The Enchanted Maze Garden

55 Purves Road, Arthurs Seat (Mel 159 E12)






The Enchanted Maze Garden is one of Melbourne's real treasures for under-fives and on a sunny day it is a simply magical place to visit.

Located in the beautiful hinterland of Arthurs Seat, above Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula, it offers an amazing array of activities for children of all ages. There are several mazes, including a dedicated Children's Maze with a fairy garden, animal sculptures, rabbit enclosure, sand pit and an interactive game of snakes & ladders.

The main Hedge Maze is fun to explore, and small enough to let your kids do so independently or in teams, whilst The Turf Maze with the Loch Ness Monster in the middle makes for a fun game of tiggy without stepping on the grass.

The Bush Scramble obstacle course is better for kids aged 4+ but our younger ones still enjoyed exploring it where they could, and they loved going into the chook and duck enclosure located closeby.

The real hit with the kids (and the adults too) are the giant tube slides. This is a lot of work with under-fives as you have to pull the large tubes (and children perhaps) up a steep slope and then you need to ride with them, but it's well worth the effort if you can manage it. These are are not water slides, so there is no need to cater especially for this activity (although you may want a dry pair of undies for mum!) For parents with multiple children under five, it is recommended that you visit with more than one adult for this activity. My husband and I went with four kids aged 2, 3, 5 & 6 years of age and all of the kids rode the tube slides several times - the older girls together, and the younger boys with each adult.

Moving on through the stunningly landscaped gardens, you will encounter many different sculptures, including the King and Queen's Thrones and Ken Blum's chainsaw art pieces. You will also discover The Obstacle Course which includes a rope swing, swaying bridge, tunnel, bouncy planks and a see-through maze.

Make sure you rub the tummies of the smiling Buddhas lining the steps up to The 3D Indoor Maze before you prepare your children for the Spooky Maze. The website for this attraction advises that this maze may scare children under five so you need to judge for yourself whether this is appropriate for your child. We went through with all four kids, and yes they found it scary, but they understood that by taking off their 3D glasses it became less scary. There are no live actors within the maze but there is a moving rotation bridge that you can bypass if it all gets too much. I would advise leaving prams at the entrance/exit and holding any children aged under 3.

Entry to The Enchanted Maze Garden is fairly expensive ($91 for 2 adults & 4 kids), but this is a set fee that covers all activities including multiple mazes, animals, obstacle courses, tube slides and the 3D spooky maze. Personally I felt that it was well worth the admission price given the number of activities it offered and the work that has gone into creating and maintaining this attraction.

The Amazing Lolly Shop is located at the main entrance and offers sweets, snacks, coffee and re-usable water bottles for kids. There is also a cafe located upstairs, but we did not dine here on this occasion. Alternatively you can bring your own picnic to have on the lawns or in one of the several marquees scattered throughout the grounds.

The Enchanted Maze Garden is open everyday of the year 10am to 6pm (except Xmas Day). The Tube slides and Indoor 3D Maze are open until 4pm weekdays and 5pm on weekends, public holidays and school holidays. Prices are as follows;
Adults $29
Children 3-17 years (must be accompanied by an adult)$19
Children 2 and under Free
Family Pass (2 adults + 2 children)$79 -additional children with Family Pass rate $12
Seniors $23
Aged Pensioners $19
For more information, visit The Enchanted Maze Garden website.

Bounce Inc

2 Weir Street, Malvern (near Tooronga Train Station)

I am dying to check out this new trampolining centre in Malvern. My sister took her 5 and 7 year olds on the weekend and, despite a swollen ankle, she rates it as a super fun activity with kids. Plus it gave everyone an excellent night's sleep.

Bounce Inc is open for children over 3 and under 110cm from 10am to 3pm weekdays (excluding school holidays). With the older ones at school, this would be the best time to take pre-schoolers, remembering that, as with play centres, mornings will always be busiest.

Cost for free jumping for juniors is $10 for the first hour and $7 for the 2nd hour. Adults are $16.50 for first hour (includes BounceInc socks with grip) and $10 for 2nd hour.

There is a cafe overlooking the trampoline park which may be best visited after jumping rather than before.

Bounce Inc also do kids parties with packages priced around $28 per person.

For further information, visit the Bounce Inc website.

