On Essex Mums this month
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SCHOOL SELECTION * SURE START CENTRES
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING GUIDE  *  HALLOWEEN
EVENTS  *  COMPETITIONS

ALTERNATIVE SHOPPING GUIDE  *  PRODUCT REVIEWS  
 

 

Sorry for the delay in the newsletter going out, hope no-one minds it being a day late! It should be worth the wait though, with lots of great activities and a special guide to some of the best spooky Halloween evens in Essex this month!

School Selection
For those of you who have children starting school next year, you'll now be thinking of filling in applications and choosing a school. It can be a daunting task - what is your local school like, will they like it, does it fit in with the other things we have to do and places we need to be? If you're looking for some advice, whether it's to do with getting feedback about local schools or asking if it's worth deploying tactics when filling out application forms, come and ask on the forum in our Education section. It can be a daunting time for your kids but also for you to be starting something completely new and it can definitely help to speak to people who have been there too, or are going through the same thing.
 

Sure Start Centres
Do you know where your local Sure Start Centre is? If you're a parent to a child under five, or even over that age, it's certainly worth finding out where it is. Most areas have at least one nearby and you will be amazed by the number of fantastic activities they have going on: from parent and toddler groups, classes and things to keep you active, to advice and support groups tailored to parents in your area. We are currently in the process of trying to update as many of the centres' activities as possible: check out the Map to see where your nearest centre is, and the  Things to Do section to find out what activities are running in your area. 


Christmas Shopping Guide
I know it's early, so I will keep it brief, but if you're thinking of starting your Christmas shopping, make sure you take a look at the Alternative Shopping Guide and the Product Guide for some ideas for unique and unusual presents for the whole family. If you have your own shop and would like to be featured, please get in touch - listings start at just a pound!

 

Events
Lots more going on this month too! You can find full listings on the Things to Do section but hopefully this will give you a few ideas about what's on near you and across the county.

Barking and Dagenham
6^th: Pirate Day (Elizabethan Style), Eastbury Manor House
7^th: Steam Open Day at Ilford & West Essex Model Railway Club
27^th:  A Grimm Hallowe'en special at Valence House

Basildon
5^th – 15^th: Basildon Art Trail
9^th: Hatchlings Club, Hanningfield Reservoir
23^rd – 31^st : Nevendon Manor Scary Halloween Trail
24^th: Swan Lake, Towngate Theatre
26^th: Howling Halloween, Hanningfield Reservoir
27th: Magical Drop-in Craft and Trail, Langdon Visitor Centre
29^th – 2^nd: Animal Antics, Barleylands
29^th – 2^nd: Tumbletown Tricks and Treats Week
31^st: Partyman World of Play VIP Halloween Party
31^st: Family Halloween Night at Festival Leisure Park

Braintree
6^th: Day out with Thomas, Colne Valley Railway
9^th: NCT First Aid Course, Marks Farm Community Centre
20^th: Great Notley Stargazing Event
26^th – 31^st: Cursed! Cressing Temple
27^th: Wizards Evening, Colne Valley Railway
28^th: Andy and Mike’s... Tick Tock Time Machine, Empire Theatre
29^th -31^st: Haunted Hedingham, Hedingham Castle
30^th & 31^st: The Trick and Treat Halloween Childrens Show, Bocking Arts Complex

Brentwood
7^th: The Essex Indoor Family Festival, The Brentwood Centre
20^th: Chicken and Frog Opening Day Celebrations!
27^th – 31^st: Halloween Festival, Old MacDonalds Farm
27^th: Fright Night at Weald Country Park
28^{th &}  29th: Pumpkin Carving at Weald Country Park
29^th: Go Bonkers! Inflatable Fun, The Brentwood Centre
30^th: Larry Hotter 2012, Thorndon Country Park
31^st: Halloween Poetry Workshop, Chicken and Frog
 
Castle Point
6^th – 12^th: Hadleigh Art Trail
13^th: Baby and Children's Market, Canvey
14^th: Iron Age Roundhouse Open Afternoon, Hadleigh Country Park
18^th: Understanding Children’s Behaviour Workshop, Little Acorns CC
29^th: Halloween Arts and Crafts, Hadleigh Country Park
30^th: Messy Madness Art & Craft sessions for 5-11 year olds, Farmer Fred’s Playbarn
31^st: Halloween Parties, Farmer Fred’s Playbarn

