Marriott International and Nickelodeon

Marriott International and Nickelodeon are joining together this summer to bring a new family entertainment programme, Nickelodeon Getaway, to select Marriott Resorts around the world.

The Getaway programme will take place on weekends either year round or seasonally. Most activities are free for guests staying at the resort. Rates start at $139 per night and vary by hotel and dates.

The new Nickelodeon Getaway programme for kids and parents will feature poolside shows with messy games, music and trivia; dive-in Nickelodeon movies; crafts; and character breakfasts with Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Get Free Kids Places at UK Attractions with Carrentals.co.uk

15 June 2009 – With Kids go Free at attractions such as Eureka! and Camelot Theme Park, free maps of walks across the UK, and discounts on MP3 audio city tours, Carrentals.co.uk is launching its new Family Active programme to help families make the most of the summer holidays.

Discount vouchers for free child places and money saving offers at Eureka!, Camelot, Go Ape High Wire Forest Adventure, Bekonscot Model Village & Railway, and Scotland’s Secret Bunker are available to download at http://www.carrentals.co.uk/familyactive2009 - plus there’s the chance to win a free family pass for Diggerland.

Carrentals.co.uk has also teamed up with walking specialist Go4awalk.com to offer a choice of 56 free maps of walks across the UK. From the Scottish Highlands to the South Downs, each map offers advice on the grade of walk and duration, making it easier to find a walk suitable for all the family. All maps are free and downloaded from the website.

For those heading for a city break in the UK a 20% discount on Walk Talk Tours’ complete range of audio tours is available. Easily downloaded onto an iPod, MP3 player or mobile phone, every tour offers an insight into the heart of a city. Walk Talk Tours are currently offered for London, Edinburgh, York, Manchester and Chester, providing the perfect way for independent travellers to explore.

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 35 rental companies, including Alamo, Holiday Autos, Sixt and Thrifty in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

For more information on Carrentals.co.uk Family Active or to find out more about the offers available visit www.carrentals.co.uk/familyactive2009

Cowdray Re-opens for 2nd Season With Beautifully Restored Gates In Place, A New Team And New Events For 2008.

Scheduled ancient monument and historic Tudor site, the Cowdray house ruins in Midhurst, West Sussex, is re-opening to the public for its second season on Wednesday 19th March.

Re-opening in time for the early Easter weekend, the four and half month “closed” period has been a busy time. The long-awaited and now beautifully restored original front gates have been reinstated in their former position and are a wonderful sight to behold as visitors approach Cowdray up the ancient Causeway from Midhurst town centre.

As the gates re-open, the team is also delighted to announce a change in policy regarding dogs. They are now happy for visitors to bring their dogs with them as long as they are kept on a lead and are well behaved. Last year only Guide dogs were permitted.

The final weekend in June – Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th – sees the arrival of a Wardour Garrison by a group of enthusiastic people who enjoy re-enacting life as it might have been during the 17th century. By setting up camp at Cowdray the group will present a flavour of both domestic and military life. A range of skills and crafts will be displayed within the living encampment and be interspersed with a series of lively demonstrations and skirmishes. 10.30am – 5pm, the usual admission charges apply

Zanny Gilchrist, ZGPR, tel: 07920-514299, zanny@zgpr.co.uk

Summer days at Westonbirt Arboretum

Summer’s coming and events are hotting up at Westonbirt - the National Arboretum... giant wood sculpting at the August Festival of the Tree, Bug World family days, green woodworking and photography courses, concerts, walks and talks.
Let the kids run free, learn some new skills and seek out shade under the glorious trees at Westonbirt Arboretum, managed by the Forestry Commission. Soak up a summer evening concert, have a relaxed lunch at Maples restaurant or picnic on the Downs. Suitably refreshed, stroll the Westonbirt summer trail and discover trees in all their green seasonal glory - simply pick up a trail leaflet at the Great Oak Hall on arrival. New this summer, there are secret spots around the Old Arboretum where natural play areas have been created from recycled Westonbirt wood. Here, children can build their own woodland den, jump across tree stump stepping stones and make up their own wild games.

MAY
Tuesday 27 – Thursday 29 May
Woodland Gardens - Family Event
Colourful (and possibly smelly) wildflower and animal safari discovering the non-woody bits of Westonbirt.
10.30 – 4.30pm. Free on admission.
Admission to Arboretum: adults £7, conc. £6, child £2.

JUNE
Sunday 8 June (also 13 July & 10 August)
Wood Sale
Westonbirt wood on sale (held on the second Sunday of every month). Proceeds to the Friends of Westonbirt. 10am - 1pm. Free on admission.
Admission to Arboretum: adult £7, conc. £6, child £2.

