list.co.uk/kids clues to find Peter Rabbit.
Music ✽ Children’s Classic Concerts: It’s Snowtime! Sat 8 Dec, 1pm & 3pm.
£10–£15 (children £6–£9). Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. Christmas cracker of a concert from Owen and Olly.
Theatre & Dance The Three Little Pigs & a Lot of Tails Sat 17 Nov, 2pm. £5.50 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. A trio of tales told via imaginative puppetry. Pied Piper of Hamelin & Other Tales Sun 18 Nov, 3pm. £5.50 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. A piper rids the town of rats, and other things. Ages 3+. The Singing Ringing Tree Sat 24 Nov, 2pm. £5.50 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Glove-puppet tale of a prince and his quest for the magic tree. Ages 3+.
✽ Little Ulla Wed 28 Nov–Sun 2 Dec, times vary. £5. Scottish Opera, 40
Edington Street, 332 9000. See preview, left. Oh Crumbs, Scary Biscuits! Fri 30 Nov–Sun 16 Dec (not Mon), 10.30am, 1.30pm & 4pm. Tue 18–Mon 24 Dec, 10.30am, 1.30pm & 4.30pm. £7.50. Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. A new take on the tale of Hansel and Gretel. Ages 3–7. The Ugly Duckling Fri 30 Nov–Fri 28 Dec, 10.30am & 1.30pm (Sat & Sun 1pm & 3.30pm; Fri 21 Dec 10.30am only; not Tue 25 & Wed 26 Dec). £9.50 (£5; family £24). The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. A disco take on the tale of the unhappy duckling. Ages 3+. Christmas Time Sat 1–Mon 24 Dec, times vary. £7.50 (family £19.50–£26). Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Festive rhyming show counting down the minutes til Christmas. Ages 3–6. Rapunzel Sat 1 Dec, 2pm & 4pm. £5.50 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. A damsel in distress lets her hair down. Ages 3+. Sleeping Beauty Sat 1 Dec–Sun 6 Jan. £13–£19.50 (children £7–£11.50; family £38–£58). Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, 429 0022. Playful and dark adaptation of the fairy tale. Weans in the Woods Wed 5–Mon 31 Dec, times vary. £10–£13. Cottiers Theatre, 93–95 Hyndland Street, 357 4000. Glasgow take on Babes in the Woods.
✽ Little Ulla Fri 7–Mon 10 Dec (not Mon), 10am & 1.30pm. £5. Platform,
The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. See preview, left. The Magic Horse Sat 8 Dec, 2pm. £5.50 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Scottish tale of a young man on a quest to woo a princess. Ages 3+.
✽ The Little Nutcracker Sat 8 Dec, 3.10–4.10pm. £6. Theatre Royal, 282
Hope Street, 0844 871 7647. A special Nutcracker dress rehearsal for little ones. Goldlilocks Tue 11–Sat 22 Dec, times vary. £9 (£4–£5). Platform, The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. A Christmassy take on the classic story. The Singing Kettle: Fairytale Christmas Thu 13 Dec, 10.30am & 1.30pm. Fri 14 Dec, 10.30am & 5pm. Sat 15 & Sun 16 Dec, noon & 3pm. £12–£13 (family £44–£48; groups of 10+ £8.50–£9 each). Braehead Arena, Kings Inch Road, 0844 499 1700. Festive singing and dancing from the Singing Kettle set.
EDINBURGH Activities & Fun Snugglebugs Fri 16 Nov, 10.30–11.30am. £2 (suggested donation as well as zoo admission). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine
INTERACTIVE FUN MUSEUM EXPLORER IPHONE APP National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh ●●●●●
Scooshing round the Museum of Scotland is a major weapon in the armoury of any Edinburgh-based parent. It’s indoors, fascinating, huge and diverse. What, possibly, could make it better? Museum Explorer, a new free smart-phone app published by the museum
is what. Developed by Kotikan, Museum Explorer isn’t just a guide, but a stimulus and boost to your enjoyment of a day in the museum. It’s a simple quest routine, although children under eight will need adult
supervision. Choosing from categories such as ‘fiercest’, ‘oldest’, ‘smelliest’ or ‘ugliest’, you are presented with a series of clues to find an object. Once found, a code nearby allows you to unlock a badge on the app, with details of the item and an option to take its (and the finder’s) photo. The result works exceptionally well. The object and category choices are not just inventive and engaging, but help you to see the museum in a fresh light. It takes a couple of hours to complete – not too long, but enough to be satisfying – and takes you into hidden corners.
