Families Vale of York Nov/Dec 2015

nov/dec’15

67

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Project1_Layout 1 20/04/2015 15:50 Page 1

The useful magazine for families with young children “Something a little different for a birthday or just to treat your child this is the shop to have a look in” Gillian, Harrogate 45 COLD BATH ROAD, HARROGATE, HG2 0NL

EAT * SLEEP * DRESS * PLAY

in York, Harrogate, Tadcaster, Wetherby and Selby

welcome to families Over the past few weeks, conversations with friends have proved what I suspected all along: most people really don’t want to be thinking about Christmas just after their summer holiday. Nearly everyone I’ve spoken to has bemoaned the fact that Christmas is getting earlier and earlier each year.

There is a simple solution of course – you can always refuse to take part until December – which is what I did for years (mainly through lack of organisation I hasten to add). The problem with this approach is that everything starts to become a bit of a mad rush and what should be December weekends filled with festive family fun, turns into frazzled desperate shopping trips with moody teenagers and always-hungry toddlers.

I’ve finally managed to find a happy medium and allow myself Christmassy thoughts after Bonfire Night- enough time to prepare and shop – and factor in a bit of down time in December.

I have a long way to go before I can match a good friend of mine who is organised enough to start her Christmas shopping in January – maybe I should take a leaf from her book?

Editor of Families VOY

THE PAULINE QUIRKE ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS

IS ENROLLING NOW! Outstanding performing arts tuition for 4 - 18 year olds.

PQA Harrogate runs on Saturdays from 9.45am - 1pm.

Find us at Harrogate Grammar School, Arthurs Avenue, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 0DZ PQA York runs on Saturdays from 9.45am - 1pm and 1.45 - 5pm.

Find us at Huntington School, Huntington Road, Huntington, York, YO32 9WT

Call FREEPHONE 0800 531 6282 or visit www.pqacademy.com

2 Families Vale of York

in this

issue

families magazine

Tel: 01405 860831 editor@familiesvoy.co.uk www.familiesvoy.co.uk

p4

news

p7

competition

P8

christmas gifts

P12

cook with the kids

P13

multi-faith parties

P14 books P16

education

P18 health P19 what’s on this christmas

Circulation: 18,000 Deadline:

The deadline for the Jan/Feb 2016 edition is early Dec 2015 Designed by: MOOIdesign Tel: 01405 869045 Printed by: Warners Midlands PLC www.warners.co.uk Front Cover: www.shutterstock.com Families Vale of York 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, Temple House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families Vale of York 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.

A TRULY MAGICAL CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE AT

ON L LIM INE B ITE OOK DA VAIINGS LAB ONL ILIT Y Y

EVERYDAY FROM THE 5TH TO THE 24TH DECEMBER

FOR PRICES, AVAILABILITY & TO BOOK TICKETS VISIT WWW.PIGLETSFARMPARK.CO.UK

MAGICAL EVENING SLEIGH RIDES WILL BE RUNNING ON SELECTED DATES / GROUP BOOKINGS AVAILABLE

PIGLETS, TOWTHORPE GRANGE, TOWTHORPE MOOR LANE, YORK YO32 9ST TEL 01904 499183 • FOR PRICES, AVAILABILITY AND TO BOOK TICKETS VISIT WWW.PIGLETSFARMPARK.CO.UK. • SANTA'S SLEIGH WILL BE FLYING EVERYDAY FROM 6TH TO 24TH DECEMBER. • CHILDREN CHOOSE A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM SANTA'S NEW TOY SHOP. • MAGICAL EVENING SLEIGH RIDES WILL BE RUNNING ON SELECTED DATES. • GROUP BOOKINGS AVAILABLE.

Families Vale of York 3

news Children’s Parties

at Ashville College, Harrogate

• • • • • • • • •

Hall hire & catering options Dedicated party co-ordinator Pool parties Football parties Roller Disco parties Face painting Bouncy Castle Enjoy-a-ball activities Peppa Pig lookalike appearances Contact our events team on 01423 724 827 or email parties@ashville.co.uk Ashville College, Green Lane, Harrogate HG2 9JP 1 19/10/2015 12:42 www.ashvilletrading.co.uk

YorkMontessoriNursery_iss67.pdf

New book to help parents with children suffering from hip condition

Cast Life – A Parent’s Guide to DDH was published this autumn and offers a vital lifeline to parents with children suffering from Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH).

DDH occurs when the ball and socket of the hip joint do not fit snugly together and whilst it can affect around one child in every thousand, information and support is shockingly poor, often leaving parents feeling confused about what happens next.

Inspired by her son who was diagnosed at four months, the author, Natalie Trice, passionately believes that there needs to be more awareness of DDH, which if left untreated, can lead to long term disability, hip replacements and life long pain.

Cast Life is a comprehensive book that covers everything from explanations about the condition and details of the various treatments involved, to the various products available to make life during treatment easier. It also looks at family life and dealing with emotions, as well as featuring first person stories.

Cast Life is available on Amazon and Natalie has also set up a charity called Spica Warrior offering information about DDH, 10% of the royalties will be going to this cause. She also blogs about the condition at www.justbecauseilove.co.uk

C

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Open up the world for your child with our Montessori nurseries.

Outstanding care and education to inspire and guide each individual child.

CMY

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Fulford 01904 642666 Strensall 01904 490339

www.yorkshiremontessorinursery.co.uk

Award-winning Treasures!

It’s been a great year for Treasures in Wetherby. Not only have they been announced as a finalist in the Progressive Preschool awards, they have also been chosen as the Good Toy Guide’s Retailer of the Month for November 2015.

Treasures pride themselves on providing a magical customer shopping experience.

From the mini shopping trolleys for children, the Treasures express train travelling around the top of the shop and the play tables to entertain the little ones, a visit to this store is enjoyed by all, from children right through to the grandparents!

Offering a great range of products including wooden toys, craft kits, puzzles and the adorable Steiff Bears, along with a large selection of the usual toy brands - you will be able to find something for all occasions.

Treasures believe that being involved with community events is an important part of their business and participates as often as possible, including sponsoring their local under 11 girls football team. This year staff also invited their local Karate group into the shop to celebrate the launch of Lego Ninjago. Children were able to spend the morning taking part in karate demonstrations and entering competitions.

If you pop along to the store and you may be lucky enough to spot a local celebrity Cricketer. Ryan Sidebottom helped Treasures raise money for a children’s hospice in March by talking to customers about cricket and signing bats and tops for children (and dads)!

“Every child had a dip in the Treasures Treasure chest and got a special gift. There were also lots of new toys on our activities table for children to test out. This was a really successful fun day and raised £300 for a very worthy cause, ” said Zhara Armstrong, owner of Treasures. www.treasurestoys.co.uk

4 Families Vale of York

news Joining Together to Celebrate Christmas becomes an Annual Event for Young Discoverers Nursery Young Discoverers Nursery at Escrick Business Park, between York and Selby have been exploring their outdoors in conjunction with Hollicarrs Holiday Park for some time, and enjoyed activities all year round, but at Christmas it all becomes very magical, and involves the wider community.

Director Ruth Newton explained: “The residents of the Park have been so supportive of us bringing the little people across to enjoy the surroundings, and at Christmas last year they became special helpers for Father Christmas for our older children. As the Nursery has increased in size we needed to split our celebrations over the Nursery and Hollicarrs. The result was amazing, with parents coming to help decorate the Christmas tree, sing carols and see the children receive presents in their woodland surroundings.

Since then, we’ve been planning this year’s event with our families and the Park to make Christmas extra special again. This allows us to have celebrations for our younger children at the Nursery itself, and ensure that all the parents that want to come along can quite comfortably do so. It feels very special to be part of the wonderful community here, especially at Christmas”.

The Nursery is open all year round, taking children aged between 3 months and 5 years. Full details are available on their website www.youngdiscoverers.com or by giving them a call on 01904 728700.

h Inspires s u R r a g u S ’s ie Jam ts g TV programme Sugar Rush, whevicherexydploay refododths,ehas SugargrCouu ndbreakin den sugars in

s and the hid Jamie Oliver’s een obesity in kid s relationship betw uncils calling for a ‘sugar tax’. sugary soft drink co 10p surcharge on od education trust. led to many City a g cin du ro int ve council is health and fo Brighton and Ho proceeds towards a children’s hines in schools e th g ttin pu hy vending mac is alt he and of ion ct du ro oms. pporting the int y school classro They are also su e celebrity classes in primar ion at uc ss the UK, to th has one ed ro ac od and fo nd y other bodies gla an m En . e lik od fo g, in din n de spon The council is re s into the quantities of sugar hid and teenagers may be eating ion chef’s investigat s of childhood obesity in Europe ery day. ev te of the highest ra the recommended sugar intake the proceeds es tim e re restaurants and th his to in x up ta r ga su a d also introduce Jamie Oliver has the Children’s Health Fund. s rd wa to ing are go

Drinking in Pregnancy Still Controversial

Decades after health professionals warned about the dangers of drinking alcohol in pregnancy, there is still controversy over whether it’s safe to drink during pregnancy, and if so, how much.

Current NHS guidelines say that women should avoid drinking in pregnancy. However, they also say “if you do opt to have a drink, you should stick to no more than one or two units of alcohol (equivalent to one or two small glasses of wine) once or twice a week to minimize the risk to your baby.”

There has been a new discussion in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), in which two experts say that avoiding alcohol altogether is the only advice that should be given to mums-to-be. Retired paediatrician Mary Mather and doctoral research fellow in obstetric medicine at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Trust, Kate Wiles, say that guidelines are inconsistent and that many countries in the world advise that pregnant women do not drink at all. They say in the BMJ that drinking can lead to serious health problems including foetal alcohol syndrome, mental retardation, delayed development and behaviour problems. It can also cause low birth weight, which in turn can lead to other health problems in babies.

However, consultant and senior lecturer Patrick O’Brien at University College London, says that while there is no guarantee that a lower limit is safe, there is also no evidence that drinking small amounts of alcohol after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is harmful to babies.

Make this Christmas an unforgettable one at Leeds Museums and Galleries Take a spellbinding visit to Santa in his enchanted grotto, pick up some hand-crafted local treasures in our Christmas market, or capture the spirit of the festive season with cheerful crafts, fun and games.

www.leeds.gov.uk/schoolholidays leedsmuseumsandgalleries

@leedsmuseums #magicalleeds

Families Vale of York 5

news Third Time Lucky For Team Of Young Quilters

Planning ahead for your next winter holiday?

Pupils from Belmont Grosvenor School have proved their needlecraft skills are some of the best in the world after taking the top title at the 2015 Festival of Quilts It is the third year running that children from the school have entered the international competition to find the best quilts from across the UK and beyond.

After being awarded ‘highly-commended’ in the first year of entering, the Year 5 and Year 6 pupils took Second Prize last year.

This year pupils are celebrating taking First Prize in the Primary School section of the competition after spending months creating the ‘Patchwork Magic’ quilt, using colourful fabrics and thread.

“All the boys and girls in Years 5 and 6 worked hard to complete the quilt – and learned a great deal about textiles in the process as well learning a host of new sewing skills and terminology,” said Year 5 teacher Gillian Furniss.

“I feel incredibly proud of them all to have done so well in an international competition such as this,” said Mrs Furniss, who is already planning next year’s entry.

The quilt is hanging up in one of the dining rooms at the school, based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, near Harrogate – alongside Belmont Grosvenor’s previous two entries.

Chilly Powder has been operating catered chalet ski holidays since 1996. The genuine ski-to-the-door location of their 3 luxury catered ski chalets with unrivalled in-house childcare facilities sets them apart from other ski chalets in Morzine, France.

