Tag: best

Have a Pyramid Party

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If your child is into ancient History, then maybe an Egyptian party would be just the thing;

You could ask the kids to come dressed as an Egyptian (not only would it be great fun but also very educational)

There could be lots of crafty making (seeing as the Egyptians love to build things) why not have a Pyramid building competition which cardboard recycling could be put to very good use. All you need is glue, glitter pens and the children’s imagination to build an amazing Pyramid!!

PARTY GAMES;

Mummy wrap game;

Divide the kids into 3 teams and had them wrap one person as a mummy. Best wrap in 5 minutes’ win.  You will need lots of toilet tissue, try and buy the more expensive stuff as the cheap tissue will rip easily.

Next game is a scavenger hunt. Divided into teams and gave them hieroglyphic clues which they had to translate. There are a lot of websites that give ways to translate hieroglyphics, but not all of them use the same letter-to-hieroglyphic translations.  Tell the children that archaeologists weren’t always given complete information!

The first clue led them to an archaeological dig site (the sand box). They had to dig up a ring, necklace, gold coins, and their next clue. Use one of the pyramids to give instructions — particularly, one item per person; I wanted everyone to get one of each.

The second clue took them to buckets that they had no idea what was inside.  There were all sorts of horrible feeling things inside for example, Jelly, baked beans and custard and they had to dig deep to get their clues!!

The third clue took them to the Nile River. Planks were laid out in the garden and pretend water was underneath them.  The idea is that they balanced and didn’t fall. At the end of the Nile was a crocodile’s nest. They had to get the eggs from the crocodile’s nest for their next clue.

Final stop was Tutankhamun’s tomb, for their prize there were sweets and prizes all stuffed into a treasure chest. Great fun!!!

PARTY FOOD;

Sandwiches and crisps were laid out and ice cream scooped into bowls, so just had to bring it out from the freezer.  Oh and of course a Pyramid Cake!!!

 

Show your kids some history

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St Paul’s Dome

Located at the top of Ludgate Hill, this iconic cathedral has survived much of London’s turbulent past and is steeped with history. Enjoy a visit and explore the stunning interiors, marvel at its treasures and climb the famous dome which dominates London’s skyline. During your ascent, you will find the famous whispering gallery where you can stand at either end and whisper to each other! Atop the dome, you will enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of ‘The Big Smoke’ in all it’s glory!

Greenwich park

Walk up the Greenwich Park end enjoy a panoramic view of the Queen’s House, London’s Maritime Museum and Canary Wharf’s Skyscrapers. You can also see some wildlife at the Deer Park, beautiful flowers at the Rose Garden & the Flower Garden, and many other children’s activities around the park.

Tower Bridge Exhibition

What better way to visit one of the most famous bridges in the world than with Tower Bridge Exhibition! Located within the bridge itself, this fabulous exhibition has stunning views across London and houses ‘Great Bridges of the World’, which features over 20 bridges. Learn the history behind the fascinating structure and why it was originally built.

One New Change Rooftop Terrace

Take the transparent lift overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral, up to the Rooftop Terrace. It is open to the public 7 days a week from 6am to midnight. There are free seating area where you can enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views under the sun (fingers crossed for the weather!).

 

Easter party ideas

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Easter is a time to celebrate the renewal of life with flowers, eggs, rabbits and chicks as you and your family celebrate Easter! Easter commemorates Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Spring season when flowers begin to bloom and baby animals are born. What better way to embrace this special time of year than with an kids Easter party?

Easter Decorations – Decorating for Easter can be lots of fun! You can keep things simple by incorporating traditional baskets around the house filled with eggs, toy animals and spring flowers. Or if you enjoy getting a little more creative, try hanging colourful eggs from a tree, making flowers form tissue paper or even creating an Easter centrepiece by surrounding a candle with decorative grass and tiny blue robin’s eggs. There are countless other ways to get into the spirit of the Easter holiday just by using materials found around the house and tapping into your artistic side.

