Families Warwickshire July August 2018 Issue 42

Warwickshire

IN THIS ISSUE Days Out This Summer Preparing Your Child For School Coping With A 'Tweenager' Competitions

Issue 42 July/August 2018

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01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 1

Warwickshire County Council

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2 Families Warwickshire 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

13/02/2018 10:49

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Issue 42 | July/August 2018 | Families Warwickshire

In this issue 3 Snippets 4 Parenting 8 Education 10 Clubs & Classes 11 Holiday Clubs 15 What's On 19 Competitions

UDIO ANIMATION ST hday Parties

Contact details

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Workshops & Bi

Claire Jones on 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Cover by Liittle Beanies Photography www.littlebeanies.co.uk Design by www.peninsula-design.co.uk All content ©2018 Families Warwickshire Families Warwickshire is a bi-monthly magazine for parents, covering Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick Districts with 21,000 copies. Towns covered include Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Leamington Spa and Kenilworth, plus Studley, Alcester, Bidford, Henleyin-Arden, Wellesbourne, Welford-on-Avon, Shipstonon-Stour, Southam and lots of the smaller villages in between.

.uk nimate.coe.c www.letsa o.uk llo@letsanimat

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Next issue: September/October 2018 Deadline Friday 10 August

Advertise with us and reach 40,000+ local parents and carers

Families Warwickshire is part of Families Print Ltd, a franchise company. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. Families is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families Warwickshire are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Families Warwickshire. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, but Families Warwickshire; our distributors, the franchise company, Families Print Ltd, and Lifecycle Marketing cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequence thereof.

Leamington’s Art in the Park Festival Returns Leamington Spa’s unique family friendly Arts Festival returns to the Jephson Gardens on 4th & 5th August and this year celebrates the world of trees. Head to this wonderful FREE festival where you can watch artists making and creating, and buy original art from over 150 designers and makers. You can also dabble in a creative workshop or follow the knitted bird trail, go tree spotting, catch a dazzling dance or theatre performance, listen to some chilled music, enjoy mouthwatering artisan food and wash it all down with locally brewed beverages. Opening hours are 10-6pm. See the website for full festival details.

Spaces Available at Sunbeams Pupdate Eddie had his second birthday in June time flies! He celebrated with a party in the garden with his human family and his friend Molly, an adorable miniature wirehaired dachshund. They shared a special birthday biscuit then enjoyed a game of ‘Musical Sit and Stand’. What was the party music? ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ of course!

In May, Eddie took part in a fun dog agility workshop. He has always enjoyed leaping over home-made jumps in the garden with my daughter Sylvie, but this was his first go on proper agility equipment. Both Eddie and Sylvie did really well and had lots of fun.

We’re booked on another agility workshop and hoping to make it a regular thing.

This summer, Eddie will be going on his first glamping holiday. He’s been camping a couple of times now and is quite happy sleeping in a tent. On our glamping holiday, we’ll be staying in a lodge on a working farm so there will be plenty of new sights and smells for him to discover. He’ll be in his element! I’ll let you know how he gets on in the next issue.

www.artinpark.co.uk

Located in the heart of Radford Semele, on the outskirts of Leamington Spa, Sunbeams Pre-school is an Outstanding (Ofsted Oct 2013), independent village setting for children aged 2½ to 4 years old. The learning environment is inspired by children and their families, and is centred around the happiness and safety of the children.

Indoor and outdoor activities are offered, with children free to choose between water tables, the outdoor slide, IT-led learning and much more. The pre-school strives to present learning opportunities in a stimulating, diverse and fun way, so that children leave confident and well prepared for school.

Sunbeams children are supported by a committed and experienced staff team, who provide a varied and exciting learning environment, with equal opportunities for all.

They actively encourage collaborative play, problem solving and independent learning throughout the day to help prepare children for the next adventure in their learning journey.

Have a great summer!

Sunbeams are now enrolling for September 2018, with 15hr and 30hr free childcare spaces available for 3-4 year olds (eligibility applies). For further information, call 01926 470978 or visit the website.

Claire Jones, Editor

www.sunbeamspreschool.btck.co.uk

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New Dog, New Tricks A chance encounter, a love story, and a travel adventure!

Woof of the Woo is an enchanting tale by Jo Rowe, Evesham based author of rhyming books for younger children, and is exquisitely illustrated by Ali Rice. Based on a true story of rehoming her rescue dog, the book recounts (in verse) Jo’s real life encounter in Spain with William, AKA Woof of the Woo, his adoption and journey to the UK to live with her.

Jo was on a two-month working holiday on Spain’s Costa del Sol and gave up some of her free time to be a volunteer working at the nearby ACE Refugio, an animal rescue centre. One morning, in a group of new arrivals was a small black puppy who had been rescued by the rescue centre. Over many weeks Jo helped William become used to her and gained both his trust and affection. Jo decided to bring him with her when she returned to the UK and they finally travelled to their home in North London. A year later, the whole family (two adults, 3 cats and William) upped sticks and moved to Evesham where they currently reside. www.woofofthewoo.co.uk

01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 3

Parenting

WIN an Annual Family Pass to Warwick Castle!

Experience the fun of real history and enjoy spectacular daily shows and attractions!

Choose your side in the critically-acclaimed live action family show Wars of the Roses Live (selected dates until 2 September), complete with epic horseback battles, astounding stunt riding and swashbuckling sword fighting.

Get lost in time in the UK’s first Horrible Histories® Maze – watch your children’s faces light up as they explore the foul facts and fun games!

Witness The Mighty Trebuchet, the largest working catapult in the world, launch a cannonball 150ft into the air (selected dates) and don’t miss the spectacular Flight Of The Eagles Show (twice daily) featuring an impressive collection of eagles, buzzards and vultures!

For more information, visit www.warwickcastle.com TO ENTER

Email your answers to the following questions (and the name of the town/village where you live) to info@familiesmagazine.co.uk no later than 17 August 2018:

✸ Tell us in 50 words (or more) why you find Families magazine a useful tool for family life?

✸ How likely are you to respond to a piece of advertising you see in Families? a Very likely b Possibly c Unlikely

Terms and conditions apply. Tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. See Warwick Castle website for full details.

Does your child suffer from: • ANXIETY? • BULLYING? • EATING DISORDER PROBLEMS?

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• One to one therapy sessions for children of all ages.

• Community workshops for children and parents.

• Fully funded school programmes for children, parents and teachers.

4 Families Warwickshire 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

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Helping Your Child Avoid the Language Word Gap An Oxford University Press (OUP) report published in April revealed that both primary and secondary schools teachers are seeing an increasing number of children with a limited vocabulary - a word gap. Why the Word Gap Matters: Oxford Language Report found that without enough words a child will not only find it difficult to understand instructions at school, but also to play and communicate with others. Over 1,300 teachers surveyed reported that the word gap is not only affecting children’s achievements at school but also that it can have a damaging impact on self-esteem and a child’s ability to make friends.

In the report, OUP asked leading educational experts and teachers to offer their thoughts on the word gap and to share practical ideas on building children’s vocabulary and sparking their interest in learning new words.

Here are just a few:

Not just Reading but Being Read To

In the OUP survey, 93% of primary school teachers said that a root cause of the word gap is that children aren’t spending enough time reading for pleasure.

Reading is an important way for children to learn vocabulary as they are more likely to come across new words in books than they will in spoken language.

Encourage your child by reading aloud and sharing picture books, traditional tales, or non-fiction books when they are young. Help them read as widely as possible as they develop their own reading skills. If you are looking for inspiration, you can find booklists for all ages/interests at www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home.

There are multiple benefits to reading aloud to your child, even when they are able read fluently.

In this way your child experiences books that they may not be able to read on their own yet and is exposed to new words that they probably wouldn’t find in their own reading. For a bit of variety, try listening to audiobooks together - great for long car journeys!

Talk about books – ask your child what they liked or didn’t like about a story. What was their favourite bit? How do they think a character felt at a certain point?

You can even try asking them to re-tell the story using their own words.

Talk, Talk, Talk!

It goes without saying that parents talk to their children all the time. But research with very young children shows that if we use richer language, a child’s vocabulary can increase dramatically1 (e.g. instead of ‘Pick that up and bring it over here,’ say ‘Walk slowly to kitchen, pick

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Parenting

up the fork carefully and return it to me’). Name and describe objects rather than falling back on pronouns (like ‘this’ and ‘that’).

Try using alternative words for the same thing - instead of saying ‘It’s hot’, say ‘It’s scorching’ or ‘It’s blistering.’

Have Fun with Words

Create an excitement around discovering and talking about new words together. Tell your child that it’s fine not to know what a word means - we are all learning new words all the time.

