Welcome back to
Kids' Fun File
Eastbourne, Sussex

Celebrate the simple things!

Friday 3 July 

Do you remember Dastardly and Muttley and The Wacky Races?  If this conjures up fond memories of the 70s for you, then view the video of them practising on the streets of Chichester recently.  They will all be appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend (3-5 July).  

There's rather more to it than that, of course.  This is the big event of the year for all motorsport fans.  Star drivers Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Lewis Hamilton and Damon Hill will all be there, along with literally millions of pounds worth of the world's fastest cars.  Events include the famous Hill Climb, Forest Rally racing, off road driving, an air display and even a Junior Festival of Speed.  This is where you can see the colourful Wacky Races characters and their cars.  There will also be BMX, mountain bike stunt riders and skateboard champions performing acrobatic tricks.  There's even the chance to paint your own graffiti art mural for more creative types.  

Given the incredible diversity of the attractions on offer (there's some serious shopping opportunities for mums) there should be something for everyone.  Not surprisingly, all this comes at a price, that being £48 per adult on Saturday and Sunday.  However, under 12s are FREE, so that softens the blow.  There is no admission on the gate, you must purchase tickets in advance.  To do this go online and book here.  You can then pick up your tickets at the gate (there are still tickets available.)

Thursday 25 June

Eric Carle, author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar has his birthday today - and he's 8O years old!  This is also the 40th anniversary year of his classic book.  To celebrate, why not visit his official website:  www.eric-carle.com where you can print off a colouring sheet and a variety of games.

Friday 19 June
Archery Youth Centre (Seaside, Eastbourne) are looking for young artists (aged 13-16) of all abilities to help recreate a famous painting.  This will be made up of 25 canvases brought together to make the whole picture.  Each child will be given a canvas on which to create a section of the image.  Fridays 4.30-6.30pm for 5 consecutive weeks, starting today.  Just come along and join in.

Monday 8 June

It's Fathers' Day on Sunday 21 June, so you could start a couple of projects now and have them finished in time.  How about a little book of all the things that remind you (or your child) of your / their dad.  It could be as elaborate as a scrapbook of mementoes or as simple as a plain exercise book filled with drawings and descriptions of dad's favourite things.  Think of the cover of his favourite album, his dream car, his coffee mug, his comfiest t-shirt, his favourite meal, his football / cricket / rugby team, the book he most enjoys reading to the children.  That kind of thing.  If you are not much of an artist, you can just take a photo of each of these things and frame them in a big multi-picture frame (there are lots of these at ESK).  If you visit the Photobox website they'll even give you your first 40 prints for FREE when you sign up.

Alternatively, if dad has to go to work every day and is sad about missing the small details of his children's lives, you could create a picture diary of a typical day or week.  Think: photo at the school gates, with best friends, in the park, at the swimming pool, on the way to Brownies / Cubs - all the tiny elements that are part of your routine.  (This is something that you might want to do anyway, the everyday stuff is always missing from family albums.)

There are links to more ideas and activities over on the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages.

At any time over the next couple of months gardening types could hold a veg swap party.  I've just been invited to one at a friend's house.  As it's early in the year, we've been invited to bring along any small veg plants or flowers that we have too many of.  (There are always a few more than you need in those polystyrene trays from the gardening centre.)  We can then swap them with each other and try something new for free.  As the summer progresses, we'll need to meet up again to swap any excess produce that we have grown - I always have enough tomatoes in the summer to start a soup factory!  

If you've caught the grow-your-own bug this year (has anyone not?) then have a look at the Mums Find Out folder where we have a section devoted to all things Green.

Monday 1 June

If you are a fan of the BBC's Springwatch programme, you'll want to take part in the BBC's "Dirty Weekend" on 6 & 7 June.  There are lots of ways to join in.  You can make some bird food for the birds in your garden, bury a bucket for a beetle, dig a pond or go for a wild walk.  
The website has lots of ideas and downloads for families.  BBC Breathing Places Dirty Weekend
You can download a 4 page activity pack from here.

Also, download the colourful sheet for Bug Bingo and take this with you whenever you might spot the odd insect.  (It's a bit like the I Spy books mums had in the past).  

There are lots more pocket guides, activity guides and how-to posters to be found at www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/downloads

The Rock Pool Bingo sheet is also good so, if this lovely weather holds, you can head for the beach and finally discover what all those funny creatures are that live at the water's edge!

