Families West London November - December 2018

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Issue 125 November-December 2018

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In this issue...

There is a tingle in the air in West London, the excitement of the holiday season is here and we are back with our issue full of ideas - from great gifts to buy for your little ones to where to go and what to do with your family over the holidays.

Start your planning with us!

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News & Views

Supporting your child with friendship Play OR structured learning

Equipping our children for a digital future Weaning your baby

12 Indoor winter fun

14 Where’s Santa this Christmas?

16 What’s On in West London

19 Beneficial activities for the kids 20 Classified ads and Party listings

10 Those MUST HAVE Christmas toys!

Front cover image credit: Skate School and Polar Bear Club at Somerset House. www.somersethouse.org.uk

After School Nannies - Franchise Opportunities

At After School Nannies, not surprisingly, they’re passionate about after school care. Managed well there’s no limit to what adults can help children achieve in those hours out of school!

“We all want the best for our children - particularly when we can’t be there to give it to them ourselves. It’s no secret that after school nannies don’t grow on trees but we’ve spent over fifteen years sourcing excellent candidates for thousands of families across West London. We know where to look and what qualities make the best candidates. Our world may have changed considerably since 2003 when we were founded, but the needs of children at the end of the school day remain the same as they have been for longer than we’ve been in business. Our challenge now is to expand our provision. To enable more families to try our particular brand of after school care - because it works.

Time and again, tried and tested.” That is why they’re launching their long-awaited Franchise programme, initially reaching out to the rest of London and the Home Counties and then, well, “Watch this space”… Or better still, join them!

For more information email: elizabeth@afterschoolnannies.com

A daily mile improves children’s health...

An initiative to get schoolchildren to walk or run a mile every day leads to significant improvements in their health, according to a study.

The Daily Mile scheme was originally the brainchild of a Scottish head teacher who started it in 2012.

Researchers at Stirling University compared the health of children at a primary school taking part in the scheme with those at a school that wasn’t participating.

The children wore accelerometers which recorded how much moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) they were undertaking every day, and for how long they were sedentary. Children who were doing the Daily Mile were significantly healthier than those who were not.

According to the Daily Mile Foundation, more than 3,600 schools worldwide have introduced the initiative, including about 1,200 in England, 770 in Scotland, 210 in Wales, 85 in Northern Ireland and more than 100 in the Republic of Ireland.

More info at: www.stir.ac.uk and: www.thedailymile.co.uk 2 Families west London

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News & Views New reception test criticised

Christmas really isn’t Christmas until you've chosen your REAL tree!

The experts at Pines and Needles (wearing kilts!) will be on hand to give advice at their stores in Ealing, Fulham Broadway, Maida Vale and Notting Hill from the 19th of November. Pay them a visit and let them get the festivities well and truly underway. It’s a great family day out and they even have a delivery service from their stores to local postcodes for an extra cost-enquire in store for more details.

It couldn’t be easier! Their stores are re-stocked every morning with dozens of trees, freshly cut and delivered straight from their plantations. “You won't get fresher, fuller or more fabulous trees anywhere else!”

USE CODE: FESTIVE18 to get your free gift with purchase.

For more details of opening dates and times go to: www.pinesandneedles.com/pages/ real-christmas-tree-stores-london

Stores are located at: • Christ The Saviour Church, Ealing Broadway, W5 2XA • St John's Church, North End Road, SW6 1PB • 123 Shirland Road, Maida Vale, W9 2EW • St John's Notting Hill, Landsdowne Crescent, W11 2PD

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Children who start Reception in September 2020 will be the first group to take the new Reception test, a baseline measure to track pupils’ progress during primary school.

It is proposed that it will take place during the first 6 weeks of the autumn term.

Guidelines recently released by the Government say the new reception baseline assessment will be short (about 20 minutes), interactive and practical. It will cover language and communication, early mathematics and social and behavioural skills. However, the proposed test has been criticised in a report written by an expert panel and published by the British Education Research Association.

The report’s authors say that the assessment is highly likely to produce unreliable and invalid results, as it fails to recognise that young children develop at different paces and doesn't adjust for key factors, such as differences in ages and family background.

Add to this the fact that teachers and practitioners are likely to become more pressured to 'teach to the test', and it is difficult to see how baseline results will have any real value.

More info available at: www.bera.ac.uk

Beat head lice and nits with the Bug Buster Kit

If your children have had head lice before, then you may have been put off using expensive neuro-toxic pesticides on their heads. Bug Busting is a head louse detection and eradication method, which works by combining specially designed bevel-edged combs with your own family shampoo and conditioner.

The Bug Busting method detects and clears lice completely without special treatments, removes lice systematically, breaking the life-cycle in four sessions spaced over two weeks and eliminates unsightly eggshells comfortably.

The Bug Buster Kit is NHS approved and safe for babies, children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and those with allergies.

It costs £6.40 plus p&p but is reusable • Dynamic • Innovative only one kit is required per family.

• Effective • Native Female To order a kit or for further information Teacher (& mother of 3!) and advice, visit Community Hygiene Concern (CHC) at: www.chc.org or call: 01908 561928.

Arabic for Women and Children Families welcome – Goal Oriented

Call Reem on

07956 845 053

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Supporting your child with friendship challenges

By Lianna Champ

Life and relationships are not always easy and we learn our skills as children, watching the interactions of our parents and other adults in our lives. What we learn as children then sets our patterns of relating in adulthood.

Falling out with friends is normal during childhood and it is through struggling with friendship challenges that our children learn about themselves, relationships and how best to interact with others. Through experience, children also learn how to set boundaries - what they will or will not accept in a friendship.

We cannot make these decisions for our children but we can guide them gently and encourage them to use their instinct, intuition and intellect.

The most important thing we can do when our children are struggling with friendship issues is to listen. Falling out with their friends can feel like the worse thing in the world. Saying anything negative about their friends at this point will only cause your child to withdraw and can create further emotional confusion for them. Gently encouraging your child to talk about their feelings can help to identify areas of conflict, disagreement or unfairness which may have led to the fall out.

Ask what they think went wrong.

Do they think they could have reacted differently? Do they feel that they did nothing wrong?

When friends fall out, it doesn’t necessarily mean any of the children in the mix did anything wrong. Fall outs just happen and they can happen all the time!

Girls especially can change friends quickly, moving from one to another in succession.

There is an important lesson here too - that friendships grow and change and sometimes come to an end. Children are still developing and so must their 4 Families west London

friendships.

As we grow up, it is healthy that our friendship groups grow and diversify. Our needs change and different people provide different things. Learning how to be a friend is like learning anything else. Sharing your own stories of your own friendship experiences can be helpful, showing your children that friendships can hit a rocky patch which has to be worked through.

Help your children to understand the importance of sharing, taking someone else’s feelings into account and listening to each other. It’s important that children learn about allowing their friends the privilege of sharing their feelings without being judged.

Teach your children that their friends should also allow them this privilege too.

We can teach our children to decide whether a friendship is worth persevering with or whether it’s best to just walk away. Don’t be afraid to talk about the differences between healthy and toxic relationships.

It’s important to help children understand that there are different kinds of friends too best, great, good and casual

friends - and that new people are constantly coming into our lives. As we navigate life we can’t expect to get everything we need from one friendship, which is why we need quite a few to fulfil our needs.

Children have a tendency to think about things over and over again. Gently reflect back to them using clear language how they are feeling and what happened. Try a bit of role play around a friendship challenge which can help your child see what is happening more objectively. If you think your child’s behaviour was the catalyst for a fall out, role play can help them learn how to be a better friend in the future. It can also help them see more clearly whether they were at fault.

Always take an interest in your child’s friendships and if you sense something out of the ordinary, be there as a buffer.

But avoid taking sides, actively interfering or taking decisions for your child about their friendships. Working through their experiences is an extremely important part of growing up and a learning curve for adulthood and taking this away from

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them robs them of the chance to learn valuable life lessons.

Equally, do not make them feel like victim in a relationship as this can prevent them from taking responsibility in relationships later in life. Encouraging new activities and providing arenas for new friendships can give your child confidence in their ability to make new friends and be a good friend.

Studies show that children who have healthy relationships with the adults in their lives are more likely to make sound decisions about friendship, because they understand things like empathy and mutual respect, and they have better problem-solving skills.

So above all, nurture your own relationship with your children and others in your family.

Lianna Champ has over 40 years’ experience in bereavement and grief recovery.

Her new book How to Grieve Like a Champ is out now priced £9.99. More information at: www.champfunerals.com

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Play or structured learning in the early years?

In England, the current Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum stipulates a 50/50 balance between child-centred, play-based learning and adult-led learning.

