Families Cambridgeshire January February 2017

THE TRADE MAGAZINE FOR MUMS & DADS!

FREE!

Cambridgeshire JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 ISSUE #40

WIN!

A FAMILY TICKET TO PETER PAN ON ICE WORTH £91

INSIDE: HOW TO REDUCE SIBLING RIVALRY

DISCOVER ADVENTURE AT TWILIGHT IN THE MUSEUM

Cambridge Park & Ride – getting you right into the heart of Cambridge Buses depart every 10 minutes Mon-Sat during the day and every 20 minutes after 6.30pm Every 15 minutes (9am - 6pm) Sundays and public holidays

PAGE 2 PARK AND RIDE ¼ REPEAT

Open seven days a week

Up to three children travel free with every fare paying passenger Concessionary pass holders travel for free with their passes after 9.30am Monday to Friday, and all day at the weekend and on bank holidays The bus fare is £3 return and parking cost £1 for up to 18 hours and can be paid in advance via VIVOPARK – visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/parkandride to find out more.

The Park & Ride Group Ticket is £8.50 and can only be purchased from the driver – it allows a group of up to 5 people to travel together.

Park & Ride Weekly tickets cost just £13 and are valid for 7 days

Further information: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/parkandride

TWILIGHT at the MUSEUMS FREE Wednesday 15 February 2017, 4:30 – 7:30pm

FAMILIES – EXPLORE CAMBRIDGE MUSEUMS AND COLLECTIONS AFTER-HOURS #CamTwilight @camunivmuseums museums.cam.ac.uk/twilight

Contents & Competitions

Dear Reader,

Happy New Year wishing everyone lots of health wealth and happiness for 2017! If you are looking for some FREE activities to do with the family in January after an expensive December then take a look at the What’s On pages 8 & 9 for ideas, with plenty going on across Cambridgeshire that doesn’t cost a penny. One of my favourite events is Twilight at the Museums during February half term in Cambridge with lots of excitement after dark and it’s all FREE.

What’s in this issue?

4/5 News and Views

Don’t forget if you have an event you would like to mention or if you wish to distribute copies of the magazine please do get in touch.

7/8 P regnancy & Baby News

Quote of the day

The latest Pregnancy advice, baby products and news for new mums.

DON’T MISS A COPY! Receive Families Cambridgeshire by post for just £9.30 for 6 issues (1 year) or £18 for 12 issues (2 years). Call or email editor@familiescambridgeshire.co.uk for a subscription form.

WIN!

WIN A FAMILY TICKET TO PETER PAN ON ICE WORTH OVER £90!

World-renowned Russian Ice Stars bring to King’s Lynn Corn Exchange a new adaptation of this famous fantasy adventure by J.M.Barrie.

Wendy, Michael and John are visited in the nursery by Peter Pan himself, who teaches them to fly with the help of Tinker Bell, and takes them on a magical journey to Never Land.

Packed with all your favourite characters including Tiger Lilly, Mr Smee and the vengeful Captain Hook whose appetite for revenge is perfectly recreated in this spectacular adaptation on ice.

To enter visit the www.familiescambridgeshire.co.uk website and answer the question by Saturday 25th February to be in with a chance of winning. Tickets will be for the Sunday matinee performance at 1pm.

Families Cambridgeshire 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, Temple House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families Cambridgeshire are fully protected by copyright and non of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the publisher. We take every care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.’

17,000 copies of Families Cambridgeshire available through schools, nurseries, hospitals, clubs and classes, selected shops and restaurants. If you would like copies for your establishment please let us know.

Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life - Albert Einstein

8/9 What’s On Great days out and events to get keep little ones busy in the New Year

11 T wilight at the Museums Discover the excitement of Cambridge Museums after dark.

13 S witched On by St Faiths The digital age has changed the way we all think, is it possible to harness this love of all things digital, and turn it into something that helps your child develop.

15 H ow to reduce sibling rivalry Cambridgeshire parenting coach Jane Rogers tells us how to reduce sibling rivalry.

The second in a 3 part series of expert advice.

EDITOR: Lisa Exell 01945 861336 editor@familiescambridgeshire.co.uk DESIGN: Kevin Pickett kevin@kp-design.co.uk PUBLISHING ASSISTANT: Becky Lawrence admin@familiescambridgeshire.co.uk LISTINGS EDITOR: Hayley Bryant assistant@familiescambridrideshire.co.uk

the sugar artist Come and learn the art of making beautiful Sugarcraft modelling in a friendly relaxed atmosphere

Swedish design with comfort, style & quality

Joanna Gamble: 07415 121 654 joanna@the-sugar-artist.co.uk www.the sugar artist.co.uk

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Children will never need to travel unsafely in a car again Families

Smartphones and tablets ‘disrupt children’s sleep’ A review of previous data found significant links between media devices, like Smartphones and tablets, and disrupted sleep in children.

Researchers looked at data from more than 125,000 children and found a clear association between using media devices and sleep problems, such as not getting enough sleep at night, reduced sleep quality and daytime sleepiness.

Sleep problems were also more likely if the children had access to – but did not use – media devices at bedtime. Members of the media have suggested that the reason for that is because children become restless, anticipating social media messages. While this is a plausible suggestion, the cause of the association was not actually looked into by researchers.

Evidence shows that night-time sleep is just as important as healthy

eating and exercise for children’s development. Those who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight or obese. That is likely because such individuals tend to crave and eat sugary or starchy food during the day to give them energy to stay awake.

