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Leicester's HUGE Easter 

ABBEY PARK, LEICESTER LE4 5AQ 

FRIDAY 12TH APRIL - MONDAY 6TH MAY 

www.billybates.co.uk 

DAYS OUT • EDUCATION • COMPETITIONS • FAMILY FUN 

SPRING 2019 

1 APR – 12 MAY

Text © D J Williams 2019 

Bookstore 

There’s plenty of food for thought in this selection as well as lots 

of laughs and a celebration of the Children’s Laureate full of 

inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. 

Goldilocks - Jeanne Willis/ Tony Ross (Anderson Hb, £11.99) 

This is a modern twist on a well know story. Goldilocks loves 

sharing her photos online. To get more followers she starts to show 

funny pictures such as her baby brother covered in jam or her 

uncle falling over. These got her lots of likes until her followers got 

bored. She had to step up her game by doing something daring so 

broke into an empty cottage, stealing and breaking things, filming 

and posting everything she did. When the three bears who owned the cottage returned 

they were furious and tried to catch her. Goldilocks escaped, but not for long. Daddy 

bear turned up at her house with a policeman who had seen her posts and had all the 

proof needed to convict her of her crimes. Even when her punishment was complete, her 

crimes were still there for everyone to see, leaving her friendless. This is a very funny 

picture book strongly sending out a really serious warning about internet safety. Told in 

rhyme which adds to the fun and helps newly developing readers, but the warning is for 

all ages and abilities. 

S 

Do Not Open 

This Book Again 

S 

Andy Lee/ 

Heath McKenzie 

(Studio Press, £6.99) 

Monster is back, still 

insisting you don’t open the book and 

definitely don’t turn the pages. If you are 

good and do as he says you will miss out 

on a lot of fun as this hilarious picture book 

is, if possible, even better than the first. 

Monster tries every trick and deception he 

can think of to stop you getting to the end - 

but what is he trying to hide? There is only 

one way to find out - ignore his advice, 

read this cleverly written and wonderfully 

illustrated picture book and run the risk of 

crying with laughter! 

Mutant S 

Zombies 

Cursed My 

School Trip! 

Matt Brown 

(Usborne, £6.99) 

Frequently 

moving school 

stops Ian making friends so he 

invents an imaginary one. This 

is one reason he isn’t looking 

forward to the school trip, but 

as it turns out this is the least 

of his worries. The house they 

are staying in is old and spooky 

and the servants rather odd and 

zombie like. His joy at making 

friends is overshadowed by his 

discomfort with his surroundings 

and the strange woman in charge. 

No one else seems to share his 

worries, but they are justified 

when he discovers she is a witch 

planning to turn the children 

into a zombie army - is there 

anything he can do to stop her? 

This is an action-packed story full 

of funny events, some gruesome 

others quite touching. Large print 

encourages readers onto medium 

length novels. 

Mirror Magic 

Zach King (Puffin, £6.99) 

Mortal Danger 

Gillian Cross 

S 

(Oxford, £6.99) 

After their previous 

experiences with the 

Demon Headmaster, 

Lizzie and Ethan are 

naturally worried about facing a new 

Head, but are pleasantly surprised 

by her and her ‘follow your passion’ 

attitude. Things really change for the 

better as she encourages pupils to 

do what they enjoy. The horrors of 

the past are behind them...or are 

they? Pupils of other schools aren’t so 

lucky — once reasonable heads are 

acting very strangely causing all kinds 

of problems, but Lizzie and Ethan are 

too busy trying to win an adventure 

trip on an island in a competition to 

notice. Hearing a voice that sounds 

frighteningly familiar leaves Lizzie 

feeling uncomfortable, but she can’t 

think why. Once on the island things 

take a sinister turn — is history 

repeating itself? This latest addition to 

the Demon Headmaster series has 

all the shocks and twists of previous 

stories. Despite expecting you-knowwho 

to turn up you will still jump 

out of your skin if he does. Exciting 

medium length novel. 

Debbie 

Star 

Read 

Zach is really enjoying himself in his latest 

story. Now he finally has his magic he 

is happy to use it even though it isn’t 

always as controlled as he would like. Whilst 

clearing out the attic to stop his mum throwing away things 

he might be able to secretly use to create magic, Zach falls 

through an old mirror into a parallel world where everything is 

reversed and everyone is similar, but not quite the same as in 

his world. He has swapped places with Jak, who doesn’t have 

any magical powers. Zach is desperate to get back to his world 

unaware that Jak loves having magic in his new world and 

has no intention of returning. Indeed he plots to get rid of the 

mirror while in the reverse world Zach runs a race against time 

to stop the mirror being destroyed. He realises he needs help 

from friends to achieve this, and that if he had accepted help 

before he wouldn’t have been in this horrible position. This is 

a highly entertaining story with exciting moments and plenty 

of expressive, colourful pictures. Some parts told in comic book 

style which will help newly developing or reluctant readers. 

S Indicates a book is part of a series 

The Closest Thing to 

Flying 

Gill Lewis (Oxford, £6.99) 

Semera and her mother were 

brought to England from Eritrea 

by a man who now completely controls them, 

saying without his protection they would be sent 

back. Feeling trapped, Semera finds a diary written 

a hundred years ago by a girl the same age as her called Hen. 

Despite their very different situations, Semera is surprised to find 

Hen’s feelings mirror her own. She feels trapped by her mother’s 

controlling nature and the restraint of women in Victorian society. 

Getting to know her aunt, Hen discovers a new world of animal 

rights and women breaking out of the confines of society — riding 

bikes and wanting the vote. Making friends with Patrick and his 

family, Semera also discovers the joy of bike riding and finds the 

courage to break away from the controlling bully, creating a much 

better future for her and her mother. This is a powerful, engaging 

story cleverly linking two girls from very different times and 

backgrounds, showing how they take control of their own lives. It 

is inspirational, I couldn’t put it down! Full length novel. 

Flights of Fancy (Walker Hb, £12.99) 

The Haven - Simon Lelic (Hodder, £7.99) 

When Ollie’s carer, Nancy, is killed 

in front of him he fears he is about 

to suffer the same fate. Rescued 

by a boy called Dodge, he is taken 

through a maze of underground 

tunnels to a place called the Haven. 

This is the headquarters of an 

organisation who fights for justice 

and a sanctuary for badly treated 

children run by children. Here Ollie discovers the 

woman who killed Nancy is Maddy Sikes. It slowly 

emerges she is behind a cunning plot to get all the 

gangs of London fighting each other which will cause 

enough chaos to hide her devious plan to destroy even 

more lives and take over the city. Ollie is reluctantly 

drawn into the fight against Maddy which is fraught 

with danger, especially as she seems to always be 

one step ahead of them. Is someone betraying them? 

This is a compelling, fast paced story full of exciting 

twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your 

seat. I was totally absorbed in the world it graphically 

creates. Full length novel for older juniors. 

Marking 20 years of the Children’s Laureate, this is a 

beautifully presented gift book full of pictures, stories and 

anecdotes with a contribution from all of the 10 Laureates, 

each hoping to fire up your imagination and inspire you to 

start a creative journey in writing or drawing. With tips from 

Michael Morpurgo on how to find your own voice, how 

to find inspiration for plots, characters and settings from 

Jacqueline Wilson; further ideas from Lauren Child and word 

games from Malorie Blackman. Julia Donaldson encourages the writing 

and performing of plays and Michael Rosen shares inspiration for writing poetry. 

Quentin Blake shares ideas on how to illustrate; Chris Riddell encourages daily 

drawing and Anthony Browne shows how to play the shape game. There are also 

20 ideas for creative projects and a short biography of all the Laureates. 

The Steam Whistle Theatre Company 

Vivian French (Walker, £6.99) 

Heavily in debt, the Pringle family theatre company take the 

brave step to leave London and try their luck in the unknown 

North of England. They hope to make enough money there to 

be able to bring Ma and the younger children to join them. At 

first they have nothing but bad luck. Their chosen ‘theatre’ isn’t 

very suitable; their costumes are spoilt; ‘Little Baby Bubbles’ 

opens a rival show and they have nowhere to stay. Luckily for them, but not 

for her, Arabella Poskett of Uncaster Hall has similar money problems and, taking 

her housemaid Edie’s suggestion, advertises for lodgers. Will they be able to help 

each other? Throw in the evil Olio Sleevery, a landlord determined to get his hands 

on Uncaster Hall at any cost and you have all the ingredients of an engrossing tale 

worthy of a Victorian melodrama. There are plenty of baddies to boo and heroes to 

cheer, but will it have a happy ending? You will have to read this atmospheric story 

with lots of humour and adventure to find out. Fair size print to encourage readers 

onto a full length novel.

Contents 

4 News 

6 WOW: Family events 

12 It’s a Spring Thing 

19 Box Office 

22 Competitions 

23 Loopy Library 

Dear Readers, 

Spring has arrived! Here at Primary Times we love this time 

of year; the days are getting longer, the weather is getting 

warmer, the flowers are starting to bloom, and the first baby 

animals are starting to be born. (Also, the kids can start 

playing outside more again which can be very helpful for busy 

parents!) In our What’s On Where pages you’ll find loads of 

amazing activities and events to keep the kids busy over the 

Easter break. Many of these are based outside to make the 

most of the warmer weather, including a whole range of Easter 

egg trails to add some festive fun to the holiday! Not to worry if 

your little one prefers the indoors, however, as there are a wide 

range of activities based inside to choose from as well. There’s 

also a huge array of family-friendly theatre shows to browse 

in our Box Office pages, we’ve got everything from Milkshake! 

Live to Pinocchio! From everyone here at Primary Times, we 

hope you have a wonderful Easter break. We’ll see you again 

for the May half-term! 

With very best wishes, 

The Primary Times Team 

SPRING 

2019 

Sales: Helen Pattinson: 

helen.pattinson@ 

primarytimes.co.uk 

Tel: 01491 411848 

Production: Kathy Wright 

kathy.wright@ 


Design: Owen Mooney 

WELCOME 

Primary Times is independently published and distributed free through national primary schools in Leicestershire & 

Rutland. It aims to inform families and children about current educational issues, forthcoming events, courses, attractions 

and to give teachers, pupils and parents the opportunity to participate in the magazine by adding to its contents or by 

joining in the competitions. It is NOT our intention to publish any racist, sexist or politically based material whatsoever. 

We also undertake not to carry any advertising which we would consider to be offensive to young families or harmful to 

the best interests of young children. Primary Times would like to thank all the schools in Birmingham & Black Country for 

their assistance in distributing the magazine and for their contributions to its contents. We would also like to thank all the 

advertisers who have supported this publication and therefore made it possible. Please support their endeavours when 

and where you can. The copyright on all written material, logos and advertising artwork produced by our studio remains 

with Primary Times or with the relevant contributor. Primary Times is currently publishing over 2 million copies per issue 

under franchise licences throughout Britain. 

Primary Times in Leicestershire & Rutland is 

published by: Schools Publishing Limited 

Unit 1A, Thamesview Industrial Estate, 

Newtown Road, Henley on Thames 

RG9 1HG Telephone: 01491 411848 

www.primarytimes.co.uk/leicestershire 

The UK’s biggest free ‘what’s on’ 

magazine for parents! Primary 

Times in Leicestershire and Rutland 

distributes 56,000 copies seven 

times a year, and is part of a 

national network distributing more 

than 2.7 million copies in 

59 regions across the UK 

and Ireland 

Saturday 

20 April 2019 

From 12noon 

Celebrate 

St. George with 

free family 

activities and 

events. 

Orton Square and 

Cultural Quater 

leicesterfestivals 

leicesterfest 

www.primarytimes.co.uk/Leicestershire | EASTER 2019 3

NEWS 

Primary Times Leicestershire & Rutland 

leicestershire & rutland 

NEWS 

Do 

you have news to celebrate? We’d love to hear! 

