Older Children

Children over the age of 6 years old

NHM Readers: Recommended books for a nearly 7 year old

Posted by juliet on in Books, NHM Readers, Older Children 0 Comment

I recently asked the Friends of my “Louise nhm Smith” profile on Facebook “I’m looking for some more books to read Miss NHM (nearly 7) at bedtime, especially some book boxsets, and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations?”

Many thanks for your responses, listed below in no particular order:

NHM Readers recommend books for a nearly 7 year old

“The Indian in the Cupboard, Lynne Reid Banks“

Ruth said “The Wishing Tree? There are two more books with it in a set, it’s Enid Blighton if i recall…”

Susie said “We’ve struggled with these. Although I loved the books, it’s very old fashioned & my 7 year old questions a lot about what different things mean. Shall try again when she’s older.”

Katie said “The Works had some really good book sets the other day. I got my son 1.”

Eleanor said “My 7yo is loving the Worst Witch box set.”

Yvette said “Anthony My 5 year old loves Roald Dahl”

Rebecca said “Narnia!”

Kelly said “My son is 7 just read Nania and loved every minute of it.”

Elizabeth said “Charlotte loved The Worst Witch.”

Charlotte said “Wishing Tree and Faraway Tree. Famous 5, Some of the younger Roald Dahl’s”

Emily said “I’ve just got an Enid Blyton box set for my niece for Xmas, it’s got the Faraway Tree etc in it, they were my absolute fave when I was that age”

Claire said “Clarice Bean are good and they move onto the Ruby Redfort series”

Yvette said “My 6 year old loves Roald Dahl. The Book People online is so cheap for boxsets”

Marie said “Anything by Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, Terry Pratchett”

Lisa said “David Walliams books and the Mr Gum series – they always make us laugh”

Melody said “The Chronicles of Narnia are a firm favourite, and for some non fiction, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls”

Helen said “Zoe’s Rescue Zoo”

Sarah said “Cressida Cowell’s How to Train your Dragon series are fantastic. I think David Tennant reads the audio books and they are fab!”

Fiona said “The Magic Faraway Tree. The Famous Five.”

Fiona said “https://bookloverjo.wordpress.com Jo is brilliant at recommending books”

Sue said “Magic Faraway Tree”

Amanda said “If you haven’t read the Christmasaurus or the Creakers I would recommend them”

Natalie said “Holly Webb is a fav in my house all animal based adventures (also often on sale in The Works) also can’t beat the classics Roald Dahl or Enid Blyton!”

Fiona said “Gangster Granny”

Heather said “The Witch Wars series are popular with my 7 year old and all the Lauren Child books (Clarice Bean particularly)”

Hannah said “Roald Dahl had been a bedtime favourite in this house. That and the Faraway Tree books.”

Anne said “Check out Pamela Butchart (Baby Aliens Got my Teacher), David Solomon (My Brother is a Superhero), Emma Carroll (Letters to the Lighthouse), Robin Stevens (Murder Most Unladylike), James Nicol (Apprentice Witch), Lorraine Gregory (Mold and the Poison Plot). And Kathryn Rundell (The Explorer), Matt Haig (A Boy Called Christmas), Mary Alice Evans (Who Let the Gods Out). There are loads of recent fantastic authors writing for this age at the moment!”

Wendy said “My son loved the Great Hamster Massacre, there’s a series of them if you enjoy it. Captain Underpants and anything by Dav Pilkey are also good.”

Christine said “Roald Dahl (Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are favourites), Mirabelle (the chapter books not the abridged ones) by Julia Donaldson – we read them when she was 5 but they’re a firm favourite still, Stella Batts box set was very popular, Rainbow Magic (although quite boring in my opinion but my 6 year old enjoys them). We’re going to try the Worst Witch next”

Sarah said “The Rainbow Magic Fairies are great each one has a different girls name and they are available in box sets too. Winnie & Wilbur books are quite good too.”

Kate said “Jack and the Flum Flum tree”

Helen said “Roald Dahl- anything they’re fab. The Secret Garden. The Worst Witch. A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch. Judy Blume – Fudge, Super Fudge, Sheila the Great. The Indian in the Cupboard. The Borrowers.”

