We had a super break at Topsy Turvy and the Tower of London, where we came together during the spooky season. I hope you all had a great break, too. November is a hectic and exciting time for us and we are looking forward to seeing you all at Winter Wishes, Future Makers and the Cinema Screenings.
We think Future Makers is great because we get to see talented musicians aged 14-19 from across the UK audition to be the next Future Makers champion. The chosen acts will perform original music from a wide mix of genres in front of a panel of industry experts and an energetic Key Stage 2 and 3 audience. The performers are in for the chance of winning a year of tailored music industry support as they get their careers off the ground. Hosted by Jess Gillam and Lion Heart, plus a special performance from last year’s winner Amity Miller. This high-energy show will get you and your classes cheering as they experience the thrill of live music at the Royal Albert Hall.
We also had Dwali and we hope you got to see some of the vibrant and joyful visual celebrations while you have been out and about in London. The Children's Zone during the festivities in Trafalgar Square was an exciting way for everyone to celebrate and be involved in family-friendly interactive activities.
Typical activities offered included Craft Stations where kids can engage in Diwali-themed arts and crafts, such as making rangoli patterns, decorating diyas (lamps), or creating traditional Indian jewellery or Face Painting using Traditional Indian symbols like Indian Gods, peacocks, or vibrant Diwali designs. There were storytelling sessions and narration of Diwali stories like the Ramayana or Mahabharat, which were shared in an engaging, interactive manner suited for children. There was a spiritual and educational element to the fun too in About Glimpse of Goddesses an interactive display of Hindu Goddesses visitors took the opportunity to capture a vision and explanation of the goddesses and obtain tips on how to invoke divine powers and virtues in a fun and interactive way.
They answered questions such as Are Goddesses filled with divine powers? What do they mean? And how can I create peace and happiness in my life and make others content? Visitors explored the tableaux and the stall to go through methods to invoke the Shakti (power) within themselves, by looking at their qualities and virtues, and how they can use them in everyday life.
Activities included:
The Wisdom – to understand the 8 powers within us and how to give them life and use them.
The Glimpse - to experience the divinity, vibrations and the power of meditation of the two live goddesses.
ο»ΏThe Shakti Wheel – to spin the wheel to land on one of the goddesses/shaktis and receive the gift of a shakti card with explanation on their virtues and powers.
We now look forward to fireworks night and hope you all have a safe and joyful time enjoying the local and national displays together. Bonfire Night is also known as ‘Fireworks Night’ or ‘Guy Fawkes Night’. It is a British tradition dating back to the plot of 1605, when the Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and King James I. Until now, it is customary for the cellars in the Houses of Parliament to be searched by the Yeoman before each state opening of the Parliament. The anniversary of Fawkes arrest on November 5th (sometimes known as Guy Fawkes Day) is celebrated every year with bonfires and fireworks in London.
The firework code
Watching fireworks is popular and fun. But fireworks are explosives and potentially dangerous, so they need careful handling and storage.
Only buy fireworks that are CE marked.
Don’t drink alcohol if setting off fireworks.
Keep fireworks in a closed box.
Follow the instructions on each firework.
Light them at arm’s length, using a taper.
Stand well back.
Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn’t gone off it could still explode.
Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
Always supervise children around fireworks.
Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.
Never give sparklers to a child under five.
Keep pets indoors.
Don’t set off noisy fireworks late at night and never after 11pm.
There are also other exciting and free opportunities to get involved in this November
Remember, remember the 5th(ish) of November. Check out London’s best fireworks displays for locally there are fireworks at Queens park gardens with events happening all over London free.
Day of the Dead, AKA Dia de los Muertos, returns to Camden Market on the 2nd. Expect live music from mariachi and tropical Latin bands, along with folk and Aztec dancing, and a lively parade. There will also be face painting, sugar skulls and flower making. Free.
Whitechapel Gallery is hosting a mass Play-In with Tarot for Creativity on the 2nd. Draw a card from the deck and get creative in the gallery, or join artist Amy Leung to make collaborative sculptural forms inspired by the works of Lygia Clark and Sonia Boyce. Free.
Head to V&A this month for the following. 2nd: BOOST: Family Festival (all ages). 6th: Design Baby: Play Build Play (0-3s). 9th: Drop-In Diwali: Family Day (all ages). 9th & 23rd: Make it: Fashion (5-10s). 30th: Sensory Friendly: Design and Draw with Light (SEN).Free.
Head to Canary Wharf from the 2nd-22nd for Nature Rising, a larger-than-life installation celebrating the opening of Eden Dock. Consisting of 21 figures emerging from the greenery, the trail will lead from Jubilee Park’s lush greenery to Eden Dock’s floating gardens. Free.
Happy Birthday Elmer! is at the Southbank Centre on the 3rd. Dress up in colourful outfits and enjoy drop-in craft activities, party games and a live DJ. Then, on the 15th, shake, stomp and sing in an interactive musical workshop with the Tots Tunes Family Band. Free/paid.
The Francis Crick Institute is launching its Tots Too campaign from the 6th. Pick up a kids’ trail inside the Hello Brain exhibition and discover games, playmats and a ‘make a plasticine brain’ activity before enjoying a kids’ meal deal in the cafe. Free.
