Families SE London March 2016 issue 175

ESTABLISHED 1996

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MARCH 2016 ISSUE NO. 175

®

familiesse.co.uk

southeast london

WHAT’S ON Where to go, what to do, what to see in March HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS Now booking for Easter IDEK “I don’t even know” Your child’s social media slang

online edition

with working website links

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AS THE DAFFS finally raise their heads for spring, we’ve brought the Great Outdoors back to our What’s On listings so you too can show your children chicks long before they become nuggets, and that there’s wildlife beyond street foxes and pizza-pecking pigeons. Also this month proves that it is possible to put the words “fun” and “run” in the same sentence, whether achieving a mile for Sport Relief, or donning a stripey jumper and joining the Where’s Wally crowd in Clapham. Shake a leg, everyone!

Robina Cowan, editor

IN THIS ISSUE

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2-3 Local News and Views Sport Relief comes to southeast London, OnBlackheath returns in September, a magic show for the whole family, accredited nurseries, and farm-fresh food

4 Holiday Workshops

Holiday daycamps and out of school fun for the Easter break - booking now

5-7 Education News

Local schools’ news, independent school open days, academy schools and pupil premium awards

8 You and Your Teenager Decoding the slang that our children are using on social networks, and staying safe online

9 The Book Page

Part blog - part book review. Justine Crow talks bookshops and books

10 What’s New

Parenting just like mother did, dad-friendly baby changing, wear a hat to fund brain tumour research, and new products

11-15 What’s On

Wonderful family events, shows and creative workshops to make the most of March

Front cover: Children’s 100% waterproof jacket &

trouser sets come with their own attached pocket inside - after being worn, the garment pushes into the pocket to form an easy to carry bag. For ages 5-6 years & 7-8 years, £24.99 from Baggers Originals, 0191 406 0070, www.baggersoriginals.com Next issue Easter issue out 18 March, deadline 26 February

Families South East PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB 020 8699 7240, www.familiesse.co.uk, editor@familiesse.co.uk Families South East is part of Families Magazines Ltd a franchise company. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. Families® is a registered trademark of Families Magazines Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families South East are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the publisher. We take every care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.

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families south east - march 2016

LocalNews email your news to editor@familiesse.co.uk

Walk and run yourself proud for Sport Relief 2016 Downham Health & Leisure Centre is hosting its first ever Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 20 March, and is inviting local people to join in.

Contained within the leisure centre grounds on Glenbow Road BR1, the event gives participants the chance to raise life-changing money for Sport Relief 2016, and enjoy entertainment and refreshments throughout the day. For full details and to sign up for this or other places to walk, run, swim and cycle, go to www.sportrelief.com.

Emma Greenslade, health and physical activity manager at Downham Health & Leisure Centre said: “The Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile in Downham is here and it’s your time to walk or run yourself proud. From little ones with their mums and dads, to runners up against the clock there’s something for everyone to make themselves feel proud on this special day.”

If you would like to take part but do not know how to run efficiently, Downham Health & Leisure Centre will be hosting an eight week beginners’ running course for only £10 for the course, thanks to Sportivate funding. For more information on this, email Emma at HPADownham@1life.co.uk.

Whether you get sponsored to enter an event at the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games or fundraise with friends and family at home, work or school, you’ll help people living incredibly tough lives. Half of all the money raised by the public is spent right here at home in the UK, with the other half used to make a difference in the world’s poorest communities. The Games run from 18-20 March across the UK. Read more at www.sportrelief.com.

Family magic shows in Nunhead Klassy and Amigo's Magic are joining forces to stage two stunning magic shows for the whole family, where live animals will be plucked from thin air and one ‘lucky’ person will be cut in half! The shows feature plenty of audience participation; the chance to meet Fluffy the rabbit, and a free Bunny Copter to take home. 1-3pm or 4-6pm on Monday 28 March at The Ivy House, 40 Stuart Road, Nunhead SE15 3BE. Tickets £6 children, £7.50 adults, £20 family of four; book online at www.magicmindreadingandmayhem.co.uk.

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Easter crafts at Wigwam Toy Shop

2020 Archery Club For a different way to spend weekend mornings together - how about archery? 2020 Archery is an indoor junior archery club based at the Downside Centre, London Bridge. For beginners upwards, the club is for children aged 8+, and welcomes families too. For more information or online bookings, see www.juniorarchery.co.uk or email Heidi at enquiries@2020archery.co.uk.

WIN a family ticket to OnBlackheath Festival OnBlackheath is back and you could win tickets for you and your family to be there!

The music, food and family festival, in partnership with John Lewis, returns to Blackheath Common on 10 & 11 September 2016, and Families readers have the chance to win a set of 4 tickets so they can enjoy the full unforgettable weekend of music, food, entertainment and arts with their family.

This year’s music line-up will include Primal Scream, Belle & Sebastian, Hot Chip, James, Róisín Murphy, and a special homecoming for the one and only Squeeze. The John Lewis Food Village returns with food demonstrations from some of the UK’s premiere chefs, exclusive dining experiences and hands-on cookery schools, alongside a wealth of world cuisines from pop-up restaurants and bars.

For younger audience members, Puffin World of Stories will bring to life the magical worlds of some of the most beloved children’s authors, along with adventure areas, interactive workshops and a children’s maze; while roaming performers and interactive street theatre will add to the festival experiences.

For the full line up and ticket bookings, see www.onblackheath.com.

For the chance to win a weekend family ticket (2 adults + 2 children aged 13-16), go to www.familiesse.co.uk and enter before the 31 March closing date.

Wigwam Toy Shop is hosting a fun morning of making Easter crafts and cards, complete with yummy Easter themed cupcakes from The Dulwich Bakery.

The event will run from 10am-12noon on Saturday 19 March at the toy shop, 109 Rosendale Road, West Dulwich, SE21 8EZ, 020 8676 4815 and is free of charge. Parents are asked to stay with join in the fun. See you there!

Petits Tigres Petits Tigres is a playgroup for French-speaking parents and children, who meet on the first Saturday of every month from 10am - noon at the Time & Talents centre, SE16, £3 per family. For more information, email clublespetitstigres@gmail.com.

Fresh food from an app

The Food Assembly brings together shoppers who want to buy fresh, high-quality vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, dairy products, bread, curry kits and dried goods, beer and ales, honey and jam directly from local farmers and foodmakers, with minimum fuss.

There are now over 600 Assemblies throughout France and the UK, with many more under construction. All have a strong emphasis on sustainable farming and production - items are organic where possible, meat is free-range and high-welfare and all items have been produced as locally as possible. Producers sell directly via The Food Assembly online market, where you can browse through the product catalogues and order.

Southeast London currently has three Assemblies, in Nunhead and Peckham Rye, Forest Hill, and Ladywell.

Read more and register for free at www.foodassembly.com, or download the new Food Assembly iPhone app to find your nearest weekly collection point which gives you a chance to meet other members, as well as the food producers themselves - all at the click of a button.

familiesse.co.uk

Bright Horizons - flying the flag of excellence Bright Horizons is the first nursery group to be accredited by KalliKids, demonstrating a commitment to the quality of its childcare provision.

The accreditation provides a much needed, additional layer of reassurance and support for parents when looking for recommended childcare providers. As part of the accreditation process, individual references were taken involving physical conversations between KalliKids and parents about their experience of Bright Horizons.

Lydia Green, general manager at Bright Horizons told Families: “We understand that choosing the right childcare for your children is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make as a parent, and at times the process can seem overwhelming.

To support this we like to offer all parents a tour of our safe and secure nurseries and the opportunity to meet our highly-qualified staff teams. In addition we also feel that it’s important to receive outside recognition from trusted accreditors such as KalliKids to further reassure parents that Bright Horizons is the right choice.”

Bright Horizons is the UK’s leading nursery network and is trusted to provide children and families with naturally inspiring, exceptional care and education for the early years. The company has over 200 nurseries in the UK and Ireland, many of which are managed in partnership with employers. To find one, go to www.brighthorizons.co.uk.

KalliKids is an online resource for quality-checked children’s activities and services across the UK. Over 90,000 parents already use the site and the number is growing daily. Membership is free; users can simply search for local, accredited activities and services, all checked upfront and all with ratings and parents’ reviews. Parents can join to save money, become part of a wider family-oriented community and share their opinions and recommendations across one, easy to use website at www.kallikids.com.

march 2016 - families south east

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l l l l l l l l Easter Holiday Workshops My - isn’t Easter early this year - it nearly caught us on the hop too!

Out on 18 March, our next magazine will be jam-packed with more egg hunts and days out than you can shake a bunny’s tail at, but meanwhile if you need holiday childcare or want to treat your little ones to some out of school fun, here’s where to go. As we find more, we will update them on our website - click ‘Things to Do’ on www.familiesse.co.uk.

FUNKY MONKEY KEYBOARD’S ‘ONE HIT WONDER’ HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS 4-8 April in Beckenham, Herne Hill & Sydenham, 0800 107 7949, www.funkymonkey.info Learn how to read, write and play notes C-A and try some famous tunes in small groups of up to 10 children. Introduction to theory, keyboard games, quizzes and art activities all based around music. 10am-12.30pm, ages 5-9 years. £110 for the week (£105 siblings) includes all equipment, mid morning snack and workbook to take home.

SPARK4KIDS CODING WORKSHOPS Easter Holiday coding workshops in DULWICH, 020 8090 1444, www.spark4kids.com Spark4Kids holiday workshops are designed to teach robotics, coding, electronics, games development, touch-typing as well as Minecraft in a fun, engaging environment. Ages 5-7 and 8+. Term-time classes are also available - see website for details.

DOWNHAM HEALTH & LEISURE CENTRE

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Present this voucher to reception on date of booking. Activities include; Swimming Lessons, Soft Play, Football, Tennis, Roller Skating and Trampolining.

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Booking HPADownham@1life.co.uk Essential.

