COMPETITION TIME! WIN A FAMILY TICKET TO SEE IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE – SUMMER TOUR 2012 AT BRENT CROSS

In the Night Garden fans will not want to miss this! Top-selling children’s show, In the Night Garden Live, is back by popular demand this summer and North London Mums have a family ticket to give away!

North London Weekend Highlights: Stay dry and have fun!

Yes it is going to rain - but there's loads of cosy indoor stuff to do with kids this weekend!

This weekend sees the start of Tiddler and other Terrific Tales at the E4 Udderbelly, Southbank Centre. This is a brand new show from the award-winning Scamp Theatre (Stick Man - Live on Stage!) adapted from the bestselling books by Children's Laureate, Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler (creators of 'The Gruffalo'). This is a magical collection of Julia Donaldson's most popular titles including 'Tiddler', 'The Smartest Giant in Town', 'A Squash and a Squeeze' and 'Monkey Puzzle', woven together with live music, songs, puppets and a host of colourful characters. Suitable for ages 3 and over. Runs for 50 minutes.

Day Trips Near North London - Museums and Attractions

As the weather improves (she said, hopefully) it can be really nice to get out of London for the day and explore the surrounding areas and what they have to offer. Luckily we are blessed with hundreds of good things to do so we are running a series on good family days out near North London. Last week we told you about stately homes near North London. This week we've rounded up some of the best museums and attractions near North London that are within driving or train distance for a day trip. We hope you find something you like. Next week we'll be writing about farms, zoos and safari parks so do let us know your favourites. 

The mum who wants to be mayor - North London Mums speaks to Siobhan Benita, the London mayoral candidate who wants to improve family life in London

If (like me) you have been depressed by the sight of Boris and Ken slugging it out to be London's mayor again and if, (like me) you've been wondering why there aren't more women in the upper eschelons of political life and if, (like me) you were an avid fan of the fantastic political drama Borgen, you'll want to read about the independent candidate Siobhan Benita, a woman who is changing the political race for the better and giving the men a run for their money. North London Mums spoke to Siobhan to find out what motivated her to run for Mayor, and what she would do to improve family life in London if she won. We were really impressed.

Appy Monday! You need never forget anything again

Do you constantly have things floating in and out of your brain that you forget to act on? Make mental notes that you promptly forget? A couple of things that just never get done? Then the Evernote app could seriously transform your life.

Friday finds! Things we love...extreme parks! and Secret Escapes!

We had a week "staycationing" last week and made 2 exciting discoveries- an extreme park experience in Stoke Newington, and a great website offering discounts on luxurious holidays (maybe just for 2...)

If you are feeling jaded with standard swings and slides the head over to Clissold Park in Stoke Newington for an extreme park experience. In the last 12 months £9m of Heritage Lottery Fund and Hackney Council money have been spent on restoring the park and the house.

Weekend Round up - lots of dragon slaying fun!

With St Georges Day coming up on Monday, there are lots of events to celebrate it this weekend. So don't stay at home moping about the weather, get out and slay those dragons!

Breakfast out with the Kids?

What do you do when the kids are up at literally the crack of dawn and tearing up the house by 8am? Here are a few ideas for child-friendly (and parent-friendly) breakfast places which we've updated with some recent finds.

Our new find is the Coach House Restaurant at Hatfield- open from 10am. A scrummy selection of home baked cakes, decent coffee and tea in tea pots- heaven on a plate and a treat for a Sunday morning.

Day Trips Near North London - Stately Homes

Looking for a day out that is good fun for the children but also interesting for you? A stately home or castle can be a good option and London is (unsurprisingly) surrounded by fantastic stately homes. Here are some stately homes and castles near North London where there is lots for children to do.

Bletchley Park is the historic site of the British code breaking activity during the Second World War (remember the film with Kate Winslet?). There are a number of different attractions to see, including the Enigma Collection of cipher machines, the Churchill Collection, and a Toys and Memorabilia Collection dating back to the 1930's. There are trail and quiz sheets for children, a play area (re-opening in the summer) and lots to explore in the 29 acre site. family Fun Wednesdays are designed especially for kids from the age of 4 upwards, featuring  a range of activities, from spy workshops and lessons in how to send Morse code, to interactive displays about the role of pigeons during World War.

New Term, New Classes - some ideas for children's classes in North London this summer term

The new term is upon us and we know that people are always on the look out for new things to take their children too so here are some ideas of things that you can try that you might not have heard of before. We've got ideas for everyone from babies to older children and for adults, and we've tried to cover as much of North London as we can too - but do let us know if you've heard of anything else that sounds good as we always like to try new things.

