Gayle's Guide ✨ 19th June 25
Issue 60 - Fairs, galas, picnics, a special discount and much more!
Gayle’s Guide now has over 4,000 followers despite zero social media presence so I have you all to thank for telling your friends about this newsletter. As a wee thank you, here’s a special offer of 25% off a year’s paid subscription. Upgrade before the end of the month and you’ll save 38% compared with the monthly price… and once fees are deducted, I’ll get a juicy 5p an hour for the work I put into this! 🤑 The drinks are on me!
🌻ASN 🐣Baby 🐤Preschool 🐔Primary
Friday 20th
🌍 Relaxed Opening Hours 10.00-16.00 🌻
📍 Dynamic Earth, Holyrood
Here’s an opportunity for children with additional support needs to experience Dynamic Earth with fewer visitors and reduced sensory stimulation. There will be additional accessibility resources available, including sensory bags, social stories, sensory maps and specially trained staff. Also a BSL interpreter will be at the 15.00 planetarium show.
🍔 Summer BBQ 12.00-16.00 🆓
📍 LifeCare Centre, Stockbridge
Free food, a bouncy castle, family friendly activities and a dog friendly and accessible cafe 👌🏻
🐝 Buzzy Bees Children’s Yoga (3-8y) 13.15-14.00 🐤🐔
📍 The Edinburgh Yoga Room, Leith
These are usually block bookings of yoga classes for kids but they’re having a trial class today which can be booked as a one off by emailing buzzybeesyoga@gmail.com. Thanks to the organisers for emailing this in!
🎻 June Family Ceilidh 15.00-16.00
📍 The Counting House, Southside
Another CeilidhKids session! Aimed at 3-9 year olds but all welcome. Suggested donation of a fiver per family if you can manage it, just drop in, you won’t regret it!
Saturday 21st
⛔️ SOLD OUT! Pride Breakfast 10.00-12.30
📍 Dynamic Earth
This sold out well in advance last year if I remember correctly so if you want to join in for this all-age celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, get your tickets quick and arrive early to share a tasty breakfast together.
✨ If you’re looking for some picture books which include representation of rainbow families, The Scottish Book Trust has this wonderful list celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
☀️ Summer Fair 10.00-15.00 🆓
📍 Corstorphine Community Centre
Music, stalls, games, and good old community fun to be had in Corstorphine.
📚 Making Up Mysteries with Nadine Aisha Jassat (9-12y) 10.15-11.30 🆓
📍 The Portobello Bookshop
”Inspired by Nadine’s latest novel, The House At The Edge of The World, join us for an hour of fun, where we’ll explore writing mysteries, coming up with cool ideas, and more, in celebration of Independent Bookshop Week.”
🎪 Davidson’s Mains Children’s Gala 11.30-16.00 🆓
📍 Lauriston Castle
Starting with a parade along Main St, the gala itself will be from 12.00 in the grounds of Lauriston Castle. There will be a fun fair, pony rides, circus performers and workshops, stage performances, local vendors, kids races, fancy dress competition, alpacas, a police car to explore, face painting, glitter bar, Scouts food stall, food trucks, homebaking and refreshments.
🛶 Edinburgh Canal Festival 12.00-17.00 🆓
📍 Union Canal (between Lochrin Basin and Harrison Park)
We’ve gone to this for years and there’s always such a lovely atmosphere with lots to see and do along the stretch of the Union Canal between Lochrin Basin and Harrison Park. The programmes on the website are broken into individual areas but there’s one for all the musical performances here. The annual Raft Race has broken off into a standalone event though, scheduled for the 23rd August instead so you won’t see any more folk falling off dodgy dingies into the drink.
🎶 Tinderbox Orchestra Make Music Day 13.00 🆓
📍 Edinburgh Central Library, George IV Bridge
It’s Make Music Day! What better way to celebrate than with the iconic Tinderbox Orchestra, putting on a mega show in the library. Ssssshhh!!
✨ Speaking of music in libraries, did you know you can learn to play instruments using the library? You can even borrow musical instruments from the library too if you haven’t got one to learn with.
