Families se london october 2016 pdfmaglr

ESTABLISHED 1996

EE

ISSUE NO. 180

FR

OCTOBER 2016

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southeast london familiesonline.co.uk

online edition

with working website links HALF TERM Holiday workshops and Halloween events

TEACH YOUR CHILD TO LOVE READING Top tips from Justine Crow

WHAT’S ON Where to go, what to do, what to see this month

OUR STREET IS awash with shiny, tactile conkers, which passing schoolchildren daintily step past every day - how times change. As a child, bashing my big brothers' knuckles was a joyous autumn ritual, in a playground game now largely banned. Probably to prevent little sisters like me taking competitiveness too seriously.

Meanwhile to the kitchen, where our boy found a false widow in residence by the back door. "Quick - do something!" "Do what though?" "Get your camera - we HAVE to put this on Facebook!"

Some say conkers deter house spiders, which might be true. Or just bonkers. Either way, having cobwebs in the house is SO Halloween - we're completely on trend.

Robina Cowan, editor

IN THIS ISSUE 2-3 Local News and Views

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Meet an artist in Crystal Palace; London highlights; Chitter Chatter Craft workshops; Swedish childrenswear; and the best reason to wear a hat next Spring

4 Half Term Workshops Kick off those school shoes and discover a new activity and new skills

5 Halloween Events

Dust off your broomstick - it’s time for a week of frightful fun that’s more treat than trick

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

Meet the author!

Catherine Hyde will be in London on Sunday 13 November at the Bookseller Crow on the Hill, 50 Westow Street, London SE19, signing copies of her beautiful new picture book for all small children (and some big ones too) The Star Tree published by Frances Lincoln.

Come and meet a real life author and illustrator, enjoy some colouring activities and read the story together.

The fun starts at 2pm. For further information or to reserve a copy of the perfect gift, contact the bookshop on 020 8771 8831 or info@booksellercrow.co.uk.

You can see more of Catherine’s work and read her blog at www.catherinehyde.co.uk.

6-9 Education News

Local schools’ news; termtime routines; open day dates and the Independent Schools Show

10 Teach Your Child to Love Reading Tips from Justine Crow, who knows all about books.

And encouraging children to love reading as much as she does

11 The Book Page

A book-based blog. Or is that a blog-based book review?

Read what’s new on the shelves for children and parents this month, chosen by Justine

12-13 What’s New

Fashion discounts; clever coding skills, learning new words with a banana; checking children’s eyesight; and back-friendly schoolbags

14-19 What’s On

The pick of London’s family events, shows, creative workshops and firework displays to brighten up your autumn

Families London South East

@ FamiliesSE

Front cover: Childrenswear from the Polarn O. Pyret AW16 collection. www.polarnopyret.co.uk

Next issue November-December pre-Christmas issue out 11 November, deadline 21 October

Families South East PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB 020 8699 7240, www.familiesonline.co.uk, editor@familiesse.co.uk Families South East is part of Families Magazines Ltd a franchise company.

All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. Families® is a registered trademark of Families Magazines Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families South East are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the publisher. 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.

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families south east - october 2016

The delights on our doorstep New research reveals the popular attractions locals can’t wait to visit in London.

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich and Shakespeare’s Globe came top of the places Londoners would like to see but have yet to explore (go southeast London!). Buckingham Palace and The V&A were next on the ‘must see’ list, followed by The London Eye, Big Ben, Tate Modern and London Dungeon.

The Great British Break report was carried out by Marriott Hotels. Spokesman Michel Miserez said: “We are always interested to learn more about how, why and where people enjoy our city. It’s particularly interesting to see there are certain gems that even the people of London have yet to explore and it’s encouraging to know they’re still keen to put these hotspots on their to-do list.”

That’s where Families’ comprehensive WhatsOn listings come in! Find out where to go and what to do from page 14, and online at www.familiesonline.co.uk.

Two crafty ladies A pair of good friends, local mothers Mary and Helen joined forces earlier this year to create Chitter Chatter Craft, and haven’t looked back.

Some of you may have already met the duo as they’ve been busy at local craft fairs and events including the recent Catford Arts Trail, where they demonstrated their talents and sold out their hand made crafts.

With Christmas coming up, why not sign up for a workshop? Chitter Chatter Craft can teach you how to make many wonderful gifts, such as clutch bags, spongebags, cushion covers, bags, patchwork or crochet throws, lampshades and more, in a cheery, chatty environment. For the latest news and dates, find Chitter Chatter Craft on Facebook.

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Portrait courtesy of Jay Armstrong Photography, Elementum Journal

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Hanging out in style If you would like your own little ones to be as brightly weather-proofed as our front cover children, check out Polarn O. Pyret.

We love the Swedish childrenswear brand for their top quality, bright and breezy unisex clothing; not least because it lasts many hand-downs to younger siblings. (Or hand-up in our house as I fit my son’s stripey T - yay!)

Better still, we’ve nabbed a 15% discount for Families readers - simply enter the discount code ‘FAMIL15’ at the checkout, at www.polarnopyret.co.uk. Never say we don’t look after you...

Part time pre-school childcare A new childcare facility has opened inside Gambado in Beckenham.

Tippee Toes Tiny Learners is run by qualified childcare staff and makes for a great stepping stone into nursery for your pre-schooler.

On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays the 1-4 year-olds enjoy arts and crafts, soft play, construction, puzzles, small world play, messy play, simple phonics and numbers, dressing up, role playing, music workshops and storytelling. The dedicated nursery room is open for morning and afternoon sessions during term time. For a 10% discount on your first booking, and more information, call Kim on 0790 361 8432 or see www.tippeetoes.co.uk.

Great quality pre-loved fashion, equipment, toys and accessories for children 0-5yrs old

Book a stall or bag a bargain at our nearly new sales held in Beckenham, Catford, Charlton and Dulwich!

Catford Nov 5th Next events Dulwich Nov 19th e: naomi.s@babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk

0794 9247 439 www.babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk

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Wear a Hat Day Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer; yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. Brain Tumour Research is the only national UK charity that funds sustainable research into finding a cure.

Pencil Friday 31 March 2017 in your diary - Wear a Hat Day is back for the eighth time and it promised to be even hattier than last year. Wear A Hat Day is a great way to show your support and raise money for brain tumour research during a day of hat-filled fun and games. Register now and start planning your event with the charity’s pack of fundraising goodies including leaflets, posters, balloons and event ideas, available from www.wearahatday.org.

Buy a hat, make a hat, take a photo and share it online #HATTASTIC. Together we will find a cure.

Families - where the fun is near Although we say it ourselves (ahem, blush), Families is fast becoming all things to all parents wherever they are in the UK, with our network of editor-owned magazines; a squeaky new website featuring parenting features by top journalists and authors, what’s on listings, competitions, local service and business contacts; busy Facebook pages and Twitter accounts; and more - watch us grow!

With more content comes new opportunities to join Families: • The head office team is hunting the blogosphere for writers to join an exciting new Super Blogger network. If you are a cracking writer on all things parenting, and are interested in joining the team, email bloggersnetwork@familiesonline.co.uk.

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To find out if we can help you ring: 020 7277 0110 or email info@venters.co.uk

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Or how about signing up to create content, manage social media and earn by selling advertising on your own hyperlocal Families website? Find out more by emailing recruitment@familiesonline.co.uk.

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october 2016 - families south east

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Half Term Workshops & Childcare How marvellous - a whole week off school! While teachers put their feet up before the onslaught that is the run up to Christmas, there’s just enough time for our children to get up, get out and do something different.

SOUTH EAST LONDON TENNIS

INTENSIVE TOUCH TYPING

24-27 October, CATFORD WANDERERS TENNIS CLUB, Beckenham Hill Road SE6 3NU, 0773 993 6999, www.southeastlondontennis.com Tennis coaching, games and other team events with a mini tournament on the last day, all run by enthusiastic, professional coaches. Facilities are available for wet-weather activities if necessary. Beginners and improvers welcome. 4 to 6 year olds, 9.30am-12noon, £37.50 for the four day course or £12.50 per day. 7 to 10 year olds, 9am-12pm, £45 for a 4 day course or £15 per day. 11 to 15 year olds, 1-4pm, £45 for a 4 day course of £15 per day.

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.

FUNKY MONKEY’S ‘FRIGHTFUL FINGERS’ HALLOWEEN THEMED WORKSHOP 24 - 28 October in HERNE HILL, BECKENHAM, SYDENHAM, STREATHAM and BATTERSEA, www.funkymonkey.info A spookily splendid all-round introduction to the electronic keyboard for 4-8 year old beginners! The Funky Monkey Keyboard team have carefully devised a fun-packed day which incorporates reading, playing and writing notes C-A with basic keyboard technique. Wrap all this around countless inspired music-based activities for a perfect day of marvellous music making that little ones love! Equipment and snack provided, maximum 10 children per class, 10am-2pm, £40/ £35 sibling discount.

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FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES - UNIQUE DAY CAMPS 24 -28 October and 31 October - 4 November, GREENWICH STEINER SCHOOL, Mycenae Road, Greenwich SE3 7SE, 01843 652833 contact@firsthandexperiences.co.uk www.firsthandexperiences.co.uk First Hand Experiences’ children’s camps explore seasonal, nature based themes that celebrate the natural world. Ages 4-11 years, £65 a day/ £280 a week, sibling discounts and half days for four year-olds available.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Let autumn and all its glory be your inspiration this week. Wrestle giant pumpkins and pull up brilliant beets at the PYO farm, forage with a fungi expert and scavenge the forest floor to craft into treasures back at the base.

HEALTHY WHOLE FOOD Freshly prepared picnic lunches, gardening and cooking each week.

ART & CRAFT Inspired by the outdoor adventures, experienced artists teach you to make use of your finds with pickling, candle making and photography workshops.

MUSIC, GAMES & THEATRE Sing, dance and celebrate your adventures and new friends, with original songs and drama games.

EXPLORE LEARNING - FREE WORKSHOP 27 October, various venues including SYDENHAM, BRIXTON, NEW CROSS and GREENWICH, 01483 447414, www.explorelearning.co.uk In honour of the return of The National Young Mathematicians’ Awards, Explore Learning will run free workshops to stretch young mathematical minds.

Explore Learning and the NRICH Project at the University of Cambridge have teamed up once again to provide the opportunity for primary pupils to explore and investigate never before seen mathematical problems. Everyone from numeracy novices to equation enthusiasts will enjoy the workshop content that will task them with telling the time, shapes and word problems. There are sessions for 4-6, 7-8 and 9-11 year-olds, plus a trial for the whole family with their 4-14 year-olds. Free, but book your slot first as places are limited.

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families south east - october 2016

FIT FOR SPORT 24-28 October, Various venues including BERMONDSEY and DOWNHAM, 0845 456 3233, www.fitforsport.co.uk Fit for Sport’s Ofsted-registered holiday childcare activity camps are designed to engage and educate children through activity, with swimming, ball games, active challenges and arts and crafts based on seasonal themes. Standard day 9.30am-4.30pm with extended hours available. Ages 4-12 years, bookable by half or full day, or weekly blocks - see the website for full details.

THE STRINGS CLUB HOLIDAY CAMP 24-28 October in BROCKLEY, 0121 369 1950, www.thestringsclub.org The Strings Club’s Ofsted-registered holiday camps will engage and inspire your child and help them to develop a love for music as well as essential life skills. Each day is different and includes exclusive musical workshops and activities alongside high-quality guitar, violin and ukulele classes led by top strings teachers. Each weekly camp ends with a grand concert. Ages 4-11 years, 10am-3.30pm with early Early Bird and Late Clubs available.

Book by half or full day, or all week; child care vouchers accepted.

SPARK4KIDS AUTUMN CODING WORKSHOPS October half term in WEST DULWICH, 020 8090 1444, www.spark4kids.com Spark4Kids’ autumn holiday workshops are designed to engage children in computer coding, games development as well as Minecraft in a fun and exploratory environment. Ages 8+, all levels from beginner onwards welcome. Term-time sessions are also available - see website for details.

