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.

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.

The Otways with Kids

This fantastic post on The Otways is courtesy of Romy Mangan, mother to three children aged 6, 5 and 3. The Otways are located on the Great Ocean Road, about three hours drive from Melbourne.



During the recent July school holidays my family and I decided it was time to get away and occupy the kids with more than the usual round of museums and parks. So I booked us a short get away to the Otways , one of my favourite locations in Victoria. I hadn’t been back since I was pregnant with my 6 year old and have since added a 5 and a 3 year old to the mix so I was looking forward to visiting with them.

Booking couldn’t have been easier, there are many websites to choose from but I selected www.stayz.com for last minute deals. I was delighted to find a two bedroom cottage that was self catering and would be perfect for our needs. So we packed our bags with plenty of warm clothes and gumboots and off we went to our cottage, Nellie Nook which is located in Lavers Hill on the Great Ocean Road.

It is a 3 hour trip from the Eastern Suburbs so I knew we would need to stop for a break and something to eat. We chose the Winchelsea Shire Hall Tea Rooms. It was pleasant and very affordable and provided good food and plenty of space for the kids to run off some steam before we headed back on our journey. On the way we played counting coloured cars, I spy, I went on a picnic and took a….., which always ends in something silly and usually with my kids something involving a bodily function. But it kept them occupied until we got there.

Neal (the owner of Nellie Nook) was there to greet us and had lit the wood heater for us. He was a great host and took us off on a walk around his property which has some woods and a small waterfall. There is also a damn with frogs in it. When we got back he presented us with homemade bread which we scoffed in about 2 minutes.
We then took off for an exploration of Lavers Hill, which to be fair is set in beautiful surrounds but doesn’t offer the kids much so we headed for Hopetoun Falls. There are many waterfalls in the area abut we chose this as we knew our kids would make the walk there and back.

The falls were great and the kids were amazed at sound of the crashing water. A huge tree had fallen into the falls and the kids loved this as it showed the scale and power of the waterfall. They made the walk there and back up the many steps without a moan. Great!

We stopped in Lavers Hill at the motel for dinner. Unfortunately the menu selection wasn’t great and the food though ample in size was just OK, however if the kids were asked the same they would say thumbs up to the chips and sausage rolls for dinner. Our next adventure was to see the Glow Worms which were only a 3 minute drive away in Melba Gully Visit Victoria Glow Worms.

By 6 o’clock it was pitch black so we needed our torches to walk the 10 minutes to where the glow worms are. Neal had given us directions so we knew where we were going; otherwise I think we might have wandered off. The lights of the worms were just lovely and looked like twinkling fairy lights in the trees. After this it was back for a movie and cosy up on the sofa.

Next day we were up and about exploring Nellie Nook again and then we bundled everyone in to the car and set off to Otway Fly Tree Top Walk. This place is great. The Kookaburras were calling on arrival and helped to build the kids expectations from minute one. We booked the Tree Top walk which cost around $50. There is a zip fly wire tour but our kids were too young and also due to the cost, we thought we would wait until they were older and would appreciate it more. The walk through the forest is beautiful with huge gums towering above and the freshest air I’ve ever breathed. We then came to the dinosaur trail. It is a walk that the kids and we loved. There are replica models of various favourite dinosaurs, including Stegosaurus, Triceratops and T Rex. Along this part of the walk there were plenty of really good photo opportunities, we had great fun posing with the dinosaurs. After this walk it was on to the tree tops. If you are afraid of heights this may not be for you but it is perfectly safe and gets you up really high. The kids went charging on and climbed the tower pretending it was a spaceship. My youngest struggled a bit so she needed a shoulder ride from time to time but was able to cope very well.

We had a snack in the cafe which was well priced and went on to Apollo Bay. On our way there we saw a pod of migrating whales. This was the highlight of the trip for me. The kids loved it too but then got fed up with that and played on the beach in the winter sunshine. We had lunch in Apollo Bay and went for stroll. It was busy but it’s a lovely seaside town with plenty of shops to browse through if you don’t have impatient little ones in tow.

From here we headed to the 12 Apostles. We went to the visitor centre but our kids weren’t interested in the geology of the area and got bored on the walk. I tried to liven it up by telling stories of shipwrecks and also about the penguins but they were over it so we headed back to our cottage. Maybe when they get older we will take them back. We saw heaps of Kangaroos on the drive back but sadly no wombats.

