Dadinfo January 2015

THE UK’S LARGEST MEN’S LIFESTYLE CHANNEL FOR DADS

DAD info
Issue 1 January 15

First-time dad
survival guide

Introducing the
modern dad

Heston’s tips DBAUDSTMSEYIDXTHS
for feeding
fussy kids CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

EXCLUSIVE l Family days out
l Festive escapes
HUGH l Great gifts

JACKMAN

ON BEING A DAD

PLUS: Motoring l Tech l Books l Movies l Recipes l Baby Gear l Health & Fitness

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DAD info

CHRISTOPHER
MUWANGUZI

FOREWORDCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

FAMILY MATTERS INSTITUTE

Welcome to the first DAD.info e-zine, which offers a We’ve hand-picked
taste of some of the content you’ll find on our new- a team of expert
look website. We’ve been talking to fathers for over editors for each
six years through the section, who will
site, our forums and deliver a mix of
expert helplines, and our practical advice, top
network is now the tips, entertaining
biggest community of stories and honest
dads in the UK. reviews

DAD.info is a place to share With Christmas just around
experiences, seek guidance, the corner, we’ve got some
find information and get brilliant ideas for those last-
support, whatever stage minute gifts for you and the kids, as well as the best days out
you’re at on the fatherhood for your family over the holiday period, and some festive
journey: dads-to-be, first- escapes further afield. If you’re at home for Christmas, we’ve
time dads, and even the got some suggestions for great books and movies to keep
most experienced fathers will you entertained, as well as some recipes for sweet treats
all find a wealth of stories, that will score you plenty of gold stars in the kitchen. And
news and tips to make that after the Christmas splurge, our Health & Fitness section will
wonderful – and sometimes help to get you back on track with quick and easy exercises
overwhelming – journey a that won’t even require you to leave the house.
rich and fulfilling one. Now,
just as the face of modern With such a huge range of baby and kid’s gear on the market,
fatherhood is changing, choosing what’s going to be right for your little ones can be a
DAD.info is evolving, with the recent introduction of exciting daunting task, but our Kids section does the hard work for you,
and entertaining new website sections, covering a broad bringing you round-ups and reviews of the best products, while
range of men’s lifestyle topics, keeping you up to date on our Motoring section test-drives new cars and reveals the
new products for you and your family, the latest news, must-have makes and models for you and your family.
hottest trends and special offers.
It’s not always easy being a dad, but we hope the stories,
We’ve hand-picked a team of expert editors for each section, support and advice you’ll find at DAD.info will make the
who will deliver a mix of practical advice, top tips, challenge just a little bit easier…
entertaining stories and honest reviews. Our first e-zine Happy Christmas.
introduces you to these new sections, as well as offering
insightful features on every aspect of being a dad and
exclusive interviews with some truly inspirational fathers.

Our cover star, Hugh Jackman, talks exclusively to DAD.info
about his own experience of being a father, his relationship
with his kids and the influence of his own dad, while
Michelin-starred chef, Heston Blumenthal, shares his top tips
for feeding fussy eaters, and McBusted singer, Tom Fletcher,
opens up about making the transition from pop star to father,
and writing his own series of children’s books.

dadinfo ezine 3

CONTENTS

06. SIX DADS MYTHS
BUSTED

09. LIFE CHANGING
From lad to dad

38. INTRODUCING
The modern dad

10. HUGH JACKMAN INTERVIEW 2
On being a dad

52. HESTO
Feeding

ISSUE ONE

20. BEING DAD: 12/14
Three different dad stories
REGULARS
24. BABY MAKES THREE 012TECH&GAMING
Dealing with change 018FAMILYDAYSOUT
026KIDS:BABYGEAR
32. TOM FLETCHER INTERVIEW 030KIDS:TOYS&GAMES
25. 10-MINUTE GAMES WITH
032MUSIC
TODDLERS 035HEALTH&FITNESS

040TRAVEL
044MOTORING
046MOVIES&DVDS

048BOOKS
051FOOD&DRINK
012. NIK TAYLOR
ON BLUMENTHAL Editor. Lauren Jarvis 018. JAMES DRAVEN
g fussy kids Design. Peter Tranter 026. JAY NADARAJAH
Cover. ddp USA/REX 030. ZIGGY OPOCZYNSKA
032. KAREN EDWARDS
035. PHIL MUNDY
040. JAMES DRAVEN
044. PHIL HUFF
046. BEN FALK
048. GUY ADAMS
048. DAMIAN KELLEHER
051. PHIL MUNDY

