Still plenty to look forward to !!!

Posted on August 29, 2017 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

So, that’s it..with the sound of the festival fireworks banging and sparkling away over the top of the castle last night, the 2017 festival has come to an end….and it’s been such a fantastic year. I have LOVED it – we enjoyed all the circus on the meadows, the brilliant kids shows, the BBC tent activities and of course the rather delicious hot donut stall in George square gardens (please let that come back next year) !!!

But, don’t despair, there is still plenty going on and in fact this weekend is packed with a plethora of events and lots more festival fun to be had !! Including Gorgie City Farm Festival, this Saturday the 2nd (more on that in a post tomorrow), the Tea in the Park event at Braidburn Valley Park, also on Saturday 2nd from 2pm which includes duck racing, music and new for this year a dog show too !!!

Image result for edinburgh mela And of course, the fabulous Edinburgh Mela Festival has returned !!! I’ll be writing a blog post about it later in the week, but it will be on this weekend, 2nd and 3rd September on Leith Links and will include the Mela kids zone too !!

Last chance !!

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

So…I’m madly squeezing in a few final shows, and before I manage to get reviews out I wanted to recommend a few bits and pieces !!

Image result for no show ed fringe We saw No Show at Summerhall yesterday – it’s already sold out for today and tomorrow but a few final tickets are left for Sunday if you’re super quick !! One for older children perhaps, but I loved bringing my daughter to watch these five women show their strength, talents, skills and acute observations on the role of women in circus. I could literally feel my daughter sitting taller in her seat whilst the show went on ! Touches of humour as we sit and watch the five devour jam doughnuts and the seemingly agonising pain and strength required for one of the most creative pieces I’ve seen this fringe involving a performer hanging from her hair. An intimate and honest insight to the world of circus and some of the obstacles women face….

For something for younger children, I’d highly recommend Oskar’s Amazing Adventure – this is a shorter, gentle and charming piece of theatre for children. We get to meet Oskar the puppy and some of his friends during their snowy adventure, requiring plenty of participation and singing which everyone enjoyed !! The beautiful handmade animals and painted set added a certain charm to this production, and we found out it’s a family affair, with the author’s daughter Natasha Granger, entertaining us with her storytelling and wonderful portrayal of Granny searching for her lost puppy.

And not to forget the Trash Test Dummies ! I’ve heard (from very reliable sources) this is the last year they will bring this particular show, they’re coming back with something new for us next year !! We love the wheely bins, the acrobatics, the clowning and the balls, all the balls !!! Only two shows left, so again, best be quick…..

Edinburgh Festival Closing Fireworks Concert Monday 28th August

Posted on August 25, 2017 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

Image result for edinburgh festival fireworks Sadly, the summer festival season must come to an end, and as is tradition, we will be treated with a spectacular firework display set to music to mark the occasion.
This year, the festival fireworks are on Monday 28th August at 9.00pm.

Set against the iconic backdrop of Edinburgh’s historic Castle, this spectacular event brings together stirring orchestral music from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and magnificent pyrotechnics, specially choreographed by international fireworks artists, Pyrovision.

Children are welcome in the gardens. Children under 5 are free but ticketed. Standard price tickets are available for children over that age.

However, you can see them from plenty of other vantage points around the city – so enjoy!!

Big Beach Busk 8 – Portobello Beach 26th August

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

Image result for big beach busk 8 This Saturday, the 26th, we see the eighth Big Beach Busk to be held at Portobello beach ad prom !! Starting at noon…

You literally just turn up and play. No permission required, no sign up sheet, no headliners. We’re ALL headliners. Gather your family, bring your friends, invite your favourite musicians. Get involved. Run your own stage! Sing your first song. Play live!

Dad’s rock will also be there, hosting some fun and games on the beach too….

Final week !!!!

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Edinburghfestivalsforkids

Gosh, August is flying by and soon we’ll be saying goodbye to the hundreds of shows and the cool circus tents until next year…sniff. But, luckily there is still time to squeeze in a few shows and events this week. Here are some top recommendations ! :

The BBC tent is still open until Friday 25th. Events this week for families include :

Sparkle Arts – Under the Sea (Ages 2-6) Tues 22nd August 10.45am – 11.30am / 11.45-12.30pm

Make sure you have your swimming kit and goggles with you, because today we’re going on an ‘Under the Sea’ adventure. During this class, the magical rainbow fish introduces children to all her mystical sea friends including Sally the Seahorse and Christopher the Crab. Find out more

Bookbug (Ages 0-4) 23rd August: 10.30am – 11.15am / 12 noon -12.45pm and 25th August: 10.30am – 11.15am / 12 noon -12.45pm

Sing along with traditional nursery songs and action rhymes in an event hosted by Edinburgh City Libraries. Find out more

Volcano Day: Geology Rocks (All ages) Thurs 24th August: 10.30am – 4.30pm

Come explore the Earth and learn about the world we live in. Erupt a volcano or become a paleontologist and discover your own fossil. Fun for all the family courtesy of the University of Edinburgh School of GeoSciences. Find out more

Great shows to check out :

Dr. Zeiffal, Dr. Zeigal and The Hippo That Can Never Be Caught – We loved this show, it’s engaging and quirky and again with plenty of interaction, with the audience wearing their Hippo google goggles and assisting in the search of the elusive Hippo !! On until the 28th..

Arr We There Yet ? – A total treat of an hour – pirates, sea shanties, swashbuckling sword fighting fun and lots of impressive acrobatics !! Add to the mix some silly puns and its entertaining for the whole family ! Climb aboard and enjoy the fun….On until the 26th

Circus Abyssinia – This was soooooooooo fun !! A great family friendly circus show, with plenty of colour and energy, spectacular pole acrobatics, crazy contortion-ism and lots lots more ! ….On until 26th …

The Road That Wasn’t There – Wonderful, immersive storytelling with dark edges….a beautiful tale of adventures and maps, with a haunting soundtrack, intricate puppets and lots of mystery ! … On until the 27th…

Morgan and West’s : More Magic For Kids which we loved , you can read the review here – they are such a fantastic duo, charming the audience with their wit and had the children non stop giggling with their rather silly magic ! I’d definitely recommend it , but like last year, it was busy so get tickets early ! …On until the 27th…

China Goes Pop ! Again I would suggest getting tickets early as the queue was massive !! It was very quirky and very fun, with some amazing acrobatics, an infectious pop soundtrack and lots of very smiley, happy performers bringing us an hour of hoops, scooters, circus and hats !! …On until the 27th…

AnimAlphabet the Musical – We really enjoyed this – one for the littler ones, with plenty of music, song and dance and great animal costumes and puppets….On until the 28th…

And not forgetting our old favourites from last year !!! :

Trash Test Dummies – These guys are a firm favourite with my family – dustbins, acrobatics and much silliness ! What more do you need ? (read review here)…On until the 26th..

Children Are Stinky – Children are also scaredy cats, lazy, unimaginative and uncoordinated in this madcap hour of acrobatic fun with loveable Australian clown duo ‘Kylie and Jason’. We loved this show last year (see here ), so if you missed it, do do check it out. Expect daredevil stunts, incredible acrobatics, lighting-fast hula hoops, loads of laughs and mischievous fun …On until the 28th…

And if all that wasn’t enough, there is still time to check out our favourite hot donut stall in Assembly George Square Gardens too !!!

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