To really join in properly, get along to the Seven Sisters Country Park and go pond dipping in their brand new pond.  Details are in the diary.

This is also Bedtime Reading Week so have a peek at the Booktrust's website for ideas on how to get the whole family involved in reading together.  There are pages of games, songs and activities to download here.

Thursday 28 May

VOUCHER MANIA.
The recent bad weather has made it harder to keep the kids entertained over half term without spending money.  However, help is at hand!  The excellent Vouchercodes website has tons of links to printable money saving vouchers.  I've trawled through them and extracted the ones that you can use locally.  They are listed below.  All you need to do is click on the link to get straight to the voucher:

Orange Wednesdays 2 for 1 cinema tickets and pizza.  You need an Orange Sim card in your phone to get the code for this.  (You must also book in advance at Pizza Express as these are very popular).

Toby Carvery Free Drinks.  Free pint of cask ale, glass of wine or a Pepsi with a meal after 7pm.

Harvester Pub & Grill.  Free ice cream sundae when purchasing a main course meal (incl. Early Bird Deal).  Valid until 30 June.  Offer available to up to 4 guests.

Prezzo 2 for 1 main meals with Daily Telegraph website.  Offer valid Sundays to Fridays (not Saturdays) until 21 June.

Buy one and get one free featured summer drink at Coffee Republic.

Four different vouchers for cookies and hot drink deals at Millies Cookies.

Alton Towers - kids go free, when accompanied by a full paying adult.  Valid until 1 Nov (with restrictions in July).  Kids must be under 12. 

Don't forget the one day only offer of a free kids meal at Pizza Hut on Sunday.  (See details in entry below).

Finally, do check all the terms and conditions of each voucher and remember to take note of the expiry dates.  

Wednesday 27 May
Before it's too late I just wanted to let you know this is National Family Week.  It's a time to celebrate with family reunions and picnics, cooking sessions, stories or even just watching a film together.  The website has loads of fun activities and resources (especially for when the weather is so bad).  It's worth really searching the site and following the various links as there's lots to reward your efforts.  For instance, one of the ideas is to get together with relations at the weekend for a Family Feast.  Pursue the links and they take you to a voucher for Pizza Hut for this Sunday (31st May).  The voucher entitles you to a free child's meal when buying an adult meal.  Click here to go straight to the Pizza Hut voucher.
To work up an appetite for your Sunday feast you can all go along to Hampden Park Sports Centre on Saturday for their Family Sports Day.  There will be free tennis between 9am and 5pm, a bouncy castle, free badminton and table tennis from 2-5pm, plus junior football for 5-10 year olds.  Reluctant dads can even come along and just watch the Cup Final if they wish!  Details are in the diary.

I'll be giving you more ideas for things to do if the weather continues to disappoint, so look out for these over the next few days.

Thursday 21 May

©www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk

Please note that the date for The Great Redoubt Escape event at the Redoubt Museum is now Saturday 1 August, rather than the date advertised.  This is a family drop-in day: pretend you are characters from the 70's TV series "Colditz" and plot your family's escape from the Redoubt.  It is inspired by the Redoubt's POW exhibition and tickets for the event are only £2.  As the admission price to the museum is only £8 for a whole family this sounds like a really imaginative, low-cost activity that everyone can enjoy.  So, note the date change in your diary and start planning your escape ...

In between times I can heartily recommend a trip to Sharnfold Farm to their lovely new building.  The farm shop has been revamped to include a quality butcher's and a great cafe with healthy home-cooked meals and snacks.  The first strawberries of the season are also available to buy now and they are absolutely delicious.  To celebrate all this, there will be FREE trailer rides around the farm from 11am-3pm this Saturday (23 May) and a FREE sparkling wine with every Sharnfold Special Lunch purchased on the day.  There is a fun, safe adventure playground for the kids to enjoy (complete with a wellie throwing target), plus lots of animals to feed and stroke.  After all that running about in the fresh air, your children might just be hungry enough to eat all the healthy fruit and vegetables you buy at the farm shop! www.sharnfoldfarm.co.uk

Monday 18 May
The Summer Term Kids Fun File magazine has now been delivered to all the schools and most of the nurseries (I've just a few more to deliver tomorrow.)  It's more than ever packed with fun things to do with your kids.  If you haven't been given a Fun File of your own, you can pick one up from the main children's libraries or the Tourist Offices in Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford.  It's worth having a copy, as they contain valuable money-saving vouchers. 
 