Writes Maxine Henderson

Over the years there have been individuals who question the system and look to introduce new ideas. For example Liz Truss, a former Education and Childcare Minister, championed the introduction of a French-style ‘structured learning’ approach, with a graduate-led workforce responsible for larger groups of children, and a reduced child-tocarer ratio. Whilst the benefits of a more highly qualified workforce are indisputable, there are other considerations. If teachers are responsible for larger groups then opportunities for vital play-based learning are reduced.

Whilst the ‘structured learning’ model is hailed for its effectiveness in socialising children, teaching them manners, and creating a calm, organised atmosphere, it is not an environment in which young children learn best. And it definitely doesn’t encourage them to be inquisitive, self-motivated learners.

Children need to practise negotiating with each other and experience problem solving situations, without the direct supervision of an adult. If they are unable to practise these skills in free play, they become too reliant on adults to both intervene for them in social situations and to motivate and inspire them to learn.

A great example of the benefits of play-based learning happened in one of our nursery settings recently. I observed the children carrying large construction blocks, lengths of fabric, pegs and sticky tape out of the building and realised they were busy working together to construct a range of interestingly shaped homes in the garden, entirely from their own imaginations.

Some children were making signs to indicate who lived where; others were adding connecting tunnels and others still were creating places for everyone to sit and a welcoming atmosphere. It wasn’t familiesonline.co.uk

all smooth sailing. The children often disagreed about how to construct the dwellings and tempers flared when some children ‘borrowed’ things from one den to improve their own, but the whole process was fascinating to observe. Our carers were on hand to support the children - making sure they were safe and allowing them to negotiate between themselves. When necessary, they offered suggestions to help the children make decisions, but they provided choices rather than answers. They also asked open questions throughout the process such as:

How many pegs have you used?

How is this staying up?

What does your sign say?

The learning that took place that afternoon was incredible - the children were self-motivated, interested in the task and invested in a positive outcome. In adult-led learning, we often meet resistance, as a child does not want to complete the task in the way that we expect. However, this leads to other teaching opportunities and is equally as important as play-based learning. The two work well in tandem, giving the children opportunities to develop core skills, find their own strengths and become well-rounded individuals.

Currently observations are made about a child’s development while they play, helping carers plan structured learning activities relevant to that child’s development.

adding furniture to create narratives for their games.

A mixture of adult-led and playbased learning is important for the development of every child.

The individual child needs to learn structure and rules, and participate as part of group but they also need time to explore their own interests, likes and dislikes and see where they fit into the whole.

When considering the introduction of new ways of learning for children, it’s important to consider the impact this can have on the individual development of a child, as well as the changes that will need to be made to group learning. For example, increasing the number of children each worker has in their care makes it more difficult for detailed

observations to be made about each child and to organise adultled activities which are appropriate for both the development of individual children and the group.

Inevitably, this forces settings to move to a classroom-style environment in which, sadly, children lose vital free-play learning and development opportunities.

Maxine Henderson is a Childcare Expert at Tinies Childcare, a leading childcare specialist with over 30 years’ experience helping families, nurseries and other childcare settings find the right childcare professionals to suit their needs.

For more information, visit: www.tinies.com

These observations include the individual interests, abilities and levels of assistance required by each child. This makes it possible to organise interesting, achievable but challenging adult-led activities for each child, taking account of their preferred learning style and developmental level.

During the den-building activity, carers were able to identify which children: • Confidently led the action • Preferred to watch • Were interested in creating the tents and dens, • Disappeared when all the building and mending was done • Wanted to play in the dens when they were completed, delegating characters to each other and November-December 2018

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Equipping our children for a

future

Analysts Gartner have predicted that £19bn will be spent globally on educational technology by 2019. But are we sure that this will make our children better prepared to succeed in the future?

Will they possess the necessary skills to thrive in an increasingly digitalised world?

By Casey Farquharson

Coding is a key tech skill which can help prepare our children for the future. Yet, according to an article in The Guardian, over 67% of primary and secondary school teachers believe they cannot teach coding because of a lack of 'skills and teaching tools.’ Many schools simply don't have personnel with the required skills and understanding to teach pupils how to code. There is an urgent need for more investment in the education sector to train teachers to code; to attract more individuals to learn and teach coding; and to equip schools, both secondary and primary, with the necessary hardware However, it isn’t all about technology. Yes, we want our children to have good tech and digital skills, but character, creativity, and social skills are also vital. No matter how digitalised the world becomes, these three attributes of success cannot be compromised.

The components of character are courage, determination, the audacity to be different, focus, and the ability to ask questions and make one’s own decisions.

With creativity comes problem solving skills, innovation, critical thinking, and the ability to think outside the box. Rapport and relationship building, the ability to effectively express oneself both orally and in writing, confidence and collaboration are key components of social skills.

Plying our children with tablets and other forms of tech hardware is most definitely not a sure-proof way to ensure they 6 Families west London

have these attributes. The point here is not that tablets are bad or not useful, but that they should never be utilised as a be-all and end-all. Technology should not be a foundation of learning, but rather an enabler and a catalyst.

There are seven learning styles* that need to be understood and embraced if our primary-age children are to get the most from their technology learning experiences: Aural Listeners - individuals that respond primarily to sound.

Technology can be utilized to effectively engage with such individuals via the use of podcasts and audio teaching tools.

Logical learners - individuals with logical and organized minds. Mind mapping technology can be effectively utilized to improve their learning experience.

Physical learners - individuals who respond to words that incite feeling and activity. They like to understand what it feels like to go through the motions of what they are learning. Virtual reality technology can be utilized to optimize their learning experience.

Social learners - Individuals that respond to teachers who are inquisitive and ask what they are thinking and feeling about key topics and concepts. Search engines such Google, Google assistant and Siri can be utilised to maximise their learning experience.

Solitary listeners - individuals that are more comfortable sorting out problems on their own. Videos, online tutorials and audio learning can be utilized to optimize their learning experience.

Verbal listeners - individuals who absorb information more effectively via verbal instruction.

Innovative technology such as Siri, Cortana and Ok Google can be utilized to teach such individuals.

Visual learners - individuals that learn more effectively with pictures and imagery. Tablets and virtual reality technology can be utilized to optimize their learning experience.

It’s clear from the above that technology has the potential to be an effective enabler of specific and overall learning experiences. However, the key to its sustained effectiveness

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when it comes to education lies in technology being utilised in a supportive capacity, as against a leading one.

If we want our children to succeed in the future, then we must protect their emotional and psychological wellbeing. It is time to take responsibility for educating children, not only on the distinct dangers of the digital world but also on the importance of the true foundations of positive self-esteem. In order for our children to prosper in the future it is absolutely vital that we improve and preserve their emotional well-being - and appropriate technology training and learning scenarios can play a part in that education.

*Source: www.educationdegree.com

Casey Farquharson is the founder of IDEAS Bus, an interactive educational platform (on wheels!) designed to help educators discover the latest cutting-edge learning technology and students to get hands on coding, tech and digital media experience. More info at: http://theideasbus.org.uk

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Weaning your baby

Blending, storing, mashing and messy highchairs are all part of the exciting journey of weaning!

From around 6 months, a baby’s regular milk will no longer provide them with all the nutrients they need - in particular, essential fatty acids and iron - and their stores of these start to deplete. So now is the time to begin weaning, as missing nutrients need to be provided by food.

Getting Started Every baby develops at their own pace but here are few key signs that your baby is ready for weaning: Your baby: Can hold her head steady and sit up with minimal supervision

Has developed sufficient handto-eye coordination to look at food, pick it up and put it in her mouth.

Is showing an interest in what you are eating.

Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex (automatically pushing solids out of her mouth with her tongue) and is able to swallow food.

Best First Foods First foods should be simple, easy to digest, and unlikely to provoke an allergic reaction. I would recommend starting with a single ingredient, ideally a fruit or vegetable. Root vegetables like carrots, sweet potato and butternut squash are very popular; they have a naturally sweet flavour (similar to breastmilk) and can easily be puréed to a smooth texture. Try mixing them

with a little breast/formula milk to ease the transition.

From 6 months, your baby will need more than just fruit and vegetables and you will need to make sure you start to introduce iron rich foods like meat, lentils, eggs and iron-enriched cereals as well as foods rich in Essential Fatty Acids from oily fish like salmon.

The transition to solids is more about introducing food than giving a full meal. Your baby will still need at least 600ml of breast milk or formula each day until they are at least 12 months old when their diet is varied enough to offer the correct balance of nutrients.

Please don’t worry about picky eaters - we’ve all been there!

Your baby may need to try a

new food 10 to 15 times before they are willing to eat it.

Reflux and Allergies Around 50% of all babies experience some reflux during their first 3 months, but, it will prove to be a problem for only a very few and they will usually outgrow it. Gastro-oesophageal reflux can sometimes be a sign of cow’s milk protein allergy so look out for the signs and symptoms and seek advice from your doctor if you are concerned.

