www.1ist.co.uk/kids
Kids Festival
7145. Nature-based art activities for children aged 4—8. Please wear old clothes and bring a bag to take home any creations. Children must be accompanied. Bugs Galore Fri 25 Jul. 10.30am—3pm. £5 per adult/child. Lauriston Castle. 2a Cramond Road South. 529 2963. An outdoor bug walk followed by an activities. Bring a packed lunch.
FREE Real Life Science: Water Birds Sat 26 Jul. noon—4pm. Royal Botanic Garden. 20a lnverleith Row. 248 2968. Use telescopes to get a little bit closer to the birds at the Botanics in an afternoon led by the RSPB. Ages 8+. Japanese Blossom Tree Mobiles Mon 28 Jul. l0.30am—12.30pm & 1.30—3.30pm. £4 per adult/child. Lauriston Castle. 2a Cramond Road South. 529 2963. Make a mobile covered in blossoms taking inspiration from the Japanese garden. Scottish Native Trees Mon 28 Jul. 10.30am—3pm. £5 per adult/child. Lauriston Castle. 2a Cramond Road South. 529 2963. An educational gander at some trees followed by art projects. Bring a packed lunch.
Spanish Cocina Cookery Courses Mon 28 Jul—Fri 1 Aug. 9am—3pm. £60 per day. Cooking Mania. 75a Main Street. Davidsons Mains. 336 2012. Spanish cookery workshop for budding chefs aged 10-15.
Modroc Modelling Mon 28 Jul—Fri 1 Aug. 10.30am—12.30pm. £12.50 per day. Imagination Workshop. 136 Marchmont Road. 466 ()148. Pick two days to get messy with modroc. Booking essential. Animals of our Woodlands Tue 29 Jul. 10.30am—3pm. £5 per adult/child. Lauriston Castle. 2a Cramond Road South. 529 2963. melland animal inspired art projects. with a chance to see some of the critters running around. Bring a packed lunch.
Theatre and Dance
Peep Tue 22—Sat 26 Jul. 10.15am &
1pm (also Fri/Sat l 1.30am). £4 (£3: family ticket £l()). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 315 2151. A new performance installation for very young children (0—3) created by the Starcatchers team (who made Little Light and My House) and presented by Heather Fulton.
Books
FREE Team Read L'ntil Sun 31 Aug. Times vary. Various Libraries. [Edinburgh City Libraries‘ reading initiative returns with a ‘moving image' membership card. stickers for achieving different reading levels and prizes up for grabs. See www.cdinburgh.gov.uk/teamread for details and get reading!
Storytelling
Family Story Circle: Summer Stories Fri 18 & 25 Jul. 2.30pm. £3 (family ticket £l()). Scottish Storytelling Centre. 4345 High Street. 556 9579. The family storytelling event goes weekly for July with a revolving roster of storytellers. Ages 4+.
FREE Extremes Event: Tales from the Subarctic Sun 20 Jul. 1 1.15am. 1.15pm & 2.15pm. National Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 225 7534. Stories and harp music from Heather Yule. Ages 5+.
FREE Talking Trees Storytelling Sun 20 Jul. 2—3pm. Royal Botanic (iarden. Inverleith Row. 248 2968. Tales of magic. mystery. trees and travel for children of all ages (5+).
FREE Songs and Stories of a Changing Nation Sun 27 Jul. 12.45pm. 1.45pm & 2.45pm. National Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. 247 4422. Stuart McHardy offers up some tales and songs in an event to accompany the new exhibition ‘Scotland: A Changing Nation‘.
