Families London Kent Borders Sep-Oct 18

from Families London Kent Borders September-October 2018

by Families Magazine

Education

Getting fit with the family

Go wild this Autumn Clubs and classes Out & about

MAKE YOUR OWN

Halloween

DOOR DARE

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THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR PARENTS OF

Issue 45 September/October CHILDREN AGED 0–TEENS 2018

For families living in the Bromley & Bexley boroughs, Dartford & the

familiesonline.co.uk

Parenting

Halloween CraftHow to Make a Doorway Dare

Knock, knock, Whoooo’s there…

Kids love trick-or-treating - but sometimes it rains, or the neighbours pretend to be out. Here’s a crafty trick or treat game from our friends at Wonderbly that you can make and play with at home.

You’ll create two doorways: one leads to a trick and the other to a treat. Will your little visitor get a chocolate or an eyeball? It’s a shifty fifty-fifty.

Follow these eight simple steps to build your doorways.

You will need:

• 4 shoeboxes (no lids)

• A utility knife

• A metal ruler

• Paint

• Brushes

• A black marker pen

• 2 pieces of dark cloth

• 2 large buttons, or bottletops

• Cobwebs (preferably fake) or feathers

• Tricks and treats

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DOORWAY DARE

STEP 1 Take two of the shoeboxes and draw a door-shaped rectangle on each. Using the knife and ruler, cut along three sides of the door, leaving it on its hinges.

STEP 2 Grab some brushes and paint the boxes. Try boldly-contrasting colours for the door and brickwork. Leave your doorways to dry.

STEP 3 Get a thick marker pen and add some details: letterbox, doorbell, house number. For a doorknob, you can sew on a button or glue on a bottle cap.

STEP 4 Turn your boxes around. Glue or staple a piece of cloth inside each, then cut a slit down the centre of

the cloth (for intrepid hands to reach through). Put these boxes to one side.

STEP 5 Now take your other two boxes. Decorate the insides with fake cobwebs, feathers or other touchyfeely things. One should feel lovely, the other should feel icky! These will form the backs (or hallways) to your doors.

STEP 6 Tape the hallway boxes to the doorway boxes, so reaching through the door will lead to the sensory items.

STEP 7 Find something lovely and something not so lovely. (Plastic spider/ strawberry lolly, lychee eyeball/ pound coin etc.) Hide the treat in one doorway and the trick in the other.

STEP 8 Dim the lights and invite your little trick-or-treaters to choose their fate. You can even make it a breakfast ritual in the build-up to Halloween. Ratatatat…

Wonderbly are creators of beautiful personalised children’s books that inspire courage, curiousity and kindness in children all over the world. A treat for any curious little mind. Find out more at www.wonderbly.com

6 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018 www.familiesonline.co.uk

Clubs and Classes

Choose the Right Club or Class for your Child

Picking the right extra-curricular activities for your child can sometimes be overwhelming. There are a huge variety of sports and classes available now from coding to Mandarin, from street dance to circus skills, as well as more traditional sports. Here’s our guide on how to choose the most appropriate club or class for your child.

A good place to start is to ask your child what they are interested in. It’s likely that they will enjoy the activity if they have picked it themselves. My 11 year old twin girls have tried a wide variety of classes, which they enjoyed but didn’t want to continue. When I last asked them what they wanted to do, they said they wanted to join a running club. They now train two to three times a week and compete at least once a month. It’s a big commitment for the whole family but they absolutely love it.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

Will your child enjoy the class/club? If they enjoy something, whether it’s art, football, animation or French they are likely to look forward to training with their team or attending a class every week.

Try Before You Buy Trial classes are a great way for them to experience something before you sign up for a term or group of classes. Many clubs and classes offer a free trial before you sign up. [you could add your advertisers offers here]

Try a Variety Variety is the spice of life. If your schedule allows it, get your children to try a few different things on a trial basis. If they are not keen on trying something new, get them to go with a friend.

Can you Commit? Some activities involve early morning practice or games at the weekend. Can your family life and schedule accommodate the commitment needed? If your child plays sport competitively, it can often mean training daily or at least three times a week.

Think about Cost Some activities are more expensive than others. 1:1 tuition or private lessons are more costly, whereas classes and team

sports tend to cost less. Guiding or Scouts is an inexpensive club to join, and it’s great for team building and trying a variety of different activities. Investigate this option ahead of time though, as there can be waiting lists.

How Many? How many activities are too many? This is really up to you but if you are tired of driving your children to all of their activities, it’s likely your child will be too; perhaps you are doing too much. Equally, if your children are bored at home and asking to be entertained, maybe it’s time to sign them up for something new.

Again take the lead from your child. Some children thrive from lots of extra-curricular activities while others get overwhelmed and overstimulated. Listen to them and adjust their schedule accordingly.

By Claire Winter

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www.familiesonline.co.uk SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018 11

Out & About

Out & About THE BEST OF WHAT’S ON NEAR YOU

ONE FESTIVAL. TWO WEEKENDS. 5,000 FREE EVENTS.

For the first time ever England’s biggest festival of heritage and culture will take place across two weekends in 2018.