NIMBLE ARTS HOLIDAY CLUB 24-28 October, HEBER PRIMARY SCHOOL, East Dulwich SE22, www.nimblearts.co.uk Day-long, Ofsted approved creative activities with a Halloween theme including a haunted castle, creepy crawlies, spooky stories monstrous movies and ingenious inventions.

Nimble Arts workshops pack each day with fun while offering children free choices at playtime in a safe and friendly environment, run by DBS checked staff. Open 8am-6pm, ages 4-11 in age-appropriate groups. Book by half or full day, or the full week. Wrap-around hours and sibling discounts available.

SUPER CAMPS 24-28 October, St DUNSTAN’S SCHOOL in Catford, 01235 467300, www.supercamps.co.uk Multi-activity, Ofsted-registered daycamps designed to offer holiday childcare to parents while appealing to children of all types and ages.

Each child explores and experiences a daily schedule of different activities with others their own age, under the guidance of superbly-trained staff.

The venues offer sports, outdoor and indoor games, arts and crafts activities. Ages 4-14 years, 8am-6pm, bookings available by day at £48 or £190 for a week.

CAMP BEAUMONT DAYCAMPS 24-28 October, COLFE’S SCHOOL, 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, £227 for the week.

THE HIVE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES 24-28 October, ELTHAM COLLEGE, Grove Park Road SE9 4QF, 020 3435 6848, www.thehive-kids.com The Hive’s outdoor missions involve treasure hunting, wildlife explorations, potion making, den building and more. This autumn the themes are ‘Operation Stagbeetle’ and ‘The Lair’. Ages 5-11.

familiesonline.co.uk

Halloween Events Broomsticks at the ready - a frightful week of fun and games is planned for small ghouls to enjoy. For more, check into www.familiesonline.co.uk and search for Halloween.

HALLOWEEN HABITATS

DISCO KIDS: HAUNTED HOUSE

25 October, SOUTH LONDON BOTANICAL INSTITUTE, 324 South Norwood Road, Herne Hill SE24 9AQ, 020 8674 5787, www.slbi.org.uk Join Phillip Burnett from Zoo Lab and meet exotic creatures up close in a safe environment, and learn more about them. Take the opportunity to try and find them in the garden. 10.30am-12.30pm, tickets £8.

30 October, ALBANY THEATRE, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 4AG, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk Ghosts and ghouls unite on the dancefloor with their best spine-tingling moves to spook-tacular music from DJ Jean Genie. Fancy dress is strongly recommended so don’t forget to dress your worst to look your best! 2-5pm for under 7s, tickets £6, family tickets £24.

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM

SPOOKY HALLOWEEN DISCOS

NIGHT OWLS HALLOWEEN SLEEPOVER 28 October, MUSEUM OF LONDON, London Wall EC2Y 5HN, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk What happens when the museum doors close for the night? Find out at the ultimate spooky sleepover at the Museum of London. 6.45pm9.30am, suggested ages: 7-11, £60 per person, book first.

A HORRID HENRY HALLOWEEN NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, Park Row, Greenwich SE10 9NF, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum THINGS THAT GO SPLASH IN THE NIGHT! 24-29 October. Discover deep ocean noises, create creatures that sing strange sounds and learn about sea shanties. Make your very own shipwrecked musical instruments and gather around to hear Madame Swashbuckle’s ghostly tales of watery goings on in a puppet-filled frightfest. Free, suitable for all ages.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE, 30 October. Build your own frankenbeast, explore an alien ocean and meet a monster hunter with a dangerous secret mission at this sci-fi themed day of family fun. Ghouls, ghosts, and pirates of all ages are welcome for this freaky festival of fun!

11am-4pm, £6 children, £10 adults, suitable for all ages.

HAUNTED GALLERY WEEKEND SLEEPOVER 29-30 October, DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21 7AD, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Visit the gallery’s on-site haunted house, interact with the paintings, brought to life by mystery guests, and create a vintage-inspired Halloween print to take home. Bed down for the night amongst the old masters and wake up to breakfast and a classic film. Ages 7-13, 6.45pm to 8.30am, £50.

HORNIMAN HALLOWEEN FAIR 29 + 30 October, HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Dress in your scariest costume for fiendish fun at the annual Halloween Fair. Enjoy amazing arts and crafts markets and fabulous food stalls, plus spooky animal handling and more. 10.30am - 4.30pm, admission free.

HALLOWEEN AT BRIXTON WINDMILL 30 October, BRIXTON WINDMILL, Windmill Gardens, west end of Blenheim Gardens, off Brixton Hill SW2 5EU, 020 7926 6056, www.brixtonwindmill.org Keep the little ones entertained this Halloween with storytelling and spooky activities taking place within the south London windmill.

28 October, THE IVY HOUSE, 40 Stuart Road, Nunhead SE15 3BE, www.thelittlediscocompany.co.uk Blow away the cobwebs with your little ghouls, dress up and join in with one of three spooky discos - if you dare! 10am, 11.30am and 1pm.

Tickets from £2, book online.

29+30 October, DISCOVERY CHILDREN’S STORY CENTRE, 383-387 High Street, Stratford E15 4QZ, 020 8536 5555, www.discover.org.uk Halloween calls for something extra-spooky at Discover, in a show where Henry can deliver scarier jokes than you... or can he? 12.30pm and 2.30pm, tickets £6.50 include entry to Discover’s Story World and Story Garden. Under 2s free, family tickets £22. Book first.

HALLOWEEN AT HEVER CASTLE HALLOWEEN CRAFTS AND PUMPKIN PARADE 30 October, BISHOPS PARK, Bishops Avenue SW6 6ED, 0207 736 3854, www.fulhampalace.org Enjoy Hallowe’en themed crafts and face painting in Bishop’s Park.

Take your own pre-carved pumpkin and any musical instruments or noisy objects to make some noise to scare away the ghouls on a pumpkin parade at 4pm. Free, small charge for face painting. From 2pm.

HALF TERM HORRORS AT DOWN HOUSE 24-30 October, DOWN HOUSE, Luxted Road, Downe, Kent, BR6 7JT, 01689 859119, www.english-heritage.org.uk Get creepy this half term at deadly Down House.

Take part in a terrifying trail and show off your spooktacular costumes to frighten the fearless staff at the costume competition. Try your hand at pumpkin carving and explore Charles Darwin’s former home. Admission £12.30 adults, family tickets £32, English Heritage members free.

HALLOWEEN GARDEN TRAIL 22 to 31 October, HALL PLACE, Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent, DA5 1PQ, 020 8303 7777, www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/hallplace Have a spooktacular time finding all the pumpkin posters hidden in Hall Place Gardens and claim your free prize. Pick up your trail sheet from the historic house. £2.50 per trail, pay on the day.

SPOOKY LANTERNS, 24-27 October. When a witch has flu there can be hilarious consequences! Hear all about it and make a spooky pumpkin lantern to take home. 10am and 2pm, tickets £4 per child, adults free.

familiesonline.co.uk

22 - 30 October, HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG, 01732 865224, www.hevercastle.co.uk Dress in your scariest costume and enjoy Ghastly Goblins & Ghouls in a spine-tingling programme of activities over the half term break.

There will be storytelling, Halloween costume prizes, a quiz, mystifying myths, a garden trail and cake decorating. Admission £16.50 adults, £9.30 children, £43.60 families.

BRICK OR TREAT 17 October - 5 November, LEGOLAND Windsor, Winkfield Road, Windsor SL4 4AY, www.legoland.co.uk Have a go with range of themed LEGO builds, solve a spooky quiz trail and show off your best costumes in the daily fancy dress competition.

While deep in the heart of Miniland, keep a look out for the World’s smallest LEGO pumpkin patch, where miniscule 6cm high pumpkins will populate a special harvest inspired scene and guests are challenged to spot which ones have been carved into tiny jack-o-lanterns. All activities included in the Resort entry price; tickets from £37 when booked at least 7 days in advance online.

HALLOWEEN AT HAM HOUSE 22-30 October, HAM HOUSE AND GARDEN, Ham Street, Richmond upon Thames TW10 7RS, 020 8940 1950, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ham-house-and-garden Dress up in a Hallowe’en outfit and enjoy the spooky fun: a ghostly garden trail with spooky prize and themed arts and crafts activities.

10am to 5pm, free with normal admission.

WITCHES AND WIZARDS ACADEMY 22-28 October, LEEDS CASTLE, Maidstone, Kent ME17 1PL, 01622 880 008, www.leeds-castle.com Learn broomstick flying skills, potion concocting and spell making as part of your magical training this October half term. Join in the fancy dress competition daily with prizes to be won. Take part in the scary games, ghoulish choir and follow a super spooky children’s trail around the grounds (small additional fee on top of entry charge applies).

october 2016 - families south east

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l l l l l l l l education news

13-year-old Busker Of The Year Something quite remarkable happened at the Westfield Mall in Stratford in September. An unassuming 13-year-old Lewisham schoolgirl came away from a national competition, featuring some of the best young street musicians in the UK, with the title of Gigs Champion: Busker of the Year.

Clarissa Mae, who attends Bonus Pastor Catholic College in Lewisham, explained: “It all started with my school music teacher Ms Bee spotting the competition and suggesting I send in some films of me performing at school and other events,” she said.

“To my surprise, I was selected to take part in a series of public gigs in popular busking sites across London in July and August, where members of the public could vote for their favourite performers. I really enjoyed the experience and even volunteered to do more; filling slots when people dropped out.

In the end I played my half-hour set about 20 times.”

Despite her tender age, Clarissa already has an impressive music CV featuring contributions to various concerts and gigs including the Summer Gala 2015 at the Royal Festival Hall, and Lewisham Live Voices 2015 & 2016 at the Catford Theatre. She is a regular performer too at Filipino barrio fiestas all over England and she has also recently started to write and compose her own songs.

New Lewisham C of E secondary school A new Church of England secondary school has been proposed for south/ central Lewisham.

The state-funded school will be highly inclusive, and offer its students the opportunity to grow and develop within a broad and balanced curriculum framework, underpinned by Christian values.

The school is being proposed by the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education to help meet the growing need for additional high quality secondary places in the south/ central Lewisham area and also to give families additional choice of a high quality education with Christian values and strong pastoral care for their children.

Provided the application is approved, the school plans to open in September 2019 with its first intake of Year 7 pupils and reach full capacity of 1,200 in 2023. The school will also include an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) unit. Read more at www.lewishamcofesecondaryschool.org.uk.

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families south east - october 2016

Getting your child into a good routine

By Sally J Hall

School days and dark mornings can play havoc with your child’s routine.

Here’s how to keep them happy and get them up on time!

As you and your child get into the autumn and winter school term, it can be difficult to cope with changing weather and dull days.

The long evenings of summer are over, the nights draw in and the mornings are dark. Getting your child settled into a good routine is essential if you are going to ensure they get enough sleep and are able to get up on time for school without too much effort and moaning.

Exercise is your best friend Even if the weather is dreadful, try to make sure that your kids have some exercise every day. Not only will it help keep them fit and healthy but it also helps them to get a good night’s sleep. The best time is just after school, when it’s still light and you can take them to the playground or let them loose in the garden. Then it’s time for homework, dinner, bath and bed.

Plan your mornings Most parents would agree; mornings are bad times!

Everyone is tired and cranky and if you’re not careful, it can descend into chaos. So having a routine that is followed every school day can help immensely. Set an alarm for 15 minutes before you need to get the kids up and get yourself together in that time. Whether it’s that first cup of tea, a shower or choosing what to wear, make sure you have time for you first - and everything else will go that bit more smoothly. Then it’s time to get the kids up and for them to follow their routine, too. Avoid any electronic stimulation in the morning, so ban games, Xboxes and the TV, as time can slip away when they are distracted.

Be prepared Getting things prepared the night before can help immensely with the morning rush, so prepare lunchboxes and get breakfast things out the night before.

Have rules Make sure there are rules for where things are put when your kids arrive home each day. Let them know that they can’t just dump their gear anywhere!