When your child comes across a new word in a book encourage them to talk to you about what the word might mean. Encourage them to use the other words and sentences around it to try to work out the meaning. In the report, Why Closing the Word Gap Matters, teacher Janine Wooldridge suggests that older children reading on their own could be encouraged to write unknown words on a card or bookmark for you to discuss and look up in a dictionary together later. Talk about other ways you could use the new word give them some examples of sentences using that word and encourage them to think of their own sentences.

You can find fun word activities and language games at www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home.

Pick up the Dictionary

It’s helpful if your child has access to a dictionary and a thesaurus at the right level for them, written in language they can understand. A dictionary and thesaurus at home and at school are vital tools for developing and enriching children’s language and helping to improve their spelling.

To choose the best dictionary or thesaurus for your child and help them with basic dictionary skills, you can visit the dictionary selector at www.oxfordowl.co.uk/ home/reading-owl/expert-help/ choosing-dictionaries.

Check for Understanding

In the OUP report, educational psychologist Jean Gross (CBE) explains that she assessed children of all ages and abilities using a test that asked them to say what “on purpose” meant.

Very few could do this, despite often hearing “You did that on purpose” at home and at school.

Jean suggests that we should never assume that children know the meaning of even simple words. Make sure you check for understanding.

To read the full report, visit oxford.ly/wordgap David Reedy explores this study in Why the Word Gap Matters: Oxford Language Report, page 14

1.

01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 5

Parenting Parenting expert Judy Bartkowiak from NLP Kids (www.nlpkids.com) jokingly says the biggest problem young people face, “is often their parents!” Seriously though, it’s much easier for children to take responsibility for packing the right books in their bags, getting to where they need to be and doing their homework on time when parents gradually hand over the responsibility for this during primary school.

By doing everything for them, running into school with forgotten items and supervising homework, they effectively tell their kids ‘you need me, without me you’d be useless’.

Parents need to teach children how to look after themselves and become more resilient.

How Can Parents Help their Teens?

Edward and his team at Wellbeing in Schools are changing young people’s understanding of the impact of their thoughts. They remind them that thoughts are passing energy and that when their thinking is settled, they will be happier.

Coping with a ‘Tweenager’

By Claire Winter You’re at home, and suddenly your child starts eye-rolling, and saying ‘so what.’

You’ve guessed it….your child is becoming a ‘tweenager’. As it will probably feel like just 5 minutes since they started school, this can come as a shock. The truth is though that children are becoming teenagers at younger and younger ages - as young as age 10 for some girls with the onset of early adolescence.

So what do you need to know about your child’s impending entry into teenagehood?

I think the best advice I have been given about raising a teen is that your role is to give them the skills they need to become a successful adult. You are not there to save them from failure or be their best friend.

Understanding your teen

Remember you teenager’s body is changing rapidly, as hormones shift and surge; the brain and emotions are on a permanent rollercoaster. Boys have to manage large surges of testosterone and girls have to cope with the mood swings that arrive along with oestrogen. At the same time, they are figuring out how to make decisions independently and how they want to live in the world.

According to Edward Anthony, a mental health educator from Mental Well Being in Schools (www.mentalwellbeinginschools. org), the biggest problem teenagers face is misunderstanding the meaning of mental health. “They need to be able to access resilience, happiness, contentment, high performance, and peace of mind. When these qualities are in a teenager’s life, any other problems they face - anxiety, peer pressure, bullying, academic stress, social media pressures - are easier to navigate.”

“Mental illness is the result of chronic mental stress. Humans experience chronic mental stress when they actively engage their ability to think. Generally speaking, when we actively use our ability to think to manage the tasks in our day, manage our feelings and behaviour, analyse who we are and our beliefs, ideas and expectations, we create chaos in our minds. A high level of thought creates a very low state of mind. In a low state of mind, it is impossible for a human being to be resilient, happy, innovative, loving or comfortable in their own skin.”

Limit Children’s Snacks Parents have been advised by health officials to restrict children to only two snacks of 100 calories or less per day to reduce sugar intake between meals. Recent research has found that half of children’s sugar intake is being consumed between meals. On average, children are consuming at least 3 unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks a day, with around a third of children consuming 4 or more. The overall result is that children consume 3 times more sugar than is recommended.

The ‘100 calorie snacks, two a day max’ tip applies to all snacks apart from fruit and vegetables. To help parents make healthier choices Public Health England has developed ‘Be Food Smart app food scanner’ app that shows by scanning the bar code how many calories, sugar, salt and saturated fat is in the food they are buying.

Edward says we can help our tweenagers by learning how state of mind can impact a relationship. “When people are experiencing a kind, open, loving and non-judgemental feeling, they can connect easily to others.

From that feeling, we make better decisions, enjoy relaxed and loving relationships, can have difficult conversations with a feeling of ease and openness, and we see more clearly that any kind of negativity or bad behaviour in another person is simply a product of a poor state of mind and bad feeling. This enables us to not take things personally and completely transforms parent/child relationships.”

www.nhs.uk/change4life

Top Tip for Parents

Mischief Makers – the 2018 Summer Reading Challenge

Model the behaviour you want to see in your child. Judy says, “If you want them to moderate their screen time, limit yours. If you want them to listen, hear what they have to say. If you want them to eat well, buy healthy food and cook healthy meals.

They can’t eat biscuits and crisps if you don’t buy them, the same goes for sugary drinks.”

Judy also says to remember to believe in yourself. “You’ve done a great job bringing them up and getting them through primary school. Trust that this will stand them in good stead for secondary school. They’ll make mistakes, it’s how we learn, and we build self-esteem through getting that learning from the occasional failure. Be able to laugh about it, cuddle them and let them know you love them.”

One of the psychological goals of the teen years is to become independent from adults and to develop your own personality and place in society. Letting go of your teen might be a bumpy ride but if you do it with love and a sense of humour, you should make it through.

6 Families Warwickshire 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

Children's reading can 'dip' during the summer holidays if they don't have regular access to books and encouragement to read for pleasure. The annual Summer Reading Challenge, helps get three quarters of a million children into libraries each year to maintain their reading skills and confidence, and is open to primary school children of every ability.

This year the challenge will focus on the theme of mischief and pranks, as inspired by the much-loved Beano comic, which celebrates its 80th anniversary next year.

Children are challenged to read at least six library books over the school holidays and collect incentives, such as stickers, to earn their final challenge certificate and medal. Children can choose, recommend and review books at the Book Sorter on the Challenge website. This is the largest database of children’s peer to peer reading recommendations. www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk

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Parenting

Putting The Children First After Separation It is always difficult when separating from a partner to put the emotions and hurt to one side and be pragmatic but when there are children involved it is vital that that is done. Children often worry that they are somehow to blame for the split and should be shielded as much as possible from the adult dispute. Older children should not be used as sounding boards or questioned about the actions of the other parent.

Arrangements for the children to maintain their relationship with both parents need to be agreed and the parents need to be the grown-ups in the situation. It is for this reason that the Courts operate a policy of non-intervention, allowing the parents to organise arrangements to fit with their situations and so that the children can cope with them.

following separation is crucial to how your long-term relationship moves on. Don’t let bitterness to your estranged partner affect the relationship with your children, whatever the provocation!

Please contact me to arrange an appointment to discuss your individual matter at a time and location to suit you. I am a Family Legal Executive with over 25 years’ experience and advocate dealing with matters amicably, trying to keep animosity to a minimum to ensure the long-term ability to co-parent the children.

Remember, you will both want to be at their graduation/wedding etc!

Alison Rolf – Davidson Mahon Solicitors – 01926 357555 - alison@ davidsonmahon.co.uk

Think about the fact that you are going to continue to be parents to your children for all of their lives and the period immediately

Alison Rolf, Family Legal Executive, specialising in all aspects of family law being divorce, financial provision on divorce, children, cohabitation and pre and post cohabitation/ marriage arrangements.

Please contact me on 01926 357555 to have a no obligation telephone conversation. I offer fixed fee arrangements as well as evening/ weekend appointments if you prefer at no extra cost.

I am a Consultant Legal Executive with Davidson Mahon Solicitors based at Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth.

E: alison@davidsonmahon.co.uk www.davidsonmahon.co.uk

Davidson Mahon Solicitors are a small, niche firm based in Warwickshire that offers a personal service with friendly and approachable qualified legal professionals. We offer affordable fixed fees and free home visits.

We can advise on family matters including divorce, financial provision on divorce, children, cohabitation and pre and post cohabitation/marriage arrangements.

We can also advise on Wills, powers of attorney, trusts, probate, estate administration and Court of Protection applications.

Please contact us today for a no-obligation telephone discussion.

T: 01926 357555 E: office@davidsonmahon.co.uk

www.davidsonmahon.co.uk

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01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 7

Education

Preparing Your Child for School If your child is starting school in September, you may be wondering how best to prepare them for this big new adventure!

