Kids
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to jules@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Jules Graham.
Glasgow
Activities And Fun
IKEA Winter Festival l'ntil Sun I? l)ec. liree. lKliA. ()3) Kings lnch l)i'i\e. 0845 355 3366. l’rograiniiie ol' e\ents to celebrate the lesli\e season. \iisil
\\ \t'tt'.ikea.co.tik l'oi' details.
Christmas Toys Workshop l'ntil Sun l7 l)ec. 3pm. (ilttsgtm Science (‘enti'e. .5” Pacific Qua}. 430 5000. Make some cool ('hi'istiiias to}s at this popular \torkshop. Christmas Crackers l'niil Sun l7 l)ec. 10am. Queen's Park (ilasshouses. l.angside Road. 387 5 lllS. Sa} hi to Santa in his spectaculargrotto and take part in all the hilt l'estirities.
Christmas at Tollcross Park l'ntil Sun l7 Dec. lllaiii. 'l‘ollci‘oss l’ai‘k. Wellshot Road. 763 3345. .\leet Santa as he rela\es in his grotto prior to the big da).
Santa’s Grotto l'ntil Stiii 34 Dec.
.\'oon (rpm: Sat/Sun l0am Spin. [5. George Square. Meet the main man and pass on _\our ('hristmas requests. Saturday Art Club Sat to Dec.
10.30am lpm. l-‘ree. (iallei‘) ol‘ Modern Art. Ro)al lixchange Square. 23‘) WW». Fun art activities l'or children aged 3 l 1. Sunday Craft Club Stiii l7 l)ec.
l lain lpm. l-ree. (ilasgou .\ltisetiins Resource ('enti'e. 300 Woodhead Road. .\'itshil|. 376 0375. Drop-in cral't cltib \\ ith a dillercnt theme each \teek. Ages 5 13. Kids tinder S must be accompanied.
Tram Man Sat to l)ec & Sat 30 Dec ltbci. 13.30pm. l’i'ee. .\ltisetiin ol ’l‘ranspoit. Kehin Hall. I Bunhotise Road. 387 3730. :\ train conductor comes to lite. and talks abotit the earl} da} s ol (ilasgou ‘s ptiblic transport s_\ stein. l'nder-Ss iiitist be accompanied b) an adult.
Burrell Family Club Sat ll» Dec. 2 4pm. l’ree. Burrell ('ollection. 20o0 l’ollokslia\\s Road. 337 3550. Regular laiiiil} drop iii session lettllll‘lllg' luit acti\ lllLs based on the Btii'rell's collections.
Mrs Claus at Pollok House l’ntil Sun 24 Dec. l lam 5pm. £4 inc gilt. l’ollok House. 3l)(i() l’ollokshatt‘s Road. (ilh (i4 ll). .\lrs ('laus pops into l’ollok House to \ isit the children and drop (ill. some gills. Steiner Winter Fair Sal to Dec.
llam 4pm. (I l50pi. (ilasgon Steiner School. 53 l.tiiusden Street. Yorkhill. 334 32355. ('rat'ts. gills. home produce.
stor} telling and children's acti\ ities.
The lRN-BRU Carnival Hi 22 Dec Thu 4 Jan. 'l‘iines \tll'}. {l7 L‘l‘) lio £l5i; accompan}ing adults £3.50-L‘3. Sli('('. l-‘inniesion Qua}. 34S 3000. litirope's biggest indoor l'tiiilair.
Theatre & Dance
Martha l'ntil Stin 3| l)ec. 'liines tar}. to. iron 'l'heati'e. (i3 'l’roiiilate. 553 4367. (‘atherine \Vheels return \tith the beautiltil tale ol' Martha. \\ ho li\ es b} the sea all on he!” lUllL‘slilllL‘. Ages 4+.
Little Christmas Eve 'l‘hti I4 & l-'ri 15 Dec. l0am & l.45piii. £3. ('ollins (Ballet). 33 Richmond Street. 33‘) (ilS5. 'l'hc l'esti\e tale of he “hit. alter man} _\ears at the top of the laiiiil} tree. is replaced b} a star. Ages 5 +.
