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We've rounded up some seriously fun ways to celebrate the hard-working, trailblazing women who have left their mark on the world.
By Sara Goldstein Updated Mar. 04, 2025
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For kids, play and learning go hand in hand. From games to puzzles, there’s so much opportunity to fuse fun with facts. While books about women’s history remain essential, interactive and engaging toys can help children understand both progress made and rights now being challenged.
Each year, on March 8th, we celebrate International Women’s Day, and throughout Women’s History Month, we honor women’s historical contributions. But truthfully, this is year-round learning that should start from day one—especially in an era when hard-won rights are being rolled back and protections dismantled.
One simple approach? Fill their shelves with toys and activities that not only celebrate women’s achievements throughout history but also highlight the ongoing struggle for equality. These resources can help children understand that progress isn’t always linear, and that rights once secured can be threatened or reversed.
Related: 19 books about inspiring women to read with your kid for Women’s History Month
All children benefit from toys and games that challenge stereotypes, showcase diverse role models, and inspire meaningful change. From dolls depicting suffragists and reproductive rights advocates to games that teach about the ongoing fight for equality, these toys celebrate both historical victories and remind us what’s at stake today.
In a political climate where women’s bodily autonomy, workplace protections, and equal rights face increasing restrictions, it’s crucial to equip children with knowledge of the past struggles that secured these rights—and an understanding that each generation must remain vigilant in their defense.
Here’s to nurturing the next generation of empowered individuals who recognize women’s contributions and are prepared to stand against regression. As the saying goes, “May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
$50
Punch up their walls with whimsical portraits of famous women throughout history! This series of three prints from Illinois-based Satrun Twins Art Shop features both widely and lesser known historical women throughout history.
$49
We’re absolutely smitten with the adorable crochet dolls from Hooked and Loopy. The Etsy seller offers a handful of sweetly handmade trailblazers including Sally Ride, Amelia Earhart and Mae Jemison.
$25
Handmade by sisters Kristen and Lindsey Archer in their Memphis-based studio, the colorful bookends from ARCHd add a pop of history to your kids’ growing library. Each one features an inspiring figure along with her words of wisdom. In the words of Jane Austen, “I declare, after all, there is no enjoyment like reading.”
$29.99
The LeadHER craft kits from Kids Crafts each tell the story of a legendary leader through an inspiring DIY project that’s perfect for kids ages 8 and up. Inside each kit they’ll find a short bio of the trailblazer of choice along with a related craft that gets their gears turning. From a punch needle “nah.” wall hanging that encourages them to be brave like Rosa Park to a water bottle decorating kit that inspires them to care like Greta Thunberg, each kit is certain to empower and inspire.
$25
From their sweet embroidered faces to their simple silhouettes, we can’t get enough of Boston-based Daisy Stem Shop’s pint-sized rag dolls. Each one is handmade from cotton, linen, and fleece and perfectly sized to be clutched by little hands. Choose from Jane Goodall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman, and Rosie the Riveter.
$18.99
Celebrate women throughout history with the engaging and colorful art from eeboo. This 500 piece puzzle is easy enough for older kiddos to attempt on their own, but a little help (and related conversation!) is always welcome.
$16.40
For a larger undertaking, the Inspirational Women Feminist Circular 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle showcases 54 incredible feminist icons, from First Ladies and scientists to liberators and lawyers. (The rainbow background makes it far less daunting than it seems though!)
$66
Educational and fun, this set of wooden blocks might even teach parents something they don’t know! Each of the 32 blocks feature the name, face, birth/death date, reason for notoriety and a quote from a woman who made history.
$12.99 $24.99
It’s no secret that change starts with raising your voice. Through gorgeous illustrations, sharp profiles and button-activated recordings and speeches of 14 legendary women, kids of all ages will be inspired to speak up and be heard. What’s more, it includes useful prompts to help identify ways to help in your own community.
 
