Families Birmingham May/June 2023 DIGITAL

Welcome

Now the weather is getting better and the evenings longer, you can get the kids outside to play. We’ve provided some tempting activity ideas for outdoor fun. It’s also a great time for eating outside –from family barbeques to street parties. Check out our simple outdoor dining ideas. Meanwhile, if you’re planning some time under canvas this summer, you may be interested in our top picks for UK camping destinations.

And as we head towards the end of term, don’t forget Father’s Day or a thank you gift for your child’s teacher – we have plenty of ideas for you in this issue.

There are some great giveaways for you in this issue too, including your chance to win a holiday from Away Resorts, tonnes of Orchard Toy Little Shopping Lotto games and much more! Apply inside and also ensure you receive every issue of our digital magazine with lots more content and goodies on offer.

Clubs & classes

Education

Outdoor play

Father’s Day gifts

Parties

Food Giveaways

Coronation downloadable

Royal connections Days out

Get in touch

Competition winners from our January/ February issue

Congratulations to all our winners. You can find a list HERE

The Lost and Found Restaurant, Birmingham REVIEW

Ultimate school holiday camps, Kings Heath, Birmingham

My family and I were invited to sample the brand-new Bottomless Brunch menu at this charming venue on Bennetts Hill. There is a lovely range of dishes offering something for everyone. Best of all, the meal was served with bottomless (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) drinks of our choice from the brunch menu!

FIND OUT MORE

Ultimate Activity Camps will provide an outstanding programme of 40+ activities during the summer holidays for children aged 4-14. A wide range of sports, games and craft activities will be on offer.

EARLY BIRD OFFER: Book before Tues 6 June to qualify for special discount.

FIND OUT MORE

Clubs, Classes & Activities

Gra Na Rince

Kids’ Irish dancing classes in Selly Oak and Redditch. Contact Louise 07790 876345

Email

BilinguaSing

Song-filled Spanish & French for little ones!

Email bilinguasing.com

Tel: 07539 863024

Sing & Sign

Baby sign courses for babies and toddlers. Tel: 07517 381117

Football Funatics

Fun football coaching for children aged 4-13.

Tel: 07931 455093

Email

The Chocolate Shed

Chocolate making parties and workshops for chocoholics of all ages. Email

Softplay Takeaway

We offer softplay packages for children aged 0–12. Tel: 0161 818 4876

S4 Swim

School holiday courses designed to boost your child’s swimming development.

Theatretrain

Fun-packed, highenergy classes in singing, acting and dance. Ages 6-18.

Ackers Adventures

Try something new this summer. Everything from Abseiling to Zipwire! 0121 772 5111

What is the CPA approach in maths?

By Jemma Z Smith

CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) is a maths teaching approach that has grown in popularity in recent years. It involves using tangible objects for children to add, subtract, multiply or divide. They then progress to using pictorial representations of the objects and ultimately, abstract symbols.

This way of learning is one of the foundations of Singaporean maths, now being adopted in the UK.

Concrete

The tangible, ‘handling’ stage uses physical objects to solve problems. For example:

There are four buttons in the pot. Stanley has two buttons in his hand. How many buttons are there altogether?

In this problem, the children might first count out actual buttons before moving on to non-related objects such as counters.

Of course, almost anything can be used to help a child master this stage from pencils to plastic pots, to counting beans and coins. You don’t need to spend money on concrete resources to support learning.

Pictorial

The next step is for learners to move on to making their own representations.

Returning to the buttons example, these could be drawn as four circles on one part of the paper and two more on another part, representing the pot and the hand. Kids can then count each small circle, getting the same answer as with the buttons

READ MORE

Teacher gift ideas

It’s approaching the end of term again…here are some great ‘thank you’ gift ideas for your child’s teacher, both hand-crafted and shop-bought.

Make a photo frame

Simple, fun project. Requires three materials and a photo memento.

Make a terrarium

Terrariums of all shapes & sizes look great on a desk!

Make DIY hot chocolate bombs

Encased in chocolate & filled with mini marshmallows.

Make pebble class art

Decorate pebbles marking out members of your class and your teacher.

Teacher’s Tin

A novelty desk tidy for the teacher who likes to be organised. £11.79

School backpack charity gift

A charity gift your child’s teacher will love. £11 ActionAid

Keep Calm & Pretend coffee mug

Fun quality mug for the teacher who enjoys a joke. £9.45

Thank You Teacher chocolate gift box

For a teacher with a sweet tooth! £10

Personalised

Teacher’s Survival Kit

Fill with essentialstissues, paper clips, tea bags £7.87

Developing independent learning

By Zuzu Jordan

How handwriting affects self-esteem

By Catherine Loble and Lisa Wander

Big family celebrations occur when our children display independence by taking their first steps or riding their bike without stabilisers.

