WHAT’S ON WHERE Sat 10:30am – 4pm, Sun 11am – 4pm. Meet the man himself in this medieval setting. Plus festive arts and crafts. Booking essential. £5 per child to enter the grotto. Normal site admission prices still apply. Tel: 029 2088 3143. Wooden Reindeer Trail Bryngarw Country Park, CF32 8UU www.bryngarwcountrypark.co.uk 11am - 3pm. Santa has lost his reindeer - can you help find them? Collect your map from the visitor centre, along with your bag of reindeer food and then head out onto the trail to find the lost reindeer. Collect a sticker for each reindeer before heading back to write/ post a letter to Santa! Lots of outdoor fun for the family… £3.50 per child - pay on the day (cash only). Please note the trail takes about 30 - 40 minutes and is muddy in parts. Due to the terrain, parts of the trail are not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Tel: 01656 815995. Caerphilly Christmas Market Caerphilly Town Centre, CF83 1JL www.visitcaerphilly.com Sat 9am – 5pm & Sun 10am – 4pm. Free event. Experience the sights, sounds and smells of a town and Castle preparing for Christmas with delicious street food, the smell of mulled wine, exciting street theatre and over 100 food, craft & gift stalls. Tel: 029 2088 0011. CoedLan – High Ropes at St Fagans St Fagans National Museum of History, CF5 6XB www.museum.wales/stfagans 10.15am – 4.30pm. £12 per person. Climb, swing, balance and wobble your way through the trees, and see the sights of St Fagans from above, before zipping back down to earth. Tackle CoedLan’s 18 different obstacles, including a balance beam, zig zag bridge, cargo net and a zip wire. Height, age and weight restrictions apply. Tel 029 2057 3500. Tel 029 2057 3500. Sunday 8th December Talk: Dinosaurs and Deserts in Wales National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park CF10 3NP museum.wales/Dippy 12pm, 1.30pm & 3pm. £2. What did South Wales look like at the time of the dinosaurs? How many different dinosaurs lived here? You’ll also find out about the biggest extinction of all time, how dinosaurs first evolved, and what we think they really looked like! Plus: Quiet Time with Dippy 9am - 10am. Free. This quiet session to visit Dippy the dinosaur has been designed for visitors with autism, learning disabilities or sensory and communication disorders, along with their families and carers. On this day there will be reduced capacity and a quieter atmosphere. 0300 111 2 333 (charged at local rate). Elf on the Shelf Parc Play, Unit 5, Curran Embankment, Grangetown, Cardiff, CF10 5DX www.parcplay.com Complete the <strong>Winter</strong> Trail before enjoying winter crafts in the cosy cabin. Crafts 11am - 12pm & 1:30pm - 2:30pm. Then enjoy some fun and games with everyones favourite cheeky Elf from 2:30pm - 4pm. Tel: 029 2034 5696. Santa and Elf Dash in aid of Welsh Hearts Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5AL www.santadash.wales 5K walk, jog or dash around Cardiff Bay. Festivities begin at 10am. Prizes for best fancy dress. Tickets £10 each or £30 group 4. Saturday 14th December Elf on the Shelf Parc Play, Unit 5, Curran Embankment, Grangetown, Cardiff, CF10 5DX www.parcplay.com Complete the <strong>Winter</strong> Trail before enjoying winter crafts in the cosy cabin. Crafts 11am - 12pm & 1:30pm - 2:30pm. Then enjoy some fun and games with everyones favourite cheeky Elf from 2:30pm - 4pm. Tel: 029 2034 5696. Christmas Party Techniquest, Stuart Street, Cardiff, CF10 5BW www.techniquest.org/ 5pm – 8pm. Festive fun-seekers are invited to an exciting evening opening at Techniquest with access to two floors of hands-on exhibits, treats, music and entertainment. Wave hello and have a selfie with Santa as he spends an hour out of his busy schedule visiting Techniquest. Discover some alternative Christmas gifts, and how to make decorations using chemistry in our Theatre extravaganza, A Techniquest Christmas Carol. Recommended for children aged 3 – 8 year. £7 per ticket + booking fee. Tel: 029 2047 5475. Traditional Welsh Christmas Big Pit National Coal Museum, NP4 9XP museum.wales/bigpit 10am - 4pm. Wrap up warm and gather at Pit Top at 10.15am to welcome Father Christmas as he travels 300ft UP from underground, then later join him in his cottage for story time. Enjoy Christmas Market, and make your own Christmas crafts. At 1pm join Blaenavon Ladies Choir and Beaufort Male Choir for carol singing. Entry to the Museum and Market is