We braved the Scottish summer and went to Palacerigg Country Park. Nice little childrens farm and good swing park. Nice walk for dogs. Great little day out.
Year
Showing: 41 - 60 of 107 RESULTS
2015
Happiness is Cuddles
Truth.
I love Sundays. This is pretty much what’s happening in my house today.
Adventure Planet (again)
We had so much fun at Adventure Planet this afternoon that I had to write a little bit about it. I wrote a review not too long ago, so I’m not doing another one just yet! But the slides are still the slidiest. And there’s still hundreds of them.
The slides are waaay too fast for the little lady to go up by herself (she can’t even do the one in the 0-3 bit without cracking her head) so I was up in there with her the entire time. Don’t think I need to go that run tonight now. Exhausted.
You can find my previous full review of Adventure Planet here.
If I had my child to raise all over again…
Something I try to keep in mind. Have fun when they’re kids. You don’t get the time back.
5 Things Breastfeeding Advocates Need To Stop Doing
I breastfed my little lady for a year. And I loved breastfeeding. It was so convenient. It worked for me and my little lady. And I support anyone who wants to feed their baby in whatever way they want to, anywhere they want to. But I do think that some people just need to chill out sometimes.
Play Kingdom
We were over near The Forge recently and decided to check out Play Kingdom soft play while we were around. (I’ve managed to delete and lose all but one of my photos from this soft play. Apologies). The Play Area The main play area is a reasonable size. There are a few levels for them …
London With A Toddler
We took a trip to London last weekend to meet up with family and friends. It’s a bit of an annual pilgrimage for us, usually taking in a bit of Wimbledon action and various other exciting events. But that’s not really possible with a toddler. So although we did some stuff for us (like a gig, …
Berry Picking at East Yonderton Farm
I’ve been dying to go berry picking for ages. So when a friend suggested we go check out East Yonderton Farm in Renfrew I was ready.
We went this morning and had a great time. The strawberries are in season just now, as are the blackcurrants, peas and gooseberries (although the latter is a bit too spiky for a toddler to pick).
We picked strawberries. It was a bit of a walk to the strawberry field (for a toddler – not for an adult or a slightly older child – and only because they walk so slowly and get distracted by grass, mud, an aeroplane, puddles, signs and anything else they find) so next time I might consider taking the pram along. The little lady wasn’t up for walking on the way back and she was pretty mucky, so I also ended up pretty mucky!
It is a farm, so the paths are grassy and muddy and puddly. Wellies are a very good idea. Unfortunately I realised this morning as we were leaving that the little lady’s wellies were waaaay too small, so we had to go with a sightly less appropriate footwear option, and ended up with rather wet feet. She was enjoying splashing in the puddles so much I didn’t have the heart to stop her. What’s a bit of water, after all…
The strawberries are so red; they look and smell amazing. You’re not supposed to eat them in the field, but every time I looked at the little lady she had taken another bite. She has been very fussy with her strawberries for months – she’ll take a bite and if they aren’t nice she’ll just hand me the strawberry/bowl back. So that is most definitely the ultimate endorsement from her. And now that I’ve also tasted them, I can confirm that they taste amazing too.
We filled a basket (really filled a basket) and it cost £8.
The Farm is out by Glasgow Airport, about a 15 minute drive from Charing Cross. The little road you need to turn down to get to East Yonderton is signposted from Barnsford Rd/A726. It’s easy to find.
There is a toilet at the other side of the field to the car park. It’s perfectly nice, but it amused me. This is it:
Now, it’s jam time. 🙂
East Yonderton Farm is located at Walkinshaw Rd, Renfrew, PA4 9L. It says on google maps that it’s closed permanently, but it definitely isn’t.
Swimming at the Gorbals Pool
We hadn’t been swimming in ages and we’d heard that the Gorbals pool is good for kids, so we gave it a go.
The Pool
There are two swimming pools. The main pool is for ‘proper swimming’. It has lanes on one side and a larger unlaned area that’s good for having a wee swim with kids; for example if you’re practising your baby swimming. 🙂 It’s still pretty warm – certainly not cold like Tollcross pool.
