Looking for a comprehensive, child-orientated events listing site

[TigerMoth1]

Can anyone help? I need to take my in-laws and children out over the Christmas holidays. Possibly book tickets in advance, panto, theatres, etc etc. I used to rely on Planet4kids, but the last time I looked, its events listings was very out of date boo hoo!

PS Looking for event listings in London and the South East.

Pre-christmas panic stikes!!!

There is a website called 'london4kids' which I haven't looked at for a while but I remember it did have a theatre section and a museum section, etc, which, if up to date, would be useful.

Just looked at the London4kids website. Unfortunately it's part of planet4kids ahhhhhhhh!!!

Batters, thanks for the Palladium tip - like you, I wonder what is happening at Planet4kids?

Still in a panic!

We will be going to "The Snowman" at the Peacock Theatre again this year. It is on now until the 10th Jan and last year was absolutely wonderful. It has a comprehensive web site. The Theatre is also close to Somerset House which (I hope) will have an outdoor ice rink again for the winter.

Found it! www.thisislondon.co.uk has hundreds of listings. Looks like it's superceded planet4kids as far as weekly events listing goes.

Tempted by the prospect of seeing The Snowman and visiting Somerset House Ice Rink (yes, Bells, it is open). We went skating last year during the day, but I really want to see the rink lit up in all its glory, plus parents-in-law can look after 2 year old while I get on the ice with the 7 year old... yes, a plan is forming..

Tigermoth, As a SE London person this is as far as I've got in the booking stakes (and on the cheap...)
Cinderella at the Waterfront leisure centre in Woolwich on 30 December. V cheap and cheerful, 3.50/4.50 tickets. Great for young kids who might not take to a "theatre" - its in the sports hall, the seats are free standing and in rows. Its not what I would call a classy afternoon out but the youngsters enjoy it. Sponsored by "magic stars" yes there are a few freebies....

Also I've booked seats in the gods at ENO - Xmas ballet - 4 Jan for The Nutcracker they have a few matinees up to that weekend (you can find ENO on the web)(as the Barbie video is in the Xmas stocking...). Seats in the gods 3-10 quid, though most other seats are 30 plus (gulp!!)

The Erith Playhouse does a panto as well. Nice small theatre. (Cheap tickets). Can't remember which for sure, might be Jack and Beanstalk this year. Haven't decided about this yet.
Other theatres in southeast ? There is the Churchill and the Orchard I think at Bromley or Dartford. They are a bit dearer than options above. Also Greenwich theatre has something on as well. Hope that helps.

Madmaz, so you're another SE Londoner! There's quite a few of us here, you know ... Yes, I did think about Cinderalla at the Waterfront - the tickets are a bargain price. We saw the ads when we went in for a swim recently. Might go to Greenwich Theatre to see Jack and the Beanstalk. Problem is that the interior is not very atmospheric. I like my pantos to be held in a more ornate, Victorain theatre setting if posible. Trying to decide whether it's worthwhile braving the West End for this.....Thanks for the info!

Tigermoth I know what you mean. But ornate and West End means megabucks, and braving the commuters on the way home after the matinee. Urrrrr.... Also I am not prepared to risk large sums until I am sure behaviour will be befitting such a nice venue if you know what I mean. At 5 we haven't gone there yet. Perhaps your 7 yo will be up for it, and you need the pil's to mind the 2 yo !! Is there anything ornate in the other direction in Kent eg Rochester, Chatham, Canterbury etc - I'm assuming you're on a Woolwich line train if you go to the Waterfront!

Hi Madmaz, We've decided to compromise on Greenwich Theatre. As you say, the expense and travel hassle taking young children up west can counteract the magic of the experience. We'll definintely make a trip to see the Somerset House ice rink though.

BTW, at 5 years your child is on the brink of being much easier to take out and about to shows and films. When my son passed this age a whole new world opened up for us. It's great to while away a winter's afternoon at the flicks instead of having to take them to an outdoors playground. Only problem, as you say, is the expense!

