By Kate Hodges
31st March 2017
RECIPE and LEARN Fine and Dandy
We’ve spotted dozens of dandelions poking up in lawns, gardens and parks before the first mow of the year. There’s something very magical about the plant – there are folk tales and superstitions about the bright yellow flowers and the fairytale globes of seeds left after the blooms have gone. Find the truth about whether they make unwary pickers wet the bed here. Regardless, the leaves are delicious to forage and eat – why not try some of these recipes – the simple olive oil and lemon juice dish is our favourite. If you can’t find any flowers, spend an afternoon making dandelion-themed crafts – there are some lovely ideas here.
EVENT Cushion the Blow
The idea of International Pillow Fight Day is wonderfully simple. All over the world, people hold public pillow fights, from Atlanta to Zurich. There are only two rules; don’t hit anyone with a camera and don’t hit anyone without a pillow. It’s part of the Urban Playground Movement – part flashmob, part reclaiming the streets for fun. There’s an organised event in London’s Kennington Park this Saturday at 2pm, but why not hold your own? All you need is a few pillows, some hard-headed friends, and a Ming vase-free space!
EVENT Concrete Jungle
The Southbank’s Urban Festival celebrates art and artists inspired by the city. Teenagers will adore its workshops, breakdance battles, spectacular live performances and parties, while there are plenty of events for younger kids too. In previous years we’ve enjoyed graffiti jams, urban gardening workshops, parkour performances and high energy, ten-minute parties in a shipping container. This weekend, get moving with a day of hip-hop battles and dance workshops, and a free drawing class. Over the next few weeks, enjoy kid-friendly hip-hop discos, all-female hip-hop dance companies performing, and radically modern tap dance shows. Many of the events are free (and the wonderful Moomins exhibition is still on at the venue).
EVENT and LEARN Fool’s Gold
Our kids are obsessed with playing pranks, so we’re expecting the full salt-in-a-cup-of-tea, bucket-over-the-door treatment this Saturday morning, on April Fool’s Day. We’re probably not doing you any favours, but The Beano has a great archive of tricks. There’s a good compilation of gentle pranks to pull on your children here, but we’d recommend reading through these wise thoughts on whether it’s a good idea or not to fool your child first. However the morning pans out, why not take your family’s enthusiasm for the day to explore the event’s history? This funny, interesting list of classic hoaxes, could be used as a starting point for a discussion about truth and trust in the media, and ‘fake news’.EVENT Hi, Tech
EVENT Hi, Tech
This year, Edinburgh celebrates 70 years of wonderful festivals. Its two-week International Science Festival is packed with fun family events from workshops to spectacular performances and explosive demonstrations. This year the event explores the intersection of science and technology with the digital and creative industries. There’s a six-floor science playground at City Arts Centre filled with interactive workshops where children age 3-12 can spend a whole day - helping the humanity’s first Mars colony, scrubbing and performing a surgery in ER, making your own scab in Blood Bar, building a robot or exploring the complexities of a human brain in Carnival of the Mind. Over the weekend, watch Dr Bunhead’s pop-up rubbish puppet show, learn about the science in fairytales, and build your own computer game. Plus lots more. Until April 16.