So how do we then help children develop independence in their learning?

READ MORE

Selly Oak Nursery School

Kids who struggle with handwriting are often at a disadvantage in the high-paced classroom setting. According to the Dyspraxia Foundation, they are usually aware of their difficulty and their untidy writing can make them feel uncomfortable and frustrated.

READ MORE

Top children’s literature festivals

Children’s literature festivals are springing up all over the country and offer great entertainment for families. Here’s our selection.

Barnes Children’s Literature Festival

London’s largest festival. Big-name authors, shows & activities. 24-25 Jun

Appledore Book Festival (North Devon)

A dedicated children’s programme. 15-24 Sep

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Hundreds of events for families. 12-28 Aug

Cuckfield Children’s BookFest (Sussex)

Spectacular one day event with author ‘meets’ & talks. 7 Oct

Bath Children’s Literature Festival

Europe’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival. 29 Sep-8 Oct

llkley Literature Children’s Festival (Yorkshire)

Top authors, free dropin events, storytelling, workshops. Oct

Wokingham Children’s Book (Berkshire)

Festival with author

‘meets’ & talks. 15 Oct.

Hay Festival (Wales)

Extensive programme & section for toddlers & parents. 25 May-4 Jun

Great Malvern Festival of Stories (West Midlands)

Storytellers, authors, theatre. 24-29 Oct.

Creative garden play

Water

Plastic water bottle guns – use old squeezy detergent bottles for squirty fun.

Water balloon pinata - make with balloons, water, string and a stick.

DIY Slip n Slide - spread out a long tarp and apply hose for slippery, slidy fun. Ice play – freeze water overnight in empty cartons for building, sculpting and slipping.

Mix & stir

Leaf tea – infuse a variety of leaves from the garden in an old teapot or saucepan. Cappuccino – help them carefully froth a muddy watery mix with a whisk.

Mud ice creams – use ice cream cones, dirt and flowers for decoration.

Garden perfume – using sealable bottles, add water and best smelling flowers and herbs.

Make a cheap & easy mud kitchen

Sand & mud

Mobile mud patch – convert your wheelbarrow into a mud pit. Natural sand pit – dig a shallow hole. Line using plastic with rock edging. Add sand.

Sand wall – attach old, upsidedown cartons and bottles with ends removed for pouring sand. Muddy car wash – get the toy cars really muddy, then wash them in a soapy water bucket.

Creative garden

Small world garden play –connect with the natural world with these imagination zones. Soil art – use an ancient method to make paint from the garden. Paint a mural – let imaginations flow using a washable chalk paint recipe.

Ice excavation – freeze interesting items inside blocks of ice for your children to release.

Make seed bombs

Transform an old chest of drawers into a kid’s kitchen using household junk.

Two simple ways to spread colour and biodiversity in your garden.

Great gifts for the dad in your life

Don’t forget to show dad how much he’s appreciated on Father’s Day on Sunday, 18 June. Check out our gift suggestions for something he might like – all for £20 or less.

FOCO Moccasin slippers

Comfy suede slippers with your dad’s team logo. £15.

Reversible belt

Wardrobe versatility with this reversible black/tan belt. £20.

Dad’s Toblerone

Personalised Toblerone bar for a special treat. £17.

Stormtrooper decanter

For the Star Wars lover. Stores spirits, decants wine and serves. £19.99.

I Love My Daddy picture book

Spend special time with dad with this joyful, rhyming picture book. £6.64.

Tile Mate

Keeps track of Dad’s keys, wallet and phone. £15.99.

V&A Italian hot chocolate

Rich, mouth-watering hot chocolate from Italy in a keepsake arty tin. £10.

Hotel Chocolat Milk Chocolate Old Fossil

Smooth, mellow and from the prehistoric era (remind you of anyone?).

Personalised face cooking apron

Great for the cook who can’t get too much of himself! £19.99.

Upcycling your child’s party

Be kind to the planet with these ideas from Ice Cream and Jelly

Party bags

Store shopping bags can make perfect gift/party bags. With a little imagination, crafty materials and glue, these branded shop bags can be transformed into unique, personalised bags. Or make your own: there are some easy video instructions on making a paper bag in the tutorials section on Instagram.

