Issuu

Issue 88 Nov/Dec 2015

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East London

East Londonâ€™s premier free family magazine

Festive Issue Christmas Crafts Three Day Nanny Gift Guide Festive Places to Go

Covering the boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest

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Discover the Museum’s collection of glittering silver objects and the allure of the gold on display, and then get creative and decorate a gold bar money box to take home. There’s a chocolate gold coin for every child. 10:00am–5:00pm Share your experience Monday to Friday. @boemuseum Closed weekends and Bank Holidays. Entrance T: 020 7601 5545 in Bartholomew Lane, London EC2R 8AH www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum

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Contents Issue 88 | Nov/Dec 2015 | Families East London

This Issue

6 Christmas Fun 12 Ten Best Xmas Gifts 16 Health and Happiness

Regular Features 4 Annabel Karmel 19 Clubs & Classes

21 Ed’s Reading Room 22 Places to Go

Welcome

to our festive issue. This is without doubt my favourite time of year. Christmas has always been a magical time in my household and I find myself enjoying it more and more as the years pass with it’s traditions old and new. This year I will be starting a new tradition with Elf on the Shelf. Do read the review inside on one of the best Christmas stories I have read. We have filled this issue with lots of tips on how to stay stress free. Some great craft activities for all the family and how to keep the children calm and happy. Great advice from some of our brilliant contributory writers as well as our fabulous Christmas Gift Guide. As the year draws to its end I wish you all the Merriest Christmas Season and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Until next time… Sharon Editor

Families East London Magazine 120 Brent Street, Hendon, London NW4 2DT. For all news and features contact: editor@familieseast.co.uk or call 020 8202 2034. For all advertising enquiries contact: adverts@familieseast.co.uk or call 020 8202 2034. For all web enquiries contact: adverts@familieseast.co.uk or call 020 8202 2034. For all listing enquiries contact: listings@familieseast.co.uk. Families East London Ltd cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, details are subject to change and Families East London take no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any material. All rights reserved.

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annabel karmel

A Festive Family Feast Cook up a feast for your family to tuck into this Christmas. Don’t worry about eating countless turkey sandwiches, as there’s plenty of ways to use leftover meats and veggies. If you fancy being creative, try turning jacket potatoes into reindeers, cupcakes into snowmen or chocolate sponges into Christmas trees. The festive possibilities are endless. Happy holidays! Annabel

Rudolph Baked Potato

Turkey Pilaf 150g basmati rice 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 50g frozen peas 100g sweetcorn 175g cooked turkey, finely diced 2½ tsp sweet chilli sauce 1 tsp soy sauce A knob of butter 2 eggs, beaten 2 tbsp milk

4 medium baking potatoes Vegetable oil ½ medium butternut squash (approx 300g) 40g butter 40g Parmesan cheese, grated 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp milk 40g Cheddar cheese, grated Cherry tomatoes Twirly crisps Peas for eyes Salt and pepper

Method 1. Cook the rice in boiling salted water. Drain and refresh under cold water, leave to drain and cool. 2. Heat the oil in a saucepan. 3. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over a low heat for 8 minutes until soft. 4. Add the peas and stir for 3 minutes. Add the turkey, sweetcorn and cooked rice. 5. Stir-fry over the heat to heat through. Add the sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce. 6. Heat a small frying pan. Mix the eggs with the milk and season with a little salt. 7. Melt the butter. Add the eggs and scramble until the eggs are cooked and dry. Break up into small pieces, then add to the rice. Season to serve.

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Prick the potatoes in several places, place on a baking tray and brush all over with the oil. Bake for 75 minutes or until they feel soft when pressed 2. Cut a medium butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and brush with a knob of melted butter. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until tender. 3. When they are cool enough to handle, cut the tops off the baked potatoes and scoop out the flesh. Scoop the flesh out of the cooked butternut squash and mash together with the baked-potato flesh, Parmesan, mustard, milk and butter. Season with a little salt and pepper. Put the mixture back into the potato shells, cover with the grated Cheddar and cook under the grill until golden. Add twirl crisps for antlers, peas for eyes and cherry tomatoes for the nose.

Makes 6 portions

Chocolate Christmas Trees 3 eggs 175g self-raising flour 150g caster sugar 25g cocoa powder 175g soft butter 50g plain chocolate melted 50g milk chocolate melted 1 tsp baking powder Decoration: Writing icing pens Candy canes Mini Smarties Method 1. Preheat the oven to 160C°Fan. Line a square tin 24 x 24cm with parchment paper and grease. 2. Measure all of the cake ingredients into a bowl and mix using an electric hand whisk until smooth. 3. Spoon into the tin, and bake for 20-25 minutes until springy to the touch (a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean). Leave to cool. 4. Slice into 9 squares and then slice into triangles, then decorate with writing icing pens or piped icing and Mini Smarties. Push short lengths of candy canes into the base of the chocolate triangles to make the tree trunks.

Makes 9 Christmas trees

Makes 4 portions

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annabel karmel Celebrate the Season: Festive Ways to Ring in the Holidays with Your Family

Turkey Pasta Bake with Creamy Parmesan and Tomato Sauce 225g fusilli pasta Tomato Sauce: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 tsp caster sugar 3 tbsp fresh oregano chopped or 1½ tsp dried oregano 85g sunblush tomatoes, snipped into pieces 225g cooked turkey or chicken, sliced into strips White Sauce: 45g butter 45g flour 400ml hot chicken stock 100ml double cream A little salt and pepper 100g Parmesan cheese, grated Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. 2. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water – it’s best to slightly undercook it as it will be cooked again in the oven. Drain and refresh in cold water. 3. To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, pepper and garlic and simmer for 8 minutes until just tender. 4. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, tomato purée and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. 5. Add the oregano and sunblush tomatoes, then the turkey and the pasta. Mix together, then spoon into a shallow ovenproof dish (approx 30 x 20cm). 6. To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir over the heat for 1 minute. 7. Add the stock, slowly stirring until thickened. Stir in the cream and 50g of the Parmesan. Spoon over the pasta and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top. 8. Bake for 20 minutes and then finish off under a preheated grill for about 4 minutes or until golden.

Makes 6 portions

For our family, Christmas truly is – and always has been – the most wonderful time of the year! That’s due in large part to our family’s Christmas tradition of spending the holidays with one of Santa’s scout elves, or The Elf on the Shelf®, and also because we get to be together as a family. When the kids are out of school, and we’re all gathered together, it’s the perfect time for quality time. If you’re looking for festive, fun ideas to keep your little ones entertained this Christmas, try out some of our family’s favourite festive holiday activities. 1. Santa may fill the stockings, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a little help making them! Stocking templates are easy to find online and felt can be bought cheaply from craft shops. All you’ll need is a pair of scissors, a needle and thread, glue and your imaginations! 2. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without delicious desserts, and getting children involved in baking always creates a fun family activity. The possibilities are endless – gingerbread men, pies, cakes, s’mores, muffins – if you can dream it, you can bake it! 3. Add a personal touch to each present you

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wrap by creating custom paper. Grab some plain brown packing paper and let children draw Christmas scenes (including a picture of their scout elf!) and decorate with glitter and sparkly snowflakes. 4. Stage a Christmas play for the family. Let children choose a scene from their favourite Christmas book or write their own play to perform for the family. Don’t forget the costumes! 5. Christmas shopping can be tiresome for little ones. Make it more fun for them by bringing along bingo or activity cards that they can tick off as they go along. This could include things such as ‘Spot the biggest turkey in the shop’ or ‘Count how many presents are under the supermarket Christmas tree’. 6. And whatever you do, don’t forget this top tip for Christmas: spend the holidays with The Elf on the Shelf® to create a fun-filled season! Each night you can gather your little ones to read the magical story The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, and each day you and your children can engage in the fun tradition of finding your scout elf in a new hiding spot. Chanda A. Bell, co-author of The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition

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In a drive to inspire every generation to explore new foods, Annabel has cooked-up a new Family Cooking app. From lunchboxes to light snacks, everyday essentials to prep ahead, it’s packed with more than 120 easy recipes. Download Annabel Karmel Family Cooking via the App Store. For more information, visit www.annabelkarmel.com.

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christmas fun

‘Tis the season of stress, mess and meltdowns Top life coach Carole Ann Rice helps you steer from sneer to Christmas cheer.

If it’s the season to be jolly why are you feeling like a sociopathic serial killer? Our expectations of jollity, merriment and family harmony quickly morph into a bad episode of the Kardashians on acid and pre-ops. Take a deep breath in and with a little bit of planning, managing your expectations and dropping all perfectionistic tendencies it is entirely possible to have fun too. Here are some tips for seasonal mine fields and how to negotiate them. The In-Laws coming over • One of the first things you need to remember is that you can’t please everyone and nor should you try. Don’t forget to consider your happiness too. • Drop all need for perfectionism which will only cause you stress and attempt to go with the flow more. Your guests are there to enjoy not judge you. • The house doesn’t have to look picture perfect so don’t sweat the small stuff like cleaning and dusting – aim for cosy not House Beautiful. Pretty candles and nice decorations can hide a host of housework sins. • Ask your in-laws to bring around old family photo albums – keeps everyone amused for hours and the worst that you’ll suffer is terminal boredom. • A hot and tense running host/ hostess isn’t at their best so prepare ahead, order your party food online, decide upfront you are going to enjoy this and build in time for a relaxing bath too before your guests arrive. Life really is too short to stuff a mushroom.