Well Tigermoth how was Greenwich Theatre? (still in 2 minds - its on for another week or two - also so is the erith playhouse..). We loved the Nutcracker BTW, think the opera glasses may have had some part of the attraction for dd. Beautiful costumes. Really lush production.
Think you being SE londoner, might be interested to know yesterday went to Twelth night workshop at the Queens house Greenwich, nice afternoon (free) for kids, they are running more of these workshop days in future so keep an eye on the maritime museum website. Also did you find drama for your son, I replied on another thread.

Hi again Madmaz. Thanks for your tip about the Queens House. I went there for a Tudor christmas reinactment a few years ago, but it wasn't very child friendly (lots of spindly old musical instruments in toddler touching distance etc). Things seem to have changed. Will check out the National Maritime Museum website.

Just out of curiosity, do you like taking your children to the National Maritime Museum? I really want to like it, since it is our nearest big museum and it looks so beautiful from the outside, but I find it rather boring. The cramped hands-on childrens bit hasn't changed in years and the more exciting features, like the crane that loads the boat, always seem to have a long quarrelsome queue of children. My 7 year old is not that impressed, but I really havn't investigated the place properly in ages, so I could be doing it a great disservice.

Anyway, the panto. Yes, it is definitely worth seeing. We enjoyed it a lot and the special effect beanstalk is something else!!!. There is no need to get an exopensive seat in the front - you can get a good view from the back. As you may know the theatre is quite intimate. For us, it was really intimate because we recognised one of our old neighbours in a lead role.

Children are invited on stage near the end of the performance, but I think they were picked out well beforehand by the usherettes. So if your daughter wants to go on stage (and get a goodie bag) perhaps you could approach the usherettes yourself in advance.

Bye for now!

Tigermoth, I must say I have only taken dd to the actual maritime museum once!! It was quite interesting but we looked at things at a rate of knots so to speak. I didn't go to the children's gallery (durr) I didn't know there was one! We basically went round the ground floor. But I will try again. As its free and on the doorstep... and then follow up with the visit to the £1 bookshop near the cinema.... (which usually ends up costing me more than the rest of the day's expenses put together) They do have things on at the NMM, something called crowsnest club - might be too babyish for 7 yo. But we never quite get there so I haven't tried it!! (like 1030 start on a Sunday is not my idea of fun) The reason I went on the website is because I wanted to find out if the NMM had now gone "free" (like some of the ones in London) and if so I would visit as its a bus ride away. I am such a cheapskate! While I was on the site I found the Queens House link and hence found about the twelfth night workshop.

www.nmm.ac.uk/events/calendar_qtr.html

I wouldn't say it was a very toddler friendly day - there was a small display of 3 or 4 instruments in a corner but if you blinked you missed them - probably more suitable about 4 upwards and certainly a lot of what was happening - the meanings and such like - was lost on my 5 yo, but we enjoyed making masks (though so would a 3 yo I guess) and a linen bag of herbs. We also liked the little music concerts (recorder quartet) - like 10/15 minutes or so at a time, but I guess a younger child would not appreciate this. There was dancing - very easy - suitable for any age - though dd only wanted to watch. So I am rather assuming that any future workshops are going to be on similar lines (ie suitable from 5 or thereabouts).

Thinking of places to go... I doub't it's still there, but when I was a child, living in Blackheath, I used to be taken for a nice run around in the park (Greenwich Park of course to anyone who's not a local), and to the "Book Boat".

The "Book Boat" was great... a small book shop, located on a small boat, moored very close to the entrance to the foot tunnel (if you know the area, you know where I mean).

Is it still there?
It wasn't last time I visited Greenwich, but it may have been a day it wasn't open.
(incidently the children with me that day loved walking under the Thames... always fun for children who have never done it)

When I was younger... I used to like going to the Thames Barrier Visitor Centre.

I also liked the National Maritime Museum... at least, I liked one of the Halls there, where they have all the large boats. I recall they had a paddle steamer there, who's paddles went round

• ok so these things impressed me as a child!

