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IN THIS ISSUE
Education Summer fun Kids’ parties Travel
May/June 2022 Familiesonline.co.uk
familiesonline.co.uk May/June 1
Smoby Flextreme Discovery Sets to giveaway! Turn your child’s imagination around!
5 available
Worth £34.99 each
APPLY HERE T&Cs apply
Magazine
HORRIBLE HISTORIES WICKED RIVER TOUR IS NOW SAILING THROUGHOUT 2022!
FAMILY TICKETS FROM £65! TOWER BRIDGE QUAY, LONDON terriblethames.com
2 May/June
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CONTENTS
In this issue
Welcome
4 6 8 12 Warm sunny days are on the horizon so start planning some family adventures in your local 13 area and exploring the great outdoors again. 14 If you are looking at planning a break but want 15 something that will truly be family-friendly, 17 check out our ‘tried and tested’ suggestions. 18 19 If you have a little one who starts school in September, now is also the time to start thinking 20 about preparation. Find advice and resources in 21 So much to look forward to in May and June, including two bank holidays, one of them extralong! Yippee!
our Education section.
Finally, in this issue, we have lots of giveaways, including a family holiday and cuddly Care Bear companions for your child to fall in love. Don’t forget to apply!
Clubs & classes Summer camps Education Father’s Day gifts What’s on Kids’ parties Adventures at home Win a holiday Summer food Travel Garden toys Adventures outdoors
Get in touch Competition winners from our January/February issue Congratulations to all our winners. You can find a list here.
Discover it this half-term
at London Wetland Centre Book now Search WWT London Familiesonline.co.uk 2638-Art-Week-Advert-For-Families-Magazine-AW.indd 1
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May/June 3 06/04/2022 11:23
CLUBS & CLASSES
Clubs & Classes Directory
Craft My Day
Crafts activities for all ages and abilities in Worcester Park.
LCA Stage Academy Classes and workshops in singing, acting, and dancing in Oxted and Ashford. Aged 3-18.
Rugbytots
Rugby play programme offering dynamic weekly sessions for boys and girls aged 2-7.
Dunottar Saturday Music Academy
Learn instruments and music theory for young musicians aged 5-18.
MultiSports Sutton and Cheam
Girls Attack
Minis and Juniors Netball for girls aged 5-16. After school clubs and holiday camps.
Perform
An extensive multi sports programme covering 18 individual and team sports.
Weekly drama, dance and singing classes for confidence building fun for 4-12s. Book a free trial.
Surrey Heath Yoga
TumbleTots Epsom
Gentle & calming adult and child yoga classes. 1-2-1 & private group sessions.
A progressive play programme for children from 6 months old who can sit up unaided.
Get your club or class seen by 1000’s of local parents for less than £20 per month. Email us for more information. 4 May/June
Familiesonline.co.uk
CLUBS & CLASSES
Smile this summer with a FREE Perform class Summer term is here and there’s no better time for your child to try a Perform class. Packed with self-esteem boosting activities, Perform weekly classes will round off the academic year with a fun and relaxed focus on developing confidence, communication, coordination and concentration. Using a mix of drama, dance and singing, these high-energy classes Classes available at Caterham, for all abilities are designed to allow Reigate, Oxted and a NEW venue in even the most reticent children to Shirley from September. shine. The curriculum has an emphasis on fun, making friends and lots of laughter plus children can enjoy bespoke apps, downloads and videos at home. Small classes ensure plenty of individual attention and each child receives a progress report every 10 weeks. This term, 4-7s will be bringing out the super in themselves as they become Superheroes on a mission to save the world. Meanwhile, 7-12s will enjoy red carpet glamour in Jack and the Wonderbeans. If you think your child may benefit from Perform but are not sure if they’ll like it, you can book a free trial class HERE. Families’ readers receive a special £40 discount when booking before 31 May, just quote LSB310522
For more info call 020 7255 9120 or email.
