Activities Archives | Page 6 of 8

Super Spoiling Treat For All The Family

As a family, we are pretty keen on taking the kids to the cinema. The 5 year old loves a flick, the 3 year old uses the usually empty cinema as a soft play and the 1 year old bumbles around at our feet. We get to either watch (although I am not that keen on kids movies – they can give me a headache with the jarring graphics and mega noise – the Lego movie almost putting me off for life) or it has been known for us to have a little zzzzz.

We decided to try out the Children’s Film Club at The Soho Hotel in their very cool screening rooms in the heart of the West End as it was a step up from the usual Saturday morning outing including a delicious brunch, popcorn, prosecco and mini ice creams – all for £20 per head. Now that’s a way to get me to a kids film!

The funky Soho Hotel.

Gorgeous interiors.

Delicious brunch, including mini hamburgers, mini hotdogs, mac n cheese and fruit kebabs!

Chocolate or caramel mini icecreams…

A choice between salt or sweet…

To top it all off, the chairs so comfy and if you sit down promptly you may even bag yourself a sofa.

Upcoming films include –

30th April – Kung Fu Panda 3

7th May – Shrek

14th May – Zootropolis 3D

21st May – Rise of The Guardians

We watched Alvin & The Chipmunks – Road Chip, which was surprisingly ‘watchable’. I have no doubt the surroundings helped as we were looked after so well and guess what, no chairs were climbed on and no one nodded off! I highly recommend you try it…

Click here to make an online booking

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An Adventure Far Far Away

When it comes to entertainment and theme parks I thought the Americans couldn’t be beaten but from the moment Shreks Adventure commenced I realised it was up there with the big guns over at Universal (speaking of which did you know Disney World are opening up a Star Wars WORLD next year?)

Anyway, Merlin Entertainments strike again!

Set amongst the tourist trail on the South Bank, nestled between Sea Life and London Dungeons, Shreks Adventure is situated in County Hall overlooked by the London Eye. It is an impressive building and the entrance lends itself to making a great first impression.

The queue moved quickly and we found ourself in a group of about 40 people aged between 4 and 80. I wouldn’t recommend younger than 4 as this interactive adventure with real actors made even my bullet proof 5 year quake with nerves, especially when the real life witch dangled her finger in his face and asked him what his name was!

I don’t want to give too much away about this 1.5 hours walking adventure to the Far Away Land, through different well known fairy tales to finally meeting the ‘real Shrek’ but take it from me it was a spectacle.

There was lots of interaction with the characters (Sleeping beauty falling asleep during her monologue raising lots of laughs) and the decoration is second to none – I nearly freaked out from claustrophobia in the mirror maze and the sound affects and 4D affects such as water spraying and rats crawling over your bottom were brilliant.

If you have a Shrek fan or a movie fan for that matter (Kung Fu Panda and Toothless to name but a few featured throughout) it is an absolute must and would make a wonderful birthday treat (starting from £18 a ticket it isn’t a walk in the park!)

There was also a ‘play area’ at the end which was super fun, although it leads into the most expensive gift shop I have ever seen although I managed to leave with just a bit of Shreks slime at only £3.50…

The book that they hand to your little one on exit is an artwork with photos of yourself on the journey already printed which if money is no object would make a great memento!

shreksadventure.com/london/

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Countryside in London

If the children are crawling up the walls and you are over your 15th visit to your local playground these holidays, take advantage of the quiet roads and head down to the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. There is so much going, we didn’t know where to begin! Other than the occasional plane going over head, you wouldn’t know you were in The Big Smoke.

At the beginning of our visit we signed up to the Giant Egg Hunt and had to hunt the giant ducks dotted around. Each duck had a letter on it that you jotted down that made a word. Completed forms won… a chocolate. Yum, it is the Easter Holidays after all.

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There were lots of Easter related activities such as egg painting which kept even the whiniest children quiet (yes my family won that prize).

There was also ‘build a Lego duck’ for the older children.

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Other than enjoying different types of birds that the Wetland Centre homes in their natural habitat, there was a plethora of things to do. The Pond Dipping at the Pond Safari and the interactive talk on Otters were a hit.

The Wetlands is equipped for children of all ages and it is perfectly suited to a buggy too as the whole of the Centre has smooth paths around it.

For the more energetic, the giant playground Explore has a zip wire, vole tunnels and a climbing wall. There are a couple of lovely little cafes where you can buy those genius pick n mix lunch boxes.

If 2/3 of my children hadn’t jumped in a puddle that went in and over their boots in the first five minutes (there was only one puddle after the recent rainfall – and yes they found it!) we could have easily wiled away the whole day and enjoyed the extensive indoor play areas too.

