Category: Ideas

A letter to Santa

Posted on by

A letter to Santa is great fun for kids but if your little ones can’t write yet, there’s still plenty of decorating for them to get involved with. Here’s some ideas on how to decorate Royal Mail letters to Santa!

The best part about this straightforward DIY is you can make your Santa letters with supplies you already have in your craft cupboard (old wrapping paper cut into shapes, paints etc.) Or if you live close to town, we recommend Hobbycraft or Paperchase for picking up some cute Christmas stickers. This gets the kids involved in the process from start to finish by allowing them to choose what special decorations they’d like to use.

For the letter itself, you can use whatever paper you have kicking around – for example some bright festive green cards! Depending on your child’s age they can either write something out themselves or Mum/Dad can create the template. However, there are plenty of variations you can use depending on what your children would like to share with Father Christmas.

After decorating, you’ll need a large letter envelope to get everything packaged safely. Don’t forget to include a note with your child’s full name and address so that Santa can write back – kids always love opening and reading their letter from Santa! Another sweet final touch is to add a seal.

You’ll want to address your letters to the following:

Santa/Father Christmas,

Santa’s Grotto,

Reindeerland,

XM4 5HQ

Since Santa is obviously very busy at this time of year, remember to get your letter posted by Friday 8 December in order to receive a reply. You can read all the details here on The Royal Mail website. Happy Christmas crafting!

 

Get excited about Santa

Posted on by

Why not make Christmas even more magical by taking your kids to see Santa. Here’s a round up of the best places for children to see Father Christmas in London this year.

1 Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

As well as enjoying the rides and Christmas markets at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, make sure you stop off in Santa Land.

The grotto isn’t ticketed and is run on a first-come-first-served basis so it’s a good idea to arrive early.

When: 17 November 2017 – 1 January 2018

2 Santa’s Grotto at Christmas in Leicester Square

Enjoy a story with Santa, meet the elves and receive a small gift from him in this magical Christmas grotto right in the heart of Leicester Square.

When: 11 November – 24 December 2017

3 Meet Santa at ZSL London Zoo

Why not combine a trip to London Zoo with a visit to see Santa.

Your kids can join in the arts and crafts with Mrs Claus and chat to the cheeky elves before meeting Santa and receiving a Christmas gift.

When: weekends from 9 December – 24 December 2017

 

 

4 Santa School at the Ragged School Museum

Take a trip to the Ministry of Christmas, Santa’s secret hideaway at The Ragged School Museum.

Not only can you help the Elves prepare for Christmas, your kids can also meet Father Christmas.

When: 25 November – 24 December 2017

 

 

5 Father Christmas Adventure at Sutton House

Meet Santa in his picturesque grotto by a cosy fire at Sutton House.

Your kids can also enjoy magical stories of his adventures around the world before receiving an early Christmas gift.

When: 25 November – 17 December 2017

 

 

6 Meet Santa at the WWT London Wetland Centre

Jump aboard a thrilling husky sleigh ride to Santa’s grotto at the WWT London Wetland Centre.

Your kids can also help Santa’s elves in their workshop and make a small Christmas gift to take home.

When: 2 December – 3 December 2017

 

 

7 Victorian Santa’s Grotto at Museum of London Docklands

Take a trip back in time and meet Santa in a Victorian setting at the Museum of London Docklands this Christmas.

Transformed with festive decorations, you can also listen to Christmas carols in the Sailortown Gallery before meeting Santa.

When: 2 December – 23 December 2017

8 Sail with Santa on the Thames

All aboard for a festive Santa Cruise on the River Thames this Christmas.

You’ll board at Tower Pier before enjoying mince pies and cookies on the boat … and meeting Santa.

When: 2 December – 23 December 2017

9 Father Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall has been transformed into a festive wonderland this Christmas.

Your kids can go on an immersive and interactive journey with some magical characters before meeting Santa.

When: 5 December – 24 December 2017

 

 

10 Christmas at Kew Gardens

Don’t miss the North Pole village at Kew Gardens where your kids can meet Santa within this beautiful botanical winter wonderland.

When: 22 November 2017 – 1 January 2018

 

Get some exercise with the kids

Posted on by

If you’re looking for fun ways to get your little ones active, as well as cram in a little cardio yourself, have a go at some of the following ideas!

