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IN THIS ISSUE

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Chinese New Year The Ross Welford Interview Half Term Camps & Activities What’s On

Issue 201 January February 2020

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Enough already with the cold weather, the wayward tree baubles that persist in re-emerging in unexpected places, and the credit card bills dropping on the doormat as penance for festive generosities.

It’s time to lift the duvet on a fresh new decade; get out and embrace everything it has to offer in our favourite corner of London. Warm 2020 wishes to all.

Robina Cowan, editor

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

National Storytelling Week IN THIS ISSUE 2-3

Local News and Views Telling tales for fun; family friendly Dulwich College Sports Club; eating vegetables and renting babywear

4-5

Education News Schooling is baffling parents; house prices and the Ofsted effect; boarding in Burgess Hill; and the factors influencing educational success

6-7

Clubs and Classes Southeast London drama classes; how out of school activities help in the classroom; and half term holiday camps and workshops

8

The Big Interview Best-selling children's author Ross Welford talks to Families ahead of his latest book launch

9

The Book Page Read your way into 2020 with a thud of new books chosen by the bookseller Justine Crow

10

A Greener New Year Claire Winter’s 8 top eco-resolutions for 2020

11

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Celebrate Chinese New Year in London and learn more about the Year of the Rat with Helena Xhang, founder of Hantastic Kids

12-15

National Storytelling Week takes place from 1 to 8 February and is a chance to reflect on one of the oldest art forms in the world. We are all immersed in stories - from conversations during which we re-tell events in our lives, to watching our favourite television shows.

Speech and language therapists believe that storytelling is vital for children’s academic success as it promotes narrative skills and strengthens the ability of children to correctly sequence ideas. To be a good reader and writer a child needs firstly to be a good speaker and listener. Above all though, storytelling is fun. Whether we are listening to someone else’s story or telling our own, inventing and adapting narratives can open doors to exciting new worlds - both real and imaginary.

National Storytelling Week takes place in storytelling clubs, theatres, museums, schools, hospitals, spoken word venues, and care homes.

To find a local event or to look through its extensive archive, head to the website. www.sfs.org.uk

What’s On Our pick of the best events, shows and workshops to see you up to and into half term

Next issue March-April Easter issue out 6 March, deadline 14 February

Families South East PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB 020 8699 3958, editor@familiesse.co.uk

www.familiesse.co.uk for back issues and our media pack

Families South East London

@FamiliesSELon

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

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The Big Garden Birdwatch The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch takes place from 25 to 27 January and is the largest wildlife survey in the world. The information collected helps monitor bird species in the UK, and is great fun for children.

To take part, you need to watch the birds in your garden or local park for just one hour at some point over the three days and report your results to the RSPB. You can request a FREE Big Garden Birdwatch pack from the RSPB which includes a bird identification chart and advice to help you attract wildlife to your garden.

Challenge your children to see who can spot the most birds, take a bike ride to a local park to look for birds, or make a day trip out of it and spot birds in a new place. www.rspb.org.uk

See and eat Evidence shows that children who are exposed to pictures of vegetables are more likely to eat them. See & Eat is an initiative funded by European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food, led by Professor Carmel Houston-Price at the University of Reading and supported by the British Nutrition Foundation.

24 new eBooks, designed to help parents familiarise their young children with a greater variety of vegetables, are now available to download, along with numerous other resources, including meal planners, shopping lists and family-friendly recipes, developed to support parents and carers in encouraging their children to eat more vegetables.

The ‘See & Eat’ eBooks each tell the farm to fork journey of a different vegetable and can be personalised with pictures, videos and text. Find expert tips and download yours, for free. www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/toddlers/eatveg.html

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Cycling studio at Dulwich College Sports Club Now’s the time to get off the road and immerse yourself in the state of the art Cycling Studio at Dulwich College Sports Club. With a full audio-visual experience featuring Les Mills RPM, Les Mills Sprint and Les Mills The Trip instructor-led and virtual classes, this is hugely popular addition to the sports club facilities.

Dulwich College Sports Club is a family-friendly and affordable place to get fit, have fun and meet people, with the addition of an Activity Access Card allowing non-members to book four days ahead for pay-as-you-go cycling classes, tennis and squash courts, and a 5v5 football pitch.

READER OFFER: Sign up to join Dulwich College Sports Club in January and February and pay no subscriptions until 1 March quote NSJF-FM. T&Cs online. www.dcsportsclub.co.uk

Free online parenting course A unique online parenting course has been launched by the charity Fegans, in an effort to reach more families in need.

The Parent Coach Discovery Course is packed with practical parenting tips and insights, such as why children misbehave and when to ignore it, how to deal with a withdrawn or aggressive teen and setting age-relevant boundaries.

Parents sign up to the course online by answering a couple of questions to ensure that the parenting tips are appropriately age-tailored. Videos and tips are then emailed out as links which parents can access at their own pace, and in a time and place that suits their schedules.

Fegans’ professional counselling services are commissioned by the NHS, schools and social services and all of its parenting practice uses evidence-based outcomes. To access the free Parent Coach Discovery Course visit www.fegans.org.uk/parentingjoy

Researchers at the Birkbeck Babylab expand studies to include school age children The Birkbeck Babylab doesn’t just study babies. They told Families: “Our team of friendly researchers create fun and interesting studies to learn how brains in babies, toddlers and children develop. We use cutting edge technology and a variety of methods to achieve this. Our studies appeal to both babies and children through play, games and computer animations. Lisanne and Aude, two of our wonderful PhD students, are currently studying 2-6 year-olds.

“Lisanne uses motion capture cameras and Duplo toy blocks to learn how the ability to remember instructions and create things in the correct order to achieve a goal develops throughout childhood. The technical psychology term for this is action sequencing and is essential to daily life. For example, learning how to get dressed independently requires remembering the order of underwear before trousers and socks before shoes! Aude is also interested in action sequencing and uses a game on a touch screen computer where children build recipes for their favourite cartoon characters. The way the children plan, hesitate or change their minds while playing will provide insight into how action sequences develop and improve throughout childhood.

“We are currently recruiting children from birth to school age to take part in our research in the heart of Central London. Participants will be compensated for travel expenses. Enjoy a fun day out in London and sign up today!” www.cbcd.bbk.ac.uk/babylab

Generation rent Babies can get through an alarming number of outfits in a day, so there’s no getting away from the fact that you will need plenty of sleepsuits in different sizes, each of which will only fit for a matter of months or weeks. So how to you avoid ending up with piles of clothes your baby has outgrown?

For more and more new parents, the answer is simple: rent.

Two UK companies have introduced an alternative which they believe solves this problem as well as being affordable and environmentally sustainable by reducing waste. The service also reduces time spent by parents constantly re-selling and purchasing clothes.

Families pay a monthly subscription, return outgrown clothes and then receive the next size up, in line with their baby’s growth and the changing seasons. Clothes are professionally cleaned and must pass quality control before being sent to the next renting family. www.bundlee.co.uk or www.bellesandbabes.co.uk

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E D U C AT IO N N E W S Children of same ability missing out Britain’s got talent - but we’re still wasting it.

That’s the main finding of a recent report by researchers from Oxford University.

Children of similar cognitive ability have very different chances of educational success; it still depends on their parents’ economic, socio-cultural and educational resources.

The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found that only about half of the difference in educational attainment between children from advantaged and disadvantaged parental backgrounds is due to differences in their cognitive ability. The other half is due to other factors associated with their backgrounds.

Experts are now calling for government to acknowledge that formal qualifications are only one channel for upward mobility for children of disadvantaged backgrounds. www.ox.ac.uk/news

Boarding at Burgess Hill Girls School “Almost non-selective and yet achieves better results than many more competitive schools” - Good Schools Guide 2019.

Burgess Hill Girls is a top performing school for girls aged 2 to 18, with weekly, flexi and full boarding options from age 11. The school is set in 14 acres of beautiful grounds within a conservation area in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. Close to Burgess Hill station and the M23, London is reachable in less than an hour.

If you are looking for a friendly, empowering community for your daughter, book to see the school for yourself on their 1 February open day by calling 01444 241050, or online. www.burgesshillgirls.com

Ofsted ratings driving up house prices

BLACKHEATH PREPARATORY SCHOOL IAPS co-educational school for 3-11 years

Families in England are paying a house price premium of as much as £100,000 to live within the catchment of schools rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Researchers analysed the Ofsted ratings of 20,545 secondary and primary schools in England and found that average house prices often reflect the quality of the local school.

