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FR EE
TAKE M E
South East LONDON CALLING Five pages of family-friendly, nearly-summer listings
SPEAK, AND YOU SHALL FIND Are smart speakers safe for our children?
Issue 197 May June 2019
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So I’m no Mrs Hinch (to my shame we have cobwebs in corners and specks of toothpaste on the basin), but children are far more interested in your company than dust-free skirting boards. To misquote that famous phrase; let’s make play while the sun shines! Robina Cowan, editor
Local News and Views A brand-new, all-inclusive Greenwich playground, gifts in honour of ‘baby Sussex’, Camp Bestival is best - and so is Families magazine!
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New Friends - New Interests Why parents choose out of school sports and hobbies for their children
5-6
Clubs and Classes Holiday camps and workshops; clubs news. Plus first aid and climate change teaching in the classroom, and cleaner air outside them
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Alexa - are you Safe for My Child? Smart speakers are easy to use and offer plenty of content for children - but how safe are they?
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What’s New Natural relief for hayfever, pet and dust allergens, ‘natural Botox’ for grownups, and hand-waving music making
10
The Book Page Read your way into summer with a lovely new book or two, chosen by the bookseller Justine Crow
11-15
A new maritime-themed, inclusive playground is coming to Greenwich Park. Due for completion early in June, the playground will build on themes of exploration and discovery, offering creative play opportunities for children of all abilities, in a natural green setting. Features include a basket swing, roundabout, and plenty of sand and water play. Play elements are positioned both at ground level and in raised channels of varying height, in order to allow disabled and able-bodied children to play together. The project has come about thanks to funding from The Royal Parks, a generous donation from The London Marathon Charitable Trust, and a partnership with play organisation London Play, who will provide a Play Co-ordinator for three years. www.royalparks.org.uk/gpr
Fun in the Garden The sun’s out! Celebrate National Children’s Gardening Week by trying some green-fingered experiments at home
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email your news to editor@familiesse.co.uk
Outdoor playtime in Greenwich
IN THIS ISSUE 2-3
LocalNews
What’s On Our pick of the best events, shows and workshops - all the best reasons to get out and about
Front cover: Photograph by Penny Burrows at Crystal Palace Gymastics, 07807 902 180 and on Facebook July-August issue out 28 June, deadline 7 June
Greenwich Book Festival The Greenwich Book Festival sails into town for the fifth year from 13-16 June at the Old Royal Naval College and the University of Greenwich, with something for book lovers of all ages. Fans of Cressida Cowell, author of “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Pinch of Magic” can see her at the festival finale on Sunday, 16 June. Harry Potter superfans won’t want to miss a Harry Potter Party on Saturday, 15 June. Looking to expand your vocabulary? Then be sure to attend “Roald Dahl’s Rotsome and Repulsant Words,” also on Saturday. Toddlers (and their parents) will enjoy a double bill of Jill Murphy classics on Saturday. The festival will also have comic making tutorials, creative workshops, storytelling and more. Free creative workshops also will be on offer. Finally, there will be a variety of street food vans to satisfy rumbling tummies. See the full line up and book online. www.greenwichbookfest.com
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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 Families South East. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, but Families South East, its 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.
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Muddy Puddle Walk Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk for Save the Children will be taking place across the UK from 13-19 May. The event is part of Peppa Pig’s 15th anniversary celebrations which include an all-new Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun sing and dance-along cinema release. The organisers are inviting nurseries and families to pull on their wellies and set off to jump in muddy puddles - real or imaginary. Registrations and free fundraising packs are online. www.muddypuddlewalk.org
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Little Village Little Village supports local families who are dealing with really challenging circumstances. Similar to a food bank, the charity collects and regifts quality clothes, toys and kit for babies and children up to the age of five. At the beginning of April, the charity was “thrilled and honoured” to be selected as one of four charities the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose to highlight on their new @sussexroyal Instagram account, bringing in a flood of new supporters as part of the grassroots #GlobalBabyShower campaign, with donations typically labelled “gifts in honour of baby Sussex”. Little Village has branches in Wandsworth, Camden and Southwark. The Southwark centre in Peckham is open for donations every Tuesday during termtime between 9.30am and 12 noon, and occasional Saturdays. www.littlevillagehq.org
Improv for teens Mainstream schooling can be a struggle for some youngsters who are on the autistic spectrum or have social and communication challenges. For them it is difficult to talk to people or participate in drama lessons. Freeze Fun Club has been set up by a mother of a boy with Asperger’s, and a life coach, to provide a supportive and fun place where 12-16 year-olds can be themselves with their individual quirks and tics. Through improv drama, games and discussions, they develop confidence, self-expression, connections and a sense of freedom and belonging. The teens who aready attend love it! Freeze Club takes place after school on Tuesdays in Beckenham. www.freezefunclub.co.uk
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It’s official - our readers prefer Families magazine to the internet Last year, we conducted a survey across the UK asking readers to tell us what they find useful about our magazines and how likely they would be to respond to advertising in it. We were delighted to receive almost 500 responses and by the wonderful feedback you gave us. More than 70% of our readers said they were highly likely to respond to advertising in our magazine or had already done so. That’s fabulous news for our advertisers and for our readers, because it means we can carry on making the magazine better and better! Readers told us that they really value having a physical magazine in their hands in which all the information relevant to family life has already been collated and is presented to them in an easy-to-digest format. A whopping 79% of readers told us that they use the magazine to research ideas for local family activities or classes and clubs for children, and an equally impressive 74% said they use it to plan family life. Many of you also told us that you find it easier to plan using Families magazine than using the internet; commenting that internet research and planning can be time consuming and confusing, involving lots of trawling online for useful information. Typical responses included: “We can trawl the internet for an age, but with Families magazine we just turn the page.” ... “I have given up on googling what is happening over the school holidays as I just get bombarded with hundreds of websites. It can get exhausting and time consuming clicking on each one.” “Thank you for all your great advice, we think you are fab!!” “Having so much information aimed at my family in one place saves me hours in terms of not having to go hunting for information via the internet. Plus the content while wide covers all my ‘mother thinking’ areas. It’s the Free Fun Family Friend that every family needs. We were also really happy that large numbers of you reported that Families magazine makes your lives easier and less stressful and saves you time. Positive feedback is always appreciated - thank you to everyone who volunteered their comments. If you are interested in taking part in one of our Reader Forums, please email info@familiesmagazine.co.uk with your name, phone number and post code.
A summer ‘festi-holiday’ Camp Bestival is known as the UK’s ultimate family festival, having won Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards five times. Taking place from 25-28 July at Lulworth Castle in Dorset, the four-day festi-holiday offers hundreds of things to see and do. From headliners Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Jess Glynne and Annie Mac, family fun with Mr Tumble, Mister Maker and Shaun The Sheep, to science shows and circus workshops, there’s so much for children of all ages to enjoy. Tree-climbing, woodland workshops, helter skelters, giant bubble workshops and face painting for the kids through to teens having poetry slams, teen-only spinning classes, sleeping out under the stars and How To... workshops, there really is something for everyone. Parents are particularly spoilt at Camp Bestival; well, they do buy the tickets! Amazing live acts and DJs, raves, discos, parties, comedy, literary talks, parenting advice and stories, cocktails, award-winning street food, likeminded people all in a big old field by a castle and the sea. www.campbestival.net
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C LU B S & C L AS S E S
New friends - new interests A new study has found that keeping kids out of trouble, encouraging them to make friends and keeping them from spending too long on technology are the top reasons that parents encourage their children to take up a sport or hobby, encouraging them from as young as six years old. Football, rugby and martial arts are the top sports that parents are keen for their children to get involved with. While two thirds of these don’t have troublesome children, one in three find theirs are falling behind at school, hanging around with the wrong crowd and generally misbehaving. The team behind London-based martial arts trainers Mashufaa conducted the study as part of ongoing research into how parents encourage their children to spend their spare time. Over 2,000 British parents took part in the survey, all of whom stated that they have at least one child under the age of 16 years old. Initially all respondents were asked “Have you ever encouraged your child to take up a sport or hobby?” to which 72% said ‘yes’. Asked at what age they encouraged this from, the average was found to be six years old. Just 9% were unsuccessful at getting their child to try something new.