$30
Turn your dining room table (or living room floor!) into a gallery of heroic women. With room to include some picks of their own, this cotton tablecloth features awesome illustrations of notable figures like Joan of Arc, Cleopatra and Sacagawea and can be washed and colored again and again. (Washable markers included!)
$18
History has long since favored the male viewpoint when it comes to art. The conversation is dominated by masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt along with more modern day artists like Warhol and Basquiat. But with equal talent and importance there’s a limitless supply of women who deserve the spotlight. This gorgeous memory game from the Getty Museum calls attention to 20 female artists throughout history with its matching tiles.
$4.99
A fun and colorful matching game that even the youngest feminists can get excited about. It features 11 sweetly illustrated women to help boost their brains as they match them up.
$12.91
From the brilliant creators of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, this perfect-for-travel sticker mosaic book allows kiddos as young as five to create 12 posters of well-known heroes.
$14.99
What do disposable diapers, windshield wipers and life rafts have in common? Each one of these life-changing (and arguably life saving) inventions was schemed up by a woman. With beautiful illustrations, this enlightening game of memory highlights 25 big dreamers and their products that changed the world.
$4.99
Let them get lost in the works of notable female artists like Frida Kahlo, Grandma Moses and Mary Cassatt as they recreate some of their most regarded works. From still lifes and portraits to abstract works, this book includes thirty well-known paintings they should know about and celebrate.
$19.99
Through stunning illustration and familiar game play, kids learn the stories of 48 inspiring women from all over the world. Included alongside the 48 illustrated chips, game board, eight double-sided bingo cards, and counters is an illustrated booklet with short bios about heroines like Valentina Tereshkova, Serena Williams and Emmeline Pankhurst to spark their curiosity.
$32.95
Ideal for the youngest set, this durable memory game spotlights 12 amazing women who changed the world. The wooden cards come neatly packaged in a canvas bag for easy clean up or on-the-go fun.
We've rounded up some seriously fun ways to celebrate the hard-working, trailblazing…
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© 2025 Motherly. All Rights Reserved.

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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The International Toy Fair in New York featured thousands of new toys and interactive experiences, with a few claiming AI-powered innovations. Highlights included technology that helps children with routines and a tool that turns drawings into playable video games.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Jessa and Ben Seewald are going to be parents for the sixth time.
The former “19 Kids and Counting” star announced that her family was expanding again in a March 7 Instagram post. 
Jessa Seewald, formerly Jessa Duggar, shared a simple announcement on social media for her fans, posting only a photo of a row of sonograms.
“Halfway to holding you in our arms!” she wrote in the caption.
In the comment section, Seewald received several supportive messages from her family to celebrate the exciting news.
“Congrats. So happy for y’all,” her older sister, Jill (Duggar) Dillard wrote.
Her sister-in-law Hannah (Wissmann) Duggar — who is married to Seewald’s younger brother, Jeremiah — also commented, “Yayyy!!! Can’t wait to meet this sweet baby!”
The news also came as a surprise to fans, with one writing, “Oh I hadn’t heard you were expecting again!!! Congratulations!!!”
Another fan wrote, “I didn’t even know you were expecting! Congratulations!”
Seewald also faced some backlash in the comment section, with some Instagram users criticizing her choice to have six children.
“I don’t know about quality time for each one !! 🤷🏻‍♀️ wow,” one user wrote. 
However, another fan shared a counter argument, writing, “I’m one of eleven and my parents made quality time for each one of us. Congratulations Jessa!!” 
Jessa and Ben Seewald have been married since November 2014. The couple are parents to five children: Spurgeon, 9, Henry, 8, Ivy, 5, Fern, 3, and George, 1.
Seewald announced that she and her husband were expecting their fifth child in September 2023 “after a heartbreaking loss last year.” In a February 2023 YouTube video, Seewald shared that she experienced a miscarriage the year prior in December 2022 while she was pregnant with the couple’s fifth child.
They went on to welcome their youngest son, George Augustine, on Dec. 19, 2023. She announced his birth several days later, writing on social media that she and her husband “couldn’t be more grateful.”
Seewald isn’t the only Duggar family member who is expecting another child, either.
Her sister, Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo announced in October 2024 that she was expecting her third child with her husband Jeremy Vuolo.
Jeremiah and Hannah Duggar announced in December 2024 that they were also expecting their third child, another daughter.
Francesca Gariano is a New York City-based freelance journalist reporting on culture, entertainment, beauty, lifestyle and wellness. She is a freelance contributor to TODAY.com, where she covers pop culture and breaking news.
© 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLCApple®, Apple logo® and App Store® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.