The average price of a house in England with top-rated schools nearby stands at £331,605, according to research by comparison website Confused.com. This is about £38,600 more than the average price of homes near schools rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, about £78,000 more than in areas with schools that ‘require improvement’, and nearly £100,000 more than in postcodes with schools rated ‘inadequate’. A similar study by the Department of Education found that house prices are 8% higher near the best performing primary schools.

“Ask someone else...”

Overlooking Blackheath and set in five acres of beautiful grounds, this leading prep school offers an outstanding education.

Regular open mornings are held throughout the term when you can come and join us on a normal working day.

4 St. Germans Place, Blackheath, London SE3 0NJ Tel: 020 8858 0692

Email: info@blackheathprepschool.com

www.blackheathprepschool.com

Company limited by guarantee No. 672569 Charitable Status No. 312732

One in four pupils now has a private tutor, as it appears that constantly changing curriculums have left parents insecure in their ability to assist with schoolwork.

The Knowledge Academy surveyed 1,633 British parents of children in secondary school, and learned that: • 82% of parents struggle to help children with homework • It appears some aren’t interested in becoming better at this either 63% admit to encouraging their child to ask someone else (or figure it out themselves) • 61% of parents say the school curriculum changes too often • Parents are watching YouTube videos and hiring their own tutors to better help • Physics is the hardest subject to help with - 81% agree, with maths in second place at 55% www.theknowledgeacademy.com

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ED UC AT I ON N EWS

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C LU B S A N D C L A S S E S

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Our transporters are trained to the highest standards with an enhanced DBS.

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Helping children believe they can do anything Singing, dancing and acting classes for 4 - 18 year-olds GREENWICH 0207 112 8242 stagecoach.co.uk/greenwich DULWICH 0208 949 4116 stagecoach.co.uk/dulwich FOREST HILL 0208 949 4116 stagecoach.co.uk/foresthill UPPER NORWOOD 07442 532386 stagecoach.co.uk/uppernorwood SYDENHAM 0208 949 1116 stagecoach.co.uk/sydenham BROMLEY 0203 780 4893 stagecoach.co.uk/bromley

Stagecoach Performing Arts is the trading name of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited. Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principals. Stagecoach and Creative Courage For Life are registered trademarks of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited.

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CLUB S A ND CLAS SES New principal at Stagecoach Performing Arts Sydenham From January 2020, Stagecoach Sydenham will be run by Stagecoach’s Franchisee of the Year, Kim Findlay, who currently runs the Shirley branch.

Kim told Families: “I am very excited to be managing Stagecoach Sydenham from January alongside the popular Shirley school.

Stagecoach Sydenham has been operating for over 10 years and there are exciting opportunities for students in the coming terms as I bring with me a strong team of talented and experienced teachers.” Kim promises to offer a fun, positive and safe environment where children can become who they want to be. It’s also a wonderful way to make friends outside of school.

Stagecoach Performing Arts was established in Surrey in 1988, and the ethos is to encourage and develop ‘Creative Courage for Life’, nurturing children’s talents and needs to achieve their full potential through acting, singing and dance. Students perform for families at least twice a year in demonstrations and shows. Kim says, “I love watching children achieve and grow, whether this means singing a line of a song in class on their own or auditioning for the bright lights of a West End musical.”

Stagecoach Sydenham runs term-time Friday classes for Early Stages (4-6 years) and Main Stages (6-18 years), at Sydenham High School. No previous experience is necessary, just enthusiasm for the performing arts. For details including a two week trial, call Kim on 020 8949 1116 or visit www.stagecoach.co.uk/sydenham

Perform is celebrating its 20th anniversary!

Families caught up with founder, Lucy Quick.

How did Perform start?

I was a musical theatre actress in Oliver! at the London Palladium and I loved working with children.

I had a vision for a drama school that wasn’t about talent or auditions; where performing arts would be used to develop what we now call the 4 Cs: confidence, communication, coordination and concentration.

Where is Perform now?

Starting with two classes in 2000, we now run 472 schools across the South East and West, employ over 250 teachers and have almost 8000 children attending weekly.

What’s the secret of Perform’s success?

We put child development at the heart of everything we do.

What does the future hold?

Opening more Perform schools across the country we’re just launching in Nottingham - and continuing our confidence crusade to help children fulfil their potential through drama, dance and singing.

What are you proudest of?

My teachers. They are the most inspirational bunch of talented and enthusiastic people you’ll ever meet.

READER OFFERS: Try a FREE no-obligation Perform class in Dulwich, Forest Hill, East Dulwich, Brockley, Beckenham, Herne Hill, Hither Green, Greenwich or Blackheath.

AND there’s an introductory £40 discount on bookings when you quote LSE140220. www.perform.org.uk/try

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

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

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

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

HOLIDAY CAMPS AND WORKSHOPS THE ICE QUEEN WITH PERFORM

NIMBLE ARTS HOLIDAY CLUBS

17-19 February in BLACKHEATH and EAST DULWICH, 020 7255 9120, enquiries@perform.org.uk, www.perform.org.uk/icequeen Perform are celebrating the release of Frozen 2 with a glittering drama, dance and singing adventure, returning to icy Arendelle with Elsa, Anna and friends. With original music, colourful costumes and a dazzling performance, this is the coolest half-term treat. 10am to 3pm each day, ages 4-10 years.

17-21 February; 6-9 and 14-17 April in EAST DULWICH SE22, 0333 014 2576, www.nimblearts.co.uk Sign up your child for creative holiday fun where no two days are ever the same. Immersive adventure and arts activities are tailored around a different theme every day. Ages 4-11, open 8am-6.30pm, from £48 a day, sibling and full week discounts available.

COMPUTER CODING WORKSHOPS IN DULWICH HOLIDAY DROP OFF MULTI SPORTS CAMPS 17-21 February and Easter from 30 March at DULWICH COLLEGE SPORTS CLUB SE21, www.holidaydropoff.com Your children will have a blast at HDO’s fantastic multi-sports camps!

Children from age 5+ can take part in a whole range of incredible indoor and outdoor sports to keep them happy and active through the school holidays, including swimming pool inflatable sessions and many new exciting activities www.holidaydropoff.com. If your children simply can’t wait for the holidays, you can book one of their amazing weekend party packages www.eventdropoff.com.

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Easter holidays booking now for 6-9 April, 020 8090 1444, www.spark4kids.com Spark4Kids run all-day holiday workshops that introduce children to computer coding through the medium of games. Available are courses on Minecraft Modding, Roblox Coding, Robotics, Games Design, MicroBit & Arduino coding, Python, HTML/CSS, JavaScript and Unity/C# in a fun, engaging environment. Ages 5-7, 8-12 and 13-16 years.

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In conversation with best-selling children’s author

Ross Welford Here at Families we love a good book. Whether it’s curling up with a book and a cuppa ourselves, or sharing a story with our children, books are an important feature in our lives.

Rachel Bailey, editor of Families Thames Valley East magazine, has been talking to Ross Welford about his best-selling novels for young readers (aged 8+), including his newest - The Kid Who Came From Space.

What made you swap the glamorous world of television to become a full-time writer?

It was necessity, really. TV is a tough job: it’s long hours, the pay isn’t especially good and it honestly isn’t all that glamorous! The interesting jobs began to dry up and I realised I needed a new career path.

You’ve worked on many well-known shows.

Have your days in television provided you with inspiration for any of the characters in your novels?

There’s a minor character who pops up in a few of my books called Jamie Bates. He’s a broadcast journalist who is usually fairly benign, but in my next book he’s much more vain and devious. He’s an amalgamation of several presenters I worked with!

Your first novel was ‘Time Travelling With A Hamster’ and that was followed by ‘What Not To Do If You Turn Invisible’. Is there a particular superpower you wish you had?

Oh yes: the ability to write a full-length book once a year effortlessly. It’s not exciting like invisibility, but it’s a power that I would do almost anything to possess.

As well as having a talent for writing, we’ve heard you put on a pretty impressive event when you visit schools/ festivals. What do you enjoy most about sharing your books with young fans?

It’s a privilege simply to meet readers. I especially like it when a teacher introduces a child saying “He/ she didn’t like reading until they discovered your books.” The knowledge that I have made a difference like that is awesome: that’s a proper superpower!

You describe yourself as a lifelong magic-nerd. Care to elaborate?