It was found that the average child will trial three different hobbies and sports before finding one that they enjoy and stick at, and what’s more once they found one they enjoyed just 14% gave it up by the time they hit their mid-teens, with almost all continuing. The main reason behind parents encouraging their children to sign up to hobbies and sports was to ‘keep them out of trouble’ (31%), while one in four (26%) said it was to ‘encourage them to make friends’ and a further 10% admitted it was ‘to prevent them from overusing technology’. A spokesperson from Mashufaa commented: “Children are highly impressionable and it is no surprise that parents are trying to encourage their children to find something they enjoy to do, whether to keep them from spending all of
their free time on their games console, and encouraging them to make friends. Getting the younger generation involved in sports and different hobbies is hugely important to their development, not just physically but also mentally, and can be a positive deterrent to any negative influences.” Mashufaa has centres across London, and teaches adults and children on Thursday evenings at the Bradfield Youth Club in SE15. www.mashufaa.co.uk
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GREENWICH 020 7112 8242 stagecoach.co.uk/greenwich DULWICH 020 8949 4116 stagecoach.co.uk/dulwich UPPER NORWOOD 07442 532386 stagecoach.co.uk/uppernorwood SYDENHAM 020 7228 0981 stagecoach.co.uk/sydenham BROMLEY 020 3780 4893 stagecoach.co.uk/bromley Stagecoach Performing Arts is the trading name of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited. Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principals. Stagecoach and Creative Courage For Life are registered trademarks of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited.
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CLUB S & CLAS S ES
Holiday camps and workshops
HOLIDAY DROP OFF MULTI SPORTS CAMPS STAGECOACH DULWICH SUMMER WORKSHOPS
PERFORM SUMMER WORKSHOPS 29 July - 2 August in BLACKHEATH, 5-9 August in EAST DULWICH, and 19-23 August in BECKENHAM, 020 7255 9120, www.perform.org.uk/wizard Perform are taking children off to see the wizard this summer, singing and dancing down the yellow brick road on Wizard of Oz holiday courses. With colourful costumes, uplifting songs and dazzling dancing, your child will have the best fun of the summer bringing this story to life over five magical days. Ages 4-7, 10am-3pm each day, bookable online.
5-9 and 12-16 August in DULWICH, 020 8949 4116, www.stagecoach.co.uk/dulwich Join Stagecoach’s talented team and set about creating a wonderful show in just five days. Costume, lights and sound are all provided and the players perform for friends and family at the end. Main school ages 8-18, £195 per week, siblings £175. Early stages ages 4-7 £160 per week, siblings £140.
COMPUTER CODING WORKSHOPS IN DULWICH
Every school holiday, DULWICH COLLEGE SPORTS CLUB SE21, 020 3488 1410, www.holidaydropoff.com HDO’s fantastic multi-sports camps are a blast! Children take part in a whole range of incredible indoor and outdoor sports to keep them happy and active through the school holidays, including swimming pool inflatable sessions and many new exciting activities. Ages 5-14, open 9am-4pm with extended hours and sibling discounts available. If your children simply can’t wait for the holidays, you can book one of their amazing weekend party packages www.eventdropoff.com.
NIMBLE ARTS HOLIDAY CLUBS 28-31 May, 22 July - 23 August and all other school holidays (except Christmas) in EAST DULWICH SE22, 0333 014 2576, www.nimblearts.co.uk Sign up your child for creative holiday fun where no two days are ever the same. Immersive adventure and arts activities are tailored around a different theme every day. Ages 4-11, open 8am-6.30pm, from £48 a day, sibling and full week discounts available.
29 July to 2 August and 12-16 August, 020 8090 1444, www.spark4kids.com Spark4Kids run all-day holiday workshops that introduce children to computer coding through the medium of games. Available are courses on Minecraft Modding, Roblox Coding, Robotics, Games Design, MicroBit & Arduino coding, Python, HTML/CSS, JavaScript and Unity/C# in a fun, engaging environment. Ages 5-7, 8-12 and 13-16 years.
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C LU B S & C L AS S E S The fun of Perform holiday courses Perform Producer, Gemma Payne, tells Families why she loves running Perform’s drama, dance and singing holiday courses. “Holidays should be fun and my job is to take the children on a magical adventure they will remember. Together, we work on songs, dances and character and it’s a joy to see the quieter ones come out of their shell and the bubbly ones become focused on learning song lyrics and lines. “On the last day, there’s a show for friends and family and the parents are so surprised and proud when they see what their child has achieved. The children’s faces light up when they hear the applause and they know they’ve done a good job as they run to their families for a cuddle. It’s a busy week but the feeling when you’ve put together something memorable and entertaining for the parents is just magical. And I suspect most of the children won’t ever forget it either!” Perform Wizard of Oz five-day holiday courses will run across July and August in Blackheath, East Dulwich and Beckenham. Read more and book online. www.perform.org.uk/holidays
Towering successes Our front cover picture is stunning, isn’t it? Established in 1987, Crystal Palace Gymnastics runs classes for beginners to competition level training; from parent and toddler groups to teens. The club has a family atmosphere, where experienced coaches develop talent and confidence, and squad gymnasts win medals and awards at events across the country. Call or text 07807 902180, email sportsmodels1@gmail.com or find Crystal Palace Gymnastics on Facebook for the latest news.
E D U C AT IO N N E W S First Aid for Life Beginning in 2020, all state schools in England will be required to teach ‘life-saving skills’ under new plans for health education announced by the government. In draft guidelines released by the Department of Education, primary school children are set to learn basic first aid, as well as steps they can take to protect and support the health and wellbeing of others, including calling emergency services. Children age 5 years will learn basic first aid and children as young as 11 years will be shown CPR at school. Balham-based First Aid for Life has been providing first aid training in schools for many years and in response to the new legislation, has developed a brand new set of free teaching resources specifically for primary and secondary schools. A further, modular online first aid training course provides an excellent grounding in first aid before ideally being taught practically by experienced first aid training professionals. www.firstaidforlife.org.uk
First climate change teachers to be taught in the UK Teachers across the country have the opportunity to become the first climate change teachers accredited by the UN. This one-of-akind climate change education programme will use innovative learning technology so teachers can learn at home or on the go. The aim is to make sure teachers can help protect the climate by educating their students with the latest data and information on climate change, sustainability, and the green economy. Education provider YPO sponsors this FREE, global education programme. All you have to do is sign up to Harwood Education’s UN CC: Learn Teacher Academy. The course, which takes just eight hours to complete, explores the science that supports the existence and effects of climate change on children, cities, human health, and gender. If you work in a school or want to get your child’s school involved, find out more online. www.unccteacheracademy.com
Ban cars from idling near schools Air pollution is linked to up to 36,000 premature deaths in the UK each year and more than 2,000 schools and nurseries are near to roads with damaging levels of motor emissions. A recent survey of teachers by YouGov found that nearly two thirds would support a ban on cars outside school gates during school drop off and pick up times. More than half (59%) of the teachers surveyed want the government to take urgent action to improve air quality near schools. With London’s new Ultra Low Emission Zone cited as a good initiative, Public Health England has recommended that local authorities consider a range of interventions to protect children from the harmful impacts of air pollution, including not allowing cars to idle with engines on when parked near schools. https://bit.ly/2O0wzfR
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FA MILY LIF E
Alexa - are you safe for my child? The new range of smart speakers such as Google Home and Amazon Echo offer loads of content for children. What parent wouldn’t want one of these to replace screens and make life run more smoothly? These smart speakers can play games, read audiobooks, tell jokes, provide homework help, stream music and even play mindfulness sessions for when your child needs to chill out. They can offer your kids an interactive, screen-less alternative to mobile games and social media, to help prevent them from becoming too dependent. With smart speakers, children are able to interact with technology away from the screen, using audio. However, they are not without risks. So what are the possible downsides?
Do children think Alexa is a real person? A US university study found that younger children were more likely to speak to these ‘digital assistants’ as if they were real people, asking them their favourite colour and how old they are. Fears have been expressed that children could turn to these devices to find out or understand things that they might otherwise ask a parent about. This may lead to them to receiving incorrect or inappropriate information as well as potentially lessening the parental bond.
Do smart speakers make children rude? A child growing up with a home assistant must learn to use the device’s way of interacting. This includes the need to make demands of the device and accepting that the device has limited conversational abilities and social skills. This doesn’t adequately prepare young children for the nuances of human communication. Research has found that the way individuals interact with people in the real world reflects how they communicate with such devices. It’s best to remind your child that even though the device doesn’t mind if you’re rude, parents do!
Are there hidden costs? A lot of the content and activities offered by these devices are free, but you still have to pay for memberships and subscriptions - for example, Amazon Prime or Spotify.
Are they too easy to use? Given that all a child needs to do is say “Alexa” or “Hey Google” to start a game or activity, the temptation could be hard for some children to resist, even if they have been told not to use it.
Should I worry about privacy? There are also serious privacy concerns about giving an always-listening device to your child. According to the NSPCC, putting one of these devices in your child’s bedroom raises worrying questions about how and what they will record. Some devices have been hacked in the past,
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allowing the smart speaker to become an always-on wiretap.
Unauthorised purchases Make sure your children know to ask for permission before buying things or adding items to your shopping list. Better still to head off unwanted purchases in the device’s security settings.
