This one day course offers a unique opportunity to observe animals closely and be able to sketch from real life.
From the feathered to the furry, from the fancy patterned to the plain camouflage and from the massive to the miniscule, you will have a chance to see the personalities of individual animals by their behaviour and be able to capture this in quick sketches or more in-depth drawings.
The professional artist tutor can help with tips, knowledge and techniques on how to develop animal sketches. You will also learn fascinating facts about the animals and the experience will breathe new life and expression into your art as a new challenge to capture these real life moments.
Enjoy a day of being amongst the animals, outdoors or inside a warm enclosure area if the weather is not so good (entry fee included in course fee). Great opportunity to see the Panda bears before they depart later this year.
There are 2 dates:
Sketching Animals in the Zoo – All – (3/3) – OUT18215M (Friday) from 10am-3pm
Or
Sketching Animals in the Zoo – All – (21/3) – OUT18212M (Tuesday) 10am – 3pm
Fees: Standard £23.88 – student or senior citizen or benefits £17.38
To book a place or find out more please ring 0131 556 7978 or online at www.joininedinburgh.org
Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, will host Bookbug Week from Monday 16 May – Sunday 22 May.
This year’s theme is Bookbug’s Big Journey, and Bookbug jumped on a vintage bus with families at the Riverside Museum to mark the occasion.
Bookbug Week will focus on all kinds of journeys, whether it’s the excitement of riding on the bus or a train, strolls through the park, an adventure to outer space or even just a trip out in a buggy. Scottish Book Trust is also reminding families that wee ones love hearing stories and songs when they’re out and about.
Bookbug Week is an annual celebration of Scotland’s national book-gifting programme and Song and Rhyme Sessions.
This year, Scottish Book Trust ran a competition for a new Bookbug Week illustration, and the winner was Dylan Gibson.
He illustrates picture books and illustrated stories for older children and reluctant readers and has produced artwork for dozens of books and covers. Dylan will run an online event showing children how they can draw their very own Bookbug Week picture.
Award winning illustrator Nick Sharratt and author Katrina Charman will host a live online event jam-packed with rhyming fun. They will be sharing book readings of their book, Car, Car, Truck, Jeep and The Whales on the Bus, with a fun draw-along to take part in too.
Many Bookbug Sessions will return in person – check Scottish Book Trust’s website to find a Session near you. The popular live Bookbug Session on Facebook will run on Friday 20 May at 10am.
Bookbug has recently launched their very own Instagram, and members of the public can join in the fun by sharing their own #BookbugWeek pictures and stories.
Families can access Bookbug’s Song and Rhyme library, via Scottish Book Trust’s website, or on the free Bookbug app. There are also fun activities for children available on Scottish Book Trust’s Home Activities Hub.
An exciting Bookbug Week competition will run across Bookbug social media from Monday 16 May, and you could be in with a chance of winning a bundle of books and some transport goodies.
Clare Haughey, Minister for Children and Young People said:“I am very excited for Bookbug Week 2022 ‘Bookbug’s Big Journey’, knowing families will be able to enjoy sessions in libraries and community settings.
“Bookbug helps to encourage an early love of books among children while also providing great opportunities for parents and their wee ones to spend time together, having fun and learning.
“I am very proud that we have a universal national programme in Scotland, which supports all families to enjoy reading with their children from the earliest opportunity. As well as laying the foundations of early literacy, the Bookbug sessions help to promote positive interactions and attachment for families, which we know is key to children’s health and wellbeing in the long term.
“I’m delighted that the Scottish Government are able to provide increased funding for 2022/23 of £1.7m for the continuation of the fabulous Bookbug programme.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said:“It’s wonderful to welcome families back to libraries and community groups for Bookbug Week and Bookbug Sessions.
“Our thanks to Dylan Gibson for designing this year’s wonderful Bookbug Week illustration. We hope everyone enjoys their Bookbug Week journey, and we look forward to seeing people across Scotland joining us in person and online.”
After a year that’s taken its toll on parents’ and children’s physical and mental health, we’re all longing for a bit of rest and relaxation.
But the school holidays can leave children’s learning brains a little too relaxed. So with the Tokyo Olympics in full flow, keep the kids’ brains sharp with these Games-themed activities from former primary school teacher Abby Milnes of education champs PlanBee:
Learn about…
… time zones
There is an eight-hour time difference between the Games and the UK. This is a great opportunity to teach your children about time differences between countries and why they exist. Challenge your children to work out what time they will need to turn on the TV if they want to watch an event live (hypothetically of course; some of the events may be broadcast in the early hours of the morning in the UK!).
Download this FREE Time Zones Map to help teach your children about Time Zones.
… measuring time
Many of the Olympic events are measured and scored against how long it takes to complete the event. Events under a minute such as the 100m sprint, 200m kayak, team sprints in cycling etc will provide suitable contexts for younger children to think about when measuring time. Older children may like to take on slightly longer events.
