LittleLegends.biz

The problems with the main Little Legends site are ongoing so apologies!

However, if you are looking for something to do with the kids in London then why not check out the Kids London Guide.

Yes, the winter is upon us and with shorter, colder, wetter days, 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

You are happily travelling around 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!

Source: Dimitry B @ flickr

You don’t have to spend money on sightseeing buses. Instead you can choose to take the regular number 15 bus from Tower Hill. The bus will take you all the way from The Tower of London through the City, past St Pauls, past Trafalgar Square and on to Regent St (where Hamleys Toy Shop is) and Oxford St. It’s a double decker and so make sure to get a seat upstairs

Katie in London by James Mayhew tells the story of a little girl who visits London with her Grandmother. Her Grandmother sits down for a quick rest and falls asleep and that is when the fun begins. Katie has all sorts of adventures. In this particular book, Katie and her younger brother, Jack, are taken on a tour of all the London landmarks with the help of a Lion from Trafalgar Square. They visit the Tower and Crown Jewels, the London Eye, and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. The illustrations are wonderful and fairly accurate depictions of these famous attractions.

This book is a wonderful introduction to the London sights and it is perfect for any parent planning on taking their child to the capital. Children from 3 to 7 will enjoy this book.

I have also discovered that there are further books in this series which I can’t wait to read with my kids:
* Katie and the Dinosaurs about Katie visiting the Natural History Museum
* Katie’s Picture Showabout Katie visiting the National Gallery

Source: Bordas@flickr

Holland Park used to be my local park. It amazed me that there was such a great local park for kids so close to the centre of London.

Holland Park has a wide variety of facilities. The best place for young children is the play area for under 5s. This is basically a large sandpit with swings, slide and climbing frame. The play area is handily situated right next to the WCs and not far from the cafe. There is also a One O’clock club, but this has fairly limited facilities.

Other attractions include a much bigger adventure playground for the older kids. The Japanese garden is fun to visit (although younger ones need to be supervised) because the kids can look at the fish in the pond and the waterfall, and even cross the stepping stones. There are also peacocks and rabbits located in various enclosures around the park.

If you want to bring a picnic, the area behind the main house is dog-free. However, if you are bringing your pooch then there is a huge playing field at the High St Ken end where your kids and your dog can run around.

Last but not least, if you contact the information desk they can tell you about nature trails for kids and the ecology centre.

All in all a well maintained, beautiful park with great facilities for kids.

If you know Holland Park, please share your tips and experiences here

This Sunday is the first of several when the Design Museum is running special workshops for kids to give them a chance at design. Categories include products, fashion, furniture, architecture and graphics. Designs created at each workshop will be photographed and the most exciting will be exhibited on the museum’s website. These workshops will also be running on 10th, 17th and 24th February.

The Museum runs different themed workshops for kids each month so do check the website for more details.

Workshops are £4 per child and accompanying adults are £8.50, these prices include entry to exhibitions. The workshops are suitable for children aged from 5 to 11 and booking is essential on 020 7940 8783.

If, like me, you are beginning to think about what to do for half-term and are thinking of taking the kids to a show in London, here are 6 ideas:

Afrika! Afrika! at the O2 Arena (17th January to 19th April)
Billed as The Magical Circus Adventure from the Amazing Continent, this show has over 100 performers from 17 african nations. There is everything from dancers and contortionists to acrobats and jugglers. Check the official website for further details.

The Lion King at http://www.littlelegends.biz/items/62069(Ongiong)
A spectacular visual feast, this adaptation of Disney’s much-loved film transports audiences to a dazzling world that explodes with glorious colours, stunning effects and enchanting music. At its heart is the powerful and moving story of Simba – the epic adventure of his journey from wide-eyed cub to his destined role as King of the Pridelands.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre (Ongoing)
This colourful retelling of the biblical story about dreamboat Joseph, his uncanny abilities and his designer coat sings out to young and old alike with a score which is wall to wall hits – including Close Every Door and Any Dream Will Do

The Sound of Music at the London Palladium (Ongoing)
Hit follows hit in the THE SOUND OF MUSIC score which touches the hearts of all ages and brims over with some of the most memorable songs ever performed on the musical stage including My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, The Lonely Goatherd and of course the glorious title song The Sound of Music.

Grease at the Picadilly Theatre (Ongoing)
Sandy and Danny spend a summer in love, but think they will never meet again.That is until Sandy unexpectedly joins Danny’s high school to find that he is not exactly how she remembers him. Most famous for the 1979 film version starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, Grease has become a firm family favourite, not least for its songs which include Summer Lovin’, Hopelessly Devoted To You and, of course, Greased Lightning.

Stomp at the Ambassadors Theatre(Ongoing)
A very noisy show with 12 performers stamping, smacking and making all sorts of sounds with dustbin lids and other everyday objects. An unusual hit with slick choreography.

If you like clubbing and you feel that your dancing days have taken a bit of a nosedive since you had kids then this is the event for you. Baby Loves Disco has events in London or Manchester where parents can groove along with their young kids and just have a bit of fun.

Baby Loves Disco is an afternoon dance party for little kids (6 months-7 years) and (especially) their parents: featuring Heart 106.2 DJs playing feelgood tracks guaranteed to get those little booties moving and grooving.

This latest and most unlikely dance craze was started in the States and pulled over the pond to debut in London and Manchester …

The fun spills out from all corners of the coolest clubs in town: bubble machines, baskets of instruments, a chill-out room (with tents, books and puzzles), diaper changing stations, a full spread of healthy snacks and dancing, LOTS of dancing (and yes, the cash bar will be open for mommy and daddy!).

Now that sounds fun – see you there

-all parties from 2-5 pm
-admission is £8 for all walking humans. (non-walkers free!)
-if the party is not sold out in advance, there will be a limited number of tickets available at the door and they are cash only.

London
The Clapham Grand
21-25 St John’s Hill
Clapham Junction
SW11 1TT

Manchester
Pure
The Printworks
27 Withy Grove
Manchester
M4 2BS

Visit the Baby Loves Disco website to buy your tickets now – booking advised.

A while back I gave a little talk at school to various parents about what their children got up to online, and how to go about keeping them safe. It’s not exhaustive, but I thought it might be an idea to share the slides here. (Some of the fonts got a little messed up during the transfer, but the aquamarine bits are clickable links)

| View | Upload your own