We were invited to a little birthday party at Scrambles soft play which is inside the Ratho Climbing Centre. The soft play is quite small, but perfectly performed with three slides and a miniature climbing wall. There’s also a little coffee shop, which was serving drinks and light snacks.

The climbing wall is seriously impressive and incorporates some real wall, that and the glass roof creates an inside/outside feel.

Someone told me that it’s Edinburgh Leisure’s biggest loss maker which isn’t so good. The prices are very reasonable it’s under £10 for a climb and the soft play is £4.

We saw a little boy who must have been about eight or nine scaling the wall right to the top, we stood open mouthed, I decided there and then I wouldn’t be attempting to heave my lardy ass up even a few feet, I think I’ll leave it to the professionals.

Remember Rosie & Jim….you know the puppets that sail about on the narrowboat having various adventures…. watch this clip to refresh your memory!

Rosie & Jim

Well it wasn’t the Ragdoll we were on but Zazou.

We went on a cruise and dine through Edinburgh on Friday night. Erin was thrilled with being on a narrowboat even though she doesn’t know Rosie & Jim, she just stared at me blankly when I sang the theme intro to her (kids these days…!). I had portobello mushrooms with salsa verde, steak, and lemon cheesecake, which was really nice, but not quite as good as seeing Erin enjoying her first sailing experience.

Apparently there are quite a few of these cruise and dine narrowboats in Edinburgh, but I think they should have a Rosie & Jim themed one for the kids, with colouring and a special Rosie & Jim puupet show…now that’s a cruise I’d like to go on!

Both Alex and I had been to Deep Sea World several times when we were younger, it’s a favourite for school trips. We knew what to expect and we wondered if anything might have changed. Barring the addition of a seal sanctuary, the answer was no.

Deep Sea World comprises several large open fish tanks, tropical aquariums, educational docks with interactive displays and the main attraction, an underwater conveyor belt that takes you well below sea level and surrounds you with shark amongst other fish. Apparently the acrylic used in the tunnel is the same as that used by NASA in space shuttles, and can withstand two African elephants, which is reassuring, the largest shark we saw must have been around 10ft long.

Erin loved it, the fish in the open tanks ended up being at eye level for her so she was able to view freely. She enjoyed the underwater tunnel, but I think her favourite were the seals, she whooped and squealed as they hauled their blubbery bodies out of the water for another herring.

It was a lovely couple of hours but at £10 per adult (Erin was free), I felt it was quite expensive and will need to be an occasional treat.

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It’s been a busy holiday and today was no exception. Gorgie Farm is one of those places you pass all the time and always say about going but never get around to it.

Well, today was different, our Edinburgh Under Fives book gave it a good write up, especially for younger children, so off we set – well actually it’s only about a ten minute drive away. The farm, being in the city centre, was more comprehensive than I had expected. The array of animals included hens, goats, sheep, a snake, ponies, pigs, birds, guinea pigs and rabbits. There was also a small play park with picnic area and a farm shop.

There was plenty to see and do, and on a warmer day we could have easily spent a couple of hours. Today was a little chilly so we introduced Erin to the animals and their respective noises, she really enjoyed it and started trying to make the noises herself, we left after about 45 minutes knowing we would definitely be back! Did I mention that admission was free (there is a donation box)!

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We took Erin and her friend along to Molly’s Play Centre which is situated on the top floor of Ocean Terminal in Leith.

To be honest it was a bit of a punt, as we weren’t sure if 15 month old Erin and her 10 month old friend would be old enough to really enjoy the delights of soft play. We needn’t have worried. They were right in there, clambering over the colourful blocks, crawling after one another, enjoying the views and swimming in the ball pool. They had a lot of fun.

It only cost a pound for Erin and her friend was free! For two tired, happy babies, that’s extremely good value.

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Today’s outing was to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. We had been before, but never with Erin…

So do toddlers and galleries mix?

Yes, Erin loved it. The exhibits included a ball dispay – 1000 balls of all shapes and sizes scattered in a huge room. The exhibit was interactive but apparently they had too many parents (!) getting over excited! It’s a shame I’d have liked a kick about

The highlights for Erin were the stripey floored room – a room in which the floor was covered in migraine inducing multi-coloured vinyl tape and the ball room where she liked the echo of her voice.

The gallery and staff were, as the book stated, very child friendly.

Great morning out and definitely one to revisit in a couple years time.

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Photo by Martin Burns

For christmas I received a book voucher from my brother. I bought two books, one of which was Edinburgh for Under Fives.

This book is Fab (with a capital F!!). It’s basically a directory of Edinburgh written by parents for parents. It covers everything a mum (or dad) living in Edinburgh requires, from local attractions to eateries suitable for the littl’uns, nurseries and healthcare info. Jam-packed. We couldn’t wait to get started on the crux of the book, which is the attractions or ‘places to go’ part.

We set off for The Dean Gallery via sainsburys at blackhall for a sausage buttie and a coffee (very nice, and reasonably priced too!).

We enjoyed the Dean Gallery a lot, it was Erin’s first foray into the world of modern art and she seemed to enjoy it until the peace and tranquility sent her to sleep. Accurately noted by the book, the highlights were Paolozzi’s Vulcan and his restored studio. The gift shop was great, and the only disappointment was upstairs being closed as they were changing exhibitions. A great mini trip, that was absolutely free.

Ten out of ten for the book so far

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Photo by flickr user idleberry