Glasgow Science Centre

This post is written following a visit during a Little Explorers Weekend.  Hence the lack of photos, as it's so busy.

I'll start with the Science Centre generally.  Several people recommended this sometime after Angus turned one and it took me a while (and a rainy day) to get round to going. Which is shocking as it is a 5 minute drive from our house.  I was absolutely convinced on our first trip and converted the ticket price into an annual pass.  Since then Gareth has one also and we will definitely get Angus one when he turns three.

What makes it worth the money?  I'll start on the first floor. There is a large ship-themed area (see two photos below), with a crane and blocks, train table, musical steps, wobbly bridge, water table, exploring area, bubble pump, puppet theatre and ship's bridge.  It also has a soft play area for 18 months and under.  Around that is lots of practical science activities.  Angus was obsessed with the ball on a turntable for  many months.

For children age 2 and under, I would say that this level alone is enough to keep you entertained for a long while and warrants the membership.

Also, on this level, is the Science Theatre, which we attended for the first time this visit for the Forces show. The presenter was very entertaining and there was lots of lights and music.  Despite going through all three of Newton's laws, Angus was still gripped the whole time.  The show lasted half an hour.

There is also the Planetarium, which you pay extra for.  Angus enjoys the foyer to this, which has the planets and a couple of fun exhibits (foyer is free).

When you go up to Level 2, it is divided into two sections.  There is a workshop area with different building toys (lego, K'Nex etc), a couple of more science exhibits and then the new Renewable Energy area.  This has a couple of exhibits that are must-sees for Angus, including a Scaletrics track, disco room and underwater robot.

Level 3 is all about the body.  Angus has long been obsessed with the running track that times you.  The views across the Clyde are also spectacular and you can see the trains go by.

Even on regular weekends, there are workshops and events.  I always run up to the area on Level 1, next to the ship to sign Angus up to the workshop, if I think he will cope.  He's built a wind-powered vehicle, stood inside a giant bubble, made a dinosaur tooth fossil and protected Humpty the egg from a fall.  The only gripe with the workshops is that they are in a really noisy area and it is hard to hear the workshop leader.

We try and attend the Little Explorer weekends as there are extra things on (also under 5s instead of under 3s are free on these weekends).  Each weekend has a theme and this weekend was "Build It".  Here you can see Angus making a digger fridge magnet and getting stuck in with some toys.  He also contributed to a junk modelling castle and met some animals from Animal Magic.  There were more activities on but he wasn't fussed.  I think because we've been to a Build It weekend before.

The Little Explorer weekends attract lots of families.  I recommend getting there early and reminding your child about waiting for their turn and sharing!

Down to my usual nitty gritty.  From  October to Easter, the centre is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and this is worth bearing in mind before buying a pass.  Gareth takes Angus on a Wednesday quite often and I get angry texts at work about the number of unruly school kids in the building.  Apparently it gets better after 1pm.  We assume the same applies on a Thursday and Friday.

Otherwise, the staff are generally amazing, engaging and very helpful.  There are toilets on the ground floor and Level 2.  This does show some poor planning as most children spend their time on Level 1.  There are only two baby changes on the ground floor too and I usually end up changing Angus on the floor.  I have never bought any food in the cafe.  Gareth says the food is nice but not the best selection of sandwiches.  The kids lunchbox is not the cheapest nor the most expensive but is reasonably healthy and has good options.  The pizzas look good.  There is also a coffee kiosk and they open up a picnic area (which is what I do).  You can leave the Science Centre proper to cross over to the Starbucks in the IMAX if you want.  The car park is huge and £1 a shot for annual pass members, £3 otherwise (which isn't brilliant as it costs quite a lot to get in anyway).  Make sure you validate your ticket.  Watch out for games at Ibrox affecting your journey home.

Overall, I regret not going earlier.  It is an absolute staple in our family's life.

Tennis with Glasgow Life

We made a last minute decision today to go to a free open taster session for Glasgow Life's tennis programme.  It was specifically for the programme at the Gorbals Community Indoor Tennis Centre.

