Much of northern and eastern Europe is having a hot time this summer. Last weekend, the UK’s metereological office issued a heatwave alert. It touched 31°C daytime and around 20°C at night in some parts of Britain. Here, we’re well up in the 30s now, with the next day or so seeing 35°C midday, and around 24 or so at night. See the Malta 5-day forecast.

We don’t get heatwave alerts until almost touching 40+ here in Malta, and so we ask ourselves what all the fuss is about up North! I haven’t noticed my elderly neighbours keel over in the summer, though they are along with the very young, in a more ‘at risk’ group in extreme heat.

The main reason why we cope in the Med is that we know the heat is coming and prepare for it: shutters and hasiras (cane blinds) are down; working hours in most offices, definitely public sector, are reduced (OK for some then!); people get errands done by 8am (foods shops are all open very early); and we hole up inside till we venture out after 5pm for a swim. Despite aircons in offices and 24/7 ‘always-on’ communications, we’ve not really seen a change in working or cultural practices in Malta in summer.

But, apart from shifts in our routine, what else can keep us cool in Malta as summer hots up? We’ve done a round up of events, places and pastimes to chill out at or with whether you’re a local or just visiting.

Beaches
The obvious place to chill out, but also get sunstroke! So don’t forget the sun-sense tips and what to do about jellyfish. Also, do take time to remind yourself about how to keep kids safe around water.

Tourist Trail Cities
Some sightseeing places are just out of the question if you’re a late riser. Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples are tourist must-sees but they are on exposed rocky coastline with little shade, though a great visitors’ centre may help keep you inside a bit. Walking around Valletta, Mdina and Birgu are still good options as their narrow streets and location give good shade and often through breezes. They also house lots of museums to hibernate in.

Sunsets
The best summer pastime is sunset catching. Head out at 7pm for a sundowner – either take your own bottle (and take the empties home) or find a cafe to perch in. Ghajn Tuffieha bay is my favourite. Here are some other sunset spots.

Troglodyte Sightseeing
Underground sightseeing is a weird and wonderfully cool option I was reminded of while visiting Fondajzzoni Wirt Artna’s air raid shelter ‘Malta at War’ museum in Birgu last week. The tunnel bomb shelters are 40 feet underground, and were very cool (if a bit musty). There are plenty of other fascinating museums and places to visit underground.

Visit Churches
OK, so they won’t be open at midday, but it’s already hot by 9am right now. Churches are always cool and calm. I love the moment’s blindness when you walk from harsh sunlight to deep darkness within. The Chiaroscuro effect is what a Maltese summer is all about. Our top pick of churches to visit.

Cool Gardens
Nothing like lolling on benches under large ficus trees and listening to fountains. Malta public gardens are an oasis in the parched summer months.

Open-air Evening Events
Do as the locals do, if you’re visiting, and stay up and out late to catch what breeze there is. Waterside events are aplenty right now – 15, 16, 17 July sees the Malta Jazz Festival at Ta’ Liesse below Valletta and Grand Harbour side. The Farsons’ Great Beer Festival starts 23 July and runs till 5 August at Ta’ Qali and is a chill-out event for all the family (strangely enough)! Clubbing may be more your thing. Cinemas are air-conditioned so bliss this time of year; and with National Cinema Day 17 July, you can get in cheaply.

How to Avoid the Worst (crowds, heat and stress) of Summer Sundays!
We’ve ideas to get you through the endless summer Sundays, which can literally be to die for!

What to do with Kids in the Heat?
Always a key question this one! With locals having to get through three months of kids’ summer holidays, and tourists needing a good crop of ideas to keep little ones entertained, we’ve this round up of cool, fun and relatively stress-free ways for parents and carers to keep sane! If you have to have kids in tow when you’re working, here’s how we got through a very hot day, office included.

First, there’s the boat – the MS Hulda, built in 1905. And then aboard it is a travelling exhibition of scientific sculptures by the Turkish-Swedish artist Ilhan Koman (1921 – 1986). The Hulda is now birthed at Grand Harbour Marina, Birgu (3 – 13 July) as part of the Malta Arts Festival. And it’s running some some great, hands-on workshops for kids, for free. But what is Hulda all about and why is it in Malta?

What is Hulda?
The Hulda Festival features events celebrating the meeting of arts and sciences around Hulda and Koman. The Festival kicked off in March 2009 and will draw to a close in November 2010, by which time the Festival aboard ship will have visited Stockholm, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bordeaux, Lisbon, Barcelona, Naples, Malta, Thessalonica and Istanbul. The festival benefits from the active partnership of some of the most prestigious art or science institutions based in these 10 cities.

Ilhan Koman’s creativity combined arts with sciences, make him a representative of a universal approach that descends from Leonardo da Vinci. For the Hulda Festival, Koman’s artworks embark aboard Hulda, the boat that was his residence and workshop. Visitors are welcome to play with the artists’ most interesting pieces to get feel for their scientific properties and artistic qualities.

