Families Leeds May-June 2013 Issue

Leeds’ Favourite Parenting Magazine // MAY/JUNE 2013 // ISSUE 28

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What’s inside…

7 Welcome Back…

I like a birthday party – the cake, the games, the sound of laughter and did I mention the cake?

In fact I’m in the midst of organising a big Butters’ bash at the moment. The entertainment is booked – not Mr Shuffles on this occasion. The themed cake pops are on order – Popalicious, of course.

And the birthday girl is counting down the days on her Michael Buble calendar. I never thought I’d be so excited to turn 40!

I didn’t enjoy turning 30. There was too much change going on in my life. My first daughter was about to arrive. I’d just left my much loved career as a TV journalist to become a mum and to be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d be much good at it. Also, I felt old. It’s come as something of a surprise to me that I’m looking forward to 40.

Motherhood has changed me for the better. I’m still not sure I’m that good at it, but we all seem to be surviving and smiling a fair amount along the way. And I no longer feel old, despite my daughters’ best efforts.

“Mum, were you born when the world was black and white? Did you used to wear bloomers to the beach? When you were at school, did you write with a feather?” For the avoidance of doubt, the answer to all those questions is no.

Parties are great fun, even for the elderly. But organising a party can be stressful – especially in a year when we’re all watching the purse strings. That’s why we’ve put together a money saving guide to planning your child’s next party. We’ve also reviewed some of the best bashes in town to give you some great ideas for your next do. And we’ve even got some tips for party food and gifts.

Whatever party you’re planning over the next few months try to remember what it’s all about. It’s not about who has the biggest cake or the most guests. It’s not about having One Direction sing to the birthday girl or handing out iPads in your party bags. Parties are about bringing friends and family together to smile, laugh and celebrate.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to put up the bunting, blow up the balloons and blow out all 40 candles before they create a fire hazard.

PS I hope you’ve noticed my new Editor’s picture. I met Paralympic double gold medalist Hannah Cockroft during a recent visit to Eureka! Read all about it on page 10.

Sarah Butters

12

7

Mums Mean BUSINESS meets The Little Lunch Company

9

Families Review BABY BALLET

10

Families Leeds meets HANNAH COCKROFT

12

Ask the DOCTOR? WHOOPING COUGH

14

SATS – A Parents’ Guide

20

Top 10 Party Planning Money Saving Tips

26

What’s On MAY HALF TERM

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Distribution is across ALL LS postcodes. Families Leeds® is part of a larger group of magazines headed by Families SW London®. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. We take every care when preparing this magazine, but publishers and distributors – which include schools – cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor any consequences.

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...there’s more to explore with Leeds Museums and Galleries.

www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries

Families NEWS…

STOCKELD opens for Summer Get your skates on and head for Stockeld Park this Summer. The home of The Christmas Adventure is now opening its doors in July and August. Ice skates have been swopped for roller skates and there’s go karting, a giant jumping pillow and the chance to picnic in the parkland.

“The real star of the Summer Adventure is the Enchanted Forest,” explains Holly Dannhauser from Stockeld. “Visitors can climb, scramble and play as they explore the Enchanted Forest and discover new sculptures and installations at every turn. Let your imagination be your guide!”

The Summer Adventure opens on the 20th July until 1st September. Summer season cards are available. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

New MUSICBUGS classes launched Popular pre-school music class Music Bugs is launching some new sessions in Horsforth and Headingley. Baby Bugs is for children from 4 weeks to 12 months. The new sessions will take place on a Friday morning and are already up and running.

“We’re offering a free trial at the session,” says Vicky Bannister who runs Music Bugs across Leeds. “Bring your baby along and see if they catch the bug!” www.musicbugs.co.uk

FIT FOR A ROYAL BABY Teach your baby the enjoyment of water!

Sing and play through our structured awards programme and see your baby progress to a confident little swimmer.

Babies from 6 weeks old to 6 years old.

Stuck for a gift for Kate and Wills when the new royal baby arrives? Look no further. We found this furry friend at Armadillo Toys and think it needs a home fit for a King. Meet the Great British Teddy Bear Company’s Queen Bear. At £35 it’s a special gift but how often do we celebrate a royal baby? www.armadillotoys.co.uk

Barn dance for DIDDI DANCE Swims at... Batley l Ossett l Leeds l Bradford l York l Harrogate l Pocklington

For details call 01757 229880 or visit babyswimmers.co.uk

You’re invited to a barn dance in Yeadon this May! Diddi Dance is hosting a FREE session at The Barn next to Emsley’s Farm on Monday 6th May. Meet the animals before heading inside to have a boogie!

“We will be doing all our usual fun dancing with pom poms, ribbons and hoops all to our own funky music,” explains Cath Hale from Diddi Dance Leeds. “We will also be doing a spot of morris dancing with sticks and bells!”

For details of Diddi Dance’s other sessions across Leeds look at www.diddidance.com

Ballet Honours for RICHMOND HOUSE PUPIL A 10 year old boy from Richmond House has been awarded a prestigious scholarship with the English Youth Ballet. Lorcan Justice-Mills auditioned for the company’s production of Coppelia to be performed in York in June. He was one of three children under 12 to be awarded a scholarship place.

“I’m so excited about performing with the English Youth Ballet,” says Lorcan who has been dancing since he was seven. “I’ve seen them perform and they’re amazing. Now I’m going to be up there with them!”

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 5

NETWORKING GROUP for home working mums Do you work at home and need some support? Would you like to make contacts, get advice and share ideas? Leeds mum and local businesswoman Rachel Swann has launched a networking group aimed at people like you.

“Working at home can feel quite lonely so I felt Leeds needed a group that brought those home workers together every other month to support each other.”

To find out more about the next meeting and register your interest email rachel@beautifulswans.com

Win the cost of your toys from ARMADILLO Armadillo Toys in Leeds is 10 years old and to celebrate they’d like to give you a gift. If you pop into their store in Chapel Allerton or Horsforth and make a purchase, owner Lisa Clay would like you to go to their Facebook page to review it.

“We’re looking for people to post photos, videos and written reviews,” says Lisa. “The best reviews will win back the cost of their purchase. It’s that simple!” www.armadillotoys.co.uk F

renc h

Family day at MOORFIELD SCHOOL Roll up, roll up, roll up for a Family Open Day at Moorfield School at Ben Rhydding, Ilkley on Saturday 11th May. There’ll be an afternoon of fun packed activities including circus skills, football sessions, arts and crafts and chemistry workshops. It’s a fun, family way to see this leading co-educational prep school. The afternoon begins at 2.30pm and runs until 4pm. www.moorfieldschool.co.uk • 01943 607 285

LORD MAYOR opens City Centre Nursery The Lord Mayor of Leeds has officially opened Twinkles new city centre nursery. Councillor Ann Castle joined Twinkles’ owner Jill Johnson and some of the children at the 60 place facility on Church Walk in Leeds for the ceremony.

“We are taking children from birth to 5 years old,” says Jill Johnson from Twinkles Nurseries. “Places are going quickly because it’s top quality childcare in a convenient location.”

To find out more go to www.twinklesnurseries.com

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FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

The

Diary of a

IMPERFECT MUM… THE WORLD

DAD… Families Leeds columnist Claire Bottomley diagnoses a case of acute hypochondria.

“I’m afraid there’s been an accident.” Not the words you want to hear at school pick-up. My son’s doleful eyes met mine, and he shuffled slowly towards me, his outstretched arm proffered for me to examine.

He, his teacher and I looked down. I squinted, then moved closer.

Either my eyesight was seriously failing or there was nothing more than the faintest fleck on his porcelain skin.

“We’ve put a bit of cream on, not quite sure how it happened,” said his kindly, sympathetic teacher.

Of course, she was erring on the side of caution, not accustomed to just how regular these phantom symptoms presented themselves to the boy.

All the way home he ruminated on the nature of his injury.

“Daisy said it was a splinter but Mrs Jackson thinks it’s a scratch.

I agree with Mrs Jackson,” and other such insights.

At bedtime when I told him to get his pyjamas on he looked at me incredulous, eyes bulging with disbelief. “Mummy, have you forgotten about my arm?” Clearly, he would need assistance while his health was compromised.

Such acute hypochondria has not been helped by CBeebies, which has launched a new programme, Get Well Soon, with front man Dr Ranj explaining all about illness and minor injury. After exposure to this, my little boy is prone to anxious bouts of self diagnosis, like an obsessive compulsive let loose on Google.

“Mummy, you know when I had an itchy eye the other day?” he exclaimed excitedly after viewing a recent episode. “It was con-junct-iv-it-is. ”Trust me, it was an itchy eye.

Not wanting to encourage this behaviour, I have remained very low-key in my response. After all, how would he cope with a genuine pain or injury if he was so lily livered in the face of imaginary ones?

So, we have rubbed along together thus, him giving me constant updates on the ever changing status of his perfect health, me trying to make it clear that if it’s not hanging off, I’m not interested.

That was until the other day, however, when he presented symptoms that certainly did pique my interest.

“Mummy my throat’s sore,” he croaked.

“Oh dear my darling, how awful!” I exclaimed. “It sounds to me like you might be losing your voice. Best rest it just in case… try not to talk and hopefully it will feel better soon.”

Well, can you blame me?

Our Dad Columnist Jim Cardwell shares his formula for a happy summer holiday.

With the onset of the spring-like weather, our collective family mind has turned to the forthcoming summer holidays. I have a simple threepart formula for happy family holidays: avoid travel hold ups, get lots of sleep and avoid crowds. Get these right, everything else will take care of itself and a wonderful time will be had by all. However, this summer, we’re off to Disneyland Paris. And unlike Aladdin I fear I will not get my three wishes.

Our summer holidays generally consist of driving to France since that is where we find my Mum. We have a pretty tried and tested holiday travel plan that consists of driving through the daytime nonpeak periods to minimise the chances of getting snarled in jams.

And it tends to work OK. The whole car loading routine has also become easier as we exited the baby stage and left behind the bulky necessities of travel cots and pushchairs. We also have reasonably well trained bladders so regular loo stops are generally avoided. And a long day’s drive is not actually that bad as long as the kids are armed with plenty to keep them entertained, and fed. A snack every half hour or so at allotted times on the dashboard clock seems to keep everyone in reasonable spirits. Good fun or glamorous? No. But get from A to B without us falling out completely? Yes, normally. So far, so good.

And so to the sleeping. On a recent short stay at my Dad’s house, the kids and I shared a bedroom. This was OK until the first night when Little Miss Fidget reminded me of her ability to talk in her sleep, by talking in her sleep, rather a lot, at 3am. Thankfully, I am able to sleep fairly readily. By contrast, the Short Suffering Wife tends towards insomnia such that sleep is even more valued by her. When we’re on tour, one bedroom for them and one for us is the norm and generally does the trick. This summer, we will meet this criterion on all but one night.