Childhood food allergies are increasing but the actual incidence of food allergy in babies is very small - about 5 to 6%. Babies and children also tend to grow out of allergies like cow’s milk or egg allergy by ages 2 or 3.

Lemon Tree and St Matthew’s Montessori schools based in Ealing Broadway offering both full day care (8.00am-6.00pm) and term time (9.15am-3.15am) for children aged from 1.5 years to 5 years old.

We offer French, Ballet, Yoga, Drama and PE inclusive of fees.

Full and part time sessions available. Qualified and experienced teachers offer a high standard of learning, nurturing and care.

Lemon Tree Montessori: 07495 898 760 (Full Day Care) St Matthew’s Montessori: 07856 364153 (Term Time) Website: www.lemontreemontessori.com

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If your baby is at high risk e.g. has bad eczema, then it’s sensible to get allergy testing done just before weaning to help guide safe introduction of common allergenic foods such as milk, egg and peanut. For babies with no history then these foods should be introduced from 6 months.

If your baby’s diet is restricted for any reason, it’s important to seek professional advice to ensure that they are still getting all the essential vitamins and minerals they need. Iron, Fats, Protein, Essential Fatty Acids, Carbohydrates, Zinc and Vitamin D are all essential to include in their diet from 6 months.

Tackling Texture From around 6 to 9 months babies are developing quite rapidly, so introduce as many different nutritious foods, flavours and textures as possible during this time.

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To help them tackle texture, try finely dicing and softening small cubes of carrot or apple so their gums can squash them when they try to chew. Be careful of surprise chunks as these can really startle your baby and put them off. Making your own baby food will allow you to control the size of the lumps and in turn, gradually increase their size.

With my son Nicholas I soon realised that if I added baby pasta shapes to his favourite puree then he was more receptive because it was a flavour he was familiar with.

Give rice or couscous a go too.

Baby-led or spoon-led?

Whilst a high percentage of parents start out with spoon-led purees, baby-led weaning (BLW) is fast growing in popularity.

The BLW philosophy is to let your baby feed herself from 6 months, missing out on purees

By Annabel Karmel

and spoon feeding altogether.

Babies can explore a variety of different tastes and textures from the beginning, helping them to eat a wide range of foods and develop good eating habits.

As well as soft finger foods, you can offer a mini portion of a family meal (without the salt).

Cottage pie, risotto or chicken curry are all ideal (and tasty) options.

Don’t worry about how much or how little your baby eats at the beginning; as long as they are experiencing a variety of tastes/textures and eating lots of different nutritious foods then you’re on the right track!

Remember that no ‘one-size-fitsall’ with weaning. Some people decide to go with one method or the other, but I’ve always believed that you don’t have to choose. At around 6 months, you have the freedom to combine an

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element of baby-led weaning alongside spoon feeding if you feel that’s right for you and your baby.

Annabel Karmel is a leading children’s cookery author and feeding expert. Her book, Weaning (DK £12.99) includes everything you need to know about traditional and baby-led weaning, advice on when to start, critical nutrients, how to cater for allergies and intolerances, and more than 60 healthy and delicious recipes. Available from all good bookstores.

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This year’s MUST HAVE CHRISTMAS Every year, desperate parents exhaust themselves searching high and low for the most wanted toys on their child’s Christmas list. To avoid last minute panic and possible disappointment, the key is to do your research and start shopping early.

To help you get prepared, we’ve put together a guide to our Families top ten favourite Christmas toys for 2018.

By Claire Winter 1. Dino Fingerling (£16.99) www.argos.co.uk Age: 6+ This year WowWee Toys' popular Fingerlings are all about dinosaurs (or mythical unicorns, if you fancy something a little less fierce).

The dinos respond to motion and sound and are bound to be a massive hit.

2. LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Set (£89.99) www.amazon.co.uk Age: 9-15 Lego and Harry Potter in the same box, what’s not to love? If you've got a wizard-mad child at home, this 878-piece set will allow them to recreate the magic of Hogwarts. This lovely set has lots of detail that will give Harry Potter fans hours of fun.

GUIDE! 2

3. Chow Crown Game (£24.99) www.argos.co.uk Age: 5+ A silly game for the whole family. The hat plays music, and while the beats are going, the crown spins round, and the wearer has to eat as many of the food items attached to the forks as possible. A game that’s most fun when hunger looms, you are in charge of loading the food items on to the forks. You can choose tasty treats like marshmallows and strawberries or items that might not be so palatable! Great fun for parties and sleepovers too.

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4 4. Pie Face Cannon (£26.99) www.amazon.co.uk Age: 5+ Pie Face continues to make the Christmas list year after year, and 2018 looks to be no different. This year you can buy a Pie Face Cannon. The cannon fires a pie every time, and it’s up to the contestant to use the red hand to stop getting “pied.”

A great game to play after Christmas dinner!

Pies away!

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5. The Poopsie Unicorn Surprise (£49.99) www.amazon.co.uk Age: 3+ Mums and dads across the country will be delighted to find this defecating unicorn on Christmas lists! The Poopsie Unicorn Surprise is a ‘cute’ toy that poops out glittery slime when you feed it special unicorn food. While I can hear parents visibly groaning, this is sure to be a hit with unicorn-lovers everywhere. Plus if you are worried about getting unicorn glitter poo all over your carpet on Christmas day, never fear, the toy comes with its own potty!

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7. Ani-Mate Mini Movie Maker Kit (£14.99) www.findmeagift.co.uk Age: 8+ Create quirky little movies with your own phone and this ingenious Mini Movie Maker Kit. It includes modelling clay, modelling tools and googly eyes to make your own kooky characters, and backdrops so kids can create their own film. This is a great present or stocking filler for a budding animator or storyteller.

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6. Densters (£19.99) www.firebox.com Age: 3+ All children love building a den! This great kit allows kids to set up their own hideaway in minutes. The set contains flexible toy monsters so you can create a magical den from everyday household items. It’s a great way to get your kids off a gadget!

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9. Gravitrax (£48.29) www.amazon.co.uk Age: 8+ A cool game that encourages kids to boost their STEM skills. Use your imagination to build superb tracks and set the Gravity Spheres rolling! The game combines physics, architecture, and engineering, to engage and improve young minds. You can also buy additional packs to extend the system.

A great buy for kids that love building, marble runs and Lego.

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8. VTech Kiddizoom Smart Watch (£44.99) www.amazon.co.uk Age: 4+ This cool watch features a camera for photo and video taking, 3D style digital and analogue clock faces and eight great games. It also has a motion sensor for a pedometer so they can measure their steps. The watch also has a calculator, calendar, alarm, stopwatch and voice recorder.

Plus the option to download more apps and games!

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10. My Rebounder Mini Rebounding Trampoline (£89.99) www.myrebounder.co.uk Age 4+ Classic fun, these rebounders (small trampolines) will keep kids active all year round and can be used inside and out. They help improve strength, balance, co-ordination and general fitness. They can also be folded, so they won’t take up too much room.

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Winter Fun - Indoors!

By Claire Winter

During the winter months, there’s no avoiding spending much more time indoors.

It’s tempting to allow the kids to while away the time on devices or playing on their Xbox.

But there are ways of keeping your kids off their screens and still having fun, even within the four walls of your own home. kitchen. This activity is satisfyingly messy and great fun.

Get your children to research how to make the best slime or play-doh on YouTube (it’s for educational purposes after all!).

Here’s Families guide to some fun bad-weather-day activities.

Make a Cardboard Town Get hold of a giant cardboard box or add lots of small ones together to make a town using large felt tips or paint. Let their imaginations run riot, and they can add cars and wooden/plastic

people to make it more realistic.

Set Up an Indoor Treasure Hunt Write some cryptic clues and hide a treasure trail of items for them to find. They may want to design one for you to do too!

Make Slime Batten down the hatches, get the aprons out and be prepared for a tsunami of a mess in your

Get Cooking If you aren’t keen on the slime idea, get the kids to cook you a meal instead. This is satisfying for them but also a treat for you (hopefully!). Suggest they plan a three-course meal for dinner.

Get them to design a menu and research how to make the dishes online or refer to some recipe books. I think getting them to look in the fridge and come up with some dishes with ingredients you already have teaches them a great a life skill too. A pasta sauce or an apple crumble are tasty, rewarding but simple dishes to make. If you have smaller children baking something simple like fairy cakes

or biscuits would obviously be more appropriate.

Play Cards Teach the kids the card games you used to play as a child. If you can’t get them interested in Patience or Gin Rummy, look up some cool card tricks for them to learn and show their friends.

Make Special Cards Get out the art supplies and card and make some Christmas and birthday cards. Why don’t you get creative with Origami?

My kids love making butterflies and birds and sticking them onto cards.

