Do you believe in fairies?

How do you play? 
We have very distinct playing roles in this house. Mama's good for cuddles and kisses and going on adventures.  Daddy's best for playing though - indoors or outside he'll happily roll around, tickle, play catch, hid in the den, allow himself to be thumped over the head with various toy tractors.  I guess he's the patient one!  I can't help but feel a little jealous of all the shrieks of laughter coming from TT's room after bathtime, but the truth is I'm just not as good at messing around for anything more than 10 minutes or so.  I could argue that I'm too busy however - after all I'm cooking dinner and sorting out the house while Daddy Native does bathtime & tries to find clean PJs.

So I'm drawing plans to make the garden more TT friendly.  Sure there's loads of space to run around, but I'm forever working in the garden, tending lovingly to the veggies and flowers and taking photos for my other blog.  So far, we've cut back a bush in the garden and carved out space for a den and put her play wig-wam in there to show her it's her space.  We've been lucky to receive lots of toys and a slide/climbing frame from neighbours & family who's kids no longer need them.

I'm designing a little obstacle course which I plan to build..... sometime!  I want there to be space for her to grow her own flowers and take pride in planting them herself, whilst also being able to climb and wriggle and hide and do rolly-pollys there.  We're lucky to have such a good sized garden  & I was greatly inspired by The Forgotten Island and hoping to source some tyres for free, build some grass ledges and add texture and colour to the garden with ribbons and crafts that we can make together.

Mostly however I'm super excited by the fact that she's started believing in and understanding what fairies are!  I had a funny conversation with a friend this week about how his fairies are very different from mine!  It had never occurred to me that everyone has their own idea of what a fairy might look like!  I'm going to wallow in reliving my own child hood here and put up some fairy doors on the tree trunk, and create plenty of evidence for TT to nourish her fairy imagination! 

What do you think makes the best play space in gardens for toddlers to grow & explore in?



Glasgow Riverside Museum, in pictures

Seriously great morning out.  If you haven't been yet, get your shoes on and go now. 

In fact, better still wait and go first thing in the morning, preferably not on a weekend as the place is jumping.  We arrived at 10am and had a blissful hour and a half of space and quiet before literally coach loads of people, mostly children emptied into the museum.  The ratio of children to adults is pretty frightening!  But hey, that's because we're bang in the middle of summer holidays, and this is Glasgow's newest free attraction. 

I've heard that a lot of people have been complaining that the car park is too small, and there are signs everywhere naming the overspill car parks nearby to deal with this.  But I don't believe that the museum will continue to attract such huge crowds once the initial buzz of interest calms down.  Also, the museum is well serviced by buses and ferries, so there's no need to drive there.

As well as being a stunning piece of architecture, by the wonderful Zaha Hadid, the museum is really cleverly put together and truly caters for everyone whatever their age and taste.  Even TT with her minuscule attention span was enthralled by some of the features.  We split up so that Daddy Wild could enjoy some of the displays in peace and quiet whilst I zipped around the place with TT.  The hour and a half we spent inside, and half hour playing outside was not long enough at all.  However we just know that we'll be back many times, probably more so when the weather changes and we are desperate to get out and about on wet afternoons later in the year!

There are two cafes inside the museum and three vans outside selling hot dogs, coffee, sweeties, sandwiches etc so there's good choice whatever the weather and the age of your party.  We were so lucky to be there on a hot sunny day so sat in the sun outside watching TT build sandcastles and silently stalk other children.

 I loved how interactive most of the displays are.  With games for children & adults to play with whilst learning more about some of the engineering and history of transport in Scotland.  Best of all, all of the interactive displays are voiced by locals with great big broad Glaswegian accents.

 We couldn't agree on our favourite parts on the journey home.  I can't decide between Arnold Clark's Wall of Cars, or the cinema documentary showing in one of the stalls.  Daddy Wild had to be torn away from Colin Macrae's rally car, and lingered by both the motorbike corner and the model ships.  I think making a display of model boats interesting is a pretty impressive feat! If TT could answer I more coherently I think she would be split between the model street and the old subway.