Music Tuition
Dunottar Saturday Music Academy Calling all young aspiring musicians aged 5-18 All abilities welcome from beginners to more experienced musicians. The Academy operates from 8.30am to 3.00pm on Saturdays. Lesson times are arranged between the teacher and pupil. Strings: Violin, Viola and Cello Woodwind: Flute, Clarinet and Saxophone
Piano, Voice and Music Theory
www.dunottarschool.com/saturday-music-academy WWW.DUNOTTARSCHOOL.COM
High Trees Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 7EL Tel: 01737 761945 Email: info@dunottarschool.com
Familiesonline.co.uk
May/June 5
SUMMER CAMPS
Summer camps checklist
To help you book a summer camp or workshop and get your child ready.
What to wear
For cool weather, warm comfortable clothes including a jacket/coat and jumper/hoodie. For sunny weather, suitable clothes and sun hat. Apply sun cream once before your child leaves the house. Comfortable footwear.
General questions
What to take
Swimming costume and towel. An apron or shirt for creative activities. Refillable water bottle Packed lunch and snacks, if needed. Rucksack (to carry everything). Sun cream, if required.
Childcare questions
How many children are there on a camp? What age group will my child be in? Can my child be in the same group as their friend/sibling? Do I need to provide lunch and snacks? Do you provide sun cream?
Are you registered with Ofsted?
Questions about booking and costs
Get the best out of family life!
Is wraparound care available?
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Do you accept childcare vouchers or tax-free childcare?
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Can I make changes to my booking? What is the last date for changes? Can I pay in instalments? If there’s wraparound care, how much is it? Will I pay extra if I’m delayed in collecting my child? Are all activities included in the cost?
Will my child have a key worker?
IN THIS ISSUE
Activities Tips/Advice Days Out familiesonline.c o.uk
Familiesonline.co.uk
Smoby Flextreme Discovery Sets to giveaway! Turn your child’s imagination around!
5 available
Worth £34.99 each
APPLY HERE T&Cs apply
Magazine
Inspiring school holiday adventures your child won’t want to miss BOOK NOW
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05/04/2022 23:25 May/June
7
EDUCATION
School readiness checklist
Download our checklist and help your child get ready to go to school. Talk the skills through with your child and explain why they are important at school. Show them that once they can master a skill, they can colour in the smiley face! Then help them practise.
Colour in the
I am ready fo
happy face wh
I can....
Colour in th when you ca e face n do this
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Recognise m y name
r school!
en you can do ready to go! these things and you’ll be
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Get dressed
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Do up my co at/ cardigan
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Put on my sh
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Go to the to ilet by myself
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Take my clo thes off
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Open my sn
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Share with ot her children
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Wash my ha I’ve been to nds after and before I the toilet eat
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Eat with a kn ife and fork
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ack box
8 May/June
DOWNLOAD FOR YOUR CHILD HERE
Familiesonline.co.uk
EDUCATION
Starting school in September? Wondering how your child will manage school lunches? Watch advice from Emma Lewry at Every Day’s a School Day
Lessons to learn before you’re 10
By Gail Hugman
Teaching young children to make good use of their working memory, exercise self-control and get organised will really help them develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Try these fun starter activities to set your child off on the right path. READ MORE Familiesonline.co.uk
For an amazing, adventure-filled summer... Apply for a Map of Wonders! 10 available
Magazine
APPLY HERE
T&Cs apply
May/June 9
EDUCATION
Starting school resources
If you have a little one starting school in September, now is a good time to start gently preparing them for the big day.
Get Ready for School Activity Pack
Fun, wipe clean books in smart carry case. £9.70
Going to School
A great Usborne picture book introducing the school experience. £4.99
Teach Your Monster to Read
Fun, engaging game that practises essential reading skills. FREE 10 May/June
Phonics Play
Website with phonics information, games and activities. FREE
My First Day at School Game
BBC Bitesize interactive game explaining what school may be like. FREE
Bud’s Number Game
Educational game to get your child started with numbers. FREE
Preparing Your Child for Starting School
Top tips booklet to help children with transition. FREE
Teachers
Pupils explain what a teacher does and how to behave in class. FREE
Starting Primary School
Everything you need to get prepared, from home to classroom. FREE Familiesonline.co.uk
EDUCATION
Times tables learning resources It really is true that multiplication tables are the bedrock of maths learning. Get your child up to speed with the following resources.