Email helen.pattinson@primarytimes.co.uk 


Peppa Pig's 

Muddy Walk 

Every child should get the chance 

to make their mark on the world – 

and help build a better future for 

us all. The money your little ones 

raise on their Muddy Puddle Walk 

for Save the Children will help 

children in the world’s toughest 

places survive, be protected from 

danger and get the chance to 

learn. It’s also a chance for your 

children to discover how much 

fun it can be to explore the world 

around them and to find out what 

life’s like for a child in another 

country – through Muddy Puddle 

Walk resources. Sign up now at 

MuddyPuddleWalk.org to receive 

your free Fundraising Pack 

Minimising Your 

Child’s Screen Time 

Based on available evidence, the 

UK Chief Medical Officers have 

published their first advice on 

screen and social media use in 

children and young people. 

Technology can be a wonderful 

thing but too much time sitting 

down or using mobile devices can 

get in the way of important, healthy 

activities. Here are the tips 

for balancing screen use with 

healthy living: 

• Leave phones outside the bedroom 

at bedtime to ensure good 

quality sleep, 

• Make sure your children know 

they can speak to a responsible 

adult if they feel uncomfortable 

with screen or social media use 

• Advise they put their screens 

away while crossing the road 

• Talk about sharing content and 

how photos and words are sometimes 

manipulated. When in doubt 

about sharing a photo of your child 

don’t upload 

• Everyone should take a break 

after a couple of hours sitting using 

a screen 

• Be aware and abide by their 

school’s policy on screen time 

• Use the special features to keep 

track of time you (and, with their 

permission, your children) spend 

looking at a screen 

• Screen-free meal times are a 

good idea – you can enjoy faceto-face 

conversation and give your 

full attention to children 

National Vegetarian Week 13-19 May 

National Vegetarian Week runs from 

13-19 May and is a great time to celebrate 

plant-based living. Get involved 

by trying out ‘50 veggie things’ in May. 

You can pick and mix from the 50 

brilliant family-friendly ideas. National 

Vegetarian Week is your chance to 

join millions enjoying amazing veggie 

food. Keep a look out for new recipes, 

tempting offers, and refreshed 

restaurant menus across the UK. The 

Vegetarian Society is a charity that is 

passionate about veggie food! They 

want everyone to know how varied 

and delicious vegetarian dishes are 

– and how easy it is to enjoy a veggie 

lifestyle. 

FIND OUT MORE AT 

www.nationalvegetarianweek.org 

Childcare 

Individuals, Families & Clubs 

Training & Courses 

Youth Groups 

Birthday Parties 

Schools 

LEICESTER OUTDOOR 

PURSUITS CENTRE 

www.lopc.co.uk Tel: 0116 268 1426 

4 

EASTER 2019 | www.primarytimes.co.uk/Leicestershire

Young Climate Warriors 

Greta Thunberg age 16, Swedish 

climate activist. has created an 

opportunity to more actively engage 

with children about climate change at 

a collective level. 

Have you been worrying about 

Climate Change? Have you been 

reading just too many articles in the 

press to be able to keep ignoring it - 

thinking someone else will sort it out? 

Thinking...surely that’s the government's 

job, or the role of businesses. 

Well the fact is that we all need to 

be pulling together, we are running 

out of time, we all need to do our bit, 

starting now. Our carbon emissions 

need to be cut…dramatically and 

quickly. Would you and your family 

like to help combat Climate Change? 

Young Climate Warriors has just been 

launched to harness collective action 

by children – whereby they all undertake 

the SAME challenge in the SAME 

week. Several local schools are 

already supporting this and we hope 

that more will take this opportunity of 

making a difference and learning how 

they can help the environment. 

Their first weekly challenge was 

launched on Friday - 1stMarch. Go to 

their website www.youngclimatewarriors.org 

and undertake the first 

challenge. They are designed not to 

be onerous and possibly cost saving! 

‘Either we prevent 1.5 degrees of 

warming or we don’t’. 

The Giving 

Machine 

Online shoppers in the UK spend on 

average £1,174 per year, and by joining 

TheGivingMachine you are unlocking 

a new way to fundraise online. 

Become one of our registered causes 

and you can begin raising money 

online in no time whether you are a 

charity, school or other 

non-profit community organisation. 

Simply encourage your supporters 

to join and use TheGivingMachine 

when they shop online, and we’ll 

automatically generate donations 

for your cause. If you’re joining as 

a giver, you can choose up to four 

registered causes and raise money for 

them when you shop online with one 

of our selected retailers; at no extra 

cost to you. Click, Shop, Give for Free. 

It really is as simple as that! 


Supporting an 

anxious child 

It seems that more and more 

children suffer with anxiety, and it 

can be hard for parents to tell the 

difference between behaviours that 

are part of normal development, 

and those that signal real 

underlying unhappiness. 

Children can become anxious 

because of things going on at 

home, bullying at school, or worries 

about school work and tests. If your 

child is unusually clingy, needs 

of lots of reassurance, is having 

difficulties mixing with others, is 

not sleeping well or is regularly 

complaining of headaches or 

tummy aches, here are some ways 

you can support them: 

• Be patient and talk calmly about 

what is worrying them. If they know 

you’ll listen, they’ll be more likely to 

confide in you. Help them to notice 

their anxiety triggers so they can 

ask for help when they need it. 

• Suggest they close their eyes, take 

some deep breaths and focus on a 

special place or a time when they 

felt safe and happy, imagining it in 

as much detail as possible. 

NEWS 

Primary Times 

30th Birthday Wish 

To celebrate 30 years of the 

publication, Primary Times has a 

birthday wish; for the government 

to create a new law to make it a 

legal requirement to have a working 

smoke alarm on every floor of every 

house where a child sleeps. No 

parent would knowingly risk the life 

of their child, but too many don’t 

realise the importance of smoke 

alarms. According to government 

data, a third of all fires have no 

smoke detection present or working, 

which suggests a huge number 

of the 18 million family homes in 

the UK could be unprotected and 

leaving children at unnecessary risk. 

Robert Nisbet, Chief Executive of 

Primary Times, said “having once 

woken to a serious house fire 

myself, this is a subject close to my 

heart. Primary Times wants to help 

raise the awareness of house fires 

and if we can change the law then 

it will send an important message 

about fire awareness. Like I did, 

most people assume these things 

only happen to somebody else. If 

they knew the risks they were taking, 

they would have a working detector 

on every floor. 

We urge everyone to sign our 

petition because we know it 

will help to save lives”. 

www.primarytimes.co.uk/petition 

Discover National Parks Fortnight 

6 – 21 April 2019 

The annual National Parks family festival 

champions all that is unique and 

special about our Parks – and we’ve 

got two beautiful ones right here! 

Secret coves, historic hillforts, ancient 

forests and tranquil lochs are all waiting 

to be discovered! Celebrate the 

70th anniversary of the UK’s National 

Parks; this spring discover and celebrate 

countless opportunities to get 

outside and discover the length and 

breadth of the UK’s 15 National Parks. 

Stay Play Explore 

Family Escapes 

There are many great ways to spend 

quality time with the family but one 

of the best has to be weekends away 

with fun, laughs, thrills and challenges! 

You can get all of this and more from 

a range of great value UK family short 

breaks in Leicestershire, Stratford 

and Warwickshire, and Yorkshire. You 

and your kids can enjoy farm parks, 

Here in the North Yorkshire we’ve got 

the Dales and the Moors with walks, 

workshops, children’s activities and 

special events – so come along and 

join in the fun! 

www.nationalparks.uk 

adventure parks, sightseeing tours, ice 

skating, history and heritage attractions, 

castles, zoos, outdoor pursuits centres, 

theme parks, water parks and much 

more. The unique Stay Play Explore 

breaks include three amazing experiences 

from a choice of options plus 

bed and full English breakfast at one of 

our luxury hotels (most of which have 

swimming pools) all from just £149. 

BOOK NOW AND START MAKING 

MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME. 

www.stayplayexplore.co.uk 

• Encourage them to make their 

own decisions over small things, 

to build their confidence. Give 

them opportunities to try different 

activities that they may find difficult 

at first to show them that it’s ok not 

to be perfect at everything. 

• 

Make a ‘worry box’. Your child can 

write down their worries and post 

them in the box which can keep 

hold of them, so they don’t have 

to. You can then find a time to talk 

about the worries together. Children 

may also enjoy the Lanterns game: 

www.healthforkids.co.uk/feelings/ 

lanterns/ 

• Your public health (school) nurse 

can also support both you and 

your child. Find your local team 

here: www.healthforkids.co.uk/ 

leicestershire/school-nurses/ 



WHAT’S ON WHERE 

WOW! 

what’s on where 

Advertise 

With Us! 

IF YOU WOULD 

LIKE TO 

ADVERTISE 

PLEASE CALL 

HELEN on 

01491 411848 

THE MAY ISSUE OF PRIMARY TIMES 

WILL BE IN SCHOOLS FROM 13TH MAY 

2 April 

Toddle & Explore 

Lyveden PE8 5AT 

www.nationaltrust.org.uk 

Little Acorns’; a nature themed activity 

session of crafts, stories and exploration of 

Lyveden for under 5’s. 

5 April – 10 April 

CycleSkills Club 

Beaumanor Hall LE12 8TX 

www.b-buddies.com 

4.30pm - 5.30pm Selected dates: A fun, 

recreational cycling club for riders who are 

wanting to improve their cycling ability, 

learn new skills and try a bit of off-road 

cycling in a comfortable and exciting environment. 

No racing, nothing serious, just 

fun! Expand confidence and bike handling 

skills using the tarmac, gravel, grass, woods 

and more. 

6 April 

Bizzy-Bee Crafts 

Uppingham Library LE15 9QR 

www.facebook.com/rutlandlibraries 

10am - 12pm FREE! Buzztastic bee-themed 

mini-crafts. For children aged 4+. Just drop 

in! All children must be accompanied by 

an adult. 

EnSENble 

Soft Touch Arts LE1 6TF 

www.facebook.com/SoftTouchArtsLeicester 

10am - 12pm Every Saturday Term Time: 

Suitable for SEN young people with Autism/SLD/MLD, 

this fully inclusive musical 

experience brings together many different 

styles of music from Rock to Samba, Hip 

Hop and the spoken word. Each session will 

include playing a variety of instruments. No 

experience needed, just come along and 

enjoy making music with others. 

Going Batty! 

Hicks Lodge LE65 2UP 

www.lrwt.org.uk 

7pm FREE! Enjoy an evening bat walk 

around Hicks Lodge. Use a bat detector to 

eavesdrop on them and to help identify the 

different species. Wildlife Watch groups are 

suitable for children aged 5 -12 years. Children 

aged under 8 must be accompanied 

by an adult. Please wear suitable clothing 

for being outdoors in all weathers. Booking 

essential. 

Model Railway Day 

Abbey Pumping Station LE4 5PX 

www.abbeypumpingstation.org 

11am - 4pm On our first spring railway 

running day of the year, why not come and 

take a ride on the Leicester’s only narrow 

gauge railway and afterwards enjoy a hot 

cuppa and a cake in the LMTA café, a 

perfect end to a perfect day. 

Slugs & Snails &…? 

Attenborough Arboretum LE2 3UF 


10.30am FREE! Find out more about these 

amazing creatures and create some art to 

take home! Wildlife Watch groups are for 

children aged 5 -12 years. Children aged 

under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Please wear suitable clothing for being 

outdoors in all weathers. Booking essential. 

6 April - 7 April 

Burghley Spring Fine Food Market 

Burghley House PE9 3JY 

www.burghley.co.uk 

10am - 4pm FREE! Come and meet a large 

range of local suppliers in a celebration of 

local produce with handmade cheeses, 

organic vegetables, luxury sweet treats and 

rare breed meats. The market takes place 

in The Courtyard only. Free admission and 

free parking. 


Apollo Easter 

National Space Centre LE4 5NS 

www.spacecentre.co.uk 

This Easter our egg will be Apollo shaped 

with a brand new Planetarium show! Come 

and discover what it took to get there and 

what it will take to go back. 

Easter Adventure Quest 

Bolsover Castle S44 6PR 

www.english-heritage.org.uk 

11am - 5pm Join the hunt for dragon eggs 

on a legendary quest this Easter holiday. 