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With proper tuition children can learn to touch-type surprisingly quickly and, what’s more, enjoy the whole experience.

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Courses run in SYDENHAM

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email: info@yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk or call Norman on 07961 427640

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FIT FOR SPORT

TENNIS-4-KIDS 29 March - 1 April and 4-7 April in EAST DULWICH, 07877 391005, www.tennis-4-kids.com Rally round for a smashing time learning to play tennis with other children.

Tennis-4-Kids run mini sessions giving children lots of fun learning basic to advanced skills. The friendly coaches run small groups for 3-11 year-olds from beginners to Grandslammers, with all equipment provided. Term times sessions available too.

TENNIS-4-KIDS

SUPER CAMPS 29 March - 8 April, Various venues including Blackheath High School in BLACKHEATH, St Dunstan’s School in CATFORD and Dunraven School in STREATHAM, 01235 467300, www.supercamps.co.uk Super Camps run multi-activity, Ofsted-registered daycamps designed to offer holiday childcare to parents while appealing to children of all types and ages. Each child explores and experiences a daily schedule of different activities with others their own age, under the guidance of superbly-trained staff. The venues offer sports, outdoor and indoor games, arts and crafts activities. Ages 4-14 years, 8am-6pm, bookings available by day from £30.00 or £188 for a week.

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7-9 Moorside Road, Bromley BR1 5EP, 020 8461 9200, www.1life.co.uk or find Downham at www.fitforsport.co.uk ACTIVITY CAMP. Fit for Sport’s Ofsted-registered holiday childcare activity camps are designed to engage and educate children through activity, with swimming, ballgames, active challenges and arts and crafts based on seasonal themes. Ages 4-12 years, standard 9.30am-4.30pm days can be extended from 8.30am-5.30pm. For full details and bookings, see www.fitforsport.co.uk or call 0845 456 3233.

FOOTBALL CAMP. Crystal Palace Football Club host football camps at Downham Health & Leisure Centre during the school holidays for 5-12 year olds. Learn football skills and techniques as well as playing games and tournaments. The days run from 10-3pm, you can book daily or as a week.

For more information email HPADownham@1life.co.uk or to book call 020 8461 9200.

SWIMMING LESSON CRASH COURSES. During the school holidays children can improve their swimming skills by taking part in intensive week-long courses for half an hour each day. For more information email swim.downham@1life.co.uk or call 020 8461 9200.

SWIMMING POOL INFLATABLE SESSIONS. Throughout the school holidays, and every weekend the giant pool inflatable is available for children from 8-15 year olds for only £2.90 per session.

families south east - march 2016

School holidays and termtime classes in SYDENHAM, 020 7515 1707, www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk Learn a new skill with a touch typing courses run by YES. Children find them fun, and they work - most children are tapping away proficiently in just ten hours. Sessions can be booked to fit around other holiday commitments so children can progress at their own pace.

THE HIVE OUTDOOR MISSIONS 21 -29 March at ELTHAM COLLEGE, 020 3435 6848, www.thehive-kids.com Sign up for a week of amazing outdoor missions, with not one but five to choose from! Explore habitats, conservation and biology to defeat an eco-hating scientist group; Learn to make cosmetics, dyes and magic potions by mixing science with herbs, flowers and essential oils; Follow a pirate map to find lost jewels; Build amazing dens, go on quests, light fires, and make your own adventures into amazing stories; or Design and craft your very own bow and arrows like a traditional archer, then try a mix of target and distance practice! Ages 51⁄2 to 11 years, bookable by day or full week.

familiesse.co.uk

INTENSIVE TOUCH TYPING

THE HIVE OUTDOOR MISSIONS

l l l l l l l l education news Sydenham High girls are top of the techs Students from Sydenham High School have triumphed at an event to devise ways to inspire more women to get into technology.

The students were attending the second Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) Digital Leaders’ Conference which brought together nearly 200 girls from schools across the GDST network.

The aim of the event was to come up with concepts, products and campaigns that would encourage women to pursue tech careers.

The Sydenham High team, which consisted of five senior girls - Tamara Bailey, Lucy Patterson, Jade Lucas, Ester Schomberg and Deeya Patel - together with two Year 6 and two Year 5 girls - Kirsten Marks, Martha Pardue, Alyssa Patel and Anna Gjetnes - was awarded the People’s Choice prize for their inventive website and app idea Code Elle, which would enable girls across the world to be confident coders and inspire them to start a technology-related career.

Supported by industry mentors from companies including the British Red Cross, Big White Wall, Acorn Aspirations and Code Kingdoms, each team produced a video and website to promote their idea. As well as the competition, the girls listened to presentations from industry experts and, excitingly, were the first to try out the new BBC Microbit prior to launch.

Sydenham High’s Digital Strategy Leader, Matthew Llewellin, hopes that both the event and the teams’ win will inspire more girls to consider careers in technology. He said: “Our students’ app was one of many fantastic ideas on the day, highlighting the creative and technological abilities of GDST girls. The inventive approaches our students were able to demonstrate make them excellent future candidates for the growing number of opportunities available to digitally capable young people.”

The school has also recently received a Good Schools Guide Gold Award for girls taking computer studies at GCSE, having outperformed all other English schools in its category. A new computer science curriculum has also been introduced, designed to help the girls become creators of tech, instead of just consumers. It will also better equip them for the real world of work and industry – especially as women are currently underrepresented in the tech arena. According to a new report from business advisory firm, Deloitte, in the UK, the percentage of women in digital jobs increased from 17 per cent to just 18 per cent between 2010 and 2015. In 2013, only 17.1% of the UK’s computer science students were women, down from the previous year.

The future of academies Despite the huge push from the government to encourage all maintained schools to become academies, 58% of parents have admitted they don’t fully understand what an academy does.

A study by education finance specialist HCSS Education asked 1,000 UK parents, 89% of whom didn’t have a child at an academy, whether they would be happy for their child to attend one. Thirty four per cent said yes, 39% said yes but it would depend on the academy, 17% said no, and 10% said they were unsure.

The survey was conducted as part of HCSS Education’s Academy Futures report, which takes an insightful look into how the education landscape is changing and the impact the rise of academies is having both on teachers and parents. It explores the barriers to conversion, the challenges schools may face when they first convert, and how these issues can be addressed.

Howard Jackson, head of education and founder of HCSS Education, said: “From the research it has become apparent that many parents are not entirely aware of the benefits academies can offer, so a strategy is needed to ensure they are fully informed and on board. This is important as parents are given the opportunity to put forward their opinions before a school decides to become an academy, so it’s vital that they are fully briefed about a school’s plans and the conversion process to make an informed decision.”

The Futures Report and full survey results are available at www.hcsseducation.co.uk.

familiesse.co.uk

Internet Legends On Internet Safety Day in February, Google launched an internet safety tour for 8-11 year olds on the theme: Internet Legends - how to be safe and epic online. This has been developed in partnership with Parent Zone and under the expert guidance of an advisory board including the NSPCC, John Carr, the Oxford Internet Institute and Childnet. The scheme is based around four key themes which compromise the “Internet Legends” Code: • Think before you share • Protect your stuff • Check it’s for real, and • Respect each other.

A Google survey conducted by OnePoll revealed that 43% of children who are active online don’t know who can see their information, and while teachers (68%) and parents (74%) are largely responsible for educating children on how to stay safe online, there is a clear opportunity for the tech industry to step in and help bridge the gap. By working alongside Parent Zone, the plan is to reach more children with innovative and informative online safety skills.

The assembly is being held in 40 primary schools around the UK including St Thomas Becket School in South Norwood, and will reach 10,000 children in the next year. Alongside the assemblies Google has developed lesson plans, teacher resources and communications materials for parents, which are available at https://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/safetycenter/families/legends/.

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l l l l l l l l education news Leading director visits Lewisham school as part of international theatre initiative

Independent school Spring open days

GCSE drama students from Sydenham School spent a morning working with top director Jude Christian, whose CV includes productions at the Royal Court and Gate Theatres. The session included a range of drama games, followed by exercises designed to open up Belgian playwright Vincent Hennebicq’s play “Coming Home”, about a refugee and his troubled life living in Europe.

The workshop was part of an international theatre initiative co-ordinated by Company of Angels specialists in young people’s theatre which encourages those involved to broaden their theatrical horizons and to become a part of an international cultural community through blogs, podcasts and debates. The two-year project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

For more school contacts and open day updates, click ‘education’ at www.familiesse.co.uk Bishop Challoner School 5 March, 228 Bromley Road, Shortlands, Kent BR2 0BS, 020 8460 3546, www.bishopchallonerschool.com Blackheath High School GDST 8 March and ‘Into Senior School’ taster event in June. Juniors Wemyss Road SE3, 020 8852 1537, Seniors Vanbrugh Park SE3, 020 8853 2929, www.blackheathhighschool.gdst.net Blackheath Preparatory School Regular term time open mornings, 4 St Germans Place, Blackheath SE3 0NJ, 020 8858 0692, www.blackheathprepschool.com

Pupil premium awards Education and childcare minister Sam Gyimah praised the efforts of schools across the country to tackle disadvantage as he launched the Pupil Premium Awards.

Worth up to £1,900 per child, the pupil premium has enabled schools across the country to provide vital support to some of the most vulnerable children in their care.

Sam Gyimah said: “Education is our biggest tool for extending opportunity, and we know many schools are doing an excellent job of boosting aspiration and tackling disadvantage. I want to thank them for all their efforts. Figures show the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates has fallen at both primary and secondary level - but there is still more to do. That is why I am calling on schools to ensure all their pupils can access and benefit from wider cultural activities and experiences that will help raise aspirations and build character.”

Minister Gyimah has written to over 550 primary and secondary schools to congratulate them on their efforts to boost achievement and raise aspirations among their disadvantaged pupils. Those schools will all have a shot at winning prizes in the national awards in May. Prizes include the chance to see Shakespeare productions and visit museums, such as London’s world-renowned Science Museum, to take part in exclusive activities and learning programmes.