One of the first things you need to remember is that you can’t please everyone and nor should you try. Don’t forget to consider your happiness too. 6

Present Shopping: • Plan ahead. Make a list of who you have to buy for, what to get them, work out your budget and plan a strategy of where to shop to buy them. This saves time and energy. • If in doubt ask people what they want up front. Get them to write ‘Dear Santa’ lists – it may not be a surprise but they’ll get what they want and save you the stress of thinking up ideas or the chore of post-Xmas returns. • Buy lots of neutral gifts – store vouchers, foodie things, candles, yummy drinks, bath products that would be well received by anyone and can be kept as stand-by pressies for unexpected visitors. • Shop online – save time, shoe leather and sanity and keep your stress levels crisp and even. Make sure you’re in when they arrive though. • If you have a big family put all the names in a hat a draw one out – you buy one gift (set a price limit) for one person – everyone gets something without the strain on your bank account or blood pressure. Family Rows • Christmas is always a time of heightened emotions, complex needs that must be met and a myriad of differing expectations. Let go of a need to control and give people space to do what they want too. • A walk around the park is good for changing bad atmospheres and raising energy. • Thrusting family and friends together in an atmosphere of enforced jollity can be incendiary. Marriages rock and relationships tumble. Suggest walks, allot chores and get people joining in and helping. ‘You make sure Uncle Fred’s glass it topped up’ – ‘You can

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be the crisps and snacks monitor’ etc. • A sk people upfront what they would like to get out of the Christmas festivities and write it down. Ensure each person gets their wish met whilst requesting all are tolerant of other people’s desires too. • If you know that difficult situations will arise or that they may be conflict plan ahead with games, activities, old movies, DVDs, photo albums, kids performing a song etc to keep people amused and occupied. • In the worst case scenario escape to the bedroom and take it out on a pillow and return oozing peace and goodwill. Pad-lock the alcohol cabinet if things get out of hand. • Have lots of headache and indigestion tablets in stock. Choosing/Fitting into Party Outfit • Plan ahead for your party season by going on a pre-Xmas de-tox – fruit juices, soups, healthy snacks, lots of veggies so you feel and look good before the partying starts. • Check out the fashion magazines before you go shopping to get an idea of the latest looks. This will save you’re the stress and humiliation of the overheated changing rooms which appear to be suddenly full of super models. • Opt for cool classic comfort over corseted high maintenance styles if you want to enjoy the party season in style. Tight clothes can cause indigestion and can make you look and feel more trussed up than the Xmas turkey. • Keep the agony of killer heels to a minimum with fold-away party pumps for that sharp exit, taxi shortages and the dreaded long walk home. • Managing your finances at this time of year can be very stressful. If your budget won’t stretch to full party outfit invest in some wild and funky accessories for an instant wardrobe make-over.

Carole Ann Rice: www.realcoachingco.com

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christmas fun

Dear Santa... By Alison Hathaway

So your children have spent the past three months constructing increasingly long and complicated Christmas wishlists (glow-in-thedark Barbie, platinum-plated X-Box, inflatable yurt) while you’ve looked long and helplessly on, wondering why parents can’t put in their own special requests for the festive season. So in honour of stressedout mums everywhere, Families East has put together the following parental wishlist for the 12 most important moments of Christmas.

Santa’s list

1 2 3

Dear Santa, please let my husband return safely from his 48-hour Christmas work party and not be arrested for impersonating a suicidal reindeer outside the local tapas bar at four in the morning. Please let Amazon Prime fulfil their promises of overnight delivery with optional giftwrapping. Or there will Hell to Pay.

Please let the Christmas tree not catch fire due to dodgy Korean fairy lights like it did last year and fuse all electrics in the house resulting in three dozen undercooked mince pies and a badly singed miniature Norwegian Pine.

Please let the mammoth Ocado delivery I booked back in August with catering provisions for 32 relatives arrive safely and not be affected by adverse weather conditions, lightning strikes, global food shortages or other acts of God lest I find myself rushing about Sainsbury’s like a headless turkey at 6pm on Christmas Eve desperately searching for leftover mini-sausages wrapped in bacon.

Please let the kids wake up no earlier than 5am on Christmas morning. And for the roast potatoes not to come out black on one side and raw on the other. And for my parents not to forget the Christmas turkey, obliging us all to eat fishfingers instead. Like they did last year.

Please let my know-it-all teenage niece Chloe not let slip to my six-year-old son that there is no such person as Father Christmas and that the pile of badly Sellotaped presents was not left by Santa and his merry elves but by my son’s very own parents after 17 undercooked mince pies and one-toomany glasses of cherry brandy. Whilst pointing out that his house doesn’t even have a chimney. So there.

Please let Uncle Bernard not eat too many Brussels sprouts. Or Aunt Mavis drink too much festive sherry.

8 9

Please let me not receive yet another scented candle in the PTA Secret Santa, but rather a bottle of anything not less than ten per cent proof in any shade of red or white.

Please let Uncle Bernard not argue with Aunt Mavis over exactly what happened to Great-Aunt Mary’s silver candlesticks. Or for Aunt Mavis to ask sarcastically what the strange smell in the room might be. Or for Uncle Bernard to retort that at least he for one has not been over-doing the Amontillado so badly that he can no longer stand up. Or for Aunt Mavis, attempting to disprove the accusation, to fall headfirst into the horseradish sauce. Like she did last year.

10 11

Please let there be not too much washing up.

Please let my husband not intervene with a carving knife at the height of Uncle Bernard and Aunt Mavis’s endless squabbling. Or for my parents to summon the fire brigade to extinguish the out-of-control Christmas pudding soaked in brandy. Or for my son to chisel a hole in the living room wall attempting to locate a non-existent chimney. Like they all did last year.

Please let there be a Cadbury’s Chocolate Orange and a bottle of Chardonnay left over at the end of it. Or there will be Hell to Pay.

Alison Hathaway’s new novel, Class – a tale of twisted love, even more twisted parents, PTA politics and how to cook the perfect mashed potatoes – is out now on Amazon Kindle (bit.ly/classkindle). Follow Alison Hathaway on Twitter @ChalfenMagna or visit her at www.AlisonHathaway.co.uk for news and special free book giveaways.

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christmas fun

A Crafty Christmas Christmas, in my mind, is a time to get cozy, drink too much hot chocolate and use the dark afternoons to get crafting some unique and beautiful homemade Christmas decorations. There’s no better way to keep the little ones busy while using their imagination, it’s also an excellent way to avoid splashing out on pricey shop-bought decorations. We take a little jaunt down memory lane with three nostalgic crafts that are just as fantastic today as you remember them.

Snow Globes

Aged 5+

Pom Pom Wreath

Aged 8+

A classic and magical toy that even adults love, no Christmas in our house is complete without at least a couple dotted around. Go classical with a beautiful winter scene or personalise it with your favourite character, a fab way to re-use those tiny plastic toys lying in the bottom of the toy chest!

Who remembers making pom poms back at school? Well, the addictive craft is back in a big way and a fantastic way to get older kids crafting. I love this pom pom wreath which looks so fun and festive. Be creative with your colours; bright neons look fresh or stick to classic Christmas colours like we have.

1. Decorate the jar lids with tissue paper and paint over the paper with PVA glue to seal. We added some sparkle with glitter and gems around the outside too, more is more to us! 2. When the lid is dry turn it upside down and stick your figures to the lid base using a hot glue gun or waterproof glue, creating your snowy scene. 3. Next up fill your jar ¾ full of bottled water, add two drops of glycerin to stop your glitter falling too fast, add a shake or two of glitter or snow. 4. Once your scene is dry screw your lid on (I glued the lid too in order to avoid a glitter spill!). 5. Add a ribbon to the lid and there you go a beautiful snow globe.

1. Draw two large and two smaller circles on a piece of firm cardboard. Cut them out and cut out a smaller circle in the middle. 2. Cut a length of wool reasonably long (2 metres roughly) and double it over, loop the wool over your two large circles pulling the ends of wool through the smaller hole and through the loop. 3. Wind the wool around wrapping it over the circle and pulling it through and repeat until your circle is covered in wool, I find going around twice makes a nice fluffy pom pom. 4. Next carefully cut the edges of the wool being careful to hold the circle shape in place. 5. Slip a piece of wool through the two pieces of cardboard and tie a tight knot to secure. 6. Pull the cardboard off or cut off and there you have a pom pom. 7. Repeat the process until you have 9 pom poms in assorted sizes and colours. 8. Cut a large wreath shape from card cardboard, tie your pom poms on. 9. Tie a length of ribbon onto your wreath to use to hang it on your door. Crafty Tip; To get a multi coloured pom pom use two contrasting shades on step 2, you can wrap both the colours at the same time to make it a bit faster.

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christmas fun Felt Christmas Tree

18 months +

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Decorating the tree can be a bit stressful with a toddler running around but with this felt craft they can have their own tree which they can re-decorate as many times as they like! 1. Cut out Christmas tree shape out of green felt and stick it onto another piece of larger felt using PVA glue. Create a stump and pot and glue onto your background. Place your tree out of the way as your felt tree needs to be dry for your decorations to stick. 2. Cut out circle shapes for your baubles and a star for the top. 3. Have a selection of sequins, glitter and ribbons set up and get to work making your baubles sparkly and fun. Put aside to dry. 4. Using a stick from the garden the length of your felt square, wrap it over and secure with glue or a stapler and tie ribbon to each side of your stick to create a loop to hang your tree. 5. Once your tree and decorations are dry you can decorate your tree, the felt will stick to itself creating a beautiful tree that can be rearranged as many times as you like.

Monogrammed Decorations

For mums!