Workshops for Children
In parallel, ten different workshops have been conceptualised for children by a local organisation in each of the Hulda’s pit stops. The workshops bring artistic and scientific disciplines together to make them more interesting and playful through topics such as “Sculpture & Aerodynamics”, “Creating the Nautical Charts of the Middle-Ages” and “Art and Alternative Energies”. In Malta, the Art and Science Youth workshops are organised by Il-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija (Malta Council for Science and Technology) : 3 – 13 July 2010 – Hulda Tent.

Booking & Info
Workshops will be open to a maximum of 25-30 children each session. You will need to pre-book. For more information please contact Martina Castillo at martina.castillo@gov.mt or give her a call on 23602122.

Background on the Hulda Festival project, which ends in Istanbul to celebrate its year as a European City of Culture.

The Catholic church is full of rites, ceremonies, traditions. Being born a protestant, I have to admit I am fascinated by it all. Living in one of the most Catholic countries in the world, the glory of it all is everywhere. Churches, chapels, saints. Christmas cribs, Easter processions. It never ends, really.

I have three young daughters. Two of them have done what is locally called duttrina (one is still far too young to go!). For a year, children aged 6 to 7 go to Catechism lessons twice a week. For a whole year they learn even more about Jesus and God and the Apostles; it’s quite mindblowing really. All the more so because they get a lot of it in school too, where in kinder and primary years religious stories are told on a near daily basis.

So no wonder my kids were very much in the ‘I love Jesus, he’s my best friend’ club while going to their twice a week duttrina lesson. Or the ‘brainwash’ as I used to call it. But yet, I have to admit I was fascinated. I don’t think a bit of bible bashing can hurt – after all, Jesus is an excellent role model. So despite the pain of going for a 45-minute lesson twice a week, I did look forward to the actual culmination of all these preparations: the child’s first participation in Confession and later on in the big celebration of accepting the Host. The child is celebrating its First Communion!

This is when the Catholic Church is at its best. Young children dress up in full bridal outfit, walk through their villages in a procession, and then endure a long mass which ends with them being offered the Host by their parish priest. Although the children were young, I still felt pride when my kids did it. Maybe it’s because (being Swedish?) I come from a society which has lost many of its traditions and rites, and I felt that this was a way to show how we are all part of a community.

This is the real stuff: these are the passage rites the Maltese have defined in their society. These kids are on a ladder towards adulthood and they just took the first step that forever shows that they are becoming of age. I was so proud putting on my girls their fantastic outfits. I had tears in my eyes when they walked through our village with their friends. I organised a party to celebrate the occassion. And maybe that party was also a small celebration that no more do I need to go twice a week to a drab duttrina hall and sit and wait for 45 very long minutes while my daughters are singing ‘Jesus love is oh so wonderful, Jesus love is oh so wonderful…”

Photography & Text courtesy of Anne Muscat Scerri.
Anne runs Cloudberry Images and is a professional photographer with a particular knack when it comes to photographing children and families. She is a Swedish national who lives near Mgarr with her Maltese husband and three young daughters. For more on her work and her portfolio, see Cloudberry Images.

We’ve consulted our informal panel of mums – some expats, some locals – on their top ten activities to do with kids on summer holiday here in Malta. I often find myself fretting around this time of year about the long, three-month summer holiday looming. If you live here, there’s a limit to how much beach you can take, or is there?

True, local families pack a mega-sized holdall and food hamper and carry everything but the kitchen sink to camp out on the beach for a whole day, and stay well into the evening BBQ hour too. But that’s not everyone’s idea of a varied holiday. And if you and your kids are paler skin types, beware of whole days on the beach, sun protection or not.

Our panel’s list is a God-send then if you’re seeking a few ideas that aren’t all beach. It does include some sun and sea activities of course. Do note that some outings, if you’re here in peak summer, need arranging for early morning or late afternoon so you avoid the hottest part of the day. We’ve tips on this and more. This post contains just some ideas – in no particular order – and we’ll be following with more for kids under themes like sport, history and even choice ice cream eating & evening strolls!

1. Popeye Village
This attraction near Mellieha in Malta’s north has evolved from the film set of the 1980 production of Popeye, the musical. It is set around picturesque Anchor Bay. Amazingly, It never ceases to be popular with younger kids (and older ones too!). My son (7yrs) said it was one of his best school trips ever.

Parent’s Verdict: “Loads to do, good food, shaded play pool, shaded swimming pool, swimming in beautiful bay with bouncy things, animation (bit cheesey, but my kids love it), puppet show and santa’s workshop (they went round about 7 times last summer, yes in summer!) and there’s a funfair and an indoor play area at the top of the cliff.”

2. Maritime Museum, Birgu (Vittoriosa)
We’ve always thought of this as one of Malta’s best kiddy-friendly museums – click here for more on that.

Parent’s Verdict: “A trip to the museum in Birgu (one of the ‘Three Cities’ across Grand Harbour from Valletta), combines well with wandering along the marina, looking at superyachts and chatting to the crews. Catch a round-the-harbour-creeks tour in a traditional Maltese Dhaghsa (kind of gondola) between Valletta and Birgu. Lots of restaurants by the Marina. Cheaper, cavernous, kiddy-friendly cafe at eastern end of carpark (well hidden, just keep walking along marina front).

