Kids 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. Storytelling FREE Christmas Storytime Sat 19 Dec, 2.30–3.30pm. Mitchell Library, 201 North Street, 287 2999. Festive stories and poems for all ages.
NEW SHOW PRIMARY SCHOOL MUSICAL Big Red Door, Edinburgh. Run ended ●●●●●
Glasgow Activities and Fun FREE Toddler Time Fri 18 Dec, 11.30am–noon. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Songs, stories and fun. No need to book. FREE Back to the Drawing Board Sun 20 Dec, 2–3.30pm. Museum of Transport, Kelvin Hall, 1 Bunhouse Road, 287 2651. Creative workshop where you can sketch some of the objects on display. Braehead’s 4-D Santa Movie Until Thu 24 Dec, 11am–8pm; Sat 9am–6pm; Sun 10am–5.30pm. £4.50 (family ticket £7.50–£15). Braehead Shopping Centre, Kings Inch Road, 885 1441. Step inside the gingerbread house and experience the ten-minute film Tinkerdoodle’s Christmas while snowflakes appear to be falling from the sky. Ticket price includes gift. Arts and Crafts with the Creation Station Fri 18 Dec, 9.45am. £4.50 (£2.25). Gardner Street Church, Muirpark Street, Partick, 07713 741502. Fun and mess with arts and crafts for pre- schoolers. All materials and overalls supplied. Glasgow on Ice Until Sun 3 Jan, 10am–10pm. £6–£8.50 (£2.50–£6; family ticket £23). George Square, 564 4220. A chance to perfect your pirouettes (or at least let go of the side) as George Square’s open air ice rink returns for another year accompanied by non-stop music. Parent and toddler sessions take place on Sundays at 10–11am and Wednesdays noon–1pm. Mrs Claus at Pollok House Until Thu 24 Dec, 11am–4pm. £4. Pollok House, Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 0844 493 2202. While Santa makes his final preparations for Christmas Mrs Claus finds some time to pop into Pollok House to visit the children and drop off some gifts. A timed ticketing system will apply. FREE Christmas Crackers Until Sun 20 Dec, times vary. Queen’s Park Glasshouses, Langside Road, 276 1476. Say hi to Santa in his spectacular grotto and take part in all the fun festivities as the ever-popular annual event returns. FREE Christmas Wally Tiles Sat 19 Dec, 1–4pm. People’s Palace & Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green, 276 0788. Create your own version of Glasgow’s famous wally tiles with a Christmassy twist. Dress for arty messiness! Ages 5+. Theatre & Dance The Puddock and the Princess Until Thu 24 Dec, 10.30am & 1.30pm (also 19–24 Dec 4.30pm). £5 (family ticket £22). Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 4267. Scottish Youth Theatre’s Scottish twist on The Frog Prince. Age 3–7. Santa’s Little Helpers Sat 19–Thu 24 Dec. Sat, Tue & Wed 10.30am, 1.15pm & 3.15pm; Sun 1.15pm & 3.15pm; Mon & Thu 10.30am & 1.15pm. £10 per adult and child. Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Help out Stamp and Stitch, the overworked Christmas elves, in Changing House’s seasonal storytelling show. Pockets Full of Christmas Puppets Sat 19 Dec, 2pm & 3.45pm. £4.95 (children £4.75). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Flotsam and Jetsam puppeteer Aileen Finlay wears her special story dress, with pockets full of puppets and surprises. Scottish Ballet’s Christmas Cracker Wed 30 Dec, 4pm. £9 (£5; family ticket £22). Theatre Royal, 282 Hope Street, 0844 871 7647. An introduction to the current production of The Nutcracker (score by Tchaikovsky, choreography by Ashley Page) for children aged 4+.
