Dear Reader,

The most eagerly awaited time of year for children is almost here - the long summer holidays, we can all remember the excitement of the last day of term. Whilst this might be the children’s favourite time of year, it can often fill parents with dread as they try to juggle work, childcare and entertaining the children. We have lots in this issue to help you plan childcare and days out in our ‘What’s On’ pages.

Have a lovely summer whatever your plans.

What's in this issue?

4. News & Views

Wise words

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Plus a free family portrait with Paddington + 2 mini-Rover tickets for the kids

Join Paddington on an immersive adventure this Summer at Blenheim Palace!

Staged across the beautiful Palace grounds, Paddington Lo-Commotion is the perfect day out for families who love to immerse themselves in live performance, puppetry, and outdoor adventure. Get ready to go on an adventure to meet your favourite characters from the famous Paddington stories, hop on board a real locomotive*, ‘Winston’, and search for ‘buried treasure’ along the way… (*Subject to availability). The show will run between the 4th of July until the 3rd of September, and is perfect for fans of the most beloved bear and families who love exploring the great outdoors. To be in with a chance of winning a family ticket, please visit our Facebook page @familieseastoxfordshiremag and like and share our competition post. Good luck.

T&Cs: Prize can be redeemed between 4th July - 3rd September, subject to availability. If the session is sold out, tickets for another available session need to be picked.

9. Baby News

10. What’s On

13. Meet the Head

14. School Transition

15. PQA

16. Clubs & Classes into a bookworm

EDITOR: Lisa Exell 01945 861336, editor@familiesOxfordshire.co.uk

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Amanda Dawson, admin@familiescambridgeshire.co.uk

SOCIAL MEDIA: Amanda Dawson, admin@familiescambridgeshire.co.uk

DESIGN: Caroline Thompson-Heap, info@cheekymonkeydesigns.net

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

Join Paddington™ on an immersive adventure this Summer at Blenheim Palace!

Staged across the beautiful Palace grounds, Paddington Lo-Commotion is the perfect day out for families who love to immerse themselves in live performance, puppetry, and outdoor adventure.

Get ready to go on an adventure to meet your favourite characters from the famous Paddington stories, hop on board a real locomotive*, ‘Winston’, and search for ‘buried treasure’ along the way… (*Subject to availability).

Plus, a free creative Activity Area, a chance to drive a mini ROVER emergency vehicle, get a portrait with Paddington (both sold separately) and a dedicated Paddington shop which is packed full of gifts to remember your day.

The show will run between the 4th of July until the 3rd of September 2023, and is perfect for fans of the most beloved bear and families who love exploring the great outdoors. Book tickets > PaddingtonTrainAdventure.com

PACK-UP AND GO: The Perfect On-the-Go Lunchbox

The Mnched collapsible lunchbox is perfect for anyone looking for a space-saving, reusable, and eco-friendly way to take their lunch to work or school. It’s lightweight, easy to transport and store (it reduces to just 3cm, making it easy to stack in your cupboard and keep your kitchen organised), and helps keep food fresh longer. It also eliminates the need for individual plastic wrap or foil wraps for each item in your lunchbox. This makes it easy to reduce your carbon footprint while enjoying your favourite meals on the go. £20 from Mnched.com

Take nature’s pulsejoin the Big Butterfly Count

The Big Butterfly Count is a UK-wide survey aimed which helps to assess the health of our environment by counting the amount and type of butterflies we see.

This year, the world’s biggest survey of butterflies will take place from Friday 14th July until Sunday 6th August.

Everyone can take part. All you have to do is spend fifteen minutes in an outdoor space (including anywhere urban, not just green places and gardens) on a sunny day. Count the types and the number of butterflies, as well as some day-flying moths that you can see.

The results will help to identify where conservation action is needed most. The data is used to identify important trends in species that assists in planning how to protect butterflies from extinction and understand the effect of climate change on wildlife. More info: www.bigbutterflycount.org

Exciting Stories At The Festival Of Archaeology

The UK’s biggest archaeological event, the Festival of Archaeology, will be running from 15th to 30th July and this year’s theme is Archaeology and Creativity.

Archaeology is about storytelling and archaeologists use creative practices such as art, music, creative writing, poetry and theatre to bring to life the material we uncover and the stories of the places and people around us.

Through nationwide digital and on-site events, archaeological experts will help families discover how their local landscape has changed and shaped to become what it is now, as well as discover exciting stories about their local community.

Join educational guided walks, listen to talks, get involved with exciting archaeological excavations, or join digitally online through social media and discover more about your local area.

More info: www.archaeologyuk.org/festival

Summer Reading Challenge 2023 Ready, Set, Read!

The Summer Reading Challenge encourages children ages 4 to 11 to read six library books during the long summer holiday and collect rewards, such as stickers, on their way to receiving their challenge certificate and medal.

The theme for this year is Ready, Set, Read! and is being delivered in partnership with national children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust and public libraries.