Firstly, don’t worry if they can’t read a word or write their own name. The ability to interact, communicate and exercise a degree of independence is actually far more important than reading or writing skills when a child starts school. In fact, research shows a link between strong personal, social and emotional skills in Reception and higher levels of attainment in the future. So if you want to strengthen your child’s skills in these areas, here are some tips.

Independence

The aim is for children to be responsible for themselves, their belongings and their actions at school. Help your child learn to get dressed, put on their coats/shoes, go to the toilet, tidy away toys and select their own activity resources.

Communication and Language

Research demonstrates that competent speakers develop into competent readers and writers; without competent spoken language, learning to read and write is more difficult. Language allows children to interact with the world. Being able to communicate their message effectively is satisfying and develops their esteem and self-confidence. Model good spoken language, with correct pronunciation of sounds, and encourage your child to speak in full sentences using an expanding vocabulary. Talk to your child about their experiences and feelings throughout the day and develop a positive ethos around the importance of communicating and expressing feelings, of any kind. This will have multiple benefits (including knowing how your child is really feeling and maintaining an open and trusting rapport), both now and in the future.

Sharing and Interaction

The more opportunities your child gets to interact and learn how to share and take turns, the less of a shock it will be when he or she starts school! However, expect this to be an on-going process. Allow your child lots of opportunities to play with siblings and organise lots of play dates. If disagreements occur between children, talk to them about how to resolve issues, modelling language and behaviour which gives them strategies and words to prevent or resolve disagreements in the future.

Respect for Behavioural Boundaries

At school, behavioural expectations and boundaries are likely to include:

8 Families Warwickshire 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

Listening the first time they are asked to pay attention Keeping hands/feet to themselves Sharing and taking turns Looking after things Tidying away Being kind to others You can reinforce these expectations at home by teaching children to respect themselves, their actions and the feelings of others.

Physical (Gross and Fine Motor Skills)

All activities require some sort of physicality, whether it be large (gross) or small (fine) movements. Gross motor skills are developed when hopping, skipping, running, jumping, galloping, balancing, pedalling a bike, using a scooter, climbing, throwing, catching, and kicking a ball. Varying the speed and direction of movement activities also develops spatial awareness. Your child can have fun developing fine motor skills at home with everyday activities such as using pegs and scissors, bead threading, button fastening, moulding playdough, and painting.

Exploring and Investigating

Often the most effective learning occurs when a child is left to his own devices, without nicely-prepared resources and prescriptive instructions about how to do something. Make a conscious effort to step back and allow your child the opportunity to use his initiative and develop his creative, imaginative and innovative skills through exploring, investigating and initiating his own learning. Children learn by exploring, trying out and adapting ideas for themselves and taking ownership. Present your child with a large cardboard box (and the opportunity to access other resources/toys). See what he or she does with it. In the latter stages of his or her ‘creation’ you may wish to step in to play too, but allow your child to initiate the direction of the play and conversation.

All the above skills can be naturally weaved into your everyday lives.

Enjoy and treasure these precious last few months with your child at home, and keep the above tips in mind to promote a positive start to your child’s school life.

Sarah McKinlay is a mother and school teacher with qualifications in psychology and can provide support and strategies to give your child a happy transition to school.

For more information, visit www.bounceparental.co.uk

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Education

Crackley Hall School Moves To Two Year 4 Classes Crackley Hall School in Kenilworth is introducing a second Year 4 class from September 2018. The two classes of initially between 12 and 14 pupils will move up through the school over the next three years. The school’s recent ‘Excellent’ rating, in every area, in its inspection in October 2017 has ensured that interest in the school is at an all-time high so the independent school for boys and girls, aged four to eleven, has decided to introduce the second Year 4 class, from September, to cater for demand. Comments Headmaster, Rob Duigan, “Crackley Hall has always been a popular choice for parents. Adding this extra capacity in Year 4 next year will afford more children the opportunity to benefit from a Crackley Hall education. A key factor for parents to consider is the school’s proven success in enabling children to transfer to their first choice secondary school, whether independent or local grammars. The move is good news for both prospective and current pupils, who will enjoy the smaller class sizes in what is a key school year, as the children start to prepare for 11+ and entrance examinations.” www.crackleyhall.co.uk

An Independent Day School and Nursery for boys aged 3-7 and girls aged 3-11

Hedgehog Homes at Heathcote David Wilson Homes has donated two hedgehog homes to a local primary school next to its Poets Meadow development. Heathcote Primary School welcomed the donation of the Hogilos which will be put in the play area of the school and keep the little creatures safe from any prickly situations. The habitats are recommended by experts to provide a sturdy and waterproof home for hedgehogs seeking shelter.

Mrs Lara Jeffries, Headteacher at Heathcote Primary School, said: “I have been inspired by Year 6 girls I previously taught, who tirelessly taught others how to care for hedgehogs and their environments.

One of our focuses at Heathcote is the environment and the wildlife within it; being part of an ever growing development means this is all the more important. We look forward to welcoming hedgehogs at Heathcote! Thank you David Wilson Homes for sharing our passion to look after our animals.”

Nationally and locally, David Wilson Homes (www.dwh.co.uk) has a long term pledge to create more wildlife friendly developments, by working with the RSPB and giving nature a new home. www.heathcoteprimaryschool.co.uk familiesonline.co.uk

Open Morning

Saturday 29 September, 9:30am – 12noon Bridge Field, Banbury Road, Warwick CV34 6PL admissions@warwickprep.com | 01926 491545

www.warwickprep.com

|

@warwickprep

Warwick Preparatory School is part of the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation, together with King’s High School and Warwick School, providing high quality education for boys and girls aged 3-18.

01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 9

Clubs & Classes

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NEW Family Swim Centre in Leamington

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Fridays at Come and try for £3.50 Whitnash Community Hall Fridayswww.cdp-dance.co.uk - Whitnash Community Hall, CV31 2JH

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Swim Works, Queensway, Leamington Spa, CV31 3LU www.swimworks.co.uk • hello-leamington@swimworks.co.uk

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Out of School Activities Improve Educational Attainment A study by researchers from NatCen Social Research at Newcastle University has found that children who take part in organised sports and after school clubs can improve primary school academic performance and social skills.

Awesome Animators Awesome Animators is a monthly animation club which takes place on the last Friday of every month at the Let’s Animate studios in Fargo Village, Coventry. Each month, Filmmakers are given creative animation activities helping them to learn and understand all about animation, whilst having fun. Sessions run from 5pm-7pm, cost £12 per session and prior booking is required.

The Let’s Animate ‘hands on’ animation experience uses a range of equipment and participants experience designing, storyboarding, set building, model making, lighting, animating, sound and editing, directing and producing their very own stop-motion animated movie that can then be downloaded, viewed and shared.

Let’s Animate is a stop-motion animation company which has been delivering fun-packed creative animation courses, workshops, holiday clubs, birthday parties and much more throughout Coventry and Warwickshire since 2012.

For more information about Awesome Animators: https://letsanimate.yapsody.com www.letsanimate.co.uk

10 Families Warwickshire 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

The study of 6,400 children in England found that those who took part in organised sports and physical activities at the ages of 5, 7 and 11 were almost one and a half times more likely to reach a higher than expected level in their Key Stage 2 (KS2) maths test at the age of 11.

According to the Lead Investigator, Emily Tanner of NatCen said “Results showed that sports clubs were positively associated with attainment outcomes at age 11, even when accounting for prior attainment at age 7.”

The research also found that disadvantaged children who attended after-school clubs developed better social, emotional and behavioural skills than those, also from similar social circumstances, who did not. www.ucl.ac.uk

familiesonline.co.uk

Summer Holidays

Summer Holiday Clubs, Camps and Workshops Tennis Camps

Warwick Boat Club, Warwick Mon 23-Thurs 26 Jul, Mon 30 JulThurs 2 Aug, Mon 13-Thurs 16 Aug, 9am-2pm Suitable for all levels. For ages 5-15.

Cost (4 days) £90 members, £110 non-members.

T: Gavin Henderson 07787 568642 www.warwickboatclub.co.uk/tennis

Let’s Animate

Fargo Village, Coventry Weds 1, Thurs 2, Thurs 9, Weds 15, Thurs 16, Weds 22 Aug, 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm Summer Workshops Workshops include Brilliant Brick Flicks, Family Filmmakers, Fantastic Flipbooks and Cartoon Cutouts.

Working in teams, Filmmakers will devise a short scenario, build sets, animate their scene, add sound effects and edit their creations. In other workshops, create, make and animate! For full information and to book visit https://letsanimate. yapsody.com.