I enjoy writing about impossible things becoming possible, and that is exactly what magic tricks do. It’s an interest I have had since I was quite small, and this year I was admitted to the Magic Circle, which was a very proud moment. I include magic in all my school and festival presentations, and the tricks all have a relevance to my books, or to reading generally.

What’s the thought behind your rewriting competition, and can anyone enter?

I had been doing an “improvised story” with school and festival groups since the start, and the end results are often hilarious. But I worried that I was leaving the children with the impression that that’s how books get written!

So I stress that everything needs to be rewritten if you hope that other people will read it. I invite the students to rewrite what we come up with and submit the results to my competition via my website. It has proved very popular!

What’s your favourite childhood book/ author?

Growing up I loved The Magic Faraway Tree books by Enid Blyton and loved them again when I read them aloud to my own kids. She was phenomenal: the sheer volume of her output was astonishing. There are occasional lapses of quality, but they are pretty rare and she seldom repeats herself.

my books! I have seen someone as a hamster in a football top (Alan Shearer from Time Travelling With A Hamster); a Viking boy (Alfie from The 1,000 Year Old Boy) and a white-coated mad professor (Dr Pretorius from The Dog Who Saved The World). Failing that, you could just let them truant for the day and say they went as Ethel from What Not To Do If You Turn Invisible.

Which book do you wish you had written?

I recently read The Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. American children’s literature can sometimes come with a rather heavy-handed ‘message’ but this book, from the 1970s, packs a knockout punch with delicacy, honesty and wonderful brevity. I aspire to write like that.

What’s your favourite way to spend time with your family?

They are teenagers now, so I’m pathetically A for any scraps of time that they deign to grateful spend with their dad. That said, Sunday lunch is always good, and beach holidays.

World Book Day is coming up soon. While I am fully behind anything that aims to encourage a love of books, I still experience the home-made costume panic every year. Do you have any tips?

I love seeing kids dressed as characters from

The Kid Who Came From Space is available from 9 January 2020, rrp £6.99 from your favourite independent bookshop, and other outlets. www.rosswelford.com

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The Bookseller Crow

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

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

Well, we made it to 2020, the optician’s annus mirabilis. This is entirely down to the forceful friendship of our customers who signed petitions, fund-raised, assiduously attended events and, most important of all, bought lots of books. We aren’t yet safe but we are so much stronger thanks to the unfailing support of our community. The thing is ALL our high streets are struggling with a horrible downturn in trade and an awful upturn in rent and shopkeepers gotta shopkeep. There’s nowhere else for us to go!

WINNIE AND WILBUR AT CHINESE NEW YEAR by Valerie Thomas & Korky Paul - Oxford Children’s Books rrp £6.99. The indomitable spell-scatterer is still entertaining us with her abracadabra antics, stripy tights and red-tipped, dew-dropped nose - all uncannily familiar. In fact, take the image of her out in her chaotic garden, half-drunk mug of tea on the creepy-crawly ridden patio, big toe poking out of a frayed hole, scrolling down through her phone, and I could be looking in a mirror! It is, appropriately enough, given the general scheme of things globally, the Year of the Rat. I wonder if that’s why Wilbur has gone awol.

CHARLIE COOK’S FAVOURITE BOOK by Julia Donaldson & Axel Sheffler - Macmillan rrp £6.99.

Just as separating author from illustrator in the whacky world of Winnie is unthinkable, a land without this pair of poetic, boggle-eyed geniuses on the shore is equally unimaginable, unfathomable even. It has been fifteen years since Charlie “curled up in his cozy chair” and this splendid anniversary edition celebrates the tale of a book within a book within a book, a notion that should be bafflingly complicated but in the hands of these storytelling experts, is an absolute sea breeze.

I DON’T LIKE BOOKS. NEVER. EVER. THE END. by Emma Perry & Sharon Davey - David Fickling rrp £11.99. We’ve all come across them little madams (and little lords) who claim they - cue hushed tones - don’t like reading. The truth is, no kid ever starts off being bored by stories and one of my major bugbears is the parent or carer in the children’s section of our shop who has brought their beloved offspring in, only to bark that “you’ve got too many books already!” when junior shows any enthusiasm. I understand we are all broke and that scandalously a brand new book may well be a luxury, but don’t use that ridiculous phrase. Please.

You can NEVER. Ever. Have. Too. Many. The End (or else, you may end up with a Mabel like the one in the story).

FOREVER by Beatrice Alemagna - Thames &

Hudson rrp £12.95. A breathlessly beautiful and philosophical book from an Italian born, Paris residing writer that focuses on the fleetingness of stuff, from grumpy moods to nits. Granted, with regard to the latter, it’s all relative. Nit combs were discovered in the tombs of the pharaohs, though I’m certain King Tut’s mummy (see what I did there?) was relieved when he finally stopped coming home with a head full and I’ll bet she soon forgot what a pain in the neck hair-washing night once was.

MY MUM ALWAYS LOOKS AFTER ME SO MUCH by Sean Taylor & David Barrow - Quarto rrp £6.99. Yikes, this wee guy has got to go to the doctors for an injection. What a way to begin a kid’s book. Who ARE these people? But mother knows best. It’s in the job description. She also insists on broccoli AND an extra pullover. But when the yummy sticky sweetie thing that he got given as a reward at the surgery for being so brave gets left on the bus, mum knows exactly what to do.

WHAT IS MUMMY GOING TO DO? by Carly Madden, illustrated by Juliana Permodo - Frances Lincoln rrp £7.99. What a segue! And yes, we mothers have busy lives but, as the above book attests, some of us are actually quite good fun too.

This jolly lift-the-flapper has all sorts of daily activities that a toddler will recognise alongside some incidental parental playfulness.

EVIE AND THE ANIMALS by Matt Haig & Emily Gravett - Canongate rrp £6.99. There are some marvellous novels for younger readers coming up in the first half of the year including this paperback edition of a terrific adventure by another awesome pairing - Haig being famous for his Christmas series alongside adult novels and his thought-provoking non-fiction, and who hasn’t been charmed by Gravett’s joyous depictions of bears and dogs and monkeys? She can even make a chameleon look cuddly.

SHADOWSEA by Peter Bunzl - Usborne rrp £7.99.

The fourth in the highly recommendable steampunkery Cogheart series, this time Lily, Robert and Malkin the mechanical fox find themselves in Nooo Yoik but it’s not all Manhattan glamour - something weird is happening in the water.

THE ICE BEAR MIRACLE by Cerrie Burnell Oxford rrp £6.99. In this new novel from the talented and totally cool actress, TV presenter and writer-inresidence at Booktrust for 2020, we encounter Marv Jackson with the moon shaped scar, a frigid landscape beset by bears and a mystery skater.

That’s one big BAH! to the Spring thaw.

THIS BOOK IS ANTI-RACIST by Tiffany Jewell -

Frances Lincoln rrp £8.99. Timely, challenging, clever - this book for young teens encourages reflection on power and privilege, enabling meaningful contribution in the struggle against the revolting and persistent presumption that one race is superior to another. Obviously certain grown-ups currently in positions of influence should be made to read every word of this, before being obliged to swallow it sideways.

GET OUT OF MY LIFE by Tony Wolf & Suzanne Franks - Profile rrp £9.99. And as they are not perfect lack of judgmentalism and prejudice is no excuse for being constantly bolshie, reeking suspiciously of weed and using too much blimmin’ bog roll - this is a new edition of the guide that gets us all through the adorable adventure of adolescence.

HOW TO SLEEP by Max Kirsten - Penguin rrp £9.99. Speaking of adolescence, remember those days when you could, well, lose a whole day to expert slumber? No, neither do I. My lot have long since stopped climbing into our bed at 2am (shudder) but I would still give away my limited edition Don Draper fan club mug for one unbroken night’s kip. I have no problem falling asleep, it’s the wide-awake thrashing about worrying several hours later that I need a sleep coach like this for.

HOW TO BREAK UP WITH YOUR PHONE

by Catherine Price - rrp £8.99. Picture the tender scene: a new mother in a peaceful room, cradling her new baby. For fifteen minutes, as she suckles, the babe gazes up intently at the most important person in her little life thus far. But mama is googling Victorian door knobs. As you do. When the author finally noticed those ardent little eyes fixed so lovingly, it was an epiphany. The idea is not to give up our phones entirely - though the speed at which we are sliding back into the nineteenth century, knobs or no knobs, we may not need one anyway - but to spend less time missing out on the other really important stuff.

