Families Warwickshire Nov/Dec 2023 PRINT

EEHome FTRake Me

Warwickshire

IN THIS ISSUE

Christmas fun Festive What’s On Where’s Santa?

familiesonline.co.uk Issue 74 November/December 2023

Familiesonline.co.uk

editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 1

SPECTACLE OF

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26 JANUARY – 18 FEBRUARY BY 25

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Book online today at comptonverney.org.uk

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CONTENTS

Hello Winter!

There’s a chill in the air, the nights are drawing in and the Christmas season will soon be upon us! I don’t know about you but personally…this is my favourite time of year!

To help you make the most of the festive season, take a look at our inspirational parent hacks to save you time, money and stress and get the kids baking with a scrumptious reindeer cupcake recipe from the multi-award-winning, Emily Leary.

Our Festive What’s On guide is your one-stop-shop for family fun this winter. From Where’s Santa? to pantos, magical festive events to Christmas markets... and all the local Christmas light switch-ons, there’s plenty to see and do throughout Coventry & Warwickshire to help get you into the holiday spirit!

In this issue, we review seven of the best chapter books to engage young children in reading. We look at how to develop your child’s social skills in early years and tackle the concerning topic of cyber-bullying and how you can help your child navigate the digital world. Plus, are you suffering from tech stress? You are not alone…read Mandy Garner’s real-life struggles and see if they resonate.

Finally, we’re giving you the opportunity to win one of our 140 Christmas gifts for kids – apply inside and you’ll also receive our digital magazine with lots more content and goodies on offer for FREE. So, from my family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Claire

Editor

Contact us Claire Jones editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk T: 07938 657719

familieswarwickshiremag familieswarwickshiremag

In this issue 4.

Christmas

The paper used in this magazine is made with or contains forest based materials from FSC certified forests and its use will not have harmed forests.

10. What’s on 12. Education 14. Early years 16. Parenting 18. Work

All content © Families Warwickshire. Families Warwickshire is a bi-monthly magazine for parents of children 0-12. Print run 16,000.

Families Warwickshire is part of Families Print Ltd, a franchise company. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. Families is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of this magazine are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without the prior consent of Families Warwickshire. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine but Families Warwickshire, our distributors, the franchise company, Families Print Ltd and LCMB Ltd cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequence thereof.

Next issue: January/February 2024 Booking deadline: Friday 1 December 2023

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editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 3

CHRISTMAS

Inspirational parent hacks for Christmas

By Casey Major-Bunce On a mission to empower parents to save time, money and stress and create joyful family moments, these are a few of my favourite Christmas hacks, to make your festive season run more smoothly.

Driving to visit friends or family?

Easy sweet treats

Car journeys can be very stressful when your kids are asking for things and you’re supposed to be keeping an eye on the road!

My simple Snowman Cinnamon Roll is also fun and super easy to make. Buy some Jus-Rol (or similar) ready-to-bake cinnamon swirls. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray in three sections to make the head and a small and large body section, plus a hat. Bake to the pack instructions then decorate with snowy icing sugar, candy canes for arms and a sweet bootlace for a scarf. Tear and share for a festive breakfast treat.

Keep them entertained. Before you leave, take the headrest off one of the front seats. Place a sandwich bag on top of the seat, zip side down and facing the back seat. Replace the headset. Place a phone or iPad into the bag and do the zip up. Your child can now watch cartoons or play games easily without a holder or dropping the phone or iPad. If you have a new style headrest and you can’t remove it, just make two holes in the top of the sandwich bag and use some string or ribbon to tie the bag on.

Seven Second Bauble Treats look really great with very little effort involved!

Start with a packet of Snow Enrobed Oreos for the bauble, decorate quickly with an icing pen and add a Reeces mini peanut butter cup to the top. Cheap and simple and the kids love making them too.

Pack their snacks and drinks in a caddy to minimise spillage and you’re ready to go.

Christmas morning Hate messy wrapping paper and bin bags ruining your lovely photos when the children are unwrapping their gifts?

Just gift wrap a large box and have the children throw in their used wrapping paper as they go along.

When the unwrapping is over, gather all the presents into a laundry basket to carry to the children’s bedrooms in one easy trip.

4 Families Warwickshire editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

A festive hot chocolate makes a lovely treat. One of my favourite hot chocolate hacks is to put some squirty cream in cupcake cases, add some sprinkles and freeze. Add to the top of a hot chocolate for a festive feel and to cool it down so little ones can drink more quickly.

Personalise with your kid’s initial to make it even more special.

Packing away decorations Easily store away your decorations for next year with my free storage solution hacks (I love recycling things!)

Place beaded garlands in an empty water bottle and stick the end to the inside of the cap. This ensures fewer tangles and offers some protection for fragile decorations. Place clingfilm around decorations such as wreaths.

