Families London SE Summer 2014

ESTABLISHED 1996

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ISSUE NO. 161

FR

SUMMER 2014

®

familiesse.co.uk

south east london

Holiday Fun Summer workshops and days out

WIN! Family theatre tickets

Plus Local news and getting ready for ‘big school’

online edition g

with workin website links

SUMMER WORKSHOPS BOOKING NOW!

ACTING Ages 3 yrs - 19 yrs

*

SINGING * STREET DANCE * PERFORMING ARTS BOOK A FREE TRIAL CLASS TODAY! South East London

0208 244 4873 www.freedomacademy.co.uk

info@freedomacademy.co.uk

Maths & English tuition centre For 5 to 14 year olds of all abilities t Courses mapped to the National Curriculum. t Adapts to the individual needs of your child. t Convenient for families - Open 7 days a week. t Award-winning tuition - voted Education Investor Supplementary Education Provider of the Year.

“Explore Learning members’ improvement in maths was 30% higher than that of the comparison group after controlling for gender, age, year group and special educational needs.”

Independent Efficacy Study by the Institute of Education at Reading University (2013). See www.explorelearning.co.uk/efficacy.

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Call your local Stagecoach: Dulwich 020 8949 4116 Blackheath 020 8417 0010 Beckenham 020 8541 0833 Sydenham 020 7228 0981 www.stagecoach.co.uk

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families south east - july / august 2014

Activities, clubs and classes

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS? Yes please - it’s lovely to have the children home to play with. We’re looking forward to ballgames in the park, digging out the paddling pool for a water fight, picnics in the garden, taking buses ‘up London’ to be a tourist, and not having the schoolruns to get up for. All this, the forecast is for a sunny one and there’s sooo much childish fun to be had - here comes summer!

Robina Cowan, editor

IN THIS ISSUE 3-5 Local News and Views The biggest teenage diary in the world, children’s book festivals and events, a new Southwark secondary school, a musical for ‘good enough mums’ and tickets for What the Ladybird Heard

6-7 Education News Award-winning out of school maths and English tuition, the importance of sport for girls and serious fun on Saturdays in Bromley

8-10 Summer Holiday Workshops Sports, daycamps, theatre arts and more - supervised activities for the school holidays

11

Book Review Page Justine Crow’s guide to enjoying the summer hols with a whole lot of books

12

Family Life When mediation can help resolve issues, fussy eaters and teenage brains are ‘a work in progress’

13

The Great Outdoors for Children “Children thrive in nature. We just need to get them there.”

Expert tips from Caroline Leroi, founding director of The Hive

LocalNews email your news to editor@familiesse.co.uk

Generation Diary launches in Greenwich The Anne Frank Trust has launched the revolutionary Generation Diary, with one simple aim - to build the biggest collective, multimedia diary in the world.

Representing the voices of our future, the diary aims to highlight how teenagers today view themselves and the world around them.

The launch took place in Greenwich on Anne Frank Day - 12 June, with 85 13-15 year-olds dedicated to the cause, and the backing of celebrity supporters including Maddy Hill, David Walliams, Gok Wan, Cathy Cassidy and Malorie Blackman.

Inspired by Anne Frank’s remarkable wartime diary, the national, year-long event will provide a vital snapshot of how Britain’s young people think.

Teenagers are invited to write, or give a visual interpretation, once, or on multiple days throughout the year. The collection of entries will be available anonymously on the Generation Diary website as well as social media channels, for sharing and inspiring others.

Throughout the campaign, an academic research project with the Social Psychology department at the University of Kent will be analysing the collection of entries, which in turn will provide an empirical picture of the voice of Britain’s teenagers today. This analysis will help the Anne Frank Trust, and us all, see the world through the eyes of this generation’s British teenagers. Read more at www.generationdiary.org.uk, and www.annefrank.org.uk.

14-18 What’s On Families’ whopping five page guide to summer events, festivals, shows and family workshops

19

Starting School in September

ooks Adventures in b

10 things your child should be able to do when they start school

Read all about it 20

The Back Page Local business contacts to make your life easier

Front cover: Girls in Martha Boat dresses for ages 1-2

and 9-10 years, £63.60 from Poppy, 01642 790000 for stockists and online at www.poppyengland.com Next Issue out: 5 September, deadline 18 August Families South East, PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB 020 8699 7240, www.familiesse.co.uk, editor@familiesse.co.uk © Families South East. We take every care preparing this magazine, but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence. Families South East is part of the Families group, established in 1990 and headed by Families South West. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence.

Q: What’s the difference between a fly and a bird?

A: A bird can fly but a fly can’t bird.

This year’s Independent Booksellers Week (IBW) takes place from 28 June to 5 July a true celebration of independent bookshops nationwide and the important part they play in their communities, plus their excellent personal service and in-depth knowledge on a whole range of genres.

IBW gives parents the perfect chance to help their children discover more about their local bookshop - there are some fantastic offers from publishers exclusively available for IBW in independent bookshops around the UK, as well as a whole range of events for children check out your local independent bookshop to see what they are planning, and read more at www.independentbooksellersweek.org.uk.

july / august 2014 - families south east

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THINK CHEESECAKE call: 020 8663 6655 or visit us: Love A Slice, 260 High Street, Beckenham, London BR3 1DZ crazy chocolate vanilla

www.l ov e a sl ic e .c om SOUTH LONDON DANCE STUDIOS

Dance classes for children and adults

Enthusiastic and creative teachers Exceptional ISTD examination results

STREAM South London Book Festival

Take the summer reading challenge

The STREAM South London Book Festival is coming to Streatham & Clapham High School on 8 November - and tickets are already booking.

Best-selling author and Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman OBE will open the festival and take part in a Q&A session and book signing. This exciting new literary event is for children aged from three years to young adults, with readings and book signings by some of the country’s favourite children’s authors. The day will also feature talks, creative workshops, Q&As and competitions for young readers. The festival will be open from 10am and 5pm and admission is free, with a small charge for some activities.

To book tickets and find out more, go to www.schs.gdst.net/3353/stream-2014/.

Children’s reading can take a dip during the long summer holidays, so why not take part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge? Children aged four to 11 are encouraged to read six books during the holiday, whether they are stories, fact, joke, picture or audio books - it doesn’t matter as long as they are borrowed from the library.

Every time a child finished a book they get stickers and rewards, with a certificate and medal for everyone who finished. The theme for this year is Mythical Maze, which challenges the young readers to discover fantastical creatures as they find their way around a labyrinth.

The challenge is run by independent charity the Reading Agency; is completely free and anybody can take part. The programme is supported by a Family Leaflet for parents, and a Facebook page with all the latest news. Read more at www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk and www.readingagency.org.uk.

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News for paren

Shows and competitions

Contact us for information 130 Herne Hill, SE24 9QL 020 7978 8624 info@southlondondancestudios.co.uk www.southlondondancestudios.co.uk

Bid for a new school in East Dulwich Although secondary school might seem a long way off for many parents, it’s an issue that needs to be thought about sooner than you think. Did you know there is a shortage of secondary places and in particular for those currently in years 3 & 4?

The Charter School Educational Trust (TCST), which runs the highly successful Charter School near North Dulwich station, is planning to bid to the Department of Education (DfE) in the autumn, and open a new school on the proposed Dulwich Hospital site in East Dulwich.

The school will provide further outstanding opportunities for pupils and parents in the area, and both schools will benefit from collaborations with each other. The proposed opening, in two years’ time, would accommodate the first bulge year who are currently year 4 and all subsequent years.

You may be aware that Haberdashers are also putting a bid to open a new school. Even if you have signed up to support Haberdashers you can also support the Charter as the decision will be made by the DfE as to who runs the new school.

Whatever the outcome, the community will have a good new secondary school in 2016. To support the Charter bid and receive news updates, email Newschool@charter.southwark.sch.uk with your name, your postcode and your child’s date of birth.

Holiday childcare If you’re looking for flexible childcare and something that fits in around you, try Like Minders.

They specialise in filling the gaps that other childcare agencies can’t fill and finding a solution that suits you and your family’s needs.

Whether you need a part time nanny, a regular babysitter one evening a week, a morning to yourself or a few weeks nanny cover - they can help. They also offer babysitting and daytime care as and when you need it. All child carers are DBS checked and have passed a very strict selection process, including a face to face interview and extensive reference checking.

For bookings or to chat about what they offer, call 0844 879 7189 or see www.likeminders.co.uk.

Holiday travel As families embark on the great British getaway this summer, travel search site Skyscanner has teamed up with an elite team of driving instructors to offer free classes to drivers looking for best practice and advice to remain on the right side of foreign road laws.

Over a third of British travellers admit they don’t research driving laws before driving abroad and 24 per cent would prefer their partners to do all the driving.

Skyscanner’s classes will be held on 12 July in Brixton.

To apply for a place, or download a guide to driving on the opposite side of the road, go to www.skyscanner.net.

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families south east - july / august 2014

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e Competition tim WIN - tickets to What the Ladybird Heard If you love Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ award-winning picture book What the Ladybird Heard as much as we do, you will know they have a glittery ladybird on the pages of the book.

The story will be coming to life onstage at the Cadogan Hall theatre in London from 24 July - 10 August - see our What’s On listings for details.

COMPETITION: One lucky reader can win a family ticket to see What the Ladybird Heard as a summer treat. A number of ladybirds have landed throughout the pages of this magazine - here’s the first one to get you started! To enter, simply count how many ladybirds you can spot, then email your total to editor@familiesse.co.uk with “What the Ladybird Heard” in the subject line, along with your name and a contact phone number.

We will pick a winner at random from all the correct entries on the closing date, 17 July 2014 - good luck!

For full terms and conditions, see our website.

THE PAULINE QUIRKE ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS IS ENROLLING NOW! With outstanding Performing Arts tuition for 4 to 18 year olds, your very own movie screened at the cinema, free Trinity exams and our West End show - what are you waiting for?

PQA Dulwich are enrolling now for the Autumn term.

Academies run on Saturdays To enrol your child and for further information please visit www.pqacademy.com or call us on 084567 32022

BOOK FREE T YOUR ASTER

NOW!

Earn yourself some money If you know southeast London like the back of your hand, have a car and free time to spare once a month, by joining Families’ delivery team you could earn yourself some money.

We often have vacancies delivering to local shops, nurseries, schools, cafés and libraries. The magazine comes out at the beginning of each month, and deliveries can be completed within school hours. If you’re interested, please email info@familiesse.co.uk with ‘Delivering Families magazines’ in the subject line, with your phone number and any questions you have, or give us a ring.

A musical for mums Billed as ‘a hysterical, heartbreaking and honest new musical’, The Good Enough Mums Club toddles through the highs, lows and sleep deprivation of five women who are thrown together by motherhood. With enough wet wipes on hand to mop away the tears and clean away the snotty laughter, they overcome their isolation, loneliness, judgement and desire for perfection to discover that they are stronger as a group than as individuals and that sometimes, being good enough, is best.

The Good Enough Mums Club is conceived, produced, directed and performed by mothers who have all experienced the highs and lows of early parenthood. Its creator Emily Beecher, who swapped her career as a producer for a new life as a mum, is committed to helping parents overcome some of the mental health issues that can be related with becoming a parent.

The musical has received significant funding from the Knee High Project - part of a Design Council initiative in partnership with Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and the London boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth, which supports projects aimed at improving child and parent healthcare in south London boroughs. Performances in July will test the impact of the production on mothers in order to combat the feelings of low self-worth, loneliness, isolation and depression often experienced in the stages of early parenthood. If successful, the project will be rolled out across London and nationally.

The Good Enough Mums Club will be at the Bedford in Balham on 10 and 11 July, and at The Three Stags in Kennington from 16-20 July. Free tickets are available to community groups, charities, social workers, mental health organisations and support networks working with mothers in Southwark, Lambeth, Merton or Wandsworth - email tickets@goodenoughmumsclub.com. Individual tickets are £10/ £12 from www.thegoodenoughmumsclub.com.

familiesse.co.uk

Let your kids drive in London.

