www.list.co.uk/kids
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to suzanne@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black.
Glasgow Activities and Fun Doctor Who Activities Sat 7 Nov, times vary. Free with exhibition ticket: £7.50 (£4.50). Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Last chance to take part in Fantasy v Reality, Cult Comics, Reality v Imagination, Sci-fi Scarves, Time Travel Tour, Cult Craft or the Stars and Planets Tour. FREE Back to the Drawing Board Sun 8 & 15 Nov, 2–3.30pm. Museum of Transport, Kelvin Hall, 1 Bunhouse Road, 287 2651. Drop into the museum and have fun at this creative workshop, where you can sketch some of the objects on display. FREE Space, Time and Sci-Fi Fun Sat 7 & Sun 8 Nov, 11am–4pm. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Create a finger puppet baddie, draw your own comic or make a 3D alien inspired by beasties under the microscope. Activities run on a first come, first served basis. FREE Mellow Out @ Mungo’s Sat 7 Nov, 1pm. St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, 2 Castle Street, 553 2557. Family meditation session with adult sessions 1–2pm and sessions for children and families 2–3pm. Baby Loves Disco Sun 8 Nov, 2–5pm. £8 (non-walking babies free). Tiger Tiger, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 553 4888. An afternoon of disco dancing fun for ages 6 months–7 years and their grown-ups, with activities, bubbles, a chill-out area and free healthy snacks for wee ones. Tickets from www.babylovesdisco.co.uk Theatre, Dance & Comedy The Pied Piper of Hamelin Sat 7 Nov, 2pm & 3.45pm. £5.95 (children £4.75). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Kidglove Puppets lead all the rats out of the city in a retelling of this classic fairytale. Ages 3+. The Lickety Tale of Molly Whuppie Sat 7 & Sun 8 Nov, 11am & 2pm. £6. Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 4267. Licketyspit tells the story of Molly Whuppie’s many adventures. Ages 3+. Glasgow Kids Comedy Club Sun 8 Nov, 3–4pm. £3. The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. Live laughs for younger comedy fans. This week Graeme Thomas, Steven Dick and host JoJo Sutherland keep it clean for ages 8–12. No under 5s; all kids must be accompanied by an adult. Potato Needs a Bath Mon 9–Sat 14 Nov, Mon–Fri 1.30pm (Tue–Fri mat 10.30am); Sat 11am. £3. Eastwood Park Theatre, Eastwood Park, Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock, 577 4970. A gentle and original show aimed at 2–4-year-olds all about a potato who’s got mud on his face and needs a bath. From award winning puppeteer Shona Reppe. Highly recommended. Bob the Builder Live! – Spud’s Big Mess Fri 13 Nov, 4.30pm. £12–£18. SECC: Clyde Auditorium, Finnieston Quay, 0870 040 4000. The man who had his slogan stolen by Barack Obama takes to the stage with all his friends for a song- packed show about building an eco-centre and wind farm in Sunflower Valley. The Weatherman Fri 13 Nov, 6.30pm. £6. The Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs, 353 8000. Dynamic rock concert for families. See preview. Brier Rose Sat 14 Nov, 2pm. £4.95 (children £4.75). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Folding Theatre puppet company bring this tale, based on the Brothers Grimm version of Sleeping Beauty, to life.
Glasgow Kids Comedy Club Sun 15 Nov, 3–4pm. £3. The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. Live laughs for youngsters. This week Susan Calman hosts and Brendon Burns stars. Ages 8–12. No under 5s; all kids must be accompanied by an adult. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Thu 19–Sat 21 Nov, 10.30am (Sat mat 12.30pm). £11.50 (family ticket £35). Theatre Royal, 282 Hope Street, 0870 060 6647. Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen’s ever popular children’s book is brought vividly and noisily to life on stage. All together now: ‘We’re not scared . . .’ Suitable for ages 3+. Storytelling FREE Storytelling for Mums and Tots Fri 6 & 13 Nov, 10–11am. St James’ (Pollok) Parish Church, 183 Meiklerig Crescent, 882 3025. Weekly storytelling sessions.