Which brings me finally, with a sense of foreboding, to the crowd avoidance objective. ‘Doing it for the kids’ this year means that we will be in Disneyland Paris in the height of summer. And I am a little worried about how I will cope having only ever done shorter-duration visits to less popular attractions in the past. However, I have passed through the denial stage and I am now reconciled to my fate. On a much more positive note, I think the kids will have a whale of a time – they’d better. In which case I may even enjoy it myself. Could this prompt a review of the ‘happy holidays winning formula’? We’ll see, watch this space.

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||One year old Harry is chief taster for|| ||The Little Lunch Company.||

H

IS MUM, Karen Goodwin, is waiting for feedback on the popcorn cups he’s just polished off and the homemade gingerbread man he’s about to destroy. Karen, along with her sister Sarah Earnshaw launched the company earlier this month with the aim of making mums’ lives easier when it comes to party planning. They’re taking the stress out of catering at a children’s birthday party.

“The idea for The Little Lunch Company came to me when I was preparing the food for my daughter Phoebe’s party,” says Karen.

“I thought, 20 lunchboxes. How hard can it be? Three hours later and I’m knee deep in Dairylea sandwiches and yoghurt tubes and I’ve missed the morning of my daughter’s birthday.”

From there, sisters Karen and Sarah decided to launch a business creating competitively priced party food for busy mums. Parents can choose from simple lunchboxes packed with homemade cakes and biscuits or there’s a sit down menu. The food can be themed and there’s more than a nod to healthy eating. These mums know their stuff and are making sure their menus are packed with food kids want, at a price that parents can afford.

“Our lunchboxes start at £3 each,” explains Karen. “When I look at similar boxes on offer at local attractions, I think that’s great value. All our food is homemade and while we know party food needs to be fun, we also want to sneak in some fruit and vegetables to keep things healthy. The fruit kebabs are really popular!”

Karen Goodwin will be a familiar face to many readers of Families Leeds. She spent time running Baby Ballet classes in North Leeds before working at the popular soft play centre Little Bees.

Karen has been looking for a challenge to fit around her children Phoebe who’s 7 and 1 year old Harry. With the support of sister Sarah, she believes she’s found it with The Little Lunch Company.

“We’re both really excited,” says Karen. “It feels great to know we’ve designed the logo, we’ve planned the menus, we’re fitting this around our kids. It’s a real family business.”

For Sarah, it’s about a return to work after 10 years as a stay at home mum to her three children. A keen baker, Sarah is ready to turn her hobby into her new career and says her children, 18 year old Joe, 10 year old Daniel and Freya who is 6 are supporting her all the way.

“I’m ready for the challenge. I’m ready to be more independent and to earn my own money again after 10 years at home. I love spending time in the kitchen so this is the perfect job for me!”

As well as bespoke party food, The Little Lunch Company is looking to provide child friendly catering at local festivals and family fun days. They’re in talks with various Yorkshire based events to launch that part of the business this Summer. But for now, the focus is on parties and that popcorn has finally got the thumbs up from Harry.

“The best thing about The Little Lunch Company is you don’t have to tell anyone you’ve used us,” says Sarah. “We’re happy for you to pass it all off as your own work! We just want to make mums’ lives a little easier so we won’t tell if you don’t!”

To find out more about the The Little Lunch Company menu, go to www.thelittlelunchcompany.com or contact Karen and Sarah on info@thelittlelunchcompany.com WIN…10 party lunchboxes on page Page 18

3 WEEK

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8

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

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Congratulations! How exciting to be expecting your first baby – a future heir to the throne no less. Good on you for shunning the tradition of a full-time royal nanny. You want to be hands-on parents and that’s great. Since I’ve just been through the newborn phase myself, I thought I’d drop you a line with some words to the wise about those first few weeks and months…

It’s the most precious thing in the world and you just can’t get enough. I’m talking about sleep. Even though it’s very tempting to stare continuously at your gorgeous, amazing baby as he or she lies snoozing beside you in their cot – and of course you will indulge this temptation, it’s only natural – you are playing a game of survival, and you need to get banking those zeds at every opportunity. Before you know it you’ll be pushing your pram and staring zombie-like down at the cold hard pavement thinking how comfy and appealing it looks.

Books. As in parenting manuals. I would take these with a very large pinch of salt. Manuals are for microwaves, not babies, who famously come without them. I’ve always found real people much more helpful than super-gurus. Midwives, health visitors, other parents. Trying to memorise a complicated routine and then follow it while responding to your baby, who has other ideas, is enough to send anyone, let alone someone who is very sleep deprived, slightly doolally.

You’re the future queen for goodness sake – don’t let self-appointed experts tell you when you can and can’t go to the toilet.

Breastfeeding, if it works out, has the advantage of being very convenient, with no bottles to sterilise and pack, etc. However, getting started is time consuming, to put it mildly. The best thing you can do is make yourself as comfortable and entertained as possible, everything within easy reach around your most comfortable chair. In toddler speak, I tell my family “I feedin’” – and what I mean by that, is: iFeeding. When iFeeding, I need every information/communication/ entertainment smart appliance to hand – get your favourite films, music, TV downloaded – Twitter and Facebook Apps installed, and a Kindle loaded up with a few good books.

I’m assuming you’ve got plenty of space at your house, and that’s good, because believe me, you’re going to need it. Thought various regal residences were ostentatious and excessive? Think again.

If anyone can fill a county estate with all their gear, a baby can.

You have no idea how much colourful plastic is heading your way.

It’s bye-bye minimalist chic.

You’ve just got used to the title of Duchess of Cambridge. Now you have a new one. You will henceforth be known as so-and-so’s mummy. In fact, don’t be surprised if you feel like you don’t recognise yourself anymore. Here are just a few of the things you will be surprised to hear yourself saying/doing in the coming months: • describing the contents of a nappy in forensic detail.

• uttering the words ‘my baby isn’t rolling yet, what does this MEAN?!’ – or similar.

• crying at adverts (if you didn’t already).

Remember, we all have bad days. I don’t think any new parent has ever got away without at least once crying into a bowl of mashed banana while still in their pyjamas at 4pm, their hair caked with baby sick. This is after all the most demanding and important job there is.

OK, so I know you’re no stranger to taking on a big role, and fine, fair enough, a few members of you close family will be head of state or whatever. But now, for the first time, in anyone’s currency, you are truly a VIP. One thing no-one really talks about is The Fear. The sheer terror at being entirely responsible for a totally vulnerable, perfectly precious baby – is terrifying. The only thing I can say about this is that you get used to it. In the face of the various crises that will become your daily life, there is actually only one thing to do. Of course, we all do it, we all have to. You, my dear, will be a natural. Just Keep Calm and Carry On. Best wishes, Claire (Imperfect Mum)

BABY BALLET WHAT: WHEN: WHERE:

Tiny Toes Thursday 10am The Grove Community Centre, Horsforth

||The trainee dancing princesses at the Horsforth Tiny|| ||Toes class are preparing for a starring role in the summer|| ||production. In a few weeks time they’ll take to the stage|| ||with Baby Ballet stars from across Leeds to help their|| ||friend Twinkle Bear. Preparing them for their date with|| ||centre stage is Miss Louise.|| This class of 10 children is aged between 18 months old and 3 years. All are top to toe in pink and full to the brim with fun. I can only imagine that smiles are part of the uniform because everyone is wearing one as the group begins the session with the warm up dance.

Then it’s time to unleash all the good and naughty toes in the room. “Most children love to dance,� says Louise from Baby Ballet Leeds Central. “They love to dance and they love movement. These sessions are a great bonding experience between the children and their parents and they love it.�

And they do. When these mini movers hear the unique Baby Ballet songs, they can’t wait to begin jumping, skipping and dancing.

At these sessions there’s much for parents to do and the mums and grandmas at today’s class are more than happy to be part of the fun. “We do want parents to join in for the Tiny Toes session,� says Louise. “They can help their children learn to bend, stretch, hop and dance. They can help their children to have as much fun as possible.

I love seeing that interaction and seeing how the children progress.�

Baby Ballet has a clear progression for the children who join from as young as 6 months. From Tiny Toes, they can move to Mini Movers where children spend the session without their parents promoting independent learning and preparing them for the school environment around the corner. Once the Baby Ballerinas are 3 years old, they’re invited to be part of the annual summer show these dancers are now preparing for. From the first week they pull on their pink pumps, to the day they graduate as a Baby Ballerina, there’s fun in every session.

It’s also a class that gets children active. The sparkles and smiles hide a 45 minute workout for both the baby ballerinas and the grown ups. “I think I’m a fit person but when I’ve taken 4 classes, I physically ache,� admits Louise. “Skipping, galloping, jumping – it’s great exercise and I want to encourage our children to get fit doing something they love.�

The 10 pairs of tiny toes grab a Twinkle Bear each as the class comes to an end. It’s time to help Miss Louise put the bears into their pyjamas and then to bed. Looking around the room, it looks like some of these baby ballerinas and their grown ups could do with a nap too.

Where’s my nearest Baby Ballet class?

Tuesday: Activ-Zone, Morley Wednesday: Pudsey Leisure Centre Thursday: The Grove Community Centre, Horsforth Friday: AM: Parish Centre, Beeston PM: Pudsey Leisure Centre Saturday: Morley Leisure Centre • The Grove Community Centre, Horsforth Sunday: Activ-Zone, Morley For more information on class availability contact Jane 07702 965 932 or Louise 07702 965958 www.babyballet.co.uk

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FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

How EUREKA! is helping parents tackle

CHILDHOOD OBESITY Recent research has revealed that by 2030, half the UK population will be obese. Today, one in three of our children is considered to be overweight.

A new multi-million pound gallery at Eureka! is hoping to inspire children and their parents to look at how they are living and understand how they can make healthier choices.

Sarah Butters went along to the opening of All About Me.

I

T WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME before robots took over and at the National Children’s Museum Eureka! it’s already happened. Standing at the entrance of the new £2.9 million gallery welcoming guests, is Zoom. He’s a friendly addition to the Eureka! staff directing us all to grab a passport and prepare to enter All About Me. This is a health and body themed gallery that’s been 3 years in the planning and is the largest and most ambitious redevelopment in the museum’s 21 year history. Judging by the reaction of the first visitors, it’s been worth the wait.

“Using play, All About Me will help hundreds of thousands of children across the UK to build their knowledge, confidence and ability to make healthy choices about what they eat, drink and do with their free time,” explains Leigh Anne Stradeski, the museum’s Chief Executive.