1MYTH 3MYTH

Men don’t want children as much as Mums are naturally better at caring for
women do children

Wrong. Early on, men do lag behind women in wanting Wrong. Both sexes are equally ham-fisted to start with.
children: girls in their teens are more likely to want children But new mums are on a steep learning curve, spending
than teenage boys – and so it continues into the 30s. However, many hours on their own early on, developing their
by the age of 40 everything has changed: there’s a catch up in childcare skills, often with great support from health
men’s desire to have children; so by this age just as many men professionals, family and friends.
as women think that having children is very important.
Dads get very little of this. But it’s what he needs: when men
Maybe men are less keen on the idea early on because they and women are able to spend the same amount of time
worry more about the financial costs: both dads and mums looking after babies, and are given the same support, they
tend to regard fathers as having a greater duty to support develop childcare skills at exactly the same rate.
their children financially – even if the mum is in fact the main
breadwinner.

SIX DAD MYTHS

The notion that women make better
parents than men, and that men have
to be dragged kicking and screaming
into parenthood, is underpinned by a

number of myths. Expert Adrienne

BUSTEDBurgess unpacks them for you. Read on

– and you’ll see why there’s no reason
to feel on the back foot where
parenting is concerned...

2MYTH 4MYTH

Men are insensitive to babies Dads don’t make much difference

Wrong. Dads can be super-sensitive to babies – and just as Wrong. Young children with involved dads fit in better at
sensitive as mothers: nursery and school, have higher IQs and fewer behaviour
l Men’s hearts race as fast as women’s when they hear a problems. They make friends more easily and are better able
to understand how other people feel.
baby scream.
l Fathers can recognise their own infants, blindfold, just by Later, they tend to have more contented love lives and better
mental health, and to be less likely to get into trouble with
touching their hands – after only an hour spent cuddling the police. All this is true for girls as much as for boys. And
them. it’s still important when parents have separated.
l When a man bottle-feeds an infant, he does so just as
sensitively as a woman – and the baby drinks the same
amount of milk.

6 dadinfo ezine

5MYTH 6MYTH

Dads hardly ever look after children Men can’t multitask

Wrong. Even though they work much longer hours, British Wrong. Research shows clearly that men are just as good at
fathers do one-quarter of the parental childcare during the multi-tasking as women (think about it: does a bartender
average working week (about two hours a day), much more multi-task? Can a computer-freak with eight applications
at weekends, one third when their partners work. open at once dodge between them? Of course!) IF men are
less likely than women to multi-task at home then it’s not
Britain’s dads do eight times more childcare than their due to any kind of biological inferiority.
fathers did 30 years ago – and the gap between mothers’
and fathers’ input is narrowing every year. And when mums It’s more likely to be that they’re in a support-role (managers
work, who’s the most likely to care for the children? Nursery? generally multi-task more often than support staff) or that
Childminder? Granny & Grandpa? Nope – it’s dad! they’re not totally confident about the task in hand, and
need to focus on it.

dadinfo ezine 7

TM © 2014 WBEI Matthew Hemley, BBC RADIO LONDON

0844 858 8877 | CharlieandtheChocolateFactory.com
THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE

Life changing

What really changes when you become a parent? Everything does,
instantly. So says Peter Howarth, former editor of Esquire and Arena
magazines and father of three sons.

When you’re about to become a father for the first time, other men who’ve already blazed that trail are keen to
share their experiences. You get those who tell you it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to them, and those
who talk knowledgeably of sleep patterns and bottle-feeding.

And then there are those who give you that knowing look – a peculiar expression somewhere between smug
resignation and pity – which seems to say “Woah, mate, you don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for.”

I was subjected to all this, but in retrospect only one person hit the nail on the head. A colleague said he’d
been told the truth about fatherhood and he was now going to impart this profound piece of wisdom to me,
like the handing on of a flaming torch. “It changes everything. Instantly,” he said simply.