Tablecloth and napkins

Party bag fillers

Old bed sheets work well refashioned into tablecloths - paint, tie-dye or appliqué in order to tailor them to the party theme. It’s a great activity to get the kids involved in! If you already have a tablecloth, make placemats or a table runner from scrap fabrics to match the theme of your party.

Make time to make these rather than buying new. Here are some ideas to get you started: scrunchies made from leftover fabric, painted rocks or shells found on the beach, bracelets made from beads from your local scrap store or crayons made from all your kids’ broken crayons.

Wrapping presents

There are many household items that you can use for wrapping gifts: magazine pages, old maps, pieces of sample wallpaper, your kids’ paintings or leftover packing paper. If you can sew, you could make a drawstring bag from leftover fabric scraps. Alternatively, reuse an old pillowcase or wrap with fabric, like the Japanese art of Furoshiki.

Simple outdoor eating

Take your pick of these great recipes and create meals to eat outside which the family will love.

Roast chicken garden salad

Sweet & sticky chicken wings with classic slaw

Super easy Spanish tortilla

Quick grilled pizza

Lamb meatball pitta pockets

Salt & pepper tofu skewers

Vegetable tartlets

Roasted banana & cinnamon ice cream

Lemon sherbet ice

Win a family holiday with Away Resorts!

Win a four night stay for a family of up to six people at an Away Resort of your choice.

Experience one of Away Resorts’ fabulous UK locations, from countryside to coast, all within areas of natural beauty. Your accommodation will be off-thescale amazing and new experiences await at every turn. Jam-packed with activities, entertainment, fantastic facilities and events, every member of the family will be grinning from ear to ear.

Explore The New Forest, Hampshire, Tattershall Lakes Appletree or Cleethorpes Pearl in Lincolnshire, Mersea Island in Essex or Golden Sands in North Wales –or perhaps somewhere else will take your fancy.

Full list of locations HERE.

APPLY HERE by 30 June 2023 T&Cs.

6 Available

Royal Connections

By @torinbirmingham

In celebration of our new King, let’s delve into our fascinating local royal history!

Explore Aston Hall

In October 1642, King Charles I stopped to spend the night here when he led his army from Shrewsbury to London! Visit this museum during May and June for the Aston Arts Club, a behind a behind the scenes tour and a wildlife walk.

Enjoy Aston Villa Park

Did you know that Prince William supports Aston Villa FC? Football matches can be a treat for the whole family, not just the adults. Additionally, 90 minutes prior to each match you can enter an activity filled family fun zone.

Look around Kings Norton

The meaning of Kings Norton is ‘north settlement belonging to the king’. I highly recommend a trip to the park, and central to this village is the city’s largest collection of medieval buildings.

Visit RBSA Gallery

RBSA Gallery relocated from its original site on New Street to St Paul’s Square and was opened by the King himself in the year 2000 (Prince Charles at the time). They provide activity sheets for children and also hold occasional family friendly workshops.

Celebrate the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield

The reason Sutton Coldfield is known as a royal town is thanks to King Henry VIII. Many activities at the stunning Sutton Coldfield park begin to open up at this time of year making it well worth a visit.

Find out where Queen Elizabeth II has been

Just for fun, here are some wellknown local places that Queen Elizabeth II officially opened: The Great Charles Street Queensway tunnel, Touchwood Shopping Centre, Millenium Point and New Street Station!

Find out HERE about upcoming visits for King Charles III.

More ideas for days out with royal connections HERE.

Sutton Park

Aston Hall

Eco family days out

Entertaining and inspiring places with a conscience that also offer bags of adventure for a family visit.

Bewilderwood

Environmentally-friendly adventure parks in Norfolk and Cheshire.

The Centre for Alternative Technology

Snowdonia, Wales. Interactive displays, ecodemonstrations & family activities.

Cornwall. Rainforests, Mediterranean zones & outdoor gardens.

The Living Rainforest Berkshire. Tropical rainforest adventure with plants & animals.

Award-winning indoor and outdoor adventure park in North Norfolk.

Award-winning family fun park in Gwynedd, Wales.

Essex. Ancient woodlands, arboretum & The Wild Wood play area.

Kent.

Set in 40 acres of ancient woodland & holds over 200 British animals in natural enclosures.

London.

Land train, nature play area, the Hive & the Children’s Garden.

