Kids Direct Liverpool - Winter 2013

Kids Direct Liverpool Feature Winter 2013

2 www.kidsdirectliverpool.com

Kids Direct Liverpool Editors Note Winter 2013

3To advertise in Kids Direct Liverpool email: [email protected]

Win a reindeervisit for your

school (page 5)

Kids Direct is owned by Megan Kneale. Registered trademark no. 1468409. Kids Direct Liverpool is a franchise owned,operated & published under licence by Anna Taylor. We believe all information to be correct but do not endorse anyproducts or services. The views expressed in Kids Direct are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannotbe held responsible for any breach of copyright arising from artwork supplied by its contributors and clients.Reproduction, in whole or in part, of any of the text, illustrations or photography without the express permission of thepublisher is strictly forbidden. Competitions: Prize winners will be drawn at random, no cash alternatives will be offered.Personal information will not be shared with organisations external to Kids Direct unless a third party is issuing the prize.

YummyChristmas gifts

to bake and give(pages 24-25).

Anna x

See our pick offavourite places

to see Santa(page 18)

Learn to drawCartoons withMarvel comics

artist Tim Quinn(pages 14-15)

Kids Direct Liverpool Festive Favourites Winter 2013


Do you know any good boys and girls whodeserve a festive treat? Then take them onthe Santa Experience– a tractor ride to meetSanta and all his friends in a magicalChristmas tree forest! Our top tip is to bookone of the rides in early evening as it’sespecially magical at night with Christmaslights to lead the way. Rides are on Saturdays14�� & 21�� and Sundays 15�� & 22ⁿ� . Ticketsmust be pre-booked in the shop or online asthis event is very popular and usually sellsout.Church Farm also boasts an award-winningfarm shop selling the best in local produce.Put your order in now for vegetable boxes,meat and turkeys and collect beforeChristmas.The shop also has a lovely selection ofChristmas gifts, decorations and tasty

goodies, and the butcher’s counter (staffedFridays and Saturdays) can provide expertadvice and preparation.

Throughout December there’s a largeselection of Christmas trees - many cut justhours before. The farm has over 15,000growing Christmas trees of all popularvarieties. Friendly staff can help you chooseyour tree, fit a base, net it up and even carryit to your car.You can even warm yourself up by the logfire in Munch, the coffee shop, whilstenjoying a panini or luxury hot drink!

The shop is open every day from 11��December until midday on 24�� December.

Church Farm, Church Lane, Thurstaston,Wirral. Call (0151) 648 7838 or visitwww.churchfarm.org.uk



Competition : Win a Reindeer visit to yourschool from the Cheshire Reindeer Lodge!

Kids Direct have got together with the Cheshire Reindeer Lodge to offerone school in Liverpool a visit from the reindeer. What could be more

Christmassy than a visit to your school from real live reindeer? To enterplease email [email protected] with your name, the name

of your school and the answer to this question by 11�� December:What date did the Reindeer Lodge open this Winter?

Make your Christmas event a magical and memorable one with a visit from realReindeer. The reindeer are handled daily at the Reindeer Lodge so are used to lots ofhuman contact and can quickly win the hearts of children and adults alike. When out onvisits the reindeer love to make lots of new friends, bestroked and hand fed their treats and of course have theirphoto's taken in their festive head collars and harnesses.Reindeer are available to hire throughout the Northwest,North Wales and West Midlands from the end of Octoberthrough to February. The Reindeer Lodge provide allrelevant display and movement licenses, risk assessmentsand public liability insurance for the reindeer visiting yourevent. For more info contact : 01244 646 045 or [email protected]



Once upon a time, in a town with no cats,Arrived a swarm of ravenous rats.

They ate up the chocolate, they ate up the pie,They ate up so much the mayor started to cry!

Can nobody save us? Will nobody try?When all of a sudden a Piper came by...

I’ll rid you of rats, both thin and both longI’ll do it with music, I’ll do it with song!

But sadly the town was unwilling to pay,So one of the children must save the day!A family show with song, dance and fun,

A musical adventure perfect for everyone.Join Unity Theatre and the acclaimed Action Transport Theatre this Christmas for afamily festive treat that’s perfect for ages 5+. With children’s tickets just £10 - £8and adults £12 - £10 (with family tickets available) don’t miss one of the best-value-quality shows in Merseyside. Check out www.thepiedpiperliverpool.co.uk or visitwww.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk for more information!