The awards will be presented by Tracey Emin, www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk one of Britain’s foremost contemporary artists at a ceremony in May; while internationally respected education expert Andreas Schleicher, who is Director for Education and Skills at the OECD, will chair the high-profile panel of judges.

The government has committed to maintaining pupil premium funding throughout this Parliament.

Since April 2011, around £6 Personal attention. billion has been given to schools to improve the Great results. attainment of disadvantaged Affordable. pupils. Pupil premium funding Scholarships available is also used beyond the classroom to give pupils a OPEN MORNING TUESDAY 8th MARCH 11.00-13.00 broader life experience to For full list of open mornings, enrolment build character - they offer and fee details contact 020 7228 3933 sailing, boxing classes, and Thames Christian College, London SW11 2HB. subsidised trips to universities Five minutes’ walk from Clapham Junction. and the theatre.

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families south east - march 2016

Bromley High School GDST 17 May and regular Taster Days for ages 4+, 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+, Blackbrook Lane BR1, 020 8781 7000, www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net/fse1 Dulwich College Tours by appointment, Dulwich Common SE21 7LD, 020 8693 3601, www.dulwich.org.uk Greenwich Steiner School 12 March and tours by appointment, Woodlands, 90 Mycenae Road, Blackheath SE3 7SE, 020 8858 4404, www.greenwichsteinerschool.org.uk Herne Hill School 5 March and tours by appointment, The Old Vicarage, 127 Herne Hill SE24 9LY, 020 7274 6336, www.hernehillschool.co.uk Oakfield Preparatory School 10 March and group tours once a month on Tuesdays, 125-128 Thurlow Park Road SE21 8HP, 020 8670 4206, www.oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk Pointer’s Preparatory School Visits by appointment, Stratheden Road, Blackheath SE3 7TH, 020 8293 1331, www.pointers-school.co.uk Riverston School Tours on Tuesday mornings by appointment, Eltham Road SE12 8UF, 020 8318 4327, www.riverstonschool.co.uk Rosemead Preparatory School 8 March, plus Tuesday morning tours by appointment, Pre prep Elmcourt Road SE27, Prep department 70 Thurlow Park Road SE21, 020 8670 5865, www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk Streatham + Clapham High School GDST 1 March and 3 May, Prep school, Wavertree Road SW2 3SR, 020 8674 6912. Senior School, 42 Abbotswood Road SW16, 020 8677 8400, www.schs.gdst.net Sydenham High School GDST 16 March, Junior school 15 Westow Hill SE26 6BL, 020 8557 7000, 10 March, Senior school 19 Westow Hill SE26, 020 8557 7000, www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net Thames Christian College 8 March, Wye Street SW11 2HB, 020 7228 3933, www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk Virgo Prep School 22 April, 147 Central Hill SE19 1RS, 020 8653 2169, www.vfps.org.

familiesse.co.uk

l l l l l l l l BLACKHEATH PREPARATORY SCHOOL

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School bus service from the Dulwich/Herne Hill & Streatham/ Clapham areas

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Regular open mornings are held throughout the term when you can come and join us on a normal working day.

4 St.Germans Place, Blackheath, London. SE3 0NJ Tel: 020 8858 0692 Email: info@blackheathprepschool.com www.blackheathprepschool.com Company limited by guarantee No. 672569 Charitable Status No. 312732

Pre-Prep & Prep Wednesday 16 March 9.30 - 11am

Senior & Sixth Form Thursday 10 March 9.30 - 11am Wednesday 29 June 6.30 - 8pm (including D’Art exhibition)

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15 & 19 Westwood Hill, London SE26 6BL www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net

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march 2016 - families south east

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You and your teenager -

What are they talking about?

On this year’s Safer Internet Day - 9 February - a Comres survey for CBBC’s Newsround revealed that more than three quarters of 10 to 12 year-olds in the UK now have social media accounts, even though they are below the age limit. Among 13 to 18 year-olds, 96% were signed up to social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Whatsapp. Among the under 13s, 78% use at least one social media network, despite being below the age requirement. When it comes to signing up, it’s easy enough for a child to lie, and proof of ID is rarely sought.

ASKfm, the world’s largest social Q&A network, joined more than 350 teens, educators, policy makers, parents, Internet safety experts and executives from leading tech companies Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Google and others to uncover solutions - which includes helping parents understand the slang used on social apps and sites.

“Teen language can experience a seismic shift with just a few clicks, texts or posts, and word or even symbol choices can literally change by the day,” said Andrea Cutright, COO of ASKfm. “Teens use our Q&A platform as a means to express themselves through dialogue so we have our finger on the pulse of how teens talk - be it in the form of acronyms, new definitions or the latest emoji. With this list, parents can now rest easy in the knowledge that being called GOAT is actually a very good thing and OOTD can explain why their teens take four dozen selfies.”

embarrass/ impress your teen as you flaunt your new knowledge in front of their friends)...

• •

• •

• • •

• •

• • •

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Here’s a selection of the top trending slang words and acronyms. Read on to get familiar with the latest terminology (and to be prepared to

ses s a l C ow n ing book

•

PAP Acronym meaning “post a picture” Bad Just like the olden days of parents’ yore, bad still means good but it has shifted slightly and means something even more positive like hot Ship Short for relationship :3 A symbol meant to represent the cat face made by anime characters when they say something clever, sarcastic, or comment on something cute IDEK Acronym for “I don’t even know...”

IKR Acronym meaning “I know, right?”

OOTD Acronym for “outfit of the day;” commonly used to prompt someone to post a picture of their current outfit or to share your current outfit with friends/ followers SMH Acronym for “shaking my head;” in reference to something distasteful Dime The highest rating on a scale of 1-10; used to share approval or express how good something is Netflix and chill Code for hooking up Savage Used to describe something that is hardcore or extreme, in a good way TBR Acronym for “to be rude;” usually said before the person shares their true - and harsh feelings Peep Can refer either to friends (your people), or to look at/ listen to (eg peep this) Slept Can refer to hitting someone hard enough to knock them out, missing out on something awesome, or to be extremely high GOAT Acronym for “greatest of all time”

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No chill Used to describe someone who is being irrational Likers get rate A phrase that implies the original poster will rank anyone who likes/ comments/ answers a post, typically around how cool they are perceived to be or how they look; also used to incentivise followers to like posts to get something (usually indicated in the post) in return Frog emoji + coffee cup emoji. Based on a popular meme of Kermit the Frog drinking a cup of tea, teens use this emoji combo to sarcastically imply “but that’s none of my business” or “I’m just saying”.

Read more •

ASKfm’s Safety Centre provides information, guidance and tools to safely navigate and enjoy the network. Go to http://safety.ask.fm/category/blog/

•

CBBC Stay Safe offers advice to younger internet users, with tips and tricks to stay safe online, beat cyber-bullies and ‘become a super-surfer’. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/curations/stay-safe

Call your local Stagecoach: Dulwich 020 8949 4116 Blackheath 020 7112 8242 Beckenham 020 8541 0833 Sydenham 020 7228 0981 Upper Norwood 020 8672 6066 www.stagecoach.co.uk

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families south east - march 2016

familiesse.co.uk

The Bookseller Crow

is a fantastic, volume stuffed shop run by some of the most knowledgeable bookworms in the business.

Call in for the feel of a real bookshop, or if you’re too busy, pick up the phone or point your mouse at their website for a fast mailorder service. Justine Crow recommends this month’s best titles.

On discovering we have a bookshop, the customary response from folks is one of envy: “Oooh,” they swoon. “Always wanted a little bookshop to retire to.” As if we bustle about in a low-beamed gingerbread shop with dimpled windows and leather-bound classics piled higgledy-piggledy on the shelves. They’d be right about the higgledy-piggledy. But that’s all. “Why?” demanded Trasha, “would anyone in their RIGHT MIND,” her capitals, “be a bookseller when there are so many more jobs out there that actually bring in money?” She said the last four words in capitals too. It’s a recurring family theme you may have heard me mention before but it wasn’t like that when I started out - bookselling was a career, with a pay packet and a real pension and everything. I began as a lowly junior and learned my trade. Obviously, if I knew then what I know now, I would have trained as a plumber instead. But don’t tell Trasha.

ON A BEAM OF LIGHT by Jennifer Berne & Vladimir Radunsky - Chronicle rrp £5.99. Instead, because I like getting wet, I took a side-swerve and qualified as a swimming teacher too - hello William’s mum! You’d think that there’d be little in common with my two occupations but you’d be amazed how much the children talk about school and books while bouncing in the water and World Book Day appears to have morphed into Dressing Up as a Superhero Day, which I’m entirely certain wasn’t the intention, but it has its own evolutionary arc I suppose. Such as with Mikey, who, whilst executing a perfect breast-stroke kick, informed us all he was going to school as Albert Einstein for his book week. That stopped the rest of the class in their Spiderman trunks, I can tell you. This picture book biography tells a neat tale of how the world’s most famous scientist grew up to be, well, a legitimate superhero.

LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG DREAMS, FRIDA KAHLO by Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Gee Fan Eng - Frances Lincoln rrp £9.99. If, however, the small people in your life are cruelly denied the practical (ergo, financially assured) gene in the grand gamete lottery, then it is likely they will be more like most of my family - creative, but broke. This series discovers the early lives behind outstanding achievers and in Kahlo’s case, the desire that drove her survival through some appalling health and unhappiness, with her use of extraordinary colour and exquisite introspection. Up there with Elvis and, indeed, Einstein, she is now an everyday icon and another superhero for the unconventional costume wearer.

Also in the series, a celebration of one COCO CHANEL. Perhaps not quite so recognisable to yer average four year old but it is never too soon to introduce the offspring to the concept of couture clothing. Especially if they are to understand they will never be able to afford it.

THE BRONTES, CHILDREN OF THE MOORS by Mick Manning & Brita Granstrom - Franklin Watts rrp £12.99. One of the most memorable trips I took as a child was to Haworth.

