Edinburgh – Pinboards

A world of music... the world should see

Ranking among the world’s most important collections of musical heritage, Edinburgh University’s Collection of Historic Musical Instruments offers a full education programme designed for schools, families and groups.  A diverse range of interesting, practical Primary School Workshops are designed to capture the attention of children through a series of hands-on activities. The ‘Making Music, Making Art’ workshop is designed for children in P1 to P4, to learn about musical instruments, explore sounds in a handling session, and get creative in a musical instrument-inspired art and craft session. The ‘Sound Sleuths’ workshop for children in P1 to P7 allows youngsters to explore a world of musical sound. It teaches children about how we hear, why a flute sounds different from a tuba and teaches the physics of sound through hands on activities and tours of the collection.  The Eco-music Masterpiece workshop for children in P4 to P7 offers the chance for children to make a recycled musical instrument in a fun creative way. They will be able to explore how different instrument families make sound before creating their own design.

The Musical Craft and Design workshop teaches primary school aged children how instruments are made.  They will be able to explore musical instruments, and see how the trade and craft has evolved over the centuries. There’s also a chance to be a historical detective inspecting materials and maker’s marks.

In addition, there are monthly drop-in family workshops usually held on the last weekend of the month that are advertised a month in advance through the website.

For further information regarding the education and events programme see the website www.miayf.org or call 0131 650 3393

Kilts for Kids Day

Friday 25 November is Kilts for Kids Day, Scotland’s exciting and fun charity fundraising event organised by CHILDREN 1ST. Formally the RSSPCC, CHILDREN 1ST has been working in Scotland for over 125 years to help build a brighter future for Scotland’s vulnerable children and families.

Kilts for Kids Day always takes place on the Friday closest to St Andrew’s Day and is a great way to celebrate all things Scottish while raising money for a great cause. All the money raised in Scotland stays in Scotland.

Kilts for Kids Day is a fantastic way for schools to get everyone together and raise money for a brilliant cause. Pupils can have fun, learn and help make a difference for the vulnerable children across Scotland who are most in need of your help.

By incorporating Kilts for Kids Day and St Andrew’s Day celebrations into the curriculum, pupils will be able to develop their appreciation of Scotland as a nation, our heritage and history and the contribution we make to the rest of the world.

We have lots of resources to help you plan a Kilts for Kids Day event such as fundraising packs, quizzes, balloons, recipes and stickers. Visit www.kiltsforkids.org to get started and to see what other schools have done in the past.

All winners at the Education Awards

Every now and again Primary Times gets the chance to be involved in something inspiring – well, that was certainly the case with the Scottish Education Awards. Back in June, as one of the sponsors, we were lucky enough to be at the glittering Awards Ceremony in Glasgow. It’s the day when deserving schools and teachers from all over Scotland come together to recognise the achievements of some of the best there are. BBC newsreader Jackie Bird hosted the event with inimitable style. Jackie commented: “Once again, we have all been amazed at the incredible stories and incredible people in schools all over Scotland”. Bruce Waddell, the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail who are the main sponsors of the Awards said: “This is the 10th year of the Awards…Scottish education has seen lots of changes…but one thing remains the same….our schools are still hives of inspiring activity where dedicated staff and pupils refuse to settle for second best.”

To read all about the 2011 winners or to register your school’s interest in the 2012 Awards go to www.scottisheducationawards.org.uk

Get creative at The Big Draw

Held throughout October, The Big Draw aims to bring communities together in fun, creative ways. It encourages cultural venues to use drawing to engage visitors of all ages with their collections and exhibitions. Schools are invited to show how drawing can be used for learning across the curriculum and to involve parents in these activities.

More than 1,500 venues take part annually, from nursery schools to national museums. Last year 20 countries joined the UK in organising events. The Big Draw theme for 2011 is The Drawing Age. This is an exciting opportunity to think about the role drawing plays in our lives today. Why is drawing still important to us in 2011, and how do we make use of it? To find out more go to www.thebigdraw.org or email admin@campaignfordrawing.org

Searching for the ultimate Dream Toys testers

Calling all teachers… If you think your school children are the real experts when it comes to playing with toys and games, here is your chance to nominate them to take part in a very exciting opportunity.

The Toy Retailers Association is on the hunt for the best toy-testers in the country to help shape the official ‘Dream Toys’ list for 2011. They are searching for five groups of children and teenagers, who have the skills and knowledge needed to expertly rate the newest and best toys and games on the market, to help identify the must have toys for Christmas.

For this ‘dream-job’, each group will be given a selection of specially chosen toys and games to rate. They will then be asked for their predictions about what the top toys for Christmas 2011 will be from this selection. These predictions will be unveiled at the annual Dream Toys event, which takes place in London on 26th October 2011.

If you have a group that would like to take part then get in touch with the Dream Toys team on dreamtoys@grayling.com for more information.