🧘🏽 Outdoor Yoga Adventure 14.00-16.30
📍 Hermitage of Braid
Now here’s a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon in the woods. Explore the beautiful Hermitage of Braid, build a campfire, have a picnic, do some yoga and get creative with some crafting. I feel calmer already.
Sunday 22nd
🏃 Edinburgh Pretty Muddy Kids (6-12y) 10.15 🐔
📍 The Meadows
Probably should have told ye about this sooner but here’s a 5k kids’ obstacle course as part of the Cancer Research UK Race for Life. Not sure if the mud is guaranteed but I’m sure the Scottish summer will oblige. Entry is £12 and you need to raise a minimum sponsorship of £50 but it sounds like great craic if you’ve got some active kids who are keen to support a good cause.
🎷 Tenement Jazz Band for Kids + Disco 14.00 (doors at 13.30)
📍 The Jazz Bar, Chamber St
Another kid-friendly, live gig at the Jazz Bar where the children can get up close and personal with the music, the grown ups can have a guilt free drink in a bar and everyone gets a bonus half hour of dancing after the show.
🥁 Leith Festival Community Tattoo 14.00-16.00 🆓
📍 Malmaison Plaza, Leith
Finishing off Leith Festival with lots of local and international musicians and dancers.
🌼 Midsummer Picnic 14.00-16.30 🆓
📍 Granton Castle Walled Garden
”There will be music from Nigel’s All Stars, a children’s nature trail and refreshments by donation. Midsummer crown wearing is encouraged!”
Monday 23rd
🚼 Buggy Walk 13.30-14.30 🐣🐤🆓
📍 Saughton Park and Gardens
Here’s a new day/location option for anyone looking to join a Buggy Walk in the South West of the city. These hour long (ish) weekly walks are amazing assets to this city and a real lifeline for new (and experienced) parents venturing back out into the world with their little ones. Use them or lose them! Bumps, babies and toddlers are all welcome.
Tuesday 24th
🎶 Sing and Sign (5-14m) 10.00 🐣
📍 Joy Tots, Ferry Road
Sing and Sign classes are usually only available in block bookings but here’s a wee taster session that includes a hot drink and a play afterwards. We did a few Zoom classes during the pandemic with our older daughter and found signing really helpful with both kids. It’s really cute seeing them being able to communicate before they can talk. Even if it’s just them saying “milk” over and over!
✨ Baby sign for MILK: squeeze your hand open and closed, like you’re milking a cow!
🐕🦺 Therapets (5y+) 16.00-17.00 🆓
📍 Newington Library
Head along on the last Tuesday of the month to meet a friendly dog and read them a story. What a fantastic and very sweet way to build a child’s confidence, both with reading and dogs. Booking is essential so call the library for your 15min slot.
Wednesday 25th
🚼 Wee One Wednesdays 09.30-11.30 🆓
📍 IKEA, Straiton
A monthly baby group at IKEA. Free hot drinks for members and the food is very cheap if you fancy getting yourself a cooked breakfast.
☔️ Bookbug on Tour (0-5y) 11.00 🐣🐥🆓
📍 Spylaw Park
The brave team at Oxgangs Library are bringing Bookbug outdoors today so bring your brollies, blankets, wellies and/or sunscreen!
Thursday 26th
Last day of school! Good luck everyone! ☘️
Edinburgh Council’s Whole Family Wellbeing Team have released their big list of free and low cost stuff to do over the Summer holidays. I’ve not checked it out yet but they usually cover loads so if anyone needs some reassurance that the next 6 weeks will be ok, here it is! Well done the cooncil! 👏🏻
🍿 Watch with Baby: 28 Years Later 11.00 🐣
📍 Cameo Picturehouse, Tollcross
No Cillian Murphy, unfortunately, but if you’re up for a zombie apocalypse with a load of screaming weans, you’re in luck!
As promised, here’s a couple of hot tips for some free (usually paid) and discounted Fringe tickets… sorry for the clickbait but I’m at the tail end of my unpaid maternity leave extension so the auld purse strings are at their tightest! 💸