Most of our crafts are all about getting the little ones to get creative and I always encourage the more is more approach, more glitter, always more glue! This one however is simple and quick to make but really effective and pretty. An ideal craft while enjoying a well earned mulled wine! 1. Cut out letter shapes out of a thick cardboard, for fancy shapes like ours use a font and print it out as a template. 2. For a 3D shape, stack the letter shapes on top of each other or you can jump ahead to step 3. 3. Tie your wool onto your shape and simply wrap until your letter is covered. 4. Use a contrasting wool or ribbon to tie onto the top of your letter.

As the party season approaches there comes a time when we as parents are invited to an event where it is either impractical or impossible to take our little angels along. So Families East and North are very excited to introduce KidSitters to you this holiday season. Read below to learn more about their great and very useful service. London-based KidSitter provides local, highly rated and experienced babysitters, even at short notice. It was co-founder George Chan, who first felt the need for such a service. George is a parent of a fiveyear old and often found himself declining social invitations because his regular babysitter is not always available. In an era of on-demand services like Uber, AirBnb and JustEat, the basic premise of KidSitter as well, is flexibility. According to Faisal Laljee, co-founder and CEO of KidSitter, ‘We want to make it very easy for parents to get a babysitter any time they want. So we do the work of finding the best possible babysitters and conduct thorough background checks to make sure every babysitter we have, is someone we would trust with our own children’. This, coupled with a convenient online booking system, and a simple price of £12 per hour, makes it very easy for parents to book a babysitter on KidSitter.co.uk. According to Marie Doogan, former Chairwoman of the Islington Childminders Association, ‘KidSitter has highly-rated babysitters and gives parents quality childcare and peace of mind’. Readers of Families can get £10 off their first booking when they use voucher code FAMILIES10.

All these great craft activities were kindly provided to us by Jennifer at The Crafty Bunch. Visit her website for more great ideas and details of her classes, or visit her on facebook. www.thecraftybunch.com Telephone: 07740354074 https://www.facebook.com/ thecraftybunchlondon

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christmas fun

Festive Cheer Written By Kathryn Mewes, author of The Three Day Nanny and star of the C4 TV show The Three Day Nanny

I tend to get contacted by many parents at the start of the year. It tends to be after the festive time when families come together and along with the cheer there can also be tears, not just from the children but also from exhausted parents! There is so much hype around Christmas and it seems to be promoted earlier and earlier each year. Children are aware as early as October that ‘Christmas is on its way.’ So how can we prepare for the festive season and keep the children calm and patient? Plan Ahead First write a list of everything that needs to be done for Christmas and then see how much of it you can delegate. The festive season is a time when families pull together and help one another. Grandma can make the pudding; Auntie Flo can buy the crackers etc! Don’t aim to do everything yourself. You will feel far better knowing you have support from others. I suggest that in your diary you set goals you need to achieve at the end of each week. Approaching a busy time in little bit size chunks stops things from feeling so overwhelming. This can be started as early as October depending on how much you have to do. Week 1: Buy presents for X,Y and Z and wrap. Week 2: Order the food delivery for Christmas.

The festive season is a time when families pull together and help one another. Grandma can make the pudding; Auntie Flo can buy the crackers etc! 10

Week 3: Make the mince pies and put them in the freezer. Week 4: Write 10 Christmas cards. Week 5: Buy 5 presents for the children and hide them well! Week 6: Order the turkey and buy wrapping paper and Sellotape, and batteries! Keeping the Children Excited yet Calm As soon as the children see the first Christmas decoration in a shop they can start to ask ‘When is Santa coming?’ I suggest that the best thing to say is that he isn’t coming until after a certain event. For example: The school Christmas play, X’s birthday, End of school term. Explain the month of December and tell them you will talk about it then. Play it very low key The advent calendar is a great tool for the countdown to Christmas or an advent candle burnt every evening at dinnertime. With older children (age 3 onwards) I sit and write a list of things they need to do before Christmas. Example: 1. Buy and wrap presents for Grandma and Grandad. 2. Make and write Christmas cards for school teachers. 3. Buy and wrap presents for Auntie and Uncle X etc. This makes them aware that Christmas is about giving as well as receiving. It makes them aware that the world doesn’t revolve around them and they have to think of others before themselves.

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The Night before Christmas I suggest going out for dinner with the children to be a good idea and not to be concerned about getting them to bed ‘on time’. The last thing you want is hyped children at bedtime who claim they ‘can’t sleep’. Aim to have dinner a walking distance from home and you can then walk home looking at the various Christmas lights in peoples windows. On the walk home ask the children to look up at the sky and talk calmly about Father Christmas coming and on how all children need to be resting in their beds before he leaves the presents. Go home and place the port and pie out for FC. Take the children for a calm bath, story and then into bed. Focus 100% on the children. Don’t be distracted with other things or they could start to become excitable. Aim for the children to be in bed 90 minutes after their usual time, or 3 hours after the usual time. These are when the next ‘windows of tiredness’ occur and they are ready for sleep. Tuck them up in bed and answer any questions they might have but then say ‘Now I need to do the cooking ready for Christmas Day. Sleep tight.’ Don’t mention them getting up too early in the morning as this might sew the seed in their mind. On the eve of Christmas do as much prep in the kitchen (if you are hosting) as you can. Involve your partner and anyone else who is staying with you. My advice would be ‘Don’t do it all alone.’ The Big Day If the children wake at a ridiculous time such as 5am I am afraid you have to ‘ride with it’! There is ‘no way’ they are going to settle back to sleep. Today is a day of ‘Divide and

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christmas fun Conquer’ as well as team work. Each have your own tasks. Example: You are cooking the main meal but your partner is laying the table and preparing the pudding; or your partner is clearing the table and loading the machine while you settle the children in front of a film on TV. It is a great feeling when you each know what you are doing and don’t need to discuss it at the time. This is a good thing to run through the night before Christmas while drinking port and eating mince pies (wink wink!) I would always make the children aware that there is going to be a quiet time after lunch. This can either be taken in their bedrooms playing quietly with their toys or flopped in front of the TV all dozing together. Either way you need to down tools in the middle of the day. A blast of fresh air is a great thing to do. Head outside, either your partner can take out the children while you prepare the lunch or dinner or you can all head out in the afternoon before dinner time. For dinner it was always tradition in our house to make our own sandwiches

with the left over turkey and stuffing. A DIY dinner. Everyone helps themselves to a spread laid out on the table. Christmas day is when the children do need their bedtime to be ‘on time’. They will be exhausted, as will you! Relax about Routine I believe that over the festive period it is important to have a loose routine for the children but with family and friends staying or regularly visiting people you need to ‘let things slide’ a little. Things can always return to their usual pattern in the New Year when everyone returns to work and school. The one thing I believe needs to remain consistent is a bedtime routine. By this I mean that a bath/shower and a story is had before going to sleep. I suggest that if you are visiting friends for the day you ask if you can bath your children and put them in their pyjamas before you leave. The children can sleep in the car and then fall into bed on your return home. Equally if they are staying up late you can explain to them that a bath might be

skipped and a short story is read to them at the end of the night. The one thing you want children to have is a rested night and this is usually done by a calm routine at the end of everyday, wherever you are. In summery – 3 meals and a good nights sleep is all that most children need. Relax about routine over Christmas. Let the children learn to ‘Go with the flow’. Finally – Stop and Breathe! Over the festive season try to take time to stop and look around you at your family, your children. Capture the memories on camera and embrace the chaos – I believe that this is the only way to enjoy Christmas!

For further information on Kathryn Mewes please visit her website www.bespokenanny.com

www.familywellnesspractice.com The Family Wellness Practice offers an expert and friendly service to children and families on a wide range of issues such as: • E motional/behavioural difficulties at home or school – e.g low mood/anxiety • Speech & language difficulties • Poor sleep/appetite • Adjustment to divorce/bereavement We offer professional therapy for children, adults and families as well as parenting courses. CALL US ON 07471 863332 FOR MORE INFORMATION

THE ELF ON THE SHELF An enchanting tale of Christmas tradition wrapped up in a seasonal box set that includes a beautifully illustrated children’s book and a scout elf sent by Santa from the North Pole. A self-publishing phenomenon that has sold over 8 million copies in the US in the last 10 years. Launching in the UK from official scout elf adoption centres, including elfontheshelf.co.uk, John Lewis and select specialty retailers. Christmas 2015 heralds the UK launch of The Elf on the Shelf® bringing something new, exciting and different to Christmas this year.

Official adoption centres will open in select locations throughout England, making a number of the beloved scout elves available for adoption by families across the UK. This U.S. publishing phenomenon is set to capture English hearts this winter with its charming tale of Santa’s helpers and their special role at Christmas time. The Elf on The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a magical story that explains how Santa’s scout elves help him manage his naughty or nice lists. Each illustrated, hardback book comes as part of a box set that also includes one of Santa’s scout elves, whose job is to watch during the day and report to Santa every night. When a family adopts a scout elf and gives it a name, the scout elf receives its Christmas

magic and can fly to the North Pole each night to tell Santa Claus about all of the day’s adventures. Each morning the scout elf returns to its family and perches in a different place to watch the festive fun, creating a unique family moment. Children love to race around the house and see where their scout elf has landed. Select retail locations will also feature the book Elf Pets: A Reindeer Tradition and the Claus Couture Collection®, which features unique and fun clothes to compliment the scout elves and their Elf Pets® Reindeer counterparts.

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ten best christmas gifts

Ten Best Christmas Gifts For Babies 1

Glass Christmas Angel Bauble £10 My 1st Years With a beautiful angel inside, this glass bauble is a great gift for baby’s first Christmas. Engraved with a message over three lines with up to 20 characters on each line.

