Category Archives: family time

Check Out This Bunch Of Free (And Fun) Things To Do With Kids In London This February

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After what felt like the longest month ever, February is finally here – bringing with it slightly longer days, ever-so-slightly warmer weather and the first school holiday of the year.

If you’re stuck for things to do over half term, or perhaps you’ve got under-fives to entertain each week, there’s plenty of things to do in London (and indeed nationwide this month).

With everything being so damn expensive right now (especially for parents), we’ve rounded up a list of free things to do in the capital during February, as well as some inspo for those living outside of London. You’re welcome.

Free things to do in London

The Science Museum has a whole host of free activities for kids this month. Some of the highlights include:

  • Technicians, an interactive gallery for 11–16-year-olds where they can step into Shuri’s Lab from Black Panther; try their hand at creating lifesaving drugs; pilot a remotely operated vehicle on the ocean floor; or even control a robotic arm);
  • Pattern Pod, a multi-sensory gallery for under-eights;
  • The Garden, another interactive space for kids aged three to six;
  • Character Creator (weekends and school holidays, 12-1.45pm) where children aged three to 13 years old can create, design or even become their own unique sci-fi character.
  • Tree-mendous Adventures (dates and times vary) for three- to seven-year-olds. Visitors are taken on a journey from the end of the roots to the tips of the leaves in an interactive storytelling adventure through the trees.

The Southbank Centre’s Imagine Children’s Festival (February 8-18) has over 100 events on, many of which are free to attend. Some of the free highlights include:

  • One & Everything Family Trail, exploring endangered languages (Feb 8-17)
  • STIK, STAMP, by acclaimed street artist STIK. This is a free print workshop where children create a stamp print to take home (Feb 8-16).
  • Rhymes LIVE, an interactive show to reimagine the nursery rhyme (Feb 10)
  • Daytime Rave with DJ Archie and Friends, the Guinness World Record Holder for World’s Youngest DJ (Feb 11).
  • The Marvellous Myth Hunters, a free storytelling event for those that love heroes, monsters and mythical tales (Feb 12)
  • Wellbeing Wind Down – daily wind-downs help families using simple yoga, concentration and mindfulness exercises (Feb 12-17).
  • Imagine’s Big Gig, the festival experience but without the rain and the mud (Feb 13)
  • ZooNation Youth Company’s Hip-Hop Half-Term – a day of demos and workshops by some of the leading young performers in the UK (Feb 15).
The Museum of the Home in Hoxton is free to visit and, on February 14, will be running a series of drop-in (10.30am-4pm) clay-based workshops inspired by Vietnamese culture for all the family to enjoy.

Learn about the origins of the use of clay with archivist and storyteller Trà My, before playing with clay to make your own new ceramic home object with artist AP Nguyen.

Once you’ve played with clay you will be told stories from Vietnamese folklore and have the opportunity to join artist Chery Nguyen for a soothing workshop where you can decorate your very own teacup.

Stepney City Farm is a working farm that’s great to take kids to. It’s free to all visitors. Expect to see sheep, goats, donkeys, pigs, chicken, ducks and geese. If that’s not near you, you could also try Mudchute Farm and Park, Vauxhall City Farm or Deen City Farm.

The Tate Modern has plenty on offer for kids and grownups alike. It’s free to enter. Check out UNIQLO Tate Play, which is the gallery’s new free programme of art, activities and play for families of all ages. From February 11-19, you can try your hand at weaving your own artwork (10.30am-6pm) at the Threads Holiday Make Studio.

The Barbican has a range of free things to do on Level G, including Squish Space which is a free creative play space for under-5s and their families. The space is designed by artist/designer duo India Harvey and Lisa Marie Bengtsson and brings people together to learn through interaction, collaboration and play. Using a variety of materials and tactile objects, it’s a place to spin, jump, hide, touch and explore. You can book here.

Ruislip Lido – on the outskirts of London – is home to a manmade beach and huge play area for children of all ages to enjoy. There’s also a miniature railway which you can get on nearby (although you have to pay for tickets). On 14 February, the Woodland Centre nearby is hosting a free arts and craft session from 1-3pm for kids aged four and over. More information, including how to book, can be found here.

A must for anyone visiting or living in London is to take kids to see the Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace. It happens daily from 10.45am and lasts for about 45 minutes. Be warned, it can get busy so it’s worth arriving earlier to get a good spot.

