Fun at Little Fun Fest

Little Fun Fest was held this year on April 5th and 6th at Red House Farm.  It is a festival aimed at families with children under 10, where little ones can see stars from the telly, take part in workshops, enjoy funfair rides and watch exciting fun filled shows.  We were lucky enough to attend as VIPs and in spite of the rainy weather we had a fabulous time.  The venue itself is a lovely find, with a play area, courtyard, tea rooms and shop set in the heart of the Dunham Massey countryside.  When we first arrived we treated ourselves to a vegetarian cooked breakfast to fortify us for the day ahead!  RHF make their own tomato sauce which is incredible!  We will certainly be visiting there again soon when we're en route to Manchester to sample some more of the tea room offerings.

Clad in our raincoats and sensible footwear, we made our way to the field which housed the Big Top.  Freddy was keen to head straight for the fun fair rides and enjoyed trying out everything on offer.  He loved the swing ride, the pirate ship and the plane ride.  With all the rides being included in the price of the ticket, he could ride as often as he liked!

There were also go-carts, a climbing wall and pedal boats for the little ones.  Freddy loved the boats!

He was able to learn some circus skills too.  He tried his hand at tightrope walking, stilt walking and plate spinning and had a lot of fun assisted by his big sisters.

There was a programme of shows running throughout the day at the Big Top and also at the Fun Barn.  Both being undercover meant the weather didn't spoil the fun.  The Big Top hosted shows from stars such as Dr Ranj and Alex Winters, alongside interactive music and dance activities from Baby Ballet, Mr Yipadee and Dene Michael from Black Lace fame  plus many more fun acts.  

There were opportunities to meet the stars of the show and have photos taken with them.  My girls were particularly excited about meeting the everso handsome Dr Ranj!

 They enjoyed catching up with very funny and very lovable Alex Winters too!

 The lovely Cat Sandion from CBeebies was also there telling stories and chatting to the kids.  Fred was very happy that she said hello to him while he was playing in the play area!

Freddy loved the Starkidz Disney princesses in the Fun Barn who kept the crowds entertained all day.  He loved Anna and Elsa from Frozen.

He also loved meeting Flynn Rider and Rapunzel from Tangled, who let him hold Pascal for the photo!  He was delighted to get a cuddle from all the lovely ladies and a handshake from Flynn!  We also saw Spiderman, the Easter Bunny, Hello Kitty, a Despicable Me Minion and the Mad Hatter wandering around.  It is so magical for children to have these experiences, immersing themselves in the excitement of the book, films and TV characters that they love.

The Hogwart's Magic School let little ones plant magic beans and make wands under the guidance of Harry and his friends.  Kids also got to enjoy regular shows and take part in some magic!  The Ford Anglia car,  just like the one in the films, was there to look at and there were plenty of photo opportunities with the lookalike stars of the show.  My girls had a snap with Harry!

There was some brilliant piratey fun to be had in the Fun Barn.  Freddy joined in with some singing and dancing with Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, along with Alex and Mr Yipadee.  It was high energy fun and the kids all loved getting up and doing the actions to the songs.  There were craft activities for the children to take part, storytimes and puppet shows too.

 Red House Farm has a great play area with climbing frames, swings, playhouses and a giant sandpit.  The sandpit was Freddy's favourite thing and he spent a long time playing in it towards the end of the day while singing Let It Go from Frozen.  RHF is a great venue choice for a kids' festival.

Although we weren't blessed with sunshine, instead getting grey skies and rain, lots of the activities were undercover and with appropriate clothing we could enjoy most activities. The fields got very muddy, but the organisers ensured the safety of everyone attending by laying down straw to walk on.

There were lots of places to eat with food ranging from burgers, chips, pizzas, wraps to crepes available on site.  Lots of veggie options were available, which is always good to see. The Little Fun Fest sweet shop had some sweet treats, and the children were able to take part in a Easter treasure hunt to find letters around the festival to make up a word.  Once they had that word they were rewarded with a bag of mini Easter eggs as a prize! 

