www.list.co.uk/kids
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to suzanneallst.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black.
Glasgow
Activities and Fun
Wildliie Tours Daily. noon & 3pm. Free. Kelvingrove Art (iallery A; MUseum. Argyle Street. 276 959‘). (itiided tours on the theme of Fndangered Wildlife. Phone ahead to confirm that tours are going ahead on the day you \ isit. Santa's Grotto l'ntil Mon 24 Dec. Mon Fri 2 8pm; Sat/Sun l lam 8pm. £6 including photo and present. (ieorge Square. Meet the tiiaiii man and pass on your Christmas requests.
The Great Christmas Mask 8. Puppet Making Workshop Sat l l)ec. 10am (masks) 8; 2pm (puppets). £6.50. Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre. 8 l0 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 33‘) 6l85. Make a mask of a popular Christmas figure or a cool Santa or Christmas fairy. All materials stipplied.
Winter Selection Box Sat 1 8.- 8 Dec. l0.30am~noon. £3.50 (£2.50). The (iiaiit Workshop Space. l2l Salttnarket. 357 5000. (iiant Workshop helps yoti make holiday gifts for your friends and family. Ages (» 8.
CCA Kids: Visual Arts Workshops Sat l & 8 Dec. 3~5pm. £3. (‘CA. 350 Sauchiehall Street. 352 4900. Creative workshops based on the exhibition programme. Ages 5 12.
Christmas Crafts Sun 2 (t 9 Dec. l0am. £tbc. Busy Bees Craft Studio, 82—84 Niddrie Road. 433 9506. Make Christmas gifts. tree decorations, stockings and gift hags. Suitable for all ages.
Back to the Drawing Board Sun 2 & 9 Dec. ll.30am-—lpm 8: 2--3.30pm. Free. Museum of Transport. Kelvin Hall. I Bunhouse Road. 287 265 1. Have fun at this creative workshop where you can sketch some of the objects on display. Junior Rangers - Environmental Trip Sat 8 Dec. ‘)am-»4piii. £l. Mugdock Country Park. Craigallian Road. Milngavie. A day out with Ranger-led activities for l3-—l8 year olds. Booking essential on 014i 956 6586.
Mrs Claus at Pollok House Sat 8—Mon 24 Dec. l0am—5pm. £4 inc gift. Pollok House. 2060 Pollokshaws Road. 0844 493 2202. Mrs Clatis pops into Pollok House to visit the children and drop off some gifts.
MUSIC
Children’s Classic Concerts: The Night Before Christmas Sat l Dec. lpm & 3pm. £l0 (£6; family ticket £29). Royal Concert Hall. 2 Sauchiehall Street. 353 8000. See preview.
White Reindeer Sun 2 Dec. lpm & 3pm. £3. Eastwood Park Theatre. Rouken Glen Road. Giffiiock. 577 4970. Interactive concert featuring festive classics by Tchaikovsky. Mount and others.
Theatre and Dance
Wee Witches Wed 5—Sun 23 Dec. Times vary. £7 (£3.50—£5.50). Platform. The Bridge. |()()() Westerhouse Road. Easterhouse. 276 9696. Lickety Spit present their anarchic look at the weird and wonderful world of witches. Ages 3+. CBeebies Live! Tue l l Dec. 2pm & 5pm. £7.50—£I4.50. SECC. Finnieston Quay. 0870 040 4000. Stage show featuring Cbeebies characters. including Big Cook Little Cook. Ltmur Jim. Postman Pat. Fireman Sam. Pingu and Tii‘eenies‘.
Singing Kettle Christmas Party Thu l3—Sun 16 Dec. Thu l0.30am & 1.30pm; Fri 10.30am 8; 5pm; Sat/Sun noon & 3pm. £1 1 (family ticket £38). Braehead Arena. Kings Inch Road. 0870 444 6062. The Singing Kettle gang invite you to their Christmas party with giant party games.