So much to do, so little time! The good news is, it is cost effective to get a season ticket as it is redeemable against the entrance fee, so after a couple of trips it would pay for itself.

Definitely one for you if have an energetic explorer in your midst and want a refreshing change of scene…

wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/london

The Giant Duck Hunt is on until 10th April.

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Hoop – Events & Activities App

If I was given £1 for every friend who asked me if I had heard of Hoop – I would be a rich woman! There is a huge buzz around Hoop as it is easy to navigate and packed full of event and activity ideas. Plug in the age of your kids and your location and bingo, a informative list of events and activities suitable for YOU and your family. It is great for mums, dads, nannies and grannies!

I am very excited to hand over today’s post to Max who is the co -owner of Hoop. He will explain what it is, how and why they started it and give you fantastic ideas of what’s on over Easter in London. It will give you a taster to what you will be missing if you don’t download it! Over to you Max…

There are so many great things going on in London but they are easy to miss. No one has time to browse thousands of listings and it seemed funny that in 2016 there wasn’t an app that made it easy to uncover things to do with your kids.

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We built Hoop to help families discover fun things to do, and to make it as easy as checking your email.

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On Hoop you’ll find thousands of family friendly activities happening locally and across London. Interesting exhibitions, creative workshops, local baby and toddler groups, fun shows and sing-a-long classes … whatever your family loves to do you’ll find it on Hoop.

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Hoop lists over ten thousand events and activities each month across London, a third of which are free to attend. Best of all, everything on Hoop is suited to your family so you’ll only see events and activities that are age appropriate for your children.

Here’s a small taster of some of the fun stuff you can find on Hoop taking place this Easter across London.

Easter Egg Hunts

Getting creative at the Easter Egg Hunt at the Royal Mews

It wouldn’t be Easter without a family Easter Egg hunt, and this Easter there’s loads of Easter themed activities going on across London.

Our picks include The Great Egg Roll & Egg Hunt at Lauderdale House where you can decorate your own egg, The Easter Egg Hunt at the Royal Mews, where you’ll follow a treasure trail to find eggs hidden around the Royal Mews and an EGGcellent Easter Adventure at the Bank of England, where you’ll join the hunt for a giant golden easter egg and three little chicks.

Shows

Puppet adventures, The Magic Beanstalk

If you’re looking for something special to do over Easter, there’s some wonderful shows taking place for kids of all ages.

The Amazing Bubble Man at Arts Depot promises to inspire awe in kids of all ages, as a world-class bubble comedian and artist hits the stage. The Little Angel Theatre is always a safe bet for a great kids show. This Easter they’ll be starting a new adventure with The Magic Beanstalk. Lastly, for more traditional family entertainment, don’t miss Zippos Circus performing a mix of acrobatics and stunts throughout Easter in Blackheath.

Interesting Workshops

Tasty treat at Willy Wonka’s Cookie Class

Looking to inspire your kids or give them the chance to learn something new? There’s loads of incredible workshops happening this Easter for kids.

The Cartoon Museum is running a series of creative classes throughout the Easter holidays, stand out sessions include How to Create a Comic Strip and Superhero Comic Book City where you get the chance to think up your own super-hero character then write your own super-hero comic.

For something more active, as part of the Southbank Centre’s busy family holiday sessions, you can learn the basics of Skate Boarding in their beginner’s workshop, or master Circus Skills at the Albany.

Kids that interested in baking will love BKD’s Willy Wonka’s Cookie Class where you’ll get to decorate Wonka-themed cookies.

Something Different

Disco Loco Under the Stars.png Party on with Disco Loco

If you’re looking for something different, how about Disco Loco Under the Stars at the Hackney Showroom, a hipster daytime rave for families, or for something more calm a sleepover at London Zoo. Another Hoop favourite is the Comedy Club for Kids, a non-patronising, swear-free hour with the international circuit’s best stand-ups and sketch acts, especially for children.

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The app’s completely free, and you can download it in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. We’re adding new events and activities every day and we’d love to hear what you think of it. Please email us at hello@hoop.co.uk with any suggestions – we want to make it as useful as possible for families.

You can find these and stacks more fun family friendly events and activities on Hoop. We can’t wait for you to join the fun, and download Hoop.

Another alternative – is to go into your Apps and search Hoop and download it on your screen! Happy hunting.

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Skiing In London

We took an after school activity to a whole different level on Wednesday, when my 5 year old and I went for a joint ski lesson at Chel –Ski in Chelsea, off the Kings Road. We were greeted by the friendly staff and introduced to our coach Kieran who immediately put us both at ease. After 5 years off the ski slopes, I was a little apprehensive about donning ski boots and getting my jelly legs working once again.