I love the idea of having a festival for kids, allowing them to experience the fun of live entertainment and activities designed just for them.  Seeing and meeting Alex, Dr Ranj and Cat is a wonderful opportunity for CBeebies fans. They are all so lovely with the kids.  It really is a great day out for Little Funsters...even when it rains!

http://www.littlefunfest.co.uk/

Some of our ideas for World Book Day

March 6th is World Book Day.  A day to celebrate the joy of reading!  Kids across the country will be joining in with the celebrations as many schools get onboard with the fun.  Both Kizzy and Freddy will be going to school wearing fancy dress, as they adopt the appearance of favourite book characters. It's a lovely way to get even the most reluctant readers interested in reading books.

Whether you purchase a ready made fancy dress costume or if you make your own, there are hundreds of different characters to choose from.  A survey of 800 mums found that the two most popular characters for children in the UK to dress up as on World Book Day are the Gruffalo and Harry Potter*.  Harry Potter costumes are relatively easy to do, but the Gruffalo would be more of a challenge and definitely not something I'll be trying!

Image: Fancydressball.co.uk

This year Kizzy's class are dressing up as characters from classical fiction and she is planning on going as 20's socialite Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby. She has a twenties style dress accessorised with a hairband, brooch and 20's hair and make-up.  She is currently reading the book in preparation.  She reads way above her age and loves fashion, so Daisy is an ideal (if not a little unconventional) choice for my 11 year old.

Freddy has decided that he wants to be a knight like King Arthur or Mike the Knight!  He has a costume already so this is an easy one. I like having a few outfits in the dressing up box that we can use for parties or events.  He will undoubtedly change his mind several times before the big day and so the Iron Man costume will be on stand by.

Over the years I have made lots of different costumes for my children to wear.  One of my favourites is the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz.  To make it, I took an old jacket that my mum had chucked out and customised it to make it a bit raggedy by ripping the lining and fraying the seams.  I sewed on clumps of straw and toy mice to give a scarecrow-like feel to the outfit then tied some string around the waist.  I added a straw hat, topped with a stuck on straw bird's nest and toy chick and added a spider dangling from the rim. The outfit was worn over old clothes with the trouser hems cut into zigzags  This outfit has been used time and time again over the last 15 years for the kids for fancy dress parties and Book Days!  Here's a picture of my eldest son Joe (who is now 25) wearing it.

Fast forward to 2010 and Kizzy is wearing the Scarecrow jacket for her World Book day costume! Reusing and recycling at its very best!

Another outfit from when when Kizzy was even littler, I made her a Caveman Dave's 'braver sister Ava' costume.  I butchered a furry cushion cover to make a tabard and accessorised it with cardboard bones in her bunches and a shell necklace.  We cut the bottom of some old leggings to give them a jagged, pre-historic look!  She looked very cute and it was a very easy costume to make.

We have had a lot of fun over the years dressing up for World Book Day.  As a Teaching Assistant I made my class laugh when I dressed up as James and the Giant Peach, using my rather large pregnant belly clad in a bright orange t-shirt as the peach!

Whatever your kids decide to dress up in this year, I hope you all have fun and celebrate the joy of reading!

*Survey results brought to you by fancydressball.co.uk

Wizarding With Harry Potter

The Interactive Harry Potter Game for the XBox 360 Kinect

The all-new Harry Potter for Kinect video game exclusively on KINECT™ for Xbox 360® from Warner Bros allows players to experience Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the wizarding world like never before!  Through the innovative KINECT capability, each player can scan their face to create a wizard avatar in their likeness – and then play as their avatar in the game. Using controller-free and voice recognition technology available only on KINECT, players will attend Hogwarts, interact with professors, students and friends, call out spells to cast against opponents, brew potions, and even fly as they race on broomsticks to be the first to catch the Golden Snitch in a Quidditch match.

