Welcome back to Kids' Fun File

Wednesday 12 November

Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night are over there seems very little to celebrate.  As November is such a depressing month, I've decided to start celebrating Thanksgiving on 27 November (like they do in America).  This is really only a harvest festival-type celebration, something we British seem to have lost along the way.  It's an excuse to get together with your loved ones, eat a huge meal and be thankful for the wonderful things the year has brought.  (Without the commercialism and frantic present buying that make Christmas so stressful.)  I've found loads of fun Thanksgiving activities and recipes, which you'll find as usual on the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages.  I think we should forget our worries, just once in a while, and concentrate on all the good things we take for granted.  Anyway, who can resist the excuse to eat sweet potatoes with a marshmallow topping!!

Thursday 6 November

Remembrance Sunday is this weekend and Remembrance Day will be on Tuesday this year.  We have now reached the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day in November 1918, so there will be a lot going on across Britain.  I've made an entry in the Tikes Celebrate page (although it is obviously not a celebration).  This will, I hope, explain all about Poppy Day to youngsters.  I've only put it in the Tikes page, as it's too difficult for under 5s to understand.  Now when your kids have a 2 minute silence, or see stories on the news, I hope they will understand the relevance.

Just in case you hadn't noticed, the Saffrons Fireworks Display is on tonight (details can be found in the diary).  It's always a very popular event and it's reasonably priced - it's certainly cheaper that trying to buy enough fireworks for a worthwhile display at home! 

Sunday 2 November

With Halloween safely over for another year, there are only 3 more days until Bonfire Night.  Due to the fact that Lewes Bonfire Night is famous all over the world, as Sussex residents, we have an obligation to celebrate November 5th in style.  If you're reading this, your kids are undoubtedly too small for the anarchy that prevails in Lewes, so our Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages have loads of ideas for how to celebrate Bonfire Night in your own home (and garden!).  There are also facts, quizzes and free printables about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot for junior-school aged kids.  I've included Bonfire Night Recipes (on the Mums celebrate page), links to Bonfire Night colouring pages and all sorts of other fun stuff, so do take a look.

Giant Lego Man on Brighton beach.  There was a quirky local news story over the weekend about a giant Lego man found by some children.  You can read all about it (and see the photos) in the online version of the Daily Mail here.  According to the Brighton Argus, it is thought to be part of a publicity stunt by a Dutch artist, who has done something similar before.  So, keep your eyes peeled when walking on the seafront, you never know when another one might appear!  
(If you are enjoying all the mystery around this - you can go to Ego Leonard, the artist's, website www.egoleonard.nl )
The site is in Dutch but you can click on the British flag icon to read it in English.  The artist is asking us to consider why we want to spend all our time in virtual worlds rather than celebrating the real world.  His aim is to make us "learn to see our own, physical, world with bright new eyes.  See the beauty of it, admire it, and adore it".  It all sounds rather deep, man, but it's only what young kids do every day - which is why kids will find his stunts so appealing.  Does anyone else think he's playing with words 'ego' and Lego in his name?  It's all very mysterious ... 
(Clue: art buffs can visit www.Flickr.com and type in "Ego Leonard".  There you can find images from the "Outside In - Prescription Art Group Show", which coincidentally previewed on 30 October - the day the Lego man was found).

Thursday 30 October
Just noticed that the only Halloween recipes I'd included links for were on the Mums Celebrate page.  I've added these (and some new ones) to the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages so you can see everything at a glance.  I'm sure that, even at this short notice, anyone could make these Halloween Ghosts from Halloweenkitchen.com!

Wednesday 29 October

If you are fed up with Halloween related activities already (and black isn't really your colour) you may prefer something more cheerful.  Friday 31 October is also Wear It Pink Day, an awareness day for the Breast Cancer Campaign. To show your solidarity you should wear something pink (the more outrageous the better) all day, whether it's to work or just at home with the kids and your friends.  I haven't given you much notice, but there's still time to organise an informal get-together or coffee morning with other mums where you all come dressed in pink and donate £2 each to Breast Cancer.  You could even have fun in between making little pink fairy cakes and dotting Barbie dolls and their accessories about the house!  There are lots of ideas on the official Wearitpink website.  You'll also find there a Pink Blast online game and a Dare to Wear it Pink fun online quiz to see just how daring you are.  Something to share with daughters and girlfriends.