Math Songs by NUMBEROCK
Numberjacks Times Table App
Times Tables Flashcards
Learn times tables by singing about them! FREE
Times table activities based on the CBeebies show. FREE
Rapid recall practice in the 1-12 times tables. Ages 8-11. £6.99
Colour-coded Multiplication Square
The Times Table Adventure
Times Tables Heroes Board Game
Visual aid which helps spot patterns and learn tables. FREE
Times Tables Wall Chart Download and stick up where they’ll be seen often. FREE
Familiesonline.co.uk
Ideal for children who like video games like Minecraft. FREE
10 Minutes A Day Times Tables
Book featuring 10 minute games and tests. Maximum fun, maximum effect. £14.99
Fun multiplication board game to prepare for Year 4 tables check. £11.75
Number Rumbler Card Game A family card game which practises times tables. £7.99
May/June 11
FATHER’S DAY
Father’s Day gift suggestions
Is it sometimes difficult to know what to buy for dad? Here are our top picks.
Dad’s Shed Slate Sign
Handcrafted natural slate sign to mark out dad’s territory. £12.99
Docking Station Help dad keep all his things together – stylishly! £27.90
Supercar Driving Day
Get day in a race car! Circuits UK-wide. From £39
Peppa Pig: My Burgon & Ball Billionaire Gardening Gloves Shortbread Truffles Daddy Board Book
These quality gloves are For dads with a sweet great for dads with green tooth - a little decadence. fingers. £17.99 £16
Bread Baking Club Gift Subscription
Your dad could be star baker with this 3-month gift subscription. £36 12 May/June
100 Things to Do with Dad Scratch Off Bucket List Poster 100 activities! £10.99
Something for dad to read with your little one. £4.49
Personalised Socks with your Child’s Drawing
Celebrate Father’s Day and your child’s artwork. £20 Familiesonline.co.uk
WHAT’S ON
Get creative at Hever Castle during Art Week
Survival Week at WWT London Wetland Centre
From 28 May to 1 June, join a Victorian governess and tutor to discover the artistic techniques that Victorian children were taught. Try some of these techniques as part of a free thirty minute show.
From 28 May to 5 June, take part in exciting adventures at London Wetland Centre’s Survival Week including:
Dig for mosaic pieces or create a bookmark with Origami paper and join sculptor and Dragon’s Den star, Guy Portelli alongside Escape Arts Centre from Tonbridge and experience painting in the plein air. Enter a painting competition and depict the castle or gardens for a chance to win a prize. Selected artwork will be displayed at The Escape Arts Centre. Go on an art trail and discover paintings from the castle hidden in the gardens. Wander through the castle and find out interesting facts about the paintings there (included with castle admission only). Finish off your arty day by getting your face painted! (£5). More information HERE Familiesonline.co.uk
Mud Kitchen. Create imaginary, culinary concoctions with mud, pots, pans and utensils. Free-play drop-in activity. 10am to 4pm. All ages. Pond Dipping. Grab a net and discover the underwater life of the Pond Zone. Free drop-in activity. Session capacity limited to 30, first come, first served. 11 am & 2 pm. Ages 3+. Adventure Workshop. Learn how to build a makeshift shelter, safely light a fire and tie the right knot in any survival situation. End with marshmallow toasting around the campfire. 1.5 hour, pre-booking only. 11.30am & 2.30pm. Ages 7+. Map Challenge. Hone your map reading skills in this free, selfguided activity. Ages 5+. More information HERE May/June 13
KIDS’ PARTIES
Party bag fillers
Want to avoid plastic tat but stuck for alternatives? Try these out for size.