Safely store tree baubles in cardboard: egg boxes for smaller ones and larger ones in clean Pringles tubes or plastic cupcake holders.

Save untangling your Christmas lights next year by wrapping them around an old coat hanger.

Want to change your colour scheme next year but don’t want to waste money? Just buy balloons in your chosen colour, cut off the tops and pull them over your existing baubles.

Casey Major-Bunce is a mother of four and her cost-effective, imaginative and fun hacks have earned her over 200k Instagram followers. For more hacks, follow Casey @majormumhacks on Instagram. familiesonline.co.uk

CHRISTMAS

Festive Fun Spot the Difference Can you help us spot 6 differences between these two festive pictures?

Join the Great Search for Santa and experience so many thrilling adventures with Santa’s Lapland.

You can experience reindeer sleigh rides, husky driven sleds, tobogganing and so much more.

No one knows how to make Christmas more magical.

Call 01483 944 960 or visit SantasLapland.com

Families Magazine.indd 2

06/10/2023 16:37

A CHRISTMAS LIKE NO OTHER

This kind of Christmas comes but once in a lifetime.

Whisk your family away to magical Lapland where you’ll meet Santa and his cheeky elves.

Call 01483 944 960 or visit SantasLapland.com Santa’s Lapland

Families Magazine.indd 1

familiesonline.co.uk

Experience a Lapland trip you’ll treasure forever and book with a deposit from just £150pp and take advantage of our latest offers for 2024.

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06/10/2023 16:37

editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 5

CHRISTMAS

5…4…3…2…1... It’s Christmas!!

Support the 2023 Christmas light switch on events in your town … or visit them all! There will be entertainment, food and market stalls, rides, fireworks and much more! At some events you might even spot Father Christmas! Festive fun for all the family.

Coventry Mon 13 Nov 6pm – 8:30pm 8:30pm

Warwick Victorian Evening Thu 23 Nov 3pm - 9pm 7pm

Bulkington Fri 17 Nov 3pm - 8pm 6pm

Kenilworth Old Town (High Street) Fri 24 Nov 5pm - 8pm 6pm

Bedworth Sat 18 Nov 3pm - 8pm 6pm Stratford-upon-Avon Sat 18 Nov 10am – 6:30pm 5:30pm Royal Leamington Spa Sun 19 Nov 2pm - 6pm 6pm Rugby Sun 19 Nov 12 noon - 7pm 5pm

Nuneaton Fri 24 Nov 3pm - 8pm 6pm Kenilworth (Warwick Road) Sun 26 Nov 1pm - 7pm 6pm Southam Sun 26 Nov 3pm - 6pm 5pm Whitnash Sun 3 Dec 4pm – 6pm 6pm

Light switch on times

Home from Home with Chilly Powder Do you prefer winter or summer in the Alps… or both?

Francesca, Paul and their three children live in Morzine in France all year round and have a good knowledge of Alpine traditions and the Morzine people. Having adapted their chalet holiday style over the years to suit the tastes of their regular guests, they offer the perfect ski and summer holidays for either families, couples or mixed groups in relaxing luxury, with fantastic food and outstanding facilities, with unrivalled in-house childcare facilities. For many returning guests Chilly Powder is considered a real home from home.

For more information about Chilly Powder chalets for summer and winter visit www.chillypowder.com

2023

REAL CHRISTMAS TREE COLLECTION SERVICE

NEW

We would welcome a donation for the collection of your tree, the money raised will support two local charities!

Our volunteers are collecting trees in your area on 12-14th January 2024

FOR 2023, INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS TUNNEL ALONG THE ROUTE

Sunday 10th December

Victoria Park, Leamington Spa - 5k run, jog or walk

Sign up online: www.mytonhospice.org/Santa

in our tree collections or volunteering

by completing a short form at www.mytonhospice.org/trees

Sponsored by

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Register your interest

Registered Charity No. 516287

6 Families Warwickshire editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

Join us on Facebook to find out more at Facebook.com/covxmastrees

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FOSTERING

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editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 7

Make reindeer cupcakes

Families asked Emily Leary, multi-award-winning food, lifestyle and parenting writer, presenter, photographer and author of A Mummy Too (www.amummytoo.co.uk) to share her scrumptious chocolate reindeer cupcake recipe with us. Fun and easy to make, you’ll love the chocolate sponge, rich chocolate frosting and the simple toppings which make the cute Christmas reindeer faces.

C an ut o d k ut " eep

You will need:

2

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Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan). Put the caster sugar and softened butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer or by hand until creamy.

Crack the eggs into the bowl.

Add the milk. Beat again until just combined.

Fold everything together until the batter is smooth and even.

Line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases. Divide the batter evenly between them, making sure to level off so that the cupcakes rise evenly.