Christmas Pudding Leggings £11 Blade and Rose How cute will your baby look crawling around on Christmas Day in these seasonal striped leggings with their cheeky Christmas pudding on the tush. They’re made from, soft fabric with a thick waistband for comfort and you can add matching socks, a bandana bib and a hat.

Pirate Ship Personalised illuminated Canvas from £55.95 Illuminated Canvas A picture for your baby’s nursery wall but with a twist; not only can you have your child’s name on the canvas but it lights up, showing an illuminated window in the ship and on the masts. Maya Organic Peppy Five Stackers £25.95 Igloo Kids These stacking toys are hand made

My Wondercube £17.99 My Wondercube This fabric cube toy was invented by a mum inspired by how fascinated her baby was with a box of tissues. Inside the bright colourful organic cotton cube are soft squares that your child can pull out of the cube, pull apart, stick back together and push back inside. Each square has a squeak or a crinkle or a rustle and it’s machine washable too.

Octotunes £17.99 Lamaze Not just a colourful toy, this is also educational as every time your baby plays with one of the Octopus’ legs, it plays a different note. It’s designed to stimulate your baby’s imagination and to help with developing motor skills. It comes with a song book and it has a pleasant vanilla perfume.

Apptivity iPad Case £32.99 Fisher Price There are so many apps for babies now to educate, fascinate and soothe but the last thing you want is sticky fingers and drool all across your iPad. Step forward the Apptivity case, which covers your pad and offers chunky handles for your baby to hold, as well as three colourful rings.

from quality wood and finished with child-safe paint and lacquer. Sweet to look at, your baby will also enjoy taking the stacks apart and gradually learning to put them together again.

Five Piece Bath Fun Toy £12.99 Brother Max Bath time can always be fun with this neat set of bath toys that not only amuse your baby but help to get her clean too. There’s a sprinkler scoop with a chunky colourful handle, a wash mit with a shaker in the middle, a brush to practice hair grooming, a rattle and a wearable wrist toy. They are all BPA, PVC and phthalate free.

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Personalised Wooden Star £9.50 Not On The High Street A lovely keepsake, this wooden star can be personalised with a baby’s name and birth date or any characters you like to celebrate his first Christmas. It is finished with beeswax and arrives in an organza bag.

Newborn Star Gift

Set £24 JoJo Maman Bébé For any baby born in 2015, this is the perfect gift set and the stars are a nice nod to the Christmas season if you don’t want red and green everywhere! The set comprises of an embroidered sleepsuit with matching star hat and a JoJo bunny that will be treasured all through childhood. It comes in a gift box and is suitable for babies from newborn to three months.

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ten best christmas gifts

Ten Best Christmas Gifts For Children 1

Magic Elf Door £20 The Magic Door Store Creating a whole world of imagination and anticipation, these sweet doors can be put at the bottom of a wall or even on a tree in the garden. Your child will love leaving little gifts for the Elf or Fairy and who knows – they may even get a response!

Bon Bon Bear £30 Hamleys Every child needs a teddy as a best friend, so treat your little one to a bear from the World’s most famous toy shop. Bon Bon has glossy cream fur, a hand-embroidered face and the Hamleys name embroidered on the sol of one foot. For Christmas, he also sports a fetching red bow tie.

Sudokube £5.95 Prezzybox If you used to love the Rubik’s cube, this is a great new take on the classic game that’s good for maths-minded kids. The idea is to get all the numbers form one to nine on each and every side of the cube. If nothing else, it will keep the kids quiet until lunch is ready.

Constructive Eating Cutlery Set £14 The Great Gift Company Fussy eater? You’ll soon find your child likes to eat when you encourage them to play with their food! There’s a fork shaped like – of course – a forklift, a spoon that’s a front-loader truck and then there’s a bulldozer to help your child push food onto the fork or spoon. Just add truck noises!

Superman Cape Towel

£15 Debenhams Bathtime refusals? With this clever super hero towel, your little one can ‘fly’ to the bathroom and then save the world once they’re clean again. This is a fluffy and soft towel with Velcro tabs that’s perfect for wrapping him up for cuddles after bath time is over.

Personalised Christmas Sack £22 Harrow and Green For when a stocking just won’t do, these quality hessian sacks can be personalised with your child’s name and left under the tree on Christmas Eve. It has stenciled wording on it with ‘Delivery Date 25th December’ as a reminder to Santa.

Bath Bomb Factory £12.99 Argos There are several Wild Science kits and this one will create a beautiful bathtime. With all the ingredients to make scented, fizzing bath bombs, it sparks your child’s interest in science

too. In fact, it support Key Stage Two and there aren’t many bath products that can make that claim.

Style One Direction £5.95 Prezzybox If your child is a huge Directioneer, he or she can dress up the boys from the band with this tongue-in-cheek set. Whoever is their favourite, they’re all here just waiting for you to style them. There’s also an activity book packed with band facts and stickers.

Rainbow In My Room Nightlight £25 Debenhams This colored projector sends a rainbow onto the wall or ceiling of your child’s room and is great if your child is a little scared of the dark. It has two modes, a fully beamed rainbow or a more soothing glow that fades in and out. It has an auto shut off feature and is battery powered.

Colour Your Own Palace £13.99 Calafant If you child would love to live in a palace and princes costumes litter her floor, this is a great way for her to play at make believe. The large and strong cardboard palace is assembled without glue or scissors and can be decorated with coloured pens, pencils, glitter – anything they like.

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ten best christmas gifts

Ten Best Christmas Gifts For Mums 1

Mini Biscuit Selection

£30 Biscuiteers With colourful snowmen, a tree and reindeer, this is a sweet and thoughtful gift for a busy mum who may not have much time to give herself a treat.

Luxury Mummy Spa Kit £39.99 Love Boo A great gift for mums, this is the ultimate home pampering kit. With three products inside – Bosom Buddy, Body Wash and Miracle Oil, they will leave skin glowing and firmed and they can help prevent stretch marks. They are safe for use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Fail-Safe Fondant Dessert Kit £19.99 Lakeland Make up to six individual puddings with light, fluffy chocolate sponge on the outside and a gooey, melting chocolate middle. With clear instructions and easy-release silicone moulds, it’s easy to make a decadent dessert just like Nigella.

The Giant Stocking £15 Prestat The best Christmas stocking for mum, this is packed with 12 delicious hand made truffle chocolates, one for each of the twelve days of Christmas. There are three velvety chocolate truffles, three rich, dark truffles, three snowy white truffles and three of the luxury brand’s award winning sea salt caramel truffles, all wrapped in rich chocolate.

just the right place and it’s black, so will suit the inside of any bag. There’s even a clip for your keys and it’s machine washable.

Personalised Heart Bracelet £29 Merci Maman When you’re a mother, it’s lovely to have reminders of your children and this bracelet keeps your little ones close at all times. With a quality leather wrist strap, you can add hearts or other charms with your children’s names on them, engraved in silver.

Mini Indoor Herb Garden £24.95 Gifts Direct With the increase in popularity of gardening and cookery programmes on the television, this sweet little garden will help you create your very own tiny allotment. It comes with three tiny plant pots with drainage holes that fit neatly in the fence. Inside the shed are tiny snippers, soil pellets and a packet of three kinds of seeds; coriander, basil and oregano. The shed can be used to store more seeds for next time.

Classic Coffret of Diptyque Candles £60 Space NK This is a luxurious set of candles and though there are cheaper brands, the intense perfume of these lasts well and is good value for money. There’s Figuier, the scent of fig wood, Baies which has bouquets of roses and blackcurrant leaves and Roses, smelling like a freshly picked bouquet.

Handbag Organiser £12.99 Periea So you have more than one handbag and when you want to swap quickly from one to the other, it’s such a chore swapping over all the things you just can’t do without. But no more! This handy organiser has 11 pockets to keep everything in

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Miniature Bath Oil Collection £39 Aromatherapy Associates A great gift if you’re not sure if the woman in your life needs to relax or be invigorated, these tiny bath oil phials have a range of fragrances to promote good sleep, energise, relax or help you to de-stress!

Portable Phone Charger £19.99 Anker Easy to pop into a pocket or bag, this tiny charger will hold a full phone’s worth of charge to use just when you need it. Then simply re-charge with a USB plugged into your computer. Comes in several colours.

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ten best christmas gifts

Ten Best Christmas Gifts For Dads 1

Car Driving Day from £495 Virgin Experience Days If you have a special gift in mind and he’s a car lover, what better way to say you love him than with a car driving experience that will blow his mind? He can take a Ferrari or Lamborghini around a race track with expert tuition for the right speed and turning point.

Laptop Bag £55 Herschel He can look smart but still hip with this soft-sided messenger bag that’s just the right size for a laptop. It has the Herschel signature striped lining and has a padded section for any laptop up to 13 inches. The shoulder strap is padded for comfort and can be removed.

Leather And Brass Book Cover iPad Case £33.95 Zazzle If you love old leather bound books and the look of PaperBlanks notebooks, this iPad case is great. In several different designs these are custom made with premium book cloth and finished with a glossy laminate. They hold the iPad securely and have rubberised edges so it doesn’t slip.

Haig Club Scotch Whisky £44.95 Haig If he fancies himself as a David Beckham type, this will be his tipple of choice. From Scotland’s oldest whisky distillery, this is smooth and pleasing on the palate and looks great too.

