KIDS
Events are listed by city, then by type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to kids@ list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Kirstyn Smith. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry KIDS
list.co.uk/kids
Events are listed by city, then by type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to kids@ list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Kirstyn Smith. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
HITLIST THE BEST KIDS STUFF
✽ Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors & Vile
Victorians Two separate shows visiting the dark side of those who went before us. What better way to learn about history than to watch some funny folk dress up in costume and sing songs? King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 11–Sat 15 Jun.
✽ Ben And Holly’s Little Kingdom Fairy princess, Holly and her best pal Ben the Elf leap off the TV screen and onto the stage in this musical adaptation. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Sat 25–Sun 26 May; King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 1–Sun 2 Jun.
✽ Tramway Family Day: The Red Shoes
Performances, music, visual art and hands-on creative activities for ages 0–12 and their families, all exploring our ‘wild instincts’. Tramway, Glasgow, Sun 2 Jun.
✽ The Big Day Oot As soon as the first runner crosses the line of the East End 5K, the Big Day Oot fun begins, with live performances, storytelling, sporting activities, stalls, a treasure hunt and more. Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow, Sun 9 Jun.
✽ Fifty Years Young – Henderson’s Family Day and Barbecue A free afternoon of fun, food-related activities to celebrate 50 years since Henderson’s first opened its doors in Edinburgh. See preview. St John’s Church, Edinburgh, Mon 27 May.
78 THE LIST 16 May–13 Jun 2013
GLASGOW Activities & Fun Fringe Frolics Thu 16–Sun 26 May, Times vary. Prices vary. Various venues: Southside. Workshops and performances from local artists, geared towards children. Part of Southside Fringe. BodyWorks Until 2014, 10am–5pm. Included in admission. Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, 420 5000. An exhibition about how your body works. FREE Minibeast Mayhem Sat 18 May, 1–3pm. Dawsholm Park, Ilay Road, 632 9299. Creep into the world of minibeasts, bugs and creepy crawlies. Part of Scotland’s Nature Festival. FREE Toys and Games Session Sat HEADLINE GOES HERE 18 & Sun 19 May, 1.30–4pm. Riverside Museum, 100 Pointhouse Place, 287 2660. Enjoy making your own toy while learning about games from years gone by. FREE Burrell For Families Sat 18 May, 2–4pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2550. Create a section of Roman flooring or Persian wall art. FREE The Kids Are Alright Sun 19 & 26 May, 12.30–3.30pm. Grosvenor Café, Grosvenor Theatre, Ashton Lane, 0845 166 6028. Crafts, toys and face painting. FREE Spring Clean Sun 19 May, 1.30–3.30pm. Tollcross Park, 254b Wellshot Road, 276 0931. Help give Tollcross glen a bit of a makeover. Scotland’s Nature Festival. Tonic Tinies: Inspiring Musical Adventures! Wed 22 & 29 May, 5 & 12 Jun, 10.30–11am. £3 per session. Merry-Go-Round, 32–34 Nithsdale Road, Strathbungo, 07983 588675. Exploring imaginative play through music and movement. May Holiday Weekend: Focus on Forensics Fri 24–Mon 27 May, 10am–5pm. Included in admission. Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, 420 5000. Learn about analysing evidence, checking for blood and taking fingerprints. FREE Family Friendly Weekend Sat 25 & Sun 26 May, 11am–1pm & 2–3.30pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, 276 9300. Creative workshops for families inspired by Glasgow Museums’ collections. FREE Horrible Heidie Tours Sat 25 May & 8 Jun, 11am–noon & 1–2pm. Scotland Street School Museum, 225 Scotland Street, 287 0500. Take this interactive tour and experience just how bad kids had it in the olden days. FREE Glasgow’s Waterways Sat 25 & Sun 26 May, 1–4pm. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Learn about why Glasgow is known as River City. FREE Bop to the Beat with Hartbeeps Fri 31 May, 10.30–11.30am. Silverburn, Barrhead Road, 880 3200. Stimulating sessions for young ones. FREE Local Nature Reserve Celebration: C in the Park Sat 1 Jun, noon–3pm. Robroyston Park, Robroyston, 276 0931. A day of informative and fun conservation activities with the Countryside Rangers. FREE Discover! Fitba’ Crazy Sat 1 & Sun 2 Jun, 1.30–4pm. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Arts and crafts inspired by the beautiful game.