Sunday 15 June
Hearing Dogs Charity Walk
Two-mile walk through Silk Wood.
11.30am. Adults £5, children no charge. Tel: 010656 872707/ marilyn.sydenham@hearingdogs.org.uk.

Summer Evening Concerts
Friday 20 June – The Zutons with guests Mystery Jets and Noah and the Whale. £26.00 plus booking fee. Saturday 21 June – SOLD OUT - Crowded House
Sunday 22 June – SOLD OUT - Status Quo
Tickets available at www.forestry.gov.uk/music or tel: 01842 814612. Tickets also available in the Forest Shop (in person only)

JULY
Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 July
Green Woodworking Weekend
Hands-on 2-day course teaching traditional woodworking skills.
9.30am – 5pm
£95. Craft Shelter, Silk Wood. Booking essential: 01453 753 452/ 0781 7878 737.

Sunday 13 July
Wood sale
Westonbirt wood on sale (held on the second Sunday of every month). Proceeds to the Friends of Westonbirt.
10am - 1pm. Free on admission.
Admission to Arboretum: adult £7, conc. £6, child £2.

Thursday 17 July
Digital Photography Workshop
For beginners. Spark your creativity and improve composition on location in the arboretum.
£40. (including arboretum admission). Booking essential: 01285 653069.

SUMMER FUN AT BEALE PARK,

HOME TO THE LITTLE TIKES VILLAGE

Searching for a fun place to take the kids this Summer? Then look no further than Beale Park, situated on the banks of the River Thames at Lower Basildon, in Berkshire. Easy to find from Junction 12 of the M4, Beale Park is perfect for all ages, being the only UK attraction to host a Little Tikes Village and also featuring a variety of rare and endanged animals, a train ride, refreshing paddling pools, a large sand pit (don’t forget your bucket and spade!) plus numerous other play areas - all the ingredients needed for a fun packed family day out.

Other attractions at Beale Park include an adventure playground, roplay play, a pets area with rabbits, guinea pigs and lambs, an owlery, a walk-through aviary, deer park and a fun train ride around the grounds giving visitors the chance to spot various other animals en route, including wallabies, Prairie Dogs, Meerkats, goats, yellow mongooses, and emus! Guests are very welcome to picnic in the picturesque gardens but if refreshments are needed, the child-friendly

There is certainly plenty to keep the

Ticket prices: Adults £8.50 (£6.00 low season)

Children £6.00 (£4.00 low season

Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 children) £25

Under 2s admitted free

THE FAMILY FRIENDLY FILM FESTIVAL

7-16 August 2009 at venues across Manchester
www.familyfriendlyfilmfestival.org.uk

Calling all little monsters! The Manchester Family Friendly Film Festival will be taking place across the city this August.

The festival, one of the most exciting and diverse cinematic events in Europe, is devoted to films that children and their families can enjoy together.

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM SNAZAROO

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM SNAZAROO CHILDREN’S PARTY KITS FROM JUST £24

With estimates that the average child’s birthday party can now easily cost several hundred pounds, face paint company Snazaroo has come up with a low cost, high fun alternative that is set to keep both parents and kids happy.

Available exclusively online from www.snazaroo.com, the great value kits start at £24 for a party package for ten children and can be selected for parties for girls, boys or mixed.

Charlie Wallis, brand manager for Snazaroo, comments: “Spend on children’s birthday parties has spiralled out of control, with many parents feeling the pressure to keep up with ever more elaborate entertainment and days out.

Colourful invitations, downloadable from the Snazaroo website, get the ball rolling, while the Snazaroo face painting kit offers everything to help the novice face painter transform the party go-ers, with a palette of colours, plus sponges, brushes and a comprehensive step-by-step guide. A Snazaroo party bag, complete with small face painting kit, is also provided, meaning all mum and dad have to provide is the food and drink. To create a memorable party for your little ones, visit www.snazaroo.com.

Family Activities at Tate: Summer Holidays

Listings for Tate Modern
June, July, August 2009

Bankside, London SE 1

Information Line: 020 7887 8888

Open Sunday – Thursday 10.00 – 18.00 (last admission 17.15), Friday and Saturday 10.00 – 22.00 (last admission 21.15)

For further information please visit www.tate.org.uk/modern/ or call 020 7887 8888

Secure ticket booking at www.tate.org.uk/tickets or call 020 7887 8888

Collection highlights for kids

ARTIST ROOMS: Robert Therrien Scale

Until 24 October
Tate Modern, Level 3

Admission Free, Open every day from 10.00 – 18.00 and late night until 22.00 on Friday and Saturday

For public information number please print 020 7887 8888

This three-room display looks at the way that artists make us aware of our size in relation to their work. At the centre is Robert Therrien’s extraordinary No Title (Table and Four Chairs) 2003, which is part of the new ARTIST ROOMS collection. Here the viewer is dwarfed by household objects, heightening responses to our place in the world.