There are a surprising number of FREE events and events with some FREE elements to them, so visit the Mums, Tinies and Tikes Go out pages for a summary of these. 
 
If the summer is as warm and sunny as everyone is predicting, with so much to do and see locally, there should be no reason to leave our lovely seaside town.  We can all just save our money and stay at home this year!

Thursday 30 April
              
© www.brightonlife.com                © www.visiteastbourne.com       ©  Martin Cook 2008.

The Bank Holiday weekend is fast approaching and there are lots of fun things to do locally.  Eastbourne is hosting its Magnificent Motors event on the seafront, Hastings has their annual pagan Jack-in-the-Green event and Brighton starts its Festival on Saturday with its spectacular Children's Parade.  All the details are in the diary.  So no excuse to stay at home - get outside and start the summer as you mean to go on!  

Thursday 23 April

I forgot to mention that it is TV Turnoff Week this week.  To find out all about it, read this excellent article from The Financial Times Arts pages:  www.ft.com

To be honest, I was aware it was TV Turnoff Week before the week even began, but have still failed to turn ours off completely.  (I have only managed to reduce our TV watching by about 50%.)  So, if you are anything like me, you'll be relieved to know there are only 3 days left!  
However, I do feel we should be supportive because, apart from the obvious reasons, we should be proud that the epicentre of this global movement appears to be good old Brighton in Sussex.  There is a lovely section on the official website www.whitedot.org  entitled "Brighton Residents Take To The Streets".  In celebration of TV Turnoff Week, certain residents have been turning their streets into a "zocalo" (Mexican for a town square) and have been sitting outside their houses, chatting and drinking with their neighbours in true Continental style.  Now, that's something that we should all do now and again, whether it's TV Turnoff Week or just a sunny Saturday evening.  So, what have you got to lose?  There are only 3 more days left.  Why not try to at least reduce the amount of time you spend in front of the box and think of other ways to entertain yourself and your family.  We have a lovely seafront to walk along and beautiful Downs nearby.  You could read out loud to the whole family or find a 1000 piece jigsaw (you can pick these up for next to nothing at charity shops) and challenge the family to finish it by Sunday night.  Dig out those board games and try to remember what you did as a child, before there was Sky and round-the-clock TV.  You never know, you might like it!

Wednesday 22 April

I've just read a blog post by a writer I love, called Sonia Simone.  It's called: "How to beat a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad mood (in about an hour)".  All mothers need this kind of advice and it's given in a friendly, conversational way.  I just wanted to share it with you.
www.remarkable-communication.com/very-bad-mood

Also, don't forget that there are children's events at the Redoubt this weekend as part of the Eastbourne Festival and that the Community Wise monthly Farmers' Market is this Saturday.  See the diary for more details.

Finally, if your kids were inspired by Earth Day, they'll love this new website full of fun facts and games.  Subscription is free.  www.habitatheroes.com

Saturday 18 April

                                                                        
It is world Earth Day on 22 April.  This is when many people around the globe renew their commitment to building a safer, healthier, cleaner world for us all (and especially our children).  See if you can think of just one habit you could change to make the world a better place.  How about remembering to bring your own shopping bags to the supermarket, or taking old cardboard to the recycling point, or starting a compost heap.  (there are lots of green ideas in the Mums Find Out section under Green.)  Children can celebrate Earth Day by making artwork out of natural things they find, such as leaves and flowers - even sweet wrappers.  There are more ideas for activities on the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages.  The great thing about being green is that you don't buy new things unnecessarily, which also means you save money.  A win-win situation!

Friday 3 April 

With Good Friday only a week away, it's time to get busy making and painting eggs and decorations to celebrate Easter.  There's lots to keep you busy on the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages, plus I've added some printable pages for an Easter Egg Hunt Challenge to the Mums Celebrate page.  If I find any more interesting crafts or ideas, I'll add them during the week.

Tuesday 31 March pm



I've just added lots of new or updated events to the diary for Easter, especially more details about the Eastbourne Festival 2009 which is going to be huge this year.  Many of the children's events are free or ludicrously cheap, but some do need to be booked in advance - so don't delay.  Along with the usual open house art events, there are theatre shows, workshops, a fashion show & frock swap plus all sorts of unusual creative activities to keep you entertained.  You'll be spoiled for choice.