“It’s a gallery that reflects the interests, issues and concerns of families today and will help solve the social and health problems of tomorrow.”

With some direction from Zoom and your passport, you’re invited to explore 4 areas. The first takes a look at how you can measure your stride, reach and height.

There’s also a deeply unpleasant ageing mirror that allows you to see yourself as you’ll be in few decades time. For the little girl in front of me, that was fun. As a middle aged mum staring 40 squarely in the eyes, it was not! From there you move to the Health Centre which encourages children and their parents to take the role of Dentist, Doctor or Midwife.

“The Health Centre is the centerpiece of the gallery,” says Tom Warman, Eureka’s Head of Marketing. “It’s been designed by

kids, for kids and encourages dads to get their teeth checked by their daughters, and mums to get scanned by their sons. It’s great fun.”

For Liz Smallman, the museums Head of Learning the role play in the Health Centre is also about inspiring the health care professionals of the future.

“We want this to be aspirational.

We want to sow the seeds in the little minds that come through here, seeds that may inspire future Doctors, Dentists and Midwives. We want some of these children to go onto a career in caring.”

The philosophy of Eureka! is learning through play and looking around the gallery on opening day, that’s exactly what’s going on. There are children in the scanning machine, inside a giant mouth and hiding up a huge nose. You can witness an ultrasound, take a look at a jar of fat and measure your pulse after climbing up a wall. Some of the most popular exhibits from the Me and My Body gallery have found a new home here, but the light bright gallery gives them a new lease of life. The aim here is to provoke family discussion, inform children and parents alike about their choices and inspire this generation to live long healthy lives.

“Tackling obesity is a family issue,” says Tom Warman. “All About Me gets families to look at the issues collectively through a range of exhibits. It gets families playing and then talking.”

The gallery is filled with children asking questions connected with each of the 100 exhibits. The Brain and Senses area is attracting attention from a group of school children keen to take a look at the snot tanks near the giant nose. There’s also a

big blinking eye to explore and an ear inviting you to find out more about your hearing. Children big and small are invited to interact and enjoy everything the new gallery has to offer. It’s the hands on experience that makes Eureka! special and means children really are absorbing information as they poke, prod and play.

“This gallery replaces the popular Me and My Body gallery which was enjoyed by 6 million people,” says Leigh-Anne Stradeski. “When I say enjoyed, I mean pushed, pinched, pummeled and all the other things kids do. I’m amazed it lasted 21 years!”

The final area looks at keeping fit and encourages children to look at the changes in their body when they Get Active. There’s a climbing wall and an interactive pond as well as the popular skeleton bike from Me and My Body. This gallery promotes discussion about healthy lifestyles, encourages a debate about how to make healthy choices and does it all with that vital element of fun. Whether it’s role play in the Health Centre or a race with a skeleton on a bike, there’s so much to do and see here and the adults seem to be having as much fun as the children they’ve brought along. However, if I can pass on one piece of advice – avoid the ‘magic’ ageing mirror.

Seeing into the future with Zoom was fun.

Seeing into my own future was not.

I’ll leave that exhibit to the children!

Eureka! is open from 10am daily.

Pay once and come back as many times as you want for a year. Entry is £9.95 for adults and children over 3 years old. Babies under 1 go free. www.eureka.org.uk

LONDON 2012

IS STILL INSPIRING

OUR CHILDREN Paralympic double gold medalist Hannah Cockroft told Families Leeds the London Olympics is still inspiring children to get involved in sport. As she prepared to look round the museum’s new gallery, the Halifax athlete told us that it’s up to parents to give children the opportunities to get involved in sport.

Why have you come along today?

I’m a Eureka! Ambassador and the whole idea of the All About Me gallery is looking after your body and how best to do that. As an athlete, that’s my job! It’s cool to come along here and see how Eureka! is teaching kids how to look after themselves, how to keep fit and how to find the best way to live. I might learn a bit myself!

We have a problem in this country with childhood obesity and yet we have great role models like you. What’s going wrong?

I think 2012 has changed that. People across the country seem more motivated. Kids want to be the next Jess Ennis, the next Mo Farah and I think families are making those changes now.

I went back to the South Leeds Stadium where I used to do my wheelchair racing before London 2012 and since last summer they’ve had 20 new members to the club. When I was there before the games there were 6 or 7 of us. Now there’s a big group. So I think people have been inspired.

How can we best motivate our children to get involved?

Take them to a club. Let them see and experience a sport. If they don’t try it they’ll never know. It’s important children are allowed to change their mind and keep trying new things. Only by trying lots of different sports will you find something you have a passion for. Once a child finds that sport and discovers that passion, they’ll work at it and they may turn out like me!

You inspired us last summer. Are you inspired by the public’s reaction to you since the games?

Seeing the number of people who want to get involved in sport because they’ve seen people like me do it, is fantastic. I met a child who told me he was going to win 10 gold medals. That’s dreaming big and that’s come from London 2012. I didn’t have those sort of dreams when I was a child so it’s great to think we’ve given today’s children the chance to dream.

It must be an honour to come back here and be part of this gallery opening.

It’s great. Eureka! opened the year I was born so we’ve got a lot in common! It’s close to my home and it’s a place I came to when I was a child. I’ve spent very many cold days here but coming back and seeing how much it’s developed and moved on, it’s brilliant to be part of it.

Classes in North Leeds To try a class or for more information please contact Sara on 0844 504 0964 or email sara@pyjamadrama.com

12

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

ASK the DOCTOR? Whooping Cough

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HOOPING COUGH is an infection caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis.

It is spread from droplets when we cough or sneeze. It is very infectious. Whooping cough can affect all age groups but is the most serious in young babies.

What symptoms should you look out for?

Whooping cough as suggested by its’ name usually begins with a dry cough. It’s usually accompanied by feeling generally unwell with a temperature and runny nose.

Following this, sometimes up to fourteen days later intense ‘bouts’ of coughing begin, followed by a characteristic ‘whoop’ noise.

Interestingly, the ‘whoop’ noise only occurs in about half of cases and rarely in babies, which is why it is sometimes difficult to recognise the disease in this age group.

Children can often vomit following one of these episodes.

These bouts of coughing can last for two weeks or more with the child usually well in between. The cough can last up to three months.

What’s the best treatment?

Antibiotics if given early, may decrease the length of the illness and can reduce how easily it is passed on to others. In older children and adults whooping cough is usually less serious than in young children and babies. During the illness it is important to get lots of rest and drink lots of fluid.

Families Leeds welcomes a new contributor to the team.

Dr Georgina Hudson is a Children’s Hospital Doctor here in West Yorkshire. She’s also an Early Years Professional.

How dangerous is it?

Whooping cough can be very serious, especially in babies under six months of age.

This age group is most at risk of serious complications. In the UK deaths from whooping cough are very rare, but there were more deaths in babies under 2 months last year. Young babies are usually admitted to hospital as they are at risk of dehydration from persistent vomiting, pneumonia and in the very worst cases permanent brain damage and even death.

Children are routinely immunised at two, three and four months of age, with a preschool booster. Interestingly, this does not provide lifelong protection and infection can subsequently occur in adolescents and adults, but it does tend to be much milder.

Vaccination is the best way to protect your child, and to prevent spread of the disease.

babies under three months of age, with thirteen reported deaths.

To try and tackle this problem, a temporary vaccination programme has been set up.

Pregnant women are now offered vaccination against whooping cough between twenty eight and thirty eight weeks of pregnancy. This is to passively protect through the mother the vulnerable newborn infant, till they can be vaccinated themselves at two months. Having the vaccination whilst you are pregnant is the best way to protect your unborn baby from getting whooping cough in the first few weeks after birth. It is important if you are pregnant to discuss this with your GP or midwife to arrange an appointment for the vaccination.

It is also important to remember, that if you are vaccinated in pregnancy, your baby still requires their routine vaccinations at two months.

Is whooping cough on the rise?

Can you prevent it spreading?

The routine childhood immunisation programme against whooping cough was introduced in the 1950s and has been incredibly effective in reducing the numbers of cases.

Since 2011, there’s been a considerable rise in cases – the largest outbreak of reported cases by the Health Protection Agency in ten years. It is expected that cases of whooping cough will rise every three to four years, as it is a cyclical disease.

However, there was a dramatic increase in the number of cases in 2012. There were eight times as many cases as 2011.

This number was largely made up of

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If you think you or your child might have whooping cough then you should seek health advice as early as possible, especially if you have regular contact with a young baby or a pregnant woman. It is a very infectious disease that is easily spread from one person to another by sneezing and coughing. Spread of infection can be reduced if diagnosed and treated early. You will be advised to stay off school for 21 days from the onset of symptoms or after you have had at least five days of antibiotics.

For more information visit your GP or NHS Choices online www.nhs.uk

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 13

Thank You…

FOR THE MUSIC!

Now celebrating 10 years in Leeds!

||10 years ago Elizabeth Hawkshead held her first Rhythm|| ||Time class in Leeds. A decade on, Families Leeds finds out|| ||whether music still plays a part in the lives of some of her|| ||first students, all in the words of their mums.||

Fun, educational music classes for babies, toddlers & pre-schoolers

NAME: HANNAH WALKER AGE: 12 RHYTHM TIME CLASS 2003 Hannah was two years old when she started the classes. She showed a feel for music from a very young age and Rhythm Time was a special time every week when we both were able to share our love of music with like-minded mums. We listened to all the fabulous CDs every car journey and whilst doing all our house jobs together! The classes taught her the early rudiments of music theory – clapping rhythms, playing percussion instruments, and most importantly for Hannah moving in time and feeling the pulse and beat of a variety of musical styles.

I have no doubt that this early grounding in music was the key to Hannah’s love and musical abilities.

10 years on… Hannah has continued her love of music through dance and when she was 10 she was selected by Northern Ballet Academy to study classical ballet on their Centre for Advanced Training programme. Hannah now dances on average 13 hours a week at the wonderful new home of Northern Ballet in Leeds.

The course offers the chance for young classical ballet dancers to train whilst remaining at home. She is shortly coming to the end of her second year and hopefully will continue on the course until she is 16 when her dream is to become a classical ballet dancer. So far Hannah has performed with the Northern Ballet company at the Christmas performances of The Nutcracker. She also plays the piano and delights her music teacher at Tadcaster Grammar School – another legacy from her Rhythm Time days.

Call Elizabeth on 0113 232 8131

NAME: ROWAN LIGHTFOOT AGE: 8 RHYTHM TIME CLASS 2005 When Rowan started Rhythm Time, I was a primary school teacher and I liked the way classes were clearly structured, varied and stimulating whilst also being lots of fun. I saw how well he responded to the activities and gained confidence as he went. He particularly loved going up to the front to do his rhythm patterns and also enjoyed dancing and playing instruments.

