Families Vale of York Sept / Oct 2013

54

sept/oct 2013 issue

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free

The useful magazine for families with young children in York, Harrogate, Tadcaster, Wetherby and Selby

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2 Families

Vale of York

families magazine Tel: 01405 860831 editor@familiesvoy.co.uk www.familiesvoy.co.uk Circulation: 18,000 Deadline:

The deadline for the Nov/Dec 2013 edition is Early October 2013

Front cover: With thanks to

Beth Devine Designed by: MOOIdesign

Tel: 01405 869045 Printed by: Warners Midlands PLC www.warners.co.uk Copyright Families in the Vale of York Sept/Oct 2013. Colour transparencies and any other original materials submitted for publication are sent at owners’ own risk and, while every care is taken, neither Families nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage.

Families in the Vale of York is part of a group established in 1990 and headed by Families South West. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under license. We take care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of the advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.

welcome to families

My eldest begins high school this term. It only seems moments ago that he was toddling up to primary school but we’ve packed all that away now. Gone is the drawstring PE bag with his name on it, long, long gone are the black pumps and Star Wars lunch box and soon half the class he’s been with for most of his life will be in a different school. Farewells were sealed with a tearful leavers’ service and a spectacular party whilst I carefully gleaned any advice I could for the coming years from those who have already been there.

First I was reliably informed that big changes are ahead - that he ‘won’t be the same’ once he’s at ‘big school’. I should hope not really - it wouldn’t do for him to remain for ever as he is now, and anyway I like to think of it as ‘evolving’. Next I was told they don’t really get much homework. Now I taught in a high school for many years and I’d like to congratulate those children who have successfully pulled the wool over their parents’ eyes. It’s a fact of life: there will be homework.

I’ve asked about bags and buses, lunches (packed are not cool - but he’ll be having them anyway) and after school clubs. I’ve listened to it all and taken on board the advice I like and left the rest - except for one thing: Whatever I do, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES must I buy a ....jumper.

I haven’t. Happy new school year!

Editor of Families VOY

in this issue www.thelittlegym.co.uk

Develop your child’s skills and confidence The Little Gym is a place where children develop their co-ordination, balance, confidence, listening and social skills whilst having heaps of FUN! The Little Gym provider of the world’s leading gymnastics based programme for children aged 4 months to 12 years is available in Harrogate!

Contact us now for more information on 01423 701560.

The Little Gym® Harrogate • 1 Cardale Park • Harrogate • HG3 1RY 01423 701560 • Harrogate@thelittlegym.co.uk • www.thelittlegym.co.uk parent/child classes

preschool/ kindergarten gymnastics

primary school gymnastics

holiday camps

birthday parties

p4 p8 p9 p10 p16 p24 p26 p28 p31

news the great escape ask the doctor clubs & classes back to school how to handle stress halloween what’s on beta mum

Families Vale of York

3

news Could you volunteer?

CLIC Sargent need volunteers to grab a bucket as part of their winter of collections.

The UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people has been offered the chance to hold Big Bucket Collections throughout York and the surrounding area and is looking for support to raise their target of £200,000.

This Collection starts in October and ends in December, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month when CLIC Sargent will be highlighting the impact of cancer on pupils at secondary school.

Staying in school can be difficult for children and young people undergoing cancer treatment. It may be hard for them to keep up with schoolwork and stay in touch with friends, which can make them feel isolated and stressed, especially during exam times.

CLIC Sargent do all they can to help, but right now they can only support two out of three children and young people coping with cancer, and that’s why the money that local volunteers help to raise is so important.

If you can spare a little time to help make a big difference you can contact the CLIC Sargent team on 0845 121 2495 or visit www. clicsargent.org.uk/bigbucketcollection

Why we should all walk to school Beat the traffic and get you and your kids out in the fresh air during International Walk to School Month this October. Each year, primary school children from across the UK join forces with over 40 countries worldwide to celebrate the benefits of walking to school and this October is no different, with the month-long activity encouraging pupils to walk to school at least once a week. Many parents know that walking is actually quicker and less stressful than taking the car and they value the opportunity to spend quality time with their children. It also increases air quality with fewer cars on the streets and strengthens communities, where children and parents are seen in the streets! Stop moaning about the traffic … start clearing it! www.livingstreets.org.uk

T at Selby North Children’s ith N19C w e s r u o c id Se th A y t da for Firs ddler First Aid Course will be running on Th7-9pursm at a cost ofpte£2mb5 peerr person and £1as0 the A Baby & To d Cross and course runs from r from the British Re Road, Selby. The ine y tra xle d Fla fie ali on e qu ly ntr ce by a ful course will be run concessions. The will go to charity. ds ee oc pr ils.

T, NC or for further deta course is run by the to reserve a place m .co ail gm id@ ta Email selbynctfirs

York Paraclimber Sponsorship Plea

York Teenager Sianagh Gallagher took up rock climbing at the age of 10 and won a place in the GB paraclimbing team this year. She recently competed at the European Championships in Chamonix and is now ranked 4th in the whole of Europe.

This is made all the more amazing because Sianagh was born 10 weeks early with no left arm, collar bone or shoulder blade.

“Her lungs collapsed and she had a curved spine, twisted pelvis and both her feet were facing the wrong way,” her mum Jade says. “She wasn’t given much chance of survival by the doctors.”

“Sianagh has astounded all who know her and even those who don’t by her ability to defy medical science,” she added, “and had to undergo several operations and gruelling physiotherapy to straighten her out.”

Sianagh’s next stop is Italy, but unfortunately the British Mountaineering Council can only fund 50% of her expenses.

“As Sianagh is under 18 she also needs me to travel with her,” says Jade, “and we’re in great need of sponsorship and funding to enable her to compete internationally. Without this in place she’ll not be able to compete - I simply don’t have the funds that it would require as Sianagh is one of five siblings.”

Sianagh is a huge inspiration - as well as being selected for the GB paraclimbing team, she’s also recently won the Yorkshire local hero award in the sporting category and is nominated for a community pride award this year in both the sporting category and spirit of youth category. She was also ambassador for the Paralympic flame last year when she carried it through York.

“To reach the very top of her game aged just 16 then not be able to follow it through, would be utterly devastating for her,” says Jade. “Sianagh is a truly remarkable young lady and deserves every chance of success.”

If you can help Sianagh through sponsorship or a donation go to www.gofundme.com/3e28t4.

You can also find out more at www.sianaghgallagher.co.uk

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Vale of York

WIN A SLEIGH RIDE WITH SANTA

CAREER

PLANNIN

G

Going Back to Work?

If you’re looking to go back to work now your children are in full-time education you might want to start by looking at your CV says Isobel Wormald.

An up-to-date and persuasive CV should be something you can immediately refer to in case that ideal job pops up. However, it is incredibly difficult to write about yourself, even more so if you are a busy mum, managing a bustling household.

My business was started earlier this year and has a straight-forward aim; to provide women with practical career planning services, such as targeted CV and LinkedIn Profile writing or interview practice.

Changing your work situation can be a daunting prospect for understandable reasons.

I took a five and a half year break from work to be a stay-at-home mum and realised that during this time I had lost a lot of confidence about my abilities in the workplace. Talking to other mums in the same situation, I realised I wasn’t alone.

Over time, I re-wrote my CV and applied a little bit of the confidence-boosting we do for our children every day, to myself and it worked a treat!

I like to create a bespoke CV that reminds people about their fantastic skills, not to mention the ones they’ve developed since becoming a Mum! It will kick-start a career change and give you the confidence to approach a target job, company or industry.

I also write profiles for LinkedIn, which is increasingly becoming the perfect way to test the job market. There are 500,000 groups on LinkedIn where you can update on trends in your target industry and 16% of UK employers used it for recruitment campaigns last year. As that figure will only increase, it’s worth considering your online presence!

If you are thinking about getting back into the workplace, getting your CV updated or your LinkedIn profile up and running, is the ideal starting place. I’d be delighted to discuss how I can help.

You can contact Isobel at icwormald@gmail.com or on 07771 986 386

“

”

& VIP TRIP TO STOCKELD PARK

We’ve teamed up with Stockeld Park to give one lucky family the chance to join Santa on his sleigh ride through the Enchanted Forest on 9th November. You’ll get VIP access to the sleigh which will pass by the waiting crowds pulled by Santa’s reindeers and you’ll get to pay him a private visit to let him have all your Christmas wishes.

The fabulous prize also includes a VIP pass to all the great activities at this superb attraction.

You can head to the REAL ice rink, have a go on the Nordic ski trail, get lost in the magic maze and finish your day with a twilight walk retracing your sleigh ride through the Enchanted Forest.

To be in with a chance of winning this magical prize, simply visit www.familiesvoy.co.uk/ competitions where you can enter online. Winners will be notified via email. Closing date 31 October.

For a full list of events at Stockeld Park take a look at our What’s On guide starting on page 28.

New Children’s Laureate

Malorie Blackman, the bestselling author of the award-winning Noughts & Crosses teen series, has been crowned the Waterstones Children’s Laureate for 2013–2015. As part of her role she will call on teachers and parents to spend at least ten minutes per day sharing a book with their pupils and children in an impassioned bid to get more children reading more, as well as working to make reading ‘irresistible’ for teenagers. ‘I am honoured to have been chosen as the eighth Children’s Laureate,’ said Malorie Blackman.

‘Stories have inspired me and taught me to aspire.

I hope to instill in every child I meet my love and enthusiasm for reading and stories.’

The Big Draw

The largest drawing festival in the world returns throughout the month of October, taking place in 20 countries across the world and offering 1400 events in the UK alone. The Big Draw connects people of all ages with museum and gallery collections and urban and rural spaces in new and enjoyable ways, offering unlimited scope for those who love to draw and those who think they can’t. Why not hold a Big Draw event in your school or local library? Get inspired and find out how to organise your own event, plus discover what events are taking place near you at www.campaignfordrawing.org/bigdraw

10% off any booking!

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See website for details.

Families Vale of York

5

news Roald Dahl Day

Make a date with mischief and mayhem on Roald Dahl Day on 13 September.

This year Roald Dahl Day celebrates all the tricksy characters that fill his books, including George and his mayhemic medicine, those foulsome Witches and Matilda and her parentscaring tricks. After all, no birthday celebration is complete without a little bit of mischief! There are lots of ways to join in the fun: sign up for Puffin Virtually Live on 13 September to find out more about Roald Dahl and his characters, plan your costume for Dahlicious Dress Up Day on 27 September or throw your own Roald Dahl party. For ideas see www.roalddahlday. info, and help Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity raise money for seriously ill and disabled children.

Natio nal P o e t r Mark y Day celebr this 3 Octob ation o e r with eve f

po an ry greeng where, from etry. Poetry ationwide assem is for e rocers , hosp b yacht c itals an lies, bus-qu veryone, lu eues, c d ice-r Colerid bs and zoo ink afe s inspira ge’s great ph . This year’s s to waiting- s, tion. C ro rase ‘W theme hec is wate oms, ate on the r, with subjec k out the we r, water, ev ery t, toge bsite fo theme the r a my where’ as o riad of year ar f water into li r with ideas poe o ec ne n unlikely hallenged to s of poetry. how to turn ms the Particip smugg places , no an le but on fishing t just in libr poetry into th ts this arie mobile b e phone oats and ferr s and class most s and r ie o s , v ia postc oms annou platfor nce ard www.n ms. Find ou ments on sta s, t more tion ationa a lpoetr yday.c t o.uk

Jeans for Genes Day

Wear your jeans on Jeans for Genes Day on 20 September and help change lives. In aid of Genetic Disorders UK, Jeans for Genes Day aims to change the world for children with genetic disorders, so get your school together and raise money by wearing your jeans and donating £1. Individually, genetic disorders are rare but together they affect 1 in 25 children born in the UK - that’s more than 30,000 babies each year. Their associated health problems mean that genetic disorders are the biggest cause of death of children aged 14 years and under. You can help by signing up for your fundraising pack full of everything you need to know to plan your day, at www.jeansforgenesday.org

Treasures 3rd Birthday Celebrations

WIN

lots of Goodies!

Treasures of Wetherby will be celebrating their 3rd birthday on Saturday 21st September and would love you to join in. Zhara from Treasures promises there will be a gift for everyone from the Treasures treasure chest and there are great prizes to be won too including a Stockeld family pass (for 4), a fantastic Lego City Fire Station (retail £70 with 753 Lego pieces) and for Sylvanian fans a wonderful ambulance.

For a chance to win the Lego Fire station, Treasures would like you to create a Lego train and post your picture with your age on the Treasures Facebook page (you can also enter in store). The Lego team will be viewing all your entries before selecting a winner and don’t forget to get your friends to “like” your entry!

To be in with a chance to win the Sylvanian Ambulance Treasures would like you to draw your favourite Sylvanian character and take it into Treasures. Your entries will also appear on Treasures Facebook page where the creators of Sylvanian will help select the lucky winner.

All competitions are open now and winners will be announced on 21st September.

Arty Animals’ unique childrens birthday parties.

Whatever your theme, we will create a fantastic, fun, arts, crafts and cooking party just for you.

Clear out your toys for Martin House

Marty from Martin House has already confirmed he will be joining Treasures to help in the birthday celebrations. Treasures are running the Toy Box for Charity again this year, so with the children back at school it may be a good time for a clear out. Take your unwanted toys to Treasures in return for 10% off your next purchase. All your toys will be sent to Martin House charity shops to help raise funds and Treasures will also be donating new toys to Martin House.

Treasures is now online Kathryn: (0113) 2265898 or 0798 2239377

www.artyanimals.co.uk info@artyanimals.co.uk

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Vale of York

You can now shop at Treasures from the comfort of your home or office at www. treasurestoys.co.uk or sister site www.expresstoyshop.co.uk. So if you can’t make it to Wetherby but would like to shop locally you can continue to support Treasures using their online shop. Online business is managed by the same team and from their Wetherby address.

Let the Magic Begin Once again the Stockeld Park elves are getting ready to host another spectacular season at one of Yorkshire’s best tourist attractions. Nestled within ancient woodland, Stockeld Park promises a fabulous adventure season from Halloween through to Christmas.

As always you’ll be able to skate on a real outdoor ice skating rink, wander the sculpture-filled Enchanted Forest, get lost in a massive maze, and ski the Nordic trail. This year though there are some exciting additions to the schedule.

‘We’ve added a weekly disco on ice to our events,” explained Stockeld’s Amy Thornton, “so every Friday evening you can perfect you pirouettes and on Friday 1st November there’ll be a special Light Disco as part of our new Festival of Fire and Light.”

The Festival will run from 1st - 3rd November and will celebrate fire and light within the beautiful woodland surroundings. A fire and light performer will dazzle with their skills and you can get involved by making your own lantern and taking part in the forest light parade. The whole event culminates in a Fireworks Spectacular on Sunday evening.

Halloween Magic begins on 29th October with Bewitching Tales in the Enchanted Forest - look out for a new secret sculpture as one of the storytelling venues. You’ll also be able to enjoy face painting, glitter tattoos and don’t forget to harvest and carve your own pumpkin. Back by popular demand will be the Halloween Catwalk show - just be sure to arrive dressed in suitable spooky attire! Young witches and wizards will be able to watch Wizard Merlin’s magic and receive a bewitching gift from the depths of the cauldron!

AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group also returns between 29th & 31st October to transform the usually beautiful and tranquil, woodland surroundings into a world of terror

where only the brave hearted will make it through Fright Night!

On 9th November there’ll be the Martin House Elf Challenge: “We’re hoping to break the record for the largest gathering of Santa elves in the World,” said Amy. “Not only will it be great fun but we’ll be raising money for a fabulous cause.”

Santa will also be arriving at Stockeld on November 9th - be sure to enter our competition on P5 to be in with a chance of winning a sleigh ride with him. The reindeers will be in their pen from noon with the sleigh ride taking place at 3pm. You can also visit santa in his grotto from midday.

On the weekend of 17th & 18th November Stockeld will be transformed into Hogwarts again with Make a Wish Entertainment.

Harry Potter tribute events are happening all weekend; wear the Sorting Hat; do a broomstick training workshop; see live owls, plant a magic bean and you might even see Harry and Hagrid lurking in the Enchanted Forest....with a special show...

You can book for the ever-popular Breakfast with Santa, enjoy the Pantomime ‘Snow White’, See the magic Hatter - in fact there’s so much to do you’ll be glad to sit down for a rest at the Woodland Cafe and enjoy a well-earned coffee and delicious home made cake!

Stockeld Park estate is near Wetherby, York and Leeds.

Parking and entry is free, simply pay by experience. Open daily from 23rd Oct 2013 – 6th Jan 2014, 1030 – 2030. See our What’s On pages for details of all seasonal events at www.stockeldpark.co.uk

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Families Vale of York

7

The great escape

Road to Rouen Ben Hatch, best-selling author of Are We Nearly There Yet?, is back – and this time he and his family are travelling in France. Here he tells us how it went…

When I took my family – Dinah, Phoebe, three, and Charlie, one – on an 8000 mile drive round the UK to write a guidebook about family-friendly attractions my daughter was almost blown up taking a nature wee in a field of live ordnance in Oatterburn. I also wrote our Astra off in Wales and I spent time in a Leeds hospital with a kidney stone. Afterwards Dinah swore never again, but then she decided she wanted to retrain as a French teacher and I saw my opportunity. Suggesting a France guidebook, I persuaded her it’d be good for the kids – they’d return food sophisticates and be able to go on to run the Arts Council in later life after all the museums we’d visit.

Ben, Dinah, Phoebe and Charlie on the Cirque du Garvarnie walk in the France Pyrenees

You name it We label it!

Lunchboxes • Water Bottles Books • Uniforms • Footwear

T: 01635 298326 www.easy2name.com

8 Families Vale of York

We started in Normandy, followed the Atlantic coast to the Spanish border, skirted along the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean and took in Provence, before coming up through the Alps and snaking home via Disneyland Paris. We Road to Rouen slept in chalets, hotels, tents, caravans, a is published by Headline, £11.99. It’s available chateau and even the car. Though what online at Amazon as both a paperback and Kindle.

I probably should have done beforehand was work out just how large France was.

The moment I realised the mileage was entertain any bean that wasn’t orange or eat too much was when I looked into the rear-view a burger (‘They don’t have buns. That’s not a mirror and saw Charlie, now four, playing Temple burger. That’s meat’) meant in supermarkets we Run on my phone – with his nose – while Phoebe were often restricted to the ruinously expensive was so bored she was trying to touch her own Brit aisle selling Jacob’s crackers or tiny tubs of eyeball.

Marmite for around the price per ounce of myrrh.

We’d sold them on the amazing attractions. But And things kept going wrong. On a donkey trek the French have a funny idea about what an in Brittany the animal dragged the kids through a attraction is. They have a theme park in Angers bramble hedge and stamped my toe black. In St called Terra Botanica dedicated not to pirates or Nazaire I knocked my wife into the Atlantic with Disney characters, but to vegetables. Only the a kayak paddle. Dinah argued over my ‘mosquito French would spent £70 million attempting to obsession’. I couldn’t sleep if one was in the entertain children… with ingredients! room and I’d hunt them through the night with my phone torch on like a US Navy Seal slapping Also, in France child friendliness doesn’t exist. walls and waking the kids. Equally she hated Basically kids are seen as just slightly smaller sneaking onto mini-golf courses with the putters adults. At Château Chenonceau in the Loire and balls I’d brought from home to save money.

Valley this sign wasn’t atypical: ‘Visitors, it’s But slowly a routine developed. We took the forbidden to move around noisily, to run, push, sting out of the mileage by convincing the kids climb or shout. It’s forbidden to sit or lean there was an actual against furniture, touch objects, touch flowers, distinction between the length of a French make things dirty, spit and draw graffiti. It’s minute and an English one. ‘But you said 20 forbidden to relieve oneself. Or to change young minutes.’ ‘French minutes Phoebe.’ ‘I hate children anyw here other than the toilets. It’s French minutes.’ forbidden to climb up trees, bring balls on to the site and walk on the lawns. It’s forbidden to Further south it became hotter. We took longer upset the circulation of visitors. Mobile phones lunches, became more French. We yachtmust be switched off. Failure to adhere to the spotted in Antibes. We went on Picasso walks, rules will lead to expulsion from the domain.

Van Gogh trails. We saw the wild horses of the Thank you for your cooperation. This place is Camargue. We sang ‘Sur le Pont d’Avignon’ under surveillance. Decree Jan 22, 2009.’ To be on the eponymous bridge and swam in rivers any more unfriendly would involve Dobermans. at Bize-Minervois and rolled down the Dune du Pyla, the largest sand dune in Europe. We And France is expensive. We’d emerge notched up our fiftieth château and visited so from supermarkets reeling after spending many aquariums I was on first-name terms with nine euros on a deodorant stick. The kids’ every giant turtle in France. Claude, Kiki, Pierre, fussiness and refusal to eat baguette (‘too Yvette, Mo, Ghislaine. By Paris, veterans of sharp’) and French cheese (‘it stinks’) or to saving money, we taped baguette to the kids’ legs to avoid the airport scanning machine at the park entrance to Disneyland to mule in our own lunch. We’d moved from homesickness to wanting to carry on. By now Phoebe was declaring Roquefort the best cheese in the world and Charlie had a tantrum the day we ran out of Dijon mustard. This summer we’re doing a similar trip round Italy although how far away they still are from running the Art Council is best demonstrated by Phoebe’s answer the other day when I asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. ‘A rabbit,’ she said.

ask the

doctor

C

olic - can be upsetting and exhausting to cope with.

Clare Spencer is a local GP with experience in obstetrics and gynaecology. She lives near Harrogate with her husband and 3 children.

Clare juggles life working part time and being a mum.

In this article I will talk about

different options to try and help.

Colic has a medical definition – this is uncontrollable crying in an otherwise healthy baby of less than 3 months of age. There is more than 3 hours crying for more than 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks. That is a lot of crying! Typically babies with colic cry for hours until they fall to sleep. They may not want to feed, and cuddling them may not settle them. They are, however, fine and feed well in between these bouts. If your baby is suffering from colic you are not alone. It effects up to 3 in 10 babies and the good news is that it usually settles by 3-4 months.

Initially, it is important to make sure that there is nothing seriously wrong.

You should see a doctor if you are worried or if you need a bit of extra support (health visitors can be good for this too.) There are some serious signs to look out for which may indicate there is something more serious going on. These are: • Irritability, poor feeding • skin pale and mottled, rashes, bruising, skin feels hot • floppiness and lethargy • poor growth • vomiting yellow bile or projectile vomiting • blood in stools • any risk factors that may mean that your baby is more prone to infections – such as prolonged membrane rupture in pregnancy or labour, maternal fever or maternal infections.

See a doctor immediately if you are concerned your baby is unwell.

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS Unfortunately we do not completely understand colic and there are a number of different possible causes.

Smoking, increased maternal age and firstborn child are thought to be risk factors – not helpful as the smoking is the only one that you can change!

In weighing up the pros and cons of different ways to help colic, there is an additional difficulty that studies and trials are often poor quality. Studies looking at the same method may give different results. Management may therefore involve ‘trial and error,’ obviously avoiding anything that may potentially cause harm.

There are some simple things that may help. All babies are different and what works for one may not work for another. There are simple things that you could try such as holding your baby upright during crying. If bottle fed, a hole in a teat that is too small may result in the baby swallowing too much air, so changing to a fast flow teat may help. Always burp your baby after a feed to release gas that may cause tummy ache. There is some research to suggest that over-stimulating a baby by continually picking up and putting down may make crying worse, so gently soothing in a dark quiet room may help.

Movement is worth a try – pushing round in their pram or driving around in the car may be helpful. Some babies like white noise – you could try adding the sound of washing machine

or vacuum cleaner. Swaddling to help a trial for 1 week is unlikely to do any harm. colic is not currently recommended.

‘Gripe water’ can contain different Some people believe that in some babies, colic may result from poor ingredients including sugar, herbs digestion of cows milk. A trial of fully and alcohol. Sucrose solutions have or partially hydrolysed formula, where also been tried. The evidence for the proteins are more broken down, their use is not great and there are may therefore be an option and is real concerns about the potential unlikely to cause harm. It may be nutritional effects. worth discussing this with your GP There are alternative therapies aimed who can prescribe them if they think at infant colic and you should be it is appropriate. There is no evidence careful. Some herbal therapies have for the use of formula enriched with potentially serious side effects and fibre. some types of star anise can be If your baby is breastfed, unfortunately poisonous in babies. Massage may there is limited evidence for excluding help. The evidence for chiropractic cows milk and other possible trigger treatment is poor – it may help, though foods from the mother’s diet. If you this may be because it helps the do try it, it is really important that you parent’s coping abilities. Acupuncture still get enough calcium and vitamin D, has been tried but, again, the evidence and that the trial is for a limited period for it helping is limited. There is some evidence that probiotics may help and of time only.

Soy based milk is not recommended a short trial is unlikely to do any harm. in small babies because they can Finally, reassurance and parental contain plant oestrogens (female support are so important. Stress and hormones) plus some babies are tiredness can make colic harder to deal with. Talk to your GP and health allergic to soy.

Lactase drops are often used (eg visitor as much as you need. Nursing Colief) to try and help break down a crying child can be exhausting so sugars in milk that a small number of make sure you get breaks and share babies have intolerance to. Some trials the care with your partner and family if have found a very small improvement you can. If you are struggling, please and others no improvement at all with ask for help. using these drops. Simethicone is the drug in Infacol that you can buy over the counter. It is meant to help release bubbles of trapped air in your baby’s digestive system, so they may be of some use if symptoms of indigestion Further information can be found are contributing to their colic. There is at http://www.nhs.uk and www. no real evidence that it helps, although patient.co.uk.

Further information

Children’s Parties

at Ashville College, Harrogate

• • • • • • • • •

Hall hire & catering options Dedicated party co-ordinator Pool parties Football parties Roller Disco parties Face painting Bouncy Castle Enjoy-a-ball activities Peppa Pig lookalike appearances Contact our events team on 01423 724 827 or email parties@ashville.co.uk Ashville College, Green Lane, Harrogate HG2 9JP www.ashvilletrading.co.uk

Families Vale of York

9

& classes clubs

FREE FOOTBALL if you book sessions with Footballtots

Footballtots is fast becoming recognised as the best preschool football activity class in North Yorkshire. With a mixture of fun games and structured activities footballtots is a great opportunity for parents to have fun with their children while helping them prepare for the more structured school environment.

“Footballtots classes are specially designed for 2 – 5 year olds and we have recently seen a surge in the number of girls attending the sessions,” said Jenny MacNair of footballtots. “Our sessions are fun, involve lots of movement and we play lots of games which develop shape, colour and number skills helping children get ready for school. Our games get children moving in lots of ways to improve their coordination and confidence but we also get the footballtots teddy in goal for our penalty shoot-outs!! The girls attending the sessions love them as much as the boys”.

FREE Fo If you would like more details otballto ts fo otball fo call 01765 620374 or email info@ r every new cus football-tots.net who will be happy tomer to provide more information about the quoting : FAMIL classes which already run across IES MAG wh en book York, Selby, Ripon and Thirsk.

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Twinkle’s Big Adventure This summer saw the first Babyballet show performed in York. Over 60 pupils aged just 3 and 4 years old took part in the performance of ‘Twinkle’s Big Adventure’ at Archbishop Holgate’s school watched on by an audience of over 250 including many proud parents and grandparents.

1 Parents were amazed at how confident their children were on stage at such a young age: ‘The Babyballet show was so professional and well organised,” said Kerry Cooper mum to twins Brooke and Poppy aged 3. “The performance was spectacular and our family was so proud and emotional to see our girls on Ava stage. Even seeing the girls’ names in the programme brought a Mawson tear to my eye,” she added. aged 4 Donna Mawson mum to Ava aged 4 agreed: “It was a wonderful show and it was evident that so much hard work had gone into it. The children loved it and so did we.” www.babyballet.co.uk

New Classes at Enjoy-a-Ball

Enjoy-a-Ball Harrogate and Knaresborough is a sports coaching programme for girls and boys aged 2½ to 9 years old. It offers a unique approach to sports coaching for children improving confidence, concentration and co-ordination with the development of kicking, throwing and catching skills in a fun and friendly environment.

“We base our classes on eight sports: Tennis, Football, Rugby, Cricket, Volleyball, Baseball, Basketball and Hockey,” says class teacher Lesley Reid.

“We’re passionate about giving children, through sport, a solid foundation from which to develop many aspects of their lives. As well as physical improvements, we carefully develop life skills such as sportsmanship, social interaction and much more.”

Pre-school classes are held in the afternoon and for children attending school classes are from 4pm onwards. Due to the popularity of the programme, Saturday morning classes have also been added.

For more information contact Lesley on 07789861108 or visit www.enjoy-a-ball.com. Enjoy-a-Ball also do fantastic children’s parties and camps in the holidays.

Singamajigs Nominated for Award Local pre-school singing class and party people Singamajigs are excited to have been nominated for a party award in the Netmums Favourite Party Awards 2013.

Singamajigs Owner Karen Allen said: “We’re thrilled to have been nominated this year. We’re going from strength to strength and are pleased to announce more new classes with our new teacher Fleur at York Theatre Royal and at Clifton Sure Start Centre this September.”

For more details on classes contact Karen on 01423 552 918 www.singamajigs.co.uk

New classes for Toddler Sense Harrogate & Baby Sensory Ripon

Continuing on from the successful launch of the award winning Baby Sensory classes, the follow on programme Toddler Sense opens in Harrogate this month. The main emphasis of classes is on mobility, excitement and adventure - and a chance to share an adventure with your toddler each week.