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Chel-Ski is London’s largest indoor ski centre, which opened on the 10^th December right on time for the 2015-16 ski season. From the team behind the phenomenally successful Clip ‘N Climb Chelsea – an indoor climbing wall attraction that has been drawing record crowds since its opening – the appropriately named Chel-Ski provides a fun, safe and controlled setting for ski and snowboard lessons and training, using BASI approved technology.

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Hugo went first and was introduced to ‘pizza’ and ‘chips’ (snow plow and parallel) by a very patient coach.

After 15 minutes, it was my turn… I can certainly say it was slightly harder than actual snow and any technical inability is heightened by the revolving carpet, however once I found my feet so to speak, I managed to zone in and pretend I was skiing in Trois Valley! The faces watching us from Clip n Climb where none other than the Jolie Pitt kids (sadly it was lost on Huggy and I had to get excited by myself), so I had to give it my A game in case Mr Pitt was in the vicinity. Then it was H’s turn again and as he was was knackered by the end of the second session, he finished with a spot of tobogganing.

With no lifts or queues, Chel-Ski is the perfect venue in a central location where customers can brush up on existing skills or take their very first steps into the fun-fuelled world of skiing and snowboarding. Expect cool design aesthetics and an engaging environment in which to take to the slopes; the centre features the largest print of the largest panorama ever made of Mont Blanc by In2White, covering an entire wall. Very cool.

They have a range of deals to choose from, from private to group lessons. This summer there is incredible deal – for £695 you can ski EVERY day for 5 months – May to September. Not only would it be great exercise, there would be no finding your ski legs when it was time to hit the real slopes.

Off the slopes, check out Chel-Ski’s fantastic alpine café where you can relax and enjoy some après-ski, taking advantage of the delicious refreshments on offer.

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In addition to individual bookings, Chel-Ski is also available to hire for family or group bookings, ski themed parties and corporate networking and teambuilding events. Chel-Ski provides an enticing new leisure and party destination in West London.

As we left, a little voice said ‘can I do it every Wednesday after school?’ You have to try it whether you are heading off skiing or not. It’s a great introduction to the slopes (and alot cheaper!)

chel-ski.uk

For further information, please email: info@chel-ski.uk

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Activities Days Out

Day Trips From London : Snooze Family Skiing

If you are a ‘skiing family’ or want to be, there is the eternal debate – when is the best age to go (child wise!) We concluded that real skiing this year, would be an expensive avenue to get the our 5 year old skiing, as we think there would be too much whinging about the creche or ski school from the 3 and 1 year old, which I find more stressful than not going at all.

So, instead – wait for it – we headed to Milton Keynes Snozone. We pre booked two hours, 1 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday for a joint lesson for our oldest two.

The delightful Xscape building that includes Snozone, bowling, cinema and sky diving.

It was an efficient check in process despite it being absolutely heaving. As there are only a few real snow domes in the country, it attracts alot of people. You can read into that as you will!

R waiting for his boots.

They minumum age they accept is 3 and they recommend a half hour lesson to begin with whilst they get used to the boots and snow.

We met the coach Ben who took us all into the dome. He put their ski’s on and after moving about on the snow for a bit, took H up the conveyor belt.

You can watch behind a snow barrier but seeing as our 1 year old doesn’t like touching the snow, let alone standing on it, my time was up after 5 minutes and I headed into the cafe to watch (where there is a little soft play).

A has a thing for helmets at the moment…

In the end, H ended up having a one on one on both days with the coaches and Alex took R up and down (in his trainers!)

We found there is quite a difference between a 5 and a 3 year old when it comes to skiing for the first time. The former loving it and latter indifference (although obviously he can’t stop talking about it now!)

‘What happens if you cross your ski’s’

After half an hour H was going up on the button lift and doing snow plough down from the top. He couldn’t wait for another lesson on the Sunday where he had the equally fantastic Jack for an hour. R on the other hand would have been equally happy in the soft play with his sister!

The whole weekend was a labour of love for just two hours skiing but worth it and we will do it again. I am sure if you are going skiing already this year it is not necessary to have a ‘pre lesson’ as they will get it just as quickly when you are on the slopes, but if you have the skiing itch but aren’t able to itch it quite yet, I would book it in!

snozoneuk.com

If you liked this post, you may like Day Trips From London : 6 Fun Farms

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What’s On : Theatre For Little Ones Part 2

After a flurry of activity in the pre Christmas build up, surely it’s time to chill out, reflect on all the excitement, play with your Christmas presents and hang out as a family (if you didn’t do enough over Christmas!). If however (like myself), you enjoy having a few mid winter theatre trips in the diary to look forward to, take a look at what’s on.