If this doesn't appeal, don't forget there are loads of Halloween resources on the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages.  There are links to ideas for fancy dress, recipes, decorations, games and pumpkin carving websites.  There is really no reason to buy any Halloween related merchandise.  It would be far more fun to make your own, including the food!

Wednesday 22 October
Just in case your kids are starting to think that October half term equals Halloween, I've found the lovely "You Know It's Autumn Song" on the CBeebies website.  It has a joy-filled video of the presenters and kids singing the song in a forest, along with the words in a large easy-to-read font below.  Why not play the video and sing along with your kids?

Tuesday 21 October
We've only just delivered the printed copies of Kids Fun File and I've already had to add a number of events to the diary that we didn't feature there.  Surprisingly, most of these are free!  I've also put them in the special sections in the Tinies and Tikes Go Out pages of Things To Do For Free.  So, if you're feeling slightly chewed by the credit crunch, you're going to be delighted by what you find there.  I'll keep a look out for more events like these and will be updating the pages as we go along, as I'm sure everyone is interested in saving money whenever they can.  On this subject, you must take a look at the entry for 15 November "Live better For Less".  It sounds like a great event and what's more it's FREE!

Monday 20 October
We're just back from delivering the Kids Fun Files to all the schools, nurseries, tourist offices and libraries.  Just in case you haven't received your copy yet, you can access the new diary online now.  There's loads of things to do in Eastbourne for Halloween and Bonfire Night.  In fact, there is so much, you're going to find it hard to choose!

Saturday 11 October
Just to keep your little ones occupied, you could take a look at the celebrate pages where I've put some good resources for Diwali activities.  (This is a Hindu tradition that comes just before Halloween but it's a festival of lights rather than a celebration of the the dark and spooky!)

Wednesday 1 October

Copyright www.FamilyFun.com

Only 30 days until Halloween!  To build the tension Disney's Family Fun has created a truly wicked Halloween Countdown calendar.  All you do is print out the calendar, then the windows and doors, then little activity suggestion slips to go behind each window.  Cut and stick and you're ready to go.  You'll find the link here.

Tuesday 30 September
This seems to be an exciting week for national events.  World Smile Day, World Animal Day and National Children's Book Week all take place within the next 6 days.  You'll find all the dates in the diary and lots to do to celebrate these events on the Tinies Celebrate and Tikes Celebrate pages.  There are lots of ideas for things to make and do, books to try and an exciting competition to enter, so take a look!

Wednesday 24 September
I've just added details of Eastbourne's Victorian Festival to the diary.  As many of the festival's events are aimed at the retired members of our community, I've only included the ones that would be of interest to young families.  Surprisingly, there are a number of fun events, most of which are FREE and involve little more than a stroll along the seafront or in the town.  The kids can see Queen Victoria and Prince Albert look-alikes, go to a free magic show, watch Victorian bathers swimming in the sea, listen to a brass band, buy Victorian toys and enter quizzes with prizes.  It could be like living in  Victorian Eastbourne for a couple of weekends, if you choose your activities carefully!

Tuesday 16 September
I've just added a number of new events to the diary.  There's still lots to do before half term.  Historical events and autumn celebrations are well represented, so there's plenty to encourage you to get outdoors before the Winter weather really sets in.  

Friday September 19 is International Talk Like A Pirate Day (don't ask me why).  If your children love playing at pirates they now have an excuse to do it all day long.  I've added some links and ideas for how to celebrate this wacky event on the Tinies Celebrate and Tikes Celebrate pages.  Enjoy!

