Copyright Judith Kerr
The exhibition runs from 28 May 2011 to 4 September 2011 at the V&A Museum of Childhood. I don’t think many children will be turning down this invititation to tea!
Posts Tagged: Kids London
24
Feb 11
Family Days Out: Tea with a Tiger in London!
23
Apr 10
The Natural History Museum’s new exhibition will take visitors 11,000 metres down
The Deep exhibition, which is coming soon to the Natural History Museum, will plunge visitors into the abyss, revealing a deep sea environment less explored than the surface of the moon. With bizarre creatures that have adapted to their harsh world in wonderful ways, visitors to the exhibition will discover the extraordinary yet fragile biodiversity that exists in the deep oceans and learn how Museum scientists are helping to preserve this important ecosystem.
Combining astonishing imagery, real specimens and life-size interactive installations, The Deep will take visitors on an immersive voyage to the planet’s final frontier. Highlights of the exhibition include over 50 real deep sea creatures, preserved for scientific research and on display to Museum visitors for first time, and video accounts of life in the depths by Museum scientists.
Alex Gaffikin, exhibition designer at the Natural History Museum, said ‘At the centre of the exhibition is a real sperm whale skeleton which has never been on display before. We will be telling the fascinating story of the weird and wonderful creatures that live on a whale carcass for up to 50 years.’
To give you an idea of the scale of these creatures, here is a picture of a model sperm whale arriving at the gallery ready for the exhibition:
The exhibition opens on 28th May 2010 and you can find out more details from their website at www.nhm.ac.uk
15
Apr 10
Easter Activities for Children
The Easter holidays are almost over but if you are still looking for something to do, here are some great ideas:
Cornwall
Trerice Easter Holiday Family Activities
3-18 April
Daily family activities – Family quizzes in the house and garden (50p donation), play Cornish Kayling free of charge on the Bowling Ground and try brass rubbing with our replica Arundell family brasses (£1 donation). (3-5 April, A devious top secret Tudor trail around the house and gardens with an Easter treat for those who manage to uncover the secret message.)
Trerice, Newquay ,Cornwall, TR8 4PG
www.nationaltrust.org.uk 01637 875404
Crealy EasterFest
27 March–19 April
Meet the rabbits and babies in the Animal Nursery – from English Giants to tiny Dwarf Lops. Bunny Bonanza, Animal Showtime and Bunny Hop Races with chocolate rabbits to be won.
Crealy Adventure Park, Tredinnick, near Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7RA
www.crealy.co.uk 0870 116 333300
Devon
The Big Sheep Easter Eggstravaganza!
1-16 April
30,000 eggs hidden across the site. (Dedicated fields set aside for toddlers and young children to find eggs.) Easter Bunny, Easter Art, Free Face painting, 9 live sheepy shows every day. See website for details.
The BIG Sheep, Abbotsham, Bideford, Devon, EX39 5AP
www.thebigsheep.co.uk 01237 472366
Hampshire
Spinnaker Tower – Celebrate The Circus!
2-18 April
Come and join in the fun at the Spinnaker Tower this Easter, travel to the top of the Tower and watch our very own circus show then why not have a go at juggling, plate spinning or stilt walking yourself at our circus workshop? The children can also get their faces painted, colour in their favourite pictures, meet Spinny our friendly mascot, hand strike their own souvenir coin or complete one of our activity sheets to receive a prize!