I also liked going to Oxleys Woods (if they haven't turned it into a housing estate by now).

Back to topic: www.thisislondon.com seem to have quite a good list of events.
www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/visitors/childrens.html

Madmaz, just to let you know, some museum informaton by phone or internet may not be quite up to date. The science museum recorded phone message still states there is an entry fee, even though it has now been abolished.

I've never been to the Crowsnest club either. At the moment any play activity which demends parental supervision has to meet the varying needs of my 2 year old and well as my 7 year old - not easy to find a workshop for both. When the older one turns 8, more of unparent-supervised workshops are open to him - I believe the theatre musuem in Covent Garden do lots - so I am hoping I can leave him for a few hours while having a quick browse round the shops with the toddler in a pushchair.

When you next go to the National Maritime Museum, the kids bit is worth checking out. Good for an hour or so. Not so sure if its worth regularly returning to, though.

Babynick, thanks for your walk down memory lane. FYO, the book boat is now but a memory, but Oxleas Wood is alive and kicking. The cafe serves great food, is open every day and, as a family meeting place, seems to be going from strength to strength.

Need to ask this question again, now that thisislondon.co.uk has gone kaput.

Anyone know of a good, comprehensive and up-to-date events-orientated website for London and/or for the South East?

There's so much coming up in the next few months and I don't want to have to buy listing magazines all the time.

If only someone would pay me to do one, I'd start it myself.

Thanks!

tigermoth, have a look at www.primarytimes.net. It has (admittedly not very comprehensive but better than nowt) listings of Days Out, Special Events and Theatre, day by day - South East London and Kent is one of the areas covered.

How good the listings are for each area depends on

a)how much time the person doing them has and
b)how good the local council/attraction websites are.

If you have any spare internet time you could look things up yourself - most councils have a What's On section (some better organised than others), national organisations like the National Trust, English Heritage, Forestry Commission, various museums and art galleries do too, and if you google for smaller local attractions that you don't know the web address for you'll usually find it.

(I do the P Times listings for Lancs and Cheshire and have a loooong list of useful URLs!)

Here's a good one!

www.blackheathontheweb.com/kiacti.htm#kiactiArt

I know primary times very well, janh. In fact I was just talking to one of the SE London organisers on the phone a few days ago. My son keeps forgetting to pick up his copy from school and our school never seem to have any spare copies, so she agreed to send me the May/June one and is upping the number of copies issues sent to the school. I'm sure lots of children forget to put the mag in their bookbags. It would be really good if parents could also pick up a copy from a display box somewhere in the school reception area.

Anyway, it arrived yesterday and I was just looking through it this morning before I posted my question. I did not realise primary times is on the internet, too, so many thanks for that.

I remember you mentioning ages ago that you worked for a child's listings mag. It did cross my mind that you meant Primary Times. It's an invaluable source of information for me though the listings still could be more comprehensive. The other probelm is that it only covers a very local area. I'd also love to know what was happening in Kent and around central London. Hopefully the website gives me access to all that info.

Thanks for the Blackheath link too. I will check it out.

Janh, I can only find a web page for Primary Times in the north west. Is it on the web in your area only?

tigermoth, I can't understand why that is! When I look it up I get Primary Times across the top, then What's On with a drop down box for you to choose your area, then a similar section for you to look for helpful articles.

The areas covered include Kent, London North, London South, London Southeast & Kent, London West & Middlesex.

What URL are you using? (I'd be interested to see the NW page!)

Hope the Blackheath one is useful anyway.

I noticed that the Blackheath page mentioned Greenwich so here's another one for you:

www.greenwich.gov.uk/news/index.htm

I get most of my useful URLs from links on another one!

Batters, do you mean:

www.familiesonline.co.uk/main/outabout.htm

?? Or is Families magazine another one?

families online covers London and Liverpool, apparently, it's a new one to me, Liverpool just about comes in to my patch so I'll collect that one, thanks!

Hope Primary Times is helpful for you.