Susan said “James started with Harry Potter at age 6. We read them together…”

Liane said “How to Train your Dragon, anything by David Walliams, Enid Blyton’s Famous 5, Worst Witch, all really great box sets.”

Leah said “Rainbow Fairies series. Animal Rescue series. Wishing Chair & Faraway Tree series. The Works is great. And also the Book People. And Waterstones – you get discount too online/card”

Fiona said “http://www.worldbookday.com”

Rebekah said “David Walliams books are all firm favourites in our house.”

Susan said “Just William went down well, but some of the language, and the concept of having a cook as well as a mother, might need explaining!”

Susan said “Naughtiest Girl in the School. Alex Ryder for action/spy stuff. Mrs. Wildings book corner is the answer, I think! She has a Facebook page. Young James Bond by Charlie Higson. Excellent series.”

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NHM Readers Recommend after school football sessions for 5+ years

Posted by juliet on in After School Clubs, Basingstoke, Children, Classes, Exercise, NHM Readers, North Hampshire, Older Children, Sport, Things to Do 0 Comment

An NHM Reader recently asked “I’m looking for a football after school session if possible for 5 years +… starting in September. Would you be able to put a shout out for me? I know there was one done on pre-schoolers….”

Thank you to all those who replied. The responses are below and in no particular order.

NHM Readers Recommend after school football sessions for 5+ years

Sarah said “Hatch Warren Phoenix are after children in Year R and 1. Runs on Saturday mornings though very professional group and coaches are fabulous”

Evi said “Brighton Hill school power league, https://www.facebook.com/GolElite/ Thu 5-6”

Wendy said “There’s one at Everest on a Wed but the FA website doesn’t have the details. Give the community centre a call for info.”

For a Sat session, Lods Tods is training for 4 to year 1. 10 – 12 on Sherfield village green. £2 pay as you go.”

Candice said “These guys run during term time at Sherfield Park Community Centre on Mondays 5-6pm. They also run coaching workshops over the summer holidays (all 5 weeks here M-F 9am – 3pm or half days) so a great opportunity to maybe have a few trial sessions in advance of September Challenger Sports“

Jo said “Tuesdays 6-7 at Richard Aldworth school with these guys…Pro-Skills Coaching Basingstoke“

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BASINGSTONES: Top Tips

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Basingstoke, Children, Family, Free, Holidays, Older Children, Outings, Pre School, Things to Do, Toddlers, Walks, Wellbeing 2 Comments

The Basics

All you need to do is paint a stone and write “Basingstones” on it. Then hide it somewhere safe for someone to find and hopefully brighten their day!

If you find a Basingstone, please post a photo of it on our Facebook Group page so we can see how far it travels. Either keep it and replace, or just hide it again somewhere new.

 

The Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/basingstones/ The magic of Basingstones is what happens off social media ie the spending time together, being creative, getting outdoors, sharing and the small acts of kindness concept.

Our facebook page allows the wonderful Basingstones community to come together online to share photos and smiles but it shouldn’t be the focus.  That said, here are a few tips on using the facebook group page:

  • Pinned Post

Please make sure you have a read of the Pinned Post – lots of important information in there!

  • Searching

There is a SEARCH bar which allows you to search out key words in posts – very helpful for when you are looking for a particular post by an individual or regarding a certain topic. Just type the person’s name for example and hit SEARCH.

  • Reporting posts

Please help us to keep the page free of sales posts, unrelated page links and spam. If you see anything inappropriate or disrespectful, please press the three dots in the right hand corner of the post, then select the option to “Report post”

  • Sharing photos

Note that this group is public and can be seen and accessed by anyone, so please be mindful when sharing details and posting pics. Do NOT post photos of other people’s children.

Did you know…?

…there are often competition basingstones for you to keep a lookout for!
Try searching “competition” to see what you could win

…there is a Basingstones Admin photo album for Basingstones news
hit Albums and select Basingstones Admin

…there is a thread to track international Basingstones so that we can see them pop up all over the world! (This can be found in the Basingstones Admin album)

…Basingstones has been on the radio, in the newspaper and even nominated for a community project award!  Check out the Basingstones Admin Album for details

FAQs

Where can I get stones from?