3. Buggiba promenade
You can hardly miss this stretch of seafront if you’re holidaying in this tourist town, but even for us locals, or if you’re staying elsewhere, it has a lot of ‘fairground’ style in-your-face fun that kids love. We covered it in winter, here, but summer is its ’season’ par excellence.

Parent’s Verdict: It can seem a bit ‘naff’ but has great activities like trampolines and bumper cars – usually open from about 6pm. Parents can sit and enjoy a drink at one of the bars which are tucked away along the front, but with a good view of the activities. Trampolines are approx €2 for 15 mins and cars €5 for around three rides. Fabulous Italian Ice-cream kiosk to the St Paul’s Bay end of Bugibba which finishes off the evening nicely. All sorts of hair braiding and henna tattooing stalls along the prom as well. Stop and watch the open-air botchi (like French boules) game at the local club. Good for people watching – not such a kids activity, but still, they may find it interesting watching older tourists do their line-dancing at one of the bars!

4. Horse Riding at Bidnija
Horse riding in Malta? Where the ground is hard and the heat is on? Yes, this may seem strange especially if you come from areas with plenty of green and rolling hills. But riding in Malta can be exhilarating for the views alone. It may also be an activity you never get around to doing at home. Bidnija is one of several stables; another is near Golden Bay, and there’s a small stable near Siggiewi, on the Girgenti-Fawwara road. Gozo has stables too. In peak summer, rides are early morning or late afternoon to evening.

Parent’s Verdict: My friends and I took our six kids aged 3, 4, 8 and 9, on one of the horse tours in Bidnija and they all loved it! And it was great for us mums too as we walked with the horses and got a good hour power walk out of it. The setting was beautiful and the horses very well kept. Fine, they just walk in line, so it’s like a giant pony ride, but it only cost 10 euro per kids, and it was a great outing!

5. Hanging out at the Airport
This has to be one of the oddest things to suggest, but if you are here in the heat and on a two-week stay or living here, the air-conditioning in its indoor play area and viewing gallery is not to be scoffed at in peak summer. Malta is so small that you can get to the airport easily and find parking at a fraction of the price of most European airports. Kids love plane watching, the book shop, cafes, play area and kiddies’ meals….and it’s cool!

Parent’s Verdict: The indoor play area is airy, clean and usually not crowded (check ahead to see if there’s a party, particulary in June when Holy communion parties there are popular). Weekdays, buy lunch in the cafe, spend over €15 and entrance to the play area is free. The big bonuses for me are air-conditioning, plenty of parking, chemist open long hours, cash point, book shop, and being able to buy fresh milk and bread. Yes I know it’s sad – but the airport is useful for more than flights!

6. Splash ‘n’ Fun
Every local with kids visits this water park (billed as Malta’s premier one) on the coast road heading north at Bahar ic-Caghaq, at least several times a summer season. So, be warned this is a popular and hugely busy attraction. But get your timing right and you can miss some of the crowds and get in cheaper!

Parent’s Verdict: “They love it, and we’ve a pool at home! It’s cheaper after 3pm in July/Aug, after 1pm til end June – or a season ticket may get you in free earlier. It does get packed in high summer. Also, it’s surprisingly great in winter; with its indoor bouncy castles, small funfair rides and so on, it can while away the hours. There are some healthy-eating options at the cafe. But the best part of the park is that staff in the indoor area have the sole job of making sure your kids are having fun/can climb up the high bits! Also, all other staff are great with kids.

7. Sunset at Golden Bay
Parent’s Verdict: A nice simple way to end a summer day, that never fails to amaze young and old. Sunsets along this north west coast are to die for. End the day too with a pizza at one of the beach bars and your kids will go home to bed happier still. Before sunset though, take out a pedalo, or a dinghy for the braver, older kids, or be part of a rowdy group on the banana boat. For more on Malta’s top views and sunsets, click here. For full details of Golden Bay, amenities etc, click here.

8. Ta’ Qali Crafts Village and environs
Ta’ Qali features on most visitor tours for it crafts’ village based on an old British airfield. Wandering the ‘Nissan huts’ with their lace, pottery, filigree, knitwear, glass ware and so on can be fun, but if you’ve very small kids you have to keep a close eye on little hands grabbing breakables. A calmer way to visit is for parents to split up with one going to an activity while the other browses. Here are some ideas of what’s on offer…

Parent’s Verdict: With some planning, and booking in advance, you can get kids to have a go a pottery. Try Bristow Potteries (usually need groups though) and Alka Ceramics. Watch glass blowing at Mdina Glass and let them buy beautiful beads for threading (but don’t let them break anything). Stop for cafe’ there or at Bristow. The whole Ta’ Qali area is good for picnics. There’s now an Adventure Playground, offering lots of things to climb on and swing/slide down, graded by ages (incl. adults), so good for families. Lots of water features for the summer, but no shade, so time your visit in peak months. Clean toilets, lots of parking. There is a kiosk, but never seen it open, so take water and snacks just in case.

9. Falconry Centre & Limestone Heritage, Siggiewi
You can make a whole day of it along the west coast, just inland from Dingi Cliffs by combining these two attractions in Siggiewi, and then heading for a swim at Ghar Lapsi, a popular local spot (rock inlet, some lido area, playground, cafes, and good for snorkelling).