Crack the clues as you and your family 

follow the trail through the gardens and 

around the Little Castle. Intrepid adventurers 

who track down the dragon egg will get 

a certificate and a sticker to prove it, and 

there’ll be a chocolate treat too! 

Easter Adventures 

Conkers DE12 6GA 

www.visitconkers.com 

Ranger Activities will be on every day and 

include: Orienteering, Bush Craft, Pond 

Dipping, Construction Derby, Story Time In 

the Story Teller’s Hut everyday plus New 

Shows over the Easter Holidays! 

Easter Eggstravaganza 

Manor Farm Park & Woodlands LE12 6LU 

www.manorfarm.info 

Join us for fun on the farm this Easter. See 

our newly hatched chicks, join in our Easter 

hunt in the woodlands, enjoy a day on the 

farm and spend time in the craft room 

making something to take home. 

6 April – 11 May 

Family Workshops 

Attenborough Arts Centre LE1 7HA 

www2.le.ac.uk/hosted/attenborougharts 

1pm - 3pm FREE! Every Saturday - drop-in 

6 



activities in the galleries. Explore themes, 

materials and ideas from the exhibition with 

our friendly learning team. No experience 

needed. 

7 April 

Pond Dipping! 

Anglian Birdwatching Centre LE15 8BT 


10am FREE! Join us to discover who is 

living in the pond this spring. Wildlife Watch 

groups are suitable for children aged 5 

-12 years. Children aged under 8 must be 

accompanied by an adult. Please wear 

suitable clothing for being outdoors in all 

weathers. Booking essential. 

Rutland Food & Drink Festival 

Various venues 

www.facebook.com/DiscoverOakham 

11am - 3pm FREE! The hugely popular Food 

Festival is back! Make sure you leave the 

house hungry, so you can fill up on lots of 

delicious goodies from around the world, 

brought to you by our very finest local suppliers. 

There’s something for all tastes at the 

range of stalls located in the Market Place, 

Mill Street and of course in Oakham Castle. 

Tools Rule! 

The Civic Centre LE3 2PP 


10am FREE! Find out how to safely use 

some real bushcraft tools and make something 

to take home! Wildlife Watch groups 

are suitable for children aged 5 -12 years. 

Children aged under 8 must be accompanied 

by an adult. Please wear suitable 

clothing for being outdoors in all weathers. 

Booking essential. 


Aylestone Junior Parkrun 

Aylestone Recreation Ground LE2 7ND 

www.parkrun.org.uk 

9am FREE! Every Sunday - 2km run. What 

is junior parkrun? It is a 2k run for juniors 

only (4-14 year olds). If you are not a junior 

please try one of our weekly Saturday 

parkrun events instead. The aim is to have 

fun. Please come along and join in whatever 

your pace! 

Melton Mowbray Junior Parkrun 

Melton Country Park LE13 1HX 








your pace! 

Rutland Water Junior Parkrun 

Rutland Water LE15 8HD 








your pace! 


Easter Craft Workshops 



12pm - 4pm Join us this springtime for our 

drop-in Easter Craft workshops and enjoy 

crafting some arty creations. Perfect for 

Easter holidays. In week 1 we’ll be making 

cute Easter Finger Puppets, and in week 2 

fun Easter Headbands. The workshops take 

place in the Sculpture Garden Classroom. 

11 April 

Family House Tour 

Belton House NG32 2LS 


11am - 12pm Discover the untold stories 

of Belton House with our interactive tour. 

It’s been specially designed for families 

with children aged 5 years and over in 

mind. There’s limited tickets available, so 

pre-booking is essential. 


Breakfast with the Easter Bunny 

Leicester Rowena Wyevale Garden 

Centre LE7 7NL 

www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk 

8.30am Hop along to your local centre this 

Easter! Tuck into a delicious meal, enjoy an 

Easter trail and chocolate treat, meet the 

Easter Bunny and receive a toy, decorate 

your own Easter chocolate. Booking 

essential. 


Fabulous Fun Fair 

Abbey Park Road LE4 5AQ 


Thrill seekers get ready... Leicester’s biggest 

fair is back! Don’t miss this awesome selection 

of attractions. With all the fairground 

favourites including Waltzer, Dodgems, 

Twister & Energizer. Plus white-knuckle hair 

raisers like Speed Buzz, Extreme and Terminator! 

There’s also a Giant Ferris Wheel 

too, so make sure you catch some amazing 

views of Abbey Park. We’ve got lots more 

rides, stalls and games for all ages to enjoy! 

13 April 

Bizzy-Bee Crafts 

Oakham Library LE15 6HW 


10am - 12pm FREE! Buzztastic bee-themed 

mini-crafts. For children aged 4+. Just drop 

in! All children must be accompanied by 

an adult. 

Great British Spring Clean 

Rutland Water LE15 8PX 

www.anglianwaterparks.co.uk 

10am - 1pm Join us for the Great British 

Spring Clean at Rutland Water! Help us 

keep Rutland Water Green and join in with 

this national event! We’ll bring the tea, cake, 

litter pickers and bags... you bring your love 

for our outdoor spaces, and some family 

and friends! 


Spring Diesel Gala 

Great Central Railway LE11 1RW 

www.gcrailway.co.uk 

We’re pleased to announce Class 14 D9537 

as a special guest visitor for the gala. Expect 

an intensive timetable with guest locos and 

our strong home fleet in action. 

Spring into Space 

Woolsthorpe Manor NG33 5PD 


Science is much more fun when investigate 

and test for yourself. Curious minds can 

take part in science experiments around the 

site; from firing a rocket and experimenting 

with marshmallows in a vacuum tube to 

taste testing space food! A space-themed 

paper trail will also be available throughout 

the Easter holidays. 

More WOW on 

next page 

Easter fun at Humberstone Heights 

Humberstone Heights golf complex is 

the ideal place to take your littles ones 

this half term! For £2.50 per child you 

can access either a round of footgolf 

or pitch and putt on the Academy 

course (Suitable for all ages, pre 

school upwards) 50 balls on the driving 

range and 18 holes on the putting 

green! There is a clubhouse with a 

Pro shop and a Café for refreshments 

after they have taken part in the activities! 

Come along and join the fun! 

SAVE £5! 

FOR BOOKING CALL NOW 

0116 299 5570 

leicester.gov.uk/activeleicester 

Cut out this advert and present it at the entrance 

kiosk to claim £5 worth of discount vouchers when 

two (or more) people pay £1 per person admission 

fee. Not valid with any other offer. Vouchers are 

Non refundable. One voucher per family (group) per 

day. The management reserve the right to refuse 

admission. Restrictions apply. Offer ends 2/5/19 




PRIMARY TIMES EXCLUSIVE 

Spring has sprung 

Spotting the different signs of spring 

with your children using the five senses 

Spring is a time when the flowers begin to blossom, the days get longer, and the birds start to sing. This is the perfect time to get 

outside with your family and spot the blooming signs of the new season, whilst exploring the five senses simultaneously. 

Sight 

As spring comes around, flowers 

bloom, leaves bud, birds build nests, 

and our gardens come to life. One 

of the most obvious signs of spring’s 

arrival is the appearance of flowers. 

Another sign to look out for is the 

appearance of earthworms, who only 

come above ground once the weather 

warms up and the soil begins to soften 

ready for new root growth. 

Smell 

Our sense of smell comes alive 

with the change in seasons. Few 

things depict that spring has fully 

arrived like the fresh smell of 

its flowers, the earthy fragrance 

after a rain shower, and the 

wonderful odour of freshly-cut 

grass. Encourage your children 

to identify the soothing scents of 

lilacs, apple blossoms and daffodils 

on a fresh woodland walk. 

Touch 

For a hands-on experience 

with the children, a spring 

scavenger hunt can be a 

great way to explore the 

change in season. Using 

our spring checklist, the 

whole family can collect or 

tick items off as they find 

them. If you prefer, you can 

also record your findings 

with photos and drawings. 

Taste 

Spring greens, fresh berries, 

sprouting broccoli and spicy 

rocket are all signals of the 

arrival of spring. With the 

change of season comes the 

perfect opportunity for you 

and your children to discover 

new seasonal recipes, pot 

an indoor herb garden on 

a sunny windowsill or visit 

a local farmers market for 

fresh produce. 

Sound 

Bird song, April showers, a 

babbling brook, and bees buzzing 

are all welcomed sounds of 

the return of spring. Set up a 

bird feeder in your garden and 

encourage the children to decipher 

between the different melodies 

of various birds. Frogs and toads 

also tend to make an appearance 

in the spring months, listen out 

for their high-pitched calls in wet 

areas like lakes and ponds. 

How many of these signs of spring can 

you spot on your next woodland walk? 

Bumblebee Bluebell 

Primrose Frogspawn 

Cherry Blossom 

8 

EASTER 2019 | www.primarytimes.co.uk/Leicestershire 

Snowdrops 

Daffodil 

Bird’s nest 

Butterfly 

Cut grass



Stripey Honey Tour 

Leicester, Leicestershire Libraries 

www.thesparkarts.co.uk 

Stripey Honey … is very yummy! is a 

touching and funny story of how tigers, 

bees and honey collectors learn to live 

and play together. Featuring new music, 

dance and puppetry, Mashi’s playful and 

colourful style takes you on an adventure 

to the Indian jungle, where tigers and honey 

bees struggle for survival. See website for 

full details. 


Easter Adventure Quest 

Kenilworth Castle CV8 1NG 


11am - 5pm Join the hunt for dragon eggs 

on a legendary quest this Easter holiday. 

Crack the clues as you and your family 

follow the trail around the castle. Intrepid 

adventurers who track down the dragon 

egg will get a certificate to prove it, and 

there’ll be a chocolate treat too! 

Holiday Heraldry 

King Richard III Visitor Centre LE1 5DB 

www.kriii.com 

Design and colour your own shields and 

pennants and dress up as a knight. Join our 

shield trail and collect stickers from around 

the exhibition to complete your battle shield 

– everyone completing a shield will receive 

a special prize. 

14 April 

NCT’s Nearly New Sale 

Loughborough Students’ Union LE11 3TT 

www.nct.org.uk/loughborough 

11.30am - 1.30pm Admission £1 per adult 

(children free), a fantastic opportunity to 

buy good quality pre-loved children’s 

clothes (0-14 years old), baby equipment, 

toys, books, games and more, all arranged 

by department for ease of shopping. This 

sale is a fundraising event organised by 

the Loughborough branch of the National 

Childbirth Trust. 

Spring Birdwatch 

Barnsdale Gardens LE15 8AH 

www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk 

12pm - 4pm Meet expert spotters and take 

a special Twitcher’s tour of the Gardens with 

Phil Rudkin. You can chat with our clever 

bird box makers and bug hotels or make a 

simple bird feeder yourself to take home. 

15 April 

Brilliant Easter Bonnets! 

Newarke Houses Museum 

& Gardens LE2 7BY 

www.visitleicester.info 

11am - 3pm Celebrate Easter by creating 

your own Easter bonnet! Join the Easter 

parade and win a prize for the best bonnet. 

Plus storytelling, Easter trail and other activities 

available. £3 for activities, refreshments 

available. 

Museum Open Day 

Rutland Railway Museum LE15 7FF 

www.rocks-by-rail.org 

Take a trip on The Rutlander train. 


Easter Holiday Fun 

Calke Abbey DE73 7JF 


Get your creative cogs working with nature-themed 

crafts and activities in Squirt’s 

Stable and the Riding School. Keep the 

holiday boredom at bay this Easter. Squirt’s 

Stable and the Riding School will be bursting 

with nature-themed activities every day 

of the school holidays. 

16 April 

The Bike Jam 

Ellesmere College LE3 2FD 

www.facebook.com/ChooseHowYou- 

Move 

11am - 3pm Easter holiday extravaganza! As 

well as being able to ride the BMX track and 

Mountain Bike trails, you can now learn how 

to play bike polo and take part in a match! 