Francesca and Paul Eyre - with their 3 children Ben, Eloise & Jamie - live there all year round and have a good knowledge of Alpine traditions and the Morzine people. Having adapted their chalet holiday style over the years to suit the tastes of their regular guests, they offer the perfect ski holiday for either families, couples or mixed groups in relaxing luxury, with fantastic food and outstanding facilities.

For many returning guests Chilly Powder it is considered a real home from home.

All bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, there is an outdoor hot tub, sauna and massage room and in-house childcare is provided in their own crèche. With excellent food, friendly staff and relaxing atmosphere of their chalets make it the perfect winter holiday destination.

Take a look at their website www.chillypowder.com

All Babies to be Protected Against Meningitis

A new vaccine to protect babies against meningitis B has been introduced for all childhood vaccinations for babies aged two, four and 24 months.

Since September 2015, all babies will routinely be given the meningitis vaccine at their regular vaccination appointments. The scheme was delayed by cost disputes but is now the first national, publically funded programme against this deadly infection in the world. It should protect babies and children against 90% of meningococcal group B bacteria. This can affect babies under the age of one and can be caught up to around the age of five years. If left untreated, it can cause damage to the brain and cause blood poisoning. It can also kill.

The Men ACWY vaccine will also be offered to all 17 and 18 year olds who are starting university this year.

*This voucher must be provided at the start of the session. Terms and Conditions apply.

See website for details. Expires 5th Jan 2016

6 Families Vale of York

COMPETITION

Want to Fly a Falcon?

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to fly a bird of prey, now’s your chance!

Fabulous falconry events are taking place in the courtyard at The Robert Fuller Gallery, Thixendale this autumn and you could be in with a chance of winning a family ticket.

New Exhibition

Yorkshire wildlife artist Robert E Fuller’s latest exhibition focuses on endangered species – from desert elephants to the humble bumblebee – and you can see his highly-detailed paintings and learn how save the wild creatures living near you at this informative art exhibition.

The event includes a display of the artist’s photographic studies of endangered species from all over the world with plenty for children to do, as well as nature walks and workshops on how to protect hedgehogs. The exhibition titled Endangered Species: Near and Far runs from November 7th-29th and entry is FREE. Also visiting the gallery on Nov 15th & 29th will be Sam’s Safari’s mini zoo where expert guides will bring the real life experience of a genuine safari into the gallery

Falconry

Falconry events will be taking place from 10-11am on November 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th with tickets costing £6 for adults ad £4 for children. Visitors will be able to learn how to handle a handsome array of falcons, hawks and owls at this fun family workshop. You can find out all about the habitat and diet of these magnificent birds of prey and by the end of the session you will be able to fly a bird of prey all by yourself.

WIN a Family Falconry Ticket Families Vale of York has a family ticket to give away for the session on NOVEMBER 29th.

All you need to do to enter is visit www.familiesvoy.co.uk/ competitions and follow the instructions there.

Full Ts & Cs can be found online.

Closing date 20th November.

The Robert Fuller Gallery, Fotherdale Farm, Thixendale, North Yorkshire, YO17 9LS. For details and to book the falconry event see www.robertefuller.com.

Families Vale of York 7

best

h ist is mas 10chr

We’ve got a great selection of gifts for your little ones this Christmas. We begin with our top 10 for babies & children.

GIF TS

Ten Best Christmas Gifts For Babies

5. My Wondercube £17.99 MY WONDERCUBE >

1. Glass Christmas Angel Bauble £10 MY 1ST YEARS>

With a beautiful angel inside, this glass bauble is a great gift for baby’s first Christmas. Engraved with a message over three lines with up to 20 characters on each line.

< 2. Playnest & Gym – Farm £44.99 GALT TOYS

Your baby will have lots of fun in this soft multisensory environment. The nest has a fun farm scene around the edge with the sky above. There are textures and sounds to explore in the 4 Gym toys and the 8 activities around the outside.

3. Pirate Ship Personalised Illuminated Canvas > from £55.95

ILLUMINATED CANVAS A picture for your baby’s nursery wall but with a twist; not only can you have your child’s name on the canvas but it lights up, showing an illuminated window in the ship and on the masts.

IGLOO KIDS These stacking toys are hand made from quality wood and finished with child-safe paint and lacquer. Sweet to look at, your baby will also enjoy taking the stacks apart and gradually learning to put them together again.

Meet Santa on Saturday 21st Nov Christmas 11am - 4pm Catalogue out FREE EVENT! now packed with great offers

Free Christmas Gift Wrapping Service Treasures has been nominated for Best Independent Toy Retailer in UK

8 Families Vale of York

< 6. Apptivity iPad Case £32.99 FISHER PRICE

There are so many apps for babies now to educate, fascinate and soothe but the last thing you want is sticky fingers and drool all across your iPad. Step forward the Apptivity case, which covers your pad and offers chunky handles for your baby to hold, as well as three colourful rings.

7. Five Piece Bath Fun Toy £12.99 BROTHER MAX >

< 4. Maya Organic Peppy Five Stackers £25.95

Open Sundays until Christmas 11am – 4pm (from 29th Nov)

This fabric cube toy was invented by a mum inspired by how fascinated her baby was with a box of tissues. Inside the bright colourful organic cotton cube are soft squares that your child can pull out of the cube, pull apart, stick back together and push back inside. Each square has a squeak or a crinkle or a rustle and it’s machine washable too.

Write you letter to Santa and post in our North Pole Post Box

01937 589187 www.treasurestoys.co.uk

Bath time can always be fun with this neat set of bath toys that not only amuse your baby but help to get her clean too. There’s a sprinkler scoop with a chunky colourful handle, a wash mit with a shaker in the middle, a brush to practice hair grooming, a rattle and a wearable wrist toy. They are all BPA, PVC and phthalate free.

< 8. Octotunes £17.99 LAMAZE

Not just a colourful toy, this is also educational as every time your baby plays with one of the Octopus’ legs, it plays a different note. It’s designed to stimulate your baby’s imagination and to help with developing motor skills. It comes with a song book and it has a pleasant vanilla perfume.

9. Personalised Wooden Star £9.50 NOT ON THE HIGH STREET >

A lovely keepsake, this wooden star can be personalized with a baby’s name and birth date or any characters you like to celebrate his first Christmas. It is finished with beeswax and arrives in an organza bag.

< 10. Newborn Star Gift Set £24

JOJO MAMAN BÉBÉ For any baby born in 2015, this is the perfect gift set and the stars are a nice nod to the Christmas season if you don’t want red and green everywhere! The set comprises of an embroidered sleepsuit with matching star hat and a JoJo bunny that will be treasured all through childhood. It comes in a gift box and is suitable for babies from newborn to three months.

Tiggly has arrived!

Ten Best Christmas Gifts For Children 1. Magic Elf Door £20 >

THE MAGIC DOOR STORE Creating a whole world of imagination and anticipation, these sweet doors can be put at the bottom of a wall or even on a tree in the garden. Your child will love leaving little gifts for the Elf or Fairy and who knows – they may even get a response!

< 2. Bon Bon Bear £30 HAMLEYS Every child needs a teddy as a best friend, so treat your little one to a bear from the World’s most famous toy shop. Bon Bon has glossy cream fur, a hand-embroidered face and the Hamleys name embroidered on the sole of one foot. For Christmas, he also sports a fetching red bow tie.

3. Personalised Christmas Sack £22 HARROW AND GREEN >

For when a stocking just won’t do, these quality hessian sacks can be personalized with your child’s name and left under the tree on Christmas Eve. It has stencilled wording on it with “Delivery Date 25th December” as a reminder to Santa.

< 4. Sudokube £5.95 PREZZYBOX

If you used to love the Rubik’s cube, this is a great new take on the classic game that’s good for maths-minded kids. The idea is to get all the numbers form one to nine on each and every side of the cube. If nothing else, it will keep the kids quiet until lunch is ready.

5. Constructive Eating Cutlery Set £14

THE GREAT GIFT COMPANY > Fussy eater? You’ll soon find your child likes to eat when you encourage them to play with their food! There’s a fork shaped like – of course – a forklift, a spoon that’s a frontloader truck and then there’s a bulldozer to help your child push food onto the fork or spoon. Just add truck noises!

Here at Families we’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on a fabulous new interactive learning toy that works together with tablet apps. Tiggly is a New York-based company who have created a suite of learning toys that combine classic physical play with the creative world of digital apps.

We’ve been playing with both Tiggly Words and Tiggly Maths and have had lots of fun.

The Tiggly Maths pack includes 5 coloured counting rods in a draw-string pouch which are used in 3 different learning apps: Tiggly Addventure, Tiggly Cardoons and Tiggly Chef all available at the Apple Store. We used an Ipad to play and after downloading each app (a code can be found in your pack) and familiarising the Ipad with the learning rods, we were away! Tiggly Maths is aimed at children aged 3-7 but of course its suitability will depend on your child’s mathematical abilities.

At 8 years old our game tester was at the upper age range for Tiggly Maths as she had already grasped many of the mathematical concepts.

However this certainly didn’t stop her enjoying playing with the apps and we had great fun creating all sorts of bizarre recipes in Tiggly Chef’s kitchen whilst reviewing maths symbols and learning to think creatively. Even better – we could try cooking and counting in 10 different languages! Tiggly Addventure introduces children to number line concepts and helps improve number sense and counting skills whilst Tiggly Cardtoons helps younger children work on one-to-one matching, counting and equal sets.

Next we explored Tiggly Words through three apps: Tiggly Story Maker, Tiggly Submarine and Tiggly Doctor. Tiggly words is aimed at children aged 4-8 and our tester loved making up stories in Story Maker and recording them using her voice as well as helping Tiggly Doctor spell some really tricky words.

Tiggly Words focuses on phonics, vowels, word building, nouns and verbs whilst encouraging creative thinking and problem solving.

Interaction is via the five vowels which also come in a draw-string pouch and, as with Tiggly Maths, the pieces are placed on the tablet screen which then recognises the letter or number to complete the puzzle.

With both games the magic happens when the player connects the physical toy with the digital app, creating a new way of playing and learning. With staged learning suitable for different ages and abilities, this could certainly keep your children busy for a number of years as they progress to higher levels of understanding.

Tiggly Maths is available from Amazon, Curry’s and Argos and Tiggly Words is available at Amazon. Both are also available at Apple physical and online stores. Each learning system is priced at £24.99 which includes the smart toys and three free interactive apps. They’ll be available from November 3rd.

< 6. Superman Cape Towel £15 DEBENHAMS Bathtime refusals? With this clever super hero towel, your little one can ‘fly’ to the bathroom and then save the world once they’re clean again. This is a fluffy and soft towel with Velcro tabs that’s perfect for wrapping him up for cuddles after bath time is over.

7. Bath Bomb Factory £12.99 ARGOS >

There are several Wild Science kits and this one will create a beautiful bathtime. With all the ingredients to make scented, fizzing bath bombs, it sparks your child’s interest in science too. In fact, it supports Key Stage Two and there aren’t many bath products that can make that claim.

< 8. Style One Direction £5.95 PREZZYBOX

If your child is a huge Directioneer, he or she can dress up the boys from the band with this tongue-in-cheek set.

Whoever is their favourite , they’re all here just waiting for you to style them. There’s also an activity book packed with band facts and stickers.

< 9. Rainbow In My Room Nightlight £25 DEBENHAMS

This colored projector sends a rainbow onto the wall or ceiling of your child’s room and is great if your child is a little scared of the dark. It has two modes, a fully beamed rainbow or a more soothing glow that fades in and out. It has an auto shut off feature and is battery powered.