Everything changes From lad to dad

At the time I thought, “Yes, and…?” But I soon came to I found this transformation exciting and it seemed like the
realise that he was right. Nothing anyone can say to you can next logical step in my life. I felt I’d done my share of pubs
really explain what happens when you become a dad – it is and clubs and was ready for something more grown up. Of
such an extraordinary event, truly life-changing, that it is course, in the event, becoming a dad helps the process of
impossible to conceive in advance how it will affect you. growing up because you are forced to acknowledge that in
That’s why, like a boy scout, the best thing is to be prepared. the eyes of this small being, you are in charge.

Now that doesn’t mean just decorating the baby’s room and So, though you may still indulge your interests in film,
buying loads of stuff, it means opening your mind to the fact music,sport,clothes and cars, the fact remains that, as far as
that life will inevitably move to a different rhythm and you will your kids are concerned, you are not a mate: you are forever
have to go with it. You will also, for the first time in your on the other side.
existence, become truly responsible for another person: and
this is for life. I realised this recently when I was having a conversation with
my eldest in the car. He’s eleven now, has long hair and
As your kid grows up, your relationship with him or her will plays electric guitar. Apart from the hair, I like to think he’s a
evolve, but essentially you will always be a parent, and the bit of a chip off the old block, and on this particular day I was
parent-child thing is for good (wonder why your folks still asking him whether I could play bass in his band. He
treat you like a kid? Well now you know: it’s their job). declined the offer.

Some men find this responsibility easier than others; some When I asked why, he said, “Because you’re a dad.”
embrace their new role and the changes it brings to their
routine, while others struggle with it. But for most of us, in the Daddy cool?
end, something clicks and we go from being blokes to dads.
“Can dad’s ever be cool?” I
enquired. You can guess
the answer. “Could they
have been cool when
they were younger?” I
asked, trying a different
tack. But the response was

the same. It seems that once
you have kids you move into a
different category, and there’s no way back.

The only thing to do is to accept it, deal with it, and embrace
your new status as terminally un-cool old bloke in the
knowledge that your young ones wouldn’t have it any other
way. Here’s to the modern day equivalent of pipes and
slippers, whatever that may be – organic food and trainers?

dadinfo ezine 9

THE DAD INTERVIEW By Adam Tanswell

EXCLUSIVE

HOLLYWOOD
FAVOURITE,

HIRSUTE
SUPERHERO AND
DEVOTED FATHER,
HUGH JACKMAN,

TALKS TO

HUGHDAD.INFOABOUT

LIFE OFF-SCREEN
WITH HIS
ADOPTED

CHILDREN, OSCAR
MAXIMILLIAN (14)

JACKMANAND AVA ELIOT (9)

ON BEING A DAD

10 dadinfo ezine

What are you like as a father, Hugh? “The moment I had children, I asked my
dad about everything. It’s certainly given
I like to think that I’m a very loving father. I love being around me a deeper appreciation of how much
my children; that’s a no brainer.
he did for us.”
Have you always been hands on with your
kids? He sounds like a bright kid...

I like to do what I can. I remember once when I had to read He is. I said to him, “Where do you learn these things?” He
the script for a movie called Real Steel; I had to read the replied, “I read. Don’t you notice?” He’s fascinating because
script quickly, so I cheekily started to read it to my son Oscar he also knows about every indigenous tribe from America. He
one evening when he was struggling to sleep. My son said to knows their name, where they’re from and what can kind of
me, “Dad, please come and read to me.” Well, that script artwork they are responsible for. He knows all the tribes of
was the only thing I had at hand. We shared the first reading Africa and every country on the planet. He even taught me
and it was a great bonding experience because the story is three countries I didn’t know existed!
about a father and a son. I read the script aloud and he
listened intently.

Sounds like a cunning plan. Did he give it Sounds like you have a great relationship.
the thumbs up? Were you close to your own dad?

