshire cat, why not leave the crafting to the pro's...
Culture Crafts (part of Culture Kids) offers fabulous creative classes in NW3 with the high quality we've come to expect: small classes, quality equipment and attentive tuition. The real fun comes when you focus on the different theme of each week. All designed to inspire in your tot an appreciation for the world around them - a real wonder (of the) land.
Of course, there's an Alice too - a lovely trained nanny with an art degree, she combines her passions with enthusiasm and verve.
Sign up for the weekly classes, and ensure your spot as your little prince’s Queen of Hearts.
January 2009 - Kate Majit, Kensington
As an ex-Pat Mom from the US, I did a lot of research to help make the transition a smooth one for my son, who was coming over at 8 months old. I spoke to several other mothers who were either already in London or had recently moved back to the States, and among the various recommendations that I received, I consistently was told that I had to sign my son up for Culture Kids. Within the first week of my arrival to London, my son and I went to try out a class and we were absolutely hooked! Culture Kids is, without a doubt, like no other children's class that I have ever seen (both in the UK and the US!). Mia's enthusiasm is infectious and her creativity is unmatched. From the African rain forest to the the Australian outback, each week is a different theme, accompanied by the most exotic instruments, the most adorable stuffed animals and the most decorative costumes for the children to play with! Plus, Mia always carefully chooses the music that she plays each week to make sure it closely relates to the theme of the day (think "eye of the tiger" when learning about wild animals!)! While my son and his friends always have a blast each week, I also feel fulfilled, not only because my son is so happy, but also because there is always some interesting factoid about an animal or a country or an instrument that Mia shares with the class. It's truly fun and educational at the same time!
I also recently threw my son a party for his 2nd birthday and asked Mia to serve as the entertainment. Since she usually does a party like she would a normal class, I knew it would be a hit. As expected, Mia did an amazing job, and even my friends that had never been to a Culture Kids class before could not get over how fantastic she was and how much fun their kids were having! I can not stress enough how special a class this is, and how special Mia is. She has become a staple in our weekly routine and I feel so fortunate that my son has been able to experience such a unique and wonderful class.
January 2009 - Julie Donohue
My daughter first started with Culture Kids when she was around 10 months old. She immediately took a liking to the teacher, Mia, as did I. What first impressed me about the class was that the teacher didn't talk down to the children or put on a fake clown-like performance. I also liked that CK doesn't always sing the same old tired children's songs. For instance when doing a class on fish and underwater, we sang 1,2,3,4,5 I Once Caught a Fish Alive, but we also sang Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid. When learning about Africa, the teacher played the Toto song, Africa. How cool is that? A treat for the moms. But generally I really liked the teacher's approach to the class and the children. The kids were encouraged to interact with all of the toys, instruments, dolls, etc put before them. There were no strict rules that the children couldn't make noise, play or act their age like some London classes. The class is definitely structured, organized and very well run, but it isn't so rigid that your child is punished if they do something out of turn.
What really grabbed my attention with Culture Kids, however, was the basic concept of teaching children about other cultures and the world around them. Most children's classes are either gym based or music based. The gym classes are just running, jumping and climbing, while the music classes are just sitting in a circle, banging on some instruments and singing nursery rhymes. Culture Kids goes a step further by teaching kids about wildlife, various countries, different holidays, different aspects of the weather and even simple health and hygiene. This is done by singing various songs, looking at photos of different animals, styles of dress, flowers, etc, playing with toys from different countries, wearing masks, and dressing up in native clothes. Living in London, you'll see how international the city is. It's nice to pass this information and opportunity onto your children.
All in all, Culture Kids is a lot of fun for the kids, but also enjoyable for the parents as well. The atmosphere is very relaxed and personable. The children always seem to love it. I'm sure if you asked my daughter what her favorite part of Culture Kids is, she would either say all of the cool toys (Mia, the owner, has an amazing collection of original toys from around the world, not sold in local shops), Mia herself (my kids adore Mia) or the enormous bubbles she makes at the end of class. In any case, I don't think you'll be disappointed by signing up for a class with Culture Kids.
October 2008 - Juliet, Gus and Ford
As a first time mum I wanted to try as many baby classes as possible - as a second time mum Culture Kids is the only one I still do! Both my sons have absolutely loved Culture Kids - perfect pace and really well thought through subjects - every class... They are a wonderful experience. Thank you Mia and the team.
