101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children This Summer - Part 5

And finally Part 5 of 101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children This Summer. This post includes soft play areas and everything slew that didn't really fit into the first four posts. 

Have a fantastic six weeks! Let us know what you've loved (and loathed!) about the places that have been suggested...

81. The Playloft at Rivendell Village in Maldon

82. Dizzee Rascals in Maldon

83. Creepy Crawlies in South Woodham Ferrers

84. Mace Playce

85. Kids and Koffee

86. Pickles Playhouse in Witham

87. Rocky's Funhouse

88. Wacky Warehouse

89. Cheeky Monkees in South Woodham Ferrers

90. Lathcoats Farm and PYO

91. Hazle's Pottery Barn

92. The Glazed Look

93. Ceramics on the Hop

94. Odeon Cinema

95. Swimming

96.  Essex Libraries reading challenge

97. Tenpin Bowling

98. Pitch and Putt

99. Ice Skating

100. Shopping (It's almost last on the list as I know it's most parents idea of hell but it's going to have to be done anyway for all the back to school stuff!)

and finally 101: A nice relaxing day at home!!


Don't forget to check out the other blogs in this series!

Part 1: Summer Courses, Camps and Holiday Clubs 1-20

Part 2: Days Out 21-40

Part 3: Events and Activities 41-60

Part 4: Get Outside! 61 - 80

101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children This Summer - Part 4

Part 4 of 101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children This Summer is a showcase of some of the best parks and outdoor spaces that we have right on our doorstep in Chelmsford. We'd all love for the sun to shine all summer, so I've included some of the closest beaches to Chelmsford as well. So go on - get outside and try somewhere new!

61. Play Cafe with Natural Foundations in Writtle

62. Hylands Park

63. Oaklands Park

64. Danbury Lakes

65. Galleywood Common

66. Hatfield Forest

67. Thorndon Country Park with Gruffalo Trail!

68. Saltcoates Park

69. Promenade Park

70. Walton-on-the-Naze

71. Clacton on Sea

72. Frinton Beach

73. Great Notley Country Park

74. Castle Park in Colchester

75. Epping Forest

76. Admirals Park and Tower Gardens

77. Three Shells Beach in Southend

78. Brightlingsea Beach

79. Cudmore Grove Country Park

80.  Mersea Island


Don't forget to check out the other blogs in this series!

Part 1: Summer Courses, Camps and Holiday Clubs 1-20

Part 2: Days Out 21-40

Part 3: Events and Activities 41-60

101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children This Summer - Part 3

Part 3 of our series '101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children this Summer' covers various special events that are taking place in and around Chelmsford. I've tried to keep them in date order but some of the activities take place on more than one day so do check the links to find out more. 

41. Wild Wednesdays at Danbury Country Park 23, 30 July, 6, 13, 20, 27 August

42. Play in the Park - Taking place at various venues across Chelmsford 

43. Submerge Pool Disco at Riverside Ice and Leisure 23rd, 30th July and 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th August 

44. Horse and Carriage Rides around Hylands Park 23rd, 24th 28th July, 1st August

45. Wednesday Wonders at Chelmsford Museum 30th July, 6th, 13th and 20th August

46. Archery at Hatfield Forest 6th July and 17th August

47. Maldon Carnival in Maldon High Street and surrounds 2nd August

48. The Puppet Festival at Southend Pier 2nd and 3rd August

49. Horrid History Weekend: The Time of Witches and Witchcraft at Mountfitchet Castle 2nd and 3rd August

50. Open Sundays at Sanford Mill 3rd, 17th and 24th August

51. Inflatable Fun at Hylands Park 3rd-6th August

52. Kids Fest at Marsh Farm 8th -10th August

53. Southend Carnival 16th August

54. Carnival-on-the-Naze 16th and 17th August 

55. Late Night Opening at Colchester Zoo 9th and 23rd August

56. Clacton Air Show 21st and 22nd August

57. Jousting with The Knights of Middle England! at Castle Hedingham 24th and 25th August

58. Alice in Wonderland at Hylands Park 26th August

59. Scrapbook Safari at Hylands Park 30th July and 27th August

60. Train Operating Days at Colne Valley Railway 



Don't forget to check out the other blogs in this series!

