Families Manchester Issue 48 Nov-Dec 2014

Edition 48 • Nov/Dec 2014

The local magazine for families with children 0-12 years www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

@FamiliesManch facebook.com/familiesmanchester

® MANCHESTER

In this issue > Countdown to Christmas!

Family shows, panto’s, gift ideas and where to find Santa > Party directory > Clubs & classes directory

Q. What do

Families and Bizzy Bitz have in common?

A. See page 15 for answer

Covering: Altrincham, Trafford, Salford, Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Didsbury, Stockport, Cheadle, Bramhall, and surrounding areas.

FREE

News In this issue

02: News 03: Education 06: Clubs & classes 08: Parties 10: Parents’ place 13: Christmas Shopping 16: Where’s Santa 18: Panto’s & family shows 21: What’s on

Hello!

OK, we confess, it’s been pretty hard to get into the Christmas spirit this early here at Families HQ. It seems like only yesterday we were planning our summer jollies, and suddenly we’ve had to switch gear and get all tinselled up! At least it’s made it a bit easier to resist the supermarket’s early sales of buckets of chocolates, although we can feel ourselves weakening….

As usual, there’s loads to do in the area over the festive season – countless fabulous panto’s and other family shows, shopping fairs, finding santa….and you’ll find everything you need right here! Of course, with our print deadlines being so early, not all event info is available as yet, so please do keep logging on to our website and our What’s On Calendar, as we’ll be uploading more events as they become available.

Get into film

Explore the power of film with Into Film Festival 2014. Taking place 4–21 November, this three-week festival is packed with free screenings and workshops for ages 5–19, with highlights including exclusive premieres and previews of new feature films, workshops, special events and Q&A sessions with industry experts, accompanied by innovative teaching resources.

Britain’s Got Talent comes to Manchester

The nation’s favourite talent show, Britain’s Got Talent is back on the road once again scouring the length and breadth of the country with its biggest-ever open audition tour visiting a total of eleven cities across the UK and Ireland.

The show will be heading to Manchester from Sunday 7 – Tuesday 9 December to uncover some of the best talent around, looking for wonderful, weird and astounding acts for next year’s series. Aspiring stars can attend auditions between 11am and 6pm at Manchester Central Convention Complex (M2 3GX).

This year’s winners musical theatre boy

band Collabro, who were crowned in front of an audience of 13million viewers at home, have gone on to amazing success having secured a No.1 hit with their debut album Stars. The band will also be touring next year alongside fellow 2014 finalist Lucy Kay, who is has just released her debut album Fantasia.

Other success stories from this series include musical duo Bars & Melody whose single, Hopeful reached number 5 in the chart in July, and swing band Jack Pack, who have recently signed a deal to release their debut album in 2015.

Anyone looking to emulate the success of previous finalists should take a chance and apply now for the open auditions ahead of the judges audition tour in 2015.

The show is open to any performer of any age, from any background, with any talent - all they need is a skill and star quality which they think will impress. Anything goes from comedians to contortionists, dancers to drag acts and acrobats to animals.

Go to www.itv.com/talent to apply.

colourful or futuristic, so get stuck in now for the chance to win a prize of up to £300.

To accompany National Anti-Bullying Week, Actionwork is running Anti-Bullying Month throughout November, with a theme of Creatively Dealing with Bullying.

The Anti-Bullying Roadshow tours the UK with a packed spectacle showcasing a variety of strategies in dealing with bullying, and highlighting ways to empowerment. Music and science, strategies and up-to-date research on bullying are all used in the workshops, plus they run Anti-Bullying Puppet Shows for younger children and creative

cyberbullying workshops for older kids.

Bullying can happen to anyone at any age and at any time. National Anti-Bullying Week recommends ChildLine as an excellent resource on how to spot bullying, possible reasons of why bullying occurs and suggestions on how to stop it. ChildLine offers free support 24 hours a day on 0800 1111 or www.childline.co.uk.

Find out more about bullying and how to stop it, as well as everything you need to know about Anti-Bullying Week at www.antibullyingweek.co.uk.

Closing date for the Let’s Stop Bullying Together competition is 12 December 2014.

Have a fabulous festive season!

Caryl Hall

Jayne Keep Simon Cowell celebrating Collabro’s debut album reaching number 1

Next issue: Jan/Feb 2015 Circulation: 25,000 copies of Families Manchester are available through nurseries, schools, libraries, selected shops and other points throughout Greater Manchester.

If you would like free copies for your organisation, please let us know.

Contact details: Families Manchester, 3 Hall Hill, Bollington SK10 5ED Tel: 01625 801 801 www.familiesmanchester.co.uk Editorial: editor@familiesmanchester.co.uk Advertising/artwork: advertising@familiesmanchester.co.uk Events, diary dates, what’s on: events@familiesmanchester.co.uk Cover photograpy: teneight studios, Macclesfield 01625 500488 / www.teneightstudios.co.uk

Print: Bishops Printers, Walton Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 1TR Tel: 023 9233 4900 www.bishops.co.uk Families Manchester is part of the Families group, established in 1990 and headed by Families South West.

All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under license.

We take every care preparing the magazine, but the publishers and distributors can’t be held responsible for the claims of advertisers, the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequences. @FamiliesManch www.facebook.com/familiesmanchester

Design: Paul Wilson Graphic Design, Congleton.

Tel: 07743 111 694, www.withpaul.co.uk

Stamp out bullying

National Anti-Bullying Week takes place 17–21 November, with this year’s theme of Let’s Stop Bullying Together. The Anti-Bullying Week website is packed with resources for schools, parents and children, plus online workshops and short films on how to survive bullying.

Why not take part in their Anti-Bullying Competition, too? ‘Let’s Stop Bullying Together’ is an exciting opportunity for children to get involved in Anti-Bullying Week by designing a gadget, drawing a picture, writing a story, song or poem, taking a photo, or shooting a film or documentary. Entries can be fun, entertaining, serious, creative,

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Highlighting both the educational power of film and the magic of cinema, the festival is open to schools, parents and youth groups and offers a wealth of opportunities for a fun and stimulating day out. The event hopes to build on the success of last year’s festival, which saw over 200,000 young people attending over 1,300 special screenings and events across the UK. It‘s a fantastic opportunity to get young people to cinemas that they wouldn’t otherwise visit and have a collective experience that they can then take back to the classroom to discuss, plus they get to watch films they wouldn’t otherwise necessarily see. Book now at www.intofilm.org/festival

Education Lady Barn House School wins an independent schools’ Oscar!

Competing against hundreds of top schools nationwide, the coeducational preparatory school on Schools Hill in Cheadle recently won what is widely regarded as the blue ribbon category – Excellence and Innovation in Provision Award.

Lady Barn House School’s presentation focused on their state of the art ICT network, the availability of personal laptops for all pupils, their Able, Gifted and Talented programme which saw the school win the BBC Newsround Absolute Genius Competition, the quality of their new science labs and the continuing programme of inspirational visiting speakers.

Headmistress Sheila Marsh (pictured with some of her young inquiring minds), said: “We entered this category because we

believe it gauges the most important aspect of contemporary education and therefore wanted to be judged for our innovative approach to teaching and learning that promotes excellence.

“To be singled out from hundreds of schools the length and breadth of country is a great honour and is testament not only to the hard work of our teachers, but to the vision of the governing body who are looking continually to invest and plan for the future.”

Formed in 1873 by radical educationalist William Henry Herford, Lady Barn House School is now one of the largest co-educational independent preparatory schools anywhere in the country with over 480 pupils.

Mrs Marsh concluded: “William Herford founded this school because he wanted to provide modern coeducation for Victorian boys and girls, many of whom had been held back by a style of teaching we might now label as Dickensian. I am sure he would be proud that the tradition of excellence and innovation at Lady Barn House School is as strong as ever.”

0161 428 2912 / www.ladybarnhouse.stockport.sch.uk

Withington’s exciting new building project

Withington Girls’ School is delighted to report that first foundations have been laid for the construction of a new Junior School building and a central social ‘Hub’ at the heart of the School.

With construction due for completion in summer 2015 – Withington’s 125th anniversary year – the project will deliver a new suite of classrooms for younger pupils, enabling two-form rather than single-form entry in both Years 5 and 6, and enhance accommodation and facilities available for the whole School. The ‘Hub’ will be a light and airy roofed courtyard linking the Junior and Senior departments.

The project has been designed by Manchester and London-based architects Levitt Bernstein, who have created a master plan to meet Withington’s long term development

strategy. Northwest Construction company, Seddon, who have carried out hundreds of school refurbishments in their 115 year history, has been appointed as lead contractor on the project.

Withington’s Headmistress Mrs Sue Marks commented: “Withington has a heritage of vision stretching back to its foundation in 1890.

The new Junior School and Hub will help to ensure that Withington remains at the forefront of girls’ education nationally in the way our founders intended, offering exceptional opportunities for personal development - academic, cultural, sporting and social - and encouraging independence of mind and high aspirations.”

0161 224 1077 / www.withington.manchester.sch.uk

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Education Royal opening at Manchester High School For Girls

Pupils from the Preparatory Department of Manchester High School for Girls had an opportunity of a lifetime when they welcomed Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to School recently. The Princess Royal visited Manchester High to open the School’s fantastic new Sixth Form Centre, and was greeted by dozens of girls waving flags enthusiastically.

The Princess Royal toured the impressive facilities of the Sixth Form Centre and spent time talking to staff and A Level and International Baccalaureate Diploma students before unveiling a plaque to mark the official opening of the building.

Head Mistress Mrs Claire Hewitt said: “We were delighted and privileged to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, to officially open our new Sixth Form Centre during our 140th anniversary year. When Manchester High was founded in 1874, it occupied two converted Victorian houses in Portland Terrace.

The School has come a long way since those early days, and we continue to develop our purpose built, state of the art facilities to benefit successive generations of Manchester High students.”

0161 224 0447 / www.manchesterhigh.co.uk

Advertise in Families Manchester Call Jayne on: 01625 801801 or email advertising@familiesmanchester.co.uk

4 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

A foreign language for all at Primary school

As of this term, teaching a language will become mandatory from Key Stage Two (ages 7 to 11).

Schools will be free to choose from French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish, Latin or Ancient Greek. At Key Stage 3 the guidelines stipulate that a modern language must be taught. Most schools already have some provision for teaching languages, but the new guidelines mean that that there will be a

more uniform approach across England, with a greater focus on grammar and written language.

According to the DfES programme of study: “A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world.

The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing.”

With English teenagers scoring lowest for first foreign language skills in a recent European Commission study of 16 countries, the move to starting earlier is a positive first step towards improving language skills in all key stages.

Should sex education be compulsory for all children?

The Liberal Democrats ignited a lively debate with their recent proposal for reforming sex education. Under the current system, sex education is only mandatory in state secondary schools – the new statement proposes the inclusion of free schools and academies, with ‘age appropriate’ teaching for pupils from Key Stage Two onwards.

In a statement, David Laws, the education minister, said: “We believe that by educating children about sex and relationships in an appropriate way, we can help them to make informed choices in their personal lives.”

Although the move would be highly controversial, it is not without support.

One parent commented: “There are so many more sexualized images in today’s media, from music videos to internet exposure, than any of us had as children. I think teaching them about relationships and not just the biology of sex is long overdue, and will help kids to see through the media hype”.

For more information: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28934047 and www.libdems.org.uk/education_ children

Education Independent Schools Open Events & Entrance Exams Some independent schools across the region hold open events and entrance exams at this time of year and into early January. For ease of reference we’ve listed their events here (please do contact them for full information/booking if necessary), but most schools are also more than happy for you to speak to them to arrange a tour of the school at a time that suits you.

Alderley Edge School for Girls Senior School Working Day Tours: Wed 12 Nov Senior School Taster Day (for Year 6 pupils): Thurs 4 Dec Senior School Entrance Exam: Fri 9 Jan 2015 01625 583028 / www.aesg.co.uk Bolton School Taster Lessons and Open Doors Morning: Thurs 20 Nov, 10.45am – 12.30pm Fri 21 Nov, 10.45am – 12.30pm 01204 840201 / www.boltonschool.org Bridgewater School Whole School Open Day: Sat 8 Nov 10am – 2pm Sixth Form Open Evening: Thurs 13 Nov 6.30 - 8.30pm Whole School Open Day: Thurs 19 Nov 4 – 7pm Senior School Entrance Exam: Fri 30 Jan 2015 0161 794 1463 / www.bridgewater-school.co.uk Bury Grammar School Sixth Form Open Evening: Wed 12 Nov 6.30 – 9pm Senior School Entrance Exam: Thurs 22 Jan 2015 Girls School: 0161 797 2808 / www.bgsg.bury.sch.uk Boys School: 0161 797 2700 / www.bgsboys.co.uk Cheadle Hulme School Whole School Open Morning: Sat 8 Nov 10am – 12.30pm 0161 488 3330 / www.cheadlehulmeschool.co.uk

Lady Barn House School, Cheadle Open Morning: Sat 15 Nov 10am – 12pm 0161 428 2912 / www.ladybarnhouse.stockport.sch.uk Manchester High School for Girls Whole School Open Morning: Sat 15 Nov 9.30am – 12.30pm Whole School Open Morning: Fri 21 Nov 10am - 12.30pm Junior and Senior Entrance Exams: Tues 13 Jan 2015 0161 224 0447 / www.manchesterhigh.co.uk St Bede’s College Open Event: Thurs 6 Nov 6 – 8pm Sixth Form Open Event: Mon 17 Nov 6 – 8pm 11+ Assessment: Sat 17 Jan 2015 Stockport Grammar Sixth Form Open Evening: Wed 12 Nov 7 – 9pm Senior School Open Morning: Sat 15 Nov 10am – 12pm Senior School Entrance Exam: Wed 14 Jan 2015 The King’s School, Macclesfield Life at King’s (for Year 6 pupils): Sat 10 Jan 2015 Infant & Junior Taster Afternoon: Thurs 12 Feb 2015 Senior School Entrance Exam: Fri 16 Jan 2015 01625 260000 / www.kingsmac.co.uk The Manchester Grammar School Whole School Open Morning: Sat 8 Nov 9.30am – 12.30pm Sixth Form Open Evening: Thurs 13 Nov 6pm Senior School Entrance Exam: Wed 21 Jan 2015 0161 224 7201 / www.mgs.org Wilmslow Prep Open Morning: Wed 19 Nov 01625 524246 / www.wilmslowprep.co.uk Withington Girls’ School Junior and Senior School Open Days: Thurs 6 Nov 4.30 - 6.30pm & Sat 8 Nov 10am – 12pm Y7 entry Entrance Exam: Mon 12 Jan 2015 Y3 - 6 entry Entrance Exam: Sat 17 Jan 2015 0161 224 1077 / www.withington.manchester.sch.uk

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Clubs & classes directory Arts & Crafts

Bean & Brush Family art café in Sale offering arty clubs for all ages (children and adults) together with quality food and drink. Winner of Mamas & Papas Child Friendly Eatery 2012 award.

0161 973 2140 / www.beanandbrush.co.uk Brookside Pottery Pottery painting for individuals or groups in Poynton.

07946 637499 / www.brooksidepottery.com Crafty Little Chimps Arts and craft classes for pre-schoolers, suitable for ± 12-18 months onwards). It’s time for fun, mess and creativity - join us for a free taster session at one of our classes in Bramhall, Cheadle or Hazel Grove.

Also available for parties and holiday sessions.

For more information contact Liz on 07717 315837 or email havefun@craftylittlechimps.co.uk. www.craftylittlechimps.co.uk Creative Explorers Art classes in South Manchester run by a professional artist (currently four sessions a week – preschool Monday morning and Friday afternoon and after school Tuesday and Thursday 4 – 5pm). Extra sessions available by arrangement (min 5 children), as well as tailored art and craft parties.

0161 637 2257 / www.creativeexplorers.net Parsley Pie Art Club Unique and quirky artists retreats for children in Hale, Whitefield and Stockport offering after school and Saturday classes as well as holiday workshops.

0161 904 9444 / www.parsleypie.com Pottery Corner Paint-your-own pottery studio in Chorlton, catering for individuals, groups, parties or corporate team-building! 0161 882 0010 / www.potsareforpainting.co.uk

BABIES & TODDLERS

Baby Calm, Sale, Hale and Manchester. Mother & Baby, Baby Calming, Antenatal and Sleep Workshops that empower new parents to raise their baby with confidence.

Claire: 07989 488817 / www.babycalm.co.uk Baby Sensory Sensory development activity programme designed specifically for babies from birth. Activities stimulate the senses and help your baby develop. Classes across Manchester.

Didsbury, Sale & Bowden – Kerry: 07841 126945 Trafford – Emma: 07545 161358 Stockport & Cheadle – Lindsay: 07590 916004 www.babysensory.co.uk Little Monkeys Club, Marple Bridge Increase your child’s confidence, co-ordination and fitness through a fun variety of climbing equipment, soft play, shapes, music and movement (including badge scheme) for children walking to 5 years. Tuesday mornings at Brabyns Recreation Centre, Marple Bridge.

Call Karen 07986 182884 or visit www.karenbrook.co.uk/little-monkeys Rhythm Time Early learning through music – for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

Elton Bury, Greenmount & Whitefield – Janet: 07980 632033 North Cheshire – Jane: 01270 529224 South Manchester – Kimberley: 01625 533510 www.rhythmtime.net Sing and Sign Baby Signing Classes Bolton & Bury – Helen: 07881 507172 Warrington – Nicki 07852 155190 www.singandsign.com TinyTalk Baby signing and singing classes (0-18 months). Altrincham, Didsbury, Urmston & Chorlton – Andrea: 0161 980 3662 Salford, Worsley & Swinton – 0161 943 7005 www.tinytalk.co.uk The Baby Massage Company Touch, Learn, Love.

Learn the art of baby massage, meet other parents in your area & most importantly form a close bond with your baby. Classes currently in Timperley, Hazel Grove & Bramall. Private sessions at your home also available. 07866 468245 / www.thebabymassagecompany.co.uk

YogaBelliesKidz for Blissed Out Babies, Tantrum Free Toddlers and Kool Kidz! Plus fantastic Kidz Party Packages from £6.50 per head!

Contact Angela on 07940 476 953 or angela@yogabellies.co.uk

COOKING

Cookie Tots & Kiddy Cook Unique kids cooking classes and parties exclusively designed for children aged 2 - 11 in Hale & Altrincham – Nikki: 07976 619648 www.kiddycook.co.uk Crafty Cooks A fun-filled cooking class for children from aged 2. Holiday and weekend workshops also available as well as after school classes for older children, and parties for all ages. 07730 681798 / beth@craftycooks.co.uk / www.craftycooks.co.uk Kayterfun Cookery session for little ones at Anchors Away indoor play centre, Stockport, on Fridays at 10.30 – 11.30am. No booking required.

0161 432 4020 / www.anchorsaway.org.uk

DANCE

Baby Ballet A movement to music programme for pre-school boys and girls from 6 months. Bury & Bolton – Miss Jayne: 0161 280 3686 Didsbury & The Heatons – Miss Laura: 07753 111753 / www.babyballet.co.uk Diddi Dance Funky dance classes for 2-4 year old boys and girls in Gatley, East Didsbury, Burnage, Heaton Moor, Bramhall, Cheadle & Poynton. Classes are designed to help your diddi ones enhance their co-ordination and rhythm and to nurture their natural love of movement in a structured yet relaxed 45 minute class. We teach 14 different dance styles from country to hip hop, Bollywood to disco!

