Families Birmingham May/June 2023 PRINT

Welcome

Therearealotofopportunitiesforearlysummerfunoverthenext coupleofmonthswiththeCoronationofKingCharlesIIIandthehalf termbreakattheendofMay.Nowtheweatherisgettingbetterand theeveningslonger,thegardenandoutdoorspacesbeckonandyou cangetthekidsoutsidetoplay.

Itistheperfecttimetothinkaboutbookingyourchildintoasummer daycamporworkshop–thelongsummerholidayswillbeherebefore youknowitsoweareheretohelp!

It’snaturaltoexperiencemixedemotionswhenreturningtoworkafter beingawayonparentingleave.So,we’vegotsometoptipsforyouon howtobuildyourconfidenceuptofeelmorepositiveandincontrol. Asalways,ourWhat’sOnguide,andourfeaturewrittenbylocal instagrammerTorInBirmingham,willprovideyouwithplentyofinspo forplacestotakethefamilyintheearlysummer.

Finally,lookoutforour OrchardToygamegiveaway –wehaveloads ofLittleShoppingLottogamesonoffer!Perfectforyourkidstotake awayonaholiday,weekendawayorjustwhileonthemove.Apply insideandyou’llalsoensureyoureceiveourdigitalmagazinewithlots morecontentandgoodiesonoffer.

January/Februarycompetitionwinners Congratulationstoallourwinners.Youcanfindalistat https://bit.ly/JFrecipients

@childbase.com

Howhandwriting affectsself-esteem

ByCatherineLobleandLisaWander

Itisknownthatchildrenwhohavegoodhandwritingdo betterinschoolandenjoyitmore.Andtheoppositeisalso true:thosewhostrugglewithhandwritingareoftenata disadvantageinthehigh-pacedclassroomsetting.According totheDyspraxiaFoundation,childrenwithpoorhandwriting areusuallyawareoftheirdifficultyandtheiruntidy handwritingcanmakethemfeeluncomfortableandisolated. Commonly,childrenfeeldepressedandfrustratedasadirect resultofpoorwritingskills.

Handwritingactivatesaspecificpartofthebrainwhichhelps establishandbuildtheneuralpatternsneededforlearning andmemory.Studiesshowthat childrenwhospendtime workingonhandwritingproduceclearerandmorecoherent communication, alongwithbetterthoughtandorganisation skills.

Asthemajorityofourexaminationsarestillhandwritten, handwritingformsanintegralpartofoureducationsystem. Studentswhoareunabletowritelegiblyandarticulatelyfind themselvesataseveredisadvantage.Oncetheseskillsare taughtthereisan enormousdifferenceinconfidenceandselfesteem.

Withatleasttentofifteenpercentofchildrenintheclassroom sufferingfrompoorself-confidence,teachersneedwatchout forearlyproblemswiththeirpupils’handwriting.Simplyhaving theirwritinglabelledasmessyorlazybyadultscancontribute toachild’slowself-esteemandanxiety.Thismayleadchildren tobelievethattheyareunintelligentandincapableofwriting correctlyanddiscouragethem,continuingthedownwardspiral.

Unfortunately,theproblemofanxiety-relatedhandwriting problemscannotsimplybeovercomebyusingacomputer.Asa childgrowsolder,therewillalwaysbeeverydaycircumstances inwhichhandwritingisneeded.Furthermore, handwritinghelps theflowofideasandthoughts inawaywhichkeyboarding doesn’t,soitisfundamentalthatchildrenaretaughttowrite legibly.

AlthoughhandwritingisanintegralrequirementoftheNational Curriculum,manyschoolsareunabletodedicatetoitthetime requiredduetothehugedemandofcoresubjects.Inaddition, therearemanydifferentstylesandprogrammesbeingusedwith toomanyconfusingelements.

Withthecorrecttimeandteaching,childrencanmaster handwriting,therebyraisingtheirconfidenceandself-esteem andembeddingitintoadulthood.

CatherineandLisaareco-foundersofEmparenting (www.emparenting.co.uk),supportingchildren,parents andfamilieswithinsights,skillsandtoolstonurturethe developmentandwell-beingofthenextgeneration.

Motorskillstosupport handwriting

Essentialforhandwriting,motordevelopmentisdividedinto grossandfinemotorskills.Grossskillsinvolvelargemuscle movementssuchascrawling,walking,runningandswimming. Finemotorskillsrequiresmallermuscles:grasping,object manipulationanddrawing.

Well-developedgrossandfinemotorskillsareessentialtoa child’sreadinesstowrite.Earlyyearsactivitiespreparethemfor thedexterityandco-ordinationtheywillneedintheclassroom andit’snevertoosoontostartthejourney.

Practisinggrossmotorskillsisthefirststeptowardstwo-handed taskssuchasholdingdownpaperwithonehandwhilewriting withtheother.Funactivitiesteachsmallbodies!Examples includemonkeybars,hopscotch,throwingandcatchingballs, dancing,runningandswimming.

Finemotorskillsarenecessaryforhandwritingsoachildcan controlthepencilinforminglettersandusethecorrectpressure onthepenandthepaper.Thisiswherehandandfingeractivities comein.Considerthese:threadingbeads,cuttingpaper, constructionplay,baking,fingerpaintingandplaydough.

Developing independent learning

ByZuzuJordan

It’stimeforcelebrationwhenourchildrendisplay independence,rightfromwhentheytaketheirfirststeps ontheirownorrideabikewithoutstabilisers.Thesearebig familymoments;thechilddelightsintheirachievementsand parentsareproudtobepartofthesemilestonedevelopments.

Sowhatisindependence?

Beingindependentmeansnotneedingsupportandbecoming self-sufficient.Acertainamountofindependencecomes naturallywithageandexperience;however,asadultsthereis plentywecandotofacilitatethisgrowthalongtheway.

Returningtotheexampleofbabiestakingtheirfirststeps,we tendtosupportthembyholdingtheirhandfirstandthena finger,beforetheytryafewstepsontheirown.Clearingany potentialdangerousitemsoutoftheirwayfirst,ofcourse! Wecelebratewhentheymanagetowalkaloneandgivethem bundlesofpraise.

Helpingyourchildtobeindependentwithlearningisn’t dissimilartohelpingthemwalkunaided.Weneedtooffer support,gentlyreducethatsupportandpraisethemforgoing italone.Thisdoesn’tmeanstoppinghelpingyourchild;instead it’saboutnurturinganindependentattitudeandgrowthmindset. Ourinputwillbeagedependentandwillneedtobeadapted accordingly.

Trysomeofthesetipstohelpyourchildapproachtheirlearning withanindependentattitude:

Establisharoutineforstartinghomework. Forexample,forthe firstfiveminutes,yourchildworksontheirownor,inreverse, youworkwiththemjustforthefirstfiveminutestogetthem started.Dependingonthehomeworkandageofthechild, youcouldalsoconsiderhelpingoutwitheveryotherquestion orsection,thenslowlybuildingupthetimebetweensupport periods.