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL by Nina Stibbe Penguin rrp £8.99. Finally, unusually, a novel. A very, very funny one from the writer whose memoir Love, Nina about life as a nanny for a bonkers North London family was turned into a telly series starring Helena Bonham Carter. I figured we are all going to need a laugh to get us through this coming year and nobody does hilarious human chaos quite like this lass. And look, I’ve managed to fill a whole page with most items costing less than ten quid so if you only make one resolution this January, make it to shop local. In 3D. Thankyou for listening. And reading!

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

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FA M ILY LI FE

8 top eco-resolutions for 2020

By Claire Winter

Resolutions are on everyone’s mind at this time of year. Whether you love or loathe them, there’s no avoiding the fact that they can be a great way to kickstart the new year.

2019 was a turbulent year, which saw a significant rise in eco-activism. Greta Thunberg has inspired school strikes and protests around the world. Concentrating on consuming less and being more environmentally aware has never felt more urgent. Why not make your sure your list of resolutions is focused on sustainability for this year?

and support local shops that offer refill services for your shopping basics. You can also try to buy from companies that use environmentallyfriendly packaging. Ask for change, call out shops and restaurants that use too much plastic on social media by tagging Greenpeace and use the hashtag #pointlessplastic.

Take a no-waste pack. Encourage the whole family to be prepared and to take a refillable water bottle, coffee cup, and canvas bag with them when they go out. Cutting down on disposable coffee cups, plastic water bottles and bags will dramatically reduce the amount you add to landfill each week.

Install rain barrels. Rain barrels are an easy way to save water. Head to a local home improvement store or surf online stores for a rain diverter. Install to gather the rainwater from your gutter system. You can use this water during the summer for your lawns, gardens or animals; it will also help reduce your water bill.

Skip meat one day a week. Research shows the drastic effects of raising cattle and other livestock on the environment. Raising meat consumes both water and land. Why not start dropping meat from your family’s diet one day each week? Start with a meat-free Monday and remember every meatless meal you consume helps the environment.

Start a compost bin. Composting is a great way to reduce the amount you throw away.

Composters work better in the sun as they yield the best results at high temperatures. Ensure that the compost receives heat and water and make sure to rotate the contents in the compost bin occasionally. You can fill your compost bin with lawn clippings, brown paper bags and organic food scraps. This will help you to reduce food waste and create nutrient-rich soil that you can use in your garden.

Avoid wet wipes. Wipes that are flushed away are responsible for clogging up our sewers.

Even if you don’t flush them, they are another single-use disposable that is filling up our

Avoid plastic. Plastic is terrible for our environment as it needs a huge amount of petroleum to produce it. It also never breaks down and adds to the water problem the world is currently facing. Set a goal to avoid plastic as much as possible. Buy your food in glass jars

Calling all Baby Scientists!

Help us discover how babies & kids learn!

We’re recruiting infants from birth to school age to take part in fun studies at the Birkbeck Babylab in central London. Our prime location is easy to reach via public transport and we refund travel expenses.

020 7631 6258 • babylab@bbk.ac.uk www.cbcd.bbk.ac.uk

“people really can make a difference”

landfills every day. If you use them to take off makeup, could you make reusable wipes from soft cotton squares that you simply wash and reuse?

Avoid fast fashion. Fast fashion is killing the planet. The resources needed to produce and dispose of all the clothing produced globally earns the fashion industry the title of the world’s number one pollutant. Start thinking about what you purchase. Can you buy second hand clothes or reduce the amount you are buying?

Think about investing in a smaller capsule wardrobe, which contains interchangeable pieces instead of buying throwaway high fashion clothes.

Buy seasonal and local foods. Consider your purchasing decisions around the food you buy for the family. Make it your new year’s resolution to only buy seasonal and local foods. If you can afford it, buy organic because fewer pollutants and pesticides are used in the production of organic food. Visit your local farmer’s market to buy soap, honey, and fresh bakes from the stallholders. Investigate the journey each food makes and buy goods with the shortest travel time. Do you really need asparagus or green beans from another continent?

If one girl protesting outside the Swedish parliament can start a global protest movement against climate change, we can all do our bit.

Small actions undertaken by large numbers of people really can make a big difference.

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Happy Chinese New Year - introducing The Year of The Rat to children

By Helena Zhang

Something scientific Did you know? Chinese New Year celebrates the ‘Spring Festival’; a centuries-old event which is unique to the Chinese calendar. It is associated with the solar term ‘Start of Spring’ one of the 24 solar terms referring to specific occasions indicating seasonal changes in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is established according to the change of the Earth’s position on the ecliptic (the orbit on which the Earth rotates around the sun). The idea of the 24 solar terms was listed by UNESCO as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In the international meteorological community, the 24 solar terms are known as China’s fifth great invention. The other four Chinese great inventions are: papermaking, gunpowder, printing and the compass.

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Something mythical the 12 animals The Chinese zodiac is a cycle of 12 animals, with people associated with the animal for the year they are born. In order, they are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Zodiac animals can also represent hours of the day, and even directions.

Why does the Rat rank the first of the 12?

Join the storytelling day on 25 January, organised by Hantastic Kids to find out its cunning plan.

Where to celebrate •

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Things to do at home 1

Wear something red! The mythical monster ‘Xi’ is much afraid of the colour red. (Xi is a monster that looks like a lion with one horn and it appears during the Spring Festival to hunt people). Chinese people clothe themselves and children in red, put up red posters and couplets, hang red lanterns

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and make their home as red as possible.

Dress yourselves to ‘stay safe’ and be lucky!

Set your new year resolution. The start of the lunar year is a good time to make a new wish to work on in the next 365 days!

Eat delicious dumplings! Find online video tutorials to learn to make dumplings plenty of fun and messy play is guaranteed. Or, visit Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown or locally to buy ready-made dumplings to cook at home.

Call or visit your family. Chinese grandparents love CNY as they can reunite with their grandchildren on this day if they don’t live together.

Achieve something to prove that you are one year older! No matter when your birthday is, this is the day everyone grows older. Maybe you can brush your own teeth, wash your own dish or tidy your room as a start!

Book your places at the CNY story day on 25 January, organised by Hantastic Kids in Blackheath - details, activity packs and booking online at www.hantastickids.com Follow the CNY parade in and around Chinatown and London’s West End on 25 January. The largest outside Asia, celebrations include colourful parades, performances, displays and foodie treats Join the Chinese New Year family festival day at the National Gallery on 26 January, which will be filled with Chinesethemed

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storytelling and dance; try your hand at making dumplings and paper cut decorations. 11am-4pm, free for families, www.nationalgallery.org.uk Head to the Museum of London Docklands on 8 and 9 February for a variety of arts and crafts, calligraphy, Chinese stories and a ribbon dance. 11am-4.30pm, admission free, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands Watch online CNY gala broadcasts. A Guinness World Records keeper of the world’s most watched television programme, it typically features music, dance, comedy and drama performances by talents and stars. Look up key word ‘CCTV New Year’s Gala’ (CCTV means China Central Television).

About the author Helena Zhang runs Hantastic Kids - an online store offering educational toys to introduce children to bitesized Chinese culture. Children will learn some basic Chinese culture for them to: • be open minded about different cultures • learn to speak a language that is most spoken in the world through fun activities • stay positive and behave • show respect and care to others READER OFFER: Families readers can save 10% on orders when quoting ‘FAMILYSE’ online. www.hantastickids.com

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HIDDEN LONDON

LONDON CALLING

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

What’sOn D I ARY DAT E S F O R G R OWNUPS PLANT POWERED EXPO

THE BABY SHOW

1+2 February, OLYMPIA LONDON, Hammersmith Road W14 8UX, www.plantpoweredexpo.co.uk Discover your vegan adventure at an event geared towards those just discovering the benefits of plant based lifestyles, recent Veganuary participants, and London foodies simply looking for some outstanding tasty new experiences. Meet and greet a number of renowned speakers and chefs in the plant-based community, and take advantage of the one-off show specials at many of the 200 + stalls. Entertainment includes films, musicians and comedians celebrating plant based living. Open 10am-6pm Saturday, to 5pm Sunday, entry free for under 16s, adults £15, concessions £10.

28 February - 1 March, EXCEL LONDON, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Docks E16 1XL, www.thebabyshow.co.uk/excel Tried, tested and trusted by the nursery industry and over one million parents and parents-to-be, The Baby Show offers the largest selection of leading and boutique brands, advice from world-renowned experts, plus exclusive show offers that are not on the high street. New parents can find everything to help and support them on their new adventure. Open 9.30am-5.30pm each day, tickets from £17.50 in advance.

