What’s On

Junior Zookeeper Day Do you have a passion for animals? Take part in Chessington World of Adventures Resort’s Junior Zookeeper Day. Get a taste for life on the wild side, working

alongside one of the resort’s dedicated zookeepers. Get stuck in with some of the zoo’s residents and assist with the daily duties, cleaning and learn all about animal care and welfare. There will even be a few animal encounters thrown in too. On arrival you’ll meet with one of the zookeepers who’ll be your guide for the day as they go about their daily tasks. You’ll get to work in the Children’s Zoo and Wanyama Village, meeting goats, sheep, ferrets, capybaras, meerkats and many more animals. You’ll be given the chance to get your hands dirty as you clean enclosures, with the chance to then encounter some animals in private meet and greets. Participants must be aged between 7 and 16 years old. For more information, visit www.chessington.com.

THIS EASTER HOLIDAY

Big Pedal 2020 Schools are being invited to take part in Big Pedal 2020 – the UK’s largest cycling, walking and scooting competition for schools. This year’s competition is backed by Dame Sarah Storey, British Paralympian and 35-time world champion in cycling and swimming. The Big Pedal will run from 22 April to 5 May and will see young people across the UK compete with one another to make the most journeys by bike, foot or scooter. This year’s Big Pedal aims to build on the success of 2019, which saw a record 3.8 million journeys made by bike, foot and scooter and over 1,600 schools take part. The competition is open to individual classes and year groups as well as whole schools, with hundreds of thousands of pupils expected to take part. For schools unable to take part in the main challenge there is also a one-day version, which can include cycling, walking and scooting activities during the school day as well as on the journey to school. Schools will be entered into daily prize draws for rewards, including scooters, if more than 15% of a school cycle, walk or scoot on each day of the challenge. For more information, visit www.bigpedal.org.uk. Happy Birthday Mog This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Judith Kerr’s adored cat, Mog. A special anniversary edition of Mog the Forgetful Cat is out now and a ‘Summer of Mog’ will be heralded with a brand-new Audio Collection of eight Mog titles on CD and digital download. These titles will be read by actress and artist Tacy Kneale, Judith’s daughter, bringing her mother’s stories to a new generation of listeners. In September, a celebratory title, Mog’s Birthday, will launch in hardback. HarperCollins created this special birthday story in collaboration with Judith Kerr, using a selection of pictures from across fifty years of illustrating Mog to bring this delightful story to life.

Mon to Thu 17:30 - 20:30 FROM 6 TH April TO 17 TH April 2020 Available in participating JRC branches