Lots of garden centres and large DIY stores sell big bags of stones/cobbles for about £5.  Locally, you can try The Range, Wickes, Conkers, Home Bargains, B&M, Bunnings and many more.

Taking rocks from beaches is discouraged and you could actually be fined.  Whilst taking the odd stone will do no damage, we don’t want to have a negative impact on the environment.

How should I decorate basingstones?

You can paint the stone however you wish, perhaps with a pretty pattern, a fun cartoon character, an inspirational quote or an artistic design.

Please avoid sticking things to the stones though which could potentially fall off and be harmful to wildlife. We want to be friendly towards our environment and our furry friends too.

What paint is best to use?

Sharpie pens, permanent markers, nail polish, acrylic paints and clear varnish or spray (to make it weather proof) all work really well.

Why haven’t I seen a photo of the basingstone I hid?

There are thousands of group members and hundreds of posts each day. You cannot keep track of them all.  Also, some people may choose not to share their photos or finds online.

Don’t worry that not all hidden basingstones get a finder post – each one makes someone smile and each one is special!

I hope this helps.

Have fun!

Rachel x
Basingstones Admin

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NHM Readers Recommend Dance Classes for 4 and 8 year olds

Posted by juliet on in After School Clubs, Basingstoke, Children, Classes, Exercise, NHM Readers, North Hampshire, Older Children, Pre School, Sport, Things to Do 0 Comment

An NHM Reader recently asked “Are there any children’s dance classes that take mixed age children? I am looking for a class for a 4 year old and an 8 year old. It seems many places only start from age 5 also, my 4 year old will be in school from September.”

Many thanks to the NHM community for the below responses, which are in no particular order.

NHM Readers Recommend Dance Classes for 4 and 8 year olds

Paul said “not sure about dance, but I know Basingstoke Wolverines Cheer Squad are looking for people if that’s any good?”

Wendy said “They should be able to attend together for Irish Dancing. Contact below for times (I believe Basingstoke is a Tues evening) http://www.boyleodowda.com/contact.html“

Helena said “Petite school of dance (ballet, tap, Acro) are from preschool to senior school! Very friendly and relaxed but excellent dancing achieved!”

Paula said “JLD school of dancing are amazing – http://www.jldschoolofdancing.co.uk/ Main studio in Kingsclere, other classes are at Cranbourne school in Basingstoke Cranbourne Primary School“

Carlie said “North Hampshire Academy of Dance is an excellent dance school, my son and daughter have been there for 10 years and have thrived there. Free trial classes and qualified teachers. Highly recommend.”

Charlene said “JG Dance Basingstoke. My daughter is 6 and has been attending for 2 years now and does several styles of dancing on Saturday mornings. Lovely teachers and all the parents are friendly”

Sarah said “Happy Feet Dance Academy“

Julie said “The problem of them being together in most dance schools is that the exam structure is usually based at the beginning around ages – so your 8 year old could be waiting a long time for the 4 year old to be old enough/capable of doing the exams. If you wanted something informal and fun I think that Chandelle Stage School do a mixed modern/tap/ballet class in Winklebury that covers a broader age as they do IDTA dance awards rather than the formal RAD and ISTD ballet and tap etc.”

Julie said “For actual RAD and ISTD there is also Basingstoke Academy of Dancing at Houndmills”

Debbie said “www.lyndendance.co.uk“

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My Experience: Let’s talk about sex…

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Children, Education, My Experience, Older Children, Wellbeing 0 Comment

Yeah, I thought that might get your attention! Hahaha.

It certainly got my attention when Miss NHM came home from school a few weeks ago, talking about “hairy bhajina’s”. It took me about 5 seconds before I twigged what she was going on about!!?!?!?!?!

Then there was a “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I’m not READY, I’m not READY, I’m not READY!!!!” in my head for about another 5 seconds whilst I did some very quick thinking.

Then I realised that I’m never going to be ready for this one, so I corrected Miss NHM with the right wording and said I would see if I could find a book that could help her understand some things.