The Toddler Sense session starts in an exploratory play area which varies each week with equipment specifically selected to match the theme. For example to inspire their imagination a balance beam might be transformed into a bridge crossing a crocodile swamp or a plank for your This hugely popular pre-school dance young pirate to walk across. class Diddi Dance continues to expand Adventure play is followed by structured, themed in North Yorkshire, and your diddi one activities, which provide a wealth of ideas that aged 4 -18 ts en ud st , can now boogie on down in Kidzplay in ch At Stagecoa t it’s not can be continued at home. Imagine climbing a bu t, ac d an e nc Harrogate and Boroughbridge. learn to sing, da snow mountain, going on safari, digging for fossils, . rming Diddi Dance is a class for boys and girls just about perfo swimming with dolphins and hunting for dinosaurs! ild bu to ts en our stud using action songs, dancing games, fun a “We encourage in Each session has been fully researched and is em e and self este exercises, hoops and dance ribbons to their their confidenc designed to help with the development of vital ing giv t en m on vir en own funky pop songs. This means your safe, structured physical, communication, learning and social skills 2 making friends d an life diddi one not only improves their rhythm r fo them skills that will form the basis of their future uett.

Dr a Lis ys sa and co-ordination but also social and gross along the way,” learning. etherby motor skills. Diddi dance is the only prely classes at W at Lisa runs week If you are interested in finding out more gh Hi w ha igs school dance class to explore 14 different Br and High, Selby High about Toddler Sense or you would like to e. There’s no dance styles from Reggae to Rock and Hip tim rm te g rin weekends du book in for one of the sessions, please contact iasm. us th Hop to Disco. en is ed ne audition all you Emma English on 07721 885724, e-mail And if after 45 minutes of strutting their funky ions’ give harrogate@toddlersense.co.uk or visit ‘Discovery Sess e ur nc “O rie pe ex to stuff your little one still has energy to burn, nity www.toddlersense.co.uk ren the opportu ts ild en ch ud St . then there is an added bonus: the classes at sses first hand cla ch oa ec ag d In addition, to the exciting launch of Toddler St Kidzplay also include a stay and play session nce, Drama an e try the mix of Da or n m Sense in Harrogate, Baby Sensory classes ca t ou d fin after the class. parents can are now available in Ripon. For more Singing whilst to offer.” s ha ch oa ec Diddi Dance offer a FREE trial class so to details please contact Clare Simpson on about what Stag ’s sa reserve a space, or for a full list of classes ation about Li 07970 122187, email ripon@ For more inform e fre ur yo contact Cath on 07917 757566, email - cath. e babysensory.co.uk or visit ses or to arrang as cl 13 hale@diddidance.com. or have a look at call 01 www.babysensory.com. overy Session” isc “D www.diddidance.com. it 2103505 or vis ach.co.uk 10 Families Vale of York www.stageco

New Diddi Dance classes at Kidzplay

ecoach Discover Stag overy at a free “Disc etherby Session” in W & Selby

Happy 25th Birthday Stagecoach York Stagecoach theatre arts schools in York are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a discovery day for prospective students and their families at the start of the autumn term in September.

At Stagecoach, children between the ages of 4 and 18 learn drama, singing and dance and York sessions run on Fridays and Saturdays from Scarcroft School and Archbishop Holgate’s School in York.

Anyone who would like to go along and join a class should contact Principal Sally Thrussell to find out more: “At Stagecoach we set out to provide a quality education in the performing arts for all our students in a safe environment which is fun and allows them plenty of opportunity for creativity and self expression,” she said. “As a result, they grow in confidence and become well rounded articulate young people who can take a leadership role as well as be a valuable team player - all great life skills.”

The school, which is a former winner of the Stagecoach Franchise of the Year Award, provides students with many performance opportunities both at Stagecoach and on the professional stage.

To find out more visit www.stagecoach.co.uk/york and www.facebook.com/stagecoachyork.

©Barney Allen

Something for Everyone at The Little Gym

With over 500 members attending every week to enjoy curriculum based classes, The Little Gym in Harrogate is continuing to go from strength to strength. With over 42 classes a week on offer for children from 4 months to 12yrs, they are bound to have something that will suit your busy schedule.

“Our classes are fab,” says gym owner Kate Henebury, “but don’t take our word for it, our members think so too.”

Here’s what their customers said: “His progression from learning to run and jump to doing his first forward roll unaided has been a joy to watch, and these days he spends most classes swinging from the monkey bars or scaling the climbing wall. Pretty impressive when you’re still only 2!”

“We started going to the Little Gym when Juliet was just over a year old. We’ve both made friends there and it’s been a delight seeing how much her confidence has grown. She learnt to walk at the gym, not at home! And she loves hanging like a monkey from the bars!

The Little Gym team have bags of energy and give the kiddies so much fun. Juliet adores her instructor and goes for cuddles and high fives as soon as she get there.”

Call the team to book your FREE introductory visit to start your Little Gym journey - and be quick as spaces are limited.

01423 701 560 harrogate@thelittlegym.co.uk

Sing to your Baby Under 5s Gymnastics Activity Classes for Wetherby Wetherby now has its very own gymnastics sessions for the under 5’s as Gym-Gems (part of the North Leeds Gymnastics Academy) has established its new classes.

The sessions offer youngsters the opportunity to try out traditional gymnastics skills such as rolling, jumping, and swinging encouraged by British Gymnastically trained coaches using musical stimulation.

In September new classes are being introduced encouraging little ones as young as eight weeks old to take part in the specialist activities. The “Fun4Baby” session will be the first of its kind in Yorkshire as there are only a few qualified coaches dotted around the country. You can find the class designed purely for children aged eight weeks to walking at the Wetherby Leisure Centre on a Tuesday afternoon (1.30-2.15pm).

Lisa Ann Davis, Head Coach said, “The classes we ran before the summer holidays were really fun to be involved in - the children were brilliant and they tried out lots of new things which I have been assured they are proudly showing off back at home! Now we are so excited about the fun4baby session bringing this new opportunity to the youngsters of Yorkshire this term.”

If you want to find out more about class availability and content please contact Lisa on 07946 082801.

Congratulations Andy Murray....

Did you know that the ear is the first organ to develop in your unborn baby and they can absorb sounds from the moment their ear develops? It has been proven that music engages all areas of the brain, and therefore can benefit babies in ways such as memory, concentration and recall, speech and language development.

“Music also helps babies internalise rhythm and pattern and improves social interaction, balance and coordination,” says Lynne O’Malley of Rhythm Time.

“New parents can use music to help with the bonding process. Singing to your baby is really important as it helps them to recognise your voice and understand the emotions behind what you are singing, by hearing all the ups and downs, rhythms and patterns. Singing catchy songs and rhymes to bounce your baby to is important in helping to develop their sense of pulse. Babies learn through repetition, so sing every day! This is how they begin to learn speech and language.”

To find out more and to meet other parents whilst having fun with music in the Harrogate & Wetherby area, contact Lynne on 07789 895894 or go to www.rhythmtime.net

Why not get your child involved in tennis coaching this Autumn?

It’s been a great summer and if your child has been inspired to try tennis by Andy Murray’s win at Wimbledon, why not get them involved with the Tennis Tykes coaching programme this Autumn?

Due to popular demand the Tennis Tykes age groups have now been extended to include 7 and 8 year olds so that children aged 2-8 can now enjoy the fun packed classes. New classes will take place in Harrogate for school age children on Tuesdays from 4.45-5.30pm (4-6 year olds) and 5.306.15pm (6-8 year olds). This class is in addition to the Harrogate, Wetherby and York pre-school age (2-4 year old) classes.

For further information and to book your FREE TRIAL lesson, contact Caroline Buncall on 07843 342 662 www.tennistykes.co.uk

YORK • SELBY • RIPON • THIRSK

Baby Yoga & Baby Swimming with Flutterbabies Baby Yoga’s next 6 week course starts on Tuesday 10th September at York Yoga Studio, Acomb.

“This fun class is for you and your baby,” says Samantha, “and offers a chance to meet other new mums. Don’t worry if you’ve never done yoga before.

The classes work through a series of simple movements and stretches designed according to the baby’s age and natural development. There are some gentle exercises for mum too.”

Baby Swimming courses start at the Quality Hotel Leeds Selby Fork in September too; “These carefully structured and gentle courses promote safe practices and water confidence,” said Samantha, “but above all provide a positive and fun environment for your baby to develop their natural affinity with water.”

For both classes, contact Samantha on 07768 538527 or www.flutterbabies for more details.

Fun filled classes with exciting games and activities for boys and girls aged 2 to 5 years

www.football-tots.net Fun – for children and parents to enjoy together Educational – learning through play Physical – develops real football skills and exceptional co-ordination Social – make new friends To book into the classes or for more info call 07595 297639 or email info@football-tots.net

11197_Football Tots Poster.indd 1

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www.shutterstock.com/2xSamara.com

extra

activities -curricular

Football or ballet, drama or Brownies - how do you know what, and how much, out-of-school activity is right for Not your child? long after your son or daughter disappears through the classroom door for the first time, the choice becomes bewildering. Their schoolbags come home stuffed with leaflets from this or that organisation promising all manner of benefits from enrolling in their classes. You may find yourself feeling guilty if you don’t sign up to everything.

Please take a deep breath and relax. Extracurricular activities are not essential; many children do perfectly well without them.

However, there are some benefits from a few well-chosen groups, clubs or classes.

With the best will in the world, school cannot teach all the skills you might consider essential for modern life. Swimming lessons, for example, or cycling proficiency are crucial for safety.

In addition, carefully selected activities can bring numerous other benefits that could help your child now and in the future.

They will get a huge confidence boost from participating in an enjoyable activity they are successful at. A shy child, for example, may flourish in a dance class.

As well as learning new skills, more subtle benefits include fostering a sense of community, increasing self-sufficiency and allowing a child – particularly one in a large family – something they feel is their own. Club time can also allow one-to-one time for other children.

While these advantages are very real, care must be exercised when choosing activities.

Too many and the wrong ones will only leave

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everyone fed up and exhausted.

The easy choices are the ones your children are desperate to do. Although beware of signing up for something just because your son or daughter’s best friend is doing it, this may not be a good enough reason.

Ask yourself if your child gets something from the activity that they don’t get elsewhere and that it complements what’s already going on.

For example, an active youngster who is already in the football team might be better balancing their activities with music or drama than adding another sport. Equally a child timid in the classroom may get great gains from being in a choir if it boosts their confidence.

A more tricky area is an activity you’d like your child to do when they’d rather spend their after-school time at home relaxing. Only you can tell if they are genuinely exhausted by a day’s education or not. However, do take their views into account as there really is no point in forcing a child into something they hate. And some school stages are more taxing than others.

After-school activities affect the whole family.

No one wants to spend all their time ferrying children from one activity to another while dinner that still needs to be prepared and other children become resentful.

So only commit to out-of-school activities that

SEN activities Children with special educational needs can benefit hugely from well-chosen extracurricular activities.

Even with the best educational support, SEN children can often feel ‘less’ than their peers.

They may be aware of their difficulties and differences and this can have a profound effect on their confidence.

Therefore an activity they can participate in successfully is a huge boost to their selfesteem. For example a dyslexic child, for

By Ellen Arnison

fit comfortably into the schedule and budget. It may transpire that your time and money can be better spent on family activities at home.

When you do decide on a class or club – take some time to check it out. Find out how long it has been running, do other parents recommend it, are the staff Disclosure or CRB checked?

While extra classes keep your children entertained and active, it’s also important that they have some unstructured time – even that they are allowed to feel bored. If they bounce from one organised thing to the next, they’ll never learn the important skill of amusing themselves.

Liat Hughes Joshi, author of Raising Children: The Primary Years, told Parentdish: “If you decide to do none at all, you won’t be short-changing her if her after-school activity consists of nothing more than a TV programme, a snack and some good, oldfashioned playing.”

whom school is a struggle, may blossom as a leading light in the dance troupe.

Equally there are other more educational and developmental benefits that make extracurricular activities important. Dyspraxic youngsters, for instance, can find their co-ordination improves while doing karate or trampolining.

Clubs can be important social outlets for SEN children, perhaps giving them a chance to meet others facing similar challenges. The school or local authority will be able to advise about SEN groups in your area.

Sports & Movement Baby & Me

07782 136 902 www.yoga-yoga.org.uk & www.goyogaharrogate.com Yoga and Baby Massage

Our dance and movement classes are a great introduction to physical exercise for kids aged 6 months to 4 years

Baby Sensory

York 07790 759 333 Harrogate & Wetherby 07721 885 724 Boroughbridge, Ripon & Northallerton 07970 122 187 www.babysensory.com Multi-sensory play for babies up to 13 months

Enjoy – a – Ball

07789 861 108 www.enjoy-a-ball.com Sports coaching programme for ages 3 – 9. Classes in Harrogate & Knaresborough area.

Flutterbabies

07768 538 527 www.flutterbabies.co.uk Baby Yoga in York and baby Swimming at Quality Hotel Selby Fork

Football Tots

07595 297 639 www.football-tots.net Football for ages 2-5 in York, Selby, Ripon & Thirsk.

Gym Gems

07946 082 801 Classes for under 5s at the Wetherby Sports Association with North Leeds Gymnastics Academy.

Harrogate Climbing Centre

01423 815 024 www.harrogateclimbingcentre.co.uk Climbing clubs for ages 5 upwards.

Rugby Tots

0845 313 6708 www.rugbytots.co.uk For ages 2-7 in Harrogate, Knaresborough & Ripon.

Sambarca

07595 297 639 www.sambarca.com Football for boys & girls aged 5-16 in York & Ripon.

Tappytots

0113 379 0610 www.tappytots.co.uk Music & dance adventure for 2-5 year olds in York, Harrogate, Wetherby,

Tennis Tots

Harrogate 07725 339 257 York 07882 267 971 www.tennis-tots.co.uk Tennis for ages 2-6.

Tennis Tykes

07843 342 662 www.tennistykes.co.uk Tennis play & coaching programme for children aged 2-8. Harrogate area.

The Little Gym

01423 701 560 www.thelittlegym.co.uk Gym programmes for children from 4 months to 12 years.

© Max Topchii - Fotolia.com

Toddler Sense

York 07565 551 415, Harrogate & Wetherby 07721 885 724 www.babysensory.com Excitement and adventure with a fast-moving, action-packed programme – for children aged 13 months to 3 years.

Tumbletots

York &Selby 01904 412 381 www.tumbletots.com Gym classes for ages 6 months – 7 years

Singing Dancing Skipping Hopping Music Instruments Colours Numbers Balance Confidence Coordination Interaction Fun Certificates

Swimming

Contact Katie to find out where your local classes are...

T: 0113 287 6252 M: 07834 266350 www.kids2dance.co.uk

Baby Swimmers

01757 229 880 www.babyswimmers.co.uk York, Pocklington, Harrogate & Leeds.

Flutterbabies

07768 538 527 www.flutterbabies.co.uk Baby Swimming at Quality Hotel Selby Fork.

Harrogate Borough Council

www.harrogate.gov.uk Classes for all ages & stages at all 5 pools including Raindrops for ages 6 months – 2 years.

Splish Splosh Swimming School

0844 264 1102 www. splishsploshswimmingschool.co.uk Classes in Harrogate, York, Selby, Pocklington and further afield. Ages 3 months+.

Swimtime

01757 247 047 www.swimtime.org Local swimming lessons for all ages & abilities.

Swim Tots

01423 528 882 www.swim-tots.co.uk York, Harrogate, Boroughbridge & Thirsk. Classes from birth – preschool.

Swim York

01904 552 424 www.york.gov.uk Classes run all year for ages 6 months + at Energise or Yearsley Swimming Pool.

