A Trip to the Theatre: Princess and the Pea

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The Unicorn Theatre is putting on a quirky and inventive adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale of the search for a real princess with a pile of mattresses and a single pea. Princess and the Pea is guaranteed to get even the youngest of children enthralled and involved in the story with the use of sheets, puppets and dreamlike projections. The play is ideally for ages 2-5 and was originally shown at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon a few years ago. Back by popular demand, it is advisable to book in advance and quickly so that you don’t miss out. It runs from this Thursday (22nd October) until Sunday 1st November. Times are 10.45am and 1.45pm Thurs-Sat and 1.45pm on Sundays.

Cost: £10 (Concs £7.50), Family ticket £28

Where? 147 Tooley Street, Southwark, LONDON SE1 2HZ.

Station: London Bridge or Tower Hill

For more information, or to book, click here.

And if you do go, let us know how it you find it by either leaning a comment below or emailing [email protected] !

Something for the Weekend!

Looking for something to do this weekend for the whole family? We aim to bring you some brilliant ideas of what to do on Saturdays and Sundays. Just log on at Friday lunchtime and plan your weekend quickly and easily!

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1. The BIG DRAW: Pirate Day at Discover, the story making centre for children in Stratford is holding the latest BIG DRAW event for children as part of their Pirates Ahoy! exhibition. They receive a goodie bag on arrival and can participate in various swashbuckling activities throughout the day. It runs from 11am til 4pm.

Cost: Adults £4.50, Concessions £4 (free for under-2s), Family ticket £16

Where? 1 Bridge Terrace, London, E15 4BG

Station: Stratford

Familyweb2. There is a Family Concert of Beethoven Eroica Symphony at 4:30pm on Saturday (17th Oct). For a touch of culture, take your children to this classical concert for ages 4+.

Cost: Adults £8, Children (under 16) £6

Where? St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, London

Tube: Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Embankment.

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3. The Horniman Museum’s Robot Zoo is coming to an end, so this weekend may be one of your only chances to catch it before the half term rush! Children can get involved with various activities and have fun whilst learning about evolution as part of Darwin’s 200th anniversary.

Cost: £5 for adults, Children £2.50 (under 3s free) (Family ticket £13 for 2 adults and 2 children).

Where? 100 London Rd, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3PQ.

Station: Forest Hill

Explore Paris: Avec la Famille!

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How to get there

There are two very simple ways of getting to Paris. The most simple is probably the Eurostar if you live in, or within easy reach of, London. The beauty of going by train is a shorter check-in period and the lack of luggage restrictions. Plus, you are bang in the heart of the most beautiful city in the world when you alight. With a Leisure Select ticket you can book a table and food and drink is included so if you’re travelling at a meal time, the kids won’t get fidgety. If travelling in Standard, you’ll have to make do with the buffet, but the selection is not too bad and there is at least plenty of room for kids to stretch out in the aisles if they come to pick what they want.

If you’d prefer to fly, you can get a quick and easy flight from most airports in the UK with Air France, British Airways as well as Easyjet, Ryanair (from Scotland and Ireland) and BMIbaby from East Midlands Airport.

Getting Around

A lot of the centre is walkable, which is good because many metro stations lack lifts/escalators which can be a problem with pushchairs and buggies. Taxis aren’t that expensive in Paris if you need to get somewhere quickly. However, if you do choose to take the metro, the bigger stations are more accessible and the system is open from about 5am until gone midnight. The maps are colour-coded and easy to decipher. Prices depend on the type of ticket that you get, but a ParisVisite pass is good if you plan on visiting museums and galleries as it offers many discounts and free entries.

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Eating

Most restaurants are family friendly and kids will love simple meals followed by crêpes or un chocolat chaud! Walk around and check out what’s on offer. Often the best places will have kids’ menus and a selection of Menus du Jour at various prices for adults and older children.

Sleeping Arrangements

Hotels.co.uk has a fantastic selection of Family Friendly Hotels in Paris, so you’ll be safe in the knowledge that the children are just as welcome as you are. Expedia also have a family hotel category. Self-catering apartments are an option if you fancy more of a home away from home.

Where to go

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If the weather is lovely, it’s worth taking a boat trip down the Seine. There are various stops along the river where you can hop on and enjoy the sights! Company Bateaux Mouches also offers amazing lunch and dinner cruises too if you fancy eating a little differently!

The Eiffel Tower is always a great idea and after all, what Paris is best known for. With children, it is definitely worth paying a little bit more to take the lift. Try to avoid the queues too by avoiding weekends if you can although it’s always busy. It may be possible if you book into the restaurants, as you can queue jump, but it’s all worth it once you see the views anyway! Also, to keep children busy, they do sell a cool activity book on the first floor that includes a quiz to do on the way around the tower.

The Louvre has a great programme of workshops for children and you can print out thematic trails in English to follow around the museum.

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For fabulous outside spaces, Paris is full of parks, such as the Jardin des Tuileries just next to the Louvre Museum. At the other end, if you cross Place de la Concorde, you’ll also find the Champs Elysées. If you fancy a bigger park, the the Jardin du Luxembourg boasts a puppet theatre, an aviary, boules games, a pond and statues to look at, so the kids will be entertained for hours! Take a picnic on a sunny day and enjoy the atmosphere.

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If your kids are more into discovery centres, you’ll find the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie (City of Science and Industry) and the Cité de la Musique at the Parc de la Villette. It’s not very central so you may have to make a day of it. For amusement parks, try the Jardin d’Acclimatation, Parc Asterix and of course Disneyland Paris, but you’ll probably need a whole other weekend to get around that!

The Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum) has various attractions that interest children, such as a mini zoo in the Jardin des Plantes, a botanical garden, as well as skeletons, fossils, stuffed animals and crystals to look at in the museum itself.

Finally, for something a little bit different, try the Musée des Egouts de Paris (Paris Sewers Museum!), where you’ll find an intricate world underneath the buzz of the city.

Comedy Club for Kids at Soho Theatre

Why should adults have all the fun? Here’s a brilliant idea to entertain the whole family this weekend. The Comedy Club for Kids has returned to Soho Theatre so kids can enjoy all the excitement of a comedy show, but without the rude bits! The shows are suitable for age 6 upwards and are at 1pm on Saturdays fortnightly until the 5th December, so if you can’t make it this week, don’t panic! Below are the dates of future shows:

10 October: Stu Goldsmith and Benny Boot

24 October: Pat Monaghan and Richard Sandling

7 November: Adrian Poynton and Gerry Howell

21 November: Gordon Souther and Alexis Dubus

5 December: Andre O’Neill and Luke Toulson

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Also, if your children really catch the comedy bug, they can take part in a comedy academy before the show and some lucky participants will even get a chance to perform in the show!

For more information, go to the Soho Theatre Kids Website.

They also perform all over the country. Check out their temporary website.

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