Heide Art Bubs

Heide Museum of Modern Art
Friday 26th March, 10am - 11.30am

Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen are running a series of events throughout the year aimed at parents and carers with children aged 0 to 6 years.

The session we attended was for their current exhibition - Sunday’s Kitchen: Food and Living at Heide. This exhibition provides an insight into the domestic lives of John and Sunday Reed who settled here in 1935 and transformed the old dairy farm into a creative space for artists such as Sidney Nolan and Charles Blackman. It is particularly focused on the role that Sunday Reed, an avid cook and gardener, played in establishing Heide as a sustainable and vibrant living environment with home-grown produce, seasonal cooking and a communal table. Coinciding with the launch of a book by the same title, it is a really interesting exhibition that brings together some of the couple’s photographs, personal effects and recipes with works from the Heide Museum collection.

The Art Bubs sesssion began with a guided tour of the exhibition but unfortunately I didn’t get to hear much of it. The kids were expected to sit down in a tight space and listen to a story then do a puzzle, but nobody really got their attention from the outset and as a result they showed little interest in either activity. The exhibition space remained open to other visitors during the tour so the guide spoke only to her immediate group and not to those who lingered behind with kids. Heide 1 is a heritage house with artworks at kids level so they are not free to just roam around, and the Sunday’s Kitchen exhibition is of no great interest to them – in fact they would probably prefer the cubism exhibition that is currently showing in the main building.

After the tour we ventured out into the pleasant garden behind Heide 1 for an Easter egg hunt. This had the desired effect of peaking the kids’ interest and after a chocolate treat they were far more cooperative. The hunt was followed by a walk through Sunday’s kitchen garden before heading down to the Sidney Myer Education Centre for morning tea. The kids were entertained with colouring in pages and given fruit and grissini sticks whilst the adults had cake and coffee. The Sidney Myer building was pleasant and well suited to kids and we were able to enjoy our coffee on the baby friendly steps outside whilst the bigger kids explored the gardens.

Overall, this event was disapointing. Despite its potential, it seemed poorly organised and inappropriate for the advertised age group. (In my opinion it's best suited to kids over 3 years of age who will happily sit and do an activity on their own). The children were not engaged and the tone of the event was very formal. I found it surprising that they didn't use the exhibition as a focus when devising the kids activities for the food and living theme would have lent itself well to this. Heide is a lovely venue and this could be a fantastic event if it was better organised and more clearly designed for kids.

The next Art Bubs event is on Friday 21st May for the exhibition Simryn Gill: Gathering. For further information on Heide Art Bubs, visit the Heide website .

Easter Activities

Make some Bunny Ears

Do an Easter Egg Pasting

Easter themed Colouring In

Make a Bunny Mask

Decorate Easter Eggs

Make an Easter Sign by painting the mdf shape with chalkboard paint and using twine or rope to hang

Other Activity Ideas

Easter Holidays - What's On

Scienceworks - Circus of Spin
20 minute performance by CircaNICA suitable for all ages. Daily until 11th April. 12pm and 2pm. Included in museum entry

Werribee Open Range Zoo
Three exciting activities for children under five years
Village Dance Party - Dance and sing along to a colourful musical show featuring silhouettted dancing characters on a large screen. Free with admission. Mon to Fri 11m to 3pm.
Mini Zoo Keepers - 1.5 hour magical journey around zoo including face to face encounters with many animals. Tuesdays 9.15am. Adults & Children $40
Junior Safari - 35 minute bus ride aimed at five year olds with puppets, music and amazing animal action. Monday to Friday during school holidys, Tuesdays during school terms. 11.30am. Free with general admission.

Kids at the Library
The State Library have two free events suitable for little ones. Storytime for Pre-schoolers on Wednesday 3rd March 11am - 11.45am and the Baby Bounce Session for 8 mths-2yrs on Thursday 4th March 11am - 11.45am. Bookings on (03) 8664 7099 or bookings@slv.vic.gov.au

Fantastic Friends at Royal Botanical Gardens
Create your own fantastic friend from a range of items straight from the garden, including gum nuts, seed pods and banksias. Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th April 10.30am to 2pm. $4 per child. Plant Craft Cottage near H-gate.For bookings contact Jean (03) 85881824 or Christina (03) 96902145

SkyHigh Mount Dandenong Childrens Week
From 4th April until 10th April there are a range of activities on at SkyHigh including an easter egg hunt, pony rides and storytelling. All activities are free of charge but gate fees do apply.