He did! I’d read a script to him once before and he found it Yes, my father is an amazing man. He was a full-time worker
really boring, but this was different. As soon as I started for most of my upbringing, as well as a single parent with five
reading it, he didn’t want me to stop. The very next night, he kids. I take my hat off to anyone who can handle that. I have
said to me, “Can you read Real Steel to me again? It’s great.” two kids and it’s like, “Whoa!” It’s full on and I certainly have
That was a really good sign to me. I have never read a script a lot more help than my dad ever did.
so much in my life! He loved it, and I loved it. That’s when I
thought to myself, “Okay… This movie must be a winner.” What’s your best childhood memory?
That’s part of the reason why I signed up for the role.
My father was an accountant, so for two weeks of his four
What’s your son like? Is he more into weeks of vacation we would head to the beach to camp in a
technology and computers than you? five-man tent. I’ve got such wonderful memories from that
time in my life. There were five kids and my dad in the five-
I thought computers and technology were going to be a big man tent – and that was our holiday. We’d take all our own
thing for my son, but he’s not into them at all. He’s got many food and he’d cook for us all on a little gas burner. Those
other interests, though. I took a walk with him a while ago vacations must have been brutal for him, but they were
and I found out some really interesting things about him. I wonderful. I don’t know how he did it.
am not exaggerating, but he is incredibly smart. He was
mumbling under his breath as we wandered along, so I Do you find yourself talking to your father
started listening. I could hear him say, “Juniper tree, a lot more now than you did when you
Japanese maple, palm tree…” He knew every single tree were a child?
that we walked past.
My dad and I didn’t do a lot of talking when I was growing up.
There weren’t a lot of ‘deep and meaningfuls’. But the Main photo by Gregory Pace/BEI/REX
moment I had children, I asked my dad about everything. It’s Hugh and family out in New York. Photo by D. DaSilva/REX
certainly given me a deeper appreciation of everything he did
for us. I said to him, “I hope you know how much I
appreciated it.” He replied, “Well, I didn’t at the time. Mainly,
it was you guys complaining about washing up or having to
do this or that!”

What kind of holidays do you have with
your own kids?

Now? We have a much fancier holiday than I had with my
dad. We’ve rented a house in France before, but I also love
camping. We like to get away. To be honest, I go camping
with my kids whenever I can. We all love it and spending time
together is the best thing in the world.

Hugh will star as Blackbeard in the 2015 Warner Bros.
family movie, Pan.

dadinfo ezine 11

012TECH & GAMING

BY NIK TAYLOR http://www.dad.info/lifestyle/tech-and-gaming

What will Santa be putting underneath the Christmas tree this year? If he's still TOP
scratching his head for some inspiration, perhaps we can be of some assistance. CHRISTMAS
GADGETS
These six gadgety gifts are sure to make eyes light FOR KIDS
up and keep your kids busy on
Christmas Day and beyond. Just
don't forget the batteries...

KidiZoom Smart Watch

With the Apple Watch set to launch in
the next few months, 2015 looks set to
be the year of the smartwatch.
Although this child-friendly version is
just a toy, it has a decent number of
features including a colour
touchscreen and a camera that can
shoot video as well as taking pictures.
Other functions include a motion
sensor and three games.
Price £23.99
Find this at Toys R Us
www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Learning/Electronic-Learning/VTech-Kidizoom-Smart-Watch-White(0137463)

LeapFrog LeapTV

While older kids will be hankering after a PlayStation 4
or Xbox One this Christmas, this entry-level games
system is ideal for three to eight-year-olds. It's been
carefully designed to appeal to this younger age group,
with a simplified on-screen interface and a hint button
on the controller that helps them out if they get stuck.
Games can be played with either a classic games
controller, a Wii-style 'pointer' or a Kinect-inspired
motion sensitive camera. One game is included with the
system, additional titles weigh in around the £25 mark.
Price £103.99
Find this at Amazon
www.amazon.co.uk/LeapFrog-31511-
LeapTV/dp/B00KR2Q0LY

Xeno Interactive Baby Monster

If you've been keeping an eye on the toy shops over the past couple of
Christmases, you'll have noticed Furbys making a comeback. Now those
furry friends have got competition from another interactive robot: Xeno, who
can display emotions and respond to touch. Xeno's LCD graphic eyes show
you how it's feeling, while the eight sensors in its body include two in the
feet that make Xeno laugh when tickled. Sure to delight any primary school
child is a trail of snot hanging out of one nostril. When Xeno sneezes, the
snot must be gently pulled to clean its nose. Delightful.
Price £64
Find this at Asda
http://direct.asda.com/Xeno---Pacific-Blue/000797107,default,pd.html

My Friend Cayla

This doll's big party trick is that you can have a
conversation with her about...well, pretty much
anything. Taking her inspiration from pub quiz cheats,
Cayla will look up your question on the internet and
then, quick as a flash, give you the answer. She gets
online by syncing with your smartphone or tablet via
Bluetooth and uses speech recognition technology to
make her searches. A pre-defined blacklist of specific
words and topics ensures Cayla keeps it clean.
Price £49.99
Find this at Argos
www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/
partNumber/2149251.htm