Edinburgh Activities and Fun Gardening 4 Kids Fri 6 & 13 Nov, 1–3pm. £1. Bridgend Allotments, 41 Old Dalkeith Road, 664 9559. An intro to horticulture for ages 6–10. Children must be accompanied. Booking essential. FREE Family Fun Sat 7 & 14 Nov, 10am. North Edinburgh Arts Centre, 15a Pennywell Court, 315 2151. Saturday morning activities that can be relaxing or active. Choose from art and drama classes (50p–£2 each), art and craft activities, the garden play area and café. Zoo Wed 11 & 18 Nov, 4pm. £2 (50p). North Edinburgh Arts Centre, 15a Pennywell Court, 315 2151. After-school art club for budding young artists with artist Fran Priest. P4–7. LYT Play Fri 6 & 13 Nov, 2–3.30pm. £25 per block. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. Drama games, arts and crafts and lively activities. Ages 5–7. Saturday Art Club: Paul Sandby Sat 7 & 14 Nov, Sat 10am–noon & 1.30–3.30pm. £40 (£10). National Gallery Complex, The Mound, 624 6200. Louise Fraser leads a drawing course inspired by the fantastic works in the Picturing Britain: Paul Sandby exhibition. Morning session for ages 5–7; afternoon session for ages 8–11. FREE Meet the Scientist at National Pathology Week! Sun 8 Nov, 11am–4pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Learn what keeps your ticker ticking in events and workshops by the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary’s Pathology Department. FREE The Science of Wood Sun 8 Nov, 1–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Find out about this important renewable material and how its properties are used, how they are measured, and how they vary between species and within trees. With Edinburgh Napier University. Ages 5+. Christmas Present Making Workshops: Hand Painted Dolly Pegs Sun 8 Nov, 3.30–5pm. £12. Imagination Workshop, 136 Marchmont Road, 466 0148. Decorate 12 old-fashioned pegs to make hanging the washing out more fun. Ages 5+. FREE Hopetoun’s Green Volunteers Sat 14 Nov, 10.30am–1pm. Hopetoun House, Shore Road, South Queensferry, 319 3956. Help the Rangers carry out conservation work in the grounds of Hopetoun House. Attend five sessions and get a free grounds season ticket. Booking essential. Under 16s must be accompanied. Saturday Studio: Exploring Film Sat 14 Nov, 1.30–4.30pm. £40 (£10). Dean Gallery, 73 Belford Road, 624 6200. Rachel O’Neill leads a video course exploring the exhibition Running Time. Ages 5–11. FREE Preparing for Winter Sat 14 Nov, 2–3pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Walk around the Gardens with the Rangers looking for signs of animals and plants preparing for winter and find out what they do.
Kids Kids
FAMILY ROCK CONCERT THE WEATHERMAN Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Fri 13 Nov; Falkirk Town Hall, Sun 15 Nov
The inclement Scottish weather can be responsible for many things, most of them negative, so it’s nice to see that excessive rainfall can occasionally lead to some good. Moving to Glasgow from Dublin, musician Dave Boyd was immediately struck by how wet the city is. ‘One day I Googled “music about weather” and so many Scottish bands have written songs about the rain,’ says Boyd. ‘So that led to me thinking; what if it was the music that started the weather, rather than the other way round. And wouldn’t it be great if there was a guy in a room somewhere with a computer, whose job it was to play the music that made the weather happen.’
And so The Weatherman was born. Billed as a rock concert for families,
the show features original music by Boyd, complemented by big screen action from around the globe. ‘We play the music and the computer does a Google Earth search,’ explains Boyd, ‘and finds the weather we’re playing the music for, in whatever part of the world it’s happening.’
The result is a musical journey that fuses reggae, Taiko drumming, Arabic drum & bass, rock’n’roll, electronica and more. And although you can’t talk about the weather without mentioning climate change, Boyd is determined not to sound preachy. ‘I don’t give a big lecture,’ he says. ‘We just ask the computer how to deal
with climate change and it says we’re all using too much stuff. So we turn off all the gear until we can’t play any music – and then we give everybody two plastic milk bottles to bang together and the whole audience becomes the band. There’s no great message about recycling, they get that from everyone else, it’s more about “isn’t it a great thing to do something all together?’” (Kelly Apter)
FREE Bags of Art Sun 15 Nov, 2–4pm. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Road, 624 6200. Collect a bag of fun activities from the Art Station and help your family explore the collections and create amazing works of art. Ages 3–12. Christmas Present Making Workshops: Coasters Sun 15 Nov, 3.30–5pm. £12. Imagination Workshop, 136 Marchmont Road, 466 0148. Decopatch two coasters as an ideal Christmas gift. Ages 5+. LYT Engage Wed 18 Nov, 5–6.30pm. £35 per block. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. Work with professional theatre tutors to develop performance skills, looking at action and reaction. Ages 13–18. Theatre & Dance We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Thu 12–Sat 14 Nov, 10.30am (Sat mat 12.30pm). £8 (babies £2; family ticket
£26). King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street, 529 6000. See Glasgow. Storytelling Tiny Tales Tue 10 Nov, 10am & 11.30am. £4. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Stories, rhymes and songs for wee (and not so wee) ears. Ages 6 months–3 years. FREE Talking Trees Storytelling Sun 15 Nov, 2–3pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 248 2968. Talking Trees storytelling returns to transport adults and children alike to a magical land far, far away. Suitable for anyone with an imagination (ages 5+). Story Space Thu 19 Nov, 11am. £5. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Storytelling in the courtyard with games, songs and movement to get the imagination juices flowing. Ages 2–5 (plus carers).
5–19 Nov 2009 THE LIST 59