Those school bags, shoes and coats must go in a specific place so that there is no frantic searching in the morning, with everyone getting frustrated.

Sticking to this routine makes for a happier family.

Make sure they know their routine too Having a planner on view is a great way to avoid missing tutoring sessions, music lessons and play dates. A big calendar on the fridge means everyone can see what’s happening and when.

Why routines work Children respond really well to a routine so you’ll thank yourself when they adapt to doing the right things at the right time each day. Have breakfast and dinner at set times, bedtime must be absolutely set in stone and homework should have appointed times too. Giving your kids too much choice over their own routine just leads to their spending too long on games or play and not enough for homework and helping with chores.

About the author Sally J Hall is a writer and editor who has written for all the main parenting titles as well as The Independent and The Mail. She is author of Eco Baby and contributing author to Watch My Baby Grow (Dorling Kindersley).

familiesonline.co.uk

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familiesonline.co.uk

Outstanding independent education for girls 4 to 18

Open Mornings (9.30am) Reception & Junior

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Wednesday 5 October Wednesday 2 November

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020 8557 7004

15 &19 Westwood Hill, SE26 6BL

october 2016 - families south east

7

l l l l l l l l education news INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OPEN DAY DATES Before your visit, check the websites of the schools you are interested in for more information, including whether or not you need to register your interest or book first

Independent Schools Show The Independent Schools Show 2016 will feature its strongest ever line-up of schools and speakers, giving parents access to over 200 leading independent schools as well as education experts from around the UK. In addition to discovering the huge array of exhibiting schools, parents will be able to find answers to their key questions and concerns via the show’s panel of expert speakers and education leaders. A packed two-day schedule at the renowned Education Theatre will provide invaluable insights on education’s hottest and most relevant topics.

Speakers include: Patrick Derham - Headmaster of Westminster School, who will comment on why children from independent schools perform better in their careers; Chairman of the Independent Schools Council, Barnaby Lenon, who will advise how to choose the right school; and Professor Mark Bailey - High Master of St Paul’s School, who will talk about increasing access to independent schools.

Taking place on 12 and 13 November at Battersea Park, show tickets are available online, along with the full programme, from www.schoolsshow.co.uk.

Alleyn’s Junior School

St Dunstan’s College

6 October, 15 November Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU www.alleyns.org.uk

13 October junior school 5 November senior school Stanstead Road, Catford SE6 4TY www.stdunstans.org.uk

Blackheath High School GDST

Streatham & Clapham High School GDST

15 October Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath SE3 7AG www.blackheathhighschool.gdst.net

Bromley High School GDST 13 October sixth form Blackbrook Lane, Bromley, Kent BR1 2TW www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net

Dulwich College 1 October, 10 November junior school 2 and 16 November lower school 12 October and 3 November middle school Dulwich Common SE21 7LD www.dulwich.org.uk

James Allen’s Girls’ School 8 October whole school 144 East Dulwich Grove, SE22 8TE www.jags.org.uk

12 October and 9 November senior school 5 October sixth form open evening 42 Abbotswood Road, Streatham SW16 1AW 1 and 29 November prep school and nursery Wavertree Road, SW2 3SR www.schs.gdst.net

Sydenham High School GDST 5 October and 2 November junior school, 1 November senior school and sixth form 15 and 19 Westwood Hill, Sydenham SE26 6BL www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net

Thames Christian School 1 and 4 October, 3 November Wye Street, Clapham Junction SW11 2HB www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk

Sporting success at Bromley High School It has been a wonderful year for sport at Bromley High. A triumphant hockey season saw the U16s crowned outdoor and indoor Kent County Hockey Champions. Girls gained national representative honours in diving, swimming, rowing, hockey, biathlon, gymnastics and tennis, and girls in Years 7 to 10 won 25 county representative honours.

The U11 Biathlon team was placed 2nd in the UK while a Bromley High girl won the individual U14 UK Biathlon Championships. Y7 and Y8 were Bromley Borough Athletics Champions. At the Kent County Athletics Championships, girls took Gold in 100 metres; Silver in High Jump; Bronze in Javelin.

Six girls swam in the London Swimming Championships, with a haul of three Gold medals and three Silver. In the British Summer Nationals Imogen Meers won Silver in the 100m Freestyle and broke her own Kent record in winning a Bronze in 50m Backstroke.

At the Kent County Tennis Doubles Championships Bromley High’s Junior pairs took First, Second and Third places while the U12s won the national Girls’ School Association Doubles Championship. Both Lois and Eloise Newberry represented Kent in the 9U South East Region County Cup helping Kent to win for the third successive year.

Superb performances by gymnasts at the British Gymnastic Championships in Liverpool saw Sophia Imrie-Gale with her partner Clyde Gembickas win Gold and crowned the new 11-16 mixed pair British Gymnastics Champions 2016, whilst Liberty Laurence (12 yrs) won Bronze in her category.

8

families south east - october 2016

The quest is on to find the nation's happiest school.

Launched by Happy-Centred Schools pioneer Laughology, Britain's first Happiness Awards will honour those in education who make a real difference to learning through happiness.

Laughology founder and CEO, Stephanie Davies explains: "We have been studying the benefits of happiness for ten years and were one of the first organisations to help others harness the benefits of happiness. Our Happy-Centred Schools programme is designed to embed happiness and all its core elements - such as confidence and positive relationships - in school life. It has been a huge success and helped our pilot school in Luton boost SATs results by 20 per cent.

"We are holding the first Laughology Happiness Awards for schools because we want to honour the happiest schools and school staff in the country.

Happiness makes people and children healthier, more resilient and it promotes positive relationships and creativity."

The awards include categories for the Happiest School and Happiest Teacher, Headteacher or Support Staff. The winners of each section will be honoured at a gala awards ceremony in November.

Entries close on 17 October. Nominations are invited from individuals, parents, staff, schools, local authorities and communities. Read more at www.laughology.co.uk/happiness-awards.

familiesonline.co.uk

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Empowering girls to pursue ideals and knowledge unafraid

Prep School and Nursery Open Mornings

Senior School Open Mornings

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9 am - 10.45 am

Wednesday

Tuesday

29 November

9 am - 10.45 am

Wednesday

12 October 9 November

9.15 am - 11.30 am 9.15 am - 11.30 am

Register for Open Days www.schs.gdst.net

Register for Open Days www.schs.gdst.net

Streatham & Clapham Preparatory School (girls 3-11)

Streatham & Clapham High School (girls 11-18)

Wavertree Road, SW2 3SR

42 Abbotswood Road, SW16 1AW

020 8674 6912 prep@schs.gdst.net

020 8677 8400 senior@schs.gdst.net

Malorie Blackman returns to STREAM The third STREAM South London Children’s Book Festival takes place on Saturday 5 November at Streatham & Clapham High School. The festival is free and open to all. Former Children’s Laureate, Malorie Blackman OBE, returns to STREAM with her latest book Chasing the Stars, or see the wonderful Judith Kerr OBE, author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, with her new book Mr Cleghorn’s Seal.

STREAM offers a fantastic line-up of over 30 authors, illustrators, events, workshops and competitions for readers from nursery-school age to Young Adult. Our youngest audience can enjoy Winnie the Pooh’s 90th Birthday celebrations, while elsewhere we have stories of pirates, dinosaurs, dogs, ducks and witches, and drop-in sessions where parents can relax while children draw and enjoy stories, song and rhyme. Learn to love beetles in a fantastic opening session with M G Leonard’s Beetle Boy, or join author and illustrator Marcia Williams with Bravo, Mr William Shakespeare! It’s bonfire night, so why not join Ally Abigail Parry Sherrick with Black Powder, the story of a life-and-death quest filled with history and adventure, or get creative at a workshop with award-winning poet Abigail Parry. Teen readers will enjoy Natasha Farrant with Lydia: The Wild Girl of Pride and Prejudice, or the myth and magic of Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s The Girl of Ink and Stars, and fans of crime fiction can explore the science behind Agatha Christie’s murders with A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup. For all authors and events visit www.STREAM2016.co.uk Book your place to avoid disappointment. Venue: Streatham & Clapham High School, 42 Abbotswood Road, SW16 1AW

familiesonline.co.uk

october 2016 - families south east

9

How to...

Teach your child to love reading alone

By Justine Crow

We all have that exquisite oft-repeated childhood memory, don’t we? Nose in a book, legs dangling, miles from those meddling adults metaphorically at any rate...

So why is it so impossible for our own children to achieve literary independence; that feeling of wanting neither the chapter nor the afternoon to end?

Instead, when your child proclaims that they are bored and you suggest they read a book, their sceptical facial expression says it all. But it is hardly surprising that there’s a difference in our experience - we grew up without mobile phones, tablets, Xboxes, YouTube, or the lure of Minecraft. It was even customary then to have the telly rationed.

Now, it would be a miracle if they could concentrate long enough to watch a whole CBBC programme undisturbed. Here are my top ten tips for ensuring the book is as much of a distraction as its digital competition.

1 2 3

Start them young. Board books, cloth books, lift the tab. Show them how it works and then let them do it themselves. Don’t be precious.

Let them bite and chew and tear. Keep the delicate pop-ups out of reach.

Encourage growing babes to turn the pages themselves. Not only will they get an idea of how a book functions very quickly, it will also help develop the fine motor skills that are essential for learning.

When choosing books for toddlers, consider their complexity. Hardbacks are desirable but they are heavy for little hands. With siblings around, especially newborns, have a box of books the first child can escape to. Tell them it is theirs and nobody else’s. They can choose to share with the new baby or enjoy by themselves.

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families south east - october 2016

4

When they are tiddlers, keep tablets and phones solely for games - preferably educational ones. Small children need the magic of a physical book to encourage their love of reading. As they grow older, e-readers have their place, such as on long journeys but don’t forget, not only do children spend a lot of leisure time online, their schools increasingly use technology in the classroom. For them, screens are the norm, not a refuge.

10

5

The switch from picture books to chapters is an exciting rite of passage. Now that they can actually read words, celebrate by going to the library or bookshop and allowing them to choose stories to try. It’s okay for them to discover they don’t like something they’ve picked out - they will find their preference in time. Don’t put them off ‘big’ books - most modern kids manage to get through the Harry Potters without a problem. The arcane language of many children’s classics is tough to make sense of, even for a seasoned adult reader, but let them have a go.

6 7

Get them to make a bookmark and feel proud of how many pages they clock up without interruption.

Tintin is the perfect type of leave-alone-reading.

Just because graphic novels are illustrated doesn’t mean they lack in quality; just listen to the giggles when they get an Asterix book to themselves. Many favourite authors are available in accessible comic book form, especially the classics. Short story anthologies are less daunting and juicy fact books are often hard to put down.

8 9

Lead by example - if your child sees you gaining pleasure from the simple act of finding a corner and a book to retreat with, even for a mere five minutes, they will follow. Inevitably into the same corner as you!

Don’t push them to read at bedtime when eyes and minds may be tired. Offer to finish a chapter aloud for them instead. It will keep them wanting more. And if they turn the light back on after you’ve closed the door to continue the adventure, is it really such a crime?

Don’t force them, ever. Reverse psychology is a wonderful device.

A child can’t have too much to read and it is never too early to get them interested, so allow them to engage with the concept of picture books, not only as something to share but also as an object of comfort and ownership. Books are different from any other form of entertainment; they can be bitten, dropped and bashed but they require a physical and intellectual participation that will be carried through a whole life of learning.

Keep screens for the mundane, for emergencies and homework, as it is pretty hard to ‘love’ an e-reader, to ‘treasure’ a download - how can a beloved library be built out of something that cannot be ‘seen?’ And you can enhance the magic by taking the family to choose stories themselves - but don’t limit them; novels, comics, non-fiction, these all count as reading and encourage them to feel proud of how much they achieve themselves. In the meantime, if you show your children how much you appreciate the luxury of reading alone, they will emulate you. Leave them to it but accept that kids love a bedtime story whatever their age - I know a woman who still reads to her teenagers.