Now, I’m the first to admit that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing when it comes to parenting. I’m making the whole thing up as I go along. We all are and anyone who says they aren’t is a great, big, hairy fibber.

But I do know that it’s important to Mr NHM and I that Miss NHM doesn’t learn about sex from playground gossip.

I know this isn’t strictly about sex but when I was 8 years old one of my best friends, Rachel P, her Mum had a miscarriage. Rachel’s parents obviously tried to explain this awful situation in a way that Rachel would understand. What Rachel took away from this conversation was that the baby had died and that it had been flushed down the toilet. She then told everyone in the playground that this is what had happened. For YEARS I had nightmares about small babies dying and being flushed down toilets, like goldfish.

So I was adamant that Miss NHM doesn’t find out about the birds and the bees or anything like this from playground gossip.

I don’t ever remember having the “sex talk” with my parents. I still have a book that was given to me when I was 6 years old, which explained how things worked.

I discreetly asked a few of the Mum’s on the school run about whether they had come across this yet, and one of my lovely friends (Hi H!) suggested the following book: “Let’s talk about the birds and the bees”.

I got our copy from The Book People, because it was a third of the price of what it was on Amazon or at Waterstones.

It’s a hard back book and really good quality.

The following weekend, Miss NHM and I sat on the bed and read the first few pages of the book.

I can’t say it was an easy read for me. I was cringing  a lot of the way through those pages, which says quite a lot about me I’m sure. Hopefully this didn’t come across as I was doing my very best to read it naturally.

Miss NHM was quite fascinated by it all and she clearly took it all on board because a few nights later she asked about it over the dinner table, which wasn’t quite was I wanted to discuss whilst eating spag bol, but I’d rather she feels safe to discuss these things with us than not.

I have tried to explain to her that we only talk about these things at home. I’d like to apologise to the other school parents if she hasn’t taken this bit on board (face palm).

I have no idea if I’ve done the right thing or not. “Just turned 7 years old” seems FAR too early to me to be discussing things like sex, but then I remember being that age and being quite fascinated by it all.

There is a section at the back of the book for parents, which says that if you talk to your children about sex they are less likely to be hung up about it.

They better be right!!!!

Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there! 

Review 2018: FlipOut Basingstoke

Posted by sandhya on in Basingstoke, Children, Classes, Exercise, Family, Older Children, Outings, Reviews, Reviews of Things to do, Things to Do, Toddlers 1 Comment

Thank you to S for today’s NHM Review!

Review 2018: FlipOut Basingstoke

I visited FlipOut last Saturday( just before the half-term) as part of NHM community. I was there with my 3 year old son and husband for 1 hour between 11am and 12pm. It was quite easy to buy tickets once you are there, they also offer online pre-booking which has a separate queue. However the entrance is quite narrow which can make it busy during peak time, so be prepared well in advance.

All sessions are timed and they start every half hour. Once you bought the tickets you are then asked to go to the briefing room where they show a 5 mins safety video of do’s and dont’s.

I really liked the graffiti artwork. It was beautifully used throughout the whole of Flip Out which made the place very colourful. My first reaction once I got into the park was “It was enormous”, they have over 50 trampolines of different sizes. They have lots of different areas to cater all age groups.  

The park has :

  • Main trampoline jumping area
  • 28 ft Ninja slide ( for teens/adults)
  • Foam pit.
  • Total wipeout( Kids loved it )
  • Climbing walls
  • And lots more ( I didn’t get to go into the teens/adults area )

The main park is for all age group but a few areas are height restricted which means under 6s weren’t allowed. They have a special trampoline area with FlipOut’s signature car in the middle. Kids loved jumping from and on to the car. Foam pit and total wipeout was my son’s favourite of the day. Unfortunately we didn’t use much of the teen/adults section but by the look of it I was sure they were all having lots of fun. It was a busy day with lots of toddlers, kids, teens and adults thought it didn’t look over-crowded.

Safety team:
They had a good number of safety team staff members spread all over the park. They had a keen eye on the jumping area to avoid double jumping. They are also very interactive and lively.

