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 Cadbury Easter Egg Trail Fri 2–Mon 5 Apr, times vary. Prices vary. National Trust venues throughout Scotland. Children’s entertainment and a trail with chocolate eggs to be won at the end. See www.eastereggtrails.co.uk FREE Peg Doll Theatre Tue 6 Apr, 10.30am–12.30pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. A peg doll making workshop, followed by a mini-performance. Project Ability Easter Holiday Programme Tue 6–Fri 9 Apr, 10am–noon. £3 per workshop. Project Ability, Trongate 103, 552 2822. Printing, casting and animation workshops to while away the Easter hols. Week one is for 8–12 including young people with disabilities; week two ages 12–18. Booking required. Doon the Watter Tue 6–Thu 15 Apr (not Sat/Sun), 1–3pm. Included in admission: £5.95 (£4.65; first child free; additional children £3). The Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour, 100 Stobcross Road, 222 2513. Drop in craft activities to explore the history of the river. FREE Wild Things: Live! Wed 7 Apr, 10am. Buchanan Galleries, Buchanan Street, 333 9898. The roadshow drops into Glasgow to offer children some more offbeat Easter animals: think penguins, squirrel monkeys and exotic reptiles rather than chicks and bunnies. FREE Saturday Art Club: My Rosette Sat 10 Apr, 10.30am–1pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. Design a coat of arms for your family, and make it in glorious Technicolor 3D from the materials provided. Drop-in event. Age 3+. Easter Academy 2010 Mon 12–Sat 17 Apr, 9am–3pm. £90 (£70). Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, 429 0022. Fun activities for the holidays, split into different age groups. Arts and Crafts Drop-in Mon 12–Sat 17 Apr, 3–5pm. £3 per sessions. Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, 429 0022. Drop in for arty activities over the spring break. FREE Have a (Masked) Ball Tue 13 Apr, 10.30am–12.30pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. Aged 3+? Like noise and mess? Then head along to this drop-in session where you can make an exciting mask and then wear it to a masked percussion ball. FREE Sink or Swim Wed 14 Apr, 10.30am–12.30pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. Can you build a boat that floats? Age 3+.
Festival Puppet Animation Festival Until Thu 22 Apr, times vary. Prices vary. Various venues, 01224 575743. The Puppet Animation Festival is the UK’s oldest and largest performing arts event for children, attracting over 16,000 children and their families to performances and workshops throughout Scotland, provided by leading puppetry companies from the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. See www.puppetanimationfestival.org Theatre and Dance Peppa Pig’s Party Wed 7 & Thu 8 Apr, 10am, 1pm & 4pm. £13.50–£15.50 (children £11.50–£13.50). King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, 0844 871 7648. It’s wee pink pig Peppa’s birthday in this puppet stage show based on the children’s TV programme. Treasure Island Tue 13–Sat 17 Apr, 2.30pm (not Fri) & 7pm (not Tue & Thu). £7 (£4 on Tuesday). Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, 429 0022. Wee Stories presents a retelling of Robert Louis
60 THE LIST 1–15 Apr 2010
Stevenson’s swash-buckling adventure story. Mish Gorecki Goes Missing Wed 14–Sun 25 Apr, times vary. £6. Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Performance by Australian playwright Skye Loneragan. Ages 8+.
Storytelling FREE Garden of Heaven Storytelling for Families Sun 4 Apr & Sun 11 Apr, 2.30–4.30pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2550. Get comfy on some beautiful Persian carpets and be transported by legends and fairytales of Ancient Persia. FREE Library Story Time Sat 10 Apr, noon–12.30pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. Sit back and enjoy a relaxing half an hour of storytelling. For families with children aged 3–8. Edinburgh Activities and Fun FREE Naturally Native Until Fri 2 Apr, 10am–5pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Discover native Scottish plants on a fun trail through the gardens with the Garden Rangers. Under 16s must be accompanied. Red Kite Animation Workshop Fri 2 Apr, 10.30am–1pm & 1.15–3.45pm. £23. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7101. Make a model and find out about animation at the morning or afternoon session. Ages 8–14. FREE Spring Bluebells at Ravelston Woods Fri 2 Apr, 2pm. Ravelston Woods Local Nature Reserve, Craigcrook Road, 447 7145. A springtime walk through the woods. Ages 8+; under 16s must be accompanied. Booking essential. Cadbury Easter Egg Trail Fri 2–Mon 5 Apr, times vary. Prices vary. National Trust venues throughout Scotland. Children’s entertainment and a trail with chocolate eggs to be won at the end. See www.eastereggtrails.co.uk Easter at Surgeon’s Hall Museum Fri 2–Mon 5 Apr (not Sat/Sun), noon–4pm. £5 (£3). Surgeons’ Hall Museum, Royal College of Surgeons, Nicolson Street, 527 1649. On Easter Monday meet the 19th century surgeon who will be bringing to life operations, innovations and machinations from surgical history. Be a Royal Artist Sat 3–Mon 5 & Sat 10–Mon 12 Apr, 1–4pm. Included in admission: £10.25 (£9.30; children £6.20; under 5s free; family ticket £27). Palace of Holyroodhouse, Royal Mile, 556 5100. Try painting a royal portrait inspired by the palace’s collections. FREE Search for the Holy-rood Grail Sun 4 Apr, 11am–3pm. Holyrood Park Education Centre, 1 Queen’s Drive, 652 8150. Solve the clues to follow a trail around the park and find some treasure, followed by egg rolling. Booking essential. Design for Theatre Tue 6 Apr, 10am–4pm. £25 (£10). Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. A workshop in costume and set design. Ages 13–18. FREE Arthur’s Secrets Tue 6 & 13 Apr, 1–3pm. Holyrood Park, Holyrood Lodge, 652 8150. Take a walk up Edinburgh’s own volcanic rock and discover its past, present and wildlife. Moderately graded walk. Booking essential. Modroc Modelling Tue 6–Fri 9 Apr, 10am–noon. £15 per day. Imagination Workshop, 136 Marchmont Road, 466 0148. Have fun and get messy with this plaster-based modelling technique. Working with Directors and Audition Techniques Wed 7–Fri 9 Apr, 10am–4pm. £70 (£30). Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. A three-day workshop for budding thesps in dealing with that most stressful of activities: the audition. Ages 13–18.
