Category: Pre-School (3-5)

Santa’s Magical Kingdom, Kent, UK

We went to see Father Christmas on Saturday courtesy of the lovely people at Hop Farm in Kent!  I know, it’s only flippin November and Christmas Comes Far Too Early!  However, it was absolutely brilliant and worth the 70 mile journey with a 3 year old in the back alternating between ‘where is Father Christmas’ and ‘are we nearly there yet’!

In the past, we’ve been to a local Santa’s Grotto and we also went on a Santa’s Steam train but neither of them compared to Santa’s Magical Kingdom.  It was a bit of a trek for us but once we got there it all ran very smoothly.  I was impressed by the whole set up.  You make your way through 9 checkpoints, with naughty elves to entertain you along the way.

Our journey began at the 4D cinema, that’s not a typo, it’s a 3D cinema but they pump in the smell of chocolate and bubbles.  It was absolutely magical watching Madame trying grab the 3D objects that came flying past.

Then we made our way through the Enchanted Forest, with a little something for the dad’s, a drop dead gorgeous Snow Maiden!  I love the smell of pine trees.

We had to make a quick stop at the Post Office to write our letter to Santa and post it up the magical chimney.  Madame has asked for all the Toy Story Characters and a Fish in a Bowl??  Hubby has vetoed the fish as he says that water and electrics don’t mix.  He’s such a party pooper.

We then wandered through the North Pole to meet Santa’s Reindeer, including two new babies born this year?  I wonder what their names are.  Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer?

We were greeted in the Craft Workshop by Mother Christmas and we busied ourselves making a decoration to take home.

Mrs. Christmas then read the children a story in the Story Room and can you guess whose daughter kept shouting out during it??

Madame got up to a bit of mischief with one of the naughty Elves on the Ice Walkway! Parents are treated to Mulled Wine and Mince Pies in the sweet shop.

Don’t miss my favourite, the singing and dancing Yeti!  What a scream!

Then it was time for the Grande finale, Father Christmas!  Once my husband stopped making jokes about the hallway looking like a brothel in Amsterdam, not sure how he knows this, we made our way into see Santa in cosy, private study.  I was truly impressed and he was a good looking Santa, if you know what I mean.  He took a good 5-10 minutes talking to Madame and then gift tumbled down the chimney for her.  It was a pink and white stuffed puppy that she hasn’t parted with since.

Thanks to everyone at Santa’s Magical Kingdom for a brilliant day out and one we won’t forget!

Disclosure: We received 3 tickets compliments of Santa’s Magical Kingdom

Ski Holidays for the Family

Yes, this is a sponsored post but it’s a genuine question.  A group of our friends are going on a Ski Holiday in Austria in Feb and have invited us along.  This particular group of friends are a great laugh but the majority of them don’t have kids.  However, they’ve always been brilliant with our daughter.  In fact, she thinks one of them is her second dad but that’s a whole different story.  There is one couple going who have a daughter but they’ve managed to find care for her for the week, lucky so and so’s!  However, this isn’t an option for us.

The idea would be that our friends would stay in the main hotel partying till silly o’clock and we would get something self-catering nearby and possibly take turns joining them at night.  Originally, I discounted it straight away but after seeing how much Madame enjoyed her ski lesson a couple of weeks ago I’m now toying with the idea again.

I’ve never been skiing in Europe nor have I ever been skiing for more than a day at a time.  When I was growing up in Canada we’d just drive up to the ski hill in the morning which was only 45 minutes away and would return in the evening.  The thought of skiing for a whole week sounds like it could be hard work.

I’ve also spoken to another friend who has taken her 3 year old skiing and she raves about it.  She said ‘if you’re inclined, the crèches/ski schools are so good that you don’t even have to see your kids all day if you don’t want to!’  Not sure if I’d be up for that but the option is tempting.

The last thing we need to consider it the cost.  I haven’t quite worked it out yet but a week for the 3 of us isn’t going to be cheap (hotel, flights, food, drink, lift passes, equipment).  Would I be better off killing two birds with one stone and investigating Ski holidays in Canada so I could combine it with wwvisiting family?

So, my question to you is ‘have you ever been skiing with a 3 year old and if so, would you recommend it?’