 Baby Wild was beside herself with so many cars. She's mad into cars at the moment, in particular tractors for some bizarre reason!  So maybe that was the one minor downfall - there were no tractors!

Inside, you are still aware of the stunning design & architecture of the building.  Everything is streamline and sleek & modern, with great attention to detail and is typical of Hadid's genuis.  The layout is clever and busy, so that I reckon every time we return we'll find something we missed before.  I paid a quick snoop around the small shop and saw things I would have liked to buy for a lot of friends and got plenty of inspiration for some upcoming birthdays!

Lots of toilets, baby changing, cafes, seats, easy access, tall ships, boat rides, interactive displays and things for toddlers to climb on and ride in, making it possibly the most perfect day out around Glasgow.  And it's FREE!

 Amazing!

Logistics / 10 baby friendly            10

toddler friendly         10

adult friendly             20

educational               10

toilets/changing         10
accessibilty               10
car parking              get there early or get a bus/ferry. Cheap parking though.

cost                         Free!! So do please leave a donation.

Best day ever

We plumped for Kelburn. The sun was so fantastic that I decided to get us both dressed up and crash the festival for a couple of hours.  I figured that if we failed to get in then at least we were near to beaches and the sea and would find plenty of other treats in that direction.

But lo and behold we got in no bother, for free seeing as we were staying until 6pm. And holy crap but it rocked!!! I was actually jealous of the children (and there were many) present as the whole place would have totally blown my mind when I was a kid. There was so much effort in to decorate trees, creature sculptures hiding in bushes, lots of folk dressed up as fairies and spirits to tell stories and throw riddles and secrets to unravel to kids in the secret forest. 

There were illustrated maps of where are the stages, bars, toilets etc were with the music and entertainment line-up on the back.  There were plenty of food stalls, and lots & lots of stalls selling crafts, hand made toys and lotions etc.  It was very hippy, I was very happy, but very aware that my toddler was not so laid back and chilled as the rest!  On saying that, there was a great mix of people, so don't let the hippy vibe deter you if that's not your thing, man.  There were entire families there, from old grandparents right down to ickle babies, with men in football tops basking in the sun right next to teenagers decked out on all their day-glo glory swigging from their merry carryouts.  It was a completely eclectic affair, with a lot of truly imaginative and sensational fancy dress.  We even stumbled across a mad hatters tea party where some poor sweating folk were sitting all day in full character costume to entertain surprised kids who stumbled across their path.

All of course back dropped by the stunning painted castle.  Well done to the folk at Kelburn -  a lot of hard work and effort, and it all paid off for a great weekend.  I shall be going back again next year, for a whole day at least, and will be bringing every child I know!

Afterwards we couldn't resist a quick trip to the playground in Largs for an ice cream and a play on the slides in the evening sun.  Messy, sticky but extremely happy, I think one toddler had the best day ever this weekend.

PS - here's a list of other things nearby in Largs....

Out and about this weekend.. decisions, decisions

The sun is shinning and I owe Baby Wild some quality fun time. We're just back from a holiday in Ireland and I have been so depressed back at work and the monotony of the working week/cleaning/unpacking/washing/having to talk to office colleagues/parenting dullness now that the party with friends is over! So I think she needs some 1 on 1 time to make up for general lack of patience this week.

So what to do? We are so lucky to live near Kelburn Castle and they are hosting their fabulous Garden Party festival this weekend. My dilemma is that I am kinda skint after the hols, and I'm not sure I can afford £42 for the Saturday day pass, especially when I am actually only going to manage a few hours with a toddler. I think I might chance my arm at the gate and see if they will let in the 2 of us for a discount for simply a few hours in the afternoon before most of the music stages are fully functioning etc? I dunno, but I guess if you don't ask you don't get!
My other alternative is to go strawberry picking at East Yonderton Farm, just next door to Glasgow Airport.  That would make up for me feeling so pathetic for not bothering to net my main crop strawberries in my own garden and therefore not getting to taste a single one for all the wildlife.  I have netted my beloved wild strawberry patch, but they are young and yield tiny (but deliciously sweet) fruit. 

Time will tell, and I shall let you know how we get on.