Chelmsford
3^rd: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive, Just Imagine Story Centre
4^th: World Animal Day, Tropical Wings
6^th: NCT Nearly New Sale, St John Payne School
7^th: Horse and Carriage Rides, Hylands House
9^TH: Dizzy Ducks Coffee Morning
13^th: The Borrowers, Just Imagine Story Centre
16^th: Busy Fingers Goes Wild! Galleywood Heritage Centre
16^th – 20^th: Make a Rosette Workshop, High Chelmer Shopping Centre
20^th: Fairy School Workshops, Chelmsford
23^rd – 25^th: Horrible Histories, Civic and Cramphorn
24^th: Which Witch? Essex Police Museum
26^th: Howling Halloween, Hanningfield Reservoir
27^th: Howloween, Tropical Wings
27^th – 31^st: Witches and Wizards, Marsh Farm
29^th: BMX Skills, Baddow Pump Hall
30^th: Funnybones, Just Imagine Story Centre
31^st: Fright Night, Hylands House and Gardens

Colchester
6^th: Art Trolley, Art Exchange
13^th: Free Family Saturday: Drawing Centre Stage at firstsite
19^th: Wivenhoe Farmers Market
20^th: Teddy’s Sports Day, Colchester Arts Centre
21^st: Little Bo Peep, Lakeside Theatre
26^th – 31^st: Shriek Week, Colchester Zoo
27^th: Halloween Super Sleuthing, High Woods Country Park
27^{th &  28th} : Theme Tour: Bloodcurdling Colchester
29^th – 2^nd: Holiday Fun at Colchester Leisure World
29^th: Penguin, Mercury Theatre
30^th: Dark, Damp Discovery Day, High Woods Country Park
31^st: Hootingly Haunted Halloween, Abberton Reservoir
31^st: Ghostly Goings On at Bourne Mill at Bourne Mill

Epping Forest
6^th: Harvest Festival Activity Day, High Beach
13^th: Suntrap Open Day, Epping Forest
20^th: Apple Day, The Warren
27^th – 31^st: Spooky Secret Island, Royal Gunpowder Mills
29^th: Travel: Legs, Fins or Wings? Epping Forest Visitor Centre
29^th: Farm Spooktacular, Lee Valley Farms
30^th: Holiday Activities for Children: Safaris at Epping Forest

Harlow
7^th: I’d Rather Be In The Garden, Museum of Harlow
20^th: The Wheels on the Bus, Harlow Playhouse
27^th: Chilming's Halloween Monster Bash, Markwell Woods
27^th – 21^st: Holiday Activities at Harlow Leisurezone
29^th: Mad Science: Super Sticky Stuff, Summercroft School
29^th – 31^st: Time Machine Gallery, Science Alive

Havering
All month: Haunted Havering, Havering Museum
6^th: Mr Popcorn’s Funtime Magic Show, Queens Theatre
13^th: Children’s Ghost Stories, Havering Museum
14^th: Autumn Apple Fair, Bedfords Park
16^th & 17^th: The Sleeping Beauty, Queens Theatre
21^st: Apple Day Weekend, Thames Chase
23^rd: Scary Fairy Cakes, Harold Wood Library
26^th & 27^th: Coalhouse Fort Halloween
29^th – 31^st: Stubbers Adventure Centre Activity Week
30^th: Halloween in the Park, Bedfords Park
31^st: Indoor Star Gazing, Havering Museum
 
Maldon
1^st – 6^th: Maldon Art Trail
6^th: Blackwater Wild Food festival
7^th: Lilleshall Steam Day, Museum of Power
20^th: Junior Rangers Orienteering

Redbridge
4^th: Fussy Eaters Workshop, Gearies CC
6^th – 14^th: Woodford Festival
13^th: Autumn Fete, Newbridge School
16^th: Under 5's Explore, Make, and Do - Autumn Colours, Valentine’s Mansion
27^th: Toddle Sense Spooky Wooky Halloween Party, South Woodford
28^th: The Selfish Crocodile, Kenneth More Theatre
30^th: Go Bonkers! Inflatable Fun, The Redbridge Leisure Centre
30^th: Marvellous Masks, Redbridge Museum
31^st: Creatures of the Night, James Leal Centre
 
Rochford
6^th: Wild Woods Day - The Giants Are Coming! Hockley Woods
17^th: Special Needs Fun House (10-11yrs), The Megacentre
27^th – 31^st: Rochford Tiny Art Trail
27^th – 31^st: Rochford Leisure Centres Half Term Activities
29^th: Creepy Creatures Clay Workshops, The Clay Cottage
31^st: Spooky Family Wacky Woods, Hockley Woods