Part 1: Summer Courses, Camps and Holiday Clubs 1-20

Part 2: Days Out 21-40

101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children This Summer - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 in our blog series, 101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children this Summer. This post will focus on days out, so pack a picnic and hope that the sun shines! 

Some of these are a little further afield than Chelmsford but you are going for the day...

Days Out

21. Colchester Zoo - book tickets online to get a discount.

22. Marsh Farm

23. Tropical Wings

24. Chelmsford Musuem

25. Barleylands

26. Hyde Hall

27. Essex Police Musuem

28. Museum of Power

29. Hopefield Animal Sanctuary

30. Adventure Island in Southend. Get your wrist bands in advance on the website to save money!

31. Old MacDonald's Farm

32. Colchester Castle

33. Audley End House and Gardens

34. Tilbury Fort

35. East Anglian Railway Museum

36. Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary

37. Hedingham Castle 

38. Combined Military Services Museum

39. Cressing Temple Barns

40. Layer Marney Tower

Don't forget to check out the other blogs in this series!

Part 1: Summer Courses, Camps and Holiday Clubs 1-20

Part 3: Events and Activities 41-60

101 Things to Do in Chelmsford with Children This Summer - Part 1

With the Summer Holidays fast approaching and parents torn between 'how lovely to have 6 weeks with my children' and 'September can't come soon enough!!' I've put together 101 things you can do with your children in Chelmsford this summer. (OK - some of them aren't strictly in Chelmsford but none of them are more than an hour's drive!)

The first 20 include courses and camps that will need probably need booking before the holidays start - so get yourself organised if you need to!

Summer Courses, Camps and Holiday Clubs

1. Activity courses at Riverside Ice and Leisure

2. Activity courses at Chelmsford Athletics Centre

3. Activity courses at Dovedales

4. Activity courses at South Woodham Leisure Centre

5. Supercamps at New Hall School

6. City Camps run by Chelmsford City Council in different Chelmsford Venues. New this summer!

7. Netball Youth Camp run by England Netball at Sandon School

8. Mega Camps in Brentwood

9. Barracudas Day Camps at Chelmsford County High School

10. Jesters Holiday Club in Bicnarce

11. YMCA Holiday Club in Central Chelmsford

12. Little Stars Theatre Workshops at venues across Chelmsford

13. Mad Science Summer Camps in Great Baddow

14. Bear Grylls Kids Survival Day Courses in Chelmsford

15. One Day Activity Courses at Danbury Outdoors Centre

16. Holiday Clubs at Danbury Sports and Social Centre

17. Essex Cricket Summer Courses

18. Dance courses at Essex Dance Theatre

19. Animation Workshop at Just Imagine

20. Saracens Rugby Camp at Chelmsford Rugby Club

Don't forget to sign up via email to receive the rest of the posts in this series!

Part 2: Days Out 21-40

Part 3: Events and Activities 41-60

The 3Foot People Festival

This week Chelmsford Cultual events very kindly invited me and T along to the 3Foot People festival. We really enjoyed the event last year and were excited to hear about the move from Central Park to the much larger venue at Hylands Park. The festival, the largest of its kind in the UK, has been growing in popularity every year and this year was a sell out weeks before the event. 

A Cardboard Castle

I think the move to Hylands Park was a hugely successful one. With more space, the set up of the various tents and activities seemed to flow much more naturally through the different zones and it was much easier to find things as they were stated on the map. There was also so much more space for families to sit down, have picnics and generally enjoy the atmosphere. More space also meant that there were more options for food and drink in comparison with last year. I’d opted not to take a picnic purely because I didn’t have a buggy and didn’t want to carry anything! We enjoyed lunch in A-Canteen and I paid less than I thought I might have to and was pleased with the quality of the food. 

There was a larger range of things to do this year and even though we crammed a lot into one day, we certainly didn’t get to do everything. All of the usual baby and toddler classes were there giving taster sessions of their classes but there were plenty of activities that you wouldn’t normally get to do. It was also nice to see that some local charities were represented there. 