GAME FEATURES:

• For the first time, create a witch or wizard character in your likeness that will become part of the gameplay through KINECT’s scanning technology.
• Experience unforgettable moments from all eight films -- from having your wand choose you at Ollivanders and being Sorted as a first-year student at Hogwarts, to battling You-Know-Who in a climactic wizard battle.
• Cast spells at your opponents by performing the proper casting manoeuvres and calling out spell names using KINECT’s controller-free and voice recognition capabilities.
• Hone your casting, brewing and duelling skills (among others) in class to unlock even more lessons and challenge
• Challenge a friend in competitive mini-games, or join forces against a mutual opponent in co-op games.
• Jump, duck and dodge the wild branches of the Whomping Willow, swipe at annoying and sometimes dangerous pixies, repel terrifying Dementors, swim among Grindylows in the lake, and shove opponents out of the way as you soar above the Quidditch Pitch.

We were sent a copy to play and the children have been transforming themselves into wizards waving their wands and shouting out spells as they immerse themselves into the magical world of Hogwarts.  The animation is quite realistic (even a little bit scary in parts which justifies it being a PEGI 12) and is very true to the imagery of the films.

The game incorporates all eight of the films, so you can recreate your favourite magical moment from the entire Harry Potter series.  There are competitive mini-games to play and you can join forces in the co-op multiplay mode to help each other out of tricky moments.  The game includes all the main characters including the terrifying Voldemort a.k.a. He Who Must Not Be Named, who you meet in a climactic showdown.  Scary stuff!

The real fun of this game is the fact you can create your avatar in your own (similar) likeness which heralds the beginning of an exciting technological breakthrough in gaming.  The use of voice recognition is also a great addition with huge potential for the future.  I look forward to seeing where this technology takes us next!

This is a must have for Potter fans who will enjoy immersing themselves in the magical world of wizardry.  It is not designed for younger children, which is a shame as little ones would love to see themselves on screen with Harry Potter.  But older kids will thoroughly enjoy this innovative game.  The Quidditch game is proving very popular with my children, bringing Hogwart's favourite sport straight to our living room.

Available now at Amazon.co.uk and other good stockists.

Toot Toot! Project 52 Week 7

Freddy absolutely loves trains and yesterday's visit to the National Railway Museum was met with wonder and excitement from my littlest!  His ride on the Hogwart's Express was the highlight of his day. I love to see his face light up and his eyes sparkle with joy.  He takes everything in and marvels at the world around him.  Giving him new experiences and letting him discover new and exciting things is just so rewarding.  Seeing the world through his eyes gives us all the chance to forget our problems and shake off our jaded attitudes and just embrace the beauty of life as only a child can.

All Aboard the Hogwart's Express!

It's time to get your cape, hat and broomstick at the ready for the National Railway Museum's Wizard Week this half term until February 19th.  Wannabe Wizards will be flying in from miles around for the main attraction...a chance to ride on the Hogwart's Express without having to go to Platform 9 3/4!!  The steam train star used in the Harry Potter films is the Olton Hall, an impressive engine that conjures up all the magic from the movies.

Hogwart's Express

The National Railway Museum in York was looking lovely with a spattering of snow and it was very chilly, but that somehow added to the magic!  The museum is open from 9.30am to 6pm daily and has a packed programme of spell-binding activities to keep everyone entertained.

All-Action Wizard Duels see good battling evil in exciting daily performances.  The Magic Hatter is performing amazing magic tricks and making model balloon wands for the kids. Derek the Dragon is chatting to visitors in the Station Hall.  A display of beautiful owls are on display.  You might even be lucky enough to hold one of Hedwig's birdie buddies!

There is an opportunity to have your photo taken flying high on a broomstick!  With the magic of green screen technology, you and your family can take home a photograph of yourselves soaring over the countryside thanks to the clever people at www.fullframeevents.co.uk (a small fee applies).

