Little City arrives in Scotland! First-ever Scottish branch to open in Glasgow

Little City UK, the award-winning mobile role-play experience for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, is coming to Glasgow.

The brand, which has 38 franchises across England, will open its first-ever Scottish branch this March. 

Starting on the 08 March, the Little City Glasgow and The West branch will host regular sessions at:

• The Rock Bowling Club and Riverside Parish, Dumbarton

• Ellangowan Social Club, Milngavie

• The Heart of Scotstoun Community Centre, Glasgow

Play sessions are currently available on Mondays, Tuesdays and weekends, and more venues are coming as of April.

The new franchise will be led by primary teacher and local mum Julie O’Hare, who discovered the joy of Little City play sessions by chance during a family holiday last summer. She was with her family on a P&O cruise around the Mediterranean and was looking for activities for her four-year-old daughter. She came across the imaginative, free-style pretend-play sessions hosted by Little City and was quickly inspired by what was on offer. 

She says, “My daughter loves anything to do with dressing up and pretend play. We were only three days into our holiday when we went along to a Little City session, and I just thought it was brilliant!  We ended up going to quite a few sessions while we were on holiday, as my wee girl thought it was great and had so much fun playing together at Little City.”

“I was really impressed by the variety of options available and how the children were engaging in all the toys and settings. It was completely different to anything I’d seen before, so I wanted to bring this back to Glasgow.”

Little City’s mobile set‑up features a mini “city” of beautifully designed, child‑sized role‑play zones, from a supermarket and construction site to a hair salon, vets, and emergency services. It is designed to allow children to explore the world through imaginative, pretend play.

Julie’s background as a primary school teacher meant that she immediately knew how valuable these sessions were for children. 

“Play is vital in early childhood,” she explains. “It helps develop problem‑solving, communication, and social and emotional skills, which in turn, make it much easier to help pre-schoolers cope with the transition when they start school. Little City offers children the chance to learn through fun, familiar scenarios, and it gives parents and carers the chance to play alongside them in a relaxed, welcoming environment.”

Julie is incredibly proud to be opening the first-ever Little City branch in Scotland, and she describes it as being both “exciting” and “nerve-racking”. Her branch will cover Dumbarton, Balloch, Alexandria, Clydebank, Milngavie, Bearsden, the West End of Glasgow, Glasgow City Centre and surrounding areas.

She wants her sessions to provide a friendly, reassuring space for parents, something she valued after becoming a new mum during the pandemic. 

She adds, “I remember going to a baby class when my daughter was just a few months old, when people were allowed to attend face-to-face sessions again.  I felt anxious and found the experience daunting.  I remember the lovely welcome I got from the lady leading the baby session, and I felt more at ease straight away.  Therefore, it's important to me that anyone attending my Little City session feels welcome and at ease.  A lot of the time, being a parent can be stressful.  For me, Little City is about having fun and playing with your child in a relaxed and welcoming environment.”

Nationally, Little City UK has built its reputation on delivering imaginative play sessions for toddlers and pre-schoolers in a wide range of settings. Its mobile nature means it can pop up almost anywhere, from schools and nurseries to community groups and even care homes. The concept has even been used for corporate events and prison visits, transforming spaces into child-friendly play areas.

As founder Vicki Fletcher says, 

“It’s always exciting to have a new franchise opening, but to be crossing over the border into Scotland is a fantastic feeling. We’re delighted to have Julie on board, and she’s got some incredible ideas on how she can work with local community groups, schools and nurseries. Her teaching background makes her the perfect person to lead the franchise, and we’re so excited to give her all the support she needs to become a big success.”

For more information about Little City UK, please visit www.littlecityuk.com or follow Julie on social media @littlecityglasgow