Tag: Children and Families

New café opens at Dalkeith Trampoline Park

A NEW café has opened at Ryze Trampoline Park in Dalkeith, following a £20,000 investment, just in time to meet the demand from the expected surge in visitors across the summer months.   

The launch of the Bounce House Café at the popular Midlothian family visitor attraction ensures guests can make a day of their visit with the five-figure investment including a new fit out, serving area and state-of-the art coffee machine for visitors to enjoy.  

The café, which accommodates 15 booths will be open from 10am until 7pm and will offer a full menu of hot food offerings, from pizzas and chicken goujons, as well as a variety of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

For those looking for something lighter, snacks and cakes are also on offer alongside tea, coffee and hot chocolate, as well as a selection of soft drinks and fruit juices for children.  

The new café also offers catering for birthday parties and functions taking place at Ryze Trampoline Park, with a full party menu on offer. 

 As a result of the launch of the Bounce House Café, it will be recruiting for temporary positions in the coming weeks, as the trampoline park braces itself for an increase in footfall over the summer holidays. 

Rory Fairgrieve, Sales Director of Ryze, said: “It’s great to have our brand new Bounce House Café open to serve tasty meals and quality snacks that everyone, including families, can enjoy.

“This investment into our new quality onsite catering offer is another fantastic leap for us in offering the best day out for families across Scotland.
 
“The team has worked hard to create an excellent food offering for patrons and we are sure that whether you are looking to enjoy a meal or grab a quick snack after bouncing the afternoon away, there is something for everyone at Ryze Trampoline Park.” 

Scotland’s top family festival returns this summer at Conifox Adventure Park

Edinburgh’s Conifox Adventure Park has announced the return of its hotly-anticipated annual summer festival, FoxFest, for 2024. Tickets are now on sale for the endless summer fun which is set to return on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August.

With ticket prices starting from £11.75, the festival has been expertly designed to bring kids and adults together for limitless fun throughout the weekend. Families can soak up the atmosphere in the Conifox Festival Field with a bumper weekend of amazing entertainment including music, circus performers, magicians, comedy and so much more.

That’s not all, ticket holders can expect an array of musical performances across the weekend with an enviable lineup of tribute acts including Ed Sheeran, Simply Ariana, Lewis Capaldi, Steptastic and Spice World the Tribute.

And for all your Swifties out there, Conifox is delighted to announce the addition of Britain’s number 1 Taylor Swift Tribute performer to this year’s roster of entertainers. 

The award-winning Adventure Park is pleased to welcome Britain’s Got Talent’s Steve Hewlett and his hilarious ventriloquist act to this year’s FoxFest, alongside Conifox’s favourite local magicians – Magic Gareth and Tricky Ricky, The Giant Balloon Show and back by popular demand, Paris Bubbles – there really is something for everyone to enjoy. 

In between the fun, families can enjoy the popular Adventure Park included in the ticket price, or tuck into delicious food, drinks and ice creams onsite.

For those looking for something extra, Taylor’s of Edinburgh Funfair rides and face painting will be popping up at FoxFest for an additional cost. 

Conifox Managing Director James Gammell said: “We’re all about family-friendly fun and FoxFest is one of the only festivals in Scotland that caters to the whole family, with a roster of entertainment for everyone to enjoy throughout the weekend.

“With Taylor Swift mania still rippling throughout Edinburgh, we’re delighted to bring Britain’s number 1 Taylor tribute to FoxFest alongside a dedicated lineup of some of the UK’s best tribute performers to entertain and make FoxFest an even better experience for our visitors.”

FoxFest tickets are available from £14.95 for adults, £19.95 for children ages 2 – 16 and £11.75 for ages 12 – 24 months. Babies under 12 months old go free.

For more information, lineups and tickets, visit www.conifox.co.uk. 

North Edinburgh Arts: Summer fun for children and families

Summer’s here! We’re running an exciting programme of fun activities and creative events for local children, young people, and their families throughout July and August. Come and join the fun!

Highlights include:

🌼Film Festival Workshop with Folk Film Gathering (Ages 8+): Learn about film festival programming on Thursday 11 July, 5:30pm-7pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

🌼NEA x Edinburgh Science Mini Summer Festival (All ages): Enjoy fun science activities on Tuesday 18 July, 11am-3pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

🌼The Show for Young Men (Ages 8+): A special preview performance on Wednesday 31 July, 11am at PASS Theatre, Edinburgh College Granton Campus.

🌼Fringe at… North Edinburgh Arts! (All ages): Family-friendly performances and workshops on Saturday 10 August, 10:30am-12:30pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

🌼Travelling Gallery – Where We Stand (All ages): An exhibition on community ownership on Thursday 15 August, 10am-4pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

🌼Play Rangers (Ages 5+): Creative outdoor play every Friday afternoon in local parks.