Edinburgh Activities and Fun FREE Super Science Show / Meet the Scientist Sat/Sun 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm & 3.15pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. One of two science shows. Ages 5+. Shows last 20 minutes. Bungy Snowdome Until Mon 4 Jan (not Fri 25 Dec), times vary. £6. East Princes Street Gardens, www.edinburghschristmas.com. Enter the bungy snowdome and bounce about doing amazing acrobatics and leaps. Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. FREE Santa’s Reindeer Garden Until Wed 23 Dec, 10am–6pm. West Princes Street Gardens, below Castle Rock, www.edinburghschristmas.com. Visit and feed Santa’s fleet-footed, antlered friends. Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. Fun Workshops at Santa’s Igloo Village Until Wed 23 Dec, 11am–5pm. £3. West Princes Street Gardens, below Castle Rock, www.edinburghschristmas.com. Christmas crafts run by the Imagination Workshop. Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. Santa Express Until Wed 23 Dec, times vary. £2 (children £1.50). West Princes Street Gardens, below Castle Rock, www.edinburghschristmas.com. All aboard the Santa Express for a ride around the gardens. Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. The Red Bus Christmas Trips: The Father Christmas Special Until Sat 19 Dec, times vary. £6 (family ticket £22). Various venues, 07599 912687. Festive day trips on board a decorated Routemaster bus with gifts for the children. Ages 7 and under. Christmas Decoration-Making Workshop Fri 18 Dec, 4–5pm. £8. Imagination Workshop, 136 Marchmont Road, 466 0148. Make pretty baubles to hang on the tree or Christmas-up a room. Ages 5+. Santa Claus is Coming . . . to the Zoo! Sat 19 & Sun 20 Dec, 10am–4pm. Included in admission: £14 (£12; children £9.50; under 3s free). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. See Santa in his grotto, listen to carollers, eat mince pies, receive a gift, have a photo taken with him then post letter to Santa (and get a reply!) Supersonic Christmas Sat 19 & Sun 20 Dec, noon–4pm. £5. National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, 247 4238. Santa has upgraded – visit him in his jet stream airplane! Booking recommended. FREE Green Christmas – Christmas Spice Sat 19 & Sun 20 Dec, 1–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Learn about the RBGE’s collection of warming, wintery ginger and use some to make a spicy gift to take home. Ages 5+. The Magic of Christmas for Families Sun 20 Dec, 11am–3.30pm. £5 per adult/child. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Spend a day working on a variety of Christmassy projects. Hot chocolate and nibbles are provided but bring a packed lunch. Ages 6+. Please book in advance. FREE Bags of Art Sun 20 Dec, 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 Candle Painting Workshop Sun 20 Dec, 4–5pm. £8. Imagination Workshop, 136 Marchmont Road, 466 0148. Decorate a candle for your home or as a gift. Ages 5+.
Fed up with the me-me-me narcissism of High School Musical? Hankering for the chutzpah of Bugsy Malone? Longing to see a song-and-dance show that has a built-in call to political action?
Well, the opportunity is here with Primary School Musical, a delightful
antidote to the fame-is-the-spur values of Hannah Montana, packed with catchy songs and imbued with an uplifting sense of public spiritedness. The only catch is that to get the full experience you have to find a class of willing P7s and stage the show for yourself. The brainchild of Angus Reid – book, music and lyrics – Primary School
Musical began as a response to the threatened closure of Edinburgh’s Stockbridge Primary. Happily, the school and the show live on, but it’s the producers’ idea that P7 classes across the country should now mount their own versions.
I recommend they do. Probably best not to tell the head teacher about the show’s call for civil disobedience, but no harm in emphasising its valuable message about empowerment as it tells the tale of a class of 11- year-olds fighting for the survival of their education using the power of song alone.
It features tailor-made parts for the whole class – from the socially
deprived chav to the timid new boy – and it rattles along with a meta- theatrical conceit, being a musical about putting on a musical. All this is great fun, but it’s Reid’s songs, a bright and breezy set of catchy ensemble numbers and touching ballads, that carry the day. (Mark Fisher) ■ www.primaryschoolmusical.org
Santa’s Grotto Tue 22–Thu 24 Dec, 2.15–3.15pm. £3 per child. Gorgie City Farm, 51 Gorgie Road, 337 4202. Meet Santa along with his elf and animals and receive a gift. FREE Art-tastic: Birds of Paradise Sun 3 Jan, 1–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. If you’re still wading around in crumpled up Christmas wrapping paper, take it along to the Gardens and transform it into beautiful birds of paradise, parrots and humming birds. FREE Art Cart Sun 3 Jan, 2–4pm. National Gallery Complex, The Mound, 624 6200. Get the whole family involved in these artistic activities, inspired each month by different works from the collection. Ages 3–12. FREE Big Bird Event at the Hermitage! Mon 4 Jan, noon–3pm. Hermitage of Braid Visitor Centre, 69 Braid Road, 447 7145. Do your bit for local birdlife: learn how to build your own bird box to take away home or to put up in your favourite Nature Reserve. Under 16s must be accompanied. Please bring sturdy footwear, warm clothes and waterproofs. Booking essential. Music Children’s Classic Concerts: Let it Snow Sun 20 Dec, 1pm & 3pm. £9 (£5); family ticket £26. The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019.
Owen and Olly present an all singing, all dancing Christmas cracker of a concert with the help of the National Youth Choir of Scotland Training Choir and the Manor School of Ballet. Storytelling Story Space Thu 17 Dec, 11am. £5. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Storytelling in the courtyard with games, songs and movement to get the imaginative juices flowing. Ages 2–5 (plus carers). FREE Storytelling at Santa’s Igloo Sat 19–Wed 23 Dec, 11am–4pm. West Princes Street Gardens, below Castle Rock, www.edinburghschristmas.com. The Scottish Storytelling Centre pulls on its winter woollens and warms up its imagination for stories in the igloo. Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. Round the Tree Sat 19 Dec, Wed 23 & Thu 24 Dec. 1.30pm & 3pm. £4 (£3; family ticket £12). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Gather around the tree to hear stories from Heather Henderson (Sat 19), Lea Taylor (Wed 23) or Fiona Herbert (Thu 24) and puppeteer Ian Turbitt. FREE Green Christmas – Talking Trees Storytelling Sun 20 Dec, 2–3pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Settle in for some wintery, Christmassy tales. Ages 5+.
17 Dec 2009–7 Jan 2010 THE LIST 69