Children can get crafty and make their own Wizard ID badge on a lanyard to wear (small fee applies) and reveal their inner wizard!  Other activities include the NRM Simulator (small fee applies), the outdoor play area, and the daily shows, talks and demonstrations including the new Science show 'Bubbles'.  The Land Train takes you into the heart of York if you want to pay a visit to the Shambles or see Yorkminster.

The highlight of the day was of course climbing aboard the Hogwart's Express for a ride in the carriage used in the Harry Potter films.  This is a rare opportunity for fans to experience a taste of Harry Potter mania and ride in the very same train as Harry, Ron and Hermione!  The cost is just £2 per person and worth every penny!

Children are encouraged to come dressed as witches and wizards and enter the "Best Dressed Wizard" competition.  You could win a magical prize including a magic lesson and an owl experience by uploading your wicked photos to the NRM Facebook page.  Winners will be judged by a panel of staff and a magical guest judge.  It was lovely to see so many little ones in costume!

Engine Driver

Entry to the museum with its collection of over 100 locomotives is completely free.  Small charges apply to some activities during Wizard Week, but it is a great value fun family day out.  Perfect to keep the little ones busy over half term.  We had a wonderful day!

On smiles onboard the Hogwart's Express

Me and my girls

Lunch in the Restaurant

For full details about the event, check out the website at nrm.org.uk/wizardweek.

*We were treated to a day out at the NRM to try out all the Wizard Week activities* 

Lego, Harry Potter and X Box ...a Winning Combination!

Following on from years 1-4 comes the next instalment of the Lego Harry Potter gaming experience.  Based on the final 3 books, players get to enjoy Harry's heroic adventures in the wizardry and Muggle worlds!  Available on all platforms, the game builds up to the ultimate battle between Harry and Voldermort.  With new challenges, over 200 characters to unlock, more magic and levels that include exploring Grimmauld Place, the Ministry of Magic and Godric's Hollow, this is the ultimate game for Harry Potter fans!  We were sent the XBox 360 version to try out.

My kids love Harry Potter, Lego and the XBox...so we were onto a winner from the outset!  They hadn't played the first game but it didn't matter.  From the first introductory film clip, they were mesmerised.  The storyline is very true to the films which delighted them as they played.

The levels are big and impressive looking with lots to explore and discover.  Your character can interact with the environment which is really pleasing and fun! The graphics are colourful and smooth and it looks great with massive attention to detail.  With collectibles, things to unlock and puzzles to solve, this is a game that will last for ages.  You can play as different characters, switching between them with a press of a button.  This allows you to complete different tasks.

Harry uses his wand to cast spells to solve problems with satisfying results.  It is magic!!  More spells are unlocked as play progresses.  There is some potion making and broomstick flying too.  This game captures all the fun of being a wizard!

The game is recommended for ages 7+ as it contains scenes of 'violence' and 'fear'.  The storyline does have some very dark elements but the gameplay is not at all scary and is handled lightly and with humour.  The death eaters are really quite sweet!  It is made to be fun and to appeal to younger children and adults alike, and there are lots of laughs along the way.  There is of course an element of battling involved as 'he who can't be named' inevitably meets Harry in their showdown!  But it isn't a violent game...after all, they are Lego characters!

Kizzy aged 9 found the levels challenging, but in a good way that adds to the longevity of the game.  Things need to be done in a certain order so that the gameplay progresses, but there are a lot of clues to point you in the right direction.  The satisfaction of completing each step was met with whoops of joy and cries of "I did it!!"!   She also loved exploring the landscape and making the characters do silly things like whizzing down a slide, flying through the London Eye or swimming in a pond!  She was thoroughly entertained by this visual treat.

Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 is available on all formats with prices starting from £17.99.  The XBox game currently costs £35.71 on Amazon.  It can be played by 1 or 2 players with a drop in/out co-op mode. We are extremely impressed with this game which appeals to Kizzy, her 15 year old sister and their 42 year old dad!  It's nice to have a game that the whole family can enjoy together and assist each other in working out puzzles.  This is definitely another great game in the Lego video game range!  A perfect present for playing over Christmas!