British Food Fortnight begins this weekend and lasts until 5 October.  Everyone is interested in local fresh food these days, so you might want to take a look at the website www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk
There are interesting articles including "How to eat British during the credit crunch" (!) and the Teacher Zone has great resources for parents as well as teachers.  There are colouring pages (see below), easy children's recipe cards and a "What's in Season When Chart".  These are all great ways to interest your kids in eating well.

After all this talk of British fruit and veg, kids can find out all about the wildlife of Great Britain too, by watching the CBeebies show Green Balloon Club on Fridays 4-4.30pm.  There is an interactive site to complement the show at www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/greenballoonclub


Thursday 11 September
Feeling a bit frazzled lately?  I know I am, with the back to school rush and setting up a new year of Kids Fun Files.  Probably everyone you know is feeling the same, especially as the summer weather was so disappointing.  I came across another great article from RealSimple.com yesterday and thought I'd share it with you.  It's called "48 Ways To Be Nice and Improve the World Around You".  
The article is American, so maybe a bit schmaltzy for some, but it has some lovely simple ideas.  Try one or two and I'm sure you'll find your own life seems less stressful, simply because you've brightened up someone else's day.

Copyright Eastbourne Borough Council

If you're looking for something to do over the weekend there are a surprising number of events being held locally.  There is something this weekend for adrenalin junkies, nature lovers, amateur genealogists and living history fans.  Choose from: Go Fast Speed Days at Beachy Head, the annual Wood Fair at Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum, a family history open day at Bateman's in Burwash and the popular Medieval Weekend at Michelham Priory.  Just look in the online diary for details.  You're spoilt for choice!

Wednesday 3 September
As everyone will be back at school at the end of this week, I've found a really helpful bunch of articles to get you off to a good start.  They're all to be found in one place at the wonderful RealSimple.com  
It is an American site, but don't let that put you off.  It always has masses of useful stuff and is heaven-on-a-webpage for control freaks with its zillions of articles about how to organise your life.  If you're like me, you'll probably read the articles and vow to start doing all the things they suggest only to completely forget 10 minutes later.  However, I have found that some of the ideas stick in your brain - even if it does take years to implement them!  There are 20 minute recipes and tips on how to reclaim your weeknights - so do take a peek.

Tuesday 2 September
This weekend sees the launch of a new phenomenon in children's publishing; "The 39 Clues".  If you adults enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code" and your kids love Harry Potter, then you might want to all get into this from the start.  "The 39 Clues" is a series of books being published by Scholastic, which will have online games and collector's clue cards to add an extra dimension to the challenge.  The first book in the series is released on Sunday and is called "The Maze of Bones".

Copyright Scholastic inc.

This is the synopsis, given on Amazon.com: 

“What would happen if you discovered that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What if you were told that the source of the family's power was hidden around the world in the form of 39 clues? What if you were given a choice - take a million dollars and walk away ... or get the first clue and begin the search? At the reading of their grandmother's will, Dan and Amy are given this choice - and they take the clue. Immediately, they are caught in a dangerous race against their own family members. The hunt is on...”

There is a video by the author explaining about the concept on the Scholastic website click here.  If all this has whetted your appetite, you can even download the first two chapters for free at: www2.scholastic.com

Now, when everyone starts talking about "The 39 Clues" you'll know what's going on!

If your kids are too small for globetrotting mystery adventures, they may be happier to know that 13 September is Roald Dahl's birthday (otherwise known as Roald Dahl Day).  

If you skip over to the Tinies Celebrate or Tikes Celebrate pages, you'll find everything you need to celebrate this in style.

Thursday 28 August
Now that the summer seems to have well and truly gone (or did we just miss it somehow?), you might want to encourage the kids to think about going back to school.  I've just come across an excellent site that has summer activities to encourage literacy skills, but in a way that lets the kids think they are just having fun.  The site is readwritethink.org and those of you with kids aged 4-8 can follow this link to the relevant page.  If you're kids are aged 8-11 click here.  There are well-crafted online games, ideas for activities, book recommendations, podcasts & videos and downloadable reading records.  I particularly liked the Comic Creator for the 8-11s.  You simply choose characters, props and speech bubbles and turn them into a printable comic, which you can then colour in yourself.  I got quite distracted from my work by that one - I was having such fun!