E V E N T S AN D MU SE UMS THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk The museum’s music gallery and hands-on base, regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and workshops allow family visitors to explore the collection through arts and crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. All this within 16 acres of beautiful green space which has the oldest nature trail in London, an animal corner, a butterfly house, a crazy golf course and a Farmers’ Market every Sunday. Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, admission free, charges apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium.

STAGES OF MAKING, until 19 April. Step into an immersive exhibition where all the artworks have a story to tell about design, techniques and time. Inspired by the history of the Horniman and its collections, Stages of Making is produced by a collective of local community members working with artist Katie Schwab.

Works include painted walls, table tops made from yoghurt pots and a giant rag-rug created from used t-shirts by members of the public. Free.

PERMIAN MONSTERS: LIFE BEFORE DINOSAURS, 15 February - 25 October. Meet extraordinary creatures from 250 million years ago - fearsome sabre-toothed predators, giant insects and bizarre-looking sharks. Come face to face with fossil skeletons, full-size models and animatronics that bring the Permian period back to life. In this fascinating, family-friendly exhibition you can sift through interactive dig pits, follow an adventure trail around the show, and get creative in an art area as you discover more about this mysterious time period, which ended with a mass extinction, paving the way for the Earth’s next great rulers... the dinosaurs. Tickets available online.

GREEN TURTLE, until May 2021. A magnificent taxidermy mount of a male Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, on loan from the Natural History Museum is on display in the Natural History Gallery. Over 100 years old, this impressive animal was collected off the coast of Nicaragua in Central America and presented to the Natural History Museum in 1906. This small display will showcase the challenges facing Green Turtles and other marine life today and what we can do to protect it.

IMAGINE CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL

THE GREAT EXPLORER is an interactive game for families.

Borrow a tablet device and set sail across The Great Map to explore distant lands and discover treasures from all around the world. Where will you visit and what will you find? Take a photo and share your adventure. 11am-4pm, free.

CHARACTER ENCOUNTERS, Saturdays. Join an exciting performance and journey bringing maritime history to life. 12noon, 1, 2 and 3pm.

02 GREENWICH ABBA: SUPER TROUPERS, until 31 August. Incorporating lyrics, costumes, instruments, experiential backdrops of the key events and locations that defined and shaped the band, album artwork, photography, film and more, ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition examines the band’s universal popularity. From their multi-layered sound to their iconic look, the exhibition goes behind-the-scenes to examine the heavy-weight influence of one of the most enduring acts of all time. Child tickets from £13.50, adults from £22, from www.abbasupertroupers.com.

CUTTY SARK CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark The world famous 19th century tea clipper offers visitors four levels to explore. Take in the views from the main deck and steer at the ship’s wheel, meet the crew who worked on board, explore the various cargoes from wool to whiskey, and see how tea was loaded on board through interactive displays, props, information boards and animations. Family friendly events run at weekends and during school holidays. Open 10am-5pm daily, admission from £6.30 children, £12.15 adults, from £24 families. Bundled tickets are available with the other Royal Museum Greenwich attractions.

ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk Housed in historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 17th-century Queen’s House and Cutty Sark work to illustrate the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people. On Saturdays and Sundays free performances and workshops entertain family visitors, while on Tuesdays preschoolers can make music and play with parents and carers. Open 10am-5pm daily. General admission is free; some buildings, special exhibitions and events have an admission fee.

AHOY! Drop into NMM’s brilliant children’s gallery for a boatload of fun and adventure. Stoke the boiler of a steamship, land a fish and work in the interactive boatyard. Polar exploration, pirates and a host of other maritime themes are brought to life in this playful and immersive gallery, which also has a buggy park and easy access to all the facilities you need to have a stress-free visit. Ages 0-7, free and open daily (sometimes pre-booked for schools groups).

HMS BELFAST The Queen’s Walk SE1 2JH, 020 7416 5000, www.iwm.org.uk Open 10am-5pm until 29 February, to 6pm March - October.

Admission free for under 5s, £8.55 children, £ £19 adults, 10% off advance tickets.

SEA LEGS, 17 February. Explore the science and ingenuity needed to keep HMS Belfast and her crew afloat. Travel back to 1942, three years after HMS Belfast hit a magnetic mine, and inspect the ship and find out if everything is shipshape and ready to go. 11am-3pm, included in admission price.

FAMILY MISSION, daily throughout half term. Pick up a Kit Bag and learn more about the crew who served on board HMS Belfast 75 years ago on D-Day. Teams will work together to find hidden messages, predict the weather for sailing, discover ship life and crack Morse code. Created in partnership with KIT Theatre and Kirsty Harris, this interactive storytelling experience is based on personal stories from those who took part in the biggest invasion in history. 10am-2pm, included with admission.

Leading Specialists in Family & Criminal Law Please call 020 7277 0110 to arrange an appointment.

We look forward to meeting you.

213 Camberwell Road , London, SE5 0HG | 020 7277 0110 7a West Street, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 9BL | 01737 229 610 www.venters.co.uk

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17-19 Blackwater Street East Dulwich SE22 8SD

020 7720 1144 familiesonline.co.uk

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BODY WORLDS

MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD

SHIP SHAPE SATURDAYS, 15+22 February. Drop in and learn about what it takes to conserve HMS Belfast, the largest object in IWM’s collection. Alongside expert conservators, visitors will put their learning into practice as they work through specially assigned tasks searching for hungry insect pests and caring for fabrics with specialised tools. 11am-1pm and 2-4pm, included with admission.

THE CROW’S HEAD

PLAY BASE, daily. Whether your child wants to take on the soft play assault course, climb aboard a truck or prepare scoff in the cookhouse, Play Base lets every child shine. Ages 0-8, £4.50 per child for an hour-long session.

FULHAM PALACE BODY WORLDS THE LONDON PAVILION, 1 Piccadilly Circus W1J 0DA, 0330 233 3233, www.bodyworlds.co.uk Anatomist Dr Gunther von Hagens’ renowned exhibition of real human bodies has sparked curiosity and awe around the world with over 47 million visitors globally. His unique ‘plastinating’ technique replaces body fluids with a sort of silicone rubber, allowing them to be positioned in a variety of active positions, showing which muscles are used for different activities such as jumping, dancing and playing tennis. As well as providing fascinating insights into the inner workings of the human body, the exhibition is designed to stimulate curiosity about the science of anatomy and physiology, and provide engaging and life-changing experiences in science and technology. It’s a fantastic educational trip for children, with interactive elements throughout the museum including a CPR station, a ‘know your numbers’ display where visitors learn how to take their blood pressure, an anatomical mirror and more. There’s even a family trail for little ones to enjoy.

Open 9.30am - 7pm Sundays to Thursdays; to 9pm Fridays and Saturdays. Ages 6+ recommended, single and family tickets available in advance or on the door.

JUNIOR DOCTORS PROGRAMME, half term. Budding young scientists can don their white coats and stethoscopes and go on a bespoke tour of Body Worlds London with a real life doctor who answers all their questions on anatomy and the human body. They even graduate at the end with a special certificate. Ages 8-12 years (without parents), 9.30am-12noon during half term, tickets £25, book first.

THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM 40 Brunswick Square, Camden Town WC1N 1AZ, 020 7841 3600, www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk Britain’s first home for abandoned children and London’s first public art gallery reveals the stories of the Foundling Hospital’s founder Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and composer George Frideric Handel. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 11am Sundays. Admission free for under 16s, from £10 adults.

LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM COVENT GARDEN PIAZZA, WC2E 7BB, 020 7379 6344, www.ltmuseum.co.uk Museum open 10am-6pm daily, adult tickets from £16.50 valid for a whole year; under 17s free.

HIDDEN LONDON. Experience an ‘abandoned’ Tube station underworld and discover secrets beneath our busy streets.

The exhibition takes visitors on an immersive journey of some of London’s most secret spaces belonging to the oldest subterranean railway in the world. These ‘forgotten’ parts of the Tube network have incredible stories to tell about Britain’s wartime past such as the Plessey aircraft underground factory which had 2,000 members of staff, mostly women, working in the two 2.5 mile-long tunnels on the eastern section of the Central line during the Second World War. SIGNS AND SYMBOLS, 15-23 February. London’s transport system is one of the best recognisable in the world. Take a trip in February to pick up a Museum Mission and explore the iconic signs and symbols that help us navigate around the city. Your mission - to find out why signs and symbols are so important to London. Free with museum admission.

NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea SW3 4HT, 020 7730 0717, www.nam.ac.uk The National Army Museum is a leading authority on the British Army and its impact on society past and present. Through its collections the museum preserves and shares stories of ordinary people with extraordinary responsibilities; exploring the role of the army and its relevance today. Free children’s trails cover a wide range of topics and suit a variety of age groups. Open 10am 5.30pm, admission free.

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Bishop’s Avenue, Fulham SW6 6EA, 020 7736 3233, www.fulhampalace.org The Museum of Fulham Palace charts the long history of the palace site, from Prehistoric times and Roman settlement, through Medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian bishops to the present day. The museum collection includes paintings, archaeology and artefacts. Open noon-4pm Sundays, 12.30-3.30pm Mondays to Thursdays, admission free, donations welcome.

GRAND DESIGNS, 26 January. Discover Fulham Palace in the 18th and 19th centuries - when the Palace was being remodelled in different styles by a series of Bishops. Make a Gothic window, flounce in a frock coat and create a fan. Ages 3+, 11am-3pm, free drop-in.

THE KINGMAKER, 23 February. The Bishop of London, Henry Compton, risked his life when he joined other noblemen and invited William to take the throne from King James II. Explore this period of intrigue, rebellion and treason. There’ll be activities and crafts including secret letters and hands-on archaeology. Ages 3+, 11am-3pm, free drop-in.

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

General admission free; tickets required for some events and special exhibitions.

TOP SECRET: FROM CIPHERS TO CYBER SECURITY, until 23 February. Explore the challenges of maintaining digital security in the 21st century and the unique technologies used throughout the 100-year history of GCHQ - one of the UK’s intelligence agencies. The exhibition features over 100 never-before-seen objects, interactive puzzles and first-person interviews, revealing fascinating stories of communications intelligence and cyber security from the last century including cipher machines used during the Second World War, secure telephones of the type used

by British Prime Ministers, and an encryption key used by Her Majesty The Queen. Admission free.

MUSEUM OF LONDON MUSEUM OF LONDON, 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN, www.museumoflondon.org.uk From specially-designed interactive children’s galleries, free activity bags and stimulating online games, as well as all-important details like high chairs and baby-changing spaces, the Museum of London is a perfect fun family venue. Open 10am-6pm daily, admission free.

MOSAIC STORIES, 15+16 February. Explore the Queenhithe mosaic that stretches along the banks of the River Thames. What stories does the mosaic tell us about the engineering of London’s past, and what will it look like in the future? Then create your own engineering-inspired masterpiece to take home! 12noon and 2.30pm, ages 3+, free drop in.

MONSTER SOUP PUPPETS, 16+17 February. Make your own bacteria-inspired monster soup stock puppet at this art drop in.

10.30am and 1.30pm, ages 3+, free drop in.

ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT, 17-19 February. Join an adventure rowing across the River Thames and time itself in this interactive theatre and music performance. Come aboard and discover the secrets of the River Thames, looking at its geography and engineers of its past. 11.30am and 1.30pm, ages 3+, free ticketed event.

FLOOD! 18+19 February. Grab a lab coat and investigate climate change in this investigative family workshop. Budding scientists can take part in mini demonstrations of water wheels and dams to understand how humans cope with rising water levels. 12noon, 2 and 3.30pm, ages 6+, free ticketed event.

ZOG

BEATBOX ADVENTURE

THE SCIENCE OF THE THAMES, 20 February. Join students from Imperial College London as they take over the museum to explore the amazing world of science and technology in the river Thames! Be intrigued and inspired as you investigate your way round the galleries at various stalls run by the students. 11am 4pm, ages 6+, free drop in..

LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN, 22+23 February. Can you help build the iconic London Bridge? Construct you own bridge from craft materials and test it out. 12noon and 2.30pm, ages 3+, free drop in.

GONE FISHING, 22+23 February. In 1957 the Thames was declared biologically dead; but now it’s home to hundreds of species of fish. Discover more about these species, and the different ways people have fished in the Thames over the years.

Then create and test different types of fish traps. 11.30am and 2pm, ages 6+, free drop in.

THE CLASH: LONDON CALLING, until 19 April. Go behind the scenes on the making of The Clash’s groundbreaking London Calling - an album that rocked the music scene, serving as an anthem for London, Londoners and music lovers globally. Free drop-in.

MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, Warehouse 1, West India Quay E14 4AL, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands Find out more about London’s history, through displays covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. On Sundays, museum hosts help visitors explore the galleries through fun, hands-on activities at 11am and 2pm.

CHINESE NEW YEAR FAMILY FESTIVAL, 8+9 February.

Celebrate the Year of the Rat at this family festival offering performances, martial arts demonstrations, creative workshops and much more over the weekend. Some events will be available to book online in advance and may have a charge.

THE GREAT STINK, 15+16 February. Travel back in time with storyteller Emily Grazebrook to the stench-filled summer of 1858 in this interactive session. Hold your nose as you move through the museum galleries and discover the dirt, disease and pollution which created the Thames’ Great Stink! 12noon, 2 and 3pm, ages 5+, free drop in.

BEAKY CHALLENGE, 17 February. Learn about the birds that inhabit the River Thames and take the challenge to make your own beak. 11am and 1.30pm, ages 5+, free drop in.

LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN, 17+18 February. Can you help build the iconic London Bridge? Construct you own bridge from craft materials and test it out. 12noon and 2.30pm, ages 5+, free drop in.

MONSTER SOUP PUPPETS, 18 February. Make your own bacteria-inspired monster soup stock puppet at this art drop in.

10.30am and 1.30pm, ages 3+, free drop in.

LAB TOTS, SCIENCE OF THE THAMES, 19 February. Join Proff on a scientific adventure along the River Thames. See some jaw-dropping demos and take part in practical hands-on experiments in sessions specially designed for under-fives and their parents or carers, created by Lab Tots. 10.15, 11 and 11.45am, free, ticketed event.

THAMES TUNNEL TALES, 19+20 February. Join a musical storytelling session that will bring to life the engineering marvel known as The Thames Tunnel. Take part in stories and songs in this session for young and old. 11.30am, 1 and 2pm, ages 3+, free drop in.

POP-UP CARDS, 19+23 February. Become a paper engineer and construct your own River Thames themed pop-up card. Flex your maths muscles and drawing skills to create a construction inspired by Victorian dioramas. 12noon and 2.30pm, ages 5+, free drop in.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, 8 March. An equal world is an enabled world. Mark International Women’s Day with free talks and tours throughout the day celebrating women through history.

11am-4pm, ages 7+, free.

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BILLIONAIRE BOY

STICK MAN

BRITISH SURREALISM

MoreWhat’sOn NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

THE BRITISH LIBRARY

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

INVESTIGATE FOR FAMILIES, every weekend. Get a feel for how scientists work by having a go yourself. Explore hundreds of real nature specimens that form the evidence Museum scientists use in their daily work. Ages 3-11, 11am-5pm, free drop in.

DINO SNORES, once a month on Saturdays. Discover what really happens at the museum when the staff and visitors have gone home. Children aged 7-11 years, from 7pm to 9.50am the following day. Tickets from £54.

96 Euston Road NW1 2DB, 01937 456030, www.bl.uk The British Library is open to everyone and offers Reading Rooms for research and study, exhibitions and events for curious people of all ages, tours and great places to eat, drink and shop. Open 9.30am - 8pm Mondays to Thursdays, to 6pm Fridays, 7pm Saturdays, and 11am-5pm Sundays, admission free.

MARVELLOUS AND MISCHIEVOUS: LITERATURE’S YOUNG REBELS, until 1 March. Anyone can be a rebel, whether they are standing up for their beliefs, saving the planet or battling against the odds. See how characters from Pippi Longstocking to Princess Pearl break rules and defy conventions to make the world a better place for others. Before you go, you can start your own adventure too. Dress up as a determined rebel, create your own comic, or take time out in the reading area. Free.

BUDDHISM, until 23 February. Mindfulness. Compassion.

Tolerance. Many of us have heard of the principles of Buddhism.

Discover their origins, see beautiful artworks, and understand what these concepts mean for Buddhists in the world today. Adult admission from £12, concs available.

BRITISH MUSEUM Great Russell Street WC1B 3DG, www.britishmuseum.org BUILD ROMAN BRITAIN, 11 January and 9 February. Build a wall in Minecraft to mark the edges of your empire, or make a unique creation inspired by the Romans in Britain. Find out about Roman Britain, from Claudius’ invasion to Hadrian’s famous wall, through the Museum's objects. 11am-4pm, ages 7+, free drop-in.

