Stories, art, walks, talks and tech for the next month
3 March New parents coffee morning
Stir in Chesterton has fast become a community favourite, offering a huge space, great food and drink and a family-friendly atmosphere. This month they’re holding a special meet-up for new parents on 3 March, offering a chance for mums, dads and their babies to get together, make friends and support one another. Running from 10.30am to 11.30am, it’s a chance to meet others in the same boat, enjoy a coffee or two and perhaps a slice of one of Stir’s famously scrumptious cakes. Best of all, it’s completely free to attend.
4 March Family first Saturday at the Fitz
Get inspired by the ancient artefacts and fascinating collections at the Fitzwilliam with Family First Saturdays, which take place on the first Saturday of every month.
As well as offering special family tours of this grand old museum, kids and their grown-ups can get creative with arty activities on different themes. This month, powerful figures from history will provide the inspiration, and you can join in the fun for free on 4 March from 2pm to 4pm.
4-5 March Raspberry Pi Big Birthday Weekend
Raspberry Pi, the revolutionary Cambridge-born microcomputer, celebrates its fifth birthday in style this month with a weekend of special activities at the Junction. On 4 and 5 March, pop down and find out more about this tiny tech wonder and its potential applications, getting stuck into workshops, talks and cool projects.
Whether you’re five or 50, there’ll be something to appeal, from the incredible Pi creations in the Maker Market to fascinating workshops with Pi pros. There’s also robots, gaming, animations, goody bags and cupcakes!
The Educators’ Celebration meanwhile is especially for teachers and other educators of young people, and will look at how to give your ‘digital-making brain’ an MOT, with loads of helpful resources for classroom ideas and more.
The event runs from 10.30am on Saturday and 10am on Sunday, and tickets are free for under 16s and £15 for 16s and over.
12 March Stories in the Dark
Step inside a magical tent where imaginations can fly this month, with a little help from local storyteller extraordinaire Marion Leeper. Stories in the Dark, which takes place at Cambridge Junction on Sunday 12 March, is suitable for tots aged two to seven years. The story tent, which can house an audience of 15 people, may be a tiny theatre, but there’s a world of discovery inside. Dive in and find out who stole the darkness, why the sun and the moon are high and dry in the sky and how three monkeys came to be in a canoe. Full of twinkly lights and vibrant colours, it’s the perfect place for a storytelling adventure.
Sessions take place at 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm, and tickets are £10 per adult and £6 per child. There’s also a free ‘hands-on happening’, led by a professional visual artist, where you can get stuck into free arts and crafts activities before the show (early booking is advised).
12 March Sounds of Science
Part of the Cambridge Science Festival, this unique show incorporates science, music and art to create a mesmerising (and educational!) end result. Taking place at the Corn Exchange on 12 March, Sounds of Science introduces key moments from the history of science, and sounds to represent them, to create an extraordinary soundscape. Featuring world history author Christopher Lloyd, an original piece from composer Jill Jarman and a performance from sound artist and musician Evelyn Glennie, it’s promising to be a highlight of the Science Festival. Tickets are £22 for adults and £15 for under 16s.
18 March Family Gaming Night
A night of digital fun awaits at the Centre for Computing History on 18 March when it hosts another of its hugely popular Family Gaming Nights. Taking place from 6pm to 10pm, there will be more games fun than you can shake a (joy) stick at, including stone-cold classics like Space Invaders and Pac-Man.
As well as retro faves, you can play on modern consoles like Wii, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One; plus enjoy snacks and drinks from the Pac Lunch shop. Tickets are £8 for adults and £6 for children.
Thursdays Healthy Walking
Get out and about and enjoy all the benefits that an invigorating stroll in the great outdoors can afford at Wandlebury Country Park this month. A weekly happening, the Healthy Walking sessions are aimed at both young and old, taking in the rural beauty of the Cambridgeshire countryside and offering a sociable and friendly atmosphere. Meet at the stable rooms on Thursday mornings at 10am for the longer walk and 10.30am for the shorter walk, making sure to arrive a little earlier if it’s your first time. Free to attend.
