Rainy Day Play

Rainy Day Play

So we have already had the first week of the holidays and for the most part it has whizzed past, we have been to the library and signed up to the reading challenge (and lugged home huge quantities of books) been to the museum  where had had lunch with the best ice-cream ever and met up with my friend to watch some open air theatre in the park and have a play in the play area so I definitely haven't been bored so far.

Today though has been pouring with rain and as baby brother is quite ill with a bad cold and conjunctivitis we haven't left the house all day. It hasn't been too bad as it has given us a chance to play with our toys a lot more than we normally do. Lottie has had her old Happyland out and we have both played with the LEGO, our new Magformers set (more about that soon!) built a Micro Chargers track and made a really cool Hexbug run. We have also been teaching Lottie to sew and have done some drawing. Mum has said we can make a den in a bit but for now it is a case of keeping things a little quieter as Sam is trying to sleep but keeps coughing and waking himself up.

Sometimes it's really nice to have a day where we don't go out at all and just enjoy being at home but in the Summer holidays we normally like to try and get outside a lot. Hopefully we won't have too much more rain and if we do, once Sam is better, we can all put on waterproofs and wellies and go out and splash around but just in case we would love to know what other people like to do on a cold and wet day if they have lots of time to fill? Any ideas that Lottie and I can do on our own or that Mum can help us with one handed whilst looking after Sam would be great?!

Building a hexbug run 

Experimenting with Magformers

                                                   

Don't miss Hetty Feather on Tour!

Don't miss Hetty Feather on Tour!

I have been lucky enough to be offered a pair of tickets to see Hetty Feather at the theatre over the Summer and I can't wait. The show is an adaptation of the book by the famous Jacqueline Wilson. My friend is a huge Jacqueline Wilson fan and this is one of her favourites so I am really looking forward to seeing how it works in the theatre.

The show information tells us:

'ROLL UP and join Hetty on her escape from the Foundling Hospital.

TREMBLE as she faces Matron Stinking Bottomly.

THRILL as she discovers the squirrel house and Tanglefields Travelling Circus.

GASP as she endures a night locked in the attic.

QUAKE as she braves the scary streets of Victorian London and

CHEER as she overcomes all in the search to find her real mother and a true family of her own.

From best-selling author Jacqueline Wilson, the tale of plucky Hetty Feather is brought thrillingly to life on stage by award winning script writer Emma Reeves (CBBC’s The Story of Tracy Beaker) and the Olivier Award Nominated director Sally Cookson, whose many five star productions include Peter Pan, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Stick Man. With an original musical score by Benji Bower, circus skills and a huge heart, HETTY FEATHER is a terrific adventure'

We have been looking at some of the reviews and it sounds amazing- every one that we have read is really positive and I can't wait to see what the circus set is like.

I think this show will be really interesting as well as entertaining- I have been reading about the Foundling Hospital where Hetty Feather escapes from and how it was a first home for abandoned children. Jacqueline Wilson came up with the idea for the novel when she was doing charity work for the Coram Society who are attached to the Foundling Museum in London and work with children and their families.

I really can't wait to see the show and looking at the reviews would recommend it as a great family show- book soon so you don't miss out!

Confirmed  Dates

Friday 17^th July -  Sunday 19^th July: Bristol Old Vic

Tuesday 21^st July- Saturday 25^th July: Windsor Theatre Royal

Tuesday 28h July – Sunday 2^nd August: Brighton Theatre Royal

Wednesday 16th- Sunday 20th September: Exeter Nothcott Theatre

Tuesday 22^st Sept – Sunday 27^th September: Swindon Wyvern

Tuesday 29^th September-Saturday 3^rd October: Norwich Theatre Royal

Thursday 8^th – Sunday 11^th October: Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tuesday 13^th – Saturday 17^th October: Bromley Churchill

Friday 23^rd – Sunday 25^th October: Southend Cliffs Pavillion

Tuesday 27^th– Saturday 31^st October: West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

Tuesday 1^st-- Sunday 6^th November: North Finchley Arts Depot

Tuesday 8^th December – Sunday 10^th January 2016: Lowry Quays

Monday 1st  –Tuesday 16 February : Nottingham Theatre Royal

Wednesday 20 March-Sunday 3 April 2016: Cardiff New Theatre

Grand Designs!

Grand Designs

I LOVE the Redbull Soap Box Challenge and really enjoy watching it but more than anything would like to take part in it when I am older (although my Mum's response is 'absolutely not'!)

My Dad, however, really enjoys anything like that and quite likes the idea of it so whilst Mum might put her foot down and say we can't actually race our creation he has suggested we start designing our own vehicle, which is quite fun in itself. We have some time together each evening once Sam is in bed and when Mum is reading Lottie her story so we have been putting our heads together to start designing our winning machine!

We have decided that we will be best off starting with a design, then building it out of LEGO and creating a test ramp for the LEGO version to be trialed on before sourcing the parts to build the final version and then hopefully testing it out! We have done some rough drawings so far and I we will start doing some full designs over the next few days.

Have you ever designed or built a vehicle of any sort? What tips can you give us? Any warnings of what we should look out for?!

What's Inside?

What's Inside?

I am quite interested in technology and love to know how everything works so when my Mum was wondering what to do with her old laptop (old, old- not this one which she really needs to replace but the one before that- so really old!) I asked if I could take it apart to see how it works.

I know computers hold loads and loads of information and have huge memories but had never seen what their 'brain' looks like. I was able to sit down with a screwdriver and take all the casing off and then started to remove all the parts. I was really surprised at how small the pieces were that actually contain all the information and couldn't believe how little these machines actually need to operate them. It is really clever how so much technology is contained in a small piece of plastic.

My parents were telling me about how when computers were first invented they needed a whole room to store just one- I wonder how small they will be by the time I am grown up?!

 Dad has asked his work if he can take one of their very old hard drivers for me to look at and compare the difference to the laptop parts with so I am looking forward to doing that. 

I am now on the hunt to see what else I can take apart- Mum is hoping I might start learning how to mend things rather than break them so I can fix her oven that Dad broke!

Timmy Failure Review and a Giveaway

Timmy Failure Review and Giveaway

I was lucky enough to be sent two books from the Timmy Failure series to review so I have recently been enjoying Timmy Failure: Mistakes were Made and Timmy Failure: Now Look What You Have Done.

I had never read any of the Timmy Failure books before but have really liked both of them. Timmy is the founder of the 'Best Detective Agency in Town' and has great plans for World domination- if only he can defeat 'The One Who Cannot Be Named' or 'The WEDGIE' (Corrina Corrina). My favourite character is Total, Timmy's business partner. Total also happens to be a polar bear, he is very funny, he loves chicken nuggets and will do anything for a cake treat.
Timmy is in his own world, has some very mad ideas and lots of cases to solve, the books are so funny and the drawings are great.



I definitely recommend these books to children of my age and older. They are very easy to read, with short chapters, plenty of funny illustrations and good stories. I can't wait to read the next one when it comes out later this year.

Total, Timmy's Business Partner

If you would like to have the chance to own your own copy of Timmy Failure- Look What You've Done don't miss out on our competition. 

If you can't wait to read this great book you can purchase it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Timmy-Failure-Look-What-Youve/dp/1406360724/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=







a Rafflecopter giveaway