We thought the coaches would have put out all the equipment and you could drop in and play but it was a highly-organised session, where children were split into age-group groups and moved around different stations.  There was one group for three year olds and their parents.  There were lots of different tennis-based activities to try, finishing with open play.  I even got to see how fast my serve was.

The coaches were (mostly) young, approachable, friendly and professional.  I got a very good idea of what I would be doing (or my child) if I booked a block.  The coach based at the Gorbals was also introduced to everyone, which was a nice touch and we were told that the children would see the same coach every week.  The ratio of coach to child is always 1 to 7 or less, which is impressive.  The cost for a block for P1 and over is very cheap.

We are at the Tots Tennis level, with 30 minute parent and child sessions.  These take place at Scotstoun, Gorbals and Kelvin Hall.  At Scotstoun, you have to book a 6 week block but for the other two venues, it is pay as you go (£3.50).  This is a little steep but I have yet to try a session.  I have to confess, Angus isn't 3 yet, so not eligible, we just sneaked in to this taster!  I will definitely be trying out these sessions and will be reporting back.  Angus is tennis mad and had a great time.

A few notes about the Gorbals centre, it is in the leisure centre (not obvious everywhere).  There was loads of free parking on the Saturday afternoon.  There is a little cafe and the toilets were very close to the tennis hall.

Watch this space!

Loch Lomond Sea Life Aquarium

The Sea Life Centre at Loch Lomond Shores has become a regular visit for us thanks to an annual offer (February-March time), which allows you to buy an annual pass for the cost of a full-price entry (£13.95).  This is in the Lennox Herald (editions from 22nd February 2017 for a couple of weeks).  The Herald is stocked by the adjacent newsagent (you are not allowed to photocopy the voucher and you will need a passport photo).

We had previously visited, buying tickets online (saving 20%) and, whilst Angus had really enjoyed it, it doesn't offer good value for money.  This pass has opened up the centre for us.

There are seven zones (read rooms) and I can quite often see people trying to figure out if everything they've seen is really all there is to see.  People wander around looking disappointed/cheated and wondering if they've walked past the really good tanks or if there are more levels.

The first big draw is the otters and it really is good to see them swimming about.

Then there is a Deep Loch tank (in truth, I think Angus is a little scared of these fish), then the Seahorses (more popular).  Angus's favourite bit is the Rock Pool, where you handle a star fish or shrimp.  I think he enjoys feeling brave compared to all the children (and adults), who won't try it.  This is next to the Bay of Rays, where you to feel very close to the creatures.

Lastly, there is the Tropical Ocean Tunnel.  Before you get to the tunnel, there is the opportunity to sit on benches and just watch the animals swim by.  We usually spend 15 minutes doing this.  There is also a glass bubble you can stand in.  Finally, you go through the tunnel and out into the gift shop.  This area has lots of small sharks, including Angus's favourite, the hammerhead, Cammy the sea turtle, rays and a two massive Grouper fish.

To keep it fresh, there is a permanent trail for children, which you get a medal for completing. 

There are frequently promotional trails too.  We've found Hank in the tank, when Finding Dory was released and recently done a Snail and Whale tour.  The talks and feeding sessions are interesting but not for a toddler.

Generally a visit lasts 30-40 minutes for us (but we go about once every month or two). There is a Cafe on the top floor, which has amazing views but the food isn't brilliant.  The gift shop is very well-stocked and does have pocket money treats.  Overall, try and get a voucher or some sort of discount to visit.  The Loch Lomond Shores car park is huge and free.  Under 3s go free and it is stimulating for babies and younger toddlers as well as older toddlers and children who are into this sort of thing!

Crystal Palace Park

We visited London over February 2017 mid-term holiday and Angus insisted we go to the "Dinosaur Park".  It was our third trip (!), so we knew what to expect.

We get the train from my parents' house, where you have to change at Balham to go on to Crystal Palace station.  This is the highlight for Angus.  It is a busy station, with express trains rushing through and suburban trains stopping at both platforms.  There's at least a train a minute, which is heaven for a small boy.

When you leave Crystal Palace station, turn right for the park (left for the town centre, I believe, although I haven't had to explore it yet).