Kids Direct Liverpool Great Days Out Winter 2013




Bubbles' World of Play is the ultimateChildren's Entertainment Centre offeringa whole new concept of Play that is bothfun, educating and fitness enhancing.Housing one of the largest play frames inthe UK (if not the largest), Children areencouraged to learn and explore over 30different countries and zones, from theSydney Harbour Bridge to their City roleplay area comprising of a Police Station,Vets and shop to name a few. Withinteractive projectors, their very owntalking penguin maze, ball cannon zoneand numerous time challenge games;Bubbles' World of Play is the mostinnovative play centre around.Parents can relax in the comfortableseating areas enjoying quality food anddrink and free WIFI whilst knowing that

their children are safe and secure thanksto their extensive CCTV system, alarms onall exit doors and secure check in/checkout processes. Parents can also explorethe play frames with their children.Babies and toddlers are also well cateredfor with a large baby sensory area,separate secure baby feeding room withbottle making facilities and passcodeaccess, baby change facilities on bothfloors and plenty of high chairs. Toddlershave the benefit of their own Toddlerframe and a 'New York' themed play area.Located in Marine Point, New Brighton, ithas its very own 90 space car park and afurther 600 parking spaces within theMarine Point complex and just a 5 minutewalk from New Brighton train station.www.bubblesworldofplay.co.uk

Kids Direct Liverpool Parties Winter 2013




he was a bookworm who loved science. He gavePeter Parker all these personality traits.

If you’re the central character of your stories,you’ll be able to work out just how you wouldreact if you were going through the

adventures in your story. For example, what wouldyou do if you suddenly found yourself face to facewith Captain Blackbeard, most feared of all pirates?

You can also add people you know to yourstories. Every story should have a cast ofinteresting characters just like a film or TV

series. Maybe a teacher, brother, sister or pet dogcan travel with you on your adventures.

Plot out a beginning, middle and end to yourstory before you start writing. Your story canstart with a normal everyday incident

(getting up & heading to school) but thensomething exciting develops that throws you intothe main adventure.

By the middle of the story you should havereached the place where you have droppedyourself into such deadly danger that there

is no way you can possibly escape. Then … as thestorywriter, you have to come up with a way foryour character to get away!

By the time you get to the end of your story,drop in a scene that shows you will soon beinvolved in another adventure.Most of all have FUN! If you enjoy writing anddrawing your adventures then other peoplewill enjoy reading your work.

Tim can be contacted via his websitehttp://www.mightyquinnmanagement.com.He visits primary andsecondary schools todo workshops and alsosets up schoolmagazines inspiringthe next generation ofjournalists andillustrators.

Tim recently moved from New York back to hisroots in Southport and now, among other things,gives workshops in schools to children about comicbooks and animation. Kids Direct asked him to putsome of his advice on paper for our readers. “I’vebeen lucky enough in my 40 year career to tell alltypes of story in comic book form. Some of theamazing characters I’ve told stories about includeSpider-Man, Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man, Dennisthe Menace, Jack of the Beanstalk, CaptainAmerica, Cinderella, and the time travelling JustinTyme! “Everybody has lots of brand new storiesthey can tell. Here are a few storytellingtips I’ve picked up during my career.Maybe you can use some of them tohelp you tell exciting new stories of yourown…

As an illustrator, it is important tolearn where the human body canbend, so print out a picture of a

skeleton and draw a line pointing to allthe joints (connecting bones) on thehuman body.

All cartoonists start a comic book page bylaying out the main characters as stickfigures. You will notice that I’ve

made sure that my stick figures bendin the right places (the joints of theelbows and knees).

Once you are happy that thestick figure looks realistic, youcan ‘flesh it out’ with hair,

features, clothes or costume! Add little extras toyour character to make it stand out – patterns,colours, hats, earrings, capes, masks, etc.

Make yourself the central character in yourstory. Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Manbased the character of Peter Parker on

himself when he was a 15 year-old boy. Back thenStan was bullied at school, laughed at by girls and

Ever wanted to draw your own comics?Kids Direct asked Marvel Comic artist Tim Quinn how to do it!



Justin TymeAll you need to tell a storyis a great character. Thestory on this page is allabout Justin Tyme, theboy with the amazing

skateboard that can travelanywhere in history. Canyou add words to each

picture to tell the story ofJustin’s adventure in 1666

when he landed in themiddle of the Great Fire of

London?