Lisa: 07966 542985 / www.diddidance.com Lesley Taylor School of Dance Ballet & Tap for girls and boys age 2+ in Sale, Cheadle, & Timperley. Free trial classes in Timplerley and Cheadle. 07702 808467 / 0161 483 1331 / www.lesleytaylor.net Starlight Theatre School Ballet, Tap and Modern Theatre for children of all ages in Bramhall. Anna: 0161 747 4074 / www.starlightschool.co.uk

LANGUAGE

La Jolie Ronde HappyGoMonkey French is based on fun language learning using games, songs, puppets, dancing, role-play and other exciting activities.

Classes run in schools, nurseries and open centres in central and South Manchester for babies to 11 year olds. Natalie Jensen: 0161 224 9952 www.happygomonkey.co.uk Le Club Francais/El Club Español Fun language clubs for children age 4 – 11. www.lcfclubs.com Talking Tots Fun, interactive classes that help your child communicate with confidence. These unique pre-school classes, which follow the developmental stages of language, are bursting with exciting activities and games designed to gently boost young children’s communication skills and social confidence. Three age appropriate classes which are suitable for children from 12 months to 4 years of age. For classes in Heaton Moor, Didsbury, Chorlton and Stockport contact Siân on 07794 433179 or email sian@talkingtots.info / www.talkingtots.info

MUSIC & SOCIAL Jabberjacks A learning and fun activity pre-school class which helps develop social and physical skills for children aged between 6 months and 4 years old. Parties for ages 2 – 7 also available. South Manchester – Nikki 07587 186284 North Manchester – Gaynor: 0161 790 8080 www.jabberjacks.co.uk

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Jo Jingles Well planned and structured activities to develop children’s communication, listening skills and self-confidence.

High energy action songs, careful percussion playing, and exciting props to keep your child focused and having a great time.

Age specific sessions from 3 months to 4 years, fostering a love of music in very young children.

Manchester North – Jo: 01706 212889 South Manchester – Jacqui: 01925 269136 Mid Cheshire – Eve: 01928 739966 North East Cheshire – Laura: 0161 431 0674 Jittabugs, Sale Activities, games and exercises to promote your child’s movement, balance and memory skills. Drop-in classes at the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale. Wednesdays (10am) or Fridays (10.15am). Tickets from the box office, £4 a session. Karen: 0161 973 2656 / www.jittabugs.com Kiddiewinks / Babywinks Fun, interactive classes and parties for children from sitting to school age in Chorlton, Bramhall, Cheadle, Swinton and Didsbury. 0161 432 3624 / www.kiddiewinksonline.com KidsRock Fun music classes for children aged 0 – 5 in Bury, Radcliffe, Rawtenstall, Prestwich, Whitworth & Swinton.

07855 733308 / www.kidsrockwithchris.com Music Bugs Fun, friendly, interactive music classes (and parties) for newborn – 4 years.

Classes in Cheadle, Hulme, Wilmslow, Hale, Sale & Knutsford. 0844 822 1175 / www.musicbugs.co.uk Musical Monkeys Musical entertainment and more for pre-school children aged 1+. First class free, and younger siblings under one welcome free of charge too! Classes in Sale & Timperley and coming soon to Altrincham and Lymm.

0161 976 5176 / www.musical-monkeys.co.uk RNCM Young Strings, Manchester Musical training and tuition on a stringed instrument for ages 5 – 11. Weekly classes from 4.30 – 6.30pm on Wednesdays or Thursdays during term time.

No audition process - Young Strings is an open access programme. www.rncm.ac.uk Rock Out! Guitar, Drums, Bass, Keyboard and Vocals tuition for ages 7+ in Chorlton. Learn an instrument in a structured way while playing with other musicians every week. 0161 862 9634 / www.rockoutschool.com

PERFORMING ARTS

Glasshouse Mini Children’s drama workshops with a difference for age 3+. Raise Self Esteem, Build Confidence, Improve Communication Skills, Work on life skills (speaking and listening, manners, taking turns, sharing, being kind). Classes held every Saturday during term time in Sale: 9.15 – 11.15 ages 3-7 11.30 – 13.30 ages 8+ Amy: 07983 420 058 / www.glasshousemini.co.uk Pyjama Drama Drama, movement, music and play for children up to 7 years. Stockport & Cheshire East, Trafford & Didsbury – Emma: 0161 820 2209. www.pyjamadrama.com Razzamataz, Chorlton Performing arts training covering a range of styles from traditional musical theatre to pop singing and street dance. Classes split into age groups 4 – 7, 8 – 11 and 12 – 18. Classes on Saturday morning at Chorlton High School during term time.

Caroline: 07908 029207 / www.razzamataz.co.uk

Stagecoach Theatre Arts School Performing arts for ages 4 – 18.

Altrincham – Marion: 01925 222445 Bolton & Bury – Ruth: 0161 763 6161 Didsbury & Salford – Anne: 0161 789 1349 Oldham – Kate: 01204 301320 Stockport – Cathy: 0161 834 4274 www.stagecoach.co.uk

SPORTS and ACTIVITIES

Bush Babies Outdoor multi-sensory play sessions for children under 5 (babies included) in Worsley.

01942 260545 / www.naturesden.co.uk Tennis Tykes An educational tennis play and skills programme for children aged 2-5 years old. All classes are run by qualified and trained staff, use specially adapted equipment with personal achievement charts for every child. Classes across South Manchester and Cheshire.

Jonny: 07760 254118 / www.tennistykes.co.uk Gymbabes/Tumble Tots/Gymbobs Classes to develop children’s physical skills of agility, balance, co-ordination and climbing.

Bramhall, Cheadle & The Heatons – Sue/Gill: 07851 268083 / 07800 532227 Sale, Knutsford, Disbury, Hale & Timperley – Jane: 07812 144450 / www.tumbletots.com Enjoy-a-Ball A fun sports programme that gradually develops skills such as concentration, coordination and confidence in a caring, positive and fun environment.

Classes for children aged 3-9 years packed with fun activities and games are held in Didsbury & Chorlton. Holiday camps and birthday parties also available. Contact Sam on 07973 886783, www.enjoy-a-ball.com Little Superstars Unique, fun and active multi sport sessions for children from walking age upwards to develop their fundamentals i.e. balls skills, hand and eye coordination, balance, flexibility and agility. Why try one sport when you can do 14 different sports plus an obstacle course?!

Louise: 07904 344552 / www.littlesuperstars.co.uk Physi-Ball A fun class for toddlers aged 18 months - 3 years aimed at developing core stability and gross motor co-ordination. Perfect preparation for Enjoy-a-Ball classes from aged 3. Classes in Chorlton and Didsbury. Contact Sam on 07973 886783, www.enjoy-a-ball.com Thingyblobs Fabulous fun filled classes for children aged 12 months up to school age. All sorts of great activities to stimulate, educate and entertain little ones.

Classes run throughout term-time and you’re welcome to join at any time!

Monday: Didsbury 10.30am Tuesday: Sale 1.45pm Wednesday: Bowdon 9.30 & 10.30am Friday: Timperley 9.30 & 10.30am We also do fabulous parties for children aged 2 – 7yrs.

Louise 0161 442 9700 / louise@thingyblobs.co.uk / www.thingyblobs.co.uk

Football

Diddikicks Football coaching for 18 months - 5 years in Wilmslow, Worsley & Sale 0161 300 4665 / www.diddikicks.co.uk Little Kickers Classes run in four distinct age groups, to maximise involvement and development.

Age groups range from just 18 months to 7 years.

South Manchester, Trafford & Stockport – Alex: 0161 442 5713 North Manchester – Andrew: 0845 224 9104 www.littlekickers.co.uk

To be included in our directory, please call 01625 801801 or email editor@familiesmanchester.co.uk Play Football Weekly football coaching sessions for 5-9 year olds run by Bury F.C Community Trust. 0845 459 2000 / www.playfootball.net Little Sports Coaching Fun football coaching and Rhythmix dance sessions for boys and girls aged 3+ in Prestwich, Wilmslow, Cheadle, Droylsden, Woodley, Reddish & Sale. Sports, Dance, Football or Gymnastics party options also available.

0800 032 1806 / www.littlesportscoaching.co.uk

Gymnastics

Vernon Park Gymnastics Club, Stockport Classes for all ages and abilities: Pre-school sessions for 0 - 5 years.Recreational gymnastics: 4 - 16 years. Adult classes: 16+ 0161 406 0488 / www.vernonparkgym.co.uk

Swimming Puddle Ducks A wonderful swimming programme delivering nurturing, fun classes to over 9,500 babies, toddlers and children across the UK every week. Babies and children can join our swimming classes at any age from birth, developing into confident swimmers without even realising they’re learning to swim. By engaging each child’s abilities and natural affinity with water, Puddle Ducks offer simple steps to a lifetime love of swimming.

We recognise that every child is different: our fantastic teachers adapt each activity to suit each child, nurturing water confidence so that your child will become a happy little swimmer. Call 0161 883 0222 for classes in and around Manchester and Oldham and 01257 262622 for classes in East Lancashire. www.puddleducks.com Turtle Tots You are welcome to join a Turtle Tots baby swimming class at any time from when your baby is newborn, until they are 18 months old.

East Cheshire & South Manchester Jill: 07815 412157 / www.turtletots.com Water Babies Multi-award winning ASA approved programme which makes the most of your baby’s natural affinity with water, enabling babies and toddlers to swim underwater as well as on the surface whilst teaching confidence and safety techniques. The progressive toddler course seamlessly aids your child’s transition into mainstream swimming lessons. Water Babies, the start of something extraordinary. Classes available across South Manchester.

0161 312 0048 / www.waterbabies.co.uk

Skating

Nevada Roller Rink Roller skating events and lessons at Burnden Sports Centre, Bolton. www.nevadarollerrink.co.uk

Silver Blades Ice Skating rink in Altrincham offering skating sessions and lessons. 08700 85 29 29 / www.altrinchamicedome.co.uk Skate City, Hazel Grove Roller Skating and Roller Disco. Catered birthday parties and private hire also available. 0161 483 1898 / www.skatecitystockport.co.uk

SUPPORT

11+ Online Tuition Online and home (Bolton based) one-to-one tuition for 11+ in English, Maths, Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning.

Contact Rachel on 07407 643547, www.elevenplustutor-nw.co.uk Access Success Entrance Exams (11+), Primary & Secondary (Maths and English) & PGCE QTS tuition by a qualified and experienced maths teacher who has taught in Trafford schools. 1:2:1 and small groups.

07580 856243 / www.accesssuccess-education.com Explore Learning Maths & English tuition centres for 5-14 year olds. Children become members and attend once or twice a week for sessions that last approximately 1¼ hours. Every centre is open 7 days a week, no advance booking necessary. Centres in Altrincham, Cheadle Hulme, Heaton Park and Bury. www.explorelearning.co.uk

Clubs & classes To be included or to update your details in our directory, please call 01625 801801 or email editor@ mamiliesmanchester.co.uk

Fleet Tutors Education solutions tailored to you, delivering proven results.

0845 322 4696 / www.fleet-tutors.co.uk Kumon Maths and English tuition across Greater Manchester.

Bury – Fran: 0161 408 4934 Bolton – Joanne: 01942 814899 Chorlton – Jackie: 0161 434 4579 Crumpsall – Masooma: 0161 900 9289 Didsbury – Donna: 0161 718 9313 Heaton Moor – Sue: 0161 431 4884 Heywood – Anna: 01706 627874 Levenshulme – Sharron: 0161 248 4899 Prestwich – Susan: 0161 796 1587 Rochdale – Robin: 01706 759352 Sale – Hannah: 0800 854 714 Timperley – Eliana: 0161 980 0851 Urmston – Sharon: 0161 749 8177 Worsley – Cath: 01925 225960 www.kumon.co.uk The English Zone Online English tuition zone based on that national Curriculum.

Lessons for children from Reception to Year 11.

01942 814126 / www.the-english-zone.com

To be included or to update your details in our directory, please call 01625 801801 or email editor@familiesmanchester.co.uk

Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk 7

Party Directory Header ANIMALS

Animals In-Tuition Meet and handle a range of fascinating and interesting animals. Older children and adults can try a bush tucker trial.

07791 153757 / www.animalsintuition.co.uk Ranger Rob will arrive at the party venue, dressed in his full cowboy gear, with his slightly dodgy American accent!! He will bring a selection of our wild and wonderful animals to create an exciting journey, full of fun and surprises. The children will have plenty of opportunities to touch and hold the animals - they can even have their photo taken if mum and dad are ready with the camera! We aim to make children’s parties one they’ll never forget! For more details and pricing info please contact Emma on 07592 262077 emma@rangerrob.co.uk / www.rangerrob.co.uk The Creepy Crawly Show A fun packed animal road show presented in a fun way by comical rangers.

01244 646 045 / www.thecreepycrawlyshow.co.uk The Wild Roadshow Handle the animals and learn all about their natural habitats and diets.

0161 283 2630 / www.thewildroadshow.co.uk

CLIMBING CENTRES & INDOOR ADVENTURE

Awesome Walls, Stockport www.awesomewalls.co.uk Chill Factore, Trafford Parties for all ages from 2+ in breathtaking surroundings with exhilarating activities. See listing under VENUES. 0161 749 2222 / www.chillfactore.com Manchester Climbing Centre, Manchester 0161 2307006 / www.manchesterclimbingcentre.com Rockover Climbing, Manchester 0161 288 1218 / www.rockoverclimbing.com Silver Blades Ice Rink, Altrincham Bronze, Silver or Gold party options available with optional extras like skating aids, party bags and a coaching session.

08700 85 29 29 / www.altrinchamicedome.co.uk Skate City, Hazel Grove Roller Skating and Roller Disco. Catered birthday parties and private hire available. 0161 483 1898 / www.skatecitystockport.co.uk The Skate Station, Ashton Under Lyme 07854 108 636 / www.theskatestation.co.uk Wigan Roller Rink 07968 365287 / www.wiganrollerrink.com

CAKES, PARTY BAGS AND SUPPLIES

Little Treasures Party Bags Party bags, fillers and personalised chocolate bars for all occasions. 01606 77900 / www.littletreasurespartybags.co.uk Party Sashes Galore Personalised sashes, banners and ribbons for every occasion.

0161 798 6245 / www.partysashesgalore.co.uk Sarah T Cakes Cakes & Cupcakes for any occasion. sarahtcakes.blogspot.com Giddy Goat Toys Traditional independent toy shop in Didsbury and online, offering a fantastic range of toys, books and games for children of all ages.

0161 445 1097 / www.giddygoattoys.co.uk

ENTERTAINMENT

Baby Ballet Magical Party (ages 2 – 4) or Groovy Disco Party (ages 4 – 7).

Bury & Bolton – Miss Jayne: 0161 280 3686 Didsbury & The Heatons – Miss Laura: 07753 111753. www.babyballet.co.uk Battlefield Live, Manchester. Exhilarating outdoor laser adventure game with birthday parties for age 7+. 07956 557653 / www.battlefield-manchester.com

Crafty Cooks Fun-filled cooking parties for all ages 2+.

07730681798 / beth@craftycooks.co.uk www.craftycooks.co.uk

Diddi Dance, South Manchester Fun, affordable parties for tots (2 – 4) at your choice of location dancing games, action songs, hoops, dance ribbons, bubbles, balloons, bells and lots of fun!! 07966 542985 / www.diddidance.com Enjoy-a-Ball, South Manchester Great fun and games with plenty of action for girls and boys aged 4 – 9 years.

07973 886783 / www.enjoy-a-ball.com Fizz Kids Popular parties for children aged 5 – 12 in the Cheshire or Greater Manchester area. Whether you choose a Dance or Cheerleading party, we add lots of games and so much fun all in a disco atmosphere for 2 hours. The price of a Fizz Kids Party also includes invitations, a gift for each child and tattoos. We have been entertaining children for over 11 years and pride ourselves on our fantastic reputation for a fabulous party every time. Take a look at our 5 star reviews on our website or contact us to make a booking/check availability.

Lorrayne: 07870 139361 / info@fizzkidsparties.co.uk / www.fizzkidsparties.co.uk Gigglepop Art, themed or traditional parties in your home or choice of venue hosted by professional party leaders.

07779 935638 / www.gigglepop.co.uk Go-Kart Party Bolton, Wigan & Bury – Tahir: 07702 237523 North Cheshire – Elaine: 01925 712315 South Manchester – Keith: 07592 317762 www.go-kartparty.co.uk Go Kiddy Karts, Didsbury & Urmston Indoor parties for boys and girls aged 4 – 9.

07956 557653 / www.redmox-leisure.com

Jo Jingles Music, singing and movement parties for children up to 5 years.

Manchester North – Jo: 01706 212889 South Manchester – Jacqui: 01925 269136 www.jojingles.com Jabberjacks Playmates parties for children aged 2 – 4, Junior parties for ages 5 – 7.

South Manchester – Nikki: 07587 186284 North Manchester – Gaynor: 0161 7908080 www.jabberjacks.co.uk Jittabugs, South Manchester Help your little one celebrate their big day with a Jittabugs party. Lots of singing and dancing, action songs, games, activities, instruments, coloured scarves, puppets, bubbles, parachute play, favourites of the birthday boy or girl and much more. Our parties can be done either at home, or a venue of your choice. (All equipment provided).

Contact Karen Brownsell 0161 973 2656/ 07765 080 350 / karen@jittabugs.com / www.jittabugs.com Kerry’s Fun Faces Face painting, glitter tattoos, balloon modelling. 07813 297520 / www.kerrysfunfaces.co.uk Kiddy Cook Cooking parties exclusively designed for ages 4 – 11, with options to suit everyone.

07976 619648 / www.kiddycook.co.uk Kids Bee Happy, Salford & Bury Sand art painting for all ages. 07899 816344 / www.kidsbeehappy.co.uk Kids Rock with Chris Musical party for children aged 1 – 5. 07725168330 / www.kidsrockwithchris.com

8 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

Little Sports Coaching Sports, Dance, Football or Gymnastics party options with professionally qualified coaches for boys and girls aged 3+. 0800 032 1806 / www.littlesportscoaching.co.uk Little Superstars Multi-sports parties across West & South Manchester, Rochdale, Heywood & Ramsbottom. 07904 311552 / www.littlesuperstars.co.uk Little Fingers Arts & Crafts Fun, creative parties for children aged 2 - 9 years. Let them create a masterpiece to take home! Catering and free invitations also available. 07956 557653 / www.littlefingers-crafts.com Lucia the entertainer Comedy led professional offering traditional party entertainment with a unique twist. Balloon Modelling, Ventriloquism, Face painting and magic also available. 0161 483 4363 / www.luciaparties.com Make A Wish Entertainment Make your wish for a perfect party come true. 0113 322 7988 / www.makeawishentertainment.co.uk Mother Hen Creative Tailor made parties for ages 4 – 8. Interactive storytelling revolving around the birthday child – a jam packed fun filled magical, personal experience. 07587 191 394 / www.motherhencreative.com Musical Monkeys Musical entertainment and more for pre-school children aged 2+.