Tadcaster Community Swimming Pool

01937 833 001 www.tadcasterpool.org.uk Aquatots & programmes for all ages & stages.

Swimming Lessons

• • • • •

All Ages and Abilities Group Lessons One to One Lessons Summer Crash Courses Lessons Local to you Call Debbie or Ray: 01757 247047 Email: d.feeney@swimtime.org Learn to swim, be safe, have fun!

Water Babies

01904 607 110 www.waterbabies.co.uk Classes for babies from birth – 4 years. Babies need to be under 1 to begin. York & Harrogate.

Waterworld

York 01904 642 162 www.better.org.uk Swimming classes for all ages & abilities.

Wetherby Leisure Centre

01937 585 125 www.leeds.gov.uk Swimming Lessons available for all ages following the ASA Learn to Swim Pathway.

CAREER PLANNING

CV Writing Executive Profile Summaries Application Form Completion 1:1 Interview Practice Job Search Advice

If you are a Mum managing a busy household and are looking to change jobs or simply get back into the workplace, then I can help you!

I am a local mum with over ten years of HR and Recruitment experience. I recently started my own business providing career planning services to busy mums who are short on time.

Call me for a chat about how I could help you!

07771 986 386

icwormald@gmail.com uk.linkedin.com/in/isobelwormald

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extra

-curricular

activities Language Little Fidgets

01273 833 340 www.littlefidgets.co.uk French & Spanish classes for children aged 2-11 and their grown-up in Harrogate & York.

Sing and Sign

York 01904 690 038 www.singandsign.com Classes in Poppleton, Wheldrake, Acomb, Clifton Moor & at York Theatre Royal.

Tiny Talk

York 07757 649645 Harrogate 07989 076 588 www.tinytalk.co.uk Baby signing classes from newborn onwards!

Arts, Crafts & Creative Crafty Chefs

www.craftychefs.co.uk Cookery courses for children at Kidzplay, Harrogate.

Pots 2 Go

Harrogate 01423 524 797 www.pots2go.co.uk

Rainbows Ceramic Café

York 01904 675 533 www.rainbowscafe.co.uk

Smarty Art

Sessions at The Old Foundry Kitchen, Boroughbridge.

Art and Craft session for 1-5 year olds.

Young At Art

07912 627 119 www.youngatart-harrogate.co.uk Arts & craft sessions for children aged 1-11 in Boroughbridge, Harrogate & Wetherby

Music High-Low Quick-Slow

Performing

01757 611 234 www.highlowquickslow.co.uk Fun music & movement for ages 6 months – 5 years. 45 minute classes in , Rawcliffe, Escrick, Osgodby, Monk Fryston, Drax & Wistow.

07702 965 932 www.babyballet.co.uk TinyToes for 18 months to 3 years and Mini Movers for 3 -5 year olds and Mini Groovers for ages 41/2 - 6. Classes in Woodthorpe, Clifton Moor & Clements Hall,

Jo Jingles

Babyballet York South & East

01977 650 455 www.jojingles.com/leeds Harrogate, Wetherby & Boston Spa. Music, singing and movement classes for babies and young children ages 3 months – 5 years.

Rhythm Time 07789 895 894 www.rhythmtime.net Music & Singing classes for babies, toddlers & pre-schoolers. Harrogate & Wetherby.a

Sing and Sign York 01904 690 038 www.singandsign.com Classes in Poppleton, Wheldrake, Acomb, Clifton Moor & at York Theatre Royal.

Singamajigs 01423 552 918 www.singamajigs.co.uk Sing & jig from birth – 5. Classes in Harrogate & surrounding area.

Sound Generation 020 3344 2310 www.soundgeneration.co.uk Provides quality and fun music teachers for schools or home tuition in North and West Yorkshire.

Babyballet York Central, North & West

07886 897 468 www.babyballet.co.uk TinyToes for 18 months to 3 years and Mini Movers for 3 -5 year olds and Mini Groovers after school classes coming soon. Classes in Escrick & Wilberfoss

Babyballet Harrogate

01422 329471 www.babyballet.co.uk Classes in Harrogate & Tadcaster for children aged 18 months – pre-school.

Bluespoon Theatre Company Based in York 07923 359 470 www.bluespoontheatre.com

Butterfly Dance Studios

01405 780 626 www.butterflydancestudios.co.uk Extensive classes from ballet & tap to Latin American & Hip Hop. All ages – tots to adults. Goole.

Diddi Dance

07917 757 566 www.diddidance.com Funky pre-school dance classes in Boston Spa, Church Fenton, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Pannal, Starbeck & Wetherby.

En Pointe Classical Dance School

0755 735 5562 www.enpointeyork.co.uk Classical dance school for ages 1+ in York. Classes in Wigginton, Poppleton Rd Memorial Hall, Holgate, Heslington and now Heworth.

Flex Dance

07921 222 710 www.flexdanceinc.com Musical theatre & street dance for ages 5-11 at Fishergate Primary School, York.

Flying Ducks Youth Theatre

www.flyingducksyouththeatre.com For ages up to 12 & 12 - 18 in York

Junction

Goole www.junctiongoole.co.uk Electric Youth Theatre (5-18), School of Rock (12+), Ukulele Junction (7+) all aged & abilities.

Harrogate Youth Theatre

(Harrogate Theatre) www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk For ages 6 -18. No auditions and the same opportunities and experiences for everyone - whatever background.

Kids2Dance

0113 287 6252 www.kids2dance.co.uk Dance & movement classes for ages 6 months - 4 years in Hambleton, York & South Milford.

Pauline Quirk Academy

www.pqacademy.com Harrogate- based classes in comedy & drama, musical theatre, film & television for ages 4-18. Based at Harrogate Grammar School.

Razzamataz

Baby Development Classes and Adventure Play

4-18 at York High School 01759 306 676 www.razzamataz.co.uk Drama, dance & music for ages

Riding Lights Youth Theatre

www.ridinglights.org For ages 7-18 in York.

Stagecoach

Inspiring your Little One's Big Imagination

Baby Sensory and Toddler Sense are fully researched learning and developmental programmes which provide young children with a magical world of sensory experiences and exciting adventures. Classes are designed speficially for babies from birth to 13 months and then for toddlers from 13 months to 3 years.

Classes now available in Harrogate, Ripon, Selby & York To find your nearest class please visit

www.babysensory.com

or get in touch with Elizabeth (regional contact) on 07590 425310 or northyorkshire@babysensory.co.uk

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Vale of York

York 01904 672 662 Harrogate & Ripon 01423 771 138 Wetherby 0113 210 3505 Selby 0113 210 3505 www.stagecoach.co.uk Classes in drama, dance and singing for students aged from 4 -19. Offers training in performing arts and life skills, such as confidence and self esteem.

Stage Door Academy

Call Janey on 01405 780357.

Drama & musical theatre & singing in the Goole & Howden area.

Upstage Centre Youth Theatre

01904 674 675 www.upstagecentre.org.uk Catering for ages 8-25 in York.

York Youth Theatre

(Theatre Royal) www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/youth.shtml Catering for ages 5-19. A brilliant opportunity to work with professional theatre practitioners and artists & perform on stage.

“Professional,

What do you do at...

reliable childcare from Bright Beginnings” Qualified Nannies Maternity Practitioners Nursery Staff Mobile Creches Babysitting Parent helpers

Donya Keys runs En Pointe in York. Belinda Maunsell went along with her own pint-sized dancer to find out what happens in class.

When I arrive at Poppleton Road Memorial hall summer school is in full swing. Miss Donya is ensuring the smooth transition between classes as the Ducklings leave and the stage is set for the Cygnets to take their turn.

Classes are arranged by age, with Cygnets aged between 4 and 6. The girls all wear pink leotards with skirts - the uniform for their class - and are busy dancing with butterflies when we arrive.

Soon Miss Donya has the 10 girls re-capping on the dance they worked on the day before. Summer school classes run for an hour each day during holidays culminating with a show for parents at the end of the week. The girls remember their steps well and some of them are very accomplished given their tender age.

“There’s a wide range of different abilities to cater for even at this age,” says Donya, “and when they get older, some children are ready to go en pointe at an earlier age than others - it’s all dependent on the child.”

Donya is a professionally trained and experienced ballet teacher having danced as an associate with Northern Ballet Theatre and as a soloist with Birmingham Royal Ballet. She returned to her home town of York to open her ballet school and is about to start her third term this September.

“We’ve had an amazing response,” said Donya, “and have 160 pupils with us now. I’ve been particularly impressed with the uptake for adult classes too!”

As the lesson continues I watch Donya work carefully with the children keeping things child-friendly and fun. She reminds them not to have ‘chicken arms’ and talks about ‘doorbell tummies’, helping them work

on posture. Donya is very clear about what she wants from the children and helps them work hard to achieve the perfect ‘sunflower’ dance for their show at the weekend.

Next up is the Doves class with children aged 6 to 8. As my own little ballerina is now dancing at the front on her own and itching to have a go, Donya invites her to join in. She’s not quite as accomplished as some of these children yet as she’s only 5, but Donya is lovely with her and helps her with some of the trickier moves.

The Doves are markedly more advanced than the first class and we begin with some barre work. The girls (in purple this time) work with the different ballet positions and are taught using classical terminology so there are plenty of pliés, and even a battement tendu (yes, I had to look that up!). They all then work on their two dances for the show which are accompanied with beautiful classical music.

During class Donya has short breaks to get the the girls working on their princess walks and curtseying. To their delight they are all rewarded with stickers. They also have chance to work on some free dance with scarves, butterflies and tiaras.

I was particularly impressed with the determination these children were showing. They were completely attentive - even the very youngest children I saw were focused and obviously enjoying their dancing.

Donya runs a tight ship - things are organised and disciplined which is invaluable if you want to progress.

Your child might not be the best dancer but Miss Donya will make sure that they are the best they can be.

Baby Ballet Chicks are aged 1-2, Ducklings (2-4), Cygnets (4-6), Doves (69) and Swans (9-11) There are also RAD grade and adult classes and each has their own colour uniform. Classes take place at The Old School House Wigginton, Holgate Methodist Church, Poppleton Road Memorial Hall, The Meeting Room Heslington and from SEptember at St Aelred’s Community Centre in Heworth. Classes run Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays. Summer and Easter Schools also run in the school holidays.

Tel: 01904 691698 or 0782 333 2627 Email: info@bbchildcareuk .com www.bb-childcare.co.uk

climbing try something different...

Harrogate Climbing Centre specialises in progressive and fun after school clubs for kids aged 5 and upwards. The centre is purposebuilt which means it can offer a huge variety of colourful climbs suitable for beginners and more experienced climbers.

“Climbing is an exciting, challenging and rewarding sport,” says centre manager Mike Lloyd, “and is as competitive as you make it. Many children enjoy the change from team sports and the sense of personal achievement. The NICAS after-school clubs are split by level, so climbers are always grouped by ability, and progress through the scheme with the same group of new friends!”

All the after-school clubs prices include all equipment (harnesses, climbing shoes & helmets) and are fully supervised by Harrogate Climbing Centre’s fully-trained, in house instructors; there are no freelance instructors so climbers get to know the people teaching them each week.

“Parents are well catered for too,” says Mike. “If you’re staying on site, there’s a large open and airy cafe serving great coffee and freshly made deli-style food, so you can relax whilst the kids do all the hard work!”

The centre offers both one-off, and block booked after school and weekend clubs, with the block sessions following the nationally recognised National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS). As a NICAS Primary Centre, it can offer all five levels of the scheme, meaning that the sky’s the limit in terms of progression; kids can be coached right through to international competition standard by the centre’s professional coaching staff.

Kids club sessions cost £8 per session for Little Monkeys (5 & 6 year olds), £11 per session for casual, one-off Rock Its (7-11 year olds), whilst block-bookings for NICAS sessions are reduced to £10 per session, booked per school half-term.

To find out more about after-school clubs, birthday parties or any other activities at Harrogate Climbing Centre visit: www.harrogateclimbingcentre.com or call 01423 815024.

www.enpointeyork.co.uk 0755 735 5562 principal@enpointeyork.co.uk Families Vale of York

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York schoolgirl to represent the North East region in School Games

Rowan Palmour, 15, from The Mount School will compete for the North East at the 2013 School Games to be held in Sheffield from 12 - 15 September.

Principal Julie Lodrick said “It is a really fantastic achievement.

We are all incredibly proud of Rowan and will be with her every step of the way.”

Belmont Grosvenor Host Autumn Activity Day Leading North Yorkshire independent prep school Belmont Grosvenor will throw open its doors and grounds for an Autumn Activity morning next month.

The school is hosting an open morning of fun and activities designed to appeal to nursery and reception children on Saturday, 5 October, and will run from 10am to 1pm.

Throughout the event, school and nursery staff will help youngsters make dream catchers and sculptures, and take part in treasure hunts around the school grounds.

Other activities planned throughout the morning include face painting, leaf collecting and having fun in a mud kitchen.

Early Years Co-ordinator and Magic Tree Nursery Manager Elizabeth Dunwoody said the Autumn Activity Morning was designed to appeal to babies from three months to pre-school children.

“Belmont Grosvenor School and its Magic Tree Nursery are set in beautiful grounds on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, but just three miles from Harrogate.

Our Autumn Activity Morning aims to introduce both children and their parents to all that we have on offer here,” she said.

The Autumn Activity Morning follows a whole school open morning on Tuesday October 1, which runs from 9.30 to 11.45am.

Belmont Grosvenor School, along with its Magic Tree Nursery, caters for children from three months to 11 years, and is based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, near Harrogate. For more information or to arrange a visit to the school, visit the website at www.belmontgrosvenor.co.uk or call 01423 771029.

16 16Families Families Vale Vale of of York York

The 2013 School Games is a multi-sport event for the UK’s elite young athletes of school age, run by the Youth Sport Trust. The inaugural finals in 2012 were held in the Olympic Park. The 2013 School Games seeks to create an inspirational and motivational setting which not only provides elite young sports people with the opportunity to thrive and perform at the highest levels, but encourages more young people to take part and succeed in sport.

Her father, Simon Palmour, said: “This is a massive event with an athletes’ village, opening ceremony and so on. It is amazing to be selected from the entire North East region.”

Rowan, who excels in track and field, was last year’s Yorkshire U15 High Jump champion, an honour previously held by Olympian Jessica Ennis.

Rowan (left) with her athletics medal 2012, pictured with Meredith Armstrong (centre) and Ellie Dook (right).

Bikeability at Brackenfield

Year 6 pupils at Brackenfield School have improved their cycle skills this summer through the nationally accredited “Bikeability” programme provided by North Yorkshire County Council.

Sessions started in the playground so that the instructor could assess the children’s bike handling ability and practice skills such as balance, control and observation without worrying about traffic. Each child was then individually assessed before being able to cycle under supervision on nearby roads.

Once basic skills were developed, lessons moved onto the road. The instructors and pupils cycled together as a group, practicing the skills and manoeuvres putting playground practice into real-life situations.

Finally the children were tested on the practical skills they had learned throughout the course and also on their knowledge of the Highway Code in order to receive their Bikeability Badge.

Brackenfield School is renowned for both its extra-curricular opportunities and its outstanding academic results: “We offer a broad curriculum with specialist teaching from an early age,” said Principal Anthony Comeford, “including sport, music, drama, French, I.T. and Design Technology.