8 years on… Rowan now attends ballet and recently auditioned and was chosen for a role in the English Youth Ballet’s production of Coppelia in York. He’s in the Tingley Brass Band where he plays cornet. He also plays trumpet at school and has recently started piano lessons. All in all he loves music, singing and performing.

I really believe that Rhythm Time helped to nurture his love of music. I’m sure his understanding of pitch, pulse, rhythm and dynamics all started at Elizabeth’s classes. I also loved the classes, so much so that I left teaching and bought my own franchise running classes in the Wakefield area!

FREE trial session!

www.rhythmtime.net/eh2

NAME: LUKE FLEAR AGE: 11 RHYTHM TIME CLASS 2003 Luke enjoyed music – especially banging sticks/wooden spoons on anything he could get hold of from the moment he could sit up.

Rhythm Time gave him the opportunity to explore and play with different instruments. It also gave him the chance to enjoy music in a fun environment with other children. He absolutely loved the drums. We didn’t have any at home when he first started at Rhythm Time so he was able to play on something other than Quality Street tins, pans and boxes!

10 years on… Music features very heavily in Luke’s life – he has a passion for it. He now has a 3/4 size drum kit at home and he’s very talented. He played the drums in his school Christmas concert and he performs in a ‘Big Band’ group at school. In addition, he goes to Rothwell Music Centre on a Saturday Morning and plays drums in an ensemble. He is also learning to play the keyboard and acoustic guitar.

I think Rhythm Time gave him a good grounding. It helped to develop his love for music and encouraged him to explore different instruments. It gave him an outlet to ‘play’ the drums and it was the enthusiasm he showed there which encouraged us to buy him his first ever drum kit. And from there, his love of playing music blossomed.

He has already formed a band with some of his best friends and he is looking forward to developing his music skills further when he starts high school in September.

0113 232 8131 www.rhythmtime.net

Our dance and movement classes are a great introduction to physical exercise for kids aged 6 months to 4 years Singing Dancing Skipping Hopping Music Instruments Colours Numbers Balance Confidence Coordination Interaction Fun Certificates Contact Katie to find out where your local classes are...

T: 0113 287 6252 M: 07834 266350 www.kids2dance.co.uk

14

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

A Parents’ Guide to SATS… ||Are you sharing your house with a child preparing to take their SATS this month?|| ||We’ve called on Bill Moody from Kip McGrath in Adel to explain what your Year 6|| ||will face and to give you some advice on how to best help them.||

IIWhat are SATS?II

IIHow can I help them?II

Standard Assessment Tests are designed to find out how well a child is doing when compared to averages and expectations nationally. They are held towards the end of Year 6 in May. The results come out in July.

Results are called levels and have numbers: level 3 is lower and level 5 is higher. Each level is divided into 3 sub levels that are given letters: C is lower, B is middle and A is higher.

Start by finding out what level your child is working at. A report might say “Working at level 3A” but you will need to get specific ideas which you can use. Your child’s teacher will probably know exactly what it is that needs to be revised by your child in order to strengthen their position or to improve, so ask them for advice on the three or four key areas your child needs help with.

Once you have found out what level of work your child is working towards, then practise the skills needed to improve.

Try 20 minutes three times a week. Smaller more frequent chunks of revision like this work far better than, say, an hour once a week. Repetition is vital.

IIWhat tests will my child sit?II SAT tests are held for English and Mathematics. There are sub categories of test too; Reading, Writing, and the new Grammar paper. There are level 6 papers for children working above level 5.

In maths, there is a Non Calculator (Paper A) and Calculator (Paper B) test and a timed mental maths test.

IIDo they really matter?II SATs do not involve a pass or fail; they simply reflect a student’s current understanding of the topics.

Much of what SATs do is determine whether a school is ‘adding value’ to a child’s education. Children are expected to improve in school. Research into average abilities shows students should be working between a level 3 and level 5 by the end of Year 6.

The average level for a Year 6 child is a 4B

IIWhat preparation shouldII IImy child be doing?II Schools will probably run extra classes for some children and it would be a good idea to find out about these. Teaching in schools is usually fantastic and your child’s teacher will know exactly what your child needs to do to prepare. If you feel your child needs extra help, find a qualified tutor.

Bill Moody runs after school study centre Kip McGrath in Adel. www.kipmcgrath.co.uk • 0113 266 0965

Bill’s Top FIVE for

BEATING SAT STRESS… 1. Stay fit! Eat well and go for walks or trips out.

2. Leave off working when you feel good about it. You will come back to it with that same feeling and achieve more than if you slog until you hate it.

3. Try not to reward good grades. All kinds of research shows that rewards can actually be detrimental to success. Establishing good work habits, knowing that a job has been done well and fostering relationships should be the goals here.

4. Remind your child that this is a stepping-stone to another level and not an end in itself.

The SATs really are as much about determining whether a school is adding value than ‘judging’ children.

5. Enjoy them! Honestly! About a week before the Year 6 2012 SATs, a student said to me that she was really looking forward to the exams and couldn’t wait to show how much she knew. Stay positive!

How to Prepare

for your SATS ||We’ve asked Karine Hendley, Deputy|| ||Headteacher at Talbot Primary School in|| ||Leeds for her advice on how to prepare|| ||your child for SAT week.||

DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. Your brain can’t think without a drink. Make sure they take on plenty of water in the build up to the tests and have a bottle in school on test days.

FIND A FRIEND. Revising with friends can give your child a fresh approach and renew their enthusiasm.

SLEEP. If your child has stocked up on sleep they’ll be sharper and better prepared to tackle the tests.

And FINALLY remind your child that they should be excited to show off what they’ve learnt. These tests are important, and children want to do their best but try to take the pressure off. Many parents are comforted by the thought that High Schools are given teacher assessments rather than test results.

TAKE A BREAK. Mix short bursts of revision with regular exercise and lots of other breaks. It helps recharge the brain batteries.

EAT. Make sure you give them plenty of brain food.

Bananas are a great brain boosting snack and oily fish is the perfect SAT week tea.

Keep revision SHORT and SWEET. Use a range of revision tools to help.

Mix website games with revision guides. Homemade posters and revision cards are also useful.

16

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

Get READY for the Beach...

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What is it?

This workout is based on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on a 45 seconds work and 15 seconds rest pattern. These strong dynamic exercises change your body externally and internally.

HIIT training involves weight bearing exercises that have enormous benefits, especially for women. Do HIIT regularly and you will improve your fitness, strength and stamina.

This workout is explosive and highly effective; if completed twice a day in combination with the right diet you will see a difference in a short space of time.

1. Reaching Jump Squats Jump squats touching opposite hand to the outside of the foot, reach and jump up in between and repeat on the other side.

Safety Tip: sit the weight in the heels, keep the knees at 90Âş, strong arms, powerful legs as you jump up, try to land softly.

Benefit: tightens bottom, tones the legs, increases cardio vascular fitness.

2. Hill Climbers Start in a full arm plank position; line up the joints – shoulders, elbows and wrists. Bring alternate knees in towards the chest then diagonally in towards the chest.

Safety Tip: suck the stomach muscles up in towards the back, keep shoulders strong, stay over your arms, keep your back strong, no dipping.

Benefit: tightens your abdominals, sculpts your shoulders and arms. Weight bearing exercise is a must for women especially for the prevention of osteoporosis.

3. Shoulder Press & Bicep Curls Lifting weights in both hands (4kg dumbbells or full water bottles) and shoulder press (punch) alternate arms forward in a diagonal position across your chest. Keep the arms high. Bicep curl the weights from down by your waist to the top of your shoulder.

Safety Tip: soften the knees, suck your abs in tight to support your back. Roll your shoulders back, pull your shoulder blades back and down. For bicep curls keep the elbow close and tucked into the waist, squeeze the weight in your hand at the top.

Benefit: tone and sculpt shoulders, arms, corrects your posture, works your abdominals.

4. Walk Out Press up Roll down tucking your chin into your chest, soften the knees, reach your feet then walk out on the arms, take the arms wide and as you do your press up the elbows are positioned out to the side. Then walk yourself back in and up.

Safety Tip: bend the knees as you walk out on your hands, keep your wrists strong, you can do press ups from your knees to perfect your technique if full leg is too tough to start with.

Keep the abdominals pulled in tight.

Benefit: weight baring exercises naturally strengthen your joints, increases your own strength, increases muscle definition in your arms and chest. Also works on your flexibility.

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 17

Dreading baring your body this Summer? You don’t need to. We’ve called on international fitness expert Jo Parry from Mission Clean & Lean to give us a 20 minute daily workout that anyone can fit into their day. No excuses, but make sure you consult your GP before your start.

MISSION CLEAN & LEAN Easy nutritious meal plans Effective daily workouts Support to keep you focused

www.missioncleanlean.com

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5. Split Lunge

8. Ab Roll down

Jump into a split lunge position with one leg forward and one leg back. You can always step back into a lunge and continue alternate legs. The jump increases the intensity.

Safety Tip: both legs forward and backwards need to have the knee at a 90º angle. Torso is up tall, strong arms to help drive you up from your down position. The back foot needs to be on the ball of the foot.

Benefit: tones the legs, the bottom, the inner and outer thighs, burns body fat, increases fitness, strengthens the knee and ankle joints.

Slowly lie down, place the hands over the head and the ball then slowly come back up and stretch forward over your legs with the ball. This whole movement is slow and controlled. Holding the ball makes it harder to control your move.

Safety Tip: suck the abdominals in towards the back, gently roll down, placing the spine vertebrae by vertebrae into the mat, and then peel the back up and out of the mat. Relax the neck and arms. Relax the legs.

Benefit: tightens the stomach area, strengthen the lower back and corrects posture.

6. Transverse Plank

9. Dorsal raise

Full body weight exercise; do not be surprised if you start to shake after 5 seconds, this static exercise is hard and effective.

Safety Tip: drop to knees if this full position is too much to start with. Your body needs to be in line, parallel to the floor.

Pull the shoulder blades down your back, relax the neck.

Benefit: tightens your abs plus your whole body, completely weight bearing, and strengthens your joints.

Squeeze the elbows back into the waist as you lift your chest off the floor, feel the muscles in your back working.

Safety Tip: no tension in the legs or glutes (bottom), keep the head in line with the neck, eyes down.

Benefit: strengths the back, increases flexibility in the back, stretches the abdominal wall.