You can also create yourown stories about Justin ashe visits other periods in

history.

Regular/Ongoing eventsThe Time Travellers are at Spaceport(see page 12) Time travelling withcreatures from other galaxies until 2ndMarch 2014. www.spaceport.org.uk

Daily from 10 am to 5 pm. MagicWorlds, a new family exhibition atWorld Museum, explores etherealrealms of fairies, folklore, wizards andwitches. Free. For details of times visitwww.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml.

The Museum of Liverpool are holdingvarious fun free activities for childrenincluding Victorian Christmas, winterstorytelling and Christmas Crafternoons.Visit their site for details and timeswww.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol

Christmas crafts and Collage Calendarsare being offered free at the Walker ArtGallery over the festive season. See theirwebsite for details dates and times:www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker.

Ice Festival at Liverpool One runninguntil 7�� January. Visit www.liverpool-one.com/icefestival for bookinginformation.

November/December 201321�� Nov - 22 Dec, 10 am - 8 pm.Christmas Market on Lord Street andChurch Street with lots of treatsand surprises.

22ⁿ� Nov - 22 Dec. Ten life sizeNutcrackers have been hidden inLiverpool City Centre. Take a photo withas many Nutcrackers as possible and youcould win a prize. Seewww.citycentralbid.com/events

29�� Nov - 18�� Jan 2014. The biggest,brightest rock and roll panto returns

with Aladdin at the Playhouse. To bookvisit www.everymanplayhouse.com

Sat 30�� Nov, Sun 1�� Dec, Sat 7�� Dec &Sun 8�� Dec. 12.30 pm to 4 pm. VictorianWeekend activities at Speke Hall. FreeEvent (normal admission prices apply).www.nationaltrust.org.uk/speke-hall

Sun 1��, Sat 7�� & Sun 8�� Dec. 6.30 -7.30pm or 8-9 pm. Festive Music Evenings.Enjoy a rare chance to see Speke hall atnight, decorated for a traditionalVictorian Christmas. Look around theground floor and then take your seats inthe stunning Great Hall for anatmospheric carol concert. Adults £10,children £7. 0151 427 7231.

Tues 3�� Dec to Sat 11 Jan 2014. ThePied Piper at Unity Theatre. Don't missthis opportunity to experience the magicand delight of this spectacular Christmasshow (see page 7) Box office 0844 8732888 or book online atwww.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk

3�� Dec to 21�� Dec. Feisty fairytaleheroine Little Red Riding Hood is to takeup residence in the Liverpool ActorsStudio theatre this festive season – agreat family alternative to pantomime.For details and to book visitwww.theliverpoolactorsstudio.com

Sat 7�� & Sun 8�� Dec. Winter ArtsMarket at St. George’s Place. A widevariety of handmade work will beavailable, perfect for unique Christmaspresents. 10 am – 5 pm Entry £2 Under16’s free. www.winterartsmarket.com ortelephone: 0151 478 4026.

Thurs 12�� Dec. 5 pm-8 pm. DobbiesFestive Foodies. Perfect for food lovers –

Winter Calendar

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Experts will show you how to ensureyour Christmas entertaining goes with abang. Enjoy a glass of fizz on arrival,sample fine delicacies and watch theirexciting demonstrations includinginspiring ideas for your Christmas dinnerand choosing the perfect Christmascheese board. Tickets cost £1 and allproceeds will be donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation UK. For more detailsvisit www.dobbies.com.

Fri 13�� December. Waterloo FarmersMarket. An all indoor market with stallsselling a variety of produce from farmsand other traders in the North West.10.30 am to 3 pm. Free entry. ContactJohn on 0151 924 5738. Old ChristChurch, Waterloo Road, Waterloo,Liverpool, Merseyside L22 1RF.

Sat 14�� Dec, 12 pm Waterstones,Liverpool One. Magical re-telling of theSnow Queen by the author Sarah Lowes.There will also be mask making and craftactivities - and glitter! 0151 709 9820

20�� Dec to 22ⁿ� Dec. Rudolph on HopeStreet, Liverpool Philharmonic. A greatintroduction to classical music forchildren aged 4-10 and their families.Tickets £10, £14, £6 children. Box Office:0151 709 3789 or book online atwww.liverpoolphil.com

Tues 17�� Dec. Liverpool AnglicanCathedral. Carols by CandlelightConcert. Get into the spirit of Christmaswith family and friends and enjoyseasonal entertainment youth choirs andmusicians from across Merseyside.Money raised from the event willsupport the NSPCC’s Now I KnowAppeal. 7.30 pm. £8 adults, £5

concessions, available from the NSPCC:0844 892 0253 [email protected]

January 201418�� Jan 2014, 10 am, 1 pm & 4 pmPeppa Pig’s Big Splash at the LiverpoolEmpire. Hugely entertaining for all thefamily (see page 9 for details and ourgreat competition).