You are pretty much in the park but it's all very well signposted.  You go up and over a hill and then past Chapel Manor College, which has a small farm.   This is one of the must-sees even though it is mostly concrete.  On this visit the highlight was the fighting goats.  There are sheep, horses, pigs, ducks, exotic animals, fowl etc.  The farm opens daily at 12 but is closed on Wednesdays.  It's free!

Past this you arrive at the lake with the prehistoric monsters.  In my childhood, I remember them as being brightly coloured and the trail going on and on forever.  They've recently undergone a conservation programme and have a more "lifelike" colour and there aren't quite as many as I remember.  For a small boy though, it's great.  The first visit was a little scary but now it's just exciting, especially as the paths meander about with a bridge or too, fab for exploring.

If you want to know more about what you are looking at, the signs have disappeared!  The Friends of... website has lots and lots of information.  You can also download this short guide from the local authority or an audiotrail here.

You have to go through the dinosaurs or round the lake, past the ducks and boats, to get to the rest of the park.  From there, it's not far to the public toilets (there is a baby change in the ladies), cafe and then the play park.  I've looked up the cafe to find a website for you, what I have discovered is that it is being knocked down to create a jazzy new pavilion.  It was closed when we visited last October and this time but I had assumed that was seasonal.  There is a temporary cafe past the play park, a van serving food you can eat in a tent.  I was shocked to see their kiddies menu, all at £5 a dish and all featuring chips.

The play park is brilliant.  It has a couple of small dinosaurs to climb on, a slide, roundabout, lots of swings...and a huge dinosaur themed sand pit.  Remember to take your own bucket and spade (a quick trip to Poundland should do, if you're on holiday).

The park is great for scooters and bikes, lots of well paved tracks, mostly gentle inclines (a couple of steep slopes to watch out for).  There is more to see beyond the play park including a maze.  We have tried the maze but struggled even to find our way back out once we had given up.  It's for the intrepid.

We head back to the station to eat there, in the Brown and Green Cafe.  It's quite hipsterish but has a good kids menu.  Our February visit was a Sunday morning and the cafe was mobbed (even when we looked past all the people just picking up a coffee).  So we got on the train and headed back to Balham.  We went to The Regent, which was very welcoming to all three of us (one of whom was covered head to toe in mud) and again had a good kids menu.  I used to frequent Balham a lot and every year it gets trendier and trendier.  A glance on the internet told us that anywhere we visited would welcome children.

Overall, it's a great day out and idyllic for small boys.

Riverside [Transport] Museum

If I had to write a list of Angus's top 5 Glasgow destinations, the Riverside would be right up there.  It is a pre-schooler must-do over and over again.  We don't go every week...

Angus's favourite bit seems to change every time: the boats, the Tall Ship (note, it is free to go on board but I'll write a separate post about the whole place as it merits it), the fire engine, the underground train, the pedestrian crossing (upstairs), the model railway shop...

I never went to the old Transport Museum at Kelvinhall, so I can't compare the two, just tell you about the many, many hours we've spent at the new version.  I watched the Zaha Hadid building being constructed, so it was a thrill to go for the first time.

I can't remember Angus's inaugural visit but he was definitely walking, although not too well.  It's a brilliant wet weather option.  There's a lot to see and we probably spend an hour in the museum each visit, much longer if we're visiting with a friend.  Each child has their own highlights and an exhibit they make a beeline for.  On our last visit, Angus spent half an hour being both driver and guard on the subway train.

There are lots of events on, all year round, so keep an eye on the Glasgow Museums' What's On guide.

Now on to the nitty gritty.  It does get very busy during the afternoons at weekends.  There is a huge car park, which costs £1 for 4 hours (sometimes it seems that half the ticket machines are broken and you do need a £1 coin).  The museum itself is free.  I wasn't bowled over by the cafe, although it does look out over the Clyde.  Gareth thinks it's fine though, especially the soup.  I prefer to go to the cafe on the Tall Ship, which is a little cheaper, more casual and with more lunch-y options.  There is a little coffee shop jammed in amongst exhibits upstairs too.  Baby change options are plentiful.

Theatre pick - Polar Bears Go Up!

