Do you have a star in the making? Find out at Debutots!

I took my son Felix to Debutots this afternoon and it was really good fun! He was a little on the young side I think (he's 2yrs 2 months and most of the kids there were around three I think), so he was a little uncertain at first but was really enjoying it by the end.

Even though he doesn't have as vivid an imagination as a lot of the older kids and was a little uncertain of what was going on at first, he's at that age now where he's starting to engage in more imaginative play, and after a little while of hanging back and watching the other kids he started to join in and was actually pretty good at it all.

The class was very freeform with the kids deciding on the direction it took. Obviously there was a structure to it but it seemed to follow the kids rather than having them stick to a rigid plan. The story this week was about an elephant, so the kids were encouraged to pretend to be animals, stomp around the room, explore a zoo etc. The kids who had been there the previous week certainly remembered things they had done prior as one decided he would be a dinosaur!

It looked like madness, but was so much fun. I think it will give the kids involved a real confidence boost and certainly help them use their imaginations, as well as providing some ideas for us Mums for games to play with them. Felix spent the whole journey home telling me about various colour dinosaurs that were hiding in different places we passed while I just looked like a nutter.

Debutots is held every Monday from 1.45 until 2.45pm at the Palace Theatre in Westcliff. See here for more details.

By Louise Ford, louise@essexmums.org

Review of Kids' Kingdom, Southend

Kids Kingdom has re-opened and is under new ownership. There were many reasons why people started avoiding Kids' Kingdom, one being it was dirty and smelly!

The new owners have made some changes that makes it look like a different place. It is brighter, cleaner and is busier than I have seen it in a long time, I would be intrigued to see how much its used during term time. As soon as you walk in, you're greeted by a friendly welcome. There is antibacterial hand gel for you to use should you wish on both entrance and exit. The children are given a stamp on their hand (which I hope comes off), and the younger ones are given a wristband (like at Adventure island) to tell staff which areas they can and cant go in, and reminded to keep their socks on!

The new diner is a lot busier, with new tables and chairs and a new menu, which ranges from £2.95 - £6.00, and includes jacket potatos, salads, omlettes, sandwiches, and a variety of sides and hot and cold drinks.

Going through to the main play area, you don't really notice much change, apart from it is lighter, there is music being played and the flooring has been replaced: they have used individual carpet tiles so its easier to replace one if it gets dirty / smelly. Some of the areas have new soft play and the under 5 area has Little Tykes horses too. The lady who greeted us said they are adding to the under 5 area once the children are back at school.

I noticed a increase in staff presence, so although you are responsible for your children, they were on helping hand too, and encouraged children who were trying to get up jelly mountain. Children were still going in the under 5 area who were obviously older, however most of them were with younger siblings and were swiftly told to behave by either a member of staff or the odd parent.

The soft play still smelled a little, but it looked cleaner - Alexa wore white socks and they are still white! (and we went in the garden area too!) The garden area has been decked and has outdoor seating, there are now sit on toys and often you saw a few tractors zipping past you! They are planning (weather permitting) BBQ's over the bank holiday weekend - Fri, Sat and Sun!

During term time they will be opening at 9.15 for coffee mornings, and are hoping to do some planned activities working with the imagination station. We stayed for just over a hour, and despite the door to the garden being open and windows, they were really hot, so decided to leave, but will definetly be taking them back soon.

Opening times -
M-SAT - 10am - 6pm
WED (term time) - CLOSED
SUN - 10am - 4pm

Cost (for up to 2 hours play)
Babies under 1 - FREE
3 and under - £3
4 yrs - £4
5+ - £5.50

Kids Kingdom has 8,000 sq feet of play area, a 14 foot vertical slide, 14 foot jelly mountain, obstacle courses, clibs, runs, a dedicated under 5 area with soft play, twist slides, a themed diner and themed birthday parties!

Review by mum of two, Michelle Summerson