25 Jan 2014 Celebrate Chinese New Yearand make your own Chinese Lanterns totake home. World Museum. Drop infrom 1-4 pm. Free.www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml

February 20141�� & 2ⁿ� February, UK Baby & ToddlerShow in association with Milkshake!Liverpool Echo Arena. Don’t forget KidsDirect readers get 20% discount, seepage 30 for your discount code.

Mon 17�� and Tues 18�� Feb. Workshopsfor children. Royal LiverpoolPhilharmonic Hall. Great workshops tohelp children to develop musical skillswith singing, movement and musicalinstruments. See www.liverpoolphil.comfor details and to book.

Keep up to date:For lots more family friendlyevents, services, competitions

and of course oodles of fun, come alongand join us on our facebook page:www.facebook.com/kidsdirectlpl.

Please note: Whilst every effort hasbeen made to ensure accuracy, detailsmay change. Please phone the venueconcerned or visit their website tocheck dates, times, prices and if bookingis required before setting out.

Winter Calendar

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Jean Robb and Hilary Letts are experts inhelping children. Parents worldwide havefound their ‘Creating Kids Who Can’ booksinvaluable. Teachers and lecturers havefound their style, ideas and holisticapproach stimulating and inspirationaland children have found their methodssupportive and successful. With vastexperience of teaching Jean and Hilaryprovide a service to parents and childrenthat is unique and powerful. At SuccessfulLearning Jean and Hilary’s knowledge andanalytical approach enables them toassess constantly where a child’s strengthsand weaknesses are and provide parentswith up to the minute feedback abouttheir child’s progress. Children recoverquickly from setbacks, develop new skillsand discover the delight of their previouslyunrecognised strengths and potential.Contact 0151 625 2619.

www.kidsdirectliverpool.com

Kids Direct Liverpool Education & Childcare Winter 2013

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Church Farm - meet Santa and all hisfriends in the beautifully lit-upChristmas tree forest. An enchantedadventure for all the family with dancingsnowmen, cheeky reindeer & lots more.Booking essential, see page 4 for lotsmore details. www.churchfarm.org.uk

Cheshire Reindeer Lodge and Christmastree farm - visit Santa and feed hisreindeer, the perfect place for a trueChristmas experience (see pg 5 for lotsmore details and a great competition).

Windmill Animal Farm - meet FatherChristmas on the magical miniaturerailway. Enjoy a train ride, the funof the farm and receive a presentfrom Santa. Adults also receive acomplimentary hot drink and mince pie.To book call 01704 892282 (see page 6for further details).

Dobbies Garden World - The elves havebeen busy preparing all the toys in theworkshop ready for your little ones tovisit Santa in his traditional grotto! Buyyour ticket online at www.dobbies.com.

Rapid Discount Outlet, Houghton Street- Santa will be there everyday. Mondaysto Fridays 10 am- 5 pm, Saturday 9.30am - 5 pm and Sundays from 11 am - 4pm. 0151 708 2000.



YOU WON’T ALWAYS SEE WHERE THEYGO . . . BUT YOU CAN HELP THEM GET

THERE.

On any given day, Liverpool City Council hasnearly 1000 children in their care. TheirFoster Carers are ordinary people livingordinary lives but they have a commitmentto help show looked after children that theyhave a brighter future ahead. Their Carerslisten and support the children, along withtaking care of them on a day to day basis.They want to see them grow and developand they are willing to adapt their lives togive foster children the time that they need.As a Foster Carer you will see the differencesin children as they become settled and growin confidence. You will develop and gainnew skills and knowledge through trainingand you will know that you are making a realdifference. You will receive a generous

allowance for the looked after children inyour care and a payment for your time andskills.City Councillor Jane Corbett said: ‘Every childhas a right to a loving, happy and safe familyenvironment and that’s why providing ahome for a young person who cannot livewith their own parents is one of the bestthings you can do. You’ll find it won’t justbe their life you change for the better, butyour own as well.’Change a Life Today Call: 0151 515 0000 orvisit : www.fosteringforliverpool.co.uk.