Wednesday 20 August
The Bank Holiday weekend is looming and at last it looks as though the weather might brighten up.  There are lots of events to choose from and there is something to fit every budget.  

The most spectacular must be the Medieval Festival at Herstmonceux Castle.  This is an incredible experience and it truly feels as though you have stepped back in time as soon as you enter the gates. 

Copyright Jennifer Wark @ www.englandsmedievalfestival.com

 A whole army of knights, archers and foot soldiers stage a siege of the castle every day.  There's a huge living history encampment with medieval traders, arena displays, jesters, jugglers, minstrels and period food and drink.  It's an event that I would recommend everyone attend at least once.  You can even get £2 off for each member of your party by cutting out the coupon in your Summer Holidays Kids Fun File.

Or you could make a trip to Hever Castle to watch a cheetah hunting alongside birds of prey on the Bank Holiday Sunday and Monday, at their Out of Africa event.  The event is free upon payment of admission and there is plenty to do in the castle and gardens for the whole of the rest of the day.   (Adventure playground, mazes, miniature model houses, boating lake, shops and cafes.)

Copyright www.hevercastle.co.uk
  
For those on a budget, there are lots of alternative events this weekend, including the Princes Park Fun Day (23rd Aug), the Rotary International Roadshow (24th Aug) and the Alfriston Village Fair (25th Aug).  So there's no excuse for staying inside any longer!  Check the diary pages for these and lots more newly added events.

Sunday 17 August



I hope you and the kids have been enjoying the Airbourne event this week.  The weather seems to have become remarkably settled just when we needed it.  You can find an Airbourne wordsearch, a maze and a puzzle on the Kids Page of the Airbourne website.
If the weather lets us down again next week and you're stuck inside, you could make lots of different paper aeroplanes and stage your own (indoor) air show.  You'll find printable pages and instructions for making every kind of paper aeroplane you can imagine at funpaperairplanes.com

Today is also National Sandcastle Day.  
If you haven't been already, don't forget to go along to the Enterprise Centre this week and enter the Sandcastle Competition there.  You can get a FREE bucket and spade and you may even win £25!  
You can get tips on how to build a better castle at this BBC H2G2 page
You can design your castle before you go by visiting this Castle Builder website 
Or you can check out the Amazing Sand Sculptures like the one below at Travelburner

Copyright Steve Machell @ Sandology.com

Tuesday 5 August
Following on from the entries for finding out about the Olympics (see below) I have just added some Olympic games activities for kids to the Tinies Celebrate and Tikes Celebrate pages.  I've included all the printable pages and ideas that I can think of to help you stage your own mini Olympic games at home.  Most of the activities and even games can take place indoors, which will be useful if the weather doesn't improve.  There's lots to do in preparation for this, so I hope the kids will enjoy the simple craft activities as much as the games themselves.  Don't worry, though, the most exotic craft supplies you should need are a few paper plates and some safety pins!  

Saturday 2 August (pm)

Britain's Olympic mascot, Pride  
(copyright http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/education.aspx)

The Summer Olympics begin on Friday, 08/08/08, which is believed to be a very auspicious date by the Chinese.  Before they start your kids can find out about the Olympics by visiting our tinies find out and tikes find out pages.  I'm sure they'll love the little Chinese mascots they'll find there.  This is just a taster, in the next few days I'll add some suggestions for activities related to the Games.

Saturday 2 August

It was the anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birthday on 28 July and the BBC are showing the film "Miss Potter" at 8pm on Sunday evening.  Tiny Beatrix Potter fans should visit the Tinies Celebrate page for details of how to access masses of Potter-themed activities.