T: 0797 3354567 www.letsanimate.co.uk

Aspire Active Camps

North Leamington School, Leamington Spa Mon 23 July-Fri 24 Aug, 8am-4pm (Xtra time 4pm-6pm available) Multi Sports Academy, Football Academy (for ages 7+), Gym Beatz, Dance and Stage Beatz, Cricket Academy and Active Leaders for ages 12.14. Children aged 4 are eligible for half day Multi Sports Academy only.

T: 01926 298178 www.aspire-sports.co.uk

Wild Explorers Holiday Club

All Things Wild, Honeybourne Mon 30 Jul-Fri 3 Aug, Mon 6-Fri 10 Aug, Tues 28-Fri 31 Aug, 9am-3pm Let the kids go wild this summer! £25 per child per day, £18 for siblings and annual members. Includes all activities, lunch and snacks. Book for 1 or more days, or all week. For ages 4-12.

T: 01386 833083 www.allthingswild.co.uk

LoveBallet

LoveBallet Dance Studios, Southam Tues 24 & Weds 25 Jul Tricks and Tumbles Workshops Thurs 26 & Fri 27 Jul Greatest Showman Mon 6 & Tues 7 Aug Pop Party Dance Workshop Tues 28 & Weds 29 Aug Strictly Musicals Workshop All workshops 9.30am-3.30pm with extended day available 8am-5pm.

Jam packed, nonstop fun to include singing, dancing, creative activities and themed games. £60 for both days.

T: 07921 853773 www.loveballet.co.uk

Netforce Netball

Stratford-upon-Avon Tues 24 & Thurs 26 Jul, 9am-4pm 2 day camp at Stratford Prep School for years 5 & 6. £36 for the 2 days.

Weds 22 Aug, 10.30am-4.30pm 1 Day camp at Meon Vale Leisure for years 5 to 8. £18.

Learn new skills and play fun games at both Netball Holiday Clubs.

E: netforcenetball@outlook.com T: 07971 850687

CDP Dance

Whitnash Community Hall, Whitnash Thurs 2 and 30 Aug, 9am-3pm Themed summer workshops for children aged 4-11 of all abilities.

Morning £12, afternoon £8 or whole day £15.

T: 07531 564558 www.cdp-dance.co.uk Here are some other Holiday Clubs, Camps and Workshops

Art Base Art Workshops Stratford-upon-Avon Fun and creative workshops.

T: 01789 774705 www.art-base.co.uk

Week-long, fun-filled Summer Schools for ages 8-11 and 11-16. Fun and practical theatre workshops.

T: 024 7655 3055 www.belgrade.co.uk

Playbox Theatre Warwick T: 01926 419555 Fun holiday theatre workshops at The Dream Factory.

T: 01926 419555 www.playboxtheatre.com Stagecoach Leamington

Trinity School, Leamington Spa Put on a show in just 5 days! A week of fun, learning how to sing, dance and act.

T: 01926 702725 www.stagecoach.co.uk/leamington

Stagecoach Warwick

Heathcote School, Warwick Put on a show in just 5 days! A week of fun, learning how to sing, dance and act.

T: 01926 711093 www.stagecoach.co.uk/warwick

Super Camps

The Croft Preparatory School, Stratford-upon-Avon Multi-activity programme with more than 40 sports, arts and crafts.

T: 01235 467300 www.supercamps.co.uk

familiesonline.co.uk

SUMMER WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN AGE 4-11 Thursday 2nd August 9am-3pm

WORLD CUP DANCE JAZZ DANCE WORKSHOP

Thursday 30th August 9am-3pm

MOVIES DANCE WORKSHOP CONTEMPORARY DANCE WORKSHOP WhitnashCome Community Acre£3.50 Close CV31 2JH andHall, try for

Fridays - Whitnash Community Hall, www.cdp-dance.co.uk Call 07531 564558 further details CV31 for 2JH info@cdp-dance.co.uk

Mad Science

Various Schools in Stratford District Range of activities for ages 5-11.

T: 01789 260643 www.stratford.gov.uk/sportleisure-arts/hi-5-childrens-holidayactivities.cfm

Various locations.

Fun learning, discovery and exploration, outdoor games, physical activities, and hands-on applications of the scientific principles presented.

T: 01926 429875 www.madscience.org/westmidlands

Holiday Action

Holiday Club

Warwick School, Warwick Extensive programme of sports and activities.

T: 01926 735473 www.warwickschool.org/holidayactivities

Clopton Nursery Trust, Stratford-upon-Avon Variety of fun and educational activities eg. science, arts & crafts, sport and cooking. For ages 2-12.

T: 01789 269360 www.cloptonnursery.org.uk

Coolsportz

Henley-in-Arden and Warwick Fun multi-sports activities for ages 4-13. Full and half days.

T: 07912 664426 www.coolsportz.co.uk

Hatton Holiday Club

Hatton Adventure World Farm based activity day camps enjoying all the facilities and attractions of the Adventure World. T: 01926 843411 www.hattonworld.com

GO4GOALS

Kingsley School Playing Fields, Leamington Spa Multi sports and football camps for ages 4 to 11.

T: 07747 562469 www.go4goals.co.uk

In Warwick District:

go to www.warwickdc.gov.uk/ leisure, click on Young people’s activities, then Holiday activities for a range of holiday activities throughout the district.

Kings Camps

Belgrade Theatre Coventry

Jaykays Dance School

Weston-under-Wetherley Village Hall, Nr Leamington Spa Tues-Fri 31 Jul-3 Aug, 7-10, 14-17 & 21-24 Aug, 9am-3pm (extended care available) Summer School of Performing Arts The Jaykays Dance Company teaching team are offering their Summer School of Performing Arts again for 2018. Exploring fun themes such as: The Greatest Showman and School of Rock, each week will end with a final performance on the staging equipment. Join them for a summer full of dance, acrobatics and musical theatre!

T: 07738 954258 www.jaykaysdancecompany.co.uk

Hi-5 Day Activity Camps

CDP Dance

Bablake School, Coventry Fun, indoor and outdoor sports and activities.

T: 0114 263 2160 www.kingscamps.org

Onside Coaching

Venues in Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon and Southam.

Multi sports, football, dance and forest school.

T: 01926 496406 www.onsidecoaching.co.uk

Fit For Sports

Stratford Leisure Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon Wide range of sports and activities for 5-12 years.

T: 0845 456 3233 www.fitforsport.co.uk/ activity-camps

JUNIOR

HOLIDAY

NETBALL

CLUB

Denim Club

Stratford-upon-Avon and Ettington A holiday club for children aged 4-11 operating from a number of local schools.

T: 01789 290390 www.polkadotworld.com

SCHOOL

-8

YEARS 5

£18 a day Contact Emma for more info netforcenetball@outlook.com

Action-packed childcare this

Summer Holiday Early Bird Offer

Ofsted registered EY476056

Book before 5pm on Friday 6th July

£16 per day 8am-4pm - Xtra Time available up to 6pm if required.

See website for full details. Terms and conditions apply,

Book early and pay only

£2 per hour

North Leamington School Leamington Spa CV32 6RD

23rd July - 24th August 8am-6pm For more info visit aspire-sports.co.uk or call 01926 298 178

01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 11

Summer Holidays

5 Summer Holiday Activities to Boost your Family’s Wellbeing

By Dani Binnington Children work very hard during the school year and rightly deserve some time off to enjoy themselves. The summer holidays are a great time to refresh and recharge.

Practice listening and teach your child not to interrupt. Being listened to without the usual daily interruptions is a very powerful experience for adults and children alike.

With a careful bit of planning, they also provide a brilliant opportunity for children to develop key habits that will help them thrive when they go back to school in the autumn.

Discuss Goals

Remember to allow down time and unstructured play time to feature as often as possible. It is actually good for your child to be bored! During the school year, your child’s days are filled with school work, activities, sports and clubs, leaving very little time for them (or us) to even think about what they WANT to be doing. Sometimes our children need to feel bored to come up with creative ways of spending their time.

Holidays are a great time to undertake family activities like cycling, walking or even learning a new board game, but they can also include some powerful and simple activities that will stimulate the brains of all family members and help each one to get in touch with their inner self.

Here are my top 5 strategies for boosting you and your child’s physical and mental wellbeing this summer:

Practice Self-Care

Teaching our children the important practice of self-care is vital for their development and a great building block for their adult life. It’s great to start during the holidays when they are less governed by a strict timetable. Allow your child to tell you when they need to rest or when they want to read; offer them a bath in the middle of the day if they feel they would like to relax.

These things help connect us to our gutfeelings, which are usually overridden by our schedule and to-do list. Learn to give your body and mind what it needs as often as possible.

Get Talking

A weekly family meeting offers many benefits. Set a time and arrange a place for your family to gather. No phones or other gadgets allowed. No television. You can either set a topic that you would like to discuss (like the next family holiday or even a rewards chart you want to get started) or allow anything to come up. This practice is about listening and being listened to. You could start by asking each person to tell the rest of the family how their week has been so far.