As an adult, there is nothing quite like the sheer heavenliness of being left in private with something thrilling and absorbing. Get it right and they’ll long for that sensation all their lives. However, nagging your offspring to read will have the opposite effect this is one of the proven laws of parenting, after all.

Now do you mind, I’ve got a chapter to finish...

About the author Justine Crow is the author of The Little Book of Nits published by Bloomsbury.

Parent of three, she owns her very own bookshop with her partner, The Bookseller Crow on Hill, and is a qualified swimming teacher. In what little spare time she has, she also runs gastronomic writing retreat courses in France and is the food critic of The Transmitter.

Lastly, but by no means leastly - Justine writes our fantastic Families South East book page.

familiesonline.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.

Here we go, the book trade’s best season is underway with publishing schedules veritably creaking beneath the weight of lead titles whilst advertising budgets drain away with a burble and schlurp (that’ll be the cheap white wine at the launch in Shoreditch) like dishwater in a clogged sink (that’ll be the mailshot) and indies like us have to sift through the superlatives to find titles the high street big boys have missed and the supermarkets aren’t been flooded with (adult colouring books, I am looking at you). But the bookseller in me still gets a kick out of opening a box at this time of year and tunnelling through the clouds of packing paper (poor trees) and bubble-wrap (poor, poor planet) to pluck out a gem.

THE STAR TREE written and illustrated by Catherine Hyde - Frances Lincoln rrp £12.99. A gem like this. Right. Let me declare an interest.

With luck and a brisk breeze - cue a triumphal hoot as if from the very owl she so exquisitely depicts - the author herself will be winging her way to our modest emporium to sign copies in November.

Guided by a midsummer moon we are lifted above pastel landscapes eschewing the warm air in search of the eponymous tree that gleams in its icy habitat. It’s a simple as that. Pure escape, no subtext. Unless of course you subconsciously place it in the context of a certain imminent giftworthy event. In which case, get down to the shop fast before they all sell out.

MOTOR MILES by John Burningham - Cape rrp £11.99. The king of picture books is now about a hundred years old yet his stories remain fresh and eccentric, his narrative arc never quite following the route the reader expects. My favourites is the gentle adventure WHERE’S JULIUS? which comes complete with a daily menu.

Naturally. Here we have another unusual tale of an angelic looking mutt who is actually really naughty, until Mr Huddy crafts him a pooch sized car and gets him driving lessons. Naturally. After some mind-broadening tours including speeding across a glorious deserted beach, all conveyed in Burningham’s glowing sparse sketch and wash style, Miles is transformed into a good doggie and hangs up his driving gloves. But what is Mr Huddy making next?

THE HOUSE THAT FLEW AWAY by Davide Cali & Catarina Sobral - Thames & Hudson rrp £9.95. What would you do if you got home from work and found that your home had taken off without so much as a goodbye note? Personally I’d check that it hadn’t left the washing basket behind. Nice bonkers retro stuff here for the pre-schoolers.

THERE’S A TIGER IN THE GARDEN by Lizzy Stewart - Frances Lincoln rrp £6.99. Here’s an author-cum-illustrator who deserves a punt, whose hardback about a tiger apparently lurking deep in the undergrowth of grandma’s garden (that bears an uncanny resemblance to an actual jungle complete with carnivorous flowers and exotic birds) I reviewed quite recently here in this particular verdant patch of literariness. Well, I’m recommending the paperback, partly because it IS a paperback and partly because I like it very much indeed.

THE BOOK OF BEES by Piotr Socha - Thames & Hudson rrp £16.95. Beautiful, complex, vital, bees are all the rage apparently.

Obviously the person that got stung - according to this book which is suitable for all ages - 2443 times may not concur but elsewhere, they are the new knitting. I’m not surprised: one of my most grown-up moments in recent times was inside a full length bee-keeper’s outfit looking down into a box teeming with 40, 000 bees. When they flew around my head, it was like swimming with dolphins. Only noisier.

INSECT EMPORIUM by Susie Brooks & Dawn Cooper - Egmont rrp £12.99. In truth, none of us should be afraid of tiny creatures with limited lifespans but I agree, as a class of invertebrates, they could seriously do with a makeover - calling them ‘creepy-crawlies’ is hardly a winning marketing strategy. I know I’m unusual because I’m genuinely interested in insects (though you’d think given the number of head lice I’ve combed out of small heads in the last 15 years that the novelty would have worn off by now), but small children are blank canvases. Instead of reflecting fear, we should encourage them to be curious. That’s my excuse for the all the cobwebs in my house, and I’m sticking to it.

HALLOWEEN by Richard Platt & Richard Watson - Egmont rrp £8.99.

Speaking of cobwebs, just in case we have lost sight of the meaning

of All Hallow’s Eve - the night before the three day observance of AllHallowtide in which Christians remember the faithfully departed (yes son, I shall be testing you on the spelling of ‘liturgical’ later) here’s a jolly pre-schooler lift-the-flap introduction to the cheerful tradition of celebrating the dead. You are never too young to grasp the concept of a zombie.

THE HORROR HANDBOOK by Paul Van Loon & Axel Sheffler Alma Classics rrp £7.99. You can just imagine the creative meeting once the pitch had been accepted: how do we prevent potential nightmares over a reference book for young children that concerns vampires, werewolves, witches and ghosts? I know, get Axel Sheffler in to do the pictures. Everybody loves his trademark bulging eyeball afterall.

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST & OTHER STORIES by Oscar Wilde & Sam Usher - Hodder rrp £6.99. This collection of all seven tales for children by the venerable wit comes adorned with images by the indomitable Sam Usher who co-created Refuge with Anne Booth, Nosy Crow rrp 7.99, a small picture book about refugees that was named as a book of the year by the Sunday Times in 2015.

THE WAR NEXT DOOR by Phil Earle - Hatchette rrp £6.99. The third in the excellent Storey Street titles, this time the spotlight falls on Jemima, a newcomer to this liveliest (understatement!) of neighbourhoods. The only problem is the boy next-door isn’t exactly a dreamboat - he is Masher, the biggest bully in town. And we all know what happens to bullies, especially when they are confronted by girls who aren’t scared.

FANTASTICALLY GREAT WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD by Kate Pankhurst - Bloomsbury rrp £6.99. Last month I bemoaned the lack of realistic role models for girls in stories for pre-schoolers, ones that didn’t have princess as a prefix or a predominance of pink stuff, and since then the Frances Lincoln series of non-fiction picture books, LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG DREAMS

by Isabel Sanchez Vegara, illustrated by Mariadiamentes, rrp £9.99 as featured here on this very page many months back, have taken off as fast as one of their subjects, Amelia Earhart, and we can’t keep them on the shelves. This book has a further selection of brilliant women who have shaped the world we live in including Earhart and also Jane Austen, Mary Seacole, Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks and Emmeline Pankhurst from whom the author is descended.

HAYNES EXPLAINS BABIES OWNERS WORKSHOP MANUAL

by Boris Starling - Haynes rrp £6.99. This natty little series is a spin-off from the re-invented set of manuals that continues to approach topics as diverse as Thunderbirds, Sheep and even Dance in exactly the same methodical manner that it explains how to clean the carburettor of a Vauxhall Opel. With Pensioners, Marriage and Teenagers also available at this pocket-sized price, nobody can say they don’t know what do when there’s a breakdown.

SAVE OUR SLEEP by Tizzie Hall - Vermilion rrp £12.99. Everybody has an opinion on - yawn - where you go wrong as far as getting baby to sleep through the night, the Holy Grail of parenting - but when you get it right your kid can miss all the milestones in the manual because if it sleeps through, you are the envy of everyone else at the post-natal weigh-in (not to mention every other dad in the pub).

THE HOMEBIRTH BOOK by Annie Francis - Vermillion rrp £10.99.

In my book, all mums are heroines regardless of whether they’ve flown a biplane to a record height like Earhart, and their journey to sainthood mainly begins in the same place, with a midwife peering in. I’d personally go for a homebirth any time but that’s with the benefit of hindsight. Also, by sprog three I wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of giving birth with nothing but an out-of-order vending machine to quench my post-partum thirst, plus an extortionately priced ticket on return to the carpark. If you are considering going DIY, this manual will completely boost your confidence but if it’s babe number one, stick with the hospital, take the bus there, accept lots of pain relief and for goodness sake, pack a thermos because you’ll be in it for the long haul. Wherever you are, you are going to experience a sensation exactly the same as pushing out a ruddy great pumpkin.

Ouch. Happy Halloween!

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk fam lie os no l innlei n . ceo. c . uok. u k f ai m i lsi e

sep- july / tem- august

october 2016 - families south east

11

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The online company stocks the whole family’s favourite brands at prices you’ll love. With clothing, footwear and accessories all available, you can kit out the whole family, from head to toe, for less, all year round. All ages can be ready for anything with a huge range of styles including knitwear, t-shirts, footwear and much more.

MandM Direct delivers quality items at low prices from the big brands you trust. For exclusive offers for Families readers, go to www.mandmdirect.com/01/families.

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FamilyHealth Check your child’s eyes It’s often difficult to tell if your child is having problems with their eyes but some tell-tale signs that there could be something wrong include struggling to recognise colours and shapes; frequently bumping into things; not showing any interest in learning to read; not progressing or being disengaged at school; complaining about headaches and sitting very close to the TV. You may also recognise some physical signs, including: • Rubbing eyes frequently • Squinting, head-tilting or closing one eye when trying to focus • One eye turning in or out • Blinking a lot • Excessive tearing • Red, sore or encrusted eye lids

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David Cartwright, chairman of National Eye Health Week, which took place in September, advises: “As a child’s eyesight is usually fully developed by the age of eight, regular sight tests, every two years unless advised otherwise by your optometrist, are crucial. Sight tests for all children in the UK are free and funded by the NHS - the only investment parents have to make is time.”

Boots Opticians have developed an online resource featuring a range of interactive eye check activities where you can check if your child might need support with their vision, along with stories for children, at www.zookeeperzoe.co.uk.

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A new survey has found that the average bag weight for secondary school pupils is just over 6kgs - the equivalent of three standard house bricks. The subjects with heaviest books include maths, history and physics with an average of 4.6 books per subject, per term.

Lugging around heavy bags could be bad news for students both now and in later life.

“At this age the spine is still developing, so too much weight can cause long term problems,” explains chiropractor Tracy Dixon-Maynard from health assessment company Positura. “The key is to carry less whenever possible and to spread the weight over a wide area - by using a rucksack carried on both shoulders for example. Putting pressure on just one side only can do long term damage to young spines, including scoliosis.”

Bag manufacturer i-stay has developed a range of rucksacks with protective cushioning and special straps which spread the weight and come commended by the Royal College of Chiropractors. There are rucksacks, briefcases, and iPad cases, as well as separate straps that can be used with any type of bag, available from selected retailers and online at www.i-stayput.com.

familiesonline.co.uk

Coding for beginners British children are among the most advanced when it comes to computing and coding. Sixteen per cent of young children can already use logical reasoning skills on the computer, while 13 per cent can organise digital content and 18 per cent know how to store digital content.

That’s all very impressive but a Fisher-Price survey shows that a quarter of parents are now out of their depth when it comes to helping with homework related to computer coding. Two thirds didn’t realise their little ones were learning coding at school, and many admit being staggered to hear their youngsters babbling on about ‘hyperlinks’, ‘pop-ups’ and ‘downloads’.

On the launch of their new pre-school learning toy Code-a-Pillar, a Fisher-Price spokesperson said: “In the case of coding, children are the ones in charge. Rather than turning to mum and dad to help with a simple programming issue, or to imbed a picture, children have to draw on their own experiences and teach their parents everything they have been taught at school.”

Ripen your child’s vocabulary Wow - Bananagrams is ten years old this year! To celebrate, the makers have launched My First Bananagrams, a brand new game designed to help ripen your little learner’s vocabulary.

Aimed at ages 4+, the early-learners version differs from the original game, with colourful lower-case letters, unique double-letter tiles and 10 curriculum-based mini games that are designed to become more challenging as confidence and vocabulary grows. The set also breaks away from the bunch with a distinct ripening green banana-shaped pouch.