free; story time with Santa must be pre-booked online. £7 per child which includes a gift. There is a small cash charge payable on the day for craft making. One free adult ticket per child. For any additional adults wishing to attend the session, and an additional adult ticket must be purchased. Limited tickets available. Tel: 029 2057 3650. Cardiff Devils vs Nottingham Panthers Viola Arena, Cardiff Bay, CF11 0JS www.cardiffdevils.com 7pm. Tickets from £8 for children & £16 for adults. As part of the match night experience, enjoy competitions where you can win prizes such as player’s shirts. Following the game, meet players at the post-game signing or have a go at ice skating yourself. Tel: 0800 0842 666. Christmas in Aberdare Aberdare Town Centre www.rctcbc.gov.uk 12pm - 5pm. See Santa in the town centre. Plus Giant Snow Globe, fun fair rides and more. £2 to visit Santa in his grotto. Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th December The Great Sleigh Adventure Techniquest, Stuart Street, Cardiff, CF10 5BW www.techniquest.org Join the newest North Pole division — the Arctic Circle — and overcome the disaster that has struck Christmas. Pieces of Santa’s sleigh are scattered across a snowy Techniquest. You and your team are in a race against time to defeat the towering snowmen, decipher secret blueprints and solve cryptic clues to fix the sleigh before Christmas comes around! £3.50 addition to admission price, see website for details. Plus: A Techniquest Christmas Carol Get into the festive spirit with a fun show for all the family. Discover some alternative Christmas gifts, and how to make decorations using chemistry. If you’ve already got your gifts sorted, we’ll take you on a crash course in untangling Christmas lights. Plus: Arctic Wonder Take a journey to the North Pole to explore the geography, the weather and the wildlife of this icy land in this brand-new immersive dome experience. £1.50 addition to admission price, see website for details. Tel: 029 2047 5475. The Snowman: Festive Film Screening National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park CF10 3NP museum.wales/cardiff Screenings at 10.30am, 12pm, 1pm & 3pm. Watch this classic Christmas film in the Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre. You’ll feel part of the film as you walk through a winter wonderland entrance and then cuddle down in the theatre for the heart-warming tale. After the film they will be a chance to meet a snowman for a photo opportunity. Tel: 0300 111 2 333 (charged at local rate). Alternative 12 days of Christmas Cyfarthfa Shopping Park Swansea Road, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 1HY www.cyfarthfashopping.com Inspired by the traditional ’12 days of Christmas’ but with an alternative spin, enjoy some Christmas activities with a blend of performance, workshops, artistry and tastings! Entertainment from 11am - 4pm with performance times varying. Tel: 01685 389410. Dippy the Dinosaur / Natural History Adventurers with RSPB National Museum of Wales Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP www.rspb.org.uk/events Free drop-in sessions: 11am - 12pm & 2pm - 4pm. Family-friendly activities for all ages exploring dinosaurs, cave men and an archaeological dig. Tel: 029 2035 3000. CoedLan – High Ropes at St Fagans St Fagans National Museum of History, CF5 6XB www.museum.wales/stfagans 10.15am – 4.30pm. £12 per person. Climb, swing, balance and wobble your way through the trees, and see the sights of St Fagans from above, before zipping back down to earth. Tackle CoedLan’s 18 different obstacles, including a balance beam, zig zag bridge, cargo net and a zip wire. Height, age and weight restrictions apply. Plus: Carols in the Chapel £5 per person. 10.30am - 4pm. Get in the mood for the festive season in the Museum’s 18th century Pen-rhiw Chapel for St Fagans’ favourite sing-a-long. There’ll be lots of traditional tunes and a few more contemporary Christmas classics. Tel 029 2057 3500. Wooden Reindeer Trail Bryngarw Country Park, CF32 8UU www.bryngarwcountrypark.co.uk 11am - 3pm. Santa has lost his reindeer - can you help find them? Collect your map from the visitor centre, along with your bag of reindeer food and then head out onto the trail to find the lost reindeer. Collect a sticker for each reindeer before heading back to write/ post a letter to Santa! Lots of outdoor fun for the family… £3.50 per child - pay on the day (cash