Parent’s Verdict: The Falconry Centre gives a good hour-long flying display (11am and 4pm in summer months) with an informative commentary, well-kept birds (everything from vultures, owls and eagles to Peregrine falcons). It has a lot of special breed birds in large aviaries as well. The centre is bravely pioneering the art of falconry, despite Malta’s reputation for the shooting of birds of prey. The centre is well run and well kept offers a good visitor experience. Also ideal for kids’ groups and an unusual birthday party activity.
Limestone Heritage, on the Siggiewi bypass, is another well-run private attraction that is informative for kids (film and walk through). It is based in an old quarry and takes you through Malta’s love affair with its age-old building material – limestone – from prehistory to modern times. Sights, sounds and the life of yesteryear recreated. All-round family interest. Cafe and worthwhile gift and souvenir shop.

10. Malta at War Air Raid Shelter museum, Birgu
A good one for slightly older kids and for parents. This attraction, run by a heritage foundation, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, depicts life for the local people during the bombardment of Malta in World War II. The museum is housed in an old 18th century military barracks built in the historic walls of Vittoriosa (Birgu). It is an excellent insight into the hardships facing people during the Blitz, and is a good addition to a day-trip to Birgu (see Maritime Museum above as well, for other ‘what to do’s’ in Birgu.).

Photos: Courtesy Amanda Holmes

The Maritime Museum in Birgu is holding a ‘Life at Sea’ themed event all day this Sunday, 31 January. This is definitely one for the kids on what looks like being a showery weekend.

If my seven-year-old is anything to go by, a lot of children in Malta are fascinated by the islands’ maritime history especially the legends of Babary pirates and Corsairs. Not to mention the galleons of the Knights, who washed up here after floating around homeless in the Mediterranean for a few years. Then there are Lord Nelson and the British Navy’s Mediterranean fleet, which was to go on to use Malta as a strategic naval base for almost two centuries. Trade, piracy and war dominate throughout the centuries – and the latter two tend to grab kids’ attention.

The day covers the 16th – 19th centuries, so the colourful eras when life at sea was hardship, weevils, stew made from cooked leather satchels and two or more to a very small bunk. Apparently, the day is focusing on ‘food and beverages consumed at the time’, but let’s hope we don’t get the Real McCoy served up!

The Museum
I’ve always felt the Maritime Museum in Birgu to be one of the best suited to adult and kids’ excursion. Located in the old British naval bakery and right by the creeks and docks of Grand Habour, it is a wonderful location to visit in itself.

The museum’s vast, well-laid out collection ranges over three floors. It takes you from the time of the Phoenicians to the end of the British naval bases in Malta. Its permanent collection doesn’t have hands-on kids’ activities as such, but it does have a lot to feast your eyes on – amazing model boats, a mock-up of a typical, harbour-side bar that British sailors would have used, uniforms, memorabilia, letters from kings, queens and Admirals, medals and a huge engine room devoted to the Anadrian, a steam-driven grab dredger built in 1951 for Malta by a Glaswegian firm. If visiting kids are reading age, then they’ll enjoy deciphering scrawled handwriting of official letters and documents, and peering at fading photos.

The Life at Sea Event includes:
Firing of cannon and muskets, and military drills.
The opportunity to eat typical Maltese food associated with life at sea and cooked as documented in recipes at the time.
Screening of footage of underwater wrecks
The chance to chat with Malta’s Maritime Squadron
Restoration in action – seeing maintenance works on an old boat.
Boat-model building demonstrations
Face painting so children to look like Corsairs!

Info:
Date: Sunday 31st January
Venue: Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa
Time: 09.00am and 5.00pm.
Tickets can be bought on site at the price of €5.00 for adults, €3.00 for senior citizens and students. The reduced rate of €2.00 applies for Heritage Malta members, AFM employees, members of The Friends of the Maritime Museum and Dockyard workers. Entrance will be free for children under 16.

Carnival is on the horizon. If you’ve children, carnival seems to happen almost back to back with Christmas and New Year as kids always leap at the next chance to have a holiday. So, with around three weeks to go, I am being told of local shops with costumes for hire and pestered about hiring one now, should the best be gone by the time I bother.

Carnival’s history in Malta is well documented here. It was a key festivity in the religious calendar in Malta under the Knights of St John. While encouraged at first, its growing licentiousness, rowdiness, brawls and wild festivities in general made some Grand Masters curtail and even censure it in various periods.

Certainly, it has included elements that might make today’s kids pale as they make their annual and harmless trek mid-term to Valletta to see the floats in their ‘grand défilé, with the King Carnival pride of place. You’ll find the 2010 Carnival Programme (12-16 Feb) here. Carnival is centred on Valletta, where the city gate was demolished in the late 1950s, as urban legend has it, to build one high and wide enough for floats to pass through!