This year, the Challenge aims to keep children’s minds and bodies active over the summer break, empowering young people to forge new connections with others and unleash the power of play, sport and physical activity through reading.

The Challenge will launch in libraries in England on 24th June and continue through September.

More info: www.summerreadingchallenge.org.uk

Let kids play outside to balance screen time

If you have young children, you may be worried about how much time they spend staring at a screen and wonder whether there’s anything you can do to balance out any negative effects.

New research from Japan has found that although more screen time at 2 years of age is associated with poorer communication and daily living skills at age 4, time spent playing outdoors can reduce these effects on daily living skills by almost 20%.

The researchers also found that socialisation was better in 4-yearolds who had spent more time playing outside when they were age 2.

According to the authors of the research, the results indicate that even if screen time is relatively high, encouraging more outdoor play time might help to keep kids healthy and developing appropriately.

More info: bit.ly/ScreenTimeOutdoorPlay

Swing into Summer at Cogges!

Enjoy family fun on the Farm, open every day for summer! Meet the Animals - see friendly goats, Shetland ponies, rare breed Oxford Sandy & Black pigs, chickens and rabbits, cats - and Cotswold Lions amongst the flock; animal sessions at weekends and school holidays. See baking on the range in the Manor House and enjoy the sunshine with 17 acres of open space, meadows and adventure play to explore. Stop for lunch or take a picnic! Take a look at the ‘What’s On’ pages for all the family friendly productions at the farm this year!

www Cogges.org.uk

Toddlers with autism sleep less well as babies

Many children with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism struggle to fall and stay asleep. However, we don’t know how early in infancy these difficulties start and whether sleep problems emerge before other behavioural challenges.

To find out, researchers at the Birkbeck BabyLab & ToddlerLab asked parents of infants with a family history of autism about their babies’ sleeping behaviours. The study found that reduced sleep durations, more frequent wake ups and longer settling times at 14-months were associated with slower development, more social difficulties and greater ASD traits at 3-years.

Children with a later diagnosis of ASD showed particularly strong sleep difficulties from infancy, sleeping on average one hundred minutes less a night than typically developing infants.

Understanding the impact of sleep differences on children and designing new interventions are important next steps. To learn more about this and other research, visit: www.cbcd.bbk.ac.uk/babylab

Keep the family hydrated this summer

As the weather gets warmer and the days longer, summer feels as though it has arrived. Whether planning a trip abroad, a staycation or simply enjoying the nature around our local area, we need to ensure that our little ones and teens stay hydrated. Air up® is a world first in food technology and utilises retro nasal smell to provide a zero-calorie, zero sugar, zero additive way to drink 100% pure water which tastes flavoured. Air up® has become a ‘must have’ amongst teens, and if that gets them drinking water, who are we to complain!

Priced at £29.99 to £34.99 depending on the colour of the bottle. Each additional pack of three pods (flavouring a minimum of 15 litres of water) then costs between £5.99 to £8.99, depending on the flavour. Find out more here: uk.air-up.com

Loves FAMILIES

BUBBLE WARS, LASER TAG AND WATER WARS

Elite Youth Sports offers Ofsted registered activity camps during the school holidays in several locations around Oxfordshire.

EliteCamps provide children aged 4-13 with a fantastic way to keep active and entertained throughout the holidays.

An exciting schedule of activities is on offer including Sports, Arts & Crafts and Elite Activities. All activities are age appropriate and tailored to encourage and engage every child. Programmes are specifically designed to foster skill development, boost confidence, and facilitate meaningful friendships with peers of their own age. The Elite activities on offer include Bubble Football, Water Wars, Laser Tag, Glow in the Dark Dodgeball, Inflatable fun and much more.

Situated in the familiar environments of school sports halls, playgrounds and fields, children can feel safe and secure with lots of room for activities. All of the staff are enhanced DBS checked, Safeguarding and First Aid trained, to give you that peace of mind, that your children are in safe hands.

EliteCamps run throughout the six week summer holidays creating an amazing experience and lasting memories for your children. To find out more call on 01235 415846 or email info@eliteyouthsports.co.uk.

So Chill-ed with the Coolest Teen Gadget

The So Chill Mini Fridge is the ultimate gadget for every teen looking to kit out their bedroom in style, and to chill their favourite drinks, beauty products and more.

The super fun, compact and handy accessory is the perfect gift for every gamer, influencer, beauty queen, student, teen and tween to keep their rooms stocked (especially while revising this summer) !

Thanks to USB compatibility, the So Chill Mini Fridge is also a portable chiller for at home or on the go as it will charge via a typical phone charger plug, or from a PC/laptop, or from a car battery! Keeping the essentials chilled while on-the-go, it’s perfect for students, road tripping, picnics in the park, festival fun, beach days or poolside parties. RRP: £44.99 | Stockist: Amazon, Very.co.uk

Sizzling Summer Science

at the Science Oxford Centre

Indoor and outdoor exploration for curious kids. All welcome!

