Our Summer Bucket List - things to do with a 4 year old in London

I finished work yesterday ahead of my maternity leave. It's a very strange mix of emotions and even though I've been off for a year before it still feels very odd! I've finished work a few weeks before my due date so that I can spend some quality time with Wiss over the summer, and we've drawn up this wish list to keep us entertained.*

Swim at Brockwell Lido - the lido is gorgeous & there is a great cafe too. The water temperature is a very doable 21 degrees at the moment due to the hot weather. There is also a brilliant kids adventure playground at the other side of Brockwell Park so we can head there after lunch.

Visit one or some of London's Fountains - there are some near London Bridge or Kings Cross, an installation on the South Bank terrace, and more at the popular Diana Memorial Park. Take your pick, and a change of clothes!

Kids Workshop at the V&A - I'm actually leading one of the drop-in architectural drawing classes being held at the V&A on Sundays during August, so Wiss will be there anyway, but it will also be great fun. Held in the courtyard, we will be looking at different ways to draw and there is a 4m long drawing board so all the kids can get involved. Plus there's the shallow lake to paddle in afterwards!

Most of the museums in London are running child-friendly workshops through the summer holidays so check out their websites to find something original to do.

Have dinner at the pub after nursery (Wiss's suggestion!) - a very simple one this but it will be a novelty for both me and Papa to collect Wiss from nursery.

Day (or two) at the Beach - it's no secret how much I love being beside the seaside so I'm hoping we'll get to spend some time at either Whitstable in Kent or Chalkwell in Essex.

Summer of Gold Stars - I learned about Parragon's preschool workbooks at BritMums last month. They are encouraging little ones to complete a page a day of their fun & educational books. I thought it would be a great way for Wiss to prepare for the start of school - and he seems to agree. 6.30am phonics anyone??!

Weekend & Toucan Boxes - as much as I'd like to be out and about all day every day this summer, I'm also aware that being 8 months pregnant may mean we need some quieter days too! We have been really lucky to have been sent these boxes to review for the blog. Both of them are filled with different fun activities so we can't wait to try them out and report back.

Sharky & George's Party: Mothers Meeting - I can't believe I hadn't heard about Mothers Meetings before: they have been talked about as for 'The Coolest Mums' (I'm sold already!) but I agree that new mums don't only want to talk about nappies and nipple cream, especially if they are from a creative background. Check out their calendar full of original and exciting meetings for mums, and their kids too. We are booked to go to the Sharky & George Massive Kids Party at Battersea Power Station but there's lots to choose from, and all for £5 each.

What have you all got planned for your summer holiday activities with the kids? As always, I'd love to hear from you so either leave a comment below or you can tweet me @thisiswiss. Happy Holidays :)



*all dependent on the baby not making an early appearance! ;)

Architecture - For the Kids

This week I've mainly been sitting down with my foot up - foot, not feet I'm afraid, and it's not been very relaxing. I developed an infection from a random horsefly bite which left me barely able to walk. I mean, honestly, how much pain can one little bite cause? Let me tell you... A LOT! Anyway, I seem to be on the mend now thanks to some strong antibiotics, and I'm going to be wearing a head-to-toe boiler suit from now on at all times, just in case!

I was due to be giving a talk to Wiss's pre-school nursery class about Architects (and Modelmakers!) but that has had to be postponed too. Instead, and to keep me prepared, I thought I'd share some of our personal architectural gems in London.

Photo Source

The view from the top of Gipsy Hill, SE19 is one Wiss has grown up with, and as views of the City go it is pretty spectacular. We watched the Shard being built from this vantage point and we see it daily in all sorts of weather - the way the sun reflects off it is amazing. Wiss developed a love for the Shard and points it out whenever he spots it somewhere on the skyline!

The Shard

Getting the train into London Bridge station offers a completely different view of the Shard, and standing at the foot of it you can feel completely dwarfed. The trick perspective from this angle makes it seem like the Shard is even taller than it really is. 

We have not taken Wiss to the top viewing level yet as the prices have always been prohibitively expensive, but this half term children go free! Between 26 May and 1 June up to 2 children can get in free with at least one full-paying adult. Even though adult tickets are still £25 each, this could mean a saving of up to £37.90 on the kids!!! See their website for more details and to book in advance.

City Hall

Once you've got the train to London Bridge, it would be silly not to take a stroll along the river. We always cut through Hayes Galleria (great pirate ship sculpture in the middle) then have a look at HMS Belfast moored just before City Hall. The piazza round here is always buzzing with people and interesting things to see. There's even a free table tennis table with bats and balls provided!

City Hall (designed by Norman Foster) is home to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority, and as such may seem to be off-limits, especially with a child...but no! Parts of it are open to the public, and once you've negotiated the airport-style security (always exciting for a kid) you will be able to explore the enormous aerial photo of the whole of London (just seen at the bottom of the ramp in this photo) I wish I taken some pictures of Wiss running around on this but maybe I will, and add them in post-posting?

Photo credit

As well as trying to find your house on the huge map, there is a great cafe with an outside terrace into the Scoop (for little ones to run around in, if there's no free entertainment on) and of course, there is a toilet with baby changing facilities. Always handy to know where these are in busy tourist areas!

Toddle in the City

I've posted before about these brilliant Treasure Hunts for kids armed with digital cameras, and I'm pleased to say that Yat is back again with more Toddles this summer! The first ones kick off on the 30 & 31st May in Crystal Palace as preparation for the Overground Festival running from 26th -29th June. I love the idea of encouraging a love and respect for the city from an early age, and you really do get to see things from a completely different perspective when a child is behind the lens.