With hopefully a little more time at hand and longer summer evenings to be enjoyed, it can be lovely to talk with your child about their goals and dreams. Everyday life often leaves us with too little time to speak about anything that isn’t entirely necessary. Allow your child to dream! Then set a realistic goal which your child can achieve over the holidays. It can be as little or big as appropriate. From drawing a picture for each family member to learning a new skill, like roller blading. Setting a goal, working towards it and achieving it is an empowering and positive experience. You can always remind your child about how successfully he or she achieved this goal later on during the school year if things are tough.

Ocean Bingo Not going to the seaside this summer? Don’t worry, you can still get up close and personal to every ocean creature you can think of in Laurence King’s newest addition to the bestselling bingo series – Ocean Bingo.

This family-friendly game includes sea life favourites like the emperor penguin, killer whale and Pacific seahorse as well as lesser known sea inhabitants like the yellowbellied sea snake and the bioluminescent octopus! Our favourites include the leatherback sea turtle, Christmas tree worm and the common clownfish (Nemo!).

Like the other bingo games in the series, Ocean Bingo is beautifully illustrated and includes a booklet filled with interesting facts bringing a fun and educational twist to the traditional game. Hours of bingo fun for all the family and ideal for the summer holidays. Another firm favourite on the toy shelf here at Families Warwickshire HQ! www.laurenceking.com

Explore

Cultivate curiosity. Why does our brain ‘grow up’ and stop being curious and explorative when we become an adult?

Explore more, see the world with big, wide, open eyes. Maybe go for a walk in your local neighbourhood and walk down streets that you have not been down before. Your child can take a packed lunch and you can make it into a real adventure. Or print off a map and ask your child to lead you to a certain destination. Or maybe watch a YouTube video about weird and wonderful animals together. Something that takes you out of your everyday experience will offer you and your child a fun way to connect.

Try Something New

Discuss with your child what you could try out that is new to you both. Pick something age and budget appropriate. It doesn’t need to be a bungee jump! You could order some clay and try making a vase; cook a new healthy recipe, which your child picks out of a magazine; or head to your nearest car boot sale and sell some old toys.

Have a happy summer!

Dani Binnington is a cook, yoga teacher and wellness warrior dedicated to providing practical steps for achieving physical and mental wellbeing for the whole family. For more inspiration, recipes, classes and events, visit www.healthywholeme.com

12 Families Warwickshire 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

Send Kids on a World Adventure Whilst most of us crave a warmer climate during the summer, a family holiday abroad is not always on the cards. However, that doesn’t mean children have to miss out on exploring the exciting cultures, tastes and traditions of a new country or three during their summer break. Our Little Globe is a children’s subscription box that delivers personalised activity kits themed to a new country, each month. With the average parent estimating they make thirteen suggestions to their child per day during the summer break to help keep them entertained, a box packed full of fun delivered to your door could be just the ticket. The activities included range from crafts to cooking and the first month includes a free mini suitcase, world map and passport to document their adventures across the world. www.ourlittleglobe.co.uk

familiesonline.co.uk

Summer Holidays

Free entry!

Redwings Horse Sanctuary Oxhill Visitor Centre

n, A fu mily fa free out! day

Dog friend ly!

Follow the brown tourist signs

4-5 Henley Street, Stratford Upon Avon, CV37 6PT www.theMADmuseum.co.uk

01789 269356

YOU’D BE MAD NOT TO!

Meet friendly rescued horses and donkeys at Redwings Oxhill, near Stratford-Upon-Avon, CV35 0RP Open 10am to 4pm every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday

www.redwings.org.uk | 0870 040 0033

4-5 Henley Street, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 6PT

10% OFF TICKET PRICE WITH THIS VOUCHER

Summer Family Fun Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018

21 July - 2 September

Carousel, 1978. Battery-operated model © Rodney Peppé

Fabergé Silver Elephant Automaton, Royal Collection Trust / ©

Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Photocopies will not be accepted. Expires 1st September 2019. FW07/18

SUMMER EXHIBITIONS

A summer of activities celebrating Land Rover’s 70th Birthday!

• • • •

Land Rover Explorer Trail Crafts & colouring Family Explorer Tours Outdoor play & picnic area

Every Wednesday AutoScience LIVE See website for more details

Celebrating YEARS

of Land Rover

£39 FAMILY

SAT 30 JUN – SUN 30 SEP BOOK NOW

TICKET

Registered charity no. 1032478

BOOK ONLINE

familiesonline.co.uk

britishmotormuseum.co.uk J12 M40 . Gaydon . Warwickshire . CV35 0BJ

01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 13

Summer Holidays

*COMPETITIONS*

WIN a Family Super Saver Ticket

Win a Family Ticket to see A Christmas Carol at the RSC

A trio of Stratford-upon-Avon’s awardwinning family attractions has joined forces with its Family Super Saver Ticket, allowing you entry to the MAD Museum, Stratford Butterfly Farm and Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall. We have 3 tickets (worth £57, a saving of approximately 15% on individual entry) up for grabs.

A festive tale for all the family is returning to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratfordupon-Avon. This adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, one of the most loved short stories ever written, plays from 4 December until 20 January.

TO WIN, email your name, phone number and address to editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk and write ‘Super Saver’ in the subject.

DEADLINE: SUNDAY 22 JULY

Win a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children (suitable for ages 7+) to the first preview of the production on Tuesday 4 December at 7.15pm.

TO WIN, email your name, phone number and address to editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk and write ‘RSC’ in the subject.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY 31 AUGUST

WIN a copy of The World of David Walliams: Book of Stuff

In celebration of ten wonderful Walliams years, Families Warwickshire is offering you the opportunity to win this brand new compendium perfect for the ultimate David Walliams fan. Published

by HarperCollins Children’s Books, this spectacularly funny feast of a book is jampacked with exclusive sneak peeks, fun character facts, games and quizzes. It’s the ultimate compendium for super fans, new fans and anyone who enjoys laughing out loud!

For further information, visit www.worldofdavidwalliams.com TO WIN, email your name, phone number and address to editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk and write ‘David Walliams’ in the subject.

(Competition Terms & Conditions will be issued on receipt of entry)

DEADLINE: SUNDAY 22 JULY

NEW! FAMILY* SUPER SAVER TICKET

Visit 3 Top Stratford Attractions for just £57 A trio of fascinating experiences to delight the whole family

Summer fun for all the family at Redwings Horse Sanctuary Head to Redwings’ Oxhill Visitor Centre this summer where you’ll be met with a whole host of activities to keep the family entertained. Beginning Friday 20 July and running for seven weekends, enjoy a series of fascinating talks, demonstrations, tours and plenty of four-legged fun!

If you’re aged 6-11, sign up to Redwings’ Summer Club! Here you’ll have the opportunity to become a mini vet, dentist or even a farrier for the day. Activities begin at 11.30am every Friday and Monday, starting 30 July and running until Friday 7 September.

After a fun-filled day, enjoy a delicious slice of cake and refreshing drink in the café, or pick up a souvenir from your day in the gift shop. Entry is completely free and dogs on leads are welcome too!

Redwings Oxhill (CV35 0RP) is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, 10pm to 4pm.

SHAKESPEARE’S SCHOOLROOM & GUILDHALL STRATFORD BUTTERFLY FARM THE MAD MUSEUM * 2 adults & 2 children, extra child for £9.60

Tickets available from each attraction and online at www.shakespearesschoolroom.org

www.redwings.org.uk

14 Families Warwickshire 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

familiesonline.co.uk

Summer Holidays

OPEN DAILY:

8.30AM - 5.30PM (5.00PM Sundays) Follow us on Facebook & Twitter for all the latest events happening this summer.

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August

Dunnington Heath Farm • Alcester • B49 5PD Tel: 01789 772771 • www.hillers.co.uk DunningtonHeath HeathFarm Farm• •Alcester Alcester• B49 • B49 5PD Dunnington 5PD Tel: 01789 01789772771 772771• •www.hillers.co.uk www.hillers.co.uk Tel: Hillers Strawberries A5 Ad.indd 1 Hillers_DL_Alt_210x99mm.indd 11 Hillers_DL_Alt_210x99mm.indd

All Things Wild Nature Centre Station Road, Honeybourne, Near Evesham, Worcestershire. WR11 7QZ 01386 833083 www.allthingswild.co.uk

08/06/2016 19:41 08/09/2015 08:1908:19 08/09/2015

Summer

at Shakespeare’s FAMILY HOMES From garden games and craft activities to outdoor theatre and picnic celebrations there’s plenty to do this summer.