Now they can drive a Tube train, climb in a bus cab and lose themselves in our exploration zone. Better still, kids go free at London Transport Museum, Covent Garden.

july / august 2014 - families south east

5

Education News

Education News Explore Learning

Label your children’s clothes

Explore Learning centres provide award-winning maths and English tuition to five to 14 year-olds of all abilities, and also run special courses in 11+ exam preparation. The centres are open 7 days a week on a drop-in basis, and are Ofsted registered, meaning that families can use Childcare Vouchers to pay for membership.

As Explore members, children work through a learning programme tailored to meet their needs and linked to the National Curriculum, under the guidance of enthusiastic tutors.

Explore Learning has centres across the UK, each offering a free trial so you can see how your family can benefit. To book, call 020 7871 7110 for the New Cross centre or 020 8659 6026 for Sydenham. For terms, conditions and more details, go to www.explorelearning.co.uk.

READER OFFER: Families who sign up in July will receive 25% off their first full month of tuition at participating centres - see the website for full terms and conditions.

Not just for the new term in September, but for all those summer clubs they’ll go to/ playdates/ kickarounds in the park where they discard their layers and leave them by the tree...

Labels4Kids offers a large, tried and tested range of labels to name pretty much everything children lose, from bags to clothes to socks, shoes and lunchboxes.

Then there are the wristbands, baggage straps and even named pet collars.

Their state of the art website makes ordering fast and smooth; postage is free on orders of £20 and over, and there’s a 100% money back guarantee if you have any problems with your labels. Make your life easier and keep track of those belongings, at www.labels4kids.com/fam.

Cool milk show Research by the British Nutrition Foundation released last year revealed that almost a third of primary school children thought that cheese came from plants and almost one in five under 11s thought that chicken was the main ingredient in fish fingers.

In order to improve children’s understanding of foods and drink in line with the objectives of the School Food Plan, due to be launched in September, Cool Milk has introduced the Cool Milk Show.

The show is an entertaining and educational package of fun, interactive games, songs and puzzles following the adventures of ‘Milkman’ and ‘our kid’ as they discover where milk comes from and why it’s good for us. Starting in a muddy field with a trapped cow, they follow the journey of milk from cow to classroom. Participating schools receive a free DVD, two free lesson plans written by the Children’s Food Trust, and free milk for all children attending the assembly.

For further information, see www.coolmilk.com/coolmilkshow.

Bromley High’s brilliant Shine project

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families south east - july / august 2014

For the past three months top independent girls’ school, Bromley High, has been opening its doors every Saturday morning to lend disadvantaged girls and boys its superb facilities for some serious, fun and structured educational support.

Four state schools have been involved in the program; Poverest Primary in Orpington, St James, Hatcham, and Ilderton and Phoenix primary schools in Southwark. Each primary school selected ten of its gifted and talented children, to give them an opportunity to experience a completely different facet of education.

Arriving at Bromley High each Saturday morning, the 40 pupils have enthusiastically embarked on lessons designed to be exciting, creative and cross-curricular. From designing egg launchers to creating QR codes on iPads, and enacting a Stomp-style airport scene, the pupils have been challenged to develop and combine skills from all subject areas.

“Our program is designed to expose the pupils to a wide range of resources, teachers and subjects. Week by week, we have all seen the pupils growing in confidence as they acquire new skills, including leadership and presentation, as well as problem solving. The best thing is they really love the experience,” says Bromley High’s Shine co-ordinator, Sheetal Kowalczyk.

So what do the children think? When asked, the children enthused, “fun”, “exciting” and “enjoyable.” The favourite sessions included Code Breaking as “it was interesting to learn how codes were passed in the wars and to write codes of our own that we can use to pass notes in class!” and the Winter sports day when the children competed in friendly team games outside on the school’s Astroturf pitch.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by not only the enthusiasm of the visiting children, but also our own staff and students in Bromley High. More than twenty of our teachers, from both the Junior School and the Senior School, have volunteered their time and expertise to deliver the lessons which help the children. Our sixth form students have been fantastic too,” says Louise Simpson, Head of Bromley High.

The project is funded by the charity SHINE, which has enabled pupils from over 100 state schools to have Serious Fun on Saturdays.

Bromley High’s final session with the SHINE children will be on 4 July, when they will all take part in Bromley High School’s Community Festival Day. Read more at www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net.

familiesse.co.uk

Sport: “the making of a woman” Research shows girls are far less likely than boys to be physically active so it’s very important for schools to encourage them to participate in sport, even if they are not naturally sporty individuals. That was the message from the Headteacher of Sydenham High School, in advance of the Annual Conference of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) in London in June.

“Nationally, girls start doing less activity than boys as early as the age of eight or nine,” said Mrs Pullen. “ By the time they’re 14, only 12 per cent of girls are as active as they should be. At Sydenham High, we believe in a twin-track strategy that not only promotes excellence in natural young sportswomen, through our elite athlete support programme, but that also finds ways to encourage those who find sport less appealing or more challenging.”

Sydenham High has a busy and varied sports programme for its pupils that engages them at all ages and at all levels of competence.

Alongside netball, hockey, athletics and swimming, girls have the opportunity to involve themselves in rugby, football and cricket plus physical activities as diverse as dance, trampolining, rock climbing and scuba diving.

The theme of this year’s GDST Annual Conference was ‘On your marks... the role of sport in a balanced education.’ Delegates heard from GDST chief executive Helen Fraser, from Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England, John Eady of sports consultants KKP, and a panel of GDST heads, senior sports staff and a student - all of whom addressed the issue and its implications for individual girls, individual schools and for the nation as a whole.

“There are life lessons to be learned in sport,” concluded Mrs Pullen; “Yes, it’s about fitness, but it’s also about the ability to tackle the future unafraid. Our own motto here at Sydenham High means ‘fear nothing’ - or as we say these days ‘go for it’, so we’re proud to see girls leaving us ready to take on the world and any challenge it might have in store for them.”

Sydenham High is a GDST school for girls, with a junior and senior department. For admissions criteria, open day dates and more, go to www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net.

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Junior School Open Days 2014

Senior School Open Day Saturday 27 September

Saturday

4 October

Tuesday

4 November

10.00 am - 12 noon 9.00 am - 10.45 am

Sixth Form Open Evening Thursday 9 October

10.00 am - 1.00 pm

6.30 pm - 8.30 pm

Register for Open Days at www.schs.gdst.net or contact us for an individual visit

Register for Open Events at www.schs.gdst.net

Nursery and Junior School (3-11)

Senior School (11-18)

Wavertree Road, SW2 3SR

42 Abbotswood Road, SW16 1AW

020 8674 6912 junior@schs.gdst.net

020 8677 8400 senior@schs.gdst.net

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july / august 2014 - families south east

7

Summer Holiday Workshops If you need safe, supervised childcare with heaps of fun thrown in, these workshops and daycamps are just the thing.

We’ll update the listings online through the summer so for even more, check out ‘Things to Do’ at www.familiesse.co.uk.

FREEDOM ACADEMY

Sports TENNIS-4-KIDS

TRY TIME KIDS’ RUGBY CAMP 4-27 August in DULWICH, 01252 794150, sales@trytimekidsrugby.com, www.trytimekidsrugby.com Three-day blocks of fun-filled rugby-based activities. Children develop physical skills while increasing their enjoyment of sport. Boys and girls aged 4-8, 10am-1pm per day, £22.50 per day or £60 for three days, sibling discounts available.

28-31 July in HERNE HILL, 4-7 August in EAST DULWICH, 12-14 August in FOREST HILL, 07877 391005, www.tennis-4-kids.com Rally round for a smashing time learning to play tennis with other children. Tennis-4-Kids run mini sessions giving children lots of fun learning basic to advanced skills. Small groups for ages 21⁄2 to 6 years indoors, and 6-8 years outdoors.

CRYSTAL PALACE DIVING TENNIS-4-KIDS CRYSTAL PALACE NATIONAL SPORTS CENTRE, Ledrington Road SE19 2BB, 020 8771 4729, www.crystalpalacediving.co.uk Make a splash and take to the pool during the school holidays. Champion diver Chris Snode runs weekly and holiday courses for all levels from beginners starting on dry land, through to seasoned young divers looking for extra practice off Olympic boards. Ages 6-14, four day courses £45 - £105 depending on expertise.

SE LONDON TENNIS CAMPS 21 July - 21 August, SYDENHAM LAWN TENNIS CLUB, Lawrie Park Road SE26 6ET, www.southeastlondontennis.com, email chris@southeastlondontennis.com Four day group activities with professional coaches in weekly blocks. Each session includes tennis coaching, games and other team events, with a mini tournament at the end of each week.

Facilities are available for wet-weather activities if necessary. Beginners and improvers welcome.

9am-12noon for 7-10 year-olds, 1-4pm for 11-15 year-olds, £52 for all four days, one day £15. Book and pay online; or call Chris on 0773 993 6999 or Michael on 07956 995820.

Singing, acting, drama and music

PETER PAN - PERFORM

PETER PAN - PERFORM SUMMER WORKSHOP 28 July - 1 August in BLACKHEATH and DULWICH, 0845 400 1277, www.perform.org.uk Children can take a magical trip to Neverland with Peter Pan, Wendy, John and Michael as they help rescue Tinkerbell from the dastardly Captain Hook. Perform’s energetic young team of actors, musicians and dancers will be with them every step of the way to inspire and encourage. Using funky dance and quick-witted improvisation, the five day course is a dazzling adventure guaranteed to fire their imaginations. With colourful costumes, original songs and live music, the fun-packed week will end with a fantastic show for family and friends. £149 per child, sibling discount available.

READER OFFER: 10% off when you quote FAMI220814.

FREEDOM ACADEMY HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS 28 July - 22 August in FOREST HILL, SYDENHAM and DULWICH, 020 8244 4873 or 07530 061 658, www.freedomacademy.co.uk THE GRUFFALO, 28 July - 1 August and 11-15 August. Follow the mouse through the woods on the hunt for the Gruffalo! With songs and dances along the way children will recreate this small magical tale in a five day workshop for 3-6 yearolds. 9am-12noon and 1-4pm, £90 per child, sibling discount available.

ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS, 4-8 and 18-22 August. Join the Aliens on their fun packed all singing all dancing adventure to earth. Each week will be filled with fun, games and of course lots of underpants!! Ages 3-6 years, 9am-12noon and 1-4pm, £90 per child, sibling discount available.

POP ACADEMY, 4-8 August. Star in a music video and record your own CD! Budding performers will work with expert vocal coaches before stepping into the studio to record a CD. Groups will then join the fantastic choreographer and learn the routine they will perform in a fabulous music video. Ages 7-18 years, 9am-3.30pm, £150 per child, sibling discount available.

FILM SCHOOL, 18-22 August. Write, direct and star in a film! Professional actors and directors will take the children out on location to shoot their own film, with a premiere for friends and family on the final day. Ages 7-18, 9am-3.30pm, £150 per child, sibling discount available.

CATS - STAGECOACH DULWICH SUMMER WORKSHOP 4-8 August in DULWICH, 020 8949 4116, www.stagecoach.co.uk/dulwich Stagecoach Dulwich will be staging Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking musical ‘Cats’ this summer. Children are invited to join the dance, drama and song-filled Summer Workshop, working towards a free presentation on the last day for family and friends to enjoy, complete with costumes, lighting and sound equipment. It will be fast and furious but promises to be lots of fun for 4-7 and 8-16 year-olds. You do not have to be a regular Stagecoach student to attend and no previous experience is required - all you need is enthusiasm! For information or bookings, contact Principal Jonny Clines by phone or online.

WANTED Kids with funky fingers!

Our group keyboard lessons are a great way to start learning an instrument Fun packed Holiday Courses & Term Classes

Perfect for little beginners 4-8 years

0800 107 7949 www.funkymonkey.info 8

families south east - july / august 2014

Tiny Tots age 2.5-3

Little Aces Junior Champs Grand Slammers age 3-4

age 5-7

age 8-11

fun filled tennis games and activities indoors with sponge balls and mini tennis rackets

FREE introductory session phone

07877 391005

www.tennis-4-kids.com email: gordon@tennis-4-kids.com

familiesse.co.uk

Rugby Summer Camp 4-8 yrs Mon-Wed weekly in August!

