Monday, 12 May 2008

Get all our latest articles with our Web Feed

Features

Around the world in 10 days…

The 2008 Belfast Children’s Festival (May 23 - June 1) will take as its inspiration the water that surrounds this island and the wind that sweeps through the city from the sea and the mountains.

Like the traders throughout the history of the port of Belfast, it will bring exciting and exotic products from all parts of the globe to children and families in Belfast. This year, the festival e...

cars4families

Cricket practice and washing machines

This month, Belfast dad of three Stephen Harrison puts the Toyota Carolla Verso 2.2 diesel turbo well and truly through its paces, with the help of a washing machine and several bags of cricket gear…

Weekends in any family household can be a strange mix of comings and goings and in this respect, my particular weekend was normal enough. Although some family weekends tend to be more ‘normal’ that ot...

Education

From parent to principal

Home education in Northern Ireland

For many parents, the notion that their children could be educated at home will fill them with dread. Others, perhaps those who work full-time, would find it impossible to spare the time needed to tut...

Environment

Earth Day activities

On April 22, it’s Earth Day – 24-hours dedicated to celebrating the beautiful environment in which we live, and drawing attention to what we might to better protect it.

Although there’s not much going on around Northern Ireland to celebrate the day, families, schools, nurseries and youth groups can take part in these activities. If you make the effort to mark the occ...

Food

Looking after your child’s dental health and nutrition

Let’s face it: sitting in the dentist’s waiting room with your child who’s suffering from toothache isn’t the most pleasant way to spend your afternoon.

The guilty feeling you get when the dentist says that another tooth has to be filled isn’t great either. Here, nutritionists Ashleigh Graham and Maria McKeown set out what leads to tooth decay, and wh...

ni4families

Spring time breakaways

For most families, spring is that welcome time of year when they can finally see an end to the short, cold days of winter.

The promise of drier, warmer weather and the lure of longer, brighter days is usually enough to persuade us that it’s time to get out and about again and visit some of the marvellous attractions which...

ni4mums

Best dressed bumps

These are good times for those of us in the family way.

Gone are the dresses that bear more resemblance to a floral tent, dungarees are likewise a thing of the past, and other nine-month-long wardrobe malfunctions are but a dim and distant memory. Maternit...

Parenting

Time to turn off the TV

Now the warmer weather’s on its way, we’re all keen to encourage the kids to get outside.

It can be a chore to convince them that there are more fun alternatives to sitting indoors, but what if you can’t come up with any better ideas? Here’s the ni4kids guide to getting youngsters to turn ...

Reviews

What's on in the cinema

Family-friendly movies showing during March and April

Game Plan Certificate U Released March 7 Quarterback Joe Kingman has a fearsome reputation as one of the toughest players on the football field. He’s got the perfect combination of strength and agi...

Sports

Team Spirit

Sara McNeilly, the coach of Newtownabbey Allstars Cheerleading Team, speaks about the sport that is taking Northern Ireland by storm.

How old are the girls in your cheerleading team? At the minute, I have 50 girls altogether aged between four and sixteen. Girls between four and five years are in the Prep group, Peewees are under ...

Toys

Game for a good night in..?

As board games storm back into fashion, editor Russell Campbell takes a look at some of the best products for the families stuck in the house this winter.

Many of us whose childhoods didn’t feature Playstations and satellite television can still remember family nights in that involved interminable rounds of Ludo on the living room floor or worse still, ...