Welcome back! We’ve got some family birthdays and visitors again this week so this will be brief. Presents to wrap, cake to decorate etc… Plus I can’t find the laptop charger and much like myself, it's on extremely low battery. Let’s go!
🪴Story Garden Craft (5y+) 14.00-15.00 🐔🆓 📍 Morningside Library A new weekly craft session based around the theme of this summer’s reading challenge. It’s just happening throughout July though so make the most of it while it’s going.
Saturday 12th
colintonclocks.co.uk
⚙️ Mesmerising Mechanisms 10.00-16.00 🆓 📍 Water of Leith Visitor Centre, Lanark Rd This interactive exhibition will showcase the work of local clockmaker, Ian Graham with all sorts of wooden machines like ball runs and drawing apparatus. While you're there, why not take advantage of the water play contraptions in the visitor centre where kids can enjoy some water play, causing floods and controlling water wheels on stainless steel models. Plus there's a cafe and an easy access point to the water nearby for plopping stones and splashing about so don't forget their wellies!
hopetoun.co.uk
🐛 Minibeast Safari 14.00-15.30 📍 Hopetoun House, South Queensferry There will be loads to learn at this fun exploration of the grounds of Hopetoun House. Many wee beasties call the pond and woodland habitats their home and are waiting to be discovered by your mini entomologists.
Sunday 13th
🍿 Relaxed Screening: Lilo and Stitch 09.30 🌻 📍 Everyman, St James Quarter Here’s a chance to see the live action Lilo and Stitch with reduced volume, dimmed lights and no ads. Perfect for anyone who needs a less stimulating environment than a trip to the cinema usually provides. Apparently the Everyman do a monthly relaxed screening, which is news to me so I’ll keep an eye on this in future.
Marcel The Shell With Shoes On
🐚 Marcel The Shell With Shoes On 11.00 📍 Filmhouse, Lothian Road More cinema.The Filmhouse is finally open and I must say it is very comfy and luxurious compared with how it was before it closed its doors. I know nothing about this film other than the fact that it’s about a shell called Marcel that’s wearing shoes and is bloody adorable. I’m convinced.
🎉 Edinburgh Festival Carnival 13.00-18.00 🆓 📍 West Princes St Gardens ”A dazzling explosion of music, dance, and international culture, this free event features over 700 performers in colourful parades and on live stages throughout West Princes Street Gardens. Expect energetic choreography, synchronised live drumming and spectacular costume designs as international performers join community groups from across Edinburgh.”
📖 Easy Sundays: Always Room For One More (2-7y) 14.00-15.00 🐤🐔 📍 Scottish Storytelling Centre, Royal Mile Here’s a lovely sounding afternoon storytelling session with some lively tunes and a craft session after where the kids will make “story pockets”… I dunno either but I’m intrigued!
Monday 14th
🪁 Kite Making (6-11y) 10.00-11.30 🐔🆓 📍 Whale Arts, Wester Hailes I’m always so impressed at the sheer quantity and variety of kids’ activities this organisation puts on. Today kicks off their 4 week long summer programme, which has all sorts including the likes of smoothie making, printing, circus skills and digital art… youngsters won’t be just glueing and sticking here! Fair play 👏🏻
☀️ Summer Family Fun 10.30-15.30 🆓 📍 National Museum of Scotland As expected, the museum is coming through yet again with more, family friendly, activities over the summer holidays. Taking place every Monday and Friday from the 7th July to the 1st August. Each session is themed and some might need to be booked into on arrival. Today’s fun is brought to you by Maths Week Scotland so there’s going to be some robot races going on. Exciting!
🏓 Free Table Tennis Taster Sessions (8-12y) 13.30-15.30 🐔🆓 📍 North Merchiston Club, Polwarth Not a bad deal at all! Also on the 28th July.
Tuesday 15th
📐 Young Engineers 11.00-12.00 🆓 📍 LifeCare Centre, Stockbridge ”We are here to educate and excite children about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) by providing fun and inspirational classes using K’NEX® and Lego®. Contact sarahduckmanton@lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk to reserve your space.”
✂️ Found Word Poetry Collage (8-12y) 14.00-15.30 🐔🆓 📍 Edinburgh Central Library, George IV Bridge Using newspapers, magazines and old books, kids will be able to create something new with their found words. Beautiful.
🩸 NHS Blood Donation 14.00-19.30 📍 Portobello Town Hall Ok, clearly not a child friendly event but I spotted this on my internet travels this week and thought it was worth pointing out since I’m sure there are plenty of you Porty folk that would gladly go along to donate blood if you’re given a gentle nudge towards a very convenient location. Book it now or you’ll forget!
Wednesday 16th
🪘 Park Life (P7-S3) 13.30-15.30 🐔🆓 📍 Clermiston Park What a fantastic way to keep those young teenagers out of trouble for a couple of hours. Loads of free, bookable activities such as circus skills, samba drumming, remote control cars, parkour and a bike obstacle course. And “fire engine”... 🤔
💻 Digital Skills 4 Girls (10-17y) 17.30-19.00 🐔🆓 📍 CodeBase, Castle Terrace One for the older kids in your life, just as it says on the tin, these sessions teach girls and non-binary young people a variety of digital skills. They’ve explored topics like gaming, 3d printing, animation and sound design in the past and it’s completely free with all equipment provided. This session will be a summer games party! If your young person can’t make it tonight, CodeBase also hosts Prewired 🆓, a free coding club which meets every Wednesday 17.30-19.30 for all varieties of young people.
Thursday 17th
🌳 Art in the Park (5-10y) 13.30-15.30 🐔 📍 Coalie Park Here’s another of the Water of Leith Conservation Trust’s brilliant outdoor sessions for kids. These seem to be very popular so I usually need to delete them from drafts so don’t hang about if you’re interested.
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