Science Oxford

HOLIDAY CLUBS

A world of discovery

15-17 or 22-24 August

For ages 6-11; unaccompanied. 9am-3.30pm (wrap-around care 8.30-4)

Family Days every Saturday

Book: scienceoxford.com Science Oxford Centre, Quarry Road, Headington, Oxford

Enjoy Cogges

Meet the farmyard animals

Family fun and adventure play

Cogges Kitchen café and shop open to all

Summer theatre & events

Check out what’s on: cogges.org.uk

Cogges Manor Farm, Church Lane, Witney OX28 3LA (Free car park OX28 3FR)

This summer, discover extraordinarily realistic model landscapes, railways and transport from the 1920s and 1930s. Watch the trains coming and going as they cross bridges, chug through tunnels, and stop at stations. Follow the I-spy family trails, or use the familyfriendly audio guides to explore miniature villages with farms, cottages, schools and shops … and learn what life was like in the English countryside 100 years ago.

Plus, make your own model at one of the Wednesday Junior Model Making sessions! Pendon Museum in Long Wittenham is open on weekends, Wednesdays and select other days in the school holidays. For more information visit pendonmuseum.com.

Discover the hidden history of Wittenham Clumps

For one weekend only - the Clumps go ancient! Join Earth Trust this summer for a fun-filled, immersive family archaeology festival taking place from Saturday 5th to Sunday 6th August at Earth Trust Centre near Didcot. The festival is being delivered in association with DigVentures; the archaeology team who uncovered evidence of both a Roman villa and Iron Age settlement as part of excavations. The festival will feature hands-on activities including touch and feel relics from the past and the chance to investigate the DNA of our ancestors in our science zone. Plus ancient metal-casting in a fiery furnace, family friendly talks and much more. Earth Trust’s vision is a society where people and nature thrive in balance. In order to achieve that balance, there is much we can learn from the historic people of the Clumps. Tickets cost £5 per person, under 2’s go free. Advance booking recommended to avoid disappointment. Visit earthtrust.org.uk/whats-on to book

British Museum launches free Young Friends scheme

Young Friends Membership from the British Museum is now available for all families across the UK to join for free.

The scheme invites young people with curious minds to become enthralled and inspired by history and archaeology. It provides the opportunity for the family to learn and get involved in fun way, both at the museum and remotely.

Offering fun ways for the family to get involved with the Museum, both onsite and from the comfort of your own home, elements include:

• Bi-weekly emails packed full of activities such as trails, quizzes and craft activities;

• Details of family events across the museum;

• Pre-booking for the museum’s famous sleepovers;

• Digital copies of Remus magazine three times a year and access to the full archive.

To sign up to the Young Friends scheme, visit the British Museum’s website at www.britishmuseum.org/membership/young-friends

Summer holiday & term time fun with Perform

Perform are ensuring a fun-packed July and August with their Wizard of Oz drama, dance and singing holiday courses plus their first ever festival of children’s theatre, Perform in the Park. Children can sing and dance down the yellow brick road with the Wizard of Oz. With colourful costumes, uplifting songs and dazzling dancing, children ages 4 to 10 will have the best fun of the summer as they bring this story to life. These five-day courses run across July and August from 10am to 3pm each day. Book online at perform.org.uk/ wizard - West Oxford Community Centre (7th - 11th August)

Plus Perform’s term time classes are back in September. Classes are for all abilities and every child is welcome to try a free class in West Oxford Community Centre, Oxford;The Northcourt Centre, Abingdon; Didcot Methodist Church Hall; Benson Youth Hall, Wallingford; Kingsmere Community Centre, Bicester; or Marston United Reformed Church, Oxford. Book a FREE class at www.perform.org.uk/try

All new Lego® adventure

There’s a new club in town! Calling all budding engineers - ibrick at House of Fun is excited to invite you on an all-new Lego® adventure.

ibrick at House of Fun provide actionpacked holiday camp days for children aged 7-13 years old, using their bespoke ibrick kits to design, build and innovate with mechanised Lego® models. With over 150 models to choose from, there is an exciting theme for each day and fun-filled games, experiments and challenges in between building to keep all children smiling and entertained.

A miniature world … on a grand scale

At Pendon Museum, discover incredible model landscapes and railways that bring the past to life.

• Free family trail and audio guides

• Free junior modelling on Wednesdays

• Free parking

• Shop and café

For tickets and times visit pendonmuseum.com

Pendon Museum, Long Wittenham, OX14 4QD

Every day, children not only have a huge amount of fun, but also learn STEM concepts through model-building sessions led by expert instructors. They take part in high-quality, well-resourced activities designed to inspire and challenge, alongside fully DBS-checked staff at a range of wonderful school locations.

With over ten years of experience of running well-loved holiday camps, ibrick at House of Fun offer a truly caring, exciting and unique holiday camp where children flourish in an atmosphere of enormous fun!

Visit www.house-of-fun.co.uk or email bookings@house-of-fun.co.uk to find your nearest venue and learn more about the amazing ibrick experience!