Outside the cities
Activities and Fun
Radar Room Wed 23 & 30 Jul. 10am—noon & l—4pm. Admission applies £8.50 (£6.50: under 12s £2; members
free). National Museum of Flight. liast Fortune Airfield. 01620 897240. An exhibition of radio. radar and avionics run by volunteers. Why not try to send a message in Morse code‘.’ Astounding Discoveries L'ntil Sun 17 Aug. 10am—5pm. £5 (£3.50). Almond Valley Heritage Centre. Millfteld. Livingston. 01506 414957. Drop—in crafts. activities and experiments for children and families. with things to make. games to play and discoveries to be made. FREE Indoor Beach Until Sun 17 Aug. Mon—Sat 11am—4pm; Sun 11am—5pm. liast Kilbride Shopping Centre. Town Centre. Iiast Kilbride. 0845 330 3828. Escape the dismal Scottish summer by heading indoors to the beach. Complete with 10 tonnes of golden sand. deck chairs. beach games and authentic sound effects. the indoor beach is to play host to some cracking summer parties with limbo dancing and discos. Sand play is free. but restricted to thirty minutes. FREE Nature Detectives Tue 22 8: 29 Jul. 10am—noon. Linlithgow Peel. Linlithgow Palace and Peel. Littlithgow. Ranger-led activities and fun aimed at children aged eight and upwards. and younger children if accompanied by an adult. The Puffin Club: Bird Brains lfntil Fri 18 Jul. 2—‘3pm. included in admission. Scottish Seabird Centre. The Harbour. North Berwick. 01620 890202. Bird masks. bird crafts. bird mobiles and more at this art and crafts afternoon. Wacky Racer Buggy Workshop Sun 20 Jul. 2—4.30pm. £3.95 per child. Scottish Mining Museum. Lady Victoria Colliery. Newtongrange. 663 7519. Drop-in family leaming workshop. Ages 6—10. Bugs and Butterflies Thu 24 Jul. 2—3.30pm. Children £1 (accompanying adults free). National Trust for Scotland. Newhailes. Newhailes Road. Mussclburgh. 653 5595. Ranger-led bug hunt. keeping an eye out for butterflies. The Puffin Club: Puppet Play Fri 25 Jul. 2—3pm. Included in admission: £4.50 per child. Scottish Seabird Centre. The Harbour. North Berwick. ()1620 890202. Make your own wildlife puppet and learn how to use it to tell a tale.
Museum of Flight Airshow Sat
26 Jul. 10am—5pm. £14—£17 (£9—£15; children £5-£10; under 4s free; family ticket £35-£45). National Museum of Flight. liast Fortune Airfield. 0870 4214299. Come along for an action- packed family day at Scotland's only airshow this year. High-octane flight displays. including thrilling aerobatics from the Red Arrows. plus displays of vintage and modem military aircraft. fun activities for kids. fairground rides. flight simulators and more. Family Fun Day Sun 27 Jul. 1 1am~4pm. £6 for two people; £10 for four; £14 for six. Scottish Mining Museum. Lady Victoria Colliery. Newtongrange. 663 7519. There’s much more than miners at the museum: a day of pony rides. puppet shows. bouncy castles. face painting. Harley Davidsons. bands. dancers. arts and crafts. a miniature railway and tnore. FREE Children’s Festival Sun 27 Jul. l—5pm. Wetland Park. (irangemouth. 01324 506182. Family event with workshops and activities for children up to l 1 years. Themed workshops and sports fun.
Theatre & Dance
Zippo’s Circus Thu l7—Tue 22 Jul. Times vary. £8—£20 (£6—-£l4). Battery Park. lildon Street. (ireenock. 0871 210 2100. ‘Viva lispana‘: a Spanish-themed circus with amazing clowning. acrobatics and equestrian displays from tiny Falabellas to majestic Palominos.
Storytelling
Mary Queen of Scots Sat 19 & Sun 20 Jul. 1 lam. noon. 2pm & 3pm. £8.50 (£4.25). Stirling Castle. Old Town. Stirling. 01786 450000. Scotland‘s most famous queen returns to tell her own tale of tragedy. treason. turmoil and martyrdom in this living history presentation.
Taking the family to a Fringe show can be a costly affair, so look out for these previews for around a fiver
Animal Olympics Performance poetry fun with Francesca Beard. Assembly Rooms. 3 I Jul. I 1.300"), £5.
The Apple Tree Maiden Fairytale magic featuring a prince. an enchanted princess and an old witch. Gilded Balloon Teviot. 30 Jul—2 Aug. noon. £5. Cloudcuckooland See below. Pleasance C ourtyard. 30 & 31 Jul. 12.50pm. £5.