TROJAN TALES: MAKING AND MYTHS, 19-21 February. Enjoy family activities inspired by Trojan tales of gods and heroes, amazing adventures and mythical monsters. Contribute to a giant art installation and make your own art work to take home. 11am4pm, ages 5+, free drop-in.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE Bow Street, Covent Garden WC2E 9DD, 020 7304 4000, www.roh.org.uk FAMILY SUNDAYS, 12 January and 29 March. Discover everything you didn’t know about the Royal Opera House in these fun-packed Sundays, full of creative activities - ideal for all the family. Tickets from £8.

DANCE WITH THE ROYAL BALLET, 10 January. Whether you’re an aspiring dancer or taking your first ballet steps, try out with workshops led by a member of The Royal Ballet team.

2.15-3.30pm, £10.

ALICE’S ADVENTURES UNDERGROUND, 4, 6, 8 +9 February.

Fun, furious, frantic and utterly fantastic! The surreal world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice, both in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, is given an extra twist in Gerald Barry’s operatic treatment.

Barry’s characteristic high-speed energy and riotous sense of humour propel the action forward as Alice plunges down the rabbit hole into the depths of Wonderland. At less than an hour for the whole opera, this short, sharp shot of mayhem is ideal as a family treat.

SOUTHBANK SOUTHBANK CENTRE, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX, 020 3879 9555, www.southbankcentre.co.uk IMAGINE CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL, 12-23 February. The UK’s leading children’s festival returns to Southbank Centre for twelve days jam-packed with the highest-quality international children’s theatre, music performances, literature events, comedy shows, creativity workshops, family parties, hands-on activities and lots of free family fun for all those aged 0 - 11 and their grownups.

Imagine Children’s Festival takes over the 17-acre cultural quarter on the banks of the River Thames for its nineteenth year, dedicating the February half term to families enjoying and discovering all kinds of art and culture together. Too many events to mention; see the website for the full line up and bookings.

14 Families South East

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

BACK-PACKS, Saturdays. Pick up a back pack and explore the museum with fantastic jigsaws, stories, puzzles and games.

10.30am-5pm.

TUTANKHAMUN

MUSHROOMS

V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk This gem of a museum houses dolls, dolls’ houses, puppets, teddy bears, games, childcare, clothing, furniture and art and photography. Everyday drop-in activities include storytelling, arts and crafts, and trails. There’s dressing-up, role play and an under 3s area, an indoor sandpit, and regular special events. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

PLAYING WITH BUILDINGS, until March. Seventy first-year BSc Architecture students from UEL re-think how visitors might interact with the museum and designed new inventive spaces for playing and learning. Pupils from Morpeth Secondary School and St Johns Primary School have user tested their prototype designs and created their own inventive responses.

PLACE (VILLAGE), RACHEL WHITEREAD. Rachel Whiteread’s celebrated, large-scale artwork is an assembly of vintage dolls’ houses in a variety of architectural styles and averaging around one metre high. The houses sit on stepped platforms, evoking a sprawling hillside ‘community’. The houses are lit from within, but deserted, their emptiness evoking haunting memories and melancholy.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM St THOMAS’S HOSPITAL, 2 Lambeth Palace Road SE1 7EW, 020 7188 4400, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk Known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’, Florence Nightingale was a pioneering nurse, writer, and noted statistician. The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates her life and work, through personal material associated with Florence Nightingale, items relating to the Crimean War and nursing artefacts. Open 10am7pm daily, admission £7.50 adults, £3.80 children.

MEET MISS NIGHTINGALE, every last Saturday of the month.

Meet Miss Nightingale and hear all about how she became a nurse, why she went to the Crimea and how she improved the conditions for the soldiers and nurses. Free with admission.

MUSI C AND T H EAT R E GREENWICH THEATRE Crooms Hill SE10 8ES, 020 8858 4447, www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk MIMI AND THE MOUNTAIN DRAGON, 16 February. Michael Morpurgo’s heart-warming tale springs to life in an epic mountain adventure about friendship and courage that’s packed full of snow, dragons, lively songs and captivating puppetry. 2pm, ages 3+, tickets £9.50 children, £18 adults.

THE CROW’S TALE, 17 February. A crow with colourful rainbow feathers travels to the sun to ask for warmth, as all the animals are cold and hungry. Based on a picture book by Naomi Howarth and featuring marionettes, the story is inspired by a Lenni Lenape Native American Indian legend. 10am, ages 3+, tickets £9.50 children, £18 adults.

PEACE AT LAST and WHATEVER NEXT, 18+19 February. Two stories from Jill Murphy to delight young audiences. Peace At Last is gentle adventure story about a daddy bear looking for a quiet place to sleep. Mrs Bear’s snoring and the sounds in the house and garden keep him awake, and when he finally gets back into bed and falls asleep, the alarm goes off... but he starts the day with a smile anyway.

In Whatever Next, Baby Bear wants to go to the moon! He makes a rocket, finds a space helmet, space boots and picnic supplies and off he goes! He meets an owl on the way who shares his journey, and he’s back in time for his bath. Ages 2-5, tickets £7 children, £13 adults per show; book both for £11 children, £21 adults.

ENSONGLOPEDIA OF ANIMALS, 20 February. Twenty-six animal songs, one for each letter of the alphabet. Expect extraordinary echinoderms, distressed damselflies, curious corals, batty birds and amazing arachnids. Expect the unexpected. And expect it to rhyme in this new show from John Hinton, creator of the multi-award-winning Scientrilogy of musical comedies about Darwin, Einstein and Curie. 2pm, ages 5+, tickets £9.50 children, £18 adults.

ADRIFT, 22 February. Two children are in a boat. They play. They laugh. They argue. They dream of catching a fish so big it will capsize the boat. Of encountering a mermaid who will sing them the most beautiful melodies. Of lassoing a whale who will pull them to shore, to a new land of thick green grass and endless blue skies. A safe land. Told with tenderness, humour and visual storytelling, Adrift is a celebration of the resilience and imagination of childhood. 8pm, ages 5+, tickets £9.50 children, £18 adults.

FAIRFIELD HALLS Park Lane, Croydon CR9 1DG, 020 3292 0001, www.fairfield.co.uk THE SWAN AND THE ENCHANTED LAKE, 20 February. A magical story of beauty, nature, music and silence, with music by Debussy, Mendelssohn, Ravel and Shostakovich. 12noon and 2pm, suitable for under 11s, free on a first come, first serve basis.

ZOG, 5 -7 March. The smash-hit stage adaptation from Freckle Productions is back in 2020 and promises to be bigger, brighter and more roar-some than ever before! With brand new songs from Joe Stilgoe (The Jungle Book, The Midnight Gang) and directed

by Emma Kilbey, this adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved Zog is magical for all ages.

THE BRIDGE THEATRE 3 Potters Fields Park SE1 2SG, 03333 320 0052, www.bridgetheatre.co.uk THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, until 2 February. Step through the wardrobe this winter into the magical kingdom of Narnia for the most mystical of adventures in a faraway land. Join Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they wave goodbye to wartime Britain and say hello to a talking Faun, an unforgettable Lion and the coldest, cruellest White Witch.

Tickets from £15.

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BLACKHEATH HALLS

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE

UNICORN THEATRE

22 Lee Road SE3 9RQ, 020 8463 0100, www.blackheathhalls.com SHARK IN THE PARK! 15 February. Featuring all three of Nick Sharratt’s ‘Shark in the Park’ series - Shark in the Park, Shark in the Dark and Shark in the Park on a Windy Day - this fin-tastic, family musical follows Timothy Pope (and his telescope!) on his exciting adventures. 1.30 and 4pm, ages 3+, tickets £16.

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street N1 2DN, 020 7226 1787, www.littleangeltheatre.com

147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ, 020 7645 0560 www.unicorntheatre.com THE BEE IN ME - LET'S FLY AWAY, 31 January - 1 March. One ordinary boy living an ordinary life. Full of warmth and sorrow, dreamlike and kaleidoscopic, it celebrates a child discovering inner resources -resilience, determination and ingenuity - and finding a kind of freedom. For ages 8-12.