Highlights of the day included watching an Alien theatre show, which included huge amount of audience participation, playing with everyday objects at Natural Foundations, getting involved with the arts and crafts tent, crawling through cardboard tunnels in the Lightbox tent and of course getting T’s face painted. The face painters were fantastic and the dragon that T demanded was amazing. 

Dressing up!

Another positive change to this year was to the program given out on entry to the festival. The centre fold had a timetable of everything that was happening, which meant that it was much easier to see what was happening and to plan your day around some of the bigger events, like the the shows and story telling in the main tents. 

On a practical note, parking was easy and very well planned and marshalled. Queuing to get in did seem to be an issue but I think the introduction of sending out wrist bands with the tickets meant that the process was much quicker than it potential could have been. Toilets were plentiful and clean and there was no litter anywhere thanks to a team of staff who were regularly seen patrolling the event. 

(My only problem with the whole day was the cost of ice cream - £2 each seemed very expensive. But to be fair the ice creams were the same price at our recent trip to Diggerland)

A really fantastic event that made me proud to live in Chelmsford. Well done Chelmsford City Events - can’t wait for next year!

Chelmsford City Events are looking for feedback to make next year’s event even better. You can complete a feedback form here and be in with a chance to win a family ticket for 2015’s event. 

What was your favourite part of the 3Foot People Festival?

Tour de France in Chelmsford

The Tour de France comes to Chelmsford on Monday 7th July. To help you make you make the most of this event I've put together some useful information about le Tour and what's happening in and around Chelmsford. 

Realising that not everyone will be able to get the day of work/school on a Monday, Chelmsford County Council has organised a family fun day on Saturday 5th July. This will be held in Melbourne Park between 10am and 4pm and promises to be a great day out for the whole family.

On Monday 7th July 13 miles of the Tour de France will pass through Chelmsford. First you’ll see the race Caravan, a procession of elaborate floats and vehicles that comes before the racing action. This will be followed by the riders, with the main group being known as the peloton. A detailed road map of Tour de France route can be found here and these are these are the timings for the Chelmsford section of the route: 

	Caravan	Riders
Hartford End	11:55	1:47pm – 1:55pm
Great Waltham	12:02	1:54pm – 2:02pm
Chignal Smealy	12:07	1:58pm – 2:07pm
Chelmsford	12:11	2:02pm – 2:11pm
Roxwell	12:17	2:07pm – 2:15pm
Fyfield	12:33	2:22pm – 2:33pm

The route enters the Chelmsford City area on the Felsted Road (B1417) just south of Hertford End before joining the B1008 for a few hundred metres and then passing through Howe Street, Great Waltham and the Parish of Chignal.

It enters West Chelmsford on the Chignal Road for approximately one mile before turning right onto Roxwell Road leaving Chelmsford via the A1060 as far as the Hare Public House. It then follows country lanes via Roxwell, leaving Chelmsford towards Willingale and then on to Epping.

Road closures will be in force from 8am -5pm so you need to leave plenty of time to reach your selected viewing point. 

Click here for the best places to watch the Tour in Chelmsford.

Check out these other blogs covering other stages of the Tour:
Redbridge and Waltham Forrest 

Get Involved With Mumsnet's Better Miscarriage Care Campaign

Today Mumsnet launched their 'Better Miscarriage Care' campaign. Mumsnet are asking politicians to pledge to improve miscarriage care, based on the principles in the Code, by 2020 - the end of the next parliament. Mumsnet have made the following suggestions about how you can get involved in the campaign:

"Please ask the three politicians who can make this happen Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt), Andy Burnham (@andyburnhammp) and Norman Lamb (@normanlamb) - for their support by tweeting them and asking them to support #bettermiscarriage care.

Health trusts can make changes to the way they treat their own patients, and some trusts already provide brilliant care, but the only way to ensure good care for all is if the politicians at the top take personal responsibility to improve the care women receive.