10. Colour Your Own Palace £13.99 CALAFANT >

If you child would love to live in a palace, this is a great way to play at make believe. The large and strong cardboard palace is assembled without glue or scissors and can be decorated with coloured pens, pencils, glitter – anything they like.

Families Vale of York 9

chr h istmas hr

GIFTS

We asked local businesses to recommend their top 5 gifts this Christmas. Here’s what they picked out…

Little York Set up in the spring of 2015, Little York brings you the best British children’s wear on the market today. The online boutique www.littleyork.co.uk specialises in clothes for children up to the age of 7 years old and offer free postage and packaging on all orders. All items are designed in Britain and many are made here, some right on our doorstep here in Yorkshire! Those that aren’t are all ethically produced. Little York aim to offer you something for your little ones that is just a little bit different, without compromising on quality and comfort.

LITTLE OP 5 YORK T

Contact: Claire Corns e: info@littleyork.co.uk t: 01937 859 111 www.littleyork.co.uk For a 15% discount on your first order, see advert on P12

< Odette Swan Head

£62.99 / SLIPPERS £24.99 It’s hard not to fall in love with Odette! She makes a real statement and looks just as good in a little girl’s bedroom as she does in the kitchen! Hand-moulded, ethically made felt, topped with a tinkly crown, gives her a friendly, but ever so posh face! She even has slippers to match!

Christmas Pudding Outfit >

LEGGINGS £12.50, LITTLE STAR TEE £14, BOBBLE HAT £14 Not only super-practical for cruising, crawling and wobbling legs, but super cute too! The leggings wash like a dream and are paired with a soft cotton tee with envelope neck. The fleece-lined bobble hat is the cherry on the Christmas cake!

< Layla Ladybird – HELMET COVER £25.99

Made to be seen! The Lala Ladybird helmet cover expands to cover all bicycle, ski and riding helmets with no straps or ties. Made from 100% micro fleece, with Scotchlite reflective fabric appliqué, she will get your little one seen for all the right reasons!

Corduroy Pinafores £25.99 >

Practical, pretty and eye-catching, our best selling corduroy dresses look great over tights or leggings, with party shoes or wellies!

< Christmas Pudding TOP £19.99

A Christmas must have for boys or girls! Made from thick, organic cotton, we just love it!

The Rustic Rabbit The Rustic Rabbit, a family run business, now in its 20th year is based in Grassington which is situated in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

In the many warren-like rooms there is sure to be something to cater for everyone tastes.

Call them on 01756 752272, or online www.therusticrabbit.co.uk or call in store for the full Rustic Rabbit experience at 23 Main Street, Grassington, North Yorkshire, BD23 5AD. Open 7 days a week.

Medium Bunny Nurse C USTI R from Maileg £37.50 > 5 E TH IT TOP Let Nurse Bunny from Maileg tend B B RA to all your bunny and mice ailments.

Bunny Nurse wears a white headscarf with a red cross on, a blue dress, a white apron with a red cross on the pocket and little white shoes. She is a medium size Maileg Bunny and will fit all other medium bunny size clothes too.

Height: 43cm approx. Suitable for ages 3 and over.

< Bunny First Aid Bag with Medicine Kit from Maileg £9.25

Packed into this cotton First Aid bag with a red cross on the front are all the items required for your nurse to treat the ill and infirm. There is a sling, syringe and medicine to help make creatures better. Dimensions: 8.5cm x 16cm approx. Please note that rabbits and medical kits are sold separately. Suitable for ages 3 and over.

Frozen’s Olaf Money Bank £21.75 >

Fans of Disney’s Frozen will love being able to save their pennies in this fabulous Olaf Money Bank. Dimensions: 9.8cm x 12.8cm x 25cm . Suitable from 3 years and over.

< La Bande a Basile- Blue Musical Doll Rabbit from Moulin Roty

PRICE: £25.95 Meet this soft plush blue Musical Doll Rabbit from Moulin Roty›s range called La Bande a Basile.

The musical rabbit is made from a loose pile plush fabric, a soft jersey fabric is used for his face with stitched details. He is presented in a sturdy gift box. Dimensions: 25cm tall approx. Suitable from birth

Star Wars (Darth Vader) Ceramic Shaped Money Box from Halfmoon Bay £18.95 >

May the force be with you as you save your pennies! This is a great gift for a teenage boy. This black and silver ceramic money box in the shape of Darth Vader’s helmet will hold lots of pennies and the coin slot is large enough to easily take some notes too. Perfect for a Star Wars fan especially as the new film is due out December 2015!

Dimensions: 17cm x 17cm x 18cm approx

Who Invited this Lot?

Fans of CBeebies presenter Andy Day will be pleased to learn he has launched his first album of children’s songs in collaboration with music producer pals Rob and Dan from Bunkersonix, the team behind many of the CBeebies and CBBC theme tunes.

Performed by Andy and his band, ‘Andy and the Odd Socks’, the 11 tracks are great fun and our young tester enjoyed bopping along to wacky tunes such as ‘Ninja Pig’ and ‘Groovy Hoover’.

Each song is a mini-story featuring children’s favourite characters from ‘Battle Robot Rapper’ to ‘Dinosaur Football Legend Mega Match’. Guest vocalists include Andy’s TV co-stars Katy Ashworth and Sid Sloane.

Andy is delighted to have created an album which can be enjoyed by everyone; ‘We wanted to write something that would not only make kids laugh out loud,’ said Andy, ‘but also engage them creatively whilst having something in there for the grown-ups too. Our music is aimed at the whole family; we are a variety show for the ears!’

We think the album would make a great stocking filler for little ones and is priced at £7.99 (or 99p a track). Available to buy from iTunes and Andy’s website, www.andyday.tv

10 Families Vale of York

Treasures Treasures is a beautiful toy shop where children are encouraged to test out toys and have fun. The Treasures team are knowledgeable, helpful and enjoy helping customers find the perfect gift. There are regular in-store toy demonstrations and competitions and new activities for every school break, so it’s a great place to take the children for a treat. Treasures has been nominated as “Best UK Independent Toy Shop” reaching the final stage with just 5 other shops and the only toy shop in the North of the UK. Their good work in promoting play and providing a fun and inspiring shop has also been recognised by the Good Toy Guide; Treasures is their nominated Toy shop for the month of November. Treasures stocks an impressive number of well recognised brands including Lego, Character, Top Model, Schleich & Sylvanian as well as lesser known quality traditional toys and games.

Treasures can be found at 8 High St, Wetherby and is open Monday – Saturday 9:30 – 5:00pm (5:30pm on Fridays), Sundays from 29th November 11am – 4pm. Contact Zhara, Sabrina or Karen on 01937 589187, Facebook www.facebook. com/treasurestoys & Twitter@Treasures_Toys

URES5 S A E TR Our Generation Dolls TOP

SUITABLE FROM 3 YRS. IDEAL GIFT FOR 5 – 10 YEARS. FROM £29.99 > We added this range this summer and have had some great customer feedback. The dolls are individually named, are 18 inches tall and as they are young girls rather than baby dolls, they appeal to a wider audience. They are well made with great clothes and accessories. For horse fans the foal Morgan is priced at £24.99 and is very good value. I have picked two of my favourites; Sadie and Claire. Doll prices start at £29.99

< Easy Nail Spa SUITABLE FROM 5YRS £29.99 The Easy Nail Spa is every young girls dream (and some older ones too), a gadget that paints your nails while you sit back and relax! I can see one of these making its way under our Christmas tree, as well as polishing your nails you can also add glitter and gems (included), this will be great fun when friends are visiting. It is easy to use, no mess and you can use any polish with the spa. The polishes supplied are water based so good for children and easily removed.

Lego – Ninjago, City & Creator >

Lego have added some fantastic products this year and my Christmas selection would not be complete without Lego however it’s no simple task to pick just one product.

Ninjago Lego has been fantastic all year and more recent new ranges Scooby Doo and Jurassic Park have been selling as fast as we get stock on the shelf. At Treasures we have added some fantastic Christmas offers in our bestselling Lego ranges and each would make a great present for Lego fans.

Ninjago Ronin Rex Suitable for Age -14 yrs £39.99 Save £8 @ Treasures now £31.99 Creator Roaring Power Suitable from age 8-12 yrs. £19.99 Save £10 @ Treasures now £9.99 City 4*4 Powerboat Suitable for ages 5-12yrs. £24.99 Save £5 @ Treasures now £19.99

< Qixels Fuse Blaster SUITABLE FROM 4YRS FUSE BLASTER ACTIVITY SET £14.99 Qixels are colourful cubes that fuse with a blast of water.

This set comes with templates to help build designs but we have found plenty of users coming up with their own designs - Minecraft characters have been a popular theme. The fuse blaster is on our activity table, has attracted lots of attention and is a welcome addition to our craft range. The theme packs with additional cubes are priced at £9.99 and version 2 will be available just before Christmas. However, the Fuse Blaster activity set comes with everything you need.

Battat Take A Part Plane or Crane SUITABLE FROM 3 YRS. £24.99 IDEAL GIFT FOR 4 – 6 YEAR OLD AND ASPIRING MECHANICS! > These are super toys, well designed with easy to grip realistic power tool, chunky nuts & bolts and three interchangeable bits for the power tool including a flat screwdriver, Philips head screwdriver and a wrench. Your child can simply screw together pieces to complete the construction crane or the plane for endless hours of interactive play. This is a great new toy range and may well feature in this year’s top Christmas toys.

Little Alligators Little Alligators brings a fresh look to shopping in Harrogate.

Sourcing only the best toys, gifts, clothes and games from Europe, all of the lovely goodies have been tried and tested by the owner and her children. For unique stocking fillers, special gifts or birthday presents that you can’t buy anywhere else, Little Alligators has everything you need for children.

TOP 5

E LITTL ATORS G I ALL

45 Cold Bath Rd, Harrogate HG2 0NL 07595 178763 www.littlealligators.com

Card Games £6 > We have a fabulous range of classic card games in a fabulously robust box, these beautifully illustrated cards make fabulous stocking fillers that are sure to entertain during any lull in the festive period. < Stationery FROM £3

As ever we have a huge range of coloured pens, pencils and stationery that would be the highlight of any stocking.

Our best choices are Ninja Pencils £5.25 for 12 and Nina Erasers £3 for 3, Fairy Writers £4.25 and Dream Big notebook £3.75

IQ Puzzles £8 >

We also have a great range of single player puzzle games for slightly older children 6+ IQ-Puzzler is a logical brain teaser for young and old. It’s a fun way to test your spatial perception. Comes with 2 kind of challenges: fill up the grid (2D) or make a pyramid (3D).

IQ-Link Fit all puzzle pieces on the game board. But watch out! There are 36 puzzle parts but only 24 free places on the game board!

< Moulin Roty Grand Family £52

Our first wow gift would be this absolutely adorable play set from French designers Moulin Roty. Part of the Grand Family range of toys, the set includes two soft toys (a small Nini mouse and Sylvain rabbit - approx 20cm in height), a whole host of clothes (bloomers x 2, pyjamas, shirt, dungarees, waistcoat, nightdress, dress, pullover) and a lovely sturdy cardboard wardrobe which contains hanging rail and drawer.

Moulin Roty Tool Kit £35 >

Another impressive gift would be this beautifully crafted high-quality tool kit with child-sized tools from French toymaker, Moulin Roty. Includes a saw, hammer, phillips screwdriver, regular screwdriver, gimlet, sanding block, plane, pliers, mallet, chisel, c-clamp, ruler, square ruler, and a spirit level, all stored in a beautiful wooden toolbox.

Brain Tumour Research’s Limited Edition brooches are the perfect stocking filler!