Aside from banning the use of media devices in the bedroom, other ways you can help your child get a good night’s sleep include relaxation techniques such as a warm bath or reading a book and creating a dark, quiet, tidy bedroom environment ideal for sleeping.

The study was carried out by researchers from King’s College London; Cardiff University School of Medicine; University Hospital of Wales; the University of Nottingham School of Medicine; University College London; Stony Brook University School of Medicine; and John Hopkins University BaltimoreWashington-India Clinical Trials Unit.

When it comes to child LOVES! safety, parents and caregivers instinctively do their upmost to protect their children and ensure that they are never in high risk situations. So why, according to research, do 33% of parents across Europe take a child out in a car without a suitable car seat in place?

Children’s car seats are historically bulky, impractical and tedious to mount let alone heavy and hard to move. With no easy alternative, 1 out of every 3 parents admits to travelling illegally without a car seat on unexpected or overcrowded car journeys, putting convenience over safety and risking lives.

In the UK it is a legal requirement to have a child car seat or booster seat for any child travelling in a car under the age of 12 and most parents have booster seats available in their own car for each of their children. But what about the 30% of journeys that children take that include cab rides, transport on holidays, outings with grandparents or school friends and those unexpected trips when there is a need to take an additional child in a car? An alarming one in three journeys results in the child using the adult seat belt with no booster seat at all. In a collision that is potentially fatal.

Mifold have launched the most advanced, compact and portable booster seat in the world; the first significant innovation in the booster seat market since their invention more than half a century ago. Mifold is more than 10x smaller than a regular booster seat and is just as safe, meaning parents will now have a safe solution for all those journeys where a car seat is not available for their child.

Available in the UK from John Lewis for £49.95 from the beginning of December 2016.

Mog’s Mission: To make money matter to the nation’s children Maths genius and all-round whizz kid Mog Stinchcombe has landed himself a new role – as Junior Consultant to NatWest. Thirteenyear-old Mog, who found fame earlier this year as the breakout star of Child Genius, will be going behind the scenes at NatWest to uncover exactly what young people know, and need to know, about money.

His appointment follows new research[i] carried out by NatWest’s MoneySense programme that found the majority (55 per cent) of children aged 7-15 worry about their lack of financial knowledge. Nearly two thirds of parents (62 per cent) also worry their child will grow up without a good grasp of managing money.

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Mog is on a mission to get people talking about money. Two fifths of parents (41 per cent) admit they don’t talk about money

management with their children, and nearly half (47 per cent) feel more comfortable talking to their children about sex and relationships than money.

In the first of a series of videos, [https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZV7a6pIQhc], Mog begins his journey as the first ever Junior Consultant at NatWest.

Through the NatWest MoneySense programme, over 3,300 schools have already begun to take big steps in improving financial literacy amongst their students. The bank has committed to educating 1 million more young people across the UK by the end of 2018. For more information visit www. mymoneysense.com/natwest.

News & views A fearless start to the year Eden Dance encourages new dancers to join whether at 3 years old to Nursery Playdance or as adults to learn ballet for its artistic merit and for keeping fit and flexible.

This time of year Eden are preparing for their theatre performances on 4th & 5th February. The junior cast are presenting Pinocchio and the senior cast are working on a brand new show celebrating the musical legends of the past century including David Bowie, Queen, The Beatles, George Gershwin and many more.

If you want to be part of 2018 Theatre Performances then enrol now. 01223 778655 info@ edendance.co.uk

Float on a cloud or walk on the moon Why fearless you might ask?

And what does this even mean?

OFFER For Explore, a child’s educational journey goes beyond acing a quick spelling test or getting to the top of the class for a term. It is about building long-lasting confidence that takes them through their entire life, whether it is through developing a ‘have a go attitude’, or knowing it’s ok to put their hand up without fear of a ‘silly’ question being mocked, or simply feeling excited about their next step. It’s about nurturing a sense of pride, and a fearless attitude to learning, so that every child can become their own version of amazing.

Explore Learning tutors are there to support every step of the way.

Rather than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, they will ask:“are you sure?” or “can you convince me of your answer?”, allowing children to explore and push the boundaries of their thinking each day.

To celebrate the New Year and all of the potential it brings, Explore would like to offer you a little something to help your child along their fearless learner journey. From the 16th January until the 28th February, you’ll save £50 when you join any one of the maths and English tuition centres. To find out which one is closest to you and to book your free trial, check out their website:

Families

explorelearning.co.uk/offer

First aid: skills to save the lives of children This new course, “An introduction to child first aid: Saving young lives,” will give participants basic first aid principles and skills to evaluate and respond to the five most common causes of child injuries:

• Choking: Learn the signs of choking in an infant or child and how to safely relieve airway obstruction

• Bleeding: Learn how to assess and properly stop a child’s nose bleed • Burns: Learn how to cool burns to relieve pain and reduce the chance of swelling and infections, and learn how to dress burn wounds FutureLearn, the social learning platform, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), are partnering to introduce a series of basic first aid courses—the first, already open for enrolment, is aimed at increasing survival rates of children.

Every year, nearly one million children die from injuries and violence and millions more are hospitalized—mostly from unintentional accidents like drowning, car crashes, falls, burns and poisoning. When a medical professional is not immediately available it is often family members, friends or bystanders who are on the scene first and become the first critical step in the chain of survival.

• Wounds and abrasions: Learn how to clean wounds and abrasions to avoid infection and manage bleeding

• Cardiac arrest: Learn how to administer rescue breaths and chest compressions to resuscitate an infant or a child This two-week online course, starting 23 January 2017, will be taught by first aid experts from IFRC and its Global First Aid Reference Centre. The Red Cross Red Crescent network has been the world’s leading provider and trainer of first aid for more than 100 years and continues to train some 15 million people around the world annually.