All kinds of people foster and you do notneed to fit into any stereotype to do so.They just need people who care, whetheryou are single, married, living together orare in a same sex relationship. As long asyou have a spare room and are over the ageof 21 they would love to hear from you.

www.kidsdirectliverpool.com


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The work load is such, that most of ithappens during school term time, so thismeans you have most of the holidays freeto spend with your family.‘Since starting my Kids Direct franchise Ihaven’t looked back…’‘I always struggled with childcare, schoolpick up and the holidays were a majorproblem for me. Becoming my own bosswas the best thing I could have done. Ihave the flexibility and rewards of a part-time job and play hard during the schoolholidays with my family.’

‘If one of my children wasoff sick, I used to have totake a day off work too.Now I just work round itand don’t ever feel guilty.’Why not give us a call?You will be surprised at

how reasonable the cost is to buy yourown business.

The perfect job for mums with childrenof school age is a part-time work-from-home job that allows for school holidays,but for every part-time schooladministrator job advertised there areabout 500,000 applications – OK, so wemade-up the figures but you get the point!Starting your own business can give youthe flexibility to fit a job and businessaround your family. The home is the workplace. A day’s work includes a trip to asupplier and a parent-teacher meeting.Smart casual dress can suit the schooldrop-off and the new client coffee.Blackberry is both a pie filling and anextension to your office!For some mums, buying a small franchiseis a good option and Kids Direct has bothexisting franchises for sale and alsoexciting new opportunities in the NorthWest.Kids Direct is a thrice yearly publicationaimed at families with children under theage of 12. The magazine is published justbefore the three main school holidays;Easter, Summer and Christmas andprovides valuable information to the localcommunity, whilst working from home.

Flexibility and Reward…

“The school holidays used to be a majorproblem for me, I now have the flexibilityand rewards of a part-time job – I workhard during term time and play hardduring the holidays.”

It is normal to want to spend as much time as you can get with your children, but it canbe difficult balancing family life with work. Getting a job with flexible hours can be a realchallenge and we often don’t know where to begin to get the most out of our work/lifebalance.

Contact Anna for moreinformation on 07980 304998 oremail [email protected] for ano obligation conversation to getyou on your way to a more flexibleway of life!



Top Private Education is available to allWhat if a tutor could come directly to your child’s home to deliver tutoring services?What if there was flexibility in the tutor’s schedule so that tutoring time slots could bescheduled around your family’s busy schedule?What if your child could get one to one attention instead of the “one-to-many” teachingmodels used by learning centres?What if a tutor could develop a personalised programme matching the specific needs of yourchild?What if average families could get access to top tutoring resources sometimes reserved onlyfor wealthier families?These questions and more have been answered over the last 10 years with the Tutor Doctorprogramme. Call 0151 559 6413

Zibob® is the world's first plasticmini sledge with carving qualities.Toddlers love to be pulled along whilstholding on to the handle and kids and adults takedelight in developing and mastering their steeringand speed control. It’s fun and safe for the wholefamily, so bring on the snow!

Win 1 of 2 Zibobs!

Email your answer, name and addressto [email protected] by

31st December 2013.

Traditionally, what vegetable is used asa nose for a snowman?

A. A ParsnipB. A Green BeanC. A Carrot

www.zibob.com



To be able to contact their child to find outwhere they are.As a safety net for when their child may feelunsafe; walking home, on the school bus orif they’ve missed the bus and need a lift.To give their child more confidence, forexample when walking home from schoolalone.Peer Pressure - some parents don’t wanttheir child to feel left out if all their friendshave a phone.Separated parents - to keep in touch withtheir child and reassure them that they canstill easily get in touch. For the residentparent to feel reassured that their child cancontact them during their time away fromthe home.

Consider, what your child will use theirphone for and pick a phone that they canmanage.Is your child ready for the responsibility oflooking after a mobile phone and able tounderstand and follow the rules that youset?Will it be a distraction for them? Do youthink they'll use a mobile phone responsiblyi.e. not texting during class or disturbingothers with their phone conversations?

Will they use the text, photo, andvideo functions responsibly andnot to embarrass others?Can they adhere to limits you setfor minutes talked and apps downloaded?Would having easy access to friends benefitthem for social reasons?