Sustrans will be providing FREE bike safety 

checks, pedal-powered spin art and cycling 

information. Leicester Wheels For All will be 

returning with their fleet of adapted bikes, 

allowing riders of all abilities to take part 

in the fun. 

Polkadot Pottery 

The Guildhall LE1 5FQ 


11am - 3pm Polkadot Pottery returns to the 

Guildhall during the Easter Holidays to provide 

pottery painting fun for all ages! Come 

and paint gorgeous animals and Easter 

themed items to decorate your home or 

give as gifts! The pottery will then be taken 

away to be glazed and fired in the kiln, and 

returned to the Guildhall for you to collect. 


Easter Animal Fun 



Over the Easter Half term we will turn the 

Great Central Railway into an animal lover’s 

haven. Come along and hang out with 

Elvis, Tula, Petal and Tiny Tim, we are of 

course talking about some wonderful fur, 

feathered and hairy animals. Entertainment, 

colouring, small fun fair and face painting. 


Hinckley BID’s Bunny Hunt! 

Hinckley Town Centre 

www.hinckleybid.co.uk 

FREE! Follow the clues to find the Easter 

Bunnies on 10 shop windows throughout 

the town and win an Easter egg! Complete 

the Bunny Hunt and enter all the Bunny 

names correctly to receive a FREE Easter 

Egg! All correct entries will be entered in 

a prize draw for a £50 gift voucher from a 

BID town centre business of the winner’s 

choice! Entry forms online. 

17 April 

Easter Animals Fun Day! 

Belgrave Hall LE4 5PE 


11am - 4pm A fantastic day for all the family 

in the beautiful gardens of Belgrave Hall. 

Come and meet the animals in the gardens, 

there will be new born lambs, Miniature 

Shetland Ponies and for the first time 

Alpacas! Plus trails, Easter craft activities 

and face painting all day! £3.50 per child, 

drop-in event. 

Family Ceramics Workshop 

Katherine Fortnum Ceramics LE16 9QR 

www.katherinefortnumceramics.com 

10am - 12pm A perfect day for those creative 

family activities, turn up and get messy 

playing with clay! You make it, we will fire it, 

you take it home. 

ZigZag Photography Open Day! 

Zig Zag Photography LE2 3AB 

www.zigzagphotography.co.uk/blog 

11am – 4pm. We’re having another Fun 

Family Open Day! Join us for free photoshoots, 

competitions, goodie bags, Mr 

Tumble (Party Time With James), Face 

painting by Livi Lollipop - Face Painting 

Fairy, appearances from ZigZag Bear and 

more! 

18 April 



Eggs-citing Easter fun for 

all the family 

There are plenty of fun events & 

activities, indoors and out, this Easter 

and beyond. So whatever the weather, 

there is something for everyone. 

Visit leicestershire.gov.uk/whats-on to find out more. 

/DoningtonleHeath 

@DoningtonLCC 

doningtonleheath.org.uk 

01455 290429 

staurant 

/bosworthbattlefield @BosworthLCC /bosworthbattlefield 

bosworthbattlefield.org.uk 

01455 290429 

Guided Walks 

April 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 

27, 28 

11.30am and 2pm 

Join one of our experienced Guides 

for an informative 2km guided walk 

exploring the Battle of Bosworth, 

the death of King Richard III and 

the unlikely victory of Henry Tudor. 

Adult £4.50, concession £4, child 

£3, family tickets available. 

Magical Creatures Hunt 

Saturday 13 - Sunday 28 April, 

during opening hours 

Explore the Heritage Centre and 

Country Park to find our magical 

residents. Return your completed 

form to earn your reward. £2 per 

child. 

Easter Sunday menu at the 

Tithe Barn Restaurant 

Sunday 21 April, served from 

12noon-2pm 

Enjoy a 3-course meal in the 

beautiful Tithe Barn Restaurant. 

£14.85 per person. Booking 

essential – call 01455 291048 to 

reserve your table. 

10 

Costumed Guided Walk 

Wednesday 24 April, 

11.30am-1pm & 2-3.30pm 

Children and adults alike can enjoy 

the magic and mystery behind the 

history of the Battle of Bosworth 

on 22nd August 1485 on this walk 

led by a costumed Guide in full 

character. Adult £4.50, child £3, 

family tickets available. 

Knight School 

Thursday 25 April, 

11am-12.30pm 

Enrol on to our Knight School and 

become a squire. Learn how to 

sword fight gallantly, take part in 

some battle role-play and have a go 

at ‘have a go’ archery. £7.50 per 

child, booking essential. 

Spring Fayre 

Sunday 28 April, 10am-4pm 

Join us for our Spring Fayre 

showcasing a variety of craft and 

local artisan stalls. Come along and 

treat yourself! Free entry. 

Bosworth Discovery Zone 

Come and explore our new family 

area, for children aged 0-8 years 

and their families. Join in and take 

part in a range of exciting activities 

to create memorable experiences. 

Please see our website events 

pages for dates and time of opening 

www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk/ 

whats-on/ 

EASTER 2019 | www.primarytimes.co.uk/Leicestershire 

Reopening Day 

Thursday 4 April, 10.30am-4.30pm 

The 1620s House & Garden reopens its doors for the 2019 season. 

Adult £5.95, concession £5, child £3.50. Under 3s FREE. FREE parking. 

Sealed Knot 

Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 April, 

10.30am-4.30pm 

Join us for our opening weekend, 

costumed members of the Sealed 

Knot Society will bring the 1620s 

House & Garden to life, recreating 

the sights, sounds, smells and 

activities of the early Jacobean period. 

Fairy Foraging 

Monday 15 April, 

10.30am-12noon & 1.30-3pm 

Join us on a magical exploration of 

our beautiful grounds and gardens 

and discover if there are fairies afoot. 

Children must be accompanied by 

adult. £3.50 per child, adults free. 

Pre booking essential. 

The Boy Who 

Wanted To Fly 

Sunday 12 May, 2pm 

Booking 

now 

Billy is fed up. He’s stuck in a hospital 

room with drab white walls, nastytasting 

medicine and lots of busy 

grown-ups. But all that’s about to 

change… A mysterious lady leaves 

an old tattered book on Billy’s bed. 

Egg Decorating 

& Easter Crafts 

Saturday 20 April, 

10.30am-4.30pm 

Join our drop-in sessions and 

get crafty for Easter with egg 

decorating and Easter crafts. 

Normal admission charge plus £1. 

Digby Piggy Hunt 

Saturday 13 - Sunday 20 April, 

10.30am-4.30pm 

during opening hours 

Pick up a sheet from the ticket 

office, explore the House and 

gardens to find Sir Everard Pigsby 

and friends to claim a reward. 

Normal admission charge plus £2. 

/thecenturytheatre 

Little does Billy know that the book is 

his ticket to a whole world of adventure! 

Join Billy, and family performance 

specialists Rhubarb Theatre, as they 

discover the healing power of stories 

and try to prove that laughter is the 

best medicine! Magical, creative fun 

for all the family from age 5+. 

Tickets £5 or £18 for four. 

@century_theatre 

centurytheatre.co.uk 

01530 278444 

Leicestershire’s Great Outdoors! 

Now that spring is here, why not get out and about 

into the great outdoors at one of our country parks? 

www.leicscountryparks.org.uk 

/leicscountryparks 

For conservation volunteering opportunities visit 

www.leicestershire.gov.uk/conservation-volunteering

01509 890119 

www.beaumanor.co.uk 

Dumbo Afternoon Tea 

Saturday 6 April, 4pm 

Roll up! Roll up! Come and enjoy an 

afternoon tea with our welcoming 

circus folk. Take in the sights and 

sounds of the Big Top and have a 

taste of how we do things Dumbostyle. 

£21.95 per adult, £17.95 per 

child. Booking essential. 

History Tour 

Sunday 7 April, 9.30am-12noon 

Guided tour of the main rooms, 

cellars and attics of the Hall 

and some of the buildings in the 

grounds used as a vital listening 

post for Bletchley Park’s work 

in cracking the Enigma code. 

Refreshments provided. £8 per 

person. Booking essential. 

Beaumanor 

Tree Tots 

Monday 1 & 8 April, 

10-11.30am 

Wednesday 3 & 10 April, 

9.30-11am & 12.30-2pm 

A pre-school group for under 5s. 

£5 per session (block booking & 

second child discounts available). 

Pre-booking essential. 

Holiday Activities Club 

Monday 15 - Friday 26 April, 

8.30am-5pm 

Exciting outdoor activities for 

children aged 7-14 years. £35 per 

day (Childcare vouchers accepted). 

Activities schedule online. Contact 

Jonathan Heather for more details 

or email: holidayclub@leics.gov.uk 

Easter Family Fun 

Peter’s Turvy Tales 

Monday 22 April, 10am & 1pm 

Join us for an Easter outing for the 

whole family. Take part in our themed 

games, activities and a traditional 

Easter egg hunt in the beautiful 

grounds of Beaumanor Hall. The 

fabulous folk at Enter Edem will 

bring the magical home of our 

favourite rabbit to life. Early bird 

prices £5.50 per child, £4 per adult. 

Booking essential via Eventbrite. 

Easter Afternoon Tea 

Monday 22 April 2pm & 4pm 

Celebrate Easter with afternoon 

tea. Enjoy a delicious range of 

themed sweet and savoury treats. 

£21.95 per adult, £17.95 per 

child. Booking essential. 

Beaumanor 

Adventure 

Academy 

Activities for the whole family in 

the great outdoors. From families 

wanting to reconnect with nature to 

those with a real sense of adrenaline. 

Please see www.beaumanorhall. 

co.uk/youth-groups for booking 

details. Events include: 

Splash Sundays 

Sunday 7 April. 

£15 for half a day, £25 full day. 

Bushcraft 

Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 April. 

Family Murder Mystery 

Sunday 28 April, 

9.30am-12.30pm & 1.30-4.30pm. 

£3 per person 

Teddy Bears’ Picnic 

Bring your teddy and enjoy stories, crafts, milk and cookies! Pre-booking 

essential. Suitable for 0-7 years. £1 per child, at the following libraries: 

Earl Shilton Library – Tuesday 9 April, 3.45pm-4.45pm 

Ashby Library – Tuesday 9 April, 3.45pm-4.45pm 

Dancing With Dragons 

Join us for roaringly good stories and activities for children aged 4-12 

years. Pre-booking is essential. £2 per child, at the following libraries: 

Loughborough Library – Monday 15 April, 11.30am-12.30pm 

Oadby Library – Tuesday 16 April, 11am-12noon 

Broughton Astley Library – Tuesday 16 April, 2.30-3.30pm 

Blaby Library – Tuesday 16 April, 2-3pm 

Market Harborough Library – Thursday 18 April, 2-3pm 

Lutterworth Library – Thursday 18 April, 11am-12noon 

Wigston Library – Thursday 18 April, 2-3pm 

Melton Mowbray Library – Wednesday 24 April, 11am-12noon 

Glenfield Library – Thursday 25 April, 2.30-3.30pm 

Stripey Honey: Live Family Theatre 

Stripey Honey is Very Yummy! is a touching and funny story of how tigers, 

bees and honey collectors learn to live and play together. Featuring music, 

dance and puppetry. Suitable for children aged 5+ and their families. £5 

per person, family tickets £15 (2 adults & 2 children). Booking essential, 

at the following libraries: 

Wigston Library – Wednesday 17 April, 3.30-4.30pm 

Hinckley Library – Wednesday 17 April, 10.30-11.30am 

Loughborough Library – Thursday 18 April, 10.30-11.30am 

Coalville Library – Thursday 18 April, 3-4pm 

Earl Shilton Library 

Spring Thing! 

Friday 26 April, 10am-12.30pm 

Come along and make lots of spring 

themed crafts and goodies to take 

home. We’ll also have a treasure 

hunt with prizes up for grabs and 

refreshments available. Drop in event, 

everyone welcome. £1 per child. 

leicestershire.gov.uk/libraries 

/yourlibrary 

Harborough Library 

Wriggly Readers 

Thursdays in April, 10.30-11am 

Join us every Thursday for story 

and rhyme time for under 5s. Free. 