Givethemthreetokens. Theycanuseeachtokentoaskfor help.Oncetheyhaveuseduptheirtokens,theythenhaveto continueworkingalone,tryingtoworkthingsoutthemselves.

Forwrittenassignments, putatinymarkonthepageandask yourchildtowriteuptothattargetbeforeyoureadthroughit.

UsetheBBBBapproach -askyourBrain,Book,Buddybefore youasktheBoss(you!)

Foronlinehomework, makesurethatanywebsitesorappsare savedwithyourchild’spasswordssotheycangostraightto whattheyneedwithoutyourinput.

Whenthehomeworkinvolvesquestions, suggestyourchild startwithwhicheveronetheycantackleindependently,then comebacktothequestionstheyneedhelpwith.

Encourageindependentthinking sochildrenfeelcomfortable expressingtheirownthoughtsandopinionsabouttheir homeworkassignments.Talkwiththemaboutwhatthey thinkworkedwellandwhatdidn’t.Keepthedialogueabout independencetransparent.Maybeaskyourchildwhatthey wouldliketobeindependentinandwhatsupporttheywillneed toachievethis.

Agrowthmindset isprobablythemostimportantingredient inachievingindependence.Afixedmindset(eg‘Ican’tspell well’)canpreventgrowthwhileagrowthmindset(‘Ican’tspell wellyet’)embracesthelearningjourney;atthesametime encouragingothertraitsincludingresilienceandpersistence.

ZuzuJordanisaMasteryforMathsspecialistwhohastaught primaryagedchildrenforsixteenyearsandisinterestedin earlyyearsandhomelearning.Forfreehomeworkandhome learningresources,findtheFacebookpageEdumateuk.

Independentthinking

Independentthinkingmeansnottakingthingsatface value.IanGilbertfromIndependentThinking(www. independentthinking.co.uk)explainsitasliterallycomingup withyourownideasandmakingnewconnections.

PhilosophyforChildren (www.p4c.com)offershelpful springboardstounlockingindependentthinking,givingchildren permissiontopushbackonexistingideologiesandconcepts. Questionstoignitecreativethinkingaresometimescalled Thunkquestions.Forexample,ifIreadanewspaperinashop withoutbuyingit,isthatactuallystealing?

Growthmindset

Historically,intelligencewasseenassomethingwewere giftedfrombirthandourlevelswerefinite.Nowadays, researchshowsthatmindsetsignificantlyinfluenceshowwe learnandachieve.Afixedmindsetpersonmayusephrases like‘Iwasnevergoodatmaths’whereasagrowthmindset personsays‘Ican’tdothisproblemYET’andbanstheword ‘can’t’fromtheirvocabularyaltogether.

Helpingyourchildchangetheirinnerdialoguearoundfacing challengescanmaketheirlearningmorepositiveandsuccessful.

WhatistheCPA approachinmaths?

ByJemmaZSmith

CPA(concrete,pictorial,abstract)isamathsteaching approachthathasgrowninpopularityinrecentyears.It involvesusingtangibleobjectsforchildrentoadd,subtract, multiplyordivide.Theythenprogresstousingpictorial representationsoftheobjectsandultimately,abstract symbols.Thiswayoflearningisoneofthefoundationsof Singaporeanmaths,nowbeingadoptedintheUK.

Concrete

Thetangible,‘handling’stageusesphysicalobjectstosolve problems.Forexample:

Therearefourbuttonsinthepot.Stanleyhastwobuttonsinhis hand.Howmanybuttonsaretherealtogether?

Inthisproblem,thechildrenmightfirstcountoutactualbuttons beforemovingontonon-relatedobjectssuchascountersto representthebuttons.Ofcourse,almostanythingcanbeused tohelpachildmasterthisstagefrompencilstoplasticpots,to countingbeansandcoins.Youdon’tneedtospendmoneyon concreteresourcestosupportlearningathome.

Pictorial

Next,learnersmoveontomakingtheirownrepresentations.

Returningtotheexampleintheparagraphabove,thebuttons couldbedrawnasfourcirclesononepartofthepaperand twomoreonanotherpart,representingthepotandthehand. Childrencanthencounteachsmallcircleandgetthesame answerastheywouldhavedonewiththebuttons.

Buildingordrawingamodelmakesiteasierforchildrentograsp

moredifficultconcepts,particularlywhenworkingwithfractions. Itenableslearnerstoseehowmuchofa‘wholeone’hasbeen shadedinandvisualisetheproblemmoreclearly.

Abstract

Thisiswherechildrenuseabstractsymbolstosolvemaths problems.

BrookehastensweetsandMilliehastwelvesweets.Howmany sweetsdotheyhavealtogether?

Childrenattheabstractstagewouldbeabletosolvethe problembywritingitoutas10+12=22.

Beforemovingontothisstage,childrenneedasecure understandingofmathematicalvocabulary;eg‘altogether’,‘add’ and‘plus’allmeanthatthenumbersareincreasing.

AlthoughCPAhasthreedistinctstages,itisalwaysusefulto revisitthepreviousstagestoensurethatlearnershaveafull graspofeachconcept.

JemmaZSmithisDirectorofTheEducationHotel (www.educationhotel.co.uk)

Whatifmy Year6childstill usespropsformaths?

Shouldyoubeconcerned?Theansweristhattheuseof concreteandpictorialresourcesisnotonlyforveryyoung childrenorchildrenwhofindnewconceptstricky.

WhilerunningaSATsboosterclass,Iusedthebarmodel,away ofvisualisingaddition,subtraction,multiplicationanddivision usingblocks,withagroupofYear6children.Theyhadtowork outhowmuchofonetypeofliquidwasusedinaratioword problem.Thelightbulbmomentsstartedtohappen:whata privilegetowitness!

Oncelearnersunderstandthemechanicsofproblems,theycan applytheirknowledgefromtheconcreteandpictorialstages intotheabstractfinalanswerand,iftheyarereallysecure,even teachittosomeoneelseaswell,demonstratingtruemasteryof theconcept.

Sono, parentsshouldn’tbeconcernediftheirchildrenare stillusingprops. Theyareusingthemtotheiradvantage andbuildingasolidbaseofunderstandingthatwillseethem throughintolateryears.

WINafamily holidaywithAway Resorts!

Winafournightstayforafamilyofuptosixpeopleatan AwayResortslocationofyourchoice.

