Families Leeds & West Yorkshire May/June 2023

The King’s coronation is just the beginning off a busy spring and early summer. Leeds 23 brings a whole host of free activities, including a giant roller disco and magical touring observatory. Dinosaurs are set to descend on Bradford and later we’re all going on the Leeds Bear Hunt.

You’ll find all the details in this issue, and more in our What’s On guide. Plus, we’ve got outdoor dining ideas – perfect for street parties or family barbeques, the best UK camping destinations, kids activities, tips on tackling summer ailments, education features and much, much more.

There are some great giveaways in this issue too, including your chance to win a holiday from Away Resorts and tonnes of Orchard Toy Little Shopping Lotto games. Apply inside and also ensure you receive every issue of our digital magazine with lots more content and goodies on offer.

The Amazing Leeds Colouring Book

Editor, Families Leeds & West Yorkshire

Bradford Dino Day, page 19

Sow Awesome – May Half Term

STEM craft activities

Stimulate your child’s interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with these inspiring craft ideas.

Create salt dough fossils

Fun activity which shows kids how fossils are made.

Paper straw rockets

Experiment with propulsion and flight with these easy downloadable templates.

Gravity action art

A super-easy way of seeing science and art working together.

Magnetic slime

Discover how to create magnetism with this fun activity.

Paper building blocks

Simple craft demonstrating engineering with paper.

Fruit Solar System

A fruity way to grasp the planet sizes in our Solar System!

Invisible ink art

Fascinating art project where science plays a big role.

Make a volcano

A safe miniature eruption!

Robot Hands

Discover the mechanics of robotics and how everything works together.

Free Event

Centenary Square, Bradford

Become a Trainee Ranger at Dino Basecamp, where a Chief Ranger will guide you through Jurassic knowledge and then train you in what to do in an emergency situation - a dinosaur break out!

All Trainee Rangers can:

• Meet Ritchie the Raptor – the most mischievous, intelligent and naughty dinosaur

• Meet Emily Bronty, one of the largest creatures to ever walk the earth!

• Meet the Bad Boy of the dinosaur world, the T-Rex, a life-sized baby dinosaur at 8ft tall

Saturday 3rd June 2023 11am to 4pm

Bad Boy T-Rex

Ranger Training

For times when you can meet the dinosaurs visit www.bradfordbid.co.uk

All dinosaur appearances are subject to weather conditions (’cos even dinosaurs don’t like heavy rain!)

I’m Emily Bronty

Simple outdoor eating

Take your pick of these great recipes and create meals to eat outside which the family will love.

Roast chicken garden salad

Sweet & sticky chicken wings with classic slaw

Super easy Spanish tortilla

Quick grilled pizza

Lamb meatball pitta pockets

Salt & pepper tofu skewers

Vegetable tartlets

Roasted banana & cinnamon ice cream

Lemon sherbet ice

Leeds 2023 - This city is our playground

LEEDS 2023 is here and letting culture loose in the city! Tickets are now bookable for hundreds of free and pay as you decide events this spring and summer, with more being added daily. Get your skates on with Northern Roll Festival, turning the Royal Armouries into a giant roller-skating rink. Check out what’s coming to your local parks, village halls, high streets and shopping centres as a part of My LEEDS Summer - a free, family-friendly three-month festival.

Join in with the children of Leeds at Roundhay Park in raising their voices to the night sky in song for Children’s Day: Reimagined. Or, sit under the stars with your family for Moon Palace, a magical touring observatory that’s coming to streets and schools from June.

There’s also plenty of playing to get stuck into in the classroom with the Creative Learning programme.

And don’t forget to join in at the First Direct Arena in June to celebrate musical talent in our primary schools with Leeds Youth Music Festival.

During May, a WOW Barn at Cinder Moor will be home to a two-week festival of comedy, talks, school’s activities and music.

Leeds 2023 came about after the city started a bid to be the 2023 Capital of Culture – a prestigious title given to cities within the EU.