“From a range of abilities, our pupils consistently achieve a high number of scholarships to independent senior schools. Last year, we were delighted that our year 6 pupils achieved 13 scholarships to independent senior schools. To maintain the high standards and the friendly family atmosphere, there is a limit of one small class for each year group.

“Many parents choose Brackenfield for our nurturing, all inclusive approach which is often lacking in larger schools. We achieve all of this with very competitive main school fees, being amongst the lowest in Harrogate.”

To find out more about Brackenfield visit www.brackenfieldschool.co.uk, call 01423 508558 or visit one of their next open mornings on 11th & 12th October 10-11.20am.

Strong Traditions Celebrated at HLC

The ice cream van wa s hugely popular despite the weather

Harrogate Ladies’ College is extremely proud of its history and long standing traditions. Like a number of other girls’ schools established in the Victorian period, HLC has been committed to providing pupils with the knowledge, skills and confidence to excel in their chosen field.

Earlier this year, despite the wet and windy weather, the HLC group of Schools (Bankfield, Highfield and Harrogate Ladies’ College) joined together to celebrate its 120th anniversary. A full programme of activities and competitions were on offer for the whole family, ranging from zorbing, a fashion show and dancing, to a brass band, a bouncy castle, a miniature garden competition and bake-off, to name but a few.

HLC’s Assembly Hall was originally opened in 1962 by Lady Swinton of Swinton Park, to where, in World War II, the girls were evacuated. In keeping with tradition, Lord Masham, Lady Swinton’s great-grandson, officially opened the recently refurbished Assembly Hall at the 120th anniversary event.

The celebration was a huge success, enjoyed by staff and pupils alike. Fittingly, over 120 of the College alumnae, from near and far, attended the 120th anniversary event.

BRACKENFIELD SCHOOL Harrogate

Two Schools, One Head Emma Miller is headteacher of both Kirk Hammerton Primary School and Staveley Primary and Nursery School. Belinda Maunsell asked her how the partnership between the schools is working.

Kirk Hammerton and Staveley Primary schools are only around 15 minutes’ drive from each other which is just as well since headteacher Emma Miller splits her time equally between the two.

“It doesn’t take long at all to get from one school to the other,” she tells me “especially if I use the country roads.”

Emma has been head of both schools for two years now and prior to that she’d been head of Staveley for five years.

“Kirk Hammerton had been struggling to find someone suitable for the post and decided to think outside the box. They approached me initially to see how I felt about working with both schools.

not become ‘one’ school.

We operate two budgets and have separate identities so have all the advantages of being small but with the ability to be bigger when it suits us.”

I asked Emma how the pupils have benefited from the partnership: “Well I can get a full football team together,” she laughs, “and we’ve been able to join together to go on residentials and put on productions and concerts. The two schools often play each other at sports and the children know each other really well now.

“Having more staff is also an advantage for the pupils: we get together for staff training and year teachers can share ideas so if, for example, there’s a Year 2 course, I make sure both Year 2 teachers go on it. We “I thought the idea was a also teach the same topics in great one and we began both schools so that we can working with both sets of governors to get the logistics run trips that benefit all the children and make them cost right. We are in the same effective too.” cluster of schools but have

For boys & girls aged 2-11 The only stand alone Preparatory School in Harrogate

How does Emma manage to split herself between the two schools?

“We’re really well organised,” she tells me. “We have good communication so that parents know where I will be on any given day in the week. I have super secretaries who always know where I am and parents can reach me by email at any time.”

Emma met with no resistance from parents when she took up the role and feels that the arrangement has only brought advantages to both schools: “I approach the job as though I am running one school but on two sites.

Each has retained its own identity but is benefiting hugely from working together. We approached the changes slowly and know that for the children in our communities it is working really well.”

THE MOUNT JUNIOR SCHOOL WHERE LEARNING IS REAL

OPEN MORNING

Friday 11th October, 10am -11.30am Saturday 12th October, 10am -11.30am An opportunity to view the school and meet our staff and pupils

NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY ✓Record scholarship results this year ✓Traditional values ✓Warm family atmosphere ✓Excellent broad curriculum

PRE-NURSERY/NURSERY Our well resourced Nursery offers the perfect start to school life Telephone 01423

508558 for further details or visit

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128 Duchy Road, Harrogate, HG1 2HE

For girls aged 2-11 and boys aged 2-7 years.

Mount Junior School girls gain guaranteed admission to The Mount School in Year 7.

 Toddler Group for girls and boys at 2 years of age.  Pre-School for girls and boys aged 3 - 4 years is open 7.30am to 6pm, 5 days a week, 51 weeks a year.

For further details, please contact our Registrar on 01904-667529.

THE MOUNT JUNIOR SCHOOL, DALTON TERRACE, YORK YO24 4DD

mountschoolyork.co.uk

01904-667500

registrar@mountschoolyork.co.uk

Families Vale of York

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Is your child ready

to learn?

Some deceptively obvious advice for parents The National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) and the charity Family Action have launched a joint Ready to Learn Every Day campaign aimed at helping parents to support their children’s learning. Families magazine talked to NAHT President, Bernadette Hunter, about the campaign and why their advice is relevant to all parents.

Research shows that children are best placed to succeed in school when parents are actively involved in their education. But that is not all about helping out when they get stuck with homework. In fact, preparing children to be ready for learning can be far more basic – like making sure they know how to take turns and to listen; that they go to bed on time; have breakfast before going to school, and turn up on time, having remembered their pencil case, PE kit and homework.

The first NAHT and Family Action Ready to Learn Every Day guide covers these sorts of issues: bedtimes, family routines, organisation, behaviour, communicating with your child and spending time with them.

Common sense – yes. Obvious ….? Well, yes, but deceptively so. You don’t have to dig very deep to realise that the advice is relevant for all parents. Modern

life is certainly hectic. With many of us working long hours, and constantly pressed for time, even those with the very best of intentions can forget the basics.

A HR manager shame-facedly admitted to me that, when her child started school, the teacher called her aside and told her her daughter was falling asleep in class because she was so tired.

Bernadette is not surprised. “Not all parents realise how much sleep their child actually needs (under 5s need 15 hours and older primary school children should have 10 hours.). And not all parents realise that if you allow your child to watch TV or play on the computer before going to bed, they will have trouble going to sleep, ” she says.

Bernadette stresses the importance of talking and listening to children and spending time with them. Again, self-evident –

but think about it for a moment!

How many of us harried parents will recognise situations in which we have been checking e-mails or texts as our child was speaking to us? I’d hazard a guess most of us have been there. And many of us (however good we are as parents) would probably admit to having allowed a child watch TV rather than play with them because we were simply too tired? But as Bernadette explains, there is more active learning in traditional games than in passive viewing.

“Sometimes parents find it difficult to find the time to sit down and play with their children – it is easier to put something on the TV than to play the traditional type of games. But when you play a traditional board game, as well as being fun, children are learning to co-operate when they play, to take turns and to understand rules. They are picking up lots of key skills – speaking, listening and concentrating.”

Ironically, while we are living in an age of 24/7 communication - instant messaging, Skyping and TV on demand these very same tools are taking their toll on communication at home. Family meal times, where children learned to talk and to listen, are waning, and traditional board games are giving

18 Families

Vale of York

With busy lifestyles and a culture of TV dinners, Bernadette fears we risk losing these communication skills which were passed down from generation to generation. way to solo computer games and screen time.

The first of the four Ready to Learn Every Day guides urges parents to set aside time for talking without being interrupted

by TV, radio, phones or computer; time where we REALLY do listen to our children, talk to them about their day, and tell them about ours. It also suggests that we share books or play games in a quiet environment away from the TV, and that we play games like jigsaws and board games that encourage concentration.

The guide also asks parent to support children by establishing set family routines for bedtimes, mealtimes and homework and recommends having a regular time for a family meal. “It doesn’t have to be every day, but even just at weekends where everyone has a meal together and talks as a family,” says Bernadette.

With busy lifestyles and a culture of TV dinners, Bernadette fears we risk losing these communication skills which were passed down from generation to generation. “What we are seeing now are some young parents who have never experienced eating

© kolett - Fotolia.com

‘outstanding’

An education in a stunning rural location

Open Doors

Tuesday 1st October 9.30-11.45am

Autumn Activity Morning

For prospective Nursery & Reception children

Saturday 5th October 10-1pm Please contact the school office on 01423 771029 to arrange a visit together as a family,” she says.

The guide talks too about good manners – encouraging children to say, please and thank you and not interrupting others when they are speaking. If at home we agree on realistic rules for behaviour and stick to them, children will also understand they need to stick to rules at school.

Bernadette readily says some of the advice – like bedtimes - might seem obvious, but she adds: “We know from talking to parents that they can really welcome this advice. The Ready to Learn Every Day series of leaflets are about giving parents the confidence to set the boundaries for their children.”

Perhaps it is good news for those of us who feel daunted by hot-housing

and tiger parenting. The crucial factors in determining our children’s success in school and beyond could well be the time we spend talking to and playing with them, and the ground-rules and routines we establish for them at home. It could be that simple!

Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, Harrogate HG3 2JG Tel: 01423 771029 www.belmontgrosvenor.co.uk email: admin@belmontgrosvenor.co.uk

The Ready to Learn Every Day guide can be downloaded from www.family-action.org.uk/naht This leaflet will be followed this Autumn by a guide for parents to develop children’s speaking and listening skills Later in the year there will be a parents’ guide to helping with schoolwork; and a final parents’ guide in the Summer Term about helping children with transitions – from one class to another, and moving on to secondary school.

2013 Places Available

*Family Action is a charity that supports and strengthens vulnerable and disadvantaged families throughout England. The charity knows from experience how vital it is that all parents get the support and advice they need to ensure that the home environment really supports learning and that their children are ready to do their best in school each and every day. And teachers see the results when the children are in school.

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for 3 - 4 year old

Every Wednesday

rm time) 9.30am - 11am (te Mo ld’ ther and ‘Baby Bankfie 0 - 2 year olds for Baby Group

Bankfield Pre-Prep provides outstanding care and education in a nurturing, stimulating and homely environment.

The extensive outdoor gardens provide opportunities for exploration and discovery.

Early Years Funding is available and there are individual sessions for 2, 3 and 4 year olds. Bankfield children benefit from the wide-ranging facilities of HLC, including a Sports Hall, Chapel and Assembly Hall.

To request information or arrange a visit, please contact us.

Bankfield Pre-Prep, Harrogate Ladies’ College

01423 504543 admissions@hlc.org.uk

www.hlc.org.uk

Families Vale of York

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© kolett - Fotolia.com

to back OOL SCH

the best start at a

new school

How do you prepare your child for his or first day at a new school?

It’s all about finding the fun, says Joanna Moorhead The summer before my eldest daughter started at primary school, a rather wonderful thing happened. We were having work done on our house, and by chance a friend mentioned that a friend of hers was looking for a housesitter. It suited us perfectly to move out of our home for a few months, to escape the builders’ dust, so we did just that.

And our temporary home, as it happened, was next door to the primary school at which Rosie would start in September.

We moved in May, so from then until the end of July she and I would watch, each morning, as the children walked and ran and scootered past our door, in their grey and purple uniforms. They looked happy and excited; they were meeting their friends, having fun.

The street would then go quiet until about 10.30am when we’d hear them again in the playground; and then again after lunch, until at 3.30pm they’d all stream out again, and head back home with their mummies and the occasional daddy.

I’m sure I talked to Rosie about what it would be like in reception class, and I’m sure I taught her to open her lunchbox and get her own shoes on and off and all the other things you’re advised to do before your child’s first day at school; but the truth is that nothing prepared her for school as much as those weeks of simply living next door to it. The experience normalised what was going to be a huge change in her life: it showed her, better than any words from me could, that school was where children went when they were old enough. Watching those happylooking kids skipping past our door, hearing them calling to their friends and generally

20Families 20 Families Vale Vale ofof York York

picking up a sense that school was fun and exciting, was the best possible way of introducing her to her new life.

In time my three younger daughters followed their big sister to that same school, and they – like Rosie – all took it in their stride. They, of course, were well-used to the primary by then: unlike Rosie, they would be there every morning and every afternoon, dropping off or collecting a big sister or sisters. They would pick up on the excitement and happiness of school by osmosis, seeing their sisters and their friends as they bounced up alongside their buggy – and they’d be drinking it all in.

This, it seems to me, is the number one best way to get your child ready for primary school: as much as you can, show rather than tell. Try to be around the school sometimes as the children arrive or as they’re leaving for home; if you have friends with children already there, ask to go along with them sometimes for the drop-off or the pick-up. Give your child every opportunity you can to imbibe the sense that school is an exciting and interesting place to be.

Every child, and every parent, gets a bit nervous before their child starts at a new school. Even after 17 years of being a parent with children in school, I’m feeling a bit worried about my youngest daughter’s move to secondary school in September.

The fact that I’ve done school starts many, many times before doesn’t alter the fact that this is a first for Catriona, and because it’s a first for Catriona it’s a first for me too. But what I now know is how important it is for me to be confident, and to be positive, about

the move. Of course I have mixed feelings: of course I’m a bit worried about how she’ll cope in new surroundings, about whether she’ll find it easy to make new friends, about whether she’ll like the school food and about whether she’ll settle down to the work. And when she wants to talk about those fears – because, of course, she has them too and it’s important not to deny our children’s feelings – I do. But I always remember to talk to her as well about how exciting this new start is going to be: because every beginning is a bit scary and involves risks - but our lives move on and grow and become whole because we embrace them and we’re brave about them.

“Children worry when we worry, and they’re confident when we’re confident.”

So if you’ve got a child starting school this autumn, the number one thing to do is find the confidence in yourself: empathise with your child, but empathise with the fact that her world is opening up and becoming more exciting as well as with the fact that there will be wobbles. Try not to worry too much about the problems: believe in your own, and believe in your child’s, ability to deal with these as they come along. Don’t even, for a minute, bother about things like maths and English and reading: no, honestly, I mean it.

Those things are for further down the line: all you have to think about, this September, is delivering a child to school with a song in his or her heart. Do that, and everything else will be easy.

Joanna Moorhead on the 20 things you need to know when choosing ‘big school’

1.

Make your own mind up. It’s amazing how many parents never even look round a school because of what they’ve heard. A school that doesn’t suit another family could be just right for yours Listen to your child’s feelings as well as your own. Choosing his or her primary was down to just you and your partner; but your 10 or 11-year-old deserves a say.

Use open days wisely. If you can, go to a daytime visit (especially to a school that seems a strong contender) because you’ll see it in working mode.

Nothing advertises a school like its pupils. Do they seem happy? Are they polite? If you have time, hang around in the area at home time. Are they wellbehaved?

How about the staff – do they seem happy and fulfilled working there? Take opportunities to chat to them.

Listen to your instincts. If a school doesn’t feel right, move on. You don’t have to explain yourself or your reasons for doing so to anyone else (although you do, of course, need to discuss it with your child if your instincts are different).

Don’t get bogged down in the detail: what you’re aiming to get is a sense of the school. Does it feel happy, productive, calm? Is there a sense of order and caring? These things matter more than the nitty-gritty.