Some aspects of the darker sides of carnival’s history – the macabre, lewd and grotesque – live on. The Nadur carnival in Gozo, is one of the only surviving spontaneous (rather than totally organised) carnivals today, and definitely includes some blacker moments, though probably none as vicious as those in the times of the Knights. Last year’s did see some of the revellers, who had dressed as nuns and one as Jesus, hauled up in the courts for violating a ban on villifying the Catholic Religion. The case spawned a Facebook group calling on lots of people to go to the Nadur carnival this year dressed as Jesus.

If you do delve into the history of Malta’s carnival though, you’ll find the debate about its returning to its roots (whatever they really were) has come up time and again over the centuries. No single era seems to have harnessed carnival and avoided its propensity to surprise, defy, and live on!

For children though, carnival is an annual and predictable event. It’s a time to not wear school uniform, and to eat a gooey mound of prinjolata (a carnival-time cake of sponge, cream, citrus peel, glace fruits, biscuits and more calorific things) and to enjoy the organised processions in Valletta.

Photo: Courtesy of Valletta Suites

Today, most schools have broken up for the Christmas holidays.  Staff parties start to ripple concertina-like over the island.  What’s left of manufacturing companies and many offices prepare for the ‘Christmas shut down’.  Perfectly-bland people drink too much and pour their lives out to strangers.  It happens all over the world, even here.

Ask anyone with kids in tow, and the vast majority have tickets for the Christmas pantomine.  Or pantomines, as since last year, we now have two companies rolling out boys in frocks, girls with swashbuckling swords and lewd dames.  MADC has taken up residence at the MFCC with ‘Peter Panto‘ and Masquerade is at the Manoel with ‘Aladdin‘.  Both pantomines kick off today and stay in production till the first week of January 2010.

Pantomines have a rich tradition in Malta, with the MADC panto going strong for over 30 years.  The British legacy has gradually been superseded by a very Maltese version of the genre.  At face value, the pantomime ticks all the traditional check boxes of English language, story-line, sing-alongs, dames, dancing, cross-dressing and overall family fun.  But since the early eighties, the original script has been aimed at a local audience, and no opportunity is wasted to rib politicians, media personalities and society people, and most subjects are fair game (with the possible exception of the Church).

Things to look out for:

Audience Participation. People do get pulled on stage for ritual abuse, and get rewarded with a gift or two.  Some parents see this as an opportunity to propel their offspring to the local version of Hollywood fame.  If you don’t want to get roped in, avoid sitting by the aisle, as you’re then easy prey for a beady-eyed Dame.

Flying Sweets. Have a stock with you in case you’re accompanied by a young child who gets upset if the Dame does not throw some candy in his or her direction.

Length.  Prepare for a marathon session.  Last year’s MADC version ran for over four hours – far too long for most children’s attention span.

Foul-mouthed Dames.  The most legendary one in recent years is Alan Montanaro (this year playing Hook in the ‘Peter Panto’).  You need to understand a smattering of Maltese to get the full-gist of many of the ‘double-entendres.’  It can get a bit saucy, so be warned if you have your prudish Aunt in tow.

Peter Panto plays at the MFCC at Ta’ Qali from the 18th December 2009 to the 3rd January 2010.  All shows start at 8.00 pm, with matinees on Saturday 26th December and Sunday 3rd January at 3.00 pm. There are no performances on the 24th, 25th and 31st December and the 1st January. Ticket prices start at Euro 10, with discounts for kids aged 10 and under. Click here to book online or call 79796232.

Aladdin plays at the Manoel Theatre from the 18th December 2009 to the 6th January 2010.  All shows start at 7.30pm, except for Saturdays and Sundays, with matinees at 3pm and evening shows at 8.00pm.  There are no performances on the 24th, 25th and 31st December and the 1st January.  Check the Manoel Theatre site for ticket prices and availability.

More ideas for amusing the kid inside you over the Christmas period on this page.

We list the Christmassy things to do on the Maltese Islands this festive season. We all know (and usually love) the regular pantomimes that run throughout the holiday weeks, but there’s a host of other seasonal things to do. We’ve the overtly religious and the less religious, but fun and festive – ranging from the magical carol concert in St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, to fun events like theatre for the kids.

So, scroll on down the long list, and take your pick from the bunch. See also our What’s On for a whole lot more…

Cribs & Nativity

Christmas Village at Ghajnsielem, Gozo
6 December – 9 January 2010
Details: Bethlehem in Ghajnsielem website
Ghajnsielem Local Council has come up with a new and unique attraction this year – a Nativity Village which is set up just off the town’s main square. It includes an animated crib as well as a mock-up village with a carpenter, blacksmith’s, bakery, a market selling natural fruits, fresh fish and vegetables, a tavern, a local crafts area and a stable hosting the animals. For more information contact Ghajnsielem Local Council
Email: info@ghajnsielem.com

Christmas at the Inquisitor’s Palace
Friday 11th December at 19.00 hrs.
Heritage Malta is organising a Christmas-themed ‘experience’ at the Inquisitors Palace, Vittoriosa. The event includes a tour of the miniature cribs on permanent display, and a crib and pasturi (figurine) making session and a themed supper. Ideal for all the family.
Tickets from the Inquisitors Palace, The National Museum of Fine Arts the Domvs Romana and the Museum of Archaeology in Gozo. For details, contact Judy Camilleri on 22954312.