Heritage Open Days, 6th to 9th and 13th to 16th September is an annual celebration of England's architecture and culture that allows visitors free access to historical landmarks that are either not usually open to the public, or would normally charge an entrance fee. Co-ordinated nationally by the National Trust with support from the People’s Postcode Lottery it brings together thousands of organisations and properties across England.

With a theme of ‘Extraordinary Women,’ this year’s festival will offer visitors more opportunities to discover the secret history of their towns, villages and countryside. There are hundreds of activities for kids, including dressing up, woodland walks, and railway rides. Best of all, every single event is FREE!

For up to date information on events taking place near you visit, www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Here's a taste of some of the activities nearby that have already registered:

THURS 6TH AND THURS 13TH, 10AM - 5PM Tonbridge Castle Medieval Fair, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Tonbridge Step back in time at Tonbridge Castle's Medieval Fair! Older kids can try their hand at archery, watch recreations of knights in combat and discover the arts and crafts of the middle ages in this fun fair at the town’s castle.

SAT 8TH AND SUN 9TH, 10AM - 5PM Dover Museum Family Day, Dover Society, Dover See the world's oldest known seagoing boat from the Bronze Age! Dover Museum will be putting on lots of other cross Channel themed activities, to keep everyone entertained on this special Family Day opening.

8 SEPTEMBER DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

Bewl Water, Bewlbridge Lane, Lamberhurst, Kent, TN3 8JH. 01892 890 000 www.bewlwater.co.uk

The 21th annual Dragon Boat Festival at Bewl Water. The Bewl Water site that looks onto the water will be full of tents and marquees with many running stalls selling cakes and other goodies, running competitions, and generally full to bursting with people in interesting and unusual fancy dress!

7 SEPTEMBER WEALD OF KENT COUNTRY CRAFT SHOW

Penshurst Place Estate, Penshurst, Tonbridge, TN11 8DG. 01892 870307 www.penshurstplace.com

Enjoy the final Country Craft Show of the year, as the parkland welcomes carpenters, artisan producers and small businesses from across the county and further afield to gather with their

wonderful collections and gifts for you to browse and enjoy.

10.30am - 5pm. Until 9 September

9 SEPTEMBER FAMILY DAY

Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley, BR1 1HA 020 3285 6000 www.churchilltheatre.co.uk

Take the whole family as the doors are opened for a funfilled day. Arts and crafts, demonstrations, games, ticket offers and a chance to tread the boards.

10am-2pm. Free entry (some events may carry a charge).

CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE COUNTRY FAIR

Chiddingstone Castle, Hill Hoath Road, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 7AD 01892 870347 www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk

Experience the traditions of the countryside in an idyllic, historic rural setting. Enjoy displays of countryside activities, shopping and refreshments.11am - 5pm.

www.familiesonline.co.uk SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018 13

Out & About

ENJOY THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

WITH BLUEWATER'S 4D GROTTO EXPERIENCE!

Get ready for an exciting Christmas adventure, with tickets to Bluewater’s Santa’s Grotto now on sale.

Located by the beautiful lakes at The Village, little ones will meet some of Santa’s elves on arrival and will each be given a reindeer hat to wear on their journey. They will then enjoy a magical 4D screening of the “Twas the Night Before Christmas” story in the company of the friendly elves.

HAUNTED HALLOWEEN FUN at Hever Castle this October half term

Prepare to be spooked this Halloween at Hever Castle & Gardens. Listen to ghostly tales in the Ghost Catcher’s Lair, follow the pumpkin trail in the grounds and get spooked learning about the ghosts of Hever in the Castle.

Create a ghost puppet in a free creepy craft workshop or decorate a ghoulish biscuit* (*small additional charge) With prizes for the scariest costumes, a visit to Hever Castle is sure to be spine-tingling fun for all the family. www.hevercastle.co.uk

As part of this special experience, children will also visit Mrs. Claus’ room for a fun craft activity, before encountering Prancer the reindeer!

At the end of the experience children will have the chance to meet and chat with Santa. Each child will take home a soft toy, and a photo with Santa can be purchased upon leaving the Grotto.

Tickets for Bluewater’s magical Santa's Grotto available to book now at bluewater.co.uk

NINTENDO LABO COMES TO WESTFIELD

KidZania London, the indoor city run by kids at Westfield White City, and Nintendo UK, the worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment - is excited to announce a new partnership which sees the launch of a Nintendo Labo ™ Workshop experience within the city.

Together with the Nintendo Switch console, the Nintendo Labo kits provide the tools and technology to make fun interactive DIY creations, play with them using the Nintendo Switch, and discover and learn how Nintendo

Switch technology shapes ideas into reality.

Designed to empower and entertain kids, KidZania gives children the chance to challenge themselves and explore the world of opportunities. If your child has ever dreamt of becoming a pilot, a firefighter or the next award-winning actor, watch the excitement on their faces as they try out real life activities! The concept effectively gives them their first taste of independence and gets kids thinking about what they might want to be in the future.Book your tickets now, visit www.KidZania.co.uk