ExperienceoneofAwayResorts’fabulousUKlocations, fromcountrysidetocoast,allwithinareasofnaturalbeauty andclosetoplacesofinterest.Youraccommodationwillbe off-the-scaleamazingandnewexperiencesawaitatevery turn.Jam-packedwithactivities,entertainment,fantastic facilitiesandevenevents,everymemberofthefamilywillbe grinningfromeartoear.

ExploretheNewForestinHampshire,TattershallLakes, AppletreeorCleethorpesPearlinLincolnshire,Mersea IslandinEssexorGoldenSandsinNorthWales–or perhapssomewhereelsewilltakeyourfancy.Fulllistof locationsat www.awayresorts.co.uk/parks.

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Closingdate: 30June2023

T&Cs:Off-peakperiodsonly,subjecttoavailability. Travel,mealsandadditionalactivitiesarenotincluded. ExcludesBostonWest,Clumber,EastFleetFarm,Gara Rock,Kenwick,PiperdamandWoodlandLakes. Prizemustbetakenby31May2024.FullT&Csat https://bit.ly/FamAwayRes23

MeetVese Aghoghovbia

FamiliesspoketoVeseAghoghovbia,thefounderandcreator ofPhilly&Friends,anempoweringandaward-winning children’slifestyleandtoybrand.

Whatinspiredyoutocreatethisbrand?

Becomingaparentin2017openedmyeyestotheinequalityin play.Irealisedhowlittlerepresentationwasintheplayroomand onthebookshelfatthetime.Iwantedtowritea‘loveletter’to mylittlegirltotellherhowprecioussheisandgiveherthegift ofrepresentationbecauseyouhavetobethechangeyouwant tosee.

WhenIwrote WhoDoISeeintheMirror? Ididn’trealisethen thatIwaswritingalovelettertomanychildrenworldwideand creatingabrandtheywouldeventuallyfallinlovewith.Thislittle ideaforasimplechildren’sbookhasgrownintoamuch-loved, award-winningchildren’sbrandwithgivingbackembeddedin itsDNA.

Tellusaboutyourfirstbook

WhoDoISeeintheMirror? isasimpleyetpowerfulbookabout agirlwhogoesonajourneytodiscoverwhatmakeshertruly special.Itendswiththestrongmessagethatwhatisonthe insidemattersmost.Itisaveryaffirmingbookthatencourages ourlittleonestolovewhotheyareontheinsideandtheoutside. AccordingtothejudgesatJuniorDesignAwards,‘itisagreat librarystapleforallchildren’.

Howdidyourvisionforthebranddevelop?

WhenIfirstwrote WhoDoISeeintheMirror? Ithoughtmy nextstepwouldbetopublishaseriesofeducationaland

empoweringbooks.However,asthebusinessgrewitbecame clearitwasalotmorethanthat.Weworkverycloselywith ourcommunityandrespondtotheirrequestsinlinewithour brandvisionandmission.Weareaddingadropofcolourtothe playroomandthebookshelf,providingasolutiontothegrowing demandfordiversityinplay.

HowhascreatingPhilly&Friendsimpactedyouasamother andwhatdoyourchildrenthinkofwhatyoudo?

Mykidslovehelpingmepreparepackagesforcustomers.My daughtersaysI’madollmakerbutalsoanengineerandamum. IlovethatshegetstoseewhatIdo.

Theotherday,someoneaskedherwhatshewouldlovetodo andshesaid‘allthejobsintheworld!’Thatmademechuckle butalsomademeproudtoknowthatshedoesn’tfeellimitedin whatshecanbecome.

WhatisyourfavouritePhilly&Friendsproductandwhatare yourchildren’sfavourites?

Ican’tpickone.Ilovethemallbut WhoDoISeeintheMirror? willalwayshaveaspecialplaceinmyheartbecauseit kickstartedthisjourney.Mykidshaveinfluencedeverysingle productandI’veseenthemloveeachoneatdifferentstages.My daughterhasgonefromreadingherbookeverynighttosleeping withherPhillydollsandnowshe’sgivingmesuggestionsonthe nextfewproducts.

What’sbeenthehardestpartofyourjourneywiththebrand sofar?

Self-publishing.Ihadtoteachmyselfeverything,figureouteach stepandself-fundtheproject.

Self-publishingisnotforthefaint-heartedandrequires significantfinancial,mentalandphysicalinvestment.Youarethe writer,marketer,producer,salesperson,logistics,supplychain manager;everything.ThereweremanytimesIwantedtogive upbutIamgladIdidn’tbecausethefeedback,supportand appreciationforthebookhavebeennothingshortofamazing. Whatadvicewouldyougiveotherparentsembarkingona similarpathtoyou?

Don’tholdyourselfback,youcandoit.Plan,brainstorm, research.There’saworldofinformationonGoogleandit’sall free.Findsomeonewhoisdoingsomethingsimilarandask themlotsofquestions.

WherenextforPhilly&Friends?

Thefutureofdiversityinplaydependsonsmallinclusive children’sbrandsgrowingandbecomingsuccessful.Inthenext fiveyears,Ihopethatourbooksandtoyswillbeinthehomesof everylittleboyandgirl.

Philly&Friendshasarangeofbooks,wallart,dolls,jigsaws andpegsetsdesignedtoinstilconfidenceandself-love throughthepowerofrepresentation.Findthemat www.phillyandfriends.com

Howplaygrounds benefityourchild

Asaparentorcarerofyoungchildren,you’venodoubtspent manyhourssittingorstandinginaplaygroundwatchingyour childplayorpushingthemonaswing.Aswellasbeinggreat forgettingkidsplayingoutside,playgroundsalsohavearange ofdevelopmentalbenefits-notjustphysicalandsocialbut cognitiveandemotionaltoo.

Unexpectedphysicalbenefits

Playgroundsprovidechildrenwiththeopportunitytodevelop theircompletephysicalselves:

Swingsandclimbingframes developadvancedbalancingskills andimprovetheirequilibriumforsurerfootedness.

Climbingandrunning benefitmuscledevelopmentandweight management.

Exposingchildrentodaylight helpsstabilisetheircircadian rhythmswhichcanimprovesleeppatterns.

Playingoutside exposesyoungsterstomoreorganicbacteria andmicrobes,whichcanhelpbuildamorerobustimmune systemandanadvancedmicrobiome.

Theemotionalandcognitivebenefits

Anxiety,self-esteemandintroversionareallcommonissues facedbychildren.Aplaygroundgivesthemasafespace inwhichtoconfrontthosefeelingswithoutjudgementor expectation.

Theycanchoosetoplaywiththeotherkidsinthecastleor observeandlearnhowtheycansocialisebeforetakingthefirst bravesteps.Similarly,theycanplaybythemselvesontheswings

orslidestoreducetheiranxietyastheydon’tneedanyhelp fromotherstoaccomplishthat(thoughthekitisdesignedto encourageengagementandcommunication).Finally,theycan givetheirself-esteemaboostbybeingbraveenoughtotrya newpieceofequipmentorbymakinganewfriend.