Let your kids go undercover and test their detective skills during half term at the Horniman Museum, as part of the Montgomery Bonbon: Museum Mystery Trail (February 11-19). Kids can grab an activity sheet at the main entrance and test out their detective skills, while solving puzzles and having fun. On Saturdays from 2pm-4pm, children aged three and over can get stuck into a free craft session.

Outside of London? Try these instead

Head to the playground. If you’ve visited your local one a fair few times, why not find a bigger, more exciting playground, that you can travel to and spend a few hours at?

Lakes, ponds and aquadromes are often great places to visit for a walk. Even if it’s wet, children – especially younger kids – often love to splash about in puddles. Grab their waterproofs and get going.

Venture to a nearby park and play nature bingo. You can find printable bingo sheets online. Don’t have a printer? Draw out the grid on a piece of paper! Make a game out of your park visit and see how many things they can find. If that doesn’t float your boat, take a football or a frisbee and get active.

Head to the beach. You don’t need to go in the sea. Wrap up warm and let your kids build castles (or other structures!) on the sand, or take a net and wellies and help them check out the rock pools.

Visit your local library. Libraries are such a great place to take kids – especially when it’s raining. If you haven’t become a member yet, it’s worth signing up. We have it under good authority that under-5s are particularly huge fans. Some libraries also have toys and play areas.

Art galleries and museums are often free to enter and tend to have activities on for kids, especially during half-term.

Pets at Home is hosting free pet workshops in stores across the country. Children will have the chance to meet a range of small animals and learn about looking after them. They’ll receive an activity sheet to take away and a special My Pet Pals certificate. The free workshops will be running every Saturday and Sunday until March 12, with additional sessions during the week of February half term at some stores.

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This Baby Perfectly Embodies Our Excitement For Christmas Dinner

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A hilarious video of a baby getting ridiculously excited about being fed is basically all of us ahead of our Christmas dinner.

In the clip, baby Milly pulls a face that can only be described as equal parts shocked, terrified and excited as she anticipates spoonfuls of chocolate pudding.

Milly was just nine months old when her mum, Sandra Karlsson Elfsten, decided to film her response to the delicious treat.

“She truly loved it,” the mum-of-three, who lives in Molkom, Sweden, tells HuffPost UK.

“She does that face when she gets excited over things.

“She actually does it even now [she’s five] – not exactly like in the video, but she gets excited with all her body.”

Karlsson Elfsten originally shared the video of baby Milly on Instagram in 2018, however it was recently resurfaced by another account – and we felt it was too good not to share.

Thank you Milly (and Sandra) for bringing us even more joy today.

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This Is Why Some Kids Are Terrified Of Santa – And What To Do About It

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If you’ve taken your child to see Santa recently, chances are they’ll have reacted one of three ways: they’ll have been shy and a bit unsure, they’ll have been super excited and loved the experience, or they’ll have become really upset.

“If you’ve ever been to a Santa’s grotto it is very common to see kids responding fearfully when it’s their turn to see Santa,” says counsellor Chris Boobier. “The photos are not as parents expected, with many children in tears.”

Sometimes this fear of Saint Nick can spiral into something more. Year-on-year data reveals that Google searches for ‘Santaphobia’ have increased by 56% since last December, according to analysis by Crafted Beds, while searches for ‘fear of Santa’ have risen by 31%.

Why is Santa so scary?

If you think about it, it makes total sense that children would be wary of this strange man dressed in a bright red outfit with fake facial hair. Especially if they’ve been warned against interacting with strangers.

Then you’ve got all the additional storylines that surround Santa. The fact he watches over kids and knows if they’ve been naughty or nice, that he can squeeze down the chimney and drop presents into their bedrooms when they’re asleep.

“It completely goes against everything that is regularly taught about safety, causing conflicted feelings,” says Boobier.

On top of that, come December – heck, November – Santa is everywhere. “Now that you can write to Santa, get Santa to call you, go and see Santa, track him through the air, there is a lot ‘more’ of Santa than ever before and it can be overwhelming,” says the therapist.

“He changes size and shape, has different voices and it doesn’t quite add up: kids are smart and know something is afoot, but also believe what they are told.”

Then you’ve got the over-stimulating environment in which you usually find Santa – the bright lights, loud sounds and crowds of people at his grotto.