5

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Step 5

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Step 7

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Bake for about 20 minutes or until risen and firm. A skewer pushed into the centre of a cupcake towards the middle of the tray should come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Make the buttercream.

Put the softened butter in a large bowl and whisk until creamy.

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a French tip or open star nozzle and pipe tall swirls on top of the cake, retaining a little frosting to use as glue in the final steps.

Add the reindeer details.

Place a giant chocolate button on top of each cupcake, just below the centre. Dab the back of each Smartie with a little frosting and fix each on to the centre of a chocolate button.

Position two candy eyes above each chocolate button. Finally, break one side of each of the pretzels (or leave the whole) and push them into the frosted tops of each of the cupcakes to form antlers.

Sift in the flour and cocoa powder.

Sift in the icing sugar, cocoa powder, then add the milk and hot water. Start whisking them together, slowly at first and then building speed once the icing sugar is incorporated.

It will take several minutes of whisking to get a light and smooth frosting.

8 Families Warwickshire editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

familiesonline.co.uk

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For the buttercream: 400g (14.1oz) icing sugar (powdered sugar) 200g (7.1oz) slightly salted butter, softened 75g (2.6oz) cocoa powder (dutch processed) 100ml (3.4 floz) whole milk Decorations: 12 red Smarties or M&Ms and 12 giant milk chocolate buttons 24 candy eyes and 24 pretzels

175g (6.2oz) slightly salted butter, cubed and room temperature 200g (7.1oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar) 3 medium free-range eggs, room temperature 125ml (4.2 floz) whole milk, room temperature 200g (7.1oz) self-raising white flour 40g (1.4oz) cocoa powder (dutch processed)

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Church House, Old Town, Stratford-Upon-Avon, CV37 6BG 9 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire

WHAT’S ON

Festive fun for all the family

A guide to What’s On in Coventry & Warwickshire this winter Enchanted Tea Room Leamington There’s plenty of festive treats here from Grinchmas Afternoon Tea to Hot Chocolate or Breakfast with Santa or the enchanted princesses. Various dates throughout December.

Book online. www.enchantedeventsuk.com

Festive Events Visit Santa: Vintage Sleigh Ride Experience Coventry Transport Museum 25 Nov – 23 Dec (10:30 – 15:30, every 30 minutes) Wander through a magical winter wonderland and snowy scenes before taking a ride on Coventry’s famous and enchanting vintage sleigh, pulled by two trusty reindeer. Write your Christmas wish list, meet Santa in his festive grotto, tell him your Christmas wishes and collect your bespoke gift from a North Pole Elf. Free admission to the museum for the day with your ticket. Book online. www.transport-museum.com Christmas in the Crystal Kingdom Magic Alley, Stratford-upon-Avon 19 Nov – 21 Dec Take a magical journey through the Crystal Kingdom completing the Christmas quest to meet Father Christmas by solving puzzles and clues along the way. This experience is designed for children over 5. There are separate events for younger children and SEN sessions available. See website for details. Book online. www.magicalleystratford.com Luminate Coombe Coombe Abbey, Coventry 24 Nov – 2 Jan 2024 As darkness descends, experience the spectacular, illuminated, mile long trail, full of wonder and intrigue through the stunning, historic grounds of Coombe Abbey Park. www.luminate.live

Planet Ice Coventry Skate and See Santa every weekend in December from 11:00 – 16:00 then every day from 21 Dec from 11:00 – 16:00 until Xmas Eve. Winter family fun!

Book online. www.planet-ice.co.uk Enchanted Christmas Kingdom Hatton Adventure World, Nr Warwick Weekends from 25 Nov Treat the family to a magical Christmas adventure in a Winter Wonderland.

Unforgettable Christmas experience full of activities and festive entertainment. adventure.hattonworld.com Step into Christmas Coventry Cathedral 2 Dec Nativity! (16:00 & 19:30) What’s more festive than enjoying a classic Christmas movie with the whole family on the big screen? How about watching it where it was filmed! Grab your blankets and cushions and book your tickets for this magical event in the New Cathedral. There will also be hot chocolate and Christmas treats to get you into the Christmas spirit! www.coventrycathedral.org.uk Father Christmas at Kenilworth Castle Kenilworth 2, 3, 8, 10, 16, 17, 23 Dec (various time slots available) Join in the festive fun with Father Christmas at Kenilworth Castle as the man himself tells seasonal stories among the traditional decorations.

Includes group storytelling session and a small present. One adult per child.