Southend
Every Saturday: Big Saturday Nights Out, Adventure Island
Every Saturday: Firework Spectacular, Southend Seafront
2^nd – 12^th: Southend on Sea Tales at Southend Pier Cultural Centre
6^th: Winnie the Witch Party, Southend Library
13^th: Multi-Sensory Storytelling, Southend Library
13^th – 31^st: Space! Southend Museum
20^th & 27^th: Children's Ghost Train at Southend Pier
26^th: Dragon Kids Club Halloween Fancy Dress Disco
27^th: Spooky Craft and Stories, Southechurch Hall
27^th – 31^st: Fright Fantastic Half Term of Horror, Adventure Island
30^th: Mad Science: Dinosaur Adventure, Blenheim School
31^st: Hallowe’en Family Disco, The Kursaal

Tendring
Every weekend: Go Bounce, Clacton Factory Outlet
20^th: Smuggling Stories, Fingringhoe Wick
27^th: Creepy Crawly Roadshow, Clacton Factory Outlet
27^th: Harwich Guy Carnival
28^th: Manningtree Mother, Baby & Kids Fair, The Venture Centre
30^th: Fantastic Fungi Wildlife Discovery Day, Fingringhoe Wick
31^st: Robbie Rascals Halloween Party

Thurrock
4^th: Lil Blossoms Free Taster Morning, East Tilbury Village Hall
13^th: Family Activity Day: Time Travel Through History
27^th: Scary Masks! Family Learning workshop, Grays Adult Education Centre
27^th: Family Halloween Fun, Chaffords Gorge
29^{th &}  30th: Small Monsters Halloween Parties
29^th – 31^st: Monster Mania - Half Term Fun at Lakeside Shopping Centre
31^st Chris and Pui Roadshow, Thameside Theatre
 
Uttlesford
All month: Castle and Community, Saffron Walden Museum
6^th: The Big Draw, Saffron Walden Museum
10^th: Little Howard's Magic Pencil at Felsted School's Hunt Theatre
21^st:  Best ever Nearly New Sale - Stansted branch
26^th – 31^st: Children’s Halloween Evenings at Mountfitchet Castle
27^th: Half Term Geocache Challenge, Hatfield Forest
28^th: Halloween Specials, Audley End Miniature Railway
30^th: Half-term Play in a Day, Rhodes
31^st: Batty Halloween at Hatfield Forest
 

Competitions
Things to win! Check out the great competitions we currently have running. If you would like to run a competition yourself please let me know - it's a great way to advertise for free and also give something lovely to parents in Essex!



New in the Alternative Shopping Guide
Take a look at the lovely new shops that have joined us this last month!
Personalised gifts, keepsakes and trinkets from Clover Cottage Gifts 

• Cornish Daisy: Dribble Bibs & Baby Blankets 
• Dorothy and Theodore: Because Practical can be Beautiful 
• Gorgeous kits and knitted gifts from Gift Horse Knit Kits
• Heroes for Kids: Official Character Toys and Gifts 
• I Dream Elephants: Your Little Stylist 
• Kadria Skincare: Natural Skincare for Pregnancy, Mother and Baby 
• Magpie Jewels: Beautiful handcrafted jewellery and accessories 
• Mimosa Style: Beautiful, Ethical, Fair Trade 
• Organic Monkey: Organic & Fairtrade skincare for babies and toddlers 
• Stevenson Bros: Very fine rocking horses 
• Young Mummies Boutique: For mums, newborns, kids, and those who love unusual gifts 

Product Reviews
Here's a list of what's been added this month! You can see a bit about each of our reviewers here, or can go straight to the reviews here.

• Babybeads Breastfeeding Necklace
• Ruby and Ginger Nappy Purse and Mat
• TopGolf, Chigwell
• Pick Your Own: Spencer’s Fruit Farm
• Organic Sticky Hand Sanitiser
• Articulate for Kids
• Mummy I’m Here! Child Locator & Alert
• Commando Dad – Basic Training
• Keep Calm for Dads

Everything else
As always, please send any events, feedback, ideas etc. to me at louise@essexmums.org. I love hearing how people use the site and ways I can improve it. 

I hope you have a lovely month and that I'll get to see you at a meet-up soon.

Kind regards
Louise





 

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