Coffee Subscription £7.95 per month Kopi For just £7.95 per month, your coffee lover can receive a little shot of caffeine kindness to your door. Sourcing only from small-scale farmers and including a tasting booklet, this is an education in coffee.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Beard and Moustache Management £6.95 By Chris Martin If he’s gone all trendy Hoxton Man with a bushy beard and tufty moustache, make sure he knows how to groom with this tongue-in-cheek book. It does actually have some great tips on trimming, waxing and maintaining facial fuzz as well as a guide to famous hair celebrities from Marx to Des Lynam!

Self Stirring Mug £9.95 Prezzybox For the man who has everything – or the lazy – this has a little switch that, when flipped, will stir the contents of this mug. Juts insert batteries. Just don’t put it in the microwave or dishwasher!

Fitbit Charge Large Activity Tracker £84.99 Fitbit If he’s trying to get fit, this will help keep track of activity and calories. On a chunky wristband this tracks steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes. It even helps monitor your sleep patterns.

CoolTec Shaver £99.99 Braun With an aluminium bar built into its head, this will not heat up as you shave, minimising redness and itching. Shaves closely and best of all it’s waterproof up to 5m – though why you’d shave under water is beyond us.

Personalised heart tray and Love Heart Sweets £14.95 The Gift Experience Nothing says I Love You quite like Love Heart sweets. Remember slipping them to your crush when you were at school? This tray has space for your personalised message that will be revealed as the sweets are eaten.

To advertise in Families East London please call on 020 8202 2034 or email adverts@familieseast.co.uk

health and happiness

Hope and Hard Work: One Family’s Journey out of Autism By Irina Porter

Autism is on the rise. Statistics tell us that autism affects an estimated 1 in 60 children in the UK, or approximately 100,000 children in total. What statistics do not tell us is what life is for children with autism or their families. When our daughter Lilia received a diagnosis of autism at the age of 3, we were devastated to face a life-time of disability. The paediatricians’ verdict? ‘There is no cure, and she will be disabled for life.’ We had a good share of problems: severe allergies, constant ear and chest infections, asthma, neurological issues, fine and gross motor skills delay, lack of communication skills, severe separation anxiety and tantrums. But did that have to mean a lifetime without hope?! I would not give up and armed myself with books and the internet, reading everything that could give us a chance to improve Lilia’s condition. It was clear to me that there must be a direct connection between her allergies and a dysfunctional immune system and her autistic behaviour. We were lucky to find a specialist in biomedical treatments and nutrition, who could answer our questions and offer some solutions. Soon after starting the nutritionist’s programme and gluten and casein free diet we saw a slow, but steady improvement both in Lilia’s health and in her autistic symptoms. Within a couple of years we were off constant antibiotics and antihistamines, and Lilia’s health has been going from strength to strength ever since. It was important to have educational intervention in place. Our child had missed developmental milestones due to the disabling effects of her autistic symptoms. She needed specialised help to catch up, and it made sense to try to meet those milestones while she was still small. We started an ABA programme at the same time as the biomedical/ nutrition programme, shortly after her diagnosis. Applied Behaviour Analysis is an individualised learning programme aimed at improving areas such as speech and language, communication, academic learning, problem behaviours, and general life skills. Recent research indicates that ABA is one of the most effective early interventions for autism.

We could only afford less than half recommended hours per week, but our brilliant team of consultants and therapists turned Lilia’s behaviour around in a matter of months. They taught Lilia to communicate and opened up a whole new world of relationships for her. They guided us through potty training, learning life and play skills, how to talk to people and how to make friends. They held our hand through nursery and school, and now we are working on how to be independent and happy. With relentless hard work, lots of help, and yes, some luck, Lilia has achieved a great improvement in disabling health problems and autistic symptoms that made her life incredibly difficult. She is thriving in a non-autistic world.

• T here is no one solution that fits all. Autism is a spectrum disorder, covering a range of symptoms, and each of those can vary in severity. This is one of the reasons that scientists have not yet found a ‘cure’ for autism. Some treatments may work well for one person, but not at all for another. • This does not mean that your autistic child has no hope of a better life. It is up to you, the parent, to find the causes and solutions for your child. If and when you do, the quality of life of your child and your family can improve dramatically. • We tried a variety of treatments and intervention, from homeopathy and diet to music therapy and yoga, and as we saw Lilia’s progress, the darkness with which autism covered our family lifted.

What did I learn on my autism adventures? • Autism is a journey, not a disability for life. The beginning may be hard and gloomy, and there are often extreme challenges along the way, but if you are determined and open to new ideas, the rewards can be life changing; • Autism is not a constant and static psychological condition. Autistic behaviours are often manifestations of underlying medical problems, and treating those can reduce or eliminate autistic behaviours; • Autism is a whole body disorder. Just as you cannot separate your head or tummy from the rest of your body, in autism you cannot teach speech and language without considering how a child is feeling at the time. Autistic children are often unable to express feeling pain or how severely they are affected by sensory issues, and this hinders their development. Recognising and treating those symptoms is the key to success in treating autism – reducing its disabling symptoms and improving a child’s level of functioning and independence.

While searching around for things to try, I came across an inspirational charity, Treating Autism, which provides hope, emotional support and practical information for parents of children with autism. Having joined TA, I found likeminded people who had the same ups and downs on the autism journey as me. Now I am closely involved in helping TA spread information about autism interventions, provide support to parents and carers of people with ASD and help them to reach their full potential. Treating Autism has published a free guide for parents called Treatments and Therapies for Autism, which provides parents with a quick overview of some of the available interventions. It is available online on our website, or TA can send free printed copies (email your name, address and the number of copies you’d like to mail@treatingautism.org.uk) On 27th November Treating Autism will hold TA Roadshow – An Event for Autism Parents in Central London. Highly qualified and experienced specialists will talk about how simple nutritional strategies for autism can improve health

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health and happiness In a survey of 220 people conducted by Treating Autism, more than 95% of respondents who had used biomedical treatments for autism found those treatments to be beneficial and 24% found those benefits to be life-changing. In regard to specific problem areas,

57% saw improvements in sociability, 53% in sleep problems, 50% in anxiety, 50% in aggression, 66% in eye contact, 48% in receptive language, 47% in expressive language, 23% in self-injurious behaviour, and 73% in bowel problems. and behaviours in children and adults on the autistic spectrum, as well as advanced and novel approaches in treating autism. I will also be sharing my familyâ€™s journey through autism, because we know at TA that parents helping parents can make the biggest difference in countless way. This is an opportunity to meet TA members and like-minded parents and have plenty of time to visit during a gluten-free lunch. For more information on the event and to book, visit www.treatingautism.org.uk.

East_london_NOV.indd 1

I would not give up and armed myself with books and the internet, reading everything that could give us a chance to improve Liliaâ€™s condition.

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14/10/2015 14:12:28

health and happiness

How to cope with winter woes

Coughs And Sneezes

By Sally J. Hall

There are over 200 separate cold viruses around, so it’s no wonder that our children seem to come down with a cold almost every five minutes. And with the weather being gloomy and the days getting dark so early, we all tend to feel a little more run down than usual. We still don’t know exactly what causes the ‘Common Cold’ but we are all familiar with the symptoms. A runny nose, sore throat, a temperature and a general feeling of poor health are only too familiar. So when do you let nature run its course, and when do you call the doctor? For very small children and babies, the worst effect may be a blocked nose

that stops him being able to breath properly. This can interfere with breastfeeding, as it’s difficult to feed with a blocked nose. Clear blocked nostrils gently with a soft cloth soaked in sterile saline solution or if really blocked, a nasal aspirator. You can try to help relieve the symptoms by using a decongestant rub on your child’s chest at night or by

LONDON’S FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS SHOW

The live stage show

based on Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman Music and lyrics by Howard Blake

“Sheer theatrical magic. Go see The Snowman and melt”

If you’re worried that it’s not ‘just’ a cold but something more serious, do seek medical advice. Flu is a worry during the winter months and can be serious in young children.

using a few drops of a decongestant spray or eucalyptus oil on a tissue; leave it near (though not in reach) of your baby as he sleeps. You could also use a vaporiser or humidifier in your child’s bedroom to help with breathing. Sleep may be affected, especially if your child has a cough, so try to encourage naps during the day– and you may need one yourself if your little one has kept you up half the night! If your little one has a slight fever, this can be dealt with using an infant paracetamol or ibuprofen solution but make sure you read the instructions and use the right amount for your child’s age. Never use a cough and cold remedy with children under six years old. Make sure that your child continues to get plenty of fluids, even if he is off his food. So keep breastfeeding. For older children, water should be offered frequently but try to avoid lots of sugary drinks and cordials, as you’ll have tooth decay to cope with later on! If your child is under three months old, it’s always worth checking the symptoms with your doctor, as very small children can become very ill very quickly. If your child is floppy and unresponsive or very fussy, call the doctor or go straight to the hospital. If you’re worried that it’s not ‘just’ a cold but something more serious, do seek medical advice. Flu is a worry during the winter months and can be serious in young children. Croup, a viral illness that causes a bark-like cough can be swiftly treated with steroids, and whooping cough, a bacterial infection, needs antibiotics (remember that your child must take the full course to avoid becoming antibiotic resistant). If you are concerned that your child may have meningitis, you must go to the hospital at once. Symptoms include a headache, sensitivity to light, a rash, seizures and listlessness but some indicators may be mistaken for a cold or flu. If in doubt, get to A&E – the staff will be only too happy to be able to set your mind at rest.

The Times

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TICKET eOonNL FAMILY, mu in e under 16 g in st includ lk ‘Wa 4 tickets £2.50 saction fee applies. Max Tran the Air’ g Featurin

25 Nov - 3 Jan

020 7863 8222 peacocktheatre.com 18

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clubs and classes

Clubs & Classes In this section we feature the very best clubs and classes in East London. This season there is a wealth of great clubs and classes to attend. If you would like your class to feature in this section please call 020 8202 2034.