Birstall Library 

Easter Activities and Egg Hunt 

Throughout the Easter break 

0116 305 3860 

leicestershire.gov.uk/ 

meltoncarnegiemuseum 

/meltonmuseum 

Egg Dipping 

Tuesday 16 April, 10am-4.30pm 

Dip an egg to take home - £2.50 

per egg. Plus FREE craft activity, 

colouring and trail around the 

museum. Drop-in activity. 

Kings & Queens 

Tuesday 23 April, 10am-4.30pm 

Make your own castle pen pot for 

£2.50. Plus FREE craft activity, 

colouring and trail around the 

museum. Drop-in activity. 

@leicsmuseums 

0116 305 3627 

harboroughmuseum.org.uk 

/harboroughmuseum 

Open 10am-6pm Tuesday-Friday 

10am-4pm Saturday. 

H is for House: Living in a 

Ladybird Home 

To Saturday 29 June 

Step back into the home of 

Ladybird’s heyday with objects 

from the 1970s and 80s. A 

chance to look at some Ladybird 

classics and create your own 

illustrations. Free entry. 

@leicslibraries 

Chicken Snap! 

Saturday 6 - Sunday 28 April 

It’s Easter time and chicks have 

hatched all over! Can you find them 

and pair them up? FREE. 

Wednesday Wotsits 

Wednesday 17 & 24 April, 10am 

Come and make a wotsit with us! 

Will it be a badge or a keyring? Dropin 

activity. £1 per child/item made. 

Clay Creatures 

Thursday 18 April, 1.30pm 

Our most popular session is back! 

Have a go at making a creature from 

air-drying clay in this fun workshop. 

£3 per child. Suitable for ages 3 and 

over. Booking essential. 

01509 233754 

charnwood.gov.uk/charnwood_museum 

/charnwoodmuseum 

Open 10am-3pm, Tuesday-Saturday 

Tiny Tuesdays: 

Bouncing Bunnies 

Tuesday 23 April, 10am 

Can you find the bunnies that have 

appeared all around the museum? 

How many can you find? Free 

gallery game for under-fives. 

Something Found, 

Something New 

Until Sunday 28 April 

Exhibition, by West End Art, 

includes a wide range of media, and 

is inspired by the landscape and 

history of Charnwood. It includes 

responses to exhibits in Charnwood 

Museum and the County Museums 

collection. Free. 



IT’S A SPRING THING 

It’s a Spring Thing 

Holiday Heraldry! 

The Easter holidays at the King 

Richard III Visitor Centre is all about 

heraldry! You can design and colour 

your own shields and pennants and 

dress up as a knight, ready for battle 

or join our shield trail where you can 

collect stamps from around the exhibition 

to complete your battle shield 

– everyone completing a shield will 

receive a special prize. 

Over the Easter weekend (19th – 21st 

April) we will be recreating King 

Richard III’s coat of arms in LEGO. The 

coat of arms includes two huge white 

boars - come along and help us build 

it, brick by brick! 

The incredible story of England's lost 

King at www.kriii.com 

Double the Fun at 

Abbey Park this Easter! 

With Easter being later this year 

it pushes it closer to the May Day 

Bank Holiday, so the Billy Bates 

team have extended their usual 

Easter Fair in Abbey Park so that 

it will include both Bank Holidays 

(and hopefully a good deal 

of nice weather). They’ve put 

together another fantastic family 

Fun Fair that will keep everyone 

entertained during these forthcoming 

school breaks. Each year 

the organisers make changes to 

keep this event looking fresh and 

interesting with this year being no 

exception. Some of the ever popular 

attractions like the Dodgems, 

Waltzer and Twister will always 

add the traditional eliminate to 

the Fair. But then there’s the Take 

Off, Extreme and The Beast to 

keep the thrill seekers happy. But 

if its family rides you're after then 

The Flying Dumbo’s, Sea Storm 

and Puppy Power Roller Coaster 

St. George’s Festival 

Enjoy the annual family friendly festival 

with music, dance and live performances 

on the square and in venues 

across the Cultural Quarter. The FREE 

event promises a day of non-stop 

entertainment for all the family; full of 

activities to try out and fun things to 

do including the fancy dress parade 

and the popular dragon hunt. 

Saturday 20 April at 12noon - 5pm 

Orton Square, Cultural Quarter 

visitleicester.info 

are big favourite for the young 

and the young at heart. Smaller 

visitors have a great selection 

too, with two new children’s rides 

added this year and quite a few 

rides that parents can enjoy with 

their children, which is always 

good when a little one isn't quite 

sure what happens on the Tea 

Cups and they need a bit of 

reassurance. 

LOCATION: Abbey Park, Abbey 

Park Rd, Leicester LE4 5AQ 

DATE: Friday 12h April to 

Monday 6th May 2019 

TIMES: Daily 1pm - 9pm 

(Excl 29th, 30th, 1st, 2nd & 3rd. 

Open 5-9pm) 

COST: General admission is £1 

per person. Children age 3 and 

under enter for FREE. 

RIDE PRICES: From £1.50p - 

£2.50 per person. 

(RESTRICTIONS APPLY) 


Easter fun with a 

Brand New Planetarium show! 

Join the National Space Centre for a 

journey that, 50 years ago, landed humans 

on the Moon. The Apollo space 

programme is one of the greatest 

achievements of humankind. It saw 

one giant leap in not only exploration, 

but also science that has impacted on 

our lives more often than we realise. 

Thirty-two astronauts were assigned 

to fly in the Apollo manned lunar landing 

program. Twenty-four of them, flying 

on nine different missions, reached 

an orbit around the Moon and twelve 

stepped onto the lunar surface. Come 

and discover what it took to get there 

and what it will take to go back. 

Leicester Outdoor 

Pursuits Childcare 

Holiday Scheme Childcare: from 

Year 1 to Year 11 at Leicester Outdoor 

Pursuit Centre. Set in 15 acres of 

safe grounds the Centre provides 

an assortment of adventurous activities 

including Leap of Faith, Crate 

Stacking, Climbing and Abseiling 

all on our High Ropes Course. River 

Trips by Canoe, Kayak or Stand-up 

Paddle-boards make for an exciting 

adventure – though don’t forget the 

change of clothes. For the land-lovers 

try Archery or Rifle-shooting and 

Bushcraft. At £40.00 a day it is great 

value as runs from 8.30am until 6pm 

Family Fun 

with CONKERS 

Located in the Heart of The 

National Forest, with 120 acres 

of adventures for both indoor & 

outdoor play, there is enough at 

CONKERS to keep the whole family 

entertained for hours – whatever 

the weather. 

Daily entertainment includes 

introducing new shows such as: 

Flips Greatest Show, Dino Man and 

Exotic Animal Encounters. 

Ranger Activities and Story Telling 

will be taking place daily, as well as 

Paint A Pot, Hi & Lo Ropes and our 

Craft Corner! Do not forget to visit 

The Warrens for an underground 

adventure or our 4D Cinema to be 

sent on an Ants Adventure! 

providing a FULL day service with 

exciting activities to thrill all ages. 

Breakfast Club is also available 

from 8am. To book: 

www.lopc.co.uk/childcare. 

12 EASTER 2019 | www.primarytimes.co.uk/Leicestershire


Easter Egggstravaganza! 



11am - 3pm Easter merriment and hoppy 

holidays at the medieval Guildhall! Lots of 

amazing Easter crafts to try and our Easter 

trail plus face painting. Come along in fancy 

dress - Easter bonnets and bunny ears are 

welcome! £3 for activities, drop-in event. 

Minibeast Handling Session 

Oakham Library LE15 6HW 


FREE! Join Lion Learners for a special Mini 

Beast handling session when children 

will get hands on whilst learning about 

the amazing world of creepy crawlies. 

Booking essential - tickets are available 

from Oakham Library. Suitable for children 

aged 4+. All children must be accompanied 

by an adult. 


Tea with the Easter Bunny 

Leicester Rowena Wyevale Garden 

Centre LE7 7NL 

www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk 

3.30pm - 5pm Hop along to your local 

centre this Easter! Tuck into a delicious 

meal, enjoy an Easter trail and chocolate 

treat, meet the Easter Bunny and receive 

a toy, decorate your own Easter chocolate. 


19 April - 21 April 

LEGO Coat of Arms 

King Richard III Visitor Centre LE1 5DB 

kriii.com 

After recreating the most famous portrait of 

King Richard III in LEGO last year, the LEGO 

event returns over Easter Weekend. With a 

heraldic theme to the Easter Holidays, we 

will be recreating a huge version of King 

Richard’s Coat of Arms - come along and 

help us built it, brick by brick! 

19 April - 22 April 

Easter at Barnsdale 

Barnsdale Gardens LE15 8AH 

barnsdalegardens.co.uk 

9am - 5pm Egg painting 12pm - 4pm on 

Saturday. Kids’ Easter hunt every day. Come 

for a fun-filled family weekend. Everyone 

can paint an egg to help decorate our special 

Easter Tree and youngsters can have 

a cracking good time hunting for tokens to 

swap for a chocolatey Easter treat. 

Easter Egg Hunt 

Calke Abbey DE73 7JF 


Leap into spring and join the Cadbury 

Easter Egg Hunt at Calke Abbey. Where 

has bunny been hiding his secret chocolate 

stash? Follow a trail of clues around Calke 

Abbey and discover a chocolate treat 

waiting for you at the end. 




Join family and friends at Lyveden this 

Easter and help us hunt for Bunny. Explore 

our spiral mounts, woods and labyrinth as 

you search for clues and earn a chocolate 

surprise at the end of your hunt! 


Stoneywell LE67 9QE 


10am - 4pm It’s up to you and your family 

to find the stash of chocolate the Bunny 

has hidden at Stoneywell. Follow the clues 

that will lead you to your chocolate prize. 

The cottage will be open to explore, with 

volunteers on hand to give an insight into 

family life and there will be nature themed 

craft activities at the stables. 

Easter Eggstravagansa 

Belvoir Castle NG32 1PE 

www.belvoircastle.com 

With exciting activities for all the family, 

including our fun-filled Nursery Rhyme 

Treasure Hunt. Plus chocolate egg decorating, 

face painting, a visit from the farm 

animals and a chance to see our incredible 

birds of prey in flight. The Easter Bunny and 

her friends will also be popping in! 

Easter Vintage Festival 



All aboard for Great Central Railway’s Easter 

Vintage Festival! Get ready to step back in 

time to a country fayre at Quorn & Woodhouse 

station. There’s gallopers and a big 

wheel, traction engines, craft stalls, vintage 

cars, commercials and tractors. There’s also 

a real ale tent with live music on Friday and 

Saturday. 

Rutland Jigsaw Festival 

Oakham Town Council Chamber LE15 6AH 

10am - 4pm Attendees are invited to buy 

or donate direct one Jigsaw puzzle, e.g. 

from a local charity shop. The puzzle should 

assembled on a stiff piece of cardboard 

and covered with another piece of card 

(sandwiched together and taped down). If 

people just want to donate a Jigsaw direct 

to the organisers, they have a team who 

will assemble them. Also if people want to 

donate directly to the organiser, they need 

500 piece size puzzles for distribution to all 

Elderly Residents’ Complexes in Rutland. 

Children’s Jigsaws are also needed so they 

can be distributed to Primary Schools. All 

puzzles will then be sold in aid of Oakham 

in Bloom. 

20 April 

Easter Bonnet Competition 

Harborough Market LE16 9HB 

www.harboroughmarket.co.uk 

11am - 1pm Attention all 0-12 year olds, time 

to get crafty! Make a lovely Easter bonnet 

and have the chance to win yourself one 

of two shiny new bikes up to the value of 

£150 from George Halls Cycles! Registration 

is from 10.45 in the main hall. The lucky 

winners will be announced at 13.00. 

St George’s Festival 

Orton Square & Cultural Quarter LE1 


12pm - 5pm Enjoy the annual family friendly 

festival on Orton Square with music, dance 

and live performances on the square and 

in venues across the Cultural Quarter. The 

event promises a day of non-stop entertainment 

for all the family; full of activities 

to try out and fun things to do including the 

fancy dress parade and the popular dragon 

hunt event. 


