Gayle's Guide ✨ 3rd October 24
Issue 26 - A baby Halloween party, a kids' jazz party, a new mamas' singing group, free family yoga and much more! (Plus loads of October holiday tips for my paid subs!)
Edinburgh’s original and best weekly newsletter of family friendly events is almost 6 months old! 🥳 That’ll have been six straight months of consistent, high quality (so I’m told!) and reliable information, dropped into your inboxes, every single week with absolutely zero need to wade through a load of sh*te on social media. We’re setting a trend here and it's growing organically but I’d love if we could get to 2,000 subscribers by the 6 month mark… I think we can do it. So I’ve set up a referral system where you can now earn FREE PAID ACCESS, simply by tagging in a few pals.
🌻ASN 🐣Baby 🐤Preschool 🐔Primary
Friday 4th
💃🏻 Pre-school Creative Moves Class (2-4y) 10.15-11.00 🐤
📍 Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Leith
The teacher of this class, Jo Jeffries, runs Dance n Play on Wednesdays at Dance Base which my daughter and I have sorely missed since she started nursery. So I was ecstatic to have stumbled across another of Jo’s preschool classes and am glad to say, it was just as fantastic as the one we pine after. Jo encourages lots of dance and imaginative movement from the kids and even plays her fiddle during it. I can’t recommend her highly enough! Plus there’s a nice wee cafe in the Drill Hall so a very easy stop off for a snack after.
💡 The Baddies (3y+) 10.30/13.30/15.30 🐤🐔
📍 Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay St
“They're funny... they're silly... and they're really, really bad!” This stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s book is running from today until the 20th October. If you went to the Lyceum’s Doors Open Day at the weekend, you might have been able to sneak a peek behind the curtain and see costumes and props for the show.
🕷 Eerie Encounters 12.00-16.00 🆓
📍 Dynamic Earth, Holyrood
The Science Communication team at Dynamic Earth are running another series of free, drop-in activities over the next month where kids can look at wee beasties under the microscope, make venus fly trap puppets and origami insects.
🎨 Friday Play (5-12y) 13.30-16.30 🐔🆓
📍 Collective, Calton Hill
Nestled up on Calton Hill, this is a weekly, drop in session where kids can enjoy all sorts of creative activities, from messy play to cooking and of course, plenty of arts and crafts.
🐐 Friday Afternoon Puppetry with Fiona (3-6y) 14.30 🌻🐤🆓
📍 Stockbridge Library
Just look at these gorgeous, handmade puppets for this telling of The Three Billy Goats Gruff! Who’s Fiona? She is a Play Therapist as well as an Early Stages and Special Needs Teacher who is currently adding another string to her bow in the form of bloody adorable puppetry. Thanks to the library staff for sending this in.
Saturday 5th
🦸♀️ Comic Con Scotland (5th/6th)
📍 Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston
This is one of Europe's largest pop culture conventions with star guests from movies, tv, streaming, gaming, anime and sports entertainment. If you’ve got cash to burn, you can even pay for photos and autographs from the likes of Simon Pegg, the lads from Red Dwarf and even Sabrina the Teenage Witch! (Plus lots of other folk that I’m not even remotely aware of but I’m sure are also very famous)
🍿 Toddler Club: Disney Junior Cinema Club (1-5y) 09.30 🐤
📍 Everyman Cinema, St James Quarter
Head along bright and early to this plush cinema for some preschooler-friendly cartoons on the big screen. The ticket includes a hot drink and piece of cake or small popcorn.
🚀 Dino’s Spectacular Space (6-12y) 10.00/11.30/13.30/15.00 🐔
📍 Dynamic Earth, Holyrood
”This week we adventure all the way into space. Use virtual reality to explore the international space station, create your own lego satellite and uncover real meteorites!”
🤱🏼 La Leche League Toddler Meeting 10.30 🐤🆓
📍 Buccleuch Church, Newington
This monthly meeting on the first Saturday offers support and community for those who are continuing to breastfeed their toddlers.