FREE Burrell For Families Sat 1 Jun, 2–4pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2550. Find out how ancient Egyptians used to communicate. FREE Oh I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside! Sat 1 Jun, 2–4pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, 276 9300. Check out the art collection, then it’s off to the sand to dig for seaside creatures. FREE Our Street Sat 1 Jun, 2–3.30pm. People’s Palace & Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green, 276 0788. What’s it like living on your street? Show and tell in a comic strip you design and draw yourself. Ages 8+.
✽FREE Tramway Family Day: The Red Shoes Sun 2 Jun,
noon–4pm. Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. Performances, music, interactive activities and loads of treats for ages 0–12 (and above). Glasgow Kids Comedy Club Sun 2 Jun, 3pm. £4. The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0844 335 8879. Susan Morrison is on joke duty this afternoon, along with Gary Dunn. No under 5s; all kids must be accompanied by an adult. FREE Wee Wednesdays Wed 5 Jun, 2–3pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2550. An exciting workshop based on the museum displays. For under 5s. FREE The Clipperton Project’s Floating Laboratory Thu 6–Thu 13 Jun, times vary. Scottish Canals, Canal Watch out Edinburgh, there’s a new kid on the east coast block. House, Applecross Street, 332 6936. The Well, OK, chances are Dundee’s bookish extravaganza might never Clipperton Project’s Floating Laboratory quite reach the exalted status of the capital’s world-beating literary has been travelling the world, doing fiesta but it’s making a very strong case for itself with a series creative learning activities. Part of of events that includes the likes of Nick Cave, Jackie Kay, Alan Glasgow Science Festival.* FREE Let’s Pretend Sat 8 Jun, Warner, John Carey and Iain Banks (pictured) plus an all-day comics 11am–noon & 2–3pm. Glasgow conference. Museums Resource Centre, 200 ■ Various venues, Dundee, until Sun 27 Jun.
Woodhead Road, 276 9300. Find out why people dress up and paint their faces, before doing exactly that yourself. Ages 3–5. FREE Zoo-Fest at the University of Glasgow Sun 9 Jun, 11am–4pm. University of Glasgow, University Avenue, 330 5511. Family-friendly demos on bird ecology and evolution. Glasgow Science Festival. FREE Future Inventions Challenge Sun 9 Jun, 1–3pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, 276 9300. A journey through the past inventions housed in the centre. Ages 7+. FREE Cosmic Way Tue 11–Sun 16 Jun, 10am–5pm. Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery, 82 Hillhead Street, 330 4221. Learn all about cosmic rays, solar flares and the Northern Lights. Glasgow Science Festival.
✽FREE The Big Day Oot Sun 9 Jun, 11am–4pm. Tollcross International
Swimming Centre, 276 0801. All- encompassing festival of music, drama, activities, storytelling, art and more.
Books & Storytelling FREE The Flying Theatre Sat 18 & Sun 19 May, 10am–4pm. Riverside Museum, 100 Pointhouse Place, 287 2660. Fully functioning theatre based on a bus, travelling the continent with unique storytelling sessions. Family Storytime Sat & Sun 18 & 19 May, 1 & 2 Jun, 10.30–11.30am & 12.30–1.30pm. £5 (family of four £15; under 2s free). Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. A different Just So story each time. Suitable for under 7s. FREE Horrible Palace Sat 18 May, noon–3.30pm. People’s Palace & Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green, 276 0788.
PROMENADE THEATRE THE DAY I SWAPPED MY DAD FOR TWO GOLDFISH ●●●●● Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 22–Fri 24 May
Sitting in a dark room and keeping quiet for an hour isn’t for everyone – especially if you’re under ten. Promenade theatre solves that problem, with movement actively encouraged and the odd noise generally tolerated. So on that front, The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish is a great introduction to theatre. Moving from room to room, there’s little chance to get bored, and every opportunity to engage with the storyline and characters. Whether this show takes its audience on any kind of journey, other than the physical one, is another question.
Desperate to procure his friend’s shiny new goldfish, a young boy
casts around for swappable items in his home. Finding nothing of worth, he offers up his own father – a man who constantly hides behind his newspaper rather than engage with his children. Forced to get him back, or risk the wrath of his mother, the young boy sets off on a quest, ‘annoying’ little sister in tow, and meets a myriad of eccentrics along the way.
Despite being brought to the stage by a talented team, and performed with gusto by a dynamic cast, the story itself operates on one fairly superficial level. A subtle exploration of sibling rivalry and parental engagement painted on top would have left us with far more to think about. (Kelly Apter)