Wildwood Trust

Greenwood Family Park

Kew Gardens

Pensthorpe

The Eden Project

Markshall Estate

Tackling summer ailments

Summer is fun but it’s good to be prepared for the common ailments your child may suffer that are peculiar to the season. Here are our tips.

Sunburn

* Stay in shade from 11am to 3pm;

* Cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses;

* Use at least factor 30 sunscreen;

* Reapply frequently.

Insect bites

Most improve within hours. * Remove the sting; * Wash affected area; * Apply cold compress to any swelling; * Avoid scratching/bursting any blisters.

Dehydration

Thirst/dark yellow, strong smelling wee, weeing less, lightheadedness, dry mouth, lips & tongue – if untreated, can become serious. * Give extra fluids gradually.

Asthma

*Keep taking preventer inhaler;

* Take reliever inhaler everywhere; * Use your action plan; * Go outside earlier - air quality better; * Drink plenty of fluids.

Heat exhaustion

Dizziness/nausea/ headache/fast breathing or heartbeat. * Move to cool place; * Remove clothing; * Give sports drink/water; * Cool skin; * If still unwell after 30 minutes, call 999.

Tick bite

* Cover skin walking outdoors; * Use insect repellent;

* Check for ticks on clothes and skin;

* Remove quickly;

* If rash appears or child become unwell, see GP.

Eczema

Itchy, red, dry, cracked skin.

* Dress in thin cotton layers; * Use light cotton blankets or sheets; * Apply moisturising cream;

* Keep out of the heat.

Swimmer’s Ear

eczema

Painful ear/itchiness/reduced hearing/noises inside ear/discharge from ear. * Use drops from pharmacist.

* If symptoms after a week, see a GP.

STEM craft activities

Stimulate your child’s interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with these inspiring craft ideas.

Create salt dough fossils

Fun activity which shows kids how fossils are made.

Paper straw rockets

Experiment with propulsion and flight with these easy downloadable templates.

Gravity action art

A super-easy way of seeing science and art working together.

Magnetic slime

Discover how to create magnetism with this fun activity.

Paper building blocks

Simple craft demonstrating engineering with paper.

Fruit Solar System

A fruity way to grasp the planet sizes in our Solar System!

Invisible ink art

Fascinating art project where science plays a big role.

Make a volcano

A safe miniature eruption!

Robot Hands

Discover the mechanics of robotics and how everything works together.

Best travel games for kids

Perfect for stashing in a corner of the suitcase or car when you head away this summer!

Mixups

Compact card game for Snap or creating fantastical beasts.

Ages 4+. £5.94

Othello on the Move

Pint-sized version of this classic strategy game.

Ages 7+. £9.95.

Mini 4 in a Row

Classic game. All-in-one folding compact design. Ages 3+. £5.59

Articulate!

Compact version of this classic fast-talking description game.

Ages 6+. £10.19

Cluedo Grab & Go

All the thrills of the classic detective game in a mini set.

Ages 8+ £5.

Battleship Grab & Go

Compact, mobile version of the Battleship game. Ages 7+ £5.

Dino Dump

Speedy card game featuring kids’ faves: dinosaurs and poo!

Ages 6+. £9.99

100 PICS Riddles

Family Travel Card Game

Pocket sized, full of family-friendly brain teasers. Ages 6+. £6.99.

Rummikub Travel

Fast-paced game of tile manipulation. Ages 8+ £15.99.

Top UK camp sites for families

Looking for a family-friendly camping experience? Take a look at our top picks.

Catgill Farm

Camping to glamping in Yorkshire Dales. Outside village of Bolton Abbey.

Burnbake

Woodland campsite/ luxury lodges in Dorset, close to coast & Corfe Castle.

Kelling Heath Holiday Park

Surrounded by Norfolk woodlands/trails, indoor/ outdoor pools, steam railway.

Sherwood Pines Campsite

Acres of Nottinghamshire woodland, walk to adventure playgrounds, Go Ape, bike hire.

Gwithian Farm

West Cornwall. Close to beach & pub, goats & guinea pigs to feed.

Glenmore Camping

On the shores of Loch Morlich, Scottish Highlands. Hiking, swimming, kayaking.

Fforest Fields

Set on family run farm in Wales; green hills, woodland trails, lakes.

Red Shoot Camping Park

Ideal base to explore New Forest, attractions nearby, family friendly pub.

Heathland Beach

Walk to Suffolk beaches. Heated pools, fishing lake, tennis, family restaurant.