The Singing Kettle: Christmas Wonderland 'l‘hti l4 Stiii l7 Dec. 'l‘hu l4. l0.30am & l.30pin; l‘i‘i l5. l0.30am ts 5pm; Sat lo is Sun i7. l3pin & 3pm. till llillllll} ticket Um. Braehead Arena. Kings inch Road. SSo S300. (‘illa. Artie. (iai‘) and Kevin \xith their ever-popular shou.
78 THE LIST '-'o i)r,~’, 7f)’)l} 1'. Jan 2)?)()/
Jock and the Beanstalk Sat lo Sun 24 Dec lnot Sun/Mom. 7pm lalso mat Sat & Sun. l.30pmi. 9.7 0.350): l'amil} ticket US. l’latl‘orm. The Bridge. I000 Weslei‘hottse Rlliltl. littflel'hullse. 370 ‘)(i‘)(i, \Vee Stories tell the tale til. luck and his
in) stical. magical ad\enture. .v\ges 5+. Hansel and Gretel Sat to Dec. 3pm. [4. tickets a\ailable on the door. Kch in Ste\eiisoii Memorial (’htirch. Belmont Street. 440 3035. Help (iretel and Dame Seiiga Satisage sa\e Hansel hour the L‘ltllL‘lies (ll. \Vttlltltl llte \Vlc‘kt‘tl. .-\ges 4 l l. Little Christmas Eve Sat l(i l)ec. 3pm. £4.50 lL‘4i. Scottish Mask and l’tippet ('entre. Balcai'i‘es .'\\enue. Keh indalc. 33‘) (iltS5. See abm e. ('olllns (iallet‘). CBeebies Livel: Fantasy Circus! Thu 4 Jan. l0.45ain. l.45pm «k 4.45pm.
[I450 £30. Sli('('. l-innieston Qua}. 0870 040 4000. The latest the stage shott limit the pre-sclioolers' channel l'eattiring Bob the Builder. the 'l'iseenies. Postman Pat and man} more.
Edinburgl'i
Activities And Fun
lKEA Winter Festival l'ntil Sun I? l)ec. l0ani l0pni lSat/Stin l0am 7pm). lls’liA. Straiton Road. l.oanhead. 0345 (‘34 4353. See (ilttsglm.
Green Christmas Festivities t'niil Stiii l7 l)ec. Sat a Stiii l0.30am l3.30piii & l.30 3.30pm. Free l£4 to see Santai. Royil
Botanic (iardeii. lmerleith Ron. 552 "H l.
Kins ii lLAlRl THE SNOWMAN
Visit Santa in his magical grotto and make beautiltil cards and decorations l'or Xmas. Santa Express l'ntil Sun 17 Dec.
l0ain (rpm. L'l.50 l£l l. Princes Street (iardens. ()l47‘) Sill735. Hop onto the Santa li\press land train and enjo) a trip around Princes Street (iardens.
Satan’s Grotto! l'ntil Sun 34 Dec.
llaiii 4pm: Sat/Sun l0.30am 4.30pm.
L'l l.‘)5 lt'S.‘)5i. lidinbtirgh Dungeon. 3l Market Street. H370 S460 (i(i(i. :\lt .tlteriiathe Santa's (ii'otto not hit the lainthearted.
First Impressions: Antipodean Art Sat lb Dec. | lam tk lpiii. £4 0.4.50 £3i. .\'ortli lidinbtii‘gh .'\rts ('entre. l’eiiin \\ ell (.0011. .5 l 5 3l5 l. ('reate desert dlil paintings in the Australian Aboriginal st} le. Mornings 3 (i _\eai's. alternoons ages 7+. Breakfast with Santa Sat to Dec. 0.30 l l.30ain. £8.95 lchildren £5.‘)5i. Hard Rock ('ale. lS 30 (ieorge Street. 3o0 3000. Take part in a costume competition. pla} part) games and \\ in pri/es. .v\merican—st} le bullet included. Rainbow Textures Thu 28. l-‘ri 2‘) Dec. Thu 4 tk lit 5 Jan. l0ain— l 3.30pm tk
l.3li 4pm. l‘rec. ('it} :\l'l (t‘llll’t‘. 3 Market Street. 53‘) 3‘)(i3. .-\i‘t \\l)l'k\lllt|is brimming \\ itli testtii‘e and colour. l‘or lamilies and itg'L‘S 5+. Hitlikllig‘ essellllttl.