Puffing Billy

As far as family activities go in Melbourne, Puffing Billy would have to be a firm favourite. Even in the middle of winter, this train brings a smile to the face as it rounds the corner over Monbulk Creek in a cloud of steam and waving passengers.

Steam trains have a strange allure for most people, young and old, but Puffing Billy is particularly exciting given its location in the Dandenong Ranges, its historic significance, and its amazing preservation based on a 900 strong volunteer workforce.

Previously on this blog I have reviewed Day Out with Thomas and, whilst this is a great event with under-fives, the regular excursion ride provides an even better unplanned opportunity for stress-free family fun.

The cost can be offputting with The Billy, but you need to remember that this attraction relies heavily on a membership and volunteer base for its survival. Without it, Puffing Billy will simply discontinue and this would be a sad loss for Victorian heritage and tourism.

Having said that, there are many ways for this attraction to work for you. As a single adult travelling with kids under five, the return journey is $41 (Belgrave to Emerald or Lakeside - thats less than $14 each if you have 2 kids). Alternatively, many parents opt to go one way with one parent ($24), meeting another adult with car at a designated destination station. I personally think this takes a lot of the fun out of the journey. The kids will want to hang their legs out the windows and this requires some holding on, plus adults enjoy this trip just as much as the kids - I wouldn't want to be the one hanging out in the car at the other end.

Whilst children under 4 are free on Puffing Billy, the adult return fare makes the family pass at $83 the best option for two parents travelling with 1 to 4 kids from Belgrave to Emerald or Lakeside return. Any longer would probably be excessive for children of this age group, and these destinations are very accessible with younger children.

Based on our experience travelling on a weekend with two adults and four kids under 6, my suggestion to parents of under-fives would be as follows;

- Park at Belgrave Train Station carpark and follow the well signed path to Puffing Billy.

- On the weekend, take the 11.10am or 12.30pm train from Belgrave. You need to be there at least 30-45 minutes beforehand to buy tickets, get snacks, take photos and find the carriage you want to be in. Try to sit on the right hand side of the train (facing forward) for the best views.

- Depart Belgrave and enjoy the 50 minute journey to Emerald (60 minutes to Lakeside). There is a 10-12 minute stop at Menzies Creek for toilet and refreshments.

- During Summer I would highly reccomend going to Lakeside and taking a picnic lunch. Return train leaves at 2.20pm or 3.40pm from Lakeside, giving you plenty of time to explore the lake, have a bbq lunch and visit the playground.

- In Winter, I reccommend visiting Emerald. If it's not wet, then the playground is fun, otherwise the Emerald Bakery in the main street have fantastic food, coffee, hot chocolates and booth seats out the back. Also, the fruit shop across the road is great. Trains go back to Belgrave at 2.40pm or 3.55pm. There are toilets at the station.

- Once you are back in Belgrave, walk up to the main street and visit Sushi Express. There is a toy box for the kids and a train delivering their food. If you are more in the mood for sweet, Chocolate Sensation has amazing cakes and be sure to pick yourself up some chia or olive bread. If food is not on your radar, pick up the car and drive to Belgrave Park Lake for a runaround and explore.

For those of you keen to keep Puffing Billy on track, membership is a good, affordable way of helping out. This is a particularly viable option for people with big, extended families as you will recieve a 15% discount on all bookings made by that member.

For more information, visit the Puffing Billy website. Please double check timetable and fare information before planning your trip.

Tobogganing at Lake Mountain

Today we took the kids to see snow for the first time. Lake Mountain is only 90 minutes from our place, so that seemed the obvious place to go and chains are not required as with other ski resorts.

The kids were super excited and it was so lovely to see their faces at the first glimpse of snow. It is definitely one of my favourite activities we have done as a family.

Lake Mountain is a cross country ski resort and is the closest resort to Melbourne, making it perfect for tobogganing and snow play with young kids. Furthermore, Lake Mountain tourism supports the bushfire recovery effort.

Today there were two slopes open for tobogganing. The snow was quite icy but not too slippery and the slopes were gentle and short enough for our five and three year olds to manage on their own. Its certainly not the soft pure white snow cover you get at Bulla or Hotham, but the kids are none the wiser yet and they loved making us run up and down pushing them faster and faster - exhausting work, so a few hours on the mountain is probably ample with under fives.

Costs

Vehicle Entry is $40 midweek ($30 online) and $49 weekends/public holidays/school holidays ($40 online).