0161 976 5176 / www.musical-monkeys.co.uk Party Friendz Character entertainment & face painting for all occasions. Costume hire also available.

07963 763862 / www.partyfriendz.co.uk Party Princess A huge range of party packages for ages 3+. Princess makeover, face painting and tattoos, cupcake decorating, arts, crafts games and loads more. Girl Glamour make over and pamper packages for ages 13+ 0845 241 7855 / www.party-princess.co.uk / www.girlglamour.co.uk Play Football Professional staff with football, party food, certificates and prizes.

0845 459 2000 / www.playfootball.net Premier FC parties The ultimate kid’s football party for children of all ages and abilities.

01625 415151 / www.premierfc.com Scalextric Children’s Parties, Cheshire, Warrington & Manchester You hire the venue, we supply the Scalextric Party experience. 01928732717/ www.scalextricchildrensparties.co.uk Splat Creative Crafts (messy or not) and games galore parties across the North West.

01477 532119 / www.splatcreative.co.uk Teddy Bear’s Workshop, Bolton Build-a-bear, pottery or jute bag parties. 01204-771013 / www.teddybearsworkshop.com Thingyblobs Parties (and classes) packed full of wonderful exciting activities for ages 2 – 4 or 5 – 7. 1 or 2 hours packed full of activities and fun. No time to get bored, all games age appropriate. Small or large groups or mixed ages for any occasion. Party bags can be provided too. 0161 442 9700 / www.thingyblobs.co.uk Tricky the entertainer For magic, fun, music and games. 0800 135 7911 / www.trickys.co.uk YogaBelliesKids Yoga adventure parties for children aged 3 – 8. Choose from The Ocean, Space or The Jungle adventures. Max 20 children.

Angela: 07940 476953 / angela@yogabellies.co.uk www.yogabellieskids.co.uk

PARTY PLANNING

Big Top Parties All you need for a party - party hosts, children’s entertainers, fun food, birthday cakes and party bags. Bespoke theme parties or outdoor events and picnics for under 5s or 5 - 12 year olds. Catering for every occasion also available. 0161 478 8970 / www.BigTopParties.co.uk Cheshire Cat Events Prestige children’s party planning for any age. 01625 460195 / www.cheshirecatevents.com Little Tinkers Party Planners and Entertainers Options for big or small budgets.

01244 379294 / www.littletinkers.com Millie Moo Parties Unique Fun for Little People aged 3 – 11. Themed party packages that include everything you need from invitations to party bags and even finding a venue if needed. Or a bespoke service tailored to suit your individual budget and taste. 07812 064167 / www.milliemooparties.co.uk Party Perfect The perfect party solution provided by an efficient, creative and organised team. Children’s parties as well as all other celebrations. 07817 627808 / www.party-perfect.org.uk Pink Spaghetti Efficient, affordable and approachable party planning services.

0844 504 7465 / www.pink-spaghetti.co.uk

VENUES

Anchors Away, Stockport Party Kids or Private Hire parties.

0161 432 4020 / www.anchorsaway.org.uk Anchor’s Away Play, Wythenshawe Food & Play, Toddler or VIP party options available.

0161 437 0665/ www.anchorsawayplay.com Antz in your Pantz, Timperley Laser, Go-kart, Roller Skating, Craft or traditional party options.

0161 962 2266 / www.antzinyourpantz.co.uk Bean & Brush, Sale A Family Art Café offering hosted art or craft parties, including a party buffet, 7 days a week. 0161 973 2140 / www.beanandbrush.co.uk Boomerang, Bury Multi-sensory play centre with exclusive use option available.

0161 764 4842 / www.boomerangcentre.co.uk Blue Room Studios, Bury Record your favourite songs in a professional recording studio, have the performance mixed, mastered and put onto CD. 08712 453 423 / www.blueroomstudios.co.uk Brooklyn Pottery, Stockport Pottery painting parties for all ages.

0161 480 5139 / www.brooklynpottery.co.uk Brookside Pottery, Poynton The Potter’s Wheel experience offers pottery painting and a train ride on the miniature railway. You supply the food, they supply the rest.

07946 637 499 / www.brooksidepottery.com Chill Factore, Trafford Park Can you imagine a fun-packed party surrounded by real snow?

If you’re looking for something that little bit different, Chill Factore offer a truly exciting range of activity parties to make your child’s day extra special. From £5 per child, party packages include 45 minutes of awesome fun in the snow followed by a party meal overlooking the slopes.

Snowplay parties are ideal for toddlers whereas Sledging and Tubing parties are perfect for children aged 4+. Teens love Pick & Mix parties which tend to be in the evenings and give you a range of different snow activities. You’ll have a party host to organise the fun and all the extras too such as invitations, the all-important cake and party bags are also offered.

For more details visit www.chillfactore.com Creative Explorers, Manchester Create-a-party craft parties with options including canvas painting, decoupage, mask decorating and more.

07413 438473 / www.creativeexplorers.net Curly Whirleez, Bolton Tots (under 5), Simply Play or Sporty Parties. Exclusive venue use available. 01204 523 620 / www.curlywhirleez.co.uk

Parties

To be included in our directory, please call 01625 801801 or email editor@familiesmanchester.co.uk East Lancashire Railway All Aboard the Party Express! Pick and mix your party experience from a range of options – Room Hire, decorations, craft activities, lunch bag and train ride.

0161 764 7790 / www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk Funtastic, Radcliffe, Bury Variety of party packages for all budgets, including exclusive venue use. 0161 425 8248 / www.funtastic.org.uk Funtime Kids, Cheadle Indoor soft play centre for children up to age 12. Parties for min 12, max 30 children. 0161 376 5035 / www.facebook.com/FuntimeKidsCheadle Go Wild, Bury Play, Pamper, make cupcakes/ pancakes parties,with face painting, balloon modelling, exlusive venue use and other extras available. 0161 764 8268 / www.gowildbury.co.uk Head over Heels, Chorlton & Handforth Bronze, silver or gold party options Chorlton: 0161 881 4433 Handforth: 0161 485 2200 www.headoverheelsplay.co.uk Jungle Mayhem, Radcliffe Jungle, Glitter Girls, Football, Go Kart, Disco and Tots party options as well as exclusive venue hire.0161 724 7402 / www.junglemayhem.co.uk Kids Go Karting, Stockport Go karting in a safe environment on a purpose built track for ages 3 – 10.

Exclusive use of venue during the party.

07544 424 212 / www.kidsgokarting.uk.com Jump Nation, Trafford Park Europe’s largest indoor trampoline area.

Uniqueparties for every occasion - food and drinks included.

0161 710 2360 / www.jumpnation.com Land of Play, Trafford Park Toddlers (under 4s), Tradtional or Exclusive Hire party options.

0161 872 9434 / www.landofplay.co.uk Legoland Discovery Centre, Manchester Full use of all activities as well as a private party room, food and cake. 0844 844 8181 / www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk Let’s Party, Bury Themed party venue that will do everything for you. All you need is a cake and party bags (although they can do these too). 3 rooms suitable for different ages (3 – 16 years).

0161 797 1111 / www.letspartyvenue.co.uk Little Big Heads, Wilmslow Fairy Tea Party, Belle of the Ball, Princess&Pirates or Disco Diva options hosted by friendly staff. Party bags and a special gift for the bitrhday girl. 01625 548326 / www.littlebigheads.co.uk Minikin Emporium, Sale Paint a pot and Decopatch parties including pizza making and food at Oca Waterside.08000 155 122 / www.minikindesigns.com Mischief Makers, Rochdale Public or private party options, with Deluxe party bags, face painting, helium balloons and party games available for small extra charge.

01706 653 656 / www.mischiefmakersltd.co.uk Oulder Hill Leisure Complex Pool Inflatable, Small Pool or Sports Hall Party packages available.

01706 716680 / www.ohlc.co.uk Paradise Island Adventure Golf, Trafford Centre Two 18 hole courses spanning two levels of paradise themed fun. 0161 202 9544 / www.paradiseislandgolf.com Parsley Pie, Hale, Whitefield & Stockport Creative, fun parties for boys and girls of all ages. Tons of different party activities & projects to choose from. www.parsleypie.com Pelican Centre, Tyldesley. Swimming parties for up to 30 children - various inflatable options available.

01942 882722 / www.pelicantyldesley.co.uk

Planet Play, Heywood, Rochdale Standard, Deluxe, Super Deluxe or Girl Galaxy party options.

01706 627 627 / www.planetplay.net Queen’s Park Cafe, Rochdale Parties with an outdoor treasure hunt or indoor crafts, food and games. 07984 140521 / www.queensparkcafe.com Run of the Mill, Stockport Private hire available from 5 – 7pm, with various entertainment options. 0161 494 7137 / www.runofthemill.co.uk Playfactore, Trafford A choice of parties in ahuge indoor playcentre with a personal party host and contemporary party rooms.

0844 824 6030 / www.playfactore.com Red House Farm, Altrincham A range of managed party packages with rides, bouncy castle, trampoline, inflatable slide, laser quest or climbing wall. 0161 941 3480 /www.redhousefarm.co.uk Richmond Hall Kids Adventure Play Centre, Rochdale. Indoor play, with separate party room and catering available. 01706 633331 / www.richmond-hall.co.uk Ringways Restaurant, Manchester Airport Cater from the main or children’s menus, or pr-order a party platter. Table decorated with balloons and party banner. Free outdoor play area and free entry on board an Avro RJX aircraft. 0161 489 8300 / www.ringwaysrestaurant.co.uk Smithills Open Farm, Bolton Cuddle the animals in pets corner, donkey rides, tractor and trailer rides, bouncy castles, toy tractors, sand pit and adventure playground. Party food supplied – just bring the cake and party bags.

Min 10 children. 01204 595 765 / www.smithillsopenfarm.co.uk Starlight Performing Arts, Hazel Grove Popstar and Rockstar Parties with tailormade packages including food, drinks, party bags, photos and a DVD if required. 0161 439 8009 / www.starlightperformingarts.t83.net The Styling Academy, Sale Make-over/ modelling parties for girls of all ages. We are in the Trader’s Outlet in Sale. £14.99 per head for 2 hours, which includes make up, hair, nails, photoshoot and a fashion show. It’s great fun!

Check out our website. Mention FAMILIES and get a free place! Call Kelly on 07980 633745 / www.thestylingacademy.net Total Fitness Studio (ages 4 – 11) and pool parties (ages 8+) www.totalfitness.co.uk Wacky Woods Birthday parties and outdoor adventures for children. 01625 573 086 / www.wackywoods.co.uk Wobbly Bobs Playcentre, Farnworth With cold or hot party food, and optional extras like party bags, face painting and balloons. Sumo wrestling and laser party option and exclusive venue hire available. 01204 576719 / www.wobblybobs.net Zoom Play Centre, Stockport Toddler, midweek, weekend and exclusive options available. Party prices include party bags, food, squash, party host, party games, reserved table for grown ups, crowning and parade plus one free pass for an admission to Zoom on a subsequent visit. A range of extras to make your party even more special also available.

0161 477 2225 / www.zoomplaycentre.co.uk

To be included or to update your details in our directory, please call 01625 801801 or email editor@familiesmanchester.co.uk

Jump Nation puts a spring into Izzy’s party

Although traditional birthday parties always go down a treat, my gang have have come to expect something more as I, perhaps stupidly, aim for a completely different party experience each year.

But when you have three children, looking for a fresh idea can soon get tricky! The problem was solved this year

by Jump Nation, the new trampoline park in Trafford. We took 10 kids along for Izzy’s 6th birthday to test out this new venue.

The park is simple but brilliant, wall to wall, and even up-the-wall trampolines.

The kids had an amazing time bouncing their way around the room and launching themselves into the foam pit. After a full hour of exercise they were red faced and ready to eat. I have never seen plates of pizza & chips and ice cream sundaes disappear so quickly!

Party guests share the use of the park with other visitors but can have exclusive use of the party room to eat, chat, play etc. Numbers on the park are carefully monitored so there aren’t too many bodies on there and staff are bouncing too to make sure everyone is ok and sticking to safe play. If you are taking any younger guests there is a designated under 5’s zone with some additional obstacles to keep them amused.

Feedback from the kids was a definite thumbs up. As mum I was impressed with the play area and food was tasty and kitchen service good.

0161 710 2360 / www.jumpnation.com

5 ideas for low cost going home gifts Great parties don’t have to end with expensive loot bags. Here are 5 simple ways to end the party in style without stretching the budget.

1. Bake cookies or other treats and package them in cellophane tied with ribbon.

2. Get cardboard picture frames and slip in a note about where the party pictures have been uploaded online.

3. Do something arty during the party and let the guests take their handiwork home - cheap plates or bowls can be decorated with ceramic paint, a strip of wood decorated with their initial, etc.

4. To last a little longer, give seeds to plant in the garden or a cookie cutter that’s related to the party theme.

5. Print off free colouring sheets of favourite characters from the internet, and burn a CD of the birthday person’s favourite songs.

Advertise in Families Manchester Call Jayne on: 01625 801801 or email advertising@ familiesmanchester.co.uk

Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk 9

Parents’ place Join the Pants Hats revolution and fight childhood cancer A Cheshire mum has launched an innovative new campaign, the ‘Pants Hats Project’ to raise vital funds for children’s cancer research charity, Kidscan.

Inspired by her then one-year-old daughter’s habit of wearing her brother’s pants on her head, Emi Lou Howe, from Helsby decided to write a fun story on the subject and raise money in the process.

Her first illustrated book, ‘Pants Hats,’ set in a hospital, follows the story of very different characters who like wearing pants, rather unconventionally, on their heads. The book, which was created with a mixture of paint, fabric, texture and graphic design, has been produced using Amazon’s new Create Space print-on-demand publishing arm.

After losing her father to the disease

when she was 24, Emi Lou has been a long time fundraiser for Cancer Research. Having children of her own resulted in her being drawn to children’s cancer charities, with Kidscan standing out as a children’s cancer research specialist.

Just two months into the Pants Hats project, Emi Lou herself was diagnosed with cancer. Lowri Turner, Fundraising Manager at Kidscan, said: “It’s hard to put into words how amazed we are by Emi’s unwavering enthusiasm and commitment to supporting Kidscan.

Both she and the ‘Pants Hats’ book are absolutely incredible, and we hope that everyone enjoys reading it as much as we do.”

To buy the book and help raise vital funds for childhood cancer, please visit www.kidscan.org.uk. And help promote their fundraising by putting a Pants Hats photo onto social media and nominating someone else to do the same, using the hashtag #PantsHatsSelfie.

The box your kids will love The fantastic new FlatBox-LunchBox will revolutionise your child’s packed lunch.

Not only is this amazing new lunch box fully machine washable, it has two layers of insulation to keep food cold for longer and unzips to become a placemat, keeping your food free from germs and dirty surfaces.

Available in 9 different colours, it is suitable for children and adults alike, and perfect for picnics too. We love their pink one with lime green trim, but there are more boyish options available too! From £19.25, www.theniceststuff.com.

Winter warmers Families honorary team member Lily Keep (8) tries some new winter kit. Mum Jayne reports:

As the cold weather starts to draw in it’s time to reach for thicker, warmer coats so the outdoor fun doesn’t need to stop. This year we tested out the Stockholm jacket

by Kozi Kids. Lily loved the puffa styling and bright pink colour (also available in red or blue). She found the jacket very snug, and a nice fit. She liked the option to have the hood on or off, plus the fake fur trim can also be removed from the hood, for a different look depending on the weather. Reflective spots on the back of the jacket mean cars can see children easily and reinforced elbow pads not only look good but also help preserve the jacket through the odd tumble or tree climb. We’ve had Kozi Kidz coats previously and found the quality great; certainly a brand I would buy again.

Stockholm Jacket RRP £69 from www.kozikidz.com/winter-wear

If you’re playing out in the Winter the last thing you want is cold wet feet. We put some fab boots by Sorel to the test to see if they could stand up to Lily’s very outdoor lifestyle. With dogs to walk and ponies to care for, Lily is out in all weathers in some serious cold and wet, so she was the perfect tester for a pair of waterproof boots! She loved these as soon as she saw them with their fur top and lace up fronts; they’re not just functional, they look good too.The lower part of the boot is a well-sealed rubber unit that held out all the water on testing; the upper part is a waterproof material finish, tightly stitched to prevent leaks. The lining is snug and soft for comfort and cosy toes. Lily’s looking forward to snowy days in these boots!

Yoot Pac Boot (nylon) sizes 13 – 6.

RRP £55 from SOREL at John Lewis.

What will you and the kids be wearing on 27 March?

Save the date (27 March 2015) and register now to support Wear A Hat Day, a fun-filled, annual brain tumour awareness event helping support research.

The involvement of families and school children in the campaign is poignant given that brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40. Children have lost parents, family members or even their teachers.

In many classrooms there remains a tragic reminder of a child whose life has been lost or damaged by this cruel cancer. The

repercussions are felt daily; the lives of families and friends are never the same again.

Taking part is simple. Register today by visiting www.braintumourresearch.org/ wearahatday. Fundraising materials including posters, leaflets, fridge magnets, pin badges, wristbands quizzes and hat making instructions will be available from the charity in early 2015.

For more information email wearahatday@braintumourresearch.org or call the charity on 01296 733011.

aim to be a helpful part of pregnancy, a warm and welcoming place to hear stories and ideas. Consider what you really want from your childbirth experience, learn about your rights and choices, and challenge any fears or negative expectations you might have. The Positive Birth Movement believes that every woman deserves a positive birth, in which she feels she has

freedom of choice, access to accurate information, and is in control. It doesn’t have to be natural or drug free – it simply has to be informed from a place of positivity as opposed to fear, and to have genuine choice. The classes usually have tea and cake on offer too! Go to www.positivebirthmovement.org to learn more about Positive Birth and how to find a group near you.

Positive Birth Movement grows Now for some good news: the positive birth is gaining huge popularity! Set up less than 2 years ago by mum and writer Milli Hill, The Positive Birth Movement has rapidly grown and now boasts over 150 groups in the UK alone, with hundreds more worldwide.

Positive Birth Groups are completely free to attend and are a place for all

pregnant women – regardless of their background, experience or choices – to come together and share experiences, thoughts, feelings and insight about childbirth. Many are run by birth professionals such as doulas or midwives, while others are organised by women who are simply passionate about birth as a positive experience. Positive Birth Groups

10 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

Parents’ place Don’t forget your Pants of Peace!

By Marneta Viegas of Relax Kids Here are some simple and fun exercises to try with your child.

Button of Brilliance Tell your child that they have a magic button on their body. The button can be on their right elbow or right shoulder.

When they press their button of brilliance, they start to feel great. Try and encourage them to smile while they touch the button of brilliance. They can imagine they are breathing in brilliance and shining like a brilliant star. They can imagine that everything they say and do is brilliant.

Start using the button of brilliance often and remind your child they have it. At any point in the day you can touch their button or they can touch their button of brilliance. As they get used to their button of brilliance they can test it in more difficult situations.

Children are under more pressure and stress than ever. Noise, pollution, technology and peer pressure are all tapping away at their mental, emotional and physical health.