 

 

As well as being a great day out there is hope that the photos from these Toddles may help with the future redevelopment plans of Crystal Palace and the Park! The pictures taken by these children could help to shape the city of tomorrow by informing the city-planners - how cool is that?

We're booked in already and can't wait to see what treasures the kids discover in Crystal Palace. If you want to book too then go to the Toddle in the City website.

Iggy Peck

Finally, you can keep the architecture theme going even at bedtime! 'Iggy Peck, Architect' is a great story about a little boy who just loves buildings (and bridges) The rhyming story is funny, and we love the illustrations by David Roberts. (I particularly love the use of graph paper backgrounds!) I found this a really easy way to start introducing the concept of architecture to Wiss, and it has led on to lots of discussions about designing buildings - and how suspension bridges work!

Where is Wiss? Buy Handmade in London this Christmas

I know we are still in October so it's really not the done thing to be talking about the 'C' word yet...but as this is the busiest time for makers and markets I've been planning upcoming events very carefully. It's going to be a really busy time for me but I'm really excited about involved in some wonderful Christmas Fairs.

So, if you are planning on buying handmade and supporting your local area (London) this season here are all the events that This is Wiss will be at (come rain, shine...or even snow!!!)

Saturday 10 November - Richmond Duckpond Market 10.30 am - 4pm

Saturday 16 November - Christmas Bazaar, Dulwich 10am - 5pm

Sunday 17 November - Ruislip Duckpond Market 10am - 3pm

Saturday 30 November - Open House Christmas Event, Herne Hill 10am - 2pm

Sunday 1 December - Red Ribbon Festival, Battersea Arts Centre 12pm - 4pm

Sunday 15 December - Richmond Christmas Duckpond Market 10.30am - 4pm

Phew! My sewing machine is going to need a holiday after all of those!

As well as all the usual best-sellers I will be bringing back my 'ChWISStmas' products: Rudy Reindeers, Make your own Rudy Kits, and festive t-shirts and baby gros. If you are able to come along to any of these events, you will be able to pick up some wonderful, unique presents and stocking fillers from all the sellers - and don't forget to say hello!

I only ran the London Marathon!!

I am very happy to be able to say that I ran 26.2 miles!


After all the training, the build-up, the sensible eating (and all the chocolate eating) the big day arrived last Sunday, and boy weren't we lucky with the weather? I managed to get a good nights sleep and woke up surprisingly calm. As usual, TFL and the actual train companies seemed unable to communicate with each other so the trains that the Internet told me would be running weren't running, but even that turned out ok. I have to thank Sheena Patel, a complete stranger but fellow runner who picked me up from the bus stop and dropped me off at the tube station. There did seem to be a something in the air, an excitement that everybody was feeling, and it made London feel nice!


We had all been given red bags to put our stuff in whilst we ran, and as my journey to Greenwich progressed there were more and more red bags. It was like a flash mob was forming, a huge group of 37,500 runners!


As I stood waiting to start I wasn't nervous, it actually felt unreal. Here I was, about to tackle the challenge of a lifetime but it also felt like a great day out too! It took over ten minutes of walking to reach the actual start and then we were on our way, and people were shouting out my name already! The first 10 miles went by so quickly that I was starting to think that it may be easy (hmmm!) I had a huge team of supporters waiting for me at the 12 mile mark and it was great to see them all, waving orange streamers and pom-poms! One of the highlights was crossing Tower Bridge and I felt so proud that it actually gave me goosebumps.

I missed seeing my supporters in Canary Wharf as they were having lunch (!) but things continued to go well...up until mile 18. I stopped to go to the loo (there are portaloos throughout the course, in case you were wondering) and it was so hard to get going again. My legs felt like they belonged to someone else! Once I got back into my stride they felt ok, almost as if they were on autopilot. I decided then I wouldn't be stopping for anything until I'd crossed the finish line!


I don't think I actually hit a 'wall' but it was definitely tough going between 18 and 22 miles. I remember clearly the sign that said "in 2.5 miles you will have finished" and that really spurred me on. By this stage there were lots of people walking but my legs just kept on running.


My husband was at the 25 mile mark, and my mum, brother and friends were at the '300m to go' sign. It was such an amazing feeling to see them (screaming their hearts out along with everyone around them!) and then turn the corner and see the finish line. Out of nowhere I got the energy to speed up and sprint for the finish!

I'm not sure if I'm smiling or grimacing in this finishers photo but I was very happy to have my medal! My official time is 4 hours 30 minutes and 40 seconds, which placed me in 18782nd place overall. I'm pretty happy with that.


I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that supported me throughout this massive achievement - all my friends and family, my colleagues, twitterfolk and bloggers but also the hundreds of people who helped to organise and run the event and especially the thousands of people that turned out to cheer us all on. You have no idea how much it helped every runner to see you all lining the entire route. I felt like a superstar!


I've been asked many times this week if I'd run a marathon again........ and the answer is yes! It wasn't as hard as I'd imagined that it might be, and the worst 'injury' I had was sunburned shoulders. However, that said I won't be signing up to another one just yet. The training did take up a huge chunk of time especially at the weekends and I think that my family and friends might want to see a bit more of me now. I do hope that some of you have been inspired though and maybe I can pass the baton on? There are loads of races of all distances that you could take part in, but if you do fancy London in 2013, the Ballot opens on Monday 30th April. Good luck!


I can't write a post about this marathon without expressing my sympathy to the family of Claire Squires. She seems to have been an inspirational woman, and it's so sad that her life ended too soon. The money that has been donated in her name to the Samaritans will help many, many people and keep her memory alive. Rest in Peace.