Baby Softplay area:
They also have a separate baby soft play area on the other side of the cafe which is small but good size for 1 and 2 year old babies when you have other kids to jumping on the trampolines.

Prices and Sessions:
All sessions are on hourly basis. You can either buy 1 hour session or add another hour for half price.
Standard jump ( 1hr) : £9.95 (2hr):  £14.95
Under 6: £5.95

You can buy FlipOut socks for £2 or they allow other parks socks as well.

Facilities and Activities

Lockers:
They have a huge locker area which works with a pound coin. The locker sizes are quite small so I had a tough time shoving my big bag into it. They are good size for shoes and coats though!

Cafe and viewing area:
There is a cafe in the mezzanine floor above to the main jumping floor with seating area. It is gallery styled and got a view to the jumping area, it allows parents to enjoy a coffee while keeping an eye on their kids.  The menu is a standard one which caters for all ages. The cafe seating area seemed to be always full and was quite a task to get a seat.

Toilets with baby changing area

Toddler Time:
Every weekday between 9am-11am  there is a dedicated toddler session in the park. Parents with under 5s can find this time appropriate as you don’t want older kids to run around at the same time.

Fit Classes :

They offer a structured Flip Fit class led by qualified fitness instructors on Wednesday 7pm. It is a pay as you go class and also you can buy 6 session for the price of 5.

Kids and adults party:

They offer different party packages according to your need which also includes exclusive room and arena hire

Website: https://www.flipout.co.uk/locations/basingstoke/

Overall experience

It looks awesome and is an excellent place for a trampoline park. Fun place and lots to do for all age group. 3 and above would enjoy their time in FlipOut. If you have only small babies then I would ask you to get an idea of what FlipOut is as it could be disappointing for a few who expected it to have big soft play areas. I really liked FlipOut and would go again.

Disclaimer: This post is a review of Flipout Basingstoke. The session was supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. S was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are her own.

Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there! 

Review 2018: Studio 1314

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Babies, Children, Family, Family Photographers, Gifts, New Parents, Newborn, North Hampshire, Older Children, Parents, Pre School, Pregnancy, Reviews, Reviews of Things to do, Things to Do, Toddlers 0 Comment

I reviewed Studio 1314 on NorthHantsMum in 2016 when they were just starting out.

You may have seen their Lemon Face promotion (which will be starting again in April 2018) on Facebook, which has been hugely popular.

Click on the pictures themselves to see them in detail

I LOVED the pictures that they did for our family in 2016. Absolutely loved them. You can even see one of them at the top of my “Louise nhm Smith” profile on Facebook. So when Wayne invited me back to review the studio, to see what had changed, I LEAPED at the chance.

Wayne and Lucy are also very kindly offering a Special Offer just for NHM Readers, which is listed at the bottom of this post.

About

The team at Studio 1314 believe in the personal touch, not just in their pictures, but also in the way that they conduct their business.

Once you have made a booking you receive a very professional confirmation email which confirms your booking and provides a link to a slideshow of some of their pictures, a link to a Pinterest board which is a great source of inspiration.

The email also has a really useful section about what to bring to the photo shoot and which clothes would work best.

I really love that they encourage accessorising and personal items as these make the photos even more meaningful.

A few weeks before our photo shoot, Wayne phoned me and we had a really good chat about what to expect and what to bring for the photo shoot. I love that Wayne was interested in what I wanted to get from the photo shoot as well and that he had some great ideas of what to bring along.

The photoshoot

Having been to several family photo shoots since Miss NHM was born(which I am extremely grateful for!) we kind of know what to expect.

However, it’s always a NIGHTMARE the morning of the photo shoot. Trying to get everyone mobilised and in the car and not forget any of our outfits. Mr NHM nearly forgot his outfit this time (facepalm).

When we arrived at the studio (about 15 minutes drive from Hatch Warren) we were all quite harassed as there had been a couple of “discussions” in the car on the way there.

It was sooooo nice to just arrive at the studio and plonk ourselves on the lovely squishy sofa’s.

Wayne was very welcoming and let us catch our breath before looking through the outfits that we had brought with us. He gave us advice on which outfits he thought would photograph the best.