My First Bananagrams, rrp £14.99, is available now from independent toy stores, Waterstones, Toymaster and Ocado.

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familiesonline.co.uk

october 2016 - families south east

13

THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS SHOW

THE CHOCOLATE SHOW

BABY TO TODDLER EVENT

What’sOn

The Great Outdoors LONDON WILDLIFE TRUST

Diary dates for Grown Ups CUTTY SARK

WAHACA’S DAY OF THE DEAD FIESTA

CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark A TASTE OF THE SEA, 22 October. Set sail on a culinary tour of the tastes and smells of the sea in this gastronomic extravaganza. Explore the ship with an expert curator and hear about a sailor’s life while sampling the food that they ate, including ship’s biscuits, leu pie and salt tram horse. Followed by a three course meal involving the foods of the day transformed into a gourmet experience by expert chefs. 7pm, ages 18+, £80 adults.

GHOST SHIPS, 28 October. Experience the true horror of life at sea with eerie tours of Cutty Sark. Hear the tales of hard labour and tragedy that fell upon the crew during tough voyages on the stormy sea. Bring your wits and something comfy to sit on as you make your way beneath the ship for a screening of the blood-curdling classic Dracula (1931), with a shot of whisky to ward off the chills. From 7pm, ages 18+, £25 includes candlelit tour, screening and complimentary shot of whiskey.

3-5 November, The Vaults, Waterloo SE1, www.wahaca.co.uk/dotd Wahaca are hosting a three day agave-fuelled fiesta in celebration of Mexico’s favourite festival, Day of the Dead. The Vaults in London’s Waterloo will be transformed into a den of Mexican festivities with three nights of live music and live art performances, street food and tequila, to showcase the best of Modern Mexican culture and the tastiest of Mexican bites. A free-to-enter market outside will offer pre-fiesta delights for guests to explore before they head inside. 8am-2pm.

BRING YOUR OWN BABY 31 October, UP THE CREEK COMEDY CLUB, 302 Creek Road, Greenwich SE10 9SW, www.byobcomedy.com A funny, friendly afternoon of top comedy and - you can bring your baby!

Featuring some of the funniest comedy stars on the circuit, you can relax and enjoy the entertainment without paying for childcare; and the comics won’t mind being heckled by the younger guests. You don’t even need to bring a baby. 12.30 to 2.30pm, tickets from £8.

THE FERTILITY SHOW

THE CHOCOLATE SHOW

5+6 November, OLYMPIA, Hammersmith Road W14 8UX, www.fertilityshow.co.uk The Fertility Show brings together leading fertility specialists from the UK and internationally, as an invaluable educational and informative resource for prospective parents-to-be. Hear expert talks over the two days from the world’s leading fertility specialists, and meet more than 100 exhibitors including information and advice groups, UK and overseas clinics, fertility assessment and investigations, charities and patient care groups, acupuncture, yoga and massage therapists and diet, nutritional and lifestyle advisors. Advance tickets £12 per day.

14-16 October, National Hall, OLYMPIA, Hammersmith Road W14 8UX, www.thechocolateshow.co.uk This year marks the fourth year of The Chocolate Show in London, celebrating the UK’s most talented chocolatiers and the most delectable sweet treats. For the first time, a panel of experts will decide on the ‘Chocolate Dessert of the Year’, the first competition of its kind to grace the UK scene, particularly highlighting the role of the pastry chef. Catch up with chocolate lovers, industry leading food writers and chocolate experts in one extremely popular event. Don’t miss the amazing chocolate fashion show every day at 5pm with a stunning collection of couture chocolate dresses designed by top chocolatiers and fashion designers. Tickets from £8.

11-13 November, OLYMPIA, Hammersmith Road W14 8UX, 0844 581 1361, www.bbcgoodfoodshowlondon.com The capital’s largest food show returns with live cookery demonstrations, shopping areas and plenty of recipe inspiration. See your culinary idols creating Michelin magic in the Supertheatre - including Tom Kerridge and Michel Roux Jr, or enjoy the Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain cooking live. Plus visitors can enjoy highlights from weekend TV food shows in the Saturday Kitchen Live sessions. Open 10am-5pm Friday, 9.30am-6pm Saturday and Sunday. Tickets from £27 including a seat in the Supertheatre. Under 5s free, 6-17 year-olds from £14.

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR 20-23 October, BATTERSEA PARK SW11 4NJ, www.affordableartfair.com/battersea More than 1100 artists gather under one roof alongside expert gallerists.

View and buy original artwork from known and new artists, with prices starting from £100. The fair also hosts a selection of creative workshops for adults and children. Admission from £10, under 16s free.

THE BABY SHOW 21-23 October, Kensington OLYMPIA, Hammersmith Road W14 8UX, www.thebabyshow.co.uk Across the weekend over 200 exhibitors will showcase all the latest essentials for new arrivals alongside innovative new products, plus fashion shows and informative talks by renowned baby care experts.

Expert speakers include baby feeding expert, Annabel Karmel MBE, breastfeeding specialist, Clare Byam-Cook, lactation consultant,Vanessa Christie, sleep experts Chireal Shallow and Andrea Grace and British Red Cross first aid trainer, Tracey Taylor. Open 10am-5pm each day.

Advance tickets from £14.50, £20 on the door.

VEGFEST LONDON 22+23 October, OLYMPIA, Hammersmith Road W14 8UX, www.london.vegfest.co.uk A huge celebration of all things vegan, with hoards of like-minded compassionate people under one roof, showing that being vegan is compassionate, fun, healthy and with plenty of choice. Discover healthy food, street food, junk food, vegan food or a mixture of everything at Vegfest UK - all 100% vegan-friendly with no animal ingredients. Around 250 stalls will be packed with free samples and special offers, showcasing and demonstrating foods from around the world. For children there will be cookery classes, smoothie bikes, magic shows and games in the Kids Area, with entertainment from stand-up comedians and acoustic musicians. Advance tickets £12 adults, under 16s free, £8 concessions.

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BABY AND CHILDREN’S MARKETS 5 November, St LAURENCE CENTRE, 37 Bromley Road SE6 2TS 19 November, St BARNABAS HALL, 23 Dulwich Village SE21 7BT, 0794 9247 439, www.babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk Over twenty stalls bursting with top quality new and nearly new high street/ designer baby and children’s clothes, equipment and accessories from birth to 5 years, plus a selection of unique businesses in the baby and children’s industry showcasing and selling their products and services - all under one roof! Stall fee: pre-loved stalls £20 per table, business stalls £25-30. 10am-12 noon 5 November, 1-3pm 19 November. Admission £2 adults, children free.

families south east - october 2016

BBC GOOD FOOD SHOW

THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS SHOW 12 + 13 November, BATTERSEA EVOLUTION, Battersea Park SW11 4NJ, www.schoolsshow.co.uk Meet representatives at the UK’s largest gathering of independent schools, representing day schools, boarding schools, education advisers and more. The show website also provides a useful School Finder tool, helping parents shortlist which exhibiting schools are relevant for their children based on school type and location. Open 10am-5pm Saturday, 10.30am-4.30pm Sunday. Tickets are free if you register in advance.

BABY TO TODDLER EVENT 19+20 November, ExCel London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway E16 1XL, www.babytotoddlerevents.co.uk Baby to Toddler is a brand new, two day shopping event for modern parents. Created for expectant parents and parents of children aged 0-4, the event will bring exclusive offers and deals from all the big brands and names you know and trust, as well as not-on-the high street boutique brands, all under one roof. The one-stop-shop for everything parents need for their little ones, it’s a fantastic shopping event to make your lives easier and comes just in time for Christmas shopping. Open 9.30am - 5.30pm, Early Bird tickets £6, on-the-door tickets £12.

READER OFFER: To save over 40% on your tickets, quote FAMILIESSE when you book online.

Join in with fun, free, activities run by the London Wildlife Trust across London; all suitable for accompanied children of all ages. Here are some highlights: for full details and bookings, see www.wildlondon.org.uk.

FUNGAL FORAYS, 9 October in Crystal Palace Park. Take a tour to seek out park fungi with help from the London Wildlife Trust. 11am12.30pm, book first by email sbtoon@wildlondon.org.uk.

WILDLIFE WEEKENDS, Saturdays at the Centre for Wildlife Gardening SE15. Sessions include pond dipping, bug hunting, wild crafts, stories, games, making wildlife habitats and bushcraft. 10.30am-12.30pm under 7s, 1.30-4.30pm children aged 7 plus. Book by email smyers@wildlondon.org.uk.

OCTOBER FUNGI WALK, 23 October at Sydenham Hill Woods. Learn how to identify common woodland fungi and learn about their ecology.

11am-1pm, £2 donation suggested.

LEAVES AND LANTERNS, 24+25 October at 28 Marsden Road SE15.

Learn how to identify trees by their leaves, make a willow lantern and try other leafy crafts. A two day course for parents and children. 11am-4pm.

TENTS, TALES AND BUSHCRAFT, 27 + 28 October at the Centre for Wildlife Gardening SE15. Set up camp, forage for food, find your own water and light a fire on this two day course for families. 11am-4pm, book first.

TREE WALK, 29 October in Dulwich Park. A guided walk looking at the park’s many and often ancient trees, in partnership with the Dulwich Society and Southwark Council. 10am-12noon.

BROCKWELL PARK WORKSHOPS BROCKWELL PARK COMMUNITY GREENHOUSES, Brockwell Park SE24 9BJ, www.brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk EAT THE EDIBLE JUNGLE, 23 October. This summer, the volunteers have been growing yams, squashes, tomatoes, chillies, gingers, bananas, coconuts, cocoa and much more. At mid-day they will cook up a feast to enjoy. Enjoy roots, fruits, soups and stew, noon-4.30pm.

Tickets £3, book online.

SCRUMDIDDLYUMPTIOUS STORYTELLING, 23 October. The parrots are squawking, the cicadas are calling and the air is hot and heavy with sweet smelling food. Don some jungle warpaint and explore a luscious jungle with storyteller Helen Tozer. All ages welcome. Noon to 12.30pm, free.

KEW GARDENS KEW ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AB, 020 8332 5655, www.kew.org Kew Gardens is world-famous for its historic glasshouses, magnificent vistas and precious specimen trees, not to mention royal buildings, the Pagoda, beautiful woods, a treetop walkway and great places for children to have fun. Open daily from 10am, admission £15 adults, £3.50 children, reduced when prebooked. THE HIVE, until 30 October.

Reconnect with nature and experience the world of the British bee within Wolfgang Buttress’ award winning installation, The Hive. Towering 17 metres high and twisting out of the ground in a shape suggestive of a swarm of bees this magnificent, ever changing space will host talks, tours, activities, films and family workshops.

HALL PLACE AND GARDENS HALL PLACE, Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent DA5 1PQ, www.bexleyheritagetrust.org.uk/hallplace ALL ABOUT OWLS, Fridays and weekends until 30 November. Meet barn, eagle and other owls, find out what they like to eat and how they survive in the wild. You may even get the chance to hold one! 10am4pm, £4 adults, £3 children.

PONY RIDES, 22 + 23 October. Pony Parties Kent will be at Hall Place Gardens offering children’s ponyrides. Meet friendly ponies Bella and Twinkle. NB this event is weather dependent, £3 per ride.

IGHTHAM MOTE IGHTHAM MOTE, Mote Road, , Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0NT, 01732 810378, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote Enjoy a gentle stroll around the gardens or take in a longer walk on the ancient estate while enjoying the beauty of the Kent countryside. Open 10am to 5pm, admission from £5.50 children, £11 adults, £28 families.

PAINT A MASK, 27 October. Get ready for Halloween by making and painting a mask with watercolours. Noon-3.30pm, free with venue admission.

