I couldn’t wait for my precious imperfect kids to finish school and nursery for the summer holidays – how wonderful that we get six whole weeks together, I thought?

But within the first week I was already tearing my hair out.
The house is a mess, our plans have gone to pot and the weather has been far from summery. That’s not to mention that I still have to get my work done although fortunately I work from home so I can do it around the kids (ish!).

And in a bid to stay relatively sane, endure these endless weeks and enjoy what Yorkshire and the UK has to offer families like us – I have been blogging and vlogging about places to go and things to do for Yorkshire Evening Post and of course here for my readers.

Sweetie darling!

Our first week was all about the theatre! My daughters and I went along to see The Gruffalo at West Yorkshire Playhouse.
The theatre is ideally located for us being here in Wakefield as we can jump on a bus and get off at Leeds Bus Station and then just cross the road. It also means that I get to pop into Kirkgate market for some cheap fruit and vegetables as the buggy makes a perfect trolly when needed.

Anyhow back to the Playhouse… The girls loved being “grown-ups” and sitting in the big chairs to watch the show which was short and sweet.
The characters from Julia Donaldson’s famous children’s book all had their own distinct personalities which kept the kids entertained throughout the 55 minutes – with singing, physical theatre and audience interaction.
For most of it I was watching the kids as it was wonderful to see them swept up in the magic of the theatre. Yes, no screens!
Afterwards, we went to the café area of the Playhouse which now has a family section. Most parents will relate to the relief you feel when you find a kids area in any public space.

I first discovered the Playhouse in my teens when I was part of a community chorus for a Bollywood production. I love the fact that the theatre works with lots of communities and it helps to break a lot of barriers for people who will benefit from being involved in professional productions either as performers or the audience.

Go to: https://www.wyp.org.uk/

When my kids are old enough I’ll certainly get them to engage with the work that also goes on at Wakefield’s Theatre Royal – in the hope they’ll love amateur dramatics as much as I did (I was also an active member at Sheffield’s Crucible Youth Theatre – another fab place you should check out with the kids)!

Go to: https://www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk/

Leeds Grand Theatre and City Varieties

I was super indulgent too as I took a break from the kids to go see Dirty Dancing at Leeds Grand Theatre. It was such a fun and happy evening reliving the classic movie (and imagining I was in it).

But it’s not all just for adults, the theatre and City Varieties has activities for kids this summer too in a special festival.

Children aged 0 to 17 are invited to participate in a wide range of activities this August at Leeds Grand Theatre and City Varieties Music Hall (CVMH).

Organised by a creative group of 11-15-year olds, the Summer Festival promises to both inspire and entertain children by offering them a chance to get involved in activities that they might otherwise not experience, including puppetry, vlogging, animation and song-writing. It also provides an opportunity to explore two of Leeds’s iconic cultural venues.
Go to: www.cityvarieties.co.uk.

Where are your favourite places to go this summer? Comment below or tweet us @LeedsNews @MamaMeiBlog – you may appear in one of our Summer blogs or vlogs for Yorkshire Evening News.

You can also join the conversation with the #YorkshireFamilyHour twitter chat on Tuesdays at 8pm.
For more family blogs, go to: MamaMei.Co.Uk or facebook.com/mamameiblog

Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post therefore I received free entry in return for a review.