Performing Stories

Went to Story Tent put on by the Local Performing Arts Centre with my daughter yesterday morning.  It’s absolutely brilliant.  I’m assuming the lady who tells the story is an actor,  as she orated it magnificently, not a book to be found.  Then the children get the glue, scissors and paper out and create props for the story.  They finish by acting the story out together.  This week the story was Little Cock Feather Frock, one I’d never heard before. I did try to google it but it wasn’t one of my better ideas!

I really hope they aren’t affected by the governmental cut backs.  It would be sad to see these type of things disappear.

Top Ipad Apps for Kids

Following on from my first guest blog post – Travelling just got easier Part 01 – I thought I would follow up, as promised, with a more detailed iPad review of what exactly my boys like and what works and does work.

Lets start with the oldest, a 7 year old. I am not the kind of parent that throws technology at my kids and let them get on with it, while I sit back with a beer and the newspaper. Although, as I type that it does sound nice doesn’t it. The iPad adds to the experience.

However, there are times, especially when travelling that it comes in very handy. Sometimes traffic or a delayed flight, you need something to take away the boredom. And here are the top 3 things that save the day with a 7 year old.

  1. Angry birds. It is brilliant, fun and very addictive. I have known parents to get hooked. It is also being constantly updated, with recently a “Halloween” edition being launched. If you have an iPad and even an iPhone / iPod you need to get this.
  2. Lets Golf. Now there are 2 additions to this game, but both work great and if your kids are into sport type games, then they will love it. Very easier to play, very colourful and has great features to improve and challenge your golf skills.
  3. Now something to keep the teachers happy. And educational App – Mathsboard. My boy loves this and makes me feel good as a Dad. It looks like a blackboard in design and you go through a series of Maths problems and puzzles to test your skills. You can change the settings, to make it harder and easier, so it grows as the children’s knowledge and confidence grows.

And now on to the 2 year old, which is a different thing altogether. We mainly use the iPad as a replacement for the suitcase full of stuff you normally need to carry as hand luggage. So here are 3 things that will keep the 2 year old from going crazy on holiday.

  1. Game cards. We use ‘Flashcards’or 123 counting. Very simply a series of pictures or images that come up on the screen and you learn to explain colours, sounds, animals, and letters. Pretty much everything. Flashcards has everything. From Sharks to Cars, from the colour orange to the letter G. The added benefit to flashcards is that it comes in other languages. Although we are trying with English first before moving on to Spanish. One downside to these types of Apps is the noise. Remember to turn the volume button down. You have been warned.
  2. ColourPlay Lite is a great App. The Lite version is Free and maybe a little limited. However you can upgrade to the full version for £1.19 once you have exhausted all the drawings. To start with, you get a series of animal’s pictures, pigs, horses and a colour palette. With the touch of the finger you get to paint in the picture. Simple, but my boy loves it.
  3. Videos. The iPad is great for showing movies and TV shows. In the library we have Thomas, Peppa and an assortment of Disney classics. Brilliant. No discs, no DVD boxes. Simple and very useful. We also have a good selection of older stuff for the 7 year old. Football, Top Gear etc.

I hope that helps. I think with the introduction of iPad type technology, Travelling with children just got easier.

Matt Bigg

@mattbigg

matt@thecollectivedesign.co.uk

Aviation Museums, London

It must be a boy thing!  When I first moved in with my husband and to this day I’ve never found any evidence of any porn??  Weird I know and trust me I’ve looked.  However, I did find a plethora of RC Airplane paraphernalia.  This should have sent the alarm bells ringing that a future of Air Shows and Air Museums lay ahead.

For our anniversary, I bought my husband a netbook (romantic eh?) and honestly thought he’d eventually wander into those sites but no, he spends hours on end searching on EBay for 2nd hand remote control glider equipment.  He’s even bidding on stuff that isn’t in English, thanks to Google translator.

I really shouldn’t complain, it’s not like he has a gambling problem nor is he a secret cross-dresser and Madame loves them as well.  So, I do humour him and have been to the RAF Museum in Hendon and this morning we went to the de Havilland Mosquito Museum near Potters Bar. To be fair, it’s not just Airplane Museums that bore me but museums in general.  The only two exceptions to this have been the Sex Museum in Amsterdam and the Icelandic Phallological Museum (yes it’s a museum dedicated to willies).

At least, I save a few quid on an Audio Tour as I get a blow by blow from hubby the whole way around!