Book online. www.english-heritage.org.uk

Museums & History British Motor Museum Gaydon Explore over 400 British classic cars, take part in themed trails, experience touch screen exhibits and understand how a car works. Don’t miss their Festive Lunches in the Sky Suite on 8, 11, 12, 13 & 14 Dec. www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk MAD Museum Stratford-upon-Avon Interact with artworks, contraptions and machines at the UK’s only Mechanical Art venue. An impressive collection of eccentric and ingenious creations. www.themadmuseum.co.uk Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Stratford-upon-Avon Step into Christmas at Shakespeare’s Birthplace with a host of festive activities for all the senses to get you in the mood for the season.

From an intimate candlelit tour of Shakespeare’s childhood home to hands-on crafting workshops. Book online. www.shakespeare.org.uk

Herbert Art Gallery and Museum Coventry The perfect place to delve into Coventry’s history and engage with art and culture. Seasonal Saturday Crafts in Dec. Drop in, pay on the day. www.theherbert.org Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall Stratford-upon-Avon Santa returns to the Schoolroom from 22-24 Dec. Be a part of the magic this Christmas. Experience the joy of helping Santa, enjoy Charles Dickens’ festive quiz, and be captivated by the enchanting stories of Santa’s elves.

Book online. www.shakespearesschoolroom.org St. Mary’s Guildhall / Tales of Tea Coventry Visit this historical gem in the heart of the City. Discover its 700 year old history then indulge in a Christmas lunch or festive afternoon tea from 27 Nov – 23 Dec at Tales of Tea in the stunning vaulted Undercroft.

Booking required. www.stmarysguildhall.co.uk

10 Families Warwickshire editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

Storytelling with Father Christmas St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry 2, 9, 16, 23 Dec (various time slots available) Join Father Christmas for a seasonal story in the great hall, gingerbread decorating in the medieval kitchen, plus enjoy exploring the spectacular historical rooms along with a range of children’s crafts at the beautifully festively decorated venue. Book online. www.stmarysguildhall.co.uk Leamington Lantern Parade Royal Pump Room Gardens 3 Dec (from 16:15 at the bandstand) FREE festive event with entertainment for the whole family. A ‘magical creatures’ lantern parade from the gardens to the Town Hall finishing with carols by the Christmas tree. www.leamingtonlanternparade.co.uk Wizard of Oz on Ice Planet Ice, Coventry 5 Dec (13:00 & 19:00) Experience the ultimate classic for the entire family as you’ve never seen it before…on ice! Featuring the Show & Skate class of amateur skaters supported by their Professional on Tour cast. Book online. www.planet-ice.co.uk Rugby Lantern Parade Rugby Town Centre 9 Dec (12:00 – 18:00) Family friendly FREE lantern parade starting from the gardens of St. Andrew’s Church, procession throughout Rugby Town Centre.

Everyone welcome! www.rugbyfirst.org

Leamington Christmas Tree Festival All Saints Parish Church 9-17 Dec (14:00 - 18:00 weekdays, 12:00 - 18:00 weekends) Fun-filled, feel good, family friendly, festive event. Step into a magical Christmas wonderland of beautifully and creatively decorated trees and support local charity, Helping Hands.

Adults £2, under 16s free. www.allsaintschurchleamington.org.uk Spot Santa Compton Verney 22-24 Dec (10:30 – 16:00) Santa will be hiding in the grounds or galleries at Compton Verney this Christmas and he can’t wait to hear about all your festive plans and share your Christmas wishes. Don’t forget to take a Santa selfie and collect your badge. FREE as part of your visit with a valid membership or day ticket. www.comptonverney.org.uk Spectacle of Light Compton Verney 26 Jan – 18 Feb 2024 Book early for this beautiful afterdark experience for all the family in the New Year. Discover the nighttime wonder of Compton Verney through an enchanting spectacle of light and sound. Make a night of it with hot chocolate or a drink from the bar and scrumptious streetfood from Digbeth Dining Club. www.comptonverney.org.uk

Astley Book Farm Bedworth 9, 10, 16, 17 Dec (10:00 – 17:00) Visit Santa in the Bookshop Grotto and get a gift to take home. Book via Eventbrite. www.astleybookfarm.com

Christmas Markets Atherstone

Rugby

Coventry

Rugby Christmas Market Sun 26 Nov 10:00 – 15:00 Sun 3 Dec 10:00 – 15:00

Belgrade Theatre Winter Gift & Craft Fair Sat 18 Nov 10:00 – 15:00

Brownsover Hall Christmas Fair Sun 12 Nov 12:00 – 15:00

FarGo Village Winter Chocolate Market Sat 11 Nov 11:00 – 17:00 Sun 12 Nov 11:00 – 16:00 Christmas Makers Market Sat 2 & 9 Dec 11:00 – 17:00 Sun 3 & 10 Dec 11:00 – 16:00

Christmas Victorian Fayre Fri 1 Dec 18:00 – 20:00

Dickens & Christmas Market Sat 25 Nov 13:45 – 19:00 Coventry Christmas Market Sat 18 Nov – Sun 7 Jan