Don't use Twitter? Please send an email to the politicians who can make this happen:

• Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt - mb-sofs@dh.gsi.gov.uk

• Labour Shadow Health Spokesman Andy Burnham - andy.burnham.mp@parliament.uk

• LibDem Health Minister Norman Lamb - mscs@dh.gsi.gov.uk

We need to ask them to include a promise in their next manifesto to make miscarriage care better. Accounts of personal experiences are particularly effective for explaining why we need their support, but we've included some suggested text below to start you off.

Dear xxxx,

I know you'll be concerned about the care received by women who miscarry so please let me know you're backing Mumsnet's campaign for better miscarriage care. I'm asking you to include a manifesto commitment to improve miscarriage care for all women by 2020."

Mumsnet Launches Campaign For Better Miscarriage Care

Today Mumsnet, The UK's biggest website for parents, has published the results of a survey into patients’ care and experiences following miscarriage. Around a quarter of a million women miscarry in the UK each year – about one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage – but the statistics published today show that the treatment and support women receive fails to meet their needs or measure up to official national guidelines.

A survey of over one thousand women shows:

• Half (46%) had to wait over 24 hours for a scan to determine if their baby was still alive, with one in five (18%) waiting longer than three days .“When I asked how much longer it would be, I was told I was taking up their time.” A Mumsnet user

• Half (47%) were treated alongside women with ongoing pregnancies. “I sat with other ladies who were still pregnant and waiting for scans… seeing their happy faces tore me apart.” A Mumsnet user

• A third (31%) of those who miscarried at home following a scan were not offered any pain relief, or adequate pain relief. “I was under the impression that miscarrying at home was the easy option. It certainly is not easy. I have been in agony.” A Mumsnet user

• 58% of respondents wanted counselling, but only 12% were offered it . “I had to wait six months to get counselling and lost six months of my life as I was not   coping with the loss.” A Mumsnet user

• 56% of respondents wanted further medical care but only 26% were offered it. “The hospital said they’d ask a health visitor to contact me. That was two months ago; nobody has been in touch.” A Mumsnet user

• Only a quarter (23%) spoke of their experience to friends, and only 13% told wider family. “When I felt ready to talk, I didn’t have anyone ready to listen.”  A Mumsnet user

In 2012, NICE guidance on the management of miscarriage stated that miscarrying at home (known as ‘expectant management’) would be the default clinical response for women undergoing miscarriage before the 13th week of pregnancy, but today’s results show this policy is leaving women without the support they need. 

• Only 15% of women who miscarried at home following a scan felt they had the right support, information and pain relief to manage. “I was told, over the phone, to ‘just sit on the toilet and hopefully it will all come out’.” 

• 11 people were asked to store their foetus at home prior to further tests on the embryo. “[I don’t want to] catch my miscarried embryo in a urine sample pot at home, keep it in the fridge overnight if necessary, then take it on the train (two hours) for genetic testing.”

Mumsnet users have developed a five-point Miscarriage Code of Care, which calls for straightforward improvements in the treatment parents receive:

1. Supportive staff

GPs, Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) and A&E staff should be trained in communication techniques (including things NOT to say to women who are miscarrying), basic counselling skills and the psychological effects of miscarriage. Follow-up appointments and/or counselling for those who feel they need it should be routinely offered after miscarriage.

2. Access to scanning

Access to scanning facilities in the case of suspected miscarriage should be easier. This could mean Early Pregnancy Assessment Units (EPAUs) opening seven days a week and/or portable ultrasound and trained medical staff being available in A&E and gynaecological units at all times as standard. Those who are miscarrying naturally at home should have the option of a scan to check that there are no ongoing complications.

3. Safe and appropriate places for treatment

Women undergoing miscarriage or suspected miscarriage should be separated from women having routine antenatal and postnatal care, or women terminating an unwanted pregnancy. EPAUs should be sited in hospitals' gynaecology, rather than antenatal, departments or next to A&E departments, to ease women's referral route. Waiting times in confirmed as well as threatened pregnancy loss, but, in particular, for women who need surgery, should be kept to a minimum and not be spent in antenatal or labour ward. 