September 2008 - Alexandra Dent, St John’s Wood
We first discovered Mia’s party entertainment in October 2006. Like many parents, we find ourselves going to a number of children’s birthday parties at weekends, and the level of children’s entertainment varies, to say the least. It was such a revelation to attend a party with Mia as the entertainer. Not only were the children completely enthralled from beginning to end—a key component to a successful party but we have seen too many children wandering off to do their own thing to know that this is by no means always the case—but it was also huge fun for the parents, carers and grandparents to join in as well. Importantly however, the adults don’t have to take part if they don’t want to and the entertainment never intrusively takes over the party.
We have now attended several parties where Mia or one of her team has been in charge of keeping the little ones amused and all of them have been completely different and equally fantastic. When our daughter celebrated her first birthday in July this year, we needed entertainment not so much for her and her friends, but for our son who is two, and all of his friends who are the older siblings of our daughter’s friends. We were surprised and delighted to see how the very little ones enjoyed the fun just as much as the older children and the party was a huge success on all levels. Mia clearly goes to a great deal of effort to find educational and innovative ways to keep the children occupied and interested and we look forward to many more parties with Mia in command as well as her weekly classes.
Mia’s ability to remember children’s and parents’ names from one party to the next is also very impressive!
July 2008 - Lexi & Vanessa
Culture kitchen has been a wonderful experience for my daughter, lexi. We started the class when she was two and a half and I have watched her master chopping, basting, cracking, kneeding and sifting. Forgetting the incredible improvement in her hand eye coordination, culture kitchen has helped her try foods from all over the world. All the while teaching her about so many different cultures I can't keep track!
The class also combines an art project related to the country at hand and Mia is amazingly creative and always makes up something really fun and doable for the kids.
Lexi is four and a half now and her interest in the culture kitchen has not waned at all. We recently decided that her sister Vanessa, age two was ready to join in on the fun and they love going to the class together!!
April 2008 - Marc
Mia, in one word, is fabulous! Much like she runs her Culture Kitchen classes, for our son's 3rd birthday, she put a tremendous amount of effort into the preparation of the party. As parents, we can appreciate that planning is the key to a successful party. Once deciding the theme of the party with us, Mia went and purchased and prepared the decorations, gift bags, games, and food for the party. Her staff, as always, were efficient and friendly with the children. She communicated with us through the whole process. And as always, Mia was full of imaginative ideas. What more can we say - thoughtful, organised, caring, and executes well. Well, we can add that her partner was involved and kind to the children - he made a great Jedi. Thank you Mia, we'd be happy to speak to anyone who is interested.
March 2008 - Blake Townsend
A Culture Kids party is a joy for parents and children. My three year old and TWENTY of his classmates were completely mesmerized. Every single child was interested and involved.
Most entertainers only keep the interest of 2/3 of the children, Mia had every single child singing, dancing and having a great time.
January 2008 - Jamie's nana
I just wanted to say how much I, as a grandparent, have enjoyed coming to your classes. You always make me feel so welcome and quite special (a mention in the hello song and the goodbye song is so thoughtful). My little grandaughter Jamie loves the music and the dancing and I think that it is extra special to be able to share it with her without being made to feel that I have to perform in anyway or be too energetic. Indeed for that hour at the class I feel just like a young mum again and Jamie and I go home ready to talk about all the things we've seen and enjoyed. I taught geography to senior school pupils for many years and I think the way you manage to introduce new countries, their customs and the animals to under two year olds is quite amazing. keep up the good work!!
July 2007 - Malcolm
I have always believed that a child's love of music starts early and so was very happy to discover Mia's Culture Kids classes. Being exposed to a broad range of musical experiences provides a wonderful basis for development of a lifelong emotional outlet and Ella has already shown how much she enjoys what she hears. Since joining the class at 16 months she has also been fascinated by the range of musical instruments and toy animals that Mia has us play with and is consequently less inclined to be fearful of insects and other animals she has not encountered before.
Most importantly for us and Ella has been the confidence she has gained in being with a group of children. She has gone from holding back and observing to wanting to participate in the activities and trying to act as 'Mia's Assistant'!