What’s On Out & About

All events are subject to change so check online before visiting. Pre-booking is often necessary.

Ackers Adventure, Birmingham

Open daily

Enjoy archery, climbing, orienteering, zip wire, etc.

Adventure Mini Golf, Star City

Open daily

Two family-friendly brilliantly themed 18-hole ‘crazy’ golf courses.

Ash End House

Children’s Farm, Tamworth

Open daily

Outdoor and indoor farm fun for children.

Aston Hall, Birmingham

Aston Arts Club

First Saturday of the month May – September

Aston Arts Club

Baddesley Clinton, Solihull

Open daily

Enjoy the great outdoors whatever the weather.

Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham

Open Tues-Sun

Barber Family Trails

Explore Barber’s collection through different fun themes.

Barn Studio Ceramics, Earlswood

Open Tues-Sat

A paint your own pottery studio for all ages.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Open daily

Family activities

Discover the plants, birds and mini-beasts with Family Backpacks.

Birmingham Museums May half term

A variety of fun, familyfriendly events to enjoy.

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

Open daily

See living history in action across 26 acres.

Burntwood Alpaca & Animal Farm

Open weekends

A fun-filled day out on the farm for the family!

Drayton Manor Resort

5–8 May

Coronation Street Party

A celebration of the King’s coronation and all things British.

27 May–4 June

Fiestaval Street entertainment, dancers, live music and family activities.

Hoar Park Shopping & Craft Village

Sun 21 May

Sun 18 June

Craft Fair Shopping, food and more. Fun for the little ones too!

Packwood House, Solihull

Open daily

Explore the beautiful grounds and create wonderful memories.

Rush Trampoline Park, Birmingham

Open daily

With 35,000 sq ft of activities, there’s something for all ages.

Sandwell Museums

A range of different museums, plus activities. Mostly free.

Sarehole Mill

Open first Saturday of the month

Explore this 250 year old idyllic watermill at your leisure.

Sea Life Centre, Birmingham

Open daily

View the amazing Ocean Tunnel, visit the penguins and sharks.

Selly Manor Museum

Open Tues-Sun (JunAug)

Step in and discover how the Tudors lived.

Tamworth Castle

Open Tues-Sun

History brought to life through activities for the family.

What’s On Entertainment

All events are subject to change so check online before visiting. Pre-booking is often necessary.

OUT & ABOUT

ThinkTank, Birmingham

29 May-2 June

ZooLab Climate

Crusader’s Show

Learn about climate change whilst looking at exotic animals.

Three Counties

Showground, Malvern

11–14 May

RHS Spring Festival School gardens, family workshops, garden games, circus workshops and beekeepers.

16–18 June

Royal Three Counties Show

Adventure Avenue, thrilling display teams, family trail and over 6000 animals.

Ultimate Activity at King Edward VI, Camp Hill School

Summer Holidays

Outstanding activity day camps for 4–14 year olds.

Venues across the UK (incl Sheffield & Manchester)

13 May–17 June

Gabby on the Go Tour Fun FREE activities from the Netflix series Gabby’s Dollhouse. Cat-tastic!

ENTERTAINMENT

The Alexandra, Birmingham

Tue 30 May

Ministry of Science Live

A fun dive deep into the modern world of science.

28 June – 1 July

Demon Dentist Live Come and visit the demon dentist in this hilarious story.

Birmingham Hippodrome

8-10 May

In the Night Garden Live

A fun-filled live show with the Night Garden gang.

16 18 June

Winnie the Pooh

This stage adaptation is told with amazing lifesized puppetry.

6 July–16 Sept

The Lion King Disney’s beloved animated feature brought to life with theatrical magic.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

27–28 May

The Singing Mermaid

A fun, warm-hearted adventure.

The Core Theatre, Solihull

Tues 30 May

The Worst Princess

A bright and bouncy show for children age 3+.

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

Sun 28 May

SK Schlomo – Breathe

A mix of cuttingedge music tech and storytelling.

Sun 4 June

The Blue Badge Bunch The show where disadvantage is an advantage!

Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Sun 4 June

Family Concert: Peter and the Wolf

A classic tale told through musical instruments.

War Memorial Park, Coventry

30 June–2 July

Godiva Festival

Family day (2 July) includes Mel C, Diversity, sports activities, and fabulous Dr Fossil Show.

your FREE Little Shopping Lotto game NOW* Small in size but big in fun – perfect for both home and travel! APPLY HERE

*while stocks last T&C’s apply