For full details of our summer programme visit Shakespeare.org.uk

BOOK ONLINE SAVE 10% 12 MONTHS FREE WITH EVERY TICKET

familiesonline.co.uk

01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk Families Warwickshire 15

Summer Holidays

Theatre The Belgrade Theatre

Coventry Box Office: 024 7655 3055 www.belgrade.co.uk Teletubbies Live!

Weds 18 & Thurs 19 Jul Join Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po in a show full of love and laughter as they explore the magical world of Teletubbyland. Join in and enjoy beloved features from the TV series along with brand new songs.

Cirque Beserk Thurs 26-Sat 28 Jul Jaw-dropping spectacular, combining contemporary cirque-style artistry with adrenaline-fuelled stunt action. This astoundingly talented international troupe includes over thirty jugglers, acrobats, aerialists, dancers, drummers and daredevil stuntmen.

Peppa Pig’s Adventure Tues 28 & Weds 29 Aug Join Peppa as she gets ready to go on an exciting camping trip to the woods with George and her school friends including Pedro Pony, Suzy Sheep and Gerald Giraffe.

Adventure, fun, music and of course, muddy puddles!

Royal Spa Centre

Leamington Spa Box Office: 01926 334418 www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk AniMalcolm Weds 25 & Thurs 26 Jul A vibrant, energetic and gloriously funny new musical comedy combining physical theatre, puppetry and the award-winning Story Pocket Theatre’s outstanding storytelling style to bring David Baddiel’s magical and wonderfully comic story to the stage. For ages 5+.

Heartbreak Productions

Outdoor Theatre T: 024 7630 5592 www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk The Railway Children Fri 3 Aug Ryton Pools Country Park, Bubbenhall Fri 24 Aug Foundry Wood, Leamington Spa All aboard! Full steam ahead! Find your travel companions and take your seats (bring your seats actually, and a picnic) for Heartbreak Productions’ outdoor adaptation of The Railway Children, a classic children’s tale by Edith Nesbit.

Packwood House

Lapworth T: 01564 782024 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/packwood-house The Pirates of Penzance Sat 14 Jul Full of great tunes and a plot that twists and turns, The Pirates of Penzance is a delightful farce of a classic that is fun for all ages.

Treasure Island Sat 28 Jul With inventive staging, original songs and magical storytelling, enjoy this classic tale of adventure and treasure in Boxtree Production's unique and energetic way!

Kenilworth Castle

T: 01926 852078 www.english-heritage.org.uk/ kenilworthcastle The Tempest Fri 10 Aug Bring your blankets and picnic baskets, and prepare to enjoy Shakespeare's magical tale of shipwrecks and revenge.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Shottery T: 01789 204016 www.shakespeare.org.uk Peter Pan Sat 11 Aug Soar away to Neverland and embark on an exciting musical adventure with Immersion Theatre’s Peter Pan. Suitable for children age 4+.

Days Out – places to go and things to do this July and August Here are a few ideas for fantastic days out. See the What’s On pages of www.familiesonline.co.uk for more!

Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Oxhill Open every Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon, 10am to 4pm Home to almost 90 rescued horses, ponies and donkeys. Meet residents large and small from Shire to Shetland. Café and gift shop, plus the opportunity to adopt a horse. Entry and parking are free and dogs on leads are welcome. Redwings Summer Club - for ages 6-11 - every Fri and Mon from Fri 20 Jul until Fri 7 Sept. Fascinating talks, demonstrations, tours and plenty of four-legged fun!

T: 0870 040 0033 www.redwings.org.uk/visiting

British Motor Museum

Gaydon A great day out whatever the weather Sat 21 Jul-Sun 2 Sept Family Activities Celebrate Land Rover's 70th Birthday with some great themed family activities! Follow the Land Rover Explorer Trail and discover some of the many Land Rovers in the collection. Get creative with colouring, design and make your own model Land Rover.

Join a family Explorer Tour with costumed guides and hear about some amazing car adventures.

Every Wednesday, AutoScience LIVE, 25 minute show full of cool interactive demonstrations. All activities are included in Museum admission.

Mon 16 Jul & Mon 20 Aug, 10.30am-12pm Mini Motorists Under 5s Activity Morning Discover, through a special selection of activities, the world's largest collection of historic British cars and explore the Museum with your toddler. These drop-in events are held the 3rd Monday of every month.

T: 01926 641188 www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk

Stratford Butterfly Farm

Stratford-upon-Avon Walk amongst some of the world’s most beautiful butterflies and find out all about the Maya, an ancient rainforest civilisation. The Minibeast Metropolis is teeming with life and home to an amazing leafcutter ant colony, one of the largest on display in the UK! Mon 23 Jul-Sun 2 Sept Meet the Mini-Beasts Head to the Discovery Zone where children and adults can take part in twice daily handling sessions with one of the friendly team members and hold creatures such as a giant African millipede, African land snail and a variety of stick insects.

Enjoy delicious hot drinks, milkshakes and snacks served from a retro style coffee bicycle in the wildflower garden.

T: 01789 299288 www.butterflyfarm.co.uk

Hatton Adventure World

Nr Warwick Fantastic day out for all the family. Indoor and outdoor attractions and entertainment.

Sat 21 Jul-Sun 2 Sept Great Summer Adventure New for this summer – Land Zorbing! Water Wars and Water

16 Families Warwickshire 01926 335004 editor@familieswarwickshire.co.uk

Battles are back by popular demand. Challenge your family and friends to a spraying, sprinkling or saturating battle.

Take part in timed battles throughout the day. Plus a packed programme of daily activities including Laser Combat for over 8s, Grand National sheep racing, birds of prey displays plus family cabaret shows, indoor soft play, bouncy castles, funfair rides, tractor rides and masses of animals to feed and handle.

T: 01926 843411 www.hattonworld.com/ adventure-world

All Things Wild

Honeybourne A fantastic all-weather, year round family attraction. Lots to see and do indoors and outdoors.

Get up close to some amazing animals. Step Through Time dinosaur experience, play areas, dino land train, go karts, soft play and much more!

T: 01386 833083 www.allthingswild.co.uk

Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens

Burford, Oxfordshire A fantastic day out for all the family. Lots of animals including lions, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, penguins, lemurs and more.

August is Rhino Month and keepers will be doing a daily talk throughout August at 2pm about these magnificent animals. Each year the Park hosts Rhino Month to raise awareness and funds for Rhino conservation work in Africa.

T: 01993 823006 www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk

Kenilworth Castle

Kenilworth A fantastic place to let kids run free and get plenty of fresh air.

Explore the ruins and have a great day out.

Wed 25 Jul-Fri 31 Aug (excluding Sat 28 & Sun 29 Jul, Sun 26 & Mon 27 Aug), 11am-5pm Hands On History - Medieval!

Time-travelling fun, with lots to see and do, bringing the castle to life throughout the holidays.

Sat 28 & Sun 29 Jul, 11am-5pm The Norman Castle See a mighty trebuchet in action, meet knights and their Men at Arms as they train for war, and marvel at the remarkable Empress Matilda who battled for control of England.

Sun 26 & Mon 27 Aug, 11am-5pm Siege!

Re-creation of the 1266 Siege of Kenilworth Castle. Thrilling re-enactments and one almighty attack as the castle is besieged.

T: 01926 852078 www.english-heritage.org.uk/ kenilworthcastle

The MAD Museum

Stratford-upon-Avon Housing an impressive collection of eccentric and ingenious creations. Interact with eccentric artworks, contraptions and machines, build marble runs on the giant MAD Marbles wall. A fun place to visit for all the family.

Free family activity sheets.

T: 01789 269356 www.themadmuseum.co.uk

Hillers Nr Alcester

Farm shop restaurant, shopping and lots to keep children entertained and happy, including a sandpit play area and a display garden with a bird hide.

Summer Fun The miniature railway will run on Sat & Sun 14, 15, 28 & 29 July and 11, 12, 25 & 26 Aug, 10am-4pm, weather permitting. Birds of Prey with flying displays if conditions are right. Pony rides on Thurs 27 & Fri 28 Jul, Thurs 24 & Fri 25 Aug, 10.30am-3pm. Book rides on the day, first come first served.

Tractor Ted on Thurs 16-Sun 19 Aug, 11am-4pm. Tractor Ted bouncy castle, Digger Den, Welly Wanging & Activity Trails.

T: 01789 772771 www.hillers.co.uk

The Shakespeare Houses

In and near Stratford-upon-Avon Visit Shakespeare’s Family Homes in and around Stratfordupon-Avon. There are children’s activities to help bring their visit to life and special events throughout the year.

Shakespeare’s New Place Stratford-upon-Avon Every weekend throughout the summer holidays, 12pm-4pm Gastrell on Trial Was Francis Gastrell a victim or a villain? Take part in a mock trial where both sides of the arguments will be put across and take a vote on whether Gastrell was guilty, or simply misunderstood.