Celebrated Milliners Rachel Trevor Morgan and Vivien Sheriff are among those who have collaborated with the charity to produce these gorgeous brooches in order to raise funds for their annual Wear A Hat Day. Suggested donation £10.

Visit www.braintumourresearch.org or call 01296 733011 to secure yours today! (Each brooch is limited to a run of 500)

Families Vale of York 11

Make With Kids

advent

Little Alligators have also recommended 4 unusual advent options, all of which could be used year after year: The first is a more traditional advent calendar containing a charming nativity scene. This makes the perfect advent gift.

It features a host of cut-out figures, animals and trees crafted with wood, beautifully detailed and embellished with gold foil. Pack contains wooden nativity scene with 20 stand up characters and self- assemble stable. £16

This year we also have the ever popular Nutcracker Charm bracelet calendar. This beautiful charm bracelet is a great idea for advent. It comes with 23 individual acrylic charms, each in their own numbered door, which attach to a stylish gold bracelet that you open on day one. They come packaged in a card jewellery box, complete with dancing ballerina! £18 We are proudly a stockist of Elf on the Shelf, a charming Scout Elf sent directly from Santa to help count down to his big arrival. This special tradition has captured the hearts of children all over the world who have embraced the magic of adopting their very own scout elf. Bring the Christmas magic home to your family this year! £29.99 Ingela Arrhenius has produced a special Christmas nativity set of her popular nesting dolls.

These make a fantastic festive gift, or use them as cool Christmas decorations in the home - ones that you will look forward to bringing out year after year. £18.50

12 Families Vale of York

Christmas Cookie Tree Decorations

These delicious shortbread stars will look great on the tree – but we suspect they won’t be there long! This is such a simple recipe, with only three ingredients and it is quick and easy to make but shortbread is always a favourite.

Time needed: About half an hour, including baking time

Ingredients:

Method: 1. With your child, measure the flour and then let your little one spoon the flour into the sieve, held above the bowl. Sift the flour.

Plain flour, 200g

2. Add the sugar

Cool butter, 100g

3. Add the butter, cut into cubes.

Caster sugar, 50g

4. With clean hands, show your child how to rub the butter into the flour. Keep rubbing then kneading and it should come together into a ball.

Writing icing, white, green, red (great for drawing lines and shapes) Decorations in silver, red, green, gold or white

5. Without over-working the dough, roll it out on a flat surface, dusted with flour.

You will need:

6. Using the cookie cutters, help your child stamp out star shapes and place them on the baking tray. Use the blunt end of the clean pencil to make a hole at the top of one of the points for the ribbon.

Large bowl Sieve Flat baking trays Star cookie cutters (or other festive shapes) Clean pencil Silver, gold, white, green or red ribbon

7. Bake at 320F/160C/Gas 6 for 12-15 minutes until golden. When cool, decorate with writing icing and any other decorations you like, such as sugar balls.

Hang on the tree!

n o i t a r b e l e c a all for

By Emma Oliver

How to have a

children’s Christmas party whilst being sensitive to other faiths In today’s society, our children grow up surrounded by other faiths and cultures, which is definitely a reason to celebrate.

Together, they learn from one another about diversity and race. And together we can all unite for the good of the community and the wellbeing of all.

But how do you hold a party at Christmas and remain sensitive to one another’s needs? How do you hold a multi faith celebration? We take a look at the best ways to have fun and include all the children in the class – not just the Christian ones.

Be Informed

It is not only the Christian faith that has a holiday at a similar season as Christmas: Hanukah and Divali are also celebrated, usually during December and there are several similarities that you can use for your party such as the tradition of lighting candles. Also, a growing number of non-Christian families have created unique ‘Christmas’ traditions, to ensure they celebrate the

season for one reason or another, if only for the Bank Holidays. This makes it easier to encourage everyone to join in. And many non-Christians celebrate Christmas, with the presents and the food traditions upheld, too.

Learn From One Another

Being sensitive to all needs is important but so is avoiding segregation, which can be divisive. So don’t feel you can’t invite children of other faiths to your party and ask their parents if there are seasonal traditions or foods they enjoy – perhaps a mum may offer to bring some food they traditionally have to celebrate festivals. Ultimately as a parent, you want to teach respect. Children are accepting and good at embracing the multi faith experience – we can learn a lot from them.

Share Values

Whatever their faith, parents share the same core values.

We want our children to be good conversationalists, to learn to share, to engage well with family and friends and to be happy. At your party, keep the focus on what unites people: laughter, love and friendship.

Celebrate

Coming together is a celebration whatever the occasion and it may well be that you choose to manage the ingredients of your party with individual ingredients of other faiths… with games, food and music to suit all.

If there is anything that you are not sure about, my advice would be to check with the parents of the children you’ve invited about your plans, just to make sure they are happy too. This can be especially true of the food you serve, as you’ll need to know if the children are unable to eat certain foods for religious, cultural or medical reasons.

Chances are, if the children you have invited say yes, the party will be a success for all and who knows – perhaps you’ll all learn a little more about each other in the process!

Emma Oliver is a journalist who has worked for various magazines and websites, mainly covering travel and parenting. She is also a mum to two young girls. When she’s not off gadding she can be found blogging- WritingLifeAsItIs.blogspot.co.uk

Families Vale of York 13

How to read with your child “Not now, darling...” is the

plaintive refrain from parents - at bedtime, in the library, on the bus or any moment that you have had the audacity to put your feet up for five minutes.

and really enjoy it!

Recently, when sorting junk in the garage I came across A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson and I realised that I could still recite every line, years after I had read it with my child. How can we ensure we are fresh and eager each time our loved one wants to share their reading? And given that we know that it is not only vital for children’s intellectual development to read together but that it also benefits our own inner lives, what should we do to get better at it? Here are ten ways to truly enjoy reading with your little one.

1. Accept and celebrate the knowledge that

him or herself down beside

reading with your child is part of your job description as a parent. It is there alongside cuddler, sleep-trainer and bottom wiper. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Soon, you will be a natural performer.

you with a picture book that

2. When they are babies, choose books YOU

Your dearest progeny plonks

you have already read aloud a hundred times.

By Justine Crow

like to read to them. They are too small to understand much but the cadence of your voice gives them comfort. You could read a cookbook aloud and they’ll be content.

3. When they are toddlers, reading together

enables bonding but it also can act as an incentive: if you stay in your bed ALL night, you can get into my bed in the morning for a story, how’s that?

4. The concept of ‘making time’ is an

impossible ideal. We can’t magic up extra minutes to read but we can use the moments we already have.

Lots of pictures are the best way to keep a little one on the potty; submergible bath books enable hair-washing and nit-checking too. What a bonus!

5. Keep books for daytime

reading on the lowest shelf and allow them to select the book they want, no matter how many times it has been shared. If you really can’t stand it another time, have a bit of fun; read it backwards, or upside down, or

in gobbledygook. Your child will soon insist it is done the right way up and before you know it, they will be reading it to you!

6. Books without text such as Clown by Quentin Blake are brilliant for sharing – encourage your toddler to tell you what is happening. Talk about what you both see.

7. At the library, put your phone away and suggest that each of you dig out a title. Your youngster will often pick one they already have at home - but it doesn’t matter, because your special task is to discover one they’ve never seen before. Just think how much more enthusiastic you will be to open it up.

8. When shopping together, don’t expect a young child to choose the ‘right’ book. You decide what to buy while your child rummages through the books on the play-table. Then read one together before you leave. Once they can actually read, allow them to choose their own books.

9. Books for bedtime should be chosen by you and kept higher up on the shelves. Make this a time for your child to listen and be calm and contented - though questions should be answered. Then, it’s lights out!

10. As they grow older, you can be more

adventurous and find longer stories, like fairy tales. Soon, you can introduce to them the novels you loved as a child. Perhaps they will want to continue reading a particular chapter book alone but they will always remember the sense of an experienced shared.

Justine Crow is the author of The Little Book of Nits published by Bloomsbury. Parent of three, she owns her own bookshop with her partner, The Bookseller Crow on Hill, and is a qualified swimming teacher. And in what little spare time she has, she also runs gastronomic writing retreat courses in France and is the food critic of The Transmitter.

Swimming Lessons • • • • •

All Ages and Abilities Group lessons One to One Lessons Lessons Local to you Gift Vouchers

Call Debbie or Ray: 01757 247047 or 07768 179840

14 Families Vale of York

w

ww

r

g

Email : Sarah.roberts@swimtime.org Learn to swim, be safe, have fun!

.s w im ti m e . o

When friends fall out: how to help your child cope with playground arguments Families

book reviews

By Liat Hughes Joshi

With every issue of Families, we bring you the best new books for you and your children

By Justine Crow

Baby & Toddler Walter’s Wonderful Web

by Tim Hopgood - Macmillan RRP 5.99

This sweet board book from the author of Wow! Said the Owl, is an introduction to shapes delivered with the same bold, robust flourish as the previous book.

Three to Five years Please Mr Panda

by Steve Antony Hodder RRP 6.99

We grown-ups are very good at demanding manners from our little people but how do we teach them?

Bribery, that’s how and Panda is on hand with an awful lot of naughty doughnuts. But nobody gets any until they say: “Please!”

Six to Eight years The Not So Little Princess, Where’s Gilbert?

by Tony Ross & Wendy Finney Andersen RRP 5.99

The Little Princess did great work for us parents in the potty training, bedtime and pets departments. Now she is older, she stars in a new Early Reader series along with the original cast of bonkers characters from the palace. Though she has lost her teddy, she has lost none of her zest.

Nine Years Plus Magnus Chase & the Sword of Summer

by Rick Riordan - Penguin RRP 14.99 Here’s a fantastic new series from the writer of the Percy Jackson Adventures.

This time it is Norse myths and accompanying trolls and giants that form the historical backdrop into which our hero is hurtled, to search for a weapon that has been missing for a thousand years.

12 To Teen The Rest of Us Just Live Here

by Patrick Ness - Walker RRP 12.99 What if you aren’t born to be a hero?

What if you are just a plain old young teen preparing for a prom? What happens then?

From this acclaimed author, you can be certain that the answer is right out of the ordinary.

Your child is happy at school and has made some good friends. Then the dreaded playground squabble strikes, the tears roll and you’re stuck as to ways to help…here’s how.

Relax (a bit): it’s normal

Ask primary school teachers and they’ll doubtless tell you that kids fall out (and in again) as quickly as a round of Hokey Cokey. It’s normal and most squabbles are soon forgotten: kids don’t bear grudges the way grown-ups tend to. Unfortunately this knowledge won’t console your heartbroken child much, so…

Reassure, hug and listen

Even if it’ll probably blow over, your child might well feel like their world is collapsing. Give hugs, provide shoulders to cry on and tissues.

Help them to help themselves

Once they’re calmer, instead of providing straight solutions, encourage your child to think through what they could do to resolve this, with guidance from you behind the scenes. If there’s been a misunderstanding, how could they instigate chat to explain? If the other child is consistently mean to them, who else could they play with instead?

Resist the temptation to wade in!

Your parental instincts might urge you to tackle the little blighter concerned, or their parents, but hold back. Wait and see if everything settles by itself. Confronting the other child isn’t fair or appropriate.

Plus your son or daughter might find it embarrassing if mum or dad piles in to sort their playground problems out.

Proceed with caution with the other parents

This is a minefield; many parents will never accept their offspring has done anything wrong. The children will probably make up before the week’s out, potentially leaving an awkward feud between the parents (who you’ll have to see at the school gates for the next however many years!).

If they confront you, and the kids’ argument was relatively minor, it’s sensible to suggest ‘let’s leave the children to sort it out’, or similar. If goings-on were serious, perhaps say that you would rather the school dealt with it.