After Brexit, Leeds could no longer be considered. But with cross-party support and strong local backing, the city said, ‘Let’s do it anyway!’

Leeds 23 is putting on a party where everyone is welcome. You’re all invited - so check out the What’s On Guide and book HERE.

Clubs & Classes Directory

Find inspiration and sign up! Don’t forget to say you saw them in Families Leeds & West Yorkshire magazine.

Little Seedlings

Pregnancy, baby and toddler classes that focus on development in a fun, easy way.

Leeds Junior Conservatoire

A space for young musicians aged 8-18 from Yorkshire and the North.

Baby Sensory North

Leeds

Supporting your child’s cognitive development with different weekly themes.

Music Bugs

Sensory, playbased music and singing classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Seasons

Sensory experiences for holistic development by learning through nature play. Ages 0-5.

Toddler Sense

Explore adventure play on bouncy castles, soft play, ride-ons and more. Ages 13mths-5 years.

Northern School of Contemporary Dance School

Weekly dance classes for ages 5-12.

Pyjama Drama

Develops key skills by creating imaginary worlds for children to explore through play.

Number Train

A fun and interactive introduction to maths for preschool children.

Top children’s literature festivals

Children’s literature festivals are springing up all over the country and offer great entertainment for families. Here’s our selection.

Barnes Children’s Literature Festival

London’s largest festival. Big-name authors, shows & activities. 24-25 Jun

Appledore Book Festival (North Devon)

A dedicated children’s programme. 15-24 Sep

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Hundreds of events for families. 12-28 Aug

Cuckfield Children’s BookFest (Sussex)

Spectacular one day event with author ‘meets’ & talks. 7 Oct

Bath Children’s Literature Festival

Europe’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival. 29 Sep-8 Oct

llkley Literature Children’s Festival (Yorkshire)

Top authors, free dropin events, storytelling, workshops. Oct

Wokingham Children’s Book (Berkshire)

Festival with author

‘meets’ & talks. 15 Oct.

Hay Festival (Wales)

Extensive programme & section for toddlers & parents. 25 May-4 Jun

Great Malvern Festival of Stories (West Midlands)

Storytellers, authors, theatre. 24-29 Oct.

Developing independent learning

By Zuzu Jordan

How handwriting affects self-esteem

By Catherine Loble and Lisa Wander

Big family celebrations occur when our children display independence by taking their first steps or riding their bike without stabilisers.

So how do we then help children develop independence in their learning?

READ MORE

Is it time to rethink school attendance?

By Catherine Lynch

During the pandemic, school absence was understandably high with anxiety about sending children to school and many children absent with Covid 19. However, throughout the past year, problems with school attendance remain ongoing.

READ MORE

Kids who struggle with handwriting are often at a disadvantage in the high-paced classroom setting. According to the Dyspraxia Foundation, they are usually aware of their difficulty and their untidy writing can make them feel uncomfortable and frustrated.

READ MORE

Award-winning Toddler Sense classes available in Leeds

A session made up of two parts allowing toddlers to explore adventure playtime on bouncy castles, soft play, ride-ons and more. Followed by themed sensory activities with puppet shows, interactive games and light shows.

Each week there is different equipment and a different theme; meaning both toddlers and grown ups are never bored!

For ages 13 months to 5 years

Siblings under 13 months are FREE!

Contact

North Leeds classes in Adel, Bramhope and Roundhay on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Text Lou on 07870275916. www.toddlersense.com/northleeds

Central and South Leeds classes at purpose-built Wow Centre on Wellington Road, right next to Armley Gyratory, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, plus some weekend specials.

Email Kirsty at southleeds@toddlersense.co.uk www.toddlersense.com/centralandsouthleeds

What is the CPA approach in maths?

By Jemma Z Smith

CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) is a maths teaching approach that has grown in popularity in recent years. It involves using tangible objects for children to add, subtract, multiply or divide. They then progress to using pictorial representations of the objects and ultimately, abstract symbols.