Kenilworth

Stoneleigh Abbey Christmas Fair Sun 26 Nov 10:00 – 15:00 Kenilworth Christmas Market Sun 26 Nov 13:00 – 19:00

Leamington

Leamington Christmas Markets Sundays from 5 Nov – 17 Dec (excluding 12 Nov) 10 :00 – 17 :00

Nuneaton

Hoar Park Victorian Evening & Christmas Market Thu 7 Dec 17:00 – 21:00

Benn Hall Christmas Fair Sun 26 Nov 11:00 – 14:00

Shipston-on-Stour

Stratford-upon-Avon

Victorian Christmas Market Thu 7 Dec 12:00 – 20:00 Fri 8 Dec 10:00 – 20:00 Sat 9 Dec 10:00 – 20:00 Sun 10 Dec 10:00 – 17:00

Warwick

Annual Victorian Evening Thu 23 Nov 15:00 – 21:00 Hatton Country World Christmas Craft Fayre Sat 4 – Sun 5 Nov Outdoor Christmas Markets 11, 12, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 Nov 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 Dec

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WHAT’S ON

Days out All Things Wild Honeybourne Selected dates from 25 Nov – 24 Dec A Magical Christmas Adventure awaits you this winter. Whether you’re eager to meet Santa, seeking festive fun, or looking to celebrate in a unique setting. Park entry is included. www.allthingswild.co.uk

Where’s Santa?

Here’s a few of our favourite places to see Santa in Coventry & Warwickshire this Christmas! See websites for details and booking.

Christmas in the Crystal Kingdom Magic Alley, Stratford-upon-Avon 19 Nov – 21 Dec www.magicalleystratford.com Visit Santa: Vintage Sleigh Ride Experience Coventry Coventry Transport Museum 25 Nov – 23 Dec www.transport-museum.com Stories with Santa Warwick Castle 25 Nov – 24 Dec www.warwick-castle.com Hatton Enchanted Christmas Kingdom Hatton Adventure World, Nr Warwick Weekends from 25 Nov adventure.hattonworld.com Santa’s Grotto Dobbies, Atherstone & Rugby 25 Nov – 24 Dec https://events.dobbies.com/

Outdoor Fun

Santa’s Grotto and Magical Train Ride Heart of England Conference Centre Weekends from 26 Nov – 24 Dec www.christmasattheheart.co.uk Christmas at The Children’s Play Village Warwick 1 – 23 Dec www.childrensplayvillage.co.uk Father Christmas at Kenilworth Castle Kenilworth Weekends from 2 – 23 Dec www.english-heritage.org.uk Father Christmas Experience The Barn at Berryfields, Meriden Various dates from 2 -23 Dec www.thebarnatberryfields.co.uk PLUS check your local Round Table website for Santa’s Route Maps – He may be coming to a street near you!

Theatre

Country Parks Warwickshire Warwickshire country parks offer a diverse and beautiful portfolio of green spaces with five country parks and three greenways covering over 1,200 acres for families to enjoy. Wrap up warm and head out for a wintery walk, a bike ride or make a day of it with family and friends. It’s a great way to keep active this Winter. http://countryparks.warwickshire.gov. uk

Belgrade Theatre Coventry

Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden Kenilworth Get outdoors and let the kids run free this winter. Explore the mighty medieval keep, climb up Tudor towers, wander through a unique Elizabethan Garden and get hands on with history. www.english-heritage.org.uk

The Box of Delights Tue 31 Oct – Sun 7 Jan 2024 Age recommendation: 7+ www.rsc.org.uk

National Trust Warwickshire Wrap up warm and explore the outdoors this festive season at our local National Trust properties: Baddesley Clinton; Coughton Court; Packwood House; Charlecote Park; Upon House and Gardens and Farnborough Hall. See individual websites for details of Christmas activities at each venue. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Cinderella Wed 22 Nov – Sat 13 Jan 2024 Santa’s Sparkly Surprise Thu 7 Dec – Sun 24 Dec Age recommendation: 2 - 6 www.belgrade.co.uk Royal Shakespeare Company Stratford-upon-Avon

Royal Spa Centre Leamington Spa Jack and the Beanstalk Sat 9 Dec – Sun 7 Jan Age recommendation: 4+ www.royalspacentreandtownhall. co.uk The Albany Theatre Coventry

Twycross Zoo Atherstone Enjoy a family fun day out at the Zoo! Explore the animal world and have fun, exciting encounters with over 500 animals, from 125 different species. Pay for a day and visit FREE for 12 months www.twycrosszoo.org

Get Active

Christmas at the Castle Warwick Castle 25 Nov – 7 Jan 2024 There’s so much to do at the Castle this winter. Discover twinkling trees, dazzling decorations, and festive flourishes at every turn during the day. Make magical memories with Santa and Mrs. Claus as you listen to a special story of Christmas hope and joy. Glide upon the magnificent openair ice rink in the stunning setting of the castle grounds or visit after dark and journey through the historic grounds and gardens to marvel at the magical illuminated light trail.