Have a Kitchen Disco My favourite thing to do on a rainy day is to have a party in the kitchen. Choose the most appropriate room in your house and sort a great playlist of music that will get the whole family

From Baby to Ballerina

Classes for Boys and Girls aged 21/2 to 16 years old Ballet, Pointe Work, Jazz, Tap, Annual Performances

Classes held in: Bayswater, Notting Hill Gate, Oxford Street, Shepherds Bush and South Kensington

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moving. Have a ‘dance off’ with your kids.

Make a Magazine Set up a news desk in the house and decide what the magazine is going to be about.

Think up a great name and get someone in the “team” to design

the front cover. Send out some roving reporters to write some news stories and create some fun features. The whole family can get involved!

Set up a Racing Track Use masking tape to create a huge car-racing track around

the house or living room, create a second track alongside it and get the toy cars out and race away!

Get Active You could make an indoor obstacle course or try hula hooping or skipping in the living room. To make it more interesting, do some timed challenges. You could also create indoor hopscotch with

some masking tape.

Try Balloon Ping Pong or Table Tennis Blow up some balloons and use some table tennis bats or make your own with some sticks and paper plates. Alternatively, if you have a table tennis set, drag out the dining table, set up the net and hold a tournament.

Absolutely hours of fun guaranteed!

Image credit: Perform

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WHERE’S SANTA THIS CHRISTMAS? 24 Nov-24 Dec HAMLEYS Children take part in seasonal activities, hear magical stories of Christmas, write their wishlist and spend time with Father Christmas and receive an extra special gift bag to take home. www.hamleys.com/explore-whatsonlondon.irs 1-20 Dec SELFRIDGES Breakfast with Santa. Be one of Santa's special guests as he hosts a decadent festive breakfast for all the family. Meet the man himself and receive a special personalised gift as you dine on delicious food and drink. www.selfridges.com 3-23 Dec FORTNUM AND MASON Storytelling with Father Christmas! Children aged 3-11 can sit and listen as Father Christmas himself tells a very special festive story. In the run-up to Christmas, the Man in Red will be welcoming boys and girls on his Nice List into our Fifth Floor Boardroom to hear a yuletide story like no other, before handing out festive goodie bags to take home, and listening to any of your lastminute present requests. www.fortnumandmason.com/events/christmas-storytelling 22 Nov-24 Dec WESTFIELD LONDON Children can visit Santa’s Snowflake Grotto, a magical world of snow. Children can create their own snowflake and explore the various activities within the factory. Meet Santa in his icy Snow Chamber, where every child will receive a gift and have their photo taken with him. To leave the North Pole and go back to London, experience the infinity room. www.uk.westfield.com/london/entertainment/events/santas-snowflake-grotto 1- 23 Dec DUKE OF YORK SQUARE GROTTO Santa’s coming! Take a trip to Chelsea this December and visit Santa in his cosy abode where he will receive your wish lists, while his little helpers take photos for you to keep. Book at: www.dukeofyorksquare.com 1-24 Dec ODDS FARM PARK The farm has been sprinkled with even more Christmas magic and spectacular surprises than ever before! Take your Christmas Spectacular Pass through the enchanted forest, to start your magical journey to the North Pole. Meet the Elves and Father Christmas, head into the Elves’ workshop to create your take home gift and finally step into the toy shop to choose your Christmas Spectacular present. www.oddsfarm.co.uk/christmas-day-out 1, 2, 7 and 9 Dec FULHAM PALACE Knock on the Tudor Great Hall door and listen for the bell before the whole family enters for a

special one-on-one meeting with Father Christmas, who gives each child a small gift.

Plus, join in wreath-making and other Christmas workshops. £11 per child, booking essential. www.fulhampalace.org 22 Nov - 24 Dec HYDE PARK'S SANTA LAND Catch a glimpse of Santa in his Christmas grotto and enjoy a magical family day out in the new and exclusively designed Santa Land. See your little ones’ faces light up as they experience the full festive experience including the brand new 45m long Ice Slide as well as an Ice Trike Trail. www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/ santa-land 22 Nov-5 Jan KEW GARDENS Now in its sixth year, the 2018 winter trail will be bigger than ever before, with over a million twinkling pea-lights and thousands of laser beams.

Walk under welcoming arches into a world festooned with seasonal cheer and wander beneath unique tree canopies drenched in Christmas colour. Santa and his elves will be in the North Pole village, plus favourite vintage rides, Christmas gifts and traditional festive fare. www.kew.org/christmas 8, 9,15, 16 Dec WWT LONDON WETLANDS CENTRE Children will be thrilled to hop aboard for a husky sleigh ride or donkey ride and visit Santa in his magical grotto. Head over to their northern pine forest; Father Christmas will be ready to welcome families in his cosy grotto among the trees (tickets to see Santa must be prebooked). Plus, the elves are a little behind schedule this year so Father Christmas needs some extra helpers to make enough presents in time for Christmas. Create festive decorations and small gifts to take home. www.wwt.org.uk/london

SANTA TO YOUR DOOR www.adamantsparties.co.uk Arrange a magical visit from Santa on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or any other time. He will deliver your presents and chat to your children about their favourite things. He may even sing a few festive songs before he says goodbye having nibbled a mince pie, or two. Call the Santa hotline: 020 8959 1045/ 07969 121094. Or email: info@adamantsparties.co.uk

HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS

17-21 Dec PAINT POTS FESTIVE FUN Arts, crafts, music, games and other seasonal activities at Paint Pots Bayswater, St Stephens Church, St Stephens Crescent, London, W2 5QT. For 3-6yrs Unaccompanied Sessions: 9.30am-12.30pm, £40. For 18m-3yrs* Accompanied Sessions: 3-4.30pm, £25 (*only available 17 - 20).

Led by fully qualified Nursery School and Creative Classes teachers. Book online at www.paintpotshouse.com

17-19 Dec PERFORM DRAMA WORKSHOP: ARABIAN NIGHTS Your child will be off to wind-swept deserts this Christmas holiday with an Arabian adventure set in a land full of colour, magic and mystery. They will meet the Genie of the Lamp and discover the Cave of Wonders. With colourful costumes and original songs, they’ll star in a fantastic show that will delight family and friends. Venues include St Michael's Hall, W4 3DY, Kensington URC, W8 6BL and Baden Powell House, SW7 5JS. www.perform.org.uk

OUTDOOR SKATING RINKS

14 Nov - 13 Jan SOMERSET HOUSE The perfect destination for festive gatherings with skating, music and delicious food. The everpopular Skate School and Polar Bear Club return this season, offering sessions with National Ice Skating Association instructors for visitors of any experience. www.somersethouse.org.uk 22 Nov-6 Jan HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND The largest open air ice rink in the UK. Skate around the Victorian bandstand under a canopy of lights. www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com 23 Nov - 6 Jan TOWER OF LONDON Skate in the shadow of the Tower and the Thames.

From £12.50. www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london To 20 Jan NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM The Museum’s east lawn will be transformed once again into a magical setting complete with thousands of fairy lights adorning the nearby trees, a fairground carousel and café bar where you can relax and enjoy the views above London’s loveliest ice rink. From £8.80. www.nhm.ac.uk 23 Nov - 6 Jan HAMPTON COURT PALACE Skate against a backdrop of one of the greatest palaces on earth! Tickets from £12.50, family tickets from £42.00. www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES BRITISH MUSEUM

Meet Father Christmas at ODD’S FARM

14 Families west London

WC1B 3DG www.britishmuseum.org DIGITAL WORKSHOPS Takes place at weekends and school holidays on a variety of themes. Free, 11am-4pm, for ages 7+ (unless stated).

6 Dec LITTLE FEET: GLORIOUS

November-December 2018

GARDENS The gardens of Ashurbanipal’s palace were glorious! Help to create a beautiful garden with colourful plants and fragrant blossoms. For under 5s at 10.30am.

17 Dec LITTLE FEET: CREATE AN EXHIBITION Some special new objects have arrived, and the museum teddy bears need your help putting them on display. There are all sorts of jobs to do, from making the posters to cleaning the objects. Come and play, and help the bears make this the best exhibition ever!

FOUNDLING MUSEUM

WC1N 1AZ www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk 1 Dec RAGS TO RICHES Inspired by the symbolism found in the portraits in the exhibition Ladies of Quality & Distinction, use block-printing techniques to turn recycled fabrics into elegant decorative textiles that could be used to dress an influential woman.

Led by artist Isobel Manning. 11am-4.30pm for age 5+ 6 Dec BACH TO BABY: CHRISTMAS FAMILY CONCERT An innovative classical babies’ concert created by mum and pianist, Miaomiao Yu, inspired by Handel.

10.30-11.30am.

16 Dec CHRISTMAS ELF EARS Inspired by the family concert A Musical Fairy Tale, make a pair of Christmas elf ears to dance in and take home. Suitable for age 5+.