THE CONSERVATOIRE 19-21 Lee Road, Blackheath SE3 9RQ, 020 8852 0234, www.conservatoire.org.uk LUNA’S MAGIC FLUTE, 23 February. Luna’s Magic Flute is a fairytale for flute and piano, and an unforgettable adventure in the wide world. 11 pieces are interspersed with beautiful dialogue through an educational and imaginative story, where Luna makes new friends and triumphs over the evil dragon who steals her magic flute. 10.30am, ages 0-6, under 2s free, children £5, adults £10.

THE PIXIE AND THE PUDDING, until 2 February. It’s Christmas Eve on the farm, and the chickens, pigs and cows are fast asleep.

Inside the farmhouse, the fire is roaring and a delicious, steaming pudding is left out on the windowsill... This brand new musical brings a tale from Scandinavian folklore to life with puppetry, or iginal music and a sprinkling of pixie magic. Ages 4-11, tickets £13 children, £15 adults.

ME... until 2 February. The world is a very big place, especially for a tiny baby penguin who is just finding her feet. The shimmering stars and glistening snow spin around our little hero, while the mountains tower high and the wind rushes to and fro. And although baby penguin may be small, her family know she’s the biggest thing of all. Based on Emma Dodd’s early years picture book, this is a lovely and touching story about a parent and their love for their child. Ages 2-5, tickets £11.50 children, £13.50 adults.

PUPPET THEATRE BARGE Blomfield Road W9 2PF, 020 7249 6876, www.puppetbarge.com LONDON INTERNATIONAL MIME FESTIVAL SHOW, 15 January - 23 February. A little chimney sweep's suffering ends when he is transformed into a water baby. As he plunges into an underwater realm of fish, caterpillars and caddisflies, we are drawn into his adventures in the colourful depths, swept along with his dreams and new freedom. With specially commissioned music, beautiful long-string marionettes and ghostly shadows. For ages 4+.

ROYAL ALBERT HALL Kensington Gore, South Kensington SW7 2AP, 020 7589 8212, www.royalalberthall.com SHLOMO’S BEATBOX ADVENTURE FOR KIDS, 17 February.

World record-breaking beatboxer SK Shlomo returns to the Elgar Room to make music using just his mouth and a mic, teaching little ones the art of beatboxing throughout the show. Join this sonic superhero and become one of his sidekicks in a world of funny sounds, brilliant noises and cool music. Suitable for all ages; under 14s to be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over, tickets £12.

HEROES AND HEROINES, 18 February. Join the Royal Albert Hall’s colourful troupe of musicians from Albert’s Band as they celebrate famous heroes and heroines from the stage and screen.

Led by ringmaster Kevin Hathway this high octane show will include lots of interactive elements for all the family to enjoy.

Buggies, babies and budding musicians all welcome. 12noon and 2.30pm, tickets £5.27 children, £11.59 adults.

DOWN WITH THE POETRY KING, 20 February. Poet and international rap battler Mark Grist presents a spoken word show for children. Jam-packed with rhymes, games and audience interaction the narrative of the show is shaped by the audience, through outrageous rhymes, wordy challenges and chooseyour-own-adventure poems. 11am, tickets £12.

THEATRE ROYAL Haymarket SW1Y 4HT, 020 7930 8800, www.trh.co.uk/whatson/the-tiger-who-came-to-tea THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA, until 19 January. Hailed as Britain’s best-loved picture book, The Tiger Who Came To Tea has become a timeless classic, enchanting generations of children worldwide. Join the Tiger, Sophie and her Mummy and Daddy, in this musical slice of teatime mayhem in the Olivier Award-nominated stage production’s sixth West End run. Tickets from £14.50.

CHURCHILL THEATRE High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA, 020 3285 6000, www.churchilltheatre.co.uk BILLIONAIRE BOY, 29 January - 2 February. From the awardwinning West End producers of Gangsta Granny and Awful Auntie comes this amazing new production of David Walliams’ bestselling story. Joe Spud is twelve years old and the richest boy in the country. He has his own sports car, two crocodiles as pets and £100,000 a week pocket money. But what Joe doesn’t have is a friend. So he decides to leave his posh school and start at the local comp. But things don’t go as planned for Joe and life becomes a rollercoaster as he tries find what money can’t buy.

Tickets from £19, under 16s £5 off.

LITTLE STAR, 9 February. Join Little Star as she swings from shooting stars, slides down crescent moons and bounces on fluffy clouds. Puppetry, music and captivating visuals delight young audiences in an intimate, relaxed setting making for a the perfect first theatre experience. Ages 6-18 months, tickets £11.50 for an adult + child.

PEPPA PIG’S BEST DAY EVER, 15+16 February. Get ready for a road trip full of fun adventures. From castles to caves, dragons to dinosaurs and ice-creams to muddy puddles - there is something for all the family to enjoy, including Miss Rabbit, Mr Bull, Suzy Sheep, Gerald Giraffe and more. Tickets from £18, under 16s £2 off.

LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE 6 Leicester Place WC2H 7BX, 020 77134 2222, www.leicestersquaretheatre.com STICK MAN, until 26 January. What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man: a dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan builds a nest with him, and he even ends up on a fire! How will Stick Man ever get back to the family tree? This award-winning production, from the team behind The Scarecrows’ Wedding, features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves!

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A RT AC T IVI T IES DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21 7AD, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends and bank holidays. Artplay workshops on the first and last Sunday of each month offer a different family workshop each session. Gallery admission free for accompanied children, £8 adults. Listed activities free for families with a gallery ticket or £3 per child.

REMBRANDT’S LIGHT, until 2 February. An enduring storyteller; a master of light - Rembrandt is one of the greatest painters who ever lived. This landmark exhibition celebrates 350 years since his death with 35 of his iconic paintings, etchings and drawings, including major international loans from The Louvre and Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Standard admission £16.50 adults, under 18s free.

BRITISH SURREALISM, 26 February - 17 May. The first major show to explore the origins of surrealist art in Britain explores British Surrealism as a fundamental movement in the history of art over a fascinating 170 year period, pre-dating the international movement’s beginnings in the early 1920s. The exhibition brings together over 30 artists including Eileen Agar, John Armstrong, Francis Bacon, Edward Burra, Leonora Carrington, Henry Moore, Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland, featuring 70 eclectic works, from paintings and sculptures to prints and etchings.

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

Open 10am-6pm daily.

TATE MODERN BANKSIDE SE1 9TG, 020 7887 8888, www.tate.org.uk PICK UP AND PLAY, weekends during school holidays. Take part in family activities, discover playful ideas and create large-scale artworks in learning-assistant workshops. 11am-4pm free drop in.

SAATCHI GALLERY Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, Chelsea SW3 4RY, 020 7811 3070, www.saatchigallery.com TUTANKHAMUN: TREASURES OF THE GOLDEN PHAROAH, until 3 May. This exhibition commemorates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, and is the final chance to see these glittering world heritage artefacts before they return to Egypt forever. Explore the life of King Tutankhamun, and the storied discovery that captivated the world through more than 150 authentic pieces from the tomb. Tickets from £16.50.

THE DESIGN MUSEUM DESIGN MUSEUM, 224-238 Kensington High Street W8 6AG, www.designmuseum.org The museum offers a programme of regular events and activities with plenty of opportunities to get creative, offering free and ticketed workshops and gallery experiences for adult visitors and families with children aged 5-11 years. Open 10am-6pm daily.

MOVING TO MARS, until 23 February. A new exhibition explores how sending humans to Mars is not just a new frontier for science but also for design. See over 200 exhibits including original objects and materials plus new commissions, and major installations which enable visitors to get closer to life on Mars.

CREATE AND MAKE, once a month on Sundays and during school holidays. Be inspired by the museum and its exhibitions through informal drop in sessions focusing on light-touch design and making. Ages 5-11.

GET INTO DESIGN workshops and courses run for families and young people. Led by specialist tutors, they include input and inspiration from some of the rising stars in contemporary design.

Check the website for dates and details. Ages 8-11.

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

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

SOMERSET HOUSE SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk Art and culture in the heart of London in a stunning riverside setting. Open daily, admission free with a charge for some exhibitions. Free family workshops run on occasional Saturdays check the website for details. Children aged 6-12 years must be accompanied by an adult.

MUSHROOMS: THE ART, DESIGN AND FUTURE OF FUNGI, 31 January - 26 April. Explore the fascinating world of mushrooms through the work of over 40 artists, designers and musicians, celebrating the rich legacy of mushrooms and their relationship with society and the planet. An extensive events programme accompanies the exhibitions, including a mushroom-inspired pop-up dining experience.

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

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

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Families January February 2020.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2019 1:09 pm Page 16

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