Combine that with a couple of years of not socialising much (thanks Covid) and it’s really no wonder more kids aren’t shaking in their boots on coming face-to-face with Mr Claus himself.

“We are in a post Covid world where children under four have not been socialised as much as before because of lockdowns,” says Counselling Directory member Claire Elmes. “This is feeding into many social difficulties, including visiting Santa.”

How to tell your child has a phobia of Santa

The point at which being scared of Santa turns into a full-blown phobia is usually after a negative experience has occurred and the child has linked this to Santa in some way. You might find, as a parent, that anything related to Santa or Christmas then triggers your child, causing a physical and emotional reaction.

You might even notice they start to react negatively to anyone wearing similar red coats, says hypnotherapist Penny Ling: “Our brain’s pattern match for danger. A person with a phobia of spiders will jump at a tomato stalk, so it stands to reason a child phobic about Santa will respond with fear around red coats and long white beards.”

Symptoms of Santaphobia could include your child feeling more anxious than usual, not wanting to go to bed on their own or having difficulty sleeping, says Boobier.

“They may want to avoid anything too ‘Christmassy’ like grottos or certain movies, and not talk about Santa. They may request stockings are not put in their room,” he adds.

Some children, on being faced with Santa, might become agitated and want to leave, adds Ling, who is a member of Hypnotherapy Directory. They might start crying or wet themselves if they are not taken out of the situation early enough.

If you’ve got this far, you’ve probably established that your child has a phobia of Santa – or at the very least, is uncomfortable by his presence. So what can you do about it?

Dos and don’ts for tackling Santaphobia

Do prepare your child for their trip to see Santa

Preparation is key ahead of a trip to see Father Christmas, says Claire Elmes. She recommends discussing what is likely to happen at the grotto and showing your child pictures of Santa ahead of it so they know and are prepared for what to expect.

“Explain that some children find him a bit scary and that’s ok, you will be with them and it is all safe,” she says. Sometimes it can be helpful to go with another child who is OK with Santa.

Don’t force them to sit on Santa’s lap

If you do get to the grotto and they become upset, don’t force them to sit on Saint Nick’s lap or have pictures taken, it’s not going to be enjoyable for the child or help their fear.

“Acknowledge their feelings,” suggests Elmes, “and accept they may not be ready. Gently encourage them to be a safe distance and observe others if possible.”

Boobier adds that parents might want to find other photo opportunities where their child can be themselves and be happy.

Don’t shame your child for being scared

Sometimes as parents it can be hard to put ourselves in our kids’ shoes and you might even tell your child to “stop being silly” because it’s “just Santa”. But Ling suggests this is unhelpful.

“Try to be encouraging, showing that other children are enjoying the experience and it’s just new for them,” she says.

Don’t make up stories about Santa to scare your child into behaving

Chris Boobier is also keen to convey that children begin to have awareness for make believe and reality between the ages of three and five, so anything up to the age of five could be completely real to them.

“The idea they are being watched and don’t want to be on the naughty list will feel very real,” he says. “Knowing to what depth our children believe this Christmas magic can help with pulling back on some on the ever-growing Christmas traditions we create (Elf on the Shelf, anyone?) and reduce the ongoing hype that Christmas has become.”

Elmes agrees: “As tempting as it is try not to use Santa as a bribe for being good (we’ve all been there!) telling children he is always watching can also be a bit scary.”

Do talk about their fears

Let your child tell you they are afraid of Santa and really listen to how they feel, allowing them time and space to explain why, suggest therapists.

“Whilst this can feel a bit sad for parents as they go to all the effort to make Christmas magical, listening and understanding how your child feels without dismissing their feelings is the key to helping your child cope at Christmas time,” Boobier adds.

“They may tell you what would feel better for them and some traditions could be altered as they grow up.”

Remember it probably won’t last forever

However you feel about your child’s response to Santa, Chris Boobier encourages parents to keep perspective: “Most children grow out of a fear for Santa past the age of five, depending on development progress, when they can confidently distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality – and they will become excited again about Santa Claus.”

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12 Tales Of Play Dates Gone So, So Very Wrong

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There’s a bit of a wild-card element to every play date. You can control your own behaviour, and you may have attempted to teach your child how to behave as a guest in someone else’s home – or as a host in their own – but you can’t guarantee that your kid won’t spontaneously decide that today is the day to break all the rules.