7. Hamstring Curls Using a stability ball, place your heels and calves on top off the ball whilst lying on the floor, lift your hips, suck your abs in and balance. Place the arms out to the side, palms facing the ceiling for additional balance. Draw your heels in towards your bottoms keeping your hips lifted as you roll back out too. A strong, hard move.

Safety Tip: keep the hips high during the whole move; pull the abs in tight towards your back to control your balance.

Benefit: lifts and tones your whole leg and bottom. This works the abs and entire core, whilst strengthening the lower back.

10. Jack squat Narrow squat both hands touch down to the feet then jump up into a jump jack, then repeat. An explosive movement, very dynamic. To make it low impact simply take the jump out.

Safety Tip: sit the weight in the heels, pull the shoulders blades down your back, soften the knees as you squat, power in the legs.

Benefit: tones and strengthen the whole body, increases cardio vascular fitness.

Mission Clean & Lean is a unique detox programme run by Jo Parry and Fern Whittaker • www.missioncleanlean.com.

18

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

Families

PARTY NEWS…

NO GLASSES REQUIRED Popalicious Cakes have gone 3D! This successful cake pop company has branched out into fabulous 3D cakes and they’re proving as popular as their scrumptious pops.

“I’m responding to demand and there’s lots out there,” says Helen Mallik from Popalicious Bakery. “I’m enjoying the challenge of creating fun, funky cakes. The 3D ones are going down a storm!”

The Popalicious Bakery can provide a 6" cake from £35 and a fabulous 3D creation from £45. www.popaliciouscakepops.co.uk

WIN…WIN…WIN… PARTY FOOD FROM THE LITTLE LUNCH COMPANY We’ve teamed up with the newly launched Little Lunch Company who provide top quality party food to help busy mums.

They’re offering one lucky reader the chance to win 10 bespoke party boxes.

“In the branded lunch boxes each guest will receive a non fizzy drink, a handmade sandwich and a choice of 3 items from our homemade menu. You can have fruit kebabs, chocolate crispy cakes or gingerbread men. Whatever you’d like we can do it.”

To be in with a chance of winning this super prize, simply send your name, address and party date to editor@ familiesleeds.co.uk by Thursday 6th June. We’ll let the winner know by email.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM TREASURES Save while you shop at Treasures of Wetherby when you join the store’s Birthday Club. Simply log on to the Treasures website and register your child’s birthday. You’ll then receive a voucher entitling you to a 12.5% discount on any purchases you make.

“We’ve sent out more than 50 vouchers already and have received some lovely feedback from parents and children,” says Zhara Armstrong from Treasures. “The voucher is sent before the birthday date so parents can enjoy the discount on birthday presents.” Treasures is also making lives easier by offering a free gift wrapping service and a free toy assembly service so the gifts are ready to play with as soon as you get them home! www.treasurestoys.co.uk

CALLING BRAVE PRINCESSES! Would you like Merida and her friends to join you for your birthday celebrations?

The wonderful Make a Wish Entertainment have created a fabulous party themed around the characters in the hit film Brave.

“Join Merida and her friends at their very own Highland Games,” says Suzanne Kaye Vaughan from Make a Wish. “There will be dancing, games and even an archery lesson from Cullen the Celt. The Woodcarver may make an appearance but we promise, no one will get turned into a bear!” www.makeawishentertainment.co.uk

ENTERTAINERS CELEBRATE SMALLER PARTIES Parents are opting to throw smaller parties to help limit the money they spend on their celebrations. Top children’s entertainer Henrietta Rabbit says she welcomes the return to more manageable numbers as they make for a more enjoyable party for everyone.

“Party sizes are reducing and we’re grateful for that. The average party size went from 15 up to a rather hard-work 40+, but most are now a sensible 25. My smallest party was for 4 children outside a tent in a camping site, for a family on holiday in Yorkshire so no group is too small for us!” www.henriettarabbit.com

A fun and educational tennis play and skills programme for children from 2 years E FRE IAL

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Classes in Ilkley, Harrogate, North Leeds & Wetherby For information call Caroline Buncall on 07843 342 662 • www.tennistykes.co.uk

WHERE EVERY PARTY IS AN ADVENTURE • THEMED CHARACTER PARTIES www.fantasticadventureparties.co.uk • 07921 222 710 10% OFF YOUR 1ST BOOKING

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 19

PARTY SPECIAL FAMILIES’ TOP FIVE TOP FIVE… BEST PARTY GIFTS From Zhara Armstrong from Treasures of Wetherby

II1. LEGO City Fire Car – £7.99II

II4. BIGJIGS Railway Station – £13.99II Every boy loves a train set and this is our customers’ favourite. This station is compatible with Brio and Thomas wooden trains so it’s a popular option.

All the LEGO ranges are bestsellers – Friends, Star Wars and City. This is one of my favourite toys because it’s great value. One car, 2 figures and a cat for £7.99! Perfect for boys from 5 years old.

II2. TOP MODELII II T-Shirt Designer –II II £7.25II Hugely popular range that’s constantly being updated so our customers never get tired of it. The current bestseller is the T-Shirt Designer. It’s a great gift on its own but very often customers team it up with colouring pencils (£3.25)

II5. ORCHARD PUZZLESII Affordable gifts for school friends with lots of educational value. We love Shopping List and Pop to the Shops.

Find all these toys at Treasures, High Street, Wetherby. www.treasurestoys.co.uk

II3. FAIRYTALE/ANIMAL LETTERS – £1II These are really popular. They’re affordable and a great gift for newborns. They come with sticky pads for easy application.

TOP FIVE… PARTY FOOD TIPS

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From Karen Goodwin at The Little Lunch Company 1. Keep it simple! Birthday parties aren’t the time to be experimenting with new foods.

Stick to familiar foods and you’ll have clean plates.

2. Don’t over cater. Children get excited at a party so don’t expect them to eat a three course meal. Party food boxes are a great way to distribute the food quickly and what the children don't eat at the party they can take home with them!

3. Keep meal times in mind when planning your party.

11am – 1pm is good for younger children. 4pm – 6pm is perfect for older children so you can serve the food as tea.

4. Delegate! Don’t try and be Nigella. You’ll end up covered in dairylea and crying into a batch of burnt cup cakes. Many parents, grandparents and friends are more than happy to lend a hand with the party food – just ask! And if you can’t find anyone, ask The Little Lunch Company!

5. Enjoy! Children grow up so very fast. Plan so that you aren’t locked in the kitchen and you can enjoy their special day with them. Then, after all of the sandwiches have been eaten and the cupcakes are gone, you'll still have the best bits – those amazing memories. www.thelittlelunchcompany.com

T: 01133 227988

E: inf info@makeawishentertainment.co.uk o@makeawishentt eert ainment.co.uk W: www.makea www.makeawishentertainment.co.uk wishentt eert ainment.co.uk

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TOP 10 Money Saving Party Tips IIA recent report revealed that nearly half of parents can’t afford to give theirII IIchildren a birthday party this year. With many of us feeling the pinch we’ve calledII IIon some Families’ friends and asked them to share their money saving tips with us.II DO YOU WANT A PARTY? It’s the first question every parent should ask first themselves and then their child.

Not every birthday boy and girl wants a big celebration. As parents we presume they do but birthday celebrations should be as different as the children they’re for. If the idea of inviting 30 children to a balloon filled village hall fills your little one with horror, you can start your own celebrations now!

You’ve just saved yourself a lot of hassle and expense. Now you can start looking at more cost effective options. Taking a best friend to the cinema or having a couple of pals over for a party tea are options that will be kinder on the pocket while giving your child the celebration they want.

SET A BUDGET If the answer to the first question is ‘yes’ it’s time to set a budget. This allows YOU to take charge of the party, and makes sure the party doesn’t take charge of you. Once you’ve decided how much you’re prepared to spend, stick to it. Write a list of the elements you’ll need and break the budget down. Do you want an entertainer? Do you need a venue? Talk to your child about the choices they have. If they want a more expensive party, they may have to limit their guests. Conversely if they opt for a less pricey option, they can invite more people. It’s a gentle way to introduce your child the lifelong reality of budgeting. That’s something you’re never too young to learn!

SHARING IS SAVING More and more parents are teaming up with another parent and sharing the cost

COOKING PARTIES & HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS ACROSS NORTH LEEDS Book your SUMMER workshops NOW!

07725 083 959 www.stirkrazykids.co.uk

of a party. It’s a great way of giving your child the party they want, while halving the financial burden. If you share with a child in the same class, chances are you’d be inviting the same people. As well as halving the costs, you also halve the workload and the stress.

“The first question that parents ask me on any joint party enquiry – particularly when the celebration is shared between a boy and a girl is – how can we make the party suit both birthday children?” explains Suzanne from Make a Wish Entertainment. “We say choose a theme or character for each birthday child and let us do the rest. In the past we have had twins celebrating with cheer leading and Jedi training all in one celebration. We’ve had lots of Princess & Hero, Fairy & Pirate combination parties and even a Grease & Hogwarts party!”

home as an option. Your child can decide on their favourite foods and you can take absolute charge of the budget. It’s a great way to involve the birthday boy or girl in the preparations – something they enjoy as much as the celebrations themselves.

Let them help make decorations, create place cards and set the table. Allow them to create a menu and even decorate the cake. Remember, it’s not always about the destination. Sometimes it’s about enjoying the journey.

STEP OUTSIDE As the mum of a summer baby, I was told I’d enjoy many a party in the great outdoors, thus preserving my house from sticky fingers.

The Great British weather hasn’t always been kind to us, but each year we have enjoyed or endured an outdoor party. If you fancy a gamble on the weather, why not plan a picnic in your local park. Everyone can bring their own food, you provide the cake and some high energy party games or a treasure hunt. You’ll save on the cost of a venue and the expense of catering but you won’t scrimp on the fun.

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD We’ve got into the habit of thinking you have to provide a lavish feast at a children’s party, catering for every dietary requirement.

But so often parents end up filling black bin liners with untouched sandwiches and carrot batons that never found a home. Take some advice from parents in France and the USA. YOU’RE INVITED Forget creating a bin bound buffet banquet Children love handing out a party invite, and offer cake and juice to guests at the end but that doesn’t mean you have to invest in of the party. It’s a great money saving tip if expensive cards. A simple creation printed your party falls outside of traditional meal out on your computer works just as well. times and as long as you let parents know There are websites offering templates – prior to party time, they’ll make sure their www.invitationland.com or www.catch children are fed before they arrive, or when myparty.com – or use your child’s they get home. Our top party entertainers imagination to create something yourself. are noticing a change in how parents are The ultimate money saving invite is a text catering. or email, but while your child still enjoys “It's no longer weird to offer water to delivering their party invite by hand, there’s drink at parties!” says Henrietta Rabbit. plenty of ways to cut costs.