There’s no doubt that stress is taking a toll on our children’s health and well-being.

Mindfulness and relaxation exercises can help your child manage stress and anxiety, sleep better, concentrate, feel more calm and in control. It is easy to integrate and once it’s a habit, it’s something children will come to enjoy.

Relaxation tips Start a regular practice of mindfulness, meditation or quiet reflection each day for yourself. When your child sees you doing this and see the benefits and effects

on your mood and behaviour, they’ll show more interest. Create a calm corner or a special place with blankets and cushions. If there’s space, let your child build a relaxing den. They’ll start to love coming to their special place.

Keep the practice short and simple for your child. Use simple relaxation/ visualisation books or Relax Kids CDs to help children relax and meditate. Build a regular short practice together – even if it is only 2-5 minutes. You could set a timer so they know when it is coming to an end. Combine the session with massage and hugs after as well as time to chat, and children will come to appreciate and love their quality time.

Try simple breathing exercises where they breathe in and out deeply, repeating ‘I am peaceful’ in their mind.

Hire Expectations

Award winning fashion stylist, Lisa Talbot (www.lisatalbot.co.uk), is relishing her latest style challenge by helping dress beautiful bumps with the re-launch of boutique maternity hire company ‘Hire Expectations’.

Cloak of Protection Tell your child they have an invisible Cloak of Protection. They can put on their imaginary cloak of protection, close their eyes, feel how it feels and breathe in some calming breaths. Tell your child that once the cloak of protection is on, any nasty words from others simply bounce off it and they are safe. Let them put on their cloak on the way to school and they can take it off when they come home or go to bed.

Confidence Switch Ask your child to think of people who are really confident. They can choose their favourite book or film characters, sports personalities or superheroes.

Get them to stay still and imagine all those confident feelings entering their body. Breathe in confidence. Feel

confidence all the way to their toes!

As they have these confident thoughts and feelings ask them to squeeze their thumb and first finger together. This is their confidence switch and they can use it whenever they have a situation that they need a bit of extra confidence. All they have to do is squeeze their finger and thumb and feel those powerful confident feelings flooding back into the body.

Pants of Peace Close your eyes and become as still as possible. Become aware of your breathing. Feel the softness of your breath going in and coming out again. Spend a few moments watching your breathing. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Imagine you are standing in front of your wardrobe. You see your Pants of Peace. How do they feel in your hands?

Are they soft like clouds and cotton wool?

Are they as light as feathers? How do you feel when you hold your Pants of Peace?

Put the pants of peace on and notice how you feel all through your body. Do you feel still and calm? Do you feel peaceful and quiet wearing your Pants of Peace? What do you feel like doing now you are wearing your Pants of Peace? Can you think of times where you need to put on your Pants of Peace?

How does peace feel inside your body.

What does peace mean to you? Take a deep breath in and breathe out slowly. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in and say ‘I am peaceful, breathe out and say ‘I am peaceful’ For more Relax Kids exercises and tips download the FREE Relax Pack - 21 days’ worth of mindful exercises www.relaxkids.com/free

Hire Expectations enables women to hire stylish maternity and breastfeeding occasion wear, the perfect alternative to purchasing a dress you may only need to wear once.

Lisa said, “First and foremost, Hire Expectations is about offering good quality, stylish, great fitting garments for women throughout all stages of their pregnancy.

She continued, “My personal style experience will bring a new direction to the business and we will continue to strive to help pregnant women look fabulous and feel confident without the high price tag.”

The outfits available are ideal for special events, Christmas parties and birthdays, weddings and christenings.

Hire charges range from just £26 to a maximum of £55, making it the affordable way to dress that bump. For more information email info@hireexpectations.co.uk. www.hireexpectations.co.uk

Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk 11

Parents’ place How to…get your children to behave

By Hannah Hunter

Picture the scene. You’re at the supermarket and you’ve refused your child something that he wants, causing him to freak out and scream loudly.

You react by shouting back at him.

Before long, the situation is out of hand, with both of you at full-volume and people staring.

All kids will have a tantrum at some point, but there are some simple steps can help to avoid this behaviour or at least lessen it.

Trying a bit of distraction when the anger starts to build up – telling a joke, pulling a silly face – can be really effective.

If it’s too late for humour, then take a deep breath and a mental step back. Is their behaviour really unreasonable? Can you just ignore it and carry on with your shopping?

Maybe you have a spare few minutes to put the trolley aside and take them out of the situation? It could be either out of that aisle or maybe even out of the supermarket, where you can both calm down.

Positive Parenting This approach may seem like pie in the sky when faced with a screaming 3-year old, but it’s never too early to try what the NSPCC calls ‘positive parenting’. If you show love and affection to your child and praise them when they are behaving well, they will associate getting attention with good behaviour.

Active ignoring is encouraged, while physical punishments like smacking should be off limits: “smacking or biting back gives a very confusing message – that it is OK to use force or to hit physically when you are angry or to make a point.”

So when you feel like you’re at the end of your tether, try to stay calm. After all, a toddler having a tantrum in the supermarket is one thing, but a screaming adult in the frozen food aisle? Not a good look…

Here are some hints from leading Clinical Psychologist, Professor Tanya Byron, on how to smooth out behavioural problems, and get the best from your child.

Be positive • One of the biggest mistakes we make as parents is to leave our children alone and say nothing to them when they’re behaving nicely.

• Ignore the behaviour you don’t want. Instead, emphasise the positive with cuddles, kisses, and praise, and tell them all the things they need to hear in order for them to understand they will get attention for doing things nicely.

Distraction • As soon as you feel the temper rising, distract them onto something else: a funny song, story, or ‘did you see that green squirrel with orange stripes just fly past the window?’

Ignoring • Ignoring gives the message that the behaviour gets no reward and if you use this technique alongside praising every lovely behaviour, your children will get a very powerful message.

Time out • First ask your child to stop misbehaving.

If that doesn’t work, ask again, but more firmly. This gives the child two chances to change his or her behaviour, and if they do, you praise them.

• If they refuse to stop the behaviour, or if the tantrum escalates, you go for Time Out. Take your child firmly but with no attention to a safe place where you can leave them for a period of one minute for each year of their life (i.e. three minutes for a three-year-old) up to a maximum of five minutes. You should not talk to your child through the door or give them any other form of attention during the Time Out period.

• Once the Time Out period is over, explain to your child why they were Timed Out and then move on and praise them at the first opportunity.

Tantrums • Tantrums happen to all parents. They do not mean you are a bad parent. You can try to prevent them with praise and sticker charts. If that fails, you can try to distract the tantrums away. But once started, the best way to stop them is to ignore them.

• Remember: distract, ignore, but do not punish.

Rewards • At home, a sticker chart is a great way of encouraging good behaviour. Each time your child is good, give them a sticker.

Naughty behaviour gets a ‘sad face’.

Points mean prizes - enough stickers get them a treat.

Positive example • It’s straightforward but it works - your children will copy you. Swear and they will swear, smack and they will smack.

Lead by example.

Helpful Websites: • www.nspcc.org.uk/help-and-advice/ for-parents-and-carers/guides-forparents/better-behaviour/better-behaviour_wda90710.html • www.youngminds.org.uk • www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-andbaby/pages/dealing-with-difficultbehaviour.aspx#close The Skeleton Cupboard, Professor Byron’s new memoir based on her early career as a clinician, is out now, published by Pan Macmillan. www.panmacmillan.com/ book/tanyabyron/theskeletoncupboard

Adoption overhaul

Across the UK over 6,000 children are waiting to find an adoptive family, but for 1 in 4 it’s likely to remain only a dream.

And for every year a child waits their chances of being adopted reduce by 20%.

This year’s National Adoption Week, taking place 2 – 9 November, hopes to

change that so that every child waiting in care finds somewhere they can feel safe and loved. Since its launch in 1997, National Adoption Week has gone from strength to strength, reaching people across the UK who want to know more about adoption and reminding them about the difference adoption

12 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

can make to a child’s life. The National Adoption Week website is packed with advice and support for people thinking of adopting a child, as well as help for adopted children, birth parents and adoptive parents.

National Adoption Week is particularly relevant this year as new rules have just been introduced to speed up the adoption system and ensure more children get a stable loving home without delay. Building on the successes of 2013, which saw a record 15% increase in adoptions, the changes announced for 2014 will give adopters a much more active role in finding children they might be suitable to adopt.

‘We’ve seen promising progress in the last 12 months – a significant rise in adoptions and a huge increase in the number of adopters,’ said Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson, who has 2 adopted brothers, ‘but I’m determined to do everything in my power to make sure the

6,000 children waiting are offered safe and caring homes. Our reforms to the register, greater use of Fostering for Adoption and the removal of unnecessary delay will mean would-be adopters can play a greater role in the process and help ensure children are placed with a new loving family much more quickly.’ The overhaul will remove barriers by ensuring ethnicity is not prioritised over other factors, as well as enabling approved adopters to actively search for children they could provide a family for, and allowing children to move in with their adoptive family much earlier. Research published by the Department for Education shows that over 4 million people in the UK are likely to consider adopting at some point in the future, yet up and down the country there are still thousands of children waiting for new homes. Find out more about adoption at www.first4adoption.org.uk and www.nationaladoptionweek.org.uk.

Christmas shopping Shop locally this Christmas and give more than just presents...

By Sal Jefford

Christmas is upon us once again, and unless you are amazingly prepared and have bought all your presents already, there’s shopping to be done!

The big retailers have been bombarding us for weeks, and you can rarely walk down the street or switch on the television without seeing adverts for this year’s Christmas must-haves. But what about the small, local, independent retailers? The businesses which are owned and run by local residents, often parents who are trying support their own families. Small businesses easily get ‘lost’ in the hubbub of Christmas, when really it’s a time of the year when we should be using them just as much, if not more, than usual.

Yes, the large supermarkets and big online retailers can offer price savings, because they are big and they have bulk-buying power. But they don’t offer low prices to save you money, they offer them to make more profit for themselves,

by offering loss leaders, or by negotiating lower prices from their suppliers, who then haggle with the manufacturers, who end up making smaller profits themselves, and sometimes even selling at a loss.

But what about the things that the big businesses don’t offer? These are the things that small businesses generally excel at providing – handmade goods and locally produced items, in-depth product knowledge and personalised advice, customer service, a friendly and enjoyable shopping experience. You may not get the lowest prices, but you do get excellent value for money.

Added to all of this, when you buy local you are making an important contribution to your local economy. Spending money with local businesses causes a ripple-effect, as those businesses in turn spend locally, and on and on.

Small Business Saturday UK is a grassroots, non-political, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities.

The day itself takes place on the first shopping Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses. In 2014 Small Business Saturday UK will take place on Saturday 6 December.

Will you shop local this Christmas?

Shopping locally gives you: • Handmade goods – made by local craftspeople, these are often one-of-a-kind items that you won’t find in the big retailers.

• In-depth product knowledge and advice – small business owners often have a better knowledge of the lines they stock, for example which clothing brands ‘run large’ and which are true to size, or which shoes offer the best fit for narrow feet.

• Customer service – love the item but don’t like the colour? Independent retailers are often happy to order in products in other colours or sizes for you, and they usually deal with any complaints or problems in a far friendlier

way than bigger businesses do.

• A more enjoyable shopping experience – local business owners frequently like to take the time to chat and get to know their customers, which makes for a far nicer experience • Stronger community ties – shopping locally helps to create town centres which are more sustainable and vibrant, meaning people feel part of the community. Local businesses are also often more willing than larger chains are to support local causes that have more meaning to them, and the area in which they live and work.

Spend quality family time this Christmas with a fun family board game

Every family has their own Christmas traditions; usually they involve leaving brandy and mince pies out for Father Christmas, hanging stockings by the fire and watching The Wizard of Oz. One great tradition is the playing of a well-loved board game after Christmas dinner.

Somehow, beating Grandad at Cluedo helps to digest all the turkey and stuffing and there’s something warm, fuzzy and bonding about the whole family sat around the table, trying to figure out if it was Miss Scarlett in the library with the candlestick or not.

Growing up, the annual post dinner Monopoly skirmish was an event we all looked forward to and it’s definitely a tradition that should be passed on through the generations. Once the craziness of the build up to Christmas is over, the days following can be great for allowing families time to chill out and spend quality time together. There’s usually enough food in the house for another week, the kids are off school, parents may have time off work and extended families may be around. It’s precious time to spend as a family, hopefully to enjoy crisp walks around local parks, a bit of chill out time in front of the telly and a bit of screens-off time where the family comes together around a board game.

Having been in to our local toy shop to get some ideas for this year’s post-Christmas dinner games, we were pleased to see Didsbury based Giddy Goat Toys have a dazzling and eclectic mix of board games to choose from this. They have traditional family favourites such as Monopoly, Cluedo, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Taboo and Trivial Pursuit, as well as everyone’s favourite fun party game, Twister – guaranteed to get the whole family giggling in a heap on the floor.

They also have a fun selection for younger children, with a delightful range by award winning British company Orchard Toys, who have games for children as young as 2 years old. Plus there’s also a colourful selection of retro classics like Hungry Hippos, Connect 4, Kerplunk, Guess Who or Game of Life to choose from – games that have been played by and loved by generations of children.

Giddy Goat Toys are well known for stocking things that are just a little bit different, so if you like quirky, off the wall but brilliant fun, there’s Blokus, a strategic game which will have you hooked, and bonkers matching game Dobble. They aim to have something for all ages and all budgets and the staff are always happy to give you advice based on your budget and the ages of the people you’re buying for.

As many families embrace the idea of Games Night as a way of getting the kids away from the tempting computer and console screens to spend quality family time together, it’s great to have a stock of fun board games in the cupboard. Whether you’re looking for a classic, something retro, quirky or something fun and new, pop into Giddy Goat Toys and see if they can help find your ideal family game for this Christmas and beyond.

0161 445 1097 / www.giddygoattoys.co.uk

Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk 13

Christmas shopping Families gift guide Stuck for gift ideas this Christmas? Here are a few of our favourites to start you off…

Cuddledry Toddler Towels

The Toy Animal Company

Meet the Pug

www.cuddledry.com

Animals have all the attributes you can ask for when it comes to nurturing our little ones, they provide the spring board for loving and learning from interaction to sounds to counting and role play. This family-run business has a great range of animal toys and the best full time toy testers and advisors, their little boys. All topped off with a range of gorgeous, soft, touch and feel fabrics to choose from. Ladybird Rid & Roll £49.95 For age 2+ www.thetoyanimalcompany.com

Sewlomax Christmas bibs & muslins

Galt sensational sequins

Catch the Christmas slobber with this gorgeous 100% cotton set of three dribble bibs or muslins. Embroidered with three designs: Robin, Snowman and Reindeer, local mum Rebecca tried the dribble bibs on 11 month old Olive. “Excellent quality bibs with gorgeous Christmas designs. Two size button fastening options and a lovely thick, soft material which has resulted in my daughter using hers as a sleep comforter!” Muslin set £12, Dribble bib set £10 from www.sewlomax.com

Anything that promotes children’s creativity should be top of your shopping list. These craft kits are designed to help young children with their hand-eye coordination and cognitive development. Create decorative pictures to hang on their bedroom wall. RRP from £5.99 For age 6+ www.galttoys.com

Check out the new, gorgeously illustrated children’s book, Puddle Pug. Percy the Pug loves puddles: big puddles, small puddles, swamp puddles, stomp puddles. But no puddle is perfect until he finds one filled with a family of piglets. This beautifully illustrated hardback book is irresistibly cute illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi, Kim Norman’s delightful tale about a persistent pug and his pursuit of friendship in puddle paradise brims with warmth and charm. Perfect for children aged 3 and over, it teaches children about perseverance and making friends. £11.99 from all good bookshops.

How cute are these? Cuddledry’s adorable Christmas edition toddler towels are perfect for bath time and for gallivanting around the Christmas tree. Made from a blend of pure cotton and bamboo, they are twice as absorbent as regular towels and will keep little ones warm and snuggly all year round! £34.99 from

Personalised Puzzle Personalised presents are such a unique gift. They will also be a cherished memorabilia for generations to come. £50 from www.tinyme.co.uk (Free ship code: JOY until 04.01.15). Also personalised bags, stationery, stickers and much more.

The BabyZoo Sleeptrainer To help children learn when it’s morning and an acceptable time to get up, Momo and Mumbo will open their eyes at a time set by mum and dad, but close them again if the snooze option is chosen.

Both analogue and digital clock, jungle sounds are optional! RRP £32. For age 3 +

BRIO Osby horse Timeless toy brand BRIO celebrates their 130th anniversary this year with a re-release of its classic pull along horse, the first ever toy it produced and an abiding addition to any toddlers’ stocking this festive season. RRP £16.99 For ages 1 – 2 years.

The Mini Hornit We love the Mini Hornit! With 25 hilarious sounds and a light, it can be attached on scooters and bikes. It also provides important safety features: it lights the riders’ path as well as gives them the opportunity to warn pedestrians they’re on their way. £19.99 www.thehornit.com

Can’t go wrong with Tractor Ted For your Tractor Ted fans, the long-sleeved pyjama top has a happy Tractor Ted face while the long-legged trousers come with a Tractor Ted print, (pyjamas £18).

Tractor Ted DVDs (£8.99) and books (£4.99) cover big machines, looking after animals, the seasons and where our food comes from etc. www.tractorted.co.uk

For aspiring astronauts The devil is in the detail with the HAPE Discovery Spaceship.

Complete with aliens and astronauts, this charming wooden spaceship and lift-off rocket provide fuel for imaginative explorations into any galaxy. The perfect pre-schooler present. RRP £99.99 For age 3+

Pirate Playmat from Le Toy Van There’s hours of imaginative play to be had with this Pirate playmat (120cm x 80cm). It features an skull shaped island with a ‘volcanic’ eye-patch, a sandy bay with Cliffside caverns and a sea teeming with marine life. For ages 3+, £25 from www.therusticrabbit.co.uk.

14 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

Get stickered up… …with The Sticker Club, a weekly subscription club delivering high quality stickers to children around the world. Two dads have drawn upon their successful entrepreneurial backgrounds to launch the club after spotting the growing desire for parents to encourage imaginative play through non-digital resources.

The Sticker Club has recruited some of the best creative designers from all over the globe to be involved, and the stickers are fantastic. The concept is simple – sign up and each week you will receive 9 sticker sheets with a minimum of 40 stickers per week. That’s over 2000 stickers per year! Stickers feature exciting themes from robots and aliens to animals and transport, plus loads of other eye catching, imaginative designs. All you have to do is decide where to stick them. £1.99 per week, www.thestickerclub.com

Roll with it!

Rollers is a new range of wheeled toys for children aged 2 and up.

There are two Rollers in the range, the R1 and R2, both innovatively designed so that parents get two products for the price of one, as they convert from a seated wheeled toy to a scooter and help develop a child’s balance and core motor skills.

The R1 is three-wheeled and converts from a sit-on trike to a tri-scooter, while the R2 is two-wheeled and transforms from a balance bike to an in-line scooter. The seat can be easily removed as a child’s confidence grows and they can learn to scoot solo. Sounds fab! Currently available to buy from Littlewoods, Argos, Very and Tesco Direct. www.rollersworld.co.uk

Banana Lane Clothing We love this local funky ethical clothing line! T-shirts, hoodies, play suits and bibs with gorgeous unique characters and slogans.

