If your kids are interested in the media, The Guardian have some great free workshops on offer at their London HQ. This week the eldest and I had fun morning at a family newspaper workshop there.
We had to work to deadlines to create the front page of our own title. Education Officer Elli Narewska led the two hour session brilliantly, breaking it down to give a real idea of the reporting and editorial process. There were around ten children at the workshop, each with a parent or carer.
We used the same InDesign software which is used to produce the Guardian and the first task was to choose a layout. The eldest chose an A3 layout with five stories, but there were also layouts with two stories on offer. She then chose five stories for our front page from the twenty or so current news stories showing on the Apple Mac desktop screen in front of us. She decided to lead with the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech and then, in complete contrast, used the birth of Michael Buble’s baby as the second main story.
When it was time to write, Elli told the group to concentrate on ‘getting facts on the page’ and to include the who, when, where, what and why in each story. We were given a laptop to use and I acted as researcher while the eldest typed the stories on the desktop in her own words.
Once the stories were written she worked on the headlines, standfirsts (subheadings), masthead, byline and skyline (the section at the top showing stories which are inside). The final task was to choose photos to illustrate the stories, then it was time to print the front page of The Daily Schifano:
So, have you had a great day out with the kids recently? The Alexander Residence has been checking out things to do around Dover after inspecting a cruise ship to get an idea of what to expect on their first cruise. Meanwhile A Bavarian Sojourn has been volcano-climbing with her family and Scribbler in Seville has been having a fab time in Suffolk .
If you’ve had a great day out with the kids recently, we’d love to hear about it. Join in with this week’s #familydays Linky and let us know what you’ve been up to. Here’s how:
1. Write a post about a family day out that you’d recommend, or find a relevant post you’ve already written.
2. In your post include a link to this #familydays post so that your readers can be inspired by everyone else.
3. Enter your post on the Linky below.
If you’d like the Family Days badge then grab the code below it and paste it into your blog:
This sounds right up my street, I spent half my childhood making my own newspapers, books etc. Guess that’s what I’m still doing now in many ways 😉 And Guardian HQ is in my hood so I definitely have to check it out. Can I ask what the age range is for these workshops, as they seem a little advanced (mine are 4 and 7)?
Will be looking out for your Linky next time!
Babes about Town recently posted…Liz Hurley, Tom Cruise, Meerkats and a Top Secret Mission!
I think four would be too young, but there were some children who looked about six or seven when we went. As long as they enjoy reading and writing they should like the session. My daughter chose the layout with five stories, but there was also a simpler option with two stories and much less writing.
That sounds like a great day out! Thanks so much for the volcano mention too! 🙂
Emma recently posted…White Chocolate & Matcha Brownies
You’re welcome!
This sounds awesome. Would love to take my boys when they are a bit older. I used to make my own “newspapers” for my mum and dad to enjoy with their morning cuppa lol!
Louise Edwards recently posted…The Gallery: Back to School
I used to make ‘newspapers’ when I was little too, I would have loved this workshop then!
Wow what a great day out! I’d love to do this with the twins in a few years time when they’re old enough to appreciate what a newspaper is, for now (Year 1) we’ll concentrate on mastering the written word 🙂
Mari recently posted…Camping La Briquerie – Honfleur, France
Yes, wait until they’re ready and it’ll be great fun for them.
That sounds amazing – I’d love to do it with GG!
Actually Mummy recently posted…The Just So Festival: review. Not your average camping trip…
It was really fun, and brilliant that they offer it for free.
As a former journalist/news editor I’d LOVE to take my kids to this!
kriss MACDONALD recently posted…Dave the f***ing cat
I think you’d really enjoy it. If you’re anywhere near London you could sign up for one.
Have added a post and linked back from both posts, I am not sure the badge code is working for me 🙁
Alexander Residence recently posted…Home fantasy: An energy efficient home
Thank you, that’s great! Sorry about the badge code, it’s working now.
Wow, I would love to do this! How exciting and how professional does your front page look 🙂 Thanks for including me and being such a lovely commenter, I need to have a good look round your lovely blog and great to hear about the linky, that’s a great one for me.
Alexander Residence recently posted…The Eden Hall Spa Back to School Package
It was really fun, I’d definitely recommend it, as long as your kids enjoy writing.There’s a new Linky for sharing family days out every week, so do join in if you have any posts to share. I’m looking forward to hearing about your cruises.