The second pool is a zero-entry pool (sloped entrance like a beach). It’s nice and warm, and is shallow enough at the top to let tiny littles sit and get used to the water, or run and leap around in! As it gets deeper it turns into a little lazy river with rapids that go around a little area that appeared to be a jacuzzi that wasn’t on, (which meant it was a great bit for jumping in!) There were a bunch of floats and pool noodles/woggles you could use to go round the rapids.
There’s also a flume, but we didn’t go on it. It was closed when we were there, but I made the assumption it was for quite a bit bigger kids anyway.
The Change Rooms
It’s a Glasgow Life pool. They’re pretty standard, generally. They are basic and not the loveliest in the world, but not the worst I’ve seen either.
There were quite a few family change rooms (which are a really good size). The family change room we were in had a seat attached to the wall that you can strap your little tearaway into if need be. The straps were broken though, so it didn’t work.
It’s 20p for lockers, and apparently they’re really fun to climb in.
The Cost
It’s £3.20 for adults if you’re a non-member (free for members) and free for kids under 5. With a YoungScot Kidz Card it’s free until they’re about 19.
The Verdict
It’s a nice, warm pool so it’s great for teeny tinies. We still have a warma on, but the little lady lasted ages in there. With the rapids etc. there’s enough there to entertain the younger and older kids. Excellent.
The Gorbals pool is located in Gorbals Glasgow Club, Ballater St, Glasgow, G5 0YP.
The Beach at Riverside
We’re at the beach today! Not in the usual sense though. We’re in a giant sandpit (aka the Beach at Riverside) and it’s really nice.
It’s been here for a few summers now. But I’ve never been before, so I was pleasantly surprised at how big it is, and at how deep the sand is. The sand is really soft and lovely too.
There are some sun loungers dotted around outside the sandpit. A number of them had towels or bags or something on them to signify that they were ‘taken’, even though there were no other adults at all except me in the sand with the kids. Not that I wanted a sun lounger. But that just irritated me and reminded how much I sometimes really hate other people.
Anyway, it’s a really nice little beach for the kids to potter about in, and it’s right at the door of the Riverside Museum if you wanted them to have a play in there too. There is an ice cream van and a hot food van next to it, and a cafe inside the museum.
Just bear in mind that we live in Glasgow, and as such the sand will probably be a little bit damp. I took a picnic blanket just in case, but since I was playing in the sand with the little lady I didn’t use it.
Make sure you remember your buckets and spades! 🙂 It’s great fun!
The Beach at Riverside is located at the Riverside Museum, and it’s here until the 1st of September.
Nature walks are good for your brain!
There’s Pollok Park, Chatelherault Park, Mugdock Country Park, Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Seven Lochs Wetland Park, Whitelee Windfarm Visitor Centre plus all the city parks and all the other ones I know I’ve forgotten.
Let’s get outside!!! (Even if the sun doesn’t have his hat on…)
I’m so glad it’s no longer the 70’s!
I nearly pee’d myself laughing when I read this. (Should probably get those kegel exercises done!)
It cannot be unseen though. Be warned.
Toddler Sense Kelvinside: A Chance Happening!
We found a brand new Toddler Sense class the other week that’s just up and running in Kelvinside. We found it entirely by accident – we’d gone along to the outdoor playgroup in the Children’s Wood that nobody else turned up to, and whilst having a wee wander round Kelvinside Meadow a lovely lady called Gail came and handed us a flyer. As it turned out the class was just about to start, so we joined in!
The Class
It’s a brand new class; so new that it was the very first day of it when we went along. There were only a couple of us there, but I expect that the next time we manage along it’ll be far busier as Toddler Sense classes tend to be pretty popular.
As always, there was a play area for the kids to clamber about in before the class (and in the case of my little lady also during, when she managed to eventually escape my clutches). There were blocks to climb about on, a bouncy castle & slide, a ball pool, bikes plus a bunch of other stuff I’ve since forgotten.
Each week has a different theme – last week was sparkle week. There were flashy balls, sparkly sticks, songs about stars, a snowy mountain that the littles climbed and quite spectacular sparkles projected from the ceiling (our cat would’ve loved all those lights flashing on the floor).
The lady who took the class (whose name has unfortunately now been lost from my terrible mummy brain) was great with the kids. She was super enthusiastic and they seemed to really enjoy playing with her in the play area at the beginning of the class.
The Cost
It’s £15 for your first 3 classes. After that you can pay as you go at £6.50 per class, or you can buy blocks of classes which work out a bit cheaper.