British Museum is hosting two Little Feet sessions for under-5s this month. Go on an Ancient Assyrian Adventure and make your own horse on the 7th, then discover the Silk Roads exhibition for free in a special Exhibition Explorer drop-in on the 21st. Free.
Uniqlo Tate Play Make Studio: The Joy of Feeling begins on the 9th and runs on Wednesdays and weekends. Create a sensory sculpture using a range of tactile materials. Take inspiration from art in Tate’s collection or let your imagination run wild. Free.
Head to RIBA on the 9th for Family Fun Day: We Built This City and design and build fantastic structures inspired by the Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds exhibition. Or, grab your 0-3 and enjoy a morning of play at RIBA Baby: Bricks and Bubbles on the 15th. Free.
William Morris Gallery is running Family Day: The Magic of Storytelling on the 16th. Join Palestinian play specialist Elias Matar on a colourful journey across borders, countries, and time, encountering mythical creatures and fairy tale characters along the way. Free.
Don’t forget about our amazing parks and trails which are beautiful to experience as the seasons change. On the 26th of November 2024 in Richmond Park from 10am - 12 pm, you can register to learn about Macro Photography for free. Exploring hidden worlds and unseen beauty to discover the hidden worlds and unseen beauty captured by macrophotography. You will get a chance to learn tips and tricks from professional macro photographer Max Mudie, before heading out into the park with our own Help Nature Thrive team to see what images of nature we can capture using our mobile phones and macro lenses. This 1.5-2 hr session is aimed at adults so why not go along with an interested parent and collaborate on learning a new skill. It will involve an indoor ‘introduction to macro photography on mobile phones’ by Max Mudie, followed by an outdoor flora and fauna walk in the park with Help Nature Thrive.
Or how about some citizen Science? You can sign up on three days to explore fascinating fungi on an expert-led park stroll.You will Join Richmond Park’s resident fun-gal Gemma from the Help Nature Thrive team as we take a walk through the wilder habitats of our parks to identify and record fungi, to learn about their importance within a healthy and sustainable ecosystem.On this 1.5 hour beginner walk we will discuss citizen science recording, fungi identification, woodland ecology and climate resilience.This introductory session is aimed at adults with an interest in learning more about the natural world so get your parents involved.
Register Now if you are interested in joining with an adult on the following days:
6 November 2024 Richmond Park 10.30am -12.30pm
10 November 2024 The Regent's Park 1.30 - 3.30pm
19 November 2024 Richmond Park 10.30am - 12.30pm
A colony of penguins arriving in London sounds a lot more threatening than what is actually an adorable trail of beautiful sculptures getting the city in the spirit over the festive season. While we may not be able to change the fact that their collective noun has a scary aura, we can point you towards the group of penguins scattered around the Fleet Street Quarter come this November, which are bound to fit the chilly settings and add to the Christmassy splendour across the city.
It’s both adding a splash of colour and helping support Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Wild In Art, meaning it has double ticks for reasons to check it out next month. And who wouldn’t want a picture with one of these? It’s a penguin in a Christmas jumper!
Credit: Daniel Graves Photography
Arriving on November 14, a dozen of the cute and colourful sculptures will arrive in the Fleet Street Quarter, and bring with them facts about all things penguin. You can scan their QR code and unlock the tales of them and the Quarter as narrated by Olaf Falafel as you waddle between Chancery Lane, New Street Square, Fleet Street, and beyond to see the freezy art trail. Did you know penguins can swim at speeds up to 22mph (faster than most Olympic swimmers and more)? We might have just given away one of their marine bird facts, but there’s plenty more to discover across the trail.
When you scan the codes, you can also support the vital WWF conservation efforts, with donations helping to ensure that penguins can remain in their habitats safely and survive for future generations. The adorable trail will remain in place for eight weeks, and the sculptures – each made from recycled material – will have plaques detailing the inspiration of the artists who created them.
Speaking on the penguin trail, Louise Oakley, Director of Community Fundraising at WWF-UK, said, “We are excited to collaborate with the Fleet Street Quarter on this wonderful penguin sculpture trail. Unfortunately, climate change is a growing worry for Antarctic Penguins.
“This trail is a fantastic way to engage the public in conservation of this iconic species and highlights the urgent need to protect their habitat. We hope it inspires many to support our efforts to help these amazing species to thrive for generations to come.”
The free trail of 12 penguin sculptures lands at Fleet Street Quarter on November 14, 2024, and will remain in place for eight weeks.
Whether you believe it’s simply too early, or you wish they’d turned up even earlier, the Christmas lights will start lighting up London this November in preparation for the coming festivities. This is another free opportunity to go out and celebrate the seasons in our special capital. Here are some switch-on dates to pop into your diary so you don’t miss any of the festive displays coming to life.
π Oxford Street – November 5
β¨ Regent Street – November 7
π Covent Garden – November 12
β¨ Soho Kids Christmas Lights – November 12
π Old Spitalfields Market – November 13
β¨ Marylebone Village Christmas Lights – November 13