Personalised options avaialable. www.bananalane.co.uk

Christmas shopping o

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Both have families in mind!

Great fun for children and adults to play together, Bizzy Bitz is cool, addictive and fun. The brightly coloured, versatile pieces give endless opportunities to experiment and explore as they open their mind to a world of creative possibilities.

Create impressive model masterpieces with the easy-to-follow instructions, or let your imagination run free and build your own amazing creations! Bizzy Bitz has tremendous developmental and educational benefits through fun play and has won multiple awards. It is has boxes suitable for children from 3 – 11+ yrs. www.bizzy-bitz.com

Shopping directory Bean & Brush Art Cafe Hayfield Street, Sale M33 7XW 0161 973 2140 / www.beanandbrush.co.uk Brooklyn Pottery Shaw Heath, Stockport, SK2 6QS 0161 480 5139 / www.brooklynpottery.co.uk Brookside Pottery, Poynton London Road North, SK12 1BY. Make your own gift!

07961 838753 / www.brooksidepottery.com Button Nose Bramhall Lane South, Bramhall, SK7 1AF Designer clothing for children from birth to 14.

0161 440 7667 / www.buttonnose.co.uk Everything Dinosaur The name says it all. Dinosaur models, toys, prehistoric animal themed soft toys, clothing and games. From museum quality, scale replicas to pocket money dinosaur gifts. Based in Middlewich. 01606 841068 / www.everythingdinosaur.com DaisyZoo.com Online store but based in Knutsford. Great organic, quality baby gifts and toys.

01565 650 433 / www.daisyzoo.com

Giddy Goat Toys Albert Hill Street, Didsbury M20 6RF 0161 445 1097 / www.giddygoattoys.co.uk Go Great Toys Lane End Road, Burnage M19 1TU 0161 637 2257 / www.gogreattoys.co.uk Green Child Of Mine Online store based in Bolton. A fabulous selection of baby, nursery, and kids products.

01204 653327 / www.greenchildofmine.com Hamleys The Trafford Centre, Manchester M17 8AA 0371 704 1977 / www.hamleys.com Hobbycraft Altrincham Retail Park WA14 5NQ / 0845 051 6580 Round Hill Way, Bolton BL1 2SL / 0845 051 6531 The Peel Centre, Stockport SK1 2HH / 0845 051 6530 www.hobbycraft.co.uk John Lewis Wilmslow Road, Cheadle SK8 3BZ or Trafford Centre 0161 491 4914 (Cheadle) or 0161 491 4040 (Trafford) / www.johnlewis.com

Kids Exchange Pre-loved but excellent quality clothing, toys and equipment.

Manchester Road, Wilmslow SK91BG 01625 537664 / www.kids-exchange.co.uk Kooky Kids Online store but based in Macclesfield. Great toys for boys and girls of all ages. www.kooky-kids.co.uk Pixie Childrenswear Ashley Road, Hale WA15 9SF Toys, gifts and fashion.

0161 927 9259 / www.pixiechildrenswear.com Potter Corner Beech Rd, Manchester M21 9EL 0161 882 0010 / www.potsareforpainting.co.uk Simply Books Moss Lane, Bramhall SK7 1BD 0161 439 1436 / www.simplybooks.info

Teddy Bears Workshop The Market Place, Bolton BL1 2AL 01204 771013 / www.teddybearsworkshop.com Tip Toes Edenfield Road, Rochdale OL12 7RB 01706 750322 / www.facebook.com/TipToesUK The Art Café Ashley Rd, Hale WA15 9SF 0161 929 6886 Toymaster Hollins Ln, Marple, SK6 6AW 0161 427 2099 / www.toymaster.co.uk ToysRUs Great Ancoats, Manchester M4 6DJ / 0161 272 6515 Trinity Retail Park, Bolton BL2 1HY / 01204 398877 Peel Centre Trading Park, Stockport / 0161 474 7700 www.toysrus.co.uk

Spruced Goose Bury New Rd, Whitefield M45 6AD 0161 796 8096 / www.sprucedgoose.com

The Entertainer The Rock, Bury, BL9 0ND / 0844 693 1455 Arndale Centre, Manchester M4 3AJ / 0844 693 1459 Warren Street, Stockport SK1 1UD / 0844 693 1458 www.thetoyshop.com

Smyths Toys Superstore The Linkway, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6JA / 01204 469000 Halls Mill Retail Park, Bury BL9 7AZ / 0161 705 2414 www.smythstoys.com

Traditional Toys The Last Drop Village, Bromley Cross, Bolton BL7 9PZ 01204 593 528 / www.traditionaltoysbolton.co.uk

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas…

Opening the advent calendar and counting down the days until Christmas is always exciting for little ones, but for us parents having to either try and refuse chocolate before school, or defuse the arguments over whose turn it is today – or both! – it can be less than fun. So why not forgo the chocolate this year, and make a Christmas activity advent calendar instead?

Write a list of different Christmasthemed or special activities that you can enjoy as a family, and put one activity in each day of the advent calendar.

You can make them as simple or as elaborate as you like – whatever works for you! If your children are usually tired after school try and keep the weekday activities quieter, then you can enjoy the more active ones at the weekend.

If you’re stuck for inspiration we’ve come up with some ideas to get you started…

1. Decorate the Christmas tree 2. Make paper snowflakes 3. Bake and decorate gingerbread men 4. Write a Christmas poem 5. Create a collage with Christmas stickers 6. Go sledging and have a snowball fight 7. Make salt dough decorations 8. Donate some toys to charity 9. Make Christmas wrapping paper (potato-prints onto brown paper) 10. Make Christmas cards 11. Colour in Christmas printables (you can find plenty of free ones online) 12. Dance around the living room to Christmas music 13. Make ‘Jingle Bell’ bracelets (thread small bells onto a pipe cleaner) 14. Bake mince pies

15. Visit your local garden centre’s Winter Wonderland 16. Make a Christmas tree (shape green paper into a cone and decorate with pom poms, sequins, etc.)

17. Make handprint baubles for grandparents 18. Have a ‘candle-lit’ bubble bath with LED tea-lights or glow-sticks (make sure the tea-lights can’t fall into the bath) 19. Go to the library for Christmas books 20. Make snowman pictures with cotton wool 21. Turn yourselves into dancing elves at www.jibjab.com 22. Make ‘reindeer food’ (oats, raisins and glitter) 23. Watch ‘The Snowman’ (don’t panic if you haven’t got it on DVD, it’s on Youtube!)

24. Visit a local Santa (see overleaf for our guide to where you can find him)

And a final handy tip: Keep a separate list of which activities you’ve put in each day, so that you can refer back to it and swap them around if necessary (helpful if you’ve chosen sledging as an activity but it doesn’t snow!).

Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk 15

Where’s Santa?

Brookside Garden Centre, Poynton Santa’s Grotto Grotto opens Sat 22 Nov 11am. Then open every weekend until Sun 21 Dec 11am – 4pm. Also every Wed & Thurs in Dec 2 – 6.30pm, Mon 22 & Tues 23 Dec 11am – 6.30pm, Wed 24 Dec 11am – 3pm. £7.50 per child (£4 for under 2’s), includes a ride to the Grotto on the miniature Santa Special railway and a gift. £2 for accompanying adults. £6 for Grotto visit only.

01625 872919 / www.klondyke.co.uk/ brookside-garden-centre-poynton

Gift & Craft Fairs Sat 8 Nov

Honford Hall, SK9 3HN Handforth Craft Fair 12 – 3pm, free admission. Including a FREE exotic animal corner: come and see the parrot, Meet BUMBLE the owl, snakes, tortoises and a skunk, local crafters, gifts, meet Iggle Piggle (11.30am & 2.30pm) and Fireman Sam (1pm)! www.facebook.com/handforthcraftfair

Sat 8 & Sun 9 Nov

The Lowry Outlet, Salford The Snow Ball A free to enter waterside market with unique & inspiring Christmas gifts, festive characters Anna, Elsa and Olaf - Inspired by Frozen, Live music and street entertainers Bailey, the giant Snow Globe Photo Booth (entry charge applies), the MediaCityUK Ice rink 0161 848 1850 / www.lowryoutlet.co.uk

Mon 10 & Tues 11 Nov

Arley Hall And Gardens Shopping Spectacular Mon: Champagne Reception 6 – 9.30pm Tues: 9.30am - 3.30pm Around 60 hand-picked stalls from all corners of the country offering delicious food and stunning gifts and treats for all, from stocking fillers to that extra special present. Creche facility on Tuesday between 10am and 2pm (limited spaces subject to availability on the day) 0161 6100168 / www.arleyhallshoppingspectacular.co.uk

Fri 14 Nov – Sun 21 Dec

Manchester Christmas Markets Over 300 stalls offering gifts, crafts, jewellery, clothes, toys and an array of food and drink from all over Europe. A truly international event with a uniquely Mancunian flavour.

Trail map available on website, but venues include Albert Square, M2 5RT Brazennose Street, M2 5AS St Ann’s Square, M2 7JB Exchange Street, M2 7DH King Street, M2 4LQ New Cathedral Street, M1 1AD Exchange Square, M3 1BD Market Street, M1 1PL www.manchestermarkets.com

Sat 15 & Sun 16 Nov

Tatton Park, Knutsford Christmas Gift Fair 10.30am – 5pm, Free entry (normal admission applies) An early chance to look for those special Christmas gifts for all the family and ideas for presents not usually found in High Street shops.

01530 834056 / www.countrywide-events.co.uk

Sat 22 Nov

Saint Barnabus Church, Shore OL15 8EJ Christmas Fair 12 – 3pm 01706 378055 / www.rochdaleonline.co.uk

Sun 23 Nov

Littleborough Coach House, OL15 9AE Christmas Fair 1 – 4pm. Load up on locally made gifts and crafts or set up your own stall.

01706 374968 / www.littleboroughcoachhouse.org

Fri 28 – Sun 30 Nov

Capesthorne Hall Christmas at Capesthorne with Large Craft & Gift marquee.

Take a tour around this stately home with live musical entertainment and a special visit from Santa. Then head out to the marquee for the Craft and Gift fair.

Fri 5 – 9p, Sat/Sun 12 – 5pm. Entrance fee applies.

01625 861 221 / www.capesthorne.com

Fri 28 – Sun 30 Nov

Tatton Park, Knutsford (Tenants Hall) Tatton’s Christmas Gift Fair Fri: 12 – 7.30pm, Sat & Sun: 11am – 4.30pm Innovative and unusual present ideas for friends and family. Free admission to Fair – normal park entry applies.

01625 374400 / www.tattonpark.org.uk

Sat 29 Nov

Dialstone Lane Methodist Church, Stockport Christmas Craft & Gift Fair 10am – 2pm. With entertainment and a special appearances from Father Christmas and the Frozen Sisters. 0161 456 1454 / www.dialstonelanemethodistchurch.co.uk Bolton Hospice Christmas Fair 10am – 1pm. Stalls, tombola, raffle, delicious mince pies, festive fun for all the family, including a chance to meet Santa.

01204 663050 / www.boltonhospice.org.uk St Thomas and St John’s Church, Lostock Festive Fayre 11am – 1pm. Chocolate tombola, home made produce and more. Christmas treats at the Lostock café.

01204 654016 / www.lostockchurch.org.uk

Sun 30 Nov

Heald Green Village Hall, SK8 3JL St Ann’s Hospice Christmas Fair £1 entrance, accompanied children free An afternoon of family fun, Christmas gifts, Children’s toys, Santa, Entertainment, Refreshments and more. www.sah.org.uk Little Lever Town Centre Christmas Markets 10am – 3pm www.facebook.com/llcommunityevents Stockport Town Hall Christmas Gift fair 10am – 3pm, free entry An array of handcrafted toys, jewellery and gifts. Café open throughout. 0161 474 3451 / www.stockport.gov.uk/townhall

Thurs 4 – Sun 7 Dec

Lowry Outlet , Salford Victorian Christmas Market Over 100 festive stalls, local brass bandsand choirs.

Free entry. www.lowryoutlet.co.uk

Sat 6 Dec

The Wellbeing Farm, Bolton Christmas Fair and Artisan Market 10 – 5pm 01204 852113 / www.thewellbeingfarm.co.uk

16 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

Alton Towers

Santa’s Lunches at Alton Towers Sun 30 Nov, 7, 14 & 21 Dec Christmas lunch, visit Santa’s Grotto, visit the Waterpark, watch Christmas movies in the Festive Cinema, meet Santa’s reindeer. www.altontowers.com

Arndale Centre, Manchester

Santa’s Grotto Thurs 20 Nov – Wed 24 Dec £4.50 per child (plus booking fee) – includes a gift.

Pre-booking highly recommended.

Santa will be waiting to greet you in his towering Christmas tree star grotto in Halle Square. www.manchesterarndale.com

Bents Garden Centre, Warrington Santa’s Arrival Sat 8 Nov, 10am Breakfast with Santa Sat 29 Nov, Sat 6, 13, 20 Dec, Mon 22 – Wed 24 Dec £14.95 (includes gift), booking essential Santa’s Tea Parties Weekdays Mon 1 – Fri 19 Dec £14.95 (includes gift), early booking essential Join Santa for a meal with party games.

01942 266300 / www.bents.co.uk

Cheshire Reindeer Lodge & Christmas Tree Farm, Cheshire Oaks

Santa’s Grotto Sat 22 Nov – Wed 24 Dec Mon – Fri: 2 – 5.30pm, Sat, Sun & 23 Dec: 10am – 5.30pm, 24 Dec: 10am – 2pm £6.50 per child (incl gift), Free entry to animals and trees Meet Santa and his Elves, Feed the Reindeer, get your photos taken in a traditional sleighs, have a donkey ride, look through the huge range of Christmas Trees and grab yourself a festive coffee or hot chocolate.

01244 646 045 / www.cheshirereindeer.co.uk

Chester Racecourse

Santa’s Grotto £10 (includes toy and two accompanying adults per child) Booking advised. www.winterwonderlandchester.co.uk

Chester Zoo

Lantern Magic Thurs 4 – Sun 7 Dec, Thurs 11 – Sun 14 Dec, Thurs 18 – Tues 23 Dec Meet Santa at this unforgettable, magical night time journey through the zoo. Varying price options depending on requirements – see website. Pre-booking essential.

01244 380280 /www.chesterzoo.org

Where’s Santa?

The Chestnut Centre, Chapel-en-le-Frith

Ordsall Hall, Salford

Chill Factore, Trafford Quays

Portland Basin Museum, Ashton under Lyne OL7 0QA

Christmas Grotto Every weekend from Sat 29 Nov – Sun 21 Dec, Daily from Mon 22 – Wed 24 Dec £7.75 per child (includes entry to the park). 2 adults/ child in grotto + entry fee to park applies.

Booking essential 01298 814099 / www.chestnutcentre.co.uk Snow Grotto Weekends from Sat 8 – Sun 30 Nov, Daily from Sun 1 – Tues 24 Dec 10am – 7.30pm (last session 7pm). Enjoy a variety of snow activities as well as meeting Santa and getting a gift.

0843 596 22 33 / www.chillfactore.com

Event City, Trafford Park

Winter Wonderland Santa Meet and Greet Sat 13 Dec – Sun 4 Jan Meet and greet Santa at this indoor winter wonderland of fun and entertainment. Not a full grotto experience, but it will be an efficient meet and greet system. www.winterwonderlandmanchester.com

Gulliver’s World, Warrington

Breakfast with Santa Sat 29 Nov, Every weekend in Dec and Mon 22 – Wed 24 Dec Includes a festive show and a gift Santa Send Off Wed 24 Dec Special shows throughout the day to celebrate Santa’s time at Gulliver’s World before he makes his way around the world.

01925 444 888 / www.gulliversfun.co.uk

Hare Hill House, Rochdale

Christmas Kids Festival Sun 23 Nov 11am – 5pm, Free entry. Stalls, facepainting, kids Christmas tombola, games, hampers, crafts, baking and more. Santa and his Elf will be greeting kids and handing out balloons. Proceeds to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. www.rochdale.gov.uk / 07746 308 152

Heald Green Village Hall, SK8 3JL

St Ann’s Hospice Christmas Fair Sun 30 Nov £1 entrance, accompanied children free. An afternoon of family fun, shopping and a chance to see Santa. www.sah.org.uk

Haydock Park

Sunday Lunch with Santa Sun 14 Dec Adult £22, Child (12 & under) £15, Under 5s Free 3 Course Buffet, Visit from Santa with a special gift for each child, Children’s DJ with games and balloons. Two Complimentary Tattersall tickets to the Family Fun Day at Haydock Park on 30 Dec (Two children, under 17 go racing free per lunch booking) www.haydock-park.co.uk

Let’s Party, Bury

Tea with Santa Thurs 18 Dec 5 – 6.30pm. £12.99 (+ £3 for luxury gift). A magical Christmas tea party in the Winter Wonderland room, including food, drinks, treats, games, singing then a special visit and present from Santa. £12.99 each (+£3 for luxury gift). Limited places – booking essential.

0161 797111 / www.letspartyvenue.co.uk

Lyme Park, Disley

An Audience with Father Christmas Weekends from Sat 6 – Sun 21 Dec 11am – 3.30pm, £6 (normal admission applies) Visit Father Christmas in the Main Hall and receive a special gift, includes storytelling and a mince pie.

Booking essential (fee applies).

0844 2491895 / www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme-park

Father Christmas Sun 7 & 14 Dec 1 – 4pm, £3.50. Come and meet Father Christmas in his grotto and receive a gift. On Sat 14 you can listen to talented Salford school children as they perform yuletide classics in the stunning Great Hall. Enjoy home-made mulled cider and mince pies from the Ordsall Hall cafe to mark the occasion! 0161 872 0251 / www.salfordcommunityleisure.co.uk

Christmas Fun Day and Handmade Market Sun 7 Dec 11am – 3pm, £3.50 to visit Father Christmas (includes gift) – limited places available. We bring the Christmas spirit to life with characters and activities for the whole family. You might even find that special handcrafted gift in our festive winter market. www.tameside.gov.uk

Quarry Bank Mill, Styal

A Victorian Christmas at the Mill Sat 6 & Sun 7 Dec, Sat 13 & Sun 14 Dec 11am – 3pm, Free, normal admission applies Find out more about customs from the past. Tell Father Christmas what’s on your Christmas list. Enjoy Christmas carols, stories and finish your day with a warming mince pie. 01625 527468 / www.nationaltrust.org.uk/quarry-bankl

Salford Museum & Art Gallery

Victorian Christmas Sat 29 & Sun 30 Nov 12 – 4pm, free entry, £3.50 to see Father Christmas Visit Father Christmas in our Victorian Street, hear festive music in the Victorian Gallery and take part in children’s craft activities to make a paper chain advent calendar and complete the Christmas Quiz.

0161 778 0800 / www.salfordcommunityleisure.co.uk

Touchstones, Rochdale

Santa’s Grotto Sat6 Dec, 10am – 5pm, £6.50 per child (includes gift) Meet the elves who will help you have some creative fun. Place a wish on the Christmas tree before meeting Santa in his magical Grotto.