The next day we went to Johanna beach (Map for Johanna Beach) and went to the second car park which is closer to the river and if you fancy it can be an option for going for more explorations along its banks. We didn’t do it this time as the kids wanted to play on the beach. My two older boys got drenched playing in the rock pools and chasing waves. Great fun but I was glad they had a change of clothing. We also found huge cuttle fish bones washed up, the kids took home and have now been painted in technicolour glory!

On our way back to Melbourne we decided to stop off at Werribee Zoo. We have been here lots of times as we are Friends of the Zoo but thought as it was on our way it was a great choice for a break and dinner. The Zoo didn’t disappoint with the two highlights being the gorillas that were very active and in full view and the lions were right up next to the glass too. On the safari bus the rhinos were really close and in fact the bus had to move along to keep out of their way.

We got home tired and thinking that we must get down to the Otways again very soon.

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.

Dads n' Lads and Dads n' Daughters Adventure Weekends

Churchill Island, Phillip Island
Dads n' Lads - 11th/12th February 2012 (4-7 year olds)
Dads n' Daughters - 17th/18th March 2012 (4 to 7 year olds)

This sounds like great fun and a wonderful bonding opportunity for dads.

Ditch the TV, computer games, mobile phones and get back to basics with a weekend of action packed activities. Spend quality time with your child in the great outdoors of Phillip Island and enjoy the activities for both young and old.

Activities include: camping at Churchill Island Heritage Farm – sleep under the stars, tell tales round the campfire and enjoy a BBQ dinner and big breakfast (*own tent required)
- join a ranger for a rock pool ramble and beachcomb
- take part in the farming activities at Churchill Island Heritage Farm
- get competitive with the old time games
- visit the Koala Conservation Centre and see little penguins at the world-famous Penguin Parade.

The cost is $165 all inclusive (dinner, breakfast & activities for one adult & one child). $65 per extra child.

Bookings and information, contact Jade Cranton Tel: 5951 2802 or email jcranton@penguins.org.au

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.

Cubbyhouse Canteen

Cubbyhouse Canteen – 43A Union Street, Armadale

One big chocolate grin. Two big marshmallow eyes. And what's that on the spoon.....its a BEAR!

The babychino at Cubbyhouse Canteen is seriously cute. As are their Humpty Dumpty eggs with smiley faces and little knitted hats, and their toastie soldiers served on puzzle plates. Indeed, there are plenty of things here that will make your kids smile.

Sharing its premises with the Malvern Tennis Club in the back streets of Armadale, Cubbyhouse Canteen is the kind of place that I imagine locals would want to keep to themselves. Located next to Union Street Park with its large open grass area and fully enclosed playground, the café incorporates its own gated deck area and toddler friendly playground, as well as on-site toilets and a cosy interior adorned playfully with small tables, a tree mural, jam jars with plants growing inside and a crate of dinosaurs. The ‘hole in the wall’ to the rear of the café, services the park area so there is no need to sit inside if it’s a sunny day, and why not bring the dog down for a run as well. This truly is an all-purpose family destination.

The menu is simple but very tasty and they do all day breakfasts on weekends. They also do healthy kids dinners from Monday to Thursday at 5pm for $8.50 per head. Offerings include lasagne, tuna mornay, fried rice with sticky chicken drummettes, spaghetti bolognese and shepherd's pie. These are served in noodle boxes so you can take them out into the park for a picnic dinner with friends.

Every Tuesday, there are story-time sessions at Cubbyhouse Canteen from 9.30-10.30am for $20 per child/parent and $10 per additional child (cost includes coffee, babychino and light morning tea). Bookings are essential as places are limited. For details visit the My Little Bookcase website.

The Cubbyhouse Canteen website is not yet up and running, but for dinner bookings, text the number of people to 0421173886 or email knockknock@cubbyhousecanteen.com.au

Anakie Fairy Park

2388 Balllan Road, Anakie

A day at Anakie Fairy Park and lunch at Denny’s was my perfect day as a child. Where else could you see funny little characters chugging mugs of beer and eating bowls of porridge in a dated but familiar setting. Yes that may well have been Dennys, but the Fairy Park was a most wondrous place as well and I always recall our family outings there with a smile.