Osmo

The official site for this iPad add-on is festooned with
positive reviews by everyone from Yahoo to The Wall
Street Journal. Its achievement is that it transforms the
iPad into a multiplayer games machine that can interact
with the real world. In the Osmo box you get a stand for
your iPad, plus a mirror that redirects the front-facing
camera downwards. Thus, when games are played via the
Osmo app, the iPad can recognisie real-world objects and
include them on screen. If you're buying this for
Christmas, bear in mind it ships from the US so you'll be
waiting at least a week for delivery.
Price $99.99 (including shipping)
Find this at PlayOsmo
www.playosmo.com/

Vtech Innotab Max

As kids get older and more tech-savvy, kiddified tablets just
won't cut it any more. Vtech's Innotab Max strikes the middle
ground; a child-friendly tablet that is nonetheless powerful
enough to offer the same features as the kit the grown-ups
are using. Alongside a seven-inch touchscreen, the Innotab
Max features built-in WiFi, Android 4.2 and a selection of
pre-installed apps including MP3 and video players, a
camera and a child-friendly web browser.
Price £109.99
Find this at Argos
www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2409049.htm

dadinfo ezine 13

014TECH & GAMING http://www.dad.info/lifestyle/tech-and-gaming

CHRISTMAS GADGETS FOR DADS UNDER £100

No-one knows what to buy you for Christmas.

Help them out with this handy gift guide

You are a dad, therefore you are ‘hard to buy for’. That’s what they're
saying about you right now. Your loved ones, that is. “I've no idea what
to get for him,” they’re saying. “There’s nothing he needs,” they
complain. This is a problem that you can’t ignore, or it’s another
festive season full of socks for you. Steer them in the direction of this
gadget round-up and make sure there’s something you actually want
under the tree this year. By Nik Taylor

3Doodler WikiPad WP005 tablet PC

3D printing has gone You don't have to look far to find a decent tablet under £200
from science fiction to - as you'll know if you've read our feature on cut-price slates.
bargain-basement But this gaming-focused tablet takes things a step-further. It
gadget reality in comes with a gaming controller dock, making controls much
double-quick time, more manageable than sliding your fingers around on a
with the result that you touchscreen, and it has a host of impressive features
can now get a 3D including a quad-core processor and 1280 x 800 seven-inch
printer for under £100. IPS screen. It's had rave reviews in the US, from where it
Not only that - it's a 3D originates, but somehow costs under £70. A definite bargain.
printer that's like some Star-Trek-inspired piece of magic. £69.99, ebuyer.com
Draw in the air with this pen and your doodlings come to life
as threads of superstrong plastic - making it possible to
create pretty much anything your mind can muster up. There
are lots of accessories you can add to boost your creativity,
including templates to help you get past any artistic block.
£99.99, Maplin

Sphero 2.0 Sony W830 compact camera

You might already have seen Ollie in Six brilliant remote There are plenty of sub-£100 cameras to choose from, but
control toys for kids (that you'll want to play with too). Well, we like this offering from Sony for its combination of a 20-
Sphero 2.0 is his rounder brother. What you've got here is a megapixel sensor and 8x optical zoom. As you'd expect from
robot squeezed into a ball about the size of an orange, that's a snapper of this type, it's fully automatic with a range of
controlled by your smartphone. There are lots of apps you scene settings and autofocus, making it a true point-and-
can download to control Sphero - many of them games - and shoot option. Plus, of course, it will shoot high-def video.
you can build on them by programming the robot using the £85.50, ebuyer.com
free downloadable lessons.
£99.99, Expansys

G-Paws Pet GPS Tracker

Ever wondered what your cat gets up to when it slopes off at
night-time? This dinky GPS tracker can show you. Attach it to
puss before their evening adventures, retrieve it the next day
and plug it into your PC. You'll be presented with a map of your

pet's wanderings throughout the
night; unusually intriguing stuff.
You'll have to charge it up each time
you use it: a four hour charge
powers eight hours of tracking.
Importantly the device is nice and
light at just 14g, so it will hopefully
not be noticed by your moggy.
£29.99, I Want One Of Those

