Somerset House December Family Magic: Skate, Storytelling, Crafts then Dazed and Confused
Somerset House was absolutely brilliant with our 6 and 2 year old this weekend. We ambled through the courtyard watching young and old alike struggle on the skating rink, studied the earthy pastel baubles of the Tiffany Christmas tree, our oldest enjoyed an old-fashioned storytelling session and mum and dad had one interesting stroll down memory lane via the Dazed and Confused Retrospective.
The Somerset House courtyard is just oozing with festive atmosphere at the moment; even if you don’t go out and skate, it is still really good fun just to go and watch. If you do fancy a stumble around the rink, book in advance for a mid-week morning session and you should still be able to get tickets if you dare to try it.
My literary soul was touched by the Christmas storytelling in the courtyard. During the month of December, different children’s authors will be reading from their books underneath the massive tree. There is a speaker system for the reader and beanbag chairs for children to gather on and listen. You could pack a blanket for your kids to cuddle under and make it even more special. Authors will be signing books after their reading, a wonderful way to give a child a personalised gift. Storytelling was a huge treat for my 6 year old; the younger one naturally was more interested in the skating rink.
If you enjoy watching your kids make a great craft and hate the mess in your own home, next Saturday, 17th December, there will be Drop in Family Art Workshop where children can make festive paper lanterns. The sessions are free and drop in.
After storytelling and the skating, we treated the kids to hot chocolate and ourselves to mulled wine and then wandered inside Somerset House to warm up where we stumbled across the 20 year retrospective of Dazed and Confused. As you enter the exhibit you go through a time warp looking at all the old magazine covers. Remember when Trainspotting came out, discovering Bjork back when you and Kate were kid-free? Take your kids through the retrospective, watch them interact with mirrors framing the icons from our day, laugh along with them at pictures of Kate with paint all over her body, or as they squeal with delight at the fancy ladies in hospital while you read about Sarajevo youth celebrating New Year shortly after the war. A very surreal moment going through that exhibit with my 6 year old peering curiously at the images of the heyday of my youth while my two year old rolled around on the floor; could never dreamed 20 years ago that I would be shushing my kids in a London museum while anonymous youth look at my own youth in retrospect.
Story Telling at Somerset House: Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th, Friday 16th , Saturday 17th, Sunday 18th, Wednesday 21st, Thursday 22nd December from 3:15-3:45 (different books for different ages, check web site for more details)
Holiday Drop in and Free Festive Workshop: Saturday 17th December 11- 1pm & 2-4pm
20 Years of Dazed and Confused Magazine: Making it up as we go Along: now through 29th January, 10am – 6pm, free