Easter Egg Colouring- There is a basket full of fun children’s activities to choose from in preparation for Easter that you and your friends and family can enjoy. The first and most popular one that comes to mind is egg decorating. It is amazing how many fun things you and your kids can do with eggs that include dyeing, painting and decorating with everything from glitter and stickers, to stencils and tissue paper. In addition, newspaper or string Papier-Mache can be handy materials to create model eggs, bunnies or chicks which can be painted spring colours after they dry. These activities and many others are a great way to welcome the Easter bunny and embrace the coming of the Spring season.

Easter Egg hunt and games – There is only one way the children can know for sure that the Easter bunny has come to visit their home: when there are eggs hidden in the garden to snatch up and collect in their baskets! Not only is the “Easter Egg Hunt” the most traditional children’s game of the Easter holiday, but it also allows for a variety of ways to play it. You can have the children in your family collect eggs that they have painted, or plastic ones which you can fill with yummy snacks, chocolate or candy for a sweet surprise. But besides the egg hunt, there are countless other games you and your family can enjoy such as a bunny hop race or Spring art contest to celebrate Easter Sunday.

 

Easter egg snacks and treats- All those blissful games and activities wouldn’t be the same without a savoury Easter dishes and sweet treats to fuel the festivities. In fact, when most people think of Easter, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans and cream-filled eggs easily come to mind! The Lamb roast is an easy choice for a traditional Easter feast, as well as spring vegetables and new potatoes and of course a simnel cake.

 

Have a splashing day out

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Don’t let the British unpredictable weather dampen your days out as we’ve found just the thing to cheer the kids up in the form of an indoor waterpark! We’ve listed some of our favourites to keep up your sleeve for those grey days!

WaterWorld; Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire

A visit to this fantastic indoor tropical aqua park is a must during the school holidays and you’ll be guaranteed a splashing good time! Race your friends down the slides, swing on the lily pads and enjoy the wave machine. There is also an aqua disco held on a Friday night for all the family which includes use of the water rides and slides too!

The Rapids; Romsey, Hampshire

This fantastic leisure pool is a real hit with children and adults of all ages and offers plenty of fun. Ride the rapids, enjoy the flume and for the little ones there is a pirate ship to explore. There are also bubble seats and a huuuuge bucket which tips water so dodge it if you can!

Alton Towers Waterpark; Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire

Often forgotten about whilst everyone explores the theme park, the waterpark at Alton Towers is equally as incredible! With rides to keep the adrenaline junkies happy such as the Master Blaster Water Coaster, there is also plenty on offer for the little ones. So if your legs are feeling tired from walking around the theme park or you need to cool down, pay the water park a visit!

Sandcastle Waterpark; South Beach, Blackpool

This large indoor waterpark is one of Blackpool’s leading tourist attractions. Great for water babies of all ages you’ll find waterslides, fun pools, a wave machine, a lazy river, water shoots and much more. There are also a range of dining options so you can relax with a coffee whilst the children play.

Oasis Beach Pool; Bedford, Bedfordshire

Head to this tropical paradise which will keep the kids entertained for hours with two wild flumes, a wave machine, a mushroom fountain, a beach area and much more! And as we’re now enjoying the sunny weather a real highlight is the outdoor lazy river float ride!

Waterworld; Newquay, Cornwall

With something for all the family, this fully equipped indoor swimming pool is great for escaping the hot sunshine or even the rain clouds. With a tropical fun pool, a snake fountain, two flumes and so much more, you are guaranteed that the kids will have a great time! There’s even a 6 lane 25 metre swimming pool to practise your swimming techniques!

Splashdown; Poole, Dorset

This brilliant waterpark is great for all ages and abilities even the younger children! The daredevils of the family will love The Screamer which is basically a slide with a vertical drop, the Tennessee Twister, and Baron’s Revenge. Younger visitors can play in the Little Buccaneers SplashZone with a starter flume, play area and a toddler swimming pool.

The Leisure Pool at Leisure World; Colchester, Essex

For an action packed day out the Leisure Pool at Leisure World will provide the kids with exactly that! A real family friendly attraction, the little ones will absolutely love the water canons, bubbles, crazy river, tipping buckets and loads more! There’s also a 13 metre flume to zoom down, for those looking for something a bit more crazy!