4. Good information and effective treatment

All women experiencing miscarriage should receive clear and honest information, sympathetically delivered. Women should be given information about all the available management options - expectant, medical and surgical - and should be able, clinical considerations allowing, to choose the method of management that best suits their circumstances. Women miscarrying at home should be offered appropriate prescription pain relief. In the case of miscarriage occurring in hospital, doctors should discuss with the parents what they wish to happen to the foetus (i.e. it should not be disposed of routinely without prior consultation).

5. Joined-up care

Community midwife teams and GPs should be informed immediately when miscarriage has occurred, and subsequent bookings and scans cancelled, to avoid women who have miscarried being chased by HCPs for 'missing' pregnancy appointments.ppropriate places for treatment

Women undergoing miscarriage or suspected miscarriage should be separated from women having routine antenatal and postnatal care, or women terminating an unwanted pregnancy. EPAUs should be sited in hospitals' gynaecology, rather than antenatal, departments or next to A&E departments, to ease women's referral route. Waiting times in confirmed as well as threatened pregnancy loss, but, in particular, for women who need surgery, should be kept to a minimum and not be spent in antenatal or labour ward. 

Many of the Code’s points are included in best-practice guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Department of Health, but the research shows that, too often, this guidance is not being implemented.

Mumsnet is now asking the Secretary of State for Health, the shadow Health Minister and the junior Health Minister to commit to improving miscarriage care during the lifetime of the next parliament.

Justine Roberts, Mumsnet Founder, said:

“There’s no escaping the pain of a miscarriage, but for this to be compounded by lack of treatment, pain relief, good care or just plain human kindness is completely unacceptable. We are calling on the three main parties to include a pledge in their manifestos to improve miscarriage care, based on the principles in our code.”

Cathy Warwick, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: 

“The Royal College of Midwives welcomes and supports the Mumsnet code of care which aims to improve care for women at a very difficult time. Midwives and other health professionals have an important role to play in supporting women and families through the physical and psychological impact of miscarriage. Kind, compassionate and empathetic communication around care and treatment is an essential step to support families. It is particularly important that there is effective communication between the hospital, GP and midwife to provide ongoing support or advice, as needed.”

Jane Brewin, Chief Executive of Tommy’s, said:

“Losing a baby is a devastating experience and our helpline hears from people every day who are struggling to make sense of what has happened to them and why. More research is needed to help us understand the causes of miscarriage so we can develop treatments that help save babies’ lives. We want families to know that they are not alone and that Tommy’s helpline is here to support anyone who has been through this heartbreak.”

Susan Seenan, Chief Executive of the national charity Infertility Network UK, said:

"Miscarriage is an extremely distressing, and often frightening experience and sadly even health professionals can underestimate the impact which a miscarriage can have.  Good support and access to counselling from sensitive trained staff who understand the emotional as well as the physical effect of miscarriage on both women and their partners can make an enormous difference to those dealing with the grief of losing a baby.  We hope that this campaign will lead to better care and support for everyone affected by what can be a hugely traumatic experience.”

To get involved with the campaign click here.

For more information on the campaign click here.

Mumsnet Chelmsford is in the Chelmsford Weekly News!

I just wanted to share the piece that I wrote that made it into last week's Chelmsford Weekly News! Hopefully it will encourage some more people to our monthly meet-ups - it would great to meet some more Chelmsford parents.  

Nana's Knickers

Like many parents of young children, bedtime is often my favourite time of day and I love the calmness of story-time. However I do get bored of reading the same stories every night so I was very excited to receive my review copy of 'Nana's Knickers'. 

The writer, Nico Russell, wrote the book after being asked for new stories by his niece and nephew. He says 'Everyone thinks they could write a children’s book: plots are simple, characters are often one dimensional, and as long as there are bright colours and a giraffe involved somewhere, you should be on to a winner. But just like peeling a melon, writing a good children’s book is a lot harder than you might think. The process of postulation to paperback has taken me just over two years, and being children, they didn't hold back on any criticisms they had about my efforts along the way. Finally, and thankfully, the critics were happy.'