Iron Kids Duathalon Mon t tan.
l l..3ll;tlti. £5 lspet‘litlltt‘s t'reei. lllil}l‘lilill Park. 473 2000. (iel set to run (i00ni. then c} cle 3 miles. then run another (illllm in this l‘llll etcnt for ages S l5. (ioodie bags t'or all those linish? You can enter on the
Edinburgh Festival Theatre, until Sat 30 Dec
The EastEnders Christmas special might be a ratings winner, but for most of us The Snowman is the real symbol of festive TV. Raymond Briggs‘ tale of the little boy who wakes at midnight to find his snowman has come alive, has an old school charm that captivates wee ones, grannies and
most folk inbetween.
Having made the transition from book to screen in 1982, a decade later Briggs’ story finally hit the stage. Birmingham Rep Theatre’s production was so successful that it moved to London’s West End where it played for nine Christmases straight. Now, Edinburgh audiences can find out what’s
so special about the show.
At just 25 minutes long, Howard Blake’s original score wouldn’t even make it to the interval of the stage show. 80 Blake created another 60 minutes of music, keeping that quintessentially Christmas song ‘Walking in the Air’ at the centre. Those who saw Scottish Ballet’s charming Snowman in 2002 will remember Robert North’s jaunty choreography, which once
again appears here.
The show has also been padded out with new characters, including a panto baddie-style Jack Frost and beautiful Ice Princess. Plus a plethora of dancing penguins and reindeer and some breath-taking ‘flying’. John Stalker, general manager at the Festival Theatre and one of the driving forces behind the original Birmingham production, says the show’s dance- theatre quality makes it ideal for younger audiences. ‘lt’s a great show for kids - it hooks them, so parents love taking them because they know they’re going to be completely absorbed. And because there’s no text, it’s also easy for very young ones to follow.’ (Kelly Apter)
da} btit best to hook ahead at \\\\\\.eiitr_\ centralnet ltiiitil 30th l)eci.
Feshval
Edinburgh’s Christmas l'niil (i .lan. lllam l0pm. Princes Street (iai'dens. 53‘) 43W. liestit e tan in the heart ol the capital. including the Winter \\'onderland ice rink. bung}donie and giant l'erris \theel. (in to
u \\ n.ediiibtii'ghschi'istiiiascoiii loi' l'urthei' iiil‘oi'iuation.
Theatre & Dance
Green Whale l'ntil Stiii 34 Dec lnot l‘i'i l5 l)eL'. \lttll l3 l)eL‘ «K ‘lilill 3| llet'l. 'l‘iiiies \ar}. [b.50llainil} ticket L'34i. 'l‘i‘a\erse 'l‘heati'e. ('aiiibridge Street. 33S l4ll4. See t‘e\ it‘\\ in ’l‘heali‘e.
The Snowman l'niil Sai to Dec liiol Mont. {l3 £33.50. l'esli\al ’l'heali‘e. l3 3‘) Nicolson Street. 53‘) (i000. See prc\ ie\\. The Very Magic Flute Hi 22 t& Sat 23 Dec. l lain. to 0.41. ’l'heati'e Workshop. 34 Hamilton Place. 330 5435. .\ puppet take on the \ltt/ttt'l classic. x\ges 3 '5.
The Man who Planted Trees in
33 Sat 30 Dcclnot Sun/Mont. 3.30pm. U» lt'4i. 'l‘heatre Workshop. 34 Hamilton Place. 330 5435. l’uppet State 'l‘heali'e ('o presents this timeless tale about a simple shepherd \\ ho traiisl'oriiis a desolate area b_\ planting hundreds ol trees. :\ges 7+.