When to speak to the teacher…

If the dispute involved physical violence, becomes persistent, and/ or your child starts not wanting to go to school or is having trouble sleeping, then do raise it with their teacher. They can then keep a closer eye on the children, intervening if necessary. In a busy class of 30, it’s understandable that they might not be aware of every falling out.

See this as a learning experience

There might have been tears but chances are your child will have learnt more about relationships and friendships along the way.

Liat Hughes Joshi is a parenting journalist and the author of four books including ‘New Old-fashioned Parenting’ and ‘How to Unplug Your Child’ (both published by Summersdale) and Raising Children: The Primary Years (Pearson).

Families Vale of York 15

edu educ ation Creating confident children Confidence is just as important in life - if not more so - than a brace of A grades or endless extra-curricular skills. It’s vital to emotional wellbeing and something most of us hope our children will develop.

Confidence is about being comfortable with who you are, willing to give things a go - even if you’re not sure you’ll succeed - and trusting your own abilities and judgement.

But how can we instil this feeling in our children, particularly if it doesn’t come naturally to them?

Accept your child’s starting point Not all children – or adults - are confident by nature (wouldn’t life be boring if we were all the same?) and whilst we can encourage self-belief, transforming a shy or anxious child into a ‘life and soul of the party’ type, is probably an unrealistic aim.

Try to avoid making comments to your child such as how you wish they were more confident, or less shy because, in effect, you’re saying you don’t value them as they are - a real confidence crusher.

Accept your child’s personality and ‘starting point’; it might be different to yours, their sibling’s, friends’ or classmates’ and that’s absolutely fine.

Don’t force them into situations they aren’t comfortable with In most scenarios, one of the worst things you can do for a young child who’s unsure is to push them in at the deep end with something when they aren’t ready. They need to trust you when taking on new experiences and doing this damages that trust.

Take small steps to encourage confidence Find opportunities to stretch just a bit beyond what your son or daughter is comfortable with at a time.

So that could be going to their friend’s house with them initially, then you just staying for a little while at the start, then next time, they might be happy to go alone.

Work out what their fear is Often a child will have niggling worries holding them back in a specific situation. So perhaps “If I put my hand up in class, I might get the answer wrong and the other children will laugh at me”. Pin down their concern – although preschool children might struggle to articulate their fear.

Address their concern and provide plenty of reassurance that they will be okay, that what others think doesn’t really matter and that you’re there for them.

16 Families Vale of York

By Liat Hughes-Joshi

Talk about similar situations you experienced as a child, when you were afraid of something, and how it worked out for you.

Keep praise special These days, there’s a tendency to be super-positive and heap on the ‘fabulous, you’re the best child ever!’ comments every other second – sometimes it feels like we should be praising our kids simply for breathing. But if you tell them everything they do is wonderful all the time, positivity loses power.

Keep praise for when it’s truly warranted and focus on effort rather than just results. This way, when they do do something amazing, your comments will have more impact.

Find their forte and allow it to flourish If your child doesn’t do so well in academic work, or the usual extra-curricular activities at school, this can make their self-esteem fragile.

Seek opportunities for them to try other, more unusual activities out of school and highlight positive personality traits such as being especially kind or a good organiser.

Step back sometimes and let them ‘have a go’ – land that helicopter!

Helicopter parenting – hovering over your child, stepping in to resolve the slightest issue or preventing them from failing – is a barrier to building confidence. Children need to find their own solutions, attempt things their way sometimes and take sensible risks. Sure, you can guide and advise but try not to jump in and take over too quickly.

Whether it’s allowing your three-year-old to choose her own outfit or your ten-year-old to walk to the post box alone, letting go is a crucial confidence builder.

Liat Hughes Joshi is a parenting journalist and the author of four books including ‘New Old-fashioned Parenting’ and ‘ How to Unplug Your Child’ (both published by Summersdale) and Raising Children: The Primary Years (Pearson).

Are we over-testing our children?

By Carey Ann Dodah

The UK’s education system has traditionally been far less test-centric than its counterparts in countries such as the USA, where last year saw children actively boycotting and protesting against the test-culture. In the USA, children are tested annually and these tests dictate whether they progress into the next year or are held back. Children feel a lot of pressure to do well. Parents want them to do well, but feel simultaneously concerned and disappointed at the way in which creative and life-skills can be side-lined in their children’s academic lives.

In the UK, the move towards the new curriculum and introduction of new assessments such as the Baseline Assessment tests, Phonics Screening check, and KS2 SATS including the new SPAG test, are disturbing many parents, who are concerned that too much emphasis is being placed on teaching children to pass tests.

So what exactly are these tests?

The Baseline Test 1:1 formal test that will take place within a few weeks of a child starting school.

It focusses on a child’s literacy and numeracy to generate a ‘baseline’ against which to measure progress to Key Stage One and Two. The baseline test has received a lot of criticism. However, if delivered in the right way, a child will not be aware of being assessed and the results will provide valuable data that teachers can use to track a child’s progress. Looking at the rate of progress each child is making is really positive, as every child is different and learns at a different pace. The test will enable teachers to be recognised for the difference they are making to each individual pupil, rather than getting a whole cohort to one level.

The Phonics Screening Check Taken by pupils in Year 1, this test is designed to confirm whether pupils have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard. It will identify pupils who need extra help to improve their decoding skills. The check consists of 20 real words and 20 pseudo-words that a pupil reads aloud to the teacher. Pupils must also take the check in Year 2 if they didn’t meet the required standard in Year 1 or haven’t taken it before.

KS2 SATS National Curriculum tests which are taken by pupils at age 11 at the end of Key Stage 2. Tests include: • The SPAG Test An English grammar, punctuation and spelling test which assesses a child’s English skills in four key areas: spelling, punctuation, grammar, and vocabulary.

•

•

English Reading Test Based on reading comprehension of three texts, with a total of 35 to 40 questions of increasing difficulty.

Three Written Maths Tests and a Mental Maths Test

The new KS2 SATS will initially see pupils and schools judged on test results, as there is no historical data to evaluate progress for each individual pupil. So the tests will be tough and those sitting them in May 2016 are going to be challenged with material that would previously have been expected of children a year or two older. With this amount of extra material to learn it’s natural that schools will feel the need to tailor their focus to the test.

The new curriculum set out to provide a creative, collaborative experience for children in both maths and English but the KS2 SATS tests focus on the mechanics of maths and English and don’t include any creative problem solving activities in maths or any opportunities for children to demonstrate their skills in creative writing.

The danger here is that the narrowness of the tests could flow into a narrow focus of learning during lessons.

Despite the increase in testing children in the UK, I remain positive that a testculture like that of the USA will be avoided. It’s vital that the UK education system maintains a balance between creating a love of learning in children and nurturing their creative talents and passions, whilst simultaneously teaching them in a way that enables them to pass tests. The majority of teachers feel similarly and we need to trust in the intention they have to preserve this balance for our children.

Carey Ann Dodah is the Head of Curriculum at Explore Learning, one of the UK’s leading providers of extra tuition with 117 centres located across the country. Our nearest is in York – 01904 406 355 www.explorelearning.co.uk

Families Vale of York 17

health

Coughs&Sneezes

By Sally J. Hall

There are over 200 separate cold viruses around, so it’s no wonder that our children seem to come down with a cold almost every five minutes. And with the weather being gloomy and the days getting dark so early, we all tend to feel a little more run down than usual.

How to cope with winter woes

We still don’t know exactly what causes the “Common Cold” but we are all familiar with the symptoms.

A runny nose, sore throat, a temperature and a general feeling of poor health are only too familiar. So when do you let nature run its course, and when do you call the doctor?

For very small children and babies, the worst effect may be a blocked nose that stops him being able to breath properly. This can interfere with breastfeeding, as it’s difficult to feed with a blocked nose. Clear blocked nostrils gently with a soft cloth soaked in sterile saline solution or if really blocked, a nasal aspirator.

You can try to help relieve the symptoms by using a decongestant rub on your child’s chest at night or by using a few drops of a

decongestant spray or eucalyptus oil on a tissue; leave it near (though not in reach) of your baby as he sleeps.

You could also use a vaporiser or humidifier in your child’s bedroom to help with breathing.

Sleep may be affected, especially if your child has a cough, so try to encourage naps during the day– and you may need one yourself if your little one has kept you up half the night!

If your little one has a slight fever, this can be dealt with using an infant paracetamol or ibuprofen solution but make sure you read the instructions and use the right amount for your child’s age. Never use a cough and cold remedy with children under six years old.

Make sure that your child continues to get plenty of fluids, even if he is off his food. So keep breastfeeding.

For older children, water should be offered frequently but try to avoid lots of sugary drinks and cordials, as you’ll have tooth decay to cope with later on!

If your child is under three months old, it’s always worth checking the symptoms with your doctor, as very small children can become very ill very quickly. If your child is floppy and unresponsive or very fussy, call the doctor or go straight to the hospital.

If you’re worried that it’s not ‘just’ a cold but something more serious, do seek medical advice. Flu is a worry during the winter months and can be serious in young children.

Croup, a viral illness that causes a bark-like cough can be swiftly treated with steroids, and whooping cough, a bacterial infection, needs antibiotics (remember that your child must take the full course to avoid becoming antibiotic resistant). If you are concerned that your child may have meningitis, you must go to the hospital at once. Symptoms include a headache, sensitivity to light, a rash, seizures and listlessness but some indicators may be mistaken for a cold or flu. If in doubt, get to A&E – the staff will be only too happy to be able to set your mind at rest.

Natural Ways t o Your Immune S Boost ystem Do you fe

el like the who le family is co ill and as one nstantly illness goes, an other one comes along?

Try these natu ral methods to boost your fam ily’s immune sy stem

Get enough slee p

body repairs its Sound obvious elf bu plenty of rest wh while we sleep. So make sure t the en they are ill. kids get

No Smoke

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Eat a rainbow

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18 Families Vale of York

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what’s on nov/dec15

We’ve ordered everything according to start date – be sure to look out for all the events which run for several weeks / weekends too. And be sure to check before you set off. These were correct as we went to print but may have changed. Check if you need to book ahead too. More ‘Days Out’ can be found online at www.familiesvoy.co.uk . All events are now searchable by date, venue & age range making it much easier to find all our local events at the click of your mouse.

UNTIL 29 NOV

7 NOV – 7 FEB – EVERY SAT & SUN

21 NOV

26 – 29 NOV

Folly!

Winter Family Fun

Christmas Fete

Festive Medieval Market

21 NOV

Seasonal Sessions

FOUNTAINS ABBEY Seek out the follies in the water garden.

These whimsical buildings will be transformed from their original use by some of the country’s most inventive artists and designers. 10am - 4pm / Free - but normal admission applies. 01765 608888 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey 6 NOV – 1 JAN – EVERY FRIDAY

Disco on Ice

STOCKELD PARK Stockeld Park’s huge outdoor rink hosting Disco on Ice, where you can enjoy ice skating, music and lights every Friday night! Perfect your pirouettes in a lively disco atmosphere.

6.30pm - 8.30pm 01937 586101 www.stockeldpark.co.uk 6 NOV

Free Day Friday – Open Day

HARLOW CARR An opportunity to visit for free and enjoy them as they bed down for the winter.