As with all FutureLearn courses, learners can sign up and attend the course online for free.

New GPS Smartwatch Tackles Child Safety A new GPS smartwatch designed for children aged 5-11 years has been launched to help tackle the issue of child safety. The device links up to a mobile phone allowing a carer or parent to instantly see where a child is. For parents that feel their child is too young to have a mobile phone and access to the internet but need to be able to make contact with them during the day, this could be a great alternative. Some might say it is a step too far and a little intrusive; Families others might WHAT’S see it as NEW a way of allowing children some freedom, which they wouldn’t normally feel comfortable with giving them in today’s society.

The watch ensures the safety and security of each child as he or she learn to be out in public without direct adult supervision. As well as giving children confidence, the watch and its accompanying App allows parents to be in contact with their child at the touch of a button and enables them to set agreed parameters and controls.

Useful features include:

• Geo-Zones which alert parents as and when

their child leaves them

• Comprehensive tracking capabilities that use GPS, LBS, Wi-Fi & Mobile-ID location to provide precise up to the minute tracking updates • Remote Voice Monitoring allowing parents to listen to the environment around the device • Voice messaging allowing parents to send 15 second recordings to their children • Phone calls to the watch so a parent can speak to their child directly • An SOS that immediately updates the watch location, messages the pre-set phone contacts and then starts dialling until someone on the list answers.

“For older children who might be walking to school with their friends or starting to take their first independent steps away from their parents, the watch provides security for both sides. Children feel safe knowing that they can send an SOS signal if in danger and parents can specify geographic locations that their children can enter and then be notified if they leave the boundaries.”

WatchuGPS watches are available directly from www.watchugps.com and cost £119.99. Customers can take advantage of an interest-free ‘easy payment’ option of two payments of £59.99 to spread the cost over time.

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Families Schools

Nu rs e r y L i s t i n g s 2 017 H e lpi n g you f i nd t he r i g ht pl ac e for you r l it t le one s - ou r 2 0 17 g u i de to s ome of t he nu r s e r ie s i n C a mbr i d ge s h i re , a nd t he l ate s t O f s te d r at i n g s .

Kidsunlimited Have nurseries in Cambridge each setting boasting its own individual appeal www.kidsunlimited.co.uk 0845 365 2160

Kidsunlimited Long Road Located on the grounds of Addenbrooke’s Hospital, making it an ideal location for parents who work at the site. *Ofstead rating: Good

Kidsunlimited Fulbourn I s relocating in early 2014 to a brand new, purpose-built nursery on Capital Park. The nursery will boast huge external play areas, set on green belt land in a tranquil setting. *Ofstead rating: Good

Bunnybrookes Day Nursery Is located within Addenbrooke’s hospital and is available for Addenbrooke’s NHS Trust employees. *Ofstead rating: Good

Bright Horizons Cambridge Science Park Is a purpose built nursery ideally located for companies on the Science Park. *Ofstead rating: Good

Bright Horizons Wolfson Court Is located just off Madingley Road, with excellent links to all the main transport networks, including the A14, M11 and Cambridge City Centre. *Ofstead rating: Good

Bright Horizons Ely Is located on the Cambridgeshire Business Park — just five minutes from Ely train station, making it an excellent location for parents working in the area or commuting elsewhere. *Ofstead rating: Not yet rated

Scallywags Are committed to providing a safe, healthy, stimulating and loving environment for every child, where they can develop and learn at their own pace. www.scallywagsdaynursey.com

Scallywags Girton Was the first Scallywags to open in 1994 and is very much part of the Girton community, nestled in the heart of the village. 01223 277400 *Ofstead rating: Good

Scallywags Westwick Nursery is the larger of the Scallywags nurseries, It is a modern spacious, purpose build nursery located in 4 acres of grounds. 01223 232400 *Ofstead rating: Good

Chestnut nursery Chesterton one of ten nurseries and part of an established group Chestnut nursery is attached to the newly opened Chesterton Primary School. www.chestnut-nursery.co.uk 01223 728390 *Ofstead rating: Good

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Blackberry House Day Nursery Wisbech Believes in creating experiential learning opportunities by offering environments and resources that inspire the imagination and natural curiosity of the developing mind. www.kidsunlimited.co.uk 0845 365 2160 *Ofstead rating: Outstanding

Downham Montessori Nursery Is a co-educational independent day school for pupils aged 2-11 years. Their aim is to help all children, regardless of academic ability to reach their maximum potential. www.dpsmn.norfolk. sch.uk 01366 388066 *Ofstead rating: Outstanding

SNAP! for kids Cambridge & Hauxton Is committed to the development of all children aged from 3 months and offers a relaxed and happy environment for playful and creative learning. www.snap4kids.co.uk 01223 477413 *Ofstead rating: Good

ACE nursery school, Cambridge Parkside is a popular nursery school in the heart of Cambridge staffed by qualified and enthusiastic Early Years Practitioners. *Ofstead rating: Outstanding

Histon early years centre Is made up of Histon Nursery school and childcare and the villages children’s centre. The sure start centre offers integrated universal services for families with children up to the age of 5. *Ofstead rating: Outstanding

All Saints Interchurch Pre-School, March Provides spaces for children between 2 – 4 years and is committed to ensuring children receive the best possible care. www.allsaints.cambs.sch.uk *Ofstead rating: Good

Clarence House, March Aims to provide a happy homely, secure and safe environment for children aged 3 months to 5 years. *Ofstead rating: Not yet rated

Benwick Butterflies Pre-School, Benwick Offers sessional care for 2-5 year olds in a purpose built setting in a safe, stimulating and caring environment which promotes learning through play.