Captivated by the unbearable romance of their tragedy, I still have a bookmark from the famous parsonage and a photo of me in the graveyard unable to contain the sob in my ten yearold throat. Some time later I suggested I attend the 5th Reigate Brownie Pack Fancy Dress event as Charlotte but my mum said nobody would know who I was, even if I repeatedly coughed into my Blackie edition of Jane Eyre and pretended I was dying of typhus. Instead, my sister got to go as Emmeline Pankhurst with a brilliant VOTES FOR WOMEN sash while I, unwitting stooge to my forward thinking, well-meant parents, went as Diana Ross. Nobody flinched.

THE BOY & THE GLOBE by Tony Bradman - Barrington Stoke rrp £5.99. Of the many anniversaries that will be marked this year, from the Easter Uprising to Roald Dahl’s birth, 400 years since the death of the bard (or 452 since his birth, seeing as both events apparently occurred on the same date), looks set to be one of the most glorious.

Renowned children’s author of yore Bradman lends his own

seal to the occasion with an illustrated early reader story from new imprint, Conkers, full of the sights and sounds of Elizabethan London, right beside the Globe.

Cozy Classics, WAR AND PEACE; GREAT EXPECTATIONS; PRIDE & PREJUDICE; MOBY DICK by Jack & Holman Wang rrp £6.99. They are back - the board book classics, each tale depicted in beautifully stitched felt puppets with a single word per page. And you could’ve saved yourself a whole lot of Napoleonic angst (more than 1000 pages of it) in nineteenth century St Petersburg had you been primed from a tender age with one of these.

THE PENCIL by Paula Bossio - Gecko rrp £6.99. Also a board book, you might find it strange that I approve of tales without text but I learned their worth long ago when working as an Early Years TA (in another career swerve). They encourage discussion and creativity in a way that a written script cannot and I’m particularly fond of this goofy graphite odyssey that culminates in some acceptable wordless insolence.

WIPE CLEAN CAPITAL LETTERS by Jessica Greenwell & Kimberley Scott - Usborne rrp £4.99. While I was in the classroom, I learned the importance of general physical coordination in the development of writing. It seems far-fetched but those three year-olds that can climb and throw are often the ones who scrawl their own names the soonest you’d be amazed at how many other kids begin nursery unable to stand still in a star position or perform a simple jump on the spot. Big shape-making translates into smaller letter forming and this series comes with a pen to practise with. I think you’ll agree that ‘wipe clean’ trounces most advanced digital technologies in its usefulness.

MATHS ON THE GO by Rob Eastaway & Mike Askew - Square Peg rrp £9.99. As parents, there are many unpalatable aspects to our job description: dabbing various leaking extremities, nit-combing, anything Twirly Woos, interminable assemblies, maths homework... Speaking as someone for whom mathematics at my county grammar basically meant mastering a slide rule (nope), the homework thing was always going to be a challenge with my kids and there were many tantrums after school (mainly from me). This promises 101 ways to make maths ‘fun’ - no, really - for ages 4 to 14, whilst on car journeys, cooking and even in the bath (though most 14 year-olds might have a word or two to say about that).

YOGA FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILD by Mark Singleton Watkins rrp £12.99. Some of us are born spiritual, some of us prefer spirits, but there is an ineluctable truth that those who relax with a downward facing dog rather than a bottle of gin have a tendency to live longer (or maybe it’s like the old joke it just feels that way). Hailing as they do from East Dulwich, my three were practically born chanting but thus far, I’ve never really been tempted to swap the beer mat for a purple rubber one. However, I am all for a decent bendy stretch coupled with some proper breathing in the living room and I really like the idea of doing it alongside the children. If only they’d let me.

Those of you who have watched me teach in the pool won’t be surprised to hear that one of the things I wanted to be as a tiddler was an actress (although I also wrote the 8th novel in the Narnia sequence aged 7, natch’). Perpetually referred to by my father as his “little Jane Fonda,” my kids have absolutely no idea what it is to be properly embarrassed by a parent. At seventy-five, he still says it. My nephew however, Dinky Bill, wants to be a mermaid when he grows up, and who can blame him? A life swishing about in water, calamares for breakfast every day (only the Queen has that), sparkly bra tops on tap and an awful lot of effortless, well, fame. But most importantly, he’ll never ever need to find an outfit for World Book Day again.

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk 9

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march 2016 - families south east

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What’sNew Covering London and Surrey

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Mother knew best Despite huge changes in lifestyle and technology, the rise of divorce and working mothers, and a focus on child-centric parenting, it looks like the old ways are still the best, with just over half of UK mothers - 51% saying their parenting style is the same as their own parents’.

In a new survey by WaterWipes, 37% of mothers claim the way they raise their children is very similar to how their parents looked after them, while a further 14% say their parenting style is exactly the same.

It seems traditional values still hold strong, with parents proudly claiming they learned their parenting style at their own mother’s knee. Just nine per cent of parents surveyed said their parenting style was completely different from that of their own parents, while 40% said it was quite different.

Parenting expert Kate Barlow commented: “Whether you’re raising your child along the same guidelines that you were reared yourself or you’re doing it completely differently, the most important

‘Dad-friendly’ baby change facilities

If you’ve not already saved the day, save it now! Wear A Hat Day is the fun-filled, annual brain tumour awareness and fund raising event helping to support research.

Organiser Brain Tumour Research is signing up families, children and schools across the UK to don a hat and support the cause.

Involving 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 and teachers, and in many classrooms there remains a tragic reminder of a child whose life has been lost or damaged by this cruel cancer.

Schools, nurseries, organisations and individuals can all find out how to register and take part at www.wearahatday.org.

families south east - march 2016

Sleep - the final frontier

One of the UK’s most pioneering fatherhood support networks has launched a campaign for more dad-friendly baby changing facilities.

The Dad Network has launched a website to highlight where the best - and worst - baby change facilities are located.

Al Ferguson, founder of The Dad Network and father of three children says, “Society is going through a cultural shift seeing more and more dads take active, hands-on roles in parenting and public facilities need to reflect this.”

Many fathers have been in situations whereby they have not been able to safely and hygienically change their own baby’s nappy. One member of The Dad Network was even refused a suitable place to change his baby in a UK hospital.

Inspired by Ashton Kutcher who last year campaigned for the same thing in the US, The Dad Network has created a webpage designed for dads to list & locate ‘Dad Friendly Facilities’ here in the UK. Users can upload the name and address of public services (restaurants, cafes, points of interest etc), a photo of the facilities and information as to whether or not it caters for fathers wishing to change their baby’s nappy. These are then plotted onto a nationwide map showing the locations of the dad friendly - and unfriendly facilities. Go to www.thedadnetwork.co.uk/dadfriendly.

Wear a hat on 24 March

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thing is to trust your own instincts. There is no right or wrong way of parenting and every mum or dad knows their own child and, most importantly, what is best for their own child, whether that’s the tried and trusted techniques your parents used with you, or a new and different approach of your own. Only you know what’s best for your own family, so trust yourself and do it your way, whichever way that is.”

Parenting may have changed but what mums and dads want today isn’t very different from what parents wanted in the ‘60s ‘70s and ‘80s - happy, healthy children.

WaterWipes are the only wipe made using just water and a drop of grapefruit seed extract. They are suitable from birth, help avoid nappy rash, and are the only baby wipe to be approved by Allergy UK.

Send your little one into space with an out of this world bedding set.

Made from soft, high quality cotton, the digitally printed astronaut and pillow set is bound to help your child dive into space in their dreams for a great night’s sleep. Bedtime will be a joy from now on!

Princess, ballerina, pirate and fire fighter designs are also available, each set priced £44.90 from www.design55online.co.uk, 0142 237 5940.

Explore and play With a toucanBox, children are engaged for hours exploring themes ranging from bugs to outer space while developing key skills such as concentration, numeracy, fine and gross motor skills, and problem solving.

Each box contains crafty projects, colourful step by step instruction manuals, and a magazine. The boxes are suitable for 3-8 year-olds, and available by subscription either fortnightly or monthly. For more information and a free trial box, to go www.toucanbox.com.

familiesse.co.uk

WHERE’S WALLY? FUN RUN

SEVERNDROOG CASTLE

What’sOn Diary Dates for Grownups DULWICH & DISTRICT NCT NEARLY NEW SALE

MOTHERING SUNDAY CRUISE

5 March, St FAITH’S COMMUNITY CENTRE, Red Post Hill, Herne Hill SE24 9JQ Grab yourself a bargain for your new arrival, roaming toddler or young child. There'll be baby, children's and maternity clothes for sale as well as toys, books, a whole host of baby equipment - and cake. 10.30am12.30pm, admission £1 adults..

6 March, THE PIER HOUSE, Corney Reach Way, Chiswick W4 2UG, 020 8742 2713, www.chiswickpier.org.uk Celebrate Mothering Sunday by going on a river cruise to Westminster and back with the option to treat your family to afternoon tea on board. 3pm depart, £16 adults, £10 under 10s, including tea £22 adults £16 children.

MOTHERING SUNDAY AT CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE

10-13 March, BATTERSEA EVOLUTION, Battersea Park SW11 4NJ, 0871 231 0830, www.affordableartfair.co.uk Over 100 contemporary art galleries together under one roof bring an eclectic mix of original artworks by living artists and priced from £100. Adult and child visitors can also try out and develop their own artistic skills by taking part in a series of art workshops and tours.

11am-6pm, tickets from £10.

6 March, CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE, Hill Hoath Road, Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7AD, www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk Mothering Sunday Cream Teas will be served in the elegant White Rose Drawing Room with its beautiful countryside views, historic paintings and the grand, oak panelled, galleried Great Hall. Enjoy freshly made scones with Cornish clotted cream and jam, and a selection of delicious sandwiches and homemade cakes. If the weather is favourable, take a stroll among the ground’s daffodils and the cherry blossom on the Japanese Earthquake memorial trees. Some of the Castle’s exhibition rooms will be available for a brief visit on the day. Tea served at 1pm or 4pm, £18 person, £9 per child aged 6 and under. Book first by calling 01892 872746 or email events@chiddingstonecastle.org.uk.

