Our Pick of Family-Friendly Events This Weekend, Aug 13-14

Back to school thoughts may be looming on the horizon but there are still a couple weekends left to enjoy the summer vacation. Here’s our pick of family-friendly events that will be fun for all this Saturday and Sunday (Aug 13-14).

Lost Puppies Adoption Day

The slogan is “Eat, Drink, Adopt” and that’s what you can aim to do at the Lost Puppies’ Adoption Day, Charity Raffle and Vegan Market this Saturday from 12pm to 8pm at the pup-friendly Chez Soi in the Sanlitun neighborhood. Entry is free and raffle tickets are RMB 50 per piece, or RMB 200 for 5. It’s all for a good cause for our furry friends so dig into your wallets!

When: Aug 13, 12pm-8pm
Where: Chez Soi
Price: Free!
Register: Scan the QR code in the poster.

Kids Club Hike: Stone Flowers Cave Visit

This was a last-minute addition to the Beijing Hikers’ calendar due to some flooding in an area of another hike that then had to be canceled, so, lucky us! In this level 2 hike suitable for kids aged 5-12, visit Fangshan District for a short hike up to a lookout, enjoy a big lunch at a country restaurant, and a 1.5-hour tour underground at Stone Flowers Cave. Down in the caves where there’s colourful lighting and good walking paths, we’ll see a whole lot of speleothems: stalactites, stalagmites, columns, flowstone, “stone flowers,” “crystal flowers,” shields, rimstone pools, and cave popcorn.

When: Aug 13, all day
Price: RMB 450/RMB 405 for members/RMB 220 for under-18s/free for 3-to-4-year-old kids
Register: Scan the QR code below to register on their website.

SCOBY-DOO: Kombucha Brewing Workshop With Isilay

Okay, maybe this event itself isn’t strictly for families, but the gut-boosting kombucha that you’ll learn to brew in the class will certainly be a benefit to the whole family so it counts!

Known as the “superfood of beverages,” kombucha provides a number of health benefits that are attributed to the drink’s fermentation process and its fundamental ingredient: “cha” or “tea.” This probiotic drink is made by fermenting tea and sugar with kombucha culture (SCOBY), which turns the sweet tea into a beverage full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and health-promoting organic acids. (Eric Childs, “Kombucha!”)

In this workshop at The Hutong you will:

• Taste two types of homemade kombuchas
• Find out about the science and history behind kombucha making
• Carry out the first and second fermentations and take home your first kombucha brew and SCOBY
• Learn how to take care of your SCOBY and discover tips for successful brewing

When: Aug 13, 2.30pm-4.30pm
Where: The Hutong
Price: RMB 350/RMB 300 for members
Register: Scan the QR code in the poster.

Sustainable Living Festival

Join an EcoFlow Yoga class conducted by Taozi Tree Yoga yogi Yinai as she guides you on a reflection of what you want out of life. You may discover you actually need very little, making it easier for you to adopt earth-friendly sustainable life habits. After the yoga class, there will be a “free market” for secondhand goods where you can bring any sports equipment or workout clothes that you no longer need and swap them with others’. After all, one person’s trash is another’s treasure. You are welcome to join just the yoga class, or the swap, or both!

When: Aug 14, 12.15pm-2.15pm
Where: Taozi Tree Yoga Studio
Price: Free!
Register: Scan the QR code in the poster.

The Playful World of Eric Carle

And if you have not paid a visit to the playful world of Eric Carle exhibition yet, there’s still time for that! But before going, check out editor Mina Yan’s take on it in this article.