SCIENCE FESTIVAL SHOW IT IS ROCKET SCIENCE Adam House, Edinburgh, Fri 9 & Sat 10 Apr
Science and comedy may not seem like the most obvious of pairings, but Helen Keen’s wittily titled show is proving the two go hand in hand perfectly. Part of this year’s Edinburgh International Science Festival, It Is Rocket Science explores Keen’s obsession with all things space-related, something she attributes to her formative years.
‘The space shuttle first launched when I was quite little,’ she says, ‘and I remember seeing lots of stuff about it and really getting into it. There was also a TV programme called The Adventure Game, which was like a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for kids – and Haley’s Comet was going over as well. So it was all those things together that made me start liking the idea of space.’ Keen’s show delves into the reasons behind her fascination with rockets
and astronauts, followed by a chronological look at some of the movers and shakers in the space race. ‘There were quite a lot of colourful personalities involved in the early days of space exploration,’ says Keen. ‘And their stories really jump off the page when you read about them. We also divide the audience into Americans and Russians and try and recapture some of the magic of the early 1960s.’
Aimed at early teens upwards, the show has gone down equally well with younger children interested in space – no doubt helped by the host of silly tin foil props and costumes. Aside from giving you all a good laugh, however, Keen also hopes she’ll inspire others to be just as interested in space travel as she is. ‘It’s great if people know some new things after seeing the show,’ she
says. ‘But it would be even nicer if it ignites that spark for other people and they walk away thinking “I want to know more about this”.’ To book go to www.festivals.ed.ac.uk (Kelly Apter)
Amazing Easter Fun! Sat 10 & Sun 11 Apr, 10am–12.30pm. £4 per adult/child. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 628 3963. Easter fun and games in Lauriston’s beautiful grounds, including a woodland egg hunt, Easter bonnet-making and an egg and spoon race. FREE Edinburgh Direct Aid Meets the Circus at Out of the Blue Sat 10 Apr, 11am–4.30pm. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7101. Circus activities for children to raise funds and awareness for Edinburgh Direct Aid: www.edinburghdirectaid.org Funky Stuff Week Mon 12–Fri 16 Apr, 10am–noon. £75. Imagination Workshop, 136 Marchmont Road, 466 0148. So much cool stuff to make and only one week in which to do it: make and take home a butterfly mobile, canvas clock, butterfly mobile, cool light shade and felted bowl. Easter Pottery Workshop Mon 12 & Tue 13 Apr, 10.30am–noon. £12 (£20 for both sessions). Kiss the Fish Studios, 9 Dean Park Street, Stockbridge, 332 8912. Ceramic workshop for children with Michelle from Making Pottery. Lighting for Theatre Tue 13 Apr, 10am–4pm. £25 (£10). Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. Learn all about rigging, focusing, colour and design. Ages 13–18. Train Your Eye Tue 13 Apr, 10am–4pm. £20. Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, 228 2688. A one-day digital photography course with one photo from each participant displayed at the Filmhouse for
two weeks from 16 April. Ages 14–18. LYT Quest Wed 14–Fri 16 Apr, 10am–4pm. £70 (£30). Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. Improvisation, script work, stage combat, make up and special effects workshop. Ages 8–12. Children’s Drawing Workshop Thu 15 Apr, 10am–2pm. £12. Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, 228 2688. A workshop hosted by Scottish cartoonist Malcy Duff for children aged 7–12. Festival Puppet Animation Festival Until Thu 22 Apr, times vary. Prices vary. Various venues, 01224 575743. See Glasgow. Edinburgh International Science Festival Sat 3–Sat 17 Apr, times vary. Prices vary. Various venues, 553 0322. An amazing public programme of shows, exhibitions, hands-on workshops, talks, tours and events to inspire, excite, challenge, amuse and entertain adults and children alike with the incredible breadth of science: from footballer robots to artificial blood to the psychology of comedy, it’s all covered. See www.sciencefestival.co.uk and preview.
Storytelling Story Space Thu 15 Apr, 11am. £5 (accompanying adult free). 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).