NGV Kids Corner
A new space for kids with creative installations and activities designed just for them. Check website for full list of events.

Family Day at Collingwood Children's Farm
Ride a pony, milk a cow, enjoy hay rides and visit all the animals. Sunday 4th April 8am to 5pm. Rides 10.30am - 2.30pm. Adults $8, Children $4.

Local Community Centre
Check out the school holiday program at your local neighbourhood centre. Many offer a range of kindy activities. We're doing kindy clay and kindy canvas at our centre this week.

Dymocks Melbourne

Dymocks Book Store in Collins Street have regular free Sunday events for children.

I have just booked for Spot's Birthday Party on the 30th of May. Other events coming up include Alice in Wonderland on the 28th of March and There's a Hippopotamus on my Roof Eating Cake! on the 2nd of May. These events usually include storytelling, games, activites and cake.

We went to Bob The Builder's Birthday Party last year and it was good fun. There was colouring in, dancing, and Bob made an appearance. The event space is a little tight so I'd suggest going pram-free if you can, and don't worry there are coffees available for those that baulk at being in the city by 10am on a Sunday.

Dymocks events are free but you still need to book. Visit Dymocks for further details or book on 03 9660 8500 or levents@dymocks.com.au

Tivoli Theatre Restaurant

In January I took my 3 year old and her 4 year old friend to The Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe at the Tivoli Theatre in Malvern.

Owned by showbiz couple Carole Ann and Terry Gill, the Tivoli Theatre is a bit of a Melbourne institution for seniors and children's theatre and they do four pantomime productions a year.

The 75 minute show (including interval) is a mash-up of different nursery rhymes structured in true pantomime style with the baddie being booed by the audience and the goodie triumphing with a song and dance number. But honestly for the under fives, the storyline is peripheral to the well-known songs and nursery rhymes which are scattered frequently throughout the show.

I can’t say that this is the most entertaining show I’ve ever seen, however given the lack of children’s theatre in Melbourne, I am reluctant to give it a critical review for at least they are giving it a go. Just don’t go there expecting a polished show in a modern theatre. This is traditional razzle dazzle local theatre which, if you accept for what it is, can be just as fun and entertaining as the big licenced productions. You also need to keep in mind that many of the performers are young kids from the local ballet school and given their age they do a fantastic job. They act alongside some of Melbourne's theatre veterans, such as owner Terry Gill who was fantastic as Humpty Dumpty.

I highly recommend bringing water bottles and a bag of snacks with you. The lemonade is very sweet and the fairy bread doesn’t come out until the interval. Also, snacks will entertain the kids if they get a bit distracted during the show. The audience are seated at long tables so the kids need to stay in their seats but food and drink are allowed. I’d also recommend leaving children under two at home if you can as prams won’t fit in the theatre and the tight seating would get uncomfortable with a wriggler. I have a good arrangement with a friend where one of us takes the older kids to the show and one of us stays at home with the younger ones – much easier.

We have just booked for the Tivoli's next production, Red Riding Hood, which runs from the 29th of March until the 9th of April. Tickets are $17 which includes the show , lemonade and fairy bread. For bookings, visit Tivoli Theatre or call (03) 9509 9066.

Day out with Thomas

Emerald Town Station
Melways Ref. 127 E5

There are very few children under five I would think that would not get excited by seeing a life-size Thomas the Tank Engine. The perpetually happy train engine is a major hit with this age group.

A Day out with Thomas at Emerald Station includes a 20 minute steam train ride behind Puffing Billy, a Pantomine, and free entry to various other attractions such as a jumping castle, animal farm and a ride on Green Bulgy Bus.

The train ride through the Dandenongs is definitely the main attraction and the train is designed so that everybody gets a window seat. Whilst the open windows mean your kids must stay seated, the fresh air on the face and the endless parade of waving Emerald residents make the ride such a joy. (It must be exhausting to live near Thomas!)

Following the excitement of the train ride, I thought the pantomine fell a little flat. Performed by members of the local theatre group, it was well intended but it dragged on and seemed to display gaps in their licencing agreement. For example, they did not use the Thomas theme song at all.

The other activties were good but fairly generic, and I have to say the ride on Bulgy the Bus was just a little bit scary. Maybe its been a while since I was on a bus but Bulgy was a bit fast for my liking.

Despite all this, the kids had a fantastic time and realistically it wouldn't have mattered how lame the activities were, they were just interested in seeing Thomas and every glimpse of him brought a smile to their faces.

