Pamper Parties at Pikku

Heidi is turning six this month and has now outgrown the softplay parties that she would usually have. When Pikku in Gosforth invited us to road test their pamper parties we knew this would be the perfect way for Heidi to celebrate her birthday with friends.

Pikku Pamper Parties start at just £15 per head and this allows you exclusive use of the bright and child friendly hair salon upstairs. You are in the capable hands of Trish and Laura who are both mums themselves and their experience with children really shows - the girls loved them and thought they were great fun. Pamper parties are tailored to specific requirements but include party food and unlimited juice plus, free invitations and party games with prizes. Your party guests can sample a selection of pampering treats from face painting, mini manicures and hair styling.

Hair styling

Heidi and her friends were first of all asked what sort of music they liked (One Direction!) and their album was the soundtrack to our party. They were then all given snuggly pink bathrobes and asked to jump aboard the special pink cars to have their hair plaited. All of the girls were super pleased with the results and loved taking it in turns to sit in the car and watch Princess movies on the in-car ipad.

Mini Manicures

The girls could choose between a selection of nail varnishes (but they all decided on pink) that were fast drying. Heidi never has her nails painted at home so this was a real treat for her.

Face Painting

This was the highlight of the party for the girls - they LOVED getting their faces painted and could choose from a selection of designs. We ended up with a cat, a butterfly, a rainbow and a tiger! Finished off with a little bit of glitter. All of the face paint can easily be washed off that evening with soap and water or a baby wipe.

Craft area

Between pampering there is a craft section set up on the floor for the girls to use their imagination and design their own make-up using glitter pens.

Food and Juice

The girls could help themselves to a party tea and unlimited juice throughout the party. Specific requests and dietry requirements can be catered for - simply ask when booking.

Party Games and Fun

The party ended with dancing and party games led by Trish and Laura (who ensured everyone won a prize too). It was then the girls' turn to play hairdressers as they split into two teams to style Laura and Trish's hair (very brave) and were rewarded with a Pikku balloon each for their efforts. 

Thank you to Pikku, Laura and Trish for a fantastic party. The girls had an absolutely wonderful time and were in very capable hands. I love that they have created these special memories together and it really was a little girls dream party. I think the smiles on everybody's face really says it all.

Pikku Pamper Parties start at just £15 per head. You can find out more here, phone 0191 447 1300 or email info@pikku.co.uk to discuss availability and book.

Pikku

173-175 High Street

Gosforth

NE3 1HE

(opposite Brandling Arms)

www.pikku.co.uk

Pikku Facebook Page

We were provided with a complimentary birthday party for the purpose of this feature. For more family fun ideas please Follow North East Family Fun on Facebook.

Newcastle Castle

I have vague memories of visiting Newcastle Castle as a child on a school trip - in fact it is the only memory I have of visiting a castle when I was young. I have wanted to take my own children for a while however it has been closed for the past two years as part of it's refurbishment. 

After our visit last week, I can definitely say this refurbishment was worth the wait and Newcastle Castle is now definitely one of the best attractions our city has to offer.

The Castle is open daily from 10am-5pm and entry for a family of 4 is £15.90 (under 5's are free). You need to buy your tickets from reception at The Black Gate (location and directions here) and then walk under the railway arches to The Castle Keep.

After collecting our tickets from The Black Gate we headed straight up to the third floor before visiting The Castle Keep. The third floor of The Black Gate features an interesting exhibition detailing the history of the Castle and past inhabitants. You can even sit around a table and imagine you are sitting in a Castle Garth pub of yesteryear as The Blaydon Races plays in the background. 

The Castle Keep

Be prepared for A LOT of stairs - we climbed the few at the entrance and were greeted with another exhibition which told the story of the Castle's medieval and turbulent past. There are hands on exhibits including armour, battle plans, weapons and living quarters. We all enjoyed looking around and imagining what the Castle would have been like in times gone by.