Chains - these are only required in certain conditions. Its worth ringing the hotline on the morning of your visit and checking the snow report and road conditions - 03 5957 7232

Hire - The best deals are in Buxton,Narbethong and Marysville where you can get overpants, boots & toboggan hire for $16 per child. The same thing is $30 on the mountain.

Food - There is a restaurant on the mountain that has hot food and drinks, and plenty of bakeries and cafes along the way. For a nice sit-down lunch, Innocent Bystander in Healesville is kid friendly and has fantastic pizza and tapas. The York on Lilydale is a good dinner option with kids as it has an indoor playroom and kids meal deals.

Ways to save money

Op Shop Ski Gear - Knowing we would probably visit the snow this season, I have been trawling the op shops for a few weeks, stocking up on warm and wet gear. They may not be the most attractive options, but they did the trick and the kids will outgrow them by next season. There are some good op shops in Healesville if you haven't got everything you need, plus the $2 shop have cheap kids snow gloves.

Self catering - we stocked up at the IGA in Coldstream on snacks, drinks and sandwich things and these kept the kids entertained in the car on the way up, plus the treats proved useful up the mountain.

Hardware Stores - I've seen a few hardware stores that sell toboggans for $20-30, This could be worthwhile if you will use them again - great for the slipperly slide in summer.

For further information, visit the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort website.

A fun way to warm up after a day at the snow is with a Glow Stick Bath.

Carriage Cafe in Seville

Nestled in bushland about an hour from the city on the Warburton Trail, this unique café is fantastic for young families and makes a perfect venue for lunch on a sunny day.

Inspired by its location on the old Lilydale to Warburton railway, the café is housed in the shell of an old railway carriage complete with private booth seating and sliding windows. Accessible by a ramp and stairs, the train is raised up on stilts to align with the large undercover ‘platform’ offering spacious alfresco dining overlooking the open pavement and grass areas below. In this lower area, you are invited to park your bike, tie up the dog, tether your horse, or just let the kids run around whilst you enjoy a relaxing lunch up on the deck. There a couple of ride-ons to borrow and a toy box to keep the little ones entertained.

The last train to come through here was in 1965, however the railway theme is alive and well at The Carriage Cafe. Sitting out on the deck watching the cyclists and pedestrians arrive along the trail and the sheep grazing in the surrounding paddocks, you could well forget the time passed since that last train rolled into Seville Station.

Taking your order at the ‘ticket booth’, the staff are genial and relaxed, and meals are delivered to the table with a smile. The menu is basic and fairly uninspired, but family friendly and affordable. For only $3.50, your kids will love the Station Master Lunch with a train shaped sandwich, choc iced cupcake and a glass of juice. Offerings for adults include egg & bacon pie, lamp wraps, focaccias, salads, steak sandwich and chilli con carne, plus a specials board for breakfast.

Parking is available near the old Seville station at the end of Station Road. This is about a four minute walk down the Warburton trail so pack the trikes and bikes and let the kids ride across the old railway bridge down the track to the café, waving to all the cyclists and horse riders along the way.

After lunch, the now grassed over Seville station makes a nice place to sit and watch the horses in the paddocks beyond. Also, there are plenty of great produce suppliers only a short drive away so make sure you pick up some fresh fruit and veg on your way home.

The Carriage Cafe is located in Seville, about an hour from Melbourne off the Warburton Highway.

A swim at Lysterfield Lake

Cnr Horswood Road and Logan Park Rd, Narre Warren North (melways ref. 108 D2)

I wasn't sure what to expect when my sister suggested we take the kids to Narre Warren North for a swim in the lake. I had never heard of Lysterfield Lake Park and I was amazed to discover it is a massive 3400 hectare nature reserve only 45 minutes from the city. Until the 1970's, Lysterfield Lake was a reservoir for the Mornington Peninsula. It was opened to the public in 1986 and then revamped with 20 kilometres of mountain bike tracks for the Commonwealth Games in 2006.

This is a great place to take the kids for a swim on a sunny day, especially if you don't want to get in yourself. There are two protected swimming bays with sandy beaches and a gradual increase in water depth. It is only a very short walk from the car to the beach and the water is warm and clear. It would be a great place for a mothers group catch up or a picnic with friends. My 18 month old, 3 year old and five year old all had a wonderful time paddling about with their cousins.