Christmas Cribs Exhibition, Auberge d’Italie, Valletta,
19 December 2009 – 6 January, 2010
The Tourism Secretariat and the Malta Tourism Authority join forces with the Ghaqda Hbieb tal-Presepju, (Malta), to put on a Christmas Cribs exhibition inside the premises of the Secretariat at the Auberge D’Italie.
25 cribs on display together with two impressive floral decorations and numerous paintings and ceramic and displays. One particular crib features Herod’s temple.
Times: open daily from with the exception of 25 December, 1 January and Sundays. 09:00 to 18.00hrs, Monday to Friday; and 09:30 – 12:30 on Saturdays. Entrance is free.
Details: and to find out about Malta’s crib traditions visit: www.presepjumalta.org.

Carol Concerts, Church Mass & Music

St George’s Square XMAS Events, Valletta, 10 December, from 17.00.
17:00 – Concert by Tenor Aldo Busuttil and the University Junior College Orchestra
18:30 – March by the National Philharmonic Society La Valette and the King’s Own Band Club
19:30 – Musical concert by the Valletta Band Clubs
Note: St George’s Square has events on other days in December: 11, 12, 16, 18,19, 20, 21 (Malta Police Band Xmas concert, 21st & 24th), 22 (Malta Armed Forces Xmas Concert).

‘Musical Tidings’, choral concert by The New Choral Singers
St Francis Church, Valletta
12 December, 20.00
Details: www.thenewchoralsingers.com
The programme includes traditional carols from medieval times and the renaissance through to contemporary works. Audience participation for some popular numbers!
Entrance: Free but a collection will be held in aid of Caritas Malta.
Email: info@thenewchoralsingers.com

Mass for School Children at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta
16 December, 11.30
See Cathedral website for details.

Ceremony of Carols at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta
17 December, 19.30 – 22.30
A Ceremony of Carols is The Amadeus Chamber Choir’s 19th edition of ‘A Prelude to Christmas’. It comprises a selection of traditional Christmas carols, featuring compositions by Benjamin Britten which the 30-strong choir sing to the accompaniment of a chamber orchestra. All proceeds will be in aid of Puttinu Cares.
Entrance: Invitations may be acquired against a donation of €5 per person.
Invitations available at: Lotto Office Kiosk, Valletta (opposite BOV in Republic Street) – mob. 7920 0118
Marlow’s Stationery, Triq il-Qasam Swieqi – mob. 9989 0931, tel. 2137 1210, or
Email: theamadeuschoir@gmail.com

A Christmas Celebration, St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina Cathedral, Mdina.
18 December, 19.30 – 21.00.
The St Monica Choir will be teaming with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra once again for a concert that’s billed as ‘a perfect introduction to the festive season’. The event will be held under the patronage of H.E. Dr George Abela and Mrs Abela to raise funds for the Community Chest Fund. Conductor: Michael Laus.

Carol Concerts & Christmas Mass: St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral (Anglican), Valletta, and other Anglican churches in Malta.
Various concerts and services in the run-up to Christmas. For details, see: www.anglicanmalta.org
11 December: Arlene Barlow’s Christmas Concert 19.30 pm
16 December: Ecumenical Carol Service – Fontana Parish Church Gozo
20 December: Nine Lessons & Carols – Pro Cathedral, Valletta 18.00
21 December: Nine Lessons & Carols – Holy Trinity Church, Sliema 18.30
23 December: Eucharist, Lessons and Carols – Seminary Gozo 11.00
24 December: Midnight Mass – St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral 23.30
24 December: Midnight Mass – Holy Trinity 23.30
Christmas Day Service – Holy Trinity 10.00
Christmas Day Service – St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral 11.00

Enkor Gospel Choir, St James’ Church, Merchants Street, Valletta
19 December, 13.30

Vocal & Harp Reciptal, St Barbara Church, Valletta
23 December, 11.00

Special Outdoor Events

St George’s Square XMAS Events, Valletta, 8 December
Parades, face-painting, brass bands, concerts and more, at this public holiday event in the capital. Starts at 11.00 with the Scout and Guide parade and goes on into the evening with a gospel choir at 8pm.

Kids

Pantomine (in Maltese): Robin ‘inn’ Cruise Ohhhhh!,
St. Mary’s Church – Gudja
5, 6, 7 & 8 December. 19.30 – 20.00.
Tickets: tel: 7920 3805
Another rip-roaring panto by the Gudja Youth Group. Robin ‘ZINN’ Cruise Ohhhhh! promises to be in the full panto spirit of song, dance and wacky costumes. Good all-round family entertainment.

The Children’s Magical Christmas
8 December, by drama group Curtain Raiser at Buskett Roadhouse, Buskett Gardens, 10.00 – 20.00
All day long Christmas activities for children with five different interactive shows, as well as bouncy Castles, christmas treasure hunt with Captain Hook, face painting, children’s Christmas disco, Christmas food stalls, Christmas characters such as gingerbread man, snowman, Father Christmas, elves and more …
Details: tel: 2189-5072 / 7991-8857 or email: info@curtainraiser.org> or see www.curtainraiser.org.