This way of learning is one of the foundations of Singaporean maths, now being adopted in the UK.

Concrete

The tangible, ‘handling’ stage uses physical objects to solve problems. For example:

There are four buttons in the pot. Stanley has two buttons in his hand. How many buttons are there altogether?

In this problem, the children might first count out actual buttons before moving on to non-related objects such as counters.

Of course, almost anything can be used to help a child master this stage from pencils to plastic pots, to counting beans and coins. You don’t need to spend money on concrete resources to support learning.

Pictorial

The next step is for learners to move on to making their own representations.

Returning to the buttons example, these could be drawn as four circles on one part of the paper and two more on another part, representing the pot and the hand. Kids can then count each small circle, getting the same answer as with the buttons

Hape Nature Fun Detective Sets

Teacher gift ideas

It’s approaching the end of term again…here are some great ‘thank you’ gift ideas for your child’s teacher, both hand-crafted and shop-bought.

Make a photo frame

Simple, fun project. Requires three materials and a photo memento.

Make a terrarium

Terrariums of all shapes & sizes look great on a desk!

Make DIY hot chocolate bombs

Encased in chocolate & filled with mini marshmallows.

Make pebble class art

Decorate pebbles marking out members of your class and your teacher.

Teacher’s Tin

A novelty desk tidy for the teacher who likes to be organised. £11.79

School backpack charity gift

A charity gift your child’s teacher will love. £11 ActionAid

Keep Calm & Pretend coffee mug

Fun quality mug for the teacher who enjoys a joke. £9.45

Thank You Teacher chocolate gift box

For a teacher with a sweet tooth! £10

Personalised

Teacher’s Survival Kit

Fill with essentialstissues, paper clips, tea bags £7.87

We’re going on the Leeds Bear Hunt!

Leeds Hospitals Charity is going on a Bear Hunt this Summer to raise money for Leeds Children’s Hospital.

Leeds Bear Hunt will see Leeds Hospitals Charity team up with art trail experts, Wild in Art, to create an exciting public art event. From the July 1, 35 giant Bear sculptures will hide in plain sight on the streets of Leeds for ten weeks.

Decorated by local and national artists, designers and illustrators, the Bears will form a family-friendly trail for visitors to discover and enjoy.

Find out more and sign up to the mailing list to receive updates HERE.

Watch Michael Rosen talk about the event

Pupils from Alwoodley Primary School pose with Hero Bear

Claim your FREE Little Shopping Lotto game NOW* Small in size but big in fun – perfect for both home and travel! APPLY HERE

*while stocks last T&C’s apply

Enjoy Dino Day in Bradford

See The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Zog

On Saturday, June 3, Ritchie the Raptor and Emily Bronty the Brontosaurus will be in Centenary Square in Bradford City Centre ready to meet visitors.

Children can become a trainee ranger at the Dino Basecamp where the Chief Ranger will guide them through Jurassic knowledge and train them in what to do in an emergency situation – a dinosaur break out!

Plus, there’s a chance to meet a life-sized baby T-Rex at 8ft tall. The FREE event will have ranger training and dinosaur meet and greets taking part throughout the day.

Ranger training is at: 11.30am/ 12.30pm/ 1.30pm & 2.30pm

Dinosaur meet and greets are at: 11am and 2pm for Emily Bronty 12pm and 3pm for Ritchie the Raptor 1pm and 3.30pm for T-Rex

Find out more HERE.

Two classic children’s books are coming to the stage of Carriageworks Theatre in May and June.

Dive into Eric Carle’s bright and colourful world from May 30 to June 3. His beloved stories are transformed from page to stage using a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets and charming music.

Featuring your favourite titles: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, The Very Lonely Firefly and of course, the star of the show, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Then in June, Zog flies into town. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved tale with be performed from June 5 to 10.

Find out more and book HERE

Go on an adventure with AquaPlay

Win a family holiday with Away Resorts!