🌼Family Badminton (Ages 7+): Weekly sessions on Mondays, 4:30pm-7:30pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

🌼Cycling Group (Ages 8+): Family-friendly cycling every Wednesday, 10am-11:30am, meeting at 67 Pennywell Road.

Join us for a summer full of creativity, outdoor fun, and community spirit!

Visit our website for full details at northedinburgharts.co.uk/summer-2024/

Garden Centre invites families to enjoy a Teddy Bears’ Picnic

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is inviting families to roll out the picnic blanket and gather around this summer as it unveils its brand-new event at the Edinburgh store, Teddy Bears’ Picnic, where children get to make their very own teddy bear keepsake to take home.

This interactive 90-minute session, taking place during the summer holidays, is designed for families with children aged 3-10 years old and is taking place in the afternoon on Saturday 27 July, Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 August at the Edinburgh store. Families with younger children can also get involved and enjoy the picnic experience.

Dobbies’ Teddy Bears’ Picnic allows kids to have a go at building their very own teddy bear to take home. Children will get the opportunity to stuff, fluff and name a teddy bear of their choice, with a teddy birth certificate to mark the occasion. 

Dobbies’ colleagues at the Edinburgh store will uncover tales of bear adventures at the storytelling corner, gathering everyone around for a group reading, and host a variety of games and activities inspired by teddy.

Kids will also get to tuck into their own picnic box that comes with the choice of a cheese, ham or tuna sandwich, a drink and selection of snacks. Adults can enjoy cake and a hot drink as part of the experience.

Sarah Murray at Dobbies developed this event and is looking forward to welcoming children of all ages along to the Teddy Bears’ Picnic at the Edinburgh store.

She said: “This brand-new event is a great opportunity for kids to come together and experience the wonderful joy that comes with making their very own teddy bear to take home. Children will also enjoy a picnic experience, filled with food, fun and storytelling.

“We’re encouraging families cosy up and get comfy by bringing their own picnic blankets, beach towel or cushions.”

Tickets are priced at £15.99 for over 3s and £7.99 for under 3s, adult tickets are priced at £7.40. Creating your own teddy bear is only suitable for children over three years old, and under 3s are encouraged to bring their own favourite teddy.

For more information on Dobbies’ Teddy Bears’ Picnic, visit:  

www.dobbies.com/events.    

Summer Playscheme at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Summer Playscheme for Primary 5 – Primary 7 at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

Monday – Thursday between the 1st & 18th July

10am – 12:30pm with Breakfast and Lunch included

Art & crafts, cooking, sports activities and games

Places limited so register at reception

Call 0131 552 5700 for more info

Family tours of the Palace of Holyroodhouse’s Physic Garden available for the first time this summer

Over the summer holidays, as the Palace of Holyroodhouse opens for seven days a week, visitors can discover over 900 years of Scottish royal history. Families can join tours of the Physic Garden for the first time, get their hands on history, and try out arts and crafts activities inspired by Georgian fashion.

Physic Garden Family Tours

Friday, 19 July and Friday, 2 August, 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00.

For the first time, families will be able to join free short tours of the beautiful Physic Garden at the height of summer. On these guided, drop-in tours, which are open to visitors to the Palace and the wider public, families can discover more about the history of the Garden and listen to stories of its past plants and the people who used it. 

The Physic Garden, just outside the gates of the Palace, was opened in 2020 to recreate the earliest known gardens on the site and can be freely enjoyed year-round by the people of Edinburgh. Founded in the grounds of the Palace in 1670, the original garden provided pharmacists with vital, fresh ingredients and allowed students to learn the medicinal properties of plants. It was the first of its kind in Scotland and was the forerunner of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Magical Menagerie Activity Day

Saturday, 27 July, 10:00–15:00.

In July a special activity day will offer the chance for visitors to learn about the history of the Palace Gardens, where 500 years ago a medieval menagerie was home to a range of animals including lions, tigers and bears.

Children can craft paper masks of their favourite animal to wear as they explore the Palace and Gardens, keeping an eye out to spot the animals around the Palace on ceilings and walls, or in tapestries and portraits.

As well as exotic animals, the Gardens were home to a tennis court and used for bowls, hawking, archery, and other outdoor games. On the activity day, families can try some historic games in the garden as well as following the unicorn activity trail to spot all the places where Scotland’s national animal decorates the walls and artworks around the Palace and Gardens.