Spinnaker Tower, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 3TT,
www.spinnakertower.co.uk 023 9285 7520
London
London Wetland Centre Egg Watching
3-18 April
Join an Egg Watch viewing and watch duck eggs develop in the centre’s incubator. Follow the progress of the eggs with an expert warden, have a look inside the shells by special egg candling techniques and learn about the development of ducklings. Visitors can come back to see the chicks hatch and take their first steps. 12noon in the Gallery (above the Gift Shop).
www.wwt.org.uk
Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, London, SW13 9WT 0208 409 4400
Norfolk
Church Farm Rare Breeds Centre Lambing
2 April – 18 April
Easter Fortnight – see lambs being born and watch them being fed
www.churchfarmstowbardolph.co.uk
off A149, Stow Bardolph , Norfolk, PE34 3HT 01366 382162
Suffolk
Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm Lambing
2 – 18 April
Visitors will be able to walk through the lambing shed, hold a lamb and may even be able to see one born. Expectant mothers will not be allowed into the lambing shed but can wait outside and walk round the rest of the farm in perfect safety.
www.baylham-house-farm.co.uk
Baylham , Suffolk, IP6 8LG 01473 830264
Jimmy’s Farm Easter Activities
2 – 19 April
Easter Holiday – The kids are OUT! So…what to do with them? Bring them down to Jimmy’s Farm for their holiday! Easter Egg Hunt, crafts, animal petting, pond dipping and lots more!
www.essexpigcompany.com
Wherestead, Ipswich, 0870 9500210
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Dec 08
Family Days Out: Where to see Father Christmas in London
If you want to see Father Christmas in London this year, you had better pull a finger out because the Harrods Grotto is already fully booked! However, there are still other magical wonderlands that you can visit:
Hamleys Toy Shop
A special Santas Grotto at Hamleys is offering children a breakfast (at 9.30am) or tea (at 3pm)with Santa up until Christmas Eve. However, tickets need to be booked in advance and cost a whopping £35! Nevertheless, it will be an experience they will remember with gingerbread biscuits to decorate and a special goody bag for each child. A maximum of 16 children per breakfast/tea are allowed and all children must be aged 3 or over.
Kew Gardens
Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a visit to meet Father Christmas. Visit him in his twinkling magical grotto within a seasonal woodland display in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Make sure you tell him those important Christmas wishes!
Saturday 13 December – Tuesday 23 December 2008, From 12noon, queue closes at 3.00pm. Free, once inside Kew Gardens. The grotto is situated at the north end the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
Hyde Park: Winter Wonderland
From 12 noon until 6pm every day until Christmas Eve, Santa will be at his Victorian Bandstand Grotto, giving free gifts to children who have been very, very good…….
Selfridges
Jump on the express train to see Father Christmas! Although all advanced tickets for “The Santa Express” have now been sold, a limited allocation will be available daily, for free, on a first come first served basis. Opening hours vary so please check website for more details.
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Dec 08
Family Days Out: Christmas Carol Concerts in London
I recently wrote a list for Metrotwin about some of the best upcoming Christmas Carol concerts in London (although it was published under the name of the editor Candice due to a bug!)… anyway, there are several concerts in the capital that you might consider taking your children to:
Carol Singing Around the Courtyards at Hampton Court
This annual singalong of festive songs takes place in the magical palace courtyards and gardens of Hampton Court. Your voices will be accompanied by a silver band. Words booklets will be provided and the event will last for about an hour. As this is an outdoor event remember to wrap up warmly and bring a torch to see the words by! The carol singing will take place from 20th to 23rd December at 6pm daily. Due to popularity, you will need to pre-book tickets. Have fun!
Enjoy the True Spirit of Christmas at Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral provides a stunning setting for this traditional christmas carol concert. These annual concerts always attract large numbers of singers, visitors and luminaries so don’t miss out! The concerts are a genuine Christmas highlight and well worth going to. This year there will be two Cathedral Carol Services – on Sunday 21 and Tuesday 23 December. Both services will be identical and will start at 6.30pm. There are no tickets, just turn up. Not suitable for very small children.
A Family Christmas Concert by the New London Children’s Choir
The New London Children’s Choir was launched in 1991 with the aim of introducing children to the challenges and fun of singing all types of music. They have since performed with some of the world’s leading orchestras. This year their Christmas Concert includes the première of Ronald Corp’s “Wenceslas” alongside other popular carols. Mince pies, mulled wine and refreshments will be available. The concert takes place on 14th December 2008 at 4pm and tickets are available on the door.