This PlanBee lesson may help teach your younger child about measuring time.
Challenge your child to see how many things they can do within the same time as it took an athlete to complete their event. For example, the Olympic record for running 100m was 9.63 seconds set by Usain Bolt at the 2012 Olympics. How many blocks can your child stack in this time? How many ticks can they do on a sheet of paper? After showing children how to read the amount of time on a stopwatch, get them to time each other and take it in turns to see who can beat the record in your own events.
… measuring distance
Other Olympic events such as long jump, javelin, shot put and discus are scored and measured using distance.
Using a metre ruler or measuring tape, challenge your children to take part in a long jump event. They can take a run-up, or go from a standing jump. Mark where the back of their foot landed and help your child measure how far they jumped!
… averages
Some events such as gymnastics are scored by a judges panel. Each judge gives the performance a score which is then averaged out to give a final score. Challenge your child to take individual judges scores and find the average score by adding them up and dividing the total by the number of individual scores.
… variables
“I wonder… do you run faster on grass or concrete?” Challenge your children to think about conducting simple investigations with “I wonder…?” questions like the one above. Younger children may need help with timing but they should be able to make verbal conclusions with you such as “I ran faster on the concrete”.
Older children (7+) should be encouraged to think scientifically. Is it fair if you wear sandals to run on the grass, but running shoes on the concrete? No, they should be the same. What about the distance you run?
Other things they could test:
● Do I run faster wearing trainers, or when I’m barefoot?
● Will I jump further with a run-up?
● Will I jump further with a long run-up or a short run-up?
● Does someone with longer legs jump further?
… pentathlons
What’s the difference between a triathlon, a pentathlon and a decathlon? The number of events! (This is also a perfect opportunity to look at the prefixes tri- pent- and dec- to mean three, five and ten e.g. tri-angle, tri-cycle, pent-agon etc.)
Challenge your children to come up with their own events for a family tri, pent or decathlon! They don’t have to be Olympic events, just a number of events that an athlete will be timed to complete. They don’t even have to be sport related: Who will be the fastest person to put on their socks? Who will be the overall winner?
… drawing figures
Do you have a budding artist in the ranks? Why not challenge them to draw their favourite athlete from the Olympics. Up the challenge by asking them to draw the figure in motion as they complete their event.
Having held the Games before in 1964, Tokyo already had venues to host different Olympic events. The newly built National Stadium was finished in November 2019. Challenge your child to investigate its design, including the different ways it has been designed to be eco-friendly.
Work together to create your own model of an Olympic stadium, making sure there’s enough room for a track and spectators.
… map skills
Some of the cycling events in the Olympic Games require a set route to be planned out over a certain area. Print out a map of your local area and identify where you are and any areas they are not allowed to go to. Together, plan out a cycling route for your own Olympic cycling event. You could repeat the route several times to try and beat your personal best!
Beware: If you are riding on roads, make sure your child can ride confidently on them and is aware of safety rules.
… clothing design
Take a look at the designs for the athletes’ kits. How is the country represented in the design? What functionality does there need to be? This could link nicely with investigating the different countries’ flags.
Families will be invited to get sketching this summer with lessons from the Capital’s finest when the Edinburgh Sketcher takes residence at Lauriston Castle.
Mark Kirkham, who regularly entertains readers of his blog with his drawings of the city, will offer two sketching masterclasses in the beautiful grounds of the 16th century castle situated on the banks of Cramond.
As part of Lauriston Castle’s packed Spring/Summer programme of arts and crafts, lectures, theatre and events, budding artists of all ages and levels will get the chance to learn Mark’s trademark ‘speed sketching’ skills. This quick method of doodling allows artists to capture images almost as quickly as a photograph. Visitors will sketch in and around the Castle grounds, including the tranquil Japanese Gardens and inside the old castle kitchen, using pens and watercolour before working on a final sketch to take home.Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Culture and Sport Convener, said: “From popular Edinburgh cityscapes to modes of transport, it is difficult to think of an iconic place or object in the city that hasn’t been captured by Mark’s keen eye for detail.
“These classes will be an opportunity to get sketching in one of Edinburgh’s most beautiful settings and get working with a local artist. What a fantastic family day out this summer.”
Originally from Lancashire and the son of a painter father and photographer mother, Mark has called Edinburgh home for the last 15 years. He gives his top three pieces of advice to budding sketchers: “First is get sketching! You can plan and plan but in the end you just need to get out there and do it. Hopefully these workshops at Lauriston Castle will tempt you to do just that.
“Tip two is don’t be shy. You can feel very self aware pulling out a pen and pad in a busy street but don’t let that put you off. Once I begin I get into the zone and usually forget people are passing by.
“My third piece of advice is to be prepared. I always carry the bare essentials, but sometimes I have resorted to sketching on napkins and receipts. I promise these classes at Lauriston Castle will be well stocked, all visitors need to do is book their ticket and turn up on the day.”