10am-1pm

CATS - STAGECOACH DULWICH

£22.50 per day or any 3 for £60!

Limited Availability!

01252 794150 FUNKY MONKEY’S KEYBOARD SUPERSTARS

FROZEN - GDND

MUSICAL MADNESS WITH STAGECOACH BLACKHEATH 5-8 August in BLACKHEATH, 020 8417 0010, www.stagecoach.co.uk/blackheath Stagecoach’s Summer Workshop will be four fun-filled days of dance, drama and singing with a free presentation on the last day for family and friends to enjoy, where the students will perform excerpts from some of their favourite West End shows, many of which the staff have appeared in, from The Lion King, Matilda, Mamma Mia and more! There will also be a special performance by a West End Star as an additional treat!

The workshop covers a full schedule of warm-ups, tasks that will use their creative skills and rehearsals and by Friday it’s show time! Ages 4-16, £145 per student, sibling discount available.

FROZEN - GDND SUMMER WORKSHOP 28 July - 1 August in EAST DULWICH, 07904 424 504, www.gdnd.co.uk The Bafta award-winning ‘Frozen’ is the theme for GDND’s fun-filled, song, dance and acting summer workshop. Children will make new friends while learning the songs and the moves for an entertaining show on day five for family and friends to enjoy. Ages 4-6 10am1.30pm; ages 7-12 10am-4pm.

KEYBOARD SUPERSTARS 18 -22 August in HERNE HILL, 0800 107 7949 www.funkymonkey.info Funky Monkey’s Keyboard Superstar workshop is a brilliant all-round scheme and ‘taster’ workshop for 5-8 year olds (4 years accepted, but please contact Director first). Pupils learn to read, play and write notes C-A alongside learning keyboard technique and countless music-based activities including composition, artwork, singing and performance skills.

The benefit of this relaxed, friendly course is your child can try making music for a week and, if they enjoy it, can take term classes. You’ll be amazed how much they will learn as a run of five days really helps consolidate their learning, and there’s a concert and presentation to enjoy on the last day. 10am-12.30pm each day, £110 per child includes all equipment, a ‘take home’ workbook and snack. Sibling discount available.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND - ACT SUMMER WORKSHOP 28 July - 1 August in STREATHAM, 07976 873161 email: actdrama@googlemail.com, www.actdrama.co.uk Be a part of the fantastic play Alice in Wonderland; wow your family and friends, laugh all week long and make new best friends with Act Drama. The week is jam packed with activities for everyone, including: drama & outdoor summer games, music, singing, dancing, props and set making. Led by professional actors, classes are high energy, fun and inspiring.

Age 5-15.

Language and school support INTENSIVE TOUCH TYPING School holidays and termtime classes in SYDENHAM, 020 7515 1707, www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk Learn a new skill with a touch typing courses run by YES. Children find them fun, and they work - most children are tapping away proficiently in just ten hours.

Sessions can be booked to fit around other holiday commitments so children can progress at their own pace.

CREATIVE WRITING WITH INKHEAD 28 July - 22 August, HERNE HILL and LEE, 07943 514408, www.inkhead.co.uk CREATIVE WRITING, 28-30 July, ages 7-9 years. Write stories with the help of the Inkhead team, including an illustrator who will draw your characters and show you how to put them into your own story. £135 CREATIVE WRITING, 7+8 August, ages 13+. Two days working on developing writing using writing prompts and exercises, with feedback on progress. £90.

CREATIVE WRITING, 11-13 August, ages 10-12. Write stories with the help of the Inkhead team, including an illustrator who will draw your characters and show you how to put them into your own story. £135 CRIME BUSTING COURSE, 20-22 August, ages 9-12. Inkhead need your help!

Hone your detective skills, solve a crime and write up the case into fact and fiction. £135.

familiesse.co.uk

sales@trytimekidsrugby.com Dulwich www.trytimekidsrugby.com

Imagination for the Everyday Early years Drama www.theatretots.com Weekly classes in Lee, Blackheath and Hither Green Schools, nurseries and parties too! info@theatretots.com - 07801072776

GDND ACADEMY PRESENTS

FROZEN THE WORKSHOP

GDND Academy presents another fantastic, fun-filled, song, dance and acting workshop. s from the We will be taking scenes and songs O BAFTA award winning animated film,, Frozen! Our workshop will keep your child focused and active over the holidays, finishing with an entertaining show on day 5, that family and friends are invited to come along and watch!

DULWICH SUMMER WORKSHOP: 28th Jul - 1st Aug 4-6’s 10.00-1.30PM £65.00 7-12’s 10.00-4.00PM £105.00

DAY 5 10.00-1.00PM FOR ALL, PERFORMANCE 1.00PM The Goose Green Centre | East Dulwich Rd | SE22 9AT Are you new to one of our workshops? If so you’ll receive a 5% discount... Introduce a new friend, and receive a 10% discount.

Limited spaces available so BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment.

To book email: office@gdnd.co.uk Any questions please email or call: 07904 424 504 @gdndacademy www.gdnd.co.uk GDND Academy

The Hive is a new Day Camp that brings together iPod technology, gaming mechanics and nature exploration to offer exciting outdoor missions for children 6-11.

From geocaching to fire making, wildlife tracking, whittling, bee keeping, gardening or potion making, The Hive provides children with unique hands-on nature experiences, cool tech, great team building, a bit of competition and an opportunity to learn new skills every day!

Kids play, experiment, explore. They use real tools to solve real problems with results they can be proud of in a fast-paced, hands-on and exciting outdoor environment!

july / august 2014 - families south east

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Multi activity daycamps THE HIVE DAYCAMPS 14-22 August, ELTHAM COLLEGE, 69 Marvels Lane SE12 9PH, 020 3291 3791, www.thehive-kids.com Book a week of outdoor fun on a team-building adventure which will teach children new and different skills every day. The hunt is on for specimens, using foraging, geocaching, lab-building, fire making, wildlife tracking, whittling, bee keeping, gardening, and even potion making. Ages 7-11 years.

GAMBADO HOLIDAY ACTIVITY CAMP 28 July - 29 August, GAMBADO BECKENHAM, NatWest Sports Ground, Copers Cope Road, Beckenham BR3 1NZ, 020 8662 6910, www.gambado.com Daylong fun in Gambado’s huge indoor playcentre, with an action-packed programme of activities that change daily, and a day trip each week. The scheme offers Ofsted registered childcare with fun and caring staff. Open 8.30am-5.30pm with the option to book half days or extend from 8am to 6pm. Ages 4-12 years, £39 per day, 5 days from £169 includes lunch, a two-course hot evening meal and snacks. Book by 2 July for Early Bird discounts, childcare voucher payments available.

CAMP BEAUMONT DAYCAMPS 7July - 29 August 2013, COLFE’S SCHOOL, Horn Park Lane, Lee, SE12 8AW, 01263 823000, www.campbeaumont.co.uk Up to 40 different activities ranging from arts and crafts, swimming, soccer, tag rugby, tennis, motorsports, dance and drama, basketball, and many more. Ages 4-16 years, 8.30am-5.30pm, from £47 per day.

SUPERCAMPS Locations include CATFORD, BLACKHEATH and STREATHAM, 01235 467300, www.supercamps.co.uk A multi-activity daycamp designed to appeal to children of all types and ages. Each child will explore and experience a daily schedule of different activities with children their own age, under the guidance of superbly-trained staff. The venue offers sports, an adventure playground and indoor games, arts and crafts activities. 8am-6pm, ages 4-14, £42 a day or £170 for five days.

URBAN SAFARI HIVE DAYCAMPS Wednesdays 30 July - 20 August, CREEKSIDE DISCOVERY CENTRE, 14 Creekside, Deptford SE8 4SA, 020 MULTISPORTS AT JAGS 8692 9922, www.creeksidecentre.org.uk JAGS SPORTS CLUB, You don’t have to leave the city to go on a wildlife Red Post Hill, Herne Hill SE24 safari - just head into the rugged river of Deptford 9JN, 020 8613 6500, Creek hunting for crabs, eels, shrimps and fish. www.jagssportsclub.co.uk Creekside staff will accompany children bug hunting JAGS Sports Club run multi sports in Sue Godfrey Nature Park to find shield bugs, courses every school holiday to encourage children crickets, grasshoppers, bees and hoverflies. Any to participate in fun games centred on fair play intrepid explorer needs to be able to set up camp, and sportsmanship. The courses are designed to build a fire and make bread. And there are two encourage youngsters to participate in new sports opportunities to do that in darkest Deptford. in a safe non-competitive environment. They learn Children (5+) can be left under the care of the new skills and play as part of a team, where they all centre’s CRB checked staff but parents are very contribute. Ages 4+ for half of full days or four days. much encouraged to stay and join in the fun too. £16 per half day, £84 a week.

Most activities are aimed at 5-12 year olds. Prices from £7 per person, £18 for families; book first.

Summer Holiday Diving Organised by World Champ Chris Snode

YES, I can touch-type Touch-typing taught in just 10 hours !

School Summer Holiday Courses

Diving is fun!

Jump off the olympic boards into our big bubble We are the top Junior club in the UK and are an ASA England Talent Centre

Junior School to Sixth Form – touch-typing is a great skill to have

✔ Constant guidance: from experienced, enthusiastic and sympathetic tutors

✔ A unique program: developed by us and suitable for all learners

✔ Small groups: just four students to each tutor creates

Suitable for 6 year olds to Teens children must be confident to swim in deep water

Crystal Palace Diving Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London SE19

Bookings 020 8771 4742 www.c r yst a lpal acediv ing .co.uk 10

families south east - july / august 2014

a pleasant, friendly atmosphere

✔ Flexibility for parents: you can plan the course over one week or spread it over the holiday.

‘Great teaching, wonderful encouragement, a warm, friendly atmosphere: the results in ten hours were amazing.’ mother of 13 year old To find out more call: 020 7515 1707 email: info@yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk or call Norman on 07961 427640 Visit our website: www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk familiesse.co.uk

The Bookseller Crow

is a fantastic, volume stuffed shop run by some of the most knowledgeable bookworms in the business.

Call in for the feel of a real bookshop, or if you’re too busy, pick up the phone or point your mouse at their website for a fast mailorder service. Justine Crow recommends this month’s best titles.

It is that time of year that we proud owners of teenagers begin to broach the subject of festivals. Usually in passing, to fellow sufferers, in the vegetarian aisle of the supermarket. We feign confidence and comment brightly on their plans whilst shoving our own ghastly memories of trashed tents and purses lost in the mud, nutters flogging dodgy pills and three days of constipation to the back of our now eminently sensible minds. But the truth is, though all the above still applies, the whole business of sitting in a field for the weekend watching bands nobody has heard of has improved greatly. Thanks to myriad stalls and cash machines (you’ll be needing the latter for the former) some of us actually enjoy it. Shame the younger kids have to come with us too.

THE CAMPING COOKBOOK by Annie Bell - Kyle rrp £10.99.

So I’m off with assorted youngsters to the Larmer Tree this year and have already bagged my copy of this re-issued classic for the trip. Annie’s camping kit of five spice blends will ensure that whatever I chuck in the pan will taste better than pot noodles, and though those trusty ear-defenders that are ostensibly for toddlers will come in very handy when the older ones start nagging me for pulled pork and cider, I will cave in at some point and the family will stand in six different queues for six different types of wrap/ curry/ roll. At least with our trusty blue gas ring and these recipes, we will be able to stretch the money until the long slog to get out of the carpark.

FIRED UP VEGETARIAN by Ross Dobson - Murdoch rrp £14.99. And as two of my three offspring are meat-deniers, this brute is coming too. With dishes like Poor Man’s Potatoes, Buddha’s Delight and Naked Samosas, it’s got festival stamped all over it. Cannot wait to freak out the kids with that last suggestion. Just pop your clothes on that lightweight, collapsible stool over there...