Decopatch Mini Animal Kits
Make a cute animal mache shape with these gorgeous kits. £7.30
Colour-in Splat T-shirts
Doubles as a party activity! Wash and colour-in again. From £9.95
Sweetie Jewellery Activity Kit
Smiggle Party Colour Art Jar
Hello Bee Craft Kits
Pre-filled Thank You Party Cone
Make yummy jewellery & a craft jewellery box. £12.99
Art kit with rainbow markers, colouring sheets & graphite pencil. £9.20
Designed for children 3+, perfect for keeping little hands busy. From £8
Colourful paper cones full of treats and including thank you note. £3.75
The Curious Caterpillar PreFilled Bags
Mini Sunflowers Growing Kit
Craft & Crumb Bake Kit Party Bags
Large variety of pre-filled bags for girls and boys. From £1.90 14 May/June
Easy to grow mini sunflowers. Includes seeds, compost and activity sleeve. £6
Make, bake and decorate cookies and biscuits with these kits. From £4.50 Familiesonline.co.uk
ADVENTURES AT HOME
Adventures at home
I’m a big fan of planning fun-filled family adventures at home. Here’s some of our favourites from my book Adventures at Home, available here.
Garden music festival
Go without electricity
Dig out your tent, drag out your blankets and cushions, power up the radio and set up camp. Spend the day listening to music in the comfort of your own garden. Homemade ribbon wristbands and VIP lanyards allow unlimited access to the snack cupboard, fruity mocktails and ultimately, the lavatory without needing to queue!
Challenging the family to go without electricity is great fun. It encourages you to get creative with your time and introduces the broader topic of eco-living: which small changes can be made at home? Activities for the day might include painting, poetry, games, bird watching, cooking over an open flame and sleeping outside.
Stargazing
Garden fete
Our favourite way to stargaze is in an old inflatable pool, patched with duct tape and filled with duvets! It keeps the chill out whilst we snuggle down and watch for the first star to appear amidst the myths and legends.
Village fetes are often a washout but you can schedule yours in when there’s glorious sunshine! String up your bunting, bake some scones, set up a raffle and a lucky dip (from old goody bag items), provide an (unplugged) microphone for announcements, hold a pet show, even set up a Pimms’ tent (no judgement here).
Look out for the Big Bear, the Pegasus and Draco the dragon. Familiesonline.co.uk
May/June 15
ADVENTURES AT HOME
Adventures at home
I’m a big fan of planning fun-filled family adventures at home. Here’s some of our favourites from my book Adventures at Home, available here.
Mini Olympics
Wildlife hunting
Our garden Olympics is an annual favourite. Open the games with a (tissue paper) Olympic flame and homemade hanging flags, followed by competitive rounds of egg and spoon, sack races, hula hooping, bean bag throwing and swing ball. Keep score on a chalkboard and finish with salt dough medals award ceremony.
Find out who you share your garden with, using a nature guide to help with identification. Encourage some new residents with a log pile house for insects, feeders for birds, a compost heap for worms, upturned pots for frogs and a colourful flowerbed for bees and butterflies. Keep an illustrated journal of what you see.
Family heritage
Reading nook
Ask relatives about their own adventures, jotting them down as you go. If the weather is rubbish, this is the perfect excuse to scour old family albums full of photos of when they were young.
A reading nook is a wonderful place to spend a lazy afternoon. Set up a den or a tepee, make it cosy inside and fill a basket with books.
And if the weather is kind, ask them to take you around their old haunts. 16 May/June
Make the most of little ones curled up in your lap for story time. Or even write your own story together. Familiesonline.co.uk
GIVEAWAYS
Win a family holiday with Away Resorts! Win a three or four night stay for a family of up to six people at an Away Resort of your choice.
Welcome to the world of Away Resorts! Experience one of its fabulous UK locations, from countryside to coast. Fall in love with a new type of holiday - where your accommodation is off-the-scale amazing and new experiences await at every turn. A holiday to create ‘remember when we did that?’ moments that will last a lifetime. Explore the New Forest, Hampshire, Tattershall Lakes or Boston West in Lincolnshire, Mersea Island in Essex, Barmouth Bay in Wales, Mill Rythe on Hayling Island or Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight. APPLY HERE by 18 June 2022. T&Cs apply.
Smoby Flextreme Discovery Sets to giveaway! Turn your child’s imagination around!