Nico approached an number of publishers, and whilst they were full of praise for the book, they felt unable to take a risk on a new author. So rather than give up, Nico set up his own publishing house, BlueFluffBooks, and has published 'Nana's Knickers' himself. 

It is obvious that a lot of time has been taken over writing 'Nana's Knickers'. My son (aged 3) really enjoyed it and actually sat still throughout, which is praise indeed and only something Julia Donaldson had achieved prior to this! The story takes the reader on a fast-paced and amusing adventure as Nana wakes up to find that her favourite pair of knickers have gone missing. On the advice of her grandchildren she retraces her steps from the previous day in an attempt to solve the mysterious disappearance.  (Spoiler Alert!) Nana finds her knickers and so the story also imparts the useful advice of retracing your steps when you have misplaced something to its readers. The rhymes in the book have been carefully thought out and aren't jarring as they can be in some children's books. However the rhyme of 'on' with 'scone' could prove to be a contentious one depending on whereabouts in the country you are.  (I would normally rhyme 'scone' with 'own'!)

I feel that the illustrations in children's books are just as important as the story in helping to capture the interest of children, and the illustrations in 'Nana's Knickers' are equally as vivid as the story. (I shall be keep my eye out for other books illustrated by Charlie Meyer.)  Colour fills every page and my son's current favourite phrase of 'what's that?' was a frequent interruption in the story as we explored each page. The detail of the drawings mean that with each reading children will find something new. 

I really would recommend this book and wish Nico every success with it. 

Click here to find out more about Nico, Charlie and 'Nana's Knickers'.

Natural Foundations

Natural Foundations are a not for profit organisation who believe strongly in the importance of child led natural play. They have recently started offering outdoor weekly sessions at St Andrews Park and Pudding Woods at Broomfield Hospital. I took T & L along to St Andrews Park to take part in a session and I was really impressed. 

The sessions are easy to spot, with three colourful teepees set up in the middle of the park and Emma and Rachel are there to welcome you. There was a large picnic blanket set up with various containers filled with pasta (uncooked!), lentils, and porridge oats. The children had a lovely time pouring things from one container to the next and L (18 months) was just as happy as T (3.3 years) so the sessions are great for parents (or grandparents) with two under 5's. Emma and Rachel were also making 'clean mud' when we got there, and they encouraged all the children to help them make it before playing with it. (I will get the recipe for a future blog but it involved the grating of soap and tearing up of tissue paper - something my two do in the bathroom at home anyway!) 

It was a gorgeous day for our session and children were invited to take a basket and go for a walk in the woods to collect anything they found interesting. T didn't want to do this as he was too busy playing with the water and trying to make it flow down through some drain pipes whilst L was quite happy exploring the teepees! 

The sessions run all through the year though, not just on sunny days, and Natural Foundations supply outdoor waterproof clothing so that everyone can enjoy the sessions all year round.  Sessions are £2.50 per child and you can arrive at an point in the session. They do ask that you let them know if you are coming to a session so that they know how many biscuits to bring!! Contact details can be found here.

Web Chat with a Personal Stylist!

On Tuesday 24th June, 8 - 9pm, we have personal stylist Alex Moore coming onto Mumsnet Chelmsford for a web chat to answer all your style questions!

Alex says 'From online styling advice to a full on wardrobe overhaul, I can help women find their way with fashion, give them the confidence to wear things they didn't think they could, suggest outfits for special occasions and now to add to my list, help mummys to be rock that bump and not hide behind maternity wear that hides their figure! I will work to any budget and all I ask is that my clients come to me with an open mind and be prepared to have some fun!'

Alex has also recently added maternity styling to her list of services. So if you are pregnant she has lots of advice to take you through your pregnancy in style. 

The more information you can give in your questions, the better … i.e. what size you are, where you like to shop, an idea of your budget, etc.

So whether you have a special occasion coming up, need advice on what to wear in the office, want to jazz up your current wardrobe or have a specific question about maternity clothiers and what to wear in pregnancy come and post your question on the talk thread and Alex will be along to answer them. 

For more information about the services Alex provides see her listing here.