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SITTING in the loo in a Toby Carvery at the edge of the estate where she grew up, 16-year-old Eden Tonner stared transfixed at the tenth positive pregnancy test she had taken. 
It wasn't unplanned – she'd been actively trying for eight months – but suddenly the prospect of breaking the news to her mum, Debbie, who was also a new mother herself, was daunting.
Without realising it, Eden, now 25 and a mum of three, had become another statistic confirming her home town, Middlesbrough, as the country's teen mum capital.
The local council is at pains to point out that teenage pregnancy is actually at a 13-year low in the town.
However it still maintains its customary position at the top of the teen mums league table for England and Wales, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics [ONS]. 
The ONS monitored the rolling annual conception rate to women aged under 18 between 2015 and March 2022, and in the North East town, for every 1,000 births, 34.3 babies were born to teen mums. 
Hull was the next closest with 30.4, then neighbouring Redcar and Cleveland, also part of the sprawling Tees Valley conurbation, with a rate of 30.3 per 1,000.
Coincidentally, a recent report revealed Middlesbrough is also the worst hit area in the North East for child poverty, where the child poverty rate is 41 per cent.
Speaking to The Sun, one desperate teen mum – who we've kept anonymous – reported she was unable to work or claim benefits so with a newborn to clothe and feed at the age of 16, was forced to buy baby formula from shoplifters going door-to-door flogging goods.
This bleak picture in these northern towns and cities, all of which have seen spiralling industrial decline for decades, is in stark contrast to affluent areas in the south.
In Windsor, the teen pregnancy rate is just 5.5 per 1,000 births.
For the borough of Buckinghamshire it's as low as 6.5.
Meanwhile, for a whole generation now, Middlesbrough has been used to the sight of school-age teens pushing their youngsters through the Cleveland shopping centre in prams and buggies.
Eden gave birth to Parker, the eldest of her three sons, at just 17, after a planned pregnancy.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, she says: "Looking back on it now I'd say I support teenage mums, but not teenage pregnancy.
"If I could go back and give my 16-year-old self some advice it would be 'don't be in such a hurry, there's no time limit on being a mum.'
"I felt such a strong maternal instinct and I thought having a baby was everything I could want.
"I'd babysat for family and friends since I was 14 and I loved being around babies.”
We'd been having a meal in the Toby Carvery and I took a pregnancy test in the toilet. I ended up doing ten of them, reality kicked in pretty quickly at that point.
She and her teenage boyfriend at the time had been actively trying to conceive for eight months – it had seemed the obvious way to consolidate their relationship, the "next step".
She recalls: "Even though we had planned the pregnancy it was still a shock when I found out it had actually happened.
"We'd been having a meal in the Toby Carvery and I took a pregnancy test in the toilet.
"I ended up doing ten of them, reality kicked in pretty quickly at that point.
"My first thought was, ‘What is my Mam going to think of this?’
“My little sister was only eight weeks old and she was about to find out she was going to be a nana as well."
The conversation with her boyfriend went well as she emerged from the toilets – he was thrilled.
The conversation with mum Debbie, now 46, not so much.
"At first she was not happy at all,” Eden recalls.
“She was just in shock that I had done such a thing and planted the seed that I should consider an abortion, but that was just never going to happen.
"She said to me "I'm not disappointed in you Eden, I'm disappointed FOR you."
"She thought I had thrown away my best years on becoming a mam so young and that I'd be left behind while my friends were having fun.
"To be fair, my mam was brilliant the next day and she has been ever since, I couldn't have got through it without her."
I hate the idea that young mothers get judged and blamed for all sorts of problems when they're just doing their best.
Life as a young mum was far from easy so Debbie stepped in, buying 80 per cent of the essentials which Eden needed for her newborn.
Eden’s relationship ended shortly after Parker was born and she found herself living in a flat with her baby son making her £500 benefits stretch out across the month.
Eden, 25, says: "Mam did so much for us and I'm thankful that she was there.
"She was keen that I should still be able to enjoy some of my teenage years and she encouraged me to go out with my friends while she looked after Parker.
"I'd go out maybe twice a month and spend £20 or £30 maximum on a trip to the pub or a meal with my friends.
"Every spare penny I had went on Parker and next to nothing on me, but that's what being a mother is.”
Meanwhile, Eden had to deal with harsh judgement from those who didn’t agree with her situation.