Fantasy Circus
10 December – 3 January, 2010, venue: Blata l-Bajda (approach to Valletta)
Ticket hotlines: 99999964/ 71494106/ 99515042
Price: Adults €10; Children €5

Downtown Fairytown, a musical Christmas bash for children aged 3-7 at St James Cavalier, Valletta.
19 December – 10 January
Talking houses, aliens visiting at Christmas time, fairies preparing for their Christmas show, a nasty Witch ready to spoil all the fun, a robot who wants to know all about Christmas, and much more!
Monday – Wednesday shows at 6pm
Thursday: No shows
Saturday – Sunday shows at 2pm and 6pm

Santa’s Kingdom, Splash & Fun Grounds
18 December – 3 January, 2010. 18.00 – 23.55.
See: www.splashandfun.com.mt or call: 21 374286.
Billed as two weeks of magic, music and merriment. Visit the Enchanted Forest and walk through Santa’s House. Meet Santa, Mrs Claus and those mischievous little elves. A Fairytale come to life. Plus crib, animated figures and the Christmas story relived.

Aladdin, The Pantomine, Manoel Theatre, Valletta
18 December 2009 – 6 January, 20.00hrs.
Details & Tickets see: Manoel Theatre website
Masquerade presents a traditional pantomime at the Manoel Theatre. New ideas may be, but set in a traditional context, with a well-written and locally-based script. A must for pantomime lovers.
Performance dates: Mon – Fri at 7.30pm; Sat & Sun 3pm & 8pm; and from Saturday 2nd January 2010 to Wednesday 6th January 2010:
Time: Mon – Fri at 7.30pm; Sat & Sun 3pm & 8pm.

Peter Panto at MFCC, Ta’ Qali
18 December 2009 – 3 January 2010.
Runs: 20.00 to 23.00 hrs.
Details, see: Malta Amateur Dramatic Company website.
The MADC presents a fresh take on the classic tale of Peter Pan with a script written by Nanette Brimmer and directed by Alan Montanaro, who is also playing Captain Hook. The MADC has secured the services of Nick Kirkby, whose great-grandfather took care of the flying for J.M. Barrie in the original production of ‘Peter Pan’!
Tickets start from Euro 10. Children’s tickets are discounted and are valid for children aged 10 and under. Booking is open at www.madc.biz or tel. no: 7979MADC (6232).

Photo: courtesy of Bethlehem of Ghajnsielem

So often, among fellow mothers at the school gate, I hear moans that Malta’s museums lag way behind other EU countries – Scandinavia and Britain in particular – when it comes to activities for kids. My son spent an entire afternoon on a mock-up ‘archaeological dig’ at an Iron Age hill fort in southern England last summer. And had a ball dressed up as a Roman Gladiator at an open day – with ‘live’ gladiatorial fights – at a Roman Villa museum also in the UK. I did of course pay for what I got, as family entrance tickets weren’t that cheap!

In Malta, few and far between are the museums and heritage sites that have even the simplest of hands-on activities or questionnaires for kids to fill in as they go round a site or collection. Palazzo Falson in Mdina is an exception, but (given the type of collection it houses) kids have to be six to enter. So, a lot of families miss this fine building as they have kids of differing ages. We parents in Malta, have got very good at inventing our own games as we tour local sights and museums. No harm in that. But perhaps, occasionally, tired parents would love some sort of info or activities to help us interpret the heritage that bit better!

To be fair, heritage sites have done more in recent years, and are thinking more pro-actively about their younger ‘customers’. Arts’ venues like St James Cavalier lead the way with busy programmes for children. City festivals, like those at Mdina and Birgu, are always popular with kids. And this weekend is also a case in point; it’s World Children’s Day on Sunday 22 November, and to celebrate it, Heritage Malta, the country’s national heritage agency, is opening the doors of several Valletta museums for kids’ events. Taking part are the National Museum of Archaeology, the Grand Masters Palace and the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta. Participant numbers are limited: for details, see below.

Malta Children’s Festival also runs this month and into next, with events and activities ranging from theatre (performance and workshops) to crafts, science, technology, film, theatre, dance, music, sports, history and traditions. Saturdays in the programme see workshops in Valletta’s heritages sites – the Old Opera House, for instance.

The month, running up to 6 December, is being organised by the Education and Culture Ministry to celebrate 2009 as the European Year of Creativity & Innovation. This first Malta Children’s Festival is aimed at “helping children connect to the arts and culture in an inspiring, entertaining and impressive manner”. Long may those aims live! Contact: tel: 79001551; website: www.childrensfestivalmalta.com

Heritage Malta kids’ programme: 22 November

Grand Masters Palace: two activities – a guided tour and a drawing session – at 10.00 hrs and at 14.00 hrs.
National Museum of Archaeology: a Memory Game and a Mystery Object Game at 13.00 hrs and 14.00 hrs respectively.
National Museum of Fine Arts: From 10.00hrs onwards, children will be able to participate in a treasure hunt in the museum and at 11.00 hrs there will be a guided tour.