Raunchy music You will need to set parental controls if you don’t want your child to be exposed to inappropriate songs or content.
Should children have their own smart speaker? If you accept that voice-based technology is where our gadgets are headed, then there is an argument that children need to be familiar with it as it evolves. If you decide to take the leap and buy your child an Echo or Google Home, make sure you’re aware of how to keep your children secure whilst using them. Supervision is vital. Pay attention to what your child is doing and don’t allow them to access the device without your permission.
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FA MI LY L I F E •
Chalky soil crumbles easily and has white stones in it • Silty soil feels silky What do you have in your garden? That’s it for now, but I can think of plenty more ideas for educational fun in the garden - for children and adults alike!
About the author
Fun in the garden with your children By Marie Shallcross National Children’s Gardening Week 2019 is coming up from 25 May to 2 June. Yes, you could buy them a child-sized trowel, but there’s so much more fun to be had! Try these gardening experiments:
1 Finding new uses for toothbrushes Get out your old toothbrushes, fizz up some water with bicarb and a drop of lavender oil and get cleaning. Using toothbrushes enables little hands to reach to all parts of plant pots and seed trays. You can use toothbrushes to clean the frames of greenhouses too.
2 Will the seed germinate?
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As this doesn’t work for all seeds, choose packets of annual flowers and beans with different sow-before dates. Gather together seeds, kitchen paper towel, plastic bags, a water spray bottle Lightly dampen a piece of towel with the spray Lay ten seeds from same packet onto it Cover with another damp towel Fold; place in plastic bag Label bag with variety and date Repeat for each seed variety. Keep the bags warm and moist. They should germinate in 7-10 days. How many of the 10 have germinated? five = 50% viability.
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Specialists in
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Fill three pots with compost. Choose a seed with an obvious pointy end, plant one pot with pointy end up one with pointy end down one where it’s lying flat Label the pots, water them, and wait to find out which will sprout above the surface first. This teaches us that a seedling ‘knows’ where the soil surface is. Roots always grow away from the surface, and shoots grow towards it.
More ideas National Children’s Gardening Week is an annual festival of fun that’s embraced in homes, schools and community groups across the country, and supports the Greenfingers charity, which is dedicated to providing magical gardens for children in hospices suffering from life limiting illnesses. Log onto for more ideas such as tips for creating a bug hotel, recycled garden, robot composter or edible hanging garden. www.childrensgardeningweek.co.uk
4 Magic water Take a spray of white blossom. Put it in a vase of water that has sufficient food colouring added to be a strong colour, eg blue. Then wait. What you’ll get is a stem that slowly turns blue from the bottom up; then lastly blue tinged blossom. This shows how plants take up water and nutrients. To make it even more interesting, you can compare different types of stems for speed. Will the hollow stem be quicker?
5 Soil testing There are four main types of soil and they all feel different. Take some slightly damp soil in your hands and rub it: • Clay soil forms a ball that sticks together • Sandy soil feels gritty when you rub it, and falls apart
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3 Does it matter which way up you sow seeds?
Marie Shallcross is a Beckenham-based mother who runs Plews Garden Design. The company offers garden design, garden consultancy and gardening lessons where your own garden is your classroom. Read more: Marie writes an award-winning, weekly gardening blog - Plews Potting Shed. www.plewsgardendesign.co.uk
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FA MI LY LIF E
What’sNew Hayfever relief
Hands up for music making A new make-it-yourself musical glove is teaching children coding, crafting, electronics and music. Designed by creative technologist and children’s author Helen Leigh, the gloves are a collaboration between Leigh; music tech company MINI.MU; musician Imogen Heap; and hobbyist electronics company Pimoroni. Each kit contains everything needed to build a glove from scratch, involving sewing, electronics and code. The MINI.MU is built using the educational Micro:bit microcomputer designed by the BBC in the UK. Once constructed, children can make music using the movement of their hands to trigger sensors in the glove. How cool is that? The MINI.MU is suitable for ages 8+ with no prior experience, rrp from £29.95. Find ‘MINI.MU’ at Pimoroni for reviews and orders. www.pimoroni.com
Hayfever season is back, which for many child sufferers can mean sleepless nights, missed days at school, mood changes and disrupted learning and revision. Studies show that GCSE students with hay fever are 40% more likely to drop a grade between their mocks and final exams, a figure rising to 70% if they are taking sedating antihistamines. If the allergy is serious, it is important to take your child to the GP to get a proper diagnosis. If symptoms occur only in high summer on hot, sunny days, it’s almost certainly hay fever; but it could be any of a number of other allergies such as pet or dust allergy. Although treatment might differ in each case, there is evidence to show that a barrier balm applied to the base of nostrils can work for all airborne allergens. HayMax is a multi award-winning, drug-free, non-drowsy allergen barrier balm. HayMax traps pollen, dust and pet allergens before they enter the body. It is suitable for the whole family, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children. Read more online for symptom checkers, stockists and treatment advice. www.haymax.biz
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The Secret Face Clinic Facial acupuncture also known as ‘natural Botox’ - is a widelyendorsed celebrity favourite and recent addition to Harrod’s own well-being centre. The holistic facial treatment uses between 40 and 100 carefully inserted acupuncture needles into the face causing an immediate reduction of fine lines and general firming of the face. With a course of treatment, there will be an increase in the collagen and natural oils content of future skin cells, giving you a fresh, natural appearance without any chemicals or painful procedures. Facial acupuncture is available locally from experts at The Secret Face Clinic. The treatment typically takes around an hour, and is conveniently hidden within a high street clinic in Denmark Hill, Camberwell where you walk in and out without anyone ever knowing you were having a cosmetic treatment. There are no signs that you’ve “had work done”: you will look and feel like you - on a good day. See the website to read more or book a free consultation. www.secretfaces.co.uk
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Families South East 9
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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 head to their website for a fast mailorder service. Justine Crow recommends this month’s best titles. I’m on my way to France so this issue’s book page comes to you from the cafeteria on the ferry where I have set up my office. I have a pleasing view, mainly of green water with the odd container ship bookmarking the horizon, and an even more pleasing plate of steak frites done just as I like ‘em. Flashbacks of previous crossings when I travelled alone with three under the age of six make the sauce au poivre taste even sweeter. In those days I spent most of the journey fantasising about how to get into one of the orange lifeboats dangling outside the window to hide from my children during the voyage. Instead, I made puppets out of sickbags for hours and hours on end. Happy days. FIVE MORE MINUTES by Marta Altés Macmillan rrp £12.99. This frankly adorable new story by the author of sleeper-seller Little Monkey has a recognisable take on the elasticity of time and its relativity. Daddy begs for just a few more moments in bed one morning while the nippers jump on his head. Us grown-ups know that those precious seconds will be gone in a trice but somehow, in a time space continuum that continues to go unexplained by physicists of renown including Einstein, Hawking and Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, those loveable tykes manage to wreck an entire kitchen in just five of your standard minutes. Maybe I find it adorable because it doesn’t happen to me any more. At least not by toddlers. CAPTAIN SPARKLEBEARD by Timothy Knapman & Sam Lloyd - Egmont rrp £6.99. As we are at sea, watching a dad scroll down his phone trying to pick up the ship’s Wifi while his son bashes him on the head with a balloon sword fashioned squeakily by the RADA trained entertainer in the bar upstairs, here’s a cheerfully choppy role reversal adventure starring a bookish little girl who takes on Captain Hairy-Ears and all his peg-leggy prejudices. The crew have the ancient map with showing a Bitey Jungle and the Blizzardy Mountains, but guess who knows where the treasure is - the greatest pirate there ever was! FROCKODILE by Jeanne Willis & Stephanie Laberis - Hodder rrp £6.99. As the proud possessor of a small nephew who is partial to lippy and heels, unlike my own small Spiderman who kicked a ball before he walked and wouldn’t use boring things like words when a ROAR! sufficed, I’m charmed by this tale of a baby croc being worried that his macho, sharp-toothed pater, undeniably at the top of the swamp food chain, would take umbrage at his desire to wear a dress.