I am desperate to see something by the Polar Bears but they don't seem to come nearer to Glasgow than the Beacon in Greenock!

If you can travel that far, they're on at 2pm on 18th February 2017.

My pick of the shows this Spring

This is a really hard post to write, as there is so much coming up from now to Easter for the family in theatres hereabouts, it's almost impossible to narrow down the selection.  It makes me feel so lucky to live in such a culturally vibrant part of the world.

I'm not going to give all the deets but will include links.  Let's kick off with a show taking place tomorrow:

Shark in the Park at Eastwood Park Theatre, Wednesday 15th February.  All three books in one show.  I haven't seen this production but I did see the company's Hairy MacLairy and can confirm that children and adults were lapping it up (ahem).

Image: Eastwood Park Theatre

The Three Bears at the Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, Saturday 18th February.  I haven't visited the centre yet, but it's on my list of things to do this Spring, I think Jack and the Beanstalk on Saturday 25th February and Oscar's Amazing Space Adventure on Saturday 4th March, look great too.

Funbox (nee Singing Kettle) open their new show, Underwater Adventure on Sunday 19th February at SECC.  Do look out for lots of other dates for this around Glasgow and another new show Highland Fling.  I took Angus to see an animal-themed show in October at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and he still talks about it.

Image: Funbox

White at Eastwood Park Theatre, Saturday 4th March (also Paisley Arts Centre on Saturday 25th February).  A long-touring production for really tinies.  I keep missing it and soon Angus will be too old.

Image: Eastwood Park Theatre

Moonbeam on a Cat's Ear is showing at Paisley Arts Centre on Tuesday 28th March and Cumbernauld Theatre on Tuesday 4th April.  It looks like a nice, gentle bit of puppetry story-telling.

Image: Cumbernauld Theatre

RSNO's Musical Safari, Thursday 30th March, looks great and there's not much music to choose from, so come on RSNO, add another date that I don't work on!

Head in the Clouds on Tuesday 4th April at Paisley Library will be a brilliant introduction to theatre for your 1-3 year old.

The Tin Forest at Cumbernauld Theatre on Friday 7th April, looks good too.

Image: Cumbernauld Theatre

The Wonderful World of Lapin on Tuesday 11th April at Cumbernauld Theatre is good fun if you want your wee one to start learning French early.  I can testify to the gentle humour, gentle puppetry with lingo added in.

Image: Cumbernauld Theatre

Jack and the Beans Talk, also on Tuesday 11th April at Paisley Arts Centre, looks like a good laugh.

Quickly, my picks for 5s and over:

Magic Versus Science, Saturday 12th March at the Iron Horse Pub as part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, looks just the ticket for my family (in a few years).  There's lots of family shows as part of the festival, so I recommend checking out the programme.

Dinosaur Detectives at Paisley Arts Centre on Thursday 6th April looks great for boys.

The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean returns to Eastwood Park Theatre on Wednesday 12th April.  I have seen this and it is brilliant.

Also:

South Lanarkshire has loads on...it's just a little bit too far away for me.  There's loads to tempt though:  Dinosaur World, Room on the Broom and The Tiger Who Came To Tea.

Gruffalo visiting Braehead Waterstones

Just a heads up that the Gruffalo is visiting Braehead Waterstones on Saturday from 3-4pm for a storytelling.

Half-term activities at St Enoch Centre

Aside from face-painting and balloon modelling from Saturday through to Tuesday, the booming franchise Bricks 4 Kidz are going to be running drop-in workshops on Monday and Tuesday from 12-4pm.  This might be a good opportunity to check out the Lego club before signing up.

Half-term at Braehead

There's lots of free cooking activities at Braehead from 10-13 February 2017, both in the shopping centre and Soar.  Sushi-rolling, decorating cookies, pizza making and fruity things too.

More info here!

Belated Christmas 2016 shows review

Hands up straight away, the arts have always been important to me.  I used to work/still dabble in theatre, so getting Angus in to see some shows has always been a priority for me.