0845 265 8070 www.rhs.org.uk 6 – 7 NOV

NSPCC Christmas Fair

CASTLE HOWARD Browse a range of great gifts for all the family in the house or pick up a pre-Christmas treat for yourself, with over 60 stalls selling a wide range of items from toys and children’s books to jewellery, homewares, food and drink. / £8, Under 13s Free 01653 648333 www.nspcccastlehowardchristmasfair.co.uk 7 – 8 NOV

A tribute to all things ‘Frozen’

STOCKELD PARK A fabulous winter wonderland weekend: Take a turn on the Ice rink with snow machine, enter the frozen photo zone, build a snowman in the craft area, see real live Huskies and join Make a Wish Entertainment in welcoming some special guests and activities to embrace the winter wonderland and love of all things, ice and frozen. Day Ice Passes can be booked online and include entrance to all the core and ‘Frozen-themed’ activities. 12 - 6pm / Ice Pass price £15.50 per child, £17.50 per adult.

01937 586101 www.stockeldpark.co.uk 7 NOV

Family Bonfire Event

HOWSHAM MILL Go along as the sun goes down for fun activities, stories and tasty treats around the bonfire. No bangs so perfect for little ones. Join in as the sun goes down for fun activities, stories and tasty treats around the bonfire. No bangs so perfect for little ones.

01653 619712 www.howshammill.org.uk

BENINGBROUGH HALL & GARDENS Join the Beningbrough Buddies as you help them on their quest by solving the puzzles and clues, following the new winter trail, exploring as you go. 01904 472027 www. nationaltrust.org.uk/beningbrough-hall 14 NOV 10AM – 3PM

Craft Fair

SEEDLINGS, CARLTON Craft Fair, Sammy Seeds Fun Zone, Café & Garden Centre. www.seedlingscarlton.co.uk 14 NOV – 23 DEC

Christmas Opening

BURTON AGNES HALL The Cunliffe-Lister family gather natural products from the Hall’s award winning gardens and estate to create stunning, original decorations. A huge Christmas tree from the estate’s forestland will dominate the Great Hall. Original Elizabethan and Jacobean quarters will be decorated in traditional style whilst the Long Gallery will have a contemporary Christmas mood to complement its collection of modern and impressionist art. 11am - 5pm 01262 490324 www.burtonagnes.com 19 – 22 NOV

Harrogate Christmas Market

THE STRAY This four-day festive market will be filled with high quality Yorkshire and Harrogate products. With over 190 stalls selling everything from Yorkshire cheeses and chutneys to handmade gifts and Christmas decorations. There’s also be a Santa’s Grotto and real reindeer! 10am - 5pm www.harrogatechristmasmarket.org 21 NOV-13 DEC – EVERY SAT & SUN

1920s Christmas Experience

NUNNINGTON HALL Discover Nunnington Hall as it would have been on a Christmas Eve in the 1920’s. The house is dressed for Christmas, sherry is being served by the butler and you can hear about the day through the eyes of the house’s occupants. 11am - 4pm 01439 748283 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington-hall

THE DE GREY ROOMS Christmas Fete with a variety of stalls selling Christmas gifts, crafts, handmade, vintage and decorative items. The De Grey Rooms cafe will be open serving a variety of hot and cold drinks as well as a selection of cakes. Fully accessible for buggies and wheelchairs. 10am - 4pm 01904 715455 www.degreyrooms.co.uk

Family Star Gazing Evening

FOUNTAINS ABBEY Moons, star clusters and all kinds of deep sky objects are waiting to be spotted by you.

Test out your telescope skills and unlock the secrets of the night sky with a helping hand from York Astronomical society and tick off another of your 50 things! Booking Essential 01765 643166 7.30-9pm www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey 21 – 22 NOV

Magnificent Three Kings Parade and Camel rides

STOCKELD PARK, Camel parade through the Enchanted forest and even ride a camel for yourself at this unique festive event. £5.00 per ride 10am 3pm / £5 per ride. Parade is FREE up to the spooky gates then you will need an activity token or wristband.

01937 586101 www.stockeldpark.co.uk 21 NOV – 14 DEC

Stable Courtyard Christmas Market

CASTLE HOWARD Get great stocking fillers and books for all the family, gifts for the home and children’s toys and a range of seasonal treats from the farm shop. 10am - 4pm. 01653 648333 www.castlehoward.co.uk 23 NOV

Ministry of Science Live

GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK From the creative team behind Brainiac Live and a whole load of other explosive science shows, the new production takes an anarchic approach to science communication whilst looking at the inventors and engineers who have shaped and inspired the modern world that we live in. 11am & 6.30pm 0844 871 3024 www.atgtickets.com

21 NOV – 23 DEC

26 NOV

Castle Howard at Christmas

Children’s Storytime

CASTLE HOWARD The house is transformed with candles, garlands and wreaths alongside soaring trees glittering with baubles and lights. Live music and roaring log fires add to the seasonal celebrations in the house.

01653 648333 www.castlehoward.co.uk

HARLOW CARR Join a storytelling session, where tales of great garden adventures and little garden creatures will be told. The session will be followed by a short walk or song. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Suitable for under-5s. 11am / Normal garden admission.

0845 265 8070 www.rhs.org.uk

BARLEY HALL Traders will gather to sell their special wares.

With hand crafted items and unique gifts on offer, as well as the chance to see the hall decorated for Christmas you are in for a festive treat! 10am - 5pm www.barleyhall.co.uk 27 NOV, 4,11, 18 DEC STOCKELD PARK Local musicians will give you that warm, fuzzy, Christmassy feeling as festive tunes ring out through Stockeld Park. 6-7pm.

01937 586101 www.stockeldpark.co.uk 28 – 29 NOV

A Christmas Carol

BRODSWORTH HALL Scrooge meets the unusual Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, but will he repent in time for Christmas, or is Scrooge doomed to a life of misery? Performances at 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm 01302 722598 www.english-heritage.org.uk 28 NOV – 20 DEC

The Elves’ Christmas workshop

FOUNTAINS ABBEY The elves have been busy helping Father Christmas. Pop along to Swanley Grange to write your letter and send it from our twinkly post office, then make a Christmas decoration in your festive preparation!

01765 608888 www.nationaltrust.org. uk/fountains-abbey 28 NOV – 8 DEC

Frosted Fountains Trail

FOUNTAINS ABBEY A flurry of sparkling snowflakes have floated down and landed on Fountains Abbey. Keep your eyes peeled on this seeking adventure around the estate. Each flake is different, but can you spot them all? 01765 608888 www.nationaltrust.org.uk

28 NOV

Interact Craft Fair

HENSHAWS ARTS & CRAFTS CENTRE Enjoy a great selection of quality craft stalls at local charity Interact’s craft fair. 11am 3.30pm 01423 541888 henshaws.org.uk 28 NOV

Magic Hatter

STOCKELD PARK See inspired magic close up! FREE event.

10.30 – 4.30. Walkabout magic Shows 13.30 & 15.30 01937 586101 www.stockeldpark.co.uk

Families Vale of York 19

28 & 29 NOV & 5,12,13, 19,20, 27&28 DEC

Music & Lights

FOUNTAINS ABBEY Wrap up warm, grab a hot drink and wander through the estate to see the trees twinkling with light and the Abbey all aglow. Enjoy live festive music in the Cellarium. 3.30 – 5pm (last entry 4pm) 01765 608888 www.nationaltrust. org.uk/fountains-abbey 29 NOV

Santas on the Run

STOCKELD PARK Hundreds of Santas will be dashing through the Enchanted Forest to raise funds for Martin’s House Children’s Hospice so don your Santa suit and get running for this great cause in an amazing setting! Arrive by 8:30am for a 9am starting time. Registration fees are £10 for an adult and £5 for a child.

You are advised to pre-register for this popular event. 01937 586101 www.stockeldpark.co.uk

5,6,12,13,19,20 DEC

Storytime with Father Christmas

BENINGBROUGH HALL & GARDENS Join a small group in the library for a story, give Santa your list, have a picture, and if you’ve been good you might even get a present. Pre booking is essential. 01904 472027 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ beningbrough-hall 6 DECEMBER

Carols by Candlelight

FOUNTAINS ABBEY Annual family carol service. Grab a mulled wine or a hot chocolate and have a sing along to traditional carols in the Abbey. 3.30 01765 608888 www. nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey 12 DECEMBER

Relaxed Santa

Theatre

20 Dec - Jinglebellbop Happy 5th Birthday to the Jinglebellbop!

Now in its fifth year the Jinglebellbop is all set to return to Tadcaster this December.

With hundreds of families across the area having already enjoyed a fantastic Christmas experience with the Jinglebellbop, this new local tradition is promising another sell-out year.

BOLTON ABBEY 24 presents have been hidden under the trees that dress the riverside and Cavendish Pavilion precinct. Find them all and open the boxes on your advent activity sheet to see what is inside.

This event is suitable for all the family.

10am - 4pm www.boltonabbey.com

ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM A relaxed session for children who may find a trip to see Santa a little overwhelming.

Santa’s elves will be around to help children with craft activities and Santa will be in the museum’s Victorian Streets so children can choose how and when to approach him.

This session is free but booking is essential to ensure it does not become too crowded.

Family event. Call 0113 378 4079 to book a place. Usual museum admission charges apply. No admission charge for the session.

10am-11.30am 0113 230 5492 www.leeds.gov.uk

4 – 20 DEC – EVERY FRI, SAT, SUN

12 -13 DEC

The Magic of Christmas

Christmas Market

New for this year, children can pay a visit to the fairy den where fairy twinkle will greet little ones. Every child will receive a gift - and if you fancy dressing up for Christmas you could even win a prize: the prestigious festive family award is up for grabs every year!

12 -13 DECEMBER

We asked Victoria what inspired her to create the special Christmas event: “Five years ago I had a vision for a fantastic family big event to celebrate Christmas something that would become a tradition, and something that would create and capture the magic of Christmas. With many loyal families now coming year on year and the fantastic feedback we get each year, I hope we have achieved what we set out to do. My love for the stage, good quality entertainment and production and producing engaging creative material for young minds has all played a part in what you see as the end result of The Jinglebellbop.

1 – 24 DEC

Advent Trail

HARLOW CARR 0845 265 8070 www.rhs.org.uk Join in with a magical series of festive events for the whole family.

0845 265 8070 www.rhs.org.uk 5 DEC

Choirs, Crafts and Festivities

LEEDS CITY MUSEUM Special Christmas themed event for all ages with magical choir performances and craft activities to capture the spirit and fun of the festive season. Free family event, no booking required.

11am-3pm www.leeds.gov.uk 5 – 6 DEC

Christmas Choirs

BRODSWORTH HALL Seasonal festive singing with fine Yorkshire choirs in the entrance hall at Brodsworth. Wrap up warm. 2pm.

01302 722598 www.english-heritage.org.uk 5 - 19 DEC EVERY SAT & SUN

Visit Santa in his Grotto

ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM, Visit Father Christmas in his magical Abbey House grotto and collect a present. Don’t forget your camera.

There will also be crafts, music and fun in the museum’s Victorian Streets. No booking required. 2pm-4pm / Grotto £4 per child (includes a gift). Usual admission charges also apply. www.leeds.gov.uk 5,6,12,13,19,20 DEC

Festive Artrageous

BENINGBROUGH HALL Escape the Winter chill outside, and enjoy decorating a Christmas bauble for your tree, making a stocking to hang at the end of your bed, or creating a reindeer sock puppet depending on when you visit! 01904 472027 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ beningbrough-hall

BRODSWORTH HALL Beat the Christmas rush! Treat loved ones to a special gift this season; there will be a great selection of unique gifts on sale. 11am - 5pm 01302 722598 www.english-heritage.org.uk

500 Years of Christmas

TEMPLE NEWSAM A packed programme to get into the festive spirit this Christmas. Includes: A Tudor banquet display, Tudor carol Karaoke, Jane Austen’s music, Victorian merry making, carol singers, strolling story tellers, craft making, a festive 1940s farm and a secret winter wonderland journey to meet Father Christmas! Family event, no booking required. Tickets and time slot to visit Father Christmas can be booked in advance – highly recommended to avoid the queues. 10.30am-4pm 0113 336 7560 www.leeds.gov.uk 12 -13 DEC

Edwardian Christmas

LOTHERTON HALL Visit Lotherton Hall in all its seasonal finery and celebrate an Edwardian Christmas. Visit Father Christmas in his grotto and receive a present!