Music Motivation

If you’re looking for a fun way to get your kids active and ready for school in record time, why not throw on an upbeat playlist that they love and see if they can get ready before the songs are over. Shameless dancing around the kitchen is optional.

Gardening with Kids

Prepping the garden for spring and summer is the perfect (yet deceiving) way to get your little ones eager to move. Get them weeding, plant potting and watering flowers to give them some TV free time.

Weekly Sports Night

This one is great for getting the family together and being active. Whether its children’s activities like football in the park, bike riding or going for a swim, there’s lots of options available to keep things interesting each week!

Make Household Chores Fun

Whilst it’s easy for the kids to dismiss chores as boring, why not try and turn them into a fun game to get them moving? Challenging them to see how many toys they can put away in a minute might be all it takes to get them running around the house!

Sneak in More Steps

This one is a super easy way to make sure you’re moving as much as possible. There’s lots of ways to sneak in some more steps, from parking the car a few roads away, taking the stairs instead of the lift and more.

Take a Daily Walk With Kids

Taking a walk everyday is a great way to get your little ones into an exercise routine, which can be both active and educational. See if you can get them naming what wildlife and flowers they can spot on their travels! It doesn’t have to be far, as there’s sure to be something interesting at every corner.

 

It’s nearly time for Christmas!

Posted on by

It’s now officially unavoidable – Christmas is on its way. It’s useless to resist the tidal wave of tinsel and crescendo of Christmas music, so this weekend, many parents will be taking the kids to meet the Big Man himself, Santa Claus.

Christmas traditions and fashions may come and go, but one that seems to stay firm is Santa’s Grotto. From gardening stores to castles, shopping centres to museums, Santa somehow manages to be in thousands of places at once, ready to greet young children with a cheery smile and a small present. And there’s a very good reason for it too, as every business owner knows – Santa grottos are a great way to attract customers.

In turn, that means there is a lot of choice for Santa-seeking parents. Most will only go to see one Santa. So, if you want to attract children to your Santa’s grotto, you might need to offer more than a long queue and a short sit on Santa’s knee.

And if you want to take the kids to see Santa somewhere unusual, here are some of our top pick Father Christmas locations around the UK.

• Lincoln Castle

• Castle Ward, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland

• Dean Castle Country Park, Kilmarnock

• Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Halifax

• Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre, Wareham

• East Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

• Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, Edinburgh

• Fountains Abbey, Ripon

• Santa Express, Strathspey Steam Railway, Aviemore

• Nostell Priory, Wakefield

• Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line Santa Specials, Alresford

• Kingdom of the Elves, Bluestone National Park, Narberth, Wales

• Santa Claus Tour, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Children’s Party Venue ideas

Posted on by

Are you looking for venues for your special children’s party in the coming weeks? Looking for the right location is almost always problematic, unless you know who to ask! Thankfully, we have some of the answers when it comes to organising an amazing children’s party and we’re here to help.

Looking for a Top children’s party Venue

There are many reasons why you wouldn’t want to host a children’s party in your own house. Either you don’t have enough room in your house for a whole classroom of children, or you don’t want your house to get damaged. Perhaps you don’t have the time to clean up after a party.

Getting your party organised in the right location is of great importance. Organising a party that is too far from anywhere is not a good idea, as other parents have to consider the cost of transport. Other considerations for your setting may include disabled access, the size of the hall itself and the cost.

Where:

Consider church halls, or community centres that have their own kitchens so you can cater too. Decide how much space you will need. Do you want outside space too? Some of these venues mentioned are quite reasonably priced.

How much?

If you would like to find out how much a centre costs, you should ask the centre first if they charge by the hour or by child. Some centres do charge per person and this can become very expensive if you are looking to host a large number of friends.

Look on our directory.

If you have found the best location for your children’s party, then why not look on our blogs for amazing ideas. We’ve plenty of knowledge and experience in giving inspiration to your child’s party.

 

Themes for Your Kid’s Party

Posted on by

The chances are that your child and their invited guests will already be pretty excited about the prospect of a party, but if you really want to get them looking forward to the day itself then adding a theme could do the trick. A themed children’s party gives the kids a chance to dress up whilst also giving you a great topic for which to base your decorations, food and entertainment around.

Space

Space is a great theme for both boys and girls as it really allows the children to let their imagination run away with them. Will they come dressed as a strange alien from the planet Zog, or will they arrive in a spacesuit ready for their latest adventure into the unknown voids of the galaxy. You could even ask half of your guests to dress as aliens and the other half as astronauts and then use these teams within your entertainment.