THE REALLY HUNGRY VEGETARIAN STUDENT COOKBOOK - Ryland, Peters & Small rrp £9.99. This will be going off to university with the eldest once summer is done. If nothing else, it will remind her of what real food looks like.

Meanwhile, I know what you are thinking - the kid MUST be adopted. How can she have one THAT old?

LOVE YOUR LUNCHBOX by James Ramsden - Anova rrp £14.99. I have never got over the call I once took from the mother of the aforementioned nest-quitter’s bestest friend at primary school voicing her disapproval at the apparent contents of First Born’s packed lunch. Her daughter had reported that contrary to her own wholesome rations, FB’s was forever full of crisps and Kitkats. Yeah right. Beer and oysters might be a staple of Crow Towers but crisps are ALWAYS only for special occasions. Stave off Key Stage Two lunchbox envy with this brilliant collection of portable comestibles. And remember, Kitkats are for use only in extreme circumstances.

THE LITTLE BOOK OF LUNCH by Caroline Craig & Sophie Missing - Square Peg rrp £15. The only problem with this is the lunches look too good in the pictures. It is all very well Trasha pointing to the photo next to “Simple Guacamole & Salsa on Rye” and saying that’s what she wants to take to school today, but can you imagine what it will look like once it’s been bounced up and down on the bus? And that’s after having launched her rucksack at her brother’s head before she left the house.

EVERYDAY KITCHEN FOR KIDS by Jennifer Low - Grub Street rrp £14.99. Sorry about having food all over the place.

Proves the old adage eh? Never review a book on an empty stomach. This is the follow-up to Kids Kitchen with 100 new small person recipes that require neither hob nor gadgetry.

Even sharp knives are banned. Spoilsports.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS THIS IS AMAZING by Jason Good Chronicle rrp £9.99. By the blogging master of the sheer bizarreness of twenty-first century parenting, anybody who earwigs his children just to get a kick out of the horror of their seemingly detached remarks is alright by me. His blog records overheard gems such as: “Wow, look guys. This door is

usually locked but now it isn’t,” “Touch it to my eyeball!” “Put the trampoline at the bottom of the stairs,” and my favourite, the chilling, “I don’t know. Just eat it.”

WHAT NEXT AFTER SCHOOL? by Elizabeth Holmes - Kogan Page rrp £12.99. While many teens practice optimistic youthful delusion with upward inflection – “Charlie is definitely not doing college mum, he’s going to work at Monkey World instead?” – us parents consider this the bible for the great unknown. It’s all very well having an internet to trawl and dry out your eyeballs, but why bother when all the info you need on gap years, courses both academic and vocational, finance and debt is all here under one clever regularly updated cover.

And the answer is, by the way: “No.” THE CAPITAL RING by Colin Saunders - Aurum rrp £12.99.

Did you know there is a path around London nearly 80 miles long that links Eltham Palace and the Thames Flood Barrier to houseboats at Isleworth and a herd of Longhorn cattle at Harrow? Get their little hiking boots out and take my advice, never EVER tell them how far they have got to walk.

LITTLE LONDON by Kate Hodges & Sunshine Jackson Virgin rrp £12.99. Turn the city into a playground, suggest these clever authors, by going fossil hunting at the brilliant (and free!)

Grant Museum (I have seen the hippopotamus skull - have you?) or grabbing a pint of cockles at the Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival. Or get on the tiny train at Brockwell Park. You know you want to...

FIFTEEN BONES by R.J. Morgan - Scholastic rrp £6.99. Now here’s a fabulous teen read that is being passed around; in other words, it is enjoying that holy grail of marketing, the one thing that publishers can’t buy - word of mouth recommendation. Set in London, the dialogue is sharp, realistic and importantly, funny. Instant Brownie points if you come home with this for your over thirteens. Just don’t smile and say, “I hear it’s really sick.”

THE LETTER FOR THE KING by Tonke Dragt - Pushkin rrp £7.99. Selling rafts of this captivating fantasy novel to the nine years plus cohort which looks and feels like the old days when everything about a book was cherished and our noses revered the scent of real live paper. Afterall, how can you call a book a page-turner when all you are doing is pressing a button?

BUSY BOOKSHOP by Marion Billet - Macmillan rrp £5.99.

A new addition to a pull & push board book series already recently reviewed on these pages, I nearly laughed my head-off when I saw it. Busy? You are having a tin barf, mate!

BANG by Leo Timmers - Gecko rrp £7.99. A lovely looking beast of a book with bags of slapstick to get the tiddlers giggling.

MO WILLEMS PRESENTS THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA Walker rrp £11.99. Go find a piano, crank up the stool and start some melodramatic tinkling. Failing that, hum some Scott Joplin. Right on cue the captions flash up as if on a flickering screen in an old-fashioned fleapit. “Would you care to look at my soup? A key ingredient is missing..” smirks an oily chancer of a fox who has spotted an opportunity to pop the seams on his waistcoat when a goose with Claudette Colbert’s eyes crosses his path. “That,” cry her goslings, “is not a good idea!”

Which, coincidentally, was also the phrase on a loop in my head when First Born announced she was having a “summer barbecue”. I got home after a long shift at the shopface followed by a teaching stint in the pool to find we’d had a small festival of our own in the garden. Knowing that I am permanently in calorific deficit and the way to get round me is to ensure my stomach is full, she immediately handed me a plate of charred vegetables and some homemade coleslaw, (which I was still chewing two hours later). “Don’t worry mum,” she said kindly, as I surveyed the bottles on the grass, the limp bunting and the fag butts in my tomatoes. “I’ll tidy it up.”

Teenagers today are all heart, eh?

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk familiesse.co.uk

june 2014 july / august 2014 -- families families south south east east

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Family Life

Ask the expert

by Mandeep Clair

“We are divorcing and trying to sort out the financial settlement. I’ve heard of mediation but don’t know what it is - could a mediator help us?”

Mediation could well be a good way forward. Family mediation is: • • • • • •

an alternative to court proceedings for resolving issues relating to separation, finance and care of children; generally a much cheaper and faster process than courts can offer; a way of helping you reach agreements which take into account all of your needs, concerns and interests; increasingly expected of you before you consider court proceedings; voluntary and confidential; a process by way you can make decisions about your own and your children’s future with the help of an impartial third party.

Family mediation is not a counselling or therapy service and is not about reconciliation. A mediator cannot give you legal advice and it is not necessarily the right process for everyone.

Mediation can assist in reducing hostility and improve the chances of long term co-operation. People who are helped to reach agreement through mediation tend to incur lower legal fees and the parties themselves control the pace and content of the negotiation rather than lawyers or the court.

It concentrates on resolving shared problems rather than emphasising entrenched and polarised positions through litigation.

Communication usually takes place face to face or sometimes in separate rooms, rather than through solicitors’ letters, thus reducing delay and the risk of misunderstandings.

Since 6th April 2011, the courts expect everyone subject to certain exceptions to have attended a mediation assessment meeting before commencing financial (and other types of) court proceedings. The purpose of these meetings is to give an opportunity for you to find out whether it is possible for you both to co-operate in resolving your differences and thereby save the legal fees involved in going to court.

As mentioned above, a mediator is not a substitute for a solicitor. You are free to obtain legal advice at any stage before, after or during the mediation process. It is very important where you have been able to agree on the appropriate matrimonial financial settlement that its terms are incorporated into what is known as a consent court order. It is only really once there is a court order in line with the settlement that it is legally binding. It is highly likely that you will need to instruct a solicitor to deal with the drafting of the proposed consent court order because it will need to incorporate particular legal terminology before the court can consider it.

In addition, the court will only make the proposed order in the terms drafted if it deems it to be a fair and reasonable settlement having regard to both spouses’ financial circumstances. It is not the case that the court will automatically approve a matrimonial financial settlement just because it has been agreed through mediation or otherwise.

About the author Mandeep Clair is a mediator, collaborative lawyer and an experienced family solicitor at southeast London Solicitors Grant Saw. The practice offers friendly, professional family mediation and legal services including an initial fixed fee appointment of £100 + VAT for legal advice in respect of relationship breakdown and/ or issues concerning children. Please call 020 8858 6971 or email mclair@grantsaw.co.uk.

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families south east - july / august 2014

Family health Fussy eaters Child feeding experts from Loughborough University have conducted extensive research into children’s eating habits and mealtime behaviour, which revealed that 50% of parents have children who are fussy eaters.

Feeding difficulties in children are common. In fact, behaviours such as refusing new foods are a normal stage of a child’s development.

However, many parents may be unaware of this, and feel that is it just their child being ‘fussy’. The way that parents manage mealtimes and the use of rules around food can also have a large influence on how children behave and which foods they will and will not eat.

Using their combined experience of more than 30 years, the experts (who are both academics and parents of pre-school children) have developed a Child Feeding Guide to help parents understand why children are ‘fussy’ and what they can do to improve mealtimes. Presented as an app and website, you can log what your children are eating and when, and pick up expert tips and tools to introduce a more varied and balanced diet, and start enjoying family mealtimes!

For advice on avoiding common pitfalls, to read about the ‘exposure monitor’ and for your free app, start at www.childfeedingguide.co.uk.

Feeding on the move Bibi’s disposable bottles are useful for parents on the move. The compact, single-use bottles come pre-sterilised and pull out to a full 250ml bottle which is suitable for all well-known bottle warmers. They’re made with BPA-free material and can be safely disposed of after use. A pack of 4, in yogurt-carton style packaging is £4.99 from stockists including www.bibionlineshop.co.uk and Amazon.

Young minds The latest neuro-scientific research shows the reasons for much of your teen’s peculiar behaviour. High-tech scanning equipment has revealed that children’s brains are still under construction until the age of 25.

Studies on the frontal cortex, which governs decision-making, judgement and impulsion control, shows this part of the brain as a work in progress, and is most susceptible to copying learnt behaviour.

Scientists claim that parents can highly influence their children’s brain development by modelling the behaviour they most want to see. For more information, check out www.nih.gov.

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Family Life Children would rather be outside than watching TV or playing computer games, according to a recent survey of over 700 mothers conducted by Organix Goodies. Despite the appeal of ‘screentime’, fewer than a third of the mothers said their child prefers the computer or watching TV to the great outdoors.

The survey revealed too that mothers are keen to get their children outside exploring, with 92% wanting their child to get close to nature and wildlife. However more than eight out of ten say it’s sometimes too easy to give children technology to play with.

How can we entice our little ones beyond the front door?

Someone who knows is Caroline Leroi, founding director of The Hive, who says: “Children thrive in nature. We just need to get them there.”

The great outdoors for children

By Caroline Leroi Children love interacting with nature, albeit virtually!

Minecraft, Hayday and Sims 3 are all good examples. Orienteering, bushcraft, farming, gardening... they’re all in there with children spending hours making forests, designing gardens, harvesting orchards or hunting for mushrooms.

The main difference is that this is mediated and purposeful. There is a context, a goal and a story, with a bit of suspense. It’s creative and competitive.

And you get rewarded for your efforts.

Why is playing outdoors so important?

From research by the National Trust and RHS through to the ‘Project Wild Thing’ campaign, as well as our own experience at The Hive, there is strong evidence of the benefits of outdoor and nature play. Outdoor environments fulfil children’s basic needs for freedom, adventure, experimentation and risk-taking, and the life skills that come with these. No other environment provides as rich a context for exploration and invention.

Playing outdoors regularly also supports problem-solving and creativity. Studies of children in school grounds found that children engage in more creative forms of play in the nature areas. They also played more collaboratively, instinctively discovering how much they can achieve when they work well together.

3.

Some tools: this is key in helping children take control, and this is where mobile and outdoor technology really comes into its own.

Geocaching is much more exciting than a bog-standard treasure hunt. Making a short nature trailer using iMovie templates as you walk is a really fun way to be creative in nature.

More resources •

•

•

•

•

The official geocaching website www.geocaching.com is full of tips and ideas both for finding and planting caches The National Trust ‘50 things to do before you’re 113⁄4’ website - www.50things.org.uk, is a really playful take on the bucket list The new Leafsnap UK app, released by the Natural History Museum is a fascinating way to identify trees just by scanning their leaves Project Wild Thing is a new campaign for getting children back to nature. The website www.projectwildthing.com has some great wildtime suggestions The Bear Grylls ‘Bear Essentials’ app is a brilliant must-have for any exciting outdoor mission.