With festive crafts, wreath making, children’s entertainment and live music.

Merriment for all the family. Family event, no booking required. 11am-3pm / Father Christmas £4. Usual estate admission charges apply.

0113 378 2959 www.leeds.gov.uk 15 -19 DEC

Take a magical journey to visit Father Christmas

TEMPLE NEWSAM Father Christmas has promised to make a stop at Temple Newsam this year.

Explore the winter wonderland to find him. Family event, no booking required. £3 per child. Usual house admission charges also apply. 1pm-4pm 0113 336 7560 www.leeds.gov.uk

Jinglebellbop creator Victoria Charles already has her Fairy and ElfION cast and is busy planning the to make this year’s the best ever: “Jinglebellbop has sold out for the last couple of years and is already selling fantastically well,” she said. “The event itself is for the whole family… from babies and toddlers, to parents and grandparents.”

Santa and Elfie take centre stage at the Jinglebellbop which is part-panto, part-party and the perfect first pantomime for all children. Everyone gets to watch the show, nobody has to sit still and there are plenty of other things to do as well such as crafting with elves and face-painting.

Taking place at Tadcaster’s Riley Smith Hall, this stunning venue will play host to an afternoon of family fun,.

“We have a great team working on the Jinglebellbop, from the website to the staging, with professional sound and lighting coming in too. The North Pole has of course accepted their invitation and I hope you will join me in welcoming Santa and his helpers at the Jinglebellbop!

“Incorporating a party but also a pantomime, means the children are getting experience of theatre without the pressure of having to sit still - everyone is free to move around the venue at all times. Children are able to buy refreshments throughout or join in activities which is key to our informal magical family day out.”

Less than 30 minutes from Harrogate, Leeds and Selby and less than 15 minutes from Wetherby, Boston Spa and York, the Jinglebellbop is rolling into Tadcaster on Sunday 20th December between 1.30-3.30pm.

Tickets are on sale now at www.jinglebellbop.co.uk you can also find follow them at facebook/jinglebellbop. Call the booking line On 08455 642 167.

Family show tickets are £29.50, individual tickets £8.50.

10 – 14 NOV

Horrible Histories / Groovy Greeks & Incredible Invaders HULL CITY HALL www.hullcc.gov.uk/hullcityhall 14 NOV

Garlic Theatre: Shoe Kangaroo and the Big Bad Boot

JUNCTION GOOLE Journey to the island of odd shoes and join Kangaroo and her little Roo as they embark on a fantastical adventure with a Big Bad Boot. A quirky, imaginative show that is ‘wonderfully bonkers!’ You will never look at your shoes in the same way again! Suitable for ages 4 - 9 yrs www.junctiongoole.co.uk 28 NOV

JUNCTION GOOLE Lotte Reiniger’s beautiful silhouette animation brings to life the magical tales from the Arabian Nights and is the earliest surviving animated feature film, from 1926! www.junctiongoole.co.uk 1 DEC – 17 JAN

Aladdin

HARROGATE THEATRE This year’s pantomime adventure promises to be even more magical than ever as you take a trip to the Far East with Aladdin. Featuring some of pantoland’s most memorable characters.

01423 502 116 www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk 5 DEC – 3 JAN

Jack & the Beanstalk

THE GEORGIAN THEATRE ROYAL, RICHMOND This year’s panto will take you inside the wonderful world of the circus with acrobats, jugglers - and camels! www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk 5 – 6 DEC

Nutcracker Dance Tour

8 DEC – 3 JAN

Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs

HULL CITY HALL Feel-good panto for the whole family. www.hullcc.gov.uk/hullcityhall 10 DEC - 24 JAN

Dick Whittington (and his Meerkat)

THE NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM 08448 153139 www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the UK’s longest running pantomime Dame, Berwick Kaler and the York Theatre Royal team as you’ve never seen them before.

Whilst York Theatre Royal undergoes a major redevelopment, Dick Whittington and His Meerkat will take place this Christmas in The Signal Box Theatre at the National Railway Museum. Book your tickets at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 11 DEC – 3 JAN

Jack & the Beanstalk

GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK 0844 871 3024 www.atgtickets.com Jack lives in a small village with his Ma. The only food left in their cupboard is a piece of mouldy cheese, a rotten apple core and a pair of smelly socks! Find out what happens when Jack takes their old cow to market and ends up selling her for five beans.

12 DEC – 24 JAN

Jack and The Beanstalk

BRADFORD ALHAMBRA West Yorkshire’s biggest and most spectacular pantomime stars Alhambra Theatre favourite Billy Pearce, along with actress and television presenter Lisa Riley, John Challis and Jake Canuso. www.bradford-theatres.co.uk 15 DEC

THE GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOWGROUND, HARROGATE The tale titled The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann was written in 1816. The ballet filled with adventure is about the Christmas Eve adventure of Councillor Stahlbaum’s children, Fritz and Marie. Thanks to the modern interpretation, both the content and the show are enjoyable to all ages.

01423 541000 www.seetickets.com

The Snowman & Paddington

5 – 12 DEC

The Snowman

Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs

JOSEPH ROWNTREE THEATRE As she turns 18 Snow White becomes the fairest in the land and the Wicked Queen isn’t happy. Nor are the dwarfs she has working all hours down the mine finding crystals to power her sinister laboratory in the base. But don’t worry Dame Nancy Nip and her son Tuck, recently qualified cosmetic surgeons, are on hand to put things right…

01904 658197 jrtheatre.co.uk 5 – 13 DEC

Robin Hood & the Babes in the Wood HELMSLEY ARTS CENTRE Join in-house theatre company for the ever-popular 1812 family pantomime, this

Photo: Colin Richardson

The Adventures of Prince Achmed

year with two traditional tales in a glorious combination. www.helmsleyarts.co.uk

Dick Whittington (and his Meerkat) 10 Dec – 24 Jan

HARROGATE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE For this concert the Orchestra of Opera North brings this enchanting tale to life with a screening of the classic animated film. Paired with Paddington Bear’s First Concert, told by special guest narrator, this is the perfect way the whole family can begin the festivities.

01423 500500 www.hicyorkshire.co.uk

York Theatre Royal is pleased to announce the full cast line-up for this extraordinary year’s pantomime, Dick Whittington (and his meerkat). Writer, director and UK’s longest-serving dame Berwick Kaler will be re-joined in his 37th outing by his usual dysfunctional panto family including Martin Barrass, Suzy Cooper, David Leonard and A J Powell.

17 DEC

This year’s pantomime will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience as it moves home for one year only to The Signal Box Theatre at the National Railway Museum. The 1,000 seat purpose-built auditorium has been York Theatre Royal’s temporary home during its £4.1 million redevelopment and played host to sell-out performances of The Railway Children this summer. The audience is seated at either side of a platform and with only 10 rows of seats the fans will be closer to the action than ever before.

ST GEORGE’S HALL, BRADFORD The timeless film will be shown on a large screen accompanied by a live, professional orchestra. www.bradford-theatres.co.uk 18 – 22 DEC

Talegate Theatre: Jack and the Beanstalk

JUNCTION, GOOLE TaleGate Theatre, now on its sixth year at Junction, return with their funniest and most spectacular pantomime yet, Jack and the Beanstalk. Expect songs, slapstick, silliness, breathtaking special effects, audience participation and fairytale magic! Don’t miss out on the Fe-Fi-Fo-Fun! 01405 763 652 www.junctiongoole.co.uk

Berwick Kaler said of this exciting new challenge: “Artistic Director Damian Cruden has gone to great lengths to try and get rid of me but his latest effort is quite ingenious. However the laugh is on him because I have found a substitute theatre just a couple of hundred yards away from my beloved Theatre Royal – the one thousand seat Signal Box Theatre at the National Railway Museum. So while Cruden is looking for his ancestors below ground, me and ‘me babbies and bairns’ will be enjoying Dick Whittington (and his meerkat) which promises to be a hilarious and unique experience.”

As ever, the York Theatre Royal panto promises to be a complete riot – don’t miss it!

Tickets are on sale now priced at £12 to £32.50 (£1 transaction fee per booking) from York Theatre Royal Box Office on 01904 623568, in person or online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Families Vale of York 21

21 – 22 DEC

The Elves’ Christmas workshop

LEEDS ART GALLERY Art space activities with a festive twist; add your own object memory to make a surprising celebration of winter and the holiday period. Free family event, no booking required. 10am-5pm 0113 247 8256 www.leeds.gov.uk

FOUNTAINS ABBEY The elves have been busy helping Father Christmas. Pop along to Swanley Grange to write your letter and send it from the twinkly post office, then make a Christmas decoration in your festive preparation.

18 & 19 DEC

01765 608888 www.nationaltrust. org.uk/fountains-abbey

Ghost Stories for Christmas

The Magic of Christmas

BRODSWORTH HALL Gather in the Entrance Hall at Brodsworth Hall for a series of Victorian inspired ghost stories told by the Lady and Gentleman of the house in this unique storytelling event.

01302 722598 www.english-heritage.org.uk 19 DECEMBER – 3 JAN

Enchanted Tree Trail

LEEDS CITY MUSEUM Follow the trail and enter the prize draw to win some dressing up costumes… can you spot the enchanted tree wearing a bow tie and a top hat? Free family event, repeated more than once, no booking required. During opening hours - 10am-5pm Tuesdays-Fridays; 11am-5pm Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays. Closed Mondays except for Bank Holidays 0113 224 3732 www.leeds.gov.uk 19 – 23 DEC

An Audience with Father Christmas

BRODSWORTH HALL Meet Father Christmas in the entrance hall of Brodsworth, dressed in sumptuous traditional colourful costume to tell tales of Christmas past and recite famous yuletide stories and poems. Audiences at 10.30am, 11.45pm, 1pm, 2.15pm and 3.15pm 01302 722598 www.english-heritage.org.uk 19 – 23 DEC

St Nicholas Fayre

PARLIAMENT STREET YORK York’s Festive Fayre returns with its modern festive atmosphere bringing gifts, smells and tastes, local producers and a Festive Inne. Events at venues across the city including the Mansion House & Barley Hall. www.christmasmarkets.com 19 – 23 DEC

Victorian Christmas Experience

YORK CASTLE MUSEUM This is a magical festive tour of the museum’s Victorian street and a chance to capture the magic of a traditional Victorian Christmas. Tickets are limited and booking is essential. www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk

21 – 24 DEC HARLOW CARR Join in with a magical series of festive events for the whole family.

0845 265 8070 www.rhs.org.uk 22 -24 DECEMBER

Santa’s Little Helpers Crafts ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM Christmas fun, games and activities in the museum as everyone gets excited for the big day! Family event, no booking required.

0113 230 5492 www.leeds.gov.uk 26 DEC – 5 JAN

12 Days of Christmas Trail BOLTON ABBEY Join in the fun and sing along with family and friends and discover the 12 scenes from the celebrated carol. Spot the swans a swimming and look out for real French hens as you enjoy the picturesque, riverside, woodland walk from the Cavendish Pavillion to the Strid.

14 & 15 NOV

Santa’s arrival and Sleigh Parade

On a cold day in 1132, thirteen monks walked from Ripon to a completely deserted valley by the River Skell. There they started their own community from nothing -and so, Fountains Abbey was born! You too can follow the monks in their footsteps in this annual traditional pilgrimage.