Food could include various twists on party classics, such as ‘asteroids’ instead of meatballs and ‘moon rocks’ in place of chicken nuggets. The venue could also be decorated to look like a strange planet with stars, moons and spaceships on the ceiling.

Circus

Having a circus themed party for kids can be a great way to give the children a chance to learn a few new skills whilst they are having fun. They could have a go at learning to juggle, or fooling around like their favourite clown. The circus is not just about the guy with the red nose and big shoes though, and so the children have plenty of options when it comes to fancy dress. There’s the ring announcer, the gymnasts, the lion tamer and the strong man; to name just a few.

At the circus, tomatoes can easily be renamed as ‘clown’s noses’ (you might even persuade a child to eat one when they would otherwise turn their nose away to a vegetable!) and similarly, cheese puffs can be transformed into ‘juggling balls’. To really add that finishing touch, why not turn your venue into a Big Top with some multi-coloured fabric.

Wizards and Witches

This theme has always been a firm favourite, particularly at Halloween, but has grown in popularity since the rise of a certain boy wizard. Your little guests can dress as their favourite character from the film franchise or as a wizard or witch from their own imagination. The beauty with this theme is that it doesn’t take much to transform an ordinary child into a wizarding genius; just a hat and wand in most case

 

Free attractions for kids

Posted on by

Sometimes the holidays can be a very expensive undertaking for families and cash can be a bit strapped. But the good news is that this doesn’t mean you are stuck in the house because there are hundreds of fantastic fun free attractions and fun activities for kids around the country for some great days out.

British Museum

The British Museum is located in the Bloomsbury area of London and has over 8 million works from all around the world and from the earliest periods of history. It first opened in 1759 and covers human history, art and culture.

National Gallery

The National Gallery is in Trafalgar Square in London and has over 2,300 paintings from as early as the 13th century within its collection. Some of the most important pieces on show include the Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

Tate Modern

The Tate Modern is Britain’s national modern art gallery, based in Bankside in London.  It is a former power station that holds art dating from 1900 to modern times.  As well as permanent exhibits, the gallery also has changing temporary exhibitions.

Natural History Museum

The National History Museum, London, is concerned with the history of life on earth and has over 80 million items from botany, mineralogy and zoology.  It is also a centre specialising in identification and conversation and even has items collected by Charles Darwin.

Brighton Pier

Brighton Pier opened in 1899 and has recently undergone major refurbishment to make it once more a top free attraction.  There are rides and attractions as well as eating places and even its own radio station so something for all ages.

Victoria & Albert Museum

The Victoria and Albert Museum is the largest museum of decorative arts and design in the world with a permanent collection of over 4 million items.  It was founded in 1852 and named for Queen Victoria and her consort, Albert and is based in the Brompton district of London.

Science Museum

The Science Museum is found on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London and has a collection of over 300,000 items ranging from the oldest steam locomotive to the first jet engine and the first typewriter.  It also has a special medical exhibit on the fourth floor.

 

Fun indoor games!

Posted on by

Play ‘Sardines’ – a twist on the traditional hide and seek

You’ll need at least four players for this game with one person hiding and the other players searching for the hider. When a player finds their friend hiding, they then need to hide with that player staying where they are until another player finds them and so on. The fun will continue until the last person finds everyone at which point everyone will be squashed like – sardines!

Board games

Ditch electronic games and play with traditional board games. Snakes and Ladders, Guess Who, Monopoly…which games keep your kids entertained?

Play ‘Bubbles’!

Playing this game is very simple and loads of fun! All you need is water, washing up liquid, a bowl and some straws! Put some water (about 2 cm) in the bowl with some washing up liquid and mix just a little bit until bubbles start forming. Use the straw to gently blow bubbles and very quickly you’ll start making huge bubbles! You could even add a bit of food colouring to make different fun coloured bubbles!

Build a den

Drape blankets and sheets over chairs to make a cosy den for the kids. They can read books, play games and even nap (if you’re lucky!) however the challenge may be coaxing them out of their secret fort at teatime!

Indoor bowling

This game provides hours of fun for children (and adults) and can even be as competitive as you like You can either buy an indoor bowling set or use empty water bottles set up in a line and a soft ball. Don’t forget – place some tape as a starting line so avoid any cheating!