01354 677733 *Ofstead rating: Not yet rated

Homerton Children’s Centre, Cambridge Aims to make children’s’ experiences happy, exiting and full of playful discovery, providing stimulating environments to support children in developing curiosity playfulness and a desire to learn. www.hamerton.cambs.sch.uk 01223 508766 *Ofstead rating: Outstanding

Patacake, Cambridge Offers sessional care for 2-5 year olds in a purpose built setting in a safe, stimulating and caring environment which promotes learning through play. 01354 677733 *Ofstead rating: Not yet rated

Clarence House, Cambridge Is a safe and loving nursery environment for children aged 3 months to 4 years 11 months, with age specific rooms in the well laid out nursery providing children with age appropriate resources. www.clarencehousenurseries.co.uk 01223 778383 *Ofstead rating: Good

Harvey Road Day Nursery, Cambridge Provides care and foundation stage education for children aged 3 months to 5 Years with the aim for children to learn about themselves and gain the ability to socialise and gain confidence in a caring environment. www.harveyroaddaynursery.org.uk 01223 363860 *Ofstead rating: Satisfactory

Butterfly Day Nursery, Cambridge Aims to provide high quality childcare in an environment that fosters resilience and independence helping children to make positive choices. Their goal is to support children’s desire to be lifelong learners. www.butterflydaynursery.co.uk 01223353164 *Ofstead rating: Good

Ladybirds Nursery, Wisbech Is the longest established and most experienced nursery in Wisbech and welcomes children aged 3 months to 5 years, offering individual care and attention plus a specially tailored cirriculum. www.ladybirdsnursery.com 01945 466667 *Ofstead rating: Good

Emneth Nursery School and Children’s Centre Emneth Wisbech benefits from having its own personal curriculum, built upon strong early years principles, designed to focus on building lifelong skills for children to become confident learners. www.emneth-nur.norfolk.sch.uk 01945 582401 *Ofstead rating: Good

Wisbech St Mary Pre School Aims to create a warm, safe, caring and stimulating environment and to make sure all children are valued an treated as equals with plenty of opportunities to explore ideas and interests. www.wsmpreschool.com 01945 411864 *Ofstead rating: Good

Unfortunately, due to space, we cannot include all the settings in Cambridgeshire.

For the full listing please visit www.familiescambridgeshire.co.uk

Baby News

Men’s attitude towards fatherhood ‘affects child behaviour’ Children of confident fathers who embrace parenthood are less likely to show behavioural problems before their teenage years,” The Guardian reports.

A study found a link between positive attitudes towards fatherhood and good behaviour at age 11. The UK study involved more than 6,000 children born in 1991 or 1992 as well as their parents.` Fathers were interviewed during the first year after their child’s birth about their positive and negative reactions to becoming a father. Both parents were also asked about the amount of time the father was involved in childcare or domestic work.

After taking account of other factors, children of men scoring highly on confidence and emotional response to fatherhood were 13% and 14% less likely to

Hopes raised that Zika virus could be treated in the womb Scientists say they may have found a way to protect babies in the womb from the harmful effects of Zika. Researchers have had success using antibody therapy to treat mice when they were still in the womb.

There is evidence that Zika virus, which has become widespread in South America, can damage the development of babies in the womb. One of the most striking birth defects associated with Zika is babies being born with abnormally small heads and brains (microcephaly).The hope is that by treating babies in the womb it may be possible to prevent, or at least reduce the extent of birth defects.

The study involved isolating strains of antibodies (infection-fighting proteins) from the blood of people who’d recovered from Zika. Scientists picked the antibodies that were most active against several strains of the virus. They then tested their effect on pregnant mice infected with Zika.

The mouse foetuses were much more likely to survive if their mothers had been given antibodies, and there was less evidence of damage to the foetus or placenta.

Results in mice cannot tell us whether the treatment will be safe or effective in humans. So the researchers conclude that the treatment needs further testing.

have behaviour problems at age nine, and 11% less likely at age 11.

Factors such as a father’s emotional response and confidence were found to be more important than the amount of time spent involved in the actual, sometimes messy, side of day-to-day childcare.

Other factors linked to a reduced chance of children having behavioural problems included having older, better-educated parents.

Observational studies like this can’t prove cause and effect. But perhaps it’s not surprising that having positive, confident fathers at an early age is linked to better outcomes for children in later life.

For men concerned about upcoming “dadhood”, there is training and advice available from a range of organisations, such as the National Childbirth Trust (NCT).

LOU the Night Owl LOU the night owl is a modern, soothing bedtime light with a timer and voice activation function. Parents can leave LOU on all night, or set a timer to gently fade and switch off after little one has gone to sleep. If little one wakes in the night, LOU the Night Owl will automatically switch on and offer reassurance. There are two different lights with 3 different settings so parents can create the perfect lighting for their child’s bedroom. We tested the night light, and our mum gave it 3.5 stars.

“I have two young girls age 4 & 7 and we used LOU on the landing as a night light.

It is a solid unit and works with batteries as well as with an adaptor so can be carried

Snuggle up

Snugglebundl is an ingenious wrap that works as a hammock to fully Families support a baby’s head TRIED& TESTED when lifted and keeps them snuggly whilst in their car seat, prams and cribs!

