News, events and schools' information for families across Bath and West Wiltshire

Wow, part 20 of our super popular ongoing collection of resources to help keep families at home fit, learning and happy.

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Join author, comedian, podcaster and history presenter Iszi Lawrence on Tuesday 12 May at 12pm on the KidsBloomsbury Facebook Page, as she teaches you all about the Suffragettes using her debut historical adventure The Unstoppable Letty Pegg and answers your questions! Suitable for ages 5-11. Send in your question here email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Find out more here

The Barn Theatre in Cirencester is running a weekly Story time with Michael Morpurgo. Tune in every weekday at 1pm as they read through some of Michael’s cherished children’s books beginning with his adaptation of the classic story of Pinocchio.

Storytime at the Barn will be available via the theatre’s Facebook here

Calling all pet-loving families! Do you have a perfect pooch or marvellous moggy? Bath Cats and Dogs Home would love to see them for its virtual pet show! There will be 10 categories to enter – eight will be judged on ‘likes’ and ‘loves’ from the public, and two of them will be judged by celebrity judges Dr James Greenwood and Mariella Frostrup! It’s £4 to enter your pet into a category, and the 10 winners will receive a rosette and be featured on the Bath Cats and Dogs Home social media, as well as being put into a draw to win a cat or dog care hamper!

Enter today here 

Due to popular demand, Downside School has added some extra dates to its virtual open days. They will now take place on 14, 15, 16 & 18 May. Book your place here

What a treat! We’ve just a Yossi Falafel Meal Box for five from Yossi Foods, and it was delicious! With plenty of food for a family of five, the box includes pitta breads, Yossi Foods condiments and fresh salad ingredients, all for £35, and it was delivered directly to our home in Bath.

Order your today here

The Play At Home Fest 2020 is free family event that takes place on 23 and 24 May, brining together stars from across comedy, toys, TV and children’s entertainment. The festival is child psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer’s innovative initiative to remind families that even while in lockdown, fun is not cancelled!

Broadcast via www.PlayAtHomeFest.com and across the Good Play Guide’s social media channels, children will be able to take part in Morph model making workshops, arts & craft activities, science experiments, music, comedy and more as part of the fun-filled weekend that guarantees smiles for all the family.

Families are able to register their interest for this free event via the Good Play Guide’s Facebook page.

Film education charity, Into Film, has a huge selection of resources and its brand new filmmaking competition ‘Nature in Your Neighbourhood’ promises to bring home learning to life. The hub’s free content includes primary and secondary activities, 50 film guides, a review writing competition, a continually updated list of films to stream from home and direct advice from both home educators and learners – https://www.intofilm.org/news-and-views/articles/home-learning

The ‘Nature in Your Neighbourhood’ competition is calling on young people to creatively engage with nature and their surroundings through either live action or animation short film. It is open to anyone aged 5-19 across the UK and the winner will be announced shortly after the closing date of Friday 19 June 2020. The winner will receive a filmmaking bundle worth £300 and two runners up will get their hands on a year’s subscription to Netflix.

For more information on how to enter as well as judging and eligibility criteria, head to the Into Film website – https://www.intofilm.org/nature-in-your-neighbourhood

The Wellbeing College recognises the benefits for families of enjoying time in the garden together. To help, its gardening guru will be sharing her expertise to give you tips and advice on gardening and food growing via an online video linked group. Starter kits with some veggie seeds may also be available.

Find out more here

Turtle Time Live takes place at the National Marine Aquarium and you find the video live here at 1:30pm (13th May):
https://www.facebook.com/NationalMarineAquarium/

Thanks to the generous folk at Shakespeare’s Globe, you can watch a production of Macbeth for free here and also access a range of learning resources, including information about the characters, themes and language of the Scottish Play.

Here’s a fun and creative way to support the excellent work carried out by Julian House to support the vulnerable men, women and children in its care. This local charity is asking children to create their Garden of Hope from toilet rolls and cardboard, coloured paper, crayons and glue. Then once it’s complete, take a picture and upload it on social media @JulianHouseUK so that they can share them with people in their hostels and refuge.

Find out more here

Join Kim McCabe, author of ‘From Daughter To Woman’ for her talk Protecting Your Girls From Everything Bad on 14 May from 7-8.30pm, as she discusses practical ways to make the journey of growing-up safer, kinder and better supported, so that everyone can enjoy the adolescent years.

In this seminar Kim will share what she has learned in her years of working with preteen and teen girls. She will give you some easy-to-implement practical suggestions and will leave you with plenty of food for thought.

Find out more here