Last Christmas I took him to see the Fish and Game show at Cumbernauld Theatre.  It is advertised at under 5s, so seemed the best fit for taking my 20 month old to the theatre for the first time.  He was absolutely entranced.  It was the first show I booked for this Christmas.  No longer under the Fish and Game auspice, it was still devised by some of the same artists.  This year's offering was Christmas at the Circus.

We went in the middle of December with a friend.  Both loved it.  The children in the audience are involved but in a subtle way.  They are rooting for the circus members to solve their problem and achieve Christmas magic.  Tickets were a bargainous £5 each and the show times are toddler friendly.  The show is full of energy, hope, colour, simple trickery and a little humour.

Based on the success of Christmas at the Circus, I booked tickets for the Tron's offering of The Night After Christmas for Hogmanay.  I wanted to prolong that Christmas feeling.  (The other option was the Citizens' offering, which a friend had seen and enjoyed).  The tickets were more expensive than Cumbernauld Theatre but you could see that this had been spent on the set and props.  (Not that toddlers care either way!  It's the plot, script and performance that need to be top notch and both were).  The premise was that Santa's chefs are preparing a snack whilst he has a post-delivery nap.  Angus loves food, so was gripped.  He also loved the touch of Santa snoring off stage.  With the rhyme to join in with, the audience was more 3-6 years than under 5s like Cumbernauld, but that's okay.  By this point, Angus had figured out how being an audience member works and he was happy to sit by himself at the front.  You do need to keep theatre-going up with toddlers and not just do once a year at Christmas.  Whilst in many ways this show was similar to Cumbernauld's, theirs had a more youthful energy and fun, whilst the Tron had lots of clever tricks, props and games.

Image: John Johnston

In between all this, Itison had a deal for the Countdown to Christmas concert at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.  These family shows are a co-production between Children's Classical Concerts and the RSNO aimed at 4-12 year olds.  The shows are presented by Owen and Olly, a cut-price Dick and Dom who are classical percussionists.  A big draw for Angus is that we get the Subway to the concert hall.  He still asks to go to see a concert there, months afterwards.  The programme is a mix of singalong carols, classical pieces from film scores (Home Alone!), showy pieces of percussion.  Obviously my 30 month old enjoyed some bits more than others but he is not the target audience.  I don't think I will pay the full ticket price just yet but it was really good afternoon out and it really made me feel festive.

Cafe Nero - Braehead

Living in Glasgow, I'm not a fan of big chains when there are so many great independents about.  You can't point to one in Braehead though, so after a bit of trial and error, this is my top pick.

Cafe Nero doesn't have the best location - next to H&M on the top floor, stuck in a corner.  They've tried to give it a terrace and an outdoors-feel but you can clearly see you are wedged in a corner of a large shopping centre.  Having said that the chairs, booths and decor are cosy, comfy, clean and plentiful.  It's only at top peak time that it's hard to get a seat.  I will also endorse the Motown tunes being played on our last visit (not too loud that you can't chat either).

Why this branch scores top marks is how friendly and helpful the staff are. I started going when Angus was just weaning and they don't mind the mess made and help bring over things.  On this visit, they pointed out I could get a bigger mocha if I had a single shot (yes, please).  Babycinos are on the house.  You can tell that people go in daily and weekly just because of the service.

My extra Braehead tips are the baby change/feeding area in the middle of the centre on the top floor; much nicer than the other locations.  If your child is into bus, truck and car watching (sometimes a plane too), they will enjoy the view from the Starbucks in Next Home.  It is often quieter than other places and the staff have given me a cup to help myself from the milk jugs for Angus before.

Don't forget to check out the play park behind the centre on the Clyde too (although often locked up).  It has a very realistic ship, which Angus adores.

Jack and Jill Haul

I have been going to the Jack and Jill Markets for three years now.  A colleague brought them to my attention and recommended a pre-shop visit to scout out the market before your big visit.  I would definitely advise this, as the markets are overwhelming, especially by the time they have been open for half an hour.

For the initiated, Jack and Jill Markets sell second-hand maternity to 9 years goods.  It's a bit like a car boot sale indoors and I have been told that anything looking shabby is removed from stalls.  From my experience, everything sold is in pretty good nick.