Shouldn’t you be seen in the Number 1 magazine for families and young people in East London? Contact adverts@familieseast.co.uk.

FLEET TUTORS 0845 644 5452 fleet-tutors.co.uk Tuition Help students reach their potential with private home tutoring.

LEARNERLANE east.learnerlane.com

Art & Craft BRIAN PATRICK ENTERTAINMENT 07468 197716 brian-patrick.com Balloons Balloon twisting, juggling, workshops and decorations.

LEMON ARTLAB lemonartlab.com hello@lemonartlab.com Art History Workshops Encourage families with young children to visit fine Arts museums. Art Tots sessions for under 5s start in November. Family Museum Treasure Hunt November 15 At Tate Modern + crafty session. English & Spanish workshops. Paint-a-Pollock November 28 Paint splatter family workshop at Hackney City Farm. English & Spanish sessions. GROAR! December 13 Learn about Fauvism (wild beasts) and their use of wild and bold colours. English & Spanish sessions. Museum Treasure Hunt December 19 At National Gallery + crafty session. English & Spanish workshops.

Languages LA PETITE ÉCOLE DES CROCODILES Baden Powell Primary School, E5 8DN les-crocodiles.org info@les-crocodiles.org French French classes for francophone children 0-11 years. French classes for English speaking children; Drama in French; French library twice monthly and Little French Film Festival. Play, songs and stories for young children; writing, grammar, spelling, reading and drama classes for older children.

Learning & tuition EXPLORE LEARNING Hornchurch 01708 629 620 Lakeside 01708 869 650 Romford 01708 767 819 Woodford Green 020 8090 6716 explorelearning.co.uk Tuition Centres Tailored courses to support children of all abilities to become confident and engaged learners, providing Maths, English and 11+ tuition. Each child has an individualised learning programme. Children attend centres twice a week on a drop-in basis and centres are open seven days a week. Childcare vouchers accepted. Book a free trial. 5-14 years.

Private Tuition Help for families to find qualified private tutors for one-to-one tuition.

TOP TUTORS 020 8349 2148 toptutors.co.uk Tuition Tutors who specialise in Primary, 11+, GCSE and A Level Maths, Science and English. Other subjects also available – Geography, History and Languages. Help with exam preparation, modules and to build confidence. Book online or call for information.

Performing arts JIGSAW PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL Ilford, Edmonton 020 8447 4530 jigsaw-arts.co.uk

Spring Term Weekly Drama Classes Weekly workshops for 4-7 year olds run by an expert team who create a magical space for imaginations to run free. Specially written shows with original music and high energy dance. Curriculum is designed to boost confidence, improve communication and give children a creative outlet to make friends and have fun. Free no-obligation trials.

THE ANNA FIORENTINI THEATRE & FILM SCHOOL Based in North London, Hackney, Bethnal Green, Docklands and Lewisham 020 7682 1403 annafiorentini.com Theatre & Film School Drama, singing, dance, film, set and costume design with shows, competitions, annual Oscar Night and holiday schools. Classes on Saturdays in North London and Hackney, Tuesdays in Bethnal Green, Wednesdays in Docklands and Thursdays in Lewisham. Free taster days. 4-18 years

Sport FIT FOR SPORT 0845 456 3233 fitforsport.co.uk Activity Camps Sports, games and activities. 3-12 years.

Classes Weekend dance, drama and singing classes with shows and performances. Two week trial available. 3-18 years.

PERFORM Barbican, Chigwell, Chingford, Epping, Hackney, Loughton, Stoke Newington, Victoria Park, Walthamstow, Wanstead, Woodford Green 020 7255 9120 perform.org.uk enquiries@perform.org.uk

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0845 644 5452

clubs and classes

Theatre workshops

KIDDIKICKS E3, E8, N19 020 7937 7965 kiddikicks.co.uk

Jigsaw Performing Arts Schools

HALFMOON THEATRE

Football Fun training sessions, courses and parties with qualified coaches. Age range 18 months-10 years.

43 White Horse Road, E1 OND (Stepney Green/Limehouse ) 020 7709 8900 halfmoon.org.uk Youth Theatre Theatre and drama groups See shows and also visit other theatres. 5-18 years. Cost £5 per session/£2.50 concessions.

SNOZONE snozoneuk.com/family-fun 0871 222 5673

Toddlers and Babies

Snocamps Supervised ski and snowboard lessons during every school holiday. Suitable for beginners and experienced skiers/ snowboarders. 7-15 years.

ek Two we ilable! Trial ava

Class in:

3–18 years

Ilford

BABY SENSORY East London babysensory.com redbridge@babysensory.co.uk Early Learning Introduce babies to sensory delights, relax, spend quality time with them and meet other new parents.

TRY TIME KID’S RUGBY Victoria Park, Stratford Dulwich, St Albans, Richmond, Wandsworth 01252 794150 trytimekidsrugby.com sales@trytimekidsrugby.com

020 8447 4530 www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk

TODDLER SENSE toddlersense.com redbridge@toddlersense.co.uk Play Sessions Structured play sessions with freedom to explore. Weekly themed activities and adventure.

Classes Rugby based play sessions to develop social, mental and physical skills. Experienced and enthusiastic coaches. Free trial class. 2-7 years.

Don’t forget to say you saw the advert in Families East!

age range 18 months - 10 years

Kiddikicks Local parents’ favourite football team Kiddikicks are pleased to announce the start of their indoor season. All classes for children from 18 months up to age 5 year move indoors from November to March. The majority of their classes for 5 to 10 years which focus on individual ball skills, retention, passing and match play remain outdoors. It’s worth checking with the friendly team at Kiddikicks HQ to be sure of where to go. Booking for new player essential. Get in touch 020 7937 7965 info@kiddikicks.co.uk

Real Skills Real Fun E3 / E8 / N19

Training sessions, courses and parties across London

020 7937 7965 Find your local class

www.kiddikicks.co.uk

Quote FamEast for a 5% discount

CRB checked and FA qualified coaches

Jigsaw Performing Arts Instead of buying more plastic toys that children will tire of, how about buying them a place at a Jigsaw Performing Arts school? Jigsaw provides Performing Arts classes for 3-18 year olds – a great way to build confidence, learn new skills and make lots of new friends! You’ll be purchasing that special child, 11 weeks of Performing Arts fun! If you book a place and pay in full before Christmas then you will also be given a free T-Shirt (Worth £10) that you can wrap up along with the voucher. Call us on 020 8447 4530 and quote ‘Families Gift’ to book a place at your nearest Jigsaw School. www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk

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book corner

Hi kids, parents, grandparents, teachers – and book lovers everywhere! I’m Ed and here is my Winter book selection for you to enjoy. Ed’s Reading Room is an exciting free book review website for primary children in homes and schools.

Room

Reading

Ed’s See these reviews, download the specially written reading activities for these books and buy the books online at www.EdontheWeb.com. Have fun reading! FOR AGES 5-7 YEARS

5-7

Dirty Bertie: Aliens! by Alan MacDonald & David Roberts (Stripes £4.99)

Ed says: ‘Bertie’s back – with three of his latest adventures. Bertie is fascinated by the idea of seeing comets, shooting stars and, most of all, aliens. How would you react if two aliens arrived at your front door? When Eugene suggests an exciting day birdwatching, Bertie can’t think of anything more boring – but then he wouldn’t mind spotting a hawk. Bertie has to think up ideas for making his school report a bit more acceptable but perhaps Bertie’s idea of improving his report won’t fool his parents. ‘This comic character is very popular with boys and girls alike. With super illustrations throughout, this book is great for newly confident readers or for reading together.’

The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels (Bloomsbury £10.99)

Ed says: ‘Miss Petitfour’s life is full of fun and adventures. She loves baking – and eating – little cakes and she also loves her adorable cat companions. Above all she loves to fly, which she does most days, on a tablecloth with each

cat’s tail wrapped round another. She might choose to fly this way or that but sometimes she flies whichever way the wind takes her. Her expeditions may start out in an ordinary way such as with a trip to a jumble sale or they may be to prepare birthday treats for one of her feline friends. ‘This is an absolutely delightful, heartwarming book with beautiful illustrations and, thanks to Miss Petitfour, a child’s vocabulary will be broadened by the magic of words!’ FOR AGES 7 YEARS PLUS

Pugs of the Frozen North by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre (Oxford £8.99)

Ed says: ‘Shen has had to abandon ship when winter suddenly arrives – the first True Winter for a long time. He is all on his own except for the dogs – 66 pugs! Luckily he meets Sika who wants to take part in the race to the North Pole to see the Snowfather. With her grandfather’s sled and Shen’s 66 pugs they set off for the frozen north. They know they will face stiff competition but will they be able to deal with the Kraken and a pack of hungry yetis? ‘This madcap adventure is fun from start to finish. The action-packed story is full of wonderful descriptions of the wintery setting, complemented by amazing illustrations.’

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig (Canongate £12.99)

Ed says: ‘Nikolas is an 11 year old boy living with his father in Finland. He was born on Christmas Day but there are never many celebrations as life is difficult. When Nikolas’ father leaves for the Far North, things become even harder and Nikolas decides he must leave to try and find his father. He believes in happiness and also believes that nothing is impossible. He needs all the optimism in the world as, although he has some amazing adventures and makes some wonderful friends, he has many problems to overcome. ‘If you ever wondered what the true story of Father Christmas was, this is the book for you! Brilliantly written, it is very entertaining and is sure to delight readers both young and old.’ Ed’s Reading Room is at www. EdontheWeb.com, a DTI award-winning website. It was created by Maggie Humphreys, a teacher of more than 25 years, and Les Snowdon, who together are authors of several books on fitness walking and healthy eating. See Maggie’s latest ebooks at www. WalkWalk.co.uk. You are very welcome to contact Maggie on 01753 730019 or by email at maggiehumphreys@aol.com.