"I'd hear people – usually older women – tutting and saying 'kids having kids' as we'd walk past them,” she says.
"I hate the idea that young mothers get judged and blamed for all sorts of problems when they're just doing their best.”
Eden went on to have a second son, Sailor, four years ago and a third, Sullivan, now two, with her current partner.
The pair are in a stable relationship, he works full time but looks after the children at weekends.
Eden meanwhile is juggling being a busy mother while also on placement as part of the children's nursing degree she began studying at Teesside University a year ago.
Eden is far from alone in her ambition to succeed in life.
Growing up on Middlesbrough's Pallister Park estate, Charley Hopper had dreams of joining the forces like her dad and hoped to leave school with a clutch of GCSEs.
But everything changed when she discovered she was pregnant at 15, to her boyfriend of just a few months.
Despite a strong reaction from her worried parents, Charley was determined that she was keeping her baby.
She says: "I knew my own mind and I was certain I would be a good mother. I knew it would mean sacrifices and that the baby's needs would have to come before mine.
"My family were supportive, although at first it didn't go down well.”
At 22 weeks, Charley contracted the Streptococcus B virus.
She went into labour and her daughter, Ava-May, was born small enough to fit in the palm of a hand weighing just 1lb 2oz.
Charley, now 21, says: "For a 15-year-old girl it was an enormous thing to deal with. I would never have got through it without the support of my family.
"I was living at home and spent 129 days going back and forth to James Cook hospital to see my little girl as she fought hard every day.
"The idea that I was responsible for that little tiny life was a lot to take in but I knew that's all I wanted in life, to be there to look after her the best way I could."
Ava-May is now five and while Charley is no longer with her daughter’s dad, they’ve remained friends.
She says: “He lives close by and is a great dad. Ava has two very loving parents and she's everything to us."
Charley is unable to work as Ava requires her full attention so her income is her £1,500 a month carer's allowance and £700 a month disability living allowance.
Sociologists say it's no surprise to find deprived and declined towns like Middlesbrough topping the teen pregnancy tables.
Assistant Professor of Sociology at Durham University, Kimberly Jamie, is one of the country's leading authorities on the subject.
She explains: "Decades of research tells us that teenage pregnancies are much more likely to occur in socio-economically deprived neighbourhoods which are at the sharp end of widening inequalities of wealth, health, education, housing, and opportunities.
"But at the same time women from deprived neighbourhoods who have children young aren’t at significantly increased risk of poor long-term outcomes than women from the same area who have children later in life.
"It’s inequality and deprivation which have the greatest impact on life outcomes, rather than the age at which a person has children.
“Teen pregnancy shouldn’t be a primary concern.”
On Middlesbrough's unemployment-ravaged Grove Hill estate Rev Kath Dean runs a food bank in St Oswald's Church.
She reveals how the grave situation faced by dozens of families – young mums included – is steadily getting worse.
"Two years ago we were serving 150 families a week and now that figure is around 250 and people are coming here from surrounding towns, such as Darlington,” she says.
"When people are getting two buses to come to a food bank to help them survive, you know we're in a serious situation.
"We get young mothers coming in here who have been sanctioned by the DWP because they couldn't make it to their meeting. It means their benefits, the money they live on, just stops completely.
"That's not just for a week – it can take as long as three months without a penny.
"There are terrible problems here caused by drugs and a lack of any kind of employment opportunities.
"That's the backdrop people are living against every day when the statistics say there is a high level of teenage pregnancy.
"I notice girls that I used to have at kids' clubs with children of their own at such a young age. It's sad because they aren't getting the help they need."
People in the town are used to signs of poverty and crime.
Carol Pedelty, 59, works in a charity shop selling second hand toys and furniture for the South Tees Hospital Trust.
She explains: "Drugs are the scourge of this town, you can stand outside the shop and see deals being done in broad daylight.
"So many problems come along with that – we even see people shoplifting from here.
"You see kids in balaclavas roaring around on illegal motorbikes all the time – even through the shopping centre in town.
"You don't have to look hard to see this is a town which unfortunately has a lot of problems."
As far Eden is concerned however, she has high hopes for her children’s futures.
She says: “I think I’m a good mum to my boys and I hope I’m giving them a good childhood to help them be happy and successful in the future.”