Remember knowledge is power, the moreyou know about the phone the more youwill know what to discuss with your child.So it might be worth considering thefollowing when buying your child a mobilephone:What capabilities does the mobile phonehave? Find out if it can access the Internet,send email, take pictures or videos anddownload music, movies or apps.Are there parental controls and restrictionsavailable for this device? Will the seller helpyou setup any parental controls and teachyou how to ensure the controls remain

Has your child added a mobile phone to their Christmas Wish List thisyear? How do you feel about it? Do you think they’re still too young?There’s no set age for when a child should be given their first mobilephone although the current average age is around 11- 12 years. Despitethis, younger children are being given them as their parents see it asan issue of safety or convenience. Research shows that 24% of eight-year-olds and 6% of six-year-olds have a mobile phone but ultimately,the decision is up to you whether you think your child needs one…



up-to-date and effective in the future? Canany of the mobile phone's capabilities beselectively disabled or turned off? Can youdisable the camera, Internet access,YouTube or other features?What’s included in the mobile phone plan?Find out if text messaging, email, Internetaccess and app store access are included.Does the phone have a GPS (also calledlocation services)? If so, are those locationservices enabled by default? Do they tagphotos with the time and place where theywere taken? Can you use the locationservices securely to find the location of thephone in an emergency?

Discuss the amount of time spent talking onthe phone, explain to your child how longtheir inclusive minutes are if they have any,so as not to run up a huge bill!Discuss and monitor costs – phones can beexpensive. As well as bills, costs can be runup through downloading apps, music orleaving data-roaming on whilst abroad.Your child should be made aware of thefinancial responsibility that comes withowning a phone. There are different waysto manage costs, such as having a contractor pay-as-you-go deals, make sure youdiscuss this in the shop.Consider banning their mobile phones whenthey are doing homework, during mealtimes and perhaps removing from theirbedrooms when they are sleeping.Most schools ban mobile phones from theclassroom, make sure you and your childknow the schools rules and theconsequences.

If they are young, program in the numbersthey will need and make sure they know notto answer calls from numbers they don’trecognise.Make them aware of the dangers of

crossing the road whilst using their phones.The road safety lobbying group RoadSafe andAXA car insurance recently found that 11years of age is the highest accident risk agefor child pedestrians.Discuss what they can share – teach your childto think before they share online and theconsequence of doing this over the mobilephone, such as sharing their location.Protect your child's phone with a passwordagainst thieves or kids who may ‘borrow’ yourchild’s phone to play practical jokes.Keep their mobile number private – childrenneed to understand that their phone numbershould only be given to people they know andtrust. Make sure that if they are concerned,they ask you first.Many mobile phones offer Internet access,giving your child the opportunity to visit avariety of websites and use social media thatyou may not normally allow your child toaccess. This gives them the opportunity tocommunicate with anybody, including sexualpredators. Be aware that your child may bemore prone to bullying as bullies are nowusing text messages and social media as amethod of victimisation.Finally, if you have any doubts about yourchild using their mobile phone, let them knowthat you will be checking randomly to ensurethat the rules are being obeyed and that theyare safe.



Christmas presents sorted with these fabulous gifts the children can bake…

is a time that we all gettogether and food plays a big part of that.The preparations that go into what we willbe eating over the festive period certainlyinspires me to get baking and it's allsomething we can join in with. Whether it'smaking a wish whilst stirring the Christmaspudding or making gingerbread decorationsfor the tree. It's such a great opportunity toadd to our Christmas memories andtraditions.These are simple recipes that any age canget involved in. They are fantastic as gifts -be it a baked gift, or the gift of baking, thesehave it covered.

1 x 800g Jar with Lid65g Desiccated Coconut

100g Rolled Oats

100g Sultanas or Dried Cranberries80g Soft Brown Sugar

130g Plain Flour1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

You can either buy a nice jar with a clampdown lid for this or use the large size jarsyou get mayonnaise in. Fill your jar withthe ingredients in the order listed. Includea label of cooking instructions with wetingredients.Instructions: Melt 125g of butter and 2 tbspof golden syrup in a pan then add the dryingredients from the jar. Place spoons ofmixture onto a baking sheet lined withparchment. Allow room for them tospread. Flatten slightly with a fork andbake at 160C for 10 minutes. Makes 20.