Wednesday 16 July
This is National Archaeology Week.   If Indiana Jones and the new BBC series "Bonekickers" have made your children want to become archaeologists, they can find out what this entails at Lewes Castle this weekend.  (See diary entries for 19,20 July).  These events are bookable, so do act quickly.  Even if you're not able to get to these, there are lots more history-based activities for children at Lewes Castle, Michelham Priory, Anne of Cleves House, Fishbourne Roman Palace and Marlipins Museum.  They run different events all through the summer holidays, so there should be something for everyone.  The events are very low cost and not far away!
If you're planning to take the kids to London during the holidays, make sure you look at this site before you go: www.daysoutguide.co.uk/free-london
Lots of London's best attractions are free and there are also some very good value fares for families travelling there by train (outside peak times).  With a Group Save ticket, four people can travel together from Eastbourne to London for only £12.45 per person.  The group can be made up of 2 adults and 2 kids, 1 adult and 3 kids or even 3 adults and one child.
You'll find all the details here:
www.daysoutguide.co.uk/groupsave
I'm afraid this is totally random.  I was on the MoneySavingExpert website and found a link to a bonkers site called Pimp That Snack, where people create mad versions of ordinary snacks.  On this page (click here) there are instructions and photos of how to make a gingerbread man as big as your child.  What a great idea for a rainy day.  

Wednesday 9 July

I've just found something to cheer you up on such a miserable day.  The film "Mama Mia" comes to the Curzon this weekend.  You can find out more on the diary page (entry for 11 July - click here) and can access the official website from there.  Boogie along to great  ABBA hits whilst looking at pictures of a sunny Greek island and enjoying the fun activities the site has to offer.  You can even let your fingers do a dance routine at the Dynamo Disco - this is not for kids, but definitely for anyone who remembers the 70s!

Friday 4 July
Fans of the new Kung Fu Panda film can have lots of fun on this site from Hewlett Packard: becomeacraftmasterwithkungfupanda  
There are masses of free colour printable craft activities to download.  With a little bit of preparation these would make the ingredients for a terrific party.  You can learn to dance "The Panda" by watching the video on the site and printing out the Steps Sheets.  Then there is everything you need to make paper fortune cookies, wall masks, Chinese lanterns, stick puppets and 14 other activities.  There's enough here to keep kids entertained for hours, as long as you have a colour printer and lots of paper!

Thursday 19 June

        
Following on from the Fairy Hunt idea in the Celebrate pages, I've added a couple of new pages just for mums.  If you go to mums celebrate and click the link it will take you to a page of printable fairies that you can cut out and hide around the garden.  You can also print off and glue a fairy pergola for them to rest in.  Have fun!

Wednesday 18 June
Next week (from Monday 23 June) is Child Safety Week and an outstanding resource for this is the Department of Transport's website for their Be Safe Be Seen Campaign.  (The one with the little singing hedgehog in the adverts).  If you click on the words highlighted in red, you'll go straight to their website which is full of fun interactive stuff for kids.  I never imagined that teaching your children how to be safe outside the home could be made so much fun!

The 24th June (Tuesday) is Midsummer's Day.  You could celebrate this by simply  going to Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum for their Summer Solstice Show (this weekend), but those pagans amongst you who would like to do more can check out the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages.  

Thursday 12 June (pm)



For those who loved the BBC's Springwatch.  If you're wondering how to entertain the kids over the next few weekends and the long summer holidays (eek!), then check out The Woodlands Trust's revamped Nature Detectives site.  You can join the club for only £12 a year and receive a welcome gift pack with charts, stickers and activity sheets plus there are 52 sets of themed challenges.  One of these is emailed to you every Friday afternoon (just in time for the weekend).  If you go to the website and click on "Try it for Free" in the left hand column, you can see just how good it is - and can even get the kids started as nature detectives this weekend! 

Thursday 12 June (am)
You're probably starting to think about Father's Day (with the extra dimension of thinking about your own father as well as helping your children make / buy something for their dad).  As usual, there are lots of links on the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages, but do also take a moment to look at this page.  It's from realsimple.com and it's a compilation of the Most Meaningful Gifts that readers have ever received.   It'll give you a warm, fuzzy glow and could spark some unusual ideas for your own future gifts.