How to Participate & Book:
Children under 12 years of age can participate in all the events free of charge, but booking is necessary. According to Heritage Malta, it’s now too late to officially book as the offices aren’t open to take calls tomorrow Saturday. But, they did say it might be worth turning up early at the museum you’re interested in, and seeing if they have a space. All adults visiting the three sites between 10.00hrs and 15.00 hrs will be pay half the usual price. The contact numbers given are: email:icmch@heritagemalta.org or phone: 23954239 or 23954242. See also Heritage Malta for museum opening times on Sunday.

For me, the ideal ingredients for a good outing with under 5’s (and even older kids, come to think of it) are:

• space to run around
• not too much to see or do – avoid over-tiredness at all costs!
• toilets – preferably clean and with loo paper
• snacks/drinks/food for sale – preferably some healthy options
• easy parking or transport options.
• something to keep the adult/s amused – including decent coffee

One place that fits the bill right now in winter, and for that matter is pleasantly cool enough to still enjoy in peak summer, is the medieval walled city, Mdina. In winter, it’s far less crowded so kids can run around that bit more without getting lost in passing tourist groups! In summer, it provides welcome relief from the beach, a good dose of history, fantasy and culture. Mdina, at any time of year, has something age-appropriate to offer most kids 0-15. And adults can relax knowing that attractions are all a few steps away from each other – the whole outing is in a contained, historic, pedestrianised space.

Mdina

The walled city is virtually car-free (but do watch out for the odd car or horse-drawn carriage careering round a corner), so is ideal to explore with kids and pretend you are stepping back in time.

The Mdina Cathedral Museum
Well worth a visit, or three. The exhibits are eclectic, there’s not much in reach that is breakable, and all of it in a large building which is fairly sound-proof. In common with all Maltese museums, there isn’t much “Hands on” or “Interactivity”, so you have to ad-lib a bit “Wow look at that carriage – you remember when the Emperor went out with no clothes on? Well he would have been in a carriage like that”. You get the gist. The tickets to the museum also give entrance to the Cathedral, where the biggest attraction for kids are the multi-coloured inlaid tombstones in the floor – many of which include comic-looking skeletons leaning against trees. You will need to keep the volume down a bit inside the Cathedral though.

Mdina Cathedral Museum
Archbishop Square, Mdina
Tel: ( 356) 21454697
Open: 09:00-16:30 Mon – Fri. Closed: Sundays and Public Holidays
Tickets: adults €2.33

The Natural History Museum
This vast building has idiosyncratic displays, including those of some 3,500 birds, and is usually devoid of visitors. So between the ‘Ooooh! Look at that stuffed albino hedgehog’ the kids can roam around and make lots of noise. One of the best sections is the mock-up of various local habitats of Maltese bird and small mammals; they show how common birds nest in walls, farmer’s outhouses and so on. Outside, in the large courtyard there is a little gift shop and a stuffed cow – not any old cow, but the last pure-blood of the now extinct Maltese breed. No cafe here or at the Cathedral Museum, so wander off to the Trattoria at the Xara Palace Hotel round the corner – great ice creams, good menu (massive servings), tolerant staff and if you sit outside the kids can roam around the courtyard. But accompany them to the loo – there is an open trap door en-route…

National Museum of Natural History
Vilhena Palace, St Publius Square, Mdina
Tel: (356) 21455951
Adults (18 – 59 years):€6
Students (12 – 17 years), Senior Citizens (60 years and over), ISIC Card Holders, EURO<26 Card Holders, ISE Card Holders and ICOM Card Holders: €4.50
Children (6 -11 years): €3.00
Infants (1 -5 years): Free
Open: Monday to Sunday: 9.00-17.00. Last admission: 16.30
Closed: 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January, Good Friday

The Carmelite Priory
Relatively newly-opened as an attraction, the priory has a good, but pricey, coffee shop, treat them to the excellent hot chocolate and then herd the progeny into the courtyard where they can jump up and down. If you want to pay the entrance fee, the rooms inside are worth seeing, and will hold the interest of most kids for half an hour or so. The priory had its first taste of kids big time when it offered an activity programme at half term.

Elsewhere in Mdina
There are several audio-visual displays and walk-through tableaux attractions, such as the Mdina Experience, or the Mdina Dungeons, but my kids tend to get scared just looking at the door, so I am waiting a few years before paying for entrance.

Just outside the main entrance is an old but fit-for-purpose playground. Beautiful views, bad coffee and OK snacks at the kiosk at one end, better food and even better views from the cafe at the other end.

When the kids have had enough of the swings, cross the road to Howard Gardens just outside Mdina’s walls. If it’s not raining, consider a ‘Horsey Carriage Ride‘(Karrozin), a bit pricey as it can cost around €30 for an hour, but is fun as a one off. Alternatively, keep walking through Howard Gardens (clean toilets on your left, but watch out for climbable railings and a vertical drop on your right) towards the Roman Villa. There you will find Peprina, the trackless ‘train’, replete with clear blinds if it’s raining, which winds around Rabat and Mtarfa (adjacent towns to Mdina), leaving on the hour (10.00-16.00 in winter; and 10.00-20.00 in summer).

Photo: Amanda Holmes

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