🩲 Bookbug Featuring Pantasaurus (0-5y) 11.00 🐣🐤🆓
📍 Portobello Library
Part of Portobello Book Festival, this special storytelling session will feature Pantasaurus, a friendly dinosaur whose job is to help keep children safe by teaching them that their bodies are their own . Read more on the NSPCC website.
🥁 Music Fundraiser 13.00-15.00
📍 Pregnancy and Parents Centre, Pleasance
Music With Jackie is 20 years old and to celebrate (and to raise money for new instruments) the PPC is inviting music families old and new to come play games and music together, to share memories and have an all round lovely time.
🏳️🌈 Rainbow Families 13.00-15.00 🆓
📍 McDonald Road Library, Leith
This group meets the 1st Saturday of the month so LGBTQ+ parents and their kids of all ages can meet and play together. Click the link above to request to join the WhatsApp group chat. Thanks to Kirsty for sharing this ages ago - hope you don’t mind me sharing it again.
Sunday 6th
📚 Tree Spirits: A Storytime Special with Louise Wannier (3-8y) 09.30-10.30 🐤🐔🆓
📍 The Edinburgh Bookshop, Bruntsfield
I’m looking forward to this - the book looks beautiful! It uses transparent pages to spark kids’ imaginations to see creatures in the trees. After a reading by the author, there will be a creative workshop where the children can draw their own spirits. The Edinburgh Bookshop moved to its posh new digs a few weeks ago and they run free storytime sessions every Thursday and Friday morning at 09.30, plus kids’ book clubs.
🎸 Sunday Playgroup (0-5y) 10.00-11.00 🆓🐣🐤
📍Gorgie War Memorial Hall, Gorgie.
Organised by the amazing team at Dads Rock, this is the only free playgroup in Edinburgh aimed at dads and male carers. Runs weekly on Saturdays and Sundays. Also, the charity are raffling off two tickets to Oasis for £10 a ticket so if you're feeling lucky, donate here.
⛔️ SOLD OUT Relaxed Viewing: Game On 10.00-12.00 🌻
📍 National Museum of Scotland
This is a chance to see the Game On exhibition in a calmer environment with fewer visitors, lower lights and volumes. This is aimed at those with sensory or additional support needs. There’s also the monthly Relaxed Morning 🌻🆓 happening at the same time so the whole museum should be a bit easier to navigate for ASN families.
🎷 Cabinet of Musical Wonders & Kids Disco 13.30 🐤🐔
📍 The Jazz Bar, Chamber St
”Our very first interactive show of early jazz made especially for children. It takes younger audiences into the heart of the band to experience the joy of acoustic instruments and live music. Expect music, dancing, fun and play! 90min of 90s theme music disco to follow after the show” Doors are at 13.00 and disco starts at 15.00. For walkers to early teens.
🍂 Sensory Sunday (5-10y) 14.00 🌻🐔🆓
📍 National Museum of Scotland
These monthly sessions are for children with additional support needs and disabilities to get creative and explore the museum. The theme this month is Autumn and a visual story will be emailed in advance.
✨ Don’t forget, I regularly update my ASN Stuff page with whatever I find along the way.
Monday 7th
🌳 Nature Play 09.30-11.30 🐤
📍 Saughtonhall Community Hall
I chatted with someone from The Green Team at the canal festival a few weeks back and forgot to look them up til now. They run various outdoor programmes for kids of varying ages to explore nature and learn new skills. This preschool one is the last of the term but can be booked as a one off so why not give it a shot?
🎨 Bring Your Own Baby/Bump 10.15/11.00/11.30 🐣🆓
📍 Modern One Gallery
One for all you arty folk! Bring your baby along for a guided tour of the gallery, explore Conversations with the Collection and mingle with some other new parents/carers.