There are two large picnic areas along the lake shore with tables, toilets and bbq facilities. There are also some great bike tracks suitable for families, so it would be worth packing the bikes or just taking a walk with the pram.

Lysterfield Lake is open every day of the year from 8.30am. Access is from Horswwood Road which is off the Belgrave-Hallam Road. For further information, visit the Parks Victoria website - http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/lysterfield-park

U Pick Berries in Silvan

Blue Hills Berries and Cherries
27 Parker Road, Silvan (melways ref 121 F11)

This is a great activity to do with young kids before the weather gets too hot. The fields of Silvan are abundant with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries & cherries at the moment and blackberries will be arriving in the coming weeks. The kids will absolutely love finding the ripe fruit to pick and put in their container, or put straight in their mouths as is often the case. My two year old ended up with an empty container but a very berry grin. The older kids, on the other hand, loved building their stash to take home - and man do we have a lot of berries to eat!

I'd suggest that weekends would get crazy busy during November and December, so if you can go midweek this would be ideal - today we basically had the fields to ourselves. Whilst it is a steep site, it is manageable with a pram if you have the energy. My 1 year old was asleep in our double stroller so because it was so quiet I was able to leave him parked at the bottom of the rows whilst we picked.

Entry is $10 for adults, $5 for kids over 3 and under 3's are free. The berries you pick to take home are $10 per kilo and $15 per kilo for blueberries. There are also containers of pre-picked berries to buy.

Silvan is about 10 minutes drive from Monbulk at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Visit the Blue Hills website for further information.

NGV Kids Club Membership

This is a fantastic gift idea for the grandparents!

Created especially for the littlest of art lovers, NGV Kids Club encourages children from 0–11 years to experience the NGV Collection, kids’ gallery spaces and superb exhibitions in a fun and dynamic way.

Membership is $50 a year and members receive;

• A cool Crumpler NGV Kids Club back pack filled with wonderful goodies from Micador Group to inspire creative thinking
• An exclusive program each month for NGV Kids Club Members and their families. Artie Mouse and Sketch Glider lead the way for Explorers (0–5 years) and Adventurers (6–11 years) to discover exciting artworks, join in fun activities and create fantastic art
• Personalised Kids Club Membership card and Kids Club lanyard
• An Explorers or Adventurers Kids Club badge
• Discounts on all NGV Kids programs and events
• Free Sunday morning family exhibition viewings and workshops
• A quarterly NGV Kids e-news packed with information, activities and special offers
• 10% discount at NGV Shops, cafes and Persimmon restaurant
• $50 discount for NGV ‘Arty Parties’

How to become an NGV Kids Club Member?
1. In person at NGV International or The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
2. Call 8620 2233 / 8662 1522
3. Download the Kids Club membership form and post it to NGV Members, PO Box 7259, Melbourne VIC 8004

Please note that the NGV Kids Corner at Federation Square has been closed until further notice. However, the NGV Kids Space is now open at NGV International on St Kilda Road. The current exhibition in the NGV Kids Space is Kaleidoscope: Art and Colour.

There are some great activities coming up for under-fives at NGV Kids Space including Colour Mosaic, I can paint rainbows, Family Colour Ball, and TotSpot: Yellow if for happiness. Check website for details.

Explore-a-Saurus @ Scienceworks

Scienceworks Museum
Opens 1st June 2011

Last week my husband and I went to see Walking with Dinosaurs at Hisense Arena. We felt a little guilty not taking the kids, but given our four year old ran screaming from a man dressed up as a choc top at the movies recently, we weren't about to spend $100 a ticket to terrify her good and proper.

Anyway, after this amazing show, I am a little obsessed with dinosaurs and I can't wait for Explore-a-Saurus to open at Scienceworks. In the meantime, I am busy educating my two year old in all things dinosaur, which given my extensive knowledge goes something like "T-Rex goes RRROOOAAARRR!"

Hopefully we will have more to talk about after we see the Explore-a-saurus exhibition at Scienceworks. Featuring a number of animatronic models and interactive displays, this exhibition promises to take children and their families on a hands-on adventure into the world of dinosaurs and forensic palaeontology.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $6 Concession, $5 for kids (3-16yrs) and kids under three are free. Tickets include general admission to Scienceworks. For bookings call 131102 or visit the Scienceworks website.