March Until 19 Apr Jawsome Sharks and Friends, SEA LIFE Brighton, BN2 1TB Calling all budding rangers. SEA LIFE Brighton is on the hunt for brave adventurers who are enthusiastic about all things aquatic and are totally Top Trumps mad. Join the quest to help Professor Finn find the missing Top Trumps cards. For more information visit www.visitsealife.com Until 3 May Making Studio: Collections of People, Tate Britain, SW1P 4RG (Weekends and School Holidays only). 11am-4pm. Explore photography and portraits together through cut-outs, collage and performance inspired by Steve McQueen Year 3. Free, drop-in. Also, visit the storytelling oasis to read books together or listen to readings by storytellers at 11am and 12noon. For more information visit www.tate. org.uk Until 17 May Family Tree Trail, Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX To celebrate Hayward Gallery’s Among the Trees exhibition, join the Family Tree Trail and set off on a leafy adventure (weekends, 7 Mar–17 May, and 4–19 Apr inclusive). Pick up your activity sheet from the Hayward Gallery. For more information visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk Until 1 Nov Life Before the Dinosaurs, Horniman Museum and Gardens, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ In this fascinating, family-friendly exhibition you can sift through interactive dig pits, follow an adventure trail, and get creative in an art area as you discover more about this mysterious time period. For more information visit www. horniman.ac.uk Tues 17 Mar Disability Sports Coach Club, Brixton Recreation Centre, SW9 8QQ (Also 24, 31 Mar, 21, 28, Apr, 4, 11 May). 5-6pm. A weekly disability community multi-sports club for all disabled children aged 5-11. Have fun, make friends and try Paralympic sports such as boccia, sitting volleyball, athletics and more. For more information visit www. disabilitysportscoach.co.uk Fri 20 – Sat 21 Mar Childcare Expo, Olympia London, W14 8UX 10am-4pm. A popular show for all those working in the Early Years sector, from nursery to primary and everything in between. Meet education experts and have your questions answered, enjoy fantastic onsite offers, special discounts and lots more. To sign up visit https:// olympia.london Fri 20 Mar – Mon 13 Apr Great British Spring Clean, Various Locations Take part in the Great British Spring clean and demonstrate that you love where you live. Pledge to pick up litter while you’re walking the dog or doing the school run, host a clean-up, or join someone else’s clean up. For more information visit www.keepbritaintidy. org Sat 21 Mar Water Drops, Unicorn Theatre, Southwark, SE1 2HZ 12noon-2pm. Make a giant sparkly water drop for your window at home and remind everyone of World Water Day. Ages 4+. Free, drop-in. For more information visit www.unicorntheatre. com Astronomy and Islam: Family Special, Royal Observatory Greenwich, Blackheath Avenue, SE10 8XJ 10-10.45am. Held before the predicted sighting of the next New Crescent Moon, join a Royal Observatory Astronomer to discover Arabic tales about characters and creatures that people imagined by joining together the bright stars in the sky. Ages 7+. For more details visit www.rmg.co.uk Marvellous Machines, Tower Bridge, SE1 2UP 10am-4pm. Hidden beneath Tower Bridge are its fascinating Victorian Engines, which were used to open the Bridge up until 1976. Discover how the machines worked and meet some of the characters who worked there. For more information visit www. towerbridge.org.uk Protest Bodies, Tate Modern, SE1 9TG 11am-4pm. Visual artist Rudy Loewe leads a session where you’ll make large-scale protest banners together using embroidery, drawing and painting. Create art about things that are important to you. Use text and images to create an eye-catching message. For more information visit www.tate.org.uk Family Activity Day, Tower Bridge, SE1 2UP 10am-4pm. Go along and enjoy some fun family activities inside Tower Bridge. All activities are included in the price of your admission ticket. For more details visit www. towerbridge.org.uk World Poetry Day World poetry day is an invitation to reflect on the power of language and the full development of each person’s creative abilities. Celebrate in your school by organising poetry readings or investigate types of poems such as the Haiku. For more information visit www.un.org/en/events/poetryday Sat 21 – Sun 22 Mar Young Astronomers Workshop, Royal Observatory Greenwich, SE10 8XJ (Also 28-29 Mar). 11am-2.30pm. Drop-in workshops facilitated by Observatory Explainers mixing demonstrations with make and do activities. Ages 7+. For more information visit www.rmg.co.uk Sun 22 Mar Children’s Art Exhibition, The Conservatoire, SE3 9RQ 11am-1pm. A lovely chance to explore the work created on the various children’s art courses during the spring term. Friends, family and curious members of the public are all very welcome. For more information visit www.conservatoire.org.uk Mothers’ Day Dining Trains, Epping Ongar Railway, Essex, CM5 9BN Why not treat your mother to a dining experience as you travel through the Essex countryside on board one of the heritage trains. There is a choice of three dining options: brunch, three course lunch, or afternoon tea. For more information and to book visit www. eorailway.co.uk ” “ I saw your event in Primary Times.... Please mention you saw the event listed in Primary Times What’s On Your family diary for March, April and May What’s On Our listings are prepared a long time in advance. To make sure you have up to date details do contact the event nearer the time to make sure the information hasn’t changed.

Fri 27 Mar Wear A Hat Day, Nationwide Wear A Hat Day is one of the UK’s biggest and most important brain tumour research fundraising and awareness-raising days. Join thousands of people across the UK and organise your own amazing event. For more details and to sign up visit www.braintumourresearch.org Sat 28 Mar Good Wolf – Fairy Tales, Museum of Croydon, Croydon Clocktower, CR9 1ET 2-4pm. Join Good Wolf for Fairy tales – performed stories and craft activities inspired by the flower fairies and Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. Free. See website for booking information. For more information visit www. museumofcroydon.com Flowering Fingers, Unicorn Theatre, Southwark, SE1 2HZ 12noon-2pm. Your hand is the trunk and your fingers are the branches. What sort of tree will you be? Ages 3+. Free, drop-in. For more information visit www. unicorntheatre.com World Heart Beat Open Day, SW18 4PP 12noon-1.30pm. An informal opportunity to drop in and trial an instrument of your choice (drums, piano, cello, guitar, trumpet, saxophone or violin) and also get advice from students and teachers. Free. Ages 5-19. For more information visit www. worldheartbeat.org Sat 28 – Sun 29 Mar Family Space, Royal Observatory Greenwich, Blackheath Avenue, SE10 8XJ 10.10am. Find out more about our place in space in the planetarium and afterwards explore the hidden histories of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. For more information visit www.rmg.co.uk Sat 28 Mar – Mon 13 Apr Easter Egg Search, Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, SW11 4NJ How many lucky zoo animals have got colourful Easter eggs this year? To join in the Easter fun, simply purchase a quiz sheet on entry and use the clues to help you work out where those eggs are and win a prize. Charges apply. For more information visit www.batterseaparkzoo.co.uk