By Kate Hodges
05th May 2017
EVENT Tech-cellent!
Are your children always asking questions? Of course they are – they’re children. Head to the Imperial Festival, held at Imperial College in London, for a chance to pick some of the brightest brains in the country. The Festival is a massive celebration of science, with fun demonstrations, crazy experiments, and lots of chances to get your hands messy. Wonder at the pop-up planetarium, meet real-life flying robots, be immersed in art, make jelly worms, or try a surgery simulator. It’s huge, free, a lot of fun, and you’ll sneak in a lot of learning, too. Saturday and Sunday, register for tickets in advance.
LEARN and DO Sprout and Proud
Growing food from kitchen scraps is easy, teaches children about the principles behind gardening, and is a lot of fun. This guide gives some ideas for fruit and vegetables you can get shoots from on your window sill. Some of them are easier to grow than others (we’ve never had any luck with an avocado, but mung beans are easy pea-sy). While we’re on the subject of kitchen waste, check out our guide to composting with kids!
COOK Cheese Please
We’re always on the hunt for zingy new vegan recipes that our kids will love, and the selection at vegangela.com is mouthwatering. She lives in Sydney, in Australia, so her food is suited to warm weather, and is alive with colour and flavours. Browse her selection of kid-friendly recipes for inspiration. Her raw banana mango ice-cream looks dreamy, her raw vegan Alfredo sauce with zucchini noodles has us wishing the sun into action, and we can’t wait to try her ideas for home-made vegan cheeses. Yummmmm!
LEARN and MAKE Crystal Palaces
Making crystal gardens is a fascinating way to explore chemistry, and even young children can help set up and track the formation of the dazzlingly beautiful formations. You can buy kits online (the Science Museum does some good quality ones) and Crystal Trees are enormous fun), but it’s also easy to create your own versions. This is an easy method for younger children, while there’s a huge variety of ideas for different types of crystals here (the giant ones looks spectuacular) Find out about the science behind the gorgeousness here.
EVENT Wow and Flutter
Hull is this year’s City of Culture and there are a host of inspiring arts, music and cultural events taking place. Tiny children (it’s suitable for those 2–7) will love Sinfonia Viva – Flutter and Fly at the Spa Bridlington; an interactive musical journey that sees flitting birds, jet planes and a kite portrayed in son, projections and animations. Sunday. From £5.