The garment has been cleverly designed with a dense material with a thickness of only 1mm, which allows you to effortlessly lift, lay and move your baby without waking them. Snugglebundl has been praised by health

Families WHAT’S NEW

around at night time from room to room.

I like the sound sensor, which you can turn on or off - when it senses sound it will come on for 5 minutes meaning you are not wasting energy. I am not sure the light would be bright enough for reading but a lovely little night light that looks great” Carrie full time mummy in Huntingdon. Priced £29.99 available from www.cheekyrascals.co.uk

professionals and families alike, who compliment its diverse range of uses and benefits to modern-day parents. It recently underwent vigorous testing in both 3 and 5-point harness car seats and passed with flying colours.

The certificate, which is relevant to both the EU and US markets, was awarded after Snugglebundl proved its worth as not only a blanket for transporting babies into the car, but also as the ultimate safe solution for travelling with babies in tow.

RRP: £34.99 Stockist: www.snugglebundl.co.uk

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Families Fun New Year’s Day Ice-breaker WHEN? 1 January: 10.00

WHERE? Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, St Neots HOW MUCH? See Website Choice of walks including Icebreaker, starting from the Visitor Centre. How many bird species can you spot? www.wildlifebcn.org/ paxtonpits

W hat’s On places Things to do, e had… to go, fun to b s! …for kids of a

ll age

Floodlit Swan Feeds WHEN? 1 Jan – 26 Feb: 18.30

WHERE? Welney Wetland Centre, Norfolk HOW MUCH? Family from £19.95 Experience a stunning evening of watching wild swans being fed by floodlight from the comfort of the centrally-heated main hide.

Thursday to Sunday. Afternoon swan feeds also 15.30 on Sat & Sun. www.wwt.org.uk/wetlandcentres/welney

Sledging and Ice Sliding WHEN? January and February

WHERE? SnoZone Milton Keynes HOW MUCH? From £14.99 Visit the SnoZone for fantastic, snow-covered fun all year long.

From 2 years + www.snozoneuk.com

Wizard of Oz WHEN? 18th - 20th November 10.00 – 18.00 WHERE? The Burgess Hall, St Ives

HOW MUCH? £12 adults £8 under 16s The Centre Theatre Players have a fine reputation for their Pantomime production, winning the NODA award for the best Pantomime in the district six times in the last eight years.

01480 388111 www.ticketsource.co.uk/ burgesshall

Mucky Pups – Winter Wildlife WHEN? 11 & 12 January : 10.15 – 11.45 WHERE? Wicken Fen, Ely

HOW MUCH? £4.75 Seasonal fun, crafts and adventure for under 5s. Event will take place outside, so wrap up warm and wear clothes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. Wellies advised; booking essential. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wickenfen-nature-reserve 01353 720274

Family Wildlife Cycle Ride

Cirque du Hilarious WHEN? 15th February

WHERE? Kings Lynn Corn Exchange This show is over two hours of continuous laughter!

Clive and Danny’s madcap hilarious humour and lunacy manages to cross all ages from Children, Teenagers, Mums, Dads and Grandparents! www. kingslynncornexchange. co.uk

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Clip and Climb WHEN? 1st January and 28th February WHERE? Cambridge

HOW MUCH? Prices from £12.50 an hour.

Every day through half term experience 20 unique climbing challenges that twist, turn, light and excite. The East of England’s first Clip ‘n Climb is suitable for everyone from 4 years upwards and is the ultimate fun and healthy activity for you to enjoy with your friends and family. Advance booking is essential, so to experience Cambridge’s ‘must do’ attraction, book your place today. 01223 941700 www.clipnclimbcambridge.co.uk

Life, Easy Street, I Don’t Need Anything But You and Tomorrow.

Don’t miss Annie – you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll love it!

01223 503333 www. cambridgeartstheatre.com

WHEN? 15 January 2017 13:00 - 16:00 WHERE? Wicken Fen, Ely HOW MUCH? £4.00 per person if you bring your own bike (otherwise £8.00) Join the rangers on a family bike ee ride around the Fen. A great way to Fr get active with the family in the New The Secrets of the Statues Year. Meet outside the Cycle Hire.

- a torch lit adventure Approx. 3 miles, stopping at various WHEN? 15th Feb 4:30PM – 7:30PM points along the way.

WHERE? Museum of Classical 01353 720274 www.nationaltrust. org.uk/wicken-fen-nature-reserve Archaeology Cambridge

Annie

HOW MUCH? Free Look closely in that shadowy corner,

WHEN? 18 – 21 January: 14.30 & 19.30

did you see something move?

WHERE? Cambridge Arts Theatre

been known to come alive... Explore

HOW MUCH? £18/£23/£28/£33 With its multiple Tony-winning book and score, this stunning new production includes the unforgettable songs Hard Knock

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Rumour has is it the statues have the Museum after dark; try out the Twilight trail; and bring the statues to life by torchlight. www.classics.cam.ac.uk/museum

Campfire Cooking for Kids WHEN? 21 January: 10.30 & 13.30 WHERE? Ferry Meadows Country Park, Peterborough

HOW MUCH? See Website Learn basic bush-craft techniques to light a fire without using matches and have a go at cooking and eating some simple campfire recipes.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Booking essential.

01733 234193 www. neneparktrust.org.uk/newsevents

MineVention WHEN? 21 & 22 January

WHERE? Cresset Theatre, Peterborough HOW MUCH? £26.50 Bring your Minecraft-mad kids to a weekend of Minecraft, on-stage fun and games, meeting world famous YouTubers and more. Now in its second year at The Cresset; bigger and better than before.