Sun 19 Aug, 12pm-4pm Shakespeare’s New Place Celebration Party Celebrate the second birthday of Shakespeare's New Place opening. Face painting, magician, live music and a dressing up competition. Free for CV37 residents (with proof of address) and emergency services employees and their families.

Mary Arden's Farm Wilmcote Enjoy a fantastic family day out where you will experience the sights, sounds and smells of a working Tudor farm. Meet the Tudors who run the farm just as Shakespeare’s mother would have done, watch craft and falconry demonstrations and explore the farmyard, playground and historic buildings.

Sat 21 Jul-Sun 2nd Sept, 12pm-4pm Bird of the Week Meet a speciality bird of prey at the farm. A different guest bird will be featured each week of the holidays.

Hall’s Croft Stratford-upon-Avon Thurs 26 Jul, 12pm-4pm Spice up your life with Piro Gallico!

Immerse yourself in the day to day workings if a Jacobean kitchen and discover the many foods and dishes consumed on a daily basis.

Weds 15 Aug, 12pm-4pm Meet the Jacobean Barber Surgeon Discover what it was like to be a Jacobean Barber Surgeon. See and touch the tools the surgeon would have used and hear the grizzly tales of the procedures they would have carried out.

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Summer Holidays

Join us for an outdoor adventure at Coughton Court with games on the lawn, long picnics in the sun, delicious ice creams and join us for our traditional duck race every Wednesday throughout the summer holidays. #nationaltrust

Call 01789 400 777 for details nationaltrust.org.uk

Š National Trust 2018. The National Trust is an independent registered charity, number 205846. Photography Š National Trust Images.

THE GREAT SUMMER ADVENTURE NEW!

ZORBING WATER WARS WATER BATTLES

5 minutes from J15 (Warwick) M40

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What's on?

Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shottery Sat 21 Jul, 12pm-4pm The Big Picnic Garden games, face painting, musical entertainment and stalls filled with goods from local traders.

Free entry for CV37 residents (with proof of address).

Sat 25 Aug, 12pm-4pm Shakes-paws Day Celebrate National Dog Day in the beautiful historic gardens at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Bring your dog, a picnic and join in the fun.

T: 01789 204016 www.shakespeare.org.uk

Herbert Art Gallery

Coventry Events and exhibitions all year round.

Runs regular art and activity sessions for pre-schoolers, as well as sensory play days with SEN sessions.

Until Sun 23 Sept An Exploration Of Toys, Games & Fun Interactive exhibition for all the family. From marbles to Meccano and dolls to dressing up, this exhibition is packed with objects and interactives to delight and entertain all ages.

Sat 28 Jul-Sat 1 Sept, 10.30am3.30pm (except Sundays) Play Makers A different craft activity every day.

Imaginations will soar as we make monsters, mermaids, jet packs, kites, sock puppets and so much more!

Drop in. Suitable for age 3+, but all are welcome. £2.50, under 2s free.

T: 024 7623 7521 www.theherbert.org

Compton Verney

Nr Warwick A great day out for all the family whatever the weather. Lots of activities and special events to enjoy all year round. Woodland adventure playground, explore the galleries with an ‘art explorer’ backpack or take part in a range of craft activities during the school holidays.

Explore the Park with the new orienteering trails.

Until Sun 30 Sept The Marvellous Mechanical Museum This exhibition will include early and rare automata and clockwork dating back to the 17th century.

Rodney Peppé’s World of Invention This exhibition will offer a fascinating insight into Rodney Peppé’s creative career as a toy, automaton and model maker, as a children’s author and illustrator and as graphic designer and artist. From moving mechanical toys to a host of timeless characters in his beautifully illustrated books for children.

T: 01926 645500 www.comptonverney.org.uk

Warwick Castle

Warwick CV34 4QU Jaw-dropping history, magic, myth and adventure! Get lost in time in the Horrible Histories Adventure Maze. A great day out for the whole family.

T: 0871 265 2000 www.warwick-castle.com

Ryton Pools Country Park

Bubbenhall C CC Over 100 acres to explore.

The park has miles of flat, surfaced M MM footpaths, picnic areas, lakes, two exciting adventure play Y YY areas, a visitor/education CM centre and a café. The park CMCM is dog friendly and during school holidays, there isMYaMY MY whole programme of great CY value events and handsCYon CY activities. See website for full CMY list of events.

CMY CMY Sat 21 Jul-Sun 2 Sept K Summer Fun Trail KK Fun family trail around the park. £2 per trail sheet.

Mon 23 Jul, Mon 13 & Thurs 30 Aug, 10.30am-12pm

Summer Ponds Discover different beasties in our pond dipping pool. Learn about newts and frogs, and look for beetles, nymphs and other pond life that amphibians feed on. For ages 3+, accompanied by an adult. £4 per child.

Tues 24 Jul & 14 Aug, 10.30am-12pm Rockets Design a pop bottle rocket with a Ranger. Decorate it then join in the countdown and see how far your rocket flies. For ages 3+, accompanied by an adult. £4 per child.

Thurs 26 Jul & Tues 7 & 21 Aug, 10.30am-12pm Mini-beast Adventure Go on a mini-beast hunting adventure with the Rangers and identify all manner of beautiful jumping, flying and crawling minibeasts found in the long grass, trees and bushes. For ages 3+, accompanied by an adult. £4 per child.

Tues 31 Jul & 28 Aug, 10.30am-12pm Fairy and Elf Adventure to the Magic Kingdom Make a magic willow wand and discover what things the naughty goblins have been up to in the woods! Find the key to the magic kingdom and use some wishing magic to see if the fairies are about in fairy forest. For ages 3+, accompanied by an adult. £4 per child.

Thurs 2 & Fri 31 Aug, 10.30am-12pm Campfire and Survival Dens Have some fun with the Rangers discovering how to design and build your own woodland shelter that’s camouflaged, big enough for your team and waterproof … ish!

Then enjoy toasted marshmallows around a campfire. For ages 3+, accompanied by an adult. £4.50 per child.

Mon 6-Sun 12 Aug Gold Coin Pirate Trail Hunt for the great lost treasure of Ryton! Locate all the missing gold coins of Blackbeard’s long lost treasure hoard. £2 per trail sheet.

See website for full list of events.

T: 024 7630 5592 http://countryparks.warwickshire. gov.uk

about different animals and have lots of fun!

T: 024 7630 2912 www.warwickshirewildlifetrust. org.uk

Royal Shakespeare Company

Coventry Transport Museum

Coventry This huge museum offers a whole FREE day out of fun and discovery for visitors of all ages.

Sat 28 Jul-Sun 2 Sept Summer Holidays: Family Trail Explore the museum with this fun family trail, available throughout the holidays from reception. £1.50 per trail. Recommended for 3+.

Sat 28 Jul-Sat 1 Sept (not Sundays), Toys, Toys, Toy Factory Suitable for age 3+, but all welcome.

Join us in our Learning Centre to build mechanical toys, spinning toys, musical toys, construction toys, robots and board games! Each week, workshops will focus on a different type of toy each week. Mon to Fri 10.30am-3.30pm, Sat 10.30am12.30pm. Drop in. £2.50, under 2s free.

T: 024 7623 4270 www.transport-museum.com

Lunt Roman Fort

Nr Coventry Explore this partially-reconstructed timber fort. Stand on the ramparts, explore the exhibition in the granary and imagine yourself training horses in the gyrus. Open to the public on selected dates during the Coventry school holidays. All activity sessions below are drop in, no booking required, for ages 5+. Free activities (site entrance applies).

Mon 30 Jul-Fri 3 Aug, 10am-3.30pm Gladiator Arm Guards Make your own manica - an arm protector worn by gladiators when they fought in the arena!

Mon 6-Fri 10 Aug, 10am-3.30pm Gladiator Helmets Make and decorate your own gladiator helmet, and step into the arena as a fearsome Secutor, most heavily armoured of all gladiators!

Mon 13-Fri 17 Aug, 10am-3.30pm Roman Medals Make your own wearable Roman medals, called Phalerae, so you can look your best during the victory parade!

Mon 20-Fri 24 Aug, 10am-3.30pm Swan Theatre Harpastum - Roman Rugby & Cone Stratford-upon-Avon Soldiers The Play’s the Thing Play the ancient game of Harpastum Family-friendly exhibition for - the Roman version of Rugby! Make families and children aged 7+. Take a Cone Roman Soldier and colour him a magical journey through 100 years in, then take him to explore the site! of theatre-making in StratfordUse our replica armour as inspiration upon-Avon. Immersive, hands on and for colour and design. engaging.