Book online. To make your visit extra special book a Santa Sleepover Short Break. Limited availability. www.warwick-castle.com

Go Ape Coventry The best of high rope antics, axe throwing and mini-Land Rovers at Coombe Abbey for thrill-seeking adults and fun-seeking children.

Book online. www.goape.co.uk Jump In Warwick Let the family burn off that excess energy and enjoy some quality jumpin’ fun this winter! Check out their After School deal Mon-Thu, it’s great value! www.gojumpin.com Junior Parkrun Stratford-upon-Avon, Leamington, Rugby, Coventry A free, fun and friendly weekly 2K event for juniors (4-14 years old) Every Sunday at 9:00. Children must be able to complete the course without an adult. www.parkrun.com The Wave Coventry Grab your goggles and enjoy a family day out at one of the UK’s awardwinning indoor water parks in the heart of Coventry City Centre! www.thewavecoventry.com

Stratford Butterfly Farm Stratford-upon-Avon 27 Dec – 7 Jan 2024 Feel the festive warmth at Stratford Butterfly Farm and enjoy a tropical day out during the Christmas holidays!

Meet the Mini-Beasts and Butterfly Lifecycle demonstrations will take place daily in the Discovery Zone at 11am.

In the rainforest flight area discover the stunningly beautiful Christmas Butterfly, also known as Papilio demodocus.

Gift vouchers for admission and season tickets are a lovely way to treat family and friends and can be purchased online. Open every day except 25 Dec. www.butterflyfarm.co.uk

& Nature Inspired Gift Shop

The UK’s Largest Tropical Butterfly Paradise!

Oliver Twist Sat 9 Dec - Sun 31 Dec Age recommendation: 8+ www.albanytheatre.co.uk Warwick Arts Centre Coventry The Gruffalo Sun 2 Dec – Sun 31 Dec Age recommendation: 3+ www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

familiesonline.co.uk

Hatton Adventure World Nr Warwick Fantastic day out for all the family.

Come rain or shine there’s plenty to do with indoor and outdoor attractions and entertainment for all the family. Book early for their Enchanted Christmas Kingdom. adventure.hattonworld.com

Open every day except Christmas Day

Swan’s Nest Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7LS

Tel:01789 299288 E:enquiries@butterflyfarm.co.uk

www.butterflyfarm.co.uk editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 11

EDUCATION

Seven of the best new chapter books for children

By Sarah Campbell

From animal lovers to budding detectives, fantasy fans to comedians, there’s a book out there for everyone!

Here are some of our recent favourites, perfect for your next reading adventure.

Around the world The Last Mapmaker Christina Soontornvat Set sail on the high seas with 12-year-old Sai in this extraordinary adventure set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world. As assistant to Mangkon’s most celebrated mapmaker, Sai seizes the chance to join an expedition to a land of dragons, dangers and riches beyond imagining. But Sai carries a secret that could ruin her dreams and she isn’t the only one.

Ages 8+.

Animal lovers

Kids who love fantasy

Michael the Amazing MindReading Sausage Dog Terrie Chilvers, illustrated by Tim Budgen

Spellstone Ross Montgomery

A fun, illustrated early chapter book perfect for young dog-lovers!

Michael’s dream is to become a global superstar but becoming famous is no walk in the park. How long will it take the other residents of Snuffles-by-Sea to recognise Michael’s amazing talents; and those of his trusty sidekick, Stanley Big Dog? Ages 5+.

One of our all-time favourite children’s authors delivers a brilliant new fantasy adventure.

Evie is used to going unnoticed.

But then she meets the mysterious Wainwright and is recruited to a secret magical organisation.

Suddenly Evie finds herself at the heart of an ancient battle to protect the most powerful magical weapon in the world. Ages 8+.

Reluctant readers

Funny books

The Day the Hiccups Took Over Jo Simmons, illustrated by Lee Cosgrove

My Name is Sunshine Simpson G. M. Linton

Hilarious and super accessible, this is a book packed with madcap reading magic from one of our favourite funny authors. Frank has a big day ahead of him, with a trip to the dentist, a trumpet exam, a swimming contest and tickets to see his hero live on stage. But he wakes up with hiccups and they just won’t STOP! Can Frank turn calamity into a dramatic triumph?

Ages 5+.

This book will make you both laugh and cry! Sunshine Simpson is a brand new best friend for independent readers. Grandad is always telling her to get out and find her own adventures but bad luck has a habit of coming her way.