And while we are in the business of confounding expectations, my Spidey boy now sits at the ironing board with headphones on and won’t go out until every crease in his designer gear has been precision crushed on a steam setting. A QUIET QUIET HOUSE by Georgiana Deutsch & Ekaterina Trukhan - Little Tiger rrp £7.99. Chance would be a fine thing, I hear you snort. Actually there’s so much more to this enchanting and robust toddler book than a houseful of peepholes that fills up with folk faster than Gambados on a Saturday. It is also a weather spotter, a musical instrument identifier, a colour primer and presents us with things-that-go, from moped to pogo-stick to skateboard. In fact, it is just like Crow Towers on a Friday night. LIGHTNING MARY by Anthea Simmons Andersen Press rrp £6.99. Telling the extraordinary story of one of our finest historical figures, this novel takes the mid-range reader from unlikely survival to a jawbone dropping (see what I did there?) discovery as Mary Anning chips away at prejudice and low expectations to become a scientist. Two hundred years later women are still disproportionately represented in the profession. But to despair would be to undermine her legacy. Gotta keep chipping. GAMES ON THE GO - Lonely Planet rrp £8.99. This boxed book and laminated card combo might be just the ticket when the on-board entertainer has popped his final poodle. With mazes, road-trip bingo, wildlife watching and even a game where you draw your favourite meal I win, obviously, because I’ve just eaten mine. OUT & ABOUT BIRD SPOTTER, illustrated by Mike Langman - Nosy Crow rrp £6.99. Granted the opportunity to spot wildlife from the deck of a roll-on, roll-off is limited, unless you include the nuns doing the whisky-tasting in the duty-free, but this publisher has teamed with the trusty National Trust to produce a neat library of nature related diversions and I reckon it’s never too early to teach the offspring the difference between an oystercatcher and a bar-tailed godwit. SITTING STILL LIKE A FROG ACTIVITY BOOK by Eline & Marc Boutavant - Shambala rrp £13.00. Never let it be said that I am not here in your best interests. I’ve given you the sickbag puppet gratis (tho I should’ve patented it), now invest in this marvellous notion of instilling the merits of - grits teeth - ‘calming down’ in your children with these mindfulness games. As well as providing a ball pond, a magician, a giant dancing dolphin called Derek, a cinema AND happy meals,
you’d think the ferry company would have worked out the merits of providing mini yoga mats and a DBSed meditation practitioner as well. MINDFUL THOUGHTS FOR MOTHERS by Riga Forbes - Leaping Hare Press rrp £6.99. At the promise that “from falling in love with your newborn to dealing with teenage anxieties,” I confess to raising a sceptical eyebrow - it’s so arty and pockety. How can the best part of two decades worth of emotional roller-coastering fit into something the size of a fag packet? And will it ever be as effective as twenty Silk Cut? It strikes me that this will make the ideal present for the expectant mum, especially as her smoking days are over forever. 50 THINGS I WISH I’D TOLD YOU by Polly Powell - Pavilion rrp £9.99. This is more my thing. Less spiritual, in the non-boozy sense, more practical, in the boozy sense. It contains everything a young soul about to launch his or herself out into the world needs to know, from how to clean a bathroom or remedy getting locked out of the house, to etiquette and handshakes and nose-picking and small talking. There is even a page on waltzing and the way to mix the most perfect Martini. As for the ironing board on the cover? My work as a parent is done. PART-TIME WORKING MUMMY, A PATCHWORK LIFE by Rachaele Hambleton Orion rrp £7.99. And if relating is your thing, as if your own messy existence isn’t enough to poke up with, here’s a gushing, heartfelt account of complicated family shenanigans from someone who has made an online success of telling it how it is. I am in the wrong job. Clearly CONFESSIONS OF A BAD MOTHER: THE TEENAGE YEARS by Stephanie Calman, rrp £12.99 Picador. Your teenager is not the enemy after all - take it from this Dulwich author who taps her pithy wit and experience to bring hope to despairing and exhausted parents everywhere. UPCYCLE YOUR JOB by Anna Meller Practical Inspiration rrp £16.99. Scans index for ‘bookseller-cum-swimming teacher-cum review column writer’ but soon realises this excellent guide to achieving work-life balance, focusing firmly on a career ladder, is designed for you and not for me. Because I should have upcycled right from the moment me and my own Captain Hairy-Ears opened a bookshop. Seriously, as we glide into port and I contemplate a little light oyster-catching myself, I wonder if it is too late to learn how to pilot a ferry. I promise I won’t try any hand-brake turns.
The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk Twitter @booksellercrow www.booksellercrow.co.uk 10 Families South East
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LEEDS CASTLE
COVENT GARDEN MAY FAYRE
ZIP LONDON
What’sOn D I AR Y DAT ES FO R G R OWNUP S CONFESSIONS OF A BAD MOTHER: THE TEENAGE YEARS
HELP YOUR CHILD THRIVE AT SCHOOL - PARENT WORKSHOP
15 May, BELL HOUSE, 27 College Road SE21 5BG, 020 8693 2808, www.village-books.co.uk/events In her new book ‘Confessions of a Bad Mother: The Teenage Years’, local author, mother and TV show writer Stephanie Calman takes a fresh look at the whole process of the teenage years and finds that her teenagers are frequently thinking and feeling the same thing as she is: that the other person has all the power and basically hates them. Join a Village Books hosted evening: with her characteristic unflinching honesty and bracing wit, Stephanie will be talking to her husband Peter Grimsdale about her new book and how to navigate the teenage years. 7.30pm start, tickets £10 include a glass of wine, book first.
25 May, MYCENAE HOUSE, 90 Mycenae Road, Blackheath SE3 7SE, questions and bookings by email Olyviashaw@icloud.com Nurture your child’s love of learning in a workshop aimed at parents and carers of children aged 0 -11; where you will discover the key factors to unlock your child’s full potential. Pick up practical strategies, activities and resources to enhance your child’s resilience, perseverance and independence, plus useful tips to support your child’s reading and vocabulary. The workshop is led by Olyvia Shaw, a teacher and senior leader with over 15 years’ experience, who specialises in accelerating the progress of children (of all abilities). 1.30 -3.30pm, tickets £25, book first.
T H E G RE AT O U T DO OR S LEEDS CASTLE
HEVER CASTLE
Near Maidstone, Kent ME17 1PL, 01622 767866, www.leeds-castle.com With nine centuries of history, fun daily attractions and 500 acres of beautiful Kentish parkland, there’s always something for everyone to enjoy at Leeds Castle. Take a stroll through parkland and formal gardens, find your way through the yew-tree maze, go punting around the moat, enjoy free flying falconry displays, spectacular events and many more all-year-round attractions. Admission from £25 adults, £16.50 children, £70 families valid for repeat visits for a whole year. MEDIEVAL JOUSTING TOURNAMENT, 25-27 May. Step back in time and gather around Leeds Castle’s Combat Arena to experience the drama of real medieval rivalry. Competing over three days for the coveted Leeds Castle International Cup, see armoured knights and jousters from both England and France battle it out for victory at this year’s authentic jousting competition. Who will you support? With mighty clashes and thrilling entertainment for all ages, spectators can see an incredible display of armour up close as knights take to their steeds for a shield-splintering display of strength, courage and horsemanship. Enjoy plenty of further entertainment throughout the day, including family-friendly games and a chance to witness archery and mighty medieval trebuchet shooting into the moat.
HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG, 01732 865224, www.hevercastle.co.uk Explore the historic Castle and grounds of the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, where children can go wild in the Tudor Towers or Acorn Dell play areas. Gardens open 10.30am, castle 12noon, exit 4.30pm. Admission £17.74 adults, £9.95 children, £46.85 families. MAY DAY FESTIVAL, 4-6 May. Hever’s May Day Festival incorporates traditional celebrations to welcome the summer, from the mythical Green Man of folklore and Jack-in-the-Green plus Maypole dancing on the Castle forecourt. EDWARDIAN LIFE, 25 May - 2 June. Meet costumed characters from the Edwardian era and play traditional games of the period. FATHER’S DAY, 15 + 16 June. Say thank you to dad this Father’s Day and spoil him with a memorable day out and supercar display. HEVER’S HOME FRONT, 22 + 23 June. Discover what life and work was like during the Second World War in the Hever’s Home Front event. HEVER IN BLOOM, 25-30 June. Experience the quintessential English Rose Garden at the height of its summer beauty with guided tours of the award-winning Gardens. Many of the Castle rooms will be filled with English floral arrangements created by a castle florist.
COVENT GARDEN MAY FAYRE AND PUPPET FESTIVAL 12 May, garden of St PAUL’S CHURCH, Bedford Street WC2E 9ED, www.alternativearts.co.uk Join in with the celebrations of Mr Punch’s 357th birthday as Punch and Judy Professors and puppeteers from all over the country gather to perform throughout the day. A grand procession from 11am around the neighbourhood of Covent Garden is followed by a special church service at noon and an afternoon of puppet workshops and performances, folk music, maypole dancing, clowns, stalls and refreshments until 5.30pm. Admission free.
ZIP NOW LONDON From 12 June, ARCHBISHOP’S PARK, Carlisle Lane SE1 7LE, www.zip-now.co/london2019 Zip Now London, the biggest and fastest city centre zip wire, is returning to the Southbank for its third summer season. Launching from a 35-metre high tower, riders travel 225 metres with a stunning backdrop including the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Gherkin, Lambeth Palace and The Shard. For full adrenaline, add on the ‘Mega Drop’ freefall experience. Open daily, ages 8+, minimum height 3ft 11ins, tickets from £25.