Start: In the summer holidays
Tuesday-Sunday 21 July-Friday 28 August 11.00–17.00 (plus weekend sessions 11-17.00)

Tate Modern, UBS Openings: Family Zone, Level 3 Concourse

Every weekend 11.00–17.00

Free, for 5 years and over

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Come and visit the Start team who will help you choose an activity to try in the galleries. Go where you have never gone before and try one of the brand new Start games made especially for the new displays on Level 5.

Tate Modern Trails

Level 3

Available daily from the Information Desks on Levels 1 and 2

Free, for 4 years and over

Open every day from 10.00 – 18.00 and late night until 22.00 on Friday and Saturday

For public information number please print 020 7887 8888

The summer holidays just got even better – Children over six can grab a pencil and a friend and fill in the UNSketch book, while younger children will discover hidden areas and strange facts about Tate Modern with the Seen/Unseen trail.

Children’s Multimedia Guide to Tate Modern

Tate Modern, Levels 3 and 5

Available daily from the Information Desk on Level 2 and on Level 3

£4 (£3.50 concessions), for 5 years and over

Tate Multimedia sponsored by Bloomberg

Available every day from 10.00 – 17.00 and late night until 21.00 on Friday and Saturday

For public information number please phone 020 7887 8888

For more family listings please visit: www.tate.org.uk/families/modern

For Young People

Back to the Future: Raw Canvas Summer Weekend Course

Saturday 1 August 2009 10.30–16.30 and Sunday 2 August 2009 10.30–16.30

Back to the Future: Raw Canvas Summer Weekday Course

Wednesday 5 August 2009 10.30–16.30 and Thursday 6 August 2009 10.30–16.30

Tate Modern McAulay A

£10, booking required

Price includes materials and refreshments

For ages 15 - 23

For tickets book online

or call 020 7887 8888

Get inspired by the bright and chaotic art of the Italian Futurists who embraced a radical new world of industry and technology. See the vivid paintings and intense sculptures of Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà and Gino Severini and celebrate the beauty and energy of the city by making a modern piece of Futurist art.
This two day course is run by Raw Canvas, so they are planned by people your own age: 15-23 year-olds.

For more listings for young people please visit: www.tate.org.uk/youngtate/

Gallery Trails And Audio Tours

Take a closer look with free trails for children that are fun for adults too! Available every day from the Information Desks. Children can enjoy teaching their grown-ups about art with one of our brand new audio tours – and then continue the fun at home. Available every day from the Audio Guide Desks, voluntary donation.

The Story of The Supremes at the V&A

Late night events at the Design Museum

DESIGN MUSEUM, SHAD THAMES, LONDON SE1 2YD
BOOKING AND INFORMATION
T 020 7940 8783

Download PDF Version

DESIGN OVERTIME – late night events in June and July

HONG KONG COME ALONG
FRIDAY 6 June UNTIL 10pm
LAST ADMISSION 9.15pm

Tickets for Design Overtime are £8.50 and free for Design Museum Members
Come to Design Overtime, the bi-monthly late night at the Design Museum and be enthralled by the creativity of Hong Kong design. ‘China chic’ creator and fashion extraordinaire Vivienne Tam, Ford Motors’ Chief Designer Chelsia Lau, Shrek III co-director Raman Hui, are amongst the 100 designers featured in Creative Hong Kong – previewed tonight and showing for one week only. Plus, discover unique products forged from a collaboration between ten Hong Kong designers and ten major international brands. Come and take a guided exhibition tour or simply be delighted by our Hong Kong DJ and Dim Sum.

Design Overtime

What Is This Place? FRIDAY 11 July UNTIL 10pmLAST ADMISSION 9.15pm

Tickets for Design Overtime are £5 and free for Design

Museum Members
An after-hours opportunity to see Design Museum exhibitions, including the hit show Richard Rogers + Architects – From the House to the City. The Design

Museum will become a hive of activity, with gallery talks, debates and design workshops based around the theme of London architecture. The usual Design Overtime blend of cool music, informal chat, and a refreshing and challenging way to see the shows.

PRESS RELEASE

A Midsummer Night’s Dream re-imagined for a young audience

Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park

8 July – 2 August 2008

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be completely transformed for everyone aged 6 years and over at the Open Air Theatre this summer (previews Tuesday 8 July, press performance 12 July). Using original language the glorious tale of magic and mischief will be reworked by director and choreographer, Dominic Leclerc, into a fast-paced 80 minute production.