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: "The South Tees Pregnancy Strategic Partnership works to help young people make informed choices to reduce both unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
"Teenage parents in Middlesbrough are supported every step of the way to meet their full potential.”
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Toy Fair 2025 returned to the Javits Center in New York City this year, concluding its four-day run on March 4. The timing and location were almost back to normal after a period of flux consisting of a three-year hiatus during the pandemic, a move to a fall timeframe in 2023, an unpopular and quickly reversed plan to move the event to New Orleans, and a 2024 without a show, to accommodate the move back to a winter slot.
There were notably fewer exhibitors this year. The Toy Association, which produces the event, said there were close to 850 companies showing kids’ products at the show. That compares with just over 1,000 in 2023, 2019, and 2018. The 2020 Toy Fair, affected by the coming pandemic, had 890 exhibitors, as the significant contingent of Chinese toymakers were already under lockdown at home.
There was also a decrease in the number of publishers exhibiting this year, but those who attended told PW that they were pleased with the show. They reported making inroads with significant new accounts, connecting with potential new licensors, meeting with existing partners, and writing orders.
Bendon, known for its coloring and activity books and arts and crafts kits, has been doing more book-plus products of late. It is also expanding its paint-and-color books, a good format that is popular again after a short hiatus, according to Chad Marth, senior manager, sales. It also added a line of standalone stickers. The company’s products are driven by licensed properties, with Minecraft being a new addition this year. Marth called out Pokémon, Bluey, Lilo & Stitch, and Peeps as among the properties doing very well, echoing other exhibitors. In general, licensed products—always with a big presence at Toy Fair—seemed to be even more prominent than usual this year.
Peter Pauper Press was highlighting an expansion of its Color-by-Sticker line. “Anything stickers across the entire line is doing great, for kids and adults,” said Wendy Millard, merchandise manager, confirming what toy companies across the show floor were saying as well. “They’re easy to travel with, they don’t make a mess, and kids love them.” The children’s business has been the fastest growth area for the company over the past five years, Millard said.
Fox Chapel was highlighting its latest BigFoot title, The Day I Met BigFoot, and Made a New Friend. This is the first picture book in the series, which began with the flagship seek-and-find before expanding to about 10 coloring and activity titles. “Kids’ books are expanding tremendously for us,” said Michele Sensenig, VP of sales, citing its interactive board book line as another success story. The company also highlighted its Curious Fox nonfiction imprint, which launched in early 2024.
Retro and “kidult” products remain a key trend in the toy industry, and Choose Your Own Adventure publisher Chooseco was an example on the publishing side. Christina Miller, sales director, said fans were excited about the re-release of a retro box set of four older titles, with original covers and interiors and a paper stock similar to the late 1970s versions. Notably, the set will include Choose Your Own Adventure #1, Edward Packard’s The Cave of Time, which came out in 1979 and is being reprinted for the first time in more than 25 years. The Choose Your Own Adventure books had a big impact on kids, Miller said. “You are the hero of the story; you have agency over your life, maybe for the first time,” she said. “We keep hearing, ‘You’re the reason I’m in game development now,’ or ‘Everything I do now I attribute to the books I read as a kid.’ ”