Raiders Of The Lost Arc Live Wed 9th March – 12th March Royal Albert Hall

Raiders will be shown on the big screen at the Hall whilst the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Ludwig Wicki, simultaneously perform John Williams’ legendary score.

This live-in-concert experience will allow fans of Harrison Ford’s action hero to experience the film in a brand new way, and will mark the first time that a full Williams score has ever been performed on the Hall’s famous stage.

Beauty & The Beast Till 7 th February Polka Dot Theatre

If you didn’t watch it in a pantomime, now is your chance (although this is a more traditional take, like the original).

Matilda The Musical Ongoing Cambridge Theatre

Everyone I have spoken to rave’s about Matilda. It is definitely on my watch list.

Rumplestiltskin 13th February Lyric Hammersmith

The Lyric always comes up trumps for children’s theatre and I have no doubt this classic will be enchanting. A great half term treat.

Dinosaur Park 2nd – 23rd January St James Theatre

Be quick as the last remaining tickets are selling fast for this ‘Jurassic Park’ spin off.

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A Quick Review of 2015

I hope you had a really Happy Christmas and you are enjoying the family time (and not just biding time till they go back to school..)

Here is a little review of The London Mummy in 2015. These were the posts, pictures and articles most engaged with, by YOU!

PEOPLE

A & L Property is growing rapidly. If you have any property management requirements, she is your girl!

5 Services in London that may help you in the New Year.

If you are thinking of starting your own, Samantha Bishop has top tips to think about before you even contact a web designer (which should be her by the way – she did TLM!)

I love my daily emails from Wear & Where… Fashion & Lifestyle Blog from 2 mother’s in London.

PLACES

We went to The Goat in Chelsea who now have a kids entertainer over Sunday lunch. Win!

Farm Trips Close To London was popular, especially useful over October half term.

A Festive Train Ride on board the ‘Orient Express’ at Christmas was magical and very original.

Pitch & Putt in Wandsworth & Battersea – a gem of a place for when you have a short window of time.

PRODUCTS

School Run Boots and School Run Trainers were my most popular posts of the whole year! From feedback I have received, I think it worked as we are all too busy to research ourselves so like it when it arrives in our lap!

Useful Baby Items was a very reflective post and actually now I am 8 months on from that post, I think a ‘Part 2’ is in order.

Personalised Stationary with your own painted picture on it! Alex’s stationary is going so well, you can now commission her to do a ‘proper’ painting!

Harriet Hoult’s Art is one to watch. I love the bright colours. I have just the right spot on my kitchen wall… 🙂

Of course, not forgetting the post I wrote on if you want 3 kids – Time For Number 3! and my ‘reflective’ Birthday post 35 Things I have Learnt in 35 Years.

I started a Facebook page in October to post articles and these were the most ‘clicked’ on.

The Key Jar is a jar that you put in 48 questions to pull out whenever you are all together as a family. My 3 year old answered every single one ‘I want to go to a fair’ as he is still slightly young (!) but if you have any 5+ it is a great idea to get them thinking.

This article A Fat Lot of Good Enough was encouraging to those of us who have moments that we aren’t doing as well at parenting as we hope for!

One Question one mother asked her now very successful sons every night…

Maybe a little too late, but this article on Not Over Indulging Your Children is great.

These were a few of my favourite snaps on my Instagram page

THANK YOU

If you have read The London Mummy from the beginning, thank you for taking a chance on me when I launched in April 2015 and if you have just started following me, hello!

If you have any recommendations for things to do, places to see or friends who are launching their own business and want a Spotlight, please email me hello@thelondonmummy.com

It would also be great to hear what you would like to see more (or less) of… TLM is predominantly about supporting small companies like Crane Bump Baby and Muklet

If you would like a banner or advert on TLM, please email me hello@thelondonmummy.com or you can reply to this email.

Lastly, please forward this email to any friends who you think might find The London Mummy useful. I don’t plan on world domination (yet) but I have lots of exciting posts planned in 2016 so don’t want anyone to miss out 🙂

HAVE A WONDERFUL 2016 XXX

thelondonmummy.com

Facebook : facebook.com/thelondonmummy

Instagram : Instagram.com/thelondonmummy

Twitter : twitter.com/londonmummyuk

nb. A special thank you in particular to Katrina, Julie, Lucy, Emily, Hen, Flora, Laura, Tania, Hannah & Caroline for liking, poking, suggesting, sharing and commenting…

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