Chicken Thu 5 Apr. 2pm. £3 (£2). WHALE, 30 Westbum Grove. Wester Hailes, 458 3267. Storybox Theatre present the story of a little chick with a big heart. Ages 4+.

The Man who Planted Trees Fri 6 Apr. 1 lam & 2pm. £7.50 (£5). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43—45 High Street. 556 9579. A timeless tale about a simple shepherd who transforms a desolate area by planting hundreds of trees. Ages 7+. Sleeping Beauty Fri 6 Apr, 1 lam. £2 (£1). The Gaff Theatre. Artspace. Space,

1 l Harewood Road. 661 0200. See Glasgow. GilmorehillG l 2.

Briar Rose Fri 6 Apr. 2pm. £3 (£2). WHALE, 30 Westbum Grove. Wester Hailes, 458 3267. See above.

Peter and the Wolf Fri 6 Apr. 2pm. £2 (£1). The Gaff Theatre, Artspace, Space,

1 l Harewood Road. 661 0200. Presented by Theater Der Schatten alongside Prokofiev’s original score. Ages 5+.

The Man who Planted Trees Sat 7 & Sun 8 Apr, noon. 2pm & 4pm. £6 (£4). Royal Botanic Garden. lnverleith Row, 524 9830. See above.

Oscar and the Highland Castle Mon 9 Apr. 1 lam. £2 (£1 ). The Gaff Theatre, Artspace. Space. 11 Harewood Road, 661 0200. See Glasgow, GilmorehilIGl2. Tamlin Tue 10 Apr. 10.30am. £tbc. Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre. 5 Moredunvale Place. 672 2629. See above. Cinderella Tue 10 Apr. 1 lam. £2 (£1). The Gaff Theatre, Artspace, Space. 1 I Harewood Road, 661 0200. See above. Red Riding Hood’s Magic Purse Tue 10 Apr. 1 lam & 2pm. £6 (£4). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43—45 High Street, 556 9579. Clydebuilt Puppets presents this classic tale performed with a difference. Ages 3—7.

Pied Piper Puppet Workshop Wed

1 1 Apr. 1 lam & 2pm. £6. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43—45 High Street. 556 9579. Make a cheeky wee mouse puppet and help re-create the story of the Pied Piper. For ages 8—12.

Pinocchio Thu 12 Apr. 1 lam & 3pm. £6. North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 315 2151. See Glasgow. Platform.

The Sun, the Moon and Half a Chicken Thu 12 Apr. 1 lam. £tbc. Inch Community Centre. Inch House. 225 Gilmerton Road. 664 4710. See above.

Outside the Cities

ActIVItIes And Fun

Easter Eggcitement Fri 30 Mar—Mon 16 Apr, 10am—5pm. Included in admission: £4 (£3); under 3s free; family ticket £14. Almond Valley Heritage Centre, Millfreld. Livingston. 01506 414957. Hunt for eggs and meet the farm‘s new arrivals.

Annie’s Easter Eggstravaganza Sat 31 Mar—Sun 15 Apr, noon—4pm. Inc in admission: £5.95 (£4.95). New Lanark Visitor Centre. New Lanark Mills, 01555

661345. Dressing up. old fashioned games

and Easter card making.

Excellent Easter Saturday Sat 7 Apr. 1 lam—4pm. Free. Rutherglen Town Hall. 139 Main Street, Rutherglen, 613 5700. A smorgasbord of free Easter entertainment. Floors Castle Easter Eggstravaganza Sun 8 Apr, 1 lam. £tbc. Floors Castle, Roxburghe Estates Office, Kelso. 01573 223333. See Hitlist. Easter Egg Extravaganza Sun 8 Apr. 1pm. Inc in admission: £3.50 (£1.25). Traquair House, Innerleithen, 01896 830323. See Hitlist.

Theatre & Dance

Puppet Animation Festival 2007 Until Sat 21 Apr. Times and prices vary. Venues across Scotland. See Hitlist. Basil Brush: The Fox Factor Sat 31

Mar. 3pm & 7pm. £12 (family ticket £45).

Rothes Halls. Kingdom Centre. Glenrothes, 01592 612121. Basil’s back. Basil Brush: The Fox Factor Sun 1 Apr, 3—5pm & 6—8pm. £12 (family ticket £45). Albert Halls. Dumbarton Road. Stirling, 01786 473 544. See above.

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL

Mon 2-Sun 15 Apr. Call 0131 524 9830 for further information. Book online at www.sciencefestival.org

Science You Can Handle Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street, 524 9830.