Spring into Space 

Woolsthorpe Manor NG33 5PD 


Science is much more fun when investigate 

and test for yourself. Curious minds can 

take part in science experiments around the 

site; from firing a rocket and experimenting 

with marshmallows in a vacuum tube to 

taste testing space food! A space-themed 

paper trail will also be available throughout 

the Easter holidays. 





“Creativity is 

intelligence 

having fun”- Albert Einstein 

Writing is the art of making 

the impossible seem 

possible and making 

the world of your imagination come to 

life. Everyone has a story inside them 

and, although it is said, ‘Everyone has a 

book in them, but in most cases that’s 

where it should stay’, I believe that 

every story is worth listening to. 

Reading, writing and arithmetic; 

vital for every child’s educational 

development. Reading and arithmetic 

are a given in any school, but writing 

can often be seen as a poor relation 

with children not really enjoying 

putting pen to paper, seeing essay 

writing as a chore and creative writing 

as irrelevant. As adults we also see 

writing as bringing back memories of 

essays we had to write when young, 

of reports and presentations we now 

write in work. Writing is dull and 

hard work, not something to be 

enjoyed but endured. 

I would argue, along with Albert 

Einstein, that ‘Creativity is intelligence 

having fun’. Music, drama, art, creative 

writing – examples of creative activities 

which, unless we are professionals in 

those fields, we all too often consign 

to the ‘hobby’ pile. 

So many authors find their voices 

later in life when, if encouraged as 

children, they would have enjoyed 

years more finding that writing is 

a muscle which, if discovered and 

developed, leads to fitness of mind 

and the imagination. Writing provides 

an entry to other worlds, not 

just of the imagination, but 

to the ability to use your 

intelligence to the 

utmost, to stretch 

brain cells and expand your vision and 

experience of life. 

So, how to encourage your child to 

write? Reading is a must. Read to 

your child, every day if possible. A 

bedtime story is a wonderful way of 

spending valuable time with your child 

and allowing them to enter worlds of 

wonder and delight. 

Make time for reading and writing. 

A way to create fun and laughter is 

by sitting with your child and both of 

you writing a story. It doesn’t have to 

make sense! You could start with, ‘The 

elephant lumbered down the road 

blowing his trumpet’. Your child could 

follow with ‘the tangerine collided with 

the horse’. See where it goes. Take 

turns and let your imaginations run 

riot. Don’t try to limit vocabulary or be 

guided by logic. This is story-telling. 

Like the tales of the gods and heroes 

of ancient Greece, the Epic of 

Gilgamesh or the Bible, stories allow 

us to try to make sense of our world, 

to create realities. 

Ask the questions essential for any 

story – who, what, when, where, why, 

what happened next? What does this 

person look like, how high did the 

rabbit jump? Play with words – enjoy 

and relish them. 

Set a space aside, a corner where your 

child has writing materials, paper, pens. 

In the early stages grammar does not 

matter – think about expanding the 

imagination, not where the apostrophes 

should go. 

Show an interest. Listen to your 

children’s stories and be entranced 

by their creativity and originality. 

Encouragement is underestimated. 

Celebrate with them! Display your 

children’s work. Drawings are often 

magnetised to the fridge. What about 

the stories? 

Your child may show great creativity 

but find it difficult to write. So, take 

dictation. Write down your children’s 

stories. It worked for Barbara Cartland. 

Creative writing is no longer available 

as an A Level and summer 2018 was 

the last time students were able to sit 

this examination. STEM subjects are 

essential and learning languages a 

skill for life – both areas opening up 

career opportunities with which A Level 

Creative Writing couldn’t compete. 

I would say that the ability to create 

worlds out of your imagination, to mix 

the fizzing bubbles of your mind with 

the crafting of language and enjoying 

the resulting literature is a glorious 

thing. Every child should have the 

opportunity and the right to plunge 

into this world. 

Writing will not only expand your 

child’s vocabulary but lead them 

to develop the skills to critique, to 

analyse – to think! Childhood is a time 

for discovery and exploration and your 

child can only benefit from the delights 

that are there to be grasped in the 

wondrous world of their imagination. 

Every child has the capacity to become 

a visionary of the impossible and a 

glutton for the possible. Let your 

child find their voice, it will lead to 

confidence and intellectual curiosity – 

to a world of pride and prejudice, war 

and peace, sense and sensibility and 

love – in a cold climate. 

Article written by 

Mrs Sarah Raffray, MA NPQH 

Headteacher, St Augustine’s Priory 

14 


Bright Futures with Kumon 

At Kumon, we aim to help children 

of any age and any ability to achieve 

beyond expectations and this point 

during the school year is the ideal time 

to start. With 60 years of experience 

and over 4 million students worldwide, 

the Kumon Maths and English Programmes 

enable students to develop 

into confident, independent learners. 

Our individualised maths and English 

programmes allow students to start 

at their own, individually set, starting 

point and to progress to an advanced 

level, at their own pace. The Kumon 

Method of Learning ensures students 

maximise their ability and realise their 

unlimited potential, whilst also preparing 

them for personal and professional 

success later in life. We place great 

importance on self-learning, encouraging 

students to discover how to 

solve problems for themselves. As our 

students begin to take ownership of 

their learning and become independent 

learners, they develop invaluable 

confidence and self-motivation. 

With guidance and support from 

the Instructor, Kumon students build 

fluency and ability, as well as a love 

of learning. This can increase their 

enjoyment across a wide range of 

subjects at school. The school break 

is a great time to find out what your 

child can achieve through the Kumon 

Programmes, so book a consultation 

with your local study centre. 



21 April 

Afternoon Tea & Easter Egg Hunt 

Brooksby Hall LE14 2LJ 

www.meltontheatre.co.uk 

12-3pm Join us on Easter Sunday for a 

magical afternoon with Alice and The Mad 

Hatter. Take afternoon tea in the 16th century 

Old Hall, be entertained by live musicians 

and your favourite characters from Alice in 

Wonderland, then join Alice in the grounds 

for the Easter Egg hunt. 

Easter Sunday Funday 

East Carlton Country Park LE16 8YF 

www.corby.gov.uk/eastcarlton 

11am - 2pm Easter Egg Hunt, (find the golden 

egg). Best decorated Egg Competition 

(a table to be set up for you to purchase 

and decorate an egg or bring your own). 

Easter Bonnet Parade (Best designed hat 

competition judging at 2pm). 

Easter Treasure Hunt 



11am - 5pm Follow the treasure hunt 

around the Gardens of Surprise and solve 

the riddle to claim your full size chocolate 

egg from the Easter Bunny. Parents are also 

asked to test their Easter knowledge to try 

and win an afternoon tea in The Orangery 

Restaurant. All entries will go in to the prize 

draw for a giant chocolate Easter Bunny. 

The Bosworth Bunny! 

Bosworth Water Park CV13 6PD 

www.bosworthwatertrust.co.uk 

10am - 1pm Join us for our annual kids 

Easter Egg Hunt with the famous Bosworth 

Bunny! All children are welcome to attend. 

The hunt starts at 12:30 outside the office. 

With a face painter in the cafe from 

10:30am. This is no fee to enter the hunt and 

all children are welcome to attend. 

22 April 

Easter Monday Fun-Day 

The Pumping Station LE7 7GB 

www.facebook.com/pg/thepumpingstation.co.uk 

12pm - 5pm Free entry - Come and join 

in the fun with us here at The Pumping 

Station, bouncy castle, Gourmet burgers, 

hidden eggs, live music and more! 

23 April 

Railway Running Day & Children’s 

Activities 



11am - 4pm Easter school break railway 

running day, come and take a ride on the 

Leicester’s only narrow gauge railway and 

afterwards enjoy a hot cuppa and a cake in 

the LMTA café, a perfect end to a perfect 

day. 


Easter Animal Fun 



Over the Easter Half term we will turn the 

Great Central Railway into an animal lover’s 

haven. Come along and hang out with 

Elvis, Tula, Petal and Tiny Tim, we are of 

course talking about some wonderful fur, 

feathered and hairy animals. Entertainment, 

colouring, small fun fair and face painting. 

27 April 

Leicester Kannada Ugadi 

Athena Leicester LE1 1SA 

www.facebook.com/ 

LeicesterKanadaUgadi 

10am Leicester Kannada Ugadi celebrates 

culture, food and music. Highlights: Freshly 

cooked Karnataka cuisine served in traditional 

way on banana leaf. Performances by 

local artists and from all over UK. Evening of 

musical extravaganza by one and only Vijay 

Prakash and team from India 

Let’s Ride Pop-Up Leicester 

Cycle Circuit 

Leicester Cycle Circuit LE3 6DN 

www.facebook.com/ 

ChooseHowYouMove 

1pm - 4pm Our pop-up events are ideal for 

the whole family to enjoy cycling together 

– Leicester Cycle Circuit provides a safe 

and friendly space for cyclists of all abilities 

to ride at a pace they want, as many times 

as they want. There’s plenty going on for 

everyone to enjoy. 

30 April 

Classic Car Meet 



6pm - 9pm The classic car shows are back! 

Come and join us for this fun family event! 

On the last Tuesday of the month between 

April and September you will find over 150 

classic, American and custom vehicles. 

3 May – 6 May 

Ashby Arts Festival 

various venues 

www.ashbyartsfestival.co.uk 

Many locations around the town host exhibitions, 

musical performances, workshops 

and talks. We have events aimed at all ages 

and all abilities so we are sure you will find 

something in our programme to interest 

you. Come along and get involved! 

4 May 

What’s Growing? 

Hicks Lodge LE65 2UP 


10am FREE! Take part in a wildlife survey 

using quadrants and field guides. What 

can you find living at Hicks Lodge? Wildlife 

Watch groups are suitable for children 

aged 5 -12 years. Children aged under 8 

must be accompanied by an adult. Please 

wear suitable clothing for being outdoors in 

all weathers. Booking essential. 


Artisan Cheese Fair 

Melton Cattle Market LE13 1JY 

www.goleicestershire.com 

The UK’s larges cheese fair with around 

70 artisan cheesemakers from Britain and 

Ireland and almost 300 cheeses to try and 

buy. Programme of talks, demonstrations, 

tastings and entertainment. 

4 May - 6 May 

Medieval Myths & Legends 

Bolsover Castle S44 6PR 


11am - 5pm A legendary experience awaits 

you and your family this early May bank holiday 

at Bolsover Castle. Watch the medieval 

knights in live combat, enrol in the training 

by our very own knight Sir Cuss and see 

exciting displays of Medieval falconry. 

4 May - 28 September 

Multi Activity Kids Clubs 



10am - 12.30pm Our fantastic kids clubs 

runs every Saturday morning, it’s time the 

kids got out of the house and on the water! 

The multi activity clubs are open to all 

children from 8 to 16 years of age no matter 

their experience. 




Peppa Pig & George 



These cheeky little piggies are returning 

and will be making personal appearances at 

Loughborough. There’s lots of fun for all the 

family with steam train trips, fun fair rides 

and why not get your face painted. There 

will be photo opportunities, so don’t forget 

to bring your camera! 

Pirate Party 

Manor Farm Park & Woodlands LE12 6LU 


Dare you walk the plank, climb the rigging 

and dig for treasure in pirate wood? Along 

with a full day of animal adventures, join our 

treasure hunt around the farm, 

dress as a pirate and make a 

crafty cutlass to take home. 

5 May 

Bluebell Walk & Cycle Ride 

Rutland Water Nature Reserve LE15 8BT 

www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk 

There is a short walk to the bluebells and 

back (2 miles) or a longer walk along the 

lake shore and back (3 miles), or for those 

who want to go even further, a walk to the 

sunken church and back (6 miles ). It is a relaxed 

atmosphere and any one taking part 

can stop and turn around at any time. For 

the more energetic, there is a cycle route 

all the way around Rutland Water (17 miles) 

with an optional visit to the Hambleton 

peninsula on the way as well (25 miles). At 

all times we will be enjoying the beautiful 

lakeside setting whilst making a difference 

to everyone affected by Crohn’s and Colitis. 