Storytelling
Story Hour Sat l (c 8 Dec.
I30 2.30pm £3 (£2) The (iiant Workshop Space. l2l Saltiiiarket. 35" 5000. Favourite tairy tales come to lite through mmement. music and drama Ages 3 5.
Christmas Tall Tales at the Tron Sat/Sun l. 2. 8 A; 9 Dec. Sat l0 30am. noon. 2pm 8’: 3.30pm; Stiii l2.30pm £8 Pct Parent and child. Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. 552 4267. (’hristmas-tliemed interactive storytelling session with movement. mime and props. Ages 3 6 Early Years Story Time Tue 4 tv I I Dec. 2- 3pm. £3 (£2). The (iiaiit Workshop Space. l2l Saltmarket. 357 5000. Mtilti-sensory storytelling and gentle mmement sessions lor ages 2 4.
Edinburgh
Activities and Fun
The Edinburgh Wheel l'ntil Sun 6 Jan. l0am 8pm; Fri/Sat 10am l0pm. £3.50 (children £2.50). Princes Street (iardens Fast. linioy amazing \ iews mer the city from the 33 metre higli w heel. Bungysnowdome l'ntil Sun 6 Jan. l0am |0pm. £6. Princes Street (iardeiis liast. Bounce ahotit doing ama/ing acrobatics and leaps.
Crafty Christmas Family event Sat l l)ec. l0am- lpm. Children £2 (adults free). Newhailes. New'hailcs Road. Musselbtirgli. 653 5595. A morning of festive crafts. tising natural materials to make decorations and cards. Drop in. Preparing tor Christmas 1910 Sat 1 & Sun 2 Dec. l.30pm & 3.30pm. £8. Lauriston Castle. 2a Cramond Road South. 52‘) 39l5. Meet the staff. guests and owners of Lauriston Castle past as they prepare for the festive season I910- style.
Green Christmas Sat/Sun l. 2. 8 & 9 Dec. l0.30am» noon 6’; l -3pm. £3 to see Santa; other events free. Royal Botanic (iarden. lnverleith Row. 552 7l7l. Visit Santa in his magical grotto and make beautiful cards arid decorations for Christmas.
Saturday Art Club - Joan Eardley Sat l & 8 Dec. Want 8: l.30pm. National (iallery of Scotland. The Mound. 624 6200. Four-week course during which you can try out different materials and ideas. l0am class for ages 5 r 7; l.30pm class for ages 8—l l.
Art-tastic: Wreaths and Bags Sun 2 Dec. noon--3pm. Free. Royal Botanic (iarden. lnverleith Row. 248 2968. (iet creative at this monthly eco-friendly drop- iii arts and crafts session for kids and adults.
National Gallery Art Cart Sun 2 Dec. 2pm. Free. National (iallery of Scotland. The Mound. 624 6200. The Art Cart will he loaded with a \ariety of art materials and ideas to esplore the collections through ftiii crafty activities. Ages 3- 12. Christmas Tree Festival Thu 6 Sun 9 Dec. Times vary. Donations. Corstorphine (‘raigshank Parish Church. 467 6826. Scotland‘s First Christmas Tree Festival. with themed. decorated trees submitted by community groups and clubs across Scotland. There will also be musical entertainment from the .luhilo Choir on 7 Dec at 7pm and the Craigsbank Singers on 8 and 9 Dec at 7pm.
The Holly and the Ivy Sat 8 Dec. 10.30am it 1.30pm. £4. Lauriston Castle. 2a Cramond Road South. 52‘) 3963. Take a walk through the grounds. collecting holly and other greenery. then make Christmas tree decorations. Booking essential.
Help The Birds This Winter Sun 9 Dec. l0am—noon. Free. Cammo Lodge Visitor Centre. Cammo Road. 447 7 I45. Help the birds by making a bird feeder. Ages 8+. Booking essential.
