FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES, INSPIRATION FOR DAYS OUT & LOTS OF FUN
FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES, INSPIRATION FOR DAYS OUT & LOTS OF FUN
We were out with family last week for a little celebration dinner. It wasn’t really in aid of anything, but who needs a reason to celebrate? We were meeting in town, and decided to wander along to George Square, to Browns. We’ve been to Browns a few times with the little lady, including once when …
Like pretty much every other toddler on the planet, the little lady absolutely loves to climb. Everything. She’s a maniac. And she clearly has no understanding (not even a tiny inkling) of what it might feel like to fall off that fence or that table or that window ledge. I should probably stop her from climbing everything, but …
We met some baby buddies at Eastwood Pool recently. I’d heard rave reviews about it from some other mummy friends, so we had to check it out! The Pool There are two parts to the pool area. There’s the main swimming pool with lanes for doing some real swimming or lessons, and a larger unlaned …
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.
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.
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 …
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
We were at our lovely little music class this morning – First Steps to Music. We’ve been going for over a year now & my little lady loves it.
The Class
First Steps to Music is a music class created and run by Katie, an early years musician. It has lots of singing, lots of rhyming, shakers, puppets, drums, marching, teddies & violin playing.
The class is great fun for the little ones. It is relaxed & the kids love all the props that are used.
But it’s also very structured. I think that’s probably partly why my little lady has picked so much up from the class. She constantly sings, tunefully, (with just ‘la la la’s’ instead of words, mostly) the songs from the class at home. Her favourites are ‘Knock, knock, knock, Who’s in the box…’ (the ‘who’ is usually a finger puppet in the class, but she sings it to whomever has the audacity to lock the bathroom door at home), and ‘Lets go a-walking…’ (excellent for getting her to walk properly along a pavement!) The kids learn to tap along with a beat too, amongst other things. They learn pretty quickly what they’re supposed to do and at what point. It’s quite amazing to see actually!
The Cost
The class runs in terms & you need to book a term in advance. It works out at £5 per class.
The Verdict
Katie is great with the kids. The class is really fun for them, but at the same time you can almost see them learning!
Classes are quite small and as far as I can tell the people who start the class (including ourselves) tend to keep going for a long time. I think that pretty much says everything!
The Details
It’s on in St Mary’s Cathedral on Monday mornings, and in Wellington Church on Saturday mornings. (Both in the West End around Woodlands). There are baby, toddler & pre-school classes available.
All info can be found on the First Steps To Music website
We took a wee trip out to Bishopbriggs to meet a lovely mummy & toddler friend last week, and thought we’d all check out Play Town Soft Play whilst we were there.
The Play Area
The baby/toddler area is pretty good. There’s a little ball pool, quite a few toys, a soft see-saw & an area to clamber up & round to get to the slide. It’s easy enough for a toddler to get round, and there are plenty toys to entertain a tiny tot too.
The main play frame is great. There are 3 levels with bits to freely run around and a couple of slides, one of which ends in a big ball pool. There’s also a mini flying fox & quite a few different bits to climb around.
This was the first time my little lady ever wanted to play by herself in a soft play area :’-( so it gave me a slightly different perspective than I’ve had before. (I know, I’m becoming ever more obsolete with each passing day.) Anyway, the play frame is not huge, but a toddler (well, most toddlers – at least ones who haven’t the climbing abilities of Spiderman) can run around the different levels without getting to the big slides. That meant I could sit and have a chat, obviously whilst paying attention. It also meant that I could actually unclench a little and let her run around without worrying too much.
It was quiet when we were there. But it was a midweek morning when schools were in so that’s not surprising!
The Food
The food is pretty standard soft play food – there’s sandwiches, toasties, paninis, potatoes, soup… The usual suspects. The kids menu is not what I’d like to see, but I say the same thing about pretty much every soft play we go to. We had a panini, which actually was quite nice. It’s pretty reasonably priced too.
The Cost
It was £3.50 entry for us. It’s £4.50 for kids ages 4+ and £1 for babies up to age 1.
The Verdict
It was the perfect soft play for the toddler at this age (21 months). It was clean & the staff were friendly. I actually really liked it, and so did my little lady!
Play Town Soft Play is at 30 Wellington Road, Bishopbriggs
We had a spare hour the other day and decided to pop into Jungle In The City soft play in Glasgow West End. It’s in Partick, and it’s so close to us that I can’t believe I’ve never been before! The Play Area The play area is in a few parts: there’s a play frame, a big …
Chatelherault Park is one of my favourite places on earth. Walking through it’s big, beautiful, ancient forest makes me feel like I’ve gone back in time. We go here with our dogs quite a lot, especially during the week when it’s quiet. Some days you can walk for an hour hardly seeing another person! (Bit …
We’d been meaning to check out The Messy Place in Bishopbriggs for ages. I’d heard great things about it & so we met our toddler & mummy friend there for some messy play time.
The Messy Place is exactly what it sounds like it’s going to be. Messy play for kids up to age 6. Very messy, in fact. But in a really good way. With the exception of painting & play doh, it’s pretty much all the stuff that I want my little lady to be able to do, but that makes such a mess we tend not to do in the house.
Each week is themed. It was construction week when we went along, so there were lots of diggers and trucks and spades and other construction themed toys in each of the play trays. As for the play trays… There was play doh, painting, a water table, sand pit, ice tray, craft table, and a tray with wood shavings to dig around in. So much for the kids to do. It really is fantastic.
There is a class structure. So there’s free play for most of the time, followed by a group activity (this week we made construction themed paintings using sponge stampers). Then you’ve got a bit of ‘clean-up-the-toddlers’ time and a few songs at the end.
The kids all get painting overalls at the beginning and there are loads of clean towels should you need them. It’s definitely worthwhile taking a change of clothes though – at least for the top half. Because messy is the key word!
Sessions last 1 hour and take place Monday – Thursday at 10.30am and 1pm, and on Fridays at 10.30am.
It costs £5 for the session (£2.50 for additional siblings) and mummies/daddies get a cuppa. Well worth it. The kids have an absolute ball.
Due to high demand, you have to book your place in advance now. (Nobody wants to go along to be told there’s no space for your kid!) you can do that by sending a message via The Messy Place facebook page.
The Messy Place is located in Bishopbriggs at 21 Park Avenue.
We checked out Free Wheel North recently. Most people I speak to haven’t heard of it, but it’s a fantastic charity run cycling centre down at Glasgow Green next to the big sandy playpark & climbing frames across from the templeton building. If you’ve been down there you’ve probably seen it; you just didn’t know …
We’ve been doing a lot of museum-ing recently, since Spring decided it wasn’t quite ready to come out yet.
So last week we took a wee wander around the Hunterian Museum, in Glasgow University. I hadn’t been since I was a student and unsurprisingly, it was a bit of a different experience with a toddler!
There’s nothing at all interactive & not much that would peak the interest of a typical toddler. Most of the exhibits are up much higher than the eye level of small children too.
But it’s free, it’s nice & warm and since toddlers are happy as long as they’re free to roam, it’s good for an hour on a rainy day. It’s a pretty good place for a game of peek-a-boo.
You might even get to look at something if you have a toddler that doesn’t run away at every possible opportunity.
Note: The radiators run around the bottom of the railing on the top level. And they’re really hot. Make sure your toddler doesn’t think it’s a seat.
The Hunterian Museum: The University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8