So sign up, spread the word and, most of 

all, have fun! 

Emergency Services Day 



12pm - 5pm Come and meet the people 

who we rely on to help us in an emergency 

and see their vehicles from the past and 

present, have a go with the stirrup pump 

and have a photograph taken with a fire 

hose. Picnic tables and the museum lawns 

are available so that you can bring your own 

picnic for a great day out. 

Know your Trees! 

The Civic Centre LE3 2PP 


10am FREE! Discover which trees grow 

around Braunstone and learn to identify 

them. Make some art out of wood to take 

home! Wildlife Watch groups are suitable 

for children aged 5 -12 years. Children aged 

under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Please wear suitable clothing for being 

outdoors in all weathers. Booking essential. 

Sunrise City 5K - Leicester 

Victoria Park LE1 7RY 

www.sunrisecity.co.uk 

5.30am! A fabulous way to see your city in 

the morning light. There is no better way to 

start the day. This event is non competitive 

and suitable for everyone. All participants 

will receive a Technical T-shirt to keep and 

a Sunrise City 5K Medal. Join the Sunrise 

City family by sending us your photos to 

display on our family photo page as well 

as having a permanent reminder of your 

achievements. 

VW Rally 

Stanford Hall LE17 6DH 

www.stanfordhall.co.uk 

10am - 5pm The show itself is all about 

classic Volkswagens, and includes a twenty 

class Concours d’Elegance, around 150 

VW-oriented Trade Stands, displays by a 

huge variety of regional and marque-based 

VW Clubs, a dramatic convoy arrival, plus 

stalls and entertainment for all the family. 

5 May - 6 May 

Medieval Kenilworth 

Kenilworth Castle CV8 1NG 


11am - 5pm See Kenilworth’s medieval 

history bought to life as we step back 

in time to 1216 – and discover the battle 

between King John and his rebellious 

barons over the Magna Carta. Watch as rival 

knights clash in battle, gasp as the castle is 

besieged and find out how the rivalry was 

finally settled. 

6 May 

Bank Holiday Fun-Day 

The Pumping Station LE7 7GB 

www.facebook.com/pg/ 

thepumpingstation.co.uk 

12pm - 5pm Free entry - BBQ,live music, 

bouncy castle, stalls and more! 

Birds of Prey 

King Richard III Visitor 

Centre LE1 5DB 

www.kriii.com 

Meet our beautiful Birds of Prey and find 

out about their role in medieval life. 

Braunston May Fayre 

Braunstone LE3 

www.braunstonvillagehall.co.uk 

10am - 4pm As has become traditional, 

our usually peaceful and picturesque 

village will be transformed into a lively whirl 

of activity with a thriving street market, 

children’s fairground rides, family games, a 

craft market in the church, classic cars on 

the village green, games and bouncy castle 

outside the Village Hall. 

May Day Celebrations 



12pm - 4pm A folky Fun day for all the family 

with Maypole, Morris dancing, crafts and 

trails. Celebrate Mayday with an evening 

of energetic music and traditional English 

dancing! Great fun for all the family, and a 

unique opportunity to dosey-doe the night 

away in the beautiful Great Hall. All ages 

and experience welcome. 

Museum Open Day 

Rutland Railway Museum LE15 7FF 

www.rocks-by-rail.org 

Take a trip on The Rutlander train. 

7 May 

Toddle & Explore 



Little Acorns’; a nature themed activity 

session of crafts, stories and exploration of 

Lyveden for under 5’s. 

9 May 

Woodland Stay & Play 

Manor Farm Park & 

Woodlands LE12 6LU 


10.30am - 12pm An ideal woodland experience 

to help pre-schoolers develop a love 

for the natural world. Let your imaginations 

run wild as you experience lots of investigative, 

child-led play and crafts. Children will 

have endless fun, making a mess with mud 

16 



and water, being creative using natural materials, 

balancing on logs, climbing across 

ropes and joining in with woodland games. 

12 May 

Minibeast Mayhem! 

Anglian Birdwatching 

Centre LE15 8BT 


10am FREE! We are off on a minibeast 

safari! Join us to use natural materials in 

making homes for these small, but vital, 

creatures. Wildlife Watch groups are 

suitable for children aged 5 -12 years. 

Children aged under 8 must be accompanied 

by an adult. Please wear suitable 

clothing for being outdoors in all weathers. 


Rosie May Teddy Bear Picnic 

Belvoir Castle NG32 1PE 

www.belvoircastle.com 

Raising money for the Rosie May Foundation, 

enjoy picnics and entertainment 

throughout the afternoon. 

Tickets are for gardens and woodland all 

day and must be purchased in advance. 

Tickets are £12 and under 16’s are free. 

Organising 

an event? 

Why not get it listed in the 

UK’s biggest magazine for 

families. Contact us today 

via our web site to get 

your event listed. 

www.primarytimes. 

co.uk/Leicestershire 

Personalised learning for 

your insecure child 

Learn better with Kip McGrath 

When your child is finding learning at 

school tough, it can be just as difficult 

for mum and dad at home. You want 

to do all that you can to help your 

child do better and to feel better but 

you may not know the best way to 

help. Structured, personalised teaching 

from our caring, qualified teachers 

at Kip McGrath can really make a difference. 

We can bring back the smiles 

as we demystify Maths and overcome 

anxieties over reading, writing, spelling 

and comprehension. We really can 

help your child grow in confidence 

and achieve success in school. Week 

after week, skills build and as progress 

is made, self-assurance leads to 

more independent learning, which is 

so important for school. 

This Easter you may be concerned 

about the SATs tests in May. Your Year 

6 child may already be supported at 

Kip McGrath, in which case you can 

be reassured that you are helping in 

the best possible way. If your child is 

in Year 5 or below, now is a good time 

to think ahead and get prepared by 

booking your Free Assessment. 

Kip McGrath could be just what you 

need for your child. Your local Centres 

are Hinckley, Leicester South (Oadby) 

and Loughborough. Please see our 

advert for contact details and book 

your Free Assessment. Happy Easter 


Tracks & Signs 

Bradgate Park LE6 0HE 

www.bradgatepark.org 

10am - 12pm Ever fancied being able to 

recognise wildlife foot prints and track 

them? Are you wild about scat? 

Would you like to take a look into 

the secret world of insects or sneak 

a peak at where birds feed and nest? Discover 

the hidden wildlife of the Park 

and learn how to identify trails and signs 

they leave behind. Booking essential. 




Encourage them to explore 

their love of music with... 

Rak-Su 

Primary Times interviews Rak-Su to discuss 

their rise to fame and pursuing your dreams 

Made up of Ashley Fongho, 

Jamaal Shurland, 

Mustafa Rahimtulla 

and Myles Stephenson, Rak-Su are the 

beloved UK boy band who rose to fame 

when they won the fourteenth series 

of The X Factor in 2017. Primary Times 

has teamed up with them to explore 

how children can be encouraged to 

embrace their love of music. 

Despite their natural talent, the boys 

never envisaged their lives changing as 

much as they have. “We went onto the 

show to give ourselves a shot at being 

musicians full time, we hoped that the 

exposure would get us some more 

fans and in turn get us some more 

live gigs, but never imagined it 

would take us this far!” 

“It’s been an amazing journey and 

we’ve got what we wanted, the chance 

to wake up in the morning and focus on 

music as not only a passion but a job 

as well. We’ve travelled to places we 

never dreamt of, including 

playing shows in front of 20-30 

thousand people daily and all 

with our best mates!” 

Their career, however, has not come 

without setbacks. “Rejections are 

always going to happen”, they explain, 

“but a lot of it is just based on opinion.” 

When asked if they have any tips 

on how to deal with rejection, they 

advised to never let it reshape your 

self-image. 

“Learn from the mistakes and be 

honest with yourself on what you can 

improve on. You believed in yourself for 

a reason, a few rejections or opinions 

should never be powerful enough to 

break that. We had loads of rejections 

and found our stage on X-Factor, we 

never thought a group with this much 

rapping and dancing would win a 

programme like that. It just shows you 

anything is possible!” 

Taking their inspiration as children from 

the likes of Usher and Craig David, 

Rak-Su believe that musical 

aspirations should be encouraged 

from a young age. “Music is a medium 

of emotional release and expression. 

I think it’s vital that everyone has that 

through an art form, regardless of what 

it is. Sometimes music can also say 

things in such a way that you 

can’t vocalise yourself.” 

For the parents of our young, aspiring 

musicians, Rak-Su believe it’s 

important to ensure children believe in 

themselves and understand that hard 

work pays off, no matter what you’re 

aspiring to do. “Be patient and give it 

time but know eventually more and 

more people will appreciate you”. 

When asked what one piece of advice 

they would give to young, aspiring 

musicians, the boys kept it simple. 

“Just do it! That idea you had, pursue 

it, even if it doesn’t come off you’ll 

never know unless you try, you’ve 

got nothing to lose” 

18 



0231512 

TICKET 

Office 

Your family theatre guide... 

Box0231513 

TICKET 

BOX OFFICE 

Attenborough Arts Centre 

LE1 7HA 

www2.le.ac.uk/hosted/attenborougharts 

14 April 

The Boy & the Mermaid 

Join three abundantly be-bearded 

storytellers as they weave a fishy tale 

of musical merfolk, menacing monsters 

and spectacularly bad town planning. 

With live music, puppetry, a rapping octopus 

fun for all the family. and a shifting 

set full of surprises – this enchanting 

show is fun for all the family. 

28 April 

GROW 

Spring has well and truly sprung in our 

curious, mellow and playful adventure. 

With no spoken words, GROW is suitable 

for hearing impaired, those whose 

first language is not English, and older 

children with learning disabilities. When 

the show ends, we join the cast for an 

improvised free play session. 

Century Theatre 

LE67 3LN 

www.centurytheatre.co.uk 

5 April 

Leviathan 

Featuring a cast of 7, Wilton’s trademark 

blend of athletic dance, martial arts, 

capoeira and partner-work, will have you 

on the edge of your seat and gasping 

for air, under the sheer ferocity of movement; 

all accompanied by a powerful 

electro-rock soundtrack by Lunatic Soul. 

Curve 

LE1 1SB 

www.curveonline.co.uk 

13 April 

3 Little Pig Tails 

A funny, warm-hearted and interactive 

rustic tale to make you squeal 

with laughter, bristling with puppets, 

live music and lots of joining in. Garlic 

Theatre entertain the whole family with 

beautifully crafted puppets, music and a 

garlicky French twist to the tale. 


We’re Going on a Bear Hunt 

Join our intrepid family of adventurers 

and their musical dog on a quest 

to find a bear; as they wade through 

the gigantic swishy swashy grass, the 

splishy splashy river and the thick oozy, 

squelchy mud! Expect catchy songs, 

interactive scenes, plenty of adventure 

and a few surprises along the way. 

De Montfort Hall 

LE1 7RU 

www.demontforthall.co.uk 


Horrible Histories: 

Terrible Tudors 

We all want to meet people from 

history. The trouble is everyone is 

dead! So it’s time to prepare yourselves 

for two amazing shows with Horrible 

Histories live on stage! Using actors and 

ground-breaking 3D special effects, 

these two astounding shows are guaranteed 

to thrill you and your children. 

12 April 

The Boy Who Wanted To Fly 

Billy is fed-up, and perhaps just a tiny 

bit scared. He’s stuck in a hospital room 

with drab white walls, nasty tasting 

medicine and lots of busy grown-ups 

with not enough patience for this little 

patient. It’s miserable. But all that’s about 

to change. This is magical, creative fun 

for all the family from age 5+, and just 

what the doctor ordered! 