Wonderama Mon 2—Sun 15 Apr, 9.30am—4.30pm. Ages 7+ £9; ages 3—6 £5, under 35 free. Adults £6.

The hub of this year’s festival as far as youngsters are concerned. Wonderama offers a jam-packed programme of workshops, shows and activities be they creative, stinky. weird or otherwise, including Rampaging Chariots, Superfreeze Me. Dig Up a Dinosaur and Dr Bunhead Live to name just a few.

Discover Selence With the Unnversuty of Edinburgh Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 524 9830.

Meet the Scientist Sat 31 Mar & Sun 1 Apr, noon-3.30pm. Free. Ask scientists about their work and try out some of their experiments. Ages 5+. Connect 4 Challenge Thu S-Mon 9 Apr. 10am—4.30pm. Free. Can you beat a robot at Connect 4? Ages 7+. Nature’s Superheroes! Thu 5—Mon 9 Apr, 10am—4.30pm. Free. Learn about things which can walk on ceilings and jump over tall buildings. Ages 7+. Precious Earth Thu 5-Mon 9 Apr, mam—4.30pm. Free. Discover the exciting work of geoscientists striving to reverse the damage we’ve done to our planet. Ages 7+.

Walking with Robots Thu 5—Mon 9 Apr. 10am—4.30pm. Free. Interact with some amazing robots! Ages 10+.

Mix and Match Monsters Thu 5—Sat 14 Apr, 10.30am—l2.30pm & 2—4pm. Free. Make your own monster inspired by Pixar’s Monsters Inc. Ages 3—7. Animation Creations Thu S—Mon 9 Apr, 10.30am. noon. 2pm & 3.30pm. £2.50. Create your own animations inspired by the Pixar: 20 Years of Animation exhibition. Ages 10+.

Dr Bunhead’s Exploding Brain Show Thu 5—Mon 9 Apr (not Sun),

1 l.30am. £5 (£4). The doc answers all the rude, messy science questions you never thought to ask. Ages 7+.

Robot Thought Thu 5—Mon 9 Apr (not Sat), 2.30pm. Free, ticketed. Entertaining family show looking at the robots of today and tomorrow. Age 7+. Defeating Disease Sat 7—Sat 14 Apr, lOam—4.30pm. Free. Find out how medical and vetinary research at the University is atttempting to combat disease. Ages 7+.

In and Out of This World Sun 8 Apr, 1 1.30am & 4pm. Free, ticketed. Meet a Russian cosmonaut and geologists and explore from the bottom of the oceans to the outer edges of space. Ages 7+. Cracking Codes Tue lO—Sat 14 Apr, lOam—4.30pm. Free. Can you crack the fiendisth tricky codes. Why not have a bash at making up your own? Ages 7+. Extreme Machines Tue lO—Sat 14 Apr, 10am—4.30pm. Free. Meet the engineers who work with them in real life before making your own. Ages 7+. Particle Physics on the Doorstep Tue lO-Sat 14 Apr, 10am-4.30pm. Free. Go potty with particles. Drive your own accelerator, have them pass through you and see them from space. Ages 10+.

TV Olympics Tue lO—Sat 14 Apr, 10am—4.30pm. Free. Wouldn’t it be ace if there was a gold medal for TV watching? Find out more at this fun experiment. Ages 7+.

Colourful Chemistry Tue lO—Sat 14 Apr, 10.15am, 2pm & 3pm. £2.50. A whacky, whizz-bang demonstration for ages 7+.

The Chemistry Show Tue lO—Sat l4

Dino/big i'ehistoriclvaI “A

Apr, 12.15pm. Free, ticketed. What happens when you smell a rose, taste a mint or touch a piece if silk? Find out at this exciting show. Ages 7+.

Watt’s the Problem Wed ll—Sat 14 Apr, noon. £2.50. Learn how to save the world with the Enviroshow team and a workshop involving theatre, demonstration and song. Ages 7+.

Scuence You Can Grow

Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh, lnverleith Row, 524 9830

A series of scheduled, talks tours and shows will run alongside the drop-in events listed below.

Compost: Science or Magic? Sat 7—Mon 9 Apr, 1 lam—5pm. Free. Come and learn all about composting, talk to the experts and discover what worms like to eat. Ages 5+.

Powerpod - Renewable Energy in a Box Sat 7—Thu 12 Apr, Ham—5pm. Free. Step inside Edinburgh Woodcraft Folks’ trailer designed by teenagers to demonstrate renewable energy and to inform about climate change. All ages. Compost in a Bottle Sat 7—Mon 9 Apr, Sat/Sun l l—l l.30am; Mon 44.30pm. Make a mini compost bin in a plastic bottle. Ages 5+.