About the author Caroline Leroi is the founding director of The Hive, which delivers highly experiential Outdoor Missions for children, families and schools, using storytelling, mobile technology and gaming mechanics.

Hive ‘missions’ bring together the full range of outdoor disciplines from bushcraft and bee keeping through to gardening, orienteering and wild cooking.

The Hive is running children’s daycamps in the grounds of Eltham College from 14-22 August, for 7-11 year-olds. For bookings and more information, visit www.thehive-kids.com or email caroline@thehive-kids.com.

How can we make outdoor play really engaging and exciting for the gaming generation?

In our experience at The Hive, there are three key ingredients - and they don’t have to be complicated: 1. A purpose: we’re not just going for a walk.

We’re going on an investigation, a hunt, a project, a secret mission. We need to decipher a code or record the song of at least five different birds in the woods, or we need to find the one tree that matches Daddy’s description (with selfie for proof!). It can be really simple with just a phone camera, compass or voice memo.

2.

Some competition: give them a challenge and don’t make it too easy. You have 15 minutes to find a mushroom, an oak leaf, some moss and a woodlouse. Take a picture of each one! Use the timer on your phone as countdown. Or make it children vs parents!

familiesse.co.uk

july / august 2014 - families south east

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THE GOOD ENOUGH MUMS CLUB

ON BLACKHEATH BEACH

UP AT THE 02

What’sOn

02 ARENA, Peninsula Square, Greenwich SE10 0DX, 020 8463 2000, www.theo2.co.uk/upattheo2 An unforgettable 90 minute experience takes visitors on a guided expedition across the roof of The O2 via a tensile fabric walkway suspended 52m above ground level. At the summit, climbers can take in 360˚ views of London towards the Olympic Park, Thames Barrier, The Shard and Canary Wharf. Ages 10+, open from 10am, tickets from £26.

Find even more activities: www.familiesse.co.uk then click What's On

Diary Dates for Grownups THIS IS RUBBISH: THE EXOTIC FOOD WASTE CAFE 5 July, Lower Marsh Plaza, WATERLOO QUARTER SE1, www.wearewaterloo.co.uk, www.thisisrubbish.org.uk This is Rubbish are taking on the scandal of surplus food in a tropical café experience in the heart of Waterloo. Part of this year’s Waterloo Quarter Food Festival, the Exotic Excess Café promises visitors a totally unique food experience while demonstrating the tragedy of global food waste and excess.

The Exotic Excess Café will include a ‘help yourself’ fruit bowl, ‘place mat pledges’ and a ‘menu of activism’. The place mat pledges - with either community or personal pledges against food waste - will be hung in the café on the This is Rubbish washing line for all to see. Walkabout performers will be mingling with shoppers along Lower Marsh, serving tropical fruit jelly and chatting about food waste, and performing a ‘communal fruit salad toss for the masses’. Visitors are invited to take part and trade in a ‘place mat pledge’ for some free fruit salad, and marvel at the glittering Exotic Excess tropical fruit installations aimed at highlighting the tragedy of food waste and excess. 11am-4pm, free.

GREAT BRITISH TENNIS WEEKENDS 12+ 13, 19+20 July, various venues including CRYSTAL PALACE NSP, LADYWELL, BECKENHAM and SHOOTERS HILL, https://clubhouse.lta.org.uk/opendays The LTA is bringing tennis to all, with free taster events at clubs across the country giving visitors the chance to get on court. Coaches will be on hand to give tips and pointers, and many clubs will be organising tennis playtime for children and mini games with scaled down racquets.

The Great Outdoors

WALTHAMSTOW GARDEN PARTY

ON BLACKHEATH BEACH THE CONSERVATOIRE, 19-21 Lee Road SE3 9RQ, www.conservatoire.org.uk The seaside is coming to Blackheath this summer as the grounds of the Grade II listed Conservatoire will be transformed into an urban sandy beach with a pop up café, street food, beach huts, live music, Punch and Judy, family art and music workshops and lots more! A full schedule of daily children’s activities will be on offer as well as the On Blackheath Beach playing host to regular live acoustic evening sessions. The Friday ‘Family Food Night’ and the ‘Chill out Sunday Brunch’ will be events the whole family can enjoy together and as the great British summer can be fairly unpredictable, don’t fret, they have also prepared for rain.

OUTDOOR THEATRE AT CANARY WHARF

26+27 July, LLOYD PARK E17, www.barbican.org.uk The Barbican and Create London are working in partnership with Waltham Forest Council to present a free weekend of music, theatre, arts and crafts, food and family activities in Walthamstow’s Lloyd Park.

Two music stages will host performances from award-winning American singer-songwriter and soul pioneer Bobby Womack; all-singing, all-strumming group The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain; local community musicians Walthamstow Acoustic Massive; Ivory Coast reggae star Tiken Jah Fakoly; London’s Ibibio Sound Machine and Walthamstow’s E17 Jazz Collective. There will also be theatre and dance performances from award-winning hip-hop dance company Boy Blue Entertainment; fusion dance company Bollywood Vibes; Leyton-based Gravity Circus Centre and Tanzanian acrobatic group The Black Eagles. The weekend will also feature a sports arena, the Real Food Festival and the E17 Designers Market showcasing local artisanal designs. Open noon to 9pm Saturday, until 8pm Sunday, admission free.

IGHTAM MOTE

July weekends, JUBILEE PARK and CANADA SQUARE PARK, Canary Wharf, 020 7001 3016, www.canarywharf.com Suitable for all the family, July weekends at Canary Wharf are outdoor theatre performances designed for children and adults to enjoy together, telling classic stories such as ‘Peter Pan and The Lost Boys’ and ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’, performed by renowned companies including The London Ballet Company and Quantum Theatre, plus a production of ‘Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain’. Settle down for afternoons of world class storytelling and adventure in the beautiful surroundings of Jubilee Park.

IGHTAM MOTE, Mote Road, Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0NT, 01732 810378, www.nationaltrust.org.uk Visit a moated manor house which medieval knights and courtiers to Henry VIII used to own. Standard admission to house and gardens £10.50 adults, £5.20 children, £26.30 families.

REGENCY FAMILY FUN DAY, 31 July. Enjoy a Regency day out with themed quizzes, games and activities in the house and gardens.

11am-3pm.

50 THINGS, 14 August. Set yourself a challenge to complete as many things as possible. There will be a selection of organised activities, as well as the chance to go off as a family and see how many others you can do. 11am-3pm.

Theatre, Shows and Music

THE GOOD ENOUGH MUMS CLUB 10+11 July in BALHAM, 16-20 July in KENNINGTON, www.thegoodenoughmumsclub.com/book-tickets Five women, thrown together by motherhood, overcome their isolation, loneliness, judgement and desire for perfection to discover that they’re stronger as a group than as individuals, and that sometimes, being good enough, is best. This new British musical, written by actresses and exhausted mothers Emily Beecher & Sally Samad shares the love and dispels the myths of motherhood. Matinee and evening performances available, tickets from £10.

SYDENHAM ARTS FESTIVAL

HETTY FEATHER

5-20 July, in and around Sydenham SE26, www.sydenhamartsfestival.co.uk Southeast London’s biggest arts and culture spectacular packs poetry, film, theatre, comedy, visual arts, workshops and open-air events into sixteen days of fun and excitement.

Family-friendly highlights include visits and performances by award-winning children’s authors, outdoor theatre and film shows, free live music, dance and street performance and a Family Fun Day - see the festival website for the full line-up.

5 August - 6 September, VAUDEVILLE THEATRE, 404 Strand, London WC2R 0NH, 0844 412 4663, www.hettyfeatherlive.com Best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson’s tale of fiery and feisty Hetty Feather is coming to London for a limited run over the summer. With an original score, live instrumental music, aerial and circus skills, Hetty Feather is a unique story-telling adventure. Join Hetty as she takes on Victorian London and overcomes all in her search to find her real mother and a true family of her own. Ages 7+, tickets from £15.

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA

until 6 September, NEW LONDON THEATRE, Drury Lane WC2B 5PW, 020 7452 3000, www.nationaltheatre.org.uk Ross Collins’ much loved children’s picture book is brought to life, telling the story of a little girl who is unexpectedly visited by a giant blue elephant. At first, the little girl is thrilled to have a ghost-elephant living in her house. He makes life so much more fun! But Elephantoms are a bit too big for houses and before long he’s causing a lot of trouble.

For children of 3+ and grown-ups of all ages, the story is filled with puppetry, movement, dance, music and theatrical ingenuity. Tickets from £13.

THE ELEPHANTOM

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families south east - july / august 2014

2 July - 7 September, LYRIC THEATRE, Shaftsbury Avenue, London W1D 7ES, 0844 482 9674, www.thetigerwhocametotealive.com The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger!

The loveable tea-guzzling tiger returns to the west end in this delightful family show; packed with oodles of magic, sing-a-long songs and clumsy chaos! David Wood’s stunning stage adaptation of Judith Kerr’s picture book is fun for youngsters everywhere, and their grownups. Ages 3+, tickets from £14.50.

UNICORN THEATRE SUPERHERO SNAIL BOY 17-19 July, GREENWICH THEATRE, Crooms Hill, Greenwich SE10 8ES, 020 8858 7755, www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk Calling all superheroes... both little and large. Superhero Snail Boy shows that even the smallest of superheroes can grow to be bigger than their fears. In a place where hope grows in the form of enormous flowers and breakthroughs are found in the smashing of plates. Parents are parented by the wisdom of the young and solace is sought from a giant snail. Be brave and take a journey through the dark - it isn’t as scary as you think. Tickets £8.50 children, £11 adults.

UNICORN THEATRE, 147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ, 020 7645 0560, www.unicorntheatre.com GET UP AT THE WEEKEND. Join the Unicorn Play Club every Saturday from midday. Take part in free activities in the foyer such as rocket building, cake decorating or even Olympic musical chairs.

WATCH THIS SPACE FESTIVAL, 24-29 August. The National Theatre’s summer festival of free outdoor entertainment visits the Unicorn with ‘Crazy in Love’, a romantic circus adventure, and Micro-Shakespeare ‘Capses’, featuring magical boxes full of puppetry surprises. These are free outdoor events: no booking required.

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Free admission

ELTHAM PALACE

HYDE PARK PLAYGROUND

TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC, 28 August. Give your teddy a day out and enjoy a picnic, teddy themed trail and activities. 11am.

ELTHAM PALACE ELTHAM PALACE AND GARDENS, Court Yard, Eltham SE9 5QE, 020 8294 2548, www.elthampalace.org.uk Originally the childhood home of Henry VIII, Eltham Palace is now one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in England. Step into the stunning entrance hall and explore the marvellous panelled dining room, magnificent medieval Open 10am-5pm Sundays to Thursdays, admission to house and gardens free for under 5s, £6.10 children, £10.20 adults, £26.50 families, English Heritage members free.

AWESOME ARCHEOLOGY, 27-29 July. Get your hands dirty as you become a daring archeologist on a mini dig for the day. Discover hidden treasures and fantastic finds as you excavate the secrets of Eltham Palace. 10am-5pm.

GRUESOME GOINGS ON, 3-5 August. Ghastly gallows, horrific hangmen and terrifying torture - travel back in time and discover the painful punishments your history teachers won’t tell you! 10am-5pm.

SOLDIERS’ SCHOOL, 10-12 August. Attention! Right you ‘orrible lot, it’s training time. Become a Home Front hero and be put through your paces at Eltham Palace.

Fall into step and polish your shoes or it’ll be basic rations for you. 10am-5pm.

UGLY BUG SAFARI, 17-19 August. Small game hunters wanted. Grab a magnifying glass and join our big hunt for some mini beasts. We’ll peer into the medieval moat, unearth insects near the sunken rose garden and encounter gruesome bugs near the rock garden. Discover the secret life of our creepy friends and create your own to take home. 10am-5pm.