Also see my general post on Scienceworks.

Peninsula Hot Springs

Springs Lane, Rye (melways ref 169 A11)

My son has never looked so clean. Indeed, after two hours of soaking in warm thermal pools at Peninsula Hot Springs in Rye, our whole family look shiny and new – quite a different picture to two hours earlier when we arrived fresh from Kmart in our bargain basement bathers – yes mummy forgot to pack the swimwear and yes it didn’t go down well with anyone!

Despite looking like we just stepped off a P&O cruise (especially mummy in her brighter than bright, tighter than tight, teenage bathers), we all had a great time at the Springs and its’ certainly a place I would recommend for the under-fives as long as you’re aware of its limitations and come prepared.

Firstly, It is an expensive place to visit as a family. For our family of five, it cost $90 - $30 for each adult, $15 for kids over 4, and $10 for under 4’s (including infants). For this reason, I would classify Peninsula Springs as a special treat activity. They also discourage prams, despite the lift and sufficient space to park them. One must remember that this is somewhere that most people come to relax, so you need to be conscious of your conduct as a young family and try to avoid the kind of behaviour that belongs at your local pool. This is not to say that you can’t have fun. The infant bathing area has a large shallow pool, surrounded by half wine barrel baths and large shells with taps. Our kids played happily in this area, drowning little iggle piggle and throwing a ball, without appearing to bother other patrons. Even in the other pools, with their abundance of women and eastern European men, the kids were happily received. It helps that most under fours wouldn’t reach the bottom in the adult pools so they are in your arms and more easily subdued. The reflexology walk (a shallow riverbank with different stones underfoot) and the cave pool were a favourite with our family, but on a cold day, the 38 degree pool may seem a little warm for infants.

Ideally this is the place you would visit as a couple with one child under-five for, in this scenario, you would both get the opportunity to explore the not so child-friendly options such as the Turkish steam bath, and avoid the need for a pram.

Peninsula Hot Springs is open every day from 7.30am to 10pm. Bookings are not required for the public bathing area. For further information, visit the Peninsula Hot Springs website or contact them on 5950 8777.

Kids Events @ State Library of Victoria

Toddler Tours
Thursday 14 April 2011, 10:30am - 11:30am
Thursday 12 May 2011, 10:30am - 11:30am
Come dressed as your favourite picture-book character for a discovery tour of the Look! exhibition, then join in the fun of storytime with rhymes, stories and songs. This activity is recommended for children aged one to five years. Bookings are not required. Meet in front foyer of main entrance - 328 Swanston Street.Free event.

The Big Read
Sunday 10 April from 10:15am to 11:30am.
This free event in the Library forecourt is a world record attempt for the largest number of children reading with an adult. Bookings are not required, but you do need to register by emailing vic@cbca.org.au or phoning 1300 360 436.

Children's Book Festival
Sunday 3rd April, 10am - 4pm
Join your favourite authors and illustrators on the State Library lawns for a celebration of childrens books and lots of fun activities including puppet shows, readings, music and magic.

For more information on these and other events, visit the State Library of Victoria website.

NGV Kids Club

In May this year, the NGV turns 150 and to celebrate they will become one of the few galleries in the world to have a dedicated kids membership. The Kids Club is designed to encourage the littlest of art lovers to engage with the NGV and experience their collection and exhibitions in a fun and interesting way.

As part of the launch, the NGV are calling all budding artists to help launch the Kids Club. They are inviting children from preschool age up to eleven years to create an image that will feature on the NGV Kids Club Membership card, associated merchandise and other promotional material. For further info and an application form, click here.

Montrose Community Playground

951 Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd, Montrose
Melways 52 D8

Built in 2008 by over 1000 volunteers, this community playground is fantastic and its a great place to catch up with friends with kids of different ages. My kids loved the insect and tractor springers, the birds nest swings and the fire engine. They also enjoyed playing amongst the shop fronts and running along the ramps. It is a large playground but it is relatively easy to keep an eye on multiple kids if you choose a good spot to sit and there are plenty of bench seats at your disposal. There's not, however, a great deal of shade so you might want to time your visit accordingly or pile on the sunscreen.

It is likely that the kids will want to stay for quite a while, so it might be worth grabbing a coffee at the bakery in the small group of shops towards Canterbury Road, or at Hahndorfs Chocolate Shop towards Mt Dandenong. If you are visiting later in the day and want to have an early dinner here with friends, the montrose fish n'chip shop is supposed to be good.

