A beijingkids Halloween
Pirates, pumpkins and princesses convene for Halloween with beijngkids at the Hilton Beijing Capital Airport Hotel on October 29 and at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing on October 30. See here for details.
The 2011 Green Cow Harvest Festival
On October 23, celebrate the sixth annual harvest fest at the Green Cow Organic Farm. Families can participate in pumpkin decorating, coffee-sack racing, and a broom-making workshop. There will also be food prepared by local artisans. Details here. Tickets are available at Mrs. Shanen’s (8046 4301). RMB 50. 11am-4pm. The Green Cow Organic Farm, Donggezhuang Village, Houshayu Town, Shunyi District. Contact thelovelygreencow@gmail.com or lejen@mrsshanens.com for details.
Paint Something Funky
At Funky Pots, budding young artists can paint their own pottery. Choose from a ceramic piggy bank, a tea pot, a mug and more. The painted pot is then glazed and fired in a kiln by knowledgeable staff. See Directory under Fun Stuff.
Swing through the Trees
For an adventure, head to Gorilla Treetop Park in Chaoyang Park, where, kids make their way through a terrain course of nets, ladders, bridges and swings. Choose from the intermediate course (RMB 190, RMB 180 kids) or the difficult course (RMB 230, RMB 180 kids). Fearless kids can zip down the zip line. To get there, enter Chaoyang Park East Gate, near the river. Daily 9am-9pm. (6591 4871)
Hit the Lanes
Take the clan to the bowling alley. Whether you throw strikes or gutter balls, it’s all in good fun. Gongti 100 has bowling shoes for both adults and kids over 6. After working up an appetite, head to Pizza Buona across the street for a pepperoni pie and a Caesar salad. Bowling at Gongti 100 is RMB 40/game/person (varies based on the time of day) and RMB 5 for shoe rental. See the Directory under Sports and Family Dining.
Giddy Up
Take the reins and go horseback riding. Enjoy some fresh air while atop a beautiful thoroughbred or local horse breed. Equuleus International Riding Club has English speaking trainers and welcomes beginners, as well as
advanced riders. Pay-as-you-go is RMB 550 per lesson and memberships are available. See Directory under Sports.
Spoil Your Kid Rotten
Hongqiao Market has toys galore, that are sure to light up your child’s face. There is an entire floor filled with toys such as stuffed animals, Barbie kits and remote-control cars. To get a good deal, remember to bargain hard. See Directory under Shopping.
Cycle Around Town
Autumn is Beijing’s most beautiful season so get out there and enjoy it. Ride bikes with the family or sign up for a cycling tour with Cycle China or Bike Beijing. Cycle China: 12-1 Jingshan Dongjie, Dongcheng District (6402 5653) www.cyclechina.com. Bike Beijing: 34 Donghuangchenggen Nanjie, Dongcheng District (133 8140 0738) www.bikebeijing.com
Visit Old Beijing
Head to the Gulou area to see the Drum Tower, which was built during the Yuan Dynasty. With a chorus of twenty-four drums, it was originally used to tell the time. Just behind it is the Bell Tower, which was used to make announcements to the people of the city. Surrounding both towers is a lively shopping area with interesting specialty shops that sell Chinese shoes and Chinese paper umbrellas. To get there by public transport, take subway line 2 to Guloudajie and walk south. See Directory under Fun Stuff.
Fun and Exploration
Spend the day with your kids at Magic Bean House Children’s Museum. There are a variety of things for the kids to see and do, including an art gallery, a water world and a toddler land. See Directory under Fun Stuff.
This article is excerpted from beijingkids October 2011 issue. View it in PDF form here or contact distribution@beijing-kids.com to find out where you can pick up your free copy.