Sunday 8 June
Camping is now positively chic and is the most family-friendly holiday possible (seriously!)  Today's good weather should have made even the most reluctant of you willing to think about it, so a good place to start would be the lifestyle section of Guardian's website for entertaining and informative articles.  
The great thing about living in Eastbourne is that you can have small camping adventures without having to stray very far from home.  One of the nicest sites we've found is Fairfields Farm at Westham.  The campsite is part of a working farm, so the kids can see ponies, lambs, ducks and chickens when they're not just running around in the fresh air.  
If you do wish to stray a bit further I can heartily recommend the Cool Camping books by Jonathan Knight.  The campsites he recommends are wonderful, but it's the lovely colour photos that really make the book a joy to read.
The best online camping store I have found so far is Outdoor Megastore.  The prices are very competitive and they seem to have an almost unlimited selection of products.
Finally, if you're still thirsty for information, there are some more links on the Mums Find Out page.   The Countryside Access website is a hidden gem, as the video, Funzone and educational resources are all based on characters from Aardman's Creature Comforts.  This site is worth a visit even if you have no intention of ever leaving the house!

Wednesday 4 June
Just wanted to pass on the links to some useful websites I've come across recently.  The first is for those of you who are concerned by the soaring price of petrol.  Martin at Money Saving Expert has lots of tips on how to decrease the amount of petrol you use as well as where and when to buy it cheaply - cheaper-fuel
On the same website there is also a very useful guide for teenagers (and their mums and dads!) on how to manage their finances, this is in pdf format, so you can print it out (although there are about 38 pages) - teen_cash_guide.pdf
Finally, if you did manage to plant some fruit and vegetables over half term, the BBC has a useful gardening calendar reminding you what to do when in the garden.  The page for June can be found at - 
today_in_your_garden/jobs_june

Wednesday 28 May
If the weather is really not going to improve, you might as well get started on making those Father's Day cards and gifts - at least this way you'll be prepared.  

I've found some great links which are filed under the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate folders.  The ideas range from Best Dad certificates to simply print out and give, to some pretty time-consuming crafty gifts that any father would be proud to receive.  While the kids are busy, mums can have a quick look at the excellent deliciousbaby.com website.  This is dedicated to helping parents enjoy holidays and trips with their kids.  Articles include a jet lag survival guide and how to keep toddlers occupied on a long flight.  The city guides for families (incl Paris, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome) make for lovely reading - even if it's just to keep you going until the weather improves.  Worth bookmarking and ideal for a wet Wednesday afternoon!

Tuesday 27 May
As the weather is not quite so promising after all, little ones might like to stay inside with these lovely cartoony colouring pages of bugs from Funschool.com  
Then, when they do get back out into the garden they can hunt for the ladybirds, grasshoppers, bees and ants that they have been colouring.

Monday 26 May
The weather recently has been absolutely perfect for gardening - lots of lovely sunshine during the day and rain at night.  The end of May is also the best time to plant out your own summer vegetables, as it's very unlikely there will be any more frost.  If you'd like to try this with the kids, ESK (clickable link) has some wonderful little vegetable plants at tiny prices (one pound ninety nine for a rhubarb plant) - so if it all goes wrong you won't mind.  They also have a garden club with it's own gardening guru, so complete novices can get helpful advice there.  Tomatoes are everyone's favourite as they're easy to grow and good to eat, but you can also try green beans, lettuces, peas and peppers.  The easiest thing to do is to simply start by growing these in grow bags or pots on the patio - they won't be far away for watering and you don't have to do any double digging!  If you'd rather just pick fresh fruit and let someone else grow it, then Sharnfold Farm (clickable link) has got the first of their PYO strawberries.  They also have a big adventure playground and farm animals to pat, so it makes for a fun afternoon.  If you and your kids are not remotely interested in vegetables and are just looking for wild excitement, then don't forget that the Funfair is only at Princes Park until Saturday night.  For the cost-conscious (almost all of us!) there are reduced price days on Wednesday and Thursday 1-8pm, when all rides are only a pound each.  Finally, on the subject of low-cost entertainment, EODS are staging "Oliver" at the Congress from Wednesday 28 - Saturday 31 May.  As the tickets are only priced at ten to twelve pounds, this is an opportunity to take the whole family to the theatre for a very reasonable price and there can't be many shows that are more family-friendly than "Oliver".