Tues 28-Fri 31 Aug, www.rsc.org.uk/theplaysthething 10am-3.30pm Roman Swords Makeand-Take Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve Forge your own mighty Coventry Roman gladius, with Brandon Marsh runs regular Nature which to defeat your Tots sessions for pre-school children, enemies! All materials are Wildlife Watch after school clubs, provided. plus activity sessions during school 2017 Country Parks ad.pdf 1 02/02/2017 11:17 T: 024 7623 7522 2017 Parks 11 02/02/2017 11:17 holidays, including crafts, 2017 Country Country Parks ad.pdf ad.pdf den 02/02/2017 11:17 www.luntromanfort.org building and pond dipping. Learn

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Stratford-upon-Avon FREE drop-in activities all year round including Dressing Up Box, Play Cart, Adventure Bags plus special events and workshops during school holidays.

T: 01789 403493 www.rsc.org.uk/families

Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall

Stratford-upon-Avon Learn about Shakespeare’s early life and explore the very building where he learnt to read, write and first enjoyed professional theatre.

Lots of fun for the family including dressing up Tudor-style, Tudor games, Medieval wall paintings and brush up your Latin with our Tudor School Master!

T: 01789 203170 www.shakespearesschoolroom.org

Hill Close Gardens

Warwick A lovely place to explore. Children’s trail available.

Thurs 26 July, 2pm-4pm Teddy Bear’s Picnic Fun for all. Bring your teddy and a picnic. Explore the Teddy Trail. £4 per child.

T: 01926 493339 www.hillclosegardens.com

Market Hall Museum

Warwick £2.50 per child, unless otherwise stated. No need to book, just drop in.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Events suitable for primary school aged children.

Thurs 26 Jul, 10am-3pm Miraculous Medicines Discover some of the weird and wonderful ways people in the past stayed clean and healthy with our fun family activities.

Tues 31 Jul, 10am-3pm Arty Tots: Under the Sea Make seahorses, jellyfish and other sea creatures to take home. For ages 5 and under, older siblings welcome.

Sat 4 Aug, 10am-12pm Make and Create Design a colourful foam or paper ice lolly - perfect for a hot summer’s day.

Thur 9 Aug, 10am-3pm Creepy Crawlies and Bumbling Bees Help the insects in your garden by making a butterfly feeder and bug hotel. Make a bee puppet then join our beekeeper to hear more about the museum’s busiest residents.

Tues 14 Aug, 10am-3pm Terrific Tectonics

The UK’s Largest Tropical Butterfly Paradise! t the year

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Butterflies • Birds • Leafcutter Ants Iguanas • Meet the Mini-Beasts & so much more….

NEW! Café on the Go!

Fully accessible, carers free entry

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/parks www.warwickshire.gov.uk/parks Search Searchfor forKingsbury KingsburyWater WaterPark Park ororRyton RytonPools PoolsCountry CountryPark Park follow followususon onTwitter Twitter@countryparks @countryparks

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Swans Nest Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire, CV37 7LS

01789 299288

enquiries@butterflyfarm.co.uk

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What's on?

Explore the changing shape of the Earth with our fun activities.

Thurs 23 Aug, 10am-3pm What Did the Romans Do For Us? Design a mosaic and see if you can build a Roman arch that will stand for two thousand years. Try on Roman clothes and make a laurel leaf headdress.

Tues 28 Aug, 10am-3pm Arty Tots: Extraordinary Birds Make some beautiful and exotic birds to take home. For ages 5 and under, older siblings welcome.

T: 01926 412132 http://heritage.warwickshire.gov.uk

Foundry Wood

Leamington Spa An urban community woodland in the heart of Leamington Spa and Warwick, offering visitors a unique and enjoyable experience and the opportunity to learn about woodland habitats, wildlife conservation, traditional woodland crafts, and broader environmental issues.

Regular Forest School sessions, storytelling, creative workshops and lots of special events. www.foundrywood.co.uk

The National Trust

Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

Until Sun 15 Jul Unlocked!

This exhibition will open up the store doors to shine a spotlight on objects and artworks in the museum’s wide ranging collection.

See rarely displayed items, discover the most dangerous object, and view the oldest alongside the newest, the smallest and the largest items.

Curate your own displays and see yourself inside the artworks using green screen magic! FREE interactive exhibition for the whole family.

Sat 28 Jul & 25 Aug, 1pm-3.30pm Art Cart Family Fun Enjoy an activity from our Art Cart (which is available to use all the time). Free. Drop in.

Every Thurs during holidays, 1.30pm, 2.15pm & 3pm Art Club Suitable for children up to 12 years. £1.50 per child. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

T: 01926 74200 www.warwickdc.gov.uk/ royalpumprooms

Rain or shine there's always something to discover, plenty of space to run around and an outdoor adventure to be had at our local National Trust properties. Enjoy plenty of family fun this summer and see how many of our ‘50 things to do before you're 11¾’ you can tick off.

Discover Coughton Court’s natural play trail in the woodland. Try out Baddesley Clinton’s natural play trail with stepping stones, rope swings and a winding labyrinth.

Follow the animal sculptures over to the woodland for an animal adventure. Run wild in the woodland at Packwood House, get stuck in and hands on with activities such as den building and tree trunk hopping.

Charlecote Park is a great place to have an outdoor adventure! Have a go at the orienteering trail at Upton House or pick up an adventure pack to help you explore the grounds.

Coughton Court Nr Alcester Weds 25 Jul, 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Aug, 2pm-2.30pm The Duck Race Celebrate the summer holidays by getting all the family together to sponsor a duck on Coughton's traditional duck race down the River Arrow, plus traditional games for families. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Orienteering Events

Warwickshire and Coventry Orienteering Club welcomes families to the outdoor fun adventure navigation sport for all ages. Just like a treasure hunt, find the control

points placed around the parks and woods. Suitable for beginners and experienced orienteers. Juniors £1, adults £5 plus £1 for timer hire. See website for details of forthcoming evening and weekend events.

T: 01926 632189 www.octavian-droobers.org

Don’t Miss Guide Dogs Open Day

Guide Dogs Training School Leamington Spa Sat 7 Jul, 11am-4pm Guide Dog displays, Police dog displays, children’s activities, refreshments, stalls and lots more.

E: coventry@guidedogs.co.uk T: 0345 1430 201

Happy’s Circus

Harbury Playing Fields (behind village hall) Weds 18 Jul, from 5pm The Circus is Coming to Harbury!

The show runs from 6pm-8pm with the fun from 5pm. Face painting, hair chalking, BBQ, Bar, refreshments, raffle etc. Tickets £8, £27 for a group of 4, children 2 and under go free on laps. Tickets from Harbury Library, Shakespeare Pub, Crown Pub or online www.pta-events.co.uk/ harburypta E: harburypta@gmail.com

Warwick Folk Festival

Thurs 26-Sun 29 July Offering so much for families. The main Festival site in the grounds of Warwick School is packed with family entertainment from circus workshops to forest school, as well as crafts, music and dance. The Festival atmosphere spills onto the streets in and around the town itself with eclectic stalls and free street entertainment. www.warwickfolkfestival.co.uk

Art in the Park

Jephson Gardens Leamington Spa Sat 4 & Sun 5 Aug, 10am-6pm Leamington's Art in the Park Festival returns and promises to be even more spectacular than last year.

Enjoy a fun-filled weekend of art, crafts, live art demonstrations, performance, music and dance. www.artinpark.co.uk

British Showjumping National Championships and Stoneleigh Horse Show

Stoneleigh Park Nr Kenilworth Tues 7-Sun 12 Aug It is not only competitors who are guaranteed a fabulous day out.

The British Showjumping National Championships and Stoneleigh Horse Show also offers a great family day of exciting competition, outdoor performances, hospitality and a retail shopping village. Entry for spectators wishing to take advantage of this fantastic show is free and parking is only £5 per car.

T: 024 7685 8205 www.bsnationalchampionships.com

Battle Proms Picnic Concert

Ragley Hall Alcester Sat 11 Aug, gates open at 4.30pm An exceptional evening of classical music, carefully choreographed Spitfire and cavalry displays, dramatic cannon fire and a stunning firework finale – all part of the Battle Proms experience! www.battleproms.com

Camper Calling

Ragley Hall Alcester Fri 24-Sun 26 Aug Family Festival. Camp for the weekend or visit for a day. Music, family entertainment, adventure playgrounds, loads of activities including craft workshops, lake activities, food and drink.

T: 01244 881 895 www.campercalling.com

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2018 T S U G U A RE 7TH - 1A2GRICULTURAL EEXLEHIGIBHITION CENT TH

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Art, Music, Performances, Local Food & Drink

6 Days of Competition n HOYS Qualifiers n Showjumping n Showing n Shopping n

Free Entry

www.artinpark.co.uk leamingtonartinthepark @ AITPLeamington @ aitpleamington

www.bsnationalchampionships.com Tel: 02476 858 205 Festival Supporters

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