News & Views What’s new or free in 2023 To help you and your family get the best out of the year ahead, Claire Winter gives you the lowdown on exciting free events and new products for 2023. Da FREE NEW The Young V&A (formerly the New Zog Activity Trail is open Museum of Childhood) will at Wendover Woods and re-open in Bethnal Green, other Forestry England sites London this summer as a new across the UK. There’s a free national museum and creative AR app you can download powerhouse for children and before you go, or you can young teens. collect a Trail Pack from the Information Centre for £4. < vam.ac.uk/young < forestryengland.uk/zog FREE Go on a night-time adventure to look at constellations and galaxies at one of England’s growing range of dark sky experiences and festivals. 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of Northumberland International Dark Sky Park the UK’s largest and first International Dark Sky Park, which spans nearly 1,500 square km of Northumberland National Park, Kielder Water and Forest Park. < bit.ly/northdarksky FREE Explore the North Downs Art Trail on foot or bicycle to enjoy stunning views between Dover in Kent and Farnham in Surrey, where a series of sculptures work as benches or shelters. Choose from a range of downloadable, self-guided walking or cycling routes. < bit.ly/ndownsarttrail Check out the all-British and all-electric Firefly Sports car for kids. It’s hoped the car will help educate youngsters about road safety and how future motor vehicles can be an environmental force for good. Try driving the Firefly Sport at Young Driver’s UK venues for £20. Book a lesson at: < youngdriver.com NEW LEGO Friends® releases five new sets this year with diverse characters that better represent children. The new sets will be inclusive of various ethnicities, disabilities and neurodivergence and will feature characters with limb difference, Downs syndrome, anxiety, vitiligo and even pets with disabilities, including a blind dog and a dog with a wheelchair. < bit.ly/friendsdiverse 6 Families Chiltern FREE All eyes will be on London with the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May. Plus, we get a new bank holiday on Monday 8 May to continue the celebrations. Expect lots of free royal-themed events, exhibitions and celebrations across the UK. < royal.uk NEW The new car sunshade Baboodle is a new baby from Shady® is the only equipment subscription car sunshade that allows platform, renting baby you to wind down your essentials to parents for as car window. The sunshade much time as they need. blocks nearly all harmful There are huge discounts UV rays and sticks firmly to on baby equipment and the glass of the window. It’s the scheme reduces the perfect for any age and if waste associated with baby you have a newborn, it has equipment. Sign up and start been specifically developed saving at: < baboodle.co.uk to nurture and stimulate vision and the optic nerves by incorporating high contrast, black-and-white, fun images whilst providing protection from sunlight. < sunshady.co.uk NEW Funky T-Shirts from BonBonBon will brighten up any day. Designed by mother and daughter duo Nat and Bonnie, they give 10% of every sale to Place2Be, a charity dedicated to improving children’s mental health. < bonbonfunky.co.uk Familiesonline.co.uk