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BECKENHAM PLACE PARK Beckenham Hill Road BR3 5BS, www.beckenhamplace.org, www.beckenhamplaceparkfriends.org.uk Bigger than Greenwich Park, the newly revitalised Beckenham Place Park has something for everyone - a Georgian mansion, a lake, cafe, BMX track, children’s play area, woodlands, formal gardens; and a programme of regular classes and events. BECKENHAM MARKET, 19 May, 16 June and third Sunday of every month. Head to the park for your monthly fix of global streetfood, talented designers and makers from London and beyond. 10am-3pm. CATFEST, 29 June. A festival for cat lovers, bringing together sellers of cat accessories, exhibitors, films, live music, books, art, vegan street food along with meet-and-greets and talks from international bestselling authors and feline experts. 10.30am10.30pm. SUMMER FLOWER SHOW, 30 June. A glorious display of blooms, home-grown fruit and vegetables and floral crafts created by local individuals, community and collaborative gardens. Entries across a range of categories including several for children - are open until 24 May through www.lewisham.gov.uk/flowershow. The day’s entertainment also offers a dog show, art shows, live music, stalls, food and drink.
HEVER CASTLE
DULWICH VILLAGE ORCHARD OPEN DAY 18 May, THE OLD GRAMMAR SCHOOL, Gallery Road SE21, www.wildlondon.org.uk Join London Wildlife Trust in a new community orchard which is being developed by The Dulwich Estate to mark 400 years of the founding of God’s Gift at Dulwich. Take a picnic and enjoy a fun-filled day of nature-themed family activities including bird box making, tree care and maintenance and spring bulb planting. 11am to 4pm at The Old Grammar School, Gallery Road SE21. Free: donations welcome.
MOTORSPORT AT THE PALACE 26+27 May, CRYSTAL PALACE PARK SE19, www.motorsportatthepalace.co.uk Watch vintage and new cars race round parts of the old circuit, admire car and motorcycle owners’ parked pride and joys in the paddock area, and browse trade stands. Children’s events will entertain younger visitors. Open 8.30am - 5pm each day, entry free for under 5s, under 16s £16, adults £12, families £25.
THE SUPERCAR EVENT 1 June, GOODWOOD MOTOR CIRCUIT, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0PH, www.thesupercarevent.com If fast cars are your thing, then head to the Supercar Event for once-in-a-lifetime passenger rides in some of the world’s most iconic supercars, helicopter rides, a Stay Safe Driving School and children’s area . 150 supercars will descend onto the Goodwood Motor Circuit including the Lamborghini Aventador S, Ferrari 488 and the McLaren 675 LT, with proceeds from the day raising money for The Children’s Trust charity, helping children with brain injury. 9am-5pm, tickets available on arrival, or ahead online, £12 adults, £8 children and concessions, £30 families.
WWT LONDON WETLAND CENTRE Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, Barnes SW13 9WT, 020 8409 4400, www.wwt.org.uk From bird and wildlife watchers to families there is plenty to discover all year round. Experiences to suit all ages offer access to a huge variety of wildlife on an award-winning day out. Open daily, admission from £13 adults, under 4s free, £7.90 children, £35.54 families. FAMILY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE, 28 May. Discover how to take great shots of wildlife under the guidance of expert wildlife photographer Iain Green. This course is suitable for beginners - tuition is tailored to suit individual requirements and camera types (compact or SLR). Ages 8+, 10am-1pm, Admission fee plus £20.50, book first. BIRDS OF PREY, 29-31 May. Meet a range of magnificent birds of prey such as owls, peregrines and kestrels. Expert falconer, Ben Long, from the Falconry School will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about these wonderful raptors. CITIZEN SCIENCE, 29 June. Knowing which animals live in a particular pond can help biologists understand how good the water quality is. Join the Engagement team and try freshwater surveying - dipping for aquatic invertebrates, identifying them and assessing the overall water quality with your survey results. From 11am, ages 12+, admission plus £2.50.
CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDEN 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea SW3 4HS, 020 7352 5646, www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk Tucked away beside the Thames, Chelsea Physic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in London and houses around 5,000 different medicinal, herbal, edible and useful plants. Family activities include exploring the world of mini-beasts to learning how to make your own herbal remedies and chocolate blends. Admission from £11 adults, under 5s free, children £6.50, families £34.50. THINKING WITH YOUR NOSE, 28 May. Join the Organic Pharmacy and learn the basics of perfumery - the plants, science and jargon - and how to make your own perfect personal blend to take home, as well as your own mini-scented garden. 10.30am2.30pm, ages 11-15, tickets £15. ROMEO & JULIET - FRIARS AND FRENZIES, 30 May. A fun and engaging garden-based workshop celebrating Shakespeare’s world of plants, focusing on storytelling and using Shakespearean themes of apothecary, potions & poisons, medicines and maladies. 10.30am-2.30pm, ages 5-12, tickets £15.
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CATFEST
THE SUPERCAR EVENT
DIMBLEBY CANCER CARE WALK 50
MoreWhat’sOn KEW GARDENS
CAMP BESTIVAL 2019
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, www.kew.org On 18 May, a giant new Children’s Garden will open at Kew. The size of nearly 40 tennis courts, it has been designed by a Kew garden designer around the elements that plants need to grow: earth, air, sun and water. Children will be able to play and explore as they wind their way through a landscape filled with over 100 mature trees, discovering hidden treasures and adventure, and developing their love of nature, plants and the outdoors along the way.
25-28 July, LULWORTH CASTLE, East Lulworth, Dorset, www.campbestival.net
DIMBLEBY CANCER CARE WALK 50 7 June, banks of the River Thames from Westminster Bridge to Putney, www.dimblebycancercare.org/events/walk50-2019 Walkers from the ages of 7 to 76 are signing up to Dimbleby Cancer Care’s annual Walk50 for a Family 12km, 25km or 50km night walk. All money raised from the event will go towards the charity’s work at Guy’s Cancer Centre and the Dimbleby Macmillan Support Centreat Queen Mary’s Sidcup, providing practical and psychological support for those going through cancer and their carers and family. Registration from £15.
CANCER RESEARCH UK RACE FOR LIFE 30 June on BLACKHEATH COMMON and 21 July in CRYSTAL PALACE PARK, 0300 123 0770, www.raceforlife.org Race for Life events are fun, colourful, emotional and uplifting. They help people with cancer by raising money for research, including clinical trials which give patients in London access to the latest treatments. This summer, the charity is urging mums, dads, nans, grandpas, brothers, sisters, friends and workmates to show their support by uniting in a common cause to beat cancer. Five and 10k routes are available so you don’t have to be sporty to take part; no need to train or compete against anyone else. All you need do is go to the Race for Life website, pick an event, sign up and then have fun raising money in whatever way you like.
WALK FOR PARKINSON’S 20 July, GREENWICH PARK, www.parkinsons.org.uk/walk Every hour two people in the UK are told they have Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s UK is calling for people of all ages and abilities to sign-up to step closer to a cure for Parkinson’s. Walk for Parkinson’s sponsored events cover routes ranging from 1 mile to 5 miles, and over the past four years, participating fundraisers have raised over £1.5 million for Parkinson’s UK’s pioneering research to find a cure for the condition. Entry from £12 adults, £5 under 16s with a suggested minimum sponsorship of £50. Visit the event website to find out more and to sign up.
Camp Bestival is the UK’s ultimate family festival, having won Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards five times. The four-day
FERIA DE LONDRES
festi-holiday offers hundreds of things to see and do. From headliners Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Jess Glynne and Annie Mac, family fun with Mr Tumble, Mister Maker and Shaun The Sheep, to science shows and circus workshops, there’s so much for children of all ages to enjoy. Tree-climbing, woodland workshops, helter skelters, giant bubble workshops and face painting for the kids through to teens having poetry slams, teen-only spinning classes, sleeping out under the stars and How To... workshops, there really is something for everyone. Parents are particularly spoilt at Camp Bestival; well, they do buy the tickets! Amazing live acts and DJs, raves, discos, parties, comedy, literary talks, parenting advice and stories, cocktails, award-winning street food, likeminded people all in a big old field by a castle and the sea.
E VEN TS AND MU SEU MS LOVE WEST DULWICH SPRING FAIR 18 May, in and around WEST DULWICH SE21, Love West Dulwich on Facebook Celebrate the best of West Dulwich with a fun filled day throughout Croxted, Park Hall and Rosendale Roads, when local shops and businesses will offer activities and promotions for all the family. Fun for children includes fair ground rides, farm animals, face painting, balloon modelling, a kids trail around the area, story time, plus ice cream, popcorn and cake. You can also enjoy Bollywood dancers, maypole dancing, stalls at the Rosendale Road market, street food, craft beer, live music, car boot stalls and much more. From 11am.