Many thanks Culture Kids
June 2007 - Antoinette and Isabella
Just before Isabella's 2nd birthday, I began looking for a class that would be a little 'more' than the mummy and baby level classes we'd been attending... a little more music, a little more dancing, a little more creativity, a little more educative. But I still wanted it to be loads of fun and not too 'serious'.
Little did I know that when we found Culture Kids... we didn't find something just a 'little' more... we found something perfect!
We arrived to try out our introductory session and we met Mia. She welcomed us warmly and enthusiastically... and didn't let us feel new or like outsiders for a moment. We joined the class and learned new things, we sang, we danced (well, Isabella danced - I clapped), we played fun instruments and we had stories read to us. I knew immediately we had found a very special place.
Every week we learn about something 'fun'... about animals we love, places that are fascinating, and cultures that are important. The amount of work that must go into the set up and delivery of each week is amazing and very much appreciated.
The format is lively, the content spot on and Mia.. well, she's just fab. Every week Isabella can't wait to see her new 'teacher' Mia and learn about something new... and to be honest, neither can we!
Thank you Mia and Culture Kids, from your fans.
January 2007 - Emma
Kitty and I were lucky enough to first stumble across Mia and Culture Kids when Kitty, now 2 3/4, was only 10 months old. I was looking for a class to enrol us in and didn't like what else was on offer. Mia's group just hit the spot. She has brilliantly put together a unique programme for our little ones, which takes everyone involved on a magical journey to all corners of the world, through stories, play roll and wonderfully sourced songs, which often have a witty twist for the adults.
Mia's storage room must look like a film studio's prop department, as she always brings along the most amazing collection of masks, musical instruments and toys from remote places on our planet.
Mia and Culture Kids have been a very special part of the time that I've spent with my little girl, and something that I will never forget. I hope that Kitty can come along when she's in her teens, as I would seriously miss my weekly dose.
Thanks for everything Mia. See you next term.
January 2006 - Fariya and Raya
We first heard about Mia over a year ago, when I was looking for an end of the week activity to do with my 18mth daughter, Raya.
A web-search of children's groups in our area, led us to the very interesting 'Culture Kids' website. As a parent who has been lucky enough to travel, I was sold on a promise of stories from lands far away.
Mia manages to capture, hold and enthral her class (including the adults) every week with her explanations of various animals from all corners of the globe, the sun, the cold and different countries and their people to name but a few.
The props that are always used to illustrate what is being discussed are equally fascinating. I am always amazed by what I learn and the 45 Min's just flies by.
But it's not all discussions and stories! Remember all those 'golden oldies' songs that you'd recognise? Raya loves being handed different noisy instruments to shake, rattle and roll along with them.
And when the opportunity to jump around like toddlers always seem to manage effortlessly, I honestly couldn't be up fast enough to join in!!
As for the bubbles finale, well you can imagine the squeals of delight.
I know Raya and I leave every week totally exhilarated and uplifted that our weekend has just begun on such a high note.
Thank you Mia for making our Friday's so special!
June 2005 - Wendy Cope & Isky, Kensington
When I started my new job in Kensington, I expected to join my new charge Isky going along to new classes. Little did I know I was about to discover something completely original, new and exciting. This is where my journey with Culture Kids begun...
First you meet Mia, a wonderfully enthusiastic teacher who welcomes old and new members with a warm smile as each class begins.
Mia's dedication for teaching your children about our beautiful world is obvious and she passes on all of her knowledge gained from her many travels in an exciting way so the children understand and have so much fun as well.
There is a new theme every week which always engages the children and they sit open eyed waiting for the next adventure Mia will take them on.
They will learn about different countries and their cultures, all sorts of different animals and as they are encouraged by Mia to answer questions and express their opinions, they develop lots of new social skills.
The [musical] instruments are fantastic and lots are beautifully decorated and most have been collected by Mia from all over the world.
The music is always different and almost every class, Mia plays us a new song which we haven't heard before.
There is an impressive array of wonderful animals to help Mia teach. Animatronic hippos, elephants, crocodiles and lots more.
Our class is at the Thistle Hotel in Kensington in a large room with lots of space for the children to run around, jump like a kangaroo and stamp like an elephant!
Culture Kids is truly visionary and every class leaves Isky and I energised, happy and having learnt something new.
Looking forward to another year of Culture Kids.