Free for children and up to two accompanying adults.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM SE1 6HZ www.iwm.org.uk

EXHIBITIONS: HOLOCAUST Film, photographs and a large number of rare artefacts document the history of the Nazi persecution of the Jews and other groups before and during the Second World War. For ages 14+ A FAMILY IN WARTIME Explores the lives of William and Alice Allpress and their ten children and what life in London was like during the war.

SECRET WAR The clandestine world of espionage, covert operations and the work of Britain’s Special Forces.

FIRST WORLD WAR Discover the story of the war - Over 1,300 objects including weapons, uniforms, diaries, letters and souvenirs, will be on display as well as a recreated trench with periscopes and a dug-out, along with a soundscape and projection will evoke what daily life was like for the troops.

11am-5pm.

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM

WC2E 7BB www.ltmuseum.co.uk Throughout Nov and Dec FUTURE ENGINEERS GALLERY Families, young people and ‘big kids’ can get hands-on and have fun exploring the fascinating world of transport engineering in the new Future Engineers gallery, which opens to the public as a permanent display. Test your skills, solve transport conundrums faced by modern

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What’s On day engineers, and enjoy a series of interactive exhibits.

NATIONAL GALLERY

WC2N 5DN www.nationalgallery.org.uk Every Sun FAMILY SUNDAYS Activities designed for families to enjoy and learn together, 11am and 3pm.

MAGIC CARPET STORYTELLING For children aged 2-5. Sundays 10.30-11am and 11.30am–12pm. Fly away on the magic carpet, coming to land in front of a different painting each day.

21, 28 Nov, 5 Dec WELCOME WEDNESDAYS Bring paintings to life through interactive music, storytelling, art and messy play activities. For children under age 5.

2, 9, 16 Dec WILD LIFE DRAWING Life drawing with a difference! Meet, sketch and learn about real-life animals. Each week will feature different animals. Live animals will be present at this event and will always be accompanied by their experienced handlers.

11am-1pm. Advanced booking essential, for ages 5+ 12 Dec BABYJAZZ CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Swing and sing your way into Christmas at a tailored jazz workshop.10.30-11.10am for ages 18 months +

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

SW7 5BD www.nhm.ac.uk Until 6 Jan LIFE IN THE DARK Leave daylight behind and put your senses to the test in this illuminating exhibition. Meet the creatures that thrive at night, in pitch-black caves and deep in the sea. Enter the worlds of nocturnal animals and discover how they find their way around their environment, hunt, mate and evade predators.

Every weekend INVESTIGATE FOR FAMILIES Get a feel for how scientists work by having a go yourself. Come and explore hundreds of real nature specimens that form the evidence Museum scientists use in their daily work. Drop-in, 11am-5pm.

8 Dec DAWNOSAURS Early morning fun and learning for families with children on the autistic spectrum.

1 Dec DINO SNORES CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Ever wondered what goes on at the Natural History Museum at night?

7 - 11 years. 7pm till morning, torchlit trails through the museum, live animal shows and more. For ages 7-11.

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

SW7 2RL www.vam.ac.uk Every Sat POP UP PERFORMANCES Storytelling, interactive plays and dance.

For all ages at 11am, 1 and 3pm. Free, drop in. In Dec, pop-up performance will be celebrating a Victorian Christmas.

Every Sun DROP-IN DESIGN Pick up a design challenge, hunt for ideas in the galleries, then create your own. 10.30am5pm, for age 5+ In Dec, celebrate the festive season and design your own sensory Christmas tree decoration inspired by architecture.

5-7, 12-14, 19-21 Dec FESTIVE PLAY SESSION FOR UNDER FIVES: Take part in a multi-sensory play session especially for the under 5s and their families, inspired by The 12 Days of Christmas.

28-30 Dec THE IMAGINATION STATION

16 Families west London

Room on the Broom LIVE at the LYRIC THEATRE Create your own modular building by Waugh Thistleton Architects and add it to a new city.

28-30 Dec POP-UP PERFORMANCE Free activities and an interactive theatrical dance performance.

29 Dec FESTIVE FAMILY RAVE Wear your festive best for a fun family get together with rave music, crafts and merry-making with award winning Big Fish Little Fish.

Booking essential.

FREE ART FUN-BACK-PACKS, ACTIVITY CART AND ANIMAL BAGS Families can pick up an activity Back-Pack, get creative at Drop-in-Design or go on a gallery adventure trail. Free, drop-in. Suitable for children aged 4 to 11.

Activity Cart: Fantastic hands-on art fun for children to create collages and pictures to take home.

Agent Animal bag: A sensory activity bag that has been developed especially for under 5s. Each bag contains an audio map and fabric cubes.

WALLACE COLLECTION

W1U 3BN www.wallacecollection.org 2 Dec THE LITTLE DRAW Free drop-in drawing workshop for all ages and abilities.

Come and meet the Little Draw artist and rediscover the Wallace Collection through drawing, observation and plenty of creative experimentation. Suitable for all the family, 1.30pm - 4.30pm.

8 Dec FREE FILM SCREENING: SCROOGE Believed by many to be the best screen version of the much loved yuletide tale by Dickens, with the ever-versatile Alastair Sim impeccable as the miser who comes to see the error of his ways through the promptings of the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. 2pm.

15 Dec GET CRACKING Get ready for Christmas and Hanukkah by making some

festive crackers inspired by the Wallace Collection. Free, drop-in, 11am-1pm, all ages.

DAYS OUT BRITISH LIBRARY

NW1 2DB www.bl.uk 24-25 Nov TABBY MCTAT A stage adaption of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler classic for all the family, from the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Tabby McTat is a cat with the loudest of meee-ews and a best friend with a guitar. Together they sing their favourite songs delighting the crowds, until one day Fred disappears.

25 Nov FELINE FABLES AND FOLKTALES Join storyteller Olivia Armstrong to listen, invent, write and perform stories in this playful family workshop. Listen to cat folktales from around the world that show the different sides to these most mysterious of creatures - from the heroic and magical, to the downright naughty, you will meet them all! Free, drop in, age 5-11.

CUTTY SARK

SE10 9NF www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark Every weekend: CUTTY SARK CHARACTERS Come aboard to hear Cutty Sark’s incredible stories brought to life by characters from the ship’s past. Suitable for ages 3+ Every Weds TODDLER TIME Bring your little sailors along for songs, stories and playtime on board. 10-11.30am for ages 4 and under.

21 Nov TODDLER TAKE OVER DAY The annual celebration of children's creativity in museums, designed and led by children from

November-December 2018

a local Greenwich school, who will present themed arts, crafts, storytelling and play for children under five years old. 10am-4pm.

1,2 Dec CUTTY SARK CONSTELLATIONS Sailors have used star-gazing to help with way-finding for thousands of years. Join the artist to make an existing constellation or design your own. For age 3+ At 11.30am and 2pm.

27, 28 Dec STORM SHAKERS Shake up a storm and recreate the sounds of rain and the sea with your very own hand-made musical instrument. For age 3+ At 11.30am and 2pm.

FULHAM PALACE

SW6 6EA www.fulhampalace.org every Mon and Tues THE PALACE EXPLORERS A weekly parent/carer and toddler sessions for children aged 2-4. £3 per child, which includes a drink and healthy snack.

9 Dec CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Banished to the castle by a wicked enchantress, the Prince is cursed to remain a hideous beast forever. Could Belle be the one to break the spell on the Beast? 11am and 1pm.

9 Dec CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT An evening of Christmas celebration in the atmospheric Victorian Chapel. Carols followed by light seasonal refreshments in front of the fire in the Tudor Great Hall.

6.30pm-8pm.

HAMPTON COURT PALACE

KT8 9AU www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace 2 Dec STORYTIME SUNDAY Enjoy a wellknown story in the comfort of the palace and join in with themed toys. Aimed at under 7s.

11.30am, 1 and 2.30pm.

7 - 9 Dec HAMPTON COURT PALACE

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FESTIVE FAYRE The palace’s historic courtyards are set to be filled with over 50 stalls featuring mince pies, mulled wine and a host of treats guaranteed to set mouths watering.

17-23 Dec COURTYARD CAROL SINGING Get Christmas off to a traditional start by singing carols through some of the palace courtyards.

KENSINGTON PALACE

W8 4PX www.hrp.org.uk/kensingtonpalace 12-22 Dec LUNA WINTER CINEMA Experience iconic films from It's A Wonderful Life and Elf to Home Alone and Love Actually on the big screen at the Pavilion on the Orangery Lawn, with mulled wine, mince pies and hot chocolate.

KEW GARDENS

TW9 3AB www.kew.org 22 Nov-5 Jan CHRISTMAS ILLUMINATIONS TRAIL Kew Gardens will once again transform into a magical after dark explosion of festive colour, as visitors embark on an illuminated trail inspired by the Gardens themselves. Now a firm favourite in the London festive calendar, this year’s trail will offer an utterly new experience of art, light and sound from a roster of incredible international artists.

