Tag Archives: arts and crafts

BBC at the Edinburgh Festival 2016

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It’s back, it’s one of my favourite places to be during the festival, it’s got pink and blue tents and it’s got a brand spanking new location at George Heriot’s School – it is of course the BBC at Edinburgh festivals. This is a brilliant place to head to with kids during the festival as they have free kids activities on every day and the space itself is always fun to explore with deckchairs, ping pong, a huge tv screen and various food stalls….

If you’ve read the blog before you will know how much I love this place and how much fantastic free stuff there is here every year for kids, this year is set to be no exception and their children’s activities and events are looking great…

On Sunday 14th August they have CBeebies presenter and author Cerrie Burnell and on Friday 26th August they have Steve Cole, bestselling author of Stop Those Monsters! and Magic Ink. Apply for tickets here.

Starting from Monday 8th August, there are daily craft and music activities for kids in the Castle tent, with Sparkle Arts appearing on Monday 8th, the RSPB doing activities on Tuesday 9th, Travelling Tales on Wednesday 10th, Caterpillar music on the Thursday 11th and Creative Crafts finishing off the first week on Friday the 12th !

Other highlights include:

BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals 2016Animal Magic on Saturday 20th August from 10am –Come along and meet Mork the huge python, say hi to Sui the Galah Cockatoo, or be brave and handle some creepy crawlies! Find out more here

 

Dynamic Earth: Dinosaur Explorers  – Wednesday 17th August      Want to hold some Triceratops horns? Or even some fossilised poo? This is the perfect activity for any budding paleontologists. Find out more

BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals 2016Dynamic Earth: Space Explorers  – Sunday 21st August  Come along and find out about life as an astronaut. Dress up as an astronaut, do some simulated astronaut training and get your picture taken on board the International Space Station using green screen technology. Find out more

 

So…lots to be starting off with and I am sure there will be plenty more announced during the festival too so keep an eye out on their facebook page for more regular information about events – they are very good at updating daily during the festival about what’s going on.

I’m very much looking forward to being back on the deck chairs hanging out in this space once again !!…

 

Pleasance Kidzone 2015

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Each year the Pleasance has a fantastic kidzone – packed with fun craft activities, toys, picnic tables, buggy park and a few food stalls so importantly parents can also grab a well deserved cup of coffee !

Children can also enjoy storytelling sessions, face painting, music, author book signings and regular visits from all the Pleasance performers, so it is a gem of a place to spend some time with kids during the festival season.

The Pleasance’s 2015 children’s programme is almost double what is has been in previous years, with a whopping number of 26 shows for you to choose from – you can read all about them here.

Here are a few of my top picks :

  • Alfie White : Space Explorer – Brought this year by Tall Stories who came to Edinburgh last year with Emily brown and the thing which was extremely enchanting- this shows looks worth a peek. Alfie White is crazy about space. And his dad is training to be the first man on the moon. At least that’s what Alfie tells his schoolmates. In fact, Alfie’s dad has disappeared without trace… A cosmic tale of adventure and discovery for everyone aged 5+                                 
  • The Tiger Who Came To Tea – The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? …..Most parents and children will be familiar with this delightful tale which has spanned generations and this show packed with music and clumsy chaos looks exciting !  (Ages 2 +)               
  • Albee Vector The Sound Collector – This show was part of the free fringe last year and I mentioned it in my blog as being worth visiting but I never made it myself – judging by it’s return to the Pleasance venue this year, it’s well worth the trip ! An epic tale of love, adventure and a sound-hoover called Mustard. Find out how Albee and his love Andromeda survived kings, curses and cruelty on their quest for beautiful sound in the world. (Ages 4+)                                             Albee Vector the Sound Collector
  • Rosie’s Magic Horse – If an ice lolly stick can dream of being a horse, what magic might follow? A fantastic story based on the book by Russell Hoban. This looks very mystical and enchanting…..(Ages 3-8)                                             

Definitely looks like its worth visiting the kidzone again this year….

Super Summerhall…

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I keep on hearing more and more great things about the venue Summerhall since it first opened and this festival season it seems it’s the place to be !  Added to this, they have just opened their new children’s play and activity space called Animal Antics …this place looks FANTASTIC and I’m super keen to go check it out: offering soft play, fancy dress, arts and crafts and a library all in one space !! Open Thurs-Sun from September, during the festival its open 11 – 16th August / 18 – 19th August  and 23rd August.

As well as providing a cafe and a great space to hang out and keep the kids occupied, there are some great children’s shows happening at Summerhall this festival, lots happening in a yurt, and I’ve heard some great personal reviews about some of them- this show in particular :

L’Apres-midi d’un Foehn -Version 1 – This show involves plastic bags beginning their own life – with beautiful musical accompaniment, the ‘plastic dancers’ are propelled by air currents to dance. A growing number of my friends have been to see this show and both their children and themselves loved it – it states it is ‘strongly recommended for those aged above 5 years’

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These events happening during August also look great :

YurtaKids! UnLeashed_Scatenati – This is a seafaring journey, an adventure with no words: just light, sound and action. A trip for little ones over waves of sound, as cleverly manipulated chains play centre stage in an experience of metamorphosis, discovery and enchantment. Suitable for ages 0-5..

YurtaKids! The Red Bike – Discover the eccentric history of Marta’s family – they make a living by putting toys inside chocolate eggs but their lives are complicated by Mister Moneybags, the villainous ‘owner of everything’(!), of the chocolate egg factory and of the house and also of the moon and the stars. But Marta and her family have a plan…Ages 5+

Crying out loud presents Daydream – This unusual events definitely looks worth checking out – and the whole family could go at once…Come in. Settle down. Close your eyes and listen. Are there bees living in your ears? Has the sea stopped crying? Is the house sighing? Let the music caress you (inside a 40’ shipping container).

The performance runs every 15 minutes in three 4 hour blocks through the day

  • 11.00 – 15.00 (last show 14.45)
  • 15.30 – 19.30 (last show 19.15)
  • 20.00 – 00.00 (last show 23.45)

So – lots of reasons to go and check this venue out – playspaces, events, a cafe, shows, yurts…..I’ll be heading down their way very very soon !

http://www.summerhall.co.uk/