14 dadinfo ezine

CHRISTMAS GADGETS FOR DADS OVER £100

These gadgets ain’t cheap, but they’re
worth hinting at if your loved ones are
feeling generous this year

If you’ve been really good this year, perhaps Santa will
bring you one of these premium gadgets. From
smartphone-controlled quadricopters to high-end
headphones, this is our list of gifts for those who like to
go large at Christmas. By Nik Taylor

Parrot AR Bowers & Wilkins P7
Drone Elite
Edition For music lovers, a decent pair of
headphones is an absolute must.
Despite its Even more so if you have any kind
complicated looks, of commute to put up with. If you're
the Parrot AR Drone looking for some 'phones with a
quadricopter is a touch more refinement than the
doddle to fly. Inside its super-lightweight shell is an array of bass-heavy boom-cans favoured by many, this classy option
sensors and computer chips that ensure it remains stable in from speaker specialists Bowers & Wilkins has to come into
flight both indoors and outdoors - even in the kind of blustery the reckoning. Not only do they sound divine, but they're
conditions you're likely to encounter late in December. You perfectly designed for travel - folding up into a little ball when
control the drone using virtual joysticks on its smartphone not in use.
app, and can also shoot video using its two built-in cameras. £329.95, John Lewis
£249, Pixmania
LG 42UB820V Smart 4k Ultra HD 42"
Google Nexus 9 16GB LED TV

Google carved out a niche for its Nexus brand of This 42-inch telly from LG will delight your eyes with pin-
smartphones and tablets by offering a remarkable amount of sharp Ultra-HD 4K images, should you be able to find a
technology and features for very little money. Now it's got our source that will output them. It's true that, for the moment,
attention, however, prices have risen noticeably. Still, the ultra hi-def is mainly a bit of handy futureproofing. However,
new Nexus 9 tablet remains more keenly priced than its fruity this set can also upscale standard HD pictures, so you get
competition and it's got some high-end tech squeezed into the best of both worlds. It's a smart TV as well, so hooking it
its svelte frame. It's squarer than many tablets, with a 4:3 up to your net connection gives you access to all kinds of
display (8.9-inches in size) that's particularly useful for useful apps, including iPlayer. Plus you get a 'magic remote'
browsing web pages plus it also features the very latest making it possible to control your TV with a wave of your
version of Android. hand - or even with your voice.
£319, Google Play £599.95, John Lewis

PlayStation 4

Despite what the fan
boys might tell you,
there's not a lot to
separate the
PlayStation 4 from the
Xbox One, at least in
terms of gaming
performance. As ever,
the difference comes down to the games. Amd with 2015
set to bring No Man's Sky, Uncharted 4 and the return to life
of 80s title Shadow of the Beast as PlayStation exclusives,
Sony's machine has our full attention.
£339 (with GTA V), Tesco

dadinfo ezine 15

016TECH & GAMING http://www.dad.info/lifestyle/tech-and-gaming

Eight smartphone
apps for children

Whether your kids are already packing their own smartphones or just
hogging screentime on yours, keeping them busy with some family-
friendly apps is a must. Here we round up some of the best apps for
young children – a mixture of educational and just-for-fun. By Nik Taylor

Moose Math Sago Mini Monsters

Available on: iOS (£1.49), Available on: iOS (free), Amazon Fire (£1.99)
Android (£1.20), One for the little artists,
Amazon Fire (£1.24) Sago Mini Monsters is
This writer finds it hard to get over the Americanised lack of aimed at pre-schoolers.
an 's' at the end of maths in this app's title, but those less Its simplicity is addictive:
neurotic about linguistic differences will find this app players create their own
perfectly hits the sweet spot of both fun and educational. It's monsters by painting
from Duck Duck Moose, an app publisher that pretty much them and then adding
does no wrong when it comes to apps for young ones, and it features, clothes and
teaches maths skills for children from the age of four the like. They then get
upwards. Games involving counting, adding, subtracting and to feed their creation
the like have rewards that enable kids to build their own before taking a snapshot
town. An engaging crop of animal characters will keep their
interest up. so they can store their favourites.

colAR mix

Available on: iOS (free), Android (free)
The 'AR' in this app's
slightly clunky title
stands for augmented
reality, and this app
uses the oft-gimmicky
technology to great
effect. It's a lovely idea,
kids print off colouring
pictures from the app's
website, colour them in
with their own crayons

and pencils and then point the camera of their phone or
tablet at the picture. Whatever they have coloured then
bursts into life on screen.