Jack and Harry are planning their next attack

Between 20 and 45 crossbowman lived in the Castle in 1927 to defend Newcastle against the Scots

A glimpse at what life was like

It was now time to prepare ourselves for the 99 steps to the top! Luckily for us, you don't have to climb these steps all in one go - there are rooms to explore as you venture upstairs. Our unadventurous four year old just about managed the climb but he did need to be closely watched whereas our 5 year old and 8 year old managed it without any problems. You definitely wouldn't be able to take a pushchair upstairs so make sure you are prepared with a baby carrier if needed.

One of the random parts of our trip that our children enjoyed was looking out of the windows and from the roof at the trains going in and out of Newcastle's Central station. If your children are train mad they will love this Castle as there are plenty of opportunities to watch trains go whizzing past.

There is also the chance to look down this well which is probably the deepest well I have ever seen! (It is protected with reinforced plastic so very safe). 

As you wonder around the Castle you will see various tales of it's past - I can't believe this Graffiti dates back to the 1644 Civil war!

My favourite room was most definitely the Great Hall - they have used very clever lighting and audiovisual displays to really bring this room to life. As you sit on the wooden benches it is very easy to take in the atmosphere and imagine the hall as it once was.

After the Great Hall there is nothing left to do but climb the remaining steps to the very top of the Castle. Your reward is spectacular and unrivalled views across Newcastle and beyond! 

We tried (and failed) to take a selfie of us all at the top. I think Newcastle Castle are missing a trick here and should employ a photographer to take family photographs on the roof.

Luckily, a kind stranger stepped in and offered to take a photograph for us. It's not often we feature in a photograph together and I am very pleased with the result so thank you!

The views from the top really are spectacular - despite the wind we spent quite a while up there looking at the various bridges over the Tyne, at Newcastle Central station and the streets below. It is nice and safe with security railings everywhere (although obviously still do supervise your children).

We did plan to head down to the dungeons and basement but our four year old was getting very tired and whingey at this point so we decided to save that for another day. I don't mind though as Newcastle Castle is somewhere I definitely want to visit again soon.

You can read about trips to Newcastle Castle with a toddler from Mumsdays and as an adult from This Could Lead to Anywhere. 

I really would recommend a trip to Newcastle Castle - there is something for all ages and it really is a place you can learn so much about the history of the city. I would pay the entrance fee again just for the view from the top!

For more information, visit Newcastle Castle Website or Newcastle Castle Facebook

I am being a bit cheeky and linking up to #countrykids this week but technically we did enjoy some outdoor fun on the Castle Rooftop :D

Ginger's Birthday Party

"I'm bored" is the worst thing you can hear as a parent in the school holidays. Although we do like a trip out or a walk to the park, sometimes you do just have to stay indoors (and crack on with the housework!) These are the days that can be longest and are often the most difficult to try and keep your children from killing each other entertained.

One of the activities we like to do on these days at home is to celebrate the birthday of one of our favourite toys. Every child loves a party and the promise of cake usually puts them in a good mood. In the Easter holidays, we decided we would celebrate Heidi's soft toy Ginger's birthday.

The children spent the morning creating special invitations for all of Ginger's friends.

The celebrations then started at lunch time when we set the table and waited for Ginger's friends to arrive and join in with the party. We raided our cupboard and improvised to use Cherry Bakewells as our birthday cake (three candles as Ginger is three). I just love this video below of us all singing happy birthday to Ginger.

Of course as is the same with every party, we had to repeat this process four times to let everyone have their turn to blow the candles out. I think Ginger was getting a little impatient and couldn't wait for her cake!

We had lots of fun eating sandwiches and cake at Ginger's party and there weren't even any crumbs!

Once our party lunch had finished it was time to move into the living room to take part in party games. Musical bumps, musical statues and musical corners can be stretched out over a whole hour if needed - I don't know what's special about them but children never seem to get bored with party games.

So, next time you are struggling with an idea for keeping your children entertained, why not hold your own birthday party for a special toy. I promise your children will love it.

We think that days when you are stuck in the house are most definitely #betterwithcake

This post is an entry for #betterwithcake linky challenge, sponsored by Mr Kipling. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/mrkiplingcakes