Sunshine needs to find her voice and show the world she can shine.

Ages 8+.

Kids who love adventure

Budding detectives

The Thames and Tide Club Katya Balen, illustrated by Rachael Dean

The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder Kereen Getten

Clem and her friends are members of a mudlarking club, searching for treasures on the banks of the River Thames. Before they know it they’re on the weirdest, wildest adventure they could imagine on a mission to save underwater London! The first in a new series.

Ages 5+.

Perfect for fans of Robin Stevens’ Murder Most Unladylike series, this is a gripping mystery. Fayson’s cousins recruit her to their top-secret gang but seem more interested in food, squabbling and falling asleep! So Fayson takes charge and tries to track down clues about the strange shadow that has been appearing in the island’s lighthouse. Can she solve the case? Ages 8+.

Sarah Campbell is co-founder of Parrot Street Book Club (www.parrotstreet.com), an online children’s bookshop offering a handpicked collection of high-quality children’s chapter books, plus an award-winning monthly book subscription for kids ages 5 to 14.

12 Families Warwickshire editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

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editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 13

EARLY YEARS

Developing your child’s social skills Some children may find socialising more difficult than others.

If your little one struggles or seems reluctant to be with other people, they may need some support to learn social skills.

Here are some things you can do to help.

Practise talking Chat about what you are doing, seeing or feeling to help build your child’s vocabulary and exposure to conversations. Role play, games and storytelling are all good for developing language.

Model good manners, such as saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’

This will encourage children to act this way with their peers.

Listen and take turns Children learn both verbal and non-verbal skills from the people around them. Try showing them what good listening looks like through your own behaviour and using games like Simon Says.

Find ways to make taking turns fun. Choose an object and tell your family they need to be holding it when they talk. Pass it between you. If your child is a little older, take it in turns to make up funny sounds as if you are having an alien conversation.

Show the importance of body language Use eye contact and body language with your child. Experiment by asking them to talk about something while you use poor body language. This could be crossed arms, looking away, fidgeting or frowning. Ask them how your actions made them feel. Then show them attentive body language. Take it in turns.

Teach them about personal space Consider teaching your child about personal space. Ask them to put their hands on their hips and stick their elbows out to understand their personal space. Introduce the idea of boundaries by asking first if you can come into their space for a hug.

Develop their emotional skills When you help your child understand, express and cope with emotions, it helps them recognise the emotions of others and develops empathy. Teach them to problem-solve, guiding them with questions such as ‘What could you do?’ or ‘What could you say?’ Try to avoid answering for them.

You can also talk to your child about friendships and what it is to be a good friend. If you can, arrange and support opportunities for socialising.

With thanks to Action for Children (www.actionforchildren.org.uk) for this article.

For further support on child development, visit its Parent Talk website at www.parents.actionforchildren.org.uk

14 Families Warwickshire editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

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editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 15

PARENTING

How to deal with cyber-bullying Today’s children are so immersed in the digital world that over half of them accept cyber-bullying as part of life, according to a survey commissioned by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk). Particularly invasive, cyber-bullying can be distressing because victims feel the bullies have access to them at all times.

Cyber-bullying is the use of electronic communication, be it phone, tablet or computer, to send messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. And it is not a trivial matter as some children can be subjected to prolonged online bullying campaigns that they feel they can’t escape.

Victims of cyber-bullying can find it hard to open up to their parents, explains psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, an ambassador for Internet Matters’ (www.internetmatters.org) cyberbullying campaign: ‘Sometimes children don’t want to talk about what is happening to them online’ she says. ’They may feel helpless or worry their parents will take away their phones or ban them from using tech.

But it’s vital that parents learn how to engage with their children in a positive and reassuring way to open a dialogue channel which youngsters can feel reassured, not intimidated by.’

So what can you do if you suspect your child is being cyberbullied?

Block and check profiles Social networks have different ways of dealing with bullies. On Facebook, for example, users can remove tags and block people who are sending nasty messages. Abusive posts or groups can be reported anonymously to Facebook, to get them taken down. Setting profiles to ‘friends only’ means your child can’t be accessed by people he or she doesn’t know. On other social networks you could also try changing their online user ID or nickname.

Change your child’s number If your child is being bullied by text or phone calls, have their mobile number changed and tell them not to give out the number to anyone they don’t know or trust.

With thanks to TheSchoolRun.com (www.theschoolrun. com) for this article. Visit their site for worksheets, activities and learning games for EYFS, KS1 and KS2, including English, maths and science advice for parents and SATs past papers.

Look for the signs If bullying is going on there will be changes in your child’s normal behaviour. These could include becoming secretive about what they are doing on the computer, keeping their mobile on silent, spending a lot of time in their bedroom, showing signs of anxiety, irritability and moodiness and being quieter than usual. They may suffer stomach aches, headaches and sleeping difficulties and if bullying is prolonged, there may be a deterioration in school work and a reluctance to go to school.