16 dadinfo ezine

Toca Town

Available on: iOS (£1.99),
Android (£1.99), Amazon Fire (£1.99)
Toca Town is a digital dollhouse app, giving kids the chance
to play with characters in a selection of locations that include
a park, a restaurant, a house and a flat, a shop and a police
station. There's plenty to explore in each of those places and,
with no specific instructions for play, kids are left to make up
their own games and rules.

Mr Shingu's Paper Zoo Ski Safari

Available on: iOS (£1.99), Android (£1.99) Available on: iOS (£0.69), Android (£0.63)
Who knew there was room in the world for an origami A classic slice of casual gaming, this one requires a bit of
simulator? That's what you're getting here and it's actually far coordination so it's best for slightly older kids. It's an example
more fun and compelling than it sounds. Kids create a zoo- of the endless running genre – there's no way to actually
full of animals by following the app's folding instructions (they beat the game, the aim is simply to keep racing ahead of the
can also play along with real paper, if they want to make real avalanche for as long as you can to rack up an ever-higher
origami models) and then look after the animals to earn score. There's plenty of cute appeal – penguin and yeti
virtual currency to buy their creations toys and food. Classic characters help you along your way – and a Christmas-
cutesy Japanese graphics complete the package. themed map too.

Tamagotchi Classic CBeebies Playtime App

Available on: iOS (£2.49), Available on: iOS (free),
Android (£2.49) Android (free), Amazon Fire (free),
It's been the best part of 20 years Windows Phone 8 (free)
since the Tamagotchi craze swept This one is sure to be a hit with any tots who love watching
the globe – now the animal- CBeebies. It's a completely free app with games from a range
keeping game is back for your of the most popular shows on the BBC's toddler TV channel.
smartphone. Not much has Swashbuckle, Show Me Show Me, Andy’s Dinosaur
changed since the mid-90s – Adventures, Nina and the Neurons, The Octonauts, Tree Fu
what you get for your £2.49 is a Tom, Alphablocks and Something Special are all represented
faithful recreation of the original – and any toddler's parent will surely find it worth the
Tamagotchi experience, with a download time just to get Mr Tumble on their smartphone.
handful of new special colour
Tamagotchis. The care-taking
gameplay is as addictive as ever – but this might be one that
has the most appeal for nostalgic adults.

dadinfo ezine 17

018FAMILY DAYS OUT

BY JAMES DRAVEN http://www.dad.info/play/days-out

THE BEST It’searlyDecember,and
Santa Claus is still
recovering from last year’s
epic all-nighter of knocking
back a few billion sherries,

CHRISTMAS but decorations are going
up all over the nation’s high
streets and women
everywhere are showing off

FAMILY DAYS OUT that they’ve finished their
Christmas shopping already.
Yep, the festive season is
already in full swing, so
we’ve wasted no time in
putting together this list of
Xmas days out for you and
your kids before all the
tickets sell out…

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Canary Wharf, London Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire –
near Farnham, Surry
This London
business Open every
district and Saturday and
financial hub Sunday until
might seem Christmas Eve,
like the sort of families will be
place Ebenezer lead along an
Scrooge would illuminated trail
spend until they
Christmas, but it’s actually a remarkably festive place to take reach a fairy-lit
your Tiny Tims and, erm, Tammys this December. toy factory at Winter Wonderland. The magical Christmas
experience will include fun-filled workshops of games,
Not only will their ice rink return, featuring London’s only skate singing, role-playing, arts and crafts. Father Christmas will, of
path, which leads visitors on a glittering trail beneath fairy-lit course, be in residence so visitors can make their Christmas
trees, but a Christmas market will offer personalised crimbo wish, receive a small gift and feed the reindeer a carrot.
decorations, hot chestnuts, handmade smellies, wooden toys,
mulled wine, gingerbread houses and more seasonal souvenirs Cannock Chase Forest – Images: Winter Wonderland; Canary Wharf; V. Mishukov; Forestry Commission England
than you can shake a stocking at. near Rugeley, Staffordshire