01733 265705 www.cresset.co.uk

Families Fun Connecting The Great Fen in LEGO®

The First King of England... in a Dress!

WHEN? 16 -19 February 10.00 – 16.00

WHEN? 3 February: from 6:15pm WHERE? Ely Cathedral

HOW MUCH? £6 adults £3 children 1,000 years ago, there was no place like England for a good story... because there was no place called England! A fun-packed family storytelling show including puppetry, music from a “genuine” electro-acoustic Anglo-Saxon lyre... and plenty of joining in! Arrive early for extra stories and face-painting!

01353 660349 www.elycathedral.org

WHERE? Great Fen, Ramsey

HOW MUCH? See Website Filled with fun, interactive, creative and educational activities for the whole family. The aim is to build a 3d map of the Great Fen from LEGO® through series of 1 hour workshops.

Other activities include exploring the Fen in the virtual world of Minecraft and a mini LEGO® trail. www.greatfen.org.uk/events

Gruesome Gargoyles

WHEN? 15th February

WHEN? 4 February 11.00 – 15.00

WHERE? All Saints Church,

Spice Painting WHERE? School’s Garden Cambridge Botanical Gardens

HOW MUCH? See Website FREE for children; normal admission for adults You can cook with them, but have you ever painted using spices from the kitchen? Come and have a go and take home an India-inspired artwork. Drop-in, no booking required. www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/Botanic

Free

4.30pm – 7.30pm Jesus Lane Cambridge HOW MUCH? Free Become a bizarre beast for the evening and explore All Saints Church after hours. Make a mask to turn you into a gruesome gargoyle and search the church with a ‘Gizmo the Gargoyle’ trail. Will he be hiding in the shadows? www.

Wintry Wild Art WHEN? 16 February: 10.30 – 12.30 & 14.00 – 16.00 WHERE? Wicken Fen, Ely

HOW MUCH? £5.50 Wrap up warm and come and create some wild art at Wicken using seasonal natural materials, with crafts to take home. Meet at visitor centre. Age 3 – 10 years. Booking essential.

08442491895 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wickenfen-nature-reserve/whats-on

visitchurches.org.uk/cambridge

Winter Wander WHEN? 21 January: 10.00 – 12.00

Living with Dogs: family dog safety workshop WHEN? 29 January 10.00 12.00 WHERE? Wood Green-the AnimalsCharity, Godmanchester HOW MUCH? Free Essential guide to staying safe and having fun with your dog.

Separate adult workshop covers dog mood management. Children enjoy their very own workshop and learn to speak dog body language, know when their dog needs some time alone and get hands on with some dog training. Booking essential. 0300 303 9333 or email handson@woodgreen.org.uk www.woodgreen.org.uk

WHERE? Trumpington Meadows Nature Reserve

Thomas Half-Term Specials WHEN? 10th – 18th December

WHERE? The Nene Valley Railway, Peterborough HOW MUCH? Children £8; Adults £16; Family £40 Join Thomas on his Half Term Specials as he pulls the train through the tunnel to Yarwell and back, then enjoy a little nostalgia with a trip along the picturesque Nene Valley from the comfort of a carriage, pulled behind a Steam Locomotive. www.nvr.org.uk

Mucky Pups – Feathery February WHEN? 8 & 9 Feb: 10.15 – 11.45 WHERE? Wicken Fen, Ely

HOW MUCH? £4.75 Seasonal fun, crafts and adventure for under 5s. Event will take place outside, so wrap up warm and wear clothes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. Wellies advised. Booking essential.

01353 720274 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wickenfen-nature-reserve/whats-on

HOW MUCH? See Website See how nature comes alive during the colder months. Particularly looking for birds that call reserve home over winter, from fieldfare to golden plover.

Meet Byrons Pool Car Park. www.wildlifebcn.org/events

MAA versus the Wild WHEN? 15th February 4:30-7:30pm WHERE? Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology Cambridge

HOW MUCH? See Website Against the odds, humans have survived and even thrived. MAA will show you how. See ancient weapons, clever tools, and canoes that have travelled miles, then pick your own survival objects in a torch-lit trail. www.maa.cam.ac.uk

Drop-in Wild Family Fun WHEN? 13-17 Feb: 10.00 – 14.00 WHERE? Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, St Neots

HOW MUCH? £3 per child Self-guided outdoor and indoor fun – lots to do whatever the weather! Park at the main car park at Paxton Pits Nature Reserve and walk down to the Environmental Education Centre. www.wildlifebcn.org/events

Cambridge Premier Book Fair WHEN? 17 & 18 February: 12 – 18.00 & 10.00 – 17.00 WHERE? Cambridge Guildhall

HOW MUCH? £2.00 Usual eclectic range of dealers and stock appearing, among them specialists in equestrian books, early printing, medicine, mountaineering, miniature books, polar, Enid Blyton, first editions and children’s and illustrated books. www.cambridgebookfair.org

Megson Family Folk Show WHEN? 26 February: 11.30 & 14.30 WHERE? Cambridge Junction

HOW MUCH? £10 adult £6 child A fun folk concert for big and little music connoisseurs. Award-winning folk duo Megson blend their mix of heavenly vocals and lush harmonies into a gentle, entertaining concert specially for pre-school children.

01223 511 511 www.junction.co.uk

Wow! Said the Owl WHEN? 19 February: 11.30 & 13.30 WHERE? The Key Studio, Peterborough HOW MUCH? £9, Concessions £7 Explore the wow-world of colours with this curious little owl who is determined to stay awake to see what day light brings. The acclaimed children’s book is brought to life through a blend of beautiful storytelling, puppetry and music.

