Raring2go! Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

4 raring2go Inclusive Play Centre for Mainstream and Additional needs children. * For children from birth to twelve years* *Open 7 days a week* *Sessions at: 09:30-11:00, 11:30-13:00, 13:30-15:00, 15:30-17:00* *Free parking onsite* Book at: www.becsplaycentre.org Call us: 01467 622803 Find us: Inverurie Business Hub, Burghmuir Circle, Inverurie, AB51 4FS Make Christmas last: take care of your tree! NOTHING beats the look and smell of a real Christmas tree. And with the right care, you can make the piney goodness last for more than four weeks, right the way through to the big day. Here are Raring2go!'s top tips for caring for your conifer: Don't buy your tree too early: The British Christmas Tree Growers Association recommends waiting until at least the 1st of December to select your spruce. Take your time when choosing a cut tree: check that the needles aren't dull and dry and that the branches aren't brittle. Needles shouldn't fall off your chosen tree if you give it a gentle shake. Store your tree properly: if you can't put it up when you get home, store your tree in a cool, shady place, ideally in water, until you can tend it to properly. Dry trees lose their needles: cut about half an inch flat off the bottom of the stem - not at an angle, or V - shape - to help the tree hydrate. Don't whittle away at the sides of the stem to make it fit your stand: the outer layers are best at taking up water and should be left alone. If you don't have a proper Christmas tree stand, use a bucket filled with small stones or crumpled newspapers. Top your stand up with water every day, and make sure the bottom of the stem is always wet. Keep your tree away from direct heat, and, if possible, keep the temperature of the room as low as comfortable. Use low heat lights if you can, too. Enjoy decorating your tree with the whole family.