Sunday Science: Festive Plants Sun 9 Dec. noon—3pm. Free. Royal Botanic Garden. lnverleith Row. 248 2968. Find out about the treats on your Christmas table and the spices that typify the season at this drop-in session. Ages 5+.
fiASSf «. ’ ’ N E's CHILDREN’S CLASSIC CONCERTS Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Sat 1 Dec; Queen's Hall. Edinburgh. Sun 16 Dec
He‘s more at home behind the shop counter in Still Game. but this Christmas Sanjeev Kohli is branching out. Instead of hanging out with old boys Jack and Victor he'll be doing it for the kids with Children‘s Classic
Concerts.
Backed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in Edinburgh. Kohli will narrate the festive poem, The Night Before Christmas. ‘I come from a comedy writing and performing background. and it‘s the most cynical place to live.‘ says Kohli. ‘So it's nice at Christmas time to put your cynicism on a high shelf and just
become a child again.‘
With three young children himself, Kohli is putting in the practise at bedtime, but is still slightly in awe of those who have gone before him - in particular Stephen Fry, who narrated a concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra earlier this year. ‘Stephen‘s a hero of mine and his voice is like oral fruit cake, whereas mine is more like Rich Tea.‘ says Kohli. 'So I‘m going to have to raise it to at least a Jaifa Cake for the concerts.‘
Although he’s sure to get the odd laugh on stage, Kohli is aware the poem doesn't have quite the comic bite of a Still Game script. 'I don‘t think there‘s any comedy in there really, and it will be a challenge for me not to have that to rely on,’ says Kohli. ‘It’s just about making the kids eyes go like dinner plates and infusing them with that magic. It the kids are happy. then you know you‘ve done a good job.’ (Kelly Apter)
Theatre and Dance
Sticky Kids Show Fri 30 Nos. l0am (& l.30pm. £3. St James Hall. John's Place. Leith. 308 3532. .\lusical show for 2 6 year olds.
Singing Kettle Christmas Party wed 5. Thu 6 & Sat 8 Dec. Wed lpm 8; 5pm; Thu 10am & lpm; Sat 1 lam. 2pm (k 5pm. £11 (family ticket £38). Festival Theatre. l3--2‘) Nicolsoii Street. 52‘) 6000. Singalong fun with the ever-popular Singing Kettle.
Storytelling
Talking Trees: Grotto Tales Fri 7 Dec. 2v~3pm. Free. Royal Botanic (iarden (Forest Room). lnverleith Row. 557 5588. Winter and Christmas tales in the Forest Room. which has been transformed itito a magical grotto. Suitable for older children (7+).
Outside the Cities
Activities and Fun
Green Christmas Sat 1 (is Sun 2 Dec. 1 lam—3pm. Free. National Park (iateway' Centre. Loch Lomond Shores. Balloch. 0845 345 4978. Environmentally friendly Christmas craft activities for ages 8+. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Sun 2
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l)ec. l 3pm. Free. l.inlithgow Palace. Kirkgate. l.iiilitligow 0l506 842065. l’ind otit which birds flee the cold weather and which stick around. Stiitahle lor all ages. Santa’s Workshops Sat x & Sun 9 Dec. noon 3pm. £3. Scottish Mining Nltisetiin. Newtongraiige. 663 75l‘). Make Christmas crackers. calendars. cards. decorations and more. There will he a small gift for each child and a special post box to send letters to Santa.
Christmas at the Farm Sun 9 Dec. l0am 5pm. £6 (£5; members tree), National .\ltiseum of Rural Life. Wester Kittochside. Fast Kilbride. 247 4377. Festive fun on the farm with Santa.
Music
Katie Morag Thu 6 Sat 2‘) Dec. Times vary. £l3 (£6 £8). Byre Theatre. Abbey Street. St Andrews. 0l 334 475000. Katie Morag comes to life in a musical show full of fun.
2’3 Hal—‘3 Dec 27,7 THE LIST 59