Blue Lagoon Water Park; Narberth, Wales

Bring the kids along to Blue Lagoon where they will enjoy plenty of exciting rides, rapid rivers and flumes. The main feature is the large wave pool with a sloping beach area, however for a more relaxing experience there is a lazy river to just float around plus an outdoor hot tub. For the younger visitors, there is a special area called Nippers Cove which they can explore!

We hope these indoor water parks have given you some rainy day inspiration for keeping the kids entertained with some great children’s activities for all ages – whilst burning some energy! We suggest you sit back and grab a cuppa whilst the little ones are having fun!

 

Don’t do too much

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We are well aware of the pressures facing parents, and would like to tell you that those looking to create a memorable children’s party for their little one and should focus on simplicity and fun and try to ignore, where possible, the feeling that they have to compete with other parents as this can actually result in having an adverse effect on your children’s party!

Do remember that children love simplicity. Not to say the children’s entertainment shouldn’t be good or varied. It should definitely be good and varied. It needs to be engaging, fun and imaginative too. But parents should avoid the temptation to overload their kid’s party with too many activities at the same time as this will end up being over stimulating and confusing. We’ve seen it time and time again where parent book an entertainer, bouncy castle, popcorn machine, mascot, face painter, etc. all in one party that last just 2 hours.

Parents should choose no more than a handful of activities for the children and to make sure that there is plenty of time for the kids to enjoy all of it.

In the same way, parents that don’t plan enough children’s party activities or have any form of children’s entertainment at all, can often find that their children are completely underwhelmed, bored or worse become very restless and start running around and be difficult for parents to control. If there is no structure to the entertainment planned this can happen a lot, which is something all parents want to avoid.

A perfect party has a few fun party activities planned for different times, but parents should be prepared for their party ‘timetable’ to change slightly during the celebration so it can be adapted to suit the kid’s energy levels on the day and to accommodate any unforeseen events e.g. food running late.

 

Make your own party bags

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Every parent wants to be imaginative and give their little guests an amazing party bag. So why not let the kids make their own party bags at their children’s birthday party?

If you purchase some white paper party bags with handles which are perfect for the kids to draw and colour on with some colouring felt tips or pencils. Children can write their names and draw some great pictures or shapes, you could even use stencils. The coloured party bags have a special shiny coating which pens cannot be used on. Give the kids a choice of crafty bits to add to their bags e.g. fun stickers, peel and stick alphabet foam letters and shapes, die cut card shapes, trimmed fabric piece with fabric embellishments etc. –

 

Fold over the top of the colour party bags and hole punch. Thread some ribbon through and tie in a bow, makes a lovely finishing touch! You can theme your party bags to suit your children’s party theme e.g. Pirate Party, Princess Party, Fairy Party, Under The Sea Party.

 

You can fill your party bags with your handmade crafts from the party or why not fill a tub full of goodies and ask each little guest to put their hand into (in turn) to uncover a special treat to take home.

 

Getting the children involved in making their party bags makes them it a bit more special. The children are more inclined to cherish their bags when they get home, making the party even more fun.

 

Children love arts and crafts and will happily sit on a craft table for hours rather than running around a party venue trying to create their own fun and generally being a ‘bit silly’. Distraction is the key to a successful children’s party.

An activity birthday party

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Does your child love jewellery? Are you looking for a kids birthday activity party for the girls? How about some cool jewellery making, girls of all ages love designing and making their own fun bracelets, necklaces and key rings. A great way to get all the family involved too.

 

Just pick the bead mixes that you fancy and mix and match together. You will be amazed at the results from the children.

 

You could put out a fun choice of beads in different bowls on your party table for the kids to see, e.g. large wooden multi-coloured beads, alphabet beads, stripy beads, heart beads and lovely heart, star and flower silver charms. The kids will mix and fix to their hearts content. Add some simple knots here and there for an extra funky look. Little tip, give the kids a wooden peg each to put on one end of the cord whilst they are threading on beads so that they don’t drop and lose any.