Day out with Thomas tickets are $20 for adults and children aged 4 to 16. Toddlers (1 to 3 yrs) are $10 each. To book visit the Puffing Billy website

After Thomas, I would reccommend going to Emerald Park Lake for a play and a picnic. This is a great park with a good playground and lots of picnic and bbq areas - you can even book the rotundas ahead of time which is handy for groups. And, if you haven't had enough of trains for the day, the park has its own little model railway. For details, visit the Emerald Park Lake website

Diamond Valley Miniature Railway

Sundays, 11am to 5pm
Eltham Lower Park, Melways Ref. 21 H10

I've always thought there was something weird about middle-aged men who play with trains but now I kind of see the attraction - these little trains are cool. Complete with mini tunnels, railway crossings and stations, Diamond Valley Railway is a young (and old) boy's dream and it makes for a great sunday outing with under fives.

With a big oval to run around, a playground and quite a few BBQ/picnic spots, Eltham Lower Park is a good place for a play date or a family get-together. There were pony rides and a mobile coffee cart the day we were there, but there were no food options so best to bring your own.

Cost is $3 per passenger for a 15 minute ride, under twos ride free. For further details, visit www.dvr.com.au

Hand Me Downs

Hand me Downs
383 Forest Road, The Basin

I am my mother's daughter and I love a good bargain, particularly when it comes to kids toys. So even though this isn't strictly something to do with under fives, I couldn't resist including this favourite.

Located at the foot of the Dandenongs, Hand Me Downs seconds store is a treasure trove for quality kids toys & clothes at bargain prices and I often drive out there just to check what they have in-store. My purchases have included a huge amount of lego (duplo & primo), a trike, a see-saw, a bag of Mr Potato Heads, a pink princess tent, leap frog products, great winter jackets, shoes, plus more - all of which have been in terrific condition and at a great price.

This is a kid friendly store, but its much easier to find bargains when you're not being hounded to buy everything. Plus its a great place to stock up on xmas and birthday presents.

Hand Me Downs is open Tues to Sat from 10am to 5pm.

Sorrento

Sorrento is on the Mornington Peninsula , just over 1 hours drive from Melbourne

We regularly go to Sorrento for weekends and over time we have gradually established what works with the kids and what doesn’t. Unfortunately most of our old favourites such as the Red Hill wineries, the pubs and lazing on the beach with a book don’t work, but we have found some relaxing, enjoyable (and potentially healthier) alternatives.

In the mornings we grab a coffee from Stringers and head to the large community-built playground in Sorrento gardens. Overlooking the pier, these gardens are tucked in behind the Sorrento pub and provide a great view of the boats on the water. The steep grassy hills are fun to roll down and the playground is fantastic with lots of swings, slides and places to explore. Sometimes we end up back here for dinner as well for it is fairly sheltered from the wind and picnics are easier on the grass than on sand.

From the gardens we usually head to the front beach which is fairly unexciting as far as beaches go but good for toddlers who are more interested in building sand castles than swimming. Much nicer though are some of the little pocket beaches along the road between Sorrento and Blairgowrie – park the car and pop your head through the bushes and there is your own private beach. The Sorrento back beach is far more dramatic but not suited to young children, better to grab a milkshake at All Smiles café and enjoy the views.

We have found Smokehouse Pizza to be the best place for dinner with young kids and they do a 6 o’clock sitting but you have to book. (03) 5984 1246

Geppetto’s Workshop on Ocean Beach Road is a great toy shop. Or for the more thrifty addition to the toy box head to the op shop on the corner of Ocean Beach and Melbourne Roads, kids get a free lucky dip whilst you find a bargain.

For further information on Sorrento, visit www.virtualsorrento.com.au

Prahran Market

Tuesdays, 9.30am - 12.30pm

The market square at Prahran Market is a great spot to take the kids on a sunny day. In addition to the baby + toddler friendy play equipment, every Tuesday morning there is an animal farm ($3.50), sand art ($4) and free face painting. This is all in a confined space where you can sit back and enjoy coffee and lunch, or even freshly shucked oysters and a glass of wine if thats where the mood takes you as it did me one day. I would happily spend every Tuesday here as it is also a great place to do the shopping.

The free face painting is also on Thursdays 10am to 1pm when there is a play-along music session for kids with mexican singer Alex Espino. We haven't been to this yet, but we will definitely be trying it out soon.