The photoshoot lasted 90 minutes and that time just FLEW by. Miss NHM absolutely loved being the centre of attention (no comment) when Wayne took lots of pictures of her. We also had several family photo’s taken which are just awesome.

I really loved that when Miss NHM was “doing her thing” (total poser. I blame her father!!!) we could just sit and watch on the lovely sofa. It was so nice to see someone else entertaining Miss NHM and to be able to just sit back and enjoy it.

Wayne was very patient with Miss NHM and he made her giggle lots. She’s very photogenic (yes, I am a bit biased) but she can also be VERY stubborn if she doesn’t want to do anything but Wayne had no problem at all with getting her to do the things he needed too, to ensure that the pictures are perfect.

(No, that isn’t Miss NHM. Lol!)

It’s brilliant that the studio is split into several areas. Miss NHM is getting to that age where she’s conscious about her body and doesn’t want to undress in front of someone else, so it was really useful having the dressing area to change in but still be able to talk to Wayne and Mr NHM.

On our way home, I asked Mr NHM if he enjoyed the photo shoot and he said that he did because it was very relaxed and fun. (I often drag him along to these kinds of things and he’s not often that enthusiastic but that previous sentence is high praise from him!!)

Miss NHM talked for the WHOLE 20 minutes that it took us to get home, about how she liked “the man who was really funny” and she liked having her picture taken. So high praise from her too! Lol.

A couple of weeks later we went back to the studio to see the final pictures in the viewing room. This is a lovely big room with a large TV screen, another fab sofa and an area with toys for little ones to play with. It was awesome to see the pictures on a big screen and we are soooo pleased with them!!!

Special Offer for NHM Readers

Wayne and Lucy are also very kindly offering a very special offer for NHM Readers. (Thank you very much!!!)

The first 10 people to contact the team at Studio 1314 and book before May 2018 will receive a Free family photoshoot, a mounted 7×5 inch prints of their choice and a digital file of the same image.

This would normally have a value of £150.

This offer is ONLY open to the first 10 people who book and ONLY available to NorthHantsMum Readers. Yay!

Tips

Make sure you read through the confirmation email and have a look at the pinterest board and the video.

Plan the outfits that you are going to take with you at least a few days before.

Make sure you have everything ready to go the night before your photo shoot so you don’t have a frantic morning like we did!!!!

Food

Wayne has a lovely stash of biscuits and a very wide range of drinks, including tango orange!!

They even had gluten free biscuits available for Miss NHM, which I thought was such a lovely touch!

Facilities

I think Studio 1314 are the only family photography studio in Basingstoke.

The studio itself has a large area where pictures are taken with a couple of sofa’s on where you can sit and watch what’s happening.

There is a separate viewing room which has a very large flat screen TV where you can review pictures and has an area for toys for toddlers and little ones. The sofa is fab in here too! lol.

There is a toilet within the studio and changing area.

Baby Facilities

The team at Studio 1314 are parents so they TOTALLY get what it’s like having children. They even have a baby changing mat available for you to use!

Parking

Is free, ample and next to the studio.

Prices

Please see the website for more details.

Rating out of 5

Definitely 5 out of 5. It’s clear that Wayne is very passionate about what he’s does and ensuring that the customer gets what they want.

Final Thoughts

We LOVE the photo’s that Wayne and Lucy take. Absolutely love them and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have another photoshoot with them.

Contact details

www.studio1314.co.uk

www.facebook.com/studio1314

www.instagram.com/studio1314

Wedding Page: www.waynekahnphotography.co.uk

Disclaimer: This post is a review of Studio1314. The photoshoot was supplied free of charge for the purposes of the review. I was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.

Don’t miss out on future posts like this – you can receive updates directly to your inbox by email by adding your email address to the box on the top right of this page and hitting subscribe. You can also follow NorthHantsMum onTwitter,Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, LinkedIn and Feedly. I hope to see you there! 

Review 2018: Riverside Bowl, Andover

Posted by juliet on in Family, North Hampshire, Older Children, Outings, Reviews of Things to do, Things to Do 1 Comment

Thank you very much to today’s NHM Secret Writer for today’s post and to Juliet for formatting this on wordpress!

