Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
After school activities for kids in Edinburgh
To polish off a stimulating day at school children can embark on an energising after school pursuit, and at weekends too! Primary Times has been investigating some of the best options available locally...
Enjoy a wild day out at Edinburgh Zoo!
Set in 82 acres of stunning parkland, Edinburgh Zoo is home to over 1,000 rare and wonderful animals. Highlights include Koala Territory, home to the UK’s only koalas, a troop of cheeky chimpanzees, a family of meerkats and of course, giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang. This year has also seen the opening of a fantastic new penguin enclosure, Penguins Rock. Enjoy a meal or a snack at one of the great catering outlets and don’t forget to pick up a souvenir of your visit at the gift shop, to remind you of a really great day out. With daily talks, animal presentations and a free hilltop safari, there is something for everyone to enjoy. For more information, visit www.edinburghzoo.org.uk
Cool with Creatures
Cool Creatures is an animal handling company which allows both children and adults to get up close and learn about nature. Cool Creatures regularly visit Schools and Nurseries, and has a specially designed education programme that fits in with the curriculum. Visits can be made to all sorts of groups from residential care homes to youth groups, Cool Creatures Birthday parties are also very popular. The aim of Cool Creatures is to provide a platform for people to engage and respect animals while having lots of fun in the process.For details call 01506 491149 or go to calum@coolcreatures.co.uk or www.coolcreatures.co.uk
Wild and wonderful days at Highland Wildlife Park
Set in the beautiful Cairngorms National Park, Highland Wildlife Park is home to around 200 fantastic animals including Walker and Arktos the UK’s only polar bears, a troop of cheeky snow monkeys and wolverines, Xale and Kirka, This summer the park also celebrated the birth of adorable Amur Tiger cubs, Viktor and Murray. Visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands with a Land Rover tour through the park’s main reserve, where they will be able to spot some of the park’s larger residents such as the European bison, elk and Przewalski’s horse.
Each day, there is a series of keeper-led talks for visitors to enjoy. This is a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the many fascinating species that reside there and to ask any questions about any favourite animal! For more information, visit www.highlandwildlifepark.org
Festival of Sport – Get your club involved
Edinburgh’s Festival of Sport is back for 2013! Bigger and better than in previous years, the festival is a bumper fortnight of sport taking place from Saturday 24 August – Sunday 8 September.
Sports club led events are the foundation for the Festival of Sport. Open days, recreational competitions and taster sessions are popular; however, organisers would encourage clubs to be creative, do things differently and come up with something more bespoke. To get involved, clubs should register their involvement online. This online form can be accessed at the City of Edinburgh Council’s website.
Sport with the Stars will also take place this year on 24 August and at Meadowbank Sports Centre and the Royal Commonwealth Pool there will be a huge ‘come and try’ sport festival. For sports clubs and coaches, both the Edinburgh Coaching and Club Conference and Edinburgh Sports Awards will feature during the weekend of 31 August and 1 September. This is a great opportunity to celebrate local sporting success and develop the local infrastructure. For more information about the Festival of Sport and to find out ways in which to involve your club in this year’s programme visit www.activity.info/festivalofsport or email activity@edinburgh.gov.uk
Septemberfest 2013 Community Festival - Saturday 21st September
Broughton High School will be hosting what promises to be an enjoyably action-packed community festival on Saturday 21 September at its site in East Fettes Avenue, Comely Bank, Edinburgh. Entry is free to the festival which starts at 11am and finishes at 4pm. An extensive programme includes bouncy castles and inflatables for all ages plus sumo suits and a massive climbing tower. There’s music and dance provided by a samba band and rock choir, plus drumming and dance workshops will take place. There will be a vast mixture of sports tasters and competitions including football, rugby, fencing, tennis, basketball, korfball, table tennis and get a bike fixed for free and have a go at the bike obstacle course or a unicycle. A craft fair will display a varied range of fantastic handcrafted goods and offer opportunities to have a go at wet felting, leather working, jewellery making or decopatch. In addition there will be face painting, a nail bar, a coconut shy, fantastic balloons, henna tattoos and a chance to sit in a fire engine and ring the siren. Culinary delights will be served in the village café. For more information go to www.broughtonhighpc.org
Scottish Ballet announces brand new auditions for the SB Youth Collective
Have you ever wanted to explore Scottish Ballet's headquarters and meet the dancers, discover the magical fairy world of the company's beautiful story ballets, improve your ballet technique or even choreograph your own dance piece? This autumn Scotland's national dance company will once again open its doors to an exciting new term of opportunities.
Being part of the Scottish Ballet Youth Collective (SBYC) offers plenty of exciting opportunities, with participants previously being involved in projects including Glasgow's Olympic Torch event, Go Dance - the ultimate dance festival in Scotland and even The STV Appeal Dance Marathon. And that's not all, members of the company’s Youth Collective also have the chance to meet and work with Scottish Ballet's dancers and choreographers, visit company rehearsals and enjoy special events at Scottish Ballet performances.