Win a four night stay for a family of up to six people at an Away Resort of your choice.

Experience one of Away Resorts’ fabulous UK locations, from countryside to coast, all within areas of natural beauty. Your accommodation will be off-thescale amazing and new experiences await at every turn. Jam-packed with activities, entertainment, fantastic facilities and events, every member of the family will be grinning from ear to ear.

Explore The New Forest, Hampshire, Tattershall Lakes Appletree or Cleethorpes Pearl in Lincolnshire, Mersea Island in Essex or Golden Sands in North Wales –or perhaps somewhere else will take your fancy.

Full list of locations HERE.

APPLY HERE by 30 June 2023

T&Cs.

Book cricket camp for summer fun

Calling all young musicians!

Are you looking for a fun, active holiday camp for your child?

Accomplish Sports Academy is running a series of cricket and rounders camps during the May Half Term and throughout the Summer Holidays.

Alternating between Calverley Cricket Club, Horsforth Hall Park Cricket Club and Rawdon Cricket Club, they include hard ball and soft ball groups, and are for school age children from Year 2 to Year 10 (age 6 to 15).

All the skilled and dedicated coaches are DBS checked, and you can book a day or a whole camp.

For more info, call 07791 155 999, EMAIL or visit HERE.

Leeds Junior Conservatoire (LJC) is a space for young musicians aged 8-18 from Yorkshire and the North. It’s a place to nurture their creativity, and tuition isn’t limited to one style.

Children can play in a band, explore pop, try song-writing, give music production a go, develop their classical skills or hone music theory. LJC has a mini music industry under one roof to allow children to explore what makes them shine.

Sessions are Saturdays throughout term time. LJC aims to be inclusive and fun. If your child has a passion for music, it’s a place for them.

There are numerous bursaries available, including fully funded options. Apply now to start in September.

Families Offer! Get a 10% discount on fees by using LJCFAM10 on the application form.

Get growing at RHS Harlow Carr

WIN an Amazing Leeds Colouring Book!

During May half term, families can discover how fun and easy it is to plant and harvest vegetables and discover where our food comes from at RHS Harlow Carr.

Inspire the next generation at this stunning location, which combines garden inspiration with outdoor exploration, all on the doorstep of the historic town of Harrogate.

Take at stroll around the Queen Mother’s Lake and along the UK’s longest Streamside garden. Don’t miss the Alpine House, home to over 2,000 plants, or the tranquil Sandstone Rock Garden.

The exotic Sub Tropicana Garden will transport you from Yorkshire to the Tropics, while adventurous younger family members will be wowed by the garden’s stunning stretch of Woodland.

Find out more HERE.

A new colouring book featuring Leeds landmarks is a perfect way to learn more about the city – and enjoy colouring it in!

The Amazing Leeds Colouring Book features illustrated versions of the famous locations, photographs of the real thing and a small fact file about the place. The sites include Leeds Town Hall, Leeds Corn Exchange, Leeds Dock, Leeds Civic Hall, First Direct Arena, Leeds City Market and Leeds City Museum.

The book is available at Waterstones Leeds, Truman Books in Farsley or online HERE.

We have three Amazing Leeds Colouring Books to giveaway! To be in with a chance to win, enter HERE. T&C’s

No fault divorce: one year on

It’s been a year since No Fault Divorce came into force, making the process of applying for divorce easier.

Increasingly, people have decided not to use a solicitor to assist them with the process, but as new Head of Family at Emsleys, Rosalind Blaza, explains, not all matters are straightforward and may leave people vulnerable to future financial claims.

A Final order of divorce doesn’t cover all matters

It is a common belief that by obtaining a Final Order of divorce (previously called a Decree Absolute) ends all claim on financial matters. However, this isn’t the case.

A Final Order doesn’t stop a person from pursuing a financial claim against the other AFTER the divorce is finalised.

This means that your ex-spouse could come back to claim money or property from you, that they think they are entitled to, should they not remarry. In order to avoid that, it would be necessary to get a Financial Order or a Clean Break Order.

