Christmas With The Kids: London

Lillie: ‘Christmas trees! One two three five Christmas trees! Twelve seventeen Christmas trees!’
Ted: ‘MISS-MASS TWEE NINE TEN!’

With Christmas around the corner Mummy counts down the best London events for the kids… and there’s free tickets up for grabs too!

Stick Man @ Soho Theatre
December 10 2009 - January 10 2010
Lillie likes Stick Man. Why? ‘He’s a stick man. He’s like the Gruffalo but he’s a stick. A man stick. No. Stick MAN.’ That is to say that Stick Man was written by Julia Donaldson of Gruffalo fame. Lillie likes the Gruffalo a lot. Nearly as much as Crazy Auntie Emma and Mad Uncle Andy do. Anyway. Stick Man (and Father Christmas, who makes a cameo too!) comes to the stage this Christmas in a sweet, clever production which kids three and up will absolutely love and grown ups will be suitably impressed by. Soho Theatre are also running a special kids lunch menu plus the opportunity to meet Santa (Dec 23 only).

Chinese State Circus Present Mulan @ Blackheath Common
December 16 - 26 2009
Daddy’s pick of the year’s Christmas events (’Shaolin Warriors? Ooh can we win the tickets?”), the famous Chinese State Circus brings the legend of Mulan to life in a breathtaking live show. Alright, it’s not got Santa or snow but what it does have is colourful costumes, folklore aplenty and gravity defying moves from Mulan herself, Kung Fu expert Cao Jing. Unmissable!

Winners of our Chinese State Circus Mulan give away have now been announced here!

The Snowman @ Peacock Theatre
December 2 2009 - January 10 2010
Christmas really isn’t Christmas without Raymond Briggs’s The Snowman and for the past eleven years the television adaptation has looked a pale imitation compared to this incredible on stage performance. Presented by Sadler’s Wells in association with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, The Snowman is a must for budding ballerinas like Lil’s best friend Eva and snow fans like Lillie herself.

Lil has the final word on The Snowman: ‘my snowmen don’t come to life do they? How comes that snowman has come to life?’

Winners of our Snowman competition have now been announced here!

Meet Santa @ Betty Blythe Tea Shop
December 13 2009
Meeting Santa Claus is an absolute must at Christmas time. The incredible Betty Blythe tea room is something which can be easily described as ‘so Mummy‘ - that is, it sells tea and cake, has a vintage vibe and is family friendly too and this Christmas Santa is coming to town for a meet and greet with a difference.

A handful of kids will be lucky enough to spend a whole hour with the man in red as he finds out what they want left under the tree, tells his favourite stories and hands out a wee gift too. All while mummy sips a cuppa and nibbles a pink iced cake.

Rockford’s Rock Opera Live @ The Bull Theatre
December 18 2009
Created by comedian Steve Punt and musician Matthew Sweetapple, Rockford’s Rock Opera is an interactive adventure which has already gained cult status among kids (and adults) in the know.

For one night only Rockford the dog and his boy Moog will be transported to Barnet’s Bull Theatre where fans can see the audio book brought to life. The green message is, as Lil would say, ‘good for the polar bears, like turning the lights off’.

Winners of our Rockford’s Rock Opera competition have now been announced here!

Christmas Unwrapped @ The Southbank Centre
December 11 2009 - January 10 2010
With something for everyone - from kids to Grandma - The Southbank Centre is getting right in to the Christmas mood. We recommend The Lost Voice, a production which tells the story of Whisper, a shy little girl who can’t find her voice and includes beatboxing workshops for those who don’t have so much trouble making a noise.

Markets and shows for grown ups are also taking place making The Southbank Centre a bit of a one stop shop for your festive season. We like.

Winners of our Lost Voice competition have now been announced here!

Make It: Magical @ Contemporary Applied Arts
December 12, 17 & 18 2009
If ever we ask Lillie ‘what would you like to do today?’ she’ll always answer ‘make something‘. So she’d probably enjoy the workshops taking place this Christmas at CCA in central London.

They’re actually aimed at an older group - the 6 to 12 year olds in the house - with expert guidance on hand to help them make really fantastic Christmassy goodies with quality materials. That’s Grannies pressie all sorted then.

The Apple Market, Covent Garden
open until 9pm in December
Mummy and shopping are like Daddy and beer. They are things that go hand in hand. And there’s nothing she loves more than finding lovely gifts that nobody will have seen before. From accessories to homewares, everything for sale at Covent Garden’s Apple Market is a gift waiting to be given (or hidden in a cupboard until such a time that one can bring it out and pretend they’ve had it for ages). And while Mummy is busy shopping the kids can wonder at the 40ft Christmas tree, get involved in workshops and try some yummy hot apple drink at the Real Food Market.