Dear London Mums
I am not sure how you all feel but I am really exhausted and need a holiday now that we go back to our routine after the school holidays! I am totally ready to send my son to school… A quite strange Summer for me as I have had to live with two fractures from a silly beach volley tournament. One big lesson I have learnt is not to follow my 20 something inner voice imprisoned in a 40+ body! Food for thought for any mum out there.
Animated by my broken bones’ pains, I was pondering what to do with this newsletter in future. Email providers have become really expensive and as more and more of you sign (Thank you a lot by the way), my costs go up too. I am not even sure that this newsletter delivered via an email is the best way to reach you in the era of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc). Before making the ultimate decision, it would be helpful to find out from you whether you would still like to receive these emails. So I will do some data cleansing and will delete inactive accounts over the coming weeks. If you want to keep receiving these emails, I need you to PLEASE OPEN THIS EMAIL (not just read it in your preview windows) and click on any of the links provided below. Thank you for now and for helping me in my newsletter dilemma.
Meantime you will probably find my Back to School essentials feature useful for last-minute shopping. I have also put together a section here including London Mums’ favourite Autumn in London events hoping to offer you some inspiration for the months to come.
BACK TO SCHOOL
To help you survive going back to school this September here are our experts’ tips:
Back to School essentials
Important news for parents of teenagers! New meningococcal vaccination programme expected to save lives
What is the new National Curriculum?
A Tear Free First Day at Reception
MARK YOUR DIARY! Autumn in London Events
Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon Exhibition (National Portrait Gallery until 18 October 2015)
If you haven’t seen this already I highly recommend you to pay a visit to this amazing photographic exhibition celebrating one of the world’s most photographed and recognisable stars before the 18th October.
A selection of more than seventy images will define Hepburn’s iconography, including classic and rarely seen prints from leading twentieth-century photographers such as Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Terry O’Neill, Norman Parkinson and Irving Penn. Alongside these, an array of vintage magazine covers, film stills, and extraordinary archival material will complete her captivating story. www.npg.org.uk/whatson/hepburn
If you want to read a few articles and prepare yourself for this exhibition, check our series of articles dedicated to Audrey Hepburn:
Quotes about Audrey Hepburn
My Top Books about Audrey Hepburn
Why I love Audrey Hepburn
A day in Rome with Audrey Hepburn
Audrey & Hubert De Givenchy: Haute Couture Fashion is born out of a beautiful friendship
Open House London (19-20 September 2015)
This is London’s largest festival of architecture and urban design. It is your chance to discover and explore the inspiring schemes that today’s architects, engineers and landscape designers are producing to respond to these challenges. With more than 700 buildings, walks, talks and tours, here are some of the ways to get ahead and make the most of your weekend. Most buildings are FREE to visit. Plan your visits through the website www.openhouselondon.org.uk You will have to choose among the 100 of some of the most architecturally inspiring buildings that have featured in the past 20+ years of Open House. It’s a unique opportunity to see some of the best kept secrets in London. Have fun!
Silver Sunday – Celebrating older Londoners – 4 October, City Hall: The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA
Doors will open at 11.00 am. We will be officially opening the event at 12 noon and then having lunch. You will then be able to select three sessions. The workshops and performances are being finalised and you will be presented with a full programme to choose from on arrival.
Dress comfortably; there will be lots to get involved in! Equally if you would rather not participate or exercise there will be other less active workshops to be involved in. Please also remember to register to Linda Kiff. All ages are welcome. FREE EVENT BUT YOU STILL NEED TO REGISTER.
Putney Artists’ Open House (3-4 October 2015)
Putney Artists open house returns for the first two weekends of October (3 -4 October 2015).
In Putney alone, 68 artists will show their work across 36 homes and studios. Visitors can take in an impressive diversity of art in 10 categories including paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, sculpture, jewellery and ceramics. Prices range from £20 up to £10,000, with most under £350. Entry is free.
Putney Artists doors will open to the public from Saturday, 3 October 2015, representing around half of all venues expected to take part throughout the borough. All Putney venues will be open on 3 and 4 October from 11am to 6pm. Most will also open for the second weekend on 10 and 11 October, from 11am to 6pm. Download the trail map PDF from the dedicated Artists’ Open House page on the Putney Artists’ website.