Theplaygroundgivesthemoptions.Theydon’thavetodo anythingtheydon’twanttobutiftheychoosetoact,it’salmost certaintheywillexperienceabenefit.

Playgroundplayisalsogreatfordevelopingproblem-solving skills,increasingcreativityandencouragingcriticalthinking. Dotoomanychildrenwanttoplayinthecastle?Theycanwork togethertocreateagameandsolvetheproblem.Doeseveryone wanttogoontheslide?Well,theycanqueueandwaittheirturn, right?

FamilyCorner(www.familycorner.co.uk)isthefamilyarm oftheEarlyYearsAlliance(www.eyalliance.org.uk).The charityprovidesexpert-writtenarticlesonallaspectsofchild developmentincludinghealth,behaviour,communicationand funactivities.

Whichequipmentisbest forlearning?

Whendecidingwhichkitisbestforlearning,italldependson whatyouwantthechildtolearn.Somechildrenneedsocial developmentwhileothersneedphysicality,soherearesome options:

Forimprovedphysicality. Climbingframes,ropebridgesand adventureorobstacle-basedtrimtrailsallgetunder-usedbody partsmoving.

Forimprovededucation. Checkouttheactivitypanelsatthe playgroundsuchasnoughtsandcrosses,chalkboards,map boardsandmore.Oftenlarge-scale,theyencouragefunlearning outsidetheclassroom.Outdoorclassroomsandreadingcorners areanoptionforthiskindoflearningtoo.

Forimprovedcreativity. Inpieceslikecastles,fortsandmultiplaykits,childrennaturallycomeupwiththescenariostomake theequipmentmoreexcitingandcometolife.Thisequipment alsohelpsboostco-operationandcommunicationbetweenkids. Attheendoftheday,everypieceofplaygroundequipmentcan helpachilddevelopandlearnsomethinginsomeway.

Socialandeducational benefitsofplaygrounds

Whenyourchildisnewtoasettingoryou’reonholidayand wantyourkidstomakenewfriendsquickly,youencourage themtovisittheplayground,right?Thisisbecause playgroundsaredesignedtoencourageengagementand collaborationandtofacilitateindependentplay.

Forexample,thecastleandclimbingframesresultinchildren makingupimaginativerole-playgamestogetherwherethe settingbecomesafantasyworld.Competitionoftenbreaksout ontheswingstoseewhocangothehighestandkidsalsotake turnsontheslideandwaitpatientlyforthenextgo.Theyneeda buddytositontheotherendoftheseesaw.Beforetheyknowit, theyhaveanewfriend.

Asfortheeducationalbenefitsofplaygrounds,it’sallabout learningtobebraveandpatientandexperiencingthingslike excitement,fearandnervousnessforthefirsttime.Many playparksalsohavepiecesofkitspecificallydesignedfor educationalpurposeslikebigmagnifiers,storybookcornersand sensoryplaykits.

RoyalConnections

By@torinbirmingham (formerly@GirlAboutBirmingham)

We’recelebratingournewKing!Itmaybethefirsttimeinour lifetimewe’vehadakingbutit’sdefinitelynotthefirsttime wehavehadroyalconnectionsinourpartofthecountry. HerearesomesuggestionsonhowthecoronationofKing CharlesIIIcouldinspireustodelveintoourfascinatinglocal royalhistory.

ExploreAstonHall

SoonafterAstonHallwasbuilt,theEnglishCivilwar commenced.InOctober1642,KingCharlesIstoppedto spendthenighttherewhenheledhisarmyfromShrewsbury toLondon!NowAstonHallispartoftheBirmingham Museumsgroupandhasalottoofferforfamilies.Youcan enjoyaguidedtourofthehallortakepartinoneofthemany eventsthatareheldthere.ComingupforMayandJuneare theAstonartsclub,abehindthescenestourandawildlife walk.

birminghammuseums.org.uk/aston-hall

EnjoyAstonVillaPark

DidyouknowthatPrinceWilliamsupportsAstonVillaFC? WhenspeakingtotheBBCheexplainedthatoneofthefirst matchesheeverwatchedwasaVillagame!

Notonlyistakingthekidstoagameanexcitingtreat,but additionally,90minutespriortoeachmatchyoucanenterthe familyfunzone.Inthisareathere’sactivitiessuchasfootball, darts,inflatablebasketballshooting,speedcage,wipeout sweeperarm,strikealight,assaultcourse,footpool,mega buzzwire,giantconnect4,facepaintingandthere’sevena DJ!Familyfundaysareheldfromtimetotimesokeepaneye onthewebsite.

avfc.co.uk

LookaroundKingsNorton

Thenameofthisplacemeans‘Northsettlementbelongingto theKing’.Ihighlyrecommendatriptotheparkhere.Thereis atrailtofollowandifyougoonthesecondSaturdayofthe month,you’llcatchthefarmersmarketonthegreen.

CentraltothevillageisStNicholasPlacewhichisthecity’s largestcollectionofmedievalbuildings.ItincludesSt NicholasChurch,theTudorMerchant’sHouse(formerlythe SaracensHead)atwhichQueenHenriettaMariaoncestayed duringthecivilwararound1650,andtheOldGrammar School.

birmingham.gov.uk/info/50170/local_history/

VisitRBSAgallery–JewelleryQuarter

Thisgallerycatersforschoolvisitsandprovidesactivity sheetsforchildren.Theyalsoholdoccasionalfamilyfriendly workshops.RBSAgalleryrelocatedfromitsoriginalsiteon NewStreettoStPaul’sSquareandwasopenedbytheKing himselfin2000(PrinceCharlesatthetime).

Ifyourchildrenlikeart,buttheyprefertogetalittlemore handson–takealookattheMidlandsArtCentreinCannon HillPark,CaféCraftinBearwoodorCaféCeramicainSutton Coldfield.

rbsa.org.uk

CelebratetheRoyalTownofSuttonColdfield

ThereasonSuttonColdfieldisknownasaRoyalTownis thankstoKingHenryVIII!SuttonColdfieldbecameaRoyal manorin1489andremainedinthehandsofthecrownuntil 1528.Thisdecreedthevillageshouldforeverbenameda RoyalTown.Thenamewaslostwhenthetownbecamea boroughin1886,buttherewasarecentcampaigntoreinstate itsRoyaltitlewhichwasasuccess!

OneofthefinestthingsaboutSuttonColdfieldisthestunning park.Atthistimeofyear,itisespeciallybeautifulandmanyof theactivitiesthatithasonofferbegintoopenup.