Dressing up stories

Get the kids using their imaginations and write a story – it could simply be their favourite fairy tale changed! They then have to act out their stories complete with costumes and props. Of course, you’ll need to put your acting skills to the test and join in with them!

 

 

Angel Party ideas

Posted on by

Angel-themed birthday parties are charming additions to the busy parent’s portfolio of party ideas. With white and gold decorations, angel food cake, sparkling juices and angel-costumed guests, an angel party is a relatively simple to organize and provides a photo opportunity for proud parents and grandparents. A kids angel costume party let’s you and your guests release your inner children, with all the innocence and joy associated with the holiday season.

Angel Birthday Parties

Invite all the young guests to wear white dresses or T-shirts to the party. When they step into the party room, which is decorated in pale blue and puffy white cloud backdrops, give each child a pair of angel wings and a golden halo to wear for the party and take home as a party favor. In warm weather, play active games outside, such as tag, mother may I, hopscotch and jacks. Indoor activities may include pin the wings on the angel, board games and a video, such as “All Dogs Go to Heaven.” Serve a sheet cake, cut into the shape of angel wings and frosted with fluffy white icing, with the birthday child’s favorite ice cream flavour.

Sweet Sixteen Angels

A coming-of-age party, whether it’s a sweet 16 party, is the official transformation between childhood and becoming a young woman. Decorate an angel-themed party room with white and gold balloons, flower bouquets, white-draped tables and sparkling angel centerpieces. Encourage the dancers and guests to wear white to emphasize the angelic theme. Family, friends, traditional dances, modern music, a delicious buffet and a huge cake complete the party — all that’s left is for the birthday girl to open the gifts.

Angel Holiday Parties

Over the holiday season, angel costume parties allow children and adults to creatively celebrate the angels on high. A room dressed all in white, sparkling gold and shimmering silver, with holiday trees trimmed in twinkle lights, metallic garlands and angel ornaments, provides the ambiance of heaven. Add classical music, carolers or a DJ well supplied with soft music until after dinner.

Party in the Park

Posted on by

So you’ve decided not to have a group of kids tear up your house this year by having your kids birthday party at a local park. Good move, but you’ve still got to come through with fun activities and entertainment for you child and his energetic friends. A mix of timeless children’s games, outdoor activities, simple craft projects, and making safety a top priority are the keys to a successful park party.

Classic Kiddie Games

Have the kids play those age-old outdoor games you remember playing as a kid. Play circle games, such as “Duck, Duck, Goose,” or “Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?”. Being at a park means there is plenty of room to run around without fear of the kids running into anything. For 2- or 3-year-olds, lead them in simple games like “Ring Around the Roses,” or “London Bridge.” With a battery-operated CD player, you can have all the kids play musical statues. Other classic games for preschoolers include, “Red Light, Green Light,” where the kids run on green and must freeze on red; and “Red Rover,” where they have to run from one side of a designated area to another without getting captured. Keep it non-competitive to avoid tears and tantrums by keeping everyone in the group even when they get caught.

Encourage Outdoor Children’s Activities

Bring an old sheet from home to play parachute with the kids. You will need a few other parents to help you hold the corners. Have the children fill in between the adults, holding onto a piece of the sheet. Lift up the sheet and let the kids run inside to sit under it as the “parachute” comes back down to earth. When they get bored with the parachute, break out the bubbles. Bring non-toxic bubble solution, large baking pans to pour it in, and kid-friendly over-sized bubble wands with soft handles. You can also have the kids toss oversized, lightweight bouncy balls to one another. If there is a sandbox at the park, hide a few soft, rubber toys in the sand. Give toddlers little plastic shovels to find the buried “treasure.”

Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts are an ideal way to keep the kids out of your hair while you are setting up the food or birthday cake. Spread a huge sheet of craft paper on a picnic table. The kids can gather around and draw pictures anywhere on the sheet using non-toxic crayons. You could also write out the birthday child’s name in bubble letters and have the kids colour them in.

Avoid soft play

Bouncy castles are popular for outdoor children’s birthday parties, but when used improperly, can lead to serious child injuries, according to a study on inflatable bouncing injuries encourages parents to keep their children under 6 years old away from bouncy castles. Save yourself and the other parents some anxiety by skipping out on one for a toddler or preschool birthday party. Plenty of other activities will keep the kids entertained. Small, inflatable slides that have just two or three steps and a short slide can present an alternative.