Limited spaces – booking essential 01706 924928 / www.link4life.org

Stockley Farm

Christmas at the Farm Weekends from Sat 29 Nov – Sun 21 Dec Festive fun on the farm, with tasty treats in the tea room, a spacious covered play barn, plus the chance to take part in the live nativity play (complete with animal actors!), make your own Christmas card and tree decoration and visit Father Christmas in his winter wonderland! (additional charge). Christmas Brunch options also available.

01565 777 323 / www.stockleyfarm.co.uk

Tatton Park, Knutsford

Christmas Lantern Parade & Father Christmas at the Farm Fri 28 Nov 6pm, normal admission applies. Father Christmas arrives at Tatton with Prancer and Dancer as part of a festive lantern parade. You can meet Father Christmas at the Farm every weekend from Sat 29 Nov until Sun 21 Dec 11am – 4pm. Normal entry charges apply.

01625 374400 / www.tattonpark.org.uk

Trafford Centre

The Snowman™ and The Snowdog Santa’s Grotto at Barton Square Mon 3 Nov – Wed 24 Dec Including an experiential The Snowman and The Snowdog film sequence, gifts and activities, surrounded by all sorts of other festive fun and entertainment. Book online.

0161 749 1717 / www.intu.co.uk/traffordcentre

Santa’s Grotto/Farm Sun 16 Nov – Tues 23 Dec A personal visit to Santa in his own winter wonderland, including our Farm and a special gift for good boys and girls. One ticket per child (max 2 accompanying adults per child). Booking essential. £9.50 per child.

Tea & Breakfast with Santa A fun, interactive experience, combining yummy food, with storytelling and a small gift from the special man himself! Booking essential. £11 per child.

0161 4390745 / www.notcutts.co.uk

ALL ABOARD THE SANTA EXPRESS Brookside Miniature Railway, Poynton Santa Specials Ride on the miniature railway to see Santa in his grotto. See “Where’s Santa?” for dates and prices.

01625 872919 / www.klondyke.co.uk/ brookside-garden-centre-poynton

Grosvenor Park Miniature Railway, Chester

St George’s Church, Stockport

St George’s Christmas Tree Festival Sun 30 Nov Adults £2, Children free. Event runs from Wed 26 Nov, but Father Christmas will be available to receive young visitors on Saturday afternoon. Musical performances, refreshments, a children’s grotto with Christmas craft, a Prayer Trail and many beautiful Christmas trees.

0161 440 0408 / www.stgeorgestockport.org.uk

Woodford Park Garden Centre, Stockport

Santa Specials Every weekend from Sat 29 Nov - Sun 21 Dec 11am - 4pm Child: £6.50 (includes a train ride, a present from Santa and a soft drink at the Lodge Cafe). Adult: £4.50 (includes train ride, a cookie anda hot drink at the cafe) 07530 397079 / www.gpmr.co.uk

Churnet Valley Railway

Santa and Steams Specials – A Victorian Christmas Celebration Wed 3 & Wed 10 Dec, Weekends from Sat 6 – Sun 21 Dec Mon 22 – Wed 24 Dec Quality gifts for every child, mince pie and sherry for adults. Entertainment, traditional decorations and attractions at Cheddleton and Kingsley & Froghall Stations.

Special offer for Wed 3, Sat 6 & Sun 7 Dec: youngest child free with every two adults. Booking essential 01538 758491/ www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk

East Lancashire Railway, Bury

Santa Specials Every weekend from Sat 29 Nov and daily From Sat 20 Dec – Wed 24 Dec Meet the jolly man and his host of happy elves as they hand out presents for the kids and a mince pie and festive drink for the adults. Beautiful decorations on both the carriages and in the station, enjoy Christmas carols and live brass bands. Pre-booking essential.

0161 764 7790 / www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk

Foxfield Railway, Stoke on Trent

Santa Specials Weekends from Sat 29 Nov – Sun 21 Dec, Tues 23 & Wed 24 Dec Wind through the scenic Staffordshire countryside for a 5½ mile round festive train ride! Chocolate, a drink and a quality present from Santa for children, mince pie and sherry for adults.

Booking essential.

Special offer for Sat 29 & Sun 30 Nov: one child free with every 2 adults.

07806 468970 / www.foxfieldrailway.co.uk

Kirklees Light Railway, Huddersfield

Santa Specials Weekends from Sat 29 Nov – Sun 21 Dec, Mon 22 – Wed 24 Dec Fri 5, 12 & 19 Dec – Twilight Specials Ride the train to Shelley Station to see Santa in his grotto and get a gift. Mince pie and festive tipple for adults, biscuit and juice for kids while waiting in the heated marque.

01484 865727 / www.kirkleeslightrailway.com

Ribble Steam Railway, Preston

Santa Specials Weekends from Sat 6 – Sun 21 Dec, Mon 22 & Tues 23 Dec Light refreshments and gifts for the children. Booking essential – at the Preston Visitor’s Info Centre.

01772 253731 / www.ribblesteam.org.uk

Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk 17

Panto’s and family shows Lost Forest

Hyde Festival Theatre Fri 7 Nov 1pm & 7pm, £5. Indigo Moon return with another incredible and innovative piece of theatre. With magic and mayhem in the rainforest, Using colourful rod puppets from West Java, shadow theatre and original music, they create truly immersive family theatre. For age 5+.

0161 367 867 / www.hydefestivaltheatre.org.uk

Lolly, Pops and Circus Props

The Met, Bury Sat 8 Nov Artful Playground brings this story to life accompanied by a live musical soundtrack. Throughout this show children can take part in physical activities, take on characters, learn songs and play drama games. For ages 3 – 7 0161 761 2216 / www.themet.biz

Old Macdonald Had A Farm

Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Sun 16 Nov Old MacDonald’s animals have gone missing! Can you help a friendly scientist and his amazing time machine get them back for him? With a magical medley of games, giggles and sing along songs including Heads, Shoulders Knees and Toes, She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain and of course Old MacDonald Had A Farm. For age 4+.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk

Fiddlesticks

Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Sat 8 Nov What’s sound about? What are your ears for? We can make all kinds of noise in all sorts of different ways, and sometimes we call it music! Join Julian and his friends to find out how your ears can weave a magic spell, and get the chance to cast some noisy spells of your own.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk

A November Day

The Lowry, Salford Sun 9 Nov In forgotten boxes in an attic, a woman discovers the story of her grandfather, a survivor of the First World War, and his unexpected encounter with a stray dog who knew no boundaries. With evocative puppet characters, live music and an ever-changing set, Thingumajig Theatre presents a timeless fable on war and the miracle of friendship when all else seems lost.

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Alice in Wonderland

Octagon Theatre, Bolton Fri 14 Nov – Sat 10 Jan Based on Lewis Carroll’s classic, the Octagon’s intimate in-the-round theatre space will be transformed to create a spectacular Wonderland packed full of magic and delights. The perfect festive treat for old and young alike. Suitable for age 5+.

01204 520661 / www.octagonbolton.co.uk

ComedySportz

Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Sat 15 Nov & Sat 13 Dec This fast-paced improvised comedy show will have you on your knees with laughter! Two teams battle it out for the biggest laughs. With quick-witted sketches, scenes and songs from whatever suggestions are thrown at them by the audiences – this is feel good fun at its best. For ages 8+.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk

Swan Lake

Stockport Plaza Tues 18 Nov A compelling legend of tragic romance – brought to you by The Russian State Ballet and Opera House, featuring an impressive cast and a live Orchestra with over 30 musicians. www.ballet-tickets.com

Cinderella - Northern Ballet

The Palace Theatre, Manchester Tues 18 – Sat 22 Nov Go to the ball this November with Northern Ballet’s enchanting new production of the ultimate rags to riches fairy tale. Northern Ballet is renowned for creating unique interpretations of classic stories and Cinderella will be no exception. The colourful tapestry of Russia will lend new magic and wonder to this very traditional story. Rather than a fairy godmother, a magician is one of the central protagonists, and in preparation for the production Northern Ballet’s dancers have been learning magic and circus skills.

0844 871 3019 / www.atgtickets.com/manchester

West End Women

Manchester Opera House Sun 23 Nov West End leading ladies Kerry Ellis, Joanna Ampil and Ria Jones join forces to celebrate their critically acclaimed careers, in this concert of songs from the best loved musicals of the past 40 years including Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Cats and Wicked.

0844 871 7660 / www.manchestertheatres.com

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

The Albert Halls, Bolton Sat 29 Nov – Sun 4 Jan With Stu Francis as Buttons and Lucia Matisse as Cinderella.

01204 334400 / www.alberthalls-bolton.co.uk

Today it is raining

Z-arts, Hulme Sun 30 Nov 11am, 1pm & 3pm (30 min show & 15 min post show play). Very limited capacity – booking essential. It is raining. And grey. We are stuck inside with nothing to do. This is a show about the weather, and in particular bad weather, and about reading books, and in particular books about bad weather. It will rain, there will be wind, and a storm with thunder and lightning and it will be grey. And two performers/storytellers will be stuck inside with an audience, and the only thing to do is to read books about the weather. And there is a drip and a puddle that is getting bigger. And there is a wet spider and a wet doctor and wet books. And the stories and the characters in the books are slowly taking over.

Warning: you may get wet. A show for 3 – 5 year olds.

0161 226 1912 / www.z-arts.org

Match

The Lowry, Salford Sun 30 Nov Based on Hans Christian Anderson’s much loved classic, The Little Match Girl, this is the enchanting story of a young child’s hopes and dreams; simple pleasures and losses. A heart-warming, magical and life affirming tale for all the family with beautifully inventive storytelling, puppetry, song and live music.

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Cinderella

The Middleton Arena Mon 1 – Wed 24 Dec With Byker Grove’s Hazel Pude as Cinderella.

0844 855 4020 / www.middletonarena.com

Shrek The Musical

The Palace Theatre, Manchester Tues 2 Dec – Sun 11 Jan Direct from the West End and larger than life, it’s this year’s must-see show for all the family.

Featuring all new songs as well as cult Shrek anthem I’m a Believer, Shrek the Musical brings all the much-loved DreamWorks characters to life, live on stage, in an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza. For age 5+.

0844 871 3019 / www.atgtickets.com/manchester The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Thurs 4 Dec Join the multi award-winning Fairey Band for this special Christmas brass concert.

0844 907 9000 / www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

The Albert Halls, Bolton Sat 15 Nov See the SUPERSTARS Live In Action! Boo the bad guys! Cheer the good guys! A Great family night out.

01204 334400 / www.alberthalls-bolton.co.uk Oldham Coliseum Sat 15 Nov – Sat 10 Jan A magnificent pantomime filled with slapstick, shouts of ‘it’s behind you!’, hisses, boos, panto dames, and everything else you have come to expect from your annual visit!

With pantomime favourites Fine Time Fontayne and Richard J Fletcher. 0161 624282 / www.coliseum.org.uk

Cinderella

Christmas With The Fairey Band

American Wrestling Live 2014

Aladdin

Cinderella

Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Sat 29 Nov Young Albert Tuttle is nearly 7 years old – far too old to believe in Santa! How does a big fat man wearing bright red pyjamas fit down the chimney, anyway? A delightful new show comes to life with an irresitable blend of music, puppetry and high energy storytelling – and the chance to meet Santa. For ages 3 – 7.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk

Hansel and Gretel

Hyde Festival Theatre Saturday 8 November 11am & 1pm, £5. The award Winning Horse and Bamboo Theatre Company are back with a treat of a show; dark, chewy and delicious at heart, yet coated with a sprinkle of something light, sweet and zesty, succulent music and film, puppets and masks; a feast for the senses. For age 5+.

0161 367 867 / www.hydefestivaltheatre.org.uk

Santa’s Little Helper

Aladdin

Saturday Night Fever

Manchester Opera House Tues 25 – Sat 29 Nov A brand new production of one of the most loved dance stories of all time is packed with legendary hits from the Bee Gees.

0844 871 7660 / www.manchestertheatres.com

18 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

Salford Arts Theatre Thurs 4 – Sun 7 Dec Barton Theatre Company invites you to come and cheer for Aladdin on his Arabian adventure. With the help of the Genie of the lamp, he battles an evil magician to find true love. Excitement, laughter and Aladdin’s hilarious dodgy relatives!

0161 925 0111 / www.salfordartstheatre.com

Stockport Plaza Fri 5 Dec – Sun 4 Jan The most magical rags to riches fairytale of them all!

Will Cinderella ever meet her prince? Will Buttons save the day? Will the Ugly Sisters EVER be beautiful?

Starring Gary Damer (CBBC’s Hotel Trubble), Ted Robbins(‘The Governor’ in CBBC’s The Slammer) and award winning actress and comedian Crissy Rock (Janey in Benidorm) 0161 477 7779 / www.stockportplaza.co.uk Manchester Opera House Fri 5 Dec – Sun 4 Jan Friday 5th December 2014 to Sunday 4th January 2015 Packed with brilliant slapstick, hilarious comedy, stunning sets & sensational songs and starring Priscilla Presley & Warwick Davies.

0844 871 7660 / www.manchestertheatres.com

Aladdin Pantomime

The Village Hotel, Bury Sat 6 – Sun 28 Dec £15 (including two course lunch), Arrive 11.30, lunch at 12pm, panto begins 1.30pm.

Get into the Christmas spirit with this fantastic event, perfect for the entire family.

0161 210 5180 / www.village-hotels.co.uk

Jingle Bells Sing-a-long

Victoria Hall, Bolton Sat 6 Dec A concert of festive delights from traditional carols to favourite seasonal hits. With plenty of opportunities for audience participation this is a night for the whole family to enjoy. Join Bolton Cancer Voices with their special guests Besses o’ th’ Barn Band. £5 per ticket (buy 10, get 1 free!)

01204 334400 / www.alberthalls-bolton.co.uk

Slavas Snowshow

The Lowry, Salford Tue 9 – Sat 13 Dec Slava’s Snowshow introduces a joyous dream-like world, unlike anything you have ever seen; a world in which a cobweb envelops the audience and one tiny piece of paper begins a heart-stopping blizzard of snow.

For ages 5+ (strictly no children under 3).

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Jack and the Beanstalk

Salford Arts Theatre Thurs 11 Dec – Sat 3 Jan Times are hard for young Jack and his mother.

Forced to sell his beloved cow Daisy, poor Jack comes home with nothing but a few beans. But when the beans grow into a giant beanstalk, Jack finds himself in a whole new world of thrills and adventure. A traditional Panto for the whole family – fun, laughs and music.

0161 925 0111 / www.salfordartstheatre.com

Christmas is Coming! St Ann’s Hospice Festival Choir Concert

The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Fri 12 Dec The annual concert of Christmas music and carols with favourites for all the family to sing.

Transport available from St Ann’s Hospice, Heald Green (£6 return). Please call 0161 498 3631 to book transport. 0161 907 9000 / www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk / www.sah.org.uk

Dick Whittington and His Cat Forum Theatre, Romiley Fri 12 – Sun 14 Dec, Fri 19 & Sun 20 Dec A traditional family pantomime for all ages 0161 432 4787 / www.nkta.co.uk

Panto’s and family shows ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY?!

WIN a family ticket to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Opera House, Manchester A dazzling fairytale of a pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is guaranteed to melt everyone’s hearts; watch as the beautiful Snow White and the dwarfs attempt to defeat the Wicked Queen. Will Snow White meet her handsome Prince and save the day?

Snow White will feature all the traditional pantomime ingredients: Sensational songs, sparkling costumes, a live band, dazzling dance routines, hilarious slapstick comedy and bags of audience participation, plus the magnificent sets and costumes the Opera House panto is famous for.

Starring Priscilla Presley at the Wicked Queen, Warwick Davis as Prof, Tam Ryan as Muddles, Natalie Andreou as Snow White and Philip Oliver (Benidorm and Brookside) as The Prince.

We’ve got a family ticket to this fabulous production to give away!

Just head over to www.familiesmanchester.co.uk to enter now.

Entries close Friday 28 November.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs from Friday 5 December – Sunday 4 January 2015. Ticket prices range from £10 - £39.50 and can be booked on 0844 871 3018 or www.atgtickets.com/manchester Booking and transaction fees can apply.

ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY?!

WIN a family ticket to James and the Giant Peach at the Waterside Arts Centre, Sale There’s an amazing adventure coming to Manchester this Christmas!

Join young James Trotter and his friends and a truly enormous peach at Waterside Arts Centre, Sale (just 5 minutes from the M60) from Friday 12 December to Saturday 3 January. This adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book by David Wood has music by Olly Fox. It’s the perfect show for children aged 5 – 10. One lucky Families reader can win a trip to the show completely free!

We have one Family Ticket (4 people) to give away for a performance of your choice, between Friday 12 and Tuesday 23 December (subject to availability). All you have to do is enter online at www.familiesmanchester.co.uk. Entries close Friday 28 November.

If you’re not our lucky winner, tickets for the show (£12 to £16 plus booking fees) can be bought by calling 0161 912 5616 or visting www.watersideartscentre.co.uk.

Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk 19

Panto’s and family shows 3 Little Pigs

Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Sat 20 Dec – Sat 3 Jan The classic children’s fairy tale is transformed into a feast of comical puppetry! Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company present a madcap show full of puppetry comedy and thrills that’s a treat for everyone aged between 3 and 70!

0161 833 983 / www.royalexchange.co.uk

Aladdin

James and the Giant Peach

Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Fri 12 Dec – Sat 3 Jan Watershed Theatre brings you this adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic tale. James Trotter’s Mum and Dad were eaten by an escaped rhinoceros, so he lives with his Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker – truly the most hideous Aunts in England. He has to work all day and never gets to play with other children. Then a mysterious old man gives James a bag of very, very strong magic – perhaps his life will get better after all. But James drops the bag and the magic spills under an old tree. All appears to be lost until, on the tree, a single peach begins to grow… and grow… and grow and soon extraordinary things start to happen. For ages 5 – 10.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk/ www.watershedtheatre.com

The Snow Queen

Tatton Park, Knutsford Sun 14 Dec A unique take on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale with a team of three actors from Quantum Theatre entertaining you with an adapted version of the story in a family production aimed at all ages.

01625 374400 / www.tattonpark.org.uk

The Hallé Christmas Family Concert

The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Sun 14 Dec Calling all children, parents and grandparents.

Join Jamie Phillips, Alasdair Malloy and Santa’s little helpers, the Hallé, for this annual fun-filled festive family concert, full of sing-alongs, jingle-alongs, seasonal surprises, orchestral antics and audience amazement. The perfect way to start a family Christmas. This cracker of a concert is so popular, even Father Christmas takes time out to attend. Why not get into the spirit and dress up as a snowman or Rudolph? If you have any sleigh bells – homemade or even real – then bring them along and join in.

0844 907 9000 / www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

The Nutcracker – Vienna Festival Ballet

Parr Hall, Warrington Sun 14 Dec Tchaikovsky’s world famous classical ballet is one of the best-loved ballets and centres around Clara and her nutcracker doll, which magically transforms into a princely soldier. 01925 442345 / www.pyramidparrhall.com / www.viennafestivalballet.com

The Snowman

Parr Hall, Warrington Wed 17 Dec A family-friendly Christmas concert featuring The Snowman film accompanied by a live, 25-piece professional orchestra and a child soloist singing the evocative Walking in the Air. An hour long concert, including selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and a seasonal Guide to the Orchestra – a light hearted look at some of the more unusual instruments the orchestra, featuring some of the UK’s top musicians! A memorable experience for all ages.

