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June 25, 2010

Children's Tiffin Morning Tea


Aria Restaurant
The Langham Hotel
Monday 28th June to Friday 9th July, 10am to 1pm

The three tiered childrens' Tiffin stand includes:
◦White chocolate brownie
◦Lemon cup cake
◦Marshmallow and fruit skewers
◦Frangipane tart
◦Frog in a pond
◦Scones with strawberry jam and chantilly cream
◦Ham & cheese sandwich
◦Chicken sandwich

Children are asked to bring a grownup for traditional Tiffin. $18.65 per child (3-12 years young).
For bookings calll 1800 641 107

June 20, 2010

Kids at The Arts Centre



Theatre is Child's Play
9th - 10th July 2010
10am & 11.30am (18 mths-3 yrs), 1.30pm (0-18 mths)
ANZ Pavillion
How do babies and toddlers experience theatre and story? How do they respond to different environments – atmosphere, images and sound? This gentle, hands–on workshop for little children and their parents is a fascinating and fun exploration which will contribute to a new interactive theatre piece being developed by Polyglot Theatre. Be part of the creative process with Polyglot’s artists and discover the answers to these and other questions.
Running Time: 60 Minutes. Ages 0 - 3.
Tickets: $14 (accompanying adult free).
Bookings - 1300 182 183

Curiosity - Part theatre, part circus and a little bit of magic.
22nd - 26th September 2010, 11am & 1.30pm
*No show at 1.30pm on Sat 25 September
Gallery 1
Alex is being difficult. She doesn’t understand or empathise with her father’s distress. And now she’s been sent to her room. But, when she discovers a passageway through her toy box to the land of Curiosity she begins to learn some valuable lessons. In Curiosity everything seems askew, upside down, inside out or back to front. Nobody agrees on anything and Alex finds herself the mediator in many a strange situation.
Running Time: 50 Minutes. Ages: 3 -10 yrs.
Tickets: $16 or $14 when you buy 4+ tickets.
Bookings - 1300 182 183

Valanga Khoza
22nd - 26th September, 10am
Gallery 1
South African born Valanga Khoza is a dynamic musician, storyteller and workshop facilitator. Enjoy the harmonies of South African chants and songs with rhythms that make you want to dance. Valanga’s motto is “If you can talk, you can sing!”. So, come and join him for a singing experience that will energise your soul and have you singing like never before!
Running Time: 45 Minutes. Ages: 3 - 12.
Tickets: $12 or $10 when you buy 4+ tickets.
Bookings - 1300 182 183

Neda
22nd - 26th September, 12.30pm
Gallery 1
All together we will make a fun, instant Brazil–style singing and playing beat–driven ensemble! Learn traditional and original Brazilian songs with Neda and learn to play big bass drums, shakers, clap sticks, ago go bells and tambourims.
Running Time: 45 Minutes. Ages: 3 - 12.
Tickets: $12 or $10 when you buy 4+ Tickets.
Bookings - 1300 182 183

A Little Piece
22nd - 26th September
Every 20 mins from 10am to 11am, 11.50am to 12.50pm and 1.50pm to 2.50pm. Last show at 12.30pm on Sat 25 September 2010
Fairfax Studio Foyer
Enter a little world of fables, friends and fiction with an audience of only six people! Harry, a grumpy toy hedgehog is flung out of the bedroom and into a world of lost socks, missing teaspoons and stray keys. In a special, intimate setting, the audience opens cupboard doors to reveal Harry’s story.
Ages: 3 - 10. All kids must be accompanied by an adult
Tickets: $7. Bookings - 1300 182 183

June 14, 2010

School Holidays - June/July 2010



Puppets at Fed Square - 11 July 2010
Federation Square is set to come alive with a children's puppet playground during the winter school holidays, with a week long program of puppet shows, roving performances, workshops, films and parades. Cost: Free

Children's Garden at Royal Botanical Gardens
Pumpkin soup

29 June, 1st July, 6th July, 11am – 12.15pm
What happens when a cat, a squirrel and a duck make soup? Find out in the enchanting story of Pumpkin Soup. Follow the trail where Duck might have gone, then help plant a winter vegetable soup garden and plant your own vegetable to take home. Finally, warm up with a delicious cup of hot pumpkin soup and a bread roll. Suitable for children aged 3 – 5 years; adult participation is required.Meet at the Visitor Centre, Observatory Gate. Cost: $15 per child / $5 per adult. Bookings required: Tel(03)9252 2429


