By Kate Hodges
28th December 2022
DO JOIN THE RESOLUTION
New Year is the traditional time to start a diary. There are many benefits for kids in keeping a journal – they don’t have to be a straight ‘what I did today’ format - try a nature journal, a gratitude journal – get some more alternative ideas here. Making your own book in which to write encourages you to keep up the discipline - we like this super-easy notebook with a lock idea to keep your innermost thoughts secret. Diaries don’t have to be analogue - some children find it easier to write their thoughts online - there are some ideas for ways to approach digital diary keeping here.
New Year is also a great chance to come together as a family and reflect on the year that has passed, as well as hopes and dreams for the year to come. We love the idea of an ‘interview’ or letter to help record achievements as well as wishes. We’re also fans of exploring other countries’ traditions – there’s a great list here. Try the grape-stuffing challenge from Spain, Russian wish-burning or perhaps deck the whole family out in red pants Find more ideas for celebrating New Year as a family here, ways to kick-start the year here, and how to start a new year revolution here.
EVENTS WHAT’S ON?
There’s an exciting year ahead across the UK. Why not take a little time out to cheer yourself up and plan your family’s cultural 2023?
See the biggest creature ever to have walked the earth as the colossal titanosaur Patagotitan mayorum strolls into the Natural History Museum. The dinosaur is four times heavier than a diplodocus and 12 metres longer than the museum’s blue whale. From March 31st. More here
Find immersive street art by over 150 artists at the Saatchi Gallery. Street Art: Beyond the Streets is the most comprehensive graffiti and urban art show ever to be held in the UK, with original art, rare ephemera and site-specific pieces. From February 17. More here
The National Portrait Gallery is set to re-open in June. Not only is it packed with famous and infamous images, but it has a fantastic family events programme, and is always a handy place to duck into for warmth or toilets if you’re in central London. More here
Take a trip into the dark and mysterious world of fantasy tales at the British Library next October. From Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, Fantasy will take a deep dive into the genre’s defining moments. More here
The V&A London will examine the power and creativity of iconic performers in a major new exhibition, Diva, which opens in June, while the work of Coco Chanel will be in the spotlight from September.
The Dundee outpost will open Tartan in April, which takes a radical new look at one of the country’s best known fabrics. More here
A brand new exhibition and social and performance space, The Museum of Homelessness will open permanently in Finsbury Park, London. It will build the national collection for homelessness, preserving and sharing histories of poverty and social action. Find out more here
The Wellcome Collection will examine our relationship with milk. Its spring exhibition focuses on our changing relationship with the drink in all its forms and explores the interconnected scientific, cultural, political and economic forces that have helped establish milk’s reputation as “nature’s perfect food”. From March 30. More here
Croydon is set to be London’s borough of culture, with huge musical events and spectaculars set to light up the whole borough. Find out more here
Manchester Museum will host more than 100 glittering Egyptian objects and eight mummies in its Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibition, which opens in February. More here
Director Danny Boyle will bring an extraordinary spectacle to Manchester’s new Factory International. Combining hundreds of hip-hop dancers with immersive design, Free Your Mind takes audiences on a thrilling journey through The Matrix and into new realms of possibilities. Find out more here
Skeksis pirouetting and mystics whirling. The prospect of a ballet adaptation of The Dark Crystal has us in a spin! Opening in May at the Royal Opera House, this magical coming-of-age story has the potential to be magical beyond belief! More here
Already in full swing, but continuing until May 1, the Museum of Scotland’s Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder exhibition explores the science behind the show. Visit eight zones of immersive, hands-on experiences and find out what you’d sound like a a dalek, see some of your favourite creatures from the series and find out if time travel really is possible. More here
DO AND RECIPE PLANT LOVE
Going vegan for January in Veganuary? Sign up here. The new year is a great time to try an animal product-free lifestyle (find a beginners’ guide here ), or, if you’re already following a plant-based diet, to try some new ideas. For more mouthwatering inspiration, download a free plant-based, celebrity cookbook, featuring recipes written or inspired by Joanna Lumley, Benjamin Zephaniah, John Bishop, Mayim Bialik and more.
Is your family part-vegan, part-omnivore or vegetarian? Find our tips to navigate meal times here. You’ll also find lots of vegan inspiration at The Green Parent website; our recipes for gooey chocolate pudding, simple, five-ingredient dinners, and salted miso brownies are among our most popular. Find more here
DO FOOTLOOSE
’Tis the season to get walking! Stroll off some of your mince-pie-and-potato bloat with a wild wander. Potter among the ponies in the beautiful New Forest, try one of our favourite winter walks, or test-hike an old favourite selected by the Ramblers. Perhaps you might like a tramp with a theme – try a walk into history, a ramble with a view or try one of these incredible treks across National Trust land.
EVENT PARTY ON!
Our smaller friends don’t often get to usher in New Year – staying up until midnight is a big ask. But now they don’t need to miss out on the fun. The South Bank Centre celebrates 12 hours early, at a daytime party. Ex-music hall singer turned hip-hop goddess Ida Barr (the creation of Olivier-award-winning performer Kit Green) is holding a party with sing-songs, fashion shows, dancing and Auld Lang Syne. Free! More here
WHAT WE’RE EATING Lucky New Year Lentil Soup Elisabetta Minervini is the author of Mammissima: Family Cooking from a Modern Italian Mamma. We talked to her about the simplicity of Puglian cooking, what makes it the perfect cuisine for families, and why we should all be eating lentils this New Year. Get the recipe here
WHAT WE’RE READING What went right in 2022: the top 25 good news stories of the year: “There were seismic shifts in energy, major medical advances, animal comebacks, four-day week trials, a night train revival, plus plenty more good news.” Read more here
Happy New Year to you from all at The Green Parent! We wish you a happy, healthy and joy-filled 2023!