Red Riding Hood’s Magic Purse Thu 38 Sat 30 Dec. l lain. L'o iL'4i. 'l‘heati'c \\'orkshop. 34 Hamilton l’lace. 33o 5435. ('ltdebuilt l’tippets presents this in N on the classic tale. lt‘tlllll‘lllg a ti'a\elling gratin} and a lltlllgl‘} \iolt'. .»\ges 3 S.
Storytelling
Enchanted Edwardian Christmas Sat lo l)cc. l0.30am lpm. £3. l.atiriston ('astle. (‘i'aiiiond Road Sotitli. 53‘) NM. Drama and games recreating ('hi'istmas in liduai'dian times. .-\ges '7 l3. Booking esseltllttl.
Yulefest: Daytime Stories Sat ll» l)ec. llam. noon. lpm. 3pm tk 3pm. l‘ree. Scottish Stor_\ telling (cutie. 43 45 High Street. 55b 957‘). l‘ainil} stories. using puppets and songs.
Funny Bones Tue 1‘) Sat 23 Dec. l Iani tk 3.30pm. £7 lt'5i. Scottish Stoi'}telling (‘enti‘e. 43 45 High Street. 550 l)57‘). l’uppet l.ab pei‘l'orm their \ersion ol the ttilIch-lm ed book ol~ lhi‘ee skeletons b) Janet and Allan .«\hlbei'g.
Activities And Ftin
Santa at Almond Valley l‘niil Sun 24 Dec. l0am 5pm. [.3 it'3i: l'amiI} ticket
L It). .-\liiiond Valle} Heritage (‘entie .\lilllield. l.i\iitgstoii. (0500 414057. \‘isit Santa in his grotto \tith all the animals. Santa at Dobbies l‘ntil Still 34 Dec. Sat/Sun l lain 5pm; Stiii 34 Dec
l lam 4pm. £4.50 per child inc a gilt l'i'om Sttllltt. Dobbies (itll'tlell \Vltl'ld. .\lel\ ille Nttt'st‘t'}. lassttade. (i(i3 l‘l-H. \‘isit Santa in his beautil'ul grotto.
It’s a Wondertul Christmas l'ntil Sun 34 Dec. Wed Sun: lalso .\lon IS it The l‘) l)eci. 'l‘iines \ai'_\. L‘ It) lor boat trip linc gill l. The l-alkii'k \Vheel. 'l‘aiiil’otn' Hill. l‘alkii'k. 03700 500308. the “heel is ti'ansloi'ined into a magical ('lii'istmas land \\ itli lireuoi'ks. a l'tiiilaii‘. l'esli\e market and special boat trips to Santa‘s secret \ illage. Santa Returns to Calderglen l‘niil Sat 33 Dec. l 3pm. (3 inc. gilt; optional photo: £3. ('alderglen ('otinti'} l’ai‘k. Stt‘alha\eii Road. liast Klll‘l'ldt‘. 0| 355 33(io44. Santa's all set tip in his liting room at (‘aldergleir Book in adtaiice. Santa Visits the Canal Basin l'niil Stiii I." l)ec. 3pm. £3.50 child. l.inlithgo\\ ('anal ('cnti'e. ('anal Basin. .\lanse Road. l.inlithgo\t, 0l50o ()7 | 3l5. ('hildi'cn can meet Saitta \tho‘ll gi\e llieiii a present. lolllm ed b} a trip on the '\'ictoria' boat. :\t‘L‘lilll[‘;lll} ing adults go tree. Submersible Santa l'niil Sun 24 Dec. Illaiu 5pm: Sat/Sun l0aiii (rpm. Inc in ddlttlsslltlt. Deep Sea \Vttt'ld. \Ul'llt ()ueeiislcrr). 0|3S3 4| ISSll. ('atch the man in red and “bite di\ ing \\ itli the sharks? Hott braxe is Santa.’