BROCKLEY MAX FESTIVAL 31 May - 8 June, in and around BROCKLEY SE4, www.brockleymax.co.uk This year’s festival will launch with an afternoon and evening of live music, singing and dance from 4-10.30pm by Brockley station, followed by workshops, performances, film shows and children’s activities, and culminating on the last day with Art in the Park on Hilly Fields.
CRYSTAL PALACE FESTIVAL 15-23 June in and around CRYSTAL PALACE SE19, www.crystalpalacefestival.org This year’s Festival promises another exciting week of arts, culture and heritage in and around the Crystal Palace Triangle and local green spaces. Local shops, eateries and services will have special events and offers, performers will entertain visitors, and the ‘Village Green’ next to the bus station will host the Crystal Palace Park event.
FERIA DE LONDRES
SUMMER MILE FAMILY RACEDAY AT ASCOT
24-26 May, BERNIE SPAIN GARDENS, South Bank SE1 9PH, www.feriadelondres.com Taking place over one of London’s busiest weekends, Feria de Londres is a unique and free event that invites Londoners and tourists alike to experience first-hand the warmth, vitality and exuberance of Spanish culture, from tasting tapas to rumba and sevillianas. Flamboyant dancers from London’s best flamenco schools will lead Sevillana dance lessons and flamenco rhythm workshops, while children can enjoy activities like face painting, fan making and flamenco dance lessons.
13 July, ROYAL ASCOT, High Street, Ascot, Berks SL5 7JX, www.ascot.co.uk Ascot Racecourse is in full midsummer bloom and the pace is relaxed. There is a competitive seven-race card, live music, elegant picnic lawns, and eclectic Champagne and cocktail bars to enjoy at your leisure. For the second year in a row, Summer Mile Family Raceday will also feature a dedicated and separate family zone with a host of free attractions to thrill children aged 4-15. Free workshops feature alongside clip clop pony and fairground rides, and a stage provides live music between races. Gates open 11am, adult tickets from £26, all under 18s tickets free per paying adult, and under 12s can also enjoy free food at certain outlets in the family enclosure.
12 South Norwood Hill SE25 6AB, 020 8251 0184, www.stanleyhalls.org.uk SMALL FOOT, 19 May. Migo is a friendly Yeti whose world gets turned upside down when he discovers something that he didn’t know existed — a human. He soon faces banishment from his snowy home when the rest of the villagers refuse to believe his fantastic tale. Hoping to prove them wrong, Migo embarks on an epic journey to find the mysterious creature that can put him back in good graces with his simple community. This is a relaxed, family-friendly film screening. 11am start, tickets £3.
12 Families South East
FAMILY RACEDAY AT ASCOT
STANLEY HALLS
FAMILY DISCO, 30 May. Don your best fancy dress and boogie on down for some disco dancing with BeatsAhead, games and prizes, facepainting, hot snacks and beverages. 4-7pm, tickets £3 under 13s, £1 adults. MARY POPPINS RETURNS, 16 June. Decades after her original visit, the magical nanny returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael’s children through a difficult time in their lives. This is a relaxed, family-friendly screening. 11am start, tickets £3.50. SUMMER FAIR, 29 June. Local makers and sellers under one roof selling homemade crafts and secondhand goods. There will be games and activities, face painting, a BBQ, film screening of Alice in Wonderland, art exhibition featuring works from pupils of local schools and much more! 10am-4pm, admission and parking free.
THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk 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, a butterfly house, and a Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning. Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, admission free, charges apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium. BRICK WONDERS, until 27 October. Discover amazing wonders from around the world made entirely from LEGO bricks. From an ancient Egyptian pyramid to Old London Bridge, and from the natural wonder of a coral reef to the modern marvel of the international space station, travel through history and explore over 70 models made using half a million LEGO bricks. Build your imagination at the interactive play areas, and don’t miss two special models of Horniman icons, designed especially for the show. Admission £5 children, £9 adults, £20 families. MAY HALF TERM, 27-31 May. A week of assorted, free activities including storytelling, craft activities, pond dipping, the Great British Bee Count and more - check the website for the full line up. THE LORE OF THE LAND, until 2 June. Artist Serena Korda has worked with a Collective of local community members to create a multi-sensory installation featuring ceramic artworks dispensing scents inspired by the Horniman Gardens, and a soundscape based on recordings of the chemical processes occurring in plants and trees. Free.
ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH 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.
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SOUTH INDIAN CULTURAL OPEN DAY, 25 May at the NMM. Explore the colourful cultural heritage of traditional south Indian dance forms. The event will include make-up demonstrations, costume displays and a series of short performances. Free drop-in at the Maritime Museum. OUT OF THIS WORLD, 28+29 May at the Royal Observatory. Take a family trip to the Moon with a planetarium show. Start your orientation in the state-of-the-art digital planetarium, continue your mission with a brain-bending quiz and finally, take a virtual step onto the lunar surface with a virtual reality activity to feel what it’s like to be a moonwalker. Ages 7+, 10am-12.30pm.
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 10am-5pm daily, admission from £6.30 children, £12.15 adults, from £24 families. Bundled tickets are available with the other Royal Museum Greenwich attractions. THE TRADER’S GAME, 27-31 May. Become a trader and cross the world on a board game to collect cargoes from different countries. Beat the other ships to buy the most sought-after cargo - but beware of getting stuck in the doldrums. 11am-4pm, free with admission to the ship. WATER MUSIC, 28 May. Imagine becoming Georgian Royalty and explore Handel’s Water Music performed for Prince Frederick’s barge. With stories, music and games the session will bring the music to life. Sessions from 10.30am, free.
NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea SW3 4HT, 020 7730 0717, www.nam.ac.uk The National Army Museum is a leading authority on the British Army and its impact on society past and present. Through its collections the museum preserves and shares stories of ordinary people with extraordinary responsibilities; exploring the role of the army and its relevance today. Free children’s trails cover a wide range of topics and suit a variety of age groups. Open 10am - 5.30pm, admission free. PLAY BASE, daily. Whether your child wants to take on the soft play assault course, climb aboard a truck or prepare scoff in the cookhouse, Play Base lets every child shine. Ages 0-8, £4.50 per child for an hour-long session. THE ART OF PERSUASION, until 24 November. This major exhibition explores the life and legacy of the iconic designer Abram Games, focusing on his time as ‘Official War Poster Artist’ during the Second World War. Always direct, and occasionally controversial, Games’s wartime posters have left a legacy that continues to influence the art of persuasion employed by visual designers today. Admission free for under 16s, adults £6. POSTER PRINTING, 30 May - 2 June. Try your hand at poster printing in a design workshop inspired by the art of Abram Games. Make your own foam stamps and print a design of colourful, bold shapes. Then add a catchy slogan with stencilled or stamped letters. Drop-in 11am-1pm and 2-4pm, free.
Greenwich Park Walk for Parkinson's Saturday 21 July 2019 We're inviting people of all ages, abilities and fitness levels to join us and Walk for Parkinson's in 2019. parkinsons.org.uk/walkgreenwich19 #walkforparkinsons 0207 963 3912 Parkinson’s UK is the operating name of the Parkinson’s Disease Society of the United Kingdom. A charity registered in England and Wales (258197) and in Scotland (SC037554). © Parkinson’s UK
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SCIENCE MUSEUM
BRICK WONDERS
MUSEUM OF THE MOON
BEASTS OF LONDON
MoreWhat’sOn 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 Sundays to Thursdays, admission free. TUDOR MAY DAY, 26 May. Celebrate the Tudors’ favourite holiday - May Day. Meet the May King and Queen, dance to music with wandering minstrels and get hands on making a tussie mussie, a May crown or even candle rolling. 11am-3pm, free. FAMILY FUN DAY, 23 June. Delve into the world of design and crafts! Have a go at engraving on a rose engine with the Society of Ornamental Turners. Explore a different side to the Palace with trails, tours and plenty of interactive fun with craftspeople at the Palace. 11am-3pm, free.
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. MUSEUM OF THE MOON, 17 May to 8 September. See the far side of the moon via UK artist Luke Jerram’s six-metre spherical sculpture, which offers a new and exciting perspective of Earth’s celestial neighbour. Featuring detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface, the sculpture is accompanied by a surround-sound composition by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones. Suitable for all ages, free to visit. INVESTIGATE FOR FAMILIES, every weekend. Get a feel for how scientists work by having a go yourself. Explore hundreds of real nature specimens that form the evidence Museum scientists use in their daily work. Drop-in, ages 3-11, 11am-5pm. DINO SNORES, once a month on Saturdays. 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 from £54.