01925 442345 / www.pyramidparrhall.com / www.carrotproductions.com

Peter Pan Goes Wrong

The Lowry, Salford Tues 16 Dec - Sun 11 Jan An hilarious new spin on a family favourite for the festive season. Terrific fun for all ages; a real laugh out loud comedy.

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Lemony Snicket’s Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming

The Lowry, Salford Mon 22 – Wed 24 Dec An adaptation of the absurdly funny Lemony Snicket story vividly brought to life with live music, lots of laughs and a screaming potato pancake. For ages 3+ (parental discretion).

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

The Lowry, Salford Wed 17 Dec – Sun 11 Jan Join our intrepid adventurers on their quest to find a bear; as they wade through the gigantic swishy swashy grass, the splishy splashy river and the thick oozy, squelchy mud! Expect catchy songs, interactive scenes and plenty of hands-on adventure – plus a few special surprises! Based on Michael Rosen’s award-winning book. For ages 3+ (parental discretion).

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Hansel & Gretel

The Met, Bury Tues 16 – Tues 24 Dec A beautiful and mysterious version of classic fairytale using puppets, masks, music and film. For ages 5+.

0161 761 2216 / www.themet.biz

The Halle’s Christmas Sing-along The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Fri 19 Dec The programme includes ‘Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow’; ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’; ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’; ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’; ‘White Christmas’; ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ and many more.

0844 907 9000 / www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Lowry, Salford Thurs 18 Dec - Sat 10 Jan Based on the award-winning novel by Mark Haddon and winner of seven 2013 Olivier awards - now at The Lowry as part of its first ever UK tour. Suitable for age 11+ 0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

20 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

The Heywood Civic Centre Sun 21 – Wed 24 Dec Join Aladdin and a whole host of panto favourites including the wondrous Widow Twankey, the particularly pompous PC Pong, evil Abanazar and his silly sidekick Suzie the Slave of the Ring, on a frolicking laugh-a-minute, all-singing, all-dancing magic carpet ride through panto land!

0300 303 8399 / www.link4life.org

The Snowman (screening with live music)

The Bridgewater Hall Tues 23 Dec Raymond Briggs’s classic animated film, The Snowman is accompanied by the Hallé performing Howard Blake’s magical score live including a chorister singing ‘Walking in the Air’. A Christmas treat not to be missed. The concert begins with Ian Stephens’s orchestral take on Michael Rosen’s children’s masterpiece We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.

0844 907 9000 / www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

The Holdalls Christmas Adventure

The Lowry, Salford Sat 27 – Mon 29 Dec Join the Holdalls as they venture into the snow filled air, battle festive beasts and bump into the notorious Christmas Pirates. Can they save teddy? Will they make it home in time for morning? Find out in this visual, musical treat bursting with magic to ignite the Christmas spirit in all.

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Snow White

Parr Hall, Warrington Sat 3 & Sun 4, Fri 9 – Sun 11 Jan Tony Peers Productions brings you another fantastic family pantomime sure to delight kids and adults alike.

01925 442345 / www.pyramidparrhall.com

Aladdin

The Carver Theatre, Marple Fri 9 – Sat 17 Jan (excl 12 Jan) A magic carpet ride of family fun. www.carvertheatre.co.uk

What’s on Throughout Nov & Dec Media City UK, Salford Ice Rink www.mediacityuk.co.uk

Platt Fields Park, Manchester M14 Funfair, bonfire, food from around the world and gift stalls and fireworks. Free entry. www.manchester.gov.uk

Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) 3D: Printing the Future 10am - 5pm. Try it. Perfect it. Print it.. From printed knickers and a synthetic heart, to 3D. printed pills and skull scaffolds, discover how 3D printing is about to change your life. www.mosi.org.uk

Heaton Park, Manchester M25 2SW 5 – 10pm, Free entry Bonfire lit 7.30pm, funfair from 5 – 9.30pm Food and drink from around the world on sale. www.heatonpark.org.uk

Every Sat in Nov & Dec

The Lowry, Salford (The Lookout) Lookout, it’s Saturday Playhouse 11am – 12.30pm, ages 5 – 11.

Make, draw, colour and stick in a whole range of fun, creative family activities inspired by the Here’s One I Made Earlier exhibition.

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Every Sun in Nov & Dec

The National Football Museum Skill Sunday Age 5+, free Fun training sessions for all ages.

0161 871 8145 / www.nationalfootballmuseum.com Salford Museum & Art Gallery Creative Sundays 1.30 – 3.30pm, Age 5 – 10, free Drop in for a different activity every week. Join us for a fun afternoon of arts and crafts and explore your creative side. On the first Sunday of every month Mr Tomlinson’s shop is open for business selling sweet treats! Meet Mrs. Tomlinson and get some sweets as well as a ‘create your own shop’ activity to do in the galleries or take home. No additional craft activities on these days. 0161 778 0800 / www.salfordcommunityleisure.co.uk

Tues 4 Nov – Tues 16 Dec

Touchstones, Rochdale Baby Play Baby Do 11 – 11.45am, Free, drop in Creative discovery and sensory play sessions in the Art Gallery for babies aged 0-2 and their parents.

Free, drop in.

01706 924928 / www.link4life.org

Every Wed in Nov & Dec

Environmental Resource Centre, Bolton Nature Tots 9.30 – 10.45am (Babies & Toddlers) 11am – 12.15pm (Pre-schoolers) £4 per child incl refreshments, booking essential A programme focussed around getting pre-school children engaged in wildlife and outdoor activity. www.lancswt.org.uk

Every Wed in Nov

Portland Basin Museum, Ashton under Lyne OL7 0QA Little Hands 10am – 11am, booking essential. Exploring museum objects, books and artworks through song, dance, stories and art with the under 5s.

0161 343 2878 / www.tameside.gov.uk

Wed 5 Nov

Bowden Club Annual Bonfire Gates open 6pm, Children’s display 7pm, Bonfire lit 7.20pm Main display 8pm, Grand Finale 8.45pm. Also amusements, children’s rides, BBQs & Licensed Bars.

0161 928 1358 / www.bowdonclub.com Woodford Community Centre Bonfire & Fireworks Gates open 6pm, Bonfire lit 6.30pm, Children’s display 7pm, Main display 7.45pm.Food, drink and a fairground. www.woodfordcom.com Trafford MV RFCC Guy Fawkes Night 6pm, Bonfire, firework display, food & drink and a BBQ in a great family friendly atmosphere.

Adult £5, Child £3, Family £15 www.pitchero.com/clubs/traffordmv

Chorlton Green, M21 9FG 6.30 – 11pm, Free entry Bonfire, fireworks, food and drinks at the Horse & Jockey. www.manchester.gov.uk Buile Hill Park, Salford M6 8GL 7pm – 12.30am, Free entry Bonfire, fireworks, lovely lights and more. www.salford.gov.uk Wythenshawe Park M23 0AB 5 – 9.30pm, Free entry. Funfair, bonfire, food from around the world and gift stalls and fireworks. www.manchester.gov.uk

Thurs 6 Nov

The John Rylands Library, Manchester Toddler Tales 10.30 – 11.30am, Under 5s, Free, drop in. Pull up a cushion in the cosy corner for great stories, songs and other fun activities. 0161 306 0555 / www.manchester.ac.uk/library/rylands

Every Fri in Nov & Dec

The Hive @Moss Bank Park, Bolton Nature Tots 10 – 11.15am (Babies & Toddlers) 11.30am – 12.45pm (Pre-schoolers) £4 per child incl refreshments, booking essential A programme focussed around getting pre-school children engaged in wildlife and outdoor activity. www.lancswt.org.uk

Fri 7 Nov

Albert Square, Manchester Christmas lights switch-on 7.30pm, free. An evening of high-energy entertainment and the biggest Christmas party in the North West. www.visitmanchester.com The Manchester Art Gallery Baby Art Club 10.15 – 11am, 11.30am – 12.15pm, 2.30 – 3.15pm, Free. Use all your sense to explore our artist’s space.

For babies who aren’t walking yet, with an adult carer.

Limited spaces – please book a week in advance.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org Ramsbottom Cricket Club Bonfire Night Celebrations Bonfire lit 6.30pm, Fireworks 8pm. Advance: Adult £3, Child (under 16) £1.80, Family (2+2) £8, Under 5s Free. On gate: Adult £5, Child: £2. Funfair, hot and cold food, stalls, licensed bar, live band www.ramsbottomcc.com

Fri 7 & 21 Nov & Fri 5 Dec

Hat Works, Stockport Bowler Hat Babies 10.30am – 11.15am & 11.30am – 12.15pm, £5 per baby, booking essential. Interactive stories and sensory play for babies who are not yet walking.

0161 474 2399 / www.stockport.gov.uk

Sat 8 Nov

Macclesfield Academy, SK11 8JR East Cheshire NCT Nearly New Sale 11.15 am – 1 pm (11 am entry for members). Good quality, lightly used children’s and baby’s toys, books, equipment and clothes at bargain prices. Refreshments available, no pushchairs or bags. 0844 243 6115 / events@eastcheshire-nct.org.uk Trafford Centre A day of Christmas Magic Celebrating the start of a very magical Christmas A

Day of Christmas Magic.

0161 749 1717 / www.intu.co.uk/traffordcentre Poynton Park/Pool Poynton Bonfire & Fireworks Gates open 6pm. www.poyntonbonfire.co.uk Oulton Park, Tarporley Neil Howard Stage Rally and Fireworks Adults £10 (under 13s free). Bigger and better than ever before with a bonfire and fireworks display at the end of the rallying. This will be the only time this year that you can see cars tackling the Oulton Park circuit in reverse and the auctioning continuing into the darkness. Free face painting, a fun fair, demonstrations from Group B rally cars and presentations at the end of the event in the Chequers Restaurant, along with bonfire party themed food and drink.

0843 453 9000 / www.oultonpark.co.uk The Carnival Fields, Wilmslow Wilmslow Bonfire & Fireworks Gates open 5pm, bonfire lit at 6.30pm. Childrens Fireworks Display 7pm, Main display 7.30pm.

Food, drink and a small funfair. www.wilmslowfireworks.co.uk Touchstones, Rochdale Art4Families Saturday Club: Colourful Decoupage Bowl. 10.30am – 12pm or 1 – 2.30pm, Age 5 – 12, Child £3 (max 3 accompanying adults free). Using recycled containers decorate your own colourful decoupage bowl to store your trinkets and treasures.

01706 924928 / www.link4life.org

Sun 9 Nov

Royal Exchange Theatre – The Front Room Free Storytelling - Flying Saucer Sundays 1pm: non walking babies. 1.45pm: ages 0 – 5 With the power of the spoken word and opportunities to join in, Storytelling Adventures with Nicola will inspire children to unlock their own creative potential.

Free sessions, but booking required.

0161 833 9833 / www.royalexchange.co.uk

Mon 10 & 24 Nov, 8 & 22 Dec

National Football Museum, Manchester Let’s Play Toddler 10.30am, £3, booking advised Physical activity and imaginative play with songs 0161 871 8145 / www.nationalfootballmuseum.com

Every Tues from 11 Nov – 16 Dec The Wacky Woods (Styperson Quarry Wood) Toddler and Pre-school Group 10am – 12pm & 1 – 3pm, Under 5s, £5 (includes drink & snack). Fun in the woods with your pre-schooler. Let them run in the sun, play in the mud, splash in the puddles and explore the wonderful great outdoors in the safety of a private wood.

01625 573 086 / www.wackywoods.co.uk

Tues 11 & 25 Nov

Manchester Museum Baby Explorers 10.30 – 11.15am, 11.30am –12.15pm & 1 – 1.45pm, Free, Booking essential from a week before. Sensory play and interactive story sessions for babies who aren’t walking yet. 0161 275 2648 / www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

The Manchester Art Gallery Baby Saturday 1 – 3pm, Free. Use all your sense to explore our artist’s space. For babies who aren’t walking yet, with an adult carer. Limited spaces – please book a week in advance.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org Abbotsfield Park, Urmston M41 9EY Urmston Lions Bonfire 5.30pm – 12.30am, Adults £5, Children £3 (under 3’s free). Bonfire, fireworks and live entertainment.

Fireworks at 7 and 8pm. e-clubhouse.org/sites/urmstonuk/ Whalley Range Cricket Club, M16 8NR Bonfire and Fireworks Night 7 – 10pm, free entry. Bonfire, firewoks, sparklers and fun.

0161 881 1414 / whalleyrange.play-cricket.com Hollywood Road Sports and Social Club, Bolton Firework Display 7pm, Adult £3, Child £2. BBQ, Fireworks and family fun.

Come along for a great fireworks display and have lots of fun. 01204 842043 / hollywoodroadssc.wordpress.com Rochdale Cricket Club OL11 5BX Annual Bonfire 5pm – 12.30am. Bonfire, fireworks, food and drink Adult £2, Child £1, Family £5 07866 425 340 / www.rochdaleclsclub.com

Sat 8 & Sun 9 Nov

Imperial War Museum (North) Family Weekends: Poppy Collage 11am – 12.30pm & 2 – 3.30pm, all ages, free Handle a real First World War memorial plaque from IWM’s collection and get involved through craft activities, object handling and dramatic performances. www.iwm.org.uk

Sat 8 & Sun 9 Nov & Sat 22 & Sun 23 Nov The Chill Factore Peppa Pig Bring your children down to see not only Father Christmas, but Peppa Pig too!

0843 596 2233 / www.chillfactore.com

Thurs 13 Nov – Sun 4 Jan

Selfridges, Trafford Centre Ice Rink An all-new covered ice rink complete with Christmas lights, music and trained ice marshals who will be on hand with skating tips, making it a fabulous festive day out for all the family.

0161 629 1306 / www.selfridges.com/icerink

Every Fri – Sun 14 – 23 Nov, Every Thurs – Sun 27 Nov – 21 Dec, Mon 22 – Wed 24 Dec Chester Racecource Winter Wonderland The Racecourse will be transformed into a magical ‘Winter Wonderland’ complete with an outdoor ice rink, food and drink stalls, real reindeer, Santa’s Grotto and Black Light Puppet Theatre among the attractions. www.winterwonderlandchester.co.uk

Fri 14 Nov

The Manchester Art Gallery Mini Art Club Ages 1 – 4, 10.15 – 11.15am & 11.30am – 12.30pm, Free but booking essential (from a week in advance) Get to know the artworks, investigate materials and make friends in our artist led workshops.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org

Weekends from Sat 15 – Sun 30 Nov

Imperial War Museum (North) Family Weekends: Berlin Wall 10am – 5pm, all ages, free 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, discover tales of bravery in interactive storytelling sessions “Oskar’s Jjourney”. Be inspired by the artistic expression and messages of unity created by those who left their mark on the Berlin Wall. Drop in to an Open Studio craft activity to create your own messages and graffiti style artwork. www.iwm.org.uk

Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk 21

What’s on Sat 15 Nov

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Pop-up Planetarium 10.30am for under 5s, Every 45 mins from 11.15am – 3.45pm for age 5+, Booking advised Explore the wonders of the night sky. Normal admission + £1 per show per person.

01477 571766 / www.jodrellbank.net Cheadle Hulme Methodist Church, Ramilies Avenue, Cheadle Hulme SK8 7AL Stockport NCT Nearly New Sale Great quality baby and kids clothes, toys, books, nursery goods, maternity wear. Parking and refreshments available. No pushchairs or shopping bags.

Admission £1. Chip and pin available. Sellers registration until 9 Nov. 0844 243 6282 / stockportnctnearlynewsale@gmail.com Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Family Art Club: Lantern Making 10.30am – 12.30pm, Age 4+ (must be accompanied) Annual Family Club membership £5, 50p per club session. Make a lantern for the Bringing the Light Lantern Parade on 29 November. Pre-booking essential.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk

Remember to check our What’s On Calendar on www.familiesmanchester.co.uk regularly, as not all event information is available at the time of going to print.

Sat 22 Nov

Manchester Museum Early Opening for Early Birds 9.15 – 10am, Under 5s, siblings & families, Free The Fossils gallery is open early for early birds for self-led tours, object handling and craft activities with Stan the T.rex and friends. Explore the rest of the Museum from 10am.

Big Saturday: Dinosaurs 11am – 4pm, Free, Drop in, all ages Meet Stan the T.rex and our newest dinosaur, Gorgosaurus, a smaller cousin of the T.rex (7.3m long, 2.6m high).

Discover more about the animals that were living at the time of the dinosaurs , meet experts, be dinosaur detectives and create dinosaur sock puppets and more.

0161 275 2648 / www.museum.manchester.ac.uk Touchstones, Rochdale Art4Families Saturday Club: Can-I-make it? Yes, you Can-o-pic!

10.30am – 12pm or 1 – 2.30pm, Age 5 – 12, Child £3 (max 3 accompanying adults free). Find out what the ancient Egyptians’ stored in canopic jars, then make your own mini replica from air dry clay!

01706 924928 / www.link4life.org

Touchstones, Rochdale Art4Families Saturday Club: Ancient Egyptian Art 10.30am – 12pm or 1 – 2.30pm, Age 5 – 12, Child £3 (max 3 accompanying adults free). Paint like an Egyptian to decorate your very own bejewelled amulet.

01706 924928 / www.link4life.org

The Manchester Art Gallery Open Doors Ages 5 – 16 with parent/carer, 9.15 – 10.45am, Free A series of creative activities especially for children with autism and other social communication issues, their families and carers.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org

The Manchester Art Gallery Family Art Club Ages 5 – 11, 1 – 3pm, Free but limited places Look at art and be creative together.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org

Bolton Central Children’s Library Happy Birthday Kipper!

1 – 3pm, ages 3 – 8, free. Celebrate 25 years of Kipper with stories and themed activities. www.boltonmuseums.org.uk

The Hive @ Moss Bank Park, Bolton Wild Families: Do you believe in the Gruffalo?

2 – 4pm, £3pp/£10 family of four An afternoon of ‘Gruffalo’ related fun is based around natural play and is guaranteed to enchant all the family!

01204 663754 / www.lancswt.org.uk Heywood Town Centre Heywood Christmas light Switch On 12 – 5.15pm, free. Parade and lots of stalls with festive menus 07800 615 493

Sat 15 & Sun 16 Nov

Manchester Museum Wonderstruck 11am – 4pm, Free, drop in A weekend of wonderful musical surprises all over the Museum. Choirs from across Manchester have joined forces with artists Daniel Bye, Sarah Punshon and Boff Whalley to create live performance and original songs inspired by the Museum’s collections.

0161 275 2648 / www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

Sat 15 Nov – Fri 2 Jan

LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre, Manchester Christmas Bricktacular The centre will be dressed for the holiday season, with great special events all included in the entry price. www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk/manchester

Sun 16 Nov

Leverhulme Park Bolton Santa dash Walk, jog, run, skip or hop along the 5km course in a Santa costume in aid of the Bolton Society for Blind People.

01204 337896 / www.bsbp.org.uk

Fri 21 Nov

Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Bridgewater For All: Music Makers: Toddler sessions 11am, 12pm, 1.45pm, Free (booking essential).