Think about your child’s talents and interests and ponder carefully whether they’ll be catered for.

But think too about what the school offers that might be harder to pick up at home. We’re a family of journalists, where literacy is easier for us as parents; so I’m glad my girls went to a school that specialised in maths and science, even though these weren’t their strongest subjects.

Pay attention to what’s on the walls – and not just the artwork. What are children being warned about, or encouraged to do? Are there any school visits being advertised? What clubs seem to be thriving?

Look at the school’s league tables, but don’t pin . everything on them. Read the Ofsted report too and pay particular attention to how the school has done over time. If it’s had a dip, are there signs of improvement or suggestions that it could turn round?

Where do pupils go on to from this school? You . want to see at least some youngsters doing well academically and aiming for good courses at top universities.

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to the head teacher’s talk and take your 12. Go notebook. This is an important part of the event:

not only do you need to pick up on the head’s attitude and values and what matters most to him or her, but you also need to pay special attention to anything that’s said about the entrance criteria.

Understanding that is the crucial next stage.

If you like a school, do your homework about whether your child fits its entrance requirements.

However much you love the school, and however much you think your child would thrive there, you’ll only get a place if you fulfil the criteria. Read the school’s entrance policy through very, very carefully. If you don’t fulfil the requirements, could you change something so you do? If not, move on: there’s no point in wasting a choice or railing against something you can’t change.

You’re bound to talk to other parents, and you want to talk to other parents, but don’t get pulled along by their tide. Do your own research and develop your own views: knowledge is power.

Keep telling yourself (because it’s true!) that there is no perfect school. Every school has strengths and weaknesses. There’s more than one school that can be right for your child.

When the time comes to fill in the forms, allow yourself lots of time and do it extremely carefully.

There may be supplementary forms, and there may be complicated arrangements for giving them in (especially if you’re applying to faith schools). If you find it all too confusing, talk to your child’s primary teacher or primary head, or call the education department at your local authority.

Have a plan of action for what you’ll do if you don’t get the school you’re hoping for. Just having that plan will make you feel more relaxed.

Remember that there’s a lot of movement in the first few weeks after places are allocated, and many children get in from waiting lists.

Don’t underestimate how much hard work an appeal can be, or how emotionally draining.

That’s not to say don’t do it: just be prepared.

Remember that, at the end of the day, parents make more difference to a child’s future than a school does. Even if your child doesn’t get into your first choice of school (and one in seven didn’t last year) your attitude to that could be a much bigger factor in what happens next for your child than the school itself. Have confidence, first and foremost, in your child. And believe that, together, you will work things out if and when you come up against problems.

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© Jacek Chabraszewski - Fotolia.com

Which secondary is right for my child?

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Ashville College

Sports Club

Children’s Swimming Lessons • • • • •

Lessons available from Parent & Toddler up to Junior Lifesaving Tuesday evening, Friday evening & Saturday morning Lessons run during school term time only Group based lessons or private tuition Casual swimming & kids’ pool parties also available

Book early to avoid disappointment Please call in to the sports club to enquire, telephone 01423 724812 or email sportsclub@ashville.co.uk Ashville College Sports Club, Yew Tree Lane, Harrogate HG2 9JP www.ashvillesportsclub.co.uk

Families Vale of York

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too bbaacckkOtOOLL SSCCHHO

The Benefits of

Inclusion

By Rachael Ross, Chair, Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association When I went to school in the mid ‘70s and ‘80s, children with any form of disability were not actively encouraged into mainstream education. This absence of anyone with a disability was also reflected in the wider community. Consequently when I left school, and for much of my early adult life, I had never even met or spoken to a person with a disability, leaving me awkward and unsure how to interact in their company.

Thankfully times have changed, and children with a wide variety of additional needs are now commonplace in mainstream education. Children like my son Max. Max is eight and happens to have Down syndrome. Until the 1970s it was still widely believed that children with Down syndrome were uneducable, and they were denied that most fundamental of childhood rights; an education.

We now know that with right specialist support these children can learn alongside their peers, and today, more children than ever before are being successfully included in mainstream schools.

That’s not to say that special schools do not play an equally important role. It has to be a decision based on what’s best for each individual child and their specific needs.

Steve Reid Blitz Photography, Gosport 07540 972360

For Max, the benefits in attending mainstream education are huge. Speech and language issues are a significant problem for nearly all children with Down syndrome, and can lead to frustration and isolation if not tackled head on. Studies show that when they attend mainstream school, these children develop at least two years faster with spoken language and literacy.

22 Families

They also benefit from having positive role models.

Max needs to be around his typically developing peers, not just for PE and playtime, but there needs to be meaningful interaction. He needs to feel that he is part of the class, part of the wider school community, with the same opportunities and responsibilities as the other children. Otherwise how can we expect him to interact successfully with society as an adult?

We are very fortunate that Max’s teachers have created a welcoming and caring environment where he is very much a part of school life. When we visit, I am always overwhelmed by the genuine affection and friendship shown to Max by both staff and pupils. Many of the children have grown up with Max, and see it as nothing unusual that he is in their class working with them.

In turn, I’m sure the children benefit from being with Max. They learn to celebrate differences. They learn acceptance and patience, and will hopefully grow into more tolerant adults which will lead to a more accepting and integrated society.

Vale of York

Inclusion is helping to steadily improve society’s attitude towards Down syndrome, fuelled by more positive media portrayal. Several top retailers including M&S, Next and Boden have used children with Down syndrome in their advertising campaigns. Actors with Down syndrome have played characters in popular TV shows such as Glee and Downton Abbey. Individuals are becoming role models, and are themselves changing misconceptions, like Simon Beresford, who in 2007 became the first person with Down syndrome to complete the London Marathon, and now eight marathons later is an inspiration for people around the world.

More is being achieved than ever before, but there is a still a long way to go. Down syndrome is the most common cause of intellectual disability and yet funding does not reflect this. The situation has worsened in the recent economic climate, and parents are becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of access to specialist support like speech and language therapy, which help enable their children to participate in mainstream education.

As the Coalition Government plans to ‘end the bias towards mainstream’, there is a real risk that 30 years of slow uphill progress will be undermined unless there is adequate investment in training, research, resources and specialist support.

They learn to celebrate differences. They learn acceptance and patience, and will hopefully grow into more tolerant adults which will lead to a more accepting and integrated society.

We have seen glimpses of what can be achieved as children with the right skills and support go on to lead more independent and productive lives, enter employment, and become valued members of their communities. But as yet, there has never been an entire generation of children with Down syndrome that has passed through the system with adequate and sustained support in all areas of need, continuing into early adulthood. Until this happens, we will never be sure of their true capabilities.

3

rd BIRTHDAY PARTY

Win Family pass to Stockeld Park Enter in store

www.treasurestoys.co.uk 8 High Street, Wetherby, LS22 6LT

Tel: 01937 589187

Sat 21st September

11am – 3:30pm

FREE face painting

Lucky Dip

TWO GREAT COMPETITIONS TO ENTER

Supporting

See Treasures website or facebook for full details

With majestic medieval ruins, grand

country houses, enchanting Victorian streets, woollen mills and water powered mills, galleries of inspiring art, over one million objects and 540 million years of history...

Some Facts about Down syndrome > Approximately 1 in 1,000 babies in the UK are born with Down syndrome > Most people born with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21, making a total of 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46 > In 1960 the life expectancy for someone with Down syndrome was 10. In 1983 it was 25. Today it is 60+ > Studies show 87% of children with Down syndrome attend mainstream primary schools, but only 25% go on to mainstream secondary schools as access to specialist support like speech and language therapy declines further

Rachael is the Chair of Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association (Footprints) which offers friendship, advice and a wide range of educational services to children, their families, schools and professionals in Portsmouth and across the South East. To find out more visit www.footprintsds.org.

Temple

Newsam

Leed s Ar t Galle ry

n Lotherto

Hall

...there’s more to explore with Leeds Museums and Galleries.

Families Vale of York

23

© Martinan - Fotolia.com

turn it around: to help your > How child overcome stress, anxiety and depression

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that stress, anxiety and depression in children is worryingly getting more prevalent. The Office of National Statistics has found that one in ten children now suffer from mental health problems, with children as young as five being treated for depression. With these shocking statistics, experts say it is going to become a major health problem in the future unless something is done now to tackle stress in children.

24 Families

Vale of York

Although stress is not the same as depression, prolonged periods of stress can lead to depression, and about half of people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The earlier we can reach the children showing signs of stress the better we can help them.

Stressful lives?

Considering our own increasingly stressful lives, it is no surprise to learn that our children are suffering from rising stress.

Parents under pressure and overwhelmed with their jobs, affects the way they parent.

Rising unemployment and financial problems associated with the economic downturn increases tension that children pick up on.

Heavily orchestrated schedules of extra activities can also leave little free time for children to be children, and to relax.

School and social life also create pressures that can feel overwhelming for children.

NSPCC research recently found that academic worries were the biggest cause of stress for nearly 50% of children. With an increase in the number of tests, and the pressure on schools to perform in league tables, is it any surprise that studying comes top of the stress list? Other common sources of childhood stress such as bullying, sibling rivalry, peer pressure are all fairly normal parts of growing up, but because children now have less free time to relax these ordinary problems can become magnified and less easy for them to deal with.

Spotting the signs Stress or anxiety in children can be difficult to spot. Signs to look out for would include a low mood, unhappiness, tearfulness or

irritability not related to anything specific.

Sleeping problems, clingy behaviour, stomach aches and headaches are also signals. The main thing to look for is a change in behaviour. Trust your instinct.

Erika Brodnock, one of the UK’s leading experts on the subject of raising happy, successful children says, “Don’t mistake your child’s behaviour for being naughty, when they may be feeling stressed and anxious.”

As a parent, you can’t protect your kids from the stresses of our modern world, but you can help them develop healthy ways to cope.

Notice out loud. Tell your child when you notice that something’s bothering them and name it, “Do you feel angry with what happened?” or “You must have felt worried about that.” Erika Brodnock explains this as “Notice, it, own it, tame it,” she continues, “once you can identify the emotion you can then manage it. Without this, things are significantly more difficult.”

Explore and empower. Once they understand the feeling they have, explore together what to do. Simple techniques can make a world of difference and have a profound effect on the way they feel. When they start to feel stressed, encourage them to ask for help for example.

Be you! Look at your own moods, behaviours and energy levels. “We can all put a smile on our face at the end of a bad day but when the energy isn’t there your child will notice” says Erika Brodnock, “parents need to learn to manage their moods too!” This is backed up by statistics that show 60-90% of what we learn is through non-verbal communication.

If we want our children to manage their emotions effectively, we must model the behaviour we want them to embrace.

Building stress-free kids Exercise, a nature walk, dancing to music will all naturally release those ‘feel-good’ endorphins that help reduce stress. Eating well, drinking lots of water, a bedtime routine and set schedules so your child can rely on daily patterns, are all ways in which you can help. Erika Brodnock recommends a 15 minute ‘Golden Moment’ every day with your child, “this is an opportunity for the child to speak privately and confidentially with their parent, knowing they can say anything without criticism or complaint, which builds trust and strengthens bonds.” This goes a long way towards protecting a young person against developing depression.

As a parent, it hurts to see your child unhappy or stressed, but resist the urge to fix every problem for them and instead, focus on helping your child grow into a problem-solver — who knows how to roll with life’s ups and downs, put feelings into words, calm down when needed, and bounce back to try again. By teaching healthy coping strategies, you’ll prepare your kids to manage the stresses that come in the future.

Building emotional intelligence How do you feel? How do we improve our feelings?

Explore the Gratitude Gardens, Love Lane and Angry Alley at www.karismakidz.co.uk, a unique online site for families full of tips, tools and news on helping children manage their emotions

Many thanks go to Erika Brodnock who offered many insights and information in compiling this article.

Erika Brodnock is one of the UK’s leading experts on the subject of raising happy, confident children. She offers a wealth of knowledge and practical advice and has even produced an eBook which she is happy to offer free of charge for parents looking for useful and practical information and techniques. Erika will also be launching some highly innovative new toys later in the year, which can help children develop their self-esteem and confidence through play. For more information go to www.karismakidz.co.uk

“Leading child psychologist, Linda Blair says excessive time using screen-based devices is associated with attention problems, low mood and some psychological disorders.”

Help reduce stress and anxiety for children with special needs

• Schedule exercise to get rid of some of the stress • Get to know your child’s likes and dislikes - cater to them, not what the book says • Encourage friendships, then ensure a good night’s sleep • Lever their independence - give them the chance to do more themselves, let them participate and make decisions • Prepare for gatherings, then plan in some downtime • Don’t rush, and use relaxation techniques

© fasphotographic - Fotolia.com

• Last, but certainly not least...take care of yourself

Additional information can be obtained from: • www.karismakidz.co.uk • www.kidshealth.org • www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression • www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children/anxiety- and-depression • www.empoweringparents.com Families Vale of York

25

the

perfect

Sensory Seasonal Specials

By Wendy Flynn use herbs like mint; lemon rind; sugar, breadcrumbs, grass, or coffee beans.

Children love the challenge of guessing the ingredients and you can give a prize to the person identifying the most.

Many parents don’t like the can also try a variation of the party idea of children wandering You favourite - pin the tail on the donkey the streets trick or treating -cat.but make it pin the tail on the witch’s but don’t want to be If you’ve had enough of witches and have a go at the Make a party poopers either. The wizards, Mummy game. For this you will need toilet roll per person. Split your solution is to hold your own one party guests into teams and allocate person on each team to be the traditional Halloween party one Mummy. The teams have to race against the clock to cover their Mummy – or head out to some of from head to toe in loo roll and the team with the most convincing Mummy the very many organised wins the game. This is sooo much fun gets into a muddle wrapHalloween activities which aspingeveryone the rolls and the kids love it. you can all enjoy.

Music A home-based party can be fun and inexpensive. Decorate the house with spiders, skeletons, ghouls and broomsticks – hand drawn if you’re artistic or cheap plastic tat if you’re not. No-one will notice quality in the dark.

Flimsy fake cobwebs will add to the ghoulish atmosphere (though I must admit I found a disconcerting number of real ones when I embarked on this exercise one year).

Games

Even in this high-tech age, the oldfashioned Halloween games still have great appeal to children. Try Swing Apple where you hang an apple on a door lintel and children try to bite the apple without touching it. And have a go at Bob Apple where children try to retrieve a bobbing apple from a large tub of water without using their hands.

For a Halloween style lucky dip game, fill a large cauldron-style tub with slimy, coloured goo (blood red Gelli baff); wrap a variety of ghoulish gifts in clingwrap (eg - fake eyeballs and false teeth) and dare the children to dip their hands in the witch’s brew to see what she is using in her spells!

Then blindfold your guests and invite them one by one to enter the Witch’s lair and challenge them to identify by touch and smell the ingredients she laid out for her next spell. You can Families Vale ofhas York

26 26 Families

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Make a CD of songs that will work for Halloween – Thriller, Monster Mash, Ghost-busters, Bat out of Hell. Play it in the background, have a disco or play Halloween-themed musical statues.

