Author Archives: Edinburghfestivalsforkids

Catch them while you can……only five shows left

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I am not entirely sure why, but flicking through the fringe festival brochure the other day, I noticed that quite a few of the children’s shows are finishing on Sunday 20th August….

So, for those of you who are still hoping to check out a few shows, here’s a list of my top five favourite and highly recommended shows that are finishing this coming weekend :

The Listies Make You LOL – Our absolute favourite show so far, The Listies had us giggling from start to finish. We loved the interactive car trip, the poo jokes, the game of pong and all the madness inbetween…..it looks like Saturday 19th is sold out already , so if you’ve not seen it yet, grab a ticket quickly !!!

Nick Cope’s Family Song Book – We all love listening to Nick Cope – his songs are great – perfect for both adults and children to enjoy and on a wide variety of topics to keep everyone amused ! Dragons, dinosaurs, pirates with food in their beard, supermarket trips and of course poo…he’s got brilliant banter inbetween too !

Hairy Maclary – This is a delightful show, full of songs and audience participation…we get to meet Hairy Maclary and some of his friends, including Scarface Claw- the toughest tom cat in town ! With well loved rhymes, colourful costumes and missing pictures that need to be found, this is an energetic, enjoyable hour…

How To Be A Kid – One for older children (suggestion is 7+), this production in the fantastic Roundabout venue includes stellar storytelling and brings us on a journey with Molly and her rather energetic younger brother Joe as they piece together life without their Nan. With a little Taylor Swift and some dancing thrown in, this is worth checking out.

Mavis Sparkle – We all adore Mavis Sparkle – with her impressive cleaning trolley, her cute friend Spike and the glitter she brought into our lives !!! Settle down and be treated to delightful shadow puppetry, clever illusions, a smattering of tricks and all of this with the hint of real magic in the air!

Hippo -tastic

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This year we are being treated to two shows featuring the very lovely Hippo !! This lovable creature is getting it’s moment in the spotlight and we’ve been along to check both of the shows out :

Dr. Zeiffal, Dr. Zeigal and the Hippo That Can Never be Caught is a very fun, creative show, perfect for children as there is loads of interaction and joining in ! We join the highly entertaining and offbeat Dr Zeiffal at the Hippo institute and quickly learn there has been a Hippo sighting in Edinburgh and we all become her assistants in helping her experience her first actual wild Hippo sighting. We get to don our Hippo ‘go-go-goggles’, press the Hippo call button and see the invisible Hippo catching blanket being set with hilarious consequences. The audience also gets to glimpse the elusive (and very cute) Hippo itself which creates much giggling and laughter in the room as Dr. Zeiffal and the Hippo chase each other in circles all around the stage and room itself……Quirky, inventive and lively…it’s well worth joining Dr Zeiffal in her lifetime quest !

Assembly Roxy 10.15  until 28th August, (not 22nd)

 

In David Walliams’ The First Hippo On The Moon we are treated to not just one hippo, but two ! You’ll have to be quick to catch this show as it’s only on until the 20th August. In this musical adaptation of the book we meet Hercules, with his expensive equipment and rather large ego who is attempting to reach the moon, and Sheila who lives in the zoo and holds her own heartfelt desire to be the first hippo to walk on the moon. Sheila is surrounded by her friends in the zoo who decide to help her with her quest. Beautiful puppets, catchy songs and a very clever set make this an engaging performance. The kids were giggling furiously when we discover Sheila’s rocket is to be powered by that well known rocket fuel of animal dung ! With an ultimately uplifting message of working together, friendship and dreaming big, this is a well crafted and dynamic performance. I would suggest trying to arrive early to get good seats to fully appreciate the puppets and set design….

Pleasance , 12.00 until August 20th…

 

Book Festival Opens Today !… 12th-28th August

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So, the Book Festival is finally opening, and we are being treated to a few weeks of the lovely, calm space that the Book Festival offers amidst the hustle and bustle of the fringe festival ! We love exploring the children’s bookshop and then seeing what arts and crafts and activities are going on in the story box space.

This weekend , alongside some great author events you may be attending, the Baillie Gifford Story Box will be hosting these fantastic and free drop in workshops:

Design a Pop-up MuseumSaturday 12th August 11am – 4.30pm Design A Pop-Up Museum

Come along and join V&A Dundee and be inspired by their giant pop-up museum in a book. Then work with a designer to create your own mini museum to take away.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra's Instrument ArmourySunday 13th August   11am – 4.30pm  Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Instrument Armoury

Have you ever seen musicians on stage and wondered what it would be like to play a musical instrument? Now’s your chance to give it a shot with talented performers from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Tune up on a cello, flutter on the flute or toot a trumpet to see which is your favourite.

Woodland Tribe

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PictureIf you’re looking for something completely different to do over the next few days with the kids, or combine seeing a show with an activity, then it’s well worth checking out the Woodland Tribe !

Based at the Pavillion cafe on the Meadows, and suitable for all ages, you get to build your own adventure playground ! Woodland Tribe will be giving children hammers, saws, nails, screws, ropes, netting and a huge quantity of wood to build the adventure playground of their dreams. Children are shown how to use the tools in a safe and creative way.

 

10am – 6.00pm  11th August – 15th August

Stunning Summerhall

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Summerhall is an absolutely brilliant venue, and every year the programme of shows and events gets bigger and better. They always host the Roundabout venue, which is well worth checking out. They have a delicious cafe and their own gin distillery and beer brewery which is a welcome touch ! It’s the perfect venue for spending an entire day, seeing shows and hanging out…

Once again, they have a fantastic line up of family friendly shows including these top picks:

How To Be A Kid– See our full review here. This show is suited to older children (age 7+) and has some spectacular storytelling and acting. ”Molly cooks. Molly does the dishes. Molly gets her little brother Joe ready for school. Molly is only 12, but she doesn’t feel much like a kid anymore. Now Molly’s Mum is feeling better, maybe things will get back to normal. Can you help Molly learn how to be a kid again?”

Jihan’s Smile – Only on until the 13th August. Al Harah Theatre is a theatre company based in the West Bank in Palestine, and is one of the longest running in the region, making theatre for both adults and children under extremely challenging circumstances. Jihan’s Smile tells the story of Jihan, an ordinary child, who woke up one day to discover that she had lost her smile.

Eaten – This one sounds really fun ! – What if your food started talking back? Meet Lionel the lion. He’s just eaten a human called Mamoru for lunch. But Lionel hasn’t chewed his food well. So Mamoru’s alive and well in his stomach, and now wants to say hello.

 

No Show – An all female circus troupe which sounds fab – What do you expect when you go to the circus? The glitzy smiles, the glitter of sequins, the drum rolls as performers effortlessly perform death-defying acts? No Show joyously and heartbreakingly goes behind the flawless smiles and perfect execution to reveal the wobbles, the pain, and the real cost of aiming for perfection.

 

So, plenty to keep you busy then !!!