01765 608888 www.nationaltrust. org.uk/fountains-abbey

20,21,22,29,29 NOV & 5,6, 12,13,18, 19-23 DEC

www.boltonabbey.com 26 DEC

Boxing Day Pilgrimage FOUNTAINS ABBEY

27 DEC – 3 JAN

Winter Special Excursions THE NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILWAY Special steam hauled day excursion train from Pickering to Whitby. Each service departs from Pickering at 1000 and travels through the glacial valley to Whitby giving you just over 2 hours to explore the town, before leaving again at 1400.

01751 472508 www.nymr.co.uk 31 DECEMBER

New Year, New You Crafts

20 DEC

Jinglebell Bop

Go along for the last day of the current exhibition ‘How do I look?’ for a day of fun crafts and activities based around hats, beards and bonnets. Family event, no booking required. Usual museum admission charges apply.

10am-12pm & 2pm-3pm

22 Families Vale of York

Where’s Santa?

STOCKELD PARK Help Stockeld welcome Santa and his reindeer back and maybe win a sleigh ride! They’ll also be attempting to break the world record for the largest gathering of Santa elves that day, so dress up and celebrate the most festive day in the events calendar. The reindeers will be in their pen from 12 noon but the parade takes place at 1500. Visit Santa in his grotto from midday for £8. The reindeers will be in their pen from 12 noon but the parade takes place at 15.00. FREE event. Visit Santa in his grotto from midday for £8.

01937 586101 www.stockeldpark.co.uk

ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM

THE RILEY SMITH HALL, TADCASTER Elfie and the gang will be back for some Christmas Panto Party fun and games.

2pm - doors open at 1.30pm, See Page 20 for more information. www.jinglebellbop.co.uk

PIC: STOCKELD PARK

17 DECEMBER

British Art Show 8 Festive

0113 230 5492 www.leeds.gov.uk

Santa’s Grotto

CRIMPLE HALL, HARROGATE All good children will receive a specially selected soft toy. Places limited - book online. www.crimplehall.co.uk 21 NOV - 20 DEC - EVERY SAT & SUN & 21,22,23 DEC

An Audience with Father Christmas

CASTLE HOWARD Enjoy a festive family day out with a tour of the lavishly decorated house which glitters with lights and baubles and take part in the festive children’s trail. Pre-book your children’s admission tickets to include a visit to see Father Christmas for a truly magical day out. Join Father Christmas by the roaring log fire in the Grecian Hall as he entertains with stories, songs and some magic tricks from his wizard friend WonderPhil too. All children will receive a personalised invitation in advance and a beautifully wrapped and individually labelled present from Father Christmas with plenty of opportunities for photos too.

01653 648333 www.castlehoward.co.uk

21 NOV–12 DEC –EVERY SAT & SUN

Father Christmas

NUNNINGTON HALL Go along to an audience with Father Christmas himself in his grotto at Nunnington Hall!

Pre-booking is essential and you’ll receive a personalised invitation, sing songs, hear stories and receive a special gift- £6 01439 748283 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington-hall 21 NOV

Meet Santa

TREASURES OF WETHERBY Meet Santa at the store - or write your letter to him and post in the North Pole Post Box. 11am - 4pm. 01937 589187 www.treasurestoys.co.uk 21 NOV – 3 JAN

Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland YORK DESIGNER OUTLET Skate, shop, visit Santa – and lots more. www.yorkshireswinterwonderland.com 28 & 29 NOV, 5 & 6 DEC

Breakfast with Santa

STOCKELD PARK As well as dining with a hero, each child receives a Christmas present! Pre-book early as spaces at this special occasion with Santa are limited.

9.00 - 11.00 Pre-booked tickets only.

01937 586101 www.stockeldpark.co.uk 28 NOV-20 DEC –EVERY SAT & SUN & 21ST DEC

Santa Express Services – Visit Santa in his on-board Grotto

THE NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILWAY Perfect for families with young children, embark on this magical adventure on-board the Santa Express to meet Santa in his Grotto on-board the train. The round trip lasts approximately one hour from departure.

Each Santa Express Ticket includes a delicious mince pie and a warming hot drink for everyone with a little alcoholic tipple for the adults. Children also receive an activity sheet with colouring pencils, a juice drink and when

7 Nov - 4 Jan Stockeld Park Christmas Adventure For a fabulous family fun day out, you can’t beat Stockeld Park at Christmas time. Famous for its exciting adventure zones visitors can glide across the real ice rink (which has been extended for this year’s Christmas Adventure), play in the interactive playgrounds in the Enchanted Forest – or take the trail at dusk to wonder at the beautifully illuminated ancient woodland with the promise of some new ‘magical’ visitors this year! The energetic can try the Nordic Ski trail through the woods instead of taking the path or choose to get lost inside the Giant Snow Flake shaped Yew Maze – where the race to the centre is as fun as finding the exit.

they visit Santa in his Grotto, they will be given an age appropriate present along with a collector’s-edition NYMR Santa Hat. 01751 472508 www.nymr.co.uk 28 NOV – 20 DEC

Father Christmas’ Grotto

FOUNTAINS ABBEY Father Christmas is touching down at Fountains Abbey and he comes bearing gifts.

If you’ve been good pay him a visit in his cosy grotto and he may have a special something for you. 1-3pm 01765 608888 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey 4-20 DEC –EVERY FRI, SAT, SUN & 21-24 DEC

Christmas stories with Santa

HARLOW CARR For something extra special this Christmas enjoy a secret tale with Santa. Find a spot to settle down, and snuggle up for an enchanting experience. Children receive a gift at the end of the session. Places are strictly limited.

0845 265 8070 www.rhs.org.uk 4 – 6, 10 -13, 17 - 24 DEC

Santa’s Grotto

THORPE PERROW Meet Santa and his elves in his magical winter wonderland.... follow the magic trail to the cabin where the elves work. A wonderful adventure for children and adults alike!!

Present from Santa included. www.thorpperrow.com 5, 12, 19 DEC

Audience with Father Christmas

BURTON AGNES HALL For an enchanting Christmas experience, join Father Christmas and his Magic Elf, Jingles, at the gloriously festive wonderland of Burton Agnes Hall. Meet Jingles the Magic Elf, who will perform a show of thrilling festive magic after which Father Christmas will greet the children, and each child will be presented with a special Christmas gift. 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm 01262 490324 www.burtonagnes.com

5,6,12,13,19,20 DEC

Father Christmas

BOLTON ABBEY Once again Father Christmas and his merry elves will be returning to Strid Wood staying in an old Romany caravan, which will be tucked away in the beautiful enchanted woodland. With open log fires, Christmas carols, a wishing tree and your chance to make reindeer dust this really is a magical event. Children must be pre-booked for this event and to avoid disappointment they advise you book early. 9.30 - 4pm 5,6,12,13,19,20,21 & 22 DEC

Santa Experience

LIGHTWATER VALLEY Jump aboard the Polar Lightwater Express as it takes you on a wintertime train ride to Santa’s cabin, then enjoy a fireside story with Santa and his elves. www.lightwatervalley.co.uk 5,6,12,13,19,20, 21 & 22 DEC

Santa Special

MURTON PARK Start by taking a guided tour around Santa’s village, led by chief elf – the infamous, mischievous Bauble! With Bauble as your guide, wander around the festive village and see all the preparations for Christmas taking place.

01904 489966 www.murtonpark.co.uk 5,6,12,13,19 - 24 DEC

Santa’s Grotto

RIPLEY CASTLE Magical one-to-one visits with Father Christmas and Christmas Story Time with Father Christmas. 01423 770152 www.ripleycastle.co.uk 6 – 24 DEC

Sleigh Rides to Santa’s Woodland Village

THE FARMERS CART Santa’s Sonic sleigh will be whizzing passengers to his magical Grotto and Toyshop.

Tickets will be available from website from 15th October. Online bookings only.

01904 499183 www.pigletsfarmpark.co.uk

Stockeld Park also hosts a number of special event themed weekends in the run up to the big day. This year the Christmas Adventure gets off to a skating start with a tribute weekend celebrating all things ‘Frozen’ and the extension of the ice rink. The countdown continues with the return of a few favourites; The Friday Night Disco on Ice, Santa’s Arrival and Sleigh Parade, Weekend Breakfast with Santa, The Magnificent Three Kings and Camel Parade and the sponsored charity event Santas on the Run. If you have younger children head for the award winning Grotto to see the elves and share your wish list with Santa. Other indoor activities include the wet weather play areas and craft zones where the kids can get arty with Christmas themed things to make and do.

If you want to stock up on presents or update your decorations there is a large Christmas Gift Emporium where there is something to satisfy every budget and after all the excitement, relax in the licensed Woodland Café, serving home-made, locally sourced food and warming drinks.

Parking and entry is free to enjoy the shop and the cafe, simply pay by experience.

Or purchase a day pass from £16.50 per adult £14.50 per child Open daily from 1030 – 2030, please check website for exceptions and for offers.

Stockeld Park, Via A661, Wetherby, LS22 4AN www.stockeldpark.co.uk

19 & 20 DEC

Father Christmas’s Winter Wonderland

BRIMHAM ROCKS Visit the land of fairy tales and follow the frosty Christmas Trail through the rocks and meet Santa in his snowy winter wonderland. 11am - 3pm / £4 includes gift. www.nationaltrust.org. uk/brimham-rocks 10,11& 12 DEC 10AM-2PM

Santa

SEEDLINGS CARLTON www.seedlingscarlton.co.uk 19 DEC 9.30 – 11AM

Breakfast with Santa

SEEDLINGS, CARLTON Breakfast with the man himself – bookings only. www.seedlingscarlton.co.uk 21 – 22 DEC

Santa Elf Train

THE NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILWAY During your journey on the Santa Elf Train, Santa takes the time to walk along the train to visit each child in their seat and his mischievous Elves entertain youngsters and parents alike during your magical journey on-board the Santa Elf Train.

01751 472508 www.nymr.co.uk

table tots www.tabletots

.co.uk Families to Families Nearly New Table Top Sales 50 + tables ava each sale on www.tabl ilable for hire at eto are for Baby & Tots ite ts.co.uk Events ms up to age 10 HULL Sat 7th Nov Hull Indoor Sports Centre 2pm sta rt SELBY Sat 14th Nov Barlby Hig h School 2pm start LEEDS Sun 15th Nov Futsal Are na 1pm start CASTLE Sat 21st Nov Lock Lan FORD e Sports Centre 1pm sta rt SHEFF Sun 22nd Nov Concor IELD d Sports Centre 1 pm sta rt HU Sat 28th Nov Thomas LL Ferens Academy 1pm sta rt ROTHWELL Sun 29th Nov Rothwell Sports Centre 1pm sta rt

6 Dec

Christmas Craft & Gi ft

by Table Tots Fair

Rothwell Sports Cen tre 70 craft and gift stalls, something for everyone. Mulled wine & Christ refreshments. 12 til 4pm mas FREE EN Abbey Belles chorus wil TRY l sing for Martin House Children’s donations to Hospice

Families Vale of York 23

STOCKELD

PARK

Where magic is made & adventures

begin

The Christmas Adventure 21st October to 4th January

Unique Enchanted Illuminated Forest walk, outdoor activities and special events*

www.stockeldpark.co.uk

*

Located between Harrogate & Leeds. LS22 4AN FREE Parking + FREE entry to the Woodland CafĂŠ and Unique Inspiring Christmas Shop

Award-winning tuition Maths & English ages 5 -14

New skills Confidence Enthusiasm

Free trial session - book today!

York 01904 406 355 www.explorelearning.co.uk