“I’ve noticed biscuits served instead of the more elaborate cupcakes, and they disappeared without Baby Ballet OPEN FOR PLAY Pyjama drama comment at the 7 DAYS A WEEK Musical Minis same rate.

Classes here A word of warning though. I still require at least 3 mugs of tea throughout!”

Adventure Play Area ~ Separate Toddler Area HOME SWEET HOME If you’ve managed to limit numbers, congratulations. You can now consider a party tea at

Opening Times: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Sat-Sun 10am-6pm

Suitable for ages 0-11 especially pre-schoolers www.littlebeesplay.co.uk

Unit B, Seacroft Trade Park, Coal Road, Leeds, LS14 2AQ. Tel 0113 2329822

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 21

A PIECE OF CAKE Use your cake wisely. So often parents slave into the early hours crafting a favourite character out of a heap of Victoria Sponge and buttercream, only to have it rammed into party bags and sat on during the journey home. If you’ve made a cake or bought a cake, bare witness to your guests eating it.

Either serve it as pudding or use our tip above and serve it as a sweet snack in place of a party tea.

LUCKY DIP Readers of Families Leeds know my thoughts on party bags. I think parents feel pressure to spend hard earned cash on a collection of plastic tat that will get no further than the

back of the car. Individual items seem inexpensive, but buy 30 of them and the costs add up. Ditch party bags in favour of a lucky dip as guests leave. You can make this as simple or as complex as you want. Wrap the girls’ gifts in pink and the boys’ in blue or simply buy a gift or pack of sweets that suits them all. Our party experts at Treasures of Wetherby like the Blind Bag options (Lego/Moshi Monsters/Playmobil). These start from £1.99 and there are offers if you buy more than 8. Mix them with some shredded paper into a large box or bucket and get the guests to dig in as they leave. By doing this by the door, you won’t hear the complaints about the lack of a party bag!

START SAVING Your child’s birthday is not a surprise so it’s something you can plan and save for and many of us are. Set your own budget and work out a saving plan. Other ways to save include signing up to the Treasures Birthday Club. The Wetherby based toy shop will then send you a 12.5% discount voucher to help you out when buying birthday gifts.

“It’s been very popular,” says Zhara Armstrong from Treasures. “The voucher is sent before the birthday date so parents can enjoy the discount on birthday presents.

Customers who have joined our Treasures loyalty scheme will earn their loyalty points on all purchases too.”

CLASS PARTIES BABIES CAN SIGN ENQUIRIES@BABIESCANSIGN.CO.UK • 07742 296 160 Celebrate with Signing Sam and the team at Babies Can Sign.

Musical instruments, bubbles, stories and pass the parcel. There’s a balloon on stick for each children and a card and gift for the birthday child. Suitable up to 5 years old. Optional extras – party bags, cake, invitations. www.babiescansign.co.uk DIDDI DANCE 07917 757 566 Get your guests dancing form the minute they walk in the door.

A Diddi Dance party is a great mix of traditional party games and their trademark funky dancing. There’s lots of props and lots of fun.

Suitable for children from 2 – 7 years old. No maximum number. www.diddidance.com FLEXDANCE 07921 222 710 Choreograph a dance routine with your party guests and wow the watching parents! Up to 25 children. Suitable for 5 –11 year olds. www.flexdance.com MUSICBUGS LEEDS@MUSICBUGS.CO.UK • 0844 578 1043 Catch the bug and celebrate with Vicky Bannister and her team.

Hour long musical parties tailored to suit your child which include singing, dancing, puppets, pom poms, bubbles, hobby horses and party games. Card and gift for the party child. Invites also provided. www.musicbugs.co.uk PYJAMA DRAMA • 0844 5040 964 Themed parties for children up to 7 years old. Invite your guests to hunt for a dragon or take a trip to the jungle. Anything is possible with Pyjama Drama! 1 – 2 hour parties available. CD for birthday child. www.pyjamadrama.com TENNIS TOTS NORTHLEEDS.@TENNIS-TOTS.CO.UK • 07753 800 723 Active, fun packed party for children between 3 and 6 years old.

Parties usually held at the weekend during term time. Special gift for the birthday girl or boy. www.tennis-tots.co.uk TENNIS TYKES CAROLINE.BUNCALL@TENNISTYKES.CO.UK • 07843 342 662 Tennis parties for 3 – 8 year old children. An hour of tennis activities including lots of games and prizes. Present for the birthday child. www.tennistykes.co.uk

Candy Occasions Hand Crafted Candy Cart Available for Parties, Christenings & Weddings

07908 495 646

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FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

YOGABUGS • YORKSHIRE@YOGABUGS.COM • 0113 250 6972 Take a magical adventure with the YogaBugs team. Your guests will go on a storytelling journey inspired by yoga, followed by some great yoga party games. After a relaxation exercise, everyone will leave calm and chilled after the coolest party in town. Popular themes include pirates, mermaids or space adventures. www.yogabugs.com

ENTERTAINERS HENRIETTA RABBIT • 0333 000 4567 The home of some of Yorkshire’s favourite children’s entertainers. Henrietta looks after Fairy Ellie, Rosie Rainbow, Wonderphil and Pink Pollie. Party themes include Circus, Disco, Cinderella, Magic, Witches & Wizards and many more. Top quality entertainers that are recommended by readers time and again. www.henriettarabbit.co.uk FANTASTIC ADVENTURE PARTIES – NEW FOR 2013 07921 222710 A NEW bespoke party company providing character parties. From Willie Wonka and the Candy Kingdom to a Tea Party with Alice and the Mad Hatter there is something for everyone. Angelina Ballerina and the Toy Story characters are bound to be popular. www.fantasticadventureparties.co.uk MAKE A WISH ENTERTAINMENT – CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW OPPOSITE INFO@MAKEAWISHENTERTAINMENT.CO.UK • 01924 281 365 Call on a bit of magic for your next party. Suzanne Kaye Vaughan and her team will create a party to suit your budget and your child. Characters lead children on an adventure. Popular themes include Army Parties, Toy Story, Rapunzel, Fairies, Barbie, Ben 10, Star Wars and Spies. NEW Brave parties now available.

Highly recommended by readers. www.makeawishentertainment.co.uk

Town theme with Shop, Cafe & Petrol Station Freshly prepared food daily • Separate baby area Private Parties catered for (centre closed for parties) Unit 2 • South View Business Park Guiseley • Leeds • LS20 9PP (straight on past Argos, we're 3rd on left)

01943 870 189 www.tumbletownadventureplay.co.uk

Give them a party they won’t forget!

Completely safe for 4–9 year olds.

Bring your party to one of our indoor venues.

Contact Geoff on 01422 351 981 www.go-kartpartyleeds.co.uk

TENNIS TYKES PARTY… Finding a party that entertains boys and girls alike is always a challenge, but Caroline Buncall from Tennis Tykes says her parties are a ball!

“It’s an hour of tennis combined with lots and lots of fun!”

The children receive top notch tennis coaching with Caroline and her team.

There’s plenty of prizes to be won and the birthday boy or girl also gets a medal. To add to the fun, Tennis Tykes characters Tommy and Tessa are on hand to join in the games and help with the celebrations.

“Very often parents will bring their children to a Tennis Tykes party and see them having fun and sign them up for a class,” says Caroline. “I think there’s a perception that tennis is something older children do. But when parents see their children having fun with a sponge ball and a small net they’re convinced!”

Tennis Tykes parties are for children from 3 up to 8 years old. To book your party call 07843 342 662 or caroline.buncall@tennistykes.co.uk www.tennistykes.co.uk

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 23

MAKE A WISH ARMY PARTY…

CREATIVE PARTIES POTS 2 GO • 01423 524 797 Popular parties with crafty kids held either in the Harrogate café or at a venue of your choice. Each child gets to choose a piece to paint, with the birthday girl or boy receiving a plate signed by all the guests. Parties run daily from 5pm and on a Sunday by appointment. Suitable from 4 years old and for a minimim of 8 children. This is the quietest party you’ll ever host! www.pots2go.co.uk STIR KRAZY • 07725 083 959 You choose the venue and Cooking Cathie from Stir Krazy will create the perfect party. Pick your party tea from the great online menus and then tell your guests to come prepared to cook it! Minimum of 5 and a maximum of 15 children. www.stirkrazykids.co.uk THE CREATION STATION • 0844 8549 130 Arty Parties are themed to the birthday child and every guest leaves with two original creations. Choose from painting, modeling, sculpting and there’s games galore too. www.thecreationstations.co.uk

Attttennntion! Fancy being put through your paces by the Make A Wish Drill Sergeants? These Military Survival Action parties are not for the faint hearted but they are for those looking for teamwork and fun. Your mini Majors will set to work building their own den, find the men missing in action, get emergency supplies and transport the ammunition.

This is all under the watchful eyes and loud voices of Sgt Whistle, Sgt Tea and Q. “It’s very strict and very serious because we are near enemy lines so we could be attacked at any time,” explains Sgt Whistle. “There is no messing.”

That’s what attracted Lisa Lee and Bianca Gray to book this party for their sons joint 7th birthday celebrations. Zach and Jake wanted something different after going to weekend after weekend of football parties so they opted to join up with the Make a Wish Army.

“We wanted a party that could cater for wild boys!,” says Jake’s Mum Bianca. “They believe they are joining the army,” adds Lisa. “The way the three Sergeants have spoken to them has made them believe they have a job to do this afternoon!”

The team building tasks keep the boys busy and if they complete them successfully they’ll get to go to battle.

That battle is a water bomb fight that brings the party to an end. It’s great fun and perfect for boys who love to get messy in the great outdoors.

“The children love the challenge of the tasks, they love being active, working as a team and they love the competitive nature of it all,” says Suzanne Kay Vaughan (aka Sgt Whistle) from Make a Wish Entertainment. “These children don’t think they’ve dressed up and pretended to be in the army. They think, ‘I’ve spent the afternoon doing army training and look what I’ve achieved.’ These children end the party feeling empowered.”

And that’s exactly how this team of new recruits feel as the party comes to an end. It’s been everything Zach and Jake hoped for and their mums are delighted.

“The boys aren’t going to have parties like this for much longer,” says Lisa. “In a few years time it will be a few friends going bowling so while they are young enough to enjoy it and believe, these parties are worth doing.” www.makeawishentertainment.co.uk 0113 322 7988 / 01423 734417

Fitness, Fun & Friends!