Alternatively,takeatriptoQueensPark,Harborne.Thispark wasopenedin1898tocelebrateQueenVictoria’sdiamond jubilee.There’saplaygroundandtenniscourtsavailable. birmingham.gov.uk/parks

FindoutwheretheQueenhasbeen

TherearemanylegaciesthatourwonderfulQueenElizabeth leftaroundthecityofBirmingham.Sojustforsomefunfacts, here’ssomewell-knownlocalplacesthatsheofficially opened:TheGreatCharlesStreetQueenswaytunnel,the NEC(NationalExhibitionCentre),theICC(International ConventionCentre),TouchwoodShoppingCentre,Millenium PointandNewStreetStation!She’sbeentotheshopping centreinChelmsleyWoodandofcoursetheBullring.Next timeyouareoutandaboutatoneoftheseplaces,seeifyou canspotthecommemorativeplaque!Thereisalsoa Commonwealthwalkingtouraroundthecity commonweathwalkway.com

TofindoutaboutupcomingvisitsforournewKingyoucan check royal.uk/future-engagements

Therearemoreideasfordaysoutwithroyalconnectionsin myfullarticleonfamiliesbirmingham.co.uk‘Highlights’page.

AstonHall

SuttonPark

Aconfidentreturnto work

ByLucyBaker

Havingtimeawayfromworkandbeinga‘mummy’takes someadjustmentatfirst;butbeforeyouknowit,you’rein thethickofmotherhoodandbusywithyourbaby.Aftera fewweeks,theideaofworkbecomesadistantmemoryand parentingroutinesbecomeyournewnorm.

Fastforwardafewmonths(orevenyears)andthetimecomes tofacegoingbacktowork.Thiscanconjureupallsortsof differentemotions,includinglackofconfidenceanddoubts aboutyourworkplaceability.Mixedfeelingsarecompletely normalandwithabitofworkonyourself-beliefandconfidence youwillbegoodtogowhenthetimecomes.

Herearesomewaystoboostyourconfidenceaheadofyour returntowork:

Shareyourfeelings. Trytoavoidputtingonabravefaceto pleasepeoplearoundyou.Ifyouarestruggling,talkaboutit.You willbesurprisedhowreceptiveyourfamilyandfriendsarewhen facedwiththetruth.

Bekindtoyourself. Acceptingthatlifehaschangedisabiggy. Lifeisdefinitelydifferentnowyouareaparentbutitdoesn’t meantosaythatitiseitherbetterorworse-justdifferent.Let’s faceit,you’vehadababysoyoucanachieveanything!

Explorenegativethoughtwork. Thisinvolvesbeingaware ofnegativethoughtsandreplacingthemwithpositiveselfstatements.

Negativethoughtexercise

Itisnotuncommonforwomentobombardthemselveswith negativethoughtseveryday.Butthere’shope!TheseCANbe turnedaround.

Asaprocess,activelychallengingandreversingnegative thoughtshasbeenproventoincreaseself-belief,self-worth, self-careandconfidence.

Startahabitofwritingdownallyournegativethoughtsonlined paper,missingalinebetweeneachone.Forexample:‘Ihate mynose,’‘Ifeellikepeoplewilllaughatme,’‘Iamrubbishat running,’‘Ihatemytummy,’‘Iamnotgoodattalkinginmeetings,’ ‘IhateZoom’etc.Ifyouhearmorenegativethoughts,addthem tothelist.

Thenreframeeachnegativethought.Thismeansworkingdown thelist,changingeachnegativestatementtoapositiveone. Thus‘Ifeellikepeoplewilllaughatme’becomes‘Ifeellike peoplewilllaughwithme,’and‘Ihatemytummy’becomes‘My tummyproducedmydaughter!’

Yougettheidea.Nowtellyourselfthenewpositivestatements, outloud,onrepeat:forever.

Supportnetwork. It’simportanttohavearobustsupport networkaroundyoubeforeandwhenyoureturntowork.While itisn’talwayseasy(duetolackoffamilynearby,expensive childcarecosts),knowingtherearepeopleyoucanrelyonifyou needthemwillhelpyoufeelbetter.Askingforhelpiskeyand althoughitmightfeelhardtodo,ifhelphasbeenoffered,do takeit.

Dressthepart. Thisdoesn’thavetomeanbrandnewclothes andshinynewhandbags;therearedecentbargainstobefound incharityshopsandnoonewillknow!Giveyourselftimeinthe morningforskincare,make-upandgroomedhairsoyoulook andfeelthepart.

ReadyourCVandupdateit. Seeingthefactsdownonpaper reallydoeshelp.

LucyBakerisaself-employedmotherofthreeandfounderof coachingbusiness,SheCoachesConfidence.Readmoreat www.shecoachesconfidence.com

Startjournalling

Journallingisthepracticeofloggingyourthoughts,providing aninsightfulwayofproblem-solvingandgettingtoknow yourself.Apartfromtheinitialcostofajournal,itisafreetool thatyoucanuseagainandagain.

Here’showtogetstarted:

Buyyourselfaspecialbooktorecordyourthoughts.Thismight beahardbackwithalovelycover,eitherlinedorwithblank pagesfordoodlesandsketches.Findafavouritepenandset asidetenminutesadaytowritewithnodistractions.

Writedownexactlywhatisinyourhead.Questionscanbegood prompts:‘WhyamIworriedaboutgoingbacktowork?’‘DoI believeinmyself?’Freelywriteyouranswersasthoughtscome intoyourhead.

Atfirst,journallingmightfeelalittleoddandthewordsyou committopapermightnotmakemuchsense;buttrustthe processandliterallygowiththeflow.Therearenorules.This isyourprivatespacetorevealandlogtheprogressofyour mindset.

Thebenefitsof summercamps

ByAndrewCampbell

Summerdaycampsprovidefun,safeandnurturingspacesfor children.Notjustusefulchildcareforworkingparents,there aremanybenefitsforchildrentoo.Considerthese:

Learningnewskills

Summercampsofferavarietyofactivitiesthatallowchildrento explorenewinterestsanddeveloptalentstheydidn’tknowthey hadortakeanexistingtalenttoanewlevel.

Promotingphysicalactivity

Manydaycampsprovideawiderangeofphysicalactivities includingsports,outdooractivitiesandgames.Thishelpsto promoteahealthylifestyleanddevelopalifelongloveofphysical activity.

Developingindependenceandself-confidence

Beinginasettingthatisn’thomeorschoolandwherethereare noparentscangivechildrenasenseofindependence.They learnhowtotakecareofthemselves,maketheirowndecisions andsolveproblemsontheirown.

Takingonnewchallengesandtryingnewthingsgivesthem confidenceintheirabilities.

Fosteringcreativity

Creativejuicesflowwhenchildrenexperiencetheatrearts, dance,music,writing,artsandcrafts.Theseallhelptostimulate theirimaginationandexpressivethinking.