SCIENCE MUSEUM SCIENCE MUSEUM, Exhibition Road SW7 2DD, 0870 870 4868, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk 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. General admission free; tickets required for some events and special exhibitions. DRIVERLESS; WHO IS IN CONTROL? 12 June to October. Get up close with examples of real self-driving vehicles. From self-driving cars to autonomous flying drones and smart underwater vehicles like the Autosub Long Range fleet which includes ‘Boaty McBoatface’, this new exhibition explores how much of the seemingly futuristic technology already exists and extends far beyond the cars we’re familiar with, how much control we’re willing to transfer to them and how their wider deployment could shape our habits, behaviour and society. Admission free.
MUSEUM OF LONDON MUSEUM OF LONDON, 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN, www.museumoflondon.org.uk From specially-designed interactive children’s galleries, free activity bags and stimulating online games, as well as all-important details like high chairs and baby-changing spaces, the Museum of London is a perfect fun family venue. Open 10am-6pm daily, admission free.
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BEASTS OF LONDON, until 5 January 2020. Step into an immersive tour through London’s history, narrated by the animals who once lived here. Beasts of London explores the fascinating role animals have played in shaping the capital. Be guided through time, from the Roman era through Medieval London and right up to present day, narrated by the beasts themselves. Discover how animals - from lions and elephants, to horses, rats and pigeons - have shaped the city and its beastly history. Ages 7+, family tickets from £20. BEASTS OF LONDON FAMILY FESTIVAL, 25+26 May. Take a walk on the wild side in a beast-tastic cacophony of workshops, performances and stories. Create your own animated animal puppet show, discover the secrets of the Tower of London menagerie, get crafty with an animal mask or make a cast of your favourite animal footprint. From 12noon, free, drop-in event (does not include Beasts of London admission).
MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, Warehouse 1, West India Quay E14 4AL, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands Find out more about London’s history, through displays covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. On Sundays, museum hosts help visitors explore the galleries through fun, hands-on activities at 11am and 2pm. SECRET RIVERS, 24 May - 27 October. For centuries Londoners have existed beside a series of waterways, which have shaped the city and people within it. Discover the forgotten secrets and stories of London’s rivers, streams and brooks through excavated a rtefacts, paintings, prints and contemporary art. Ages 5+, free. SUGAR FAMILY FESTIVAL, 8+9 June. Sugar was one of the most important goods stored in the museum when the building was still a warehouse. But has the story always been so sweet? Look into the history of sugar and how there is a dark history to this treat. Prepare to be surprised, entertained and educated at this lively arts, crafts and performances weekend for the whole family. From 12noon, free drop in.
SOUTHBANK SOUTHBANK CENTRE, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX, 020 3879 9555, www.southbankcentre.co.uk DIANE ARBUS: IN THE BEGINNING, until May. Diane Arbus made most of her photographs in New York City, where she was born and died. Her photographs of children and eccentrics, couples and circus performers, shoppers and female impersonators are among the most intimate, surprising and haunting works of art of the 20th century. See more than 100 photographs, many of which have never before been exhibited in Europe. Hayward Gallery, tickets £15.50. SINFONIA FAMILY CONCERT, 19 May. Step into a time machine, leap between centuries, see how the orchestra has grown, hear how its instruments have changed and share in the amazing imagination of some of the world’s greatest ever composers - from early pioneers, through the brilliance of Mozart and Beethoven, right up to the latest trends of today. Tickets £4 children, £8 adults. GONG BABIES, Mondays until 1 July. A relaxing music workshop aimed at new parents, carers and pre-crawling babies, featuring the mesmerising chimes of gamelan (Javanese percussion orchestra). 2pm start, adult and child ticket £5. DRAGON BABIES, Mondays until 15 July. Shake, rattle and gong in a gamelan-filled, music and movement session. 3-5 year-olds with their grown ups, £3 per adult and child ticket.
THE BRITISH LIBRARY 96 Euston Road NW1 2DB, 01937 456030, www.bl.uk The British Library is open to everyone and offers Reading Rooms for research and study, exhibitions and events for curious people of all ages, tours and great places to eat, drink and shop. Open 9.30am - 8pm Mondays to Thursdays, to 6pm Fridays, 7pm Saturdays, and 11am-5pm Sundays, admission free.
FRIENDSHIP BEFORE FACEBOOK, until 12 May. How were friends selected, collected and put on display before the digital era? Explore the Library’s collection of pocket-sized friendship albums - made between the 16th and 19th centuries - full of celebrity autographs, music, miniature paintings and bawdy lift-the-flap pictures. FAMILY TAKEOVER: MAKE AND CREATE, 30 May. Enjoy playful multisensory activities and learning resources. A selection of children’s books will be available to relish, read and even perform if you wish! A range of materials will be on hand to inspire you to make, create and invent something to take home. Suitable for all ages, 11am-3pm, free drop in. FAMILY DAY: BUILD A STORY, 22 June. An exciting family day inspired by the magic of storytelling. Join in and make, touch, sign and explore; creating, sharing and celebrating stories. This event is fully accessible for families with deaf children, parents and carers. Noon-4pm, free drop in. THE NEW LONDONERS, until 7 July. Families living in London come from every country in the world (almost 200 by UN recognition). See photographer Chris Steele- Perkins’ portrayal of what he describes as ‘a record of a new London, a new Britain and a celebration of the fabulous cultural richness of London.’ Admission free.
THE BARBICAN CENTRE Silk Street EC2Y 8DS, www.barbican.org.uk FERTILITY FEST, until 12 May. Fertility and infertility take centre stage in a programme of performances and panel discussions that brings together medical experts, artists and audiences. Offering a multitude of views and voices, the festival draws on female and male experiences, looks at new models of family making, and seeks to break taboos around IVF. AI: MORE THAN HUMAN, 16 May - 26 August. With immersive art installations, interactive exhibits and digital projects, AI: More than Human displays the creative and scientific developments in artificial intelligence, exploring the evolution of the relationship between humans and technology. Interact directly with the exhibits to experience AI’s capabilities first hand - and try to answer the big question: what does it mean to be human?
V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD 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 3s area, an indoor sandpit, and regular special events. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free. PLAYING WITH BUILDINGS, until March 2020. A collaborative project between UEL and the museum bringing together architects, artists, photographers and students spanning the educational spectrum. Seventy first year BSc Architecture students from UEL were invited to re-think how visitors might interact with the museum and design new inventive spaces for playing and learning. Pupils from Morpeth Secondary School and St Johns Primary School have user tested their prototype designs and created their own inventive responses. MAY HALF TERM, 25 May - 2 June. Play, build and design at the museum this May half term. Meet artists and designers for playful workshops and activities coinciding with the Playing with Buildings display and London Festival of Architecture.
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. REMBRANDT: THINKING ON PAPER, until 4 August. To mark the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt’s death, this show examines his exceptional creative output on paper through the museum’s collection of his graphic works. Around 70 prints and drawings demonstrate Rembrandt’s unrivalled immediacy and brilliance of touch as a graphic artist, bringing us close to witnessing and following his creative thinking. 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.
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THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA
BEN & HOLLY’S LITTLE KINGDOM
THE SLIGHTLY ANNOYING ELEPHANT
THE COLOUR PALACE
VAN GOGH - TATE BRITAIN
CHURCHILL THEATRE
M US I C AN D T HE AT RE GREENWICH THEATRE
THE ALBANY
Crooms Hill SE10 8ES, 020 8858 7755, www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA, 26 - 28 May. The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger! Join the tea-guzzling tiger in this delightful family show; packed with oodles of magic, sing-a-long songs and clumsy chaos. A stunning stage adaptation of the classic tale of teatime mayhem... expect to be surprised! Ages 2+, tickets £15. ELMER THE PATCHWORK ELEPHANT SHOW, 1 June. Elephants, as everyone knows, are big, have trunks, and are grey. But Elmer is a patchwork of brilliant colours! His fun-loving and cheerful personality keeps everyone in a playful mood, until the day he gets tired of being different and tries to blend in with the herd. Based on the classic children’s book by David McKee, the show features a menagerie of 21 loveable puppets, tells the tale of an elephant that stands out - both with his patchwork-coloured skin and his sense of humour - but ultimately realising that his friends have always valued his unique characteristics. 1 and 3.30pm, tickets £8.50 children, £16 adults.
Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 4AG, 0208 692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk KALEIDOSCOPE, 14 May. Bursting with mirrors, lights, colours and sound, Kaleidoscope is the perfect introduction to theatre for your little one. Inspired by research into how a baby’s sense of sight develops and how they instinctively begin to categorise colour, watch as a multi-coloured Kaleidoscope is brought to life for you and your baby. Ages 6-18 months, single tickets £7, family tickets £24.