Concordia Theatre 

LE10 1RE 

www.concordiatheatre.co.uk 


My Fair Lady 

The story of Eliza and her journey from 

the gutter to new upper-class social 

circles thus proving she’s naturally the 

fairest lady of them all, with some of the 

best loved songs in musical theatre. 

www.primarytimes.co.uk/Leicestershire | EASTER 2019 19


BOX OFFICE 

Derby Theatre 

DE1 2NF 

www.derbytheatre.co.uk 

ing saucer bubbles, the Amazing Bubble 

Man conjures shrieks of laughter and 

gasps of amazement from all ages. 

all-dancing, laugh-a-minute ride through 

the fun and frolics of panto land 

of course!) this fantastically fresh and 

funny production will delight the whole 

family. You’ll laugh your PANTS off! 


The Jungle Book 

The perfect family adventure comes 

to Derby Theatre this Easter in a spectacular 

new production. Award-winning 

writer Neil Duffield’s new adaptation of 

The Jungle Book is inspired by Rudyard 

Kipling’s magical stories, and is brought 

to life with brand new songs. 

25 April 

intotheclouds 

Playful, sensory and highly visual 

experience for very young children and 

babies (aged 6-18 months) developed 

in partnership with the NHS’s Small 

Steps Big Changes and over 50 babies 

and their families across Nottingham. 

intotheclouds is an incredible first-time 

theatre experience. 

Flag Fen 

PE1 1EF 

www.vivacity.org 

7 April 

The Amazing Bubble Man 

Breathtaking dynamics of bubbles, 

combining comedy and artistry with audience 

participation and enough spellbinding 

bubble tricks to keep everyone 

mesmerised. From square bubbles to 

rocket bubbles, tornado bubbles to fly- 


There Was An Old 

Lady Who Swallowed a Fly 

This magical show has been written especially 

for grown ups to enjoy with their 

children, so come and relive the delights 

of this most mesmerising of tales complete 

with the traditional feast of sing 

along songs, colourful animal characters 

and heart warming family fun. 

17 April 

The Sooty Show 

Direct from their hit ITV series, Sooty, 

Sweep and Soo and TV’s Richard Cadell 

will amaze you with impossible tricks 

and sidesplitting jokes! Be astounded at 

Sooty’s flying car, Soo’s singing unicorn 

and Sweep’s levitating sausage! 

Haymarket Theatre 

LE1 3AF 

www.haytheatre.com 

15 April 

Beauty & the Beast 

Starring Atomic Kitten’s Kerry Katona, 

Heartbeat’s Tricia Penrose, national 

treasure Basil Brush, X Factor finalist 

and CBBC presenter Lauren Platt plus 

Easter panto tour favourites comic Ryan 

Greaves and dame Phylip Harries. Prepare 

yourselves for another all-singing, 

16 April 

The Wizard of Oz 

Join Dorothy and her cute dog Toto as 

they enter the wonderful land of Oz. 

With a superb cast, live band, brilliant 

scenery and costumes, you can’t miss 

this spectacular, fun family show. Everyone 

will have the chance to meet the 

cast after the show. 

17 April- 18 April 

Aliens Love Underpants 

This zany and hilarious tale based on the 

best- selling children’s book is wonderfully 

brought to life on stage for the very 

first time. With stunning effects, madcap 

action, original music (and lots of aliens 

Loughborough Town Hall 

LE11 3EB 

www.loughboroughtownhall.co.uk 

16 April 

Milkshake Monkey 

Be part of this fantastic production as 

you learn the amazing songs and dances 

with your favourite Milkshake friends, 

and watch as the music, the lights, the 

costumes and stage come together. 

With great Milkshake friends, anything 

is possible. 

25 April 

Pinocchio! 

Packed with comedy, audience interaction, 

and a completely original score 

guaranteed to have you singing along 

from start to finish, this high energy 

musical promises to be the perfect treat 

for the whole family. You’ll have a whale 

of a time, no strings attached! 

14 May – 18 May 

Seussical the Musical 

The fantastical world of Dr. Seuss bursts 

onto the stage in this larger-than-life 

musical extravaganza brimming with fun 

and excitement for “thinkers” of all ages. 

“Oh, the things you can think”! when Dr. 

Seuss’s best-loved characters come to 

life in this unforgettable musical! 

20 



WIN A FAMILY PHOTO-SHOOT 

AT ZIGZAG PHOTOGRAPHY WITH 

£350 PORTRAIT 

BOX OFFICE 

For your chance to win, answer this question: 

Which is the correct spelling? 

A) FOTOGRAPHY B) PHOTOGRAPHY C) PHOTOGRAPHEE 

Family Fun Open day at ZigZag 

Photography 17th April 11am-4pm 

Zig Zag are opening their doors for 

a day of fun raising money for 20-20 

Voice Cancer. Come dressed up for 

your free mini photo shoot with print. 

They’ve also got face painting, 

competitions, free goodie bags and 

more! Mr Tumble and ZigZag Bear will 

be making an appearance and there 

will be a free Diddi dance class too! 

FOR FULL SCHEDULE 

OF ACTIVITIES VISIT 

www.zigzagphotography.co.uk/ 

blog2/openday2019 

Closing Date: 1st July 2019 

If had a photo-shoot with us before, 

12 months must have elapsed before your next photo-shoot 

Not valid with any other offer. Non-transferable. 

For your chance to win go to 


Nottingham Lakeside Arts 

NG7 2RD 

www.lakesidearts.org.uk 

14 April 

The Gingerbread Man 

Imagine being born in an oven and the 

first person you meet wants to dunk you 

in his tea! The bravest biscuit of all times, 

in a brilliant mix of puppetry, live action, 

great music, humour and a stunning 

staging of this well-loved classic tale. 

Peepul Enterprise 

LE4 6DP 

www.peepulenterprise.com 

19 April – 22 April 

Alice in Wonderland 

Watch Alice follow the White Rabbit and 

cheer as she joins the Mad Hatter for the 

tea party, not forgetting the Cheshire cat, 

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum as they 

thwart the Queen of Hearts. With plenty 

of audience participation and songs to 

sing along to. 

regularly sells out its entire runs at the 

Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

20 April 

Wow! It’s Night Time 

An ideal introduction to theatre for little 

ones! The curious little owl is back, and 

this time she’s ready to discover the 

wonders of night-time, from the big, 

bright moon to the bats in the sky and 

the foxes deep in the forest. But where 

are all the other owls? When the wind 

blows the leaves from her tree, you’ll 

soon see… 

The Core at Corby Cube 

NN17 1QG 

www.thecorecorby.com 


Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom 

Join Ben and Holly and their friends on 

this exciting, enchanting and magical 

musical adventure packed full of games, 

songs and laughter. This beautiful story 

of elves, princesses and childhood innocence 

will delight all the family! 

14 April 

The Little Mermaid 

Join the Little Mermaid on this underwater 

adventure, to help her find her feet 

with the help of her friend Crab-Stick 

and under the guidance of her father, 

ruler of the sea, and to make sure the 

evil Ursula doesn’t steal her voice. 

The Little Theatre 

LE1 6PW 

www.thelittletheatre.net 


The Addams Family 

Everyone’s favourite kooky family are 

now on stage in the UK premiere of 

this spectacular musical comedy from 

the writers of multi award-winning hit 

musical JERSEY BOYS. 

The Y Theatre 

LE1 6EY 

www.leicesterymca.co.uk/theatre 

14 April 

A Heart at Sea 

Stunning visuals and beautiful live music 

come together to create a breath-taking 

spectacle. Puppets recount the story of 

whales, tiny boats, and beards. This is a 

piece of heart-warming storytelling that 

will resonate with all ages. 

24 April 

Once Upon a Time 

A magical adventure into Fairytale Forest! 

Join forces with the Ugly Duckling, 

Frog Prince, Billy Goats, Pied Piper and 

Rapunzel to rescue Hansel and Gretel 

from the wicked old crone! Five stars 

“Simply sublime.” (The Wee Review, 

Aug 2017) 

Stamford Theatre 

PE9 2DL 

www.stamfordartscentre.com 

6 April 

Disgusting Songs 

for Revolting Children 

As heard on BBC Radio 4, and as seen 

on The One Show. Jay Foreman provides 

a devilishly cheeky hour of songs, 

poems and comedy for children of all 

ages in this family friendly show which 

The Cresset 

PE3 8DX 

www.cresset.co.uk 

6 April 

Milkshake! Live 

Join Milkshake! Monkey and friends for 

their biggest and best live show ever! 

With plenty of layghter, great songs, 

funky dance routines, bags of audience 

interaction and bucket loads of fun. 


COMPETITION TIME 

Win! 

WIN! 

To enter these competitions please go to... 

www.primarytimes.co.uk/leicestershire/competitions or 

via Facebook at www.facebook.com/PrimarytimesLeicester 

WIN! 

A family ticket to The Amazing 

Adventures Of Pinocchio! 

At Loughborough Town Hall on 25th April 2019 

Based on Carlo Collodi’s fantastical children’s book, this 

magical story leaps off the page and onto the stage in a 

vibrant re-telling of Pinocchio’s extraordinary adventures. 


Pinocchio’s nose grows when he… 

A) LIES B) SNEEZES C) SINGS 

Closing date – 22/04/19 

A family pass admitting 2 adults 

and 2 children for a free day trip 

to Manor Farm Park & Woodlands 

Located on the borders of Leicestershire, 

Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, every day is 

an adventure at Manor Farm Park & Woodlands. 


On what date does the Manor Farm Park pirate event start? 


WIN! 

WIN! 

Win a short break with 

Stay, Play, Explore! 

Whether you want to enjoy some good times with the family, 

or an escape for two, we have the perfect selection of 

short breaks for you, your family, friends or loved ones. We 

have 3 fab destinations the Stay Play Explore short breaks 

are available, Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Yorkshire - 

all have amazing attractions/experiences to choose from. 

For your chance to win simply enter your details at 

www.primarytimes.co.uk/competitions (T&Cs apply) 


Win a 1 Family of 4 General 

Admission to CONKERS 

Look out for conkers on page 12 to answer this question 


Name one show CONKERS is introducing this Easter 

A) PUNCH AND JUDY B) DINO MAN C) BUBBLE POP ___ 


Tickets exp 31st December 2019 

22 


Primary Times Leicestershire 

LOOPY LIBRARY 

What do you call a 

fossil that doesn't want 

to do anything? 

LAZY BONES! 

What is a rabbit’s 

favourite music? 

HIP-HOP! 

What animals do you 

have to be careful of 

when you take exams? 

CHEETAHS! 

What do you get if 

you cross an 

elephant and a fish? 

SWIMMING TRUNKS! 

Email your jokes to 

helen.pattinson@ 



FUN FOR ALL AGES AT PARKLANDS LEISURE CENTRE 

WHERE HAS FUN! 

B582 

Washbrook Lane 

Wigston Road 

B582 

• Spider web climber 

• Snake forest 

• Punch bags 

• Multi-lane wave slide 

• Ball pool 

• Fun brick house 

• Web crawl tunnel 

• Drop slides 

• Trampolines 

• Obstacles 

• Spiral slides 

• Bridges 

• Observatories 

B582 

Wigston Road 

at Parklands 

Leisure Centre 



Parklands Play World 0116 272 0789 

parklandsinfo@everyoneactive.com 

Opening Times 

Monday to Sunday 9:30am – 6pm 

Play areas are suitable for children up to and including 12 years. All children must be supervised by a parent or adult over 18 years. Socks must be worn at all times. 

Last admission: 45 minutes before closing. Everyone Active manages this facility in partnership with Oadby & Wigston Borough Council. 

FUN CLIMB! 

Fun, Play, Challenge 

Fun Climb is an action packed activity 

with 18 large, individually themed 

climbing challenges. Our facility 

provides healthy, challenging fun for 

everyone from beginner to expert! 

From pre-school kids to recycled teenagers, 

everyone will love the physical and mental 

challenges that Fun Climb provides. 

Suitable from four years upwards (Under 8s must be accompanied by an adult) 

Parklands Fun Climb 

For more details, call us on 0116 272 0789 

eaPLCentre 

everyoneactive 

everyoneactive.com 

Everyone Active manages this facility in partnership 

with Oadby & Wigston Borough Council.

PT LEICS EASTER 19 DIGITAL

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