🎃 Bumps, Babies and Beyond Halloween Party 14.00-16.00 🐣🆓
📍 Cornerstone Centre, Princes St
Get your baby’s plush pumpkin or skeleton singlet at the ready for this baby Halloween Party. I’d imagine it’ll mostly be attended by regulars to this NCT group but the party vibe will hopefully be a decent ice breaker if you do find yourself to be Billy-No-Mates.
Tuesday 8th
🤱🏻 The Bonnie Sling Library 10.45-12.15 🐣🆓
📍 IKEA, Straiton
This is a monthly meetup in the restaurant at IKEA (sorry for shouting) where you can try out and hire various slings and baby carriers while enjoying a well deserved fika with some other parents. Bonus points to anyone able to walk directly up to the restaurant and back without buying any candles, houseplants or cushions.
Wednesday 9th
📷 FATOWL Family Yoga Photocall (0-5y) 10.00-11.00 🐣🐤🆓
📍 Fairmilehead Parish Church Hall
From Acorn To Oak With Love is doing a special, one-off taster session of their Family Yoga class (usually block booking). They’ve got a professional photographer coming to the session so in return for consenting to FATOWL using the photos for promotional purposes, you and your little one will get a free yoga class and a copy of all the images taken of ye.
🎼 Singing Mamas (Edinburgh West) 10.30 🐣
📍 Palmerston Place, West End
This is a brand new mother and baby singing group which is testing the water for interest levels. I was always in the choir in school and briefly sang in one as an adult (pre-parenthood) but it’s felt like something out of reach while the kids are small since choirs often meet over dinner/bedtime when the kids need the most input and my energy levels are that of a near-dead bee on a hot windowsill. So being able to go along in the morning for a cup of tea and a singsong while also minding the baby is amazing! The leader is very supportive and welcoming and the brave group of women that showed up for the very first session were great craic! Good for the soul and the first session is free.
Thursday 10th
🦋 Butterflies Baby and Toddler Group (0-5y) 09.30-11.30 🐣🐤
📍 Marchmont St Giles Church
A weekly play group for babies/toddlers and their grown-ups which runs every Thursday during term time. It’s £2 per family and hot drinks and snacks are available.
📽 Joker: Folie À Deux 11.00 🐣
📍 Cameo Cinema, Tollcross
Take your baby to see Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the MUSICAL (!!) sequel to Joker. Although, the film description does sound like a bit of a joke to me: “While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.”
🧱 Leith LEGO Group (12-15y) 16.00 🐔
📍 Duncan Place Community Hub, Leith
This is an older age bracket than I usually cover in this newsletter - not intentionally but my experience is with under 5s so that’s what I gravitate to. Anyway, here’s a monthly Lego club for a pound for that vivacious teenager of yours.
⛑ First Aid Workshop for Dads and Mums 19.00-21.00
📍 Gorgie Memorial Hall
Not family friendly (please don’t bring the kids!) but I’m sure there are plenty of you meaning to get round to booking something like this. So here’s your reminder. Plus you’ll be supporting a fantastic charity at the same time as learning some valuable skills.
✨ (Trigger warning) Baby Loss Awareness Week 9th-15th Oct ✨
I swithered about whether or not to include this so I’m really, truly sorry if seeing this has upset you. A few days ago, I got an email with an urgent funding appeal from Held in Our Hearts - the baby loss charity that supported us when our baby died in 2020. I’m not ready to even try put that experience into words but their support was incredible. Sadly, I’d imagine every one of you reading this will know someone who has experienced some form of baby loss, or maybe even live with your own every day. So please consider donating to support this charity’s amazing work, if you're able. Or tell a friend. Or sign up for their sponsored Fire Walk on the 9th Nov. And if you've read this far and are looking for a way to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, the Wave of Light is taking place on the 15th of October round Arthur's Seat. It’s a really beautiful and cathartic way to come together and shine some light in memory of the precious little people missing from our families. 💕
✨ Feeling pretty deflated now but the show must go on. Here’s an extra week’s events for my paid subscribers, including a load of free events to keep the kids entertained over the October break!