Any drawbacks are mainly to do with how Museum Explorer engages with
external apps. You can tweet or Facebook the photo badges, but lack of network coverage in the museum doesn’t help. A built-in hashtag would be sensible, as would an android version. Otherwise, it’s a great idea, well executed. (Thom Dibdin) ■ bit.ly/exploreNMS
Road, 334 9171. Singing, dancing and movement, followed by arts and crafts. Ages six months–five years. FREE Symbol Stones Sat 17 Nov, 10.30am–12.30pm. Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate, 529 3963. Make Pictish symbols on air dry clay. Part of Previously . . . Scotland’s History Festival. FREE Bags of Art Sun 18 Nov, 2–4pm. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, 75 Belford Road, 624 6200. Explore the collections and create amazing works of art. Ages 3–12. FREE Lyceum Youth Theatre: Discover Tue 20 & 27 Nov, 4–5.30pm. North Edinburgh Arts Centre, 15a Pennywell Court, 315 2151. Fun drama session for ages 8–12. FREE Magic Carpet Wed 21 & 28 Nov, 5 & 12 Dec, 10.30–10.50am. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Fun activities, stories and songs. Imagination Workshop Wed 21 Nov, 11am–3pm. £2 (suggested donation as well as zoo admission). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Arts and crafts activities. Suitable for ages six months–five years. Monkey Music Fri 23 Nov, 10.30– 11.15am. £2 (suggested donation as well as zoo admission). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Dance and percussion fun. The Magical Christmas Castle: A Traditional Edwardian Christmas Experience Sat 24 & Sun 25 Nov, 10am–1pm. £6. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Games, a magic lantern show and traditional crafts. Previously. FREE Christmas Card Making Sat 24 Nov, noon. Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street, 524 0160. Make Christmas cards in the children’s department. Book Week Scotland. FREE The Wacky Races Sat 24 Nov, 10.30am & 1.30pm. Museum of Childhood, 42 High Street, 529 3963. Create a vehicle to race with friends. Previously. Christmas Panda Breakfast Sat 1 &
8 Dec, 10–11.30am. £15 per child + one adult. Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 314 0334. Breakfast, festive activities and a chance to meet Panda Claus before visiting Tian Tian and Yang Guang. Silver Bells and Tinsel Sat 1 Dec, 10.30am & 1.30pm. £4. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Making a row of sparkly bells from shiny paper and twinkling beads. FREE Make Some Handmade Christmas Decorations Sat 1 Dec, 10.30am & 1.30pm. Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate, 529 3963. Make Christmas tags, paper and decorations. Ages 5+. Sleigh Bells and Feathered Friends Sun 2 Dec, 10.30am & 1.30pm. £4. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Make hand-held jingle bells and some treats for winter birds.
✽ The Edinburgh Santa Toddle Sun 2 Dec, 1–3pm. £5 per child under six
+ adult. Inverleith Park, Arboretum Place, 208 2500. Santa pitches up for 1pm, and the toddle starts at 1.30pm. Santa and Rudolf Sun 9 Dec, 10.30am & 2.40pm. £4. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Make a mini Santa and Rudolf.
Books & Storytelling ✽ FREE Sally Magnusson Tue 27 Nov, 3pm. St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 524 0160. The story of Horace and the Haggis Hunter. Book Week Scotland. Stories Allways Sat 1 Dec, 6.30pm. £6 (£4). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 524 0160. Launch of Ruth Kirkpatrick’s new book of traditional tales. Ages 12+. Book Week Scotland. Pantomime and Pandaversary Sun 9 Dec, 9am–4pm. Included in admission. Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Celebrate the anniversary of the pandas’ arrival at the zoo with a day of festive fun, including a special production of Peter Pan (11.30am and 2.30pm) and a treasure hunt.
Music Jo Jingles Mon 19 Nov, 11am–3pm.
KIDS £2 (suggested donation as well as zoo admission). Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Music and movement with nursery rhymes and fun songs. Ages six months–five years. Happy Ears Sat 24 Nov, 10–10.45am & 11–11.45am. £5 per session. Calton Centre, 121 Montgomery Street, 07778 117333. Music group for dads and male carers and their little ones. Ages 0–15 months from 10am; ages 15 months–four years from 11am. BabyLovesBeats! Sun 25 Nov, 1–2pm. £3 per family. Calton Centre, 121 Montgomery Street, 07846 961257. New, lively dance class for under fives. Happy Ears Sat 1 & Wed 5 Dec, 10–10.45am. £5. Marchmont St Giles’ Church, 1a Kilgraston Road, 07778 117333. See above. Happy Ears Sat 8 Dec, 10–10.45am & 11–11.45am. £5 per session. Calton Centre, 121 Montgomery Street, 07778 117333. See above.
✽ Children’s Classic Concerts: It’s Snowtime! Sun 9 Dec, 3pm. £10–£15
(children £6–£9). Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. See Glasgow, Music.
Theatre & Dance Curtain Up! Wed 28 Nov–Sat 1 Dec, 7.30pm. £10 (£8.50). St Bride’s Centre, 10 Orwell Terrace, 440 2136. Community theatre production of Peter Quilter’s comedy. Each Peach Pear Plum Mon 10–Wed 12 Dec, 10–10.45am & 11.30am–12.15pm. £5 (children £3). Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7101. A fairtytale/I Spy mash-up. Ages 3+.
✽ Too Many Penguins? Tue 11– Thu 13 Dec, 10.30am & 2pm. £10.
Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. Christmas show with fun, laughs, entertainment and penguins. For under threes.
✽ The Snowman Thu 13–Sun 30 Dec, 4pm & 7pm. £16–£27 (£10–£24).
Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 13–29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. Magical family production based on the popular book.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES
Activities & Fun Multi-Coloured Blocks From Space Tue 4–Mon 24 Dec, 10am–2pm. £5 per adult + child. macrobert, University of Stirling, Stirling, 01786 466666. Magical art and sound installation for ages 0–2. Theatre & Dance Cinderella Wed 28 Nov–Mon 31 Dec, times vary. £8.50–£17.50. macrobert, University of Stirling, Stirling, 01786 466666. A modern take on the classic fairytale with songs, laughter and magic. Polar Bears Go Wild Tue 4 Dec–Sun 30 Dec, times vary. £9 (members £7.50; family of four £32; groups 10+ £6.50). macrobert, University of Stirling, Stirling, 01786 466666. Comedy, music, Christmassy treats and, yes, polar bears.
I’m playing hide & seek! F i n d m e a n d w i n !
Nts.org.uk/Rudolph 15 Nov–13 Dec 2012 THE LIST 73