Thank you, Mia!
March 2005 - John
Pay attention Dads, you might just learn something...
...like how to use an Aboriginal Rainmaker, or how the leopard got his spots, or what a laughing hyena sounds like!!
But what you won't need to learn is how to enjoy Mia's classes. That starts from the moment she welcomes you to Culture Kids.
The class I've been to takes place on Wednesday afternoons in Private Screening Room at The Everyman, Hampstead, perfect for anyone who lives in, or can get to, the village.
The cornucopia of curiosities collected by Mia from around the world seems inexhaustible: so there's always something new to touch and hold, something new to listen to and look at, and something new to learn.
Mia's enthusiasm is infectious and I have to rely on my chaperone, Lily, aged three-and-a-quarter, to ensure that I don't get too carried away with the singing, music-making and Q and A sessions.
Mia's classes are a pre-schoolers delight and I'd recommend them to anyone.
March 2005 - Christoph Driessen
Before I took my children to Culture Kids for the first time, I thought: "This is something for Mums, what am I doing here?" But then it turned out to be great fun. I had the rare chance to get to know my children from a totally new side. Now I am really looking forward to taking them to Mia's classes whenever I can.
January 2005 - Aurelie
As every mum tries to choose best for her young child's first approach to learning, I was eager to find a nice little first session for my 18 month-old boy. I tried a few different ones which in fact were all the same : a tiny room crowded with prams, chatty mothers, bored looking toddlers and an entertainer more concerned with pilling up songs and cheques than in actually teaching something to the children... So when I found Culture Kids, a class of 45mns of pure learning and fun, I was delighted.
The venue is airy (and believe me it makes a difference!)
The children get to see, feel, experience the endless props Mia uses to support the weekly theme.
She is warm and attentive to the children, interacts with them and is always ready to answer their queries however obscure they may be!!
Above all, the children get to travel round the world through all kinds of music, animals, instruments and stories...Not only Milo learns something new every Friday, I do too!!!!
October 2004 - Mrs C Middleton-Roy, Kensington
Culture Kids is in Kensington!
I cannot praise 'Culture Kids' enough, it is a sheer delight and we are so very lucky to finally have it in this area.
Mia the teacher is totally committed to intriguing and educating the children (and us parents are mesmerised too!). Her vast nannying experience and warm understanding of keeping young children's interest shows, she doesn't talk down to them but brings possibly complex subjects right to their level. Mia has themes each week which genuinely are fun and educational eg, the food chain, the weather, cultures around the world - and she has an amazing array of pristine clever and beautiful gadgetry collected by her truly from around the globe (she actually references everything to her wonderful inflatable globe!), such as giving the children the chance to look at and play with real Aboriginal / Zulu dolls and talk about their culture. She shows us animatronics animals such as an elephant with a rubbery trunk and she shows how it would drink water, how a wolf would howl, the children get to hold on the various species of penguin for the duration of the class, play with genuine instruments collected from around the world eg, drums from the Lebanon etc etc.
This is the future of children's classes and is utterly forward-thinking and insightful and a complete hoot. We dance to very wittily picked relevant pop songs and classics illustrating subjects raised in the class and get lots of exercise throughout the classes, play many instruments and basically combine everything you could wish for in a class for your wee ones (you see I am a huge fan!).
Every detail has been thought out and the class is in a beautiful, clean, safe environment at the Thistle Park Hotel, Kensington (no worries if your tiny wants to also explore the pristine carpets here!) just off High Street Kensington.
Culture Kids is actually life-changing and life-enhancing, there is no end to its merits!
July 2004 - Matthew and his mum Joan
We just wanted to say Thank You for all the fun in your wonderful classes!
Matthew enjoys them so much and gets so excited every time we approach the Everyman Cinema (which is a problem when we're just passing by on a day when there's no class!) He even talks about you ("Mia - teacher - bubbles"). I also want to congratulate you on coming up with a program that is fun and interesting for the Mums too. It is so nice to do something different each week, and I look forward to coming as well (so many of the classes I've tried with Matthew are great for the kids but really tedious for the adults).
I think it's great that you can make parents feel so enthusiastic too - I think the kids get so much out of it when the parents genuinely enjoy being there.
We'll miss you this summer and are already looking forward to starting again in the autumn.
Thanks again & have a great summer!