Riverside Bowl, Andover

Riverside bowl is a bowling alley, arcade and glow in the dark golf centre.

They have 8 lanes of ten pin bowling, various arcade games and 10 crazy golf holes based around the world (London, New York, China etc).

They also have function rooms and a bar/diner.

Tips

Riverside bowl is on the high street in Andover, next to Wilko. You have to go up 3-4 flights of stairs but there is a lift if you struggle with stairs (wheelchair/pushchair etc).

Food

There is a 90’s style diner and bar serving freshly prepared burgers/hot dogs and chips.

Food was as you’d expect in this sort of venue; not haute cuisine but edible and presented in a fun way (in baskets).

They also have an extensive milkshake menu (chocolate, butterscotch, jelly baby and caramel to name a few). I’ve given up chocolate for Lent so I went for butterscotch and it was very nice

Facilities

Male/female and disabled toilets available. Clean and perfectly usable. I didn’t use them but hubby did and said they had hot and cold running water and were perfectly adequate.

Parking

There is no specific parking for Riverside. We parked in the Chantry Shopping centre as we had a meander through Andover before going to the venue as we were early.

Parking is charged Mon-Sat up to 4pm and is free on a Sunday. This is probably the next place to park for Riverside as it is a 3 minute walk from the car park.

Prices

We paid £15.50 for three of us (2 adults, one child) to play golf. We paid £25 to eat burger and chips each (child meal was £5.50 and included a drink). My milkshake was £3.20 and probably about same size as a cooler drink from Costa/Starbucks).

We also paid £17 for a game of bowling – we haven’t done this for a long time so not sure if this is average price or not.

Rating out of 5

I would give it 3.5 out of 5. It was nice enough but for what it is I thought the price was a little bit steep.

The bowling lane broke down while we were on it and we had to be moved. The golf I was a little disappointed in as the way the holes are set up, it’s pretty impossible to get a hole in one. You have to get the ball through a structure and it has quite a slope to get up.

I think the next hole we played was done in four or five shots and this was hubby who is a dab hand compared to me and LO.

We also had a family behind us in the golf who let their son start playing while we were still on the hole.

There is no staff actively monitoring this section (there are CCTV cameras).

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SNOW!!! Things to do with little ones whilst it’s snowing…

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Babies, Basingstoke, Children, Family, Free, Newborn, North Hampshire, Older Children, Organising, Parents, Pre School, Things to Do, Toddlers 0 Comment

Yay! It’s snowing! I know this is a complete nightmare for LOTS and lots of people but I LOVE the snow so I’m very excited about it, even if we did only last 10 minutes because my extremely strong willed 6 year old refused to wear her gloves and got very cold hands very quickly. Sigh!

I’ve also been up since 6am stressing about keeping everyone updated on which schools and pre-schools are opened or closed so I am exhausted! lol.

You can check on this post for more details about which schools are open still and the times that they close: HCC School Closure Website

Anyyyyywaayy, this is my impromptu list of suggestions of things you can do with your little ones today whilst it’s snowing.

Whatever you end up doing…HAVE FUN!!!!!

Outdoors

  • Make snowmen snowwomen, snowbabies, snowchildren
  • Build an igloo
  • Make coloured ice balls (balloons filled with water and a bit of food colouring and leave outside over night)
  • Snowball fight/gentle throw
  • Sledging
  • Snow angels

Indoors

Other Useful Posts

What would you add to this list?

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HCC School Closure Website

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Children, Education, Family, Hampshire, Older Children, Organising, Parents, Reception Year, School, Year One, Year Two 0 Comment

Miss NHM’s school has sent a mail out to all parents saying that they have received a Cold Weather warning from Hampshire County Council today, with predictions of poor weather and possibly snow on its way.

This might be a VERY useful website as it is the list of School Closures and is updated regularly: www.hants.gov.uk/schoolclosures

I have mixed feelings about this. YAY to snow but Eeeekkk to the logistical nightmare of it with work and Miss NHM off school.

It’s about time we had some decent snow though. Snowballs, snow angels, igloos and snowmen. Yay!!!

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