Do I have assets?

Some people may think this situation is not relevant to them; you may think you don’t have any valuable assets, but, whether it is your pension, an inheritance that might come your way, or the increasing value of your home, these assets are all up for potential dispute between divorcing couples.

Emsleys’ Family team is experienced in assisting families with divorce or separation proceedings. Find out more at HERE. To enquire, call 0113 201 4902 or EMAIL.

Top UK camp sites for families

Looking for a family-friendly camping experience? Take a look at our top picks.

Catgill Farm

Camping to glamping in Yorkshire Dales. Outside village of Bolton Abbey.

Burnbake

Woodland campsite/ luxury lodges in Dorset, close to coast & Corfe Castle.

Kelling Heath Holiday Park

Surrounded by Norfolk woodlands/trails, indoor/ outdoor pools, steam railway.

Sherwood Pines Campsite

Acres of Nottinghamshire woodland, walk to adventure playgrounds, Go Ape, bike hire.

Gwithian Farm

West Cornwall. Close to beach & pub, goats & guinea pigs to feed.

Glenmore Camping

On the shores of Loch Morlich, Scottish Highlands. Hiking, swimming, kayaking.

Fforest Fields

Set on family run farm in Wales; green hills, woodland trails, lakes.

Red Shoot Camping Park

Ideal base to explore New Forest, attractions nearby, family friendly pub.

Heathland Beach

Walk to Suffolk beaches.

Heated pools, fishing lake, tennis, family restaurant.

Best travel games for kids

Perfect for stashing in a corner of the suitcase or car when you head away this summer!

Mixups

Compact card game for Snap or creating fantastical beasts.

Ages 4+. £5.94

Othello on the Move

Pint-sized version of this classic strategy game.

Ages 7+. £9.95.

Mini 4 in a Row

Classic game. All-in-one folding compact design. Ages 3+. £5.59

Articulate!

Compact version of this classic fast-talking description game.

Ages 6+. £10.19

Cluedo Grab & Go

All the thrills of the classic detective game in a mini set.

Ages 8+ £5.

Battleship Grab & Go

Compact, mobile version of the Battleship game. Ages 7+ £5.

Dino Dump

Speedy card game featuring kids’ faves: dinosaurs and poo!

Ages 6+. £9.99

100 PICS Riddles

Family Travel Card Game

Pocket sized, full of family-friendly brain teasers. Ages 6+. £6.99.

Rummikub Travel

Fast-paced game of tile manipulation. Ages 8+ £15.99.

Great gifts for the dad in your life

Don’t forget to show dad how much he’s appreciated on Father’s Day on Sunday, 18 June. Check out our gift suggestions for something he might like – all for £20 or less.

FOCO Moccasin slippers

Comfy suede slippers with your dad’s team logo. £15.

Reversible belt

Wardrobe versatility with this reversible black/tan belt. £20.

Dad’s Toblerone

Personalised Toblerone bar for a special treat. £17.

Stormtrooper decanter

For the Star Wars lover. Stores spirits, decants wine and serves. £19.99.

I Love My Daddy picture book

Spend special time with dad with this joyful, rhyming picture book. £6.64.

Tile Mate

Keeps track of Dad’s keys, wallet and phone. £15.99.

V&A Italian hot chocolate

Rich, mouth-watering hot chocolate from Italy in a keepsake arty tin. £10.

Hotel Chocolat Milk Chocolate Old Fossil

Smooth, mellow and from the prehistoric era (remind you of anyone?).

Personalised face cooking apron

Great for the cook who can’t get too much of himself! £19.99.

Tackling summer ailments

Summer is fun but it’s good to be prepared for the common ailments your child may suffer that are peculiar to the season. Here are our tips.

Sunburn

* Stay in shade from 11am to 3pm;

* Cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses;

* Use at least factor 30 sunscreen;

* Reapply frequently.

