FREE TAKE ME HOME IN THIS ISSUE Summer holiday activities Surviving the summer holidays Competitions …and lots more! Issuefamiliesonline.co.uk 75 July/August 2019 familiesonline.co.ukFamilies Glasgow Welcome to issue 75 Summer is upon us, and hopefully drier weather. I’ve been wandering around with NittyGritty spray in my hair for days, having discovered quite by accident that it seems to repel Midges Glasgow as well! With the long summer holiday on the horizon, we have once again pulled together some top tips for having fun and making the most of the change in routine. Our popular book recommendations will keep kids entertained during that all-important down time, and as Families Magazine usual there are lots of things to see and do in our What’s On pages. Have a fabulous summer 75 Lisbon Avenue - get out there and make some memories! Twickenham Middlesex Susanne TW2 5HL All enquiries [email protected] Advertising Jayne Keep [email protected] Next issue September/October Tell us about any events or classes you want to publicise. Please get in touch. Booking deadline 31 July Special ad rates and offers available. Email Jayne to find out more. Printed by J Thomson Colour Printers Designed by Rebecca Carr [email protected] CMYK / .eps Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps Facebook “f” Logo Keep up to date Families Glasgow Magazine In this issue www.familiesonline.co.uk © Families Glasgow Magazine 2019 3. News & Views Families Glasgow is part of Families Print Ltd, a franchise company. All franchised magazines 6. Summer holiday special in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. Families is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, 8. Surviving the summer holidays Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families Glasgow are fully protected by copyright and 10. Rob Biddulph Interview none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Families Glasgow. Every care is 11. Your Kids’ Book Reviews taken in the preparation of this magazine, but Families Glasgow; our distributors, the franchise company, Families Print Ltd, and Lifecycle 12. How to avoid social media burnout Marketing cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the 13. What’s On contents, or any consequence thereof. Next Issue September/October 2019 friendly l fun l inclusive Children’s Music School Glasgow West End I Milngavie Book now [email protected] www.firststepstomusic.co.uk 2 Families Glasgow familiesonline.co.uk News & Views Marvel Fans The World is Your Assemble! Oyster For anyone making a step into the next Marvel Universe Live! returns to chapter of life, taking a risk, making a decision Glasgow for an action packed, or simply moving on to something new live arena stunt show, featuring things can seem precarious. In cases like Guardians of the Galaxy and more these, saying “good luck” sometimes just than twenty favourite Marvel super isn’t enough. Thank goodness, then, for Dr heroes and villains! See Spider-Man, Seuss, master of encouragement, positivity The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy join forces with Doctor and wordsmithery. Available in hardback with a with beautiful Strange, master of the mystic arts, in a race against time to recover the matching slipcase and also in paperback, Oh The Places You’ll Go Wand of Watoomb before it falls into Loki’s hands. The audience will is the perfect celebratory send-off for anyone looking to take life’s witness cutting-edge special effects, pyrotechnics, and impressive 3D next steps. Whether your child is moving from primary to secondary video projection mapping in this completely new thrilling adventure. school, your friend is taking on a new job or a sibling is moving to a With aerial stunts, martial arts and daring motorcycle skills, fans of all new country, this is the perfect gift. ages will be immersed in the Marvel universe in a show unlike anything they’ve ever seen before! “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Called on by Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy join Marvel Universe LIVE! on a momentous crusade against the scheming Nebula If you’re very patient and organised, why not try what one dad who teams up with the conniving and loathsome villains Loki and Green in North Carolina did? Bryan Martin kept the book hidden from Goblin. The incredible superhuman forces of Iron Man, Thor, Black his daughter, dutifully taking it to her teachers, coaches and Panther, Hulk and Black Widow will unite in clashes that pit student school principals every year to have them append it with positive against mentor, sister against sister and brother against brother. comments and messages. Initially thinking she was just going to get a “cheesy card” when her dad said he had a present for her, Brenna Join the epic battle of good versus evil October 24-27 at the SSE Hydro. received a heartfelt gift more than a decade in the making. Tickets on sale now! www.marveluniverselive.co.uk To WIN a copy of Oh The Places You’ll Go please e-mail [email protected] (subject: Dr Seuss) with your name and address WIN First Steps to no later than July 31st. Music First Steps to Music is a specialist Children’s Music School based in Going to Nursery Glasgow West End and Milngavie. They offer parent and child classes Improves for babies and toddlers, musicianship classes for preschool aged children Behaviour as well as children’s violin and piano lessons, which are taught in small groups or on a 1:2 or 1:1 basis. All the Children who go to nursery are better tutors are professional musicians with many years’ experience teaching behaved and have fewer emotional younger beginners. They teach using a progressive, Kodaly based music problems than those cared for by curriculum and offer a fun and inclusive learning environment where family or a childminder, a new study each child is supported to achieve their musical potential. has found. Those who attended nursery, crèche or day care centre staffed by professionals for a year or Established in 2013 the school currently has over 120 pupils on its roll, more found it easier to make friends and had better social skills than ranging from 6 months to 10 years. Director and founder Katie Dick youngsters who stayed at home. says: “We are lucky to have such loyal families. Many of our young violin and piano pupils started learning with us as babies and toddlers. Researchers believe more stimulating play, more time spent reading, It is a privilege seeing them develop musically and grow in confidence. following rules from a young age and getting praise mean children thrive Watching the children perform at one of our annual concerts is a real in a nursery setting. The study by the Sorbonne University in France highlight.” looked at the factors involved in childhood health and development using a survey of 1,428 children. It tracked their emotional development Extra classes and lesson times have been added to the timetable from from birth up to age 8. Previous research has suggested early childcare September. Trial lessons for children interested in learning the violin or can boost a child’s language and thinking skills, and may improve their piano are available over the summer. For more information please visit academic performance. www.firststepstomusic.co.uk or call Katie on 07870 975071. More info: www.jech.bmj.com familiesonline.co.uk Families Glasgow 3 The Magic of Celebrate Play on Ballet Playday UK! Playday is the national day for play in Scottish Ballet is set to tour its the UK, and will take place this year wee version of a big ballet, Wee on Wednesday 7 August. Hansel & Gretel, to Glasgow’s Theatre Royal on 13-14 July as Playday is an annual celebration of part of the company’s 50th children's play with thousands of anniversary celebrations. A children and families playing outside family favourite, this fairytale is at events across the UK. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the the perfect introduction for young children (and their grown-ups!) to importance of children's play and the need for quality play opportunities discover the magic of ballet. Follow the breadcrumbs and join Hansel every day of the year. & Gretel as they go on an adventure deep into the woods… Along the way they’ll meet a rather beguiling witch and her mysterious From small-scale community events to thousands of children taking part raven, before arriving in an enchanted ginger-bread house filled with in events organised in parks and open spaces, Playday is celebrated by dancing sweet treats and toys that come to life. each community in a way that suits them. Performed by dancers from Scottish Ballet alongside talented As well as a celebration of children’s right to play, Playday is a campaign students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the performance that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives. is set to the music of Engelbert Humperdinck, recorded live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra. This specially adapted performance, You can hold and register your own Playday event or find one close to you recommended for wee ones aged 3–8 years, is a colourful by visiting www.playday.org.uk interpretation of the Grimm Brothers’ famous fairytale. The auditorium lighting will be kept on for the full 50 minute show, making for a welcoming and relaxed production for all the family to Ranger Service enjoy.