LONDON ZOO

NW1 4RY www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo 22 Nov-1 Jan THE MAGICAL, FANTASTICAL, AFTER-DARK ILLUMINATED TRAIL! There's something for everyone as the one mile illuminated path winds its way through ZSL London Zoo in a magical after dark experience. Greeted by festive sights and sounds, wander amongst seasonal colour and through twinkling tunnels of light. With the animals safely tucked up in bed, explore the trail where fairy-tale meets fantasy and larger-than-life pea-lit wild animal sculptures rise high into the night sky.

Surround yourself in sparkle as the path draws you through the Light Vortex and into contrasting tunnels, some delicate and some spectacular, festooned by a canopy of over 100,000 glistening pea-lights.

ODDS FARM PARK

HP10 0LX www.oddsfarm.co.uk A FABULOUS DAY OUT AT THE FARM! Meet the farmers and get close to the animals in the hands-on area and in the large undercover animal barns. There is a massive adventure play area with a four lane astra slide, two drop slides, a netted area with zig zag chicanes and tunnels, swinging ropes and much more. Also, a special Toddler and Under 5’s areas.

1-24 Dec CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR Take your Christmas Spectacular Pass through the Enchanted Forest, to start your magical journey to the North Pole. Meet the elves and Father Christmas, head into the elves’ workshop to create your take home gift and finally step into the toy shop to choose your Christmas Spectacular present!

OSTERLEY PARK AND GARDENS

TW7 4RB www.nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley-parkand-house/whats-on 17 Nov FAMILY CRAFT WORKSHOP: MUG PAINTING Decorate a mug for your table at home with this family craft workshop.

Booking essential.

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24 Nov-13 Jan LAY THE TABLE HUNT Explore the gardens to help the butler find his missing tableware in the festive family trail. While laying the table in the Eating Room James Allen, the Butler, has discovered he is missing items from all his dinner sets! After William Deighton, the Head Gardener found a silver spoon in a flower bed, the Butler suspects the Menagerie boy has taken them and hidden them around the garden. Can you help Mr Allen by finding all the items before Mrs Child notices that they are missing? £1 per trail, from the Garden Kiosk.

29 Dec TEALIGHT HOLDER PAINTING Use your artistic skills to decorate a tealight holder for your table at home. Light is a key part of the dining experience, with beautiful candelabrum used all throughout history to light the dining tables and show off the wealth of the householder. You can see examples of this in the Made for the Table Exhibition. Adults and children can join in in this family workshop.

THEATRE AND CONCERTS ARTS THEATRE

Great Newport Street WC2 www.artstheatrewestend.co.uk 8 Dec - 12 Jan A CHRISTMAS CAROL Based on the performances of A Christmas Carol that Charles Dickens himself gave throughout the UK and America, Simon Callow’s one-man show embodies the very heart of this beloved holiday classic.

BARBICAN THEATRE

EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre 12-22 Dec WOLFGANG'S MAGICAL MUSICAL CIRCUS Straight from the score and onto the stage, the man known as Mozart appears amid a storm of powder, tumbling and twirling, as musical mayhem and movement fuse in this family show with a circus twist. For age 3+

BECK THEATRE

UB3 2UE www.becktheatre.org.uk 21 Nov BRING YOUR OWN BABY: COMEDY A funny, friendly afternoon of top comedy, and… you can bring your own baby!

Soft flooring, toys, buggy parking and baby changing available.

22 Nov THE NUTCRACKER An ideal introduction to audiences of any age to the magic that is classical ballet. A wonderful treat full of glitter for the whole family.

7-30 Dec PETER PAN Swapping the cobbles of Coronation Street for Captain Hook, Ryan Thomas stars in this year's highflying pantomime adventure, featuring magnificent scenery, beautiful costumes, an abundance of comedy and stunning flying sequences.

CAMBRIDGE THEATRE

WC2H 9HU www.matildathemusical.com Booking until Feb 2019 MATILDA THE MUSICAL The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Roald Dahl’s magical story about a girl with extraordinary powers.

EVENTIM APOLLO

W6 9QH www.eventimapollo.com 19-31 Dec NATIVITY! The Musical.

A feel-good, funny and full of festive joy, this smash-hit musical was adapted for the stage

by Debbie Isitt, the creator of the much-loved films. Every child in every school has one Christmas wish, to star in a Nativity, and at St Bernadette’s School they’re attempting to mount a musical version. The only trouble is teacher Mr Maddens has promised that a Hollywood producer is coming to see the show…

GREENFORD HALL

UB6 9QN www.heos.org.uk 29, 30 Dec CINDERELLA A traditional family-friendly pantomime.

LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE

WC2H 7BX www.leicestersquaretheatre.com To 6 Jan STICK MAN What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man: a dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan builds a nest with him, and he even ends up on a fire! How will Stick Man ever get back to the family tree?

THE LILIAN BAYLISS STUDIO

EC1R 4TN www.sadlerswells.com 2-6 Jan SLEEPING BEAUTY: LET'S ALL DANCE Dazzling dancers, Tchaikovsky's sumptuous score and gorgeous costumes bring this glittering classical ballet to life, suitable for all the family.

LONDON COLISEUM

WC2N 4ES www.ballet.org.uk 13-30 Dec ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER Over 100 dancers and musicians, beautiful sets and Tchaikovsky’s

popular score. Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker doll discover a magical world, where she battles with the Mouse King and meets a handsome stranger. As the air grows colder, Clara and her valiant Nutcracker take a hot air balloon ride across London to the glistening Land of Snow where her adventure really begins. A treat for all the family.

LYRIC HAMMERSMITH

W6 0QL www.lyric.co.uk 17 Nov-6 Jan DICK WHITTINGTON The usual mix of live music, crazy characters, awesome adventure, singing, dancing, villainous baddies and heroic goodies with a little bit of feline flavour chucked in for good measure. For age 6+ 21 Nov - 30 Dec RAYMOND BRIGGS’ FATHER CHRISTMAS A charming show is back to delight children under 6 and their families. Follow Santa as he awakes from a dream of sun, sea and sand only to find it is the busiest day of the year: Christmas Eve. This timeless festive story bursts into life with live music, playful puppets and a magical set.

5 Jan THE SNOW BABY Doris and her Bear Man live on the hill, alone but happy.

Wrapped up in a snowy smother, they are in love. But when the snowstorm comes, Doris’ Bear Man disappears! How will Doris survive by herself in a forest plagued with nothing but bad weather and a cloud of hungry crows?

A magical children’s theatre show exploring themes of family, love and loss with beautiful puppetry, imaginative storytelling and music that will give you goosebumps. For ages 3-8.

LYRIC THEATRE

W1D 7ES www.tallstories.org.uk/room-on-the-broom 23 Nov-13 Jan ROOM ON THE BROOM LIVE Join the witch and her cat on their mission to defeat the dragon in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The witch and her cat are flying happily on their broomstick when they pick up a helpful dog, bird and frog for a ride.

WHAT’S ON LISTINGS CONTINUE ON PAGE 18

BLOOMSBURY THEATRE

WC1H 0AH www.thebloomsbury.com 12 Dec - 6 Jan AWFUL AUNTIE From the award-winning West End producers of Gangsta Granny comes the world premiere of David Walliams’ amazing tale of frights, fights and friendship, featuring a very large owl, a very small ghost and a very awful Auntie!

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What’s On But this broomsticks not meant for five and ‘CRACK’ it snaps in two!

Enjoy songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3+

MUSIC HOUSE FOR CHILDREN

W12 7LJ www.musichouseforchildren.co.uk 19 Dec INTERACTIVE MUSICAL STORYTALE: FLY PENGUIN FLY Brrrrrr, brrrrrr, brrrrrr. Cold, cold, cold. Join Penguin in the land of icebergs, snow and very cold water, brrrrrr. Who will he meet? What will he discover? Expect live instruments and lots of colourful resources. For ages 1-4.

THE OLD VIC

SE1 8NB www.oldvictheatre.com 27 Nov - 19 Jan A CHRISTMAS CAROL Follow the adventures of the wicked Ebenezer Scrooge as four ghosts transport him to the past, present and future during a life-changing night-time visit. Will the 4 ghosts manage to make him change his ways? Don’t miss this immersive production and get in the Christmas spirit with this classic seasonal tale.

