Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Edinburgh & The Lothians: Latest News
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Back to School
1st June 2020
The Scottish Government has announced plans for a gradual return to face-to-face education in Scotland. In the Lothians this means most children returning part time from August 11. Here is a handy guide to what each council has in place at the moment and where more information can be found, particularly...
Lockdown events by Edinburgh attractions for kids
8th April 2020
Schools and families can access online teaching resources for Scottish Opera’s popular primary school production, Fever! To access Fever! resources from May 11, visit their website Created especially for children in primaries 5, 6 and 7, the show, which was first performed by Scottish Opera in...
Ideas for kids' birthday parties in lockdown
6th April 2020
Get the neighbours involved There were emotional scenes when neighbours hung out of windows and stood in gardens to sing Happy Birthday to Sophie as she turned eight on a street in Southampton in England – check out the video posted by her dad on Twitter at @robthomas_1. Other neighbourhood...
How to talk to children about coronavirus
24th March 2020
HOW TO TALK TO CHILDREN ABOUT CORONAVIRUS It's hard to know what to say to kids when they are anxious about Covid-19; what's going to happen, when will they see their friends or their granny again, when will school reopen. Especially when as adults we don't have all the answers ourselves!...
A Chocolate Sensation: Our Review of The Chocolatarium
2nd March 2020
Do you know how much an Ecuadorian cacao bean farmer earns? Why you can’t grow cacao trees in Scotland? How much pressure it takes to crush a cacao bean into coco butter? Which country eats the most chocolate? No? Then you need to try a tour of The Chocolatarium, one of Edinburgh’s newest...
Winner of children's book prize announced
29th January 2020
Scottish Book Trust has today revealed the winner of the 2020 Bookbug Picture Book Prize is The Station Mouse by Meg McLaren (Anderson Press). Over 13,000 children across Scotland cast their votes for the award online. The award is run by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through...
Top dark night reads for children
3rd January 2020
There's no time like winter to curl up with a book. Here's my top choices for wintry reads with children that have been favourites in our family. Immi by Karen Littlewood Beautiful tale and beautiful illustrations in this story about an Innuit girl and how colour is brought to her...
What to do with kids in 2020 - our top choices!
3rd January 2020
2020 marks not just a new year but a whole new decade! As the new year begins, we look ahead to just some of the exciting events and trends for children in Edinburgh and Lothians in 2020. Get up close to dinosaurs The most comprehensive exhibition ever mounted on tyrannosaurs will make its only...
St John Vianney pupils win competition to transform school classroom
28th November 2019
Primary school pupils’ idea for a new inspiring space in their school will become a reality after they won an innovative new competition run by the City of Edinburgh Council. St John Vianney RC Primary School pupils came up with the idea of transforming their outdated Audio Visual room into...
"We left feeling full of festive spirit"
23rd November 2019
My 11 year old daughter and I were lucky enough to experience the opening night of Christmas at the Botanics, and what a wonderful time we had! To be honest, as we went in on a chilly, slightly damp November evening I hadn’t thought too much about Christmas yet, but by the time we came out we were...
Schools win sports awards
21st November 2019
A record number of Scottish schools have received a prestigious award from sportscotland including 39 from Edinburgh, 20 from Midlothian, 63 fromWest Lothian and eight from East Lothian. The sportscotland School Sport Award is presented for innovation and achievement in delivering school sport and...
News in Edinburgh and the Lothians
1st October 2019
Vote for your favourite picture book! So will it be a unicorn expert, a ninja frog (and pals) or a station mouse who wins? The Scottish Book Trust’s 2020 Bookbug Picture Book Prize Shortlist has been announced and fans are invited to vote for their favourite by 5pm on Friday December 6. The...
Junior brass band looking for new players!
26th September 2019
Newland Junior Brass Band is looking for new players. The band is looking for anyone aged 8 and above to join their team. The band rehearses in Bathgate Partnership Centre on Monday evenings during term time. For more information, please PM the Newland Concert Brass Facebook page.
Alphabetical listings of the Children Fringe shows 2019
8th July 2019
Here you can find the full list of Children’s Fringe shows, with links to our reviews for the Primary Times Children's Choice Awards, sorted alphabetically below. Reviews will be added to the shows as they come in, so keep an eye on this page! Shows beginning with A Shows...
Signs of Sepsis
19th April 2018
LOOK OUT for Signs of Sepsis… Sepsis, also known as Septicemia or blood poisoning, is potentially a life-threatening condition that is triggered by an infection. In sepsis, the body’s immune system goes into overdrive, setting off a series of reactions including widespread inflammation,...
Healthy Family - Edinburgh
19th April 2018
These 'Healthy Family' features highlight preventative health conditions amongst families. This feature looks at ways to keep colds and flu at bay... Also in the Healthy Family Series: The State of the Nation's Health Building a Child's Confidence Help...
Holiday Hotspots in and around Edinburgh
19th April 2018
We know it's not easy organising a family holiday as you need ideas for things to do on a family day out that will inspire, excite, challenge, reward and entertain lots of different people all at once. And then, everyone wants a whole lot of new things to do tomorrow….. Well, it's...
Performing Arts in Edinburgh
19th April 2018
When deciding on a suitable performing arts school for your child, there will be questions that need answering first. For example, what are the time commitments – ‘How often are the classes held?’ and ‘How long do the classes last?’ You will also need to consider...