CREATIVE WRITING GROUP 8 March and 12 April, SYDENHAM COMMUNITY LIBRARY, 210 Sydenham Road SE26 5SE, 020 8778 1753, https://sydenhamlibrary.wordpress.com Do you have a story you’d like to tell? Have you always wanted to write your life story, or secretly started working on a novel? Join Sydenham Library’s supportive and friendly Creative Writing Group who meet at 6pm once a month.

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR

IYENGAR YOGA DAY 12 March, MYCENAE HOUSE, 90 Mycenae Road, Blackheath SE3 7SE, 020 8858 1749, www.mycenaehouse.co.uk Celebrate Iyengar Yoga day by joining Judith Jones, run in aid of Carers Lewisham. This is an annual event and always a really good day; and it is in aid of a great cause within our community. Students should have a minimum of six months recent and regular experience of practising Iyengar Yoga; take your own mat etc.

10am-3.30pm, £35. For information and bookings, email wendymcguire32@hotmail.com.

DULWICH & DISTRICT TWINS CLUB NEARLY NEW SALE 12 March, St FAITH'S CHURCH CENTRE, Red Post Hill, Herne Hill SE24 9JQ A wide range of good quality baby and children's clothes, toys, books and equipment at excellent prices.

All profits to Kings' College Hospital's premature baby unit. 10am-12noon, admission £1 adults.

The Great Outdoors SEVERNDROOG CASTLE

WHERE’S WALLY? FUN RUN

SEVERNDROOG CASTLE, Castle Wood, Shooters Hill, SE18 3RT, www.severndroogcastle.org.uk Severndroog Castle was built as a memorial to Sir William James in the late 1700s by his widow, Lady James. Thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the Gothic-style folly is now open to the public and offers a spiral staircase to the tower viewing platform for views across London, a learning centre, cafe and outside parkland. Regular family friendly events feature storytelling and creative arts & crafts which celebrate the castle’s connection to either world culture, local history or the surrounding woodlands. Open Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays 11am-3pm until 27 March, then 12.30-4.30pm 31 March - 28 October.

Admission £2.50 adult, child £2, family £6; children’s activities £2.50.

MOTHER’S DAY FLOWERS, 6 March. Make paper flowers to put a smile on Mummy’s face.

WOODLAND TRAIL, 31 March, 1, 7 + 8 April. Explore the Oxleas Woodlands Trail from the castle to the secret garden.

EASTER EGG HUNT, 3 April. A hunt plus storytelling and crafts.

20 March, CLAPHAM COMMON SW4, www.innovationsports.co.uk/races/whereswally2016 The Where’s Wally fun run is back, this year on Clapham Common and once again raising funds for the National Literacy Trust. There is a 1k race for under 12s, plus 5k and 10k courses for adults. For more competitive runners aiming to beat their personal best, there will also be chipped timing for an accurate race time. Free family activities in the festival area. Adults £22, under 12s £12 includes Wally costume; family tickets also available. Register online for full details, course maps and a fundraising pack.

STARGAZING EVENING 16 March, The LONDON WETLANDS CENTRE, Queen Elizabeth Walk, Barned SW13 9WT, 020 8409 4400, www.wwt.org.uk Expand your horizons by discovering more about the stars, the planets in our solar system and the galaxies beyond. Start with a short talk in the theatre then admire some of the wonders of the universe such as Jupiter and its moons, Venus and a galaxy about 10 million light years away. 6.30-8.30pm, £10.

familiesse.co.uk

march 2016 - families south east

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BRIXTON WINDMILL

MINI VAULT FESTIVAL

HORNIMAN MUSEUM

THE FAN MUSEUM, GREENWIC

MoreWhat’sOn Find even more activities: www.familiesse.co.uk then click What's On

SAINSBURY’S SPORT RELIEF MILE 2016 20 March, DOWNHAM HEALTH & LEISURE CENTRE, Glenbow Road, Bromley BR1 5EP, 020 8461 9200, email downham@1Life.co.uk, www.sportrelief.com Sign up to run or walk to raise life-changing money for Sport Relief 2016.

From little ones with their mums and dads, to runners up against the clock there’s something for everyone to make themselves feel proud, plus entertainment and refreshments throughout the day. Half of all the money raised by the public is spent in the UK, with the other half used to make a difference in the world’s poorest communities. The Games run from 18-20 March across the UK. Read and register more at www.sportrelief.com.

BRIXTON WINDMILL BRIXTON WINDMILL, Windmill Gardens SE2 5EU, www.brixtonwindmill.org A windmill in south London - yes! Visit the ‘two mills in one’ and hear the intriguing story of the Ashby family. You will see the original wind-powered machinery and find out how it was once used to make stone ground flour. Tours take around 40 minutes and need pre-booking.

This year is Brixton Windmill’s 200th anniversary year and the Friends of Windmill Garden (FOWG) are organising a series of events throughout the year, to celebrate.

OPEN WEEKEND, 26+27 March, 9+10 April. Book a guided tour, admire the Sail Unveil installation by Eley Kishimoto, follow a Treasure Hunt around Brixton sponsored by local businesses, and be one of the first to buy the new Brixton Windmill guide book. 2-5pm.

Events and Attractions MINI RUMPUS: UNDER THE SEA PARTY 5 March, THE VAULTS, Leake Street, Waterloo SE1 7NN, www.vaultfestival.com/mini-vault A non-stop, tip-top, over-the-top, animalistic, carnivalistic party extravaganza for under 11s and their adults, to end this year’s VAULT Festival. Dance all day, see a show and get involved with crazy craft activities! This event is all about dressing up - transform yourselves into sea creatures and prepare for a musical procession and live performance by twisted brass band Perhaps Contraption. Take a ringside seat for incredible circus acts and hula-hooping with Marawa’s Majorettes and join the internationally celebrated Rumpus Kazoo Orchestra! 11am-2pm, tickets £14 adults, £10 children, babies free.

THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, general admission free, charges apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium. The museum’s music gallery and hands-on base, regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and workshops allow family visitors to explore the collection through arts and crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. All this within 16 acres of beautiful green space which has the oldest nature trail in London, an animal corner and a Farmers’ Market every Saturday.

ANIMAL KINGDOM, until 6 March. Natural History images by artist Jim Naughten are brought to three-dimensional life through stereoscopic photography. The display features 11 pairs of striking photographs of mounted skeletons and wet specimens including a Great Indian Hornbill, an Atlantic White Spotted Octopus, a Red Faced Spider Monkey and a Transparent Chameleon.

DINOSAURS - MONSTER FAMILIES, until 30 October. Discover the fascinating world of dinosaurs and how they looked after their eggs, nests and babies through interactive exhibits, specimens from around the world and life-size models. Meet a replica of ‘Baby Louie’, the near-complete skeleton of a dinosaur hatchling, dig in the discovery pit, touch a real dinosaur leg bone and come face-to-face with T-Rex’s relative - a life-size Tarbosaurus skeleton cast. An exciting programme of dinosaur-themed events and activities will also run throughout the year to complement the exhibition. Entry £7 adults, £4 children, £17 families, under 3s free.

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank. Examine intricately-designed banknotes, feel the weight of a genuine gold bar and see the pikes and muskets that were once used to defend the Bank.

Children’s activity sheets provide fun for younger visitors. Open 10am5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

EASTER ADVENTURE, 29 March - 8 April. Follow the trail to find the chicks and egg hidden in the museum. You can then colour in an Easter animal mask of your choice to take home. There is a chocolate egg for every child. 10am-4.30pm.

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families south east - march 2016

SEA LIFE LONDON AQUARIUM SEA LIFE London Aquarium, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road SE1 7PB, 0871 663 1678, www.visitsealife.com/london See thousands of sea creatures in over two million litres of water, living in over 65 displays over three floors. Brave the Shark Reef Encounter, join in with public feeding sessions and watch the diving displays. There are real penguins too! Open from 10am daily, admission from £19.98 adults, £14.41 children.

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL RAINFOREST CREATURES, 1-31 March.

Learn about the creatures that can be found lurking beneath the forests’ tropical treetops. From blind cave fish - who have no eyes, to red-bellied piranhas, poison fart frogs to a Cuban crocodile called Spice, guests had better keep their wits about them as they learn the importance of protecting this precious environment from destruction, with free family friendly games and activities available throughout the attraction.

TREASURES OF THE FAN MUSEUM Until 5 June, THE FAN MUSEUM, 12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich SE10 8ER, 020 8305 1441, www.thefanmuseum.org.uk The UK’s only museum dedicated to the history of fans and craft of fan making celebrates its twentieth fifth anniversary in 2016, and is celebrating with a curators’ hand-picked collection of eye-poppingly beautiful carved, painted, lacquered, gilt and feather fans dating back hundreds of years. Open 11am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, noon-5pm Sundays, Admission £4 adults, £3 children.

THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM 40 Brunswick Square, Camden Town WC1N 1AZ, 020 7841 3600, www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk Britain’s first home for abandoned children and London’s first public art gallery, The Foundling Museum reveals the stories of the Foundling Hospital’s founder Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and composer George Frideric Handel. It houses significant collections of eighteenth-century art, interiors, social history and music. Open 10am5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 11am Sundays. Admission free for under 16s, £8.25 adults.

DRAWING ON CHILDHOOD, until 1 May. Drawing on Childhood brings together the work of major illustrators from the eighteenth century to the present day with powerful images of characters in fiction who are orphaned, adopted, fostered or found. Original drawings, first editions and special illustrated editions feature characters as diverse as James Trotter (James and the Giant Peach), Hetty Feather, Rapunzel and Cinderella, by artists including Quentin Blake, George Cruikshank, David Hockney, Phiz (Hablot K. Browne), Arthur Rackham, Thomas Rowlandson, Nick Sharratt and Stref.