Located in Anakie, one hour west of Melbourne and half an hour from Geelong, this theme park is bound to delight your little ones the same way it did my childhood self, although perhaps now they may see it a little differently. We didn’t have Toy Story back then remember, and dioramas were still considered pretty cool, not to mention the whole’ look don’t touch’ theory when it came to museum exhibits and family friendly entertainment. The world has changed, our kids now expect fully tactile, surround sound, 3D experiences even when it comes to the imaginary world of fairy tales, and as such this place may not live up to their expectations. However, you will be surprised, in spite of all this, how they engage with the age old love of button pushing and the joy of seeing their favourite fairy tale characters come to life, in a setting a that is entirely devoted to the imagination and not to some modern perspective of how we see the world.

As such, my first piece of advice for parents with under-fives is to come prepared. Whilst the Fairy Park is pram-friendly, it is not necessarily toddler friendly unless you have another adult in tow. Being a steep site, there are plenty of places a newly-footed toddler can tumble. The Camelot Playground is a signature of our childhood, not theirs, so best not to go sipping lattes whilst the kids are at play because, if your kids are anything like mine, they will be end up in strife. I know that this sounds like a lot of work, but I assure you the Fairy Park is well worth a visit with under-fives as long as you are up to the challenge.

Let me take you through the journey because getting to the Fairy Park is part of the fun. After driving along long country roads that seem to go on forever, you finally see the words FAIRY PARK up on the hill and an entrance flanked by a giant Gulliver. At the ticket booth, the owner of the park pokes a Daffy Duck on a stick out the window with a map in its beak. If you hand him a $50 note, Daffy passes you your change in a pre-prepared snap lock bag. Up the hill you will find ample parking and a bunch of picnic spots, both indoors and outdoors. They provide a good waking up spot after a long drive and I’d suggest you bring your own food as options on-site are dismal for the under-fives. From here you follow the yellow brick road up into Fairy Tale Land where you will discover funny little houses tucked into the hill. Here live all your favourite fairy tale characters such as Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and The Three Little Pigs. Push the button beside the window and the fairy tale scenes come to life in true 70’s fashion. As an adult, be ready to laugh at the ‘promotional’ bears picnic and the Goldilocks audio in which she offers her pocket money in payment for her misdemeanours, but be wary of the big bad wolf, he’s a little bit scary perhaps for our precious, Disney-diet offsprings.

The view from Elephant Rock is impressive, and if you visit in August or September the fields below will be covered in a big yellow blanket of canola. Best of all, the Camelot Playground is lots of fun with a seriously scary giant slide, spinning pod, and old-school play equipment. Just keep an eye on dad, he might enjoy it more than the kids!

Before your visit I recommend visiting the Fairy Park website as they have a pdf of the most direct route. I went on directions from whereis which took us through Little River and this was quite a roundabout route but scenic if you want the kids to have a sleep on the way.

If the kids aren't too tired after your visit, I'd reccomend driving into Geelong and having fish n'chips on the foreshore and a play in Rippleside Park.

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

Danks St Playgrounds & Plum Garland Memorial Park

Danks Street Playgrounds, Albert Park
1. Cnr Victoria Av & Danks Street
2. Cnr Mills Street & Danks Street

This is a fantastic outing with the kids on a sunny day. Start out on Victoria Av picking up supplies at the IGA or grabbing a coffee from one of the cafes near Danks Street. Then head to the Danks St/Victoria Av playground where you can relax or catch up with friends whilst the kids explore the toddler-friendly playspaces and equipment including a birds nest swing (pictured above). Located on the median strip and fully fenced, this is a great playground for under-fives and a nice spot to just hang out with the kids. There is a good table setting for lunch and several bench seats with good visibility of the whole playground. From here you can walk down Danks Street and visit the other playground near the corner of Mills Street. This is another great playspace and it features a rocking tram that the kids will love.


Plum Garland Memorial Playground
Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park (near Victoria Av)

Now its time for a walk. Put the kids in the pram and head up Mills Street, cross over Beaconsfield Parade and walk along the beach until you come to the Plum Garland Memorial Park near Victoria Av. This is a great playground for under-fives as its right on the beach and well covered with shade sails. Being all sand means the kids can kick off their shoes and you don't have to worry about the little ones falling over and hurting themselves. My kids loved the wooden boat with its wheel house and passenger seats, plus the cubby structure where they could scoop up the sand and haul it up to the top level via a pulley system. Being right on the beach means this site can get a bit windy and of course quite hot on a sunny day, but its a great spot and the kids will love it. If you're still there at dinner time, it would be worth checking out the fish n' chip shops on Victoria Av. Otherwise take a walk down Victoria Av to Bridport Street or to St Vincent Gardens where there is another great playground and some nice picnic spots.

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

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

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