For further details on events and actvities at Prahran Market, visit www.prahranmarket.com.au

Zoo Membership

With unlimited access to three Melbourne zoos as well as interstate zoos, this membership is such great value and the perfect present for a 1+ year old - particularly if the giver renews it each year. For $100 (includes a $15 joining fee) you get admission for one specified parent and any children under 4 years. For children over 4, it is an additional $36 a year. You also get a quarterly magazine with lots of animal pictures to cut out, a discount at the souvenir shop and a discount on zoo events such as twilights.

We use our Zoo membership all the time and I find it a great way to catch up with friends. Generally we just go for a couple of hours, see our favourite animals, have a quick play in the playground and get a small souvenir at the shop. Sometimes we take a picnic or, if we are at the Melbourne Zoo, we go to Birdie Num Nums in Nicholson Street where there is a courtyard with a sandpit and a good kids menu.

For details on the Zoos Victoria membership, visit www.zoos.org.au/fotz

SocaTime Joeys

SocaTime Joeys
Term 1, 2010. Hawthorn Emus class (2.5 yrs to 3.5 yrs old)

I imagined myself spending term one as the serene, supportive sports mum - blissfully sipping coffee on the sidelines whilst my daughter kicked goals in her very cute green and gold uniform. Meanwhile, my 1 year old son would be sleeping peacefully in his pram. Instead I became Soccer Mum (ggrrr), berating my daughter to participate and bribing her with treats, whilst my son played goalie to the occasional stray ball and gorged himself on tiny teddy biscuits.

So it wasn't the most enjoyable term but this is not to say that this activity isn’t worthwhile. My friend’s daughter who is nearly 4 loved it, and seemingly so did the other kids (all boys) particularly the older ones. The two coaches take a relaxed, older brother approach to teaching and each class focuses on skills in passing and receiving the ball using the feet and body. Sometimes there is an obstacle course, but often the class is devoted to just kicking the balls in the goals and running around. There is no focus on teamwork and there doesn’t appear to be an end of term target such as a game or a display of skills. For this reason, I think the older class for 3.5 to 5 year olds would be more worthwhile but this activity is definitely fun for any child who loves to run and kick balls. Unfortunately it seems my daughter does not wish to be a soccer player so we are off to dance class next term.

Socatime Joeys have a $29 introductory offer allowing you to do two trial sessions before committing to the whole term and the optional uniform. Classes are held in various locations around Melbourne. For details, visit www.socatimejoeys.com.au

PlaySchool Concert

Playschool Concert
Box Hill Town Hall, Tuesday 9th March 10.30am

This is my favourite toddler event of the year and I wish there were more like it. Basically it is a 40 minute concert with two regular Playschool presenters singing some of the more popular songs from the TV show accompanied by a keyboard player and of course our favourite toys - Big Ted, Little Ted, Jemima and Humpty.

My kids watch Playschool every morning as it is the only thing that will keep them occupied whilst I have a shower and its great for activity ideas and themed play. Better still, it doesn't drive me crazy like Maisy, Bob and Dora. Even my 1 year old, who is generally not interested in TV, loves Playschool.

Ofcourse both my husband and I were Playschool fans when we were young, but it wasn't until we were travelling through Europe with our 15 month old daughter that we rediscovered this fantastic show. On a whim I had bought the Playschool in Concert DVD with us (just in case the Sistine chapel wasn't interesting enough for her) and flying back into Melbourne after a month of Dance Dino Dance and Singin in the Kitchen, we both agreed it was our best purchase ever. It is still the only DVD that seems to please everyone.

This year's concert at Box Hill Town Hall was enjoyable. My three year old daughter danced her way through every song, often bumping into other excited toddlers up on their feet. And for days afterwards she talked of nothing but Humpty and Jemima. However, whilst the presenters, Teo and Abbey, were good they were not as upbeat as Alex and Leah who we saw in the Ringwood show last year, and the content and set were not as good this year either. The venue was less formal, but arguably better than the darkened theatre format as it encouraged audience participation and social interaction.

I would definitely recommend the Playschool concert to anyone with children under five. However it is perhaps best suited to children in the 2 to 4 age group.

Playschool concerts are held annually in various locations throughout each state. For details, visit www.kidspromotions.com.au or contact Kids Promotions on (03) 9727 2996. I would highly recommend joining their maling list so that you don't miss out next year.

The Playschool in Concert DVD is available at ABC stores, Target and other DVD retailers.