Leavingtechnologybehind

Asfantasticastheonlineworldcanbe,itisalwaysgreatto exposechildrentothejoysofagoodold-fashionedkickabout

andteamgamesinthefreshair.Whoknows,theymayeven enjoyitMOREthangazingatascreen!

Buildingsocialskills

Inawholenewsupervisedpeergroup,childrenlearntowork together,communicateeffectivelyanddevelopasenseof community.

There’smuchtobegainedtooiftheyarelearningandplaying alongsidechildrenfromdifferentbackgrounds,culturesor abilitiesfromtheirusualcircles,asthisisanopportunityto appreciatedifference.Kidswillalsobuildfriendshipsoutside theirestablishedschoolnetwork.

Enjoyingtheoutdoors

Climbingtrees,changingabikewheelorbuildinganoutdoor campcangiveyourchildawholenewsetofskillswhileenjoying adventurestheymightnototherwiseexperience.

Nurturingleadershipandteamwork

Byencouragingteamwork,co-operation,empathyandselfconfidence,summerdaycampswillhelpyourchilddevelop emotionalintelligence.

Howsafewillyourchildbe?

Ofstedregistration

WhilemostchildcareserviceshavetoberegisteredwithOfsted, holidayclubsareoftenexemptsoyouneedtocheck.

Ifthereisn’tanOfstedreport,youmaywanttoaskwhatpolicies areinplacetoensurechildren’ssafety,suchassafeguarding procedures,healthandsafetyprocedures,foodhandling,staffto childratiosandpublicliabilityinsurance.

Staffqualifications

Allstaffandfrequentvolunteersataholidayclubmusthave enhancedDBSchecks.Ofstedregisteredholidaycampswillbe requiredtohavestaffwithtraininginfirstaid,safeguardingand ifapplicable,foodhandling.Itisnolongerarequirementforoutof-schoolclubstafftoholdaformalqualification.However,many providerswillberequiredtohavequalifiedstafftogetchildcare insurance.

Checkthewebsiteormakeenquiries.

Holidaycampsandthelaw

Whatcanyoudoifaholidaycampiscancelled?

Theultimateschoolholiday experienceforchildren

UltimateActivityCamps(UAC)provideanoutstandingand inspiringprogrammeofover40outstandingactivitiesduring theschoolholidaysforchildrenaged4-14toenjoy.

Youshouldgetarefundbutthetermsofthebookingmay excluderefundsforcancellationsforreasonsbeyondthecamp’s control.

Canyougetarefundifyourchildrefusestogotothecamp? Iftheholidaycampdoesn’tliveuptoexpectations,gettinga refundmaybedifficult.Trytalkingtothemanager.

Duringthecomingsummerholidays,UACwillberunningat KingEdwardVICampHillSchool,KingsHeath,Birmingham. Here,childrenwillbeabletoenjoyawiderangeofsports, gamesandcraftactivitieseachweek.Parentscantakethestress outofchildcarewiththisaward-winningschoolholidayclub.

Canyougetarefundorpartialrefundifyourchildisabsent duetosickness?

Thiswilldependonthetermsofthebooking.

Whatshouldyoudoifyourchildisinjuredataholidaycamp? IfthecampisOfstedregistered,youcouldreporttheincident andyoumaybeabletogetarefund.Inamoreseriouscase,you maywanttoseeklegaladvice.

“Wearealwayslookingatinnovativewaystomakeour activitiesevenmoreexcitingforthechildrenbygivingthem somethingneweverytimetheyattend,”saidLukeHayward (ManagingDirector).“ThereareUltimateSurvivalCampsfor 7-14yearoldadventurers;UltimateTechCampswithinspiring four-daycoursesfor8-14yearoldsandtheUltimateSports AcademiesledbyformernationalandinternationalStar Coaches.”

Areholidaycampsobligedtoacceptchildrenwithspecial needs?

BookbeforeTuesday6thJunetoqualifyforaspecial discountof£4perdayforthesummerholidays.

ultimateactivity.co.uk

Holidaycampsmustensurethatthereisfullinclusionandmake thenecessaryreasonableadjustmentstoaccommodateeach child’sneeds.

Clubs, Classes & Activities

S4SWIM SCHOOL

S4Swim School,a leading providerof swimming lessons,isproudtoannouncethatithasbeen providingqualityswimlessonstochildrenfor overadecade.Theschoolhashelpedhundreds ofswimmersprogresstoCounty,Regional,and Nationallevelcompetitionsandbeyond,thanks toitsexcellentpathwaysbetweenS4andother aquaticorganisations.

Theswimschool’ssmallgroupsizespromote fastprogression,allowingeachchildtoreceive personalisedattentionfromexperienced instructors.UponjoiningtheS4SwimSchool, everychildreceivesaswimhat,membership card,andabookletthatshowcaseswhatthey canachieve.Additionally,theycanloginonline andseewhattheyhavecompletedandwhat theycanstrivefornext.

“Fantasticlessons!Can'trecommendthem enough.Mydaughterlovesitandtheyhave beenfabwithmyyoungestwhohasonlyjust started!”(Facebook)

FormoreinformationaboutS4SwimSchool, pleasevisittheirwebsiteat s4swimschool.uk.

THECHOCOLATESHED

BILINGUASINGBIRMINGHAMSOUTH

LearnaLanguagewithyourLittleOne!

Song-filledSpanish&FrenchClassesinHarborne,Bearwoodand Bournville.Helpdevelopyourlittleone’searlycommunication skills,buildtheirconfidence,andenhancetheirphysicaland emotionaldevelopmentwithourmulti-award-winning music, language and sensory classes.Earlyexposuretoasecondlanguageisfantasticforyourlittle one’sbraindevelopmentandlearningskills.

Classesforbabies(from4weeks),crawlersandtoddlerstopre-schoolers!Youdon'tneedto knowanylanguagestojoinin-you’llbesingingalonginnotime!

Findoutmoreat:bilinguasing.com/find-a-class/birmingham-south Tel:07539863024,Email:lucy@bilinguasing.com

THEATRETRAIN,HARBORNE

AtTheatretrainwe:empoweryoungpeople;encourageselfexpression,individuality,andcreativethinkingalongside professionaltuitionin•SINGING•ACTING•DANCING

AtTheatretrainwebelieveperformingartsshouldbe accessibletoeveryone,that’swhyweneverauditionnewstudentsoraskforanyprevious experience.It’sourpolicythatfeesarekeptatalevelaffordabletomostfamilies.Theatretrain LOVESTOPERFORMbothlocallyandnationally,givingourstudentsvastopportunitiesina widevarietyofshows.