The children may wander off while you’re attempting to make polite conversation with another parent, and just when you think how nice it is that they are playing together quietly, you suddenly realize that things have gotten too quiet.

We asked for tales of play dates gone wrong on HuffPost Parents’ Facebook page and elsewhere. Here are some of the wildest stories, lightly edited for readability.

A leaky situation

New York mum Kimberly Schwartz and her husband went to pick up their three-year-old from an after-school play date at a friend’s house. After they arrived, the adults chatted in the kitchen while the kids played upstairs. Then, “my husband pointed out a leak coming from the ceiling. The wall was yellow where it was leaking,” said Schwartz.

“My daughter was having so much fun she decided to opt out of using the bathroom and had wet herself in the exact spot upstairs where there was a gap in the molding. She had made it rain urine in their house. And now it’s all I can think of when I visit.”

An eerie glow

When Tammy Greenwood-Stewart of San Diego arranged a play date for her youngest child, then six, she bought glow sticks for entertainment. It worked, but “the two kids chewed the glow sticks,” Greenwood-Stewart said, “and their mouths, tongues, stuffed animals and bedding were all luminescent for hours.”

She said that the parents “Googled like crazy” but the kids were unharmed, adding that her child has since grown into an 18-year-old adult.

Playing referee

When her boys were 10 and eigh years old, Suzanne Brown of Austin, Texas, invited two brothers at those same ages to their house for a play date — but things quickly turned violent.

“Our guests got into such a horrible physical fight with each other that my husband actually had to physically separate them,” said Brown.

“The only way we could keep things from restarting was to move the younger boys to a different part of the house and keep them there.”

When Brown and her husband explained to the guests’ mother what had happened, she responded nonchalantly, “Oh, they get rowdy sometimes.”

Is that a wipe?

Lauren Woods of Washington agreed to babysit a friend’s three-year-old son at the boy’s house. Her own daughter was two at the time.

“He went to the bathroom by himself and said he didn’t need help, and naive person that I was, I believed him,” said Woods.

Later, when she entered the bathroom, Woods discovered that her charge had “gone number two and reached into his mom’s makeup to wipe himself.” When her friend texted to see if everything was going okay, Woods responded, “Yes, but I’m throwing your mascara away — please don’t try to retrieve it.“

Wisely, her friend texted back, “OK, I don’t want to know!”

When a play date is not a play date

Ashley Austrew of Omaha, Nebraska, once brought her kids to another family’s home for what she believed was a play date. She was invited to stay, but while the kids had fun playing, Austrew was subjected to what she generously called “a surprise MLM sales pitch.”

“I had to sit through a presentation about this mom’s multilevel marketing company and get pressured to buy things from her. I’m extremely introverted and really don’t know how to remove myself from awkward situations, so I just politely faked interest,” said Austrew. “It was painful.”

When the kids are playing together quietly, it's not always a good sign.

Paul Biris via Getty Images

When the kids are playing together quietly, it’s not always a good sign.

A dress-up surprise

Sarah Zimmerman of California was chatting with other parents in her living room when she realized that they hadn’t seen their children for a bit, and things were suspiciously quiet.

Then, “my kid came out from the back of our house wearing my teddy,” she said. “It had been in a nondescript gray bag on the upper shelf of my closet. Delightful.”

Keeping everybody safe

Leah Cate of Portland, Oregon, recalled that shortly after her two boys were placed with her home as foster children, the family learned that the pair had two sisters also in foster care.

“We invited the girls over for a play date as soon as possible,” said Cate. This meant four children in the house, ages 6, 4, 3 and 2.

In what Cate described as “the happy chaos of reuniting,” the children “locked us out of the house in front of their social worker, who had come by to check on us. She found us panicking on the porch.”

But the story has the happiest of endings. “We all coached the kids about how to unlock the door, the worker had a great sense of humour, the girls soon came to live with their brothers, and after being in care for six years we adopted them all,” said Cate, who added, “I’m tired just remembering.”

Feelin’ free

Keaton Erin Buster hosted a get-together at her home when her son was preschool age.

“It was summer, so we were all hanging out on the back deck enjoying a barbecue,” she remembered.

“My son announced that he needed to go to the bathroom. I told him ‘OK’ and thought nothing of it. The next thing I know, he’s dropped his pants and is peeing off the deck in front of everyone!”

Buster says she yelled: “Nooo! Not there!”