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ARTIST

The Big Draw Designs on your money

T CATHERINE HYDE

DIWALI IN LONDON

24–28 October 10:00am–4:30pm

Events and Attractions

13 November, BOOKSELLER CROW ON THE HILL, 50 Westow Street, London SE19 3AF, 020 8771 8831, www.booksellercrow.co.uk, e: info@booksellercrow.co.uk Catherine Hyde will be at the Bookseller Crow on the Hill, signing copies of ‘The Star Tree’ - her beautiful new picture book for all small children, published by Frances Lincoln.

Come and meet an acclaimed, real life author and illustrator, enjoy some colouring activities and read the story together. The fun starts at 2pm. For further information or to reserve your copy of the perfect gift, contact the bookshop.

MUSEUM OF LONDON MUSEUM OF LONDON, London Wall EC2Y 5HN, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk Find out more about London’s history, through displays covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. On Sundays, museum hosts help visitors explore the galleries through fun, hands-on activities at 11am and 2pm.

FIRE! FIRE! Until 17 April 2017. The museum’s most theatrical exhibition to date combines a variety of sights, sounds, smells, textures and interactive exhibits to immerse visitors in the events leading up to, during and after the Great Fire of London in 1666. From an imagined Pudding Lane, a giant AV panorama of London on fire and a restored 17th-century fire engine, the exhibition has plenty of star attractions. Visitors can touch Great Fire artefacts, examine them more closely with microscopes and X-rays, try their hands as a firefighter in an interactive touch screen game and listen to audio extracts from original letters written by terrified Londoners fleeing the flames, before following in Christopher Wren’s footsteps by building their own vision of London. Under 5s free, adults £8, children from £4.

GREAT FIRE FAMILY WALK, 23, 25-29 October. Visit the sites struck by the Fire of London in a fun and interactive walk. Ages 5+, £5 children, £7 adults, book first.

LONDON SURVIVES, 22-30 October. Connect with the drama in London’s past at a range of free events for families, with a special focus on the Great Fire of London. Help us create a giant scene of London before the fire, craft a paper boat of possessions you would save from the blaze and find out how we protect the objects that have survived since 1666. All ages, free.

THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ, 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, an animal corner and a Farmers’ Market every Saturday.

DINOSAURS - MONSTER FAMILIES, until 30 October. Your last chance to discover the fascinating world of dinosaurs and how they looked after their eggs, nests and babies through interactive exhibits, specimens from around the world and life-size models.

Entry £7 adults, £4 children, £17 families, under 3s free.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY, 15 October. Come along to this family day and take part in fun activities around the museum to learn more about wellbeing. Run by local Mental Health Community Groups who work in partnership with the Horniman. 11.30am-3.30pm, free.

FANTASTIC FOSSILS, 24+25 October. Find out how fossils are made, see some real fossils from the Horniman’s collection and make your own fossil cast to take home. 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm, children £3, accompanying adults free.

16 October, Trafalgar Square, Westminster WC2N 5DN, www.diwaliinlondon.com Diwali celebrations are bought to Central London each year by the Mayor of London and the Diwali in London Committee (DIL) as an organising partner. The festival of lights is enthusiastically celebrated by all religions, nationalities and races, embracing good over evil and the glory of light over darkness. Make sure you pay a visit to the square for a day of music, dancing, culture, food and celebration.

LITTLE DISCO 16 October, EAST DULWICH TAVERN, Lordship Lane SE22 1EW, www.thelittlediscocompany.co.uk Dance to today’s hits and all-time children’s favourites with your under 7s. Enjoy lots of balloons, snow and bubble machines, inflatables and fireworks! And a bar for grownups. 1pm and 3.30pm. Tickets from £4 - book online.

Short interactive talks about banknotes take place daily 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

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 10am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

THE STORY OF THE BANKNOTE. A new gallery at the Bank of England Museum is dedicated to banknotes. It includes the very earliest paper money dating from the end of the 17th century, early forgeries, unseen artwork and designs for the tiny details that are contained within each note. The gallery also features the new polymer fiver.

THE BIG DRAW - DESIGNS ON YOUR MONEY, 24-28 October. Explore the museum’s new banknote gallery, design your own, secure banknote and enter a competition to win a prize.

THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM DIWALI IN LONDON

Explore the new banknote gallery and d lle learn eaarrrn n aabout bbo ou o ut tthe u hee h nd essiigggn n yyour own various security features. You can then design secure banknote. What new features will you add to make it even more secure? Your imagination is the limit!

Enter our competition with prizes to be won.

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 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 11am Sundays. Admission free for under 16s, £8.25 adults.

BACH TO BABY, 20 October and 17 November.

A classical concert for babies and their families, performed by internationally-renowned musicians.

Inspired by Handel’s involvement with the Foundling Hospital, Bach to Baby brings the past alive for little ones and their families. 10.30-11.30am, Adults £12, children free.

FOOD ART PAINTINGS, 22 October. Recreate your favourite Foundling Museum painting using chopped fruit and vegetables.10.30am, 1 and 3pm, ages 5+, free.

familiesonline.co.uk

The magical Christmas show for all the family

LIVE ON STAGE based on Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman Music and lyrics

by Howard Blake © Snowman Enterprises Ltd 1982, 2012

MEET THE AUTHOR CATHERINE HYDE

Free admission

“Sheer theatrical magic. Go see The Snowman and melt” The Times g Featurin

‘Walking in the Air’

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october 2016 - families south east

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MUSEUM OF LONDON

MUSEUM OF LONDON

PUPPET THEATRE BARGE

WONDERLAB: THE STATOIL GALLERY, from 12 October. A new interactive gallery engages visitors in the drama and spectacle of maths and science. 60% larger previous gallery Launchpad, Wonderlab features live event spaces, hands-on experiments and state of the art interactive exhibits. Walk through a giant Orrery with a canopy of stars, take part in live chemistry experiments and whizz down the friction slide.

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

THE BIG DRAW: A FOUNDLING FEAST, 25 October. Use historic kitchen utensils as drawing implements and work with artist Isobel Manning to create a food and science-inspired collaborative drawing for the Big Draw. 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, ages 5 plus, free.

PLANT A FOUNDLING GARDEN, 26 October. Make your own plant pot from recycled materials and plant a herb seed. Use ink stamps to print a label and take away a packet of seeds to plant at home.

10.30am, 1 and 3pm, ages 5 plus, free.

GEORGIAN GINGERBREAD, 28 October. Design a biscuit cutter and make gingerbread to take home and share with your family. 10.30am, 1 and 3pm, ages 5 plus, free.

HMS BELFAST On the THAMES at The Queen’s Walk 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-6pm, admission £16 adults, children £8, family tickets from £28.

OBJECT CONVERSATIONS, 26, 27 and 30 October. Chat to the crew about life on HMS Belfast, while handling some quirky objects from the ship. Try on the captain’s hat and coat on the compass platform and check out the gauze and life-saving kit used by sailors in sick bay while taking a tour through nine decks of a Second World War warship.

11am-4pm.

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families south east - october 2016

CREATE YOUR OWN MORSE CODE, 22-30 October. Can you break the code? Meet volunteer members of the Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society and try your hand at Morse Code in the bridge wireless office.

11am-4pm.

GUN TURRET EXPERIENCE. Immerse yourself in the 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.

SCIENCE MUSEUM 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.

OUR LIVES IN DATA. Information about our lives is increasingly being captured, analysed and used, transforming the world around us. From toys that can understand a child’s personality and smarter public transport planning to new genomic technology that is helping uncover the causes of rare diseases and cancer, big data’s invisible revolution has begun. Ages 8 to adult, free.

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.

COLOUR AND VISION. Discover the earliest life on Earth and trace the evolutionary history of colour and vision. Find out how early interactions gave rise to the wide variety of colours that we now see in the natural world. Adults £12, children £6.

DINO SNORES, once a month on Saturdays. Discover what really happens at the museum when the staff and visitors have gone home.

Children aged 7-11 years, from 7pm to 9.50am the following day.

Tickets £60.

CHILDREN AT THE V&A V&A MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk/families Pick up a family 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.

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EMILY

THINGS THAT GO SPLASH IN THE NIGHT, 24-29 October. Discover deep ocean noises, create creatures that sing strange sounds and learn about sea shanties.

Make your own shipwrecked musical instruments and gather around to hear Madame Swashbuckle’s ghostly tales of watery goings on in a puppet-filled frightfest.

DIWALI: FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

RISING

THE GIRL AND THE GIRAFFE

BACK-PACKS, Saturdays. 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 houses 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. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

GAME PLAN: BOARD GAMES REDISCOVERED, 8 October to 23 April 2017. An exhibition of some of the most iconic, enthralling and visually-striking games from the V&A’s outstanding national collection of board games. Alongside current family favourites such as Cluedo and Trivial Pursuit, and traditional games such as chess, the exhibition also looks at historical board games such as The Game of the Goose and beautifully-designed games from the 18th and 19th centuries.

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, Park Row, Greenwich SE10 9NF, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum 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. On Saturdays and Sundays free performances and workshops entertain family visitors, while on Tuesdays preschoolers can make music and play with parents and carers. Open 10am-5pm daily. General admission is free; some buildings, special exhibitions and events have an admission fee.

THE GREAT EXPLORER is an interactive game for families. Borrow a tablet device and set sail across The Great Map to explore distant lands and discover treasures from all around the world. Where will you visit and what will you find? Take a photo and share your adventure.

11am-4pm, free.

ses s a l C ow n ing book

5 November, ROYAL OBSERVATORY, Blackheath Avenue, Greenwich SE10 8XJ, www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory Celebrate this colourful and popular festival at the Royal Observatory.

Head down to enjoy a feast of stories and traditional music, and then follow the Bollywood Brass Band for a symbolic procession of light all the way to the museum. It is suitable for all ages and free entry, so embrace and enjoy Hindu culture and watch the sky ablaze.

CUTTY SARK CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark Discover what life was like on board the real Cutty Sark, the world’s sole surviving tea clipper, and fastest ship of her time - now an award-winning visitor attraction in Greenwich. Open 10am-5pm daily. Family friendly events run at weekends and during school holidays. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Sundays, admission £8 children, £16.80 adults, from £25.20 families as a bundled ticket including the Royal Observatory.

SHE TELLS SEA TALES, 24-28 October. This half-term, Cutty Sark sets sail on her storytelling adventures across the high seas. Listen to watery London tales, marvel at daring voyages of fortune and enjoy sea ballads and shanties before setting your own story ship adrift on Old Father Thames. 11am-3.45pm, ages 4 and under, included with admission price.

RANGOLI PATTERNS, 5 + 6 November. Celebrate Diwali at Cutty Sark with a rangoli art workshop inspired by the ship’s voyages to India and the cargoes it collected there. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-4pm, all ages, included with admission price.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM BRITISH MUSEUM, Great Russell Street WC1B 3DG, 020 7323 8181, www.britishmuseum.org The British Museum was founded in 1753, the first national public museum in the world. Each year nearly 6 million visitors pour through the doors to see the museum’s collection of ancient and historical artefacts including the ever-popular Egyptian mummies, or to take in the latest block-buster exhibition. Open 10am-5.30pm daily, admission free, charge for some exhibitions.

SOUTH AFRICA: THE ART OF A NATION, 27 October to 26 February 2017. Hosting the first major UK exhibition on South African art that explores a 3 million year long history through archaeological, historic and contemporary artworks, the British Museum look at the long and rich artistic heritage of the country. The exhibition will use art to tell the story of the region’s deep history, the colonial period, apartheid, the birth of the ‘rainbow nation’ and South Africa today.

SHADOW PUPPET THEATRE, until 29 January 2017. An exhibition which draws on the museum’s unique Southeast Asian shadow puppet collection. Puppeteers can have 200 or more puppets in their collections.

Some of these puppets are generic, while others represent specific characters, and a few are considered to be sacred, such as the clowns and the holy man figure used in the rituals associated with the start of a performance in Thailand and Malaysia. Shows are usually commissioned and performed at life events, such as weddings or funerals, in celebration of the harvest, and in fulfilment of vows, but they have also been commercialised as entertainment in some areas.

