We ♥ Lollibop (Review)

We LOVE Lollibop. This was Isla the day before Lollibop getting exicted about going.....

It definitely lived up to hers and my expectations. I was sure that it was going to be a better day than last year when we went with Noah who was only 3 weeks old and it poured with rain the whole 3 hours we were there. I think we were a little ambitious that day and I decided this time round that we would leave the OH and Noah at home and go with Isla and my best friend and her son Samuel. I felt a bit guilty but I know that Noah will have a top time next year. With both the kids being 3, they were old enough to enjoy the shows and also meant we didn't have to lug all the baby bits if we'd brought the littlies with us.

We were really relaxed about what we saw and what we tried to do there. I think going with the flow of the day is the best policy really as you will never be disappointed. We didn't queue for anything, we bypassed anything that had one as there were so many other things to do that didn't require waiting. The only thing we didn't do that I know Isla loves is get her face painted, because we didn't want to wait but there were lots of face painters and to be fair the queue was never really that long.

First up, we saw Waybuloo in the Lollipalladium. Lau Lau and Yo Jo Jo were busy on the stage showing the Cheebies some top Yoga moves. It was really packed full of fans of these big eyed Piplings! We also were pleased to see that Samuel seemed to be no longer scared of big characters as he knows it's only a person in there - all the prepping the previous week by his mum paid off!

After Waybuloo we came across a big tent where the kids could make things. Isla and I sat down at a table being run by The Little Angel Theatre Company and she made an owl puppet from a brown paper bag. It required her to use glue. This is good in her book. The more glue the better. It was hard to actually get her to leave the table and stop applying glue and more decoration to her owl. Finally I got her to STEP AWAY FROM THE GLUE....this is her creation

At that point the rain started! It had got so humid that it had to happen but it was only for 15 minutes or so and it meant that we ducked into a couple of tents that we probably wouldn't have done otherwise, Samuel had great fun doing 3 circuits of a track on a balance bike and then we were in time to see Dee-Li and Nok Tok from Waybuloo and listen to a story in the Lollibook tent. It was lovely. All the kids rushed to see them at the front and then settled down on the rugs to hear the story.

My friend's eye got caught by the tent selling juggling, plate spinning and diablo equipment and in the past she was a dab hand at 'poi' - even doing it with fire sometimes - I caught her on film, she thinks she was a bit rusty but I could never master it and I think she looks pretty cool! What do you think?

Next we caught a bit of Stavros Flatly on the main stage, they were getting a party atmosphere going for sure! From there we went to the 3ft and under area and the kids had a bit of a run around on the soft play. Again this was great to get them (and us) out of the sun.

We headed back to the Lollipalladium next and watched The Gruffalo, both kids were captivated by it and were joining in with the shouting out in the audience. The actors in it were brilliant and I thought the way it has been adapted with songs is great. Isla and I are going to see the show in September in Guildford so I can't wait to see it again in the comfort of a theatre (i.e. without Isla sitting on my legs making them go dead!).

We had top fun at The Village Green, a brilliant area with a steady flow of great street entertainers. There were bean bags and deck chairs and some much needed shade. This was towards the end of our day and we needed a sit down. We saw Mr Armitage and Mr Shanks, a great act centred around all things toilet humour. Isla particularly liked when they made a member of the audience wear a potty on his head, she could not stop giggling. One of the guys also blew up a rubber glove over his head - a trick I've not seen since my Uni days and the inflatable of choice then was a condom....

Fun with a Marigold glove and spot the guy with the potty on his head...

Our final Lollibop moments were watching Mister Maker. The kids love this bloke and as far as I could tell from over hearing a couple of mums, so do the ladies, hahahaha! After that all we had to do was buy a promised helium balloon for each of them and head off tired and happy homewards.

Thanks Lollibop, we had a super time, hope to see you next year!


We were given a free family ticket to attend Lollibop, but this has in no way influenced my review - we did indeed have an excellent time.

Lollibop - This Weekend!

SKYLANDERS TO JOIN LOLLIBOP FESTIVAL

LolliBop, in partnership with John Lewis, is returning to Regent's Park this summer, with a line up designed to delight mini festival goers. Billed as The Big Bash for Little People, the event takes place between August 17 and 19 and is aimed at children up to the age of 10.

Smash hit video game Skylanders will be on site for the full three days giving kids the chance to better get to know their favourite Skylanders and to visit the magical Skylands – in real life!

The fun-filled Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure Arena Tour will provide visitors with a wealth of interactive and entertaining activities including a chance to be amongst the first in the world to have a look and play of Skylanders Giants.  There will be two Giants statues showcasing brand new characters – a huge photo opportunity! Families will also experience the Portal of Power^TM Stage and Play Podium where visitors will be encouraged to climb the podium throughout the day for epic Skylanders play-offs and the chance to win a special prize.

Also added to the LolliBop line up - direct from their massively successful live show at the Empire in Leicester Square - the Go! Go! Go! Show will be bringing their dynamic blend of catchy pop tunes, easy to learn dances, magic and comedy to the live arena at Lollibop. Expect lots of fun and loads and loads of laughs!

The ‘LolliBop Live’ stage will play host to some of the hottest names in kids entertainment with musical performances from the likes of the ZingZilla's, Jassa Aluwahlia (Art Attack) and The Mr Men & Little Miss Party Roadshow.  TV favourites Dick and Dom will also take to the stage to entertain crowds with their unique blend of music and games. 

Celebrating its first year in the West End, Shrek the Musical will also make a special appearance with a performance from the award-winning show (Sunday 19 only).

In the Lollipaladium, see the story of The Gruffalo brought to life on the stage with plenty of audience interaction. CBeebies favourite, Mister Maker will be on hand to demonstrate his unique arts and crafts skills.  Mister Maker is a real life character who gets inspiration to make art from everything around him. Packed full of stimulating ideas, set in his own fantasy art world, prepare to expect the unexpected!

 
The ‘LolliBop Kitchen‘ is an exciting new area, where LolliBoppers will have the chance to learn new skills from live demonstrations and interactive workshops, featuring popular blogger My Daddy Cooks.

Halfords will create a bespoke Bike City at LolliBop, which will include a Wacky Races obstacle course for under 5’s, where children can be the first to try out a brand new range of Balance and Apollo kids bikes. For older kids, highlights include a BMX stunt display and demo area.

Other new areas include: ‘LolliBop Animal Curiosities’, which features animals including a polar bear, a dinosaur and gorillas!  ‘The Disco Shed‘ which will have mini boppers (and parents!) dancing the day away and ‘The Village Green‘ - the perfect spot to chill out and enjoy some street theatre.

Back by popular demand, the Science Museum are preparing for a triumphant return to Regent’s Park with an expanded area and dedicated Science Zone.

For pre-schoolers, the ‘3ft & Under’ area is also back.  Confirmed activities include a mini disco, tiny play, little arts, baby ballet, yoga, teddy bears picnic and sing and sign.  There will be two boob and botty boudoirs this year, and covered buggy parks and lollishade areas are also being created.

And if that wasn’t enough, there are plenty of arts and craft activities, face painting and workshops, including circus skills.

All of the activities, stages and events are included in the entry ticket price, which starts at £22 per person.  For more information, including a full programme of events, visit www.lollibopfestival.com