Listings for Tate Britain
June July August 2009

Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG
Information Line: 020 7887 8888
Open daily 10.00 – 17.50
Until 22.00 on the first Friday of the month
www.tate.org.uk/britain
Secure ticket booking at www.tate.org.uk/tickets or call 020 7887 8888

Collection highlights for kids

ARTIST ROOMS: Ian Hamilton Finlay
Tate Britain, Admission Free
One-room installation, Sailing Dinghy, 1996, comprising sailing boat, poem and wall texts.

Art Trolley: In the summer holidays
Tate Britain, Rotunda Sponsored by Tate & Lyle PLC
Every weekend 11.00–17.00, Every day in August 11am-5pm
Admission Free, for all ages
For more information visit www.tate.org.uk or call 020 7887 8888

Make a beeline for the Art Trolley and pick up some fun activities and materials for making art. New things to do include writing your own song, designing a mini garden or making a 3D collage out of ‘found’ materials.

Secret Tate: Discovery Trail
Tate Britain, Collection Display Rooms

Admission Free, for 5 years and over, available daily from the Information Desks

For more information visit www.tate.org.uk or call 020 7887 8888

Put your detective hat on and go on a hunt for Tate Britain’s secret spaces, uncovering patterns and searching for answers through a trail of activities. Create your own mosaic, draw a work of art, design architectural features, make your very own exhibition and find the architect hidden somewhere in the gallery…

Kids eat for FREE at Tate

The Rex Whistler Restaurant at Tate Britain, along with Tate Modern Café 2 and Level 7 Restaurant, are offering a special menu where kids under the age of 12 eat for free when accompanied by an adult selecting 2 courses from the a la carte menu. Executive Head Chef for Tate, Sean Davies, has created two menus that are sure to appeal to younger visitors, offering a great selection of dishes that you can rest-assured do not contain any nasty additives.

Accompanying adults will be offered excellent value set menus that have been created using only the highest quality ingredients. At Tate Modern, Cafe 2 is offering a set price lunch at £13.95 and the Level 7 restaurant is offering 2 courses for just £14.95 and 3 courses for £18.95. At Tate Britain, The Rex Whistler Restaurant is offering a set menu of 2 courses for £15.95 or 3 courses for £19.95. For details further details see the Tate catering websites:

Tate Britain: www.tate.org.uk/britain/eatanddrink/
Tate Modern: www.tate.org.uk/modern/eatanddrink/

The offer is valid for lunch time only for children aged 12 or under, and is for one child eating with one accompanying adult. The offer is subject to availability and from 1 June until 31 August 2009.

Activities on Tate Kids website

www.kids.tate.org.uk
BT Art Sparks: art films made just for kids

www.kids.tate.org.uk/films/

Tate Kids has created a film section for children to watch from home. Go online to see BT Art Sparks, art films made just for kids.

Experience How Tradition Meets Modernity At The Unique Christ's Hospital School.

June 5th 2008

You are invited by Christ’s Hospital, the charitable boarding school and TFT Building Consultants to experience the juxtaposition of boarding school tradition and 21st century living, following the completion of seven years of refurbishment work to the School’s Victorian Grade II* Listed Boarding Houses.

Set in impressive grounds, surrounded by the beautiful Sussex countryside, Christ's Hospital's striking architecture and the Tudor style uniforms of its pupils give the School a real sense of history and tradition. The day will provide an interesting glimpse into this unusual community, plus a great example of sympathetic building restoration.

Birthday Party Feature: Our Dynamic Earth, Scotland

Our Dynamic Earth birthday party. A journey back in time and into the future and around the world. This Edinburgh visitor attraction had just announced a new range of tailored birthday parties which include activities and adventures to suit all ages.

ATTRACTION LAUNCHES BIRTHDAY PARTIES THAT ARE LITERALLY OUT OF THIS WORLD

Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh’s five star visitor attraction, has just launched a new range of birthday party packages to shake, shock, and entertain kids of all ages. The new party range, which can be tailored to suit any age group, includes storytelling, craft activities and action packed adventures through the life of our planet Earth.

For younger children, aged between four and five, the new storytelling birthday party includes a mini tour of Our Dynamic Earth, colouring activities, a storytelling session and time to play in the Ocean Commotion play area before a special birthday meal.

For the more grown-up adventurers, a craft activity birthday party is available for eight to ten year olds. Following a tour of Our Dynamic Earth, there is a craft session, where the kids can choose from making solar bracelets or straw rockets to take home. After working up an appetite, a birthday meal rounds the celebrations off.