KNIGHTS AND PRINCESSES ACADEMY, 24-26 August. Polish your armour and dust off your tiara, it’s time to learn the tools of the trade as you become a knight or princess for the day. You’re cordially invited to Eltham Palace where our courtly experts will teach you skills in heroic chivalry and eloquent etiquette - you’d be a jabbering jester to miss it. 10am-5pm.

JOEY’S CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN Until 13 July, PUPPET THEATRE BARGE, Little Venice, Blomfield Road W9 2PF, 020 7249 6876, www.puppetbarge.com A wonderful marionette spectacle that features traditional characters such as Pretty Polly, Dog Toby, Joey the Clown and Mr. Punch, with the Beadle keeping an eye on the goings on whilst Joey enlists the help of Punch and Dog Toby. All ages from 3+.

WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD 24 July - 10 August, CADOGAN HALL, 5 Sloane Terrace SW1X 9DQ, 020 7730 4500, www.cadoganhall.com Two crafty robbers, one tiny ladybird, and a whole farmyard of fun! Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow. But they reckon without the tiniest, quietest creature of all: the Ladybird has a plan of her own! Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ award-winning picture book bursts onto stage with plenty of colour and verve. Ages 2+, tickets from £14.50.

BATTERSEA PARK CHILDREN’S ZOO BATTERSEA PARK, Chelsea Bridge Gate, London SW11, 020 7924 5826, www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk From giant rabbits to miniature Shetland ponies, monkey mayhem to the mouse house - this is the zoo that gets you up close and personal. Mid morning is a good time to visit, as you can catch the feeding time of a wide range of animals. Open 10am-4.30pm.

Admission £6.50 children, £7.95 adults, £26 families.

STORYTIME WEDNESDAYS, Join the zoo staff for a story and colouring in fun. From 11am. Some events are pre-bookable on www.ptes.org/events.

BUTTERFLY ARTS DAY, 24 July. Make butterfly arts and crafts with the zoo’s artist-in-residence. 11am12.30pm and 1.30-3.30pm, £1.

BUGS DAY, 29 July. Meet some creepy crawlies, and make an ugly bug puppet with the zoo’s artist-inresidence. 11am-12.30pm and 1.30-3.30pm, £1.

HYDE PARK PLAYGROUND HYDE PARK, South Carriage Drive, Belgravia SW1X 7LT, 0300 061 2000, www.royalparks.org.uk The new Hyde Park Playground has undergone an extensive £390,000 improvement project and thanks to essential funding from the London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT) and AEG Live, will provide young explorers with an exciting and interactive play area for years to come.

New features include a Hillfort, a ‘jungle’ area, a large ‘nest swing’, slides, seesaws and a roundabout, and new planting to encourage children to explore their natural habitat. Peaceful tree lined lawns and sweeping views across the Serpentine and towards the Albert Memorial make it a relaxing area much loved by families, schools and community groups. In total, Hyde Park covers 350 acres and is home to a number of famous landmarks including the Serpentine Lake, Speakers’ Corner and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. With over 4,000 trees, a lake, a meadow, horse rides and more, it’s easy to forget you’re in the middle of London.

Sackler Studios, SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE, 21 New Globe Walk SE1 9DT, 020 7401 9919, www.shakespearesglobe.com/education Dynamic and unforgettable retellings of Shakespeare’s stories by Globe Education story tellers, suitable for the whole family. Ages 6+. 11am and 2pm start. Tickets £15 for one adult and one child.

Design your own banknote 23 July – 29 August 10:00am – 4:30pm Learn about banknote security features then design your own secure banknote to take home. Your imagination is the limit! Enter our quiz, with prizes to be won!

Interactive talks on today’s banknotes will take place in the Museum cinema at 1:00pm.

10:00am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday.

Closed weekends and Bank Holidays. Entrance in Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH

Share your experience #BOEMuseum T: 020 7601 5545

www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum

free family events and activities

STOMP AMBASSADORS THEATRE, West Street WC2H 9ND, 08448 112 334, www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk Celebrating its 10th sensational year in London, Stomp is now fresher, faster and funnier than ever before.3pm and 8pm, tickets from £26.

POLKA THEATRE POLKA THEATRE, 240 Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB, 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com MOOMINSUMMER MADNESS, until 16 August.

Meet the Moomins on a summer musical adventure.

Breathtaking puppetry, live music and humour bring Tove Jansson’s much-loved Moomins to life on stage.

When a huge flood sweeps through Moominvalley, the Moomins find an exciting new home - a floating theatre!

Tickets £9 children, £13.50 adults.

SKITTERBANG ISLAND, until 16 August. Storm!

Shipwreck! Adventure! Lost on an island in the very north of the world, a brave little girl meets a shy, curious creature... Not only does he look very odd, he sounds different too. Meet the Skitterbang. In his cave full of old metal and junk washed up from the sea, he shows her his newest treasure which sounds so beautiful. But who does it really belong to? Tickets £8.50 children, £11 adults.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL STORY DAYS AT THE GLOBE

Making Money

Until December 2014, CAMBRIDGE THEATRE, Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU, 0844 412 4652, www.matildathemusical.com Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda is the captivating musical masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dares to change her destiny.

familiesse.co.uk

Ahoy there!

Set sail on a journey of discovery with free family events, activities and exploration across the Summer holidays.

24 July – 29 August Discover more at: rmg.co.uk/families

july / august 2014 - families south east

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THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA - LYRIC THEATRE

HETTY FEATHER - VAUDEVILLE THEATRE

SCIENCE MUSEUM

MoreWhat’sOn Find even more activities: www.familiesse.co.uk then click What's On

Events and Attractions FAMILY EVENTS AT THE HORNIMAN

GEFFRYE MUSEUM

HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, general admission free, charges apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium. The museum’s music gallery and hands-on base, regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and workshops allow family visitors to explore the collection through arts and crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. All this within 16 acres of beautiful green space which has the oldest nature trail in London.

EXTREMES, until 2 November. Calling all explorers: go on an expedition to see how animals and plants survive in extreme heat, cold, dryness and constant darkness or with little oxygen, in the museum’s new familyfriendly exhibition. Book tickets first.

HORNIMAN’S CURIOUS TEA PARTY, 12+13 July. An afternoon of music and dance with an Edwardian twist - learn some ragtime dances, relax with afternoon tea in the sunshine and enjoy contemporary choreography and art in the gardens, courtesy of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and Greenwich Dance.

Noon-5pm, free.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM OF THE HOME, 136 Kingsland Road E2 8EA, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk Explore the home from 1600 to the present day through a series of period living rooms and gardens which reflect changes in society, behaviour, style and taste. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays, admission free. Special workshops and quizzes inspire creativity and provide amusement for accompanied children on the first Saturday of each month and during school holidays. Places allocated 30 minutes in advance of each workshop.

HISTORIC ALMSHOUSE TOURS, 5+16 July, 6+20 August, 3+17 September. The restored historic almshouse has been fully restored to its original condition, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of London’s poor and elderly in former times. Tours are conducted by museum volunteers and take place at specific times each month.

DESIGNER HOMES AND GARDENS, 29 July - 1 August, 5-8 and 12-15 August. Three weeks of free exciting activities exploring natural and man-made design in homes and gardens. Create mini furniture ornaments, designer hats and much more. 10.30am-12.30-m and 2-4pm.

TRANSPORT MUSEUM EVENTS

THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM, 39 Wellington Street, Covent Garden WC2E 7BB, 020 7379 6433, www.ltmuseum.co.uk Children can let their imaginations run wild as they are transported back in time at the historical and interactive London Transport Museum. Filled with buses, trains, and taxis they can take the wheel, try their hand as a Tube conductor or bump around with the other passengers in the back, as they explore the vehicles of London’s past and present. Museum open 10am-6pm Mondays to Thursdays and weekends, from 11am Fridays. Admission free for under 16s, £15 adults. Tickets are valid for 12 months’ unlimited admission.

THE ADVENTURES OF CONSTANCE THE CLIPPIE, 28 July 1 August and 18-22 August. Listen to Constance the ‘conductorette’ as she teaches you her clever tricks for catching thieves and cheats who try to short-change her and dodge paying their fares under the cover of darkness. Aged 3 to 7, starts 11am and 2pm. Make a stash of clay coins before stitching yourself a secret pouch in which to hide them.

Ages 4-12, drop in 11.30am to 12.30pm and 2.30 to 3.45pm.

BE SAFE WEEK, 11-15 August. Go undercover and dash between different transport safety scenarios, solving clues and learning from the professionals. Get your fingerprints taken and learn how the police gather evidence, become a bike safety detective and identify different particles of objects. Each young person that completes the circuit will go into a prize draw.

PIGEON POST, 4-8 and 25-29 August. Percy and Penny Pigeons are in love, but Percy is in Belgium and Penny is in France, kept apart by their code-carrying wartime missions - can you help them reunite? Ages 3 to 7, drop in between 11am and 2pm. Make your own secret messages and take them home with your specially made carrier pigeon. Ages 6 to 12, drop in between 11.30am to 12.30pm and 2.30 to 3.45pm.

40 Brunswick Square, Camden Town WC1N 1AZ, 020 7841 3600, www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk Britain’s first home for abandoned children and London’s first public art gallery, The Foundling Museum reveals the stories of the Foundling Hospital’s founder Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and composer George Frideric Handel. It houses significant collections of eighteenth-century art, interiors, social history and music. Open 10am5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 11am Sundays. Admission free for under 16s, £8.25 adults.

INTRODUCTORY GALLERY. Showcasing a decade’s research into the Hospital’s archive, the introductory gallery takes visitors on an emotional journey through the history of London’s first home for children who would otherwise have been abandoned. New displays of favourite objects offer visitors greater access and depth of information, while previously unseen items shed new light on the Foundling Hospital story.

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank. Examine intricately-designed banknotes, feel the weight of a genuine gold bar and see the pikes and muskets that were once used to defend the Bank.

Children’s activity sheets provide fun for younger visitors. Open 10am5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

CURIOSITIES FROM THE VAULTS, until 11 July. A unique opportunity to see some unusual treasures from the Bank’s historical collections.

The curators have searched the vaults for intriguing artefacts, from archaeological discoveries to mystery objects. This exhibition tells their surprising stories.

DESIGN YOUR OWN BANKNOTE, 23 July - 29 August. What makes bank notes difficult to copy and forge? Find out how security features work, then design your very own banknote to take home. The activities include a quiz and interactive talk at 1pm. 10.30am - 4.30pm, free.

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families south east - july / august 2014

THE BARBICAN BARBICAN CENTRE, Silk Street EC2Y 8DS, 0845 120 7511, www.barbican.org.uk A world-class arts and learning organisation, the Barbican pushes the boundaries of all major art forms including dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts.

THE FASHION WORLD OF JOHN PAUL GAULTIER, until 25 August.

The first major exhibition devoted to celebrated French couturier Jean Paul Gaultier is a dynamic installation of around 165 cutting-edge couture and ready-to-wear garments which explore Gaultier’s fashion world, from his witty and boundary-pushing designs to his ceaseless interest in society, identity and a beauty borne of difference. The exhibition includes costumes for film and performance including iconic pieces such as the conical bra and corsets Madonna wore during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, stage costumes designed for Kylie Minogue as well as pieces created for the films of Pedro Almodóvar.

The exhibition also features a wealth of photography by collaborators such as David LaChapelle, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol, as well as footage of catwalk presentations, concerts, music videos, films and dance performances. Advance booking recommended.

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, Clive Steps, King Charles Street SW1A, www.iwm.org.uk The Churchill War Rooms were originally the Cabinet War Rooms, created in 1938 as underground storage areas for the Office of Works Building in Whitehall. They were soon converted to house the central core of government and to become a temporary military information centre serving the Prime Minister and the Chiefs of Staff of the air, naval and land forces. Visitors can hear the first-hand personal accounts of those who worked in the Cabinet War Rooms during the war. Learn what life and conditions were like underground and experiencing the authenticity and emotional resonance of walking through the corridors where Churchill made history. Open 9.30am-6pm, admission free for under 16s, £15.95 adults.

WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD - CADOG

SCIENCE MUSEUM, Exhibition Road SW7 2DD, 0870 870 4868, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science, engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. Open daily 10am-6pm except 24-26 December.

LAUNCHPAD SCIENCE SHOWS. The largest free interactive science gallery in the UK is packed with exhibits which allow visitors to launch a rocket, turn their head into a sound box and control a magnetic cloud. Ages 8-14, free.

WHO AM I? Find out what makes you special through interactive activities which use the latest in brain science and genetics. Free.

THE RUBBISH COLLECTION, until 14 September. What does one month of ‘rubbish’ from one institution look like? Discover the beauty, value and volume of what we throw away. A unique two-part exhibition uses 30 days’ worth of the museum’s waste to expose the beauty, value and volume of what we call ‘rubbish’.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 5BD, 020 7942 5000, www.nhm.ac.uk Dinosaurs, volcanoes, precious gems and creepy crawlies - discover the diversity of the natural world through the nation’s finest collection of natural history specimens. Fascinating exhibitions display up to 70 million plants, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals, with a hands-on education centre where you can meet real scientists at work. Museum open 10am-5.50pm, admission free.

ONE MILLION YEARS OF THE HUMAN STORY. What was Britain like when the first humans arrived on its shores? Travel back in time nearly one million years to uncover what life was really like for our ancient relatives. £4.50 children, £9 adults, £24 families.

MAMMOTHS: ICE AGE GIANTS, until 7 September. Enter the amazing world of some of the largest creatures to have ever walked the earth. Be awestruck as huge fossils and life-size models of mammoths and their relatives tower above you and meet Lyuba, the world’s most complete mammoth, as she takes centre stage in the exhibition for her first appearance in Western Europe. You’ll even be able to try out life as a mammoth: tusk jousting, trunk moving and feeling the weight of the hundreds of kilogrammes of food a mammoth ate each day - equivalent to about 230 bags of sugar. The exhibition will take you on an inspiring journey from the time when these titans roamed the land through to today’s research into the causes of mammoth extinction and ways to protect their precious modern relatives, the elephants. Tickets £6 children, £10 adults, £28 families.

SENSATIONAL BUTTERFLIES, until 14 September. Wander among hundreds of the beautiful free-flying creatures as the family friendly exhibition returns to the Natural History Museum for a sixth year, housed in a specially constructed tropical enclosure on the Museum’s east lawn. Highlights include an outdoor butterfly garden with tips on how to attract butterflies and create your own butterfly garden at home; interactive activities allowing you to explore fascinating butterfly facts; the chance to watch butterflies emerge from their chrysalises through the hatchery window; a riot of colourful tropical plants in the house and garden; and tips and advice from the butterfly house manager. Open 10am-5.50pm, single tickets £5.50, families £19.

HMS BELFAST On the THAMES by Morgans Lane, Tooley Street SE1 2JH, www.iwm.org.uk Discover the exciting stories of those who served HMS Belfast; exploring the nine decks where sailors once hurried up and down its ladders, or take a look at the mess desk where her 950-strong crew ate and slept.

Open 10am-5pm, admission free for under 16s, £15.50 adults.

GUN TURRET EXPERIENCE. Immerse yourself in the new Gun Turret Experience, a chance to see what fighting at sea would have really been like. Overlooking the front of the ship, or Fo’c’sle, is the forward most of HMS Belfast’s Triple Gun Turrets. Lights, audio, videos and projections will recreate the experience, highlighting the hectic and cramped conditions that would have seen twenty-six men in this confined space at any one time. Entry included in general admission price.

CRACKING CODES, 12+13 July. Can you decipher secret messages? Intercept messages, map hazards on a sea chart and even make up your own secret code. 11am-1pm and 2-4pm daily.

TATTOO T-SHIRTS, 11-17 August. Impress your friends and family by designing your very own t-shirt, inspired by traditional Navy tattoos to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. While you’re getting creative, you’ll learn more about the history of Navy tattoos as well as the important role that HMS Belfast played in Operation Overlord - the largest naval, air and land operation in history.

familiesse.co.uk

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM

GOLDEN HINDE

NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM

1 Pickfords Wharf SE1 9DG, 020 7403 0123, www.goldenhinde.com Board the replica ship on Saturdays for a family-friendly guided tour to find out about life at sea and Sir Francis Drake’s voyage around the world. Regular fun days with costumed staff feature Tudor life at sea, filled with gruesome stories, treasure hunts, battles and hands-on activities. Open 10am-6pm, £4.50 children, £6 adults, £10 families.

NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM, Royal Hospital Road SW3 4HT, 020 7881 6606, www.nam.ac.uk The history of British land forces from 1485 to the present day, with costumes, paintings, artefacts and special displays telling the stories of men and women who served in British armies across the globe. Open 10am-5.30pm daily, admission free.

ACTION ZONES. Learn about life as a Victorian soldier or World War evacuee through quizzes, games and hands-on activities.

KIDS’ ZONE. Under 8s can enjoy an exciting soft play area.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM: RE-OPENING 19 JULY From 19 July, IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Lambeth Road, London SE1, 020 7416 5000, www.iwm.org.uk IWM London has been transformed with brand new, ground-breaking First World War Galleries alongside a new central atrium space with large object displays, new shops and cafes. Admission free.

FIRST WORLD WAR GALLERIES. Discover the story of the war - how it started, why it continued and its global impact, through the lives of those who experienced it at the time on both the front line and the home front across Britain and its empire.

ATRIUM AND TERRACED GALLERIES. ‘Witness to War’ displays nine iconic objects including a Harrier, Spitfire and V2 rocket suspended from above, as well as a T34 tank and a Reuters LandRover damaged by rocket attack in Gaza. Levels 1 to 3 tell key stories from the Second World War to modern day conflicts, though curated displays using both large objects and other materials from IWM’s collections, including film and artworks.

FORGET ME NOT: POSTCARDS FROM THE FRONT, 28 July - 10 August and 18-24 August. Take part in a commemorative art project that looks at embroidered postcards sent between loved ones at home in Britain and soldiers fighting abroad in the summer and autumn of 1914. This drop-in activity will give families the chance to sew personal postcards to take away. 11am-12.30pm and 2-4pm daily.

OBJECT CONVERSATIONS, Sundays from 20 July.

In these new immersive object handling sessions, families can explore objects from our collections and they connect with iconic objects on display in our new atrium and Terraced Galleries. Feel the weight of a shrapnel piece from the First World War and come to grips with real objects from the museum’s collections.

11am-12.30pm and 2-4pm.

CREATIVE RESPONSE, Sundays from 20 July.

Make a creative response to themes held within the new atrium and Terraced Galleries as a drawing, a photograph or a postcard. 11am-12.30pm and 2-4pm.

A FAMILY IN WARTIME. Explores the lives of William and Alice Allpress and their ten children and what life in London was like during the war. A Family in Wartime is brought to life through interactive exhibits, photographs, recorded interviews with the family, archive film footage, paintings, personal documents and an intricate model of the Allpress family home.

LIVE ON STAGE! Thu 24 Jul - Sun 10 Aug LONDON

Book Now 020 7730 4500 www.cadoganhall.com

THE PERFECT SUMMER TREAT. . .

CHILDREN AT THE V&A V&A MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk/families During any visit, families can pick up a trail from the Information Desk and explore the museum through puzzles, drawing and observation. Suitable for 7-12 year-olds. There are also hundreds of exciting hands-on exhibits containing plenty to touch and try out. Museum open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

Saturday BACK-PACKS. Pick up a back pack and explore the museum with fantastic jigsaws, stories, puzzles and games. 10.30am-5pm.

V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk This gem of a museum is fascinating for families with young children. The collection includes dolls, dolls’ houses, puppets, teddy bears, games, childcare, clothing, furniture and art and photography.

Everyday drop-in activities include storytelling, arts and crafts, and trails. There’s dressing-up, role play and an under 3’s area, an indoor sandpit, and regular special events. If it’s sunny there’s an outdoor space to enjoy a picnic. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

DAYDREAMS AND DIARIES, THE STORY OF JACQUELINE WILSON, until 2 November. Delve into Jacqueline Wilson’s life and work and find inspiration in the settings where she came up with some of the ideas for her most famous books. The exhibition begins with a replica of the childhood bedroom where she developed her love for reading and finishes with a mock-up of the study in which she now works. Also on display will be short stories and diaries written by Jacqueline as a young girl, showing the origins of her talent for writing, while annotated drafts of favourites such as Tracy Beaker and the later work Hetty Feather will give fans further insight in to these well loved stories.

HAND OVER HAND ME DOWNS, Until 31 August.

Examining the UK’s international adoption policies, taking artist Annabel Stockman’s photographic project as inspiration.

TOY STORIES, until 14 December. An exhibition of photographs by Gabriele Galimberti explores the role and function of toys in the lives of children around the world. The collection reflects the impact of the children’s backgrounds and families on their choice of toys and highlights the universality of play.

OLIVIER AWARD NOMINEE 2012

D ON EN AS T SE ES R W ME M SU

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, South Bank, London SE1, 020 7620 0347, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk Uncover the lady behind the legend through a vivid retelling of her story and a look at how modern nursing began. The museum’s unparalleled collection features highlights such as Florence’s pet little owl Athena as well as her lamp and medicine chest from the Crimean War. Engaging interactive exhibits as well as regular contemporary art exhibitions enhance the experience, visitors even use stethoscopes to hear the audio tour.

Admission free for under 5s, £4.80 child, £7.80 adults, £18.60 families.

Based on the award-winning picture book by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks

The Tiger Who Came to Tea a musical play adapted and directed by DAVID WOOD based on the book by JUDITH KERR

PICCADILLY CIRCUS

UNTIL SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER BOOK NOW! 0844 412 4661 www.thetigerwhocametotealive.com

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MUSEUM OF LONDON MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, West India Quay E14, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands, and MUSEUM OF LONDON, London Wall EC2Y 5HN, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. Regular programmes of weekend and holiday events and workshops help visitors find out more about London’s history, covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life.

BRITISH MUSEUM BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell Street WC1B 3DG, 020 7323 8181, www.britishmuseum.org SUTTON HOO AND EUROPE AD 300-1100. A new display of the museum’s unparalleled early medieval collection, which includes the famous Sutton Hoo treasure.

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BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

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ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk Royal Museums Greenwich holds the world’s largest maritime collection.

It is housed in historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site and incorporates the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 17th-century Queen’s House, and Cutty Sark. The Museums works to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people, and is also a major centre of education and research. Open 10am-5pm daily. General admission is free; some buildings, special exhibitions and events have an admission fee.

AHOY THERE! 24 July - 29 August. Set sail on a journey of discovery with free family events, activities and exploration across the summer holidays at the National Maritime Museum. In ‘A place called home’, discover how the sea has made its mark on land, people and their sense of ‘home’ through free activities for all ages in the museum’s ‘Nelson, Navy, Nation’ gallery.

EXPLORE SATURDAYS. Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that brings maritime history to life. Suitable for ages 6+. Noon, 1, 2 and 3pm start, free.

DISCOVER SUNDAYS. Be inspired by the museum’s galleries and take part in free design, craft, illustration and music workshops designed for families. Suitable for all ages. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-5pm, free.

PLAY TUESDAYS. Young children can have fun with their families as they explore the Museum through making, music, dance and drama.

Timed sessions; collect tickets from the admissions desk.

LONGITUDE PUNK’D. Until 4 January 2015. The Royal Observatory celebrates the creations of wacky inventors, star-gazing scientists and extremely elegant explorers of the 18th-century. Nine UK ‘Steampunk’ artists have created new works inspired by the technical inventions that were presented to the Board of Longitude between 1714 and 1828.

10am-5pm.

MEET THE TIME TRAVELLERS, Weekends and holiday weekdays throughout June. Meet time-travelling Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne or his human computer Mary Edwards next to the Steampunk time machine in the Meridian Courtyard and find out about their life and work at Greenwich in the 18th-century. 12noon, 1, 2 and 3pm, ages 7+.