Gasworks Arts Park
Mudcakes Concert - Ages 1-8
Monday 28 June at 11am
$15 Full, $13 Con/Child, Family of 4 $52, Groups 10+ $10 (+bf phone only)
Bookings: 9699 3253
The MUDCAKES, Sherry and Rick Plant are leaders in the movement towards organic adult-friendly children's music. Singing songs with accompaniment from Kazoos, ukuleles, bongos and harmonicas will all be spotted on stage in a quirky, fun-loving interactive show. With songs celebrating roots music and the ups and downs of family life

Gasworks Arts Park
Tiny Tortoises Paper Shapes - Ages 3-6
29 June to 6 July 2010
9.45am to 10.45am or 11.15am to 12.15pm
Art & Craft Room
Price: $20 +BYO Shoeb
Tiny tortoises swimming in a sea of colourful paper in a shoebox. Cut, bend, fold, curl and glue flat paper into wonderful 3D animals with paper-sculptor and illustrator Meredith Thomas.

Tivoli Theatre, 1390 High Street, Malvern
Alice in Wonderland Pantomine

28th June - 9th July
10.30am and 1.30pm, $17 per ticket (includes fairy bread & lemon drink)
Bookings - 9509 9066

June 11, 2010

Eureka Skydeck



If you're heading into the city this is a fun thing to do with the kids. We took our daughter up the Eureka Tower for her 2nd birthday, followed by lunch and a visit to Daddy's work.

When you've lived in a city all your life, it is sometimes too easy to dismiss these types of things as 'tourist' attractions, but its great to see how much Melbourne has changed and a bird's eye city view is always impressive.

Tickets are $16.50 for adults and $9 for children aged 4 to 16 (under fours are free). For details visit the Eureka Skydeck 88 website

June 7, 2010

Scienceworks



Since visiting the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, I have been looking forward to seeing how our own Scienceworks measures up. I was particularly interested in the Nitty Gritty Super City exhibition as it sounded similar to Zoe's House at the Powerhouse which we loved. It’s actually quite different but still lots of fun. Specifically designed for three to eight year olds, this exhibition is set-up as a mini metropolis where children are encouraged to push buttons, pull ropes, investigate materials, encounter sounds, objects and other people. My kids loved the Role Play Cafe where they prepared plates of food and made coffee for their ‘customers’ who were sitting at the little café tables.

Another great exhibition for this age group is Toys: Science at Play which is running until the 18th of July. With plenty of tables set-up with lego, blocks, dolls and other toys it is a great spot to rest for a while and just let them play. The purpose of the exhibition of course is to demonstrate the science of toys and, although this may be somewhat lost on the under-five age group, they still get a lot out of it. Recently I went to a talk at the local kinder about how children learn through play and this exhibition was a fine demonstration of this. Playing with other children at a lego table requires them to use a range of different skills that are invaluable tools for future learning.

Other permanent exhibitions of interest to the under-fives include Sportworks where they can race against Cathy Freeman, Going Places where they can fly an aeroplane, and the House of Secrets where they can run through a giant vacuum cleaner hose, sit on an oversized couch, and discover how water flushes down the drain. And of course in all these exhibitions there are lots of buttons and levers that make things happen, which kids of this age love.

One thing I wouldn't recommend for the under 4's is the lightening show which is a 30 minute demonstration of how lightening and electricity are generated. The woman at the ticket counter assured me that it was suitable for young children but, not only is there a very loud noise at the end, under 4's may find it difficult to sit still for the entire show. The Planetarium show may be better suited but I’m not sure as we didn’t get to this.

The layout of Scienceworks is a little awkward and there is very little signage. The café has good basic options for young kids but nothing much more exciting than what you might bring from home, and the coffee was pretty awful. I found the staff a little reticent for the environment and there were no demonstrations in any of the exhibitions. This being said, Scienceworks is a good day out and whilst it may not be as cool or polished as the Powerhouse, the kids will love it.

If you have kids at different stages, I would suggest visiting Scienceworks on the weekend when you're partner can come along. For a child over 3, it would be good to explain what’s going on in some of the exhibitions or just to be able to sit and play with them without having to run after their younger sibling.

Admission to Scienceworks is $8 for adults and kids under 16 are free. The lightening and planetarium shows incur an additional cost of $5 per adult and $3.50 per child (3-16 yrs). For further information, visit the Scienceworks website.