I bought loads of stuff for Angus at the markets, including his moses basket (obviously, we got a new mattress), bouncer, play gym, cot blankets, Gro bags.  Since then, I go every few months when I've built up a shopping list; things such as bath seats, swim suits etc.  It's also a really good way to refresh your stock of toys between birthdays and Christmases.  Now Angus is approaching 3, I find he enjoys what he has but when he was 12 to 24 months (ish), pulling a new toy out of the cupboard for him gave me a real life line (i.e. stopped him pulling everything out of the kitchen cupboards!).  For £5 you can pick up a £15-25 toy, a big ticket product which will distract and entertain.

The website also has a really good classifieds section.

Back to today, my local market is the one at Bellahouston Leisure Centre.  With another baby on the way, there were a few bits I needed to get, so I made sure to get there for 10am (the market opens at 10.30am, if you have a very particular list, I would recommend getting in the queue early).  I estimate that I was about 60th in the queue (and it was starting to rain).  Here is my (very restrained) haul:

The three top items on my list for the new baby were a swing, a projector and a buggy board.  As soon as I entered the hall, I saw a pregnant lady carrying a buggy board and, sure enough, it was the only one on sale.  Boo.  I had a choice of swings and chose this one from Bright Stars for £20.  There were much fancier options, which were not only more expensive but much bigger.  Again, there were a few options for a projector but I had bought this one for a friend so it was a known quantity - and £2!

I was also looking for some specific clothing items but generally clothing gets bundled up and piled up and you have to really rummage.  If you are on the breadline (and some marketeers are), you are happy to devote the time but I think I will just purchase what I need from the shops.

Everything else I bought was an impulse buy for Angus.  I got Gruffalo Giant Snakes & Ladders for £3 (currently being played with on the floor), a Play Dough ice-cream and waffle mold for £3 (played with for half an hour before dinner), Mog and the Baby for £1 (seemed a good idea with one on the way and a pre-programmed love of Mog), Where the Wild Things Are DVD for £1 (another favourite book) and, the highlight, a big bag of trains, carriages and track to supplement our Early Learning Centre train table for £5.  There was more in the bag than pictured, as it was all put straight to use.

If there are any products you would like a review of, pop a comment in the box below!  I highly recommend the markets to parents old and new!

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre

We have been long time fans of the Under 5s sessions at the GMRC, or the Secret Museum as it is known in our household.

GMRC is the warehouse containing everything that isn't on exhibition at Glasgow Museums and runs access sessions for the public.  Some are drop-in but for most you need to book in advance.  Breaking news through, from March 2017, the sessions are going to become drop-in for the whole family.  Which is good news for all of us who email too late to get a place on sessions normally.

Last Saturday, we attended the "Food Glorious Food" session, led by the wonderful Anna.  She's super-friendly with the wee ones and showed us to the pod containing art works.  We looked at two paintings and a photograph depicting food.  Then there was an impromptu picnic of pretend food.  Back at the learning room, we made our own play dough and shaped it into cakes.

This Saturday, we were booked into the afternoon session of "Jungle Boogie Storytelling".  Unfortunately, the team member due to run it was sick, so we looked at some beetles, butterflies and a tarantula (stuffed!) and then did some drawings and coloured a butterfly mask.  It was a shame not to have a tour round any of the pods, which is always our highlight.

It's an awesome place to visit and the staff generally come up with some really creative things to make.  We highly recommend it.

Why do we call it the Secret Museum?  I don't think many people know about it, to start off with.  It's also at the southern-most tip of the city in Nitshill (go to Silverburn and keep going).  It's about a half hour drive for us.  If I was coming from further away, I would combine a session with a stop at Silverburn (there isn't a cafe or your usual museum conveniences at GMRC), perhaps visiting Pollok Civic Realm library or pool maybe.

Welcome to my new blog!

Nearly three years into my mothering adventure on the bonnie banks of the Clyde, I thought it was time to share some of what I've learnt.  From places we go to eating out, from events, classes and other organised fun.

I'm originally from London but have lived in Glasgow since 2002.  My partner Gareth (Dumbarton native) and I have a bundle of fun called Angus, who was born in May 2014 and another on the way.  Angus doesn't stop so neither do we!