CUTTY SARK CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark The world famous 19th century tea clipper offers visitors four levels to explore. Take in the views from the main deck and steer at the ship’s wheel, meet the crew who worked on board, explore the various cargoes from wool to whiskey, and see how tea was loaded on board through interactive displays, props, information boards and animations. Family friendly events run at weekends and during school holidays. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Sundays, admission £6.50 children, £12 adults, from £20 families. Bundled tickets are available with the other Royal Museum Greenwich attractions.

Art Activities DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY

JEWISH MUSEUM EVENTS

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21 7AD, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends and bank holidays. Admission free for accompanied children, £6 adults.

Listed activities free for families with a gallery ticket or £3 per child.

ART AND LIFE, until 21 September. A rare opportunity to see works

by Ben and Winifred Nicholson, who were at the forefront of the Modern British movement. Curated by their grandson Jovan Nicholson, the exhibition features landscapes, seascapes, still lives and portraits alongside pieces by contemporaries Christopher Wood, Alfred Wallis and the potter William Staite Murray. Admission free for children, £11 adults.

ARTPLAY, first and last Sunday of each month. Creative drop-in workshops for adults and children, with a different activity each session.

Make anything and everything from bunting to block printing and all things in between. 2-3.45pm.

FREE FAMILY TRAIL. Ask a gallery assistant or stop by at the Gallery Friends desk for a free trail; updated frequently and available for the permanent and temporary exhibitions.

ART IN THE GARDEN, 6-27 August. This summer’s series of creative workshops in the gallery gardens, with weekly family sessions. Take a picnic, sit on the lawn and watch the artwork grow!

JEWISH MUSEUM, Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert Street, Camden Town NW1 7NB, 020 7284 7324, www.jewishmuseum.org.uk The museum houses internationally acclaimed collections where visitors can explore Jewish culture, heritage and identity within the wider context of British history. Open 10am-5pm daily, Fridays to 2pm. Admission £3.50 children, £7.50 adults, £18 families.

SOMERSET HOUSE FAMILY EVENTS SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk Free family workshops run on Saturdays from 2-3.30pm. Tickets available from 1pm from the information desk. Children aged 6-12 years must be accompanied by an adult.

WALLACE COLLECTION THE WALLACE COLLECTION, Hertford House, Manchester Square W1U 3BN, 020 7563 9500, www.wallacecollection.org The Wallace Collection displays wonderful works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess, in their main London townhouse. Family multi-media tours and trails bring the exhibits to life for younger visitors. Open 10am-5pm daily, admission free.

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families south east - july / august 2014

ART AT SIR JOHN SOANE’S HOUSE SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields WC2A 3PB, 020 7440 4263, www.soane.org Tucked away in Lincoln’s Inn Fields at the heart of London, this magical, mysterious museum encourages young visitors to explore Soane’s treasures and develop new skills with specialist guidance. Sir John Soane (1753- 1737) was an inveterate collector, filling every nook and cranny of his beautiful home with items that fascinated him. From fossils to classical fragments from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and from contemporary paintings to architectural models, drawings and literature, he intended that after his death both his house and its extraordinary contents should be used to educate and inspire. Free drop-in activities run on the third Saturday of every month, with activities for all ages and families can take part together from 1.30-4.40pm.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2N 5DN, 020 7747 2885, www.nationalgallery.org.uk Open daily 10am-6pm, Fridays to 9pm, admission free.

With over 2,300 paintings in the collection, there are hundreds of reasons to visit the gallery, along with free hands-on art workshops for families at weekends and during school holidays. No need to book, but places are limited and allocated on arrival up to one hour before the start.

FAMILIES AT THE TATE TATE BRITAIN, Millbank SW1, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk/britain Open daily 10am-5.50pm, and until 10pm the first Friday of the month.

Family trails are available daily from the Information Desks and are free for 5yrs and under. Go on a journey around Tate Britain and post your discoveries into your ‘Post it’ box as you go. When you get home, open up the box and show your friends what you found. Or you could follow the ‘Join up’ trail: play the listening game, search for shapes, patterns and talking hands, and make your own sculptures.

Every weekend the free Art Trolley encourages children to imagine and create, make colourful collages, style a wonderful sculpture or perhaps make a sketchbook and fill it with great ideas.

HMS BELFAST

DISCOVER GREENWICH OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE (next to the Cutty Sark), Greenwich SE10, www.greenwichwhs.org.uk Unlock the history of Maritime Greenwich, through artefacts, artwork, film and stories of former lives to bring the past to life. A permanent exhibition takes visitors on a journey from the College’s Tudor beginnings, through its naval past, as the Royal Hospital for Seamen and Royal Navy Staff College, right up to the present day. Special objects, including personal items from Henry VIII’s palace, as well as fascinating stories from monarchs, admirals and architects help chart the historic town’s development.

Activities for children and families play a significant part in the new destination, enabling families to maximise their visit to Maritime Greenwich and for children to explore and understand the history of the magnificent site.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM EVENTS GEFFRYE MUSEUM, Kingsland Road E2 8EA, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk Special workshops and quizzes inspire creativity and provide amusement for accompanied 5-11 year-olds on the first Saturday of each month and during school holidays. Places allocated 30 minutes in advance of each workshop. Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays.

HISTORIC ALMSHOUSE TOURS, 5+16 July, 6+20 August, 3+17 September. The restored historic almshouse has been fully restored to its original condition, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of London's poor and elderly in former times. Tours are conducted by museum volunteers and take place at specific times each month.

DESIGNER HOMES AND GARDENS, 29 July - 1 August, 5-8 and 12-15 August. Three weeks of free exciting activities exploring natural and man-made design in homes and gardens. Create mini furniture ornaments, designer hats and much more. 10.30am-12.30pm and 2-4pm.

FIREPOWER - THE ROYAL ARTILLERY MUSEUM ROYAL ARSENAL, Woolwich SE18 6ST, 020 8855 7755, www.firepower.org.uk Firepower, the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich tells the powerful and dramatic story of artillery, scientific discoveries made through warfare and human stories of courage and endeavour. The ‘ground shaking’ Field of Fire audio-visual show puts you in the midst of battle as shells whizz overhead and guns roar.

The Royal Arsenal was one of the most important centres in the world for munitions manufacture and until recently was a well kept secret from the public. Many of the guns and carriages on display were made in the Arsenal, making it a significant part of the local heritage. Together with a world class collection of artillery and associated weapons, uniforms, drawings, displays of diaries and medals bring together some 700 years of world artillery history, Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays.

Admission £2.50 children, £5.30 adults, £12.50 families.

TOWER BRIDGE EXHIBITION TOWER BRIDGE, Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP, 020 7403 3761, www.towerbridge.org.uk Tower Bridge houses four unique venues; the award-winning high level Walkways, the small luxurious North Tower Lounge, the majestic Victorian Engine Rooms and the charming Bridge Master’s Dining Room. Enjoy stunning London views from over the Thames and continue to the Victorian Engine Rooms to learn about the inner workings of the most famous bridge in the World. Tower Bridge still lifts to enable large ships to pass through - check the website before your visit to add to the excitement. There’s a free app, where you can play games and learn more about the iconic landmark before your visit.

Open 10am-6pm April - September, 9.30am-5.30pm October - March.

Admission £3.40 children, £8 adults, family tickets from £12.50.

LONDON BRIDGE EXPERIENCE 2-4 Tooley Street SE1 2PF, 08000 434 666, www.thelondonbridgeexperience.com Get ready for the biggest fright of your life as you journey ever deeper into the horror that is the London Tombs on a thrilling journey that uses the latest in Hollywood style wizardry and hilarious live actors. Formerly a plague pit, the venue has walls that are dripping in blood, confined spaces, spiders, snakes, ghosts and ghouls, and many other horrors.

Staff are on hand at all times for those of you who just find it a little too much and have to leave. For those less brave the Guardian Angel tour is advised (suitable for under 11s), with special guides accompanying younger visitors to protect them from anything too frightening. Tickets from £20.

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And finally

10 things your child should be able to do when they start school

by Sarah Butters

If your child will be going to ‘big school’ this September, it’s time to start preparing. Forget force feeding them phonics, this is about getting your child ready for the social challenges of school. The more prepared they are, the easier they will settle and the more they’ll get out of those early days.

1.Can they dress themselves?

Imagine the scene. One teacher faced with thirty children and their coats. By the time each child is zipped up and wrapped up, playtime is over. If your child is able to go some way to helping, they may get some fresh air.

If you can see buttons on trousers and skirts becoming a problem during the post PE-change, invest in elasticated waistbands.

These will also help during any ‘last minute’ toilet visits. Avoid tights in the early days - they can also lead to unnecessary bathroom accidents. With shoes, laces and buckles are a no-no. Stick to Velcro fastenings which your child can do themselves.

2.Are they used to sharing?

Sharing is a difficult lesson for children to learn, especially if they only start learning it at school.

But it’s a vital lesson if you want your child to settle in and make friends easily. No one wants to play with the boy who refuses to take turns and share, and before long that child becomes isolated. Start to make a point of praising your pre-schooler for sharing his bag of figures or his last few sweets.

up their food for them now, show them how to do it for themselves and praise their efforts. Practice, however painful, makes perfect.

5.Are they able to recognise their name?

If your child can recognise their name written down, they’ll be able to find their peg, identify their drawer in the classroom and find their jumper if (when!) it gets misplaced.

Starting school can make even the most confident child feel a little lost. If they can locate important places, it will make them feel more in control.

If your child is able to count up to 20, and count back from 10, this will give them a really good head start. Use some of their favourite toys or foods to make counting fun. Lay out 10 grapes and get them to eat them one by one, counting as they go. It will give them confidence and help them see learning as fun. Plus it’s a great way to get one of their five a day down them!

6.Can they use scissors?

Teachers look for this in the early stages of Reception to evaluate dexterity. Get crafty over the next couple of months.

7.Do they understand discipline?

10. Can they follow simple instructions?

The school day is full of instructions. Your child will be asked to put coats on pegs, walk quietly in corridors and sit cross-legged on the carpet for circle time. If a child is used to following instructions, they will avoid being reprimanded.

The more time a teacher dedicates to repeating instructions and encouraging co-operation, the less time there is for teaching.

Start giving your child simple tasks - perhaps helping with the weekly shop or with some straightforward jobs around the house. It will prepare them for school life.

It’s important your child understands what’s expected of them when they arrive at school.

They need to know that hitting, kicking, biting and hair pulling will not be tolerated. Not only will it bring your child to the attention of the head teacher for all the wrong reasons, but it will make your child unpopular with their classmates. Reputations earned in the early days of school tend to stick and can be hard to shake off.

3.Can they use the toilet on their own?

Reception classrooms usually have a toilet nearby but children are expected to use it on their own. That can mean less confident children avoid a visit until it’s too late.

Encourage your child to begin taking toilet trips without you to build up their confidence.

Remind them that hand washing is part of the ‘visit’ and show them how to do it properly.

Beginning school toilet training now will mean fewer accidents in September.

9.Are they able to count?

8.Can they communicate with an adult?

4.Are they able to eat independently?

Lunchtimes can be a real flashpoint in the early days of your child’s school life. Dinner halls are noisy places and can seem overwhelming.

Make sure they arrive at school able to pick up and use a knife and fork. Show them how to open a yoghurt, put a straw in a juice box and unpeel a banana. With school a few months off, it may seem like the easier option to feed them, but it won’t help in the long run. Ease off cutting

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Giving your child the skills to communicate with their teacher means they will be able to have some control. How else will they ask to go to the toilet? If they don’t understand how to get the attention of an adult, how will they let their teacher know they don’t understand their work?

A child who can communicate will get more out of the school day than a child who is unwilling to speak up. Encourage your child to ask and even practice with a raised hand at home to make sure they understand the most appropriate way of getting a grown-up’s attention.

Some books you may find useful: * * * * *

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child Topsy and Tim Start School

by Jean Adamson Starting School Sticker Book (Usborne) by Felicity Brooks Going to School (Usborne First Experiences) by Anna Civardi Starting School by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

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