Weekly Family Activities

Hands on History, every Monday (Monday, 8 July – Monday, 26 August) and Midweek Makes, every Wednesday (Wednesday, 10 July – Wednesday, 28 August). Both 11:00–15:00.

Families visiting the Palace can take part in special activities every week. Every Monday, in Hands on History sessions, children will be able to get up close to a mix of historical and replica items including gauntlets, ink wells and quills and more. Children can learn about the many objects in the Royal Collection and discover the intriguing items that would have been used in the Palace hundreds of years ago.

Every Wednesday, visitors can join arts and crafts activities in the family room. In Midweek Makes, children can decorate their own crown while learning about the history of different crowns in the Royal Collection, including who wears them and what they are used for.

Recycled Fashion: Family Workshop

Saturday, 10 August, 13:30–15:00.

Families can also visit The King’s Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to see Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians. The exhibition explores life in Georgian Britain through the fashions of the day. Items on display include rare surviving items of clothing such as a court dress and items of Queen Charlotte’s impressive jewellery collection. In the exhibition, families can use the family gallery trail and explorer bags to discover what life was like in Georgian times.

In the Recycled Fashion workshop, families will join a short, guided tour of the exhibition led by a member of the Learning team. They can discover how the practice of reusing and recycling fabric in the Georgian period was commonplace even among the royal family. Taking inspiration from the examples of Georgian clothing on display, they will then create a cloak using recycled materials.

As part of the organisation’s charitable aim to ensure that as many people as possible can access and enjoy the Palaces and the Royal Collection, Royal Collection Trust has launched a scheme of £1 tickets, available to those receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits.

The £1 ticket offer is available for up to six people per household when visiting The King’s Gallery in 2024, making this an affordable way for families to visit the Gallery during the summer holidays.

The Centre Livingston launches ‘Jump Into Summer’ free events programme

To celebrate some of the sporting events taking place this summer, including the Euro’s, Scottish Golf Open and the Olympics, The Centre, Livingston has invited three charities and a social enterprise to take part in its ‘Jump into Summer’ sports themed events programme, which includes a ‘Beat the Goalie’ challenge in a Euro’s football pop up, basketball and table tennis ‘try outs’ and 44 free daily workshops.

The action-packed event is designed to give visitors the chance to try out a new sport or improve their skills and join in the various free sessions for kids of all ages, running from Saturday, 29th June until Monday, 12th August, from 11am – 4pm each day.

In partnership with West Lothian Community Foundation, a Euro’s football pop up will be located at the activity hub near Waterstones from the 4th – 8th July where shoppers can take part in a ‘Beat the Goalie’ challenge and get help from the coaches on how to improve their technique.

Newly signed players from Livingston FC will also be joining in the fun on Friday, 5th at 1.30pm.

To tie in with the Scottish Golf Open, a golf simulator will also be in situ at the activity hub to encourage people to try their hand at the sport or improve their speed and swing from Friday 12th – 14th July.

Lothian Phoenix Wheelchair Basketball Club will also be taking part in the event with various demonstrations and opportunities for shoppers to see how many hoops they can shoot, from Friday 26th – Sunday, 28th July.

On the 3rd and 4th of August West Lothian Community Table Tennis Club, which is a charity based at The Centre, Livingston will also be providing taster and mini coaching sessions. 

Leaderboards will chart the best results on the day at the sports pop ups with lucky shoppers being in with a chance of winning £25 Gift Cards.

To highlight the benefits of cycling, Livingston based social enterprise, West Lothian Bike Library, will be taking up residency next to Car Park 1 on Wednesday, 7th August from 11 – 2pm, where they will also be carrying out bike safety checks.

From the 29th June until the 12th August, on all 44 days, families can take part in a wide variety of free workshops with activity leaders from workouts and storytelling sessions to painting classes and a one mile lap of the shopping centre on Saturday, 10th August at 11am, with kids receiving a wooden keepsake medal at the end for taking part. 

There will also be a ‘Spot the Sport’ trail to find pictures in 10 shop windows and on completion, families can enter a weekly prize draw to win a £50 Gift Card every week. All activities are free with the option to donate to any of the four summer charity partners.

Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “Our ‘Jump into Summer’ sports themed programme, which links into some brilliant events this summer, is packed with lots of free fun-filled activities for kids of all ages.

“This is a great opportunity for us to give visitors the chance to either try out a new sport or improve their skills with the help of some fantastic coaches.

“The event also gives us another opportunity to support and shine a light on the great work that our summer charity partners are doing in the local community, including West Lothian Community Foundation, Lothian Phoenix Wheelchair Basketball Club, West Lothian Community Table Tennis Club and West Lothian Bike Library.”

For more information on all free activities, check out www.thecentrelivingston.com.