UNICORN THEATRE 147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ, 020 7845 0580, www.unicorntheatre.com AESOP’S FABLES, 16 June - 3 August. As far as we know, Aesop was a slave and storyteller who lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BC. But although we don’t know much about the man himself, over 725 of his stories are passed down from generation to generation. The Unicorn Theatre is retelling stories for today’s audiences with two productions; suitable for ages 4-7 and 8-12.
High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA, 020 3285 6000, www.churchilltheatre.co.uk BEN AND HOLLY’S LITTLE KINGDOM, 11+12 May. From the makers of Peppa Pig comes this BAFTA award-winning television animation live on stage. Join Ben and Holly, and their friends on an exciting, enchanting and magical musical adventure packed full of games, songs and laughter. This beautiful story of elves, princesses and childhood innocence will delight all the family! Tickets from £11.50.
LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street N1 2DN, 020 7226 1787, www.littleangeltheatre.com THE SLIGHTLY ANNOYING ELEPHANT, 10 May - 4 August. One day Sam gets a very big surprise as a tired, hungry, antique-loving, cycling enthusiast elephant turns up on his doorstep. Adopting an elephant at the zoo turned out to be a lot more than he bargained for as he didn’t realise the elephant would actually come to live with him - silly boy! This hilarious story by comedian and author David Walliams is brought to life through puppetry. Ages 3-8, tickets £11.50 children, £13.50 adults. SUFFRAJITSU, 23 May - 13 July. Suffrajitsu tells the story of one young girl and how she learns that being small doesn’t mean you can’t change the world. Inspired by the real lives of suffragettes and told through puppetry and original music, this is the story of a movement that divided the nation, ultimately helping to win the fight to give women the vote. Ages 7-11, tickets £12 children, £14 adults.
A RT AC T IVI T IES DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY
IN THE TRACKS OF PISSARO
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21 7AD, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
8-9, 15-16 June and by appointment 10-14 June, BELL HOUSE, 27 College Road, Dulwich SE21 7BG, www.bellhouse.co.uk Bell House has brought together fascinating early photographs and images of Victorian south London, including local Dulwich paths which are now roads where people live, to show how this part of South London changed since 1871. Exhibits include original souvenirs from the Crystal Palace and Victorian artefacts found in the cellar of a Dulwich grocer including a stoneware ‘R. Whites’ lemonade bottle”. Open 10am-5pm, admission free.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE, 020 7306 0055, www.npg.org.uk The gallery features thousands of portraits of the most famous people in British history, from the 16th century to the present day. Open 10am-6pm daily. DROP IN FAMILY SUNDAYS. On the third Sunday of every month, families are invited to drop-in with children aged 3+ to take part in portrait-related events.
Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends and bank holidays. Admission free for accompanied children, £8 adults. Listed activities free for families with a gallery ticket or £3 per child. HARALD SOLHBERG: PAINTING NORWAY, until 2 June. Harald Sohlberg (1869-1935) was one of the greatest masters of landscape painting in the history of Norwegian art. Timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Sohlberg’s birth, this exhibition presents the first ever exhibition outside his home country, bringing together over 90 works, including archive material, to reveal the importance of colour and symbolism in his art as well as his unwavering passion for the Nordic landscape. THE COLOUR PALACE, 31 May - 22 September. The Colour Palace is inspired by the buzz of fabric markets in Lagos and Nigeria, incorporating symmetry, curves and right-angles. On each side of the Pavilion, brightly coloured timber slats create layers that shift when viewed from different angles, bringing the Gallery’s grounds into Technicolor life in a fusion of West African and European influences. The pavilion will act as an outdoor welcome and orientation space for visitors to the Dulwich Picture Gallery, as well as a flexible public space for performances, talks and other events. CUTTING EDGE: MODERNIST BRITISH PRINTMAKING, 19 June - 8 September. An eight-metre-long crocodile cut entirely from one sheet of paper by Japanese artist, Nahoko Kojima, will join the Gallery’s Old Masters this summer, suspended from the ceiling in the Gallery’s entrance hall. Timed to coincide with the Gallery’s exhibition of linocuts by the Grosvenor School (Cutting Edge: Modernist British Printmaking), this dramatic intervention will champion the power of paper as a creative medium. ART PLAY, first and last Sunday of each month. Creative drop-in workshops for adults and children, with a different activity each session. Make anything and everything from bunting to block printing and all things in between. 2-3.45pm. FREE FAMILY TRAIL. Ask a gallery assistant or stop by at the Gallery Friends desk for a free trail; updated frequently and available for the permanent and temporary exhibitions.
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TATE BRITAIN Millbank SW1P 4RG, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk Tate Britain is the home of British art from 1500 to the present day. Young people are encouraged to explore art and take ownership of the gallery through regular activities and events for visiting families. Open Mondays to Sundays 10am to 6pm, general admission free THE EY EXHIBITION: VAN GOGH AND BRITAIN, until 11 August. The first exhibition to take a new look at the artist through his relationship with Britain explores how Van Gogh was inspired by British art, literature and culture throughout his career and how he in turn inspired British artists, from Walter Sickert to Francis Bacon. The exhibition includes over 45 works by the artist from public and private collections around the world including Self-Portrait 1889 from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, L’Arlésienne 1890 from Museu de Arte de São Paolo, Starry Night 1888 from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, Shoes from the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, and the rarely loaned Sunflowers 1888 from the National Gallery, London. Admission £22 adults, under 12s free (up to four per family adult), 12-18 year-olds £5, advance booking recommended.
THE BRITISH MUSEUM BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell Street WC1B 3DG, 020 7323 8181, www.britishmuseum.org EDVARD MUNCH: LOVE AND ANGST, until 21 July. The creator of ‘The Scream’ - art’s most haunting and iconic face. A radical father of Expressionism. Norway’s answer to Vincent van Gogh. But who was Edvard Munch? The British Museum lifts the veil on Munch’s life and works in the largest show of his prints in the UK for 45 years. Munch’s innovative techniques, bold use of colour and dark subject matter mark him out as one of the first truly ‘modern’ artists. Discover how he mastered the art of printmaking and explore his remarkable body of work. Tickets free for under 16s, adults from £14.
THE WALLACE COLLECTION THE WALLACE COLLECTION, Hertford House, Manchester Square W1U 3BN, 020 7563 9500, www.wallacecollection.org The Wallace Collection displays wonderful works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess, in their main London townhouse. Family multi-media tours and trails bring the exhibits to life for younger visitors. Open 10am-5pm daily, admission free.
SOMERSET HOUSE SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk Art and culture in the heart of London in a stunning riverside setting. Open daily, admission free with a charge for some exhibitions. Free family workshops run on occasional Saturdays check the website for details. Children aged 6-12 years must be accompanied by an adult. GET UP, STAND UP NOW, 12 June - 15 September. A major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black film maker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of around 100 interdisciplinary artists showcase work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day. Historic works and new commissions will sit alongside items from personal archives, much of which has never been seen by the public before, Under 12s free, adults £12.50.
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SUMMER MILE FAMILY RACEDAY Saturday 13th July 2019 With the racecourse in full bloom this is the ideal chance to enjoy the warmer months alongside Flat racing, picnics and plenty of free family entertainment.
CHRISTMAS FAMILY RACEDAY
FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR FAMILY RACEDAY The Jumps Season gets off to a bang at Ascot with one of Berkshire’s largest fireworks displays after racing and free fairground rides.
ASCOT FOR FAMILIES Children under 18 go FREE Adult tickets from £26pp ascot.co.uk
This festive finale to the year includes a visit from Father Christmas and his reindeer, storytelling with Mrs Christmas, pony rides, huskies, carol singing and much more.
COLTS AND FILLIES CLUB Younger racegoers can join the FREE Colts and Fillies Club to enjoy exclusive events, trips and their own racehorse in training.
WITNESS MEDIEVAL RIVALRY
MEDIEVAL JOUSTING TOURNAMENT ENGLAND VS FRANCE 25th, 26th & 27th May 2019 Thrill at the sight of armoured knights representing both countries competing for the Leeds Castle International Cup on powerful combat horses across four challenging events!
CELEBRATING 900 YEARS
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Families South East Tel: 020 8699 3958 Email: info@familiesse.co.uk Contact: Robina Cowan Website: www.familiesse.co.uk MAGAZINE DESIGN: Lancasters 020 8658 9975 www.lancasters.co.uk Printed on paper from sustainable forests. www.ridgewaypress.co.uk
Saturday 21st December 2019
Saturday 2nd November 2019