BACH TO BABY, 17 March and 14 April. A classical concert for babies and their families, performed by mother and pianist Miaomiao Yu along with other internationally renowned musicians. Inspired by Handel’s involvement with the Foundling Hospital, and performed in the Museum’s Picture Gallery, Bach to Baby brings the past alive through music and song, for little ones and their families. 10.30am-11.30am, adults £10 on the door, children free.

SEA LIFE LONDON AQUARIUM

ILLUSTRATED BOOK BINDING, 26 March. Join artist Daniel Lehan to create and illustrate a story inspired by characters featured in the Drawing on Childhood exhibition. Learn traditional methods of bookmaking to produce a bound copy of your own story. Sessions from 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, ages 5+, free for children and up to two accompanying adults.

SHH! WE HAVE A PLAN, 5 April. Illustrator Chris Haughton leads a very special family workshop inspired by his hilarious children’s book Shh! We Have a Plan. Join the fun adventure to capture a beautiful bird perched high in a tree, using puppets and collage. Sessions from 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, free for children and up to two accompanying adults.

SPINNING TALES, 23 April. Led by artist Jan Cullen, explore characters in the exhibition Drawing on Childhood and create an optical toy that brings the story of these child heroes to life. Ages 5+, sessions from 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, free for children and up to two accompanying adults.

SCIENCE MUSEUM SCIENCE MUSEUM, Exhibition Road SW7 2DD, 0870 870 4868, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science, engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. Open daily 10am-6pm except 24-26 December.

LAUNCHPAD SCIENCE SHOWS. The largest free interactive science gallery in the UK is packed with exhibits which allow visitors to launch a rocket, turn their head into a sound box and control a magnetic cloud.

Ages 8-14, free.

COSMONAUTS, BIRTH OF THE SPACE AGE, until 13 March. In 1957 Russia launched the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik, into space and just four years later sent the first ever human - Yuri Gagarin. Discover the dramatic story of how Russia turned the dream of space travel into a reality and became the first nation to explore space in this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. Tickets £14, concessions available.

THE MECHANICS OF GENIUS, until 4 August. Predominantly recognised as one of history’s greatest painters, Leonardo da Vinci was also a uniquely gifted scientist and engineer. This major interactive exhibition brings to life the intricate mechanical concepts of this restless and curious mind. Entry £10, £7 concessions.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 5BD, 020 7942 5000, www.nhm.ac.uk Dinosaurs, volcanoes, precious gems and creepy crawlies - discover the diversity of the natural world through the nation’s finest collection of natural history specimens. Fascinating exhibitions display up to 70 million plants, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals, with a hands-on education centre where you can meet real scientists at work. Museum open 10am-5.50pm, admission free.

DINO SNORES, 19 March, 23 April, 14 May, 11 June, 2 July. Discover what really happens at the museum when the staff and visitors have gone home. Children aged 7-11 years, from 7pm to 9.50am the following day. Tickets £60.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR, until 10 April. Visit the museum’s world-renowned annual exhibition to see the best wildlife photographs on the planet. 10am to 5.30pm, admission from £6.75.

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BACH TO BABY

FOUNDLING MUSEUM

HMS BELFAST

V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD

On the THAMES at The Queen’s Walk by Morgans Lane, Tooley Street SE1 2JH, www.iwm.org.uk Discover the exciting stories of those who served HMS Belfast; exploring the nine decks where sailors once hurried up and down its ladders, or take a look at the mess desk where her 950-strong crew ate and slept. Open 10am-5pm, admission £16 adults, children £8, family tickets from £28.

GUN TURRET EXPERIENCE. Immerse yourself in the Gun Turret Experience, a chance to see what fighting at sea would have really been like. Overlooking the front of the ship, or Fo’c’sle, is the forward most of HMS Belfast’s Triple Gun Turrets. Lights, audio, videos and projections will recreate the experience, highlighting the hectic and cramped conditions that would have seen twenty-six men in this confined space at any one time. Entry included in general admission price.

CRACKING CODES, 12+13 March. Intercept messages, map hazards on a sea chart and make up your own secret code. Learn about the skills intelligence officers had to have as well as some of the dangers that surrounded HMS Belfast at sea. 11am-12.30pm and 2-4pm.

TATTOO T-SHIRTS: DAVY JONES’S LOCKER, 25 March - 10 April.

Impress your friends and family by designing your very own t-shirt, inspired by traditional navy tattoos, nautical superstitions and the sailor legend of Davy Jones’s Locker. 11am-12.30pm and 2-4pm.

DARNING AND YARNING, 13-21 February, All sailors past and present have needed to know how to sew, from repairing sails to their own socks.

Climb aboard HMS Belfast to create a new sailors’ cross stitch work and find out more about the Royal Navy and life on board ship.

Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk This gem of a museum houses dolls, dolls’ houses, puppets, teddy bears, games, childcare, clothing, furniture and art and photography. Everyday drop-in activities include storytelling, arts and crafts, and trails. There’s dressing-up, role play and an under 3’s area, an indoor sandpit, and regular special events. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

IT’S A HARD WORLD FOR LITTLE THINGS, until 17 July. Children Carrying Heavy Objects is a series of six large-scale drawings that depict children and the burdens that they carry. The graphite drawings by C A Halpin show children carrying physical, societal and political loads such as: water; a blackboard; each other; in grief and love, or in the loneliness of a runaway boy. The images explore children’s absolute will to survive in a sometimes-hostile adult world and reflects the plight of children on a global and domestic scale; the show features local children and others from around the world.

SHORT FILMS MARATHON, 25-27 March. See back-to-back screenings of Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate’s animated classics including the Clangers, Bagpuss, Noggin the Nog and Ivor the Engine. Free drop-in for all ages, 2-4pm.

MUSEUM OF LONDON

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, West India Quay E14, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands, and MUSEUM OF LONDON, London Wall EC2Y 5HN, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. Regular programmes of weekend and holiday events and workshops help visitors find out more about London’s history, covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. On Sundays, museum hosts help visitors explore the galleries through fun, hands-on activities at 11am and 2pm.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Lambeth Road, London SE1, 020 7416 5000, www.iwm.org.uk IWM London tells the story of wars through the recollection of people who lived through them, both fighting the cause and at home. Family-friendly attractions a recreated Family in Wartime house, and creative and object discovery sessions for families on Sundays. Open 10am-6pm daily except 24-26 December, admission free.

HOLOCAUST LEARNING SESSION, 19-20 March and 30 April. This free discussion and replica object handling session is a useful starting point for families who wish to learn about the Holocaust. Suitable for children aged 11 and above, 11.30am and 2.30pm starts.

MAKE A MOVING ANIMATION, 25-31 March and 1-10 April. Create your own spinning drawing, based on a popular 19th century toy called a Thaumatrope. Mark 100 years since the introduction of the iconic British Brodie helmet during the First World War and come up with your own hat and helmet drawings, and find out how to make them move like an animation. 11am-4pm.

SECRET WAR. From the development of MI5 and MI6 before the First World War, to Cold War intelligence-gathering and the contemporary use of highly-trained elite forces, the exhibition examines the facts behind the secrecy and why the need for secret agencies remains a subject of continued debate today.

National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk Royal Museums Greenwich holds the world’s largest maritime collection.

It is housed in historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site and incorporates the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 17th-century Queen’s House, and Cutty Sark. The Museums works to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people, and is also a major centre of education and research. On Saturdays and Sundays free performances and workshops entertain family visitors, while on Tuesdays preschoolers can make music and play with parents and carers. Open 10am-5pm daily.

General admission is free; some buildings, special exhibitions and events have an admission fee.

WOMEN MAKING WAVES, 19+20 March. To mark Women’s History Month, spend a weekend investigating the role of women in the traditionally male domain of exploration, through a series of talks, workshops, guided tours and children’s activities. 11am-5pm, prices vary.

SAMUEL PEPYS, PLAGUE, FIRE, REVOLUTION, until 28 March 2016.

Pepys, one of the most colourful characters of the 17th-century, witnessed many of the great events that shaped Stuart Britain, bringing them brilliantly to life in his famous and candid diary. The exhibition has 200 objects from museums, galleries and private collections. 10am-5pm, tickets £12 adults, £6 children.

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march 2016 - families south east

13

COSMONAUTS AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM

HMS BELFAST

DINO SNORES AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

MoreWhat’sOn Find even more activities: www.familiesse.co.uk then click What's On

SEA FOOD! 28+30 March. Fish and chips, scampi, cockles and mussels alive alive-oh! We get a lot of food from the sea, so get inspired and create your own fantastic pretend food. 11.30am and 1.30pm, free.

SEASIDE STAND-INS, 29+30 March. Become a pirate, a mermaid, a monster or a captain as you make a full-size carnival-style backdrop.

All that’s missing is your head! 11.30am and 1.30pm, free.

CUTTY SARK CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark The world famous 19th century tea clipper offers visitors four levels to explore. Take in the views from the main deck and steer at the ship’s wheel, meet the crew who worked on board, explore the various cargoes from wool to whiskey, and see how tea was loaded on board through interactive displays, props, information boards and animations. Family friendly events run at weekends and during school holidays. Open 10am5pm Tuesdays to Sundays, admission £7 children, £13.50 adults, from £24 families. Bundled tickets are available with the other Royal Museum Greenwich attractions.

PORT OF LONDON, 5+6 March. Cutty Sark visited London more than any other port in the world, but how has the city changed in the last 150 years? Help create a modern port of London with famous buildings and places that are important to you. 11.30am and 2pm.

NANNIE THE WITCH, 13+27 March. Dance, sing and set sail on an adventure with Nannie, Cutty Sark’s figurehead. 11am, 12, 1.30 and 2.30pm.