 

Elastic cords work well with kids, they are easy to tie knots in, not like some cords which can be stiff. Fitting bracelets on children’s wrists is also easier with elastic cord. Make sure they double knot at the end.

 

We recommend the following quantities needed for children’s jewellery making:

  • Bracelet – 0.5m per child

  • Necklace – 1m per child

  • Key Rings – 0.5m per child

 

Beads are an idea for lots of craft activities, not just for jewellery making:

  • String up some alphabet beads on cord or ribbon and tie as a tassel on a book spine or as a bookmark

  • Decorate a photo frame with mixed colourful beads using PVA glue

  • Dangle some beads on a split ring for a Key Ring idea

  • Personalise your PE Kit Bag or Pencil Case by stitching on some alphabet beads

 

Most of all it will keep the children happy for hours and of course they will always have a keepsake to remind them of the workshop party.

 

Have a great children’s party!

5 favourite family days out in the Midlands

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1. Cadbury’s World, Birmingham

Just a short drive away from Birmingham’s bustling city centre comes a factory that needs no introduction, Cadbury’s World is every kids dream, with chocolate confectionery wherever you look!

 

Discover the origins of the cocoa bean, jump on board the Crunchie Rollercoaster or simply dive into a bowl of liquid Dairy Milk. And with a restaurant, playground park and picnic area, there’s something for everyone. You could be there for hours.

 

Best for: 4D interaction (and chocolate lovers, too!)

2. National Space Centre, Leicester

For all you space lovers out there, this one is not to be missed when hitting the Midlands. The exhibition holds galleries, interactive displays and an incredible Planetarium all surrounding the history (and future!) of space travel. And that’s not all; they hold themed special events for kids during the holidays.

 

Best for: Science buffs

3. Holme Pierrepont Country Park, Nottinghamshire

This one’s for all you action-adventure types! If your kids are into trying out new children’s activities, from Whitewater Rafting to Sailing, Wakeboarding to Segways, this activity-packed park is a fantastic day out and great for children’s entertainment of all ages. Kids can get lessons on the water, try out the army-inspired assault course or try their hand at some mini golf or high ropes. The Rambo-inspired, Combat Experience gives your kids the chance to engage in thrilling military missions, live on the battlefield!

 

Best for: Teens

4. Plantasia and Maze World, Warwickshire

The kids will love this amazing fun adventure into Plantasia where there’s something for everyone. From the Maze world and Interactive exhibition, to the wildlife park and nature trails, enjoy a fun-filled day out in one of Warwickshire’s most beautiful, natural settings. Conquerors of the maze even receive a very special gift.

 

Best for: Your budget

5. Drayton Manor, Staffordshire

You might be expecting a grand, country house, but Drayton Manor is actually the setting of one of the UK’s top rated theme parks! There are hundreds of things to do, from thrilling rides and attractions, ‘Thomas Land’ for the tots, and an activity park, museum and crazy golf for all the family! There’s even a zoo with dozens of wildlife, reptiles and primates. Remember to book a week in advance as on-the-day prices are almost double.

 

Best for: Hours of fun

 

A children’s party with a difference

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Farmer Palmers Farm Park, Poole, Dorset

£14.95 per family

This lovely farm offers so much fun for little (and big!) animal lovers alike. You’ll get to see live milking demos, pig races, have a go on a bouncy castle and more! Tickets include one child, two adults, food and drink, a tractor ride and full use of the park… which would normally retail at £35 each!

AMF Bowling, Various Locations

From £7.99 per child

What could beat a round of bowling for a fun, competitive and much loved classic children’s birthday party? Fab food is all included in the price too!

Go Ape, Various Locations

From £17 per child

Swing, zip, balance and jump your way through the trees on the Tree Top Adventure courses, suspended high above the forest floor. Younger adventurers will love Tree Top Junior, a lower and easier version.