Food

With a little bit of creativity you can put on a Hogwartian-style feast of healthy novelty foods. Try traditional toffee apples and nuts (unless any of your guests have a nut allergy); make Wizard’s blood cocktails from cranberry and pomegranate juice with blackcurrant squash and sparkling water; make monster eyes by cutting boiled eggs in half, adding a raisin for the pupil and using red food colouring for the veins; or try witches fingers made of chicken or fish goujons with an almond flake for the finger nail. Make bat-shaped biscuits, Halloween cupcakes iced with cobwebs, or marshmallow ghosts and ghouls. For more ideas try www.bbc. co.uk/food/occasions/halloween or www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/halloween.

Halloween piñatas

Pinatas are great fun for little witches and wizards who can bash the piñatas with broomsticks. It makes for a sweet ending to the party when guests can fill their own party bags with goodies from the piñata.

Baby Sensory and Toddler Sense will be getting into the seasonal spirit with some seasonal specials to enable the youngest members of the family to enjoy this exciting time of year.

Those attending Baby Sensory classes will be exploring the sights, sounds, textures and smells of autumn with their spectacular ‘Baby Pumpkin’ session featuring the Pumpkin Bounce and Shake plus baby safe fireworks and bonfire.

Toddler Sense attendees will enjoy a ‘Spooky Wooky’ party one week and a Fireworks Extravaganza the next. Activities will include Bouncy Spiders, Skeleton Shadows, a Pumpkin Parade, Torch Procession and toddler friendly fireworks.

Classes are currently available in Harrogate, Ripon, Selby and York. The majority of specials will take place during the weeks commencing 28th October and 4th November. To find your nearest class and for more information about the specials please visit www.babysensory.com or get in touch with Elizabeth (regional contact) on 07590 425310 or email northyorkshire@babysensory.co.uk

STOCKELD

PARK

Where magic is made & adventures

begin

Be Unique!

The nights will soon be drawing in and what better way to be sure you’re all equipped for the great outdoor autumn events of Halloween and Bonfire Night than donning an ever-so-fashionable onesie? Families editor Belinda Maunsell found out just how easy it is to create your own.

The Halloween Adventure

Open from 23rd Oct 2013

The All-in-One company sell fabulous readymade onesies but if you’ve ever fancied yourself as a bit of a fashion designer then they also offer the option of designing your own.

We decided to give it a try here at Families (in our readers’ interests of course!) to see just how easy to create and fabulous they are.

My first issue was to deal with just how indecisive I am and I pondered over fabrics and designs for at least a couple of weeks.

During that time my daughter tried to convince me I needed to be a leopard like her, but lovely though they are, I decided on something a little less ‘animal’.

The process was really easy and I was able to choose a different fabric for each section of the garment with a huge choice of different colours, patterns and types of fleece. I went for some super-snuggly cuddle fleece for the body and Scandinavian polar fleece arms adding pockets and a hood in the contrast fabric too. I was tempted to add a tail and ears but I think that may have been a bit much, even for me.

If you’re creating for a child though the sky’s the limit - and they’d be sure to enjoy choosing and creating for themselves too - which is where an all-in-one company gift certificate would come in handy. You can be anything from a bear to a monkey, a giraffe to a cow. There are onesies with skulls for Halloween, onesies in your favourite football team colours or why not try something camouflaged, or girly pink?

The add-ons are where the fun really starts with a huge array of ears to turn you into an elephant, dinosaur or horse - they even have insect antennae. Tails include wolf, lion and zebra - and come either attached or detachable. You can have mittens, feet, pockets and even a special i-poc-it for your ipod or phone. You can also personalise your all-in-one with embroidered names and messages.

If you’re feeling really creative you can go as crazy as you want - you can the combine the antennae with a snow leopard fabric to create a super cute snow bug, or dinosaur spikes and a fluffy bunny tail to make a hop-a-saurus rex! With more than a hundred different patterns and colours to choose from, and thousands of possible combinations, your all-in-one will be utterly unique and suit your individual style.

Each all-in-one is bespoke and handmade by a team of onesie specialists. The website says they take between 7 and 14 days to make and arrive but mine arrived in 5 days!

And the verdict? It’s gorgeous far exceeding my expectations.

The fabric is really soft and very, very cosy. The whole process was great fun and all kids (even big ones) would love trying their hand at the design process.

You can find out more at www.the-all-in-one-company. co.uk

atwalk Halloween C Den & Wizard’s

Bewitching Tales

Have a Halloween Adventure this year at Stockeld Park, as our ancient woodland hubbles and bubbles with spooky activities and ghoulish goings on.

This Halloween, things are going BUMP in our Adventure Zones, with Bewitching Tales, a Wizard’s Den, spooky disco on ice and close up magic. And something new is lurking deep in the ancient Enchanted Forest...

Experience our new three day festival of fire and light which includes our Fireworks Spectacular, Charity !

Firewalk, Disco on Ice Light Special, Fire and OM BO Light Performance and Lantern Parade.

Enchanted Forest Maze Skate Shop/Café Nordic Ski Stockeld Park is perfectly located between Harrogate and Leeds. Sat Nav: LS22 4AN T: 01937 586333

www.stockeldpark.co.uk

Families Vale of York

27

Abbey House Museum

what’son

in sept/oct13

We’ve ordered everything according to start date – be sure to look out for all the events which run for several weeks / weekends too. And be sure to check before you set off. These were correct as we went to print but may have changed. Check if you need to book ahead too.

Every Day ANIMAL WORLD AT TOO HOOTS

Lots of animals to see & feed, toys to play on, picnic area, tearoom & garden centre. Hirst Road, Carlton, Near Goole, 01405 862854

Until Oct 13 Richard III

Yorkshire Museum King Richard III’s reconstructed head has been at the Yorkshire Museum all summer as the centrepiece of a display all about the king and his importance to the city of York. Be sure to catch a peek before he leaves. www.yorkmuseumstrust. org.uk

Until 3 Nov Beningbrough at War – from country lanes to violent skies

Beningbrough Hall & Gardens Events, activities, talks, walks, trails and displays celebrating the life and times of RAF men and women stationed at Beningbrough during WWII. See website for more details. Dates, timings and costs vary, contact 01904 472027 for details. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ beningbrough-hall

Until 3 Nov Step This Way Beningbrough Hall & Gardens Enjoy discovering places, spaces, stories and sights through a daily programme of self-led, guided and interactive walks, talks, tours and trails. www. nationaltrust.org.uk/ beningbrough-hall

Until 12 January 2014 Through the Magic Mirror: the World of Anthony Browne Leeds City Museum Don’t miss this exciting free exhibition, specially designed for children.

Step through the magic mirror and enter the amazing picture world book of Anthony Browne.

Come face-to-face with characters including Willy the Wimp and Gorilla, play Shape the Game, and join in the fun with the activities and dressingup. www.leeds.gov.uk/ magicmirror Free exhibition and entry to museum.

1- 15 Sept Postman Pat and other Pictures Beningbrough Hall & Gardens

Ray Mutimer’s original artwork - childhood favourites for the whole family. 11am – 5.30pm subject to exhibition room availability. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ beningbrough-hall

1-30 Sept Tiny tigers month Leeds City Museum Have fun creating your own historical mess. Wear suitable messy clothing.

Suitable for under 5’s. Free event and free museum entry.

From 3rd Sept every Tues & Thurs, 10.30am – 11am Through the magic mirror story time Leeds City Museum

9 Sept 6-8pm

Sat 14 Sept, 10am -5pm

Family Wildlife Activities with Wildlife Watch

Heritage open days at Leeds Industrial Museum

Howsham Mill www.howshammill.org.uk

11 Sept, 10am–12pm & 2pm – 4pm Little scientists

Abbey House Museum Simple, fun science activities designed especially for under 5’s. This month’s theme is smelly stuff! Suitable for under 5’s. Free event (Museum admission charge applies).

14 Sept Craft & Gift Fair

National Coal Mining Museum For England With over 40 stalls selling quality gifts, jewellery & handmade crafts. www. ncm.org.uk

Leeds Industrial Museum Watch loco Jack steaming up, machine demonstrations and enjoy a matinee in the 1920s cinema.

14 Sept, 10am – 12pm Heritage open days at Leeds Museum Discovery Centre

Leeds Museum Discovery Centre Enjoy a free tour and object handling at this state of the art museum store. Free event & free museum entry.

14 & 15 Sept, from 11.30am Heritage open days at Kirkstall Abbey

Fun story-time for under 5’s and an opportunity to visit the free exhibition celebrating the picture world book of Anthony Browne. Free event & free museum entry.

14 Sept Fountains Abbey Free admission www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Heritage Open Day

Kirkstall Abbey Enjoy free guided tours around one of the best preserved Cistercian monasteries in the country and discover how the monks used to live. Free event & free museum entry.

8 Sept, 11am – 3.30pm Vintage vehicles, steam and water family day

14 Sept

14 & 15 Sept

Heritage Open Day

Heritage open days at Temple Newsam House

Thwaite Mills Watermill A celebration of steam and transport. See steam rollers, military vehicles, boats and vehicles of yesteryear.

Treasurer’s House Free admission www.nationaltrust.org.uk

14 Sept Heritage Open Day

Beningbrough Hall www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Temple Newsam House Enjoy free entry into this stunning Tudor-Jacobean mansion set within 1,500 acres of beautiful parkland. Free event & free museum entry.

15 Sept 12 - 5 pm

12 Oct

Howsham Mill

Craft & Gift Fair

Heritage Open Day Guided tours of the mill and hydro project. www. howshammill.org.uk

21 Sept 11am - 5pm World Peace Day

Beningbrough Hall A day for world peace – make cards of peace in artrageous or help write a poem for the occasion www. nationaltrust.org.uk

28 & 29 Sept #littlefest

Helmsley A weekend jam-packed with music, theatre, food, performance, arts, drinks, crafts, adventures, storytelling and more. #LittleFest pulls into Helmsley in a big double decker bus and unpacks a festival around the town, the first event in an exciting two year project called On Our Turf. You’ll find events in shops, pubs, markets, cafes, hotels, bars, inside, outside, in cars, on buses and it’s free!

4 Oct, from 5pm Light Night

Leeds Art Gallery and Leeds City Museum As part of Leeds City Centre Light Night celebrations enjoy fun art activities at Leeds Art Gallery and activities at Leeds City Museum along with spectacular shows, events, performances and exhibitions across the city.

Free event.

5 Oct 10am – 5pm & 6 Oct, 1pm - 5pm Steam punk fair

National Coal Mining Museum For England With over 40 stalls selling quality gifts, jewellery & handmade crafts. www.ncm. org.uk

12 & 13 Oct Wartime weekend

Pickering Castle

13 Oct, 11am – 3.30pm Hedgerow festival – all things green and edible

Thwaite Mills Watermill Wilderness cooking, make your own apple juice, Fungi foraging, bushcraft, hog roast and mulled drinks, tree planting workshops and winter gardening and much more.

14 - 22 Oct Yorkshire Wool Week

Leeds Industrial Museum Help celebrate Yorkshire Wool Week with various events, workshops and displays.

20 Oct 12- 4pm Big Draw

Howsham Mill Power Drawing! For all ages. www.howshammill.org.uk

25 Oct & EVERY FRI 6.30 - 8.30 Disco on Ice

Stockeld Park Perfect your pirouettes from 1830 – 2030 in a lively disco atmosphere. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

26 Oct UK Giant Pumpkin competition

Leeds Industrial Museum Leeds very own Steampunk market, with lots of stalls, art exhibitions, First tea Company Museum, pretty things to look at, Tea and cakes and entertainment.

York Maze The biggest cash prize in UK pumpkin crowing, £2000 for anyone who can set a new UK record, £500 for the biggest pumpkin on the day, plus children’s competition. www.yorkmaze.com

5 Oct

26 Oct, 11am – 2pm

Family Nature Walk - Family Fungi

Gruesome Newsam

Fountains Abbey Family walk at children’s pace looking for honey fungus, shaggy ink caps and many more. www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Temple Newsam House A ghostly tour of the house.

Suitable for children aged 7+. Booking required Tel: 0113 3367460. Free event (House admission charge applies)

5 & 6 Oct 11am

26 Oct 11am - 4pm

Autumn Craft Fair

Big Up a View for Big Draw

Nostell Priory

5 Oct - 5 Nov Halloween Trail

Thorp Perrow A delightfully gruesome trail of ghosts, ghouls, monsters and body parts, taking you off into the woods!! Not for the faint-hearted! www.thorpperrow.com

Leeds Art Gallery Enjoy working with other families to make an enormous drawing amongst the Gallery’s artworks inspired by the place where you live, the countryside around Leeds & artists Ben & Winifred Nicholson. Free event and gallery entry.

26 Oct– 31 Oct 1-6pm Wizards Den Stockeld Park Receive a bewitching gift from the depths of the cauldron! £5.50 per child including close up magic & bewitching gift! www. stockeldpark.co.uk

26 Oct – 1 Nov 2-5pm Face Painting Stockeld Park Part of Stockeld Park’s Halloween Adventure Season. Transform yourself & terrify others by having your face painted by the wonderful Amazing Faces artist. £3.50 per face! www.stockeldpark.co.uk

26 Oct–3 Nov, 11am-4pm Spooky scarecrow trail

26 Oct - 3 Nov School Holiday Fun - Make Like a Tree Fountains Abbey Enjoy collecting piles of crunchy & colourful autumn foliage to create leaf mobiles and artwork. www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

26 Oct - 3 Nov Victorian Spooky Fun Week

26 Oct - 3 Nov Medieval Castle Life - Family Fun Trail Richmond Castle

26 Oct - 3 Nov Royal Trail

Clifford’s Tower www.english-heritage.org.uk

Whitby Abbey www.english-heritage.org. uk/whitbyabbey

26 Oct - 3 Nov

26 Oct - 3 Nov Victorian Spooky Fun Week

National Railway Museum All week the museum will be putting on a feast of fiendish activities for you to enjoy.

Ride the ghoulish ghost train, or brave the spooky museum tour. Fiendish fun!

Brodsworth Hall & Gardens www.english-heritage.org.uk

Halloween Ghost Train

Lotherton Hall Throughout October half term will be the return of the Scarecrow Trail. Follow the clues around the estate - please beware we aim to scare! Free event (estate admission charge applies)

26 Oct – 2 Nov Halloween York Maze Re-opened for October half term, the giant maze has been harvested. In its place will be Halloween activities including; pumpkin carving, spook y ‘phantomime’ show, haunted house, Ghostmania ride and lots more. Go in fancy dress and win a prize.

Advance tickets only. www.yorkmaze.com

26 Oct–3 Nov 1-5pm Glitter Tattoos Stockeld Park

Book Events For Children YORK York Theatre Royal 26th Sep-12th Oct, Aesop’s fable comes to life in this wintery retelling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

19th Oct, A double treat in store for young theatre-goers.

Watch The Elephant Bridesmaid performance, then meet author Steven Lee for book-signing.

30th Oct, Take part in a storytelling workshop as part of the national Family Arts Festival.

Grand Opera House, York 15th-16th October, You’ve read the book, now don’t miss the hilarious antics of Aliens Love Underpants.