DIGITAL DISCOVERY CENTRE, weekends. Learn, discover and create in the Museum’s digital centre. Free activities and workshops using the latest Samsung digital equipment, enabling children to bring the world’s history and cultures to life through advanced technology.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM St THOMAS’S HOSPITAL, 2 Lambeth Palace Road SE1 7EW, 020 7188 4400, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk Known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’, Florence Nightingale was a pioneering nurse, writer, and noted statistician. The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates her life and work, through personal material associated with Florence Nightingale, items relating to the Crimean War and nursing artefacts. Open 10am-7pm daily, admission £7.50 adults, £3.80 children.

TAKE ME TO NEVERLAND, until 30 October. Using the magical collection from Great Ormond Street Hospital,the Take Me to Neverland exhibition tells the real story behind Peter Pan. Discover the origins of JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, from the success of the 1904 play to the many adaptations that have continued to inspire both children and adults over the past century.

HAMPTON COURT HAMPTON COURT PALACE, East Molesey KT8 9AU, 0844 482 7777, www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace Hampton Court has a 15th century medieval castle, award-winning gardens and parkland with over 1,000 acres of imagination. Open 10.30am to 5pm until 31 October. Opening times and prices may vary on special event days - check ahead of your visit.

MAGIC GARDEN, daily until 31 October. Let the kids go wild in the new Magic Garden, set within the very grounds where Henry VIII’s spectacular Tudor tournament played out. The rich history and legends of the Tudor court are reinterpreted in the new garden; from towers to besiege, a secret grotto to discover and even a 25 foot dragon to climb!

There are lots of things to keep children entertained inside the palace too, from dressing up as a Tudor courtier to accepting the digital missions challenge. These missions use iPads to create a unique way of exploring the palace to engage children of all ages.

Call your local Stagecoach: Dulwich 020 8949 4116 Blackheath 020 7112 8242 Beckenham 020 8541 0833 Sydenham 020 7228 0981 Upper Norwood 020 8672 6066 www.stagecoach.co.uk

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october 2016 - families south east

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THE SNOWMAN - PEACOCK THEATRE

THE GIANT’S LOO ROLL - ARTS THEATRE

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN - KINGS CROSS THEATRE

PENGUIN! ELEPHANT! 5 November. With original songs, hilarious physical comedy and dance, Penguin! Elephant! is a magical new show about celebrating differences. For anyone who has ever waddled like a Penguin or stomped like an Elephant. Ages 3+, 1 and 3pm, tickets £7, families £24.

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

THE SNOWMAN 23 November - 1 January 2017, PEACOCK THEATRE, Portugal Street WC2A 2HT, 020 7863 8222, www.peacocktheatre.com London’s favourite Christmas show is back! The Snowman has transported a generation of children and their families into the wintery world of a boy and his magical snowman. As a friendship is kindled, the two embark on a starry-skied adventure to the North Pole, where they meet dancing penguins, reindeer, Father Christmas and escape the clutches of Jack Frost. Ages 2+, family tickets £115.

Theatre, Shows and Music LYRIC THEATRE

PUPPET THEATRE BARGE

LYRIC HAMMERSMITH, Lyric Square, King Street, Hammersmith W6 0DL, 020 8741 6850, www.lyric.co.uk THE UGLY DUCKLING, 8 October. This is the story of a little bird who sets off on an adventure to find out who he is. Is he just a different duckling, or is he something else? Ages 4-10, 11am and 1pm.

CHICKEN LICKEN, 15 October. A baby chick is born and thinks the sky is falling down. Chicken Licken grows up to be the Little Red Hen and asks her friends to help her make bread, but no one wants to play! This one-person show is a trilogy of classic tales from the Ladybird books Chicken Licken, Little Red Hen and The Fox and the Hen, told with shadow and rod puppetry. Ages 3-8, 11am and 1pm.

ALFIE WHITE SPACE EXPLORER, 22 October. Alfie White is crazy about space and his dad is training to be the first man on the moon. A cosmic tale of adventure and discovery from the creators of The Gruffalo.

Ages 5-9, 11am and 1pm.

ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, 24-29 October. Join Alice on her remarkable journey. Find magic in Wonderland and make it safely home again. The only danger is, you may not want to leave. Ages 4-11, 11am and 1pm.

STORYSOCK, 27 + 28 October. The story circus is landing in Hammersmith for half term, bringing stories to life through shows, storytelling, author talks and creative workshops. Ages 2-11.

UNDER A MAGICAL MOON, 5 November. Through her open window Wendy Darling gazes out at the night sky dreaming of blue dragoons, magical moons and the stories she can tell. But tonight, like no other, has magic in the air... Ages 3-7, 11am and 2pm.

PUPPET THEATRE BARGE, Little Venice, Blomfield Road W9 2PF, 020 7249 6876, www.puppetbarge.com THREE PIGS AND THE WOLF plus CAPTAIN GRIMEY, 22-30 October. A double bill of stories suitable for 3-8 year-olds.

OMNIBUS CLAPHAM OMNIBUS CLAPHAM, 1 Clapham Northside, London SW4 0QW, 020 7498 4699, www.omnibus-clapham.org A POCKETFUL OF GRIMMS, 23 October. An exciting and high-energy collection of some of the most loved and less well known stories collected by the Brothers Grimm, brought to glorious life on stage in a rich mix of physical theatre, clowning, puppetry, music and much more.

11am + 2.30pm, £9 adults, £7 children, under 2s free.

DREAM FACTORY, 25 October. Have you ever wondered where dreams come from? House of Stray Cats presents a new sensory puppet show for curious children and dreamers of all ages. Following the story of a young girl who has lost her ability to dream, we embark on a magical adventure to find out where dreams are made, what they look like; and even what they smell like! 11am & 2.30pm , £9 adults, £7 concessions and children, under 2s free.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, Bow Street, London WC2E 9D, 07304 4000, www.roh.org.uk FAMILY SUNDAYS, Last Sunday of each month. Explore the Royal Opera House, its artists and the world of opera and ballet. Sundays are packed full of creative and practical activities for all the family including informal performances from Royal Ballet dancers, plus interactive singing and dance activities. Ages 6+, 12-4pm, £5 adults, £3 children.

FIRST OPERA: WELCOME PERFORMANCES. Welcome Performances are for families who have never been to a ballet or opera at the Royal Opera House before. You don’t need to know anything about either - just come along and give it a try. Tickets £5-£20.

BACKSTAGE TOURS. The Backstage Tours include an introduction to the colourful history of the theatre, an insight into the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House and a look at aspects of current productions.

Each tour is a unique experience, and may include opportunities to see The Royal Ballet in class, or the magnificent backstage technology in operation. Suitable for ages 8+, book first.

DISNEY’S BROADWAY HITS, 23 October. A musical extravaganza featuring unforgettable songs from best-loved award winning scores including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King & Mary Poppins, performed live by world-class Broadway singers, West End stars and the BBC Concert Orchestra. 7pm start.

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families south east - october 2016

SOUTHBANK

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street N1 2DN, 020 7226 1787, www.littleangeltheatre.com LET’S FLY, until 20 November. Can you fly? Just Imagine if you could.

What does your home look like when you’re a high as the birds and the aeroplanes? Or even a spaceship. Emily knows how to fly and she wants you to come on an adventure with her. Ages 2-6.

EMILY RISING, until 20 November. Emily wakes up one bright autumn morning to find that her feet can’t touch the ground, and no one can understand why. To everyone’s surprise Emily keeps rising higher and higher. From sleeping upside-down on her ceiling and flying above her school playground, to soaring over a starry-skied London, Emily’s adventure is just beginning. Ages 7+.

ALBANY THEATRE ALBANY THEATRE, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 4AG, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk GROWING UP CLUB, 16 + 23 October. Indoor and outdoor craft and gardening activities: dig, grow, play and discover before after watching a show in the theatre. Ages 2+, 2-3pm, children’s tickets £3.

MUHAMMED ALI AND ME, 6-15 October. The critically acclaimed coming-of-age story of a young black girl growing up in foster care and her fantastical friendship with the legendary, Muhammad Ali. Ages 14+, tickets from £10.

CIRCUS FAMILY WORKSHOP, 9 October and 20 November. Tumble, balance and spin on a hairpin, learn circus skills with your child in a brilliant and bonding experience. Ages 3+, £15 per pair.

A POCKETFUL OF GRIMMS, 16 October. Let the magical Storyteller whisk you away to a land of fables and wonder to explore some of the favourite fairy tales ever told. Featuring Hansel and Gretel, the original Beauty and the Beast, Rumpelstiltskin and more. Ages 5+, family tickets £24.

SNOW PLAY, 23 October. Snow Play is a showdown between Winter and Spring over who gets to stay and who has to go away. Help Mr Green against Mr White in this highly interactive smash hit production.

You get to make a giant snowman, cover a whole house in snow and have a super snowball fight! Ages 3+, 1 and 3pm, tickets £7, families £24.

UNDER A MAGICAL MOON, 26 and 27 October. Through her open window Wendy Darling gazes out at the night sky dreaming of blue lagoons, magical moons and the stories that she can tell. But tonight, like no other, has magic in the air. Ages 3+, tickets £7, family ticket £24.

CANADA WATER CULTURE SPACE CANADA WATER CULTURE SPACE, 21 Surrey Quays Road SE16 7AR, 020 7525 2931, www.canadawaterculturespace.org.uk A POCKETFUL OF GRIMMS, 15 October. Let the magical Storyteller whisk you away to a land of fables and wonder to explore some of the favourite fairy tales ever told. Featuring Hansel and Gretel, the original Beauty and the Beast, Rumpelstiltskin and more. Ages 5+, family tickets £24.

THE GIRL AND THE GIRAFFE, 22 October. One day whilst Girl is playing in her garden, she spots something peculiar on the other side of the fence. Climbing up as high as she can to get a better view, she is surprised when she comes face to face with... Giraffe! Charming puppetry and beautiful storytelling combine in this sensitive show about wellbeing and friendship. Age 3+, 1 and 3pm, tickets £7, families £24.

BRR! 28 October. Steve, an Antarctic penguin wants to visit his cousins in sunny South Africa. But how will he get there? With plenty of audience interaction and spectacular visuals, original live music and aerial dancing. Ages 3+, 1 and 3pm, tickets £7, families £24.

SOUTHBANK CENTRE, Belvedere Road SE1 8PX, 0844 847 9944, www.southbankcentre.co.uk WHY? FESTIVAL FAMILY WEEKEND, 22-23 October. Over the weekend, public figures will give keynote talks drawing on their own experiences of childhood and personal views to inspire and empower audiences of all ages. A range of other talks and debates take place throughout the weekend including a workshop inspiring young people to get into politics featuring MP Stella Creasy; a journey through moral philosophy led by Philosophy Squared and a series of interactive workshops that explore children’s right to education, safety and leisure, as well as the rights of refugee children.

Families can also take part in a range of free activities for all ages including creative dance workshops exploring children’s right to freedom of thought and expression; outdoor games including a mass game of ‘it’ hosted by game design studio Antidote, free performances from the Future Talent orchestra and a ‘Big Sing’ workshop.

RUG RHYMES, Wednesdays until 16 December. What rhymes with rug?

Join the Poetry Library puppets Frederico and Firebird to find out, in a short session of nursery rhymes, poems and rhyming stories for under 5s and carers. 10.30am-11am, free.

ROYAL ALBERT HALL The ROYAL ALBERT HALL, Kensington Gore SW7 2AP, 0845 401 5045, www.royalalberthall.com JAZZ FOR KIDS - NEW ORLEANS JAZZ, 25 October. Introduce little ears to jazz music in the concert staged for children of all ages to enjoy with their families. 10.30am and 1.30pm.

MY GREAT ORCHESTRAL ADVENTURE, 26 October. The conductor of the orchestra has lost his baton and is very unhappy. Join a magical adventure to try and find it and help bring happiness back to the orchestra. Travel to faraway lands and mythical places, face trolls, bears and mermaids, and travel through treacherous landscapes.

There will be singing, dancing and best of all, a full symphony orchestra to bring the adventure to life. Ages 3+, 1 and 4.30pm.