TOUR IN BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE (BSL), 12 March. Join deaf historian, John Wilson, for a tour of Cutty Sark and its history in BSL. Explore the 1869 clipper, celebrated for its record-breaking passages around the globe and find out about life on board and the story of this ship’s survival. 11am and 1.30pm, £17 adult, £13.50 concessions.

AHOY CAPTAIN! 19 +20, 25-31 March. Meet Captain Woodget, Cutty Sark’s longest serving master, to learn about life on board the fastest tea clipper. 11am, 12noon, 1.30 and 2.30pm.

EASTER EGG HUNT, 25-28 March. Cutty Sark’s chickens have been laying their eggs in some strange places, how many can you spot around the ship? Join in the hunt for a chance to win a family ticket to Camp Bestival!

LAND YACHTS, 29-31 March. Make your own amazing land yacht powered by the wind, just like Cutty Sark, and take part in some fun science demos to find out about ships and sailing. 11.30 and 2pm.

FULHAM PALACE FULHAM PALACE, Bishop’s Avenue, Fulham SW6 6EA, 020 7736 3233, www.fulhampalace.org The Museum of Fulham Palace charts the long history of the palace site, from Prehistoric times and Roman settlement, through Medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian bishops to the present day. The museum collection includes paintings, archaeology and artefacts. Open noon-4pm Sundays, 12.30-3.30pm Mondays to Thursdays, admission free.

CUTTY SARK

Theatre, Shows and Music BLACKHEATH HALLS Recital Rooms, BLACKHEATH HALLS, 23 Lee Road SE3 9RQ, 020 8305 9300, www.trinitylaban.ac.uk THE MAGIC BEANSTALK, 5 March. Set in present day Cornwall, beautiful hand carved puppets, illusion and amazing experiments are used to re-tell the classic story of Jack and the Giant who lives through the clouds and over the rainbow. Ages 5+. 3pm, £7.

HOW THE KOALA LEARNT TO HUG, 12 March. Written especially for parents to enjoy with their children, this is a charming new musical about the magic of family and, of course, the importance of a nice warm hug!

Ages 3+, 3pm, £7.

NOYE’S FLUDDE, 7+8 April. For the fourth year running Blackheath Halls will be staging the children’s opera. Britten’s Noye’s Fludde was written with children performers in mind. All ages, 2 and 6pm, £10 adults, £5 children.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, Bow Street, London WC2E 9D, 07304 4000, www.roh.org.uk FAMILY SUNDAYS, Last Sunday of each month. Explore the Royal Opera House, its artists and the world of opera and ballet. Sundays are packed full of creative and practical activities for all the family including informal performances from Royal Ballet dancers, plus interactive singing and dance activities. Ages 6+, 12-4pm, £5 adults, £3 children.

FIRST OPERA: WELCOME PERFORMANCES. Welcome Performances are for families who have never been to a ballet or opera at the Royal Opera House before. You don’t need to know anything about either - just come along and give it a try. Tickets £5-£20.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell Street WC1B 3DG, 020 7323 8181, www.britishmuseum.org The British Museum was founded in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. Each year nearly 6 million visitors pour through the doors to see the museum’s collection of ancient and historical artefacts including the ever-popular Egyptian mummies, or to take in the latest block-buster exhibition. Open 10am-5.30pm daily, admission free, charge for some exhibitions.

DIGITAL DISCOVERY CENTRE, weekends. Learn, discover and create in the Museum’s digital centre. Free activities and workshops using the latest Samsung digital equipment, enabling children to bring the world’s history and cultures to life through advanced technology.

LITTLE FEET: MARCH TO THE MUSIC, 16 March. Take a break at the museum with this gallery-based session including stories, rhymes and creative play activities for under 5s. 10.30am-12 noon.

FIREPOWER - THE ROYAL ARTILLERY MUSEUM ROYAL ARSENAL, Woolwich SE18 6ST, 020 8855 7755, www.firepower.org.uk Firepower, the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich tells the powerful and dramatic story of artillery, scientific discoveries made through warfare and human stories of courage and endeavour. The ‘ground shaking’ Field of Fire audio-visual show puts you in the midst of battle as shells whizz overhead and guns roar. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays.

Admission £2.50 children, £5.30 adults, £12.50 families.

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families south east - march 2016

ALBANY THEATRE ALBANY THEATRE, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 4AG, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk THE PARTY, 6 March. A circus show for all the family that humorously explores difficult topics such as sharing, social exclusion and not always getting what you want. Ages 3+, 1pm and 3pm, tickets £7, families £24.

DISCO KIDS: THE HOP, 13 March. A very special Disco Kids celebrating the arrival of the Easter bunny. Brilliant music from DJ Gene Jeanie will get your little chicks bouncing around the dancefloor with the C-12 dancers. 2-5pm, family tickets £20.

META, 8+9 March. Science and art collide in this funny, powerful Forum Theatre show developed with students from the borough of Tower Hamlets. Neuroscientific findings are shared through physical theatre, video projection and sound design giving an insight into what happens to our brain (and the rest of us) as we grow up. Ages 12+, pay what you can.

THE OLD WOMAN, THE BUFFALO AND THE LION OF MANDING, 18 March. The birth of Sundiata Keita, visionary leader of the great Malian empire, is told across West Africa as a story of kingship and battle. In this powerful and uplifting performance, three exceptional artists share the rarely heard story of the legendary ruler’s mother and grandmother and the extraordinary circumstances of his birth. Filled with traditional songs of the Gban people, this show has enthralled audiences across the UK and Europe. Ages 14+, tickets £12, concessions £10.

THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE, 19 March. Charlie Hubble is a little boy with a very big dream: he wants to be a world-class magician. When he meets Mr Zacoor - a real life Sorcerer - at the toy shop, a magical adventure begins. This delightful new show comes to life with an irresistible blend of music, puppetry and storytelling. Ages 3+, tickets £7, families £24.

BLAKE: REMIXED, 24 March. World record-holding beatboxer and acclaimed rapper Testament smashes together UK hip hop with the poetry of William Blake.† 7.30pm, tickets £12, £10 concs.

WE’RE STUCK! 25 March - 1 April, SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT, www.shoreditchtownhall.com A brand new interactive theatre show takes children on a fun adventure with scientists and robots and could change their whole attitude to maths. Inspired by the extraordinary abilities and limitations of our brains, award-winning theatre-maker Sarah Punshon uses the latest educational neuroscience to tackle how utterly rubbish our brains can be. Ever got terribly stuck on a problem? Ever made a stupid mistake and felt like a fool? Then this show is for you. Suitable for ages 8-11 years, tickets £11.

FAMILY MAGIC SHOW 28 March, THE IVY HOUSE, 40 Stuart Road, Nunhead SE15 3BE, www.magicmindreadingandmayhem.co.uk A show featuring two magical acts from Klassy & Amigo’s Magic, where live animals will be plucked from thin air and one lucky person will be cut in half. Plenty of audience participation; a chance to meet Fluffy the Rabbit and a Free Bunny Copter to take home. 1pm and 4pm starts, tickets £6 children, £7.50 adults, £20 family of four.

CANADA WATER CULTURE SPACE CANADA WATER LIBRARY, 21 Surrey Quays Road, Rotherhithe SE16 7AR, 020 7525 2931, www.canadawaterculturespace.org.uk GEORGE EGG: ANARCHIST COOK, 4 March. George Egg spends a lot of time staying in hotels and, unimpressed with room service, he has taken matters into his own hands. Whilst performing a mind-bending show of comedy-cum-illustrated lecture, George prepares a three-course meal on the kind of ‘catering’ equipment hotels unwittingly provide (including irons, kettles and a trouser press). You can taste it at the end... if you want to. Ages 14+, tickets £12, concessions £10.

ORION AND THE DARK, 5 March. Orion is scared of more or less everything, but there is one thing that scares him more than anything else - the DARK! Join Orion on an adventure as he faces his biggest fear and finds out it’s friendly. A heart-warming tale of friendship and overcoming your fears. 1 and 3pm, ages 3+, tickets £7, family ticket £24.

GREENWICH THEATRE GREENWICH THEATRE, Crooms Hill, Greenwich SE10 8ES, 020 8858 7755, www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk THE MARVELLOUS IMAGINARY MENAGERIE, 25 March. Ever wanted to count a Decapus’s legs? Or wondered what a Whistling Pank eats? Would you like to catch a glimpse of the fabled ‘Massive Paw’, or lick a Tresillian Toad? Or perhaps see a cow that looks like Brian May? Then you’ve come to the right place! Dr Longitude and his team of “experts” are here to guide you through a puppet-packed, ludicrously lyrical and magically musical tour of the Imaginary Menagerie’s finest exhibits. From the acclaimed creators of Alice’s Adventures Underground, The Trench, and Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs, Les Enfants Terribles tour with the silliest, funniest and most entertaining family shows to date - suitable for big kids and small grown-ups! 2pm, tickets £11 children, £13.50 adults, £40 families.

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SORCERER’S APPRENTICE

SAMUEL PEPYS

SNOW WHITE

LEAPER, 28+29 March. Something fishy’s going on! Although it sounds like a tale from a children’s story, the reality is that fish are starting to disappear from our rivers and seas. Why, and how can one little girl help stop it? Leaper: A Fish tale follows one fish’s magical quest against the ever-growing natural and man-made monsters in our seas. Ages 4+, tickets £11 adults, £8.50 children.

COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS, 31 March. Since 2005, the Comedy Club 4 Kids has been getting the best stand-ups and sketch acts from the international circuit to do their thing for an audience of children and their families - but without the rude bits! It’s just like a normal comedy club, but it’s on in the day, kids are allowed in, and thus there is a higher than usual chance of heckles like “why is that your face!?” 2pm, tickets £11, children £8.50.

UNICORN THEATRE UNICORN THEATRE, 147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ, 020 7645 0560, www.unicorntheatre.com MINOTAUR, until 2 April. In Crete, in an impossible labyrinth, lives a fearsome and lonely beast with the head of a bull and the body of a man.