180g Sugar20g Butter

3 Eggs300g Self Raising Flour



Christmas presents sorted with these fabulous gifts the children can bake…1/2 tsp Baking

Powder2 x 411g JarsMincemeat

60g Glace Cherries,halved

Flaked Almonds toDecorate

Cream together thesugar and butterthen add the eggs,flour and bakingpowder. Make sureeverything iscombined then add the mincemeat andcherries. Fold everything through then pileinto a lined 2 lb loaf tin, sprinkle on theflaked almonds and bake at 160C for 1½ to2 hours. You may want to cover it with foilafter the first hour to make sure it doesn'tburn. Test the centre with a skewer andonce cooked remove from the oven andcool in the tin. Wrap in greaseproof paperbefore packaging up.

125g Dark Chocolate, melted350g Christmas Pudding, cooked & Cooled

2 tbsp Golden Syrup60ml Sherry/Cointreau/Tia Maria

(Optional)100g White Chocolate, melted

Glace CherriesAngelica

Crumble the Christmas pudding and addthe syrup and alcohol if using. Combinewell then mix in the dark chocolate. Nowform into truffle size balls, it should makeroughly 30. Allow to cool and set. Topeach truffle with the white chocolate toevoke cream and add small pieces ofcherry and angelica to represent holly.Many thanks to Yasmin Limbert, Great BritishBake off contestant and WI Cook of the year,for these recipes.

Kids Direct Liverpool Parties Winter 2013


Take the stress and hassle out of yourBirthday Party arrangements and enjoya party to be proud of at Bubbles’ Worldof Play. Choose from their Underwater,Jungle or African Savannah themedparty booths, each of which creates afantastic party atmosphere where thechildren eat together and sing HappyBirthday.Their parties last 2 hours and include 80minutes of play and 40 minutes in theirdedicated party area for a choice of hotand cold buffet or toddler lunch boxes.Also, choose from a range of party extrasavailable including party bags or a visitfrom Bubbles the Panda. All partiesinclude invites and a party host to ensureyou too have a great time on your child’smagical day. 0151 691 6030

Would you like a FUN packed memorableparty? The Creepy Crawly Show isenjoyable for all ages and great for homeparties, children's birthdays, christenings,holy communions and other familycelebrations. Everyone can join in fromtoddlers to teens and the adults areentertained too. From party games, musicto ‘Get Me Out of Here’ style challengesand don’t forget the animals, with snakes,tarantula, scorpion, lizards, giant Africansnails, hissing cockroaches, turtles andmany more. Their parties offer greatphoto opportunities and are presented bytheir comical ‘Explorer’ style entertainerwho’ll ensure your occasion is a fun andmemorable one. Available throughoutMerseyside, Wirral & Cheshire.

Book your adventure now: 01244 646045www.thecreepycrawlyshow.co.uk

Kids Direct Liverpool Music, Drama & Dance Winter 2013


Verabella Boutique is a gorgeous familyrun boutique in the heart of Liverpoolbringing beautiful designerwear tochildren at affordable prices. They stocka great range of designer clothes andaccessories for boys and girls aged from0-12 and now include brands as Sarah-Louise, Me too, Boboli, Foque, Mimpi,Usb2, Butterscotch & Bonnie Jean.They pride themselves on givingoutstanding customer service and havea global customer following. Theircustomers are their number one priorityand they go out of their way to help youfind the perfect outfit for your child.So, for great designerwear andoutstanding service visit: VerabellaBoutique, Norton Street, Liverpool, L38QA. Tel: 07861 706250.

Little Actors Theatre Company offersperforming arts activities for children aged2½-11. LATC is applying for CharitableStatus to develop their access for allpolicy. A grant from the John ThawFoundation enables discounts for lowincome families. LATC offers DramaTotsfor pre-school children (singing, dance anddrama). Plus Theatre Club for ages 5-11has two hours of drama and musicaltheatre. All facilitators are professionallytrained & experienced actors.Participating in the performing artsimproves health and wellbeing and alsobuilds children's communication skills,confidence and self-esteem. For Winter2013 the children are preparing aChristmas themed presentation. For 2014the children will work on a WW1 themedcommunity theatre project. ContactSamantha Giblin on 0151 336 4302, oremail: [email protected]

Kids Direct Liverpool For Parents Winter 2013


www.facebook.com/InSightImgs

Call Claire on 07852 924451 Email: [email protected]

Newborn and baby photographyFamily and Children portraits

Cake smash sessions

InSight Images offers a high quality andprofessional service throughoutLiverpool, Wirral and the Merseysidearea.