The same is true for Highlights for Children, another brand with retro appeal. “Everyone has their Highlights story,” said Rachel Barry, director of marketing and publicity. “They’re crediting Highlights for changing their lives.” Highlights is adding more book-plus product to its line and was touting titles such as Rainbow Neon Hidden Pictures, with neon markers, as well as its new licensing deal with Plus Plus, a Danish maker of construction kits, with the first title being Christmas Fun: Build, Puzzle, and Play with 100 Pieces. Highlights met Plus Plus at the last Toy Fair. “It underscores the value of being at this show,” Barry said. Highlights was also showing The Ultimate Science Cookbook for Kids, with more than 75 “edible experiments.” This is another new direction for the publishing program; it is being supported by a publicity tour and bookstore events and has received 1,000 preorders.
Insight Editions was getting a lot of attention for its Wicked line, including a pop-up and a collectors’ journal, both unique formats that replicate props seen in the movie. The company was showing a lot of its stationery products, as well as a variety of book titles, especially licensed examples, from Peanuts to Minecraft to its number-one external IP, Harry Potter. “Toy stores and distributors are asking us, how can I get more of this in my toy store?,” said Jeff Barton, sales manager. “They’re looking for things to support the toys, and they’re really interested in books.”
Educational Development Corporation was seeing a lot of interest in its middle grade readers by Sara Ann Juckes, which focus on kids dealing with tough social-emotional issues. Stephanie Henderson, business development manager, and Tiffaney Rusk, trade sales coordinator, like other exhibitors, noted that buyers at the show were looking for anything to help kids deal with their emotions and anxiety. EDC was also getting a good reaction to its Shine a Light Books, which have sold 1.5 million copies across 29 titles, and was highlighting its SmartLab Toys line, acquired in 2022. One notable series from the latter consists of 11 tiny science kits, including Tiny Baking, which has been trending on social media for two years, and the newest title, Tiny Volcanoes.
Scholastic’s Klutz imprint had a meeting room off the show floor. Klutz, known for its activity kits, is adding more activity books into its line under the Klutz Press brand, according to Debra Dorfman, VP and publisher, global licensing, media and brands. It is integrating its own brands and some of its long-held licensing partnerships into the Klutz program. One example is Scholastic’s bestselling Wings of Fire series, which encompasses novels, graphic novels, advanced coloring books, and now a stained-glass activity book from Klutz Press. Gabby’s Dollhouse, Goosebumps, and Harry Potter are also being carried into the Klutz brand.
Among the entrepreneurial publishers at Toy Fair was Hopscotch Girls. It has sold 1.3 million copies of its first girl-empowering title, I Am Confident, Brave, and Beautiful, mostly through Amazon, according to Melissa Foley, founder. It has since expanded to a dozen other coloring and activity titles, as well as producing a hardcover companion to the flagship title where kids are prompted to create their own book. Hopscotch Girls expanded into middle grade readers last year through a deal with Andrews McMeel. Hopscotch Girls: Mia Madison, CEO was the first title, about a girl who becomes a consultant to kidtrepreneurs after launching a number of successful kid businesses herself. The Pop-Up Shop Predicament followed, and a third title is in the works.
The next two Toy Fairs are set for February 14–17, 2026, and February 20–23, 2027, at the Javits Center, returning to the fair’s traditional mid-February schedule.
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Naming a baby is not only a tough choice, but one that parents consider for months leading up to the day the baby comes. The decision is such a vital one that some couples even wait for days after the birth to decide on a name.
Though baby names have certainly become a lot more inventive over the years, with celebrity babies bringing some unique names like Apple and North into the spotlight, there is nothing quite as classic and timeless as a royal-inspired name.
Royal families worldwide have stuck to a pretty tight list of names over the centuries, with many an Arthur, Harry and William. But which of the royal baby names are most popular for boys today?
Thanks to the experts at GIGAcalculator and a bit of help from the most recent data from the Office of National Statistics, see the full list of the most popular royal baby boy names for the coming year. Be sure to take notes!
A historically popular name throughout the United Kingdom, derived from Greek roots, this name was given to the eldest child of Prince William and Princess Kate in 2013. It’s also the reigning most popular royal baby name for another year!
With roots in Welsh culture, linked to the word for ‘bear’, representing bravery and strength, this lovely name is a chosen middle name for both Prince William and his youngest son Prince Louis.
This moniker, first popularised in the 1800s by Scottish poet James Macpherson, became associated with Scandinavia after Napoleon, a fan of Macpherson, gave the name to his godson, who became King Oscar I of Sweden. It’s now the given name of Prince Oscar, grandson of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
You can’t get much more of a British royal name than Henry – we’ve had eight kings with one name! The name is derived from the Germanic ‘Heinrich’, a combination of two meanings: ‘hein’ meaning home or house, and ‘rich’ meaning ‘ruler’ or ‘king. Translated literally as ‘ruler of the home’ or ‘king of the house’, it makes sense why this has been a traditional favourite among English royal families dating back to the 1100s. It’s also the given name of Prince Harry.