only). Please note the trail takes about 30 - 40 minutes and is muddy in parts. Due to the terrain, parts of the trail are not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Tel: 01656 815995. Elf Me Workshops Margam Country Park Neath Port Talbot SA13 2TJ www.margamcountrypark.co.uk Perfect for budding elves ages 3 - 12 years who want to help Father Christmas. Expect fun, laughter, games, arts and crafts. Sessions at 9.15am 11.30am & 1.45pm. Children £15; adults £4 (includes a hot drink and mince pie and a free ticket to the Sant Deer Feed). Workshops last 75 minutes. Please arrive 15 minutes before session starts. Phone to book. Tel: 01639 881635. Sunday 15th December <strong>Winter</strong> Trail Parc Play, Unit 5, Curran Embankment, Grangetown, Cardiff, CF10 5DX www.parcplay.com Complete the <strong>Winter</strong> Trail before enjoying crafts in the cosy winter cabin. <strong>Winter</strong> crafts 11am - 12pm & 1:30pm - 2:30pm. Tel: 029 2034 5696. Traditional Welsh Christmas Big Pit National Coal Museum, NP4 9XP museum.wales/bigpit 10am - 4pm. Wrap up warm and gather at Pit Top at 10.15am to welcome Father Christmas as he travels 300ft UP from underground, then later join him in his cottage for story time. Browse the Christmas Market and make your own Christmas crafts. At 1pm join Blaenavon Town Band for carol singing. Entry to the Museum and Market is free; story time with Santa must be pre-booked online. £7 per child which includes a gift. There is a small cash charge payable on the day for craft making. One free adult ticket per child. For any additional adults wishing to attend the session, and an additional adult ticket must be purchased. Limited tickets available. Tel: 029 2057 3650. Friday 20th December Xmas Jumper Party with special guest Parc Play, Unit 5, Curran Embankment, Grangetown, Cardiff, CF10 5DX www.parcplay.com 5:15pm - 7:15pm. Start the festive season with the Christmas Jumper party. Enjoy a fun filled evening. Booking essential. Adults £1; children aged 4 - 12 £8; children aged 1 - 3 £6.50 (children’s prices include hotdog, juice and gift). Members pay £3 for hotdog, juice and gift. Tel: 029 2034 5696. Victorian Christmas Aberdulais Falls, SA10 8EU www.nationaltrust/aberdulais.org.uk 5.30pm - 8pm. Join Mr & Mrs Claus to celebrate the season with carols, crafts and a candlelit walk. Normal admission applies. Free to National Trust members. Tel: 01639 636674. Toddler Time Wales Millennium Centre, Bute Place, Cardiff CF10 5AL www.wmc.org.uk 11am - 2.30pm. Free. A monthly favourite for new mums, dads and babies where everyone can make new friends, express themselves and be curious and creative all in one place. Take your tots along to sing, dance, play and create with a special programme of activities especially for you and your little ones. Tel: 029 2063 6464. Saturday 21st December Monthly Nature Ramble Forest Farm, Forest Farm Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 7JJ 10am - 12pm. Free. Take your binoculars (if you have them) and join the Friends of Forest Farm on a guided walk to identify the ever changing array of birds and wildlife which call Forest Farm home. Meet at the Warden Centre. Tel: 029 2044 5903. Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd December CoedLan – High Ropes at St Fagans St Fagans National Museum of History, CF5 6XB www.museum.wales/stfagans 10.15am – 4.30pm. £12 per person. Climb, swing, balance and wobble your way through the trees, and see the sights of St Fagans from above, before zipping back down to 12 Primary Times WINTER <strong>2019</strong> | www.primarytimes.co.uk Continued on page 14
cyfarthfashopping.com The Alternative 12 Days of CHRISTMAS Sat 16 th Nov Stilt Walking Tree Performer* Sun 17 th Nov Ballet Dove Performers Sat 23 rd Nov French French Fancies Hen Performers Performers * Sun 24 th Nov 4-Part Choir Sat 30 th Nov Hula Hoop Artist Sun 1 st Dec Golden Goose Egg Treasure Hunt Sat 7 th Dec Giant Swan Puppet Performer Sun 8 th Dec Christmas Milk Shakes Sat 14 th Dec Dance Workshops Sun 15 th Dec Lord Bouncing Performers Sat 21 st Dec Piped Cupcakes Sun 22 nd Dec Drumming Workshops Find us outside River Island Between 11am and 4pm CHRISTMAS AT ITS BEST Performance times may vary. Some performers may roam. Any programme changes will be listed at cyfarthfashopping.com www.primarytimes.co.uk | WINTER <strong>2019</strong> Primary Times 13
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