Talk it out You need to talk to your child about cyber-bullying. Explain that if they are being bullied online they need to talk to you, a teacher or another adult they trust. Tell them they can call ChildLine free on 0800 1111 if they would rather not tell someone they know; they have trained counsellors who regularly deal with this issue and know how to advise.

Don’t react Never reply to messages sent by a bully, even in anger as it will usually make the bullying worse. Bullies want a reaction, that’s why they do it.

Cyber-bullying: advice and help Just as the online world can have a dark side, there’s also plenty of help available too, if you know where to look.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance (www.antibullying-alliance. org.uk) offers links to resources, videos and helplines for parents dealing with cyber-bullying in its Tools and Information section.

Internet Matters (www.internetmatters.org.uk) also offers links to resources and advice in its cyber-bullying resources section.

Older children can also call ChildLine on 0800 1111 if they feel they can’t talk to someone they know.

Save and log Save any messages, texts or online comments, along with when they were sent and any details you have about the sender.

Screen shots also mean that the evidence is visible. This information will be very useful when reporting the bullying.

Reporting bullying

As a starting point, on social networks you can report bullying messages while remaining anonymous. If it is a fellow school pupil doing the bullying, encourage your child to report it to a teacher so the school can deal with the protagonist and stop it happening to someone else.

You can also report instances of cyber-bullying to mobile phone companies and internet service providers who can trace bullies and take action. Report threats of a physical or sexual nature to the police.

16 Families Warwickshire editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

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WORK

Are you suffering from tech stress?

By Mandy Garner I once asked my son what he thought I did for a living. ‘Stare at the computer all day and then get very cross’ he said. This is the kind of levelling comment that keeps your feet on the ground as a parent. There you are thinking you were doing something exciting that you feel passionately about and all your child sees is someone glued to the computer, getting angry because the screen has frozen and they have minus ten minutes to get everything done before school pick-up.

Tech stress has not eased over time and is something remote workers struggle with more than most, simply because there is no one else to ask for help. I long for someone to come over, press a button or two and bingo, everything works.

But, unless a digital-native child is around (and even they are often nonplussed by work-related things), the main ploy is to rely on what I loosely call workarounds: basically any strategy you can devise to do whatever it is that your computer won’t. This can result in fairly surreal situations, which, when you look back on them seem really quite amusing but at the time are definitely not.

Take the other day. I have just changed my phone. I was after a better deal, having been suckered into getting a more up-to-date iPhone but was bedazzled by the promise of 5G and a special offer. In my house mobile reception is very patchy. One minute you have bars, the next…nada.

The world of work now functions on 2FA which means it sends codes to your phone. Not if there are no bars. I have to run up into the furthest corner of daughter three’s room and dangle the phone out the window to get them. This is not what I call

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I didn’t want to stay with Apple, but felt I needed to in order to keep all my photos and videos. But my phone doesn’t recognise my Apple id password. One of its robots has assigned me an icloud.com address with a password which I don’t know because I didn’t even know I had an icloud account. This means I cannot get into any app on my phone, including Zoom and WhatsApp for at least seven days. I can reset my bank password in minutes but Apple takes up to seven days because they are so security conscious. One day they will shut me out of my own (online) life.

I had to go to a meeting the other day and do an online call on Zoom half an hour beforehand. As the Zoom audio doesn’t work on my laptop – no idea why – and I can’t access the Zoom app on my phone, I borrowed a laptop and headed to a quiet cafe opposite the place where my next meeting was.

Unfortunately, there was a big graduation ceremony taking place outside the cafe with groups of students and lecturers in gowns thronging the streets. Inside it was quieter and I even had a plug socket to charge the laptop. Then the cafe started playing loud classical music and it began to fill up with people. I found myself having to get very close to the computer to hear what the meeting attendees were saying. I think my colleagues must have basically been looking at my ear for most of the meeting.

By next week, all should be resolved... provided Apple verifies my id, although my phone informs me that my work gmail password is ‘compromised.’ The Apple man told me I should ring google for advice. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Sometimes I think maybe I struggle more with technology due to my age, conforming to all the negative stereotypes. But then I think it really isn’t an age thing. It’s more of a time thing. Time poor people need technology that works intuitively - which means modelling it on a diverse range of customers - and instantly. And they need humans, not robots, to understand their frustrations when it doesn’t.

Mandy Garner is editor of www.workingmums.co.uk, a job site and community for working parents. Visit the website for more working mum blogs, advice and support and to search for flexible jobs with family-friendly employers.

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progress. In any event, I have since been informed that 5G makes no difference to bars. Where are your tech advisers when you need them?

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