Summer

BOOK NOW Workshops FOR 2013 Booking

MUSICAL THEATRE & STREET DANCE for children from 3–11 years across Leeds BOOK NOW FOR SATURDAY CLASSES IN ARMLEY, CROSSGATES & SEACROFT

FLEX DANCE PARTIES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE

0 7 9 2 1 2 2 2 7 1 0 • w w w. f l e x d a n c e i n c . c o m

NOW

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FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June

ADVENTURE PARTIES AERIAL XTREME 0845 6521 736 Do you fancy celebrating 13 metres in the air? Head to this treetop adventure in Bedale that’s been recommended by our readers.

With a minimum of 5 friends, you’ll take the mega walk, climb through the forest canopy and be floating in the air for most of your celebrations. Children need to be at least 1.1metres to take part. Adults may also be required for some on the ropes support.

Not for the faint hearted! www.aerialextreme.co.uk FLOWHOUSE 0845 200 2928 The ultimate surf experience without all the sand of the beach.

Catch the waves inside Xscape, Castleford. Bring your swimsuit and your guests and they’ll provide wetsuits and boards. www.flowhouse.co.uk GO KART PARTY 01422 351 981 Give your child their first real driving experience. Geoff Holmes provides the go karts and a purpose built track and you bring along your little Lewis Hamiltons. This is go karting in a safe, controlled environment. The speed is amended depending on the age of the racers. Fully staffed with lots of indoor venues across Leeds.

Certificates and awards for all drivers and a trophy for the safest. www.go-kartpartyleeds.co.uk LASERZONE 01977 559 911 Strap on your laser gun and get ready to do battle with your guests. Based at Xscape in Castleford this is another popular venue for boys from 7 years old. Choose from a silver or gold package depending on the number of games you want to play. www.laserzone.co.uk LION LEARNERS 0113 250 9612 Share your party with rabbits, snails, snakes and a host of other creepy crawlies. The children learn all about the animals and then they get to hold them. There’s always the threat of the tarantula for those who refuse to behave! Themed party bags available. www.lionlearners.co.uk

SNOZONE 0871 222 5671 The coolest party in town this summer. Choose from sledging, skiing, snowboarding or ice sliding. Great fun and the party hosts get great feedback from Families’ readers. And if the real snow isn’t enough, you can add a trip to the indoor climbing wall or a visit to the bowling alley. www.snozoneuk.com STOCKELD PARK 01937 586 101 Come along to the Summer Adventure and enjoy reserved space in the Woodland Café and enjoy go karting, roller skating and exploring the Enchanted Forest. Themed parties with Make a Wish Entertainment also available at this venue. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

SOFT PLAY PARTIES KIDS CLUBHOUSE 0113 393 3340 A selection of 2 hour parties available at this Horsforth Soft Play for children from 1 – 11 years old. Themes include SuperHero, Disco Diva, Football, Laser, Pirate and Princess. Parties start at £8.95 a head. www.kids-clubhouse.co.uk LITTLE BEES 0113 232 9822 A great venue for a toddler party. Little Bees offers a two hour party for a minimum of 10 children. You’ll get to use the soft play centre for 90 minutes and then head to a private room for your party tea, Little Bees provides invites and party bags – all you need to organise is the cake! Parties can be booked any day, at any time. www.littlebeesplay.co.uk TUMBLE TOWN 07887 923 460 EXCLUSIVE use available. Tumble Town offers a great Venue Only party allowing you to hire out the soft play and bring your own food. If you are looking for some support from the Tumble Town team, you might look at the signature Tumble Town party. Again, you’ll get exclusive use of the venue, but they’ll provide food, party bags and a host to run some games. You just bring the cake. www.tumbletownadventureplay.co.uk

NEW FO R

2013

FANTASTIC ADVENTURE PARTIES Would you like to invite Cinderella to be the belle of your ball? How about asking Angelina Ballerina to perform at your party? The magical team behind the newly launched Fantastic Adventure Parties would be happy to make all your party dreams come true and bring the best characters along to join your celebrations.

It may be a new business, but it’s a couple of old Families Leeds’ friends that are behind this venture. Sam and Stephanie from FlexDance are now offering a range of amazing yet affordable character parties to make your child’s party extra special.

“For a long time we have been providing top quality parties with FlexDance,” says Sam. “Parents come back to us every year, but no child wants the same party twice, however good it is! We decided to use our strengths as performing arts specialists and create a selection of adventure parties which are already proving popular.”

Fantastic is already living up to its name with some amazing parties on offer. The girls can create Willie Wonka’s Candy Kingdom, a tea party with the Mad Hatter and Alice and even a fun packed afternoon with Buzz and Woody from Toy Story. The sky really is the limit!

FAMILI ES L DISCOU EEDS’ 10% OF NT FF BOOKIN IRST G

“We have always been proud of the quality of parties we produced with FlexDance,” explains Sam. “With Fantastic we are taking that same high quality, that same value for money and making the parties… Fantastic!” www.fantasticadventureparties.co.uk

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 25

FAMILY MEDIATION for YOU

& YOUR CHILDREN IIA breakdown in a relationship is widely thought to be as traumatic asII IIbereavement. Andrew Smith, Family Mediator and Family Law expert at Emsleys,II IIexplains how mediation may be the answer.II

W

HEN A RELATIONSHIP FAILS, it places untold stress on the lives of your family and friends. You may experience even more stress and hardship when the practical issues need to be resolved.

Who keeps the house? Who pays the bills? Where do the children live? When do the children see the other parent?

The vast majority of people would hope for an amicable separation. Experience unfortunately tells us that the circumstances surrounding the breakdown of the relationship often make this very difficult to achieve. Although you may feel what you want is fair, personal emotions will sometimes make it difficult to agree practical solutions.

No matter how much we love our children, our feelings can cause us to put their emotions aside: “They’ll be fine”…”They won’t understand”… ”They’re too young to notice”.

This will undoubtedly be a very confusing and upsetting time for your children. It is important that their emotional wellbeing is at the forefront of any discussions and arrangements you have together. It may be that you feel your partner is being unreasonable, and there is no prospect of reaching agreements, but it is worth taking a step back to consider the long term effects on your children of an acrimonious separation.

Family Mediation benefits you as a family, helping you to reach agreements about practical issues relating to your children, money

and home when you separate. It provides an alternative to solicitors negotiating on your behalf. Family Mediation is not counselling and is not conciliation. It does however allow you to take control of your discussions and reach agreements together. It is nonconfrontational and is conducted in an atmosphere of trust and understanding, rather than conflict.

There are also significant cost benefits to mediation. Family Mediation is a much cheaper alternative to paying for solicitors to negotiate on your behalf. You will generally be able to reach agreements quicker as you are able to deal with many issues in one session, rather than letters and phone calls going backwards and forwards. This means that your costs will be focussed on reaching a settlement, rather than on more routine costs.

Since 1st April 2013, legal aid has generally not been available to help cover the legal costs associated with divorce and disputes relating to children and finances.

You can however still obtain legal aid for family mediation, if you are financially eligible.

Emsleys Family Mediation has an experienced team of qualified solicitor and non-solicitor mediators who can assist you from any of our offices throughout Leeds.

For more information contact Emsleys on 0113 201 4908.

looking for expert legal advice? we can help.

There comes a time when everyone needs advice from an expert.

It might be when you are buying or selling a property or perhaps you need a will to plan for the future and protect your assets.

“Very professional, capable and effective service.

I would definitely use again and recommend to others.”

Whatever your situation, whether you need help following the breakdown of a relationship, have an employment-related legal matter, are in dispute with somone, or seeking compensation for an injury of some kind, we are here to help.

Speak to our legal experts on 0113 232 1030 or visit www.emsleys.co.uk

Family Law - Wills & Probate - Conveyancing - Dispute Resolution - Employment Law - Personal Injury - Commercial Property

What’s On May Half Term IIWith April showers just a distant memory,II IIit’s time to pack away the pac-a-mac and dig outII IIthe sun-tan lotion.II Mark the start of Summer with a few family days out – none of us know how long the sunshine will last! Wherever you go, make sure you tell them you read all about them in Families Leeds!

Sunday 5th & Monday 6th May

Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th May

A Festival of Play HAREWOOD HOUSE www.harewood.org/play We don’t stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing! LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Manchester are back for the second year running with a multitude of activities including a soft play area, LEGO building area, a swap shop and a showing of the LEGO Star Wars film! With zorbing, high ropes, spider mountain, face painting, circus skills, graffiti wall, go karts, fairground, donkey rides and more to enjoy over the two days there’s hours of fun to be had for the whole family.

Kite Festival & Teddy Bears’ Picnic HAREWOOD HOUSE www.harewood.org/kite Bring your teddy along to take part in the annual picnic.

They’ll get to parachute, head out on a teddy trail and take part in a Best Dressed competition. We’ll be praying for wind as the professional kite fliers get ready to entertain. Entry for children is FREE as long as they bring their teddy!

Wednesday 8th May Little Scientists ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM www.leeds.gov.uk Science fun for under 5s. Flying and floating themes this week. Sessions at 10am and 2pm.

Sunday 12th May Pond Dipping FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.nationaltrust.org.uk What lurks beneath the water in the ponds of Fountains’ water garden? Pick up your nets and charts and get exploring. 2 – 3.30pm.

Book on 01765 643 176.

Friday 24th May Crown Hunt TEMPLE NEWSAM HOUSE www.leeds.gov.uk Follow the trail to spot the crowns around Temple Newsam. 10.30am – 5pm.

Silly Streets ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM www.leeds.gov.uk Grab a baskets and go shopping. Fun for under 5s and their carers. 10am start.

Saturday 25th May Kirkstall Abbey Deli Market KIRKSTALL ABBEY www.leeds.gov.uk Come along to try some of the best Yorkshire produce around. It’s all local at this popular monthly market.

12noon – 3pm.

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 27

From the collections of Leeds Museums and Galleries © – Image by Sara Porter

Why not visit…

IINatural BeautyII IILeeds City MuseumII IIUntil 30th June 2013II

Loves

Get up close and personal with a gorilla skull. Enjoy the beauty of the common butterfly. With the help of photographer Sara Porter the natural beauty that’s hidden behind the doors of a Leeds based store has come to life. Sara walked among the 800,000 objects that are in the city’s natural history store at the Leeds Discovery Centre has come up with a series of 60 beautiful images that will make you see the collection of eggs, creepy crawlies and skulls in a different light.

“These items – the gorilla skull, the crow, the trays of insects – are stored in a controlled enviroment to preserve them,” explains Sara who is Curator of the exhibition.

“Quite a lot of the objects have been removed from our displays to prevent them from being damaged, so preserving them for future generations.”

Sara’s photographs mean that without leaving the dimly lit, cool storage facility, these objects are now on display. Favourites include this magnificent image of a butterfly and the image of the crow feathers.

“Children love this butterfly image – it’s the bright colours. It’s punchy. I think it’s my favourite,” says Sara.