Monthly music and sensory play sessions for toddlers.

0161 907 9000 / www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

Sun 23 Nov

Royal Exchange Theatre – The Great Hall Free Craft Workshops - Flying Saucer Sundays 1 – 2.30pm, free but booking required 0161 833 9833 / www.royalexchange.co.uk

Tues 25 – Sun 30 Nov, Tues 2 – Sun 7 Dec, Fri 12 – Sun 14 Dec, Fri 19 – Sun 21 Dec

Tatton Park, Knutsford Nutcracker Christmas Mansion 11am - 4pm (last entry 3pm), Adult £9, Child £5 Enter the world of the Stahlbaum family as Clara and Fritz celebrate a traditional Christmas Eve in the Nutcracker Mansion. Only the ground floor is open at Christmas and prices apply to all visitors including National Trust members.

01625 374400 / www.tattonpark.org.uk

Wed 26 Nov – Sun 30 Nov

St George’s Church, Stockport Christmas Tree Festival Adults £2, Children free. Performances by schools and music groups (including St George’s own handbell ringers) and a puppet group performance at the weekend. Father Christmas will receive young visitors on Saturday afternoon. Refreshments, a children’s grotto with Christmas craft, a Prayer Trail and many beautiful Christmas trees.

0161 440 0408 / www.stgeorgestockport.org.uk

Fri 28 Nov

The Manchester Museum Magic Carpet 10.30 – 11.30 & 11.30am – 12.30pm, Under 5s, Free, Booking essential from a week before. Story making and activity sessions for toddlers up to 5yrs and their families/carers (young babies welcome with older siblings).

0161 275 2648 / www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

22 Families Manchester | www.familiesmanchester.co.uk

Fri 28 Nov & Tues 23 Dec

Wed 3 & 10 Dec

Sat 29 Nov

Thurs 4, 11 & 18 Dec

National Football Museum, Manchester Under 5’s story time 10.30 – 11.30am, £2, booking advised. A fun interactive story session combined with puppetry developed especially for under-5s and their grown-ups.

0161 871 8145 / www.nationalfootballmuseum.com Central Library, Manchester Robogals 10am – 12pm and 1 – 3pm, Age 8 +, free but limited places so booking essential. Learn to programme using LEGO Mindstorm NXT robots and see you if you can complete our programming challenges!

0161 234 1983 / www.manchester.gov.uk/ centrallibrary Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Family Art Club: Make your own Christmas tree 10.30am – 12.30pm, Age 4+ (must be accompanied). Annual Family Club membership £5, 50p per club session. Make a tree from card and decorate it with felt tips, glitter, sequins and wrapping paper.

Bringing the Light Lantern Parade A special Christmas Lantern procession by local children who will be accompanied by musicians and performers as they bring the light to Sale for this year’s Christmas Lights switch-on. You can take part with your child, come along to our Family Club session on 15th November to make a lantern.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk Touchstones, Rochdale 10.30am – 12pm or 1 – 2.30pm, Age 5 – 12, Child £3 (max 3 accompanying adults free). Art4Families Saturday Club: Sea Shell Art. Use plaster casting techniques to make decorative sculptural hangings.

01706 924928 / www.link4life.org Bolton Central Library and Museum Super Saturdays: Big Buildings and Mighty Machines 11am – 3pm. Free family activities including crafts, fish feeds, storytelling, object handling and more. www.boltonmuseums.org.uk

Sat 29 Nov – Wed 31 Dec

Gulliver’s World, Warrington Christmas 2014 Christmas rides and attractions, Christmas Bear stage show, get creative in Mrs Christmas’ kitchen and enrol at Elf School to become an honorary elf!

Festive fireworks on Tues 23 Dec. www.gulliversfun.co.uk/warrington

Sat 29 Nov – Sun 4 Jan

Bolton Town Centre Winter Wonderland Bolton welcomes back a real ice rink and giant wheel with some extra special additions this year. www.visitbolton.com/winterwonderland

Sun 30 Nov

Smithills Hall, Bolton Christmas with the Bennett Ladies choir Adult £3, Child £2, Family (2+2) £8, Under 5s free Listen to this Rivington based Choir sing traditional Christmas songs in the beautiful surroundings.

Mince pies and mulled wine for sale. www.boltonmuseums.org.uk

Mon 1, 15 & 29 Dec Thurs 13 & 27 Nov, 11 Dec

National Football Museum, Manchester Baby Moves 10.30am & 1.30pm, £2 per baby, booking advised A chance for our very youngest visitors (0-12 months) to get into training! A play and movement session to help your baby’s physical, communication and language development. 0161 871 8145 / www.nationalfootballmuseum.com

Portland Basin Museum, Ashton under Lyne OL7 0QA Little Hands 10am – 11am, booking essential Exploring museum objects, books and artworks through song, dance, stories and art with the under 5s.

0161 343 2878 / www.tameside.gov.uk Touchstones, Rochdale Shake, Rattle and Roll 11am – 12noon, Free Join musician Beth Bishop for a fun, musical drop-in session in the Art Gallery for 2-4 year olds and their parents. 01706 924928 / www.link4life.org

Thurs 4 – Tues 23 Dec

Chester Zoo Lantern Magic Journey through the magical gardens, try out your lantern making skills, visit the elephant house and fruit bat forest, meet our friendly festive characters and sample some deliciously tasty treats. Booking essential.

01244 380280 / www.chesterzoo.org

Sat 30 Nov, Sat 6 Dec, Sun 14 Dec, Sat 21 Dec, Sun 22 Dec & Wed 24 Dec

Let’s Party, Bury Santa’s Elves Chocolate Making Workshop Sat 30 Nov, 6 & 21 Dec: 2 – 3.30pm Sun 14 & 21 Sun Dec: 11 – 12.30pm Wed 24 Dec: 11.30-1pm £20, booking essential **HALF PRICE FOR FAMILIES READERS! QUOTE “FAMILIES” WHEN YOU BOOK.** Celebrate the run up to Christmas with this festive workshop/party. Make your own Christmas chocolate bar, clusters and decorate a Christmas cookie with Santa’s Elves. Then play games and dance in the disco and wrap up and box your Christmas treats to take home!

0161 797111 / www.letspartyvenue.co.uk

Fri 5 Dec

The Manchester Art Gallery Baby Art Club 10.15 – 11am, 11.30am – 12.15pm, 1.15 – 2pm, 2.30 – 3.15pm, Free. Use all your sense to explore our artist’s space. For babies who aren’t walking yet, with an adult carer. Limited spaces – please book a week in advance.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org

Sat 6 Dec

The John Rylands Library, Manchester Here be dragons 12 – 1pm, ages 5 – 10, Free. The walls and the ceilings of the Library are full of strange and mysterious creatures – join the tour to seek them out.

Family Fun Afternoon – Christmas. Drop in and make different Christmas decorations. Help Grumbold the Library Dragon decorate the tree. 1 – 4pm 0161 306 0555 / www.manchester.ac.uk/library/rylands Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Family Art Club: Tin Pterodactyl Mobile 10.30am – 12.30pm, Age 4+ (must be accompanied) Annual Family Club membership £5, 50p per club session. Make a 3D pterodactyl robot out of card, wire, foil and various silver papers.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk Touchstones, Rochdale 10.30am – 12pm or 1 – 2.30pm, Age 5 – 12, Child £3 (max 3 accompanying adults free) Art4Families Saturday Club: Cool Christmas Trees Using wool and cardboard cones learn how to weave and work a wonderfully decorated tree.

01706 924928 / www.link4life.org

These listings are for guidance only – please check before you go To include your upcoming event in our listings, email events@familiesmanchester.co.uk The Manchester Art Gallery Baby Saturday 1 – 3pm, Free. Use all your sense to explore our artist’s space. For babies who aren’t walking yet, with an adult carer. Limited spaces – please book a week in advance.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org Hall i’ th’ Wood Museum, Bolton Discovery Days 1 – 3pm, free, no booking required.

Christmas craft activities for all ages. www.boltonmuseums.org.uk

Sat 6 Dec – Wed 31 Dec

(closed on Mondays, Christmas Day & Boxing Day)

Staircase House, Stockport Children’s Christmas Trail - The Twelve Days of Christmas All ages, Adults £4.75, Under 16s Free, Drop in 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree......hunt for clues and see the house beautifully decorated for Christmas.

0161 474 4444 / www.stockport.gov.uk

Sat 6 & Sun 7 Dec

Bents Garden Centre, Warrington Festive Family Fun Weekend A weekend of special magical treats for young and old, including real reindeer and a reindeer hunt for the children.

01942 266300 / www.bents.co.uk Museum Of Transport, Greater Manchester A Christmas Cracker 10am – 4.30pm. Transport collectors’ fair with books, DVDs, models and more, plus a display of vehicles. A free ride on the heritage bus service.

0161 228 7811 / www.gmts.co.uk

Sat 6, Sun 7 & Sat 13 Dec

Dunham Massey, Altrincham Carols by the Tree 12 – 1pm, 1.30– 2.30pm, 3– 4pm, Age 7+, £9, booking essential (fee applies). Enjoy a glass of festive cheer and a mince pie followed by carols in the elegant Edwardian dining room. 0844 249 1895 / www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunham-massey

Sun 7 Dec

Chadkirk Chapel, Romiley Christmas Carol Service 3 – 4.30pm, Free, but booking essential as limited capacity A service of traditional carols for all the family.

0161 474 4444 / www.stockport.gov.uk Fog Lane Park, Manchester Didsbury Santa Dash 12pm, all ages. Hundreds of runners will be given Santa suits before pulling on a white moustache and beard and running, walking, toddling or crawling for two laps of the park, while raising funds for charity.

0161 888 8919 / www.redcross.org.uk Royal Exchange Theatre – The Front Room Free Storytelling - Flying Saucer Sundays 1pm: non walking babies. 1.45pm: ages 0 – 6 With the power of the spoken word and opportunities to join in, Storytelling Adventures with Carla Henry will inspire children to unlock their own creative potential. Free sessions, but booking required.

0161 833 9833 / www.royalexchange.co.uk The Lowry, Salford Gandini Juggling: Introduction to Juggling Free, but advance booking essential.

A one-off workshop for by the masters behind the critically acclaimed circus show SMASHED. Suitable for ages 8+ with little or no juggling experience.

Parents very welcome to book and join in too! The studio will be opened for the last 5 minutes for families to see what the children have been working on and to let any under 8s have a go too.

0843 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com The Kingsway School, Cheadle & Saddleworth School, Uppermill Kids Car Boot & Swap Shop 10am – 12pm www.kidscarbootandswapshop.co.uk

Sun 7, 14 & 21 Dec

The Wacky Woods (Styperson Quarry Wood) Christmas Scavenger Hunt (part of WinterFest Macclesfield) 1.30 – 3.30pm, Adult £3, Child £10

01625 573 086 / www.wackywoods.co.uk Tues 9 Dec Breightmet Library, Bolton LEGO Brick Building Club 4.30 – 5.30pm Age 8 – 11 (must be accompanied), free Become a better builder, learn new skills about building with LEGO. www.boltonmuseums.org.uk

Fri 12 Dec

The Manchester Art Gallery Mini Art Club Ages 1 – 4, 10.15 – 11.15am & 11.30am – 12.30pm, Free but booking essential (from a week in advance) Get to know the artworks, investigate materials and make friends in our artist led workshops.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org

Sat 13 Dec

Manchester Museum Early Opening for Early Birds 9.15 ¬– 10am, Under 5s, siblings & families, Free The Living Worlds gallery is open early for early birds for self-led tours, object handling and craft activities.

Explore the rest of the Museum from 10am.

Winter Wonderland 11am – 4pm, Free, Drop in, all ages Discover woodland animals, birds, butterflies and insects in the new Nature Discovery gallery and help to decorate the tree. A day full of nature inspired crafts and activities for all the family.

0161 275 2648 / www.museum.manchester.ac.uk Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Family Art Club: Winter Themed Picture 10.30am – 12.30pm, Age 4+ (must be accompanied) Annual Family Club membership £5, 50p per club session Create a crayon and inkwash picture of a warm interior or outdoor landscape in winter.

The Manchester Art Gallery Family Art Club Ages 5 – 11, 1 – 3pm, Free but limited places Look at art and be creative together.

0161 235 8888 / www.manchestergalleries.org Bolton Central Library (Lecture Theatre) Cinema at The Crescent: Frozen 2pm, free no booking required. Under 12s must be accompanied. Light refreshments for sale. www.boltonmuseums.org.uk

Sat 13 Dec – Sun 4 Jan

Event City, Trafford Park Winter Wonderland Manchester An indoor wonderland of fun and entertainment for children up to age 12, with a chance to meet and greet Santa. All rides and attractions free with entrance ticket. www.winterwonderlandmanchester.com

Sat 13 & Sun 14 Dec

Bents Garden Centre, Warrington Children’s Christmas Planting Activities Join the houseplants team for a seasonal planting activity.

01942 266300 / www.bents.co.uk

Royal Exchange Theatre – The Studio Free Sensory Workshops - Flying Saucer Sundays 12.15pm: non-walking babies. 1.30pm: ages 0 – 6.

Join musician and artist Najia Bagi as we explore the main theatre space with babies and toddlers in a brand new way. Inspired by HAMLET and Shakespeare’s idea of “goodies and baddies”, we invite you to come and explore the theatre and take part in a multi-sensory installation. Play with light and dark, shadows and shape and make sound with your babies and toddlers.

0161 833 9833 / www.royalexchange.co.uk

Sat 20 – Wed 24 Dec

Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester Christmas Family Day – A Stocking Full of Music!

11am – 4pm, Adult £5, Child Free by ticket only, Age 3+ Singing & percussion workshops, storytelling (book on the day for workshops and storytelling), face painting, live Christmas music, Christmas characters, Christmas crafts. Refreshments available at the Café.

0161 907 5555 / www.rncm.ac.uk

Manchester Museum Nature Discovery activities: Paper cut Christmas cards and New Year’s calendars 11am – 4pm, Free, Drop in, all ages. Explore the newly opened Nature Discovery gallery and Siberia: At the Edge of the World exhibition. Be inspired by the Museum’s collections and create paper cut Christmas & Thank you cards or New Year’s calendars. 0161 275 2648 / www.museum.manchester.ac.uk

Mon 15 Dec

Stockport Air Raid Shelters Wartime Christmas Sing Along 7 – 9pm, £6.50, Under 16s £5.50, All ages, booking essential. Take a tour of the Air Raid Shelters with George Formby.... as he tells of his war time experiences, shares a few anecdotes and sings some of his songs. Followed by carol singing with John and Rob from the Accordian Club.

0161 474 1940 / www.stockport.gov.uk

Wed 17 & Tues 23 Dec

Tatton Park, Knutsford Deer Feed & Trailer Ride 9.30 – 10.30am, Age 4+, Adult £6, Child £4 Take a trailer ride with the Rangers to watch the daily winter deer feed. Get a close look at hundreds of deer feeding in their beautiful natural setting.

01625 374428 / www.tattonpark.org.uk

Sat 20 Dec - Sun 4 Jan

(closed 24 - 26 Dec and 1 Jan) Winter season at MOSI 11am – 2.30pm, Free. Light up the city this winter with a host of efre, family friendly activities. Take part in light themed storytelling, test out electrical inventions, discover the science behind glow sticks and create your own piece of light craft to take home.www.mosi.org.uk

Sat 20 Dec

Manchester Cathedral Family Carol Concert 7.30pm 0161 833 2220 / www.manchestercathedral.org Waterside Arts Centre, Sale Family Art Club: James and the Giant Peach Character Mask. 10.30am – 12.30pm, Age 4+ (must be accompanied). Annual Family Club membership £5, 50p per club session. Make a James and the Giant Peach Character Mask with card, wool and coloured pencils.

0161 912 5616 / www.watersideartscentre.co.uk Bolton Central Children’s Library Theatre on Film - Alice in Wonderland 10.30am, Free Watch the film screening of Alice in Wonderland to tie in with the Octagon’s Theatre’s new season of plays.

Places are limited so booking essential via the Octagon.

01204 520661 / www.octagonbolton.co.uk

Lyme Park, Disley Christmas at Lyme 11am – 4pm, normal admission applies. Experience the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of a magical Christmas at Lyme in the beautiful courtyard.

01663 762023 / www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme-park

Bolton Central Children’s Librayr Christmas stories, songs and crafts 1pm to 3pm, Free www.boltonmuseums.org.uk

Sun 14 Dec

Hatworks, Stockport Christmas Hat Making 10am – 4pm, All ages, Free, drop in Make a lovely paper hat for the festive season.

Children must be accompanied.

0161 474 2399 / www.stockport.gov.uk/hatworks

Dunham Massey, Altrincham Christmas at Stamford Hospital 12 – 1pm, 1.30– 2.30pm, 3– 4pm, Age 7+, £9, Booking Essential (fee applies). Enjoy carols and songs composed from poems written by Stamford Hospital soldiers at this festive event in the recreation room of the hospital. Enjoy a drink and mince pie in the Kitchen beforehand. 0844 249 1895 / www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunham-massey

What’s on

Sat 20 & Sun 21 Dec

Z-arts, Hulme 59 Minutes to Save Christmas 11am, 2pm, 4pm, 7pm, Age 6+ An interactive headphone journey around Z-arts for intrepid adventurers and brave parents (who might be useful to reach the high stuff).

0161 226 1912 / www.z-arts.org

Sat 20 & Sun 21, Sat 27 – Tues 30 Dec, Sat 3 & Sun 4 Jan

Sun 21 Dec

Ordsall Hall, Salford Reindeer Food 1 – 4pm, 50p. Make your own bag of reindeer food to take home for Santa’s hard working sleigh pullers!

0161 872 0251 / www.salfordcommunityleisure.co.uk

Sun 28 & Mon 29 Dec

Bolton Steam Museum December Steamings Our volunteers have rescued and restored over 25 old stationary steam engines - some of the engines which once powered the cotton mills of Lancashire. Most will be running in steam on these days only, and admission is free although donations gratefully received!

01204 846 490 / www.nmes.org

Mon 29 – Wed 31 Dec

Quarry Bank Mill, Styal It’s a date!

12 – 3pm, Free (normal admission applies). Make and decorate your own calendar for the year ahead.

01625 527468 / www.nationaltrust.org.uk/quarry-bank

Tues 30 Dec

National Football Museum, Manchester Make your own Trench Football Game 10.30 – 2pm, all ages, £2. Inspired by the exhibition “The Greater Game”.

0161 871 8145 / www.nationalfootballmuseum.com Haydock Park Racecourse Winter Family Fun Day Under 17s free. A fabulous day out with free entertainment for the children.

01942 402624 / www.haydock-park.co.uk

Fri 2 Jan

Bridgewater Hall Bridgewater For All: Be Hear Now: Shiny and New (Ages 0-11) 11am: ages 0 – 11 1.30pm: ages 12 – 19 A musical discovery session for young people with special educational needs and their families. Happy New Year! Try something new for 2015, in a session celebrating fresh starts, hopes and dreams.

0844 907 9000 / www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk The Kingsway School, Cheadle Kids Car Boot & Swap Shop 10am – 12pm www.kidscarbootandswapshop.co.uk

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