KIDS Family Storytime Sat 25 & Sun 26 Jan, 10.30am & 12.30pm. £5 (family £15; under 2s free). Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. Interactive storytelling sessions for families with children under 7 years. Tall Tales Saturdays 25 Jan & 1, 8 & 15 Feb, 10am. £6. Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Interactive storytelling session with movement, mime and props. Ages 3–5. Family Storytime Sat 8 & Sun 9 Feb, 10.30am & 12.30pm. £5 (family £15; under 2s free). Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. See above. FREE Saturdays at St Mungo Sat 8 Feb, 1–3pm. St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, 2 Castle Street, 276 1625. Arts, crafts, storytelling and games designed to help youngsters learn more about St Mungo’s collections. Tiny Tales Wednesdays 12 & 19 Feb, 10am. £6. Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Different tales every time, followed by a creative play session. Ages 6 months to 2 years. The Dragon Who Hates Poetry Tue 18 Feb, 11am. £5 (family £15). Eastwood Park Theatre, Eastwood Park, Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock, 577 4970. Dommy B presents a comedic children’s theatre piece.
Theatre & Dance Oscar and the Highland Castle Sat 25 Jan, 2pm & 4pm. £5.75 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. The tale of Oscar the mouse and Incy Wincy Spider as they try to free the castle. The Three Bears Sat 1 Feb, 2pm. £5.75 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Clydebuilt Puppets takes the classic story of Goldilocks and those much put-upon bears and gives it a healthy eating spin. Ages 3+.
✽The Magic Horse Sat 15 Feb, 2pm. £5.75 (adults £5.95). Scottish
Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. The Scottish tale of a young man who exchanges his old mare for a black stallion which leads him on a quest to win the hand of a lovely princess. Ages 3+.
EDINBURGH
Activities & Fun The Family Gallery Fridays 24 & 31 Jan, 7 & 14 Feb, 10–11am. £4 per child. Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. Family art workshops for under 5s and their parents. FREE Create a Caricature Saturdays 25 Jan & 15 Feb, 10am–noon. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. An arty class where you can have a look at some of Edinburgh’s most famous faces, then take inspiration from well-known caricaturist Walter Geikie and draw some of your own. Ages 7+. FREE Meet the Mammoths Sat 25 & Sun 26 Jan, noon–4pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Plenty of Ice Age- themed activities to welcome our furry friends the mammoths to NMS. FREE Fabulous Hats Sat 25 Jan, 12.30–2.30pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. In the 1800s you weren’t fully dressed without a hat. Walter Geikie’s drawings are on hand to inspired young ‘uns to create their own top hat or bonnet. Scottish Soldier in the Crimean War Sun 26 Jan, 10.45am, 11.30am, 1.30pm & 2.30pm. Price included in admission. Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 225 9846. Find out what conditions were like for a Scottish Soldier during the Crimean War. Meet in Hospital Square, or in the event of bad weather, in National War Museum foyer. FREE Meet the Ancestors Sun 66 THE LIST 23 Jan–20 Feb 2014
624 6200. Drop in to the gallery and make your own masterpiece using materials provided. Ages 4–12. FREE Portrait Detectives! Sun 9 Feb, 2–4pm. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, 624 6200. Solve some age-old mysteries from Scottish history, the answers to which are contained within the portraits. Ages 4–12. FREE Peg Doll People Sat 15 Feb, 12.30–2.30pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Create 19th century peg characters.
✽FREE The Big Stitch Up! Sat 15 Feb, 1.30–4.30pm. Scottish National
Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, 624 6200. Join embroiderer Helen McCook to make a giant communal work of art. See preview, left. FREE Bags of Art Sun 16 Feb, 2–4pm. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, 75 Belford Road, 624 6200. Explore the gallery and make your own art. Ages 4–12. Green Week Mon 17–Wed 19 Feb, 11am–3.30pm. Price included in admission. Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Learn how to be greener with advice and tips from the zoo. First World War – Liverpool Scottish Wed 19 Feb, 10.45am, 11.30am, 1.30pm & 2.30pm. Price included in admission. Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 225 9846. Find out more about the experience of serving in WWI.