To advertise in Families East London please call on 020 8202 2034 or email adverts@familieseast.co.uk

places to go festive fun

Places To Go

Your guide to East London Family Entertainment

Welcome to our great seasonal guide of all the very best places for you to visit. We hope you enjoy all your days out. To advertise in this section call 020 8202 2034 or email adverts@familieseast.co.uk.

Festive fun BRITISH LIBRARY 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB ( Kings Cross) 01937 546546 bl.uk The African Market and Discovery Day December 5 Family workshops, demonstrations and performances inspired by West African culture.

BROADGATE Finsbury Avenue Square, London EC2A 2BQ ( Liverpool Street) broadgate.co.uk Artisan Markets November 17, December 1, 15 A variety of food and craft stalls.

EXCEL LONDON E16 1XL (Custom House DLR) 020 7069 5000 Excel-london.co.uk Simply Christmas November 19-21 Gifts, demonstrations, festive food and drink. Cost £8.

HACKNEY CITY FARM 1a Goldsmiths Row, London E2 8QA ( Bethnal Green) 020 7729 6381 hackneycityfarm.co.uk Christmas Craft Fair December 13 Mulled wine, carol singing and lots of stalls selling home crafted Christmas gifts. 12 noon-4.30pm.

HACKNEY SHED hackneyshed.co.uk sarah@hackneyshed.org.uk Classes Theatre and drama classes for children and young people held at BSix College Theatre, Clapton. No previous experience necessary. Everyone welcome. Book a taster session. 7-19 years.

LONDON NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS london.gov.uk December 31 Welcome in the New Year with events along the River Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. In partnership with UNICEF. Tickets £10 from See Tickets agency only.

National Maritime Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich

OLYMPIA LONDON Grand Hall, W14 8UX (Kensington Olympia) olympia.london International Horse Show December 15-21 Dressage, show jumping and driving. Also shopping village for Christmas presents.

ST JOHN AT HACKNEY CHURCH Lower Clapton Road, E5 OPD ( Hackney Central) 020 8985 5374 stjohnathackney.org.uk Children’s Carol Service December 24 3pm & 5pm.

SOUTH BANK CENTRE Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX ( Waterloo) 020 7960 4200 southbankcentre.co.uk Winter Market November 20-December 24 Festive market. Free entry.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE ( Charing Cross) london.gov.uk

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony A tree will be placed in the Square from early December to early January. Different groups apply to perform Christmas carols at the base of the tree, raising funds for charities. A torch lit procession and the blessing of the crib takes place after the tree has been lit.

VALENTINES MANSION & GARDENS Emerson Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4XA ( Gants Hill) 020 8708 8100 valentinesmansion.com Christmas Fayre November 22 Stalls with gift ideas, crafts, food and drink. Free entry.

WEAR A HAT DAY 2016 wearahatday.org Brain Tumour Research March 24 (2016) Advance notification to register online for fundraising activities.

WILLIAM MORRIS GALLERY Lloyd Park, Forest Road, E17 4PP (Walthamstow Central ) 020 8496 4390 wmgallery.org.uk

Meet Santa at Eastbury Manor House

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christmas concerts • where to find santa • ice rinks places to go Christmas Shopping Late November 27 Gifts, music, entertainment, nibbles and children’s trail. Entry £2 donation.

Where’s Santa?

Christmas Concerts BARBICAN CENTRE Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS ( Barbican) 020 7638 4141 barbican.org.uk The Snowman and Peter and the Wolf December 19 Milton Court Concert Hall. Two animated films for the family with live orchestra and a pre-concert talk for children. Cost £16£30/children under 16 years half price.

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL St Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8AD ( St Paul’s) stpauls.co.uk Advent Procession November 28, 29 Advent theme procession of light in darkness with the Cathedral Choir. Family Carols December 19 Children welcome. Christmas Services with Carols December 24, 25, 26

SPITALFIELDS WINTER FESTIVAL 020 7377 1362 spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk Winter Festival December 4-15 Musical experience, films, discussions, events for children and relax in a Rocking Chair appearing in a variety of locations. Ticketed and free events.

SUTTON HOUSE MUSIC SOCIETY Sutton House, Homerton High Street, Hackney, E9 6LQ ( Hackney Central) shms.org.uk Christmas Concert December 13 Festive concert with complimentary mince pies. Cost £10/under 16s free.

Outdoor & Indoor ice rinks Open-air ice rinks operate during all weather conditions over the festive period, so come prepared with suitable clothing and note the safety rules and regulations.

BROADGATE ICE RINK

Where to Find Santa EASTBURY MANOR HOUSE Eastbury Square, Barking IG11 9SN ( Upney) 020 8227 2331 lbbd.gov.uk/eastburymanorhouse Eastbury Christmas December 6 Take a visit to the North Pole to see Father Christmas in his grotto and receive a gift. The Manor will be transformed into a magical Christmas wonderland with stalls workshops and festive trails. Free entry/£3 for grotto. Create the North Pole November 11, 18, 25 Create decorations for the North Pole. 5.30pm to 8.30pm. Children and adults welcome. Free drop-in sessions with refreshments. Christmas Concert December 10 (7.30pm) Listen and join in with Kingsley Choral Group. Refreshments available to buy. Free entry. Christmas Candlelit Tour December 15 (7.30pm) Costumed tour guides and festive refreshments. Cost £10 per person. Book in advance.

HAMLEYS 188-196 Regent Street, London W1B 5BT ( Oxford Circus) hamleys.com Meet Father Christmas November 21-December 24 Enjoy a meeting with Father Christmas, take part in activities, enjoy snacks and receive a special gift. One hour long sessions bookable at various time slots. Charges apply.

HARRODS 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL ( Knightsbridge) 0333 300 2300 harrods.com Christmas Grotto November 6-December 24 Visit Santa on the fourth floor and take home a special gift. Tickets available for Harrods Rewards Members with a refundable £10 booking fee. Afternoon tea £42/£30.

HAVERING MUSEUM 19-21 High Street, Romford, RM1 1JU (Romford ) 01708 766571 haveringmuseum.org.uk The Magic of Christmas December 5, 6 Visit Santa and receive a present and digital photo. Cost £6.

HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND W2 2ET ( Marble Arch entrance) hydeparkwinterwonderland.com Santa Land November 20 (5pm)-January 3 Entry is free to visit Santa in his grotto and receive a gift from 10am to 6pm on a first-come-first-served basis. Charges apply for fun fair rides in Santa Land. Pre-bookable tickets for Ice Skating, Magical Ice Kingdom, Circus and Giant Wheel. The main area is free to enter.

LEE VALLEY PARK FARMS Stubbins Hall Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 2EF (Cheshunt ) 01992 892 781 visitleevalley.org.uk/farms Christmas at the Farm December 12, 13, 19-23 Meet Santa and his elves and take part in indoor play activities.

MUSEUM OF LONDONDOCKLANDS West India Quay, E14 4AL (DLR West India Quay) 020 7001 9844 museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands Victorian Santa’s Grotto in Sailortown December 5, 6, 12-23 Advance booking required for a visit to see Santa in his secret grotto in the festive nineteenth century Victorian Walk and receive a special gift. Cost £7-£9. Festive Activities December 5, 6, 12, 19-23 A range of holiday activities with a festive theme. Free.

RAINFOREST CAFÉ 20 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EU ( Piccadilly Circus) 020 7434 3111 therainforestcafe.co.uk fatherchristmas@therainforestcafe.co.uk Santa’s Grotto Weekends from November 14-29 Daily from November 30 Visit the Secret Forest in a magical winter wonderland setting. Meet Father Christmas and his elves in his enchanting snowy woodland grotto for a magical memory to last a lifetime. Limited places so advance booking required.

WESTFIELD Stratford City, E20 & Shepherd’s Bush, W12 westfield.com/london westfield.com/stratfordcity Adventure to Santa’s Grotto November 9-December 24 Fun, interactive and personalised activities with favourite Shrek characters. A cinematic Shrek experience on the journey to meet Santa supported by DreamWorks Animation.

Exchange Square, EC2A 2BQ ( Liverpool Street) 0845 653 1424 broadgate.co.uk/ice November 16-February 25 Skate in the heart of the city surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants. The rink may be closed to the public during school sessions. Skate aids for children cost £5 to hire. Cost £13/£9/family £35.

CANARY WHARF Canada Square Park, E14 5AB ( Canary Wharf) 08456 531 431 icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk October 31-February 27 Magical outdoor ice rink with shops nearby. Book tickets online and check closures for local schools skating sessions. Skate aids extra to hire. Cost £14.95/£9.95/family £41.95.

HYDE PARK hydeparkwinterwonderland.com November 20-January 3 Outdoor ice rink set around the Victorian bandstand and illuminated with many lights. Part of the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland experience.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM ICE RINK ( South Kensington) 0844 847 1576 nhm.ac.uk October 29-January 3 Outdoor ice rink against the backdrop of Hintze Hall. Cost £12.65/£8.80/family £39.60.

SOMERSET HOUSE Strand, WC2R 1LA 0844 847 1520 somersethouse.org.uk/ice-rink November 18-January 10 Open-air ice rink in the courtyard. Young children can skate with the Polar Cub Club in a safe training rink and older children can take lessons at the Skate School. Special music nights, Christmas Arcade with Fortnum & Mason and Tuesday Treats.