Santa abandoned his idyllic Lapland workshop in favour of Santa’s Grotto
setting up grotto in Jubilee Place Mall, where your little elves at Cannock
can also marvel at the new Magical Mirrors installation and Chase will be
enjoy a programme of free children’s festive activities – from open every
cookie and cupcake decorating, to face painting – throughout Friday evening
Canary Wharf’s shopping malls. and Saturday
and Sunday
Tickets are available from www.canarywharf.com and all until Sunday
proceeds will be donated to Tommy’s, the baby charity. 14 December.
All children visiting Father Christmas will receive a small gift
Meet Santa – ZSL London Zoo and their very own Christmas tree sapling to plant at home,
preferably in the garden. Maybe warn them now that it might
Never mind not be ready for Christmas 2015.
wondering why
a zoo’s title Winter Wonderland –
needs to twice Hyde Park, London
contain, or at
least allude to, We can
both the words, probably keep
‘London,’ and, on dreaming if
‘zoo’ – you’re we’re hoping
probably instead thinkingIm, ‘ahgoew: cLaonndSoanntZaoboe in two places at for a white
once?!’ A good question, but bilocation is a small feat for an Christmas
omnipresent deity like Father Christmas who can anytime soon,
circumnavigate the globe depositing presents and coal in the but at least
bedrooms of every child on Earth in one night. It should Hyde Park’s
therefore cause you no alarm that, along with his appearance annual Winter Wonderland is back to dispel the grey skies.
in Jubilee Place Mall, Mr Claus will also be hanging around
London Zoo (among other places) this Christmas. The event’s Magical Ice Kingdom will swap the UK’s dreary
weather for a fantastical world of real ice and snow. You and
Every weekend and then daily from Saturday 19 to your kids can explore a beautiful frozen forest, while looking out
Wednesday 24 December, visitors can meet Santa himself to for ice fairies, unicorns and a spectacular dragon, before
share their Christmas wishes, after having joined his meeting the Snow Queen in her magnificent ice castle.
hardworking elves in making festive treats for some furry
residents of the zoo. You can also enjoy fairground rides, stalls and circus shows,
then skate on the UK's largest ice rink, set around the
Kids have the chance to meet the fat man’s long-suffering picturesque Victorian bandstand. A sparkling canopy of over
reindeer, and join animal-loving elves in a flurry of crafty 100,000 lights creates a magical setting for winter skating,
Christmas activities and seasonal song-singing in the and live music plays throughout the day and night.
magical, if somewhat predictably named, town of Elfville. www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com
www.zsl.org
dadinfo ezine
19

020BEING DAD

http://www.dad.info/fatherhood

3DIFFERENT DAD STORIES
Three modern-day dads share
their personal experiences of
fatherhood

The stay-at-home-dad
Could you stay at home and look after the kids while your Has it affected your relationship with
wife went out to work? For many dads, the answer would your kids?
be a resounding no, but a growing band of ‘home dads’
have made this choice. Dad Info spoke to father-of-three ‘I think so, yes, because I’m around them all the time. When
Edmund Farrow to find out why he’s happiest at home. they were small that could be as much as 16 hours a day –
and maybe a couple of hours during the night too.
Edmund Farrow has been a home dad for all three of his
children. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife Elaine and But it’s also a very different relationship than a lot of dads
their three children: Matthew, 7, Daniel, 6, and Joanna, 3. have with their kids. They’re the fun parent – they come
home and read stories or do bath time, then at weekends
We spoke to Edmund about his reasons for being a take them out to the park or whatever.
home dad, how it affects his relationship with his kids
and what people make of his unusual family setup. In our family that’s my wife’s role. She’s the one who takes
them on trips and stuff like that, whereas I’m the one who
Why did you decide to stay at home with makes sure they’ve eaten their breakfast and knows where
the kids? all their things are for school.

‘I’ve been a home dad for all three of my children – Elaine ‘I’m the person they run to if they hurt themselves. And I’m
and I just thought it made sense. When she was pregnant the one who knows all their friends and their parents, and
with Matthew we discussed it and it seemed logical that I who knows the most about them. For example, if we go to
should stay at home. the doctor they have to speak to me.

‘We earned about the same from our jobs, so that wasn’t a Quite often, healthcare professionals start talking to Elaine,
factor. But Elaine needs the stimulation and company of assuming she’s the one who knows things like when they last
other people every day – that’s not so important for me. It went to the doctor. But she doesn’t know that kind of
worked better for both of us if I stayed home and she went information, I do.’
out and earned the money.’

20 dadinfo ezine