Sparkle & shine with a glitter tattoo of your choice. A beautiful way to get in the Halloween spirit! £1 - £2.50 per tattoo. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

LEEDS

26 Oct– 3 Nov Pumpkin Patch

RIPON

Stockeld Park

21st September, Celebrate Ripon International Festival with this performance of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

Those home-grown pumpkins will be ready just in time for Halloween. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

26 Oct - 3 Nov Witches and Wizards Week North Yorkshire Moors Railway Enjoy some half term fun with a trip on the Railway and be transported back into a world of magic and enchantment. www.nymr.co.uk

West Yorkshire Playhouse 30th October-2nd November, The much-loved books

by Lauren Child come to the stage in Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play.

Ripon Leisure Centre

28th September, Expect puppetry, magic and live music in this adaptation of Adrian Mitchell’s book Nobody Rides the Unicorn. (Part of Ripon International Festival.)

www.bookeventsforchildren.co.uk

theatre 10 - 14 Sept James & The Giant Peach HULL NEW THEATRE www.hullcc.gov.uk

16 - 21 Sept Grease

26 Oct - 3 Nov

28 Oct - 1 Nov

Autumn Glory

October Half Term Fun

Harewood House Celebrating the colours & flavours of the autumn season with activities for all the family inside & out, including trails, twilight tales & tasty treats, crafts and Hallowe’en fun. www.harewood.org

GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK www.atgtickets.com

26 & 27 Oct

21 Sept Alice in Wonderland

Halloween Experience & The Hex Factor

HARROGATE THEATRE www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

21 Sept Sid’s Show ST. GEORGE’S HALL www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

8-12 Oct Joseph HULL NEW THEATRE www.hullcc.gov.uk

12 Oct Forest of Fables THE GEORGIAN THEATRE ROYAL, RICHMOND www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk

15 & 16 Oct Aliens Love Underpants GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK

19 Oct The Elephant Bridesmaid YORK THEATRE ROYAL www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

19 Oct Comedy Club 4 Kids HARROGATE THEATRE

19 Oct Bananas in Pyjamas HULL NEW THEATRE www.hullcc.gov.uk

22-26 Oct Horrible Science HULL NEW THEATRE www.hullcc.gov.uk

Nunnington Hall Hear the terrifying tales that surround Nunnington Hall. www.nationaltrust. org.uk

26 Oct - 3 Nov 12 - 5pm Activity / Craft Area

Stockeld Park Get crafty and take home a magic wand of your own. £2 per child. www. stockeldpark.co.uk

27 Oct, 1pm – 5pm Halloween family scary fun day

Leeds Industrial Museum Come and join us for a spooky movie, scary craft activities, ghostly tales and more. Free event (museum admission charge applies).

27 Oct – 3 Nov 3pm Halloween Catwalk

Stockeld Park Dress up in your very best Halloween outfit and take part in Stockeld Park’s Halloween catwalk. Choose your outfit carefully, there are prizes to be won. FREE event. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

23 - 26 Oct Grease

28 - 30 Oct

HARROGATE THEATRE www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

Silly Walks Competition

24 & 25 Oct Treasure Island WAKEFIELD THEATRE ROYAL AND OPERA HOUSE www.wakefieldtheatres.co.uk

28 Oct Binmen HELMSLEY ARTS CENTRE www.helmsleyarts.co.uk

28 Oct The Nutcracker WAKEFIELD THEATRE ROYAL AND OPERA HOUSE www.wakefieldtheatres.co.uk

30 Oct - 2 Nov Charlie & Lola’s Extremely New Play WEST YORKSHIRE PLAYHOUSE www.wyp.org.uk

1 Nov Chris & Pui Roadshow ST. GEORGE’S HALL www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

30 Families

Vale of York

Fountains Abbey Put your best foot forward and compete for the title of king or queen of the most inventive walk. www.fountainsabbey. org.uk

Hardcastle Crags Join in the spooky fun and autumn activities in the woods or at Gibson Mill. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

28 Oct - 1 Nov Spooktacular Week

Ripley Castle

29 Oct 12 - 5 pm Halloween Ceramic Painting

Stockeld Park Get crafty and paint your own trick or treat bowl or a star covered Wizards dish to take home. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

29 - 31 Oct 5.30 - 9.30 pm Fright Night

Stockeld Park AtmosFEAR! Entertainment Group return to Stockeld Park this Halloween to transform the usually beautiful and tranquil, woodland surroundings into a world of terror where only the brave hearted will make it through Fright Night!

Price includes entrance to 3 attractions All Hallows Evil Scare Maze, Torchure and the Fear Forest...be prepared to be scared....! Entrance is at timed slots every 15 minutes. £11.50 per child, £13.50 per adult and includes entrance to all 3 scare attractions.

Book online at www.stockeldpark.co.uk from September 2nd 2013.

29,30 &31 Oct 1.30 - 4.30pm Bewitching Tales in Forest Glades

Stockeld Park The new secret sculpture is just one of the ‘venues’ where you can join our host of storytellers in the Enchanted Forest for intriguing stories for all ages. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

29, 30 & 31 Oct Spooky Halloween Activities & Walks Thorp Perrow A spooky witch will be lurking amongst the trees. Help her with mysterious monster modelling and creepy ghost walks!! www. thorpperrow.com

29 - 31 Oct Creepy Crawlies Hibernation Box Making Fountains Abbey Make a wooden bug box for your garden in this hands-on family workshop. www.fountainsabbey. org.uk

29 Oct – 3 Nov, 10am -3pm Spooky scarecrow search Kirkstall Abbey Find the spooky scarecrows hidden around the abbey. You might even recognise some of them! Free event and free entry to the Abbey.

29 Oct - 3 Nov Autumn Festival Nunnington Hall The programme includes arts and crafts activities, insight talks on apple trees and autumn wildlife, apple juicing demonstrations, autumn conservation, story telling, a fantastic family trail and much, much more. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

30 Oct 11am - 1pm & 2 - 4pm Geocaching Taster Day Fountains Abbey Find out how to hide and seek geocaches and borrow GPS units to have a go. www. fountainsabbey.org.uk

30 Oct, 10am – 12pm Museum monsters

Leeds Museums Discovery Centre Experience the store by torchlight (take your own) and then investigate the wonderful world of big teeth, toxins, tarantulas and all nature’s ways of protecting against these things… Booking required tel: 0113 378 2100.

Free event and entry to museum.

30 Oct Chills & Thrills Halloween Spectacular

Castle Howard A spooky wonderland is promised where you’ll meet witches, wizards, ghosts and ghouls not to mention the owls, toads, snakes & creepy crawlies. With facepainting, a hall of mirrors, pumpkin carving and a horsemanship stunt riding show there’s loads to keep you entertained.

30 & 31 Oct, 3.30pm–4.15pm (under 12’s) & 6.30pm–7.30pm (over 12’s) Spooky Halloween tour

Leeds Industrial Museum Halloween themed family tour around Armley Mills, once the world’s largest woollen mill – not for the faint hearted. Booking required contact 0113 2677861. Free event (museum admission charge applies).

30 & 31 Oct Halloween Trail

Brimham Rocks Scare yourself with a terrifying Halloween Trail. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

31 Oct Halloween Workshops

Nostell Priory

9 Nov Elf Challenge for Martin House Hospice Stockeld Park Calling all elves! Stockeld is attempting to break the record for the largest gathering of Santa elves in the World! Help them bring the title to Yorkshire and raise money for Martin House Children’s Hospice.

Elves are invited to stay and welcome Santa to his Yorkshire home at Stockeld Park and take part in the reindeer parade at 3pm. Any elf taking part in the record attempt is entitled to do any one Adventure Zone for half price at Stockeld Park on the 9th November.

Prices are £5 per adult, £4 per child and includes your elf uniform. Elves are kindly asked to pre-register with Martin House Hospice. Elf uniforms can be pre-collected from Treasures Toy Shop, Wetherby; Harrogate Tourist Information Centre, Harrogate; Stockeld Park, Harrogate & Martin House Hospice, Boston Spa. Register on site at 11.00 and the count will be at 11.30am - 12pm All proceeds go to Martin House Hospice. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

31 Oct, 10am – 12pm & 2pm – 4pm

1,2 &3 Nov 3.30 - 5.30

Witches, Vampires and zombies – scary fun

Festival of Fire and Light

Abbey House museum Scary fun with a Halloween theme for families.

31 Oct, 11am – 4pm Halloween Day

Lotherton Hall Spooky craft activities and games throughout the day for all the family.

31 Oct, 5pm – 8pm Halloween Spooktacular

Temple Newsam House Enjoy a spooky trick or treat tour through the darkened House and Farm. Booking required Tel: 0113 3367460.

31 Oct - 2 Nov Frightwater Valley Halloween Festival

Lightwater Valley Spooky fun with horror mazes and frightmare zones. www.lightwatervalley. co.uk

1 Nov 6.30 - 8.30 Light Disco

Stockeld Park Part of Festival of Fire and Light. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

1 Nov Fire walk 5.30pm

Stockeld Park Brave the hot coals and burning ash of the fire walk and raise money for Yorkshire’s Children’s Heart Surgery Fund. Pre-registration required with the charity, spaces limited, £25.00 entry minimum £125.00 sponsorship. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

1 & 2 Nov Guy Fawkes Blood and Treason Ripley Castle

3 Nov York’s Kaboom Firework Party

Rawcliffe County Park www.kaboomyork.co.uk

Stockeld Park This 3 day festival celebrates fire and light within the beautiful woodland surroundings of Stockeld Park and culminates in a Fireworks Spectacular on Sunday evening.

Parade at 4pm daily, gather your torches and lights ready on the forecourt to set off into the forest. www. stockeldpark.co.uk

3 Nov 5.15 for 5.30 start Firework Spectacular

Stockeld Park It’s Stockeld Park’s spectacular fireworks display, set to music it’s a loud and proud Yorkshire evening of entertainment! Price = £5.50 per person or £20 for a family of 4. Fireworks charges will apply on site from 2:30pm. Book online at www.stockeldpark.co.uk from September 2nd.

5 November Fireworks Spectacular

York Maze Spectacular fireworks and music show. Tickets must be purchased in advance. www. yorkmaze.com

Wednesdays from 7th Nov – 12th Dec Baby Beats Workshop

Stockeld Park Part of Stockeld Park’s Christmas Adventure Season. Parents and tots assemble and join Fairy Enchantica from Make a Wish Entertainment as she hosts 40-minute indoor music workshops. The price also includes a drink and entrance to the Enchanted Forest.

Price = £7.50 per adult and child. £35 when booking all 6 sessions.

Book online at www. stockeldpark.co.uk from September 2nd.

beta mum

As usual, I was quite convinced I was right.

Well I fell in love with the damn beast, didn’t I? We had certain bits of him removed and I made a pair of modesty shorts to cover the rest when guests came round. I swapped round the rugs and changed the sofa so the hair didn’t show as much - and I learned to My conviction was about dogs. I was brought live with always having a scattering of white up in a very definitely ‘cat’ household. Cats hairs on my clothes. were cool. Easier, independent and cheaper to run, cats (to paraphrase Walt Disney) were This huge dog causes people who don’t know English Bull Terriers to run, literally shrieking, where it was at. across the street to get away from him. In When I left home, I got my own cat pretty fact, he is the soppiest, most tolerant creature quickly and have now owned three - Boris is in existence. He doesn’t like the rain, the still going strong (although sadly, Doris was snow, or strong wind. He’s scared of the cat, dispatched by a speeding driver on a country other dogs and loud noises. He sits on your road and Sparky turned out to be allergic to lap, your shoulders and sometimes next to the countryside). you on the sofa, legs out, back up, head next My boys did (as small boys will) nag me for to yours, like a human (although I sometimes a dog. Even my mum, who I had always have to get the modesty shorts out then). believed to be firmly in the cat camp with me He’s barely trained and will clamber all over and Dad, proved to be a treacherous double you to love you just a little bit more. And at agent and made sighing noises about ‘boys 30kgs, that’s quite something to clamber and their dogs’. on you. But that dog has a soul. And it’s the And that’s where they wear you down. gentlest soul I’ve ever encountered.

Here’s how right I was convinced I was: I was convinced that 7.3 million Brits today, as well as millions more throughout the world and billions through history were wrong. And I was right.

Despite being very clear that I never wanted to own a dog, I had always had a soft spot for English Bull Terriers. I find their ugly little eyes and big noses very striking and stylish.

Actually, if truth be known, I’ve had a lifelong crush on Oliver Reed (stop laughing) and his handsome, brooding Bill Sykes in Oliver! was, of course, followed around by the uber Bull Terrier, Bullseye. I think the fondness had transferred from owner to dog.

I watched him yesterday - stretched out in the sun, perfectly content and wanting for nothing. And I thought to myself, ‘I love that dog. I was wrong about dogs.’

I made a cuppa and went out into the garden to join him. It was then that I realised he was eating my brand new pink shoes. In fact, he had eaten them clean in half.

‘WHO TALKED ME INTO GETTING THIS DAMN DOG?!’

Then it happened. A friend posted on Facebook: ‘It’s time for our English Bull Terrier As a postscript, I came down this morning and George had left me a present. There he George to go to his ‘forever’ home. Does was, curled up asleep, shedding more hair anyone want to love our gorgeous boy?’ on my sofa, instead of on his blanket on ‘his’ Well, not me. I wasn’t getting a dog. I told chair. the kids we weren’t getting a dog. I also told And that was because, in the middle of the them that if we did get a dog, we weren’t getting a big dog. And if we did get a dog and blanket, in the middle of the chair, lay a very neat pile of vomit for me to clear up. it happened to be a big dog, it wouldn’t be And in the middle of the neat pile of vomit, a boy dog, because everyone in my house, were several pieces of chewed up pink shoe including the cat, is a boy. And if we did get leather. a dog and it happened to be a big, boy dog, it wouldn’t be a white dog because the hairs I believe that’s what’s called rubbing salt in would go everywhere and all the cleaning the wound. George just yawned his big dog would be down to me. breath yawn and sighed. And I, of course, Two weeks later, George was on our sofa, chomping down vast quantities of food, shedding his damn white hairs all over EVERYTHING and laying on his back in a most inelegant manner, leaving no-one in any doubt that he was definitely a boy.

patted him (sending a few hundred more hairs into the air), shoved his blanket in the washing machine and sat down next to him with a cuppa, He moved just enough to get his enormous head in my lap and went back to sleep.

Jacey Lamerton is a York-based designer/maker and runs Get Your Frocks Off!, which specialises in creating must-haves from cast-offs. Her affordable, wearable clothing and accessories are upcycled from unwanted fabrics. Get info, discounts, nonsense by following Get Your Frocks Off! on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. More wit and ramblings appear on the blog - getyourfrocksoff.wordpress.com.

Families Vale of York

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ASHVILLE COLLEGE Harrogate

An outstanding day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 4-18

Family Open Day Saturday 5th October 1:30 - 4:30pm A fun day for families with young children.

Come and see what makes Ashville different.

Bouncy Castle w Face Painting w Story Telling Singing w Games w Healthy Snacks Pre-register online to save time on arrival.

All areas of the school will be open to visitors including: Pre-Prep School (reception - year 2), Junior School (year 3 - 6) and Senior School (year 7 - 13) AshvilleCollegeHarrogate @AshvilleCollege

32 Families

01423 566358 admissions@ashville.co.uk www.ashville.co.uk

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