For 2-5 yrs.

01733 207239 www.vivacitypeterborough.com

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Families Fun HERE IS A TASTE OF WHAT YOU CAN FIND...

• Museum of Cambridge, Castle Street,

Victorian Twilight. Join History Off The Page for candlemaking workshops. Make a traditional dipped candle. 4.30-5.30 & 6-7pm, drop-in (limited capacity) www.folkmuseum.org.uk

• Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences,

Downing Street. Fabulous Fossils and Where to Find Them. Explore the Sedgwick Museum after dark. Uncover fabulous finds under special light and discover what else you might find lurking in the dark showcases…Please note: queues are likely at this venue www. sedgwickmuseum.org

• Whipple Museum of the History of Science,

TWILIGHT at the Museums

Families - explore Cambridge museums and collections after-hours Wednesday 15th February 2017, 4.30pm – 7.30pm, FREE

Adventures with Art, Curious Collections and Gruesome Gargoyles Cambridge’s popular evening of family museum exploration is back. Twilight at the Museums returns in February halfterm for more torch-led adventure and discovery.

around every corner.

Take a trip to the Museum of Classical Archaeology to uncover The Secrets of the Statues; rumour has it they’ve been known to come alive… A short walk down the road to the University Library will see visitors become Explorers of the Curious, tasked with finding mysterious objects hiding in the dark and discovering the magical stories behind them.

Between 4.30 – 7.30pm on Wednesday 15th February families from Cambridge and beyond will be able to drop into a huge array of FREE activities and Downing Street will once themed trails. With again offer a number of 10 local museums torch led happenings, The joy of Twilight and collections from MAA versus the at the Museums is to choose from Wild at the Museum plus outdoor of Archaeology and in the discovery of entertainment Anthropology to a somewhere new and pop-up food hunt for objects of stalls, visitors will unbelievable shapes have everything and sizes at the Whipple they need for a fun Museum of the History of and inspiring evening with Science.

Cambridge’s collections from across the The Fitzwilliam Museum is joining globe. forces with Kettle’s Yard to create The joy of Twilight at the Museums a treasure box of Twilight delights, is in the discovery of somewhere new. including live art with light, pop-up This year’s events offer families a host creativity and special performances in of opportunities to venture to venues the galleries. And for those in need of within easy reach of each other. And some tropical warmth, take a stroll to with unique collections, low lighting and the Botanic Garden’s dramatically lit a few surprises along the way, a night Glasshouses, where visitors can make of enjoyment and wonder can be found their own mandala to take home.

Free School Lane. Larger than Life? At the Whipple, things are not always what they seem… frogs, fungus or even planets can be unusually enormous or incredibly small. Join in a hunt for objects of unbelievable shapes and sizes. www.hps.cam.ac.uk/whipple

• University Library, West Road.

Curious Collectors. Let your imagination run wild and discover the library in twilight. Become an Explorer of the Curious and find mysterious objects hiding in dark corners. Hear the magical stories behind them then make up your own with storyteller, Marion Leeper. www.exhibitions.lib.cam.ac.uk

• The Polar Museum, Lensfield Road

Polar Nights. Experience the darkness of a polar winter and discover some amazing objects.

What will you hear? What will you see? Who will you meet? Please note: queues are likely at this venue. www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum

• Cambridge University Botanic Garden,

Brookside. Moonlit Mandalas. Follow the trail through the Glasshouse Range and make your own mandala to take home. www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

• Fitzwilliam Museum with Kettle’s Yard,

Trumpington Street. An Adventure with Art. Join artist Hugo Dalton as he creates live art with light; make your own piece of art or seek out special performances and activities in the galleries. www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk www.kettlesyard.co.uk

• Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey, Ely

Road, Waterbeach (A10). Happy Families.

Explore the Abbey and Museum as it’s lit up for the evening. Discover all sorts of family stories, play an interactive version of the classic Happy Families game and enjoy some good oldfashioned family crafts. http://dennyeducation.co.uk/index.html For a full list of Museums and events pick up or download a copy of the Twilight What’s On leaflet at www.museums.cam.ac.uk/twilight or head over the www.familiescambridgeshire. co.uk Facebook: Cambridge University Museums or Follow them on Twitter:@ CamUnivMuseums #CamTwilight

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HackLab with a passion for what tech can do and a skill for passing that passion on to the next generation — and Pippa Moss, who boasts an impressive background in international education management. All students that attend benefit from the HackLab team’s combined years of experience in the tech industry, as well as their bags of enthusiasm, passion and ‘geek cred’.

HackLab HackLab is a leading provider of tech holiday camps, in-school events and after school clubs. Since 2014, HackLab has been deeply hooked into the Cambridge tech scene — offering fun, cutting-edge camps and workshops for children aged 8-16 — in collaboration with Microsoft Research, Citrix, Google, Redgate, Amazon and ARM, plus the influential maker communities at Makespace and Barclays Eagle Labs.

HackLab was founded by Mark Calleja — a teacher rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

The UK educational curriculum demands the inclusion of coding instruction for all children aged five and over.

HackLab is leading the charge to take children from mindless consumers of technology to creators and developers, through open-ended projects and problem-based workshops, all exceeding and enriching the computer science outcomes laid out

by Ofsted.

equipment like 3D printers, laser cutters, Raspberry Pi microcomputers and ‘Triple-A’ game engines to create their own video games, clothing, electronic devices and digital content, with the support and expertise of the HackLab team.