He son gave her a bewildered look and said: “Why?? You always let me do it!”

“I died of embarrassment twice in the span of about eight seconds,” said Buster.

What happens in the woods…

Canada-based Ashley Owens recalled a celebration for the end of the school year where her son “pooped in the woods instead of going inside to do his business.”

The act might have remained secret, but “one of his friends put it on the end of a stick and chased other kids around with it,” said Owens.

Don’t drink that!

HuffPost reader Rai Mitchell’s daughter was in elementary school when she hosted a sleepover with one of the girl’s friends.

“I walked around the corner to see the child mixing a ‘potion’ concoction consisting of cough medicine, mouthwash and soda that she had intended to give to my child to drink,” she said.

Mitchell was shocked; she had figured that the girls were old enough to know to stay out of the medicine cabinet. But while they had the know-how to open all the safety caps on the bottles, they lacked the wisdom to understand that actually consuming the potion was a bad idea.

Unfortunately, the evening ended badly when Mitchell called off the slumber party. The friend “went fully feral, lashing out and refusing to comply,” said Mitchell, who eventually calmed the child down and drove her home.

It’s the thought that Counts?

Daniela of Cambridge, England, shared that she took her two daughters, ages five and three, to a play date with several other girls.

“At the end of it, the mum who hosted us gave the guests … Christmas presents. My girls received one present to share,” she said.

“It was a present for the ‘family.’ A big drama followed by. My 3-year-old could not understand that it was a shared present, and my oldest wanted to carry it home by herself. They both cried all the way home.”

Me want cookie!

Another parent from Portland shared the story of an “impromptu” outdoor play date with their children, ages five and three, and a neighbour’s 3-year-old. One of their kids asked for a bite of the cookie that the neighbour child was holding — “and accidentally bit his thumb in the process. There was a little bit of blood.”

Of course, “the other mum was understandably upset,” perhaps not believing that the reader’s child had asked for the bite of cookie.

There were no further play dates between the families.

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Elf On The Shelf: 7 Simple(ish) Ideas To See You Through The Week

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Admittedly some parents are more into it than others, going to great lengths to build sets involving their naughty elves. Some have even created Instagram accounts devoted to the mischievous elves running riot in their homes.

Meanwhile others are a little more laidback about the whole affair.

If you’re stuck for inspiration, we’ve scoured Instagram to find some relatively simple – but still creative – elf on the shelf ideas.

1. Frying eggs

2. Mummified

3. Grating a snowman’s nose

4. Doodling on bananas

5. Watching the World Cup

6. Making snow angels

7. Causing chaos in the loo

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Hey Duggee’s Got A Super Catchy ‘Welcome Song’ For Ukrainian Refugees

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Ah-woof! Or should we say, ah-welcome! Duggee and The Squirrels have taught the nation’s children many valuable lessons over the years. But their latest episode, which drops on November 2, is perhaps their most important yet.

In news that will delight kids everywhere (and parents who have watched all four seasons back-to-back, multiple times), the award-winning BBC CBeebies series has launched a brand new episode welcoming new characters from Ukraine.

The Squirrels are joined by new faces, as well as Ukrainian-known characters Mavka and Swampy, who Ukrainian children will recognise from animated feature film Mavka. The Forest Song.

To welcome their new friends, Betty, Norrie, Roly, Tag and Happy sing an incredibly catchy ‘Welcome Song’ complete with translations of Ukrainian phrases and words.

And yes, you will be whistling this song for the rest of the day.

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The ‘Welcome Badge’ episode sees Duggee and The Squirrels waiting for some new friends to arrive. The show’s narrator, Alexander Armstrong, explains they come from a country called Ukraine.

The new arrivals speak a different language from Duggee and his friends, so to help them settle in, Duggee, The Squirrels and Hummingbirds burst into song.

‘The Welcome Song’ is complete with translations of Ukrainian phrases to help the new arrivals feel at home – and to give children here some phrases to use for a nice big welcome.

There’s also lots of waving, something everyone understands. And, of course, a big old Duggee hug.

The show’s producers say the aim of the episode is to improve the real experiences of Ukrainian children coming to the UK, in the hope they feel even more welcome.

It’s also educating British kids to learn their language and encourage them to be warm and kind.

The usual cast are joined by children from the UK, as well as those who have recently arrived from Ukraine, who all sing the words of the song in their native language.

All episodes of Hey Duggee are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.

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