Claire is thephotographerbehind InSightImages andundertakes allareas ofportraiture

including Newborn and Children'sportrait sessions. She provides mobilestudio and location sessions throughoutMerseyside all year round. Her aim is tocapture beautiful, timeless images thatcapture your child's personality andcreate lasting memories of such aprecious time. There are a number of

packages available that have beendesigned to suit all budgets, startingfrom just £99 you can have a collectionof stunning high quality images for yearsto come.A very popular package they offerincludes 3 sessions : Bump, Newborn andBaby's 1st Birthday, which beautifullydocuments the special milestones duringyour baby's first year.They are alsohappy to price upany bespokerequests that youmay have.Contact them formore details on this and all their otherpackages. Telephone 07852 924451 oremail [email protected].

Maternity sessions



Every little girl dreams of being aprincess and at Ruffles n Bows theyhave the perfect twirly, bouncypettiskirts in a range of beautifulcolours to delight your little princess.They also stock a lovely range of prettygirls fashion, head bands, socks andmuch more.Situated on Bold Street, in the centre ofLiverpool, Ruffles n bows and cater forgirls from newborn to 14 years old.They offer a delivery service around theLiverpool area and also take paymentsvia PayPal, bank transfer or you can calland pay over the phone with your card.Gift certificates are available too,perfect for Christmas or birthdays.Email:[email protected] visit www.rufflesnbows.co.uk



Exclusive 20% discount for Kids Direct readers, just visitwww.ukbabyandtoddlershow.co.uk and enter code ‘KidsDirect2’

Liverpool Echo Arena1st & 2nd February 2014

The UK Baby & Toddler Show inassociation with Milkshake! Channel 5.is back for the second year running atLiverpool’s Echo Arena and is set to bebigger and better than ever before withspectacular added features.There will be plenty of fun for the wholefamily with the Milkshake! Crew performingtheir famous Bop Box live show and visitorscan also enjoy the large children’s familyfun interactive zone.

With up to 200 local, regional and nationalexhibitors on board providing megashopping opportunities, you will be spoiltfor choice. The show, featuring over twodays, will include demonstrations,competitions and opportunities for parents,expectant mothers and families to getinvolved and try products whilst gainingvaluable advice and support from

professionals on topics such as “pottytraining” and “baby sleep” to name but afew.

The first few years of a child’s life arefundamentally significant. Evidenceconfirms that these early years do indeedposition and set up our children’s futuredevelopment, as well as influence how wellchildren do at school, their on-going healthand well-being and their achievementslater in life.

After enjoying all the shoppingopportunities and valuable seminars as wellas the fun and games with the Milkshake!Crew, why not enter your little one into theBe the Face of UK Baby & Toddler Show!Use code KidsDirect2 when bookng yourtickets online for a 20% discount atwww.ukbabyandtoddlershow.co.ukSee you there!

Kids Direct Liverpool Sporting Fun Winter 2013


tickets online for a 20% discount at

Keith Arnold Swim Schools Ltd, hassuccessfully taught children to swim to a highstandard over the past twelve years,engendering a love of swimming andconfidence in the water.Planned, personalised learning ensures allchildren’s needs are met. A sensitive approachand knowledge of individuals ensures even themost nervous children achieve outstandingresults. 30 minute lessons are available forbeginners through to 60 minute lessons atpre-competitive standard.They take children from 3 years subject toindividual suitability. They have recentlyexpanded their provision for pre-schoolchildren, offering an additional eight classesto cope with the demand. The focus is on“Learning to Learn” and key skills thatcontribute to positive swimming outcomes.Teachers experience and individualprofessional development play a large part of

the schools success. Their additional provisionfor children with special needs contributesimmensely to the overall quality and attentionto detail evident in their teaching at all levels.All teaching staff are employees and have allthe benefits associated with that status. Theyhave a background in high level competitiveswimming and have taught or coached at localswimming clubs. Some also have experienceteaching children with special needs and havedisability teaching qualifications in addition tothe ASA Level 2.The swimming school is a professionalcompany, with a family atmosphere. Theycarry full third party and employee liabilityinsurance. They offer customer service secondto none and elements of flexibility to helpmanage sometimes difficult family logistics.Please contact Keith Arnold on 0151 342 5648or 07807 838 160 alternatively [email protected].

Kids Direct Liverpool - Winter 2013

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Transcript of Kids Direct Liverpool - Winter 2013