Insect bites

Most improve within hours. * Remove the sting; * Wash affected area; * Apply cold compress to any swelling; * Avoid scratching/bursting any blisters.

Dehydration

Thirst/dark yellow, strong smelling wee, weeing less, lightheadedness, dry mouth, lips & tongue – if untreated, can become serious. * Give extra fluids gradually.

Asthma

*Keep taking preventer inhaler;

* Take reliever inhaler everywhere; * Use your action plan; * Go outside earlier - air quality better; * Drink plenty of fluids.

Heat exhaustion

Dizziness/nausea/ headache/fast breathing or heartbeat. * Move to cool place; * Remove clothing; * Give sports drink/water; * Cool skin; * If still unwell after 30 minutes, call 999.

Tick bite

* Cover skin walking outdoors; * Use insect repellent;

* Check for ticks on clothes and skin;

* Remove quickly;

* If rash appears or child become unwell, see GP.

Eczema

Itchy, red, dry, cracked skin.

* Dress in thin cotton layers; * Use light cotton blankets or sheets; * Apply moisturising cream;

* Keep out of the heat.

Swimmer’s Ear

eczema

Painful ear/itchiness/reduced hearing/noises inside ear/discharge from ear. * Use drops from pharmacist.

* If symptoms after a week, see a GP.

Creative garden play

Water

Plastic water bottle guns – use old squeezy detergent bottles for squirty fun.

Water balloon pinata - make with balloons, water, string and a stick.

DIY Slip n Slide - spread out a long tarp and apply hose for slippery, slidy fun. Ice play – freeze water overnight in empty cartons for building, sculpting and slipping.

Mix & stir

Leaf tea – infuse a variety of leaves from the garden in an old teapot or saucepan. Cappuccino – help them carefully froth a muddy watery mix with a whisk.

Mud ice creams – use ice cream cones, dirt and flowers for decoration.

Garden perfume – using sealable bottles, add water and best smelling flowers and herbs.

Make a cheap & easy mud kitchen

Sand & mud

Mobile mud patch – convert your wheelbarrow into a mud pit. Natural sand pit – dig a shallow hole. Line using plastic with rock edging. Add sand.

Sand wall – attach old, upsidedown cartons and bottles with ends removed for pouring sand. Muddy car wash – get the toy cars really muddy, then wash them in a soapy water bucket.

Creative garden

Small world garden play –connect with the natural world with these imagination zones. Soil art – use an ancient method to make paint from the garden. Paint a mural – let imaginations flow using a washable chalk paint recipe.

Ice excavation – freeze interesting items inside blocks of ice for your children to release.

Make seed bombs

Transform an old chest of drawers into a kid’s kitchen using household junk.

Two simple ways to spread colour and biodiversity in your garden.

Upcycling your child’s party

Be kind to the planet with these ideas from Ice Cream and Jelly

Party bags

Store shopping bags can make perfect gift/party bags. With a little imagination, crafty materials and glue, these branded shop bags can be transformed into unique, personalised bags. Or make your own: there are some easy video instructions on making a paper bag in the tutorials section on Instagram.

Tablecloth and napkins

Party bag fillers

Old bed sheets work well refashioned into tablecloths - paint, tie-dye or appliqué in order to tailor them to the party theme. It’s a great activity to get the kids involved in! If you already have a tablecloth, make placemats or a table runner from scrap fabrics to match the theme of your party.

Make time to make these rather than buying new. Here are some ideas to get you started: scrunchies made from leftover fabric, painted rocks or shells found on the beach, bracelets made from beads from your local scrap store or crayons made from all your kids’ broken crayons.

Wrapping presents

There are many household items that you can use for wrapping gifts: magazine pages, old maps, pieces of sample wallpaper, your kids’ paintings or leftover packing paper. If you can sew, you could make a drawstring bag from leftover fabric scraps. Alternatively, reuse an old pillowcase or wrap with fabric, like the Japanese art of Furoshiki.