Comedy Club For Kids Real stand-up comedy minus the sweary words. The Bongo C lab, 3 I Jul—3 Aug. 6pm. £5. The Echo Chamber Ghostly adventure for brave kids and even braver adults. Underl2ell_y"s Baby Belly, 3 I Jul—I Aug. 10.450221. £6.
Far Far Away Fairytale characters fall out of their stories and attempt to find their way back. Zoo Southside. I & 2 Aug, I lam. £5.
Hansel and Gretel Storytelling and song for the whole family. The
.S'paee@ Venue 45. 2 Aug. noon, £5
( £3.50).
A History of Scotland (in 60 Minutes or Less) Fast-pace romp through the highs and lows of Scotland’s past. George Square Theatre. 3] Jul—I Aug. 12.15pm, £5.
Ian Billings Out Of His Mind Stand- up comedy for kids. Gilded Balloon Teviot. 668 1633, I & 2 Aug. I lam. £5.
I Can’t Sleep by David O’Docherty Comedy show for 5—8-year-olds from popular comedian O’Docherty. Assembly Rooms. 3] Jul—2 Aug, 2. 20pm. £5. James Campbell’s Shut Up Stupid Black comedy for kids and grown—ups. Sweet ECA. 3] Jul—2 Aug. 4pm. £5. Jungle Book: A Murderous Song Livewire Theatre Company present Kipling's popular tale. featuring exciting animal masks. The Space@ Venue 45, 31 Jul—I Aug. 2.10pm. £5.
Cloudcuckooland
The Just In Case Weird and wacky dance. physical theatre and puppetry. Gilded Balloon Teviot, I & 2 Aug, II.30am. £5.
Koko the Crocodile African folktale with magical characters. The Zoo, [—2 Aug, 1 I am. £4 (£3).
The Magic City Adaptation of Edith Nesbit’s adventure story. Pleasance Dome. 3 I Jul—2 Aug, I 1.30am, £5. The Mozart Question - Michael Morpurgo Highly recommended stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s touching World War 11 tale. Assembly Rooms, 3 I Jul—2 Aug. 12.15pm. £5.
. . . Pat 8: MatTheTV duo head to the Fringe. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 30 Jul—I Aug. 10.30am. £5.
Potted Pirates Long John Silver, Jack Sparrow and co all crammed into a one- hour show. Pleasance Courtyard, 30 Jul—1 Aug. 3pm, £5 (£3).
Potted Potter All seven books in 70 minutes. Pleasance Courtyard, 31 Jul—I Aug. 12.45pm. £5 (£3).
Rapunzel - May The Force Be With You The traditional long-haired tale. Star Wars-style. Merchant's Hall, 31 Jul-I 7Aug. 11.30am. £5 (£3.50 for Edinburgh residents).
Robin Hood interactive tale of the kind- heaned legend. The Merchant’s Hall, 31 Jul—I 7 Aug. I .30pm. £5 (£3.50 for Edinburgh residents).
The Sun Dragon Live music and puppets in this intergalactic fairytale. Pleasamre Courtyard. 30 Jul—2 Aug. 12.45pm, £5.
www.cdfringe.com
Booking Information 3 Assembly 01316233030
’Gilded Balloon Teviot 0131 6681633
Pleasanoe 0131 556 6550 Stand Comedy Club 0131 558 7272 Underbelly ‘ 0844 545 8252
With a dodo handling a diplomatic communiqué to Gordon Brown and a plot
revolving around bird poo, you would be forgiven for forgetting that Cloudcuckooland is actually based on the classical Greek comedy The Birds by Aristophanes. It’s an action-packed satire for the whole family, complete with neon costumes and a ukulele. The show was written as part of the Onassis Programme for the Performance of Greek Drama at Oxford University, but any fears about stuffiness will have long gone by
the first sing-a-Iong chorus.
I Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, 30 8 37 Jul (previews); until 25 Aug.
17—31 Jul 2008 THE LIST 61