A festive concert set in the award-winning gardens of the Horniman Museum
Enjoy performances from the English Baroque Choir and the Crystal Palace Band. There will be something for all the family with carols, hot-roasted chestnuts, toy stalls, hot and cold refreshments and free Santa’s grotto. The whole event is free and takes place from 3-6pm on Sun 14th December 2008
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Nov 08
Family Days Out: Indoor Playgrounds in London
Yes, the winter is upon us and with shorter, colder, wetter days, uk parents need to know where you can take your kids in the capital. That is why I drew up this list for Metrotwin and I thought I would share it here too:
Climbers & Creepers
An indoor interactive botanical playzone
Eddie Catz, Wimbledon (formerly Tiger’s Eye)
A great place for families on rainy days
Snakes and Ladders
One of the largest indoor playgrounds in London
Tumble in the Jungle
A jungle themed indoor adventure playground
Zoomaround
A great play venue in North London
Bramley’s Big Adventure
Indoor Adventure Playground for Kids
Gambado
All sorts of indoor fun for kids
Topsy Turvy World
Exhaust the kids before you go shopping
It’s A Kid’s Thing
Indoor Fun in Earlsfield
Eddie Catz, Putney
Indoor fun for under 5s
5
Oct 08
Family Days Out: Top Ten London Attractions for Kids
You have planned a family day out to the Big Smoke with the kids. There are hundreds of attractions to choose from, so where do you begin? Well, you won’t go far wrong if you start with one of the favourite attractions:
* The Science Museum
* Madame Tussauds
* The London Dungeons
* The Tower of London
* The London Aquarium
* The London Eye
* The Natural History Museum
* Tate Modern
* The Museum of Childhood
* London Zoo
Have fun!
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Oct 08
Family Days Out: Kids, Loos and London
You are happily having a family day out in London, enjoying the sights when your child suddenly shouts out that familiar phrase “I need a wee …. now!”. You know you don’t have much time, so how do you go about finding the nearest loo (toilet)?
No matter where you are in London, you will find free conveniences at:
*Coffee shops such as Starbucks
*McDonalds
*Department Stores (you will usually have to go up to the third floor)
You might also find the following loos handy:
*Picadilly Circus Underground Station
*Covent Garden Piazza
*Westminster Underground Station (50p)
*Victoria, Waterloo and other mainline British Rail Stations (20p)
If you are really caught short and can’t find a nearby loo you might have to resort to letting your child pee in the gutter or preferably behind a bush!
One of the strangest UK laws is that a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants – even, if she so requests, in a policeman’s helmet!
2
Oct 08
Family Days Out: The Harry Potter Tour of London
If you have slightly older kids who are fans of the Harry Potter books, then one novel way to explore London is to take the Harry Potter Walk – a great alternative family day out. This walk is guided by a man called Alan who wears a green carnation.
The walk is one of a series given by London Walks. The full title of the walk is the Myths and Legends behind Harry Potter – Wizards, Werewolves & Vampires:
Let’s put the cat amongst the pixies: Harry Potter isn’t just kids’ stuff. There are very real tales – and real locales – behind the stories of Harry and friends. Those tales, those locales inform this walk. Was there really an invisibility cloak? What’s the truth behind the Philosophers’ Stone? What place inspired Diagon Alley? Where was the legend of Dracula born? Where in a famous movie did a werewolf go on a rampage? There’s good gripping London stuff behind a lot of the Harry Potter goings on – everything from characters’ names to the origin of monsters. We’ll solve a mystery or two: e.g., where is the entrance to The Ministry of Magic and can we get in? In short, this walk is a serious study of a subject more fantastical than fiction. And, yes, there’s even some magic.
Meet at 5pm on Sundays outside Embankment Tube (on Circle, District, Northern and Bakerloo lines). There is no need to book, just turn up.
The walk takes about 2 hours and cover about 1 mile. It costs £6 for adults, but kids under 15 go free if accompanied by their parent(s).