Books & Storytelling ✽The Twa Rabbies Sat 25 Jan, 11am–noon. £5 (£3). Scottish
Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Macastory explores Burns’ secret untold adventures at this evening of tall tales, songs and poems. Ages 5+. Part of Burnsfest.
✽We’ll a’ Be Proud o’ Robin Sat 25 Jan, 2–3pm. £5. Scottish
Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. A lively version of the songs, poems and stories of Robert Burns. Ages 5+. Burnsfest. The Story Kist: Inclusive Storytelling Sat 1 Feb, 11am–noon. £5. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Interactive stories and games for children with additional needs and their families. Tiny Tales Tue 4 Feb, 10–10.40am & 11.30am–12.10pm. £5. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Stories, rhymes and songs for wee ears. Today it’s Jungle Boogie! Ages 1–3. FREE Talking Trees Storytelling Sun 16 Feb, 2–2.45pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2909. Storytelling to transport adults and children alike to a magical land far away. Ages 5+.
Music ✽The Singing Kettle: Magic Wishing Well Sun 26 Jan, noon &
3pm. £13.50. King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street, 529 6000. Music, song and fun from Anya, Kevin and Gary.
Theatre & Dance Red Riding Hood Sat 15 Feb, 1–1.50pm & 3–3.50pm. £8. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. An imaginative take on the evergreen fairytale about the young girl with the red cape.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES Theatre & Dance Blown Away Sat 15 Feb, 11am & 2pm. £7. macrobert, University of Stirling, 01786 466666. The tale of a young boy who gets swept up by the wind and taken on an incredible journey. Ages 3–5. Wash Sun 16 Feb, 11am & 2pm. £7. macrobert, University of Stirling, 01786 466666. Join Anna and Monkey as they discover a world of water, bubbles and spinning.
CRAFT EVENT THE BIG STITCH UP! Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 15, Fri 21 Feb
Back in the day, learning how to work magic with a sewing needle was essential for schoolchildren (well, the girls anyway). Opportunities for today’s young generation to get creative with fabric are few and far between – but Birmingham-based embroidery artist Helen McCook hopes to provide some at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery this half-term.
‘The whole time I’m working in Edinburgh I’ll be trying to make embroidery and textiles as accessible as possible,’ says McCook. ‘Children often get left out of this kind of work, because people worry about sharp scissors and needles, or think they won’t be able to pay attention for that long. But it really doesn’t have to be that way. There are many things you can do to make embroidery interesting for children.’
McCook, who was part of the team that embellished Kate
Middleton’s wedding dress, will spend two days creating a work inspired by a frieze in the gallery’s Great Hall depicting Scotland’s history – and she wants plenty of helpers to join her. ‘There are lots of points of interest in it for children: historic figures they may have heard of, plants and animals from around Scotland. The piece will be large- scale and very colourful, with fancy yarns and ribbons – very tactile and pleasing for little hands, or big hands, to get hold of.’ McCook will also be running two workshops for ages 7+, to create an individual embroidery to take home. But the large-scale work will belong to all of us. ‘The idea is that people can come and sit at it, ask questions, poke at it and have a go if they want to,’ she says. ‘And it’s about introducing children to the joy of stitching. It’s very tactile, very social and enjoyable. At the end of the project, it isn’t just my piece, it belongs to the gallery and therefore the people of Edinburgh.’ (Kelly Apter)
26 Jan, 2–2.30pm, 2.45–3.15pm & 3.30–4pm. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, 624 6200. Explore history using costumes, props and your imagination. Ages 4–12. Young Tellers Fri 31 Jan, 2.30– 4.30pm. £10. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Young people aged 8–16 can try their hand at storytelling in this workshop with seasoned pros, who’ll cover storytelling skills and technique. FREE City Sights Sat 1 Feb, 10am– noon. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Classes for families and kids to explore art together. Ages 7+. Young Storytellers: Nurturing the Next Wave Sat 1 Feb, 10.30am– 4.30pm. £24 (members £16). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Tim Porteus and Lea Taylor help young people improve the skills needed for effective storytelling. FREE Glasshouse Leaf Art Sat 1 & Sun 2 Feb, 1–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2909. Use leaves from the Botanics’ glasshouses to create splatter prints. FREE Art Maker Sun 2 Feb, 2–4pm. Scottish National Gallery, The Mound,