“What I love about all the images is that photography allows you to direct people’s focus on specific items.

You decide where the eye is drawn and that’s powerful.” www.leeds.gov.uk/naturalbeauty

Rediscover Yourself.

Rediscover Eureka!

Have you discovered All About Me? It’s Eureka!’s amazing new £2.9m gallery with over 100 interactive exhibits designed to get the whole family exploring how their bodies work and how to look after them.

We’re open from 10am Tuesday to Sunday during term times and 7 days a week in school holidays.

Also, convert your ticket to a free annual pass and come back as many times as you want in a year.

For more information www.allaboutme.org.uk.

www.allaboutme.org.uk Eureka! is an educational charity, No 292758

EUREKA!

Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th May Raft Building Workshops FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.nationaltrust.org.uk Create a mini raft from the natural material at Fountains Abbey. Then you can test it on the water.

Book on 01765 643 176.

Sunday 26th & Monday 27th May Harewood Medieval Faire HAREWOOD HOUSE www.harewood.org/medieval Bigger and better than last year! Shout for your favourite knight at the joust, gasp at re-enactments, walk through the authentic medieval village and see craftsmen at work.

The faire is packed with children’s entertainment and activities so make the most of it and buy a weekend ticket!

Saturday 25th – Friday 31st May

Magical May THACKRAY MUSEUM www.thackray.org Drop in activities each afternoon throughout the half term week. May is juggling and street magic month.

Come along and make your own juggling balls.

Neverland EUREKA! www.eureka.org.uk Join Peter Pan and the Lost Boys as the National Childrens’ Museum explores Neverland. Fun and games throughout the museum bringing JM Barrie’s story to life.

Where’s William?

BOLTON ABBEY www.boltonabbey.com Become a detective this half term. Follow the mystery trail through Strid Wood to find William and his dog.

Sticks and Stones FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.nationaltrust.org.uk Crack the code and decipher the trail of sticks through the estate. Craft activities at Swanley Grange. 11am – 4pm.

Budding Gardeners RHS HARLOW CARR www.rhs.org.uk/harlowcarr Follow the bugs and beasties trail. Get involved in the creative workshops. Local schools have designed gardens and you can vote for your favourite.

Saturday 25th May – Sunday 2nd June

Tuesday 28th May

Teddy Bear Trail LOTHERTON HALL www.leeds.gov.uk If you go down to the hall today, you’re sure of a big surprise! Follow the trail to get a prize.

Daily activities.

Kings and Queen Dress Up TEMPLE NEWSAM HOUSE www.leeds.gov.uk Dress up in royal costumes and make your own crown.

Half term fun fit for a queen, or king! Sessions at 10.30am and 2pm.

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 29

Why not visit…

IIThe Magic of MedicineII Loves IIThackray MuseumII IILeedsII Anyone who has seen the power of Amoxicillin on a child’s ear infection will know the magic of medicine. However the Thackray Museum’s latest exhibition looks at the magic behind the medicine dating back centuries.

“Before medicine became scientific during the 1800s there were many overlaps between magical practice and medicine, and people could not easily work out the difference between the two,” explains Joanne Bartholomew from the Thackray Museum. “Even in the last 200 years, there are many examples of people performing magic and using techniques or equipment that have become part of medicine.”

The exhibition has been designed to provide fascinating stories for grown-ups alongside plenty of interactive play for children. It includes displays, dressing-up, magical stories and puppets for acting out your magical, medical stories.

The centerpiece is a magical, mirrored star with a night-time sky, which you can walk through, to test out its magical effects.

From there you can follow a trail around the museum. The magical links between medicine and magic are highlighted as well as a look at herbal cures, lucky charms and some regal remedies.

Come along to join in the weekend activities in May & June including magic card tricks and juggling. www.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk

The North’s most spectacular Medieval Festival! 26 & 27 May Visit Harewood for fantastic family days out this Spring & Summer…

Find out about these and other events www .harewood.org/whats-on www.harewood.org/whats-on

Harewood House Kite Festival

Tuesday 28th & Wednesday 29th May

Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd June

Animal Masks LEEDS CITY MUSEUM www.leeds.gov.uk Come along and make yourself a mask.

Sessions at 10am and 2pm.

Sticks and Stones FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.nationaltrust.org.uk Crack the code and decipher the trail of sticks through the estate. Craft activities at Swanley Grange. 11am – 4pm.

Tuesday 28th - Thursday 30th May

Sunday 9th June

Victorian Jobs ARMLEY MILLS www.leeds.gov.uk Come along and try the jobs people would have done in Victorian times. For families with children 6 years+. 1 – 3pm.

Seed Sowing FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.nationaltrust.org.uk Come along and plant some seeds to take home.

11am – 1pm.

Wednesday 29th May Rocket Man ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM www.leeds.gov.uk Space themed craft sessions at 10am and 2pm.

Geocaching Taster Day FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.nationaltrust.org.uk Join the digital treasure hunt. Find out how to hide and seek the geocaches and borrow the GPS to have a go.

Book on 01765 643 176.

World War II Re-enactment Day THWAITE MILLS www.leeds.gov.uk See the Dig for Victory garden and join in with a day of rationing. Starts at 11.30am.

Sunday 16th June Father’s Day Classic Motor Show HAREWOOD HOUSE www.harewood.org/fathersday Dad + Cars = the perfect venue for Fathers’ Day. But everyone will enjoy this day out. As well as classic cars there’s a fun fair, vintage stalls and the Breitling wing walking team.

Dads Get In Free!

THWAITE MILLS www.leeds.gov.uk Celebrate Fathers’ Day and bring your Dad along for free.

Sunday 23rd June Wartime Tea Party LOTHERTON HALL www.leeds.gov.uk Join the sounds of the 1940s at this day of celebrations.

There’ll be a swing band, children’s entertainment and a street party picnic. Starts at 11am.

FAMILIES LEEDS | May/June 31

Saturday 29th June Kirkstall Abbey Deli Market KIRKSTALL ABBEY www.leeds.gov.uk Come along to try some of the best Yorkshire produce around. It’s all local at this popular monthly market.

12noon – 3pm.

Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th June Summer Garden Party RHS HARLOW CARR www.rhs.org.uk/harlowcarr Celebrate the best of British at Harlow Carr. Enjoy workshops, face painters, giant garden games and music late into the evening as the event goes on until 8pm.

We Love Leeds Fun Day LEEDS CITY MUSEUM www.leeds.co.uk Fun activity day for all the family from 11am.

Sponsored by The Grammar School at Leeds.

EVERY WEEK… Tuesday Muddy Monkeys KIRKSTALL ABBEY www.leeds.gov.uk Messy fun with natural materials. 10 – 11am. Term time.

Friday Messy Monkeys ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM www.leeds.gov.uk Messy creative fun with art materials and you leave all the mess behind! 2 – 4pm. Term time only.

Saturday Rory’s Saturday Club LEEDS CITY MUSEUM www.leeds.gov.uk Family art and craft session related to the museum displays. 11am – 12.15pm.

Sunday Arty Smarties ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM www.leeds.gov.uk Craft fun on the Victorian Streets. 2 – 4pm.

RHS Harlow Carr

Night at the MUSEUM…

Loves

This May, museums across Leeds will open their doors as night falls to give you a different view of your favourite attractions. Pack up your torch and make a date of it… if you dare!

IIYORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARKII II6pm and 7.30pmII II17th MayII IIwww.ysp.co.ukII You’re invited to the Underground Gallery to become an after hours Art Explorer. This family friendly story telling session takes you through the popular Yinka Shonibore Exhibition and Make a Wish Entertainment will be your guide! Booking essential on 01924 832 631.

IINIGHT AT THE MEDICAL MUSEUMII II6 – 9pmII II18th MayII IIwww.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.ukII Wander the corridors of the Victorian workhouse at the Thackray Museum and watch as re-enactors bring history to life in front of your eyes. Meet the creepy and colourful characters from days gone by. Learn about amputations and the ailments of people in 1842 Leeds. Booking essential on 0113 244 4343.

IILEEDS MUSEUM DISCOVERY CENTREII II4.30 – 6.30pmII II18th MayII IIwww.leeds.gov.ukII Join a torchlight tour through the museum. What secrets does it hold? Booking essential on 0113 378 2100.

WHERE MEDICINE BECOMES MAGIC

This year we are turning history into magical mystery with a spellbinding new exhibition ‘The Magic of Medicine’. Discover an ever-changing calendar of all new family events, trails and activities.

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MOORFIELD SCHOOL

MAGICAL MAY/JUNE

Saturday May 11th 2013 2.00pm - 4.30pm

Book now for our popular

NIGHT AT THE MEDICAL MUSEUM 3 18th May. Adults £8, Children £5

Award winning museum, open daily from 10am-5pm

Learning Café - serving hot food and tasty treats

Tickets last all year

Unique birthday party venue

WWW.THACKRAYMEDICALMUSEUM.CO.UK WWW .THACKRA AY YMEDICALMUSEUM.CO. YMEDICAL UK

Beck Beckett ett Street, Street, L Leeds eeds LS9 7LN Enquiries: 0113 0113 244 244 4343 / info@thackraymuseum.org info@thackraymuseum.org

for Boys and Girls

on

Join us in May for Juggling and Street Magic and in June for Scan, Scopes and Scams! All activities free with usual admission charges.

On-site parking only £1

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t Stall • Coaching • Plan ll ba ot Fo • s ill • Circus Sk ts & Crafts • • Creative Ar t ui sc Bi a e at tic & Decor • Cake Stall e your own Plas orkshop - Mak W ry ist em Ch g • Fantastic Plastic • Band Playin ship Bracelets • Make Friend • will be Served • Cream Teas

11 Ben Rhydding Road Ilkley LS29 8RL

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www.moorfieldschool.co.uk

Did you know...

Keep offering new tastes and foods to children. It may take ten separate occasions before they will try them.

Highly recommended by OFSTED and ISI, Moorlands Early Years provides a happy, safe & educationally rich learning environment for boys & girls from 2 to 5 years of age.

For more tips follow us on Look for www.twitter.com/kidsunlimited01

Weekly swimming, IT, dance and music lessons are included in the Early Years curriculum Highly qualified & experienced team Home-m made meals and snacks Holiday clubs run on site Nursery grants are available Open 7.30am 6pm for total wrap around care

kidsunlimited Tadpoles Day Nursery in Leeds

0845 365 2908 SAVE £50 on your registration fee Quote: Fam/58/

in 1

www.kidsunlimited.co.uk

Foxhill Drive, Weetwood Lane,Leeds,LS16 5PF www.moorlands-school.co.uk

0113 2785286