Gayle's Guide ✨ 7th November 24
Issue 31 - Flotilla of Lights on the canal, an artist led kids' feelings workshop on Calton Hill, lots of festive fun (already!) and much more!
I had started to write a generic “Winter’s officially here” type introduction, but instead I’ll say something a bit more interesting:
The lovely bunch organising Polwarth Preloved Sale need more volunteers on the 22nd and 23rd Nov. I did it last year - it was great craic and I met some fantastic people. Plus volunteers get a head start on the shopping before the sale opens its doors to the public. Win/win/win! There’s space for more sellers too so why not have a pre-Christmas clear out? You don’t need to man a stall, awkwardly smiling at strangers rifling through your stuff, everything is displayed by category and sold by volunteers so you just label your items and bring them along. Highly recommend!
🌻ASN 🐣Baby 🐤Preschool 🐔Primary
Friday 8th
⛔ SOLD OUT Autumn Stories (2-5y) 10.00 🐤
📍 Festival Theatre, Southside
Looks like this might be the last in the series of Autumn Stories at the Festival Theatre so why not take your preschooler to the theatre for a wee cosy Autumnal storytelling session?
🎨 Family Fridays 10.00 (0-3y) 14.00 (3y+) 🐣🐤🐔🆓
📍 The National Gallery, The Mound
Every week during term-time, you and your kids can get stuck in with lots of play, sensory activities and hands-on making with artists. Not about on Fridays? Their Family Art Hub 🆓 is open daily and has books, art supplies and plenty of space to play.
🎞 Family Afternoons 12.30 🆓
📍 St Bride’s Centre, Dalry
”Join us for craft, movie and movement sessions every Friday.”
Saturday 9th
📖 Festive Fun and Games with Sibéal Pounder (6y+) 10.15-11.15 🐔🆓
📍 The Portobello Bookshop
Sad as I am that Autumn has given way to Winter, I feel like it’s vaguely acceptable now to talk about Christmas… although it’ll be another month at least before I fully accept it. Here’s the first festive event to dare show it’s face in my newsletter. Join author Sibéal Pounder as she celebrates her new book Sprouts with this “festive creative workshop with silly props.”
👕 Jack and Jill Market 10.30-12.30
📍 Edinburgh College, Granton
Not specifically an event for kids obviously but winter is approaching and they need new clothes again so why not grab some bargains from this second-hand baby and children's market.
👾 Create Your Own Gut Feeling Creature (5-12y) 11.00-13.00 🐔🆓
📍 Collective, Calton Hill
”Does your gut feeling have wings like butterflies? Does it feel sharp and pointy like sticks? Maybe it swirls around like a whirlpool? Join artists Katherine Fay Allan and Frieda Ford for a children’s workshop and procession that brings our gut feelings to life through costume, music, and play.” Sounds wonderful!
🎄 Light Switch On and Festive Parade 16.30 🆓
📍 St James Quarter
Another festive outing to mark the start of the season. Expect a parade, ballerinas, jazz musicians, panto stars and an obligatory countdown to the switching on of the Christmas lights.
💡 Flotilla of Light 17.30-19.30ish 🆓
📍 Union Canal Slateford Aquaduct - Lochrin Basin (Fountainbridge)
This is a wonderful floating procession of beautifully lit boats along the Union Canal from Slateford Aquaduct to Lochrin Basin. Should be at Harrison Park around 18.30. Some have musicians playing for the crowds that line up along the tow path and lots of them chuck sweeties over the water to the kids. Mind yer heids though, those lollipops pack a punch!
Sunday 10th
🎸 Sunday Playgroup (0-5y) 10.00-11.00 🆓🐣🐤
📍Gorgie War Memorial Hall
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.
🖼 Sensory-friendly Sundays for Families 10.30-11.30 🌻🆓
📍 National Portrait Gallery, Queen St
A relaxed, sensory-friendly morning with arts/crafts activities, aimed at children with autism or learning disabilities.
Monday 11th
🍿 Toddler Time: Molang 11.00 🐤
📍 Cameo Picturehouse, Tollcross
”Molang has no nationality, is ageless and gender-neutral. Molang cares for everyone and everything.” Molang sounds alright to me! Here’s 7 short episodes on the big screen for £4 with a free adult. Great to introduce little ones to the cinema without taking the gamble on an expensive film.
✂ Preschool Origami (2.5-4y) 13.30-14.00 🐤
📍 Little Plaza, Leith
An origami class introducing little fingers basic paper-folding techniques.
🗣️ Chatterbooks (8-12y) 16.00-17.00 🐔🆓
📍 Corstorphine Library
This wee book group is an excellent opportunity for children to share ideas, discover new books and make friends.
Tuesday 12th
🎈 Soft Play 10.30-16.00 🐣🐤
📍 North Merchiston Club, Polwarth
Held weekly during term time, one of our regular haunts is this cheap and cheerful community hall filled with lots of climbing and ride on toys plus two little bouncy castles to burn off serious preschooler energy. My daughter ends up a pink, sweaty mess every time! You can easily see the kids from the sidelines too which means less chasing around than typical soft play sessions. Home baking, snacks and surprisingly decent coffee available. There’s also a session at 10.30 on a Friday plus an ASN play after at 12.30 🌻
🚼 The Bonnie Sling Library 10.45-12.15 🐣🆓
📍 IKEA, Straiton
This free monthly meetup to will let you learn all about baby wearing, try on different slings and even hire them out.
Wednesday 13th
⛔ SOLD OUT Messy Tots (6-24m) 10.00
📍 Joy Tots, Ferry Road
This weekly session has a changing selection of baby safe stuff to mess about in like edible paint, rainbow rice, a pasta pit, water play and even jelly. Option to stay and play after with coffee and cake for an additional fiver.
📚 Storytime (2-6y) 10.30-11.00 🐤🆓
📍 Morningside Library
A weekly storytelling session for your pre-schooler.
📽 BABY CLUB: Juror #2 12.50 🐣
📍 The Dominion, Morningside
Bring your baby to watch an actual grown-up film with some very comfy seats should you decide instead to have a wee snooze in the dark. The babies might, of course, have some opinions on this.
Thursday 14th
⛔ SORRY, ANOTHER SELL OUT Postnatal Fitness 13.00 🐣🆓
📍 Dr Bell’s Family Centre, Leith
Take your baby along and enjoy some gentle exercise while they play. This weekly class is exclusively for those living within EH6/EH7 and you must have at least one child under 1 year of age.
🎲 Board Games Club (5y+) 15.00-16.30 🐔🆓
📍 Stockbridge Library
Bring your own board game or borrow one from the library, meet some new pals and bridge the gap between home time and tea time.
🧱 Leith Lego Group (7-11y) 16.30-18.00 🐔
📍Duncan Place Community Hub, Leith
A monthly meet up for kids who fancy building some LEGO creations while making new friends. Grown ups don’t need to stay and it’s only a pound.
✨ Gayle’s Guide will always be free! Just a reminder though, I’m not a writer and this isn’t my job. I’m a paediatric nurse on extended (and unpaid) mat leave just muddling through, trying to create something I wanted to exist but didn’t. So if you appreciate the hard work going into this newsletter every week, please consider a paid subscription if you can to keep me going.