Adventure Wonderland, Christchurch, Dorset

Various Price Packages Available

With over 30 fab rides and attractions, Adventure Wonderland offers lots of fun for everyone! Battle it out on the Battle Boats (be prepared to get wet!), go on the Dragon’s Drop Mega Slide or even go see some adorable animals in the Cuddle Corner Farm.

Mattel Play! Albert Dock, Liverpool

£15 per child

With over 13,000 square feet of themed exciting children’s entertainment, including well known characters such as Thomas and Friends, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder, kids will love exploring this amazing play centre! Yummy party food is included.

The Rainforest Cafe, Piccadilly Circus, London

£15.50 per child

Bringing together the fascinating sights and sounds of the jungle, this fab cafe is the perfect place for a wildlife mad partygoer! See the animals brought to life, experience thunderstorms and, of course, eat lots of super yummy food too!

Go Air Trampoline Park, Ty-glas Avenue, Cardiff

£16 per person

With 60 minutes of pure trampolining fun in their open space, 40 minutes in their dedicated special party room, socks, invites AND food (you’ll get either a choice of Papa John’s pizza or a delicious deli sandwich), Go Air is the place to take your active little ones looking to blow off some steam on their big day!

Funky Monkeys, Cityside, Belfast

From £8 per child

With jungle themed play rooms, an interactive kitchen area, car track with crazy coupe cars and more, Funky Monkeys will not disappoint and is sure to provide lots of fun on your little monkey’s big day! There’s a range of party options available to suit all needs, so be sure to check out their website!

Waterworld, Newquay, Cornwall

From £17.99 per person

With a 6 lane 25m pool, tropical fun pool, 2 water flumes, cannons, tippers and a snake fountain, this is the perfect place to host your pool mad little ones party! Prices include unlimited pool use, small buffet package, free return for the birthday child, 50% off future visits for all guests and more!

Sea Life Centre, Great Yarmouth, Norwich

From £10.50 per child

Sea Life is fab for aquatic mad little ones! Price includes entrance to the centre, a dedicated VIP tour by one of the crew, hot meal, free local annual pass for the birthday child, free downloadable invites and more!

 

Best routes to bike or skoot

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Bournemouth Beach, Dorset

Enjoy an easy cycle along the promenade which runs form Hengistbury Head to Sandbanks. It’s 10 miles in total so a bit far for little legs but there are numerous car parks and cafes along the way that you can just cover a few miles, whilst enjoying the spectacular views across to The Isle of Wight, Needles and Old Harry Rocks. (You can’t ride between 10am-6pm in July & August as it’s too busy!)

Studland Peninsula Cycle Trail, Dorset

This is a gentle route that will take you across the peninsular, dunes and heathland, with picturesque view of Knoll Beach. The kids can even enjoy spotting some wildlife including deer, insects and birds! It’s 6.5 miles long.

Killerton, Devon

There are 2 safe family cycle tracks to take around the historic parkland at Killerton. You will see beautiful countryside views, plus get a great ‘tour’ of the estate including the House, stable blocks and chapel!

Ashridge Estate Buckinghamshire

There are various routes to take through woodland, over small bridges and lush meadows. The Duncombe Terrace route is perfect for families as it’s only 5 miles long and there are surfaced cycle paths through the forest which makes things easier for little legs and inexperienced riders.

The Bristol and Bath Railway Path, Somerset

This track along a former railway line links Bristol and Bath. It is 3m wide path with a  tarmaced surface all the way and is an attractive and easy route, with several opportunities along the way to stop for refreshments.

Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire

There is a flat cycle route through the forest, perfect for all abilities. Children will love passing through tree ‘tunnels’ and racing along the surfaced track which was the old Severn and Wye Railway line- you will even see some old stations! It’s 11 miles in total but with little ones you can always turn back after a few miles. The route starts in the Cannop Valley.

The Tissington Trail- Peak District

A 13 mile route mainly along the trackbed of an old railway line. It’s even suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs! It’s traffic free and kids will love whizzing under the railway bridges! Towards the Southern end (near Mapleton) there is a bit on a steep incline but the rest is totally flat!