Only his sister Ariadne cares for him, and she dreams of setting them both free from the rule of their selfish father, the King. This playful, clever retelling of the well known Greek myth is an action-packed treat. Ages 8+, tickets from £10.

JERAMEE, HARTLEBY AND OOOGLEMORE, until 20 March. Where is Jeramee? Who is making that noise? What is under the sheet and why does it keep moving? Delivered with wit, impeccable timing and plenty of clowning around, this show is a surprising and surreal encounter with three people who have a lot to say - and only three words with which to say it. Ages 3+, tickets £10 children, £16 adults.

UP CLUB, Saturdays. Join the Unicorn play club every Saturday. Take part in free activities from rocket building to portrait painting, giant Jenga tournaments, cake decorating and lots more. 12noon-1.30pm.

SOUTHBANK SOUTHBANK CENTRE, Belvedere Road SE1 8PX, 0844 847 9944, www.southbankcentre.co.uk THE WONDERCRUMP WORLD OF ROALD DAHL, until 3 July.

Did you know that Roald Dahl used to be a spy? And also a fighter pilot, inventor and historian of chocolate? Learn about Roald Dahl’s extraordinary life and the surprising inspiration for his most famous characters and stories. The tour features unique items from the Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre archives. Ages 8-12, £10 adult, £8 child.

UNDER 10s FEMINIST CORNER - GIRLS, 12+13 March. Are you a budding young feminist? Do you think girls should have the same opportunities in life as boys? If so, we’ve got the perfect session for you.

Join other young feminists for an interactive workshop exploring what being a girl means, and get tips on how to start a campaign in your bedroom. Ages 6-10, free.

FAMILY GAMELAN TASTER WORKSHOPS, until 26 March.

Regarded as one instrument played by lots of people, the Gamelan generates rich, sonorous and mesmerising sounds. Learn to play music and find out about the stories attached to it. Ages 6+, £10 adults, £5 child.

DRAGON BABIES, until 18 July. Bring your little ones to shake, rattle and gong! This fun session invites you to experience the sounds of Southbank Centre’s beautiful Gamelan (Javanese orchestra) and introduce your Dragon Babies to creative musical play through singing, movement and percussion. No previous musical experience is needed, just a willingness to take off your shoes, sit on the floor and have fun!

Ages 3-5 years, £5 for one child and adult.

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE, Victoria Street SW1E 5EA, 0844 248 5000, www.billyelliotthemusical.com Set against the background of the 1984/85 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot the Musical is the inspirational story of one boy’s struggle to realise his dream to dance against the odds. Featuring a timeless score by Elton John, sensational dance and a powerful story, Billy Elliot is an uplifting and spectacular theatrical experience that will stay with you forever.

Tickets from £29.50, family tickets from £105.

TWELFTH NIGHT 12+19 March, Sackler Studios, SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE, 21 New Globe Walk SE1 9DT, 020 7401 9919, www.shakespearesglobe.com/education ‘Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank’ productions are created for young people. This is an opportunity to attend a full-scale, fast-paced 90 minute performance within the glory of the Globe Theatre, the architecture for which Shakespeare wrote. Packed with laughs, love and music, Twelfth Night explores themes that children will recognise from their own lives and will leave children and adults alike buzzing with the thrill of live theatre. 2pm, tickets from £5.

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KLASSY & AMIGO’S MAGIC SHOW

MINOTAUR

LEAPER

THE FAIRFIELD FAIRFIELD HALLS, Park Lane, Croydon CR9 1DG, 020 8688 9291, www.fairfield.co.uk THE GREAT GATSBY, 11+12 March. A sizzling new stage adaptation from nationally acclaimed Blackeyed Theatre, recreating the sights, sounds and feel of America’s roaring twenties as seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway and adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.

Tickets £21.50, concessions £18.50.

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN, 23-26 March. Join Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis on the adventure of a lifetime in this musical adaptation by Stephen Kingsbury and Ben Sleep. Tickets £20.50, concessions £17.

HERE BE MONSTERS, 29 March. Join the villainous Captain Cut-Throat and his fearsome crew in a sea-faring adventure packed full of magical story-telling, original music and thrills galore! Ages 3+, tickets £12.50 adults, £10.50 children.

THE WIZARD OF OZ, 30+31 March. Dorothy and her cute dog Toto enter the wonderful Land of Oz. During their travels down the yellow brick road they meet some lovely friends including a Scarecrow, a Tin Man and even a Lion who really wants some courage. The four new friends travel to see the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, but won’t be easy as the Wicked Witch of the West is determined to stop them by any means necessary! Family tickets £71.

COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS

POLKA THEATRE POLKA THEATRE, 240 Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB, 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com THE PAPER DOLLS, 1-13 March. When a little girl makes a string of paper dolls, she takes them by the hand on a fantastical adventure.

Whirling through their home and garden they fly through the air, dodging the clutches of a toy dinosaur, a snapping oven-glove crocodile and a very real pair of scissors. A lyrical tale from the award-winning author of The Gruffalo. Tickets £12.

DOGS DON’T DO BALLET, 2-6 March. Join Ballet Black for a magical performance based on the best-selling book by Anna Kemp and choreographed by Christopher Marney, full of fun, magic and one very special dog! Tickets £13.50.

KITE, 10-13 March. A lonely girl is taken to live in her grandma’s flat where the windows are shut tight. Her memories of seagulls and sand dunes begin to fade until one night a handmade kite comes to life and heralds the start of an adventure as wild as the wind. Kite comes alive with original music, dance, puppetry and of course kites. Tickets from £10.

NIPT, 18-20 March. Meet two neighbours who are too tall for their house.

They seem to be made for each other. They borrow each other’s sugar, tea, vacuum cleaner, the odd egg, old family photographs and a piece of wall. But what happens when they move in together? Ages 6+, tickets from £10.

SNOW WHITE, 23 March - 10 April. With endless meals to prepare, a never ending pile of dishes to wash - not to mention the huge mirror that needs polishing morning, noon and night - life’s never easy for the royal servants downstairs at the palace. And why does the Queen keep asking for more apples? Tickets £13.50.

THE WONDERCRUMP WORLD

DRAGON BABIES AT SOUTHBANK

LYRIC THEATRE HAMMERSMITH LYRIC HAMMERSMITH, Lyric Square, Kings Street, London, W6 0QL, 020 8741 6850, www.lyric.co.uk THE REAL MERMAID, 5 March. An exciting adventure on the high seas with pirates, monstrous sea creatures and mermaid treasure. Follow the intrepid Amelia Buttersnap on her journey full of magic and mutinous rats. 11am and 1pm, tickets £8.

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER, 12 March. Shoes! Ah, new shoes... Delightful on the feet. Soft, dancing shoes; swarthy pirate shoes; silver buckle and silken souls. No one makes shoes like an elf. 11am and 1pm, tickets £8.

LEAPER - A FISH TALE, 19 March. Using a signature blend of intricate puppetry and mesmeric music, Leaper follows one fish’s arduous quest against the ever-growing natural and manmade challenges of the sea.

11am and 1pm, tickets £8.

CHURCHILL THEATRE BROMLEY CHURCHILL THEATRE, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA, 0844 871 7620, www.atgtickets.com JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT, 1-5 March. Retelling the Biblical story of Joseph (Joe McElderry), his eleven brothers and the coat of many colours, this magical musical is full of unforgettable songs including Those Canaan Days, Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door To Me. Tickets from £12.

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

LORD OF THE FLIES, 15-19 March. When a group of schoolboys survive a catastrophic plane crash, what starts as a desert island adventure quickly descends into a struggle for survival in a darkly sinister world of superstition and immorality. William Golding’s 20th century classic Lord of the Flies explodes onto the stage in a remarkable production direct from London’s award-winning Regent’s Park Theatre.

Ages 11+, tickets from £16.90.

SING-A-LONG-A-FROZEN, 20 March. A full screening of Disney’s Frozen with lyrics on screen to help you sing along during the film.

Introduced by a live host who will guide you through this interactive screening by showing you how to use your free prop bag, warm up your singing voices and teach you some dance moves with the help of the Singalonga Princesses. Ages 5+, tickets from £15.90.

march 2016 - families south east

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Fun Family Photo Sessions

EGGcellent Easter Adventure

£20

Herne Hill Studios are a Professional Photographic Studio specialising in Family Portraits and Child Photography We are currently offering discounted session fees reduced from £49.99 to only £20.00 for all bookings during February & March.

Book your session now!

Free admission

Follow the trail to find the chicks and egg hidden in the museum. You can then colour in an Easter animal mask of your choice to take home. There is a chocolate egg for every child.

10:00am–5:00pm Share your experience @boemuseum Monday to Friday. @boemuseum Closed weekends and Bank Holidays. Entrance T: 020 7601 5545 in Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH

020 7924 9998 Sessions are limited so to be part of the fun please call us to speak to one of our ‘memory makers’ who will reserve your preferred date & time.

All sessions include a FREE 8 x 10 mounted print of your favourite image

www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum Herne Hill Studios 121a Dulwich Rd London SE24 ONG 020 7924 9998

BIRMINGHAM STAGE COMPANY PRESENTS

26 MAY – 2 JUNE

TICKETS: CKETS: ADULTS ADUL £10, CHILD £5, UNDER 5S FREE BOX OFFICE 0844 482 7777 WWW.HRP.ORG.UK/HAMPTONCOURTPALACE Horrible Histories ® is a registered trademark of Scholastic Inc and is used under authorization. Illustration © Martin Brown.

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families south east - march 2016

familiesse.co.uk

Families South East Tel: 020 8699 7240 Email: info@familiesse.co.uk Contact: Robina Cowan MAGAZINE DESIGN: Lancasters 020 8658 9975 www.lancasters.co.uk Printed on paper from sustainable forests. www.russellpress.com

29 March–8 April 10:00am–4.30pm