Apply for a FREE Bean Plush 22cm Care Bear* Care and share with Care Bears Bean Plush!
Worth £34.99 each 5 available
APPLY HERE Magazine Familiesonline.co.uk
APPLY HERE T&Cs apply
Magazine
*while stocks last T&Cs apply
May/June 17
FOOD
Cooling summer treats Get the kids involved in making these perfect treats for hot summer days.
Club tropicana ice cream cake
Watermelon & strawberry slushies
Vegan orange lollies
Easy strawberry ice cream
Quick banana ice cream
Fruity ice-lolly pens
Nutty caramel & choc sundaes
Frozen banana lollies
Raspberry lemonade slushies
18 May/June
Familiesonline.co.uk
TRAVEL
Vacation staycations It’s not always easy to know whether the holiday destination you’ve found online is truly family-friendly. Families asked the experts at Tested by Tots for their tested and rated recommendations for your next break.
Sandy Balls Holiday Village, New Forest
Excellent facilities, and service. Activities for all.
Catgill Farm, Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire
Charming and family-run On-site facilities.
Cherry Tree Farm Camping, North Devon
Sandylands Holiday Park, Ayrshire
Drayton Cottage, Isle of Wight Home from home, walk to beach, relaxing, secure garden, BBQ.
Forest Holidays, North Yorkshire
Beautiful cabins, peaceful, beach nearby. Forest activities.
Ham Bottom, Somerset
Holiday Inn Kenilworth, Warwick
Park Plaza London Riverbank
Beautiful yet cosy. Excellent facilities.
Self-catering lodges, with trampoline, slide, and climbing frame. Familiesonline.co.uk
Great value & location to explore local attractions.
300m from beach, surf gear hire, food truck & more.
Features the capital’s first hotel room designed by families for families.
May/June 19
TOYS
It’s time to play outside! If you’re looking for some entertaining garden activities for the summer, here are our recommendations.
Target Ball Game
Soft Archery Set
Wheelbarrow Set
Family garden game with giant inflatable Velcro target. All ages. £19.99
Soft, safe and durable, this set is great way for kids to discover a new hobby. Ages 8+. £39.99
Let budding gardeners develop their own green world. Ages 3+. £12
My First Giant Bubble Kit
Family Paddling Pool
Garden Tumble Tower
Youngsters will love these eco-friendly giant wooden wands. Ages 3+. £21
Big enough for families to chill out together. Ages 6+. £75
Great backyard game builds a tower over 3ft. Ages 5+. £35.99
Ladybird Wheely Bug Ride-On
Wavy Kids Slide
Sandpit Picnic Table with Lid
Suitable for decking and driveways. Easy to ride! Ages 1-3. £67.50 20 May/June
Outdoor classic offers a fast slide and 5.8ft of fun. Ages 3+. £54.99
Keeps up to four children entertained for hours. Ages 3+. £79.99 Familiesonline.co.uk
ADVENTURES OUTDOORS
Family adventures outdoors We asked our friends the Meek family for some top picks from their book 100 Family Adventures. Here’s what they have come up with.
Sleep on a beach
Eat nettle soup
Build a bridge
Be lulled to sleep by the sound of crashing waves.
Surprisingly fresh and light!
Kids love the excitement of building a natural structure.
Go on a scooter safari
Venture behind a waterfall Connect to the power and awe of a waterfall.
Make a rope swing
Put some ‘natural’ back into the outdoor play experience.
Go on a forest night walk
Go coasteering
Don’t go with the flow
Borrow some extra scooters explore the local area.
Children will love the excitement of the forest at night. Familiesonline.co.uk
A nature trail along a rocky coast. Scrambling, swimming and rock hopping.
Head ‘off piste’ - follow a stream in reverse!
May/June 21
Care and share with Care Bears Bean Plush! Apply for a FREE Bean Plush 22cm Care Bear* Perfect company for your child’s adventures APPLY HERE
*while stocks last T&Cs apply
Magazine
22 May/June
*while stocks last T&Cs apply Familiesonline.co.uk