MICHAEL MORPURGO’S WAR HORSE, 27 October. Michael Morpurgo reads his poignant and emotionally-charged novel accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, featuring a specially-arranged score by Adrian Sutton and John Tams. Drawing live on stage, Olivier, Tony and OBIE award-winning British designer Rae Smith will create animated illustrations of Morpurgo’s book. Young Albert’s beloved horse Joey is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France where he witnesses the brutality of World War I from both sides.

AMALUNA, until 4 February 2017. Cirque du Soleil’s newest touring show has never before been seen in the UK and marks Cirque du Soleil’s 20th year at the stunning, world-famous venue.

STORYTELLING AND MUSIC SESSIONS, Wednesdays until November. Seasoned storytellers deliver a series of sessions for babies and toddlers, aiming to engage and encourage interaction between parents/ carers and their little ones using musical instruments, singing, movement and stories. 0-4 year-olds, 10am and 11.30am, tickets £5.

THE NATIONAL THEATRE THE NATIONAL THEATRE, Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX, 020 7452 3000, www.nationaltheatre.org.uk ROMEO AND JULIET, until 23 November. It’s 1950s post war London.

Teddy girls mix with teddy boys and as immigration booms, so does brutality, prejudice and a ruthless gang culture. The National Theatre’s latest adaptation brings vendettas, violence and star crossed lovers like you’ve never seen them before; in Owen Horsley’s abridgement of this enduring Shakespearean tale. Tickets from £19.50.

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PIGEON ENGLISH, until 22 November. In the shadows of concrete high rises, eleven year-old Harri is walking on a tightrope towards manhood.

Events quickly spiral out of his control and the world will never be the same again. Stephen Kelman’s 2011 Man Booker prize shortlisted novel is adapted for stage by award-winning playwright Gbolahan Obisesan.

The play looks at the sometimes harsh reality of adulthood in modern day Britain, and contains strong language. Tickets from £19.50.

NEVERLAND Until 16 October, BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE, Lavender Hill SW11 5TN, 020 7223 2223, www.bac.org.uk An immersive show for children aged 1-3, using video design, original music and magical performances. Tickets from £16 for an adult and child pair.

POLKA THEATRE

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

POLKA THEATRE, 240 Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB, 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com

Until 30 October, KING’S CROSS THEATRE, Goods Way, London N1C 4UR, www.kingscrosstheatre.com This delightful adaptation of E. Nesbit’s classic novel is a must-see for all ages! Join Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis on the adventure of a lifetime as they tell the story of how they became The Railway Children.

SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL, until 16 October. As your baby looks and learns, have you ever wondered what they are thinking? Scientists from Birkbeck University’s world-renowned Baby Lab have teamed up with theatre director Sarah Argent to create a fun, lively show designed to get brainy babies jiggling and giggling. Ages 6-18 months, tickets £12.50.

THE GIANT’S LOO ROLL

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, 13 to 30 October. Join Phileas Fogg in his audacious plan to navigate the globe in just 80 days. With a pocket watch, a bag full of money, and a wager to win, Fogg embarks on the most celebrated literary journey of all time. Get ready for a transcontinental race against the clock in this mad-cap musical staging of Jules Verne’s famous novel. Ages 6 - 11, tickets £13.50, concessions £10.

22-30 October, ARTS THEATRE, Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JB, 020 7836 8463, www.artstheatrewestend.co.uk This fabulously funny and brilliantly bouncy musical adaptation of Nicholas Allan’s much loved book will play lunchtimes at the Arts Theatre this October. Watch out for some frightened sheep, lots of excited children and a fantastic amount of toilet paper in this rip roaring new musical by TaleGate Theatre Productions - the team than brought you the festive musical Father Christmas Needs a Wee! 1pm, tickets £20.

HOW TO HIDE A LION, 26 October to 26 February 2017. When a lion is chased out of town, a young girl helps him find somewhere to hide. It’s not easy - lions are too big, too fluffy and too heavy! Join Iris on a mission to squeeze and squash her furry new friend into a variety of sneaky spots, as Helen Stephens’ magical book comes to life with playful humour, dazzling puppetry and original songs. Ages 3-6, tickets £12.50 adults, £9 children.

CHURCHILL THEATRE BROMLEY CHURCHILL THEATRE, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA, 0844 871 7620, www.churchilltheatre.co.uk WHY THE WHALES CAME, 23 + 24 October. Children Gracie and Daniel have been forbidden to go near the mysterious and seemingly dangerous Birdman. But messages and clues intrigue them and, after being lost at sea in the fog and stranded on his tiny island, they begin to unravel the Birdman’s secrets, the villagers’ fears and superstitions and learn why the whales came to the island. Created by the same team who brought you the acclaimed and much-loved production of I Believe in Unicorns, Why The Whales Came is full of fun, mystery and adventure.

Family tickets £54.

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE LIVE, 25 October. This is not your ordinary science show - it comes with a bang. It comes with a whoosh. But most of all is comes with a hovercraft built on stage. Oh, and a human cannon too! Fingers in ears advised. 1pm, tickets £16.50 adults, £14.50 children, family £55.

Art Activities DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY

THE WALLACE COLLECTION

SOMERSET HOUSE

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21 7AD, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends and bank holidays. Admission free for accompanied children, £8 adults. Listed activities free for families with a gallery ticket or £3 per child.

THE WORLD’S LONGEST LANDSCAPE, 15+16 October. As part of The Big Draw, the gallery will attempt to set the record for the world’s longest landscape. Join the team in creating a mixed media masterpiece inspired by the sights and communities of southeast London. 10am8pm, children free, adults £8.

ART PLAY, 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.

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.

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.

ART AT SIR JOHN SOANE’S HOUSE

TATE MODERN, Bankside, SE1 9TG, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk In June, the Tate Modern opened Switch House, an iconic new London landmark which provides ten floors of new display space, performance and installation art, a new restaurant and viewing level. Across both buildings, the museum displays permanent and temporary modern art, free drop-in events, with family-friendly festivals and activities both in the galleries and online. Open 10am-6pm daily, admission free, charges for major exhibitions.

THE CONSERVATOIRE THE CONSERVATOIRE, 19-21 Lee Road, Blackheath SE3 9RQ, 020 8852 0234, www.conservatoire.org.uk The Conservatoire is Blackheath’s local independent arts centre, offering a broad mix of music, art, drama and cultural classes for all ages.

JOE THOMPSON’S FAMILY JAZZ, 16 October. Joe and his fellow musicians play some of the best jazz in town - perfect for aspiring young musicians or families who want some quality musical time together.

Expect piano and double bass and a fun packed performance of jazz and Latin favourites. 4-5pm, £10 adults, £5 children, under 2s free.

ANTHONY GORMLEY 30 September - 6 November, WHITE CUBE, 144-152 Bermondsey Street SE1 3TQ, 020 7930 5373, www.whitecube.com In his new exhibition, Antony Gormley will configure the gallery into 15 discrete chambers to create a labyrinth containing some 24 works of differing size and material. Works include Cave, a 12-metre long tunnel offering a journey into darkness and the unknown; Cotch, a brooding, abstract body comprised of 22 concrete blocks; and at the core of the exhibition, an installation spread over 100 square metres titled Sleeping Field.

Throughout the exhibition visitors will be faced with a choice of passage through differently sized, uniquely lit spaces where each room challenges or qualifies the experience of the last. The works are catalysts for various subjective states and engage the visitor in a journey through time, space and reflexivity. Gallery open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am 6pm and Sunday, 12 - 6pm.

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.

BEYOND CARAVAGGIO, 12 October to 15 January 2017. With their eye-catching, dramatic lighting and intense naturalism, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s paintings inspired a multitude of artists during his lifetime and in the decades immediately after his untimely death.

Beyond Caravaggio is the first major exhibition in the UK to explore the impact of Caravaggio’s work, both on the art of his contemporaries and his followers.

TATE BRITAIN 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.

PAUL NASH, 26 October to 5 March 2017. Known as a landscape artist, who engaged with the downland and coastal landscapes of southern England and its ancient past, those landscapes also provided a stage for Paul Nash’s engagements with an international modernism, specifically Surrealism. The exhibition presents the artist’s major works from his early Symbolist manner, through to the iconic works of the First World War, as well as his landscapes of the interwar period.

Firework Displays DULWICH SPORTS CLUB FAMILY FIREWORKS 5 November, DULWICH SPORTS CLUB, Burbage Road SE24 (entrance Giant Arches Road), www.dulwichsports.co.uk An oooh and aah big big bonfire with a bar and barbecue. 5pm start, bonfire lighting at 6.30pm and fireworks from 7pm. £5 on the door, under 10s free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE, 020 7306 0055, www.npg.org.uk The gallery features thousands of portraits of the most famous people in British history, from the 16th century to the present day. Open 10am-6pm daily.

DROP IN FAMILY SUNDAYS. On the third Sunday of every month, families are invited to drop-in with children aged 3+ to take part in portrait-related events.

PICASSO PORTRAITS, 6 October - 23 April 2017. Picasso’s portraits epitomise the variety and innovation of his art. This major exhibition of over eighty works focuses on the artist’s portrayal of family, friends and lovers and reveals his creative processes as he moved freely between drawing from life, humorous caricature and expressive painting from memory. On display will be portraits from all periods of Picasso’s career and in all media, from the realist paintings of his boyhood to his later ultra-spontaneous canvases.

TATE MODERN

BLACKHEATH FIREWORKS 5 November 2015, BLACKHEATH SE3, www.lewisham.gov.uk/fireworks One of the biggest free community events in the capital, Blackheath Fireworks deliver an afternoon and evening of entertainment for all ages, with a funfair, food, bar and other stalls from 12noon and the main display at 8pm.

CRYSTAL PALACE FIREWORKS 5 November, CRYSTAL PALACE PARK SE19 2AA, www.crystalpalacefireworks.co.uk Not one but two fireworks displays, plus food and drink stalls. Gates open 6pm, children’s fireworks 7pm, main display with music 8.30pm.

Tickets £5.10 children, £7.50 adults, £19.80 family ticket - book first online.

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LEEDS CASTLE FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR 5+6 November, LEEDS CASTLE, Maidstone, Kent ME17 1PL, 01622 880 008, www.leeds-castle.com For two nights, the most incredible display of pyrotechnics lights up the sky, synchronised with moving images and glorious music. Arrive early for afternoon entertainment, hot food and drinks before the display starts at 5.30pm. Tickets £20 adults, £13.50 children, under 4s free. Book first.

KENT LIFE FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR 5 November, KENT LIFE, Lock Lane, Sandling, Near Maidstone, Kent ME14 3AU, 01622 763936, www.kentlife.org.uk A spectacular afternoon of entertainment for all ages includes children’s fairground rides, face painting, glow sticks galore, a licensed bar and music provided by Hospital Radio Maidstone. Take a tour of the Vintage Village, enjoy the indoor and outdoor play areas and meet some farmyard friends in Cuddle Corner.

Fire breathers will light the bonfire before the evening culminates in a breathtaking firework display at 8pm. The attraction is open until 9pm.

october 2016 - families south east

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Patrick Derham, Head Master of Westminster School, speaking at the 2015 Independent Schools Show

Unlocking the Answers The Independent Schools Show is the ultimate forum for parents to meet the biggest names in British education. Come and speak face-to-face with over 200 of the country’s leading schools at the world’s biggest open day. Hear from the brightest thinkers and most respected Heads at the renowned Education Theatre.

Saturday 12 November 10:00 - 17:00 Sunday 13 November 10:30 - 16:30 where: Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park, London, SW11 4NJ

when:

in partnership with

B A R R AT T LONDON

FOR TICKETS VISIT WWW.SCHOOLSSHOW.COM 20

families south east - october 2016

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Families South East Tel: 020 8699 7240 Email: info@familiesse.co.uk Contact: Robina Cowan MAGAZINE DESIGN: Lancasters 020 8658 9975 www.lancasters.co.uk Printed on paper from sustainable forests. www.russellpress.com

5th & 6th November 2016