The Details
The class is on in the Scout Hall on Kelbourne St, just across from Kelvinside Meadow. It’s on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 am and 11.30 am. Classes last about an hour.
The Verdict
My little lady absolutely loved it. She always loves Toddler Sense. The play area is physical enough to keep her entertained and the singing part of the class has enough going on to keep her engaged. It’s really excellent. And it knackers her. Bonus!
Toddler Sense Kelvinside takes place in the Scout Hall, Kelbourne St North, Kelvinside, Glasgow, G20 8PR.
A Letter To The Mom At The Waterpark
This resonated with me.
Years ago, I used to not do stuff because I wasn’t happy with how I looked. Having a baby freed me from that quite a lot. Partly because I’m so aware that I’m her role model, and I really want to be a positive one in any way I can.
I do care a lot less what others think now, and I also realise that most people don’t give a crap how I look.
But I still have those days sometimes. I’m sure most of us do…
Back Bouncing & Rhyming
We went back to bounce & rhyme for the first time in AGES this morning. There’s songs & rhymes & stories & lots of other babies & toddlers. It’s still just as entertaining for the little lady as it’s always been. And it’s free. The groups are in libraries all over Glasgow. You can find …
Life with a toddler
Very cute. And very true.
How Life Changes After Pregnancy
I remember my mum trying to tell me what it’s like to have kids. She couldn’t, because I couldn’t imagine, understand or even nearly comprehend what it’s like to have a child.
This is really lovely. It’s the best explanation I’ve read!
Wonderworld Soft Play
Wonderworld Soft Play in Kinning Park is one of our other second homes (after the science centre & the park). It’s where we go if we’re at a loose end. In fact, it’s probably my favourite soft play area in Glasgow. We were back a few days ago and I realised I have never written about it. (I was sure I had. Baby brain strikes again).
The Play Area
It’s huge. Seriously. Last week we ended up in a bit we’ve never been in before. And we’ve been here, a lot.
The main play frame has at least 3 big, fast slides (one of which is almost vertical) plus those twisty tunnel slides that it’s impossible to get down with a toddler. There’s a big area to run around in over 3 levels, a bunch of trampolines, foam ball shooters, bridges & probably loads other stuff that we haven’t found yet. The slides in the main area are too fast & too big for the little lady to go by herself yet (as are the other children).
The toddler area is one of the best we’ve played in. It’s big enough for the little lady (who’s 22 months) to happily play in for a while, and she’ll go up the play frame & down the slide by herself. There’s a decent sized ball pool (big enough for a random 6ish year old to hide in & make you kack your pants when they leap out at you making zombie noises), some cars & a good bit of floor space with soft blocks etc to keep the very littles happy.
There’s also a go-kart track and a football pitch. And over the other side of the massive warehouse room there’s another slide that looks like a volcano. The little lady is way too small for it, but there are kids crawling up it & rolling down it constantly. Looks fun.
The Cafe
The food is pretty standard for soft play. But they have a Starbucks inside which is a winner for me; you can’t beat a chai tea latte. They also have a pretty good cake selection.
When you walk in there’s an ocean of tables and chairs facing you. I’ve never had a problem getting a table (although we usually avoid peak times so I can’t speak for what it’s like on weekends & in really busy periods).
The Cost
It’s free for under 1’s at any time. It costs £4 for under 3’s & £5.50 for over 3’s off-peak. They get unlimited play. It’s a bit more expensive at peak times (£5.50 & £6.95) for 2 hrs play.
The Verdict
It’s huge and there’s loads to keep kids (young and old) entertained. They have regular toddler mornings on Tuesday’s with entertainment which are pretty good. And like I said before, chai tea lattes.
Wonderworld is at 99 Middlesex St, Glasgow, G41 1EE.
Jollytots and Cookies
A friend was out in Uddingston the other day, and went to Jollytots and Cookies with her daughter. She very kindly wrote a great review for the page. Thank you so much Aileen! Here it is! Cost It costs £3 for an hour and a half play time. Pretty standard for soft play but there’s not as …
What I Wish Parents Would Do
I couldn’t stop reading the Blessed By Brenna blog when I came across it a few weeks ago. Beautifully written about a beautiful family with a beautiful little girl. This post though, it really stuck with me. So I thought I’d share.