Wednesday 21 May    
In case you haven't received a copy of the paper edition it's available from Eastbourne Central Library (Children's Library and Kite Information), the Tourist Information Centre and various nurseries.  For those slightly further afield you can also pick one up at Downs Leisure Centre, Seaford Library & Seaford Tourist Information Centre, Lewes Library or Tourist Information Centre, Peachaven TIC, Hailsham Leisure Centre & Hailsham Children's Library.

Wednesday 9 April
Also, those of you with Spring-born kids might like to take a look at the party venue section of the Tinies and Tikes Celebrate pages.  I've just added details of Seven Sisters Cycle Company Pirate, Cycling and Smugglers Parties to the Tikes page.  You certainly seem to get your money's worth!

Thursday 3 April
The brand new Science of Survival exhibition starts at the Science Museum, London on Saturday.  As not all British schools are taking their Spring holiday at the same time this year, it may be worth the trip up to London now, rather than waiting until the Summer, when everyone will be there!

It looks like a really stimulating experience.  At the start of the exhibition you'll meet four cartoon kids who contact you from the future (2050 to be exact)  They will be your guides around the exhibitions sections entitled Drinking, Eating, Enjoying, Moving and Building.  In these places you will explore new places to find water for the city of 2050, imagine what shopping will be like then, check out new vehicle technology in a racing game and even design your ideal home of the future.  Your decisions along the way will be included in the Future City at the end of the exhibition.  This city allows visitors to see how we all make different choices and that these will have effects on the world of the future.  You can watch your neighbourhood rise from the ground and see other people's neighbourhoods develop alongside it!  Now you'll find out whether you are more like Buz, Eko, Tek or Dug, your original guides.  The exhibition aims to show children (and adults) that we can make positive choices about how we live, which will ensure a comfortable and exciting future for everyone.
For practical details about a visit - see the diary entry for 5 April.

Tuesday 18 March
The Easter weekend is almost upon us and there are masses of fun events planned for young families, if anything there are almost too many to choose from!  To help you prepare (and to keep the kids entertained while you do) there are lots of ideas and printable activities in the Celebrate pages.  On those pages you'll also find a printable Easter Egg Treasure Hunt Challenge I've prepared so your kids can spend a bit more time and effort finding their eggs on Sunday.  The clues for the hunt are in picture form, so that even the youngest kids can join in.  

Tuesday 11 March
Don't forget it's St Patrick's Day on Monday.  


                    

Although it isn't generally celebrated in England it is a great day to tell stories about leprechauns and to make crafts around the themes of rainbows and pots of gold, so it's a lovely themed event for small kids.  If you're feeling inspired you could even have a family party to celebrate over the weekend.  You'll find all the inspiration you need on our Celebrate pages and you can make it as simple or as elaborate as you like.  Don't forget to share with your guests this lovely Irish drinking toast:
"May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."
Have fun!

In case you're confused about when 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.

In the Tinies and Tikes sections you'll find lots of suggestions for your kids' reading.  Click on the 'authors' link and you'll be taken straight to the author's websites - some of which are amazing!! 

For a laid back soundtrack to your surfing, just click on "Listen to Music" button in the left-hand column.  

You can also get the online Radio Times for today's TV schedules simply by clicking on the "What's On" button on the left and choosing "television".  

Plus we have fun activities for your kids, links to useful websites and stuff to inform and entertain you while you have a sit down with a nice cup of tea, all tidied away into their appropriate folders. (See the tabs on the top right of your screen.)  Hope you enjoy them!

Wendy