Mrs Lewis, from Cambridge, says, “HackLab is marvellous. My son has been going for ages and continues to adore it.

The team are always bringing new activities and ideas based on the latest tech knowledge.

It’s great fun and the kids are learning vital skills at the same time. It’s a great way to get into coding and make new friends.”

By attending a HackLab course, children in London, Brighton and Cambridge will have the chance to harness the power of the digital resources around them, by learning to become creators of technology.

Attendees at HackLab Summer Camps can take advantage of state-of-the-art

Families Cambridgeshire magazine and website is growing and we are looking for an experienced sales person to join our team.

Are you a superstar sales person?

Are you searching for a part time sales job?

We are looking for an enthusiastic telesales professional and account manager to cover Cambridgeshire Based from home you will need to be self motivated and committed.

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YOU WILL BE PAID A DAILY FEE AND GREAT COMMISSION If this sounds like you, then please email your C.V to: editor@familiescambridgeshire.co.uk by the 25th February. www.familiesonline.co.uk/local/south-cambridgeshire

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Switched on The digital age has changed the way people think, interact and learn, and for parents, it’s easy to get swept away on a tidal wave of technology, with a constant battle to prise children away from computer games and phones. Yet it is possible to harness this love of all things digital, and turn it into something that helps your child develop.

Time spent working with computer games can be a good thing – as long as pupils are studying others’ code, and writing their own, to gain an insight into exactly what goes into creating the apps they play. For children to become confident and proficient in this subject, it’s crucial to challenge the misconception that computing is an impossible subject to learn.

At St Faith’s, they are committed to enhancing the experience of learning computing, so that pupils develop a

fascination for the subject. They provide pupils with a base understanding of how to write their own games by using languages that are relevant to industry. Relating Computing to the things children do at home starts to make the connection real for them, and begins to break down learning barriers.

It begins by creating lessons that are fun and engaging, with plenty of interaction, so the learning is about much more than just theory. Pupils learn binary through games, quizzes, and ASCII art or learn how to write text adventure games in Python and build their own websites in HTML.

His passion for creating programmes was nurtured in school, but he continued with his project outside the classroom and his app, for the Cambridge Blue Plaque Society, will now be used by thousands of people every year.

Helping children to develop a love of computing comes from giving them the tools and the confidence to understand it, and the idea that pupils all over the country can tap into this potential is exciting and inspiring.

As part of St Faith’s commitment to the subject, and to nurturing the talent of future computer engineers, they encourage By building a strong other schools across the UK foundation of basic to achieve best in-class knowledge, teaching of computer By building a strong children’s science. confidence In addition to foundation of basic in their own his role as Head knowledge, children’s abilities grows of Computing at confidence in their own and flourishes.

St Faith’s, Jamie Developing strong Mitchell works with abilities grows and computing skills is a further 30 schools flourishes within every child’s by developing their reach, and the key to knowledge and computing unlocking potential is dependent skills and hopefully, inspiring them on understanding how each child learns as to uncover more hidden talents. much as what the curriculum involves.

He also runs a course every term that is tailored specifically to each region’s needs Last year, one Year 8 pupil took the skills and this helps to develop confident, capable, developed in Computing class, and used and effective teachers who are able to them to design and build a phone and tablet encourage children to push boundaries in app for a local charity. the field of Computing.

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Families Education

How to reduce sibling rivalry The second of a three part series of ‘How to’ articles by Parent Coach Jane Rogers agree to the solution and the problem is solved, praise them for their ‘good’ behaviour ‘Well done you worked it out, that was sensible.’

Time apart

‘Muuum, she’s annoying me!’

Doesn’t this just drive you nuts? I know I felt so when my two were young. Here are a few tips to help reduce sibling squabbles and keep you sane.

Teach problem solving

‘I see you two have a problem, what’s wrong?’ (said calmly) Brother then says sister is hogging the laptop sister says ‘no’ she is not, it’s her turn ‘Ummm, that is a problem’ you might say ‘only one laptop and you both want it.’

You might then ask your children what the answer to this problem is. If they don’t know, give them some guidance. If they

Works particularly well in the school holidays and on wet weekends when just being with each other all the time can lead to more squabbles and disagreements.

Provided your kids are old enough and can manage time entertaining themselves alone, have a rule that at a particular time of day everyone spends some time on their own doing something they want to (including you). Make this a regular part of your routine and try to re-group and do something nice together afterwards.

Ignore as much as you can

At times you may choose to intervene, but there are good reasons why you should try to ignore some of this behaviour. I don’t mean the stuff where someone is going to get hurt, just the low level bickering, arguing, tale telling etc. You know the kind of thing I mean: ‘Muuuum, he’s annoying me, tell him to stop……. Muuum, she did it again!’ I used to get this sort of thing from my boys a lot, and I did ignore it when I could, and by ‘ignore’ I mean I would

maybe say something like ‘I’m sure you can sort it out,’ and just repeat this for as many times as necessary; it’s called the ‘broken record’ technique. I would in these circumstances refuse to get drawn in, and it really did work, they started to sort minor problems themselves.

If you are being driven mad by Sibling Rivalry, give the above a try.

Good luck,

Jane

Jane Rogers is a parenting expert, and founder of The Cambridge Parent Coach.

She is a qualified and highly experienced parenting course facilitator, and writes and runs workshops for parents. Her two parent workbooks: ‘How to Encourage Good Behaviour, so You Can Enjoy Your Children’ and ‘How to Use Positive Discipline, to Improve Your Child’s Behaviour,’ are available on Amazon. Follow The Cambridge Parent Coach on Facebook.

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