PEACOCK THEATRE

WC2A 2HT www.sadlerswells.com 22 Nov-6 Jan THE SNOWMAN Based on the book by Raymond Briggs. step into the wonderful wintery world of a boy and his magical snowman. As a unique friendship is kindled, the two embark on a starry-skied adventure to the North Pole, where they meet Father Christmas and narrowly escape

PUPPET THEATRE BARGE

W9 2PF www.puppetbarge.com 1-31 Dec MR RABBIT MEETS BRER SANTA Brer Rabbit is back to his mischievous ways in this Christmas adventure full of fun and surprises. Will Mr. Fox outsmart him this time? Staged with beautiful lighting, unique hand-carved marionettes, and suitable for age 3+

QUESTORS THEATRE

W5 5BQ www.questors.org.uk 14-31 Dec SLEEPING BEAUTY CHRISTMAS PANTO The beautiful Princess

Aurora is born to King Norbert and Queen Dotti, in the kingdom of Woollycombe, the land of sheep and spinning wheels. As the princess’s fairy godmothers bless her, the wicked Carabosse suddenly appears and casts an evil spell on the little princess - on her 18th birthday she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and drop-down dead! No one can stop the spell, but Fairy Peaceful, one of the fairy godmothers, has yet to cast her spell. So, will she manage to change Carabosse’s evil spell? Or will Carabosse win the day… A fun, laugh-out-loud family panto. Sing along and shout at the wicked fairy Carabosse - if you dare!!!

RICHMOND THEATRE

TW9 1QJ www.atgtickets.com/Richmond 8 Dec-6 Jan PETER PAN Join the highflying hero, Peter Pan, as he transports the Darlings on an adventure they will never forget, filled with evil pirates, a very hungry crocodile and the meanest man in Neverland.

SHAW THEATRE

NW1 2AJ www.shaw-theatre.com 8-30 Dec BEAUTY AND THE BEAST A show with a star cast, impressive music, energetic dance routines as well as plenty of jokes, slapstick and heaps of audience participation for all the family.

SADLER’S WELLS

SE1 8PX www.sadlerswells.com 4 Dec-27 Jan SWAN LAKE Retaining the iconic elements of the original, Matthew Bourne will create an exciting re-imagining of the classic production. Thrilling, audacious and emotive, this Swan Lake is perhaps best known for replacing the female corps-deballet with a menacing male ensemble, shattering convention and taking the dance world by storm.

SOUTHBANK CENTRE

EC1R www.southbankcentre.co.uk 16, 23, 30 Nov, 7, 14 Dec RUG RHYMES FOR THE UNDER-FIVES A short session of nursery rhymes, poems and rhyming stories, and the opportunity to look at and borrow

The English National Ballet at THE LONDON COLISEUM books. Free but booking essential.

19 Nov, 3, 10 Dec DRAGON BABIES Bring your little ones to shake, rattle and gong.

Gamelan for ages 3-5.

13 Dec-6 Jan RUMPELSTILTSKIN A retelling of a beloved family fairy tale, reimagined with lashings of magical mayhem, rocking music and supreme silliness. In this groundbreaking theatrical spectacle that is anything but traditional, wonder at the visually stunning costumes, hyper-modern set and larger-than-life characters and delve into a fantastical world, fizzing with fun and laughs for all the family.

15 Dec CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS Traditional music, stories and performances from the Caribbean that are typical during the festive season.

19 Dec-5 Jan CIRCUS 1903 Experience the thrills and daredevil entertainment of a turnof-the-century circus. The show includes sensational life-sized elephants stunningly created by puppeteers from War Horse, putting elephants back in the ring as never before as well as a huge cast of jawdropping and dangerous acts from all corners of the globe, featuring acrobats, contortionists, jugglers, trapeze and high-wire performers.

23 Dec WINTER KNEES UP An inclusive day of music, storytelling and performances for all the family.

UNICORN THEATRE

The Christmas Illuminations Trail at KEW GARDENS

18 Families west London

SE1 2HZ www.unicorntheatre.com 13 Nov - 6 Jan HUDDLE During the long, cold winter, Mr Penguin carefully guards his egg. Now this new dad needs to look after his newly born chick on his own and he’s not feeling confident. How will father and baby work it out together? For ages 2-5. This is a heart-warming tale about a child and parent learning how to thrive in spite of the odds.

This is a deaf-friendly and autism-friendly show.

13 Nov - 6 Jan PULLMAN’S GRIMM TALES A delicious selection of Philip Pullman’s favourite fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, re-told and re-worked for this Christmas.

Enter a world of powerful witches, enchanted forest creatures, careless parents and fearless children as they embark on adventures full of magic, gore, friendship, and bravery.

November-December 2018

CONCERTS BACH TO BABY

www.bachtobaby.com/londonnorth All concerts at 10.30am.

19 Nov, 3 Dec in Notting Hill (St. John's Church, Lansdowne Crescent, W11) 23 Nov, 7 and 21 Dec in Chiswick (St. Michael and All Angels, Bath Road, W4) 1 Dec in Bayswater (St. Matthew's Bayswater, 29 St Petersburgh Place, W2) 19 Dec in Kensington (Saint Stephen's Church, Gloucester Road SW7) 24 Nov, 15 Dec in Ealing Haven Green Baptist Church, 2 Castlebar Road, W5)

MUSIC HOUSE FOR CHILDREN

W12 7LJ www.musichouseforchildren.com 2 Dec CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT Under the sparkling chandeliers of Bush Hall, families, friends and children will enjoy Christmas carols, performances and readings by children and artists. Expect an appearance from You Know Who…!

CADOGAN HALL

SW1X 9DQ www.cadoganhall.com 1 Dec WEST END DOES: CHRISTMAS Stars of West End and Broadway perform songs and carols alongside the fabulous orchestra and gospel choir, Sing Gospel.

12 Dec CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT A sublime concert of carols and seasonal classics, staged in full 18th-century costume in an evocative candle-lit style setting.

16 Dec ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA CHRISTMAS CRACKER Glittering Christmas songs, seasonal music and sing-along carols, featuring West End stars.

21 Dec PADDINGTON BEAR’S FIRST CONCERT & FATHER CHRISTMAS SCREENING The wonderful animation Father Christmas with the soundtrack performed live, and the charming score of Paddington Bear’s First Concert for symphony orchestra and narrator.

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What type of activity is most beneficial for my child?

Parents are faced with a daunting array of extra-curricular activities from which to choose appropriate classes for their children and the choices just keep getting wider! The vast majority of these activities offer many skills and benefits, as well as being enjoyable and fun. To help guide you in your decision CLASSIFIED making, Families takes a look at the benefits of some of the available options.

DANCE If your child is always practising their moves and can’t help getting up and moving as soon as there’s music in the air, signing up for dance classes is a great way to tap into their enthusiasm. Dance classes improve: Physical health: flexibility, co-ordination, balance, range of motion, stamina, muscle tone, strength and posture.

Spatial and Self Awareness: feeling more at home in their own skin, becoming more agile and paying more attention to others sharing their space.

Self-expression: expression of their feelings with immediacy through dance and movement. This can help children who struggle to express their feelings verbally.

Socialisation: working as part of a team, developing a greater sense of trust and co-operation, and making new friends.

Dance is a highly social activity.

Cognitive development: improving memory skills through learning choreography.

Self-confidence: which comes with each new routine they practice and master.

There is a wide range of dance classes available - for both boys and girls - from pre-ballet classes and tap, street dance, contemporary, creative movement to music and more.

HORSE RIDING Childhood is full of stories, songs and role-play games about horses so learning to ride can add an

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exciting new dimension to childhood.

With horse riding comes: Responsibility: learning to look after and ride a pony instils a sense of responsibility and accountability for another animal that will be valuable as your child grows up.

Stress relief: being outdoors can enhance your child's sense of happiness and well-being.

Experienced riders talk about the freedom and exhilaration of riding a horse in the great outdoors.

Empathy: dealing with animals helps children understand that someone else’s needs have to be considered alongside, and sometimes before, their own.

Confidence: learning to ride and care for an animal that’s twice their size can be really empowering for children.

Learning life-lessons: great for instilling an attitude in children that success and rewards come from hard work.

Many riding schools will take children as young as age 3 but some stipulate a minimum age of 5 or 6 years. Horse riding is usually taught in small groups (one to one is also available) to ensure each pupil receives a good level of attention.

BALL SPORTS As children grow, learning how to play a variety of ball games is a great way of keeping fit. The remarkable thing about playing with a ball is that your child can run for miles without noticing, because their mind is focussed on the action and not the physical exertion.

Some benefits are: Physical health: maintaining a healthy weight, good level of fitness and strengthening of bones and muscles.

Co-ordination, timing and attention: improving all of these!

Sociability: making friends, gaining confidence and improving selfesteem.

Life skills: learning to handle victories and defeats, persistence,

problem solving, self-discipline, leadership and working with others towards a common goal.

Confidence: coaches are trained to help children take small steps to learn the basic skills required and to improve their confidence.

They don’t have to be naturals!

LANGUAGES Learning another language can be exciting and empowering for children, whether to communicate with friends or family or to understand more when abroad. While English is an important language, it’s still the case that only 6% of the worlds’ population speak it as a first language - 75% don’t speak any English at all! Some benefits are: Growing kids’ brains: people who are bilingual are better at tasks that require multi-tasking and focussed attention. Brain scans show they have more grey matter in the regions of the brain involved in executive function.