SBYC1 classes are for participants in Primary 6 or 7, with at least one year's dance experience. SBYC1 offers participants the chance to explore a range of skills including choreography and performance and are taking place at Festival Theatre Edinburgh on Mondays from 4.30pm - 6pm from 26 August - 9 December and cost £78 for the full term. Entry is by audition only which will be held on 28 August. To apply email education@scottishballet.co.uk or call 0141 331 6285 for more information.
Peppa Pig’s coming to Play Town!
Don’t miss Maddie and Mark’s Play Town’s first birthday celebrations. Guest of honour Peppa Pig will be visiting on 20, 21 and 22 September to meet the kids and kick off a week long party. There’s going to be lots of extra games and activities to enjoy, from Pass the Parcel, to fun games and prizes - it’s guaranteed to be fun packed.
Plus, there’s a free fashion show featuring this year’s ‘Face of Maddie and Mark’s’ winners and the latest must have clothing and accessories. Don’t miss it - Saturday 21 September from 7.30 – 9.00pm. Enjoy the atmosphere and soak up the free fizz for adults and free juice for kids – it may be best to reserve your ticket as places are limited. To find out more about the celebrations, or to book your space, call 0131 555 1900 or visit www.maddieandmarks.co.uk
A chance for kids to go free to a top local attraction!
Recently nominated for a Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award, the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway and Museum of Scottish Railways make for a really great family day out. Plus as an added bonus there’s a ‘Kids Go Free’ voucher for every reader on page 8 in this issue of Primary Times!
Excite the senses with a visit to this heritage steam railway, feel the heat from the engine’s firebox, smell the smoke and dance in the steam, hear the clanking and chuffing as the engine climbs up the hill and be entranced by all that you see around you. There really is something for everyone and it is not unusual to see grandparents reminiscing about how they used to get a steam train to school, parents enjoying the relaxing pace of the train whilst their children look out of the window or run after the trains in the Model Railway being entranced by all the sights sounds and smells around them.
Climb aboard a wonderfully restored carriage and enjoy a scenic five mile journey to Manuel, where a new platform is ready for you to stretch your legs. Stay all day, there’s plenty to see and do. Make a stop at Kinneil Halt to explore the nature reserve and take a walk to Kinneil House, Museum and Estate and the remains of the Roman Antonine Wall.
Follow the new Visitor Trail to the Museum of Scottish Railways, Scotland’s largest railway museum, and see more of what happens around the site. Take a fantastic journey into the past and explore three large buildings, climb on locomotives and sort some letters in the travelling post office, see Scotland’s only Royal Saloon coach, learn why the fish van has a sloping floor, come face to face with a mechanical horse and much more. For further information go to www.bkrailway.co.uk
Alzheimer Scotland’s announce fun filled programme
Scotland’s leading dementia charity has an exciting calendar of fun filled events planned for the coming months. They hope to inspire people to raise money to help those affected by dementia across Scotland while at the same time, promoting awareness of the disease.
The charity is holding its annual Memory Walk, in partnership with Bupa Care Homes, on Saturday 21 September at Dalkeith Country Estate. This fantastic family day will be full of fun and entertainment for all with a 6k walk in beautiful surroundings, a vintage car display, vintage makeovers, face painting and arts and crafts for all ages.
For the brave hearted, take part in the Drop for Dementia on Sunday 22 September 2013, and abseil 150 feet from the stunning Penielheugh Monument, just outside the Royal Burgh of Jedburgh.
Alzheimer Scotland’s Forget-Me-Not Ball is on Saturday 19 October 2013 at Edinburgh’s George Hotel. It promises to be a glamorous, fun filled black tie event with an auction and raffle, entertainment, a delicious 3 course meal and live music from harpist Julia Somerville and local band Big Night Out. For information on all these events contact Alzheimer Scotland by emailing events@alzscot.org or calling 0845 260 078.
Famly Fun in the Pentlands with the Great Pentlands Nudge
What better time to get outdoors on Saturday 21 September and enjoy the stunning Pentland Hills at one of most beautiful times of the year in Scotland! The Nudge is a 5-mile walk beginning at the picturesque surroundings of Bavelaw Castle that runs along the banks of Loganlea Reservoir. It’s a perfect day out for the family surrounded by the beautiful rolling landscape of the Pentland Hills. The Nudge is part of The Great Pentland Push which will raise essential funds to rebuild St Columba’s Hospice in Edinburgh.
The day will be jam packed with fun for the whole family at the HUB point which is the start and finish point for The Great Pentlands Push – with lots of fun activities such as the wacky Gladiator Duel, beautiful birds of prey with Falconry Scotland, a giant slide and of course a bouncy castle. Registration costs £15 per ‘Nudger’ and includes a t-shirt, transport, a medal, goody bag, a delicious cooked meal, refreshments, music and lots more. Individuals are asked to raise £50 and families and teams £100.
So take the challenge and play a part in helping to build a new St Columba’s Hospice for Edinburgh and the Lothians. To register for the event and for more information on The Nudge visit www.greatpentlandspush.com or call 0131 551 1381.