This would be a great venue for a birthday party and the hall next to the playground is available for hire at a charge of $50 for three hours. Otherwise there are several tables around the playground with bbqs but no shelter.

Montrose is located at the foot of The Dandenongs and is best accessed via Canterbury Road.

The Montrose Community Playground came about thanks to a local mum. Read her story here - http://www.yarrarangeslearning.net.au/PageBuilder/page.php?id=65

Monash Aquatic and Recreation Centre

626 Waverley Road, Glen Waverley (between Blackburn and Springvale roads)

This a great place to go for a family swim or a bit of water play with your little one. The large glass aquatic centre includes;
- a 25 metre indoor heated pool.
- a 50 metre outdoor heated pool.
- Victoria's largest 40 metre heated indoor wave pool
- a 20m heated hydrotherapy pool
- Spa, dry sauna and steam room facilities
- Several Toddler Play Pools with water squirting frogs, a tunnel and a bubbles section.

There is also a creche if you want to have a swim yourself, a cafe and a wellness centre.

Entry prices for a swim only are $5.60 for adults and $4.40 for children over 2. The centre is open from 6am to 9pm weekdays, 8am to 7pm weekends and 9am to 6pm on public holidays. The creche costs $8.70 per child for an 80 minute session. For creche bookings call 9265 4888 and for further information, visit the MARC website.

Herring Island Summer Arts Festival

15th January - 26th April (weekends & Australia Day)
Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park

This could be a nice picnic idea for a summers day. Tucked away on the Yarra River in Toorak, Herring Island is accessible only by boat and is a haven for wildlife. The Herring Island Gallery, which is a converted scout hall, are running a number of exhibitions over Summer, including sculpture, ceramics, photography and basketmaking.

Access to Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park & Gallery is by Parks Victoria’s punt service which operates on weekends and on Australia Day from 11am to 5pm from the Como Landing (Melway Map 2M C2). The charge for this service is $2 for adults or $5 for families.

For more information, visit the Herring Island Summer Arts Festival website

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

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.

Toddler Tuesdays @ Werribee Zoo

Every Tuesday, Werribee Open Range Zoo have dedicated activities for the under five age group. Activities include;

JUNIOR SAFARI
An energetic 35-minute safari bus tour for young children and their families. The tours feature puppets, music and lots of animal action. 11.15am and 12.15pm. Free with zoo entry but bookings reguired - 1300 9667 842.

VILLAGE DANCE PARTY
Tiny tots and the young at heart can dance, sing and laugh in the zoo's highly interactive musical dance theatre. Special zoo songs, written by Melbourne musician Lamine Sonko, encourage children to play bongos, wiggle hips, stamp feet and 'call animals to water'. This section is open Monday to Friday 10am-2pm. Free with zoo entry and no bookings required.

MINI ZOO KEEPERS
Children can enjoy a 90-minute zoo adventure with face-to-face encounters with meerkats, frogs, lizards, snakes and possums, and then go behind-the-scenes and feed our beautiful giraffe. 9.30am-11am. Children and adults $40 (1 child must be accompanied by 1 adult). Bookings required - 1300 9667 842.

Unfortunately my daughter has occasional care on tuesdays so we won't be getting to this until the holiday period. Looks like great fun though so love to hear what it's like. For more information on Toddler Tuesdays, visit the Zoos Victoria website

Churchill Island Family Fun Festival

Churchill Island - Phillip Island
Easter Weekend

This is definitely one to keep in mind for next year.

Just off the coast of Phillip Island, Churchill Island is an historic working farm that provides the perfect setting for this traditional family fun festival. Activities include wagon rides, a three-legged race, plaster painting and a Punch & Judy show, as well as wool spinning, wood crafting, sheep shearing and blacksmith demonstrations. There are lots of farm animals, a lovely kitchen garden and plenty of open space for a picnic and/or play. The absence of commercial rides and fast food options is refreshing and we found it to be a fun, relaxing and affordable event which the kids thoroughly enjoyed.

Parking is available on the Island. Admission costs $10 for adults and $5 for children over four. For more information, visit Phillip Island Nature Parks

A Farmers Market is held here on the fourth saturday of each month and this could also be worth a visit

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