Our Dynamic Earth’s original birthday party, ‘the adventurer’, will still be available for kids of all ages and includes a scrumptious birthday meal, guided tour around the Our Dynamic Earth galleries and time to play in Ocean Commotion.

The birthday parties are two hours long and come with a dedicated personal guide. Birthday cakes are welcome and goody bags can be included at an additional cost.
For more information or to book a party, visit www.dynamicearth.co.uk or contact Lynne Thomas on 0131 523 1200.

Asia Nights 2008

China returns to Phantasialand in Brühl from 1 July to 31 August. Nowhere else in Europe offers a more exciting oriental experience than the theme park's Asia Nights. These summer shows unite traditional cuisine and martial arts from the Far East in a superbly authentic setting.

China Town in Phantasialand is transformed into a buzzing oriental evening market for Asia Nights. Enjoy a feast fit for a Chinese Emperor in the Mandschu restaurant. There's no better way to spend a warm summer evening.

Awe-inspiring acrobatics

The highlight of Asia Nights is a 90-minute stage show featuring gravity-defying acrobatics, Shaolin kung fu and traditional dance. Every evening, 27 outrageously talented Chinese performers entertain audiences with breathtaking feats of physical prowess and spectacular martial arts moves. The authentic China Town backdrop is tailor-made for this perfectly staged interaction between mind and body.

Asia Nights begin every evening at 7pm from 1 July to 31 August 2008. Tickets cost €7.50 per person. Admission is free for guests staying at Phantasialand hotels.

Phantasialand is open every day from 9am to 6pm until 2 November 2008. Information and pictures can be downloaded from the press portal at www.phantasialand.de. We will also be happy to send you our digital press material on request.

www.phantasialand.de

Revolution in Childhood - Robert Winston and Tanya Byron join the debate

TX: Thursday 5 June, 9pm, BBC FOUR

The pressures of modern childhood and the challenges of parenting today are under debate in a 90 minute programme on BBC FOUR linked to this year’s Child of Our Time series, which is co-produced by the BBC and The Open University.

Dr Tanya Byron and Professor Robert Winston are amongst the experts taking part in the debate, which is chaired by Martha Kearney. The programme looks at footage gathered by the Child of Our Time team, who filmed each child continuously over 24 hours, revealing the intricacies of daily life – from the child who watches nine hours of TV a day, the eight-year-old who isn’t sure how to play in a park, to the young girl who has 16 Bratz dolls. Analysing this and many other episodes in the children’s days, the panel examine four key areas: Play, Technology, Communication and the ‘Me’ generation.

The panel all agree that childhood today is very different, as children now face new media influences such as the internet, increased pressure to perform at school and intense scrutiny from parents. Revealing findings from the footage illustrate this, such as: 66% of all communication between parent and child is one-way, and ‘directive’, rather than free flowing conversation; the distance children roam from their home has reduced 90% in the last 20 years; and only three of the 25 families ate together. The panel asks: what does this mean for childhood, and parenting today?

Programme Links:

www.open2.net/childofourtime

www.bbc.co.uk/parenting

Yorkshire Wheel at the National Railway Museum in York.

Yorkshire Wheel at the National
Railway Museum in York.

VIP (inc. champagne) tickets available
for a trip on the Yorkshire Wheel.
If you are interested, please e-mail
at this address.

www.nrm.org.uk

THE WHEEL DEAL OF THE YEAR!
The Yorkshire Wheel is teaming up with
The Click Group to offer Wheel riders
a fantastic opportunity to have a fabulous
family portrait absolutely free
of charge!

From Tuesday 1 April until Wednesday
31 December 2008 anyone riding the
Yorkshire Wheel, based at the
National Railway
Museum (NRM), will be able to
take part in this great offer. To claim the
free portrait, all Wheelvisitors will
need to do is complete the form
given to them, attach their
ticket and contact The Click Group
to find their nearest participating
studio.

It will allow families to arrange a full portrait session,
which also includes a print – these have a combined
value of £50! The Click Group have over 150 studios
nationwide all equipped with the know-how technology to
achieve the picture of a lifetime! To find the nearest studio
visit www.theclickgroup.co.uk

For more details on Yorkshire Wheel opening hours and
admissions charges please
visit www.nrm.org.uk
or call 0844 8153 139.

Admission to the National Railway Museum is free.
The Yorkshire Wheel includes a
VIP pod, which seats
up to 4 people. It must be booked in
advance and is
subject to availability.

Call 0844 8153 139 for competition details
and booking costs

http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go
/msnnkmgl0010000007ukm/direct/01/