The Plants we Eat Sat 7—Thu 12 Apr, 1 1am—5pm. Free. Discover where our food comes from and learn about the five-a-day rule. Ages 5+.

Scotiand’s Wonderful Wildlife Sat 7—Mon 9 Apr, 1 lam—5pm. Free. Discover more about our country’s rich and varied wildlife. Ages 5+. Powerpod Workshop Sun 8 & Mon 9 Apr. noon & 2pm. Free. Learn about climate change and alternative energy with Edinburgh Woodcraft Folk. Ages 8+. Book on the day, limited places. Precious Pressed Plants Mon 9—Wed 11 Apr, 11am—5pm. Free. Drop- in and make a pressed dried plant specimen exactly like those used by plant scientists. Ages 5+. Papermaking Tue 10 & Wed 11 Apr. Tue 1 lam—noon; Wed noon—1pm. Free. Hands-on creative recycling with Changeworks. Ages 5+.

Arabian Beauties Tue 10 & Wed 11 Apr, 1 lam—5pm. Free. Experience the scents and sights of exotic lands and meet the experts protecting these plants in their natural habitats. Ages 5+. Bananas and the Stuff of Life Tue 10 Apr, 1 lam—5pm. Free. Learn to extract DNA from a banana! Ages 5+. A Big Pile of Rubbish Tue 10 & Wed 11 Apr. 11am—5pm. Free. Learn how to reduce, reuse and recycle with the Changeworks team. Ages 5+.

Food Lab Tue lO—Thu 12 Apr,

1 lam—5pm. Free. Make a food face. check out your nutritional knowledge and take the sugar test. Ages 5+. Growing Green Wed ll & Thu 12 Apr, 1 lam—1pm & 2—5pm. Free.

Discover the secrets of growing plants from seeds and cuttings. All ages. I-Iappy Habitats Wed 11 &Thu 12 Apr, llam—Spm. Free. Pick a minibeast and discover where it lives before designing it a suitable habitat. All ages. Masters of the SkyWed 11 Apr, 14.30pm. Free. Have a close encounter with Scotland’s amazing birds of prey. Flights are at 2pm and 4pm with handling in between. All ages.

Talking Trees Storytelling Wed 1 l & Thu 12 Apr, Wed 2—3pm; Thu 4—5pm. The team is back with a special set of Science Festival stories suitable for kids aged 5+ and their families.

Plant Colour Magic Thu 12 Apr, llam—Spm. Free. Use dyes made from plants such as onions to create beautifully coloured wool. Ages 8+.

SCIence You Can Explore Various venues as listed below. Fit to Fly: The Testing Centre Mon 2—Sun 15 Apr, 10am-4pm. Free. Museum Of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, North Berwick, 01620 880308. Test your flying aptitude. Ages 5+. Capturing the Colour of the Stars Wed 4 & Tue 10 Apr. 2-3.30pm. £4 (£3); family £10. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill. 668 8404. Learn about the colour of the stars and investigate how different colours mix together. Ages 4—10.

Ingredients for Life Thu 5 Apr, 2—3.30pm. £4 (£3); family £10. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill. 668 8404. Find out the ingredients needed to sustain life on earth.

Stories in the Stars: Perseus and Andromeda Fri 6 Apr, 1 lam—noon. £4 (£3); family £10. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill, 668 8404. Hear the tale of hero Perseus and beautiful Andromeda. Ages 4—10. Stories in the Stars: “velve Labours of Hercules Fri 6 Apr, 2—3pm. £4 (£3); family £10. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill. 668 8404. Help tell the story of Hercules' 12 challlenges. Ages 4—10. North Berwick’s Volcanic Past Mon 9—Wed 11 Apr (not Tue), 10.30am—3.30pm. £10 (£8). Scottish Seabird Centre, The Harbour, North Berwick, 524 9830. Explore East Lothian’s volcanic remains on this 8km guided walk. Ages 11+.

Dino Dig and Prehistoric Poop Mon 9—Fri 13 Apr, 10.30am—12.30pm & l.30—3.30pm. Inc in admission: £8.95 (£5.75). Dynamic Earth. Holyrood Road. 550 7800. Dig for dinosaur remains, examine fossils and handle a pre-historic poop! DrOp-in event for ages 4+. Rocket Workshop Wed 1 1 Apr, 2-3.30pm. £4 (£3). family ticket £10. Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, Blackford Hill, 668 8404. Rally the family to work as a team and build a rocket. Ages 8—12.

29 Mar-12 Apr 2007 THE LIST 57