Boosting results in core subjects: children who have studied foreign languages perform better in English and mathematics and SAT-verbal scores improve with the length of time students have studied a foreign language.

Improving learning skills: develops the skills of memory, attention to detail, noticing, pattern-finding, creative thinking and reasoning.

Ease of learning: post-puberty our aptitude for second language acquisition is reduced.

Up until ages 7 or 8, children can learn to speak a second language with fluent grammar and without an accent. After this critical period the ability to master a foreign language gradually declines.

Setting them up for adult life: learning a foreign language as a child means they have a lifetime to benefit from cross-cultural friendships, broad career opportunities, exciting travel adventures and deeper insights into how others see the world.

November-December 2018

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9:30am - 5pm Monday - Saturday.

020 8987 8404 4 Acton Lane Chiswick Park W4 5NB www.partyplus.co.uk www.partiesbypost.co.uk

CLASSIFIED ADS - TUITION “HOME TUITION” FULLY QUALIFIED TUITION IN ART, CRAFTS AND DESIGN Help with exams for school, portfolio’s for college, or, just for fun!!

ALL AGES WELCOME

Contact: Vivien Bornemann 020 8932 1010

Families west London 19

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Activities, Clubs & Classes MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

HARTBEEPS Award-winning, original, multi-sensory musical baby and toddler classes with original music, bubbles, costumes, twinkles, sparkly parachutes, puppets and more. Classes in West Kensington, North Kensington, Notting Hill, Shepherds Bush and Maida Vale. t: 07738 522856 Classes in Ealing, Fulham, Putney, Kew, Chiswick, Hammersmith, Wandsworth, Barnes and Acton.

DANCE

BALLET4LIFE Since 2004. Ballet4life offers top quality.

Welcoming daily ballet, dance and fitness classes taught by professionals. All classes are held in large dance studios and our programme includes creative dance classes for kids, beginner ballet and barre courses, and dance fitness.

Mums and babies welcome. www.ballet4life.com Follow us: @ballet4lifeuk Like us: www.facebook.com/ballet4life.uk/ DANCE GALLERY Dance Gallery is Ealing’s leading dance school and specialises in modern, jazz, tap and musical theatre productions for children aged 4-18 years. t: 0208 566 9672 www.dancegallery.co.uk KENSINGTON BALLET 18 months - 2 years.

Kensington, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Notting Hill and Fulham. t: 07957 650 042 www.kensingtonballet.com

STAGECOACH PERFROMING ARTS Provide fun and engaging weekly classes in dance, drama and singing in a safe and happy

Party Listings DRAMA

Perform Parties Based around a colourful theme, Performs energetic party leaders use a magical mix of songs, games and laughter to create fun-filled, actionpacked parties. t: 0207 255 9120 www.performparties.co.uk

Stagecoach Their themed parties for 4-10 year olds combine drama, dance and singing with a wide range of party games and storytelling all based around your chosen theme. You choose the date and the time and they can come to the venue of your choice.

Stagecoach Kensington: t: 020 8398 8106 Stagecoach Chiswick: t: 020 020 8398 4709

ENTERTAINERS

Adam Ants Parties t: 020 8959 1045 or 07969 121094 e: info@adamantsparties.co.uk www.adamantsparties.co.uk

Boo Boo The Children’s Entertainer t: 07961 355269 www.mr-booboo.co.uk

environment. Students aged 4 to 18 years are taught by a professional and experienced team of teachers. They offer two-week trials for all new students so that your child can try the class out.

To enrol go to: www.stagecoach.co.uk info@stagecoach.co.uk Chiswick - 020 8398 4709 Hammersmith & Kensington: 020 8398 8106 Ealing: 01494 260249 WEST LONDON DANCE ACADEMY Ballet classes in Chiswick & Ealing.

Free Trial Lesson. e: info@gmail.com t: 07795 578781 www.westlondondanceacademy.com

WEST LONDON SCHOOL OF DANCE 21/2 - 16 years. t: 020 8743 3856 westlondondance@aol.com www.westlondonschoolofdance.co.uk

DRAMA

ARTSED EXTRA Fun and engaging weekly Musical Theatre, Drama and Dance classes in Chiswick.

Develop skills and grow in confidence!

Available to children 4-16yrs of all abilities. e: ptc@artsed.co.uk · t: 020 8987 6692 www.artsed.co.uk

HUZZAH Performing Arts & Mindfulness Build confidence from the inside out with a Huzzah weekly class. Drama, dance, singing and a touch of mindfulness. Ages 4 - 7.

Saturday 1 - 2.20pm in Queen's Park.

Sunday’s 10 - 11.30am in West Hampstead.

Creative, calm, confident kids.

Sign up for a FREE TRAIL at: www.huzzahperformingarts.com

Silly Millie the Clown Parties for 3 - 9 year olds. Funny magic show, puppet’s, party games, silly songs and balloon animals.

Impossible = I am Possible t: 020 7823 8329 or 07939 239 397 www.sillymillietheclown.co.uk

FUN ON A FARM!

Birthday Parties at Odds Farm Park For more information including full party terms and conditions and to book visit: www.oddsfarm.co.uk

MUSIC & MOVEMENT

Blueberry Playsongs Fun, inter-active, musical parties for the under 5’s since 1991!

Guitar-accompanied songs with actions, joining in, instruments, games and dancing. t: 020 8677 6871 e: info@blueberryplaysongs.co.uk

PERFORM Weekly drama, dance and singing classes for 412s. Perform is a unique children’s drama school that has a special emphasis on child development. Perform uses a mix of drama, dance and singing to bring out every child’s full potential.

Run by highly experienced actor-teachers, in small groups, Perform classes focus on developing the 4 Cs: Confidence, Communication, Coordination, and Concentration. The perform curriculum ensures plenty of fun, using a mix of energetic games, catchy songs and funky dances. All class materials are written by Perform, with apps, CDs and videos that the children can play at home to keep the magic alive. Perform offer no-obligation FREE trial sessions. Visit: www.perform.org.uk/try to book a FREE class today.

Venues: Acton, Brook Green, Chiswick, Ealing, Earls Court, ,Hammersmith, Ickenham, Kensington, Maida Vale, Notting Hill, Shepherds Bush, Turnham Green. e: enquiries@perform.org.uk t: 020 7255 9120 www.perform.org.uk/try STAGECOACH PERFORMING ARTS Provide fun and engaging weekly classes in dance, drama and singing in a safe and happy environment. Students aged 4 to 18 years are taught by a professional and experienced team of teachers. They offer two-week trials for all new students so that your child can try the class out. To enrol go to: www.stagecoach.co.uk e: info@stagecoach.co.uk Chiswick: 020 8398 4709 Hammersmith & Kensington: 020 8398 8106 Ealing: 01494 260249

FOOTBALL/SPORTS

KIDDIKICKS Football (W2,W4,W8,W10,W11,TW8).

For boys and girls from 18 months to age 7. e: info@kiddikicks.co.uk · t: 020 7937 7965 www.kiddikicks.co.uk

PARTY SUPPLIERS

Party Plus They have a wide range of themed party ware available from stock.

For mail order and more visit: www.partyplus.co.uk

VENUES

Betty Blythe Specialises in bringing the Tea Service party to your own home or venue of your choice.

They can also host up to 10 in their Vintage Tea room. e: tea@bettyblythe.co.uk www.bettyblythe.co.uk

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JUMP LDN Empowers people through Double Dutch Skipping! Double Dutch is a socially fun sport and street game which promotes teamwork, communication and unity.

Harrow Club, 187 Freston Rd, London W10 6TH JUMP YOUTH: 6pm-7pm (16yrs and under) JUMP FITNESS: 7pm-8pm (16yrs and over) e: info@jumpldn.com www.facebook.com/jumpldn1 www.jumpldn.com

TUITION SUPPORT

EXPLORE LEARNING Maths & English Tuition Centres. 5 -14 years.

Free Trial session.

Ealing 020 8090 8710 Hayes 020 8561 8530 Westfield London 020 809 01216 www.explorelearning.co.uk

VICTORIA PAGE Private tuition 21/2 - 11 years. t: 07050 246 810

VIVIEN BORNEMANN Home tuition. Art, Craft and design. All ages. t: 020 8932 1010.

BABY YOGA & MASSAGE

WEST LONDON BABIES Chiswick Sling Library, Family First Aid session, Breastfeeding Buddy sessions and Pregnant Parents Social Club. Also The Bub Hub which runs every fortnight and is a collective of professionals working together to support parents during the first year of their baby's life.

Mums of More than One, 6-12 month old focus and lots more. t: 020 8090 8710

LANGUAGES

ARABIC For Women and Children. Female teacher. t: 07956 845 053

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