A wonderful name with both Greek and Germanic roots, that is the middle name of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie‘s son James, a charming nod to the Duchess’ grandfather, who bore the same name.

Most closely associated with the eldest child of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the couple states that they took inspiration for the name from the Ancient Greek word ‘arche’, meaning ‘strength’ and ‘wisdom’.

A name that hasn’t been given to a royal baby for quite some time, Thomas has been a popular one throughout Europe, and especially in Britain, since the 13th century. More recently, it was borne by the late husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, Thomas Kingston.
Beginning as a Middle English form for the name ‘Henry’, Harry is a timeless name, both as a nickname and as a wonderful title in its own right. Prince Harry, the son of King Charles and the late Lady Diana Spencer, is the most recent bearer of the traditional name.
This name has both Greek and Roman roots: it is originally derived from the Greek name ‘Loukas’ and the current spelling is the Latin adaptation, meaning ‘bringer of light’. It is also the given name of Zara and Mike Tindall‘s youngest child, who is also the great-grandson of Princess Anne.

Another quintessentially royal name, with four British monarchs going by ‘William’ dating back to William the Conqueror, the name has most recently belonged to Prince William, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II. It has Germanic roots, originating from ‘Wilhelm’, meaning ‘resolute protector’ or ‘strong-willed warrior’.

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Kid-trepreneur, Dylan Emery showcases top finds from the International Toy Fair  YourCentralValley.com
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In a world where a blog is created every second does the world really need another blog? Well, it’s got one. An irregular set of postings, weaving an intricate pattern around a diverse set of subjects. Comment on culture, technology, politics and the occasional rant about life. Alan … in Belfast, Northern Ireland

But around the circumference of the circular dance floor, there are also unchoreographed interactions between the youngest audience members, with babies alternately gurgling as if in conversation, infants becoming restless, toddlers stretching out, and others completely rapt by the performers’ movement and by the live music coming from Ursula Burns perched on a riser to one side of the stage playing a blinged up harp (whose resplendent LED strip lighting could become a permanent feature.

Gentle noodling on the harp as the show begins soon develops into more recognisable song structures. As we reach the penultimate scene, lyrics are added and Burns is simultaneously playing harp with her right hand, tapping out a riff on piano with her left, and leading us in song as we journey towards the show’s conclusion. With glorious reverb and echo effects, the aural experience really complements the dance.

The final performances on Sunday 9 March have already sold out. But hopefully Maiden Voyage Dance will be rewarded with sweet dreams and international dates to showcase this gorgeous snuggle of a show. And don’t forget to check out the remaining shows for young and old in this year’s Belfast Children’s Festival which runs until 15 March (brochure).
Photo credit: Ciarán Bagnall
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