TOWER OF LONDON toweroflondonicerink.com November 20-January 3 Open-air Ice skating fun with spectacular views in historic surroundings. Refreshments served at the Ice bar and café. Cost Off peak £12/£9.50/£8.50/ family £38. 3+ years.

WINTERVILLE Victoria Park Old Ford Road E3 5SN & Lauriston Road E9 7JH ( Mile End) winterville.co.uk

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THEREâ€™S

A SECRET IN THE FOREST

this christmas

advanced booking essential

0207 434 3111

fatherchristmas@therainforestcafe.co.uk 20 shaftesbury avenue, london w1d 7eu www.therainforestcafe.co.uk /rainforestcaf e london @rainforestcafe

cinema • museums • exhibitions places to go November 26-December 23 Outdoor ice rink as part of a range of attractions for families including a pantomime show, circus, fairground, dance sessions and market stalls. Separate charges apply for each activity.

Christmas Past November 24-January 3 Free exhibition to take a glimpse into how Christmas has been celebrated through the ages. Open Evening December 3 (5pm-8pm) Festive music and workshops.

Cinema

Greenery Garlands December 12 Family event to create greenery inspired garlands. Free.

BARBICAN CENTRE Silk Street/Beech Street, EC2Y 8DS ( Barbican) 020 7638 4141 barbican.org.uk/film

Concert by Candlelight December 17 Evening performance. Cost £20. Farewell to Christmas January 6 Outdoor garden event with carol singing, stories, mulled wine and Twelfth Night cake. Free.

Framed Film Festival November 21-22 Annual celebration of children’s cinema from all over the world with workshops and family activities.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

BFI SOUTHBANK

Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ ( Waterloo/Lambeth North 020 7416 5000 iwm.org.uk/iwm-london

Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 8XT ( Waterloo) 020 7255 1444 bfi.org.uk

A Wartime Christmas December 20-23, 27-31 Family craft activities to help decorate the Christmas wreath and learn how Christmas was celebrated on the Home Front. Free entry.

Film Club Saturday film club with free screenings and creative workshops.

Museums & Exhibitions

MUSEUMS TAKE OVER DAY kidsinmuseums.org.uk November 20 An annual event when children from local schools are given decision making roles within museums, galleries and historic sites. Check online for local events.

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM Bartholomew Lane, EC2R 8AH ( Bank) 020 7601 5545 bankofengland.co.uk Sparkling Silver, Glittering Gold December 21-24, 29, 30, 31 Explore the collection of silver and gold objects and decorate a money box to take home with a chocolate gold coin inside.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM Kingsland Road, E2 8EA ( Old Street) 020 7739 9893 geffrye-museum.org.uk

National Maritime Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich

ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory, Cutty Sark, SE10 9NF (DLR Cutty Sark) 020 8858 4422 rmg.co.uk Cutty Sark Events December 5, 6: Make Christmas decorations. December 29, 30: Make a mini ship. December 2, 9, 16, January 6, 13: Toddler Time.

Tickets from £10 020 7684 0060 I hoxtonhall.co.uk

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

ND A BRAAMILY F W NE SICAL MU

LIVE ON STAGE

a musical play adapted and directed by DAVID WOOD based on the book by JUDITH KERR

“This Tiger is the cat’s meow”

★★★★ The Times

FRI 4 - SAT 5 DECEMBER www.cadoganhall.com

BOOK NOW 020 7730 4500 Running time 55 mins

For ages 3+

LYRIC THEATRE SHAFTESBURY AVENUE

WED 25 NOV - SUN 10 JAN BOOK NOW 0330 333 4812 www.thetigerwhocametotealive.com

To advertise in Families East London please call on 020 8202 2034 or email adverts@familieseast.co.uk

places to go theatre shows • pantomimes Shadow puppets, stories and songs. 3+ years. Cost £6. The Boy Who Never Grew Up November 28 Imagination and magic. 4+ years. Cost £6. Oddly December 5 Tale of three unusual creatures. 3-8 years. Cost £6. SuperMonkey and Monkey December 12 Mischievous adventure with superhero Monkey. 4+ years. Cost £6. The Singing Ringing Tree December 19 German fable about a princess, a bear and an evil Troll. Fully integrated sign language. Suitable for deaf and hearing audiences. 3-7 years. Cost £6. Sutton House

January 2, 3: Craft activities with wool. Entrance £13.50/£7 for 5-15 years/ family £24 or £35. National Maritime Museum Events Samuel Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution Exhibition – charges apply. December 1, 8, 15, January 12 Craft, music and drama. December 21-23, 28-31 Smelly Christmas! Free entry.

VESTRY HOUSE MUSEUM Vestry Road, Walthamstow, E17 9NH 020 8496 4391 walthamforest.gov.uk/vestry-house Deck the Halls December 13 Festive garlands and tree decorations family workshop. Free.

V&A MUSEUM Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL ( South Kensington) 020 7942 2000 vam.ac.uk Bejewelled Treasures – India Festival From November 21 Indian jewellery design during the early twentieth century. Entrance £14/children free.

Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA ( Bethnal Green)

mimelondon.com

The Tales We Tell November 14 onwards Exhibition on the traditions of Warli, a tribal art form from Western India.

January 9-February 6 International mime artists take part in a variety of events, films and activities across London venues.

Roo in My Suitcase November 14, 21, 28 Join in with poetry and songs in a show presented by Half Moon Theatre. 3-7 years. Booking required. Free. One Way Ticket November 14, 21, 28 Workshops and performances from Half Moon Theatre. 8-12 years. Booking required. Free. Christmas Designer Market November 29 Independent designers and makers. Free entrance.

Theatre Shows & Pantomimes GREENWICH THEATRE Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES (Greenwich ) 020 8858 7755 greenwichtheatre.org.uk Red Riding Hood November 20-January 10 Singing and dancing and lots of laughter. Cost £29/children half price.

Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas November 20-December 24 Father Christmas awakes from a dream to find it is Christmas Eve – the busiest time of the year. Live music and puppets. Under 6 years. Cost £10.

NATIONAL THEATRE South Bank, SE1 9PX ( Waterloo) 020 7452 3000 nationaltheatre.org.uk

Gerry Raffles Square, Stratford, E15 1BN ( Stratford) 020 8534 0310 stratfordeast.com Robin Hood December 5-January 23 Action-packed pantomime with laughter, songs and lots of fun. Cost £13.50-£27.50.

UNICORN THEATRE 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ ( London Bridge) 020 7645 0560 unicorntheatre.com Baddies: The Musical Until December 24 Meet fairy tales’ most villainous characters. 6+ years. Cost £12-£24. The Snow Child November 18-January 3 A man and his wife decide to sculpt a child of their own out of snow. Russian folktale.

WILTON’S MUSIC HALL Graces Alley, E1 8JB ( Aldgate East) 020 7702 2789 wiltons.org.uk Dick Whittington December 1-31 Christmas pantomime show with Roy Hudd as dame. Cost £30, £25, £20, concessions £15.

THE HIT MUSICAL ADAPTATION OF THE AWARD WINNING PICTURE BOOK BY JULIA DONALDSON AND AXEL SCHEFFLER

HACKNEY EMPIRE

Jack and the Beanstalk November 21-January 3 Music, gags, outlandish costumes and fantastic dance routines in the annual pantomime show. Cost £10-£34.50.

43 White Horse Road, E1 OND (Stepney Green/Limehouse ) 020 7709 8900 halfmoon.org.uk Circles in the Sand November 14 Introduction to theatre for the very young. 0-3 years. Cost £6.

Cinderella November 21-January 3 Meet Cinderella and her charming Prince in the annual pantomime with festive fun in true Lyric style. 6+ years. Tickets £15-£35.

THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST

291 Mare Street, E8 1EJ (Hackney Central ) 020 8985 2424 hackneyempire.co.uk

HALFMOON THEATRE

Sutton House

LYRIC HAMMERSMITH Lyric Square, King Street, London W6 OQL ( Hammersmith) 020 8741 6850 lyric.co.uk

The Snowman November 25-January 3 A young boy’s adventures to the North Pole with a magical snowman. Tickets from £15.

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V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD

020 8983 5200 museumofchildhood.org.uk

PEACOCK THEATRE Portugal Street, WC2A 2HT ( Holborn) 020 7863 8222 peacocktheatre.com

Fabric of India – India Festival Until January 10 Handmade textiles, dyeing, weaving and embroidery from across India. Entrance £10/children free.

LONDON INTERNATIONAL MIME FESTIVAL

I Want My Hat Back Until January 2 Bear has lost his hat and wants it back so he asks all the animals in the forest but no one has seen it. 3+ years. Cost £12/£15/£10 under 18 years.

Once Upon a Snowflake November 21

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“A FINE PIECE OF CHILDREN’S THEATRE”

★★★★ The Sunday Times

“MONSTROUS FUN!”

★★★★ Daily Mail

VAUDEVILLE THEATRE

TUE 15 DEC - SUN 3 JAN BOOK NOW 0330 333 4814 nimaxtheatres.com twitter.com/FamiliesELondon

facebook.com/FamiliesEastLondon

places to go

Time Out Evening Standard The Times The Guardian (2014) Written & directed by

SUSIE McKENNA Music by

STEVEN EDIS Design by

LOTTE COLLETT

Starring

CLIVE ROWE DEBBIE KURUP KAT B

21 Nov 03 Jan

HACKNEYEMPIRE.CO.UK

020 8985 2424

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