Hello hello !! Well, we’ve had our one day of summer here in Edinburgh, so that must mean the fringe is coming !!!! In all seriousness, I can see the city gearing up for another awesome August and as always, I’m ridiculously excited by it all…in a few weeks times, the city will be transformed and hopefully we’ll all be out enjoying everything the festival has to offer, and fingers and toes crossed – we’ll be doing it all surrounded by sun beams.

It’s now routine for me to say that I find it so difficult to whittle down all the incredible offerings for the younger people into a top ten each year – for the full list, check out here for all the children’s shows currently advertised and that doesn’t even include all the great circus or magic shows. We have firm favourites returning and there will always be something new that will delight us or catch our attention – or worse, that I may not discover until too late ! I’ve made it easier once again, and I’ll be doing a top five for shows for younger children, and another top picks list for shows for older children/teens…

I’ll start with our old friends and firm favourites :

The Listies ROFL – We LOVE LOVE LOVE the Listies and they are fantastic for adults and kids alike. I defy anyone to watch their show and not have a great time and come out with aching cheeks from all the giggling. Infact, I think everyone will come out just wanting to go back in and watch it all over again, like we always do! ..’. ROFL tackles the most dramatic family situation of all time: bedtime! Rich, the exhausted parental proxy, tries to get an early night while Matt uses every trick in the book to stay up.‘ August 2nd – 18th ( not 8th/15th )

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Olaf Falafel’s Stupidest Super Stupid Show So Far – Having been wanting to see Olaf Falafel for a long time, we finally managed last year and were not disappointed (I was only sad I didn’t also wear stripes). This year’s show promises more of all the best funny and stupid stuff – Expect sausage birds, radioactive bogies and truth-telling cheese. There will definitely be some farts and some drawing. – 1st – 25th August (not 14th/20th/21st)

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The Bookbinder – Now, you are in for a TOTAL treat if you see this – there are only a handful of shows and it’s in the most tiny of venues. I still think about this show ALOT, which is amazing as I saw it back in 2016 – wowsers- read the review here !! It’s being held in the beautiful Tills bookshop and will be incredible – if you can get a ticket that is !! The Bookbinder weaves shadow-play, paper art, puppetry and music in an inventive one-man performance for adults and children aged 8 and over. – 8th, 9th, 16th, 23rd August.

The Alphabet of Awesome Science – I’ve heard good things about this and reckon it’ll be a loud, fun one for the kids…Join Professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge (the Word Nerd and the Science Freak) for a thrilling voyage through the alphabet – where fascinating words inspire spectacular science! It’s a tongue-twisting race from A to Z that’s equal parts explosive, messy, hilarious, fascinating and gross. Brace yourself for an hour of carefully crafted alphabetical, scientifical chaos. – 31st July – 25th August (not 12th/19th)

How to Catch a Book Witch – This looks like a great show for all book lovers out there – Kira loves reading. Visiting the library is her favourite. But why are words disappearing from the books and where have all these book monsters come from?! Could there be a Book Witch hiding somewhere? Graham Grey plans to knock down the library to make way for a car park! Join Kira and Barry the Bookworm on this heart-warming adventure to save the day. – 31st July – 18th August ( not 7th /14th )

Circa: Humans 2.0 – Returning to the fringe, with their exceptional talents are Circa – we were astounded by this show and its previous version…. Ten bodies appear in a flash of light. They move in harmony for a fleeting moment, then descend into a sinuous trance. Towers grow and decay, bodies leap and are caught, physical limits are pushed to their extreme. The second chapter of Circa’s internationally acclaimed Humans is a symphony of acrobatics, sound and light. This is next level circus by Circa. 2nd – 24th August (not7th/12th/19th)

Tom Brace: The Ride 4D – We love Tom Brace, he’s a brilliant mix of magic and charm and seamlessly entertains the audience whilst totally baffling them. He pitches perfectly for children and adults, so we’re very much looking forward to this new show. Magician Tom Brace has opened his very own theme park and you’re invited to the grand opening. Expect the unexpected on hilarious new attractions that will blow your mind. – 31st July – 26th August (not13th/20th)

Ten Thousand Hours – Gravity and other myths return to Edinburgh with what is sure to be a spectacular show. We really loved their previous show ‘A Simple Space’ are so are excited to see what’s in store for us this year. This is an ode to the countless hours needed to achieve great things. Eight acrobats investigate physical skill: how we obtain it, how we perfect it and how it can transform our lives. This family-friendly acrobatic extravaganza is filled with everything you love about Gravity & Other Myths and a tribute to the dedication required to become a world-class acrobat. – 1st – 24th August ( not 12th/19th)

Children Are Stinky – Another returnee to the fringe and one we really loved way back when we saw it – read our review here. One for the slightly younger audience and full of fun… High-calibre circus, a rocking soundtrack and genuine belly laughs have thrilled audiences all over the globe. Expect daredevil stunts, incredible aerials, lightning-fast acrobatics, loads of laughs and mischievous fun, leaving adults and children with their jaws on the floor hooting for more. – 1st – 26th August (not 7th/12th/19th)

Circus Baobab: Yé! – Making their debut at the fringe, this looks like a high energy, fun circus show for everyone. An exciting collective of artists from Guinea and the diaspora bring their debut show, Yé!, to Edinburgh. Showcasing incredible acrobatics, vertiginous human pyramids, hand-to-hand combat and contortions all performed in a frenetic rhythm. ‘Full of punch and blending traditional expressions of circus with modernity’ (Télérama), the thirteen young artists call us together to build a world of tomorrow that will take care of nature and it’s future. – 3rd – 24th August (not 12th/19th)