A Fun-filled Day at London Zoo with Rio2 and the Barbatuques

We have not planned any vacations away with the children this summer but we are keeping busy doing stuff around the UK.

I have been lucky to be invited to some great events with the children and they have had a wonderful time at all of them.

One such event was on Monday, when we were invited to ZSL London Zoo to for a special screening of Rio 2 to celebrate the release of the the film on Digital HD, Blu-Ray and DVD.

First of all, the children were particularly excited – Rio 2 screening AND a visit to the zoo? What could be better? Well, there was also breakfast and face painting and yes – a performance by the Barbatuques. And the zoo had 3 tiger cubs!! A perfect day out for the family. I was pretty excited too.

I didn’t realise that it was quite easy to get to London Zoo on the tube as it is a short walk from Camden Town Underground Station (10 minutes max).

We were received at the Zoo entrance and led into the hall that was buzzing with activity – breakfast being served, photos being taken and face painting for all.

Jadyn and Ethan had their picture taken with Nico and Pedro.

And of course they had Jewel and Blu painted on them. I did too. 😉

Then it was time to settle down for the performance. There were some lovely bean bags provided for the children and they relaxed as they watched.

The Barbatuques are a Brazilian Band consisting of 15 members who make unique music using their bodies – clapping, chest hits, snapping fingers and making sounds with their mouths. They have performed the song in the film called ‘Beautiful Creatures’ and the song is as spectacular in the film as is the music.

Their performance was brilliant and the children were happy to be involved as they got the audience clapping and creating rhythms. Needless to say, we have been trying out our own rhythms at home ever since.

Rio 2 was an entertaining family film. We enjoyed the funny bits and the lovely soundtrack. Personally, I loved the stunning landscapes and beautiful shots of Rio – so well done in animation.

The Story – is about Blu and Jewel and their 3 children who travel from Rio to the Amazon to meet more of their feathered kind. Jewel is reunited with her father and the rest of her family while Bly struggles to fit in with the wild birds and impress his father-in-law.

Completely entertaining, so much fun and a great sequel to the first part.

We were then given goody bags that contained a copy of the film and we sat and watched it with Hubs that evening.

Of course, we were then given an opportunity to roam the zoo and we visited the tigers – saw the tiger cubs (who aren’t so little really) and saw a few other animals before leaving.

It was a great event, superbly hosted and we loved all the entertainment provided. Thanks to Mumsnet, for choosing us and Fox for being such excellent hosts.

Some more information on the Barbatuques –

Human body can be considered our first musical instrument. Since childhood, we use body sounds to communicate in daily life and also make music. Breathing and walking are processes that involve repetition and regularity, bringing in the sense of order as a reference pulse and rhythm.

The voice is our first melodic reference and singing along with other voices it’s possible to experience chords and progression chords. Many sounds can be produced using the body, such as palms, tap dance, voice and breathing, combining them to create rhythms, melodies and harmony.

Barbatuques develops since 1995, an artistic and pedagogical work and research, based on the usage of the body as a musical instrument. In workshops, students explore their own bodies, stimulating creativity, work coordination, concentration, memory, listening, integration and group cooperation.

Disclaimer: I was invited to this special screening at London Zoo with my children. All ideas and opinions are my own.