Tuesday 31 March am

This exhibition has opened at the Science Museum just in time for the Easter holidays.  Find all the details in the Kids Fun File diary.  Even if you can't make it up to London, the linked website has lots of fun activities, downloads and games for tiny inventors.  Don't be put off by the price of a London train fare though, a family of four can travel to London for only £20 with a Daysave off peak ticket (more details in our Money Saving spot on the Mums Find Out page.

Monday 30 March

Help your child keep up their reading and maths skills over the long Easter holiday by visiting the fictional island of Legula and taking part in The Legula Adventure (courtesy of Learn Direct).  You and your child will be invited to solve word and maths puzzles in order to rescue the local population from the baddie's clutches.  The game is attractively designed and completely free.  What's more, if you enjoy this you can claim a free storybook packed with children's games and puzzles.  (Both of these are designed for children aged 7 and over.)  These should keep them educated and entertained on those wet days!  

Tuesday 24 March
I've added some new entries to the diary for April, most notably the opening of the new Towner Art Gallery on the 4th and the start of a regular monthly Farmers' Market (with WI homemade cakes!) at Community Wise in Old Town.  

     
©www.rhs.org.uk

All this lovely sunny weather is a great incentive to get outside  - and the credit crunch means it's worth combining your time in the sunshine with some useful activity.  There are so many reasons why it is appealing to grow your own fruit and vegetables it's surprising we don't all do it.  If you are feeling inspired, the Royal Horticultural Society has a very friendly website which tells you everything you need to know.  
www.rhs.org.uk/growyourown/
There are informative articles, video clips, book recommendations, blogs and even sections on how to cook your lovely fresh produce.  Once you've caught the self-sufficiency bug you can find more useful info on our Green Stuff page (in the Mums Find Out section).

Thursday 19 March
If you can find a free 10 minutes for a tea break, sit down and watch this moving and romantic short film:  World Builder
Set in a future world where holographic tools can achieve almost anything, a man builds an ideal world for the woman he loves.  The CGI is quite stunning in this beautifully crafted short story, told in only 9 minutes by video maker Bruce Branit.  (The extra 1 minute will give you time to compose yourself before  getting back to normal life.)  

Wednesday 18 March

We've only just had St Patrick's Day and suddenly Mother's Day is looming at the weekend.  If you're a mother yourself, don't forget that your own mother will be hoping for some attention too.  If you are short of money or ideas or both, then the Mums Celebrate page is the place to go.  If you think your children might not know it's Mother's Day on Sunday, then get a friend, your husband or your partner to direct them to the Tinies or Tikes Celebrate pages before it's too late!

Monday 16 March

Don't forget it's St Patrick's Day tomorrow.  It's a day when it's perfectly reasonable to drink luminous green drinks, look for four leaf clovers, talk about little green men and search for the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Tuesdays are never normally such fun!  Don't let the day go by without doing something to celebrate.  I've made it as easy as possible for you!  Have a look at our Celebrate pages to find out about St Patrick and his special day.  Then consider having have Irish Stew and potatoes for dinner, washed down by a glass of limeade.  I've added a cheerful St Patrick's Day printable poster and some four leaf clover coasters (to print and cut out) to the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages, plus links to relevant recipes on the Mums Celebrate page.  After dinner you can all settle down to read the leprechaun story (link on Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages), then the kids can go to bed and dream about rainbows and pots of gold.  Wishing you the luck of the Irish on the day!

Tuesday 10 March

Everyone is trying to save money at the moment and anyone with a small family will be finding this very hard.  With three kids (two of whom are now at university and costing us a fortune!) we've always been interested in any money saving tips that friends could provide.  I've gathered together the best of these in my Mums Find Out section and I'll keep adding new tips as I come across them.  So, take a look for information on how four of you can travel by train as far as London (off peak) for only £20, how to make money the easy way (not eBay) from unwanted CDs and DVDs, where you can swap outgrown kids' clothes and best of all how I saved almost £200 with only 40 minutes of effort!  

Monday 9 March

There's a lot happening in the next ten days or so.  Baby lambs will be starting to appear at the Seven Sisters Sheep Centre, Red Nose Day is this Friday (the 13th) and it's St Patricks Day next Tuesday (the 17th).  You'll find all the information and resources you need for these in the online diary or in the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages.  You might look a bit eccentric wearing a shamrock and a red nose, but at least the next week or so won't be boring!