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Oct 08
Family Days Out: Tips for Travelling around London with Kids
If you have made the exciting decision to take the kids for a family day out to London but you are looking for a bit of extra information, you will find the following tips useful:
Getting Around
1. Tube
Very few of the London Underground Tube stops have lifts. – there are mostly long escalators. If possible, avoid taking buggies on the underground. Papooses can be handy.
2. Buses
London Bus Drivers are notoriously unhelpful and sometimes they will not allow buggies on crowded buses and they have been known to drive off without waiting for you to fold it!
3. Taxis
For Safety reasons it is always advisable to take a Black Cab because they are licensed. Most mini-cab companies, although cheaper, are unlicensed. One exception is Addison Lee which is very reputable but busy, so book in advance.
4. Foot
London is a large city but it is a great place to walk around. It is very flat and there are fairly wide pavements everywhere. If you do choose to walk, you might be surprised how close some of the better known places are eg Covent Garden, Leicester Square (pronounced Lester Square), and Trafalgar Square.
Safety
1. Appearance
Try your best not to look like a tourist. Backpacks, shorts, trainers with white socks and large cameras are a dead giveaway.
2. Plan Your Route in Advance
If possible, avoid opening a map on a street corner and staring at it for ages. You will be better off planning your journey and asking if you get lost. If you do
3. Stay Close
London is an extremely busy city and it is easy for children to become lost. Keep your eye on excitable young children and stick together as a family.
4. Pick Pockets
Most of the major tourist attractions, such as Harrods, will be hunting grounds for pick pockets. The best way to avoid losing your wallet is to have a shoulder bag with a zip. Carry it trapped under your arm as much as possible. If you do stop in a restaurant, put your foot through the handles so no one can take it without you noticing.
Supplies
1. Nappies/Diapers, medicines etc
The largest chain of chemists is called Boots. Wherever you are staying you will find one near you. They will have everything you need from Calpol (liquid paracetemol for kids) to Baby Wipes.
2. Food
It can be costly buying sandwiches and drinks at cafes so you might choose to buy your food in advance. The largest supermarkets are Sainsburys and Tescos. The larger superstores are based slightly outside the centre and have car parking. However, if you do not have a car you will find mini supermarkets like Tesco Express on Oxford Street and the like.
London Culture
1. No Speaking on Tube
Generally you will find that people do not speak to each other on public transport and avoid eye contact. If Londoners are travelling together they talk quietly and frown on anyone who does otherwise.
2. Quick Walking
Everyone walks extremely quickly and they are usually in a rush to get wherever they are going, so people might seem aggressive.
3. Willing to Help
Whilst people may not seem very friendly, if you need any help you will usually find people are more than willing to point you in the right direction.
Where to go
1. Restaurants
There are the usual fast food chains as well as family friendly places such as Pizza Express and The Rainforest Cafe. However, if you do a bit more research you will discover some childfriendly local pubs and restaurants.
2. Museums
Probably the best museum for kids is the Science Museum. They might also enjoy the London Eye, which is next to the Aquarium and there are other favourites like Madam Tussauds , the London Dungeon and Hamleys Toy Shop.
3. Parks
One of the best things about taking kids to London is that no matter where you are there will be a park nearby. There are great playgrounds at Holland Park and Kensington Gardens (Princess Diana Memorial Playground). Battersea Park has an adventure playground and London Zoo is right next to both and Regent’s Park have zoos.
4. Day Trips
There are lots of places to see just outside London. You might want to consider visiting Legoland, Diggerland or if you fancy a bit more culture you could try Windsor Castle , Leeds Castle (which is actually in Kent!) or RHS Wisley Gardens.
Find out where you are staying and then use this site to find the best museums, days out, childfriendly restaurants and more near you. Feel free to share your own experiences as well.
London is a great city for kids and a place to be enjoyed. There is no need to worry unnecessarily and if you plan ahead you will have a wonderful trip that the whole family will remember. You will find that no matter what your interests or aims there will be something for everyone.