Appy Monday! Educational Apps For Children

In our house, the iPad is used for many purposes, but only recently have we started to explore its potential as an educational tool and think about how we can use it to help teach our children to read and about the world around them. Here are a couple of the best educational apps we have found -one for reading and one for counting - and we'll report back on some more soon. We'd love to know which apps you've found helpful too - for children of all ages.

Get closer to nature in North London - nature walks, nature reserves and nature groups

There was an article in the New York Times that caught my eye recently, talking about something called Nature Deficit Disorder. The article refers to a book by the writer Richard Louv in a 2005 book called “Last Child in the Woods.” The book argues that a lot of the problems facing us today including obesity, poor health and behaivioural difficulties can be traced back to how little time the average child spends outdoors.  This got me thinking about how much time we spend outdoors, especially when the weather is like it is now, and how important it is.  I know that in my own childhood some of the most enjoyable times were those we spent outdoors walking and exploring nature and want my children to have the same experience even though they are growing up in a big city. Luckily North London has lots of beautiful and wild places to explore.

Last weekend of the Easter holidays and still lots on!

Last weekend of the Easter holidays and still going strong- lots on this weekend, especially in local theatres- which could be handy for rainy days!

The Moscow State Circus is at Alexandra Palace this weekend with the sensational extravaganza Babushkin Sekret. Inspired by the legend of 'The 12 chairs', the new show takes us on an incredible journey in the company of some of the greatest circus performers on earth. The show combines contemporary & classical circus in way never before witnessed.

Looking for a fun arty party for your children's birthday party? Find out more about Artists Resource

North London Mums has a really useful directory of local North London businesses and every week we will introduce you to one of the businesses who advertise with us. This week we want to tell you about Artists Resource, who run arts and crafts parties for children and adults, which advertises in our Children's Party Entertainers and Venues section.

Return to Kew Gardens- fun Easter -themed activities

Back at Christmas time we wrote about our trip to Kew- a fab wintry adventure with lots of fun indoor and outdoor and outdoor stuff for kids.

This Weekend - Eggs-cellent Easter family fun in North London

As you'd expect, there are lots of Easter themed events on this weekend, making it an eggs-cellent weekend to have fun with the family. Have a great weekend!

Hampton Court has an Easter Egg Hunt 6-9 April - Join King Henry VIII and his queen, Jane Seymour, at their pleasure palace by the Thames for the Easter celebrations.Catch members of the Tudor Court as they mingle in the courtyards and passageways, halls and chambers of the palace. But remember, choose your friends and enemies wisely. Even those closest to the King don't know what fate may await them... Also, collect our special Easter egg hunt family trail from the Information Centre. Once complete return to get an 'eggstra' special prize!

Why business travel pulls at the heartstrings (or why I cry at airports!)

So I am travelling for a couple of days with work this week. Not too far- just a trip to the South of France for a couple of days.

I must admit I have been quite looking forward to a bit of solo travel- time to browse the airport shops, maybe linger over the makeup  and perfume, free from the rigours of baby-friendly travel. My last big travel experience was a lesson in how these two worlds can collide- facing a transatlantic flight with two under 3's on my own, I found myself in the toilet at Heathrow terminal 5 trying to control the clamour of 2 restless children. When I stepped out, all nappies and crumbs and dishevelment, I came face to face with a work colleague. A rather surprised work colleague I should add.

Indoor Activities in North London For Families - don't let the rain spoil your fun!

The weather is proving as bad as we feared. But don't despair, here are some ideas of things you can do this holiday that are mostly indoor. We've left out the big museums in town as we suspect you already know all about them. Instead we've got some ideas of other things you can try a bit closer to home.

Local Museums and Attractions

 RAF Museum, Hendon

RAF Museum, Hendon is our favourite choice for a cold and wet day. The museum is free so you only have to pay for parking (£2.50 for up to 2 hours) although you can park on the road and walk or come by tupe to Burnt Oak. There is absolutely loads for children to do including an interactive gallery complete with airplanes you can sit in and experiments for older children to have a go at. The galleries are very large so there are lots of big spaces for children to run around in and there is also a reasonable cafe that sells children's lunch boxes and some healthy snacks. Our children love coming here and it is also interesting for adults even if it is only to marvel at the sheer scale of the planes.