Dulwich Literary Festival (16-18 October 2015)
A fantastic weekend of events to take place from Friday 16th- Sunday 18th October 2015. The festival will include creative workshops, readings, children’s activities and a host of incredible authors including Kate Mosse and Melvyn Bragg. On Saturday 17th October there will be a whole day of activities for children, with comic creative workshops and a dusk storytelling of an incredible fantasy book. From 9.30am onwards, comic creators Gary Northfield (Gary’s Garden) and Jamie Littler (Cogg and Sprokit) will be running creative workshops around The Phoenix, the magazine the Guardian call “the best kids’ comic,” teaching children how to draw their favourite cartoons. All events will take place at The Old Library, Dulwich College Dulwich Common, London SE21 7LD unless specified otherwise. Tickets are available on the website www.dulwichliteraryfestival.co.uk
Michael Rosen’s Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake and Bad Things exhibition (16 October 2015 – 10 April 2016)
at DISCOVER CHILDREN’S STORY CENTRE in Stratford – London’s best kept secret and the jewel in the crown of children’s literature. And this Autumn DISCOVER is opening an exciting brand new fully immersive and interactive giant exhibition for families, with Michael Rosen’s Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake and Bad Things on Friday 16 October 2015. This exhibition explores the fantastic stories and poems of former Children’s Laureate and bestselling writer Michael Rosen. Children and families can discover immersive environments inspired by We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake, The Book of Bad Things and Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed. Younger children will be able to participate in a Bear Hunt trail whilst older children can go on a fun fact finding mission and create poems of their own to takeaway. Michael has collaborated on the project, and the exhibition will feature hidden rooms where clues can be found that reveal the inspiration behind Michael’s writing, including his Grandparent’s sitting room and his childhood classroom. DISCOVER also has their regular areas including: a ‘Story Trail’ of interactive exhibits featuring a sparkly river and puppet theatre, and the stunning outside ‘Story Garden’ area with a pirate ship, spacecraft and café. It opens on Friday 16 October 2015 until Sunday 10 April 2016. The location is Discover Children’s Story Centre, 383-387 High Street, Stratford, London, E15 4QZ – 020 8536 5555 www.discover.org.uk
Educational fun
In collaboration with Learning Resources, over the Summer we have produced how-to videos for educational activities to do with the children during the school year. Check them out here https://www.youtube.com/user/londonmums/videos
Some are really hilarious!
Related posts can be found below:
Pretend Play ideas with Little Chef & his New Sprouts Fresh Fruit Salad
How to use real Science tools for little scientist experiments
Little Scientist experiments: Nancy B’s Black Light Illuminator & Nature’s Mysteries Journal
Little Scientist experiments: discovering nature with GeoSafari Utility vehicle
Indoor activities for kids – Construction Set to create a Flower Garden in the house
Indoor activities for kids with Design and Drill Flower power studio kit
Little Banker teaches kids how to use money with numeracy games
How to help children learn about our World while having fun
RECIPE IDEAS FOR ‘BACK-TO-SCHOOL’ MONTH
The new School Year’s should start with good healthy family meals and snacks. Here you can find a collection of recipes that would be perfect if prepared with fresh food.
Pea & Sun-dried Tomato Bread
Alfred Prasad ’s hot mixed vegetables on toasted baps
Adam Byatt ’s Butternut squash, pear and gorgonzola flatbread tart
Sicilian almond sweets to make with the kids
Crafty Pancake Tower
Scones with Maple Syrup Icing
TRAVEL WITH KIDS – HOLIDAY PLANNER
If you are thinking of heading of planning your family holidays for October half term here are London Mums suggestions:
France
Roadtrip to France
A hidden quarter of Paris
Mini Guide to Paris – Travelling to Paris with kids
Egypt
Snorkelling holiday with children in Hurghada, Red Sea (Egypt)
Italy
Firenze on a budget
Tuscany – FAMILY HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN
Sardinia beyond the Coast – The murales from Orgosolo, the walls that speak
Canary Islands
The family guide to Lanzarote
Britain
The south Oxfordshire canal at 5mph
United States
London Mums go to NEW YORK CITY (with & without kids)
COMPETITIONS
We have lots of new giveaways and ongoing competitions for everyone. Don’t forget to enter them. Everyone loves freebies.
While we are working on a smashing Winter issue, you can read and download the Summer/ Autumn 2015 issue of the FREE LONDON MUMS MAGAZINE online.
Enjoy going back-to-school!
Monica
monica@londonmums.org.uk
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The post OPEN ME PLEASE! September 2015 Newsletter including Back-to-school essentials & Autumn in London events appeared first on London Mums Magazine.