Joinnowtobepartofourfun-packed,high-energy,creativeclassesandseeyourchild’s confidencesoar!ClassesinHarborneandBromsgrove

ContactMelanieDykeson07766724834;harborne@theatretrain.co.uk; theatretrain.co.uk/harborne

Themedchocolatemakingpartiesandworkshops forchocoholicsofallages.Allofourholiday workshopsandchildren'spartiesarerunbyourfabulousteamoflocal chocolatierswhoarelookingforwardtoguidingyouthroughtheprocess ofcraftingyourchocolateycreations.Everyworkshopisuniqueandwe offerarangeofdifferentoptionswhichwillbetailoredtotheneedsofyou andyourparty.Yourchocolatemasterpieceswillbemadeusingreal, sustainableandlocallysourcedingredientswherepossibleandevery workshopinvolvesalotofsticky-fingeredfunandtasting!

W:www.thechocolateshed.comE:info@thechocolateshed.com

SINGANDSIGNCLASSESFOR INFANTSUPTO2YEARSOLD

UsingmusicalactivitiestoteachBaby signingtodevelopcommunicationandease frustrations.Learnsignstosupportyourdailyroutines.

InCastleBromwich,andacrossSolihull. wendyjackson@singandsign.co.uk 07517381117|singandsign.co.uk

FOOTBALLFUN ATICS

Introducechildrentofootballandlifeskillsinthe mostfunwaypossibledevelopingconfidenceand techniqueinanopressureenvironment. Qualifiedcoachesrunfunsessionsandamazing variedholidaycampsforallabilitiestotakepartin. Aged4–13. footballfunatics.co.uk

LEARNIRISHDANCINGWITH GRANARINCE

Fun,fitnessandfriendship-Irishdancing classesforgirlsandboysaged4+availablein SellyOakandRedditch.Firstclassfreeof charge!Alllevelscateredto.

ContactLouiseon07790876345or louise-stanley@hotmail.co.uk granarince.co.uk

SOFTPLAYTAKEAWAY

Oursoftplaypackageskeeplittleones entertainedatpartiesandotherspecial occasions.Weprovideequipmentincluding bouncycastles,ballpits,musicalmats, softplayshapes,andmore!Wearealso availableforhiretotoddlergroupsand nurseries.

01618184876 softplaytakeaway.co.uk

Pleaselistentome!

ByTanithCarey

Whenwehavenon-stopdays,it’seasytolapseinto‘one-waystreetparenting.’That’swhereasthemorepowerfulgrownup,youtellyourchildhowtobehave.Butparentingbecomes somucheasierwhenit’satwo-waytransactionandyoumake aconsciousefforttolistentowhatyourchildhastosayas well.

Astheygrow,childrenareinaconstantprocessoflearningto recogniseanddescribetheirneedsandemotions.However,with theirdevelopingvocabulary theycan’talwaysclearlyarticulate theirbigfeelings sotheydon’talwaysfeelheard.

Childrenwhodon’tfeelheardoftenactouthowtheyfeel.There couldbeangrytantrums,strops,defianceorattention-seeking behaviourtoforceyoutopayattention.Sadly,thisbehaviourhas theoppositeeffect.

Thegoodnewsisthatjustonesimpleshiftcantransformyour relationshipwithyourchild.Nexttimeyourchildexplodes, understandtheyarestrugglingwithgiantfeelings.Ratherthan thinkingabouthowtodisciplinethem, observetheirbehaviour withcuriosity,followedbyempathy.

Forexample,wegrown-upstendtohearrepeatedrequests forthethingskidswantaswhingeingornagging.Ratherthan ignoringthem, showthemyouheardthemthefirsttime by lookingatthem,gettingdownontheirleveliftheyarestilllittle, repeatingwhattheyhavejustsaidandgivingthemaresponse thatworksinthatmoment,evenifit’sanexplanationforwhyyou aresaying‘no’.

Ofcourse,youcan’tbeexpectedtodropeverything,everytime orgivekidswhatevertheywant.

Keepsomephrasesinyourbackpocketlike:‘Iknowit’shardto

wait.I’llbetheresoon,’or‘Iheardyoucallingme.Givemefive minuteswhileyoufinishyourLegohouse.’Evenifit’snotthe answertheywanttohear,theywilleaseoffoncetheyknowthe messagehasgotthrough.Justmakesureyousticktoyourword.

Thiskindoflisteningisnotaboutgivinginorlettingthemhave theirownway.It’saboutrememberingthatchildrenareona steeplearningcurvetowardsnamingandmanagingfeelingsthat continueswellintotheirteenageyears.

TanithCareyisco-author,with DrAngharadRudkin,of What’s MyChildThinking:Practical ChildPsychologyforModern Parents. Thebookincludes manytopicsincludingthebest waystocommunicatewith children.PublishedbyDKbooks andavailablefrom www.bookshop.org

Forchildrenages4–7

Nameemotions: Experienceshowsthatthemorewordsyou usetonametheiremotions,themoreaccuratechildrenwillbe whendescribingthem.

Beinterestedinwhattheylove: Becuriousaboutwhatyour childhastosay,evenifyou’veheardthesamedinosaurfactone hundredtimes.Ifyousay:‘Tellmemore,’yourchildwillopenup toyouatothertimestoo.Ifyoufeelyourselfgettingbored,goon anadventuretofindnewfactstofascinatethem.

Calmyournervoussystem: Whenyoufeelangryorirritated whendealingwithyourchild,whateveryouaredoing,takea fewdeepbreathstoslowyourselfbacktoempathymodesoyou canlistentowhattheyaretryingtosay.

Limityourphoneuse: Putawayyourphoneduringthespecial one-on-onetimeswithyourchild,whetherit’sbathtimes, mealtimesorstorytime.Whentheydon’thavetocompetetobe heardtheycanrelaxintobeingwithyou.

Forchildrenages8-11

Listenmorethanyoutalk: Oncechildrencanbeclearabout what’sbotheringthem,oftenrespondingwithjustanod,an‘I see’or‘Thatsoundstough’isenough.Resistthetemptation toofferjudgementorcriticism,evenifyouthinkitsounds constructive.It’softenwhatyoudon’tsayratherthanwhatyou dowhichmakesyouthebestsoundingboard.

Setasidetime: Spendregularunhurriedtimejustdoingthe thingstheyliketodo.These‘emotionaldeposits’remindtweens thatyoulikeaswellaslovethemandtheywillbemorelikelyto listentoyouatothertimes.

Validatefeelings: Simplytrytoacceptandunderstandhow theyfeel,evenifthatfeelsuncomfortableforyou.Forexample, yourtweencontainstheirbehaviouralldayatschool.Sowhen theycomefromschoolandmoan,rememberthatmostofthe timeyoudon’tneedtodoanythingexceptlisten.Youcouldask: ‘Doyouneedtovent,ordoyouwantsuggestions?Eitherisfine.’