The full details of the next Brighton Festival have now been released and I've added the highlights to the online diary.  As the festival doesn't start until 2 May, you have plenty of time to consider going to the Children's Parade at the beginning or the finale at Brighton Marina.  However, if you wish to book tickets to see some of the famous authors and illustrators who will be appearing (such as Michael Morpurgo, Chris Fisher, Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell) then follow the link in the diary and book your tickets soon - they're selling out quickly.

Friday 6 March

As it's Friday I thought you'd enjoy a giggle so I'm giving you a link to a website called The Baby Website.  Perhaps because they gave their own name such careful consideration, this site  made a search for the most unfortunate names real people have to bear.  You can view the entire list of the most bizarre names here.  But do spare a thought for Annette Curtain and Carrie Oakey who must have had a really hard time at school!

Wednesday 4 March

Summer must be on its way because it's time to book tickets for the music festivals.  Just when you thought a music festival was completely out of the question (what would you do with the kids?) along came Camp Bestival.  This is a new festival - in fact it was voted the best new festival in the UK Festival Awards 2008.  It's at Lulworth Castle in Dorset between 24-26 July and it's website is really entertaining.  Visit and you'll be welcomed by Su Pollard in true "Hi-De-Hi!" fashion - she'll fill you in on all the festival highlights.  These include headline acts PJ Hervey, Mercury Rev and comedian Frankie Boyle (from "Mock the Week").  The English National Ballet will be there (with Angelina Ballerina kids' workshops) as will Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall with his River Cottage Cafe.  Entrance for all children under 13 is FREE and there are 100 FREE activities for kids, incl. a Circus Big Top, Insect Circus, Animal Farm, Dressing Up Tent, donkey rides, Punch & Judy and maypole dancing.  There is even a Dorset Women's Institute Tea Tent - who could ask for more!  Even if you don't intend to go, the site is worth a look for it's sheer brilliance.  School breaks up on 23 July, so it would be possible to combine the festival with a real Enid Blyton-style holiday in Dorset.  After years of breaking the bank to take our kids all over the world, they voted our camping holidays in Dorset to be the best ever - this could save you a fortune and still leave you with truly happy memories!   www.campbestival.co.uk  

If you do fancy a family camping holiday there are lots of tips and links on the mums find out page, where you can also find my family's favourite Dorset campsite.  I'd just like to confirm that I've only recommended campsites and books that we have used and enjoyed ourselves - on many occasions.  

Thursday 26 February

The Brighton Science Festival ends this weekend and it's going out with a bang.  The final event is the Big Science Saturday (on Saturday naturally) and it's aimed at an adult / teenage audience.   Our two teenage sons came with us last year and were really surprised by how entertaining it was (even for people without a science background - like me!)  This year it looks even more exciting so, even if you are only vaguely interested, look up the programme of events at:  www.brightonscience.com (where you can also book tickets).  Kids who study science subjects tend to find less competition for work and university places, so do encourage them if they show an interest.  Two of the talks are entitled "Blood & Guts" and "The Science of Superheroes", whilst one claims to explain how to find a genie in a teapot and make toothpaste from an elephant, so you can tell it's all pretty light-hearted!

News Flash!
Canadian Polar bear attacks man!

From http://my.opera.com/scootercats360

I'm afraid the entry above is totally random, but a friend just sent it to me and I thought it would raise a smile.  

New to this website? 

                


There are lots of ideas for celebrating special days this Spring on the Tinies or Tikes Celebrate pages.  They cover Valentines Day, Pancake Day, St Patricks Day, Mothers Day and, of course, Easter.  
Just click on the relevant word: Tinies are under 5s, Tikes are 5-12s.  
Alternatively, you can use the folder tabs at the top of the page and explore all the different sections of these folders.  
Look for the Go Out sections in each folder for things to do for FREE.

Also in the Tinies and Tikes folders (see tabs at top of page) you'll find suggestions for kids' reading and  homework help, clubs to join and lots of ideas for fun things to do.  

In case you're confused about when the school holidays are this year, term dates can be found under 'Schools info' on the tab on the left-hand column.  
You'll also find schools addresses, phone numbers and email addresses at the same place.  These are handy for phoning/emailing the school when your child is ill.

You can go straight to the online Radio Times for today's TV schedules simply by clicking on the "What's On" button on the left and choosing "television".  Links to local cinema and theatre listings are in the same place.

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