WHAT’SON Out&About

AckersAdventure, Birmingham ackers-adventure.co.uk

Opendaily Activitiesincludearchery, climbing,orienteering,zipwire, etc.

AdventureMiniGolf,StarCity adventureminigolf.co.uk

Opendaily

Twofamily-friendlybrilliantly themed18-hole‘crazy’golf courses.

AshEndHouseChildren’s Farm,Tamworth ashendchildrensfarm.co.uk

Opendaily Outdoorandindoorfarmfun forchildren.

AstonHall,Birmingham birminghammuseums.org.uk

/aston-hall

AstonArtsClub

FirstSaturdayofthemonth May–September

Makesomethinginspiredby AstonHallanditsincredible history.

BaddesleyClinton,Solihull nationaltrust.org.uk /baddesley-clinton

Opendaily

Enjoythegreatoutdoors whatevertheweather.

BarberInstituteofFineArts, Birmingham barber.org.uk

OpenTues-Sun BarberFamilyTrails ExploreBarber’scollection throughdifferentfunthemes.

BarnStudioCeramics, Earlswood barnstudioceramics.co.uk

OpenTues-Sat–booking essential Apaintyourownpotterystudio forallages.

BirminghamBotanical Gardens birminghambotanicalgardens .org.uk

Opendaily Familyactivities

Discovertheplants,birdsand mini-beastswithFamily Backpacks.

BirminghamWildlife ConservationPark birmingham.gov.uk /conservationpark

Opendaily Visitthereptiles,meerkats, birds,monkeysandmore.

BlackCountryLiving Museum,Dudley bclm.com

Opendaily

Seelivinghistoryinaction across26acres.

BurntwoodAlpaca&Animal Farm burntwoodalpacas.co.uk

OpenThur–Suntermtime Afun-filleddayoutonthefarm forthefamily!

CastleBromwichHall Gardens castlebromwichhallgardens .org.uk

Openmostoftheyear: Weds–Sun Aplacetoconnectwithnature onafamilyadventure.

DraytonManorResort draytonmanor.co.uk

5–8May

CoronationStreetParty AcelebrationoftheKing's coronationandallthings British.

27May–4June

Fiestaval Streetentertainment,dancers, livemusicandfamilyactivities.

DudleyCanal&Caverns dudleycanaltrust.org.uk Seewebsiteforopeninghours Boattripsonofferforall interestsandages,including toddlerboats.

HattonAdventureWorld, Warwick adventure.hattonworld.com

27May-4June

PirateInvasion Swashbucklingpirate-themed halftermadventure.

HoarParkShopping&Craft Village hoar-park.co.uk

Sun21May

Sun18June

CraftFair Shopping,foodandmore.Fun forthelittleonestoo!

LowerDraytonFarm,nr Stafford playatthefarm.co.uk OpenMon,Thur,Fri &weekends

Afullfun-filledfamilydayout withindoorandoutdoor activities.

PackwoodHouse,Solihull nationaltrust.org.uk

/packwood-house

Opendaily

Explorethebeautifulgrounds andcreatewonderful memories.

RockUp,Birmingham rock-up.co.uk/birmingham

Opendaily Over70differentwaystoclimb. Funforallthefamily.

RushTrampolinePark, Birmingham rushuk.com

Opendaily

With35,000sqftofactivities, there’ssomethingforallages. SandwellMuseums sandwell.gov.uk/museums Arangeofdifferentmuseums, plusactivities.Mostlyfree.

SareholeMill birminghammuseums.org.uk

/sarehole-mill OpenfirstSaturdayofthe month

Explorethis250yearoldidyllic watermillatyourleisure.

SeaLifeCentre,Birmingham visitsealife.com/birmingham

Opendaily ViewtheamazingOcean Tunnel,visitthepenguinsand sharks.

SellyManorMuseum sellymanormuseum.org.uk

OpenTues-Sun(Jun-Aug) Stepinanddiscoverhowthe Tudorslived.

TamworthCastle tamworthcastle.co.uk

OpenTues-Sun Historybroughttolifethrough activitiesforthefamily.

ThinkTank,Birmingham birminghammuseums.org.uk /thinktank

29May-2June

ZooLabClimateCrusader's Show Learnaboutclimatechange whilstlookingatexotic animals.

SelectedThursdays ToddlerThursdays: AfunSTEMsessionfor toddlers.

ThreeCountiesShowground, Malvern threecounties.co.uk

11–14May

RHSSpringFestival Schoolgardenschallenge, familyworkshops,giantgarden games,circusworkshopsand beekeepers.

16–18June

RoyalThreeCountiesShow AdventureAvenue,thrilling displayteams,familytrailand over6000animals.

ULTIMATEACTIVITYCAMPS atKingEdwardVISchool, CampHill ultimateactivity.co.uk

SUMMERHOLIDAYS

Outstandingactivityday campsfor4–14yearolds.

WeoleyCastle,Birmingham birminghammuseums.org.uk /weoley-castle

Opendaily Afascinatingpieceoflocal history.Over750yearsold.

WHAT’SON Entertainment

TheAlexandra,Birmingham atgtickets.com

Tue30May

MinistryofScienceLive Afundivedeepintothe modernworldofscience.

28June–1July

DemonDentistLive Comeandvisitthedemon dentistinthishilariousstory.

BirminghamHippodrome birminghamhippodrome.com

8-10May

IntheNightGardenLive Afun-filledliveshowwiththe NightGardengang.

16-18June

WinniethePooh

Thisstageadaptationistold withamazinglife-sized puppetry.

6July–16Sept

TheLionKing Disney’sbelovedanimated featurebroughttolifewith theatricalmagic.

BirminghamRepertory Theatre birmingham-rep.co.uk

27–28May

TheSingingMermaid Afun,warm-hearted adventure.

31May–2June

DragonsandMythicalBeasts Comefacetofacewith magnificentmonstersand terrifyingbeasts.

TheCoreTheatre,Solihull thecoretheatresolihull.co.uk

Tues30May

TheWorstPrincess Abrightandbouncyshowfor childrenage3+.

ResortsWorldArena, Birmingham resortsworldarena.co.uk

Tues6June

Disney100-TheConcert

Celebrate100yearsofDisney adventure,emotionandmagic. SymphonyHall,Birmingham cbso.co.uk

Sun4June

FamilyConcert:Peterandthe Wolf Aclassictalebeautifullytold throughmusicalinstruments.

WARMEMORIALPARK, COVENTRY godivafestival.com

30June–2July

GODIVAFESTIVAL Familyday(2July)includes MelC,Diversity,sports activities,andfabulousDr FossilShow.

WestParkWolverhampton wv1fest